November 27
As the students started on dinner, silence suddenly reigned over the hall as Dumbledore and two women in cloaks entered. They walked up the middle and onto the stage. The older of the two women removed her hood, but she motioned for the younger to leave hers on for the moment.
"May I have your attention? Due to some... difficult circumstances, yet another American student will be joining our school to finish her education. She and the Headmistress of our sister school arrived a few minutes ago. She has already been sorted into Gryffindor."
When the cheers and groans died down, Dumbledore continued, "Please welcome Professor Terese Lodell, headmistress of The Salem Institute of the Art of Wizardry, in Salem, Massachusetts, USA." (sorry about the "of"s)
There was some polite applause as the woman bowed. Sephie elbowed her sister in the ribs and hissed, "Hey, it's old Lowdy! Wonder which ditz she's sending us... I know, thank God, that it's not Loretta DeVine. She's a Scorpion.... equivalent of a Slytherin. Nasty little..."
"Sephie!"
"What?"
"We would KNOW who she is if you hadn't been talking a minute ago when they announced her name!" said Hermie irritably.
"Well, ssooorrrryyyy!"
Ron interrupted, " Shut UP, you two! Honestly! You're worse than Fred and George!"
They turned, said, "Thank you," simultaneously, and went back to their bickering. That is, until the girl removed her cloak and Sephie got a glimpse of her face.
"OH MY GOD!!!!!!" Sephie jumped up and ran toward the stage.
The girl's head snapped around at the sound of the voice, and her eyes widened. She leapt off the stage and ran right into Sephie, grabbing her in a hug.
"Sephie!"
"Lexi?! What on Earth are YOU doing here?"
The school watched in astonishment as the American girls hugged.
Dumbledore, however, was watching with amusement the reaction of Lodell. She turned very white at the sight of Sephie. He realized that Minerva was talking to him.
"...Honestly, they should show some semblance of decorum... never... well, ALMOST never... in my life have I seen such utter disregard of rules...."
"Oh, Minerva, calm down, please. Are you really that surprised?"
His attention was diverted again at the sight of Harry, Ron , and the three girls approaching Professor Lodell.
~Wait until Terese realizes...~
"T-Two of THEM?" stuttered Lodell.
The five of them were lined up, grinning widely at the Professor's discomfort.
"Pleased to meet you, Professor," said Hermie sweetly.. in a perfect mimic of her sister's NY accent. The others looked at her in surprise.. except for Sephie, who was laughing with her diligent pupil. They had worked hard to perfect each other's accents.
Finally, Dumbledore stepped in.
"Girls, Harry, Ron... if you'll take Alexia back to Gryffindor table for some dinner please.... Miss Varen, I'll be talking to you afterwards, however, so please remain in the Great Hall."
"Of course, Professor Dumbledore, sir," said Alexia in an "it wasn't me" voice she had perfected a long time ago. She gave him a brilliant smile and a wave as they went back to the table, where the Weasley twins had produced another chair. Alexia inspected it before sitting down, rolled her eyes, and removed something from the chair. The twins' smiles fell. She snorted, "Amateurs," before sitting down in a chair she conjured herself, for safety's sake. The twins... both sets... were laughing now, and Harry and Ron were besides themselves. Harry gave her a high five.
"I'm so sorry, Dumbledore, but this is the safest place for her... if there was any way possible to have her in another school I would have done so, her and Granger in the same school are too much..." The woman was babbling now.
"Not Granger."
The woman froze at that statement, as Dumbledore knew she would.
"What on Earth are you talking about, not Granger?
"Well.... ah, Remus, Ally! Just the people I wanted to see! This is Terese, Sephie's old Headmistress. Terese, may I introduce Remus and Ally Lupin... Hermione and Persephone's parents."
Lodell managed to keep her jaw from scraping the floor as she shook their hands.
"Pleased to meet you. Although... it seems as if our daughter was a bit of a troublemaker?" asked Ally innocently while her husband smirked at her.
Lodell held back nothing. "A BIT! She and Alexia were the worst! Quicksand in the hallways, (sorry, Camille, but I just LOVE that one!) blew up classrooms, bewitched desks, charmed cauldrons, cursed doors.... they even forced two of my best teachers into early retirement!"
The two adult Lupins smiled.
"Well, Terese, I... and my STAFF... have had a bit of experience with troublemakers. I'm sure we can
handle it."
Remus and Ally had the grace to look embarrassed. Terese took one look at their guilty faces and buried her own in her hands, moaning, "Oh dear God."
Soon, though, the students were drifting back to their common rooms, Lodell made her excuses and left, and Dumbledore was left in the Great Hall with Lexi.
They went up to his office. As soon as they entered Alexia blurted out, "Professor Dumbledore, sir, I must admit I haven't been completely honest with you about..."
"I know, Miss Black."
She sighed with relief. "Thank God. You know."
"I've known since the day your name appeared in the Book. I must caution you, however, about a few things. First of all, I know you and Miss Lupin... Sephie.. are quite close, and you will most likely become friends with Harry, Ron, and Hermione as well. Being your father's godson, they visit him quite frequently."
"Padfoot," she chuckled.
"Exactly. Now... it shall be entirely up to you when... or if... you tell your friends the truth, but don't DELIBERATELY tell your father... or mother... yet."
Alexia bit her lip. "I HATE lying, Professor Dumbledore. However... however, I know that in this case I must, even though it's simply omission. They think I'm an orphan. Well, they'll think it for a while longer, at least until after Christmas break."
"Wise decision, Miss Bl-Varen. Now, I believe there are six people anxiously awaiting your arrival in the Gryffindor common room. I'll take you down, come along."
"The password's "Quidditch Cup," said Dumbledore. "Pleasant dreams, Miss Varen."
"As with you, Professor." She wearily climbed into the portrait hole, where, true to Dumbledore's words, six teens sat in a semi-circle in front of the fireplace.
"Lexi!"
"Why, good evening, Miss Lupin," said Lexi, a ghost of a smile on her haggard face.
"Oh, yeah, that. Well, seems you have a lot to catch up on. Come on."
The twins, Harry and the three Weasleys drew her into the warm semi circle. Lexi and Sephie glanced at each other. The single thought shared between the two was, ~It's going to be a LONG night!~
The next morning, Lexi stumbled out of bed.
"God, I hate changing time zones," she mumbled. The twins came bopping into the room, laden with treats stolen from the kitchens.
"Morning, Lexi," they sang out.
"How are you this fine f****** morning," she growled. Herm shrank back slightly, but Sephie bounced onto Lexi's bed and dumped the treats onto it as well.
"Welcome to your new hunting grounds, Lex," said Hermione, dumping her cargo as well.
Lexi smiled and reached for a cauldron cake, good humor restored. "Well, my dears, I thank you, but I need some info. What's the scoop on this school?"
As they munched on the snacks and gave her the rundown, Harry and Ron hollered from the bottom of the steps, "Are you girls coming down any time this century?"
Lexi bounced over to the door and sang out, "If you don't want us to come down in our PJ's, you have to wait a few minutes!"
Sephie muttered, "Oh, god, she's on a sugar high!"
"Your fault, Sephie," said Lexi as she went into the bathroom to change. When she came out, hair in two braided pigtails, the three girls went downstairs, where the boys were waiting.
"Morning, girls," said Harry, Ron echoing him.
"Hey, guys!" said Lexi. Harry looked sharply at the twins. "Did she have sugar this morning?"
Sephie sighed, pushing a stray curl out of her face. "Yup. I forgot what it does to her. Lexi! Chill, girl, we have Snape first, and while you may be happy, he'll find some way to take points off of Gryffindor for... for excessive cheeriness."
Lexi immediately sobered. "Fine. But I'm not hungry anymore."
Harry took her arm and steered her toward the portrait hole. "Then you can sit and chew our ears off while we eat," he said, sighing.
"Ok!"
"Lexi, you're acting like a cheerleader on caffeine. Calm down!"
"Eww, cheerleaders!"
"What's wrong with cheerleaders?"
"Lexi despises them... they wouldn't let her on the team in our Muggle school cause she didn't smile enough."
"D@#^ straight I wouldn't. Why do I have to smile all the time?"
"Never mind, Lex. Let's go."
The five met the Weasley twins halfway down, who apparently were coming back from some trick on the Slytherins.
"Morning, boys!" waved Lexi as they passed them.
Remembering the girl's antics the night before, they waved back cheerfully... and didn't realize that when they turned back around, a quick wave of Lexi's wand left their hair the most neon pink you could imagine. As they continued on their way, Sephie hissed, "Short work, but effective, Lex. Nice for a first mark."
"Short and sweet, my dear twins. Short and SWEET... for us, that is."
The girls exchanged high fives. The boys grinned at her.
"Almost as bad as Snuffles," muttered Harry.
Lexi took that as a compliment silently. She knew, of course, her father's various codenames, and was flattered Harry thought of him so quickly. However, warning bells went off in her head. Harry would make the connection first, she was almost sure... and when he found out, she would do nothing to correct him, except warn that the others must find out in their own way and time.
Entering the Great Hall, a tall (well, taller than her, which wasn't saying much) boy with hair so blonde it was white caught her eye, and she let her eyes follow him. His smirk was smug, one used to obedience.
~A challenge,~ thought Lexi wickedly, leaning forward. As he reached a table, she nudged Sephie and whispered,
"Who's that? He's hot!"
Sephie followed the direction of Lexi's eyes and choked on a biscuit.
"HIM?!" she sputtered, drawing attention to the two.
"Yes, him," she hissed.
Sephie lowered her voice considerably and hissed back, "That's DRACO MALFOY!"
"So THAT'S Draco Malfoy," she whispered half to herself, eyes still on him. Sitting down, Malfoy realized that someone was watching him. He glanced around until he spotted the raven haired Gryffindor. He looked her over carefully, aware she was following every move with her own eyes. Their eyes met, and Lexi smirked at the all too familiar look on his face. He reciprocated with the smirk which had become his trademark.
"Oh, Lexi, don't get any ideas," begged Sephie abruptly.
"Aw, but my ideas are always so much fun!" she pouted playfully.
"Not this one, Lex, trust me. He's a Slytherin!"
"And I care... why?"
"The others won't like it."
"Again, remind me when I started caring what others thought."
Interpreting correctly Sephie's silence as a loss of an answer, Lexi calmly went back to her ketchup and eggs.
After dodging the furious Weasley twins and a pestering Sephie, Alexia made her way up to her dorm for a forgotten Potions text. Snape would relish the chance to give her detention first day.
Still in a good mood, she started humming "Cool Rider*" She looked around carefully. No one.
So you really want to know
What I want in a guy
Well I'm looking for a dream on a mean machine
With hell in his eyes
I want a devil in skin tight leather
He's gonna be wild as the wind
And one fine night
I'll be holding on tight to a
Co oo oo ol rider
A co oo oo ol rider
If he's cool enough
He can burn me through and through
Ooohhhhh
If it takes forever
Then I'll wait forever
No ordinary boy, no ordinary boy is gonna do
I want a rider that's cool
Draco Malfoy, one pale eyebrow raised, watched with interest from the safety of the shadows as Alexia danced. They had eyed each other through breakfast, and she had asked about him, judging from Lupin's reaction.
~Well, well. Chalk up another fan for Potter,~ he thought sardonically... but with a pang of surprising regret.
~Stop that!~ he ordered his mind sharply. Despite himself he caught himself peering around the corner at her. As she executed a fast spin, Malfoy caught a glimpse of thin legs clad only in combat boots and fishnet stockings. His other eyebrow shot up. Not accustomed to certain... articles... of Muggle dress, Malfoy's smirk... and his jaw... dropped quite quickly. Now he, despite the corner of his mind yelling at him, started following her stealthily as she moved out of sight.
That's the way it's gonna be
That's the way at I feel
I want a whole lot more
Than the boy next door
I want hell on wheels
Just give me a fly motorcycle
With a mad roller riding the seat
Then move aside
Cause I'm gonna ride
With a
Co oo oo ol rider
A co oo oo ol rider
If he's cool enough
He can burn me through and through
Ooohhhhh
If it takes forever
Then I'll wait forever
No ordinary boy, no ordinary boy is gonna do
I want a rider that's cool
Suddenly Malfoy realized that Lexi's shoelace was untied... but too late. As she finished a spin, over the lace she fell. Of course, since fate's favorite game is to screw with our heads, she landed.... not on cold, hard, stone, but in Draco Malfoy's arms.
"Hi," she said calmly, looking up at him.
"Hello," he answered back coolly, letting her go.
"Were you spying on me?" she asked quickly, color faintly tinting her cheeks for a moment.
"Not exactly," he answered as she straightened her robes.
"Well, let's become properly introduced, shall we? Alexia Varen."
"Draco Malfoy."
He took her outstretched hand... and she tightened her grip.
"Didn't your parent teach you it's not nice to spy on people?"
"My parents didn't teach me much at all," he said, his pale face showing no signs of the pain he must have been feeling as bones started snapping in his hand.
~Liar,~ he thought wryly. ~ My father taught me how to tolerate pain.~
"Lesson #1, then: Never spy on me."
"Duly noted. I'll ask permission before I watch you dance and sing," he said solemnly. She let go of his hand. It was very red and limp, since most of the bones were broken.
"Very well done, Draco. I believe I'll see you at lunch?
"Most likely. And Alexia?"
She turned back to him. "Yes?"
"You might want to tie your shoe." She threw him a brilliant smile and plopped onto the floor. Her boots reaching the knee, she had to pull her robes to almost her waist, revealing more leg and a velvet miniskirt. (Ok, she might have pulled them a LITTLE higher than necessary... *snicker*)
Draco struggled to make his breathing and expression as impassive as possible before she looked up and succeeded... although his heart was beating SLIGHTLY faster than he would have liked.
"Thanks," she said as she declined the offer of his good hand to help her up. She dropped her robes back down and once again straightened them. "See you later?"
"Sure. Bye." He held his broken hand gently and stared after the girl in amazement.
"Damn," he breathed softly before starting up to Madame Pomfrey.
All was quiet in the hall for about five minutes until a cat with spectacular markings about the eyes jumped from an overhead beam to the floor. The cat seemed to look around for a moment, then turned into Professor McGonagall. Looking very distracted and worried, she moved in the direction of her office, apparently lost in thought.
At lunch Lexi had the distinct feeling of someone watching her. She turned to see Draco's eyes upon her. She nodded to him with a smile, and he bowed in acquiescence, an identical smile on his face.
Sephie nudged her and hissed, "Did Malfoy just BOW to you?"
At Lexi's confident grin Sephie let out a wolf whistle and howled, "Oh, Lexi's on the PROWL!"
Lexi good naturedly splashed pumpkin juice into her face. Sephie came up sputtering.
"Hey!"
"You deserved it," she said serenely.
Suddenly Harry burst out, "Why is that git staring at our table?"
Around a mouthful of her sandwich Lexi replied, "One, he is staring at ME. Two, it's probably because I broke his hand before. Three, I don't see the big deal, and, four it's none of your damn business." She said this all in a cheerful tone which left the others to stare uncertainly at the new American as she took a sip of pumpkin juice.
Sephie let out a laugh that made her choke on her own pumpkin juice, and distracted everyone.
"What's going on?" a drawling voice said in her ear, making her jump. She turned to find herself nose to nose with Draco. Before she could reply, however, a heated voice said,
"Shove off, Malfoy."
Malfoy rose slowly, not taking his eyes off of Lexi. " I don't believe I was talking to you, Potter."
For the first time, Lexi caught a glimpse of the utter anger and hate that drove Draco Malfoy... but it didn't scare her. Instead, she raised an eyebrow thoughtfully and kept looking up at him.
~A bad boy, hmm?~ She thought.
Of course, that brought her back to the source of this whole thing; that song and her damned clumsiness.
Deciding to get rid of Malfoy, Hermione said loudly, "Would the amazing bouncing ferret like a carrot? You look hungry."
Snarling at the hysterical Gryffindors, Malfoy started back to his rightful table, temper flaring. Before he took five steps, however, a soft hand reached out and snagged his sleeve.
~I'm sorry,~ Alexia mouthed helplessly.
~I know. So am I,~ he mouthed back before removing her hand from his arm. He gave it a gentle squeeze and dropped it, leaving.
"What the hell was that about?" demanded Harry heatedly.
Lexi turned on the table, violet eyes snapping with 'black' fury.
" It's about you being complete assholes!"
Without another word, Lexi knocked her chair backwards and stormed off in the opposite direction of Malfoy.
Snape watched as Malfoy stalked right past the Slytherin table and out the door. He heard Lexi's outburst and watched as she, too, left. His arms tensed, as if ready to follow her, but he apparently thought better of it... and so did Minerva McGonagall, who was poised as if to get up. She gave him a terse, significant look, and he nodded his agreement. Somewhere along the line this would be a problem.
~*~*~
Draco flopped onto his bad, moodily staring at the ceiling. Alexia wouldn't get out of his head, and he ran his hands through his silvery hair in frustration. Then he set his jaw grimly. No. A Gryffindor girl would not get the best of his control... after all, he was the Master of Control. However, he found his mind wandering... her smile, her utter confidence, her poise....
"Damn it!" he swore aloud, banging his hand down on the bed. His hand. He lifted it and examined it closely. As pale and perfect as ever... the hand of a child who has never known manual labor, who couldn't be bothered with childish dirt. A hand which.... a hand which was broken not three hours before, by that Gryffindor girl. A hand which would have to make peace with Potter if he was ever to have a chance with Le.... There he went again.
"I'm a Slytherin. I don't WANT a chance with a Gryffindor!" he almost roared. Then he looked at his watch. It was time for History of Magic.
~*~*~
Lexi tried very hard to look as if she, like the rest of the class, had fallen asleep to Binns' droning voice. In truth, however, she was stealing glances at Malfoy, who was trying valiantly not to look at her.
As usual, resistance of any kind stirred up Lexi's dander, and she was resolute.
~I'll get to him yet,~ she thought idly, twirling her wand between her fingers. ~ There's just something about him...~
Meanwhile, Malfoy was desperately concentrating on Binns, something he had never done or would ever do again. He was aware of the steady regard Lexi was giving him, and thought to himself, ~ Slytherin's are never weak.~ Steeling himself, he glanced over at her. She gave him a smile that made him grit his teeth and grimly focus attention on the ghost in front of him.
~*~*~
Later, as Lexi was walking once again toward the Gryffindor common room, a soft voice said from the shadows, "Smart move, changing your shoes to zip ups."
"I'm surprised you noticed," she responded, turning toward him.
"Are you really?" Draco asked just as coolly.
"No," she answered truthfully. He laughed despite himself.
She started to leave. He called out suddenly, "Hey!"
She turned her head, eyes twinkling. "Yes?" she drawled.
"You sing and dance quite well."
Then he was gone. Lexi, smiling to herself, went back to the common room.
~*~*~
Lexi sat in the library a week later, lost in thought. She tapped her quill idly against the side of her mouth, glaring at her Potions worksheet.
"The answer is one hinkypunk hair," said Draco from behind her. She spun around.
"God, Draco, you scared me!"
He raised an eyebrow. "Draco?"
"Well," she said indignantly, "it doesn't seem right to call you by your last name all the time."
He smiled slightly. "Now you sound like Hermione." She looked down at the hands she planted firmly on her hips and said with disgust, "Oh my God, I do."
"Is that a bad thing? I thought you were her friend."
"She's great, really... but can you really imagine TWO of her?"
Draco shuddered dramatically. "No, thank you."
"So... what are you in here for?" she asked after a period of silence.
"I was wondering...." he began, but the raised voices of Hermione and Ron distracted her attention.
"Excuse me for a moment," she said to Draco, rising.
She moved around the bookshelf, and Draco heard her say, "For god's sake, Ron, if you're going to ask her to the Ball, do it more quietly! Some people are trying to do HOMEWORK!"
Draco smothered a laugh as he pictured Weasley's face. Suddenly Ron said, "Fine. Hermione, want to go with me to the Ball?"
Shocked silence this time. Then, with an excitement that surprised Draco, Hermione said, "That would be wonderful, Ron. Thank you."
Lexi came back over, dusting her hands off briskly. "Now, what were you wondering?"
Draco was suddenly avoiding her eyes. "Nothing. Forget it. See you in Potions."
He was gone. Lexi sighed and stretched out. Ron's voice came to her. "Still hasn't asked you yet, the git?"
Lexi turned angry eyes on him, and Ron backed away. "I'm guessing that means no. Sorry, Lexi. Malfoy will ask you soon, trust me."
As Ron was leaving, he thought he heard her say forcefully, "He better."
~*~*~
Draco watched Ron leave and settled back slowly, frowning. His heart and his mind were fighting each other... not a good thing. He watched silently as Lexi put her head down. Then he snuck up behind her as he realized by her breathing that she was fast asleep.
~She's so beautiful...~ he thought involuntarily. He moved closer.
Lexi, waking up, held her breathing in check and her body relaxed as she realized someone was behind her. She waited until the person was only a few feet behind her, then she leapt up and spun around, once again nose to nose with Malfoy, her hand gripping his arm.
Her shocked eyes stared into his, which were equally so. She swallowed suddenly and muttered, "Spying on me again, Malfoy?"
She started to pull away, but instantly his hand was on her arm, pulling her back to him.
"What happened to Draco?" he asked, in a daze; not registering at the moment just how close he was to the edge.
She smiled slightly and shook her head, a strand of straight black hair falling forward onto her cheek. "Only if you're a good boy," she mocked.
Draco moved his hand to brush back the strand of hair and stopped. His hand rested comfortably with the backs of his fingers against her cheek, and suddenly the internal battle he thought he had defeated blazed up at the slightly hopeful look in Lexi's eyes.
~ I can't do this. She's a Gryffindor! She's...~
~...smart, funny, cool, tough...~
~My parents! My honor, my name, my fortune...~
~What has your father's honor, name, and fortune brought to him? A lifetime of servitude to the Dark Lord? Your mother is miserable now, and they both have had various affairs. Your mother changed her name to Narcissa for the Dark Lord, who hated the name Gabrielle. Your father beat you, to 'ready you for the trials of being a Death Eater.' And what good has it done? Do you have friends? Do YOU even recognize the reason you despise Potter?~
~Because everyone makes such a big deal...~
~Wrong. It's because he has friends that he would die for, and who would die for him, not his fame. You begrudge him that. He's kind to almost everyone, and has a certain charm which you have as well, but that you cover with ice...~
~But Lexi...~
~You've seen the interest, Draco. You know. And a love like that, that would pass unwritten taboo despite the obvious consequences, despite the warnings, is one that will last. You KNOW that.~
~What if my parents disown me?~
~Will you really be that worse off?~
This whole exchange had taken place in less that 2 seconds, and his mind was racing. Lexi blinked once, and his resolve snapped.
~ Oh, screw it,~ he thought helplessly before he lowered his lips to hers.
As soon as their lips touched, Lexi's arms slid up around his neck, and his dropped around her waist. As she kissed him back almost desperately, he knew, ~ This is right... I did right...~
As Lexi kissed him, she realized, ~ I love him. Oh my God. This isn't a conquest. I actually love him.~
When they pulled apart slightly, Draco kissed her forehead and rested his against it, breathing deeply.
~ This is right...~
"...this is what I want," he murmured into her hair.
She pulled from him only far enough to smile up at him. "So do I, Draco," she whispered.
"So I'm good now?" he asked with a faintly mocking smile.
She laughed quietly. "Good enough," she joked before pulling him into another kiss.
She could feel him smile as they kissed.
The sound of a high five startled them both, but they finished the kiss before separating to see what the cause was.
"HERMIONE! RON! You just ruined a perfect blackmail photo op!" whined Sephie.
Draco looked down at Lexi in exasperation. "What are they, your guard dogs?"
"Yup. You heard guard dog # 1, Draco, give her a photo op!"
He obligingly obeyed while Sephie clicked away. When they were quite finished Lexi turned to Sephie, put her hands on her hips, and said, "Are you quite finished now, Sephie? Because I really do have to talk to Draco, and you are NOT HELPING!"
Sephie snickered and said, "Come on, guys. You need to help me get George to ask me to the Ball."
"George? My BROTHER George?"
"Oh, don't sound so surprised, Ron. Come on, Seph, we'll help you!"
They left, and Lexi turned back to Draco and blinked. He had turned to look out the window, his shoulders tense.
"Draco?"
"Do you realize what's happening, Alexia?" he asked softly, back still to her.
"If you're talking about being shunned by all our housemates, you by your parents, and facing the wrath of Voldemort, then I have answers for the first and last. Only you can answer the second. First, I really don't care what the Gryffindors or the Slytherins think. Third, I've faced the wrath of Voldemort and his Death Eaters before. I'm number two on their hit list, after all. And second?"
He turned to face her, his eyes running over her face. She bit her lip nervously.
Draco gave her a twisted smile.
"Well, as for the second question, I'd have to say that my parents are the most unhappy people on the planet, and that's definitely not something to strive for. Lexi, can I ask you a question?"
She looked at him warily. "If I can answer it, I will. If I can't, you have to trust that it's because I've been told I can't yet."
"Ok. Why are you on Voldemort's hit list?"
She sighed and pushed her hair back. "Not here. Come on."
She grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the library.
"Where are we..."
"Shh!"
They snuck through the halls and suddenly Lexi stopped in front of a blank wall. She took out her wand. "Masonali," she whispered. The wall stretched to reveal an archway which sealed itself back up as the two stepped past it.
"Lumos," they murmured at the exact same time.
"Where ARE we?" asked Draco incredulously.
"A spell proofed one sided soundless hidden room," said Lexi in one breath.
"Come again?"
"In short, right on the other side of the Gryffindor Girls' dorm room. We can hear them if I choose, but they can never hear us."
"I suppose that's useful for snogging sessions," said Draco with a perfectly straight face.
"And I suppose you're right... not that you'll ever find out, of course," she said teasingly. (Ooh, chalk one up for Lexi!)
Draco looked hurt.
"At least, not right now. We have other things to worry about," she said sternly.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Now... what do you want to know?"
She settled down in a chair she conjured. Draco plopped down on the floor at her feet.
"Everything."
"What do you mean, everything?"
"Everything that I can know about you. Let's start with the basics; why are you here?"
She rolled her eyes. "THAT'S basic?"
"Well, you have to start somewhere," he reminded her.
She sat for a moment, chewing on her bottom lip. "I went to Salem, which you already knew. When my friend went out, she insisted I come. She fixed me up with this guy. He was a totally desperate loser."
Draco stifled a snicker.
"Well, it's true. Then, about an hour into the date, he took me aside and told me that we were meant to be together. Then he told me that he was a Death Eater, and that Voldemort wanted me to join them. I told him to go to hell, and promptly had the Cruacious curse out on me and was thrown into the opposite wall. He told me that one day I'd come around, and that he'd be there. That was the last time I ever went anywhere without my wand...it was also when I started perfecting the art of magic without a wand."
Draco stared at her in shock. "Magic without a wand? That's impossible!"
She retorted, "It's also supposedly impossible to block Avara Kedvara, but Harry is still here bugging you, isn't he?"
"Good point," he said with regret.
"One morning at breakfast, Rob decided to pay me a little visit."
Draco frowned. "Rob? Rob who?"
"Rob Carrington." Lexi looked at his paler than usual face. "Why? Do you know him?"
"No," he lied quickly, mind racing. He was trying to remember where he heard the name Rob Carrington before. "Continue," he said quickly.
"Rob and I dueled after he froze the rest of the school. We were at it for about ten minutes before the Crutacious curse got through. He asked me once again if I would join the Dark Lord... I gave him the same three word answer. He was and willing to kill me..."
"That god da...." muttered Draco under his breath.
She pretended not to hear, although she was extremely flattered. "... but a woman with blonde hair and gray eyes stopped him. She said, 'The master wantssss her...needsssss her alive, Robby.'" She imitated the woman's hissing voice perfectly, and Draco sat straight up in sudden terror.
"Was she tall and really thin?" he asked in a strangled, dry voice, heart and mind racing. Lexi looked at him curiously. "What's wrong, Draco? You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Too bad she isn't one yet," he muttered angrily.
"Why? Do you know her?"
"She's my mother."
As the students started on dinner, silence suddenly reigned over the hall as Dumbledore and two women in cloaks entered. They walked up the middle and onto the stage. The older of the two women removed her hood, but she motioned for the younger to leave hers on for the moment.
"May I have your attention? Due to some... difficult circumstances, yet another American student will be joining our school to finish her education. She and the Headmistress of our sister school arrived a few minutes ago. She has already been sorted into Gryffindor."
When the cheers and groans died down, Dumbledore continued, "Please welcome Professor Terese Lodell, headmistress of The Salem Institute of the Art of Wizardry, in Salem, Massachusetts, USA." (sorry about the "of"s)
There was some polite applause as the woman bowed. Sephie elbowed her sister in the ribs and hissed, "Hey, it's old Lowdy! Wonder which ditz she's sending us... I know, thank God, that it's not Loretta DeVine. She's a Scorpion.... equivalent of a Slytherin. Nasty little..."
"Sephie!"
"What?"
"We would KNOW who she is if you hadn't been talking a minute ago when they announced her name!" said Hermie irritably.
"Well, ssooorrrryyyy!"
Ron interrupted, " Shut UP, you two! Honestly! You're worse than Fred and George!"
They turned, said, "Thank you," simultaneously, and went back to their bickering. That is, until the girl removed her cloak and Sephie got a glimpse of her face.
"OH MY GOD!!!!!!" Sephie jumped up and ran toward the stage.
The girl's head snapped around at the sound of the voice, and her eyes widened. She leapt off the stage and ran right into Sephie, grabbing her in a hug.
"Sephie!"
"Lexi?! What on Earth are YOU doing here?"
The school watched in astonishment as the American girls hugged.
Dumbledore, however, was watching with amusement the reaction of Lodell. She turned very white at the sight of Sephie. He realized that Minerva was talking to him.
"...Honestly, they should show some semblance of decorum... never... well, ALMOST never... in my life have I seen such utter disregard of rules...."
"Oh, Minerva, calm down, please. Are you really that surprised?"
His attention was diverted again at the sight of Harry, Ron , and the three girls approaching Professor Lodell.
~Wait until Terese realizes...~
"T-Two of THEM?" stuttered Lodell.
The five of them were lined up, grinning widely at the Professor's discomfort.
"Pleased to meet you, Professor," said Hermie sweetly.. in a perfect mimic of her sister's NY accent. The others looked at her in surprise.. except for Sephie, who was laughing with her diligent pupil. They had worked hard to perfect each other's accents.
Finally, Dumbledore stepped in.
"Girls, Harry, Ron... if you'll take Alexia back to Gryffindor table for some dinner please.... Miss Varen, I'll be talking to you afterwards, however, so please remain in the Great Hall."
"Of course, Professor Dumbledore, sir," said Alexia in an "it wasn't me" voice she had perfected a long time ago. She gave him a brilliant smile and a wave as they went back to the table, where the Weasley twins had produced another chair. Alexia inspected it before sitting down, rolled her eyes, and removed something from the chair. The twins' smiles fell. She snorted, "Amateurs," before sitting down in a chair she conjured herself, for safety's sake. The twins... both sets... were laughing now, and Harry and Ron were besides themselves. Harry gave her a high five.
"I'm so sorry, Dumbledore, but this is the safest place for her... if there was any way possible to have her in another school I would have done so, her and Granger in the same school are too much..." The woman was babbling now.
"Not Granger."
The woman froze at that statement, as Dumbledore knew she would.
"What on Earth are you talking about, not Granger?
"Well.... ah, Remus, Ally! Just the people I wanted to see! This is Terese, Sephie's old Headmistress. Terese, may I introduce Remus and Ally Lupin... Hermione and Persephone's parents."
Lodell managed to keep her jaw from scraping the floor as she shook their hands.
"Pleased to meet you. Although... it seems as if our daughter was a bit of a troublemaker?" asked Ally innocently while her husband smirked at her.
Lodell held back nothing. "A BIT! She and Alexia were the worst! Quicksand in the hallways, (sorry, Camille, but I just LOVE that one!) blew up classrooms, bewitched desks, charmed cauldrons, cursed doors.... they even forced two of my best teachers into early retirement!"
The two adult Lupins smiled.
"Well, Terese, I... and my STAFF... have had a bit of experience with troublemakers. I'm sure we can
handle it."
Remus and Ally had the grace to look embarrassed. Terese took one look at their guilty faces and buried her own in her hands, moaning, "Oh dear God."
Soon, though, the students were drifting back to their common rooms, Lodell made her excuses and left, and Dumbledore was left in the Great Hall with Lexi.
They went up to his office. As soon as they entered Alexia blurted out, "Professor Dumbledore, sir, I must admit I haven't been completely honest with you about..."
"I know, Miss Black."
She sighed with relief. "Thank God. You know."
"I've known since the day your name appeared in the Book. I must caution you, however, about a few things. First of all, I know you and Miss Lupin... Sephie.. are quite close, and you will most likely become friends with Harry, Ron, and Hermione as well. Being your father's godson, they visit him quite frequently."
"Padfoot," she chuckled.
"Exactly. Now... it shall be entirely up to you when... or if... you tell your friends the truth, but don't DELIBERATELY tell your father... or mother... yet."
Alexia bit her lip. "I HATE lying, Professor Dumbledore. However... however, I know that in this case I must, even though it's simply omission. They think I'm an orphan. Well, they'll think it for a while longer, at least until after Christmas break."
"Wise decision, Miss Bl-Varen. Now, I believe there are six people anxiously awaiting your arrival in the Gryffindor common room. I'll take you down, come along."
"The password's "Quidditch Cup," said Dumbledore. "Pleasant dreams, Miss Varen."
"As with you, Professor." She wearily climbed into the portrait hole, where, true to Dumbledore's words, six teens sat in a semi-circle in front of the fireplace.
"Lexi!"
"Why, good evening, Miss Lupin," said Lexi, a ghost of a smile on her haggard face.
"Oh, yeah, that. Well, seems you have a lot to catch up on. Come on."
The twins, Harry and the three Weasleys drew her into the warm semi circle. Lexi and Sephie glanced at each other. The single thought shared between the two was, ~It's going to be a LONG night!~
The next morning, Lexi stumbled out of bed.
"God, I hate changing time zones," she mumbled. The twins came bopping into the room, laden with treats stolen from the kitchens.
"Morning, Lexi," they sang out.
"How are you this fine f****** morning," she growled. Herm shrank back slightly, but Sephie bounced onto Lexi's bed and dumped the treats onto it as well.
"Welcome to your new hunting grounds, Lex," said Hermione, dumping her cargo as well.
Lexi smiled and reached for a cauldron cake, good humor restored. "Well, my dears, I thank you, but I need some info. What's the scoop on this school?"
As they munched on the snacks and gave her the rundown, Harry and Ron hollered from the bottom of the steps, "Are you girls coming down any time this century?"
Lexi bounced over to the door and sang out, "If you don't want us to come down in our PJ's, you have to wait a few minutes!"
Sephie muttered, "Oh, god, she's on a sugar high!"
"Your fault, Sephie," said Lexi as she went into the bathroom to change. When she came out, hair in two braided pigtails, the three girls went downstairs, where the boys were waiting.
"Morning, girls," said Harry, Ron echoing him.
"Hey, guys!" said Lexi. Harry looked sharply at the twins. "Did she have sugar this morning?"
Sephie sighed, pushing a stray curl out of her face. "Yup. I forgot what it does to her. Lexi! Chill, girl, we have Snape first, and while you may be happy, he'll find some way to take points off of Gryffindor for... for excessive cheeriness."
Lexi immediately sobered. "Fine. But I'm not hungry anymore."
Harry took her arm and steered her toward the portrait hole. "Then you can sit and chew our ears off while we eat," he said, sighing.
"Ok!"
"Lexi, you're acting like a cheerleader on caffeine. Calm down!"
"Eww, cheerleaders!"
"What's wrong with cheerleaders?"
"Lexi despises them... they wouldn't let her on the team in our Muggle school cause she didn't smile enough."
"D@#^ straight I wouldn't. Why do I have to smile all the time?"
"Never mind, Lex. Let's go."
The five met the Weasley twins halfway down, who apparently were coming back from some trick on the Slytherins.
"Morning, boys!" waved Lexi as they passed them.
Remembering the girl's antics the night before, they waved back cheerfully... and didn't realize that when they turned back around, a quick wave of Lexi's wand left their hair the most neon pink you could imagine. As they continued on their way, Sephie hissed, "Short work, but effective, Lex. Nice for a first mark."
"Short and sweet, my dear twins. Short and SWEET... for us, that is."
The girls exchanged high fives. The boys grinned at her.
"Almost as bad as Snuffles," muttered Harry.
Lexi took that as a compliment silently. She knew, of course, her father's various codenames, and was flattered Harry thought of him so quickly. However, warning bells went off in her head. Harry would make the connection first, she was almost sure... and when he found out, she would do nothing to correct him, except warn that the others must find out in their own way and time.
Entering the Great Hall, a tall (well, taller than her, which wasn't saying much) boy with hair so blonde it was white caught her eye, and she let her eyes follow him. His smirk was smug, one used to obedience.
~A challenge,~ thought Lexi wickedly, leaning forward. As he reached a table, she nudged Sephie and whispered,
"Who's that? He's hot!"
Sephie followed the direction of Lexi's eyes and choked on a biscuit.
"HIM?!" she sputtered, drawing attention to the two.
"Yes, him," she hissed.
Sephie lowered her voice considerably and hissed back, "That's DRACO MALFOY!"
"So THAT'S Draco Malfoy," she whispered half to herself, eyes still on him. Sitting down, Malfoy realized that someone was watching him. He glanced around until he spotted the raven haired Gryffindor. He looked her over carefully, aware she was following every move with her own eyes. Their eyes met, and Lexi smirked at the all too familiar look on his face. He reciprocated with the smirk which had become his trademark.
"Oh, Lexi, don't get any ideas," begged Sephie abruptly.
"Aw, but my ideas are always so much fun!" she pouted playfully.
"Not this one, Lex, trust me. He's a Slytherin!"
"And I care... why?"
"The others won't like it."
"Again, remind me when I started caring what others thought."
Interpreting correctly Sephie's silence as a loss of an answer, Lexi calmly went back to her ketchup and eggs.
After dodging the furious Weasley twins and a pestering Sephie, Alexia made her way up to her dorm for a forgotten Potions text. Snape would relish the chance to give her detention first day.
Still in a good mood, she started humming "Cool Rider*" She looked around carefully. No one.
So you really want to know
What I want in a guy
Well I'm looking for a dream on a mean machine
With hell in his eyes
I want a devil in skin tight leather
He's gonna be wild as the wind
And one fine night
I'll be holding on tight to a
Co oo oo ol rider
A co oo oo ol rider
If he's cool enough
He can burn me through and through
Ooohhhhh
If it takes forever
Then I'll wait forever
No ordinary boy, no ordinary boy is gonna do
I want a rider that's cool
Draco Malfoy, one pale eyebrow raised, watched with interest from the safety of the shadows as Alexia danced. They had eyed each other through breakfast, and she had asked about him, judging from Lupin's reaction.
~Well, well. Chalk up another fan for Potter,~ he thought sardonically... but with a pang of surprising regret.
~Stop that!~ he ordered his mind sharply. Despite himself he caught himself peering around the corner at her. As she executed a fast spin, Malfoy caught a glimpse of thin legs clad only in combat boots and fishnet stockings. His other eyebrow shot up. Not accustomed to certain... articles... of Muggle dress, Malfoy's smirk... and his jaw... dropped quite quickly. Now he, despite the corner of his mind yelling at him, started following her stealthily as she moved out of sight.
That's the way it's gonna be
That's the way at I feel
I want a whole lot more
Than the boy next door
I want hell on wheels
Just give me a fly motorcycle
With a mad roller riding the seat
Then move aside
Cause I'm gonna ride
With a
Co oo oo ol rider
A co oo oo ol rider
If he's cool enough
He can burn me through and through
Ooohhhhh
If it takes forever
Then I'll wait forever
No ordinary boy, no ordinary boy is gonna do
I want a rider that's cool
Suddenly Malfoy realized that Lexi's shoelace was untied... but too late. As she finished a spin, over the lace she fell. Of course, since fate's favorite game is to screw with our heads, she landed.... not on cold, hard, stone, but in Draco Malfoy's arms.
"Hi," she said calmly, looking up at him.
"Hello," he answered back coolly, letting her go.
"Were you spying on me?" she asked quickly, color faintly tinting her cheeks for a moment.
"Not exactly," he answered as she straightened her robes.
"Well, let's become properly introduced, shall we? Alexia Varen."
"Draco Malfoy."
He took her outstretched hand... and she tightened her grip.
"Didn't your parent teach you it's not nice to spy on people?"
"My parents didn't teach me much at all," he said, his pale face showing no signs of the pain he must have been feeling as bones started snapping in his hand.
~Liar,~ he thought wryly. ~ My father taught me how to tolerate pain.~
"Lesson #1, then: Never spy on me."
"Duly noted. I'll ask permission before I watch you dance and sing," he said solemnly. She let go of his hand. It was very red and limp, since most of the bones were broken.
"Very well done, Draco. I believe I'll see you at lunch?
"Most likely. And Alexia?"
She turned back to him. "Yes?"
"You might want to tie your shoe." She threw him a brilliant smile and plopped onto the floor. Her boots reaching the knee, she had to pull her robes to almost her waist, revealing more leg and a velvet miniskirt. (Ok, she might have pulled them a LITTLE higher than necessary... *snicker*)
Draco struggled to make his breathing and expression as impassive as possible before she looked up and succeeded... although his heart was beating SLIGHTLY faster than he would have liked.
"Thanks," she said as she declined the offer of his good hand to help her up. She dropped her robes back down and once again straightened them. "See you later?"
"Sure. Bye." He held his broken hand gently and stared after the girl in amazement.
"Damn," he breathed softly before starting up to Madame Pomfrey.
All was quiet in the hall for about five minutes until a cat with spectacular markings about the eyes jumped from an overhead beam to the floor. The cat seemed to look around for a moment, then turned into Professor McGonagall. Looking very distracted and worried, she moved in the direction of her office, apparently lost in thought.
At lunch Lexi had the distinct feeling of someone watching her. She turned to see Draco's eyes upon her. She nodded to him with a smile, and he bowed in acquiescence, an identical smile on his face.
Sephie nudged her and hissed, "Did Malfoy just BOW to you?"
At Lexi's confident grin Sephie let out a wolf whistle and howled, "Oh, Lexi's on the PROWL!"
Lexi good naturedly splashed pumpkin juice into her face. Sephie came up sputtering.
"Hey!"
"You deserved it," she said serenely.
Suddenly Harry burst out, "Why is that git staring at our table?"
Around a mouthful of her sandwich Lexi replied, "One, he is staring at ME. Two, it's probably because I broke his hand before. Three, I don't see the big deal, and, four it's none of your damn business." She said this all in a cheerful tone which left the others to stare uncertainly at the new American as she took a sip of pumpkin juice.
Sephie let out a laugh that made her choke on her own pumpkin juice, and distracted everyone.
"What's going on?" a drawling voice said in her ear, making her jump. She turned to find herself nose to nose with Draco. Before she could reply, however, a heated voice said,
"Shove off, Malfoy."
Malfoy rose slowly, not taking his eyes off of Lexi. " I don't believe I was talking to you, Potter."
For the first time, Lexi caught a glimpse of the utter anger and hate that drove Draco Malfoy... but it didn't scare her. Instead, she raised an eyebrow thoughtfully and kept looking up at him.
~A bad boy, hmm?~ She thought.
Of course, that brought her back to the source of this whole thing; that song and her damned clumsiness.
Deciding to get rid of Malfoy, Hermione said loudly, "Would the amazing bouncing ferret like a carrot? You look hungry."
Snarling at the hysterical Gryffindors, Malfoy started back to his rightful table, temper flaring. Before he took five steps, however, a soft hand reached out and snagged his sleeve.
~I'm sorry,~ Alexia mouthed helplessly.
~I know. So am I,~ he mouthed back before removing her hand from his arm. He gave it a gentle squeeze and dropped it, leaving.
"What the hell was that about?" demanded Harry heatedly.
Lexi turned on the table, violet eyes snapping with 'black' fury.
" It's about you being complete assholes!"
Without another word, Lexi knocked her chair backwards and stormed off in the opposite direction of Malfoy.
Snape watched as Malfoy stalked right past the Slytherin table and out the door. He heard Lexi's outburst and watched as she, too, left. His arms tensed, as if ready to follow her, but he apparently thought better of it... and so did Minerva McGonagall, who was poised as if to get up. She gave him a terse, significant look, and he nodded his agreement. Somewhere along the line this would be a problem.
~*~*~
Draco flopped onto his bad, moodily staring at the ceiling. Alexia wouldn't get out of his head, and he ran his hands through his silvery hair in frustration. Then he set his jaw grimly. No. A Gryffindor girl would not get the best of his control... after all, he was the Master of Control. However, he found his mind wandering... her smile, her utter confidence, her poise....
"Damn it!" he swore aloud, banging his hand down on the bed. His hand. He lifted it and examined it closely. As pale and perfect as ever... the hand of a child who has never known manual labor, who couldn't be bothered with childish dirt. A hand which.... a hand which was broken not three hours before, by that Gryffindor girl. A hand which would have to make peace with Potter if he was ever to have a chance with Le.... There he went again.
"I'm a Slytherin. I don't WANT a chance with a Gryffindor!" he almost roared. Then he looked at his watch. It was time for History of Magic.
~*~*~
Lexi tried very hard to look as if she, like the rest of the class, had fallen asleep to Binns' droning voice. In truth, however, she was stealing glances at Malfoy, who was trying valiantly not to look at her.
As usual, resistance of any kind stirred up Lexi's dander, and she was resolute.
~I'll get to him yet,~ she thought idly, twirling her wand between her fingers. ~ There's just something about him...~
Meanwhile, Malfoy was desperately concentrating on Binns, something he had never done or would ever do again. He was aware of the steady regard Lexi was giving him, and thought to himself, ~ Slytherin's are never weak.~ Steeling himself, he glanced over at her. She gave him a smile that made him grit his teeth and grimly focus attention on the ghost in front of him.
~*~*~
Later, as Lexi was walking once again toward the Gryffindor common room, a soft voice said from the shadows, "Smart move, changing your shoes to zip ups."
"I'm surprised you noticed," she responded, turning toward him.
"Are you really?" Draco asked just as coolly.
"No," she answered truthfully. He laughed despite himself.
She started to leave. He called out suddenly, "Hey!"
She turned her head, eyes twinkling. "Yes?" she drawled.
"You sing and dance quite well."
Then he was gone. Lexi, smiling to herself, went back to the common room.
~*~*~
Lexi sat in the library a week later, lost in thought. She tapped her quill idly against the side of her mouth, glaring at her Potions worksheet.
"The answer is one hinkypunk hair," said Draco from behind her. She spun around.
"God, Draco, you scared me!"
He raised an eyebrow. "Draco?"
"Well," she said indignantly, "it doesn't seem right to call you by your last name all the time."
He smiled slightly. "Now you sound like Hermione." She looked down at the hands she planted firmly on her hips and said with disgust, "Oh my God, I do."
"Is that a bad thing? I thought you were her friend."
"She's great, really... but can you really imagine TWO of her?"
Draco shuddered dramatically. "No, thank you."
"So... what are you in here for?" she asked after a period of silence.
"I was wondering...." he began, but the raised voices of Hermione and Ron distracted her attention.
"Excuse me for a moment," she said to Draco, rising.
She moved around the bookshelf, and Draco heard her say, "For god's sake, Ron, if you're going to ask her to the Ball, do it more quietly! Some people are trying to do HOMEWORK!"
Draco smothered a laugh as he pictured Weasley's face. Suddenly Ron said, "Fine. Hermione, want to go with me to the Ball?"
Shocked silence this time. Then, with an excitement that surprised Draco, Hermione said, "That would be wonderful, Ron. Thank you."
Lexi came back over, dusting her hands off briskly. "Now, what were you wondering?"
Draco was suddenly avoiding her eyes. "Nothing. Forget it. See you in Potions."
He was gone. Lexi sighed and stretched out. Ron's voice came to her. "Still hasn't asked you yet, the git?"
Lexi turned angry eyes on him, and Ron backed away. "I'm guessing that means no. Sorry, Lexi. Malfoy will ask you soon, trust me."
As Ron was leaving, he thought he heard her say forcefully, "He better."
~*~*~
Draco watched Ron leave and settled back slowly, frowning. His heart and his mind were fighting each other... not a good thing. He watched silently as Lexi put her head down. Then he snuck up behind her as he realized by her breathing that she was fast asleep.
~She's so beautiful...~ he thought involuntarily. He moved closer.
Lexi, waking up, held her breathing in check and her body relaxed as she realized someone was behind her. She waited until the person was only a few feet behind her, then she leapt up and spun around, once again nose to nose with Malfoy, her hand gripping his arm.
Her shocked eyes stared into his, which were equally so. She swallowed suddenly and muttered, "Spying on me again, Malfoy?"
She started to pull away, but instantly his hand was on her arm, pulling her back to him.
"What happened to Draco?" he asked, in a daze; not registering at the moment just how close he was to the edge.
She smiled slightly and shook her head, a strand of straight black hair falling forward onto her cheek. "Only if you're a good boy," she mocked.
Draco moved his hand to brush back the strand of hair and stopped. His hand rested comfortably with the backs of his fingers against her cheek, and suddenly the internal battle he thought he had defeated blazed up at the slightly hopeful look in Lexi's eyes.
~ I can't do this. She's a Gryffindor! She's...~
~...smart, funny, cool, tough...~
~My parents! My honor, my name, my fortune...~
~What has your father's honor, name, and fortune brought to him? A lifetime of servitude to the Dark Lord? Your mother is miserable now, and they both have had various affairs. Your mother changed her name to Narcissa for the Dark Lord, who hated the name Gabrielle. Your father beat you, to 'ready you for the trials of being a Death Eater.' And what good has it done? Do you have friends? Do YOU even recognize the reason you despise Potter?~
~Because everyone makes such a big deal...~
~Wrong. It's because he has friends that he would die for, and who would die for him, not his fame. You begrudge him that. He's kind to almost everyone, and has a certain charm which you have as well, but that you cover with ice...~
~But Lexi...~
~You've seen the interest, Draco. You know. And a love like that, that would pass unwritten taboo despite the obvious consequences, despite the warnings, is one that will last. You KNOW that.~
~What if my parents disown me?~
~Will you really be that worse off?~
This whole exchange had taken place in less that 2 seconds, and his mind was racing. Lexi blinked once, and his resolve snapped.
~ Oh, screw it,~ he thought helplessly before he lowered his lips to hers.
As soon as their lips touched, Lexi's arms slid up around his neck, and his dropped around her waist. As she kissed him back almost desperately, he knew, ~ This is right... I did right...~
As Lexi kissed him, she realized, ~ I love him. Oh my God. This isn't a conquest. I actually love him.~
When they pulled apart slightly, Draco kissed her forehead and rested his against it, breathing deeply.
~ This is right...~
"...this is what I want," he murmured into her hair.
She pulled from him only far enough to smile up at him. "So do I, Draco," she whispered.
"So I'm good now?" he asked with a faintly mocking smile.
She laughed quietly. "Good enough," she joked before pulling him into another kiss.
She could feel him smile as they kissed.
The sound of a high five startled them both, but they finished the kiss before separating to see what the cause was.
"HERMIONE! RON! You just ruined a perfect blackmail photo op!" whined Sephie.
Draco looked down at Lexi in exasperation. "What are they, your guard dogs?"
"Yup. You heard guard dog # 1, Draco, give her a photo op!"
He obligingly obeyed while Sephie clicked away. When they were quite finished Lexi turned to Sephie, put her hands on her hips, and said, "Are you quite finished now, Sephie? Because I really do have to talk to Draco, and you are NOT HELPING!"
Sephie snickered and said, "Come on, guys. You need to help me get George to ask me to the Ball."
"George? My BROTHER George?"
"Oh, don't sound so surprised, Ron. Come on, Seph, we'll help you!"
They left, and Lexi turned back to Draco and blinked. He had turned to look out the window, his shoulders tense.
"Draco?"
"Do you realize what's happening, Alexia?" he asked softly, back still to her.
"If you're talking about being shunned by all our housemates, you by your parents, and facing the wrath of Voldemort, then I have answers for the first and last. Only you can answer the second. First, I really don't care what the Gryffindors or the Slytherins think. Third, I've faced the wrath of Voldemort and his Death Eaters before. I'm number two on their hit list, after all. And second?"
He turned to face her, his eyes running over her face. She bit her lip nervously.
Draco gave her a twisted smile.
"Well, as for the second question, I'd have to say that my parents are the most unhappy people on the planet, and that's definitely not something to strive for. Lexi, can I ask you a question?"
She looked at him warily. "If I can answer it, I will. If I can't, you have to trust that it's because I've been told I can't yet."
"Ok. Why are you on Voldemort's hit list?"
She sighed and pushed her hair back. "Not here. Come on."
She grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the library.
"Where are we..."
"Shh!"
They snuck through the halls and suddenly Lexi stopped in front of a blank wall. She took out her wand. "Masonali," she whispered. The wall stretched to reveal an archway which sealed itself back up as the two stepped past it.
"Lumos," they murmured at the exact same time.
"Where ARE we?" asked Draco incredulously.
"A spell proofed one sided soundless hidden room," said Lexi in one breath.
"Come again?"
"In short, right on the other side of the Gryffindor Girls' dorm room. We can hear them if I choose, but they can never hear us."
"I suppose that's useful for snogging sessions," said Draco with a perfectly straight face.
"And I suppose you're right... not that you'll ever find out, of course," she said teasingly. (Ooh, chalk one up for Lexi!)
Draco looked hurt.
"At least, not right now. We have other things to worry about," she said sternly.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Now... what do you want to know?"
She settled down in a chair she conjured. Draco plopped down on the floor at her feet.
"Everything."
"What do you mean, everything?"
"Everything that I can know about you. Let's start with the basics; why are you here?"
She rolled her eyes. "THAT'S basic?"
"Well, you have to start somewhere," he reminded her.
She sat for a moment, chewing on her bottom lip. "I went to Salem, which you already knew. When my friend went out, she insisted I come. She fixed me up with this guy. He was a totally desperate loser."
Draco stifled a snicker.
"Well, it's true. Then, about an hour into the date, he took me aside and told me that we were meant to be together. Then he told me that he was a Death Eater, and that Voldemort wanted me to join them. I told him to go to hell, and promptly had the Cruacious curse out on me and was thrown into the opposite wall. He told me that one day I'd come around, and that he'd be there. That was the last time I ever went anywhere without my wand...it was also when I started perfecting the art of magic without a wand."
Draco stared at her in shock. "Magic without a wand? That's impossible!"
She retorted, "It's also supposedly impossible to block Avara Kedvara, but Harry is still here bugging you, isn't he?"
"Good point," he said with regret.
"One morning at breakfast, Rob decided to pay me a little visit."
Draco frowned. "Rob? Rob who?"
"Rob Carrington." Lexi looked at his paler than usual face. "Why? Do you know him?"
"No," he lied quickly, mind racing. He was trying to remember where he heard the name Rob Carrington before. "Continue," he said quickly.
"Rob and I dueled after he froze the rest of the school. We were at it for about ten minutes before the Crutacious curse got through. He asked me once again if I would join the Dark Lord... I gave him the same three word answer. He was and willing to kill me..."
"That god da...." muttered Draco under his breath.
She pretended not to hear, although she was extremely flattered. "... but a woman with blonde hair and gray eyes stopped him. She said, 'The master wantssss her...needsssss her alive, Robby.'" She imitated the woman's hissing voice perfectly, and Draco sat straight up in sudden terror.
"Was she tall and really thin?" he asked in a strangled, dry voice, heart and mind racing. Lexi looked at him curiously. "What's wrong, Draco? You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Too bad she isn't one yet," he muttered angrily.
"Why? Do you know her?"
"She's my mother."