~~ Chapter Seven: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back ~~

            It was the end of another Musical Enchantment class.  To say the class had been productive was not quite accurate; it had, however, been entertaining.  They were studying lullabies, the branch of M.E. that dealt with sleep-inducing spells.  After a brief lecture, the students were instructed to find a partner and perform a short, simple lullaby, one that would only make the other tired for a few seconds without any other effects.  However, Mandy Brocklehurst accidentally made her partner, Neville Longbottom, fall asleep, and the class spent the rest of the period trying to revive him.  When they finally succeeded in the task, they were out of time for the day.

            "I'm sorry, Neville," Mandy told her partner when he woke up.  "I didn't mean it."

            Neville yawned.  "It's all right," he assured her.  He rubbed his eyes.  "Are there any songs that counteract the effects of lullabies?"

            "Al ah de na!" Alina Terringer sang in a voice so loud that it could be heard all the way out to the Astronomy tower.

            Neville's eyes flew open, and he almost jumped.  "I'm awake!" he shouted defensively.

            Alina smiled and nodded.  "Of course you are.  You might have trouble falling asleep tonight.  If you do, send for me.  Class dismissed.  Draco, would you stay for a minute, please?"

            Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy looked at each other.  "Um… sure," Draco said.

            "Are you in trouble?" Harry whispered.

            "I can't remember doing anything," Draco whispered back.

            "Do you want me to wait for you?"

            "No, it's okay, but thanks."

            Harry left, and Draco walked over to Alina, who was sitting on her desk.  "You can relax," she said.  "You're not in trouble."

            Draco was unable to hide his smile of relief.  "Thanks.  Is there something wrong?"

            She shook her head.  "Oh, no, not at all.  Quite the opposite, in fact.  I wanted to commend you for all the improvement you've made in my class over the last two weeks.  Are you enjoying Musical Enchantment?"

            He nodded.  "Yes, very much."

            "I thought so.  I also think you might like to know to know that I have considered starting a study group for the students most interested in M.E.  Would you like to be a part of it?"

            Draco was so surprised that for about ten seconds, he couldn't even breathe.  "Really?" he stammered.  "You want me to…  Did my father have anything to do with this?"

            "Absolutely not.  If he knew I was suggesting this to you, he would probably be angry with me."

            He wasn't following.  "And why is that?"

            "I'm afraid I'm not one of your father's favorite people, Draco," Alina said.  "We spoke once, two weeks ago, and that was quite enough for me."

            Draco didn't understand why his father wouldn't like Professor Terringer.  She was one of his favorite teachers, if not the favorite.  "Why wouldn't he like you?" he asked.

            "Because I'm the first witch in a family of Muggles that dates back to the end of the Roman Empire, that's why."

            Now he was just confused.  He had no idea his instructor was a Muggle-born.  Two weeks ago, he would have hated her for telling him that she was anything less than a pureblood.  But now, his best friend was a half-blood, his favorite teacher didn't have any wizarding history whatsoever, and he didn't mind at all.

            "I know your family has been pureblood all through the ages, and if you don't want to associate with me because I'm not a 'true' witch, I won't hold it against you.  It's the way you've been raised, and-"

            "I'll do it," Draco interrupted.  "I'll join your study group.  Who else is in it?  When do we start?"

            Alina was taken aback.  She was under the impression that bloodlines were all that mattered to the Malfoys.  "Good," she said.  "Very good.  I thought we would start tonight.  Four other students have committed: Lisa Turpin from Ravenclaw, Anthony Goldstein from Hufflepuff, and Oliver Wood and Hermione Granger from Gryffindor."

            Hermione.  Draco stiffened at the mention of her name.  This would put them in close proximity to each other.  Could this be the big chance he was waiting for, to prove to her that he was trustworthy?  "Sounds great.  When?  Where?"

            "In here, after dinner.  It will probably last an hour or so."

            He still found it hard to believe that she wanted him in the study group, but he decided not to worry about it for now.  "All right.  I'll be there.  I'd better get going."

            She nodded.  "Yes, you should.  If you get a chance, remind the others."

            "I will, and thank you."

            Alina peered at him.  "For what?" she asked.

            "For giving me a chance."

            About ten minutes after Draco left, Alina Terringer's work on preparing for her next class was interrupted by a knock on the door.  "Come in," she called, not even looking up from her paper.  Odds were it was Dumbledore.  He said he might be dropping by sometime today.

            "Do you have a moment, Professor?" asked a voice that definitely did not belong to Albus Dumbledore.

            Alina looked up, and a wave of irritation washed over her.  "Malfoy," she said, trying to keep her voice as steady as possible.  "What are you doing here?"

            "I would like to speak with you, if it's all right."

            She shook her head.  "I have nothing to say to you except please leave."

            "It's about Draco."

            Alina closed her eyes and took a deep breath to steady herself.  What was it about this man that ignited such fury in her?  "Very well," she said.  "Sit."

            Lucius walked over to her desk and sat down on a stool next to it.  "I hear Draco's work is improving, especially in this class.  Is that true?"

            "Why don't you ask him yourself?"

            Patience, Lucius told himself, inhaling and exhaling slowly to keep his frustration hidden.  He didn't want to make an enemy out of this woman, although he feared it might be too late.  "Draco won't speak to me."

            "I can't say I blame him."

            She seemed to enjoy yanking his chain.  "My son and I have never been close, but I mean to change that," he said.  "I can't do it alone.  I need help.  He's taken a liking to you.  Can you help me?"

            Alina put her hand behind her ear.  "Do my ears deceive me, or did the unstoppable Lucius Malfoy just ask me for help?"

            He was having trouble keeping his anger to himself.  "Listen to me, Professor.  Draco is the only family I have left.  If-"

            "Save it, pureblood," she interrupted.  "You've done all for that boy you ever need to.  Draco has friends now, friends that care about him for reasons other than he's the last Malfoy."

            "Why are you so against purebloods?" Lucius asked.

            "Why are you so against Muggle-borns?" Alina replied.

            "I didn't choose who I was born to," he snapped.

            "Neither did I."

            Lucius was about to speak, then stopped himself.  She was right.  Nobody chose who their parents were.  He didn't choose to be a Malfoy, and she didn't choose to be a Muggle.  Why had he failed to see this all his life up until that point?

            "Mr. Malfoy, it doesn't matter to me whether you're a pureblood or not," she continued.  "I'm sure you'd be just as ill-tempered if you were a Muggle."

            "You really don't like me, do you?"

            She let out an exaggerated sigh of irritation.  "How in the world did you arrive at that conclusion?"

            "I figured it out when you were insulting me less than five seconds after we met."

            Alina snapped her fingers and slammed her hand down on her desk.  "Wonderful.  Now that we've had that wonderful little interlude, don't you have some lives to destroy?"

            Lucius didn't understand why she had such a grudge against him.  It was true that he hadn't been the most trustworthy person in the past, but Dumbledore, his greatest enemy up until two weeks ago, had given him another chance with minimal persuasion.  "Professor, I don't want to be your enemy."

            "Too late."

            "Isn't there anything I can do to prove to you that I've changed?"

            "Yes.  You can die a slow, painful death, alone with all your misery.  And if you are not out of this room by the time I count to ten, I will put you in a sleep so deep you won't wake up for a hundred years.  One…"

            "Whatever you think you know about me, you're wrong."

            "Two…"

            He stood.  "I'm leaving, all right?"

            "Three…"

            Lucius walked over to the door.  He placed his hand on the doorknob, but instead of opening it, he looked back at Alina.

            "Four…"

            "For what it's worth, I'm sorry."

            "Five…"

            "I'm as good as gone," he assured her, opening the door and closing it behind him as he stepped out into the hall.  Out of curiosity, he wondered if she was still counting, so he pressed his ear to the door to listen.

            "I know you're still out there, Malfoy!" she said.  "Six…"

            She wasn't as easy to fool as he thought.  So much for making peace with Professor Terringer.  He had to try to connect with Draco any way he could, with or without the help of his son's favorite teacher.  With would be easier, of course, but he was a Slytherin.  It would take more than a few hits to stop him.

A/N: Okay, gotta pick on Lucius a bit… sheesh, what a guy won't go through to get his girl!  *giggles*   Lucius has his work cut out for him, and there's still lots more to come… you have figured out by now that the story's main couple is (well, will be eventually) Lucius and Alina, right?  Right???

Anyway, Dumbledore and McGonagall.  *snaps fingers, points at audience, and winks*  Feedback.