Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of it's characters, they all belong to J.K. Rowling.

Chapter 2:

Don't I know you?

The trip to Diagon Ally was an unusually uneventful affair. Draco and his father made the usual rounds at the best stores available and even some of the darker shops in the area. It was easy enough. Just the same old routine. Whatever odd feelings that creature had stirred in him were obviously a trick of some sort. No matter. It'd be broken and the Dark Lord would rise to power once again in all his glory. Until then it was all to easy not to look for Potter and his friends around every corner and in every shop. And he definitely paid no mind what so ever to the hideous creature's audacity at even thinking of him as a friendly part of potters life.

After handing over his trunk and other belongings to a slightly trembling house elf Draco nodded politely to his father, saying his goodbyes, and walked calmly onto the train. As if stepping out of the woodwork itself Crabe and Gole appeared behind him suddenly, flanking both sides like secret service body guards. Draco, head raised highly as ever felt a smirk cross his lips as the powerful aristocratic air he always held began to fall back into place. He even turned to sneer viciously at a second year Ravenclaw as she dared to cross his path, not noticing the compartment door to his left opening until it was too late.

His head collided so roughly with the door that he was tossed back a few feet onto the trains shaking floor. He blinked a few times and shook his head to clear his vision before he lifted his head to meet furious emerald eyes glaring daggers at him. "Malfoy." The word was uttered simple and curt, like a curse, and the very overshadowing air Potter was giving off would've done Snape proud.

The hint of a smirk tugged at Draco's lips and ready insults pushed their way to the small break of his lips, but… He said nothing. Instead he followed an impulse that had fleeted through him on one or more of these occasions that he'd never given voice before. He simply looked silently back up at Harry with a blank expression on his face. He was vaguely aware that Crabbe and Gole were coiled for attack, snarling and foaming at the mouth by now, but where either to stupid or too foolish to spring without their blessed master's consent.

At first Harry just continued to glare mercilessly at Draco, but after a few moments of this odd staring match confusion tugged at the corners of his face. He'd just knocked Draco Malfoy, of all people, to the floor so roughly blood streaked his forehead and all he got in response was…a silent regarding… Bloody Malfoy hadn't even glared at him. That was…and how… surely the apocalypse was upon them now. After another endless moment of staring Harry turned his back and walked impassively away while Draco shrugged off his lap dogs and righted himself on his own. At their questioning looks he said only, "I have better plans for him."

Crabbe and Goyle were surprised but confidant that their all mighty leader had a plan of some sort in the works that would have filthy Potter's grandchildren blushing. As the wicked threesome turned to make their way to their usual compartment Draco couldn't stop himself from gazing indifferently over his should at Potter's retreating robes, his mind just grazing on some abstract question he felt would form definite words far to quickly for his liking.

~~~

"Harry! Harry, over here!" Ron cried as he struggled desperately to disentangle himself room the wave of Hogwarts students, old and new, to meet up with his best friend. Harry had to fight not to laugh when Hermionie came up behind him to deliver a sharp smack upside the head and yell at him for abandoning the first year students before they found Hagrid. Hermionie and Ron were head boy and girl now, thus there responsibilities kept the trio apart during the length of the train ride to Hogwarts. Harry hadn't minded though, since it was practically a yearly tradition for them to meet up at the burrow three weeks before school started. The past six years It had been out of need for Harry's protection and a million other things, but not this year. This year, even with the war against Voldermort searing in everyone's veins they decided to spend the time together solely out of want of good memories and happy times together. It was their last year at Hogwarts, quite hopefully the last year against Voldermort, and everything was going to change. "Ow! Hermionie! Knock it off! It's not like they could miss Hagrid! Good Lord! You'd think there were dementors and boggarts around every corner the way your acting!" Well….not everything was going to change. At least Harry would always have those two.

"Could you two try not to kill each other before the first feat of the year?" Harry said with a mock scolding voice and Ron and Hermionie finally joined him.

"If that red headed lummox would stop neglecting his duties as Head Boy, then , yes I think that's possible," Hermione said in her calm albeit no-nonsense voice.

Ron took a moment to glare daggers at he girl before turning enthusiastically back to Harry. "Harry I just saw Malfoy! He's got the most hideous gash on his forehead! There were rumors flying all over the train! Did you really whack him one?!"

"Ron!"

"Oh honestly Hermione! You don't like him any more than we do!"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean I condone fist fights on the school train!"

"Guys!" Harry shouted stepping in between his friends, "One of these days I'm really going to have to hire a professional referee for you two. Do you like arguing? No wait, don't answer that."

Hermione chuckled a little at the comment. It was kind of entertaining verbally sparing with the utterly clueless red head.

Ron however, ran straight from arguing with Hermione, back to drilling Harry. "Is it true Harry? Did he jump you? Was there any dueling? Did-"

"Ron!," Harry said quite forcefully breaking of the animated string of questions. "No Ron that's not what happened at all!"

Ron, who had practically been bouncing around a moment ago seemed to deflate a little. "What? Then…then how'd Malfoy get that gash across his forehead?"

"Could you two possible walk and talk at the same time?" Hermione piped in, "I don't want the carriages to leave without us." Without waiting for a response she hooked arms with both boys and proceeded to drag them towards the carriages. Ron rolled him eyes at Hermione's predictable Ms. Responsibility routine before shooting another unmistakably questioning look at Harry.

"Well? Go on then, tell us what happened."

"Since you two were gone the whole train ride I was walking around, looking for Neville or another person to sit with. Well I got stuck in an empty room at one point and when I finally managed to swing the door open Malfoy happened to be right outside. He was looking the other way so he never saw it coming."

"Oh I'll just bet he had a bitter remark ready the moment you saw each other," Ron sighed sarcastically as they all piled into a carriage.

"Actually…."

"What did he go straight for his wand this time?"

"Ron!"

"What?! He's a dark wizard Hermione, we all know that!" Ron cried indignantly.

"Yes, but he never really dose much more than talk you know."

"He didn't say anything," Harry said at last stopping another argument before it could really get going. "He just sort of lay there, looking up at me, without saying a word."

"Probably trying to kill you off with a look," Ron scoffed. Hermione sighed and shook her head, but remained silent. That was Ron for you, ever the fiery violent one.

"That's the really weird part about it…" Harry trailed off leaving his two constantly bickering companions silent and staring at him in confusion. "He wasn't glaring…he didn't say anything…and he never even flinched for his wand… He just looked up at me indifferently until I walked away…It doesn't make sense…"

"Well you can't completely peg everyone Harry, even Malfoy isn't incapable of changing his behavior."

"God Hermione why don't you just go make Harry apologize for knocking Malfoy down!"

"I didn't say change for the better did I? He is a Malfoy after all." Ron just smiled as if to say, "About time you started making sense," and the group lapsed into a comfortable silence for the remainder of the ride to the castle.

The silence, however, did not last long. From the moment Harry got off the carriage he was stormed by people from every house wanting the same explanation as to what happened between him and Malfoy on the train. Even as he settled down at his usual place at the Gryffindor table he was still retelling the decidedly anti-climactic meeting between him and the Slytherin.

"I bet you he's planning something!" Neville spat, taking a moment to glare across the hall at the Slytherin table. "Something so colossal it'll put all his other stunts to shame."

"I wouldn't put it past him," Ron scoffed.

"What new Quidditch players dose our team need this year?" Hermione ventured in attempts to get a more pleasurable conversation going.

Harry sighed, resting his chin in his hands, and was thankful for the others distraction. At the moment he seriously needed to think. Okay, so he'd been doing nothing but since his little encounter with Malfoy, but he still hadn't gotten anywhere… Why would he do that? What was he thinking? What was he planning? Was he, in fact, planning anything at all? There were too many questions to think about at the moment, better to sleep on it.

In the attempts to relax his mind Harry let his gaze casually sweep across the hall noting the familiar faces and decorative banners hung about. It felt great to come back to the only place he ever considered home. He let his eyes flitter over the ceiling, across the various house tables, and somehow made his way to Slytherin. There it was. At the exact moment he was looking Draco Malfoy turned from his conversation with Crabbe and met Harry's stare with his own. There was no real hostility in either of them but the tension was there. The intensity of their gazing snapped and crackled almost audibly through the air, causing the tiny hairs on the back of Harry's neck to stand to full attention. "This is different," he mused just before the doors to the entrance hall creaked loudly open followed by a fresh pack of frightened looking first years. The sudden noise made him look away and the connection was gone, but the memory of is continued to chill him all the way through the sorting ceremony.

~~~

Draco smirked coolly as the very last of the first years came to Slytherin and the sorting ceremony was over. He was the picture of composure while Dumbledore stood to deliver the beginning of term speech. All was as it should be, Dumbledore was droning on in that annoyingly captive voice of his, the houses were seated for dinner, and he was practically oozing aristocratic arrogance. He was not by any means still dwelling on Potter like he had been for almost the past twenty four hours. And he never felt horrible shaken to the core by the intensity of the sudden bond he and Potter had shared with that meeting of eyes at the start of the ceremony. He was so on top of his game at the moment not even a pin could drop in the hall without his sharp gray eyes catching it's decent. In fact- "Goyle!," Draco hissed as he nearly jumped out of his skin. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!"

"I only tapped you on the shoulder," he said dumbly before continuing as though nothing had happened. "You should pay attention. Dumbledore's about to announce the new defenses against the dark arts teacher. I heard no one would take it, and I don't see any new teachers up there. It could very well be Snape at last this year."

Draco raised a single delicate eyebrow near to his hairline at that comment. He knew Snape would've informed his family if that were true, but no matter how many times he told Goyle he did not expect him to remember. He was Goyle after all. Draco sighed and turned gracefully on the hard school bench so he could hear the headmaster more clearly; thankful for something to distract him from what he was not thinking of.

"And one final note before we begin," Dumbledore's comforting old voice continued to echo through the hall, "As you might suspect we were again lacking a Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher at the end of last year. I am very pleased to announce that a new, very qualified teacher came to ask for the position before we could even begin to search. Her name is Kaleigh Strata. You no doubt notice that she is absent from the dining hall at this time. She sends to you all her deepest apologies, but she was taken ill for a few weeks now and has not yet fully recovered. Never fear though. I am told she will be up and about and ready to teach you all by tomorrow morning. Now, it seems all official business is out of the way, so… let the feast begin." With a simple flick of his wrists the beginning feast of the year appeared on the tables and everyone dug in.

~~~

"So what have the deadly trio been up to this summer?" Dean asked casually stuffing a roll into his mouth.

"Deadly?" gasped Hermione confused.

"Fell fow frawkcialge fwiiped owf ah ofeahn ohb lemonphors fob ah muoof!" Dean replied casually through his roll.

"Dean how on earth do you expect us to understand you with half a roll in your mouth?!" Ron said obviously trying not to laugh.

"Dean my darling," chirped Seamus as he casually slid his arm around the boys shoulders, "Why will you ever learn to chew your food? I was there to give you the Heimlich once but I can't watch over you all the time."

With a mighty swallow Dean proceeded to glare daggers at the boy next to him. "Funny Seamus." Seamus just grinned wickedly back at him and proceeded to continue eating his dinner without another word. With an irritated huff Dean spoke again, "I said, 'Well you practically wiped out an ocean of dementors run a muck!'…last year I mean." Dean trailed off and had the decency to look a little ashamed.

Last year had been the hardest, most heart wrenching battle against Voldermort that they'd ever fought. Voldermort thought it would be funny to mess with a deadly mind control potion that ended up in many important kidnappings and ransom. Nearly half the school lost at least on relative in the struggle, for Voldermort had taken no prisoners, despite the claims of the horrid letters. Harry had been lured into a deep underground cavern somewhere out in the wilderness. As the story had it the walls were lined with cryptic writing and the whispers in the wind were the trapped souls of every single person Voldermort had murdered. From what anyone could gather he'd jinxed the walls to speak like his past victims to drive his current ones insane. Not a single person failed to notice the shared darkness their favorite trio now seemed to have after returning from that historic battle. The worst of it was…Voldermort was still not dead…

Dean was about to open his mouth an apologizing for ever bringing it up but Harry dispelled the silence for him. "We spent the last three weeks of it together at the burrow."

"Really? Get any sneak peeks of the Weasley brothers latest pranks?" Seamus asked casually sipping on some apple cider, trying to break the dark mood that had settled over them all.

"Actually, now that you mention it Fred and George were acting strange all summer," Ron mused, "They've been really…tensed around each other… And none of their pranks are as viscous as they used to be. Well, not the next line anyway…"

"I noticed that too," Hermione piped up again, "You think they could have some sort of love triangle going on?"

All four of the boys proceeded to choke on their dinner before Dean rounded, "Fred and George? A love triangle? Impossible. They've never gotten into any relationship so messy before. Ever. Besides they're so close one or both of them would probably back away from it. They're own relationship has always gone above some stupid girl, no offense Herm."

"Non taken."

"Seriously Hermione why do you think they'd be involved in a romantic soap opera to rival Percy's love affairs?" Ron asked decidedly calmer and beginning to work on his mashed potatoes again.

"Well," Said Hermione going into lecture mode, "I'm not surprised you didn't think of this," Ron glared, "but all their 'pranks' have really been just ways to set people up." Ron looked blankly at her and she sighed and counted off the various' pranks' on her fingers. "Kissing Cuffs, Soul Mate Snares, Sticky Snogging Gum; their all ways of trapping people together for some length of time in… romantic positions. My guess is that they have some sort of heartache preying on their minds."

Ron just laughed at the though. "Honestly Hermione I doubt it's anything Serious. Fred and George don't do serious… not really. It'll be fun to tease them about it though. Hehehe Fred and George torn up about romance… yeah right! Hahaha!"

Hermione just let out an exasperated sight and threw her head into her hands. That and the background noise of Dean and Seamus trying to come up with some clever way to get the Slytherins with, one of Fred and Georges own, Oil Slick Serpents set Harry of in a small fit of hysteria. For people who faced danger so many times in their lives none of them ever lost their sense of humor. Of course he should happen to look up at the same moment that Malfoy was proudly, albeit silently, slinking away, and cause that chilling eye contact to overtake him again. It was only fleeting this time, however. Wherever Malfoy was going, he obviously did not of time for long crackling staring matches. As Harry saw him turn an finally slide through the door though, he was fairly certain the effects of that last sighting would last him for hours.

~~~

Draco paused outside the now closed doors of the great hall to enjoy the silence of the halls. That's what he needed right now. To be alone. To think. Surely dinner would go on for another two hours or so, the important celebrations were always unusually long. He hadn't had breakfast and he'd hardly touched his dinner but he wasn't hungry. "Isn't that one of Harry's worst habits when he gets upset? Didn't you used to take anything and everything out on new first years before?" chirped his mind in a voice that sounded altogether too much like that creature he'd dealt with last night. And when where they on a first name basis? Even mentally it was disturbing. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts Draco proceeded to cross the large entrance hall intending to spend the rest of the evening plotting Potter's ultimate demise in the hopes of restoring his suddenly interrupted aura to normality. That was until he hear that voice…

That's not really what you want…is it Mr. Potter?

Draco whirled on his heals before she'd finished the first syllable. "What the hell?!" he practically screeched. There, no less than twenty feet from him was that…that.. Fate creature! She looked no different from the last time she'd laid her haunted blue/green gaze on him. Her long brown hair was still falling messily around the waist of her tattered silver dress. Her right hand was still clutched tightly over the continuously bleeding wound, marring her otherwise perfect hand with steaks of red. Damn all the heavens this was not possible! How could see be standing here like that, still glowing an eerie silver blue? Looking at him like that? It was almost like he'd broken her heart… But then a blinking fit and a tossed head latter it was gone. Well, there was still a young woman there in front of him, but… no it couldn't be the fate. What the bloody hell had caused that illusion? Stress… yes that was it. It was understandable. Especially considering the resemblance. This woman had the same hair, eye, and skin coloring as that beast. Her hair was long, but it was neatly tied back in a high ponytail, and she wore stylishly thin glasses along with jeans, a green sweater, and teachers robes. A stunning resemblance indeed, but things like that did happen… plus this woman was definitely not as gales or impressive as that creature. She looked in her mid thirties, and she had no such powerful magical Aura as he thought he'd felt a few minutes ago.

"I'm sorry, did I startle you Draco?" came a slightly familiar voice.

Draco shook his head as if to forcibly remove any and all thoughts of the Fate. This girl wasn't her, it wasn't the same voice. Similar, but no, not the same. What was he worrying for? She'd never get out of the Malfoy dungeon, not with all the horrible, unimaginable curses that would've befallen her. And it wasn't as though similarities didn't occur. He'd seen several pure blood boys that resembled him, didn't mean they had anything to do with him.

While Draco was entertaining this train of thought the new woman had closed most of the gap between them. "Mr. Potter are you alright?" She asked and moved to place a hand on his shoulder. "You look quite pale."

"What did you just call me?! And how do you know my name?"

"I called you Mr. Malfoy, and why wouldn't I know you? Your family is rather famous after all."

"Right… um… Sorry. Must be more tired than I thought." said Draco trying desperately to calm his nerves.

The woman laughed kindly and said, "That's quite alright I understand," she paused and her gaze flickered up to his forehead, "My that's a nasty cut. Why didn't you see the nurse about it?"

"It's only a cut Ms…?" Draco muttered a little more defiantly than his good manners should have allowed.

She smiled again. "I'm Ms. Strata, the new defense against the dark arts teacher. You really shouldn't leave that cut untreated, allow me."

Before Draco could even acknowledge having heard of her in the dining hall she stretched out her hand and brushed her fingers slowly across his now dried gash, light as a breeze. At the contact a sharp bitter cold seared into Draco, like her entire form was made of ice… it reminded him too much of what he'd felt before when Potter all but struck him with those emerald eyes of his. Potter, fates, my god it was too much for him. "I-I'm sorry I must go," he murmured before turning and al but running for the dungeons at top speed.

Kaleigh simple folded her hands in front of her and gave a small smile to Draco's retreating form. Much like the smile worn by the Mona Lisa. She sighed knowingly and was half turned towards the doors of the great hall when the doors opened before her. Snape, never one to stick around large gathering long had decided to fallow Draco's lead and head to the dungeons early. It was he who opened the door before Kaleigh and it was he who first locked eyes with her, besides Draco. Dumbledore had turned him down for DADA again but he'd not yet introduced the new teacher to the other staff. Some rubbish about her being too ill. While odd, Snape paid it no mind. It was just another hopeless drone in a seemingly cursed spot he felt only he could handle. And it was much to everyone's surprise when, upon meeting the new teachers eyes he stumbled backwards, near falling. Turned green and then a sickly pale and a horrified recognition spread across his face, totally destroying any and all masks that had previously lain upon his face.

Kaleigh seemed unaffected by his dramatic response. A small, true smile tugged at the corner of her lips and her eyes seemed to brighten considerably upon finding Professor Snape in front of her. "What are you looking at Severus? She asked with the fondness of familiarity.

At the sound of her voice every hard, cold, and downright nasty mask Snape had ever worn flew right back onto his face. He pulled himself to his fullest height and glared so fiercely at Kaleigh that even some of the senior teachers would have shrunken under the scrutiny. "Nothing…" he replied curtly with all the hatred and bitterness he possessed, "No one…" Without waiting for a response he stormed violently off to the dungeons, looking as though he would very much like to kill something.

Kaleigh, for the most part, seemed un-phased. You'd have to be paying intricately close attention to see the much darker look that crossed her eyes and the was her near smiling lips turned into a decidedly minuscule frown. And you'd have to be a real wonder to see the near heartbreak that crossed her face ass she stood their and watched Snape walk away. Harry Potter was apparently, all of these things.

The Great Hall was a silent as a graveyard. Although no one had seen Snape's face, because his back had been turned to them, his body language and the sheer ferocity of his growled phrase was enough to give them a hint. No one knew exactly what to say first. Luckily Dumbledore chose for them by greeting the new arrival. "Ah Professor Strata, feeling better ahead of schedule are we?"

With a microscopic sigh Kaleigh turned back around and beamed brightly at Dumbledore. "Yes Albus, much. Thought it would be best if I introduced myself now instead of leavening your poor students in suspense."

Dumbledore smiled, with that annoying pleasant glint in his eye that let you know he was planning something and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce your new DADA teacher, Professor Strata." The great Hall was silent one moment more before erupting into a nice polite applause. As far as most of them were concerned, if Snape didn't like her they were going to love her or really rue the day they were born. Judgment on that would have to wait. She'd certainly made quite an entrance. Kaleigh bowed a little in thanks, but ended up clutching her chest in a small wince as she did so. With a small stumble she righted herself and walked calmly down the isle towards the teachers table. Where Dumbledore, ever predictable said, "Alright everyone. It appears this evenings surprised are over, you may return to your meals.

Having seen far stranger things from some of their professors than a sudden appearance the student body had no trouble with complying. Within seconds the whole place was buzzing with rumors about why Snape had reacted so strangely to the new Professor, and If that was a good or a bad thing. Harry made it an effort never to participate or listen to Gossip, seeing where he'd been the victim of some particularly nasty gossip in his day. Instead he was content to focus on his meal and blissfully ignore most of the people around him. That is until his gaze wandered around the room again, finding itself at the teachers table. He watched the New professor chat animatedly with Dumbledore. She seemed interesting enough. With that entrance she'd definitely fit in at Hogwarts. He'd have to find out more about he the next day, seeing as his DADA teacher usually revolved around some central plot or another during the course of all his previous school years. Why should this one be any different? He was midway through a particularly large yawn when Professor Strata's eyes fell away from Dumbledore and onto him. Dumbledore seemed to think their conversation over and turned to chat with Mrs. Sprout, while Harry found himself in the second intense staring match of the evening. Her eyes were boring into him like Draco's tended to do, and it was unnerving enough that he made to look away when he heard a voice eerily familiar to the one Ms. Strata owned echoed through his head.

Ah…The other Mr. Potter…We meet at last…

Authors Notes: Anyone confused yet? ^_^