Summary: Sixth year begins with a new arrival at Hogwarts, Alora Marcellus. She is a relative of Draco Malfoy's but that doesn't stop Ron and Harry from taking an interest, much to Draco and Hermione's annoyance. A new prophecy brings Death Eater attacks and changes at Hogwarts. Can they survive much less fall in love? D/OC, H/Hr, slight SS/MM and R/Lu

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for Alora Marcellus, her family, and this story. It's all mine and you can't have it!! *Huggles Screen*

Author's Note:

1. He everyone, sorry that I wrote so little last time but I didn't have much time and was just trying to keep the hate mail at bay! :) Thanks to all of you who had faith that I would update….I hope you like the new chapter.

If anyone has any questions about the story line or anything else, feel free to e-mail me. I'd be happy to answer them, even if they are asking when the scientists will be done examining my brain to see what went wrong. I'll just answer with, "As soon as they figure out how yours got stuck up your arse." Love to all!

Warning: There may also be a few spoilers for OotP, so if you haven't read it yet, don't read this!!!

Chapter Seven

It was the morning of the Masquerade and Draco and Alora still weren't speaking to each other. In fact, for the past two months they hadn't even looked at each other. They had become quite adept at pretending the other didn't exist. They had become so good at it that both of them failed to see how it tore at the other's heart. During this draw of wills, Harry had stepped in as Alora's companion. This of course irked Hermione to no end and she began to bury herself under more and more work. Almost as if she wanted to shut what was happening out, close herself off from the world.

Ron visited Founder's Haven one day but he took one look at them all and muttered 'hopeless' before turning right around and leaving. It rather shamed them that someone like Ron would call them on their childishness. Of course the person it bothered most was Draco. In retaliation, he began to pick on everything without green and silver that crossed his path. Alora began to speak with sarcasm and she smiled rarely, given more to looks of stone and glass. But what shattered Draco's heart was that those rare smiles were given to Harry. The one person in the world that he loathed most besides those of actual evil, was the one that made her smile. He was the one who had told her to put them away and now she had done so and only took them out for one person. It was at this time that he realized exactly what she was. She was his air. She was always there, he could feel it and sometimes he wished it would go away, but now he needed his air to breathe and he was suffocating without her. She, on the other hand, seemed to be breathing fine.

To Alora, the attraction of Harry wasn't that he was handsome, which in fact he was, or that he was famous. It was simply that he let her be happy without making her think some portent of doom would sweep down upon her if she so much as let a giggle escape. He let her be happy, and that was exactly what she needed. She felt a pang of remorse at times when she would see the way Hermione would watch them together. There was a time when she had wished to play matchmaker for the two but now, things were just more complicated.

And to think, things had been going so well after the fight. You wouldn't think a little fight like the one all those months ago would have caused such a rift to form between all of them, and in fact it didn't. It simply opened up the crack and every little thing since had torn it wider. There was one definite encounter that caused the real abandonment though. Draco and Alora had been called to the headmaster's office in the middle of October. They were still speaking to each other at this point, even if it wasn't real conversation. When they arrived, Dumbledore sat them down and offered them cocoa, which both refused. He himself downed five cups in the short ten minutes they were with him.

"I have just received word from your mother Mr. Malfoy, informing me that your father is doing quite well for having actually been dead. Unfortunately, there seems to be something wrong with his magic. He can't tap into it and they aren't quite sure why. He may never use it again." Draco stared at Dumbledore in shock. Of course he was glad that his father was well, but no magic? His eyes flickered to Alora. She was staring at her lap and refused to look at him. Dumbledore spoke again, "I have given each of your parents permission to visit you during winter break since you shall not be allowed to return home." They each nodded and he rose to show then out.

When Draco and Alora had reached the bottom of the stairs, Draco turned to her. She froze when she saw his eyes turn hard as granite. "This is your fault. My father may be a squib for the rest of his life and it's all your fault." She paled considerably and swallowed, "Drake? Wha…What are you saying? I thought you weren't mad at me…" He smirked at her in the exact way he did Potter, "That was before I found out exactly what you did. Death would have been preferable to this. My father, Lucius Velius Malfoy, will be a squib for the rest of his life. Do you have any idea what that means? He has become everything he strove to exterminate. The whole wizarding world will make a laughing stock of my family….And it's all your fault."  Alora eyes had filled with tears and she reached out her hand toward him but he slapped it away, "Stay away from me. I don't want to see you near me again Marcellus." He stalked away and left her there, to sink down against the wall and cry as her heart shattered into so many pieces that they may never be gathered again.

***

Although they tried to avoid each other, it was rather hard to do since most of the time they were locked up in Founder's Haven. A month into the school year they had been allowed to roam the grounds but they had to be in pairs. Alora and Harry went out often but that left Draco and Hermione stuck since both refused to accompany the other. Harry had begun to feel guilty about his neglect of Hermione, so his outings with Alora became less frequent. Unfortunately this was both a blessing and a curse. Instead of being off on the grounds somewhere, they were right there in front of Draco and Hermione. It made living conditions almost unbearable.

And now it was time for the Masquerade. The Professors had requested that students not tell each other what they were going as so it would be like a real Masquerade. On the stroke of midnight, all masks would be removed and students revealed. Not only was there to be utter secrecy involved but it was announced that everyone was to be in costume, no dress robes allowed. Most of the students were excited while the occupants of Founder's Haven dreaded it. They had each drawn from a hat what time they would leave so that none of the others would know what they looked like. Despite their lack of enthusiasm, they would still follow the rules.

Hermione had drawn the first time slot so she peeked out the door to make sure no one was there and hurried down to the Great Hall. She hardly recognized it. The house tables were gone, replaced by lounges that leaned against the walls, encircling the huge dance floor. Enchanted candles were the only light and it gave the room a romantic glow. Fabric hung from corner to corner of the ceiling and stars peeked out from the draping satin. Sweet smelling flowers perfumed the air. It looked like a fairy tale. (In fact it was since Dumbledore had acquired the best faerie decorators to prepare for the event.) Hermione was not the first to arrive, in fact most of the school was already in attendance. A few people stopped to stare and she blushed lightly beneath her gold mask. She had found the dress in her wardrobe with a note simply saying: 'Wear this tonight and everything will be alright.' It was not signed and she was wary but it was so beautiful that she wore it anyway. It was a deep red with gold accents embroidering the sleeves, neckline, and hem. She wore her hair down and tamed the frizz into loose curls that cascaded down her back. In the dimmed light of the candles, the dark brown of her hair turned to black. No one would recognize her.

The doors opened again and more students filed in, gasps of delight were heard and some headed straight for the dance floor. Hermione seated herself down and on one of the lounges and accepted a glass of sparkling pumpkin juice from a faerie that flitted around the room carrying a tray four times her size. She glanced at the clock and realized that the others had probably arrived already. No matter though, she wouldn't recognize them and it was doubtful any of them would realize it was her in this Arthurian gown of scarlet.

On the other side of the room another girl sat watching the other students twirl around the floor in each others arms. Many a boy had asked her to dance but she had turned them all down. She folded her feet delicately beside her as she reclined on the lounge, looking as if she belonged there. Because of the way she was lying, the long slit that ran up her white dress showed quite a bit of leg and she supposed that probably had something to do with all the offers she was receiving. Gold sandals adorned her feet and straps twisted their way up her calf. She had chosen to wear her hair up in tiny tight curls that fell about her neck and face making her look like a goddess. Unlike Hermione, her hair lightened in the candles to an antique gold. The white dress had a slit on each side and a thin gold belt criss-crossed itself around her tiny waist starting under her bust and tying off near her hip. The neckline plunged low and draped. The sleeves hung from rows of gold buttons down her arm. Her half mask was pure white with gold paint along the edges. She felt more beautiful than she had in years. Alora had resigned herself to sitting there alone all night when another guy walked up to her. Unlike the others, he never took his eyes off her face, "May I have the honor of this dance my lady?" She studied him for a moment, he was wearing black and silver and she wished she could see his eyes but they were hidden in the shadow of his mask.          

"Yes." She answered before she realized what she was saying and placed her hand in his. She slid off the couch and he led her to the dance floor where he pulled her into his arms. They swirled around the floor, their apposing colors drawing the attention of those who watched. They danced in perfect step seeming to know the other's movements perfectly. The dance ended but neither of them let go, they just kept dancing right into the next and the next……

It wasn't until twenty minutes were left before midnight that they stopped and walked out onto one of the balconies. The fresh air burned in her lungs but it felt wonderful compared to the heat inside. The boy leaned against the railing and just gazed at her. It began to unnerve her and she turned to ask him to stop when he grabbed her hand, pulling her into his arms again, "There is one more thing that I would ask of you tonight." She looked up into his face and nodded her head, "What is it?" His eyes grew intense, "Smile for me." And he leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips. She froze, unsure of what to do but after a moment her heart took over and she wound her arms around his neck.

A few feet away a pair of eyes watched, anger flashing. The two broke apart and Alora fought to catch her breath, "Who are you?" The boy shook his head, "That is not for you to know now." He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it before striding away. She turned back to the railing and touched her lips as a smile flitted across her face, just for him. A hand tapped her on the shoulder and she spun around. A boy dressed in dark green stood before her, "Dance with me." She was still in such a daze from the kiss that she just nodded her head and followed him back inside. He held her close to him possessively as the danced. His eyes watched her as she danced on autopilot. He looked about the room for the other boy but didn't find him. He hugged her closer to him and set his chin atop her golden head. The song ended but he didn't release her. Dumbledore stood up and called to all assembled, "There is one minute to midnight. All prepare for the revealing and help me count down." The crowd began to count as one.

Forty-five, forty-four, forty-three…..

Hermione stood from the lounge where she had been resting her feet and counted down with everyone else. It seemed as if almost every boy at Hogwarts had asked her to dance. She had accepted everyone of their offers, hoping to find Harry among them but none of them had those green eyes she knew so well.

Thirty, twenty-nine, twenty-eight……           

The boy in black stood near the door ready to make his escape. He watched as the boy in green held his angel of white close. He whispered under his breathe along with everyone else.

Eighteen, seventeen, sixteen, fifteen……

 The room seemed to spin around Alora as the boy held her against his chest. He felt so familiar, but she couldn't see his hair or eyes. She glanced at the clock as it neared twelve.

Ten, nine, eight, seven, six….

Hermione spotted the black clad boy near the door and wondered why he seemed in such a hurry to leave. He seemed familiar for some reason but she could not place him.

Four, three, two…..

As one the students reached up to loose their masks.

One.

Alora pulled off her mask and looked up into the boy's eyes. Green….She quickly scanned the room for the boy in black. He was turning to walk out the door when she finally saw him. He must have felt her stare for he turned and looked her straight in the eye. He paused before reaching up and removing his mask. A gasp escaped her and she tore herself free of Harry's arms. He gazed into her eyes for a moment longer before turning and walking out the door.