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Chapter One: The Coldest Touch
Staring listlessly out the window of the Hogwarts express, Draco Malfoy sighs loudly as the compartment rattles with thunder strikes. The 16 year-old is, for once, not flanked by his usual mates, Crabbe and Goyle. They had been suspended from Hogwarts for using magic to cause a train wreck a few weeks ago. Luckily, Draco's father had connections, and made sure his son did not suffer the loss of proper schooling. Lucius Malfoy believed in a good education, and his one and only son was no exception. This allowance to return to Hogwarts was more than Draco had hoped for; he was dreading the moment his father would say: "We're sending you to Durmstrang School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, so you can get a better, more private education than you could ever expect at Hogwarts." But what was it about Hogwarts that so appealed to him? He definitely didn't miss Harry Potter or his filthy Mudblood friends over the summer, and having duties as Head Boy of Slytherin House was hard enough. It just didn't make sense to him that it meant so much to him to come back every year. However, it was just this year that mystified Draco; his 5th year. For some reason, he anticipated it more than ever.
Hurried footsteps brought the boy back to reality, and he realises that he is hungry. He gets up to hunt down the snack cart, and a girl with her cloak hood up crashes into the compartment, knocking Draco back into a seat.
"Stay here if you value your life!" She blurts out, speaking very quickly. Staggering to his feet, the blond boy brushes his robes off, and stares at the stranger; incredulous.
"And what's this; crashing in my compartment and all? I am-"
"Draco, you whining, insolent fool. It's me." The girl lowers her hood to reveal dark red-auburn hair that curls around her ears, which are completely covered in piercings, and a pair of deep brown eyes staring him down. They pull eachother into a brief, but passionate kiss, and embrace. Draco breaks the kiss with a smirk.
"Took you long enough." He says, taking a seat."I thought you decided not to come after all the trouble I went through to get you in"
The girl smiles back, her lip barbell sparkling.
"I would've been sooner, if it weren't for that annoying tram ahead of me on the platform. Bloody porters left and right I tell you, one day, I'll fire them for bein' so bloody useless." She grins mischeviously and continues: "And I'll owe it all to you, cos you'd do anything for me." While she says this, she traces a finger down Draco's throat delicately. "Oh if your father knew what I was doing here, we'd both be dead." she says thickly.
The boy laughs dryly.
"But he won't know, now will he?"
"About us? To hell he would know ####."
"My father got you out of suspension from Beauxbatons, didn't he? It's just like he says: 'It's all about who you know.'" Draco reminds her. This elicits a laugh.
"Of course. With Lucius, it's always about power, isn't it"
"My dear Tari, we don't have to discuss this any further." Draco says smoothly, putting his face close to hers. He puts two fingers to her lips, which are free of the usual black lipstick, and presses lightly. Tari nods, and engulfs the fingers in her mouth; sucking on them viciously. Draco whimpers softly, but tries to hide his enjoyment of the act. Hearing this, she releases the fingers, and lets her nose graze his pale cheek.
"You liked that, didn't you?" She croons in his ear, and bites the earlobe ever so gently and flickers her tongue over the top of it. Draco chuckles, and turns his face to hers, and kisses her on the lips. Both their lips curl into a shared smirk as Draco grips Tari's waist in his hands while they are kissing, and squeezes. They jump apart as the compartment door clangs shut with the sudden jolt of he train stopping. "Well. Off to it then, I suppose?" Tari suggests, pulling her hood back on and leaving the compartment. Draco follows moodily, annoyed at the abrupt interruption, and trudges off the Hogwarts Express.
The cool air greets them like an slap to the face when they feel the breeze of the lake in front of Hogwarts. Draco shivers involuntarily, and is glad for Tari being in front of him to block some of the cold wind. She stops at the edge of the lake, and turns around.
"Hmm, they've built a bridge since I've visited here" she mutters, referring to the TriWizard Tournament last year when Beauxbatons and Durmstrang had stayed at Hogwarts.
"Yeah." Is all he can manage to say.
"I'll be by your room later after the Sorting, if I get the Bloody Baron to cooperate with me." Tari says quickly. Draco nods numbly, shifting closer to her. Giving him a deep, warm kiss, she slips away. The boy watches a particular sparrow flit over towards the Whomping Willow, and reluctantly makes his way towards the castle, all the while trying to shield himself from the bitter wind using other people.
As usual with every year, the Great Hall is abuzz with excitement, mostly from the First Years, who seem to have increased in number since last year's group. Sitting down among his fellow Slytherin group, Draco recieves several slaps on the back and cheers for being elected Head Boy for yet another year. Pansy Parkinson smiles and winks at him flirtaciously, but he is too distracted to notice. His thoughts linger on Tari, and their meeting on the train earlier on. They hadn't seen eachother since the end of the TriWizard Tournament, during which they had met. They both had a sarcastic nature, and more importantly, a grudge against Harry Potter.
The said boy walks into the Hall, closely followed by Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and to Draco's utter disbelief, Cho Chang. Cho takes a hold of Harry's hand, and laces her fingers through his. Harry looks down, then up at Cho, and smiles. "What's SHE doing with HIM?" Pansy screeeches, asking the question on almost everyone in the Great Hall. The Hall goes quiet as the two, including Rom and Herione, stop at a vacant spot at the Gryffindor table. All except Cho sit down, and Harry reaches up to hug the black-haired girl. After a quick kiss on the cheek, she leaves him and heads back to the Ravenclaw table.
"What's this? Potter's got himself a girlfriend?" Draco calls out. Cho looks over at him from a few rows away, and throws him a dirty look.
"Shut it, Malfoy. No one cares what you have to say." She says coldly, and turns back to talking with her friends. Draco is not discouraged by this, and instead continues to whisper to his friends.
"How much you reckon she charges for dating Potter? I mean, honestly, if he's so great, he'd get a good price." This illicits a chorus of sniggers from the Slytherins. Draco smugly rests his elbow on the table, and waits for the Sorting to begin.
Upon arriving at his dormitory, Draco immediatley claims the bed nearest the window, keeping Tari's visits in mind. Nobody argues with this order, and goes with the fact that Head Boys are supposed to have this privelege. He goes to open his trunk, and finds that his drawers are already filled with his clothes. Everything is unpacked exactly as he likes it, not in any particular order or anything; just separated by clothing type. Draco wasn't anal about these things like the other boys were, including his family.
"And now that I won't be the only child, things are gonna get bad." He mumbles.
"You coming to the Commons Room, Malfoy?" A voice behind him says, breaking him from his thoughts once again. Without even lookng back, Draco nods, and slides off the bed.
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Rave: yeah, I get crazy when it comes to Dracie.
Draco: Grr..I hate that name! how do you pronounce it anyway?
Rave: Dray-kee.
Draco: mutters Great. I'm stuck with the Loonleader, and I get a nickname. Life sucks.
Rave: not for free!