Disclaimer: J. K. Rowling owns all the Harry Potter characters, although I created Julianne Michaelson and any other characters not part of the original Harry Potter 'cast'.

Author's Note: Song Lyrics are to Evanesence's Taking Over Me.

Chapter 9: Getting There

It had been a month since the first rehearsal of the secret Hogwarts band, 'Veritaserum'. Juli and Malfoy still weren't getting along outside of class, but Cho's rule for 'playing nice' seemed to have been generally accepted during rehearsals.

It was after dinner one night when Juli walked into the dungeon they'd been using for rehearsal, and was pleasantly surprised to find that no one was there. She walked into her private practice room and pulled off her robe and set it on the chair. The red walls made the room look small, but Juli soon found that it was a lot bigger than it looked. She pulled off her shoes and looked at her new stereo system that she'd requested, along with her collection of CDs that she had sent over from the orphanage. She picked up the cases and looked through them, noticing a few new ones. "Goo Goo Dolls, No Doubt," she said, sorting through them. "They must have been expecting me," she grinned and laughed to herself. "And ... these aren't mine--" she said, looking though a collection of wizarding bands whose names she recognized. "Why did Dumbledore put these in here?"

"Not Dumbledore," said a voice and Juli jumped around, dropping her things. Draco Malfoy was standing in her doorway.

"Damn it, Malfoy," she said, taking a deep breath and bending down to pick up her things.

"Didn't know you were so jumpy, Michaelson," he said, still standing in the doorway and not bothering to help her pick up the discs. "I thought Gryffindors were supposed to be braver than that."

"And since when did you become an expert on Gryffindors?" she asked standing up with most of the discs in her hand and setting those onto a table. "Last I heard you were learning so much about the Ravenclaws."

"Since you became an expert on Slytherins," he replied, his voice calm as he stared her down. "In first year, of course."

"Right. Now, I'd like some privacy. This is my room, you know," she said, her patience drawing thin.

"Oh, I think not," he said, walking around her room. "I think I'll have to listen to these first," he said picking up the CDs she had set on the table, still very calm, and walked out of her room.

"Where do you think you're going?" she asked, storming after him. "You can't just take my things like that," she said, following him into his room.

"I think I did just take them, Michaelson," he said, and she was momentarily stunned by the sound system hooked up in his room. 'Not like he knows how to work it,' she thought.

"Let's try the Goo Goo Dolls, shall we? Sound like a bunch of pansies to me," said Malfoy, opening the case and inserting the disc into the player.

"You'd be surprised how much Muggles know about music, Malfoy," she said, crossing her arms, and glaring at him.

"Oh, stop being so cranky, Michaelson," he said, turning the music up. "You're much more acceptable to associate with when you behave." He sat down in his chair and propped his legs up as he rested his head on his arms.

"Acceptable? Did you hit your head when you fell off that high and mighty rock you think you stand on?" She shook her head and ran her fingers through her hair in disbelief. "How old are you now, sixteen? Because you still act like you're the same old cheeky eleven year old spoiled rat who pushed me into the mud in first year. You're just a spoiled little rich boy and you'll ALWAYS BE the spoiled little rich boy who everyone is afraid of. But let me tell you something right now Draco, I'll never be afraid of you because deep down I know you're just a pathetic little man who doesn't deserve anything he's got."

She stormed out of the room and out of the dungeon, fuming. She didn't realize where she had been going until she got to Professor Dumbledore's office and stopped. Not knowing why she was there, she let out a deep breath as she headed back towards the Gryffindor common room.

.:-----:.

"I believe in you / I'll give up everything / Just to find you / I have to be with you / To live to breathe / You're taking over me---" Juli abruptly stopped singing as she realized that someone had sat down on the other end of the couch she had been lying on. Draco Malfoy was sitting next to her, smiling.

"I didn't know anyone else was here," she said, a little irritated, as she pulled off her headphones.

"You're up late," he remarked, playing with her shoelace.

"What do you want?" she asked, pulling her shoes away from his reach.

"I'm sorry," he said, looking at her.

"You're not," she replied, standing up and wrapping the cords of her headphones around her disc-man.

"You don't even know what for."

"I don't care," she said, walking into her room, away from him. "You don't mean it. Malfoys never apologize for anything. That must be in your 'Malfoy Family Codes of Conduct' or something."

"Actually it's the 'Malfoy Family Rules and Regulations' rule number fifty-seven. But I don't care." Draco followed her and leaned against her doorframe.

Juli almost had to laugh. "Aren't you scared of what Daddy Malfoy the Death Eater might think?" she asked almost mockingly.

"I suppose I deserve that."

"Of course you do." She sat down on her chair and busied herself by organizing her music collection.

"I'm sorry for pushing you into the mud in first year," he said after a few moments of silence.

She looked up at him, standing in the doorway; his hair a little messy, his tie undone. Somehow during their conversations he always ended up standing in her doorway, leaning against the doorframe. Today he looked like he hadn't gotten sleep in a few days, or as close to that as he possibly could. Juli had to laugh. "I don't know if I can accept that apology of yours." she said, grabbing her cloak and exiting the room, pushing past him towards the dungeon door. As she looked back at him from the dungeon doorway she said, "But I'm getting there."

.:-----:.

"Michaelson," said Malfoy, standing next to the couch where he had found Juli singing a few days earlier. She'd obviously fallen asleep next to the fire, and was curled up in a little ball, her hand around her guitar. "Michaelson," he said a little louder, trying to get her to wake up. He hastily took her guitar from her and levitated it onto its stand in her room.

He walked back over to her and saw that she shivered despite the fact she was laying near the fire. He went to go grab a blanket for her from his room, but he heard her say something.

"No, no, don't!" she was mumbling. "Don't kill him, Draco!" she whispered, but to him she had nearly yelled it across the room as he dropped the blankets he was holding and ran next to her on the couch. "Please, don't leave me alone! Don't kill--" Draco realized she wasn't shivering; she was shaking and she had tears running down her face.

"What? Juli," he said, kneeling in front of her. He momentarily forgot that he hated her, that she was a Mudblood. All he thought about was waking her up. "Juli, wake up! Damn it, Juli!" He shook her shoulder and she violently grabbed his wrist. He'd obviously woken her up.

"What's going on?" she asked, sitting up as she let go of his arm. She tried to steady her breathing as she realized what was going on.

"You were shaking, having a nightmare of some sort," he said, trying to defend his actions. "Are you alright?" He was nothing if not a gentleman when it was required of him.

"I, I think so," she stammered. "What did you do to me?"

He stood up suddenly and went towards the door.

"Wait, Malfoy," she said, standing up, rubbing her arms trying to keep warm. "Please, Draco, I'm sorry, I didn't--" she pleaded and he stopped in front of the door. "Please don't leave me alone."

He turned around and looked into her grey-blue eyes. He remembered the first time he had ever seen them, remembered that he had never seen anything like them except for when he looked into the mirror. He looked outside of the door as he tried to decide what he should do; he didn't want to leave her there, but he couldn't stay. As he stood there, she crumpled back down onto the couch and began crying. Looking down at the floor, and looking as though he had been forced into doing it, he shut the door quietly and walked back to the couch where she was sitting. "Accio," he said lazily as he pointed his wand towards the blankets he had dropped and sat next to Juli on the couch. The last thing she remembered was Draco holding her and brushing his hand through her hair as she fell asleep.

.:-----:.

When Juli woke up the next morning, Draco was gone. She mentally thanked him but was confused as to why he had come in the first place. She dismissed the thought as she straightened her clothes and brushed her hair. Smiling, she walked out of the dungeon and through the castle; it was brightly lit with the morning sunlight and Juli couldn't help but think it would turn out to be the perfect day. She was in a good mood as she trudged up the steps to the Fat Lady and muttered the password ('skrewt'). Unfortunately, she did not find anything close to perfect when she walked through the portrait hole.