Chapter 2 – Inner Confidence

I walked down to where the door I'd found the day before was. I found it and, to my surprise, it was open a crack, again. It looked as if the door was waiting for me and it made me feel really creepy.

I walked down the long stairs again and, luckily, just like the day before, I didn't encounter a soul. I made my way slowly to the corner and started to walk more confidently as I came up to Draco's cell.

When I approached, he was sitting against the wall and he looked up to see who was coming. His expression went from insanely bored to surprise to happy and settled on confused. He stood up quickly as I got closer to the bars of the cell.

"Hey, Lexi," he said, "What are you doing down here? I thought I'd never see you again."

"Well, I couldn't not see you," I answered, "could I? All my questions haven't been answered." I put my hands on my hips and tried to look serious, I couldn't help it and I felt a huge smile spread across my face. He smiled back at me.

"I'm glad to see you, too," he said, as he smiled. For a second, I forgot that I was there for another reason, other than to see his beautiful smile again.

"I brought you something," I said as I sat down on the concrete in front of his cell. I started to rummage through my book bag.

"You brought me something?" he asked as he sat down opposite me and I could tell he had a confused expression on again. "Why? What kind of something?" I glanced up at him.

"Yesterday," I started, "as I was leaving, I saw a man with a tiny plate of food coming down the corridor. Considering you are the only one in here, I figured it was for you and it looked like such a small amount of food." I continued looking through my book bag.

"Yeah, it was for me," he said, "but what is your point here?" I pulled my hands out of my bag and held out all the food I'd stolen at lunch and hidden away for him. I looked up at his face and he was gaping at the food. He looked up at me, still gaping as if what he was seeing wasn't real.

"You brought me all this food?" he asked, looking back to my hands, "Why? How?" I smiled at the awestruck look on his face.

"Well, when I saw that little plate of food, my heart went out to you as I remembered the feast I'd eaten under two hours before, "I admitted, " I figured you should get at least than what you were given." I felt myself blush, so I looked away at my bag. I didn't know why I was being so open with him.

"Wow," he breathed, "I don't know what to say. Thank you. But how are we going to get the through the bars?" I looked up and moved my hand to touch the bars to see if the food would fit through, but was stopped.

"No! Don't touch it!" Draco exclaimed. I figure he would've grabbed my arm if he could've, but luckily I stopped with just his yell. "These bars are magically sealed. I don't know what would happen to you if you touched them, but I don't want to take the chance." I could tell he was afraid by the look on his face.

"What are we going to do then?" I asked, truly baffled. "How did that man get the plate through yesterday?"

"He used his wand," he answered, "but I didn't hear the spell. He pointed it right here." Draco pointed at the bars about two feet off the ground. I looked around there, but couldn't see anything different than the other parts of the bars.

"Well, I don't know what to do without the spell." I said, looking up at him. "Do you have any ideas?" He chewed on his thumb nail while he thought about it. After a few moments, he lowered his thumb.

"Why not try something like what you did yesterday?" he started, slowly, "What did you do yesterday? You just stood there, closed your eyes and disappeared! If you were planning on making a surprising exit, it worked." He under his breath, but I didn't laugh at all. Once again, I wasn't sure if I should tell him. No one knew I could do magic without a wand. Now even my parents. But he had seen me do it, so it wouldn't be very easy to hide from him. I looked him in the eyes and he looked right back with his steady, blue gaze, and then I cracked.

"Um... no one knows about it so you have to promise no to tell anyone." I said and he nodded, staying silent, so I continued, "I can do magic without my wand. You're the only one who knows now! My parents don't even know. And don't ask me how I do it because I don't really know. It's weird, I just close my eyes and will something to happen, and the majority of the time, something does. A lot of the times I have to at least us my hand."

"That," gaped Draco, "is friggin' amazing." I smiled and laughed and he laughed too. "I promise I won't tell anyone," he continued, "I mean, look at me. Even if I wanted to tell I'm kind of stuck behind magically sealed bars. How about we go back to that? You said you have to hold out your hand and close your eyes so let's try it."

"Good idea," I made myself more comfortable on the concrete floor and held my hand out to the point where Draco had pointed earlier. I took one last hopeful look at Draco before closing my eyes and concentrating on making that section of the bars disappear. I had my eyes closed for about 30 seconds when I felt something on my hand that jerked my eyes open. Draco had taken my hand in both of his and was staring at it.

"Your hands are very beautiful," he commented, not looking up at me. I suddenly felt very self-conscious and pulled my hand out of his grasp. I held it in the palm of my left hand and studied it.

"My hands aren't beautiful," I said, sadly, standing up as if I were getting ready to leave. "My fingers are too short and fat. My waist is too big, my thighs are huge, my face is chubby and my hair is always a mess." I sighed and slid down the brick wall between Draco's cell and the fourth, empty one to the right of him. He came over and sat down beside the wall of his cell, trying to get as close to me as possible.

"Don't say those things," he said to me, very sweetly, "You have a beautiful body and you shouldn't put yourself down like that. If you don't love yourself, no one else will either." I looked over at him through the bars. "Besides, it doesn't matter what's on the outside, just the inside, right?" He smiled sweetly. I hid my face in my arms.

"I'm no better on the inside," I said, my voice muffled, "At my school back home, my muggle school, I was considered a freak." I lifted my head and looked straight ahead of me. "I had one best friend and she abandoned me when I told her I was going to live with my aunt. I was actually coming here. Anyway, every one of my classmates thought I was weird and I was always rejected. I'm not smart and don't do things that everyone else does. I like to read and hate parties. I'm just a nobody to everybody." I could feel the tears start to well up in my eyes and I hid my head again.

"First of all," I heard Draco say, "You shouldn't care so much about what other's think. Those people are your past; this place is where you belong now. Even so, they are completely wrong about you. I know I haven't known you long, but already I can tell you are caring, dependable, curious, brave and smart. This school is a chance for you to start all over. You can't say you aren't smart because look at that hole you put in the magic bars." I looked over to the place where I'd been sitting before and saw my bag sitting open on the floor with the food sitting on top of it. I looked above it and saw the hole in the bars, about 2 feet off the ground.

I slid over to my bag and picked up the food and held it through the hole. Draco came over and took it and put it on the floor beside him. I made a quick decision and got up again, this time to actually leave. I snapped close my bag, slung it over my shoulder and turned to leave. Draco shot up.

"Where are you going?" he inquired, his brow furrowed.

"I-" I started and took a deep breath, "I should probably be going."

"No, please don't," Draco said, pleadingly, "I'm all alone down here. It gets very lonely. Please don't leave." I closed my eyes and turned towards him, opening them. "I, I want to see if you can make more of the bars disappear." It was obvious he was looking for an excuse for me to stay.

"Fine," I said, dropping my bag at my feet. His face lit up. "But I want you to answer a question for me first. Why are you down here?"

He suddenly looked very uncomfortable. He started playing with his hands and not looking at me.

"I, um, well," he couldn't form his words properly, "I don't think, um, I don't think I should tell you. I, um, well if..."

"You're not comfortable telling me yet are you?" he just looked up at me. "That's ok, I guess. But you have to promise to tell me at some point." He nodded, agreeing. "So, where do you want me to try and make the bars disappear?"

"I was thinking of somewhere around our heads and upper bodies. Maybe like this," he lifted his hand and made a shape that went from above his head to around my belly button. It was a heart shape. I hesitated for a minute, wondering if this was too fast for me.

"I could try it," I answered and lifted my own hand. I closed my eyes and started on the left side of the heart. I stopped and opened my eyes. "It looks sideways," I commented and shook my head. I lifted my hand again and just moved it back and forth, from top to bottom, as if I were erasing a chalkboard. I covered the area that Draco had pointed out without noticing and when I lowered my hand, there was something there that I wasn't expecting.

"It's perfect," said Draco. I looked at him, framed in the perfect heart shape I'd made in the bars. I was completely speechless. "It's perfect because it came from your heart. You shouldn't try so hard all the time. Let loose and live a little." I smiled.

"You're very passionate for a guy," I said, "I don't think I've ever met a guy as sensitive as you. It's probably because all the guys my age are too immature." I noticed I was half talking to myself and looked up at Draco. He was watching me, with a smile on his face.

"Come here for a minute, come closer to the bars, just be careful," It sounded like a command, but I could tell it was a request. I walked up closer so my body was about half a foot away from the bars.

Draco reached out his left hand, unexpectedly, and put it on my cheek. He bent his head towards mine and kissed me gently on the lips. He pulled away and dropped his hand down to my shoulder, waiting for my reaction.

"Wow," I said, in a whisper, "That was amazing for my first kiss." I tried to say it to myself, but Draco must have overheard. He was staring at me with amazement in his eyes.

"That was your first kiss?" asked Draco, unbelievingly, "But that's impossible. I'm surprised. You're so beautiful. If every guy knew what you were really like, you would've had your fist kiss long before now." I smiled, but surprisingly, I didn't blush.

"You're always talking about knowing me, but we've only known each other for less than a day." It was a more of a statement, but I had a questioning voice. I wondered if he'd notice.

"But I feel like I've known you my whole life. I'm so comfortable with you. I feel I can say anything." I noticed that he still had his hand on my shoulder when he started to move it up towards my face. It rested on my cheek.

I lifted my own hand and put it on top of his, leaning my head into his palm and closing my eyes. This was the kind of guy every girl could wish for: handsome, sweet, passionate, caring.

I opened my eyes and looking up into his face, wishing it wasn't all a dream that would soon disappear. He slowly started to move his face towards mine and kissed me again. This time was different, though. I could feel the muscles tighten in his lips as he tried to pry my mouth open. I pushed my hands on his chest and backed away from him.

"No!" I exclaimed as soon as my mouth left his. "No I can't! Not yet, I'm not ready. Don't make me, please! I don't want to." I backed up all the way to the opposite wall, my chest heaving up and down as my heart beat fast underneath my ribs. I gasped for air as I clutched the wall behind me. I ducked my head in my own shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Lexi!" gasped Draco, "I'm really sorry! I won't make you if you don't want to." I fell to the ground and sobbed into my knees. "Lexi, please, I shouldn't have. I'm really sorry. I really, truly am. Please, forgive me?" He stopped talking, but I continued to cry.

After I had cried for about two minutes, I slowly stopped and started to lift my head. Draco was sitting on the ground as well, right under the heart. He was resting his arms on his knees and had his head hung low.

"Draco?" I said and slowly lifted myself from the ground. Draco looked up at me with a look of guilt mixed with concern on his face.

"Lexi! Are you ok? I'm really sorry! I-"

"It's ok, Draco," I cut him off, "I'm fine. I just wasn't ready. I don't want to move too fast." I was standing by then and Draco was up as well, framed in the heart. "I like you, Draco, but I'm kind of new at all of this and I want to take it slower. Please promise you won't rush me." I looked at him pleadingly.

"Ok, I promise," he smiled, "We can go at whatever pace you want."

"Oh, thank you, Draco!" I exclaimed and ran up to the bars and hugged him.

While we were like that – with my arms slung around his neck and his arms draped across my waist and back – I felt like I was home and never wanted to leave from that place. I closed my eyes to enjoy the warmth of his body against mine and the smell of him. I opened my eyes and caught a glimpse at the digital watch on my wrist. The numbers were very clear: 6:04pm.

"O my god!" I screeched and pushed away from Draco, staring at my watch. "Oh shit, I really have to go now."

"What is it, Lexi?" asked Draco, alarmed at my sudden exclamation and movement. "Is there something wrong?"

"Dinner started five minutes ago. My friends are going to wonder where I am." I grabbed my bag and started to leave.

"Wait, Lexi!" said Draco and I turned on my heel, "What about the bars?" I swore under my breath and dropped my bag.

I walked over to the bars and lifted my hand. I closed my eyes, but jerked them open right away. Draco was holding my hand up in the air. He pulled me closer and kissed me. It was just a short one because Draco pulled away and released my hand. I held my hand up still and smiled at him, before I made the bars reappear. Just before I closed the last hole in the bars, I reached my hand through it and pointed at the very top corner on the right side of Draco's cell. I closed my eyes, opened them again, and there was a small heart embedded in the stone wall. I pulled my hand out and closed the hole. I looked back at Draco's face.

"I'm going to miss you," he said to me, "Will I ever see you again?" He looked hopefully into my eyes.

"I hope so," I told him before turning around, picking up my bag and walking away without looking back.

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I got to the Food Hall ten minutes later.

"Hey, Lexi! Where have you been?" Kalan asked as I sat down next to him. "We were thinking of going to look for you."

"Sorry guys," I said as I pulled food onto my plate. "I've been studying and I just lost track of time. What have you two been up to?" I started eating and looked up at my friends.

"Well, I taught Kalan how to play Wizard's chess," replied Tessie, smiling quite big, "I don't think he's got the hang of it yet." She giggled softly behind her hand. I turned and stared at Kalan.

"You don't know how to play Wizard's chess?" I gaped. I understood why Tessie was giggling so much. Wizard's chess was one of the most popular games in the wizarding world.

"Both my parents are Muggles!" Kalan explained in protest. "There hasn't been a witch or wizard in my family since my great-grandmother, or so my mom says. I barely know anything about the wizarding world."

"That's why we're here! To teach you," I said, puffing out my chest and trying to look important and sound serious. My friends both stared at me before the three of us burst into fits of laughter. We ate the rest of our dinner chatting and learning more about one another.

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After dinner, we'd gone outside and explored around there. It was a beautiful evening and we sat on a hill to watch the sunset. That was our special place, I'd decided, with a view of mountains and a river twisting and turning through them. I'll always remember that night, sitting there with my two, true best friends.

By the time we got back to our common room, it was nearly nine o'clock. We sat down at one of the tables near a window and opened up our books to do a bit of last minute homework.

It was 10:30pm when I started to yawn and I realized that my early morning was catching up with me. I left my friends and went to my dormitory. I climbed straight into bed after changing into my pajamas and fell asleep minutes after my head hit the pillow.

My thoughts drifted away from my limp body in my warm bed to Dreamland. When I reached Dreamland, I could hear male voices. Then I realized that Dreamland wasn't where I had landed.

"You are now going to see what happens when you make the wrong choices, you insolent boy," said a long, drawling voice. My eyes snapped open and I realized I wasn't in my dormitory either.

In this new place were tables lining the walls of the square-shaped room. There were multitudes of things on the tables that I didn't recognize. Above these tables were bookshelves, all around the room, stuffed full with books. My attention was soon captured by a tall, dark-haired man standing in the middle of the room. He was staring at a hooded boy about three feet in from of him.

"What are you going to do with me, Valkan?" asked the boy and I gasped: I knew that voice, but where was it from?

"Well, seeing that you've given me what I need, I no longer need you. Therefore, you will be disposed of," Valkan said evilly as he turned around. I caught a glimpse at his face at that point. He had a long nose and a thin mouth that was stretched into an evil smile. In his eyes, was nothing but death and darkness.

He walked over to the table on his left where he picked up a gleaming sword. He turned back towards the middle of the room and walked towards the boy, the sword held out in front of him. The boy didn't even try to move.

Valkan moved the sword to the left side of the boy's body and cut his arm, Blood started gushing out of the cut and onto his white shirt. Yet still, the boy didn't move at all.

"Let's see how long you last," smirked Valkan before leaving the room. The second the door closed, the boy grabbed his arm and fell to the ground. He was already becoming weak from loss of blood. He flung his head back in pain and his hood flew off.

I saw a flash of blonde hair and had one thought before I woke up in my dormitory gasping for air.

DRACO.