Mallory found herself under heat for being seen talking to everyone's favourite Slytherin, as when she caught up with Ron and Harry they had both spotted her laughing with him.

"He's a dick weed and I cursed his hair off." She answered bluntly to their curiosity. "He has got to be one of the least helpful person in the world. I missed half of Divination because I was trying to get him to show me where to bloody go."

"A dick weed?" Harry laughed.

"A piece of unwanted and eternally loathed trash whose got his wand stuck up his ass. Damn, though, he's so funny to screw with, he had a panic attack when he found out he was bald!" Alexa snorted.

"At least you didn't miss anything in something important." Ron shrugged absentmindedly, evidently combing his eyes through the crowd in search of someone.

"Could you stop dissing something I like and find important?" she said snappishly. "Just because you didn't like it much and the one teacher you've had teach is a fraud doesn't mean the entire subject is useless garbage."

"All right, sorry." Ron answered reproachfully. Turning to Harry, he informed him, "Anyways, I've got to go, I've got a detention with Filch in a bit and I want to drop off my books first."

"See you." Harry waved.

"Does anybody here like Divination?" Mallory demanded in a disgruntled tone as the red head walked off.

"It's like you said, we've only ever been taught by a fraud. The only Gryffindors I know who like it are Lavender and Parvati." Harry replied.

"I've got a question for you." She faced him, "I was talking to Malfoy and he said something about you being a hero. He wasn't complimenting you or anything, it was just a bit of an off hand comment and he seemed to think it was common knowledge, what was he talking about?"

Harry looked at her in surprise. "Wait, have you ever heard my name before?"

"Before meeting you, you mean? Not really. I didn't really talk to anybody in the UK before you, as I only just flew into this country in time to board the train." She said.

"And you've never heard or read anything at all about me?" Harry clarified.

"No, I haven't. Why should I have?" she was frowning now.

"Never mind, it's a long story." Harry waved it off. He had been just thinking about how nice it was that she, at least, hadn't instantly looked for his scar the moment he introduced himself. Now he knew why… "So, in North America have you ever heard of the Dark Lord Voldemort?"

The lack of wincing, hissing, or any sign of discomfort pretty much told Harry his answer. "It sounds somewhat familiar…"

Harry sighed. He couldn't not tell her about the dark lord who was currently on the rampage. "Listen, don't make a thing of it, but he's an extremely powerful and evil wizard who's at large. And I guess it wouldn't be fair not to warn you, he's largely after me."

"…You're joking! Why?" her jaw was dropped.

"This is going to sound stupid if you've never heard of the things he done and if you've never known of this stuff before, but I'm part of a resistance against him. Even as the words leave my mouth, they sound stupid… Urg." Harry rubbed his face and tried to muddle through the basics of the death eaters and Voldemort's deeds. The end resulted in shock and huge embarrassment from Alexa.

"You must think I'm such a moron for not knowing any of this…" she said, her eyes still wide in horror from what he had told her.

"Don't treat me as a celebrity and I won't think anything fo the sort." He smiled. "So I guess Voldemort's news hasn't been talked about in North America? I thought it would be a wizard-wide story."

"There's probably some mention, but I wasn't alive for when he was around the first time and I was too distracted in my last few months in North America to notice much that went around me newspaper wise." She shrugged.

"I see." Harry commented.

The two talked a bit more as they went to the Great Hall, and then they met up with Hermione. The three of them were getting along extremely well, though Alexa and Ron never did become very good friends. Alexa had quickly developed a crush on Harry, though the news that he was a hero in this country blew her away and made her realize she'd have a lot to prove to him about herself. Though he did seem like he was impressed by a few of her abilities... It didn't matter, what mattered was she had developed a close friendship with two very nice people, one who happened to be a genius and another who was braver and kinder than anyone else she'd ever known.

A Week (or something to that effect) Later

"What the hell are you doing here?" Alexa snapped in a near yell. She had been walking around the grounds in the chilly weather for nearly a half hour when she had stopped by the lake and happened to see that Malfoy was walking nearby. The fact that it was six AM on a Saturday and no one else was around made Malfoy's appearance a big surprise for her.

"Look, I was just taking a walk." He said testily.

"You're looking extra pasty. What's up?" she glared, taking in his dishevelled appearance.

"My dad's a jack ass and I couldn't sleep." Malfoy smiled bitterly. "Why are you wandering around so early?"

The fact that he had actually confessed what was bothering him pushed the girl off balance a little bit. "What happened with your dad?"

"It's a long story." He sighed. "Listen, I know you don't like me very much but I've just had a pissy few days and I don't have the energy to argue with you, so could we call a truce?"

"Wow, no snarl, no insult, it must have been bad." She raised her eyebrows.

"I'd rather not talk about it. So, why are you strolling around so early when the weather is pretty much a slap in the face?" Malfoy asked.

"Couldn't sleep, either." She shrugged. "Whatever we say right now is going to stay between us, right?"

"…Sure," Malfoy shrugged.

"Are you going to Hogsmeade?"

"That was random," he chuckled, "Probably. It's not a bad place and I can't wait to stretch my legs outside of this school."

"I guess everyone's going, then." She sighed, sounding put out.

"What, you're not?" he cocked an eyebrow.

"Didn't get my forms signed. Is it all day?"

"Yes. It's going to be bloody boring if you're here when we leave. Pretty much only the second and first years will be around." Malfoy smirked.

"Don't rub it in."

"So why are you telling me this?"

"Because I can't really talk to Harry, he'd offer to stay behind with me and I wouldn't be able to let myself let him stay, and then I'd spend all day by myself thinking about how I could've had company." She said sullenly. "And something is wrong with my mouth, I can't stop it from talking about trash to you. If you laugh at me, I swear I'll hex you til your ass falls off."

Malfoy laughed. "Testy, you are. So are you and Potty good friends?"

"Yes. He was the first person who talked to me in Hogwarts. I had skipped out of the feast early and he was the first student who said anything to me." She smiled.

"Actually, I was." Malfoy pointed out.

"What?" she asked.

"I showed you to the Gryffindor common room," he reminded her.

"Oh! Right, that was you!" she said. "But I wouldn't much count you dragging me upstairs in the dark talking to me."

"You know you thought I was sexy." Malfoy grinned.

"Can I ask you something?" Alexa asked him. "Okay, I know I just did, but would you mind if I asked you something?"

"Whatever." He answered noncommittally.

"Don't get pissy or offended, but I heard that your father's in Azkaban because he's a death eater… I was just curious about-" she started.

"Potter told you, didn't he?" Malfoy was steamed. "He had to open his big mouth and tell you everything that's wrong with me and my life. Malfoy's dad's in prison, oh isn't that friggin funny?" He turned away and started walking off, his entire demeanour changed.

"Draco, shut up, that's not what happened-" she exclaimed, grasping his arm. "I read about it in the paper, and I've never known anyone who actually personally was in deep contact with a supporter and I-"

"What, you wanted to ask what's it's like? Is my father a crazy murderous moron? Have I met You-Know-Who? What do you bloody want to know!" Malfoy yelled. "God, who brings something like that up I normal conversation?"

"I'm sorry, it was stupid." She retracted.

"Damn right it was." He snapped.

"How's your mom doing?" she asked tentatively.

"Why do you care?" snarled the blonde.

"Because we're the only ones who are strolling the grounds at the crack of dawn in the end of fall because we both couldn't sleep and I'm sorry for being a bitch to you for the first while." She answered.

"She's… Look, I don't want to talk about it. Didn't I say I didn't want to talk about it?" he sniped.

"It's not healthy to hold stuff like that in. It doesn't help, either." Alexa told him.

"Like you would have any idea." He shook his head.

"I get that you're upset and you've got problems but don't assume that I don't." she frowned, getting angry. "For your fucking information, the only damn reason I'm in this bloody school is because my uncle died and my aunt didn't want me in the house anymore so she shoved me to a different country. I was just wondering if your mom handled it better than my aunt did. But no, I've had a perfect life and don't know anything, do I?" Alexa bit out. Before he could answer she stalked off, shaking her head and muttering. "Why did I even bother talking to you? You're a selfish prick who doesn't care about anything."

The first Hogsmeade trip of the year came too soon for the girl's liking. Harry was surprised to find out that she wasn't attending.

"Why aren't you coming?" he frowned.

"Eh," she evasively muttered.

"You've got to come, you've never gone before, have you?" Hermione fervently said.

"I've… got homework to catch up on."

"Even Hermione's going," Harry pointed out, quickly smiling good-naturedly at Hermione so she wouldn't glare at him. "You can't have that much to do. We're in the same courses, and it's not so much that you can't take one day off."

"Loads of…" what class didn't they share? "Divination crap."

"The bat's tough." He shook his head, seeming to relent at last. "Come on, though, it's easy to just make up some stuff, Ron and I'll help you when we get back. Come on."

"Well, my forms aren't signed either. But it's fine. You go. Much to do here." She shook her head and gave the two a push out the door.

"Are you sure?" Hermione frowned.

"They're not signed? If that's the reason-" Harry brightened.

"Don't! Harry, you can't seriously be thinking of using those stupid things, I cant believe you haven't told the Headmaster yet, especially in these times!" Hermione interrupted him disapprovingly.

"But-" Harry started to protest.

"I'll see you guys later. Really, I wouldn't have gone anyways, I've got too much to do." She lied. Before another word could be spoken, she shut the doors to the Entrance Hall. Looking around at the school filled only with preteens now, Alexa sighed. She did have homework, but she was pretty efficient and she didn't have much homework that was due soon. There was nothing for it, though, and she decided to check out a few books from the library to keep her busy.

Twenty minutes later, she was holding four fairly hefty books in her arms as she walked towards her common room. On her way there, a voice called out to her.

"Don't fall over. God, how much do you read?" it was Malfoy. He came up behind her and promptly grabbed two of her books and carried them.

"What the hell?" she exclaimed. "Did you knock your head on something? Hogsmeade is going on right now."

"I know. Decided not to go. It gets a bit old after a while. It's boring here, though, because everyone our age is gone. Guess I'm stuck with you all day." He said, bored snarl on his face.

She was shocked. "You didn't stay to keep me company, did you?"

"What? Are you mad, woman?" he snorted. "Everyone else inhabiting this school is scared of me, so I'm going to hang with you, but don't get delusional."

"You didn't have to do this," she blinked, shock still wearing on her.

"So, where do you want these things?" he gestured at the books.

"I was going to the common room-" she said. "But I think I'd rather go outside now, it's not very cold today."

"I hope you don't plan to read all day. I have my limits." He told her haughtily.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sure." She smiled.

As the two walked towards the exit, he added in an off hand way, "Oh, and I'm not always a prick. Just don't tell anyone. I can insult people pretty badly, but I didn't mean to be an ass earlier. The world sucks. I'm sure you're aunt's regretting what she did."

"Getting sentimental, are we?" Alexa couldn't help but jab.

"Shut up and walk." He snorted, though a small smile was threatening to emerge. "What were you going to do, anyways?"

"A little of Divination, and some reading." She answered.

"Ugh. I never do much for Trelawny. It's actually best to give in homework between two and four days late, she never docks off marks for tardiness but when you give it to her so late she just skims through it because she wants to give back all he homework to all the students at once, and she won't pay much attention and she'sll mark you a lot easier." He informed her. "I only just started that report on how our voices determine who we will become."

"I've been putting that one off too," shuddered the girl. "I hate her. I love Divination and she's completely screwing it up for me."

"Firenze will be back soon," he consoled her.

She gave him a smile, and for the moment, he forgot to snarl at her.