I'm sorry, what?" Draco quickly came out of his euphoric daze, unsure if he had heard the girl correctly.

"I'm a muggle," Roanoke confirmed, never looking at him.

"But, how-? How is it-? What about?"

"Let me explain," the strange beauty began, reaching out to touch him comfortingly.

"No," he pulled away, "Why didn't you tell me? Why are you here? This is all wrong."

He continued muttering while standing up and getting off of the bed. Finally, he turned back to her to see tears streaming silently down her face. Roanoke wiped the tears from her face ashamedly.

"She looks like a child who has lost a teddy bear," remarking on the forlorn look upon his love's face, before shaking the thought from his mind and turning his back to her again. He took one last look at the pleading on her face, and then stalked silently out of his rooms.

It was late. He knew not exactly how late, just that it was dark. He heard footsteps behind him but paid them no mind. He whirled angrily when a hand clasped his shoulder from behind. The girl he was now facing was bespectacled and scrawny. He glared at the tiny thing before turning on heel and skulking away.

"Wait!"

Draco turned once again, this time ready to curse the girl. She took one look at his wand and stepped closer, her eyes flashing. The part-Veela blinked. He had been expecting her to run off with one sneer or death-glare. One, apparently, can't judge a book by its cover. Draco looked down his nose at the petite girl, who was no more than 4'9, and could easily have been mistaken for a second year. He dimly remembered her though; she was a Ravenclaw, a year behind him, the same age as Roanoke. He pushed the thought from his mind, not wanting to think about her.

"What do you want?" Draco sneered and asked icily.

"What did you do to her?"

"To who, the muggle?" He spat the word.

The girl smacked her forehead and muttered 'idiot' faintly for a few moments, before looking back to the tall blonde.

She stared him straight in the eye and said, coldly, "Idiots, both of you. I don't know how it is that the great Charles Darwin has not yet exterminated you."

Draco mildly raised a pale eyebrow in response, too confused to say much. The pint-sized girl sighed deeply before grabbing the Veela's hand and dragged him to a nearby and convenient classroom.

Sitting down on a desk, the gray-eyed boy realized that he had no real clue as to who this person was, or what she wanted.

"Who are you?" He asked uncomfortably, as soon as he worked up his normal amount of courage.

"Oh," she smacked her forehead again, causing her hair to fly about her face as she shook her head, "So sorry, I'm Mace Automne Winifred Tree Waverly Salis."

"I'm very sorry, but I can't remember which one came first, what do I call you?"

She sighed, "You can call me Explain, it's easier, my parents went a little wild with the whole name thing, I can't even remember the order, so usually I just pick one to go by. This week it's either Mace or Explain, but Explain is permanent."

"Oh."

"Yea, are you okay?" The diminutive girl with far too many names asked, looking at the paler than usual boy. He looked sick.

"Yes, fine, just... confused," he replied with a sigh and a pleading look. The Veela obviously needed to talk, to let it all out.

Explain jumped up next to him on the desk and shook her hair out of its ponytail, which was when he noticed its color. He had not been aware of its hue due to the poor lighting. Now, in better light, he saw that it was a deep green. She put up a slim, tiny, artist's hand and pulled a strand of hair from her face, revealing many piercings when she tucked it behind her ear. The simple gesture also caused her large, faded and stained sweatshirt to fall back from her wrist, showing a collection of bracelets much like Roanoke's own.

"You want to tell me why I just found Roanoke coming out of your rooms, sobbing?"

Draco heaved a sigh.

"She told me she was a muggle."

"Really?" Mace inquired rhetorically, surprised, then mumbled, "It took me weeks to get that out of her."

She looked back to the boy on her left. "Why was she crying? Why did she tell you?"

"We have a-" he paused, and finished a bit coldly, "Strange relationship."

"Oh yea, she's your mate and you're a Veela right?"

Draco blinked, how had Explain known, had Roanoke told anybody? When did she have time?

As if she had read his mind, or his face, Mace said, "Don't worry, it's not all over Hogwarts or anything. Dumbledore told me," she finished indifferently.

"Why you?"

"Because I'm her best friend dumb-ass."

Draco was startled by the sudden and casual insult, he growled. Mace merely elbowed him in the ribs and said to stop it. The blonde Slytherin had never before met someone who was so- frank.

"What's wrong with you?" The green eyed and haired girl asked rudely.

"What do you mean," Draco was indignant, there was nothing wrong with him.

"You know what I mean. She finds out that she's some weird magical creature's mate- for life nonetheless- and that same day, because she trusted you, against all of my warnings, she told you her second biggest secret. So what do you do? You're mean to her, make her cry, and now I have to beat you up!"

Draco disregarded the threat and asked "Second biggest secret? There's a bigger one!"

Explain's eyes widened, "You never heard me say that."

"Yes I did-"

"Nope, you didn't, I'm working my Jedi magic on you, so pretend it's working!" The odd girl hissed this message. "Now do you want to talk or not?"

"Of course I do, it's just-"

"Then get your coat."

"Why?"

"Because we're going to hold palaver."