Disclaimer: I wish Harry Potter were mine but he isn't, I invented Maddie though.

AN: I'm back, sorry it took so long to update! My creative powers took a rather long and unexpected holiday, but they're back now with rather nice tan, having completely forgotten to send a postcard. Still you can't have everything. Also please note I'm writing this for fun, I try to keep my characters as realistic as possible, but sometimes in the name of having a little creative fun they may veer off the road slightly :)

Chapter 4: Discovering Power

After the first couple of weeks Maddie began to settle down into her new routine and learn how to find her way about the castle. What with the moving staircases, doors that had to be coaxed open and solid walls which sometimes liked to pretend to be doors, everything was rather confused in her mind at first and her and Alicia often got lost making them late for lessons. Luckily most Professors were lenient on first years who arrived breathless and red faced having taken a wrong turn on the way to the classroom, even Professor Snape tolerated it, although only from the Slytherins.

She also started to get used to all the unusual lessons. Apart from those that took place in classrooms there was flying twice a week and Herbology in the green houses out on the lawns. First years also had to spend Wednesday evenings in the Astronomy Tower studying the stars through their telescopes and it was after one of these lessons that Maddie lay wide awake, shivering in her bed.

Earlier thatnight the first years had arrived back from the lesson and headed up to the dormitory to find the window wide open and the room icy cold. Emily had nervously admitted to opening it earlier that evening and forgetting to close it again, earning her several scathing comments off Alicia. Eventually though everyone had retired to bed drawing their hangings tightly to try and create a warm cocoon under their blankets. Soon the sound of four sets of rhythmic breathing indicated that everyone else was asleep.

Now it was long past midnight and Maddie was still lying awake shivering under her covers, unable to get warm no matter how far she buried herself into her bed. Finally she sat up an idea forming in her mind. There would be no one in the common room now, everyone would have gone to bed, perhaps she could creep down and warm herself by the fire for a while.

Pleased with her plan Maddie scrambled out of bed and quietly made her way to the door, taking one of the blankets from her bed with her. In the common room she curled herself up in one of the chairs nearest the fire, busily arranging her blanket so it covered as much of her as possible. She was so preoccupied with getting herself cosy that she didn't notice a pair of silver grey eyes starring at her from the other side of the fire and when she finally looked up and met those eyes she felt her stomach drop. Draco Malfoy was sitting starring at her coldly; the only sign of any emotion his one raised eyebrow, as if he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing. She knew she was in trouble now, Draco was a prefect and she was a first year who was supposed to be in bed, just yesterday she had been told by Mathew how last year Draco had actually hexed a couple of first years who had sneaked down to the common room after curfew. Not wanting to betray her alarm Maddie held Draco's gaze and for a long moment they were both silent.

"Maddie." Draco was still staring at her, both eyebrows now elegantly arched.

"Draco." She echoed his emotionless tone, hoping that he wasn't about to hex her. There was another long moment of silence and Maddie turned to gaze at the fire, which had died down leaving the glowing logs sitting silently in the hearth.

"You couldn't sleep?" Draco's voice was still cold, but Maddie thought she detected just a hint of something else there. Perhaps not sympathy, but maybe interest. In reply she shook her head and pulled her blanket around her as she shivered again. It was warmer down here by the fire, but not as warm as Maddie had hoped.

"Are you cold?" This time Maddie glanced over at him before she nodded. He had obviously been sitting reading when she had arrived; his open book still lay on his lap but he shifted it now as he reached for his wand. Maddie wondered for a moment if this was the part where he hexed her, although if it was she thought it odd that he hadn't shouted at her first. Determined not to flinch she waited and watched, to her surprise Draco pointed his wand not at her, but at the fire. Her mumbled something she couldn't hear and suddenly the flames leapt up in the grate, crackling as they caught hold of the un-burnt wood and started to blaze brightly.

"Thanks." Maddie smiled gently at him and settled back in her chair as the warmth washed over her.

"How you finding life at Hogwarts?" Again Draco was speaking to her and she looked at him in surprise. This was not what she had expected after all she had heard about Draco. Then again she had sat with him on the train and her experience then told her that sometimes he wasn't as bad as people made out, it was strange how people's opinionshad made her apprehensive of someone who had almost been kind to her.

"It's ok I suppose." Maddie replied, she wanted to say something about the prejudices of the Slytherins, but she knew he was probably one of those that encouraged them and so wisely kept her mouth shut.

"You know I should give you detention for being down here after curfew, it's almost 1 o'clock." Draco was now looking at her reflectively as if trying to decide whether he would carry out his threat or not.

"Really?" Maddie replied rather sleepily not really thinking about what she was saying "I thought you would just hex me or something." Immediately she wished she hadn't said it in case Draco got angry, but to her surprise he gave a short laugh.

"I never hexed those first years last year." The funny half smile that Maddie had glimpsed before returned now to his pale features. "That was just a rumour. All I did was point my wand at them and shout, they were the ones who fell over themselves trying to get away." Maddie giggled slightly in relief, she could definitely understand how a rumour like that would get started. Draco was very cold and aloof; she suspected he was scary when he got angry.

"I suppose people thinking you hexed them doesn't do your reputation any harm." She mused and Draco raised his eyebrow again as a smirk crept across his face.

"Exactly." he nodded "You're pretty sharp about things like that aren't you. I wondered why the hat had placed you in Slytherin, it seemed an odd choice, but I'm beginning to think it was right." Maddie said nothing, she had wondered herself a few times why she had been placed in Slytherin. She didn't regret it, or wish to be part of another house, but the obvious differences between her and the other Slytherins sometimes made her wonder if perhaps the hat had got it wrong.

"So what do you think of the other first years?" Draco asked suddenly. Maddie thought for a bit before answering, realising that he was referring only to the Slytherins.

"I like Alicia, Ophelia and Mathew." She shrugged "Olivia and Julian didn't speak to me until they'd given me a grilling on my background. Emily and Tom are too easily led by others and those other boys aren't even worth speaking too." She scrunched up her nose at the thought of the final two boys in first year whose names she had finally learnt were Wilfred and Carl. Draco gave another short laugh.

"You're very dismissive of your house mates." He commented, "Some of them do seem a little too big for their own boots though considering they are only first years." His eyes narrowed dangerously, and Maddie suddenly got the impression he was going to make it his duty to bring them down a peg or two with a nasty bump. Half of her felt slightly worried and a little sorry for them, but the other half of her felt that most of them, particularly Wilfred and Carl who sneered down their noses at her every time they saw her, deserved it.

"You need to get to bed." The dangerous glint had now gone from Draco's eyes and he was looking at her, not so coldly as he had earlier but still without much trace of emotion on his face. Maddie nodded and gathered up her blanket before she headed for the stairs.

"Night Draco." She called, stopping as she reached the steps and turning back round to face him. "Oh and thanks for not hexing me." She laughed and was rewarded with a sudden smile from Draco that vanished as quickly as it came. Making her way up the stairs she thought about Draco's behaviour, obviously though he enjoyed power and being able to terrify the younger Slytherins was a large part of that power, but all the same he wasn't quite as bad as some people would have her believe. She shook her head as she climbed into bed, the others might be terrified of him, but she resolved to herself that Draco was never going to be able to push her around.

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Just two days later her resolve was put well and truly to the test in the common room. Maddie and Alicia were sitting at the table nearest the fire to work on their potions essay, surrounded by a group of second years. They had been lucky to get these seats, this was the most sort after table in the common room being so near the warm fire, and usually it was fully occupied by the older students. Today though they had got lucky and bagged the last two seats.

One thing about this table was that Draco seemed to think he had more right to sit there than anyone else, and indeed if it was fully occupied he simply stood and glowered until all the students gathered up their things and departed to another table. Maddie however wasn't worrying about that now, Draco wasn't even in the common room and even if he was she wasn't planning on moving.

"So powered wormwood is added after the beetle eyes?" Alicia was saying "Otherwise the potion will…." She trailed off and Maddie consulted the textbook.

"Turn green and lumpy." There was silence for a few moments as they scribbled this down, before Maddie read on "Once the potion has reached this state there is no way to rescue it, the entire contents of the cauldron should be disposed of in accordance with the appropriate magical regulations and the cauldron washed thoroughly before… Ouch!"

She was interrupted by a sharp nudge from Alicia and followed her friends gaze to where Draco and his friends were making their way towards the table, clearly with the intention of sitting down. Already the second years were scrambling around to hurry and get out of his way. Maddie however just rolled her eyes and looked back at the book.

"…before attempting to mix the potion again." She continued.

"Maddie!" Alicia hissed, looking at her wide-eyed. Maddie turned to look at her friend, the expression on her face clearly saying that she wasn't planning on moving anywhere. Realising this Alicia merely sighed and bent her head back to her parchment, if Maddie was staying she would too, no one could say she wasn't a loyal friend.

Draco had now reached the table, followed by a large blonde girl, a tall black boy and two boys Maddie recognised as Crabbe and Goyle. Technically there were enough seats for them to sit at the table with the first years, however they were not used to having to share.

"Maddie." Draco's cold voice caused Maddie to look up and meet his steely grey eyes with her sparkling green ones.

"Draco." She replied, keeping her voice level and her expression neutral before returning to her work. Next to her she could hear Alicia muttering something about this not being a good idea and she was just beginning to wonder what Draco would do next when she realised he had sat down opposite her. Determined not to betray any surprise she raised her eyes discretely and saw the tall boy about to make some sort of complaint. Draco however glared at him and his mouth snapped shut as he took a seat. Crabbe, Goyle and the girl also took their seats and soon fell into a conversation about their work. Maddie felt Alicia nudge her again, this time though she had a grin on her face.

"Come on we've got to get this potions essay finished." Maddie whispered, grinning back.

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This event of course did not go unnoticed by the other Slytherins and later that evening after Draco had departed for his prefect duties a small crowd of first and second years formed around Maddie.

"Are you his cousin or something?" One of the second years asked in amazement.

"No, why?" Maddie replied, confused by the question.

"You must be related to him somehow, he never lets anyone get away with sitting at his table. Last year one of the third years attempted it and they ended up being flung tern feet across the common room by some spell he used." The other second years were nodding in agreement; clearly they remembered the incident well.

"I'm not related to him." Maddie insisted, wondering why everyone was getting so worked up about it. "Obviously he just didn't mind me staying because there were enough seats for his friends anyway. What would be the point of causing a fuss?" The others still looked doubtful and Maddie threw her hands up in frustration.

"Maybe he was just in a good mood!" She suggested, "I really don't think it's that big a deal. I'm going to bed."

Unfortunately although she could escape the majority of the interested crowd in her dormitory the first year girls could still follow her up there.

"Obviously he isn't as bad as everyone says." Olivia announced when they reached the dormitory. "I think he's all talk and no action. He scares people with threats and now they're so used to being scared of him that no one bothers to stand up for themselves and realise that actually he isn't going to do anything about it. That's the last time I give up my seat for him."

Maddie wasn't so sure Olivia had got the right idea. She remembered the look in Draco's eyes that night they had spoken in the common room. That look hadn't been from someone who was all talk and no actions. Sure rumours, threats and his steely cold stare helped his reputation as someone not to cross, but when it came down to it she was pretty certain he was capable of acting on his threats. Why he hadn't tonight she wasn't sure. Perhaps she had just caught him in a good mood, perhaps he genuinely hadn't been bothered because there was enough seats to go round. Or maybe, just maybe it was because he had some sort of respect for her.

She thought about this as she got into bed. She was a mere first year who wouldn't have been able to fight back and he was a sixth year who had a reputation to keep up, by not hexing her or even shouting at her he must surely be aware he had dented his reputation and with it his power over the others quite severely. Was it possible that Draco Malfoy, a sixth year who had little time for fifth years, never mind first years, actually considered her to be someone he should be nice to?

No, she thought, it was impossible. She wasn't even sure that he had much respect for those he would call his friends, certainly he had none for Crabbe and Goyle, but then again who would? The idea that he hadn't hexed her because he actually respected her was ridiculous, but then why hadn't he? She was still pondering this as she fell asleep.

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A week later the incident had become common knowledge and was no longer talked about so much, although she did occasionally hear it mentioned by Olivia, Wilfred and Carl. All three of them seemed determined now to stand up for themselves and not bow to Draco's wants. Usually she would have thought 'good for them', but in their case the decision sprang from haughtiness and believing they were better than everyone else, not from principle and courage. She knew they were playing with fire and in her nastier moments she actually hoped they got their hands well and truly burnt.

That Thursday evening Maddie was playing wizards chess in the common room with Alicia, whilst the rest of the first years were struggling to finish their History of Magic essays. Somehow they had managed to take over the whole of the table nearest the fire, but Maddie had a feeling this wouldn't last long.

Her suspicion was confirmed when Draco and his tall friend entered and began heading for the table, both carrying armfuls of heavy books. Almost immediately Ophelia and Mathew got up, they at least were sensible enough to listen to Maddie's advice on the matter. After a few moments Julian, Tom and Emily had the sense to leave too. Now only Olivia, Wilfred and Carl remained.

Draco and his friend dropped their books in the empty spaces and stood looking at the three first years, arms folded and eyebrows raised as if they couldn't believe what they were seeing. Draco suddenly looked over and his gaze met Maddie's.

"Olivia, Wilfred, Carl." She mouthed, trying to hide a smirk as she thought about what was about to happen and hoping Draco was good at lip reading. It seemed he was for he gave a barely perceptible nod before turning and leaning over the table to glare at the first years.

"Olivia. Wilfred. Carl." He said, staring at each one in turn. It wasn't a greeting, it was a warning. Even from her vantage point Maddie could see the dangerous curl of Draco's lips and the wicked glint in his eyes. The three first years gulped visibly, but Wilfred, who Maddie though had far too much confidence for his own good, managed to look Draco back in the eye.

"Draco." he replied and Maddie detected a hint of a challenge in his voice, obviously he still thought Draco would do nothing.

"Move!" Draco's voice was forceful, yet somehow still cold. One hand moved to his wand, but Wilfred and the others still didn't move and by now every pair of eyes in the common room was fixed on the little group. Maddie was now beginning to think that not only were they stuck up and thought far too much of themselves, they were also stupid as well.

"Or?" Wilfred asked. This time the challenge in his voice was obvious.

"Oh this is just going beyond stupid." Maddie muttered under her breath as Draco brought his wand round to point directly at the three first years.

Immediately Olivia and Carl squealed and almost knocked over their chairs in an effort to scramble away from the table. Without taking his eyes off Wilfred, Draco calmly pointed his wand at the work they had left behind. He muttered a spell and books, parchment and ink flew off the table and shot across the common room.

Wilfred gulped as the wand came back round to point at him, he still didn't move, although Maddie suspected that this was now because he was more frozen to the spot in fear than anything else. There was absolute silence in the common room; all eyes were now on Draco and Wilfred.

"Repellius." Draco hissed. There was a bang and a flash of bright light and suddenly Wilfred was sailing through the air before he landed in a crumpled heap near the fireplace. His books received the same treatment and then Draco and his friend sat down quietly at the table as if nothing had happened, ignoring the hissing conversations that now broke out all over the common room. Wilfred scrambled to his feet and ran from the common room, closely followed by Olivia, Carl, Emily and Julian. Tom, Ophelia and Mathew quietly joined Alicia and Maddie at their table.

They all looked at each other, but no one said anything. There wasn't much to say. Maddie could only sit and think that whatever she had said or done to make Draco more lenient towards her she was extremely glad about it.

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That's it for now! By the way Mathew isn't a misspelling of Matthew, I know someone who actually spells it like that, however in the last chapter I did spell Beauxbatons wrong, for which I apologise. Next time Maddie will be involved in a duel, butwho it'swith and what happens afterwards will have to wait until the next chapter. Hope you enjoyed this one, thanks for reading and please review!

Love and lollipops,

Sivany