Pansy Parkinson's black heels click clacked into the Great Hall. The four large tables were covered with food. Owls began to soar through the open windows bringing in mail for the students. A package dropped from a school owl in front of Alli.
"Who's that from?" Draco asked. Alli shrugged.
"I dunno. I don't have any friends outside of Hogwarts." She carefully opened the package and pulled out a magnificent magenta robe. Pansy watched Alli smile as she put it on swirling and twirling on display for Draco and any other boys that happened to be watching. She stopped close to him, the cloak whipping around their ankles. Pansy glared at her. She clicked her heels over to the Slytherin table. Alli was giggling at something Draco had said. A couple of young girls sitting close by swooned over Draco. His clear laugh rang through the air as Pansy trotted up. The girls giggled and whispered to each other. His smile faded at the sight of her.
"I see you've got a new cloak, Allison," Pansy smirked. "Too bad it's not your color." Alli glared at her. The girls exchanged glances of interest.
"You little--" Alli took a step towards her clenching her fists.
"Whoa, hey, guys," Draco laughed stepping between them. He turned on Pansy. "What's your problem?"
"You're my problem," Pansy cooed putting her hand on his shoulder. She massaged it relaxingly. "Why settle for her, when you can have better?" Pansy ran her finger down his chest giving Draco happy chills through his body. Alli scowled.
"Back off," she growled at Pansy.
"Oh, getting a little defensive are we?"
Alli smirked.
"You're just jealous, Parkinson." Alli stepped towards her. "You wish you were pureblood instead of a filthy little mudblood." Alli smirked. Pansy drew back her hand. Alli's cheek began to sting as her head was forced to the side. A red imprint of Pansy's hand was left on the side of Alli's face. Draco jumped at her, tackling Pansy to the ground. He pulled back his fist.
"Don't…you…ever…touch…her…again," Draco threatened between punches at Pansy's face.
"Draco!" Alli pulled on his arm helping him up. Pansy began to cry. Her lip dribbled blood down her chin, her face was red with embarrassment, and her eye had blacked out.
"Mr. Malfoy!" Professor McGonagall speed walked down to the Slytherin table. "Mr. Malfoy, what is the meaning of this?" Alli was still holding onto his arm.
"Pansy punched Alli, Professor," Draco lied. "I had to protect her."
"So you're saying that beating the hell out of Miss Parkinson here was self-defense?"
"Yes, Professor," Draco said. Alli couldn't help but smile. Draco was such a good liar. McGonagall turned to the giggling and whispering girls who now all sported identical worried looks for Draco's welfare.
"Is this what happened girls?" McGonagall asked them. The girls turned and whispered to one another.
"Draco was protecting Allison," they chimed.
"Yes, he's in love with her," one of the girls giggled. They all squealed. Alli blushed. McGonagall smiled.
"Very well. Potter, help Miss Parkinson up to the hospital wing," McGonagall ordered.
"Oh no, Professor," the little girl said standing up and covering her mouth.
"What is it, Miss Elroy?"
"Allison doesn't like her very much. Pansy tried to steal Draco away from her. Allison is very angry at Pansy," Elroy said. She reminded Alli very much of a house elf. McGonagall waved her away.
"That's enough, Miss Elroy. Malfoy, why don't you help Miss Potter get Parkinson up to Madam Pomphrey," McGonagall suggested. Draco nodded.
"Thanks," Alli said to Draco as they heaved Pansy up the Grand Staircase. Draco gave her a half-smile.
"Any time," he said.
"Those first years really like you," Alli giggled. Draco laughed.
"I noticed."
"Did you see how they giggled and whispered at everything you did?"
"It's harder to ignore than you think."
Alli laughed.
"I don't blame them," Alli said checking him out. Draco smirked.
-
Megan Jones gave Alli an evil glare as she stomped out of the Slytherin Common Room.
"I wonder what that was about," Alli thought aloud.
"What?" Draco asked oblivious. Alli shook her head. In the Common Room a huge group of Slytherins were gathered over by the staircases. "What's up?" Draco asked Alli.
"Quidditch tryout results," Alli squealed. She ran anxiously over to the group. She pushed past the first years and scanned her eyes down the list.
Beaters- Blaise Zibini
Allison Potter
See Captain Flint after practice
Practice Hours: Everyday 6-7:30pm
Alli groaned.
"Yes, I made seeker!" Draco exclaimed. He grabbed Alli up in his arms and twirled her around. Instead of seeing that happy smile on her face that he had expected, Draco saw hurt and sadness reflecting in her bright blue eyes. Draco's smile faded. "What's wrong?"
Alli shook her head and stared at the floor. Hmm, the carpet is black…with little specks of green and blue… Tears blurred her eyes so she could no longer observe the carpet. Draco lifted her chin with his hand.
"Hey," he said quietly. Alli jerked her head out of his hands and stormed off to her dormitory. "Alli?!" He heard her door slam. Draco bit his lip and then decided to follow her. She needed him, but her stubborn air pushed him away. He climbed up the stairs to her dormitory. He knocked, but of course she didn't answer. She didn't want him. Draco opened the door against her will. Alli sat on the window sill slitting the life out of her arm. "Alli!"
She didn't look up. It was as if she didn't hear him. He darted over to her, and stole the knife out of her hand just as she was about to slash herself again. She turned her eyes on him. They were lighter than before. Striking blue against her pale face and red streaming down her arm. Draco closed the knife and set it up high on the dresser where Alli couldn't reach. She breathed angrily through her nose, her mouth shut tight in anger and sadness. Draco wrapped his tight arms around her neck. Alli's look mollified and her tears began to stream again. She buried her face in his neck. Draco picked her up squeezing the life out of her. He tried desperately not to cry himself. They shared a silent secret through tears and sniffles and the blood now running down Draco's arms and hands as well. He seized her pain and turned it into love.
"I don't want to do this anymore," Alli whispered.
"You don't have to," Draco told her.
"No, Quidditch. I don't want to do it."
"What? Why? Is this all because you didn't get the position you wanted?"
"Flint hit on me," Alli confided. Draco took a step back.
"Flint hit on you?" he repeated. Alli nodded wiping at her tears. "Wait? When? How?"
"After tryouts. He told me that he'd make me his co-captain and I could have whatever position I wanted and we would rule the team if I'd give him some."
Draco clenched his fists and growled.
"I'm just not gonna play, Draco. It's that simple."
"But you love Quidditch," Draco argued.
"I don't want to deal with him."
"Flint shouldn't be the reason you can't do something you love."
"Well, he is. And nothing's just going to change like that. If he's going to do that all year long, then I don't want to be apart of it."
"Don't hurt yourself over Marcus Flint, Als. He's not worth it."
"But I am, Draco. I'm worth it. No one takes me seriously. All they care about is the way I look and its always gonna be that way."
"You could try plastic surgery," Draco joked trying to make light of the situation. Unfortunately, it just made Alli angrier.
"You don't get it do you?!" she exclaimed. "You're just like all the other guys! You. Don't. Know. What. It's. Like." She said through gritted teeth.
"You're right, Alli. I don't know what it's like. And I never will. So maybe I should just stop whatever it is I'm trying to do like I don't know, helping you, comforting you, loving you. So you can go sulk in your little corner. And cut yourself." Draco tossed the knife back to her and stormed out of the room.
"Ugh!!" Alli flicked out the knife and stabbed it through her shirt into her shoulder. Blood squirted from the cut. She dragged the knife down her arm tearing her white blouse. Blood sprayed against the window. Her shoulder and arm begged for mercy, but Alli couldn't feel it. She couldn't feel anything. She pulled the knife out of her arm and passed out on the window sill. Blood drained from her arm bathing her in a warm, sticky nightmare.
-
The night before, Harry Potter sat up in bed. The room was dark. Cold sweat lingered on his forehead. He was shaking. He couldn't get the image out of his head. Allison dead. Voldemort. Killing. Laughing. Blood. Hysteria. Happiness. Cold. Hard. Death. Harry groaned and slammed his head back on his pillow.
"Leave me alone," Harry whispered to no one in particular. He struggled to get to sleep the rest of the night. When morning finally came, Harry rushed down to the Great Hall where Ron and Hermione sat eating breakfast.
"I need to talk to you," he said.
"Now?" Hermione asked.
"It's urgent."
Ron and Hermione followed Harry to the library.
"Voldemort's after Allison," Harry exclaimed to them. Ron and Hermione glanced at each other.
"And you know this how?" Hermione questioned.
"I've been getting nightmares, again. Dreams about Voldemort talking to Lucius Malfoy about getting Draco to help him kill some girl. And lately Malfoy has been getting really attached to Alli and… I think she's the one Voldemort wants to kill."
"But why?" Hermione asked. "Why Allison?"
"Alli, she has a scar just like mine, right here." Harry pointed to his left temple.
"Do you mean that Voldemort tried to kill her too?" Ron asked.
"That's exactly what I'm thinking."
Hermione stood up and paced, biting her lip.
"Well, if You-Know-Who tried to kill Alli it would make sense that he would want her dead. She must have taken power from him too just like you did. But why would You-Know-Who want her right now instead of you?"
"Alli's not as protected as Harry is, you know," Ron told her.
"We don't know that. Dumbledore may be keeping tabs on her," Hermione told him.
"But why now? Why right now instead of years ago when Alli was easier to get a hold of?" Harry asked.
"Maybe…" Hermione thought. "Maybe because right now, she's the most vulnerable."