A/N: Reposted 10/21/07. As with all my reposts, all the important content has remained the same. Just some details, typos and grammar was changed.

NEW SCENE. I just couldn't leave Draco acting like an idiot without explaining his motivations.

Draco leaned against the wall, shaking his head slowly, trying to wrap his head around, well, everything. It had all been too easy. Find Alex, draw her away and then play some cat and mouse while on his home ground. It was a perfect opportunity to throw her off balance and mess with her head. And he didn't even have to wait until school started.

But then he'd kissed her, which had not been a part of the original plan. Draco still wasn't completely sure why he'd even done it. He was sure that he'd enjoyed it.

Well...

The blonde grimaced. He'd enjoyed it until Alex had hit him. He'd been rejected before, but no one had ever fought back. Like he was attacking them! A push or a laughing "No". Merlin she'd looked so small! And angry. Damn angry. A small of part of Draco was surprised that he wasn't a streak of blood on the wall at this point. A much larger part of him was wallowing in a guilt he wasn't sure he could define.

What he was sure of was that he'd been very, very stupid. Something bad was going to come out of this. But with luck the only fall out would be a premature tipping of his hand to Alex. With a whole castle full of luck.

A swell of noise from below reminded him of his other guests and Draco pushed himself to his feet. He fingers the light welts on his neck and headed even further upstairs first. He needed a new shirt.

"What is wrong with him?!" Alex wailed, casting herself onto her bed. Tears of anger rolled down her face. "I didn't not want to be kissed in an upper hallway byDraco frickin Malfoy my first time! Merlin!" Less anger and more pain filled her crying. "It's not fair! Why do I have to be strong, powerful, perfect all the time?!"

Curling up on her side Alex cried until her eyes were burningly dried out and her throat ached. Crawling off her bed she slipped slowly out of her gown and into a night robe. Wallowing in her misery Alex bypassed the sleep potions and grabbed her diary instead. Adding a Never-ending-ink Quill to her grasp she walked back to her bed and slid under the thick covers.

Propped up on her pillows with her knees drawn up, Alex pressed her finger to the diary's lock. It sprang open at her touch. She flipped to a clean page.

Personal.

It's all too personal.

It's all means too much to me.

Whom nothing means anything too.

Private.

Beyond private.

Betrayed.

It's mine!

It belongs to me!

By what right do you claim it?

By what right do you dare to enter a territory forbidden?

By what right do you know…

Me?

I'm not yours!

Don't own me!

Please don't

I belong to myself so little anyway.

Can't I escape from them all just once?

For one night can't I be mine?

You don't know me.

YOU DON'T OWN ME!

Please don't hurt me.

I do that enough on my own.

Tears began to blotch the page. Alex rubbed her forehead, battling a coming headache. The loneliness opened inside her like a gaping void.

"Damn him." She muttered.

DAMN YOU DRACO MALFOY!

LEAVE ME ALONE!

Shutting the book Alex shivered and burrowed deeper into her comforters. "I hate him." She whispered to her pillow. "I'll never forgive him for this."

"Draco. A word if you please."

Draco froze on his way upstairs to his room. When his father began to ask it was always bad. "Yes, Father?" he said casually, stepping into Lucius's office. The elder Malfoy sat behind his desk, fingers lightly steepled in front of his face.

"Did you have a pleasant evening?"

"Yes, sir." It didn't come out differently than anything else Draco had said this evening thanks to his control...but he was wary of the unreadable man before him.

"I saw you speaking with Miss Bellmonte. Have the two of you become friends?"

"Merely acquaintances at the moment. I plan to change that this year." Draco regained a little of his usual, uncaring tone. If all his father wanted to know about was him and Alex…

"So, you wouldn't know the reason that she left early?"

Draco mentally froze. "Did she?" he asked with, he thought, believable surprise. "Why?"

Lucius leaned forward, his gaze sharpening. "Why don't you tell me." The temperature of his tone dropped several degrees with each word.

"I don't have any idea why she left," Draco scoffed, shrugging. "How would I know something like that? We're only passing acquaintances, Father. The girl doesn't confide in me."

"Perhaps you should confide in me," Lucius commanded arcticly.

"About what?"

"You changed your shirt. Why?"

"I…" Startled by the sudden change of subject Draco glanced down at his black turtle neck. "spilled something on the other one."

"Oh really?" Lucius stood and paced out from behind his desk. "You didn't change it to hide that!" He yanked the collar of Draco's shirt away from his neck, revealing three long scratches.

"I…"

"Silence!" Lucius slowly advanced on Draco, pulling his wand free of his cane. "If you need to satisfy your lusts because you are too weak to control them then I will buy you a girl! Alexandria Bellmonte is not yours to toy with. No matter what she looks like! She is a Bellmonte! She isnot to be touched! Do I make myself understood?"

"Yes, sir." Draco felt his eyes widen and shut down his fear with an angry thought. He was Draco Malfoy! He didn't fear anyone! Tripping over a chair leg Draco slammed onto his back. As the stars cleared from his vision he saw his father standing over him. A black and silver wand was leveled at his heart.

"Good." Lucius said quietly. "Crucio."