Because I keep forgetting...

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Harry Potter. More the pity.

Alex crawled wearily out of bed. Sleep had not come swiftly to the Bellmonte house last night. Her tears had kept her awake. Her tears and a pesky thought that refused to be banished.

Even if you didn't want him to, you liked it anyway. You wouldn't mind if he tried it again. Right?

And there it was again. Rattling around inside her head the moment her eyes opened. "Stupid brain!" she muttered angrily. "It never obeys me! I need to do something about…"

A knock sounded, interrupting her grumbling. Stalking over to the door Alex glared down at the house elf. It was her father's personal one, Linge. "What!" she demanded.

He looked up at her, unruffled. "My Master and The Mistress await you in the Library. They are prepared to do the book spelling and you are required."

"Tell them I'm on my way. Dismissed!" Alex turned back into her room and leaned against the inner wall. She'd forgotten that her parents had said they'd be putting the spells on her books as soon as the Malfoy party was done with. It seemed she was forgetting a lot lately. "Merlin's Shit!"

Moving as fast as she dared, she'd get in just as much trouble for being one hair out of place as for being late, Alex dressed, plaiting her hair into a thick braid. Sighing at her reflection one last time she quit the room, heading for the stairs.

"You needed to see me?" Alex announced calmly, entering the library with her wand in one hand.

Neither of her parents commented, just looked at her. Suppressing a wince Alex stepped into the very center of the circle and sat down. Around her lay her dark texts, the most important in the innermost circle and ranging outward from there. Next lay a glittering brown circle. Outside of that paced her parents.

Still without a word, her father tossed a razor sharp dagger aloft. Alex caught it deftly in her empty hand as it fell. Steeling herself she slit a long gash down first one wrist then the other. Her mother spoke a word. The crimson liquid flowed through the air, raining gently down on the books.

In deeper tones Fredrick Bellmonte began to speak rhythmically. Deana's higher tones occasionally joined in. Alex didn't notice too much. Her mind was focused on the seemingly endless amount of blood that poured from her. For a second time her mother spoke a single powerful word and Alex felt as though her blood were being pulled from her. Her cuts began to throb.

Alex couldn't keep track of time but she did watch the sunlight ride higher and higher up the floor to ceiling windows on one wall. The pouring streams of light seemed rude to her. Inappropriate.

:: Well, now I guess you'll never know if you'd enjoy Draco kissing you again. ::

"Hmm? What? We already decided that one."

:: No we didn't. You would've liked it, you know. ::

"Would not have. And you just said it's never going happen anyway so I don't want to hear about it again. Not until the day I die."

:: Well, at least I won't have to keep my mouth shut long. ::

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Alex demanded of the annoying voice inside her.

:: Look down you fool! ::

Unnerved at the abrupt change in the voice's tone Alex did as she was told. Shadows obscured her arms but even so Alex could see that they were nearly transparent. The blood from her wounds had slowed to a sluggish spurt every few seconds. An agonizing throb accompanied each spurt.

Lifting her suddenly heavy head Alex saw her parents, still pacing. Her father's voice sounded hoarse to her ears, but then she wasn't trusting her senses at all right now.

"FINITE!" Alex's parents finished in a loud ringing voice. Deana turned and strode out without a backwards glance. Her father stepped into the spotless circle and waved his wand over Alex. "Integument Repairo." The gashes on her arms disappeared but huge purple and black bruises ran from wrist to elbow.

"Father…"

"It's finished. You're stronger than I thought. You're still conscious." He shrugged and turned away. "Go to bed, Alex."

Placing her hands on the floor Alex tried to lever herself onto her knees. She shifted a few inches before her arms began to shake. With a whimper she collapsed onto the floor. Resting her head on the text ironically titled "Blood Magic" Alex wrapped her arms around herself and fell into darkness.

Draco growled low in his throat, jamming the galleon savagely into his pocket. It was time, according to his father, to 'make the appropriate apologies' to Alex. Stifling the urge to stalk up the sweeping drive the fronted the Bellmonte's estate Draco began his climb. It was easy going but for some residual stiffness. The Crucio curse doesn't harm a person physically but the thrashing and screaming that accompany it tend to do that for it. Even a full day later Draco was still feeling his bruises. He growled again. Alex had much to answer for.

A servant answered the door instantly when he rang the bell. The man bowed low. "Greetings, M'Lord. How may I assist you this morning?"

"I've come to call on Alex, if she's in. It's rather important." Draco said smoothly, never once looking at the man before him. It never occurred to him to do so.

The doorman bowed again. "Of course. The Little Mistress is in the library. This way."

Absently casting a critical eye over the flawless state of the Bellmonte's entry way, Draco followed the servant down a short hall. The man opened one side of a set of double doors and bowed Draco through. Inside, Draco saw Alex leaning heavily against the window she was looking out. A large smudged circle darkened the middle of the marble floor.

"Master Draco Malfoy." The doorman announced before departing. Alex whirled, alarm clear on her face. She quickly regained her composure.

"Draco. What a surprise." Her tone was flat and hostile.

Draco stopped. This wasn't what he'd expected. He'd known she'd be angry for being kissed without giving her permission but this…continual anger, it didn't fit with his facts. She'd been raised the same as him. What did it matter that they were only thirteen. When one's bloodline was this important one learned the art of procreation early. Why should one little kiss, that barely did anything, have her so up in arms? Like he'd actually done something to her. In his surprise he blurted out the first thing in his mind.

"You're angry with me."

Alex let out a laugh of disbelief. "Wow! How clever of you Draco Malfoy! Why with that brain I'm surprised you aren't beating out that Granger chick!"

Draco's jaw clenched, echoes of his father's "lectures" on the subject of Hermione Granger flooding his mind. He opened his mouth but Alex wasn't finished. She began to pace slowly towards him.

"What did you think you were doing, leading me away from everyone? Are you so brave, Draco, that you only assault girls where no one could possibly hear them scream?"

Beginning to get angry himself Draco took a few steps forward. He inhaled, preparing to launch an attack of his own and smelled…blood? And fresh blood too. The dark smudge began to make some sense.

"Do you really think you could use my body to gain control over me? You forget, Draco, I'm a Bellmonte. Everything in my world is under my direct control. That includes my physical being!"

As she got closer to him Draco realized that Alex was pale, almost bloodless looking. She raked a hand through her loose, mussed, hair and he caught sight of bandages covering her arms from wrist to elbow. Significant shadows underscored haunted eyes. Her words were even more haunting. When Draco used his family name or claimed control it was because he was desperate to convince himself that he had some.

"I'm sorry, Alex. I over-stepped myself." They were the words his father had drilled into him at wand point night before last but somehow they seemed appropriate.

She froze, and stared at him. "W-What?"

"You're entirely correct. I over-stepped myself. It won't happen again."

Alex put a hand to her forehead and sank onto a nearby couch with a sigh. Confused exhaustion ran across her features. Draco stayed where he was, waiting. "But why?" her words came out as a plea and she seemed to realize it. "I mean," she tried to compose herself. "what was the point?"

Draco frowned and tried to figure out an answer. Truth be told he wasn't all that sure himself. He'd told himself it was to get revenge on her but by his own logic that was ridiculous. Why would she even care if he kissed her, if she had the experience he'd been sure, until just now, that she'd had? "I…" he slowly shook his head. "I don't know."

Alex shifted and bit her lip briefly. "Fair enough. But then why are you here? Now?"

"My father found out. I've been 'required to apologize'."

Alex winced at the bitter underpinning of his words. His father? If he was anything like hers…This is Lucius Malfoy we're talking about. He's no doubt much worse. She felt a wave of sympathy for Draco and then wondered why she wasn't resenting it. "Well, you've apologized. You're free to go if you like."

"And am I free to stay if I like?" From the look that crossed his face when he'd finished speaking Draco was as shocked by his request as she was.

"I'm not very good company on the best of days and today doesn't even count as a neutral day."

"Spell-casting makes our kind unpleasant afterwards."

"Can you name an activity that doesn't make our kind unpleasant afterwards?" Alex smiled wryly.

"Well…" Draco sent her a meaningful look.

"Ha! Then your parents must sleep at different ends of the house from each other or you wouldn't still harbor that myth."

Draco frowned, lost in thought. After a very short length of time he shuddered. "Eh! I'd forgotten about that."

"You're welcome."

He sent her a glare. "That wasn't something I'd thank you for bringing up."

"I didn't bring up anything, Draco. You did."

"So," Draco wisely changed the subject. "what were you casting?"

"Oh," Alex tossed a hand and tried to look casual about it. "there are a few books my parents are loaning me that they'd rather didn't get things spilled on or stolen or anything so we put a few protections on them."

"And since they're your books the blood had to be yours." Alex's head jerked up and she stared at Draco, but it wasn't phrased as a question so she wasn't required to answer. He shrugged. "How nearly did you come?"

Alex stood to her feet, chin in the air. "I have no idea what you're talking about Draco Malfoy."

"I'll bet."

"Was there anything else?" she words were coldly precise.

"No. If you have no objection, I'll take my leave." Draco glared at her before turning on his heel and stalking away. The servant had to scramble to open the front door before Draco reached it. Before his foot even touched the first step Draco had gripped his Galleon. With a sharp snap he was gone.

Alex stared out the window after him, hand pressed to the glass.

A/N: No Alex isn't crazy. Oh come on! Like none of you have ever had conversations with yourself! I hope you enjoyed this. It's a little longer than before. Review and tell me if it was long enough for you.