Chapter 5: Assumptions and Analysis

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of its characters.

Pyxis

I woke up to the sound of running water. After our meal, I said I'll take a nap. But it's already 6 in the evening, so I guess that's not a nap anymore.

"Hey, Raine. Slept well?" Draco said coming out of the bathroom wearing only slacks and with a towel slung over his shoulders. I have to admit, he is gorgeous. But he's still not decent so I threw a pillow at him.

"Draco! Have some manners and wear a shirt." I said turning away. I thought he went back to inside but when I turned, I saw him beside me. I immediately turned away.

"Why, Raine? Am I making you uncomfortable?" He whispered in my ear that made me shiver.

"Do you have a death wish, Malfoy?" I growled at him.

"Awww... Why the sudden coldness, Raine?"

"I'll count to three. If you're not back inside the bathroom, I will so punch you." I still don't hear him leaving so I began counting.

"One."

No movement.

"Two."

Still no movement.

"Three."

I swung my hand to his direction and heard something click.

"Bloody hell, Raine." I turned to him, forgetting the matter at hand, and saw him on the ground. With his hand on his cheek.

"Oh my gosh, Draco, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your cheek. I did warn you." I apologised, immediately at his side.

"Let me see it." I moved to take off his hand from his face but he won't budge.

"Draco." I said in a threatening kind of voice.

"Okay, okay." He removed his hand and I saw that it has a bruise already.

"Oh I'm really sorry, Draco." I said still holding his face. He stood up and went to the bathroom. He came out a minute later wearing a white, button-up shirt.

"Are you angry?" I said in a low voice, I really feel guilty on what I did. He crouched beside me. Then he laughed. I just stared at him weirdly.

"You should have seen the look on your face!"

I crossed my arms and pouted. "Not funny."

He just continued laughing. So I just stood up and fixed my things.

"Hey. You're not leaving me are you?"

"No. Someone will pick us up, remember?"

"Oh. Ok." Then I heard him start to pack too.

Just as we're about to finish, there was a knock at the door. We looked at each other and nodded. He went in the bathroom and I opened the door. It revealed the last man on my expected list.

"You're Ms. Steller, I presume?"

"Professor Snape?" I asked not quite believing what I'm seeing. I saw him nod a little and I let him enter.

"And where is Mr. Malfoy?" He said looking around.

"Draco! It's Professor Snape."

Hearing that, he went out of the bathroom.

"I was sent here by your mother to escort you home. So I suggest you two should finish packing."

We said nothing and just did as he suggested. We grabbed our bags and stood next to the potions master. He held us both by the arm. The next thing I know, we're at the manor.

I lost balance when we landed due to so much dizziness. I noticed that I was being held up from the arm by Professor Snape.

"Draco! I'm so glad you're fine. Pyxis! Oh come here." Narcissa took me from Professor Snape and engulfed me in a short hug. "Dinner will be ready in an hour. Draco, help Pyxis to her room. It's her first time to side along apparate."

I don't really remember our way to my room. All I remember is Draco guiding me with a firm grip on my arm and bumping to some of the walls. I woke up to the sound of an owl hooting. I immediately stood up and petted Aquila.

"I'm so sorry for leaving you alone, Aquila."

He just hooted. I gave him a treat and I went to the bathroom.

I showered and went out, wearing one of the dresses Narcissa brought. But Aquila was not the only one in my room.

"Are you alright now?" Draco asked while petting Aquila. "That's nice." He nodded to my dress.

"Oh, give me a break." He laughed and handed me a potion in a blue vial.

"Professor said you need to drink that it will help with the dizziness." He went out after that.

Since I have nothing to do, I went back to the books I was reading, getting lost on the fascinating subjects, until a house elf appeared and called me for dinner.

"Pyxis?" Narcissa called me halfway through dessert. One look at her and I know she's about to deliver bad news.

"I hate to say this, but…"

'Oh, she's going to kick me out. Where am I going to go? Nowhere. I'll live on the streets until I'm allowed to go to Hogwarts. Maybe I could call Dumbledore. I could also use – oh, no magic outside school.'

My paranoid thoughts were interrupted by Narcissa touching my hand.

"Are you not feeling well, Pyxis?

"No, I'm fine. I just zoned out a bit. What were you saying?" I smiled apologetically. She nodded in understanding and continued what she was saying.

"I apologize, really, but you have to continue the rest of your stay before school at our flat in Diagon Alley."

"Oh! Of course. I'm not even supposed to be here." I stopped when she laughed.

"You misunderstand me, dear. Of course we want you here. Right, Draco?" We both looked at Draco, who seemed surprised that he was addressed about the matter. He just nodded in agreement and went back to eating.

"It's just that, I don't want a repeat of what happened earlier and risk your safety. I hope you understand."

"Yes, of course. Thank you, Narcissa. When will I leave?"

"Tomorrow morning. Don't worry, Lyna and Blaise promised to visit you, so you won't get bored or lonely." We continue eating with the matter settled and Narcissa promised to drop by my room later and help me pack.

As soon as I got back to my room, I started packing. Narcissa came in a few minutes later. She asked about our day at Diagon Alley and I gladly recounted my day with Draco, save for the awkward scenarios. She apologised again that I have to leave immediately. And, as promised, she helped me in fixing my things. She expansion charmed my trunk so it could fit all my things. She saw the customized robes and admired the colours. She laughed when I told her Draco picked them.

"I must be rubbing on him; I always drag him when I shop."

She didn't see the clothes Draco brought, so that saved me from an awkward conversation.

After everything was fixed, she bid me good night and left me to my own devices. I decided to have an early night and lay on my bed, waiting for sleep to come.

But my thoughts won't let me rest.

Why am I here? How did I get here? Why is it so different from the books I've read? To my knowledge, Harry Potter is set in 1991; I'm in their third year, based on the textbooks I got, year 1993, then. I'm in the past. But no, if I'm still in the same world, I could run into my 4 year old self and cause a paradox. And if I am in the past, that means time travel is possible; someone could just read the books in the future and go back here to alter the whole timeline. Come to think of it, I could do that. No, focus. How is this possible?

I racked my brains for answers and one very possible answer came to me, courtesy of Doctor Who.

"Could be a parallel universe." I thought out loud. "But then, that would mean that I travelled in a parallel universe, with the possibility of opening a crack in space and time, and in the past, which is still in my own timeline."

My last thought before I welcomed sleep was, "Oh, The Doctor would be so angry if that's the case."