Edited: 11/03/08

Diclaimers and warnings same as previous chapter.

New Face amongst the Snakes

She strode gracefully down the corridor of the Hogwarts Express, oblivious to the number of heads that turned as she passed. Muttered whispers followed her graceful path, "Who is that? Never seen her before." But not once did she even acknowledge that she'd even heard their voices.

New students weren't exactly a novelty at Hogwarts, on the contrary a hoard of them appeared every new year, but she was different. For starters she was most certainly not a first year, standing at around 5"7 and far too mature in her appearance to be merely eleven years old. No she was definitely far closer to seventeen, but why had she come to Hogwarts so late?

They all watched as she passed, dressed already in her flowing black school robes which bore the Slytherin House crest yet still she was nothing like they'd ever seen before. Sleek and long flowing raven black hair, skin as pale as death, lips a deep, blood red without even a trace of makeup, but it was her eyes that startled them most. They were a hauntingly beautiful shade of perfect amethyst, so unusual in their colour and yet so fitting with the rest of the airs and graces that emanated from her tall and slender form as she glided effortlessly down the corridor.

She stopped before a compartment already occupied by three happily chatting first years, like much of the rest of the train. The girl seemed to sigh, almost choosing to turn away, but as an after thought she outstretched a pale hand and slid open the compartment door. Stepping inside she fixed the suddenly silenced first years with a hard and steady gaze, the atmosphere inside the compartment grew thick and heavy with tension. Shifting uncomfortably in their seats the anxious first years looked around casting nervous glances at each other before raising their gazes to lock with those purple eyes. Mouths widening in horror the three of them scrambled frantically for their belongings and rushed out into the hallway, eager to be as far away from that strange Slytherin girl as possible.

The girl watched with arched eyebrows as the smaller students hurriedly vacated the compartment curving her dark red lips into a knowing smile. Stepping forward she settled herself in one of the seats and drew a book out of her pocket, opening the pages she immersed herself in the words until the sound of someone entering the compartment drew her attention.

"Can I help you?" She asked, her tone slightly bored in all of it's ringing eloquence, not once glancing up from her book.

"No! You cannot help me." A cold and drawling voice spat back at her. The girl closed her eyes and bit her tongue in exasperation, all she had wanted was a bit of peace and quiet where she could read her book, why did everyone seem to want to interrupt her? Flicking her deep, amethyst eyes over the top of her book she met with his frosty silver glare.

He was quite a picture to behold, tall and slim though certainly not scrawny. White blonde hair on the longer side that fell in soft folds around his face, delightfully angular facial features and those piercing silver-grey eyes completed his handsome form. Or at least it would have been handsome it if were not for the thunderous expression that currently possessed his angular features. She arched her pencil thin eyebrows as she took in his pleasing appearance and murderous expression, waiting calmly for him to continue and perhaps explain why he had insisted on interrupting her.

"You can tell me what on earth you think you're playing at." He commanded, locking his gaze fiercely onto hers. She furrowed her alabaster brow in a frown and finally conceded to closing her book, she had a feeling that this wasn't going to be simply a brief encounter.

She made him wait a few seconds for a reply whilst she placed the book back into her pocket. Returning to holding his steely gaze she said simply, "elaborate."

Draco's eyes narrowed and his lips pursed in irritation at the girls lack of an answer, didn't she realise who she was speaking to? "Those damned little first years." He spat, stepping forwards to tower over her so that she had to tilt her head up to meet his gaze. "What did you do to them?" He continued to question viciously, "You sent them running straight into me out in the corridor."

"I see." She said, narrowing her eyes, "Well I do apologise, but don't you think you should take it up with them? After all I didn't make them run into you." She concluded firmly, refusing to be intimidated no matter how hard he tried.

At her words his face screwed up with rage, how dare she tell him what to do, who was she anyway? She hadn't even answered his question. "Who do you think you are telling me what to do!" He raged, raising his voice to a commanding octave in an attempt to exert his dominance over the situation. "Don't you know who I am? Now answer my question!" He demanded.

Swallowing her temper at the rude arrogance the deeply handsome wizard was displaying she rose to her feet and smirked at his surprise when she almost surpassed him in height. Standing close enough so that she could feel his hot, enraged breath on her face she said, "No, sadly I do not know WHO you are. Though I have no doubt that you are about to inform me." She paused in her calm but biting speech allowing the words sink in before she continued, "Who I am is none of your business until you can ask me politely." She paused once again starring hard into his eyes to show that he did not scare her, "And as for what I did to those first years, the answer is nothing." Her voice was it's same, calm tone but the quiet volume screamed with all of her deadly promise.

Draco opened his mouth ready to shoot back some scathing retort only to find himself speechless, no one had ever raged at him so bluntly and with such calm before. She seemed to show such a lack of emotion that he just could not find the right buttons to push to intimidate her or fuel her temper. He was getting nowhere and he hated it, damn it he was a Malfoy, he always got what he wanted. Draco had become so immersed in gathering his thoughts that it took him several minutes to notice that she had returned to her seat and resumed in reading her book.

How dare she just ignore him like that! Not knowing how else to handle the situation Draco plunged his hand into his robes and withdrew his wand. There he stood pointing it threateningly at her chest, fire blazing in his eyes.

She had noticed Draco's movements out of the corner of her eye and felt her insides burn with rage as he turned his wand on her. Dropping her book to the floor she reached out quickly with one hand and delighted, whilst he watched in horror, as his wand seemed to disintegrate from his grip and re-materialise in her own. She twirled his wand nonchalantly between her long and delicate fingers before thrusting out her other palm whereby Draco felt himself forced backwards and into the seat behind him.

His eyes widened in horror at what had just occurred and he felt an overwhelming urge to bolt for the door, but her terrifying gaze held him fixed in his seat. Her pupils seemed to have slowly bled outwards engulfing her entire eyes, leaving wide and glistening black voids where once sparkling purple crystals had lay.

"What the hell are you?!" Draco exclaimed suddenly finding his tongue, though his voice cracked and sounded wholly alien. To his utter surprise her face broke into a smile and, thankfully, her pupils gradually shrank back to what for her was normal.

"Not exactly as polite as I'd had in mind." She said, her tone noticeably amused at how successfully she had scared him, "but still it's better than your commanding the information from me." She rose to her feet and moved to gracefully sit in the seat beside him. Draco tensed as she moved, feeling shocks run through him as her hand brushed accidentally against his own. The girl leaned in close to his slightly trembling body, so that she was almost whispering into his ear, and said softly, "I'm a Demon."