Edited: 11/03/08

Disclaimer and warnings same as first chapter.

You're a What?

Draco blinked, not sure if he'd heard her correctly, did she really just say what he thought she had? Shifting awkwardly in his seat, feeling considerably uncomfortable sitting beside her after the magic she had just displayed, and yet he couldn't help but find himself intrigued. Licking his lips nervously, an act so out of character for the notorious Draco Malfoy, he took a deep breath and turned to face her properly taking in her appearance for the first time.

Now that his rage had cooled, or rather having been forced from him to be replaced by shock and confusion, he began to actually see this girl. The haze of fury had blinded him before preventing him from seeing her as he did then in that moment and she was captivating. Her skin was flawless and deathly white, her lips, full and soft, were the perfect colour of red wine, sleek jet-black hair cascaded down her long and slender back, but it was her eyes that entranced him most. Previously so terrifying when they appeared as endless black voids now were startlingly pure like perfect amethyst crystals, she was so obviously no ordinary 'witch'.

Holding her purple gaze with his own silver-grey he parted his lips and said in barely a whisper, "You're a what?"

She chuckled softly, loving how effortless it was to torment the previously arrogantly confident wizard. "A Demon," she repeated, her tone no longer that deadly whisper more quiet and conversational intending to try and put an end to the shouting and intimidating behaviour. No matter what she was, she was there because she had to go to the school and she decided she should probably at least attempt to get along with other people. "Surely you've heard of us, even if it was only in stories."

Now she's being friendly? Draco thought agitatedly to himself, unsure of how exactly to read this terrifying and beautiful girl. Be nice, he warned himself, you've seen what she can do, plus she's still got your wand. He shifted again to try and appear more relaxed and nodded to her, "Yes I've heard stories about there being demons but they were just that, stories. I never dreamed I'd ever meet one." He finally said, his voice sounding oddly careful and strained compared to his usual confident drawl.

She smiled, glad that he was making an effort, whether it was out of fear or interest she didn't really care but after insisting on interrupting her and shouting it was the least he could do to be nice. "Well, now you have." She said brightly as she extended a hand towards him in a gesture of greeting, "My name is Rayne." She said a smile creeping to her dark red lips.

What's this? She expects me to shake hands with her after what she did, how do I know she won't tear it off or something? Draco thought bitterly as he looked nervously towards her proffered hand. Don't be a fool she's trying to be nice. He silently scolded himself as another thought crept to his mind, Besides she could prove to be a powerful ally, the trace of a smirk appearing on his lips as some shred of his usual character started to return.

As she gazed at him she could sense the inner war he was having with himself. She chuckled softly, admiring his handsome features, which looked far more appealing now he wasn't wearing that thunderous expression. "Don't worry I don't bite." She said to help stop the argument he was having in his head, "Not unless you really deserve it." She finished smiling broadly, well she didn't want him to become too complacent.

He smiled, even if it was slightly forced it was still a smile. Tentatively raising a hand he placed his long, pale palm against her paler, more delicate one. "Draco Malfoy." He said simply as they briefly gripped each other's hands. He was surprised at the strength he could feel in those thin and delicate fingers and even more so by the power he felt prickle over his skin where their flesh met.

They drew their hands apart, the tingle remaining alive on Draco's skin for a few moments before slowly dissipating, "See it wasn't so bad was it," Rayne said teasingly, "We're really not all other-worldly monsters."

Despite himself Draco actually let out a laugh, "No I can see that," he said finding himself falling into Rayne's amethyst eyes. But he then frowned as the reality of what she had just told him began to sink in. "But wait," he said remembering more clearly the stories he had heard about the race of demons. No matter how fantastical the stories were they'd all always made one thing very clear, "I'd always heard that the demon race had been banished from the wizarding world."

Raynes shifted her sitting position and dropped her eyes to the floor, now it was her turn to feel uncomfortable. "That was the intention yes." She said airily, her voice directed towards her knees, she knew that this conversation would occur sooner or later and began to wish that she had been more careful when it came to keeping her true identity to herself.

Draco's intrigue was increased by her reaction to his comment and he felt a desperate need to question her about it, "Then how is it that you're here?"

Rayne didn't reply immediately, she had been anticipating that question after Draco's comment. Eyes still fixed on the floor she considered what options she had when it came to replying to that question. It was her own fault, she'd led them to this situation so she really had no choice but to tell him something, else he would know that she had indeed got something to hide and would probably press her further for information she wasn't prepared to give. Snapping her head up she met Draco's gaze once again and parted her lips to speak. Pausing for a moment to reassure herself of the correct way to tell her story before letting it pass her lips, Rayne then finally uttered, "Do you really want to hear all this? It's rather a long story and I'd rather not begin if you're not really interested." No answer, more stalling she really didn't want to discuss the matter.

Her comments only served to ignite Draco's interest all the more, a long and complicated story? There was bound to be something of interest in what she had to say, and who knew it could prove to be useful. "Of course," he said, "I've got nothing else to do on this damned train journey." A glimmer of the usual cocky and confident Draco beginning once again to shine through.

Rayne sighed, resigning herself to the fact that she was going to have to tell her story. She shouldn't have led them to this but she just had to go and terrorise him, she just couldn't resist cutting the handsome but arrogantly cocky Draco Malfoy down to size. Sitting back comfortably she took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, gathering her thoughts for how best to tell the tale.

"Well," Rayne began, a frown playing across her brow as she searched for the right words, " the stories you've heard are true, everyone of demonic blood was banished by your ministry around forty or so year ago. The dignitaries of our race were disgruntled to say the least but in the end they left without too much of a fight. Pooling all their power together they created for us our own world beneath the ground, somewhere that we could reign supremely, a place that would strike fear in the heart of any outsider unfortunate enough to come across it." It was a cliché so commonly used to describe Rayne's homeland but she thought it best to play up to the stories Draco would have heard, it made believing far easier.

Draco nodded impatiently, he'd heard all of this numerous times before, what he really wanted to know was how Rayne fitted into all of this and why she was now residing in the wizarding world. "Yes but how did you come to be here?" He asked, hoping that she would get the idea and get to the point.

She narrowed her eyes at his impatience but continued on, "An ancient Brotherhood exists for a chosen few of our race. It is known as the Order of the Blood and my father is one of its members. Once when I was young he took me with him to a gathering of the Blood and there I too was initiated into the Order." She paused and extended her left arm. Pulling back her robes she revealed a peculiar glyph etched into the skin of her forearm it bore a ring bisected by five straight lines like the points of a star and it was coloured a bright, blood red.

Draco's eyes widened as she displayed this mark and he marvelled at the familiarity of it. It must have held the same significance for the Blood members as the Dark Mark did for every Death Eater, the concept was almost identical. Unable to resist the urge Draco reached out a hand and softly brushed his fingers across the mark, gasping he quickly snatched his hand away as a pulse of power shot through the tips of his fingers like bolts of lightening.

Rayne too gasped as she felt the power burn through the mark on her arm, her eyes widened at the sensation something that should be felt only in the meeting of dark powers. She met his cold grey eyes and wondered if he understood the significance of what they'd just felt. He has great potential this one, she thought to herself, he possessed power and though different still akin to her own in its essence. He should know the truth, she frowned, I just don't think he'd understand.

Draco bit his lip, revelling in the sensation that tingled on the surface of his flesh, it was strange though not altogether unpleasant. So much power and that was merely a taste of what she really possessed, what was he getting himself in to? Swallowing hard he forced himself back to reality, struggling to keep a hold of the fading sensation. Opening his mouth he said in a harsh whisper. "But I still don't understand, how is it that you're here coming to Hogwarts?"

Rayne chewed absently on her lower lip for a few seconds as she formed the words in her head, "My mother," she blurted out suddenly, "my mother hated that I'd been forced into the Order and she was terrified by what they could have me do." Rayne met his eyes and saw in them a glimmer of recognition, taking a deep breath she sighed and dropped her gaze from his. "Then a day came when she couldn't stand it anymore," she said, "the worry," Rayne amended as she saw the confusion cross his face. "She took me away, brought me to your world where I would be 'safe'. She left me with a witch and wizard couple figuring that I could pass as a witch so long as I hid the extent of my power." Rayne sighed, finding herself feeling a little melancholy in the telling this story, a fabrication, but she knew he wasn't yet ready to hear the truth.

Draco waited silently for a few seconds but when Rayne remained silent he opened his mouth to comment, "So this family, they just took you in just like that?"

She nodded, "My mother may have had to 'persuade' them in some way, I'm not too sure. But yes they gladly took me in knowing full well what I was."

He nodded, the story beginning to come together now, but he then frowned again as another thought grabbed him, "But then why did you not come to Hogwarts in the first year?" He asked as she was most certainly in the same year as he was.

At that he was surprised to see her smile and even chuckle slightly, "Well that's when all the trouble started." She said, her amethyst eyes glinting wickedly. "You see I can't channel my powers through a wand, it's my hands or nothing and, well, my adoptive family were certain I couldn't be accepted because of it. Going to a muggle school was also obviously out of the question, at that time I didn't have a very good handle on my power, not to mention my temper. So I just stayed at home." Rayne shrugged, not sure how else to explain how she should have spent her days, what exactly did young. "Eventually the Ministry realised that my 'parents' had an underage child not in school, I'm not quite sure which incompetent fool took them five years to realise this, but when they did I was instantly enrolled at Hogwarts. I think they're only trying to save face for taking so long to notice, but to be honest I don't think I really have much of a choice."

Draco laughed scathingly, she was right the Ministry were a bunch of incompetent fools. "But do they know? Up at the school do they know that you're a demon?"

Rayne nodded, a motion which Draco had not been expecting, "Yes, well Dumbledore is it? He knows, he was the one that accepted me and I should think that most of the Professors know too considering how I'll have to work in their classes."

Draco found himself rolling his eyes. He should have known, that barmy old man Dumbledore would let anyone in his school,. but another thought soon came to his mind, no matter how it pained him to admit if but if I weren't for Dumbledore then he never would have met this incredible girl. "I suppose you're right." He agreed referring to her comment about the Professors, edging closer to her in his seat as he spoke. "But then does that mean that I'm the only student who knows?" He asked as he confidently reached out to grasp her hand in his own.

The movement surprised Rayne, not only was Draco being very forward considering that they had only just met but Rayne had thought that she had scared him a little more than that. But she let him take a hold of her hand, well what was she supposed to do? She did think him attractive after all and she relished in the attention he was paying her. She turned to gaze at Draco finding him sat closer than she had expected. "It would appear that way." She muttered to him softly.

Draco grinned inwardly when she didn't pull her hand away from his and he held it in a soft but firm grip, wanting to regain some control over the situation. "Well then, you've chosen you confidante wisely." He said with a grin as he confidently decided to seize the moment and leaned in to delicately brush his lips against hers.

Rayne smiled feeling like she should be kicking herself for lavishing in the attentions of one Draco Malfoy when she'd only just met him, but all of those thoughts were washed away when he kissed her. The touch of his lips was so light and fluttering that it made her own tingle with promise. "Is that so?" She asked him in a breathless whisper, arching her eyebrows in a questioning gesture, delighting as he grinned and leaned in to kiss her again.

This time his touch wasn't so light and Rayne blissed as his soft lips caressed her own. When they broke the kiss Rayne smiled but something over Draco's shoulder suddenly caught her eye. There was a face staring at them though the compartment window.

It was a girls face, fresh with tear tracks that traced lines down her cheeks just as new floods welled up in her eyes. Despite the tears she wore an expression of such fury at having just witnessed the scene within the compartment. Rayne could only logically reach once conclusion about her, "Um, Draco." She said.

"Mmm," Draco mumbled still grinning at Rayne, loving how his name sounded when she spoke it in her ringing and eloquent tone.

"I think your girlfriend is at the door." Rayne said flatly, drawing away as Draco whipped around to look.

"Oh shit!" He exclaimed in an irritated tone as the girl burst into renewed floods of tears and took off down the corridor. Draco stood and hurried after her, "Pansy," he called in the same loud and irritated voice. Stepping out of the compartment he left without so much as a word to Rayne.

Sitting baring a shocked expression Rayne watched as Draco left, he might have at least said goodbye if not even giving any explanation before he rushed off. She tutted with a shake of her head, but then she suppose she was now alone which was what she had wanted in the first place. Maybe now she'd actually be able to read her book, standing to retrieve it from the floor she shook the thought of Draco from her head, let him deal with his own problems she had enough of her own to think about.