Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or creations by J.K Rowling etc etc

Now finally feels like it is getting somewhere now that they are all off of the train. I hadn't originally intended the train journey to take up as many chapters as it did but there was a lot that needed establishing before they got to Hogwarts and more came along than I have planned. But any by then end of this they have finally arrived at Hogwarts hurray!

A/N: Chapter Edited 28/11/08

Up to the Castle

Rayne sighed in frustration as she heard the compartment door slide open once again. She screwed her amethyst eyes shut tight and willed whomever it was to go away, would she never have a moment alone now that she was a student at this school? Ridiculous notion that it was sending a demon to a magic school, as if people weren't going to be suspicious, but then what choice did she have.

Closing her book she snapped her head up and parted her lips, in preparation to command whomever it was to either keep quiet or leave her alone, when she noticed that it was Draco. He had come back. She wondered for a moment what he had come back for until she remembered that his wand was still lying on the seat beside her. Rayne rolled her eyes in vague irritation and said, "So what happened? Did she forgive your…ah…indiscretions?" Her tone was bored as she regarded his pale and dishevelled form.

Draco didn't reply he merely scowled and turned his angular face to look straight at her. His eyes were a cold matt-grey, a lifeless shadow of their previous shimmering silver and a bright red gash stood out stark on his pale cheek. Rayne frowned, "I see she got her blood price. What exactly went on out there?" She asked, kicking herself for caring but she hadn't really expected him to come back at all, let alone sporting war wounds.

Draco glared harshly at Rayne and said bitterly, "Let's just say that she experienced a rather striking reality check and didn't take it all too well." A sneer played on his lips, marring his handsome features as Rayne considered his words.

So had she been mistaken about the two of them then? But if that was the case then why did he tear out of here after her so fast? Rayne asked herself before shaking her head furiously; she refused to be drawn in by him. She had miss-read him to begin with and would not allow herself to be dragged into trouble, not when she had a job to do, things would just get far too complicated.

So instead she simply frowned, "What do you mean, 'Reality check'?" Rayne asked ra little confused. Surely it was simple, Draco's girlfriend had caught him kissing somebody else thus proving that he was untrustworthy and not worth her efforts, okay so maybe that was how things applied to Rayne but the principle was the same. Or was it something else? Had Draco been planning to split with her and thrown himself at the first girl he came across, Rayne just happening to be the unfortunate pawn in his plan. Either way his actions were despicable and Rayne was disgusted with herself for being won over so easily. It had been that moment earlier when the power between them had surged, the sight and feel of the power he could possess had clouded her better judgement. No she would not let it happen again, this boy was not one to trust.

Draco curled his lips in disgust, "She is not my girlfriend, nor has she ever been despite everyone being under that delusion. I simply made things blatantly clear to her, at which point she flipped and began to attack me." He explained sounding almost convincing, but Rayne refused to be won over that easily. It seemed that Draco Malfoy was one to be taken with a pinch of salt, but then she too wasn't being entirely honest with him, or anyone else, either.

Rayne cast him a mock sympathetic glance before shaking her head, "And you'd done nothing to deserve that I suppose?!" She asked in disbelief, a question that earned her an icy glare from Draco.

"No, Nothing!" He spat wondering why Rayne was insisting on being so infuriating all of a sudden.

With a frown she searched his eyes, looking for some sign that he was hiding something, but Rayne came out with nothing. Either he was highly skilled at hiding things from others, or he was indeed entirely convinced that he had done nothing wrong. Well questionable morals she could deal with, Rayne was most certainly no angel herself, but trust? That would take some time, perhaps in the end he'd be worth the effort, but until then she was going to make him work hard for it.

Rayne softened her gaze as she continued to look into his eyes and a small brief smile curved on her lips as she resigned to believe him. "Okay. I'll take your word for it." She said, relishing in being able to gaze at his handsome face, her eyes lingering on his soft, full lips. She couldn't really blame herself for enjoying the attentions he had bestowed on her earlier could she? Not when he looked that good. She closed her eyes and inwardly scolded herself, no she'd not give in so easily again. Catching his gaze she arched her eyebrows and added; "Though I'm not convinced you're an entirely innocent party in all of this."

Draco sighed relieved that Rayne had stopped making assumptions and accusations and simply accepted his word, whether she fully believed him or not. He was not entirely sure why he needed her acceptance but it felt like a weight being lifted off of his chest when he heard those words. He nodded curtly at her, okay so she wasn't going to let him off entirely and grant him her trust so easily, but then he shouldn't really have expected any less. Especially not from a being whose race were renowned for being sadistic killers, in fact he had been anticipating more wounds, but her word at least was a start. " Anyway, I came back for my wand."

Rolling her eyes Rayne nodded, "Yes I had expected as much. Here." She said, failing to hide the irritation and slight disappointment in her voice as she tossed him his wand across the seats.

Draco reached up just in time to catch his wand before it collided with his face. He entwined his long fingers around the wooden handle for a moment before depositing it safely in his pocket, "Thank you." He said with a frown at her tone of voice, well what had she expected him to come back for? Well you were kissing her moments before you ran out of here. He reminded himself as a peculiar sense of awkwardness came over him. He didn't know what she expected of him now, and was surprised that he even cared. He never usually worried about what women expected of him so long as they did what he wanted. But then Rayne wasn't exactly like the rest of them and wouldn't think twice before cutting him down to size, possibly quite literally too. No he would have to play this one carefully, if he still intended to have Rayne as a valuable asset at his side.

Standing Draco moved to sit beside her and reaching out he made to grasp her hand. With a hiss of breath Rayne drew her hand away before he could reach it, "Look Draco," she said fixing him with a stern and steady gaze, "I think we need to start over, forget all that happened earlier and begin afresh." She suggested, searching imploringly for his agreement.

"Okay." He said slowly and somewhat reluctantly. He'd been right, she wasn't going to make things easy, he was going to have to work for her attentions.

Rayne grinned, delighting in his reluctance but still blatant lack of any argument to the contrary. He was doing just what she wanted him to. "Good. I'll tell you what, we must be nearly there by now, how's about you show me around, do your prefectly duties and we'll see how I feel about things tomorrow."

His eye brightened at her words, she wanted him to be her guide? Well that wouldn't be so hard. He smiled and said softly, "It would be my pleasure." His voice trailed like rich velvet across her skin, leaving her grinning as her heart fluttered in her chest.

***

It wasn't long before the train began to slow as it pulled into Hogsmeade station where the usual trail of carriages were lined up waiting to take the students up to the castle. Draco and Rayne both stood to make their way to the train door, Draco in what he believed to be a gallant gesture forced and bullied his way through crowds of younger students so that they may disembark quicker. Rayne merely rolled her eyes, well he certainly had no qualms about taking command and issuing orders, whether that was such a good thing or not she had yet to decide.

Stepping out onto the damp and darkened platform Rayne inhaled deeply. All that time on the stuffy old train had made her feel drowsy, but breathing in the clean and cold air felt like a new burst of life coursing through her blood. Exhaling she watched as her breath rose in twists and curls, like a ghost in the moonlight.

Draco followed Rayne out onto the platform, drawing his cloak tightly around his shoulders against the bite of the night air. He looked for Rayne and saw her across from him, a beautiful picture beneath the silver glow of the moonlight. The stark contrast of her deathly white skin against the midnight black of her hair made his heart race. He'd never beheld a woman quite like her before, her otherworldly beauty was breathtaking as she stood almost embracing the cold of the night air.

He made his way towards her and, in a gentlemanly fashion, offered her his arm intending to escort her to one of the waiting carriages. Rayne regarded Draco and his offered arm with arched eyebrows before shaking her head as she snaked her slender arm around his, passing him a coy smile as they stepped up to the nearest black carriage. Rayne had to give Draco his props he was going out of his way to be nice, well to her at least.

He reached out and pulled open the door, holding it so that Rayne may enter ahead of him. She smiled and stepped gracefully up in to the carriage and seated herself facing forwards so that she would be able to see the approach of the castle. Rayne had noticed that the carriages were drawn by Thestrals, peculiarly skeletal winged horses, they were amazing creatures and Rayne wondered just how many of the other students were able to see them. Being of demonic blood Rayne was no stranger to death, humanity ran thin in the veins of her people, but she thought it unlikely that very many of the other students would ever have personally witnessed a death and so would not be able to see the creatures that pulled the carriages.

Rayne watched as Draco climbed in and settled into the seat beside her, passing her a smiling glance as he sat closer than was really necessary in the fairly roomy carriage. The door then opened again and two rather large and round Slytherin boys stepped in finally followed by, to Draco's obvious discomfort, Pansy.

She opened her mouth in shock, aghast when she saw that she would have to share a carriage with Draco and his strange new girl. Slumping sulkily into her seat Pansy sat glaring daggers at the both of them to Draco's discomfort and Rayne's vague amusement.

The journey up to the castle was fairly unpleasant. The atmosphere within the carriage was heavy with tension as Pansy remained in a sulky silence whilst Draco made forced conversation with the two large louts who turned out to be called Crabb and Goyle. Rayne gazed out of the window admiring the darkened landscape as it passed them by, catching brief segments of Draco's conversation and taking note of how her was carefully avoiding any mention of Rayne.

Nearing the castle gates, Rayne's eyes widened at the spectacular sight, her first ever glimpse of Hogwarts. For all of her issues about going there it certainly was a sight to admire.

The atmosphere within the carriage, however, seemed to have become all too much for Pansy to handle, "So who's your new friend then Draco?" she blurted out suddenly and shrilly, a wild and hysterical glint in her eyes.

Draco did not answer but merely narrowed his gaze at her not appreciating having been cut of mid sentence. When he remained silent Rayne locked eyes with Pansy and said, "My name is Rayne."

Pansy noted for a second the curious colour of Rayne's eyes before she shook it off as a trick of the dim light and, pouting, spat angrily; "Did I ask you?"

Rayne's rage flamed at the girl's rudeness but she swallowed back the fire, she had grown incredibly good at suppressing her temper over the years as it had often led her to trouble. "No, but perhaps you should have." She said icily, a sneer playing on her blood red lips before she turned back to the window and ignored them all for the duration of the rest of the short journey.

When the carriage drew to a halt Pansy flew out of the door and stormed up to the castle without so much as a glance back. Draco stepped out next and offered a hand to help Rayne down the steps, which she accepted, with a shake of her head. Crabb and Goyle stepped out last and with a brief 'goodbye' to Draco made their way eagerly up to the castle obviously anticipating the feast that was to come.

Rayne sighed, relishing in the cold autumn air, if only she could spend her night out in the grounds. The dark, the damp, the cold fresh air it would almost be like home. Draco caught her attention by clearing his throat before saying, "We should go up to the castle, the sorting will begin soon." Reluctantly she nodded her head and followed him along the path and up the great stone steps to the castle doors.