A/n: Thanks to my beta Hunter's Heir! **Not yet edited. Chapter titles are now based off the quotes placed at the beginning of each chapter.

Anyone who isn't confused really doesn't understand the situation.

-Edward R. Murrow

I've spent the last few days moping, and for Merlin's sake I believe I have every right to. My world has been flipped upside down, I have to talk in different tones to avoid being jumped by every guy in school, and my mood keeps spiraling downward. Well, wouldn't yours too if you discovered you have a year to be free before you might have to disappear into solitude due to your bloody voice, and there's a slim possibility that your mate might be someone you completely despise? Yeah, I've hated this last week.

To make matters worse, I came to the conclusion a couple days ago that I should really ask my parents- specifically my mother- about what's happening to me. I didn't just randomly become a Siren from something I ate! No, I've been told that I'm a muggle for years now, and although I am perfectly happy with my heritage I smell something fishy. Did my parents hide something hideous and awful like this because they didn't know how to tell me, or because they didn't know?

Owling them would be best, yet I find it impossible to put my quill to parchment and write what I need to. I think that since it's still so hard for me to process, it's also equally hard for anyone else to as well. Granted, no one else really knows, but hey, at some point people will find out, and I'm not looking forward to that.

I've been shunned from my friends, no surprise there. Ginny and Lavender are quite peeved about what happened the other day, and Ron had to go and open his big mouth and say he kissed me, so now Lavender wants my head on a stick. Oh bloody joy.

Malfoy I've been avoiding like the plague. He's completely different from everyone else, and I hate that. I'd rather he chased my arse around like everyone else at this point so I can eliminate him from my potential mate list. The thought of bedding him makes me shiver, and no, it's not in delight!

I've done more research on the topic. Once I'm mated with my match- so basically, once we've slept together- the Siren effects go away. I have yet to figure out how one acquires these traits, and what the best methods are to deflect them on a day to day basis. What I really don't understand is why I capture so much attention! If I'm looking for my bloody mate, then wouldn't it be a better idea to have a case where everyone in Hogwarts wasn't out to fuck me whenever I opened my big mouth? This seems like all it's going to do is make my mate jealous to no end- whoever he is.

Maybe that's the point. That's quite possibly even worse.

Basically I've been holed up in my dorm aside from classes, and I've even begun to take my meals in here- anything to avoid talking to the people outside. Every day my voice gets a bit more powerful, and really it's beginning to wear on me. There has to be more to being a Siren than just finding a mate. But I don't know what that is yet.

A sudden knock on my door startles me, and I'm drawn away from my potions homework, even though I haven't started a single line of my report on our latest project. I've been too lost in my thoughts. Now however, I have to get up and see who's come to bother me. Hopefully it's not Ron and Harry, who came by the other day to see if I was alright, and once more I almost got kissed. It's getting really old, really fast.

I really don't want to punch my best friend. But if he tries again, I might just have to. It's for the better really. He'll ruin his relationship with Lavender if he keeps doing this. Not to mention that any chivalry that I've created between myself and his girlfriend will disappear if that happens again.

I really hate my life right now. Peering out, my heart practically drops. Okay, so it's worse than Ron and Harry.

It's Malfoy. Oh, if only someone would kill me now! I can't talk to him!

"I know you're in there!" he calls, causing me to jump. I didn't actually think he would speak. "It's not like you'd be anywhere else."

"Go away!" I call back, moving away from the door. "I don't have anything to say to you."

He grumbled something I couldn't quite make out before speaking again. "You're such a pain. Would you open up Granger! I've got something for you!"

"Now I really won't open the door!" I reply, sitting back on my sofa. That whole sentence sounds like a big problem to me, and I wouldn't be surprised if he shot me with a water spell or something once I cracked the door open. No, that was probably to low-key for Malfoy's standards.

"It's not from me you daft bint!" he cried, and my cheeks coloured at that. Oh, he was going to get an earful! "Dumbledore is making me bloody deliver this to you!"

Dumbledore, ay? Well, that sounded quite strange. Why would Dumbledore have Malfoy delivering things to me when Hogwarts has more than enough owls to use for such tasks? "I don't believe you!"

"I didn't ask you to! Just take it, will you!? It's charmed to my bloody hand until I give it to you!"

That makes me smile. So maybe Dumbledore found a creative way to punish Malfoy for something. Giving in I wander back to the door, peering out once more just to see Malfoy waving his arm about, trying to get an envelope off of it. It was quite comical, and I finally relented and opened the door.

"Having a problem there?" I joked, his eyes immediately sliding over to mine. Without saying a word he yanked up one of my arms, shoved his envelope-invaded hand against my own and pulled away, relieved to see that it didn't follow. I nearly dropped the letter as I started laughing at the relief on his face, buckling forward a bit as I did so. The prick decided that it was a good time to let go and I almost fell over.

He saved me, the bloody bastard. He grabbed my hips when he realized I was going to tumble and saved my poor head from the unforgiving stairs below, righting me as quickly as he could. I expected him to draw away but instead his hands lingered, his eyes running over me.

Oh no, not more of this.

He leans in as though against his will, his body saying yes but his eyes screaming no, and I place a hand on his chest to keep him at bay. Unlike Ron, who seems to have very little control when I'm around, he stops, staring at me.

Oh shit, this is beyond awkward. We are way too close, his breathing is too heavy, and his heart is going way too fast. I want to break away and hide inside my dorm, but something holds me there, and it's not his hand. My uncanny interest in things is peaking through.

What if he is the one, my supposed mate? Does kissing him feel different from kissing someone else? I don't remember much from our first kiss, other than it being way too intimate and incredibly scary at the time. I hadn't known what was going on then, and I didn't know much more now.

I almost kiss him, curiosity picking up before I realize what's happening to me and I stumble away with a gasp, falling inside my open dorm room door. He's staring down at me with large, round eyes.

So he noticed my slip up too. Well, hopefully now he will run away and hide in the Slytherin dungeons forever and I can avoid him…

"Did you just try to kiss me?" he asked, sounding quizzical. I blinked several times.

"You tried to kiss me first you idiot!"

"Well, I stopped. You're the one that tried to continue it!"

I rolled to my knees, snatching the fallen letter off the steps outside my room. He took the opportunity to hop- yes, literally hop- over me into my room. I spun around angrily on the floor.

"Get out of my room Malfoy! You have no business being in here!"

"Well, don't try to kiss me! My lips don't need to be soiled like my hands already are."

I'm fuming at that, up on my feet in an instant. "You're a big bully, you know that? You tried to kiss me first, so don't even try to turn the tables! Do you mind explaining that one?!"

He huffed, looking around the common room of my dorm with a bored expression. "Granger, I don't fucking know why I tried to kiss you! Whatever's gotten into me is probably the same thing that's gotten into every other male in the school! What did you take, a lust potion or something!?"

So, he really is noticing how off I am. Looking away I try to collect myself, shutting the door to the dorm to avoid prying ears. I set the letter aside, folding my arms across my chest defensively.

"I did nothing of the sort. Trust me Malfoy, I don't know what's going on."

"Really now? Is that why you hide every twenty minutes and barely speak anymore? Because, honestly Granger, no one's noticing the differences."

I roll my eyes, knowing that's a lie. Everyone's noticing the differences in me lately, just no one really brings it up. I think everyone is too confused to try to put two and two together. It's not like they would get the right answer anyway- lust potion my arse!

I'm not trying to seduce anyone; my voice does it for me.

Come to think of it, he's holding up fairly well except for that almost-kiss. Well, I guess I won't have to worry about that happening again anytime soon, now that he's come to his senses.

Before I can respond he speaks again, for apparently I spent too long thinking. "I heard you didn't give Theo detention the other day despite being out past curfew. Any reason for that?"

My eyebrows knit together. "Is that really any of your business? I have my reasons."

"Or your ways," he said, suddenly smirking. "I wonder what Nott had to do to get out of detention from-"

I chuck the closet object I can find at his head, which just so happens to be a vase, one that I've never actually filled with anything. It misses by about ten inches. I guess my punches are better aimed than my long-distance throws. No matter, he's now got his wand drawn in self-defense.

"Granger, what the hell is wrong with you? Are you feeling quite alright today?"

No I'm not. I feel overwhelmed by what's happening to me, and I'm not sure that this letter from Dumbledore is going to make things better. I'm now a Siren with no control of my voice, I make men fall to their knees if it means I'll give them some affection- which really isn't as great as it sounds- and my friends are completely conflicted on how to picture me at the moment. Hell, I'm conflicted about myself at the moment!

He's just standing there, waiting for me to respond. Do I have to?

"I'm fine," I lie, doing my best to glare in his direction. Out of all the people at Hogwarts, Malfoy is the last person I'm going to spill my emotions to. He needs to take a hike and stop getting so close to me, and things would be better. I could focus on other problems, not centralized around him. "Why do you even care?"

"Because you're remarks are lame, you're throwing things instead of replying logically, and you look like you're going to break down in a moment. You're calm demeanor is not there today. I can't help but wonder why- I'm curious by nature."

Curious by nature, that sounds just like me. Only I'm certain Malfoy will use anything I say to taunt me instead of consolidate. I don't need his comfort, and I get the feeling that he's just going to play me.

Or maybe I don't want his comfort because I might try to kiss him again and discover whether or not we're mates. Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's it.

"I'm fine," I say again, straightening out. "My remarks are not lame, just diluted. I thought for once I might give you a chance to win an argument. I threw something at you because you're invading my living space, and I would very much like you out. Don't try to pretend that you actually give a shit about me Malfoy, because I won't buy it. You'd sooner tear me to pieces and laugh at me alongside your friends than listen to my woes. So if you'd be so kind, do get out of my room. I have no desire to have you here."

If he was upset by what I had to say he didn't show it, and merely rolled his eyes and he wandered towards the door. He gave me a shove as he sauntered past, electricity shooting through my body at the touch. Was that there earlier, and I was just too preoccupied to notice when he grabbed my hips?

Malfoy notices too, and looks highly alarmed at the sensation. Dropping his relaxed swagger he bolts from my room, letting my door bang against the wall as he disappears. I don't grab the door, not immediately, not until he's out of sight.

As I close the door again I sink down against it, glancing briefly at the letter above my head. As if I'm not messed up enough, now I have a concerned Malfoy? Something is seriously wrong with the world.

I don't reach up for the letter for quite some time, and when I finally do it's on my way to bed. I feel drained, confused and ultimately worn out. I flop into bed, still fully clothed before I even try to read the letter, and I'm asleep before I even get halfway through. I suddenly feel very drained, and have no problem slipping into unconsciousness.

I wonder why that is.

Dumbledore's letter turned out to be an informant telling me that if I ever had anything to discuss with him that all I needed to do was visit his office. Of course I already knew that, but I think the letter was sent as more of a propellant than anything. Of course Dumbledore knows something is wrong, but like the all-seeing Headmaster he is, he wants his students to come to him in their own time without the need to be forced. Considering nothing awful has happened to me yet, I guess it isn't urgent else he would intervene. If something bad does happen though, I'm sure I'll hear from him.

Potions in the morning is a killer. I take a seat at the very back of the room to try and avoid people, sitting opposite the door. Since the war ended the house rivalries haven't been as taunt as before, but they're still in place. Slytherin's for the most part are hostile and keep to themselves, but a few brave souls branched out lately and some even sit on the Gryffindor side of the room. There will be enough space over here for me to sit, and hopefully no one will plop down next to me.

The room fills up as expected, and although several guys glance at my seat I make it a point to make sure they don't sit there. Harry ends up towards the front with Dean, and I've just begun to wonder where Ron's gone to when someone removes my bag from the chair and I look up, irritated. Of course it's Ron.

Apparently my hostile behavior is angled towards everyone but him, or at least in his mind. Malfoy ends up in front of me beside Nott, and Zabini and Parkinson sit in front of them. I think the Slytherin's sat there just to irritate me.

Malfoy sends me odd looks just before class begins. I don't know what to make of them, but it almost looks like there's hostility in his eyes.

Snape begins with a long lecture, one which half the class seems to not be listening to. Ron's chair is rather close to mine, which is directly next to the wall so I can lean against it.

I nearly jump out of my chair when a hand slides up on my upper thigh. No one notices, save Ron, who's looking at me with lust filled eyes. What the hell?

I push his hand off. "Inappropriate much?" I hiss, sitting straight again. His hand is back in an instant, pushing at the material of my skirt this time. My eyes widen and I grab his wrist, glaring.

"Stop that!" I hiss, glad that everyone is currently preoccupied by something happening in the front of the room. This seems to only increase the lust in his eyes, and my own widen in alarm. Shit, I just can't do anything right lately!

I don't want to really make a scene, but he has to keep his hands off of me. It's probably my voice that's making the lust inside of him rise, so I shouldn't say anything. Which is going to be hard, since I'm trying to discretely get him to let go of me without causing a scene at the back of the room, and he's completely ignoring me now, sliding his hand further up my skirt.

Bloody hell. So if I don't say something what will end up happening? I hate getting stuck, and this situation is worse than any that I've had with Malfoy! Merlin help me, I'm going to spell my voice soon if this madness doesn't cease.

Ron's hand makes a fairly steady train up my leg, brushing the bottom of my knickers before I manage to reach my wand- very non-discretely- and whip it under the table, hissing a curse to push his hand off. Nott and Malfoy notice something behind them and glance back, but I can't tell if they actually know what's going on.

Malfoy looks more concerned than he should be. I don't really like that either. I shove Ron away and lean against the wall again, peeved.

Looks like avoiding Dumbledore and keeping this ridiculous problem to myself isn't going to happen. If my brain were functioning right I would probably just get up and walk out, but I'm too perplexed by what just happened to actually get up and move. Ron's gone numb beside me.

He's not a bad guy, he really isn't. In fact he's never done something so inappropriate until this siren trait kicked in. And if Ron, one of the kindest guys I know can be persuaded by the sound of my voice to go so brazenly far, then I fear what it might do to someone with a darker viewpoint on life.

I won't wait any longer. After class, which ends in just a few minutes, I'll go straight to Dumbledore's office and tell him what's going on. I've gone numb now, frightened about what this could all lead to. What if it takes me a year to find a mate? Will bullshit like this keep happening and endanger me? I certainly hope not!

Nott gets up a few moments later to grab something from the back, passing our table. His eyebrows shoot up as he passes, and I wonder why. Numbly, I glance down and turn scarlet. My skirt never slid back to its original place, and is showing way too much leg, and way too much of my knickers! I might not be considered a whore, but I don't wear panties like that of a sixty-year old woman!

Good Merlin, today can't get any worse.

On my way out of class I spot Ron and Harry, and Ron is pulling Harry away as quickly as possible. No doubt he needs some consolidation just like me, and he's going to confide in Harry. Me, I'm going to go speak to Dumbledore and leave out as many awkward, uncomfortable details as possible.

I need to learn how to control this. My sanity depends on it.

I glance over my shoulder briefly before rounding the corner, unfortunately catching Malfoy's eyes. Merlin I can't catch a break. But what I see reflected in his eyes isn't amusement from Nott telling him what he had seen beneath the top of my table earlier or disgust even.

It could only be described as anger, and something tells me it wasn't directly angled at me either. I had a feeling, a terrible feeling, that it was directed at Ron. Now I really need to get up to Dumbledore before something truly ridiculous happens.

A/n: Darker chapter for many reasons. Dumbledore is going to start figuring things out, and Draco's going to have odd attraction problems in the future. And please don't worry guys! Ron really isn't a bad guy here; he's just so locked into her voice he doesn't realize how far he's going. He did have a crush on Hermione before, right?

It'll take a humorous turn again soon, I promise!