Filia de Malignus

Chapter 6: Interrogation

Harry woke up with a start. After Xenia had ran off into the darkness from the astronomy tower, Harry had somehow found his way up to Gryffindor Tower, in a sort of half daze. He fell into a fitful sleep where he lived and relived the kiss, his first kiss, over and over again, but it was bittersweet, for Xenia would always run off at the end of it.

That was before he woke up, of course.

He heard his name being called, or so he'd thought. Someone called out his name and he could hear it inside his head. For some reason, he began to feel completely guilty about all those nights going up to the astronomy tower without telling anybody. He put his pillow over his eyes and tried to dream of Xenia again, but he couldn't even get back to sleep. He felt around in the darkness for his glasses and watch. It said 3:15. He had only been asleep for twenty minutes! He decided to go down to the common room, so he pulled on a pair of pants (who wants to be seen running around the common room in their shorts!) and a turtleneck and went downstairs.

He sat down by the dying fire. He felt so mixed up inside because he never felt this strong of a feeling for any other human being. He had no clue what to do, because he couldn't tell Ron, it would be around the whole school in days and then he would probably have Malfoy to deal with, seeing as Xenia was a Slytherin. If he told Hermione, she would probably smack him upside the head and start lecturing him. Then it hit him. Who was the only fatherlike figure he had ever had? Who was the one guy that he could talk to about anything and he wouldn't laugh? Sirius, of course! His convict godfather, who was hiding outside of Hogsmeade, would be perfect. He ran up to his dormitory, silently, grabbed his invisibility cloak, some parchment, a quill, and a bottle of ink and went back down to the dormitories. He began to write.

Dear Sirius,

How are you doing? Is Buckbeak well? I wish I were. I am so confused right now, and I figure that I can talk to you about anything, so here it goes. This may sound a bit weird, but there is this new girl at my school. Her name is Xenia. Xenia Xanderbilt. It seems that we have gotten to be really close friends and we talk a lot. She is a bit crazy, and she has gotten expelled from a couple of schools, but I reckon that no one has gotten to know her properly. She's a Slytherin, too, which is another weird thing. Anyway, tonight, we were in the astronomy tower, where we usually go a lot to talk about stuff in private. I mean, people here CAN'T stand the fact that I am friends with a Slytherin, honestly. Well, tonight was different. I sort of kissed her. She looked pretty happy at first, but then she ran away. I can truly say I have never felt this way about a girl before, but something doesn't seem completely right. I don't understand and I really need your advice because there is no one here I can talk to. I'd talk to Ron, but he only cares about what happened and not the story behind it. Hermione seems to be jealous of her, so I guessed I would talk to you. Please help me, Sirius.

Harry

Harry looked it over and decided that it was pretty good. He walked over to the portrait hole and opened it, he decided to go up to the Owlery and use a school bird to deliver his letter. He grabbed his invisibility cloak and would have thrown it over himself, but he found himself face to face with the worst nightmare imaginable at the moment. Snape was standing in the doorway to Gryffindor Tower, with Xenia standing at his side, tears streaming down from her green eyes and down her pale cheeks.

"Where do you think you're going, Potter?" snarled Snape. "I think you have a little explaining to do. Come with me."

Harry followed, but reluctantly. As Snape led them through the halls silently, with Harry and Xenia side by side, tears still streaming down her face, Harry looked at her. He was trying for some reason to convey his thoughts to her, What's up?

Whatever you do, say that we were doing astronomy homework, she thought, wiping her eyes off on her sleeves. Somehow the thought came across to Harry, and he nodded.

She sighed with relief. Maybe I can pull this off!

When they arrived at Snape's office, he pointed to the chairs and instructed them to sit down.

"Potter, I know for a fact that you were out of bed tonight and I also know that you were with Miss Xanderbilt here. If I may ask, what you were doing in the astronomy tower so late at night?" he said in his most evil voice.

"I was catching up on some homework I've missed," he said, trying to hold a straight face. "And since Xenia is the top in our class, I figure that she would be the person to help me with it." He wanted so desperately to add, "Why what were YOU thinking?!" but thought better of it.

"Hmm..." he said, looking for a way to disprove them. "Maybe I should just go talk to Professor Sinistra for the sign-in sheet, then?"

"There's a sign-in sheet?" said Xenia, her old spunkiness coming back. "Harry never said anything about signing in and out of the tower..."

"I never had to use it before, I guess I just didn't know there was a sign-in sheet..." said Harry, trying to look thoroughly confused. "I don't think you'll find our names on it, sir."

"And why should I believe you?!" screamed Snape. He kept yelling incessantly, which woke up Malfoy, who was dead asleep in a chair outside the office.

* * *

"What the---wha..." said Draco, waking up suddenly. He just then remembered the conversation that he and Snape had just had and pressed his ear up against the door. There was a new voice in there. It was Harry. This made him press his ear up against the door even harder, trying to the best of his ability to make out the words that they were saying.

"Professor...why...weren't...anything!" cried a girl's voice desperately. It was Xenia.

Draco had the urge to burst in there and sock Snape one right in the face, since he was making her cry but he still kept listening.

"DETENTION FOR BOTH OF YOU AND THAT IS THE END OF IT!! GET OUT OF MY OFFICE AND STOP ARGUING!!" roared Snape. There were footsteps leading toward the doors. Draco quickly feigned sleep in the chair.

The door opened and shut.

"That bastard!" cried Harry quietly, unaware of Malfoy in the chair next to him. "Oh well, at least we got off with a detention." He looked very pissed off. "Could be worse, right?"

"I hate that man, he is so creepy and... and... oh I just hate him! And the stuff he has on his walls, the poor kneazles in the jars and the doxy venom, you'd think he was deranged or something!" said Xenia. She went to walk up to Slytherin tower.

"Wait," said Harry. "I have to talk to you."

Xenia stopped in her tracks and sighed. "Harry..." she started.

"No, I wanted to ask you if did something wrong? What is it?" he said.

"It's not that. You didn't do anything wrong, it's just that..." she faltered. "You scared me."

"I'm sorry, I just thought that was what you wanted," he said.

"No, you don't understand... that was my first kiss," she said.

At these words Draco's eyes opened quickly, and his hand began to tighten into a fist. How could she kiss him! Stop being so stupid, Draco, its not like you were going out with her...

"And I liked it a lot, but I've never felt anything like that before and I never will again and... I can't explain it..." she said.

"Same here," said Harry offhandedly. He heard something stir and was looking around the room. He walked over to her. "Xenia, I don't know what made me do it..."

Xenia then did something unexpected. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed Harry hard. Draco shut his eyes and gritted his teeth, he couldn't stand it at all and it was becoming unbearable to sit there and not do anything.

"Wow..." said Harry, when she finally stopped. "That was amazing, Xenia."

"Didn't know what made me do it," she said slyly. "Some things are better unexpected."

"Some second kiss, huh..." he said. "Third?" he asked hopefully.

"I DON'T THINK SO!" said Draco, finally coming out of the darkness, his fists clenched again. "What the hell is this?!" he said, shaking with fury, sadness and jealousy all in one. "I didn't think the rumors were true, but I guess I was wrong! Some Slytherin you are, Xenia! Completely all over Harry Potter, I never would have thought it possible,"

"Draco, stop it!" she yelled.

"Don't you Draco me! I knew it, all this flirting, and that hug this morning...you really do get around, don't you?!" he said. "Anyone else you've been messing with? I bet you like that Davies bloke in Ravenclaw! And Finch-Fletchley in Hufflepuff! And you hugged me this morning! What am I supposed to think, huh?"

"I hugged you because you got me to play Quidditch! And I was NOT flirting with you! I hardly talk to you!" she said. "I don't get around, for your information!"

"And how about Potter? Huh? You've been pretty quiet, haven't you?!" he said.

"Malfoy, I honestly think you have nothing to do with me and her," said Harry.

"Oh yes I do!" he said. He raised his fist and went to hit Harry, when suddenly, something grabbed him around the waist and threw him into the wall.

"Go, Harry, before Snape comes out!" she shrieked.

Harry ran out of the tower and run up to the boys dormitory.

Draco finally came out of the shock of getting thrown against a stone wall, and looked up at Xenia. She was standing with her arms crossed and looked furious. The hatred poured back in from all sides. He got up, glaring at her, breathing heavily. His blonde hair was a mess and his eyes were wide with fury. He looked, and there is no other word for it, evil.

"You better run, girl," he said evilly. "Because right now, I am liable to do anything, and it won't be pretty."

"Damn straight it won't be," she said, raising her fists and backing away slowly. "I'm not afraid of you. You wanna play this game again, eh? Bring it Malfoy, I dare you! I am SO not afraid of a little blonde twig like you,"

"Oh believe me, after tonight, you will be... you most certainly will be..." he said. "And the fact that I'm blonde has nothing to do with this!"

Xenia was getting sick of this. She walked over to him and punched him straight in the face, not with full strength, but enough to knock some sense into him. "Shut up! I am not afraid of you! Okay! Oh my gosh, why can't anyone accept me and Harry together! I can't believe you people still go on a petty grudge that happened between two people so long ago! This is so stupid! I'm going to bed," she said with a final tone in her voice.

"You don't know the half of it," Draco said to himself.

"What?" she spat. She obviously heard him.

"Nothing. I thought you were going to bed."

"I am!" With that, she stomped up the stairs and into bed. "Psycho..."

* * *

In Gryffindor tower, Harry walked into his dormitory to find Ron, Seamus, Dean, and Neville all out of bed and leaning up against their bedposts with their arms crossed.

"So..." said Ron, with a small hint of a smile on his face. "Where have you been?"

"Snape's office, it's a long story..."said Harry. "If you guys would shut off the lights, I could maybe get some sleep, so if you please."

"Not until we know where you've been going all these nights," said Seamus.

"What do you mean?" asked Harry.

"You're always gone," said Ron. "One night, Neville got up to get a glass of water, he tripped and fell on your bed, right where your feet should have been."

"Oh... that night," he said, feeling trapped. "Er...astronomy homework." (Hey, if it worked for Snape, it could work for them.)

"Sure..."Dean said sarcastically. "You know damn well that we ain't gonna fall for the old homework thing..."

"Well, who is it?" asked Ron. "Come on, Harry! We're best friends!"

"It's Parvati Patil, isn't it?!" said Seamus

"No!" said Harry. "Why would you ever think that?!"

"That girl in Ravenclaw, what's her name? Choo or something?" asked Dean. "She's a sixth year, I think?"

"Her name's Cho and no, it's not her..." said Harry, feeling like he was being interrogated.

"Hermione!" said Neville. "It's her isn't it?!"

"Neville, don't be thick, we'd all know if it was someone in Gryffindor, he could see her without leaving Gryffindor tower and we would be able to tell..." said Ron.

"So its someone we hardly see, then?" said Dean.

"A Hufflepuff?" said Neville.

"No, Harry wouldn't... would he?" said Seamus.

"No, he wouldn't!" said Harry. "Harry doesn't even know why his friends care so much about where he goes!"

"Harry's friends are wondering why Harry talks about himself in the third person!" said Ron. "We are your friends, therefore, we MUST KNOW!"

"No you don't!" said Harry. "I never said it had to do with anyone!"

"Harry, do you seriously think that after 5 years of school together that we wouldn't know?" said Ron. "So, she isn't a Hufflepuff, and she isn't a Ravenclaw, and we would know if it was a Gryffindor, so that leaves-"

"SLYTHERIN?!" said all four of them together. "Are you mad, Harry?! The lot of them wish you were dead!"

"Not all of them," he said, quietly.

"Aha!" said Ron. "We've got it! What's her name?"

"Is it that girl with the red hair?"

"Wait, the one that beat up Malfoy?"

"You must be joking! She's a Slytherin!"

"No, I'm not," he said.

"Wow...." said all of 4 of them.

"Yep," he said. "That's Xenia for you. She has red hair, she beat up Malfoy, and yes, she is a Slytherin. Now I am going to BED!" He kicked off his shoes and threw himself onto his bed, trying to put himself exactly where he was 3 minutes ago, holding Xenia. That was before Malfoy interrupted, of course. He really screws up everything, doesn't he? Of course, he does, he's Draco Malfoy, the completely shallow, pureblooded, son of a... dark wizard!

* * *

Little did he know that at that very moment, that very same Draco Malfoy had a tear rolling down his cheek and onto a pillow, the first one in seven years.

"Lucius! I won't stand for it no more!" cried the voice hysterically. "I'm going to take him and leave if you don't stop it!"

"Someone has to knock some sense into this boy!" said Lucius Malfoy. "I don't want a sissy little boy for a son, anyway!"

"You're beating him senseless!" the woman cried again. "Stop it!" The woman tried to push Lucius out of the way and grab the child, but his hand came down hard across her face.

"Don't you dare, push me, woman!" said Lucius.

"I'm not afraid of you!" she cried. "I swear I'm not!"

"Oh, Narcissa, my dear, you will be... you will be...!" he roared, striking the young blonde boy again. She again made a grab for the child, but this time he knocked her hand out of the way and cornered her.

"I didn't think it would have to come to this so soon, but yes, eventually... Every woman knows their place among the Malfoys, and now, so will you." He whipped out his wand. "IMPERIO!" he shouted.

The curse hit her straight in the chest and her face went slack. "Yes, Lucius, dear. What would you like me to do?" she asked in a more higher pitched voice than normal.

"That's my girl," he said. "Fetch me my slippers." She bowed to him and walked out of the room quietly.

"Now, as for you, Draco," said Lucius in a cold voice. "You also need to be taught some things about being a Malfoy, the first of which being never EVER disobey your father!" His hand rose once more.

Draco sat up and yelled. His face was wet with tears and his body was soaked in sweat. His hair was plastered to his face. He was breathing so hard you would think he just got done running a marathon. He pulled the hangings of his four poster bed open and got up. As he did, the cold castle air passed over him, making him shiver.

He went to the mirror and looked into it. His reflection showed one scared looking 15 year old boy, just standing there shivering in nothing but his boxers. He couldn't help thinking that he said many of those things that his father said to Xenia only hours ago. Then he couldn't help thinking of how at this very moment his mother was under the Imperius curse, and he had never known, until now...

His father had beaten him on a number of countless occasions. Sometimes it was for doing the simplest thing wrong or if he did something "girly". Sometimes, he would play with his mother's plants and magically make them turn pretty pastel colors. His father beat him senseless for that one. Of course, eventually, his mind began to work in different ways. Draco became a good deal stronger and sometimes would fight back.

The tears stopped at around age eight, for any man with Malfoy blood running through their veins wouldn't dare cry was what his father told him. This was all part of the Malfoy plan for him. In the past year, however, his father was out with Voldemort somewhere, trying to gather up supporters and concocting some plan to bring Harry to him. Draco was grateful for this year off from the endless beating sessions that had taken place since he could talk. He inherited everything from his father... his looks, his extraordinary knowledge and ability of Dark Magic, and his cruelty towards everything that, simply put, wasn't Malfoy.

He stared into the reflection of himself. He thought of his mother, and how alike Xenia was to her in her actions and words. He wondered if his mother beat the crap out of his father when they first met on the Hogwarts Express in their fifth year. He wondered if his mother was in the same house as his father. And he especially wondered what made his father go so terribly wrong.

He went back to bed, pondering all of this, knowing that he was turning into the cruel man that was his father every time he did or said something terrible. He hit the pillow and tried to get at least some sleep, but it wasn't happening. Frustrated with himself not being able to sleep, he took a shower, put on his robes and went down to the Great Hall.

* * *

When Xenia woke up, the sun was shining into her window. A small owl was sitting at the window hooting incessantly. It had a piece of parchment tied onto its leg. She undid it and opened it. It read:

Dear Xenia,

Good luck on your Quidditch match today! I really hope Malfoy lets you play today and I'm really sorry about last night and all, so maybe we shouldn't go up to the tower much anymore. I guess I'll see you on the pitch.

Much love,

Harry

Much love, I wonder what that could mean, she thought with a small smile playing at her lips. Thinking that if she was going to play today, she should eat a good breakfast for some energy. Xenia went down to the Great Hall early for some food. She brought her Nimbus 2001 with her.

When she got down there, there were more people down there than usual. A few older kids were down there studying and some eager first years that were ready to watch the match. The entire Slytherin team was down there eating. Malfoy, even though he was the captain, wasn't sitting with them. He was eating by himself as usual. Xenia went to her usual seat at the far end of the table and helped herself to lots of eggs, bacon, sausage, buttered toast and some orange juice. She needed her strength if she was going to play today. Wonder who we're playing?

Just as she thought that, seven people dressed in blue and silver came into the Great Hall, huddled around one and other and they all seemed to be pointing at some piece of paper. Ah, Ravenclaw... I hear they are pretty good!

Just then, Harry and a bunch of other guys that she didn't know walked in, all talking to each other. Harry looked dead tired, but had a smile on his face as soon as he saw Xenia. He walked over to the table. He had never done this before except on the first day they met.

"I take it you got my note?" he asked, looking at the piece of parchment in her hand.

"Yeah, thanks," she said. "You reckon I'm gonna play today?"

"After last night... I don't think he'll be flying around trying to make the Bludgers hit him just so that you'll be in the game, but you can always hope that the Ravenclaw Beaters smash his face open." he said hopefully.

"You know," she said, staring down the table at Malfoy. "I actually thought that he was turning for the better for awhile."

"Malfoy will never turn good, I'm willing to bet my life on it!" said Harry coldly. "His dad, Lucius Malfoy, is in pretty good with Voldemort. He'll be joining the ranks soon... I know it."

"I dunno...." she repeated. "Well, anyway, be sure to watch for me!" She stood up, directly facing Harry.

"Good luck," he said, staring at his feet and turning bright red. He let go of his senses again and gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. This took Xenia by surprise.

"Didn't you say that-" she started, but Harry cut her off.

"Ah, thanks to Malfoy, everyone already knows, so who cares?!" he said. "I'll be rooting for Malfoy to get his face bashed in," he said.

"Thanks, I'll remember that," she said with a hint of sarcasm.

They let go of each other and went their separate ways, Xenia towards Draco and Harry towards the Gryffindor table. As Xenia approached Malfoy, he picked up a silver and green cloak with standard Quidditch armor and threw it at her. She caught it.

"You might play today, so I want you to be ready to play even if you don't have to," said Draco bitterly. His head was still swimming with the thoughts of the events that took place the night before, plus his dream. He wouldn't look up from his food.

"Thanks," she said. She turned and walked away. That went surprisingly well, she thought.