Somewhere I Belong

I'm sinking slowly
So hurry hold me
Your hand is all I have to keep me hanging on
Please can you tell me
So I can finally see
Where you go when you're gone

If you want to
I can save you
I can take you away from here
So lonely inside
So busy out there
And all you wanted
was somebody who cares
- "All You Wanted" by Michelle Branch

Alex ran. She wouldn't stop, nor could she. She hated herself, and him. The pain of betrayal stung her skin as she fled. She wiped the tears from her eyes harshly and stopped to catch her breath. She looked around the dark hall, not recognizing it. She didn't have her wand, so she decided to just turn around and go back towards her dorm. She walked carefully down the hall. The dance had long since ended, and most everyone had already gone either to their Common Rooms, or to their dorms. She didn't want to get in trouble, so she almost tiptoed on her way. The hall had an eerie silence that made her still and calm. She forgot why she'd darted and now concentrated on where she was. She reached a familiar place and continued on her way, her bearings returning. A tall man stepped into her path, and stared down at her, sizing her up.

"Can you tell me where I can find my son?" he boomed, looking at her demandingly.

"Well, what's his name?" Alex asked timidly. She was shaken by the way he'd just appeared out nowhere.

"Draco. Draco Malfoy. I need to speak with him," the man said stepping out of the dark. Alex was able to see him more clearly. He looked just like Draco. Silver hair, tall, intolerant attitude and the penetrating eyes.

"Well, to be honest, I don't know where he is. He might still be in the Great Hall," Alex said unconcernedly. She couldn't care less where he was, as long as it wasn't anywhere near her.

"I must ask you to tell no one that you saw or spoke to me. This is a private matter," the man said before disappearing into the shadows as quickly as he'd come. Alex shrugged, and continued. She thought it was weird, but she was too tired and upset to care.

Draco's thoughts raced. What had just happened? Did it happen? He carefully sat down on a chair in the Common Room. It was dark, despite the moon shining through the window. There was nobody else around, so he attempted to think about the earlier events. He didn't understand, and that's what made him angry. Also the fact that she was so reserved. She built walls around herself, and just when he thought he'd gotten past them, she put them up faster than they'd fallen. He didn't expect her to love him, and he didn't know how he felt, but he couldn't control it. He also couldn't explain it. He buried his face in his hands, frustrated and lonely.

"So Harry, did you have fun at the dance last night?" Seamus asked at breakfast the next morning.

"Yeah. It was much better than the Yule Ball. How about you?" Harry replied.

"Yeah I had a great time, even though I went alone. I met a few people, but one girl was really peculiar," Seamus said.

"Who was she?" Ron asked.

"Well, I don't know exactly. It was strange because she wouldn't tell me who she was. Then I didn't see her at the unmasking," Seamus said before taking a gulp of his pumpkin juice. Harry and Ron shrugged and continued with their breakfast.

"Harry will you ask her to pass the juice?" Ron said referring to Hermione. Their argument the night before had caused Ron to stop speaking to Hermione.

"Really Ron, don't you think this is a bit childish?" Hermione asked, handing him the juice.

"Harry, would you please tell her that if she wishes to talk to me she'll have to do it through you?" Ron asked.

"Why don't you tell her? She's sitting right across from you," Harry said getting annoyed at Ron's immaturity.

"Who's side are you on Harry?" Ron asked, surprised at Harry's response.

"Neither. You two are being foolish and stupid and you're not putting me in the middle," Harry said, before getting up and storming out.

He shoved open the doors and knocked Alex's books out of her bag as she had been making her way in.

"Oh, I'm really sorry," Harry said, helping her pick up her things.

"It's ok, people don't see me anyway. No use apologizing," she said continuing on her way indifferently. Harry was puzzled by her words, but continued to class. Alex rubbed the sleep from her eyes at the Ravenclaw table. She was definitely not in the mood for anyone. Especially a certain person. Her day was long and strenuous, and when it ended she went to the library to finish the loads of homework she'd neglected over the holiday. She almost dozed off into her book when she was startled.

"Alex, I have been meaning to talk to you," Draco said. She didn't look up, she just picked up her books and sat at a different table.

"I know why you're mad, and I want to explain," he said following her.

"There's nothing to explain. I know who you are now, and I was a fool to think..." she stopped and rolled her eyes. She got up, put her books in her bag and stormed out. Draco followed her. He was somewhat glad she walked out because he didn't want to explain in front of everyone.

"Will you just listen? You don't have to talk to me, just listen to what I have to say," Draco said almost pleadingly.

She spun around to face him and said, "I can't be responsible if my fist somehow ends up knocking out some of your teeth."

"Ok, you can hit me if you want, but I just wanted to tell you what actually happened," Draco said.

"I know what actually happened, and I would rather not hear your version," Alex said, the anger building up inside her.

"Just listen. I didn't know you were there. I didn't know Pansy was going to do what she did, and I don't know why you're mad at me," Draco said, rather uncontrollably, as if he couldn't stop the words coming from his own mouth.

"You want to know why I'm mad at you? I'm mad at you because I'm Alexandra Blair. I'm sixteen years old and I attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Out of possibly a thousand students about a handful of them actually know me. I'm mad because you're Draco Malfoy. You have friends, you have money and you have influence. I'm mad because everything that happened between us should have never happened. I'm mad because I'm a nothing. I hide. I disappear from the world around me. I'm mad because you found me locked inside my walls of invisibility. I'm mad because you don't understand. Haven't you ever wondered why I'm invisible? Why I'm not open to people? I don't have some depressive social disorder. It's because of situations like this, and people like you," she said. She realized soon after that she was crying. She stepped back, and waited for him to speak. It took him a few moments before he responded.

"I don't understand you. Everything about you bewildered me from the first time I met you. I mean the first time I really met you. I'm not talking about fourth year, or whatever. I mean now. I felt so different around you. You had no expectations or pride. You were just you. I don't know many people like that. Most of the people I know are out to impress and be impressed. I didn't have to impress you, or get you to accept me. You just did. I never had that before. You were skeptical, and you were a bit secluded, but you had reason to be. I know exactly what kind of person I am, and I don't want to be that person anymore. You made me realize that," he said stepping toward her.

She stared at him and said, "That doesn't change anything."

He stepped closer again and said, "Don't you see? It changes everything." He kissed her softly, but was prepared to back away when she refused, but she didn't.