Somewhere I Belong

It's hard to know just what to do in times like these
It's hard to know just what to say
And I'm just sitting here just asking myself why
It's good to know you feel the same

And I believe
I wanna be your everything
And anything you need.

Don't cry for us tonight
Don't cry we'll be all right
If I could I'd be by your side
Don't cry for us

Draco didn't think, he couldn't think. He'd just lunged. He had refused mentally, over and over to see her die so he gave himself to the death curse for her. The incantation had hit him straight on and he'd died immediately, feeling no pain, despite that in his heart. There had been so much he'd wanted to say, but he wasn't sure how. He felt a deep connection to her that he couldn't, to this day, explain. He'd stolen the pendant from his father the night he'd gone to the attic. He'd meant to give it to her, but he couldn't find the words. He knew she was an Eternus, but he wasn't quite sure what that meant. He only knew that he had to save her, even if it meant he himself were to die. There was no second chances. No turning back. It was over.

********

Alex took the pendant from Draco's limp hand. She closed her eyes, almost on instinct, and began to get a flashback. She saw her mother. Her mother was so beautiful. She had long honey blonde hair, and the same emerald eyes as Alex. Alex then saw herself at about age seven. Her younger self ran to her mother and gave her a hug. She noticed, in her flashback, her mother was wearing the pendant.

"What's that necklace for, mommy?" younger Alex asked the smiling woman. Alex bit back tears seeing the her mother. The mother she'd never known.

"It's for you. It holds a special power that allows you to help people," her mother answered.

"How?" the little girl asked.

"Well you can heal people who are hurt," her mother answered. Just then, there was a sharp flash of light, as if time were passing, and Alex saw Lucius Malfoy standing in the entrance to her home.

Her mother, seeing the man, grabbed Alex to the side and frantically said, "Alex, remember that I love you. The pendant is the key. It holds your power. You can heal those who are dying and make them well again. You can end the pain of others. You are an Eternus. Protect your magic and save everyone you can." She finished by slipping the pendant over the little girl's head.

"But what's going to happen to you? Is that man going to hurt you?" the little girl asked, crying.

"He's going to kill me Alex. You have to get away," her mother said, starting to cry.

"But...I don't want you to die," the little girl sobbed.

"I'll be with you forever. I promise," her mother said as Lucius grabbed her by her hair

"No!" younger Alex screamed.

"Alex remember, if your heart is true, you have the ultimate power," her mother shouted before Lucius killed her. A smirk crossed his face as her mother hit the floor dead, and he stepped toward her. The little girl ran until she could run no further. Lucius had managed to hit her with a memory charm, in order to make her forget what she'd learned about her power. But because she was wearing the pendant, the final memories of her mother were trapped within it.

********

Alex blinked hard, coming back to the present. She realized what she had to do. The words left her lips before she realized what she was saying. As she spoke, her pendant was pressed against Draco's heart.

"Spirit inside become my own. Replace my soul within. Give life unto those who seek to breathe, let my soul and life be given," she shouted.

"No!" Voldemort shouted. A blinding white light filled the cave making Lucius, Peter, and the Dark Lord step back. The pendant was glowing a deep green against Draco's chest. Alex's eyes were closed, as she repeated the words. A shimmering, translucent mist rose from Alex, and Draco and exchanged into the opposite person. She spoke the words still. She wasn't quite sure how and why she knew them, but she spoke them clearly and easily as if she did. Draco's eyes opened slightly as he slowly came back to life.

********

"Hermione, you haven't touched your food," Harry said, beginning to eat after Dumbledore's report on the disappearances. She only looked up. Harry could tell that something was bothering her.

"I guess I'm just not hungry," Hermione said, pushing her plate away.

"Are you sure? Do you want to tell me what's wrong? If it's a girl thing then forget I asked," he asked, trying to sound supportive.

"Well, it's not that, it's something else. Something I saw a few days ago," Hermione said, looking restlessly at Harry. Ron had begun to listen to what they were saying.

"What is it?" Harry asked, listening intently.

"Well, I know who the two students are," Hermione said, almost confidently. Harry recognized that tone. You didn't want to disagree with that tone because Hermione wouldn't hear of it. But also, anyone who disagreed with her was usually wrong anyway.

"Who?" Ron asked, his mouth full.

Hermione looked at him disgustedly, and then replied, "One of them is Malfoy. I'm sure of it. The other one is most likely a girl named Alexandra Blair."

"Why do you look so worried then? Malfoy is missing, that's good news," Ron said smiling.

"Yes, but I saw the two of them in the library, the day before they were both absent from classes all day. They were...snogging," she finished, the volume of her voice decreasing with each word. Ron nearly spit out his pumpkin juice.

"Snogging? Malfoy and Alex, the girl from the library that day?" Harry asked.

Hermione looked at him puzzled and replied, "I don't know her, but I heard him call her a Mudblood before." Harry remembered that Hermione had referred to Alex as a "new student" when she seen him sitting with her that day in the library. He also remembered seeing her leave the library in a hurry on the day Hermione was talking about.

"Where do you think they are?" Harry asked. He didn't trust Malfoy, he never did, so he guessed there was something uncertain about the whole snogging business.

"I haven't a clue, but I don't like the thought of it," Hermione said. Ron spontaneously burst out laughing. Harry and Hermione stared at him, along with the rest of the table.

"What's the matter with you?" Hermione asked.

"What you just said," Ron said through laughter.

"What?" Hermione demanded. She didn't appreciate his mockery.

"You just said you didn't have a clue as to where they were. That's the first time I've ever heard you admit you didn't know something," Ron said, still laughing.

Hermione, insulted, rose from her seat and said, "Thank you Ronald Weasley. Thank you very much!" She stormed out and down the hall toward Gryffindor tower, angry and terribly confused as to the Malfoy situation.

********

"What did you say that for Ron?" Harry asked. He hated when they fought, and though he hated to take sides, Ron usually started it.

"I didn't mean to hurt her feelings," Ron said sheepishly.

"Well you didn't think a remark like that would make her happy, did you?" Harry asked, sounding like a parent.

"No, I only said it because I admire her knowledge. She's the smartest person I know," Ron said.

"Well, don't apologize to me, go tell that to Hermione," Harry said, returning to his meal.

Ron rose, and said, "I'd better go find her."

He started toward the door when Harry called after him, "Check the library." Ron was mostly glad to be able to speak to her alone. He'd wanted to since the Masquerade Ball. The truth was, he was crazy about her, and he knew making her hate him wasn't helping either of their situations.