Alexia and Draco made their way to platform Nine and Three Quarters the next morning swiftly and stylishly. Draco was dressed in smart black pants and a dark grey shirt, his sleeves rolled up in a careless yet sexy manner, and Alexia wore a white blouse, tucked into a high-waisted black skirt that sat on her small thighs and wore a bright yellow blazer-type jacket over the top. Her hair was down but she had braided back the section of hair which always fell across her face. A few of the younger witches whispered compliments on her fashion to their friends as she walked beside Draco and Lucius through the crowd. But for her, today wasn't about compliments; she didn't want people speaking to her, she wanted people fearing her.
There was always two sides to Alexia. The side only her cronies knew - the one who laughed and smiled - and the one everyone else had to experience. The side that took pride in taunting and mocking. The side which people hated. The girl who did nothing but smirk and make your life hell if you ever tried to stand up to her. But even before you could, you had two brutes on you, making a sport out of throwing their fists into your body. The girl with Slytherin blood in her veins. The girl with dark beliefs. The girl who was an evil witch. And not metaphorically. Literally.
•••
Once boarding the train, Alexia and Draco met Pansy, Daphne, Crabbe and Goyle in one of the carriages. They discussed their Easter break before Pansy and Draco departed to the prefect carriage.
"How is your studying going, Daph?" Alexia asked, taking a Potions textbook from her bag.
"Quite well. What about you?" Daphne replied.
"Good, thank you. But I need to get perfect results, so I need to keep working extremely hard." Alexia informed her.
There were only a few more weeks until examinations began, so although the study halls and library were busy and packed at Hogwarts, the hallways and grounds were now quiet and empty. The feast was extravagant and large like usual. Dumbledore no longer sat in his elaborate seat at the staff table; Professor Umbridge now occupied it. A crease had developed on her forehead over the Easter break, yet she concealed her stress with her wide, toad-like grin.
After dinner, the students returned to their common rooms. The notice boards were filled with pieces of parchment reading announcements and information for the coming weeks. Quidditch training, final club meetings, overdue books, and the examination timetable. O.W.L.'s were to take place in the final two weeks of the term. The exams during the first week were Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology, Defence Against the Dark Arts and Study of Ancient Runes. The second week was Potions, Care of Magical Creatures, Astronomy, Divination, Arithmacy and History of Magic.
Draco and Alexia barely had the time to think about each other during the first week back. Studying, Inquisitorial Squad duties and end of term activities were consuming all their spare time. Although this continued into the second week, towards the end, the two both were looking for a brief yet pleasurable escape from studying. Knowing they couldn't exactly do what they wanted to do or see who they wanted to see, they distracted themselves.
"Hey," Alexia said to Draco, as she passed him on the way to the Slytherin Dungeons.
"Hello Al," Draco replied.
"I've hardly seen you at all lately, this studying is taking over my life." Alexia sighed.
"I know what you mean," Draco agreed.
"I think all the fifth-years are having a night off tonight, all I overheard on the way down here was what everyone is doing." Alexia said. "Or who." she added.
"Wish I could discuss that second one," Draco murmured.
"You can't exactly do me tonight... or for a while." Alexia said.
"Yeah, I know. But can't we just forget what everyone thinks? I hate waiting and I know you do too."
"Draco! That will just sabotage our reputation and names!" Alexia exclaimed, "I can't even believe we're discussing this here! Someone's probably listening!"
"Alexia relax!"
"No- I need to go. See you around, Draco."
Once Alexia had left and not long after Draco had too, the portrait of Elizabeth Burke opened up and out of it came dark-haired, devious Evangeline Eskers. The painting flew shut and Eva slid away, unseen or unheard, into the darkness of the dungeons with the knowledge of Draco and Alexia's dirty little secret.
That night, Draco joined the fifth-year Slytherin boys in a night out by the Black Lake with enough Butterbeer and Fire-whisky to give them headaches the next day. Across the other side grounds were a small group of Ravenclaws. What the other students would've enjoyed as a nice night of stargazing, was probably more likely to be a night of Astronomy studying for them.
Alexia, Pansy and Daphne on the other hand decided to have a night of pampering. They did their nails, drank champagne and flipped through the latest fashion magazines while discussing boys, shoes and sharing the latest gossip.
"Alexia," Daphne said.
Alexia looked over and Daphne held up he magazine she was reading. It was an entire spread full of photos of her, alongside Draco at Kings Cross Station. A small paragraph of writing addressed which designer both her and Draco's outfits were. The photo which was animate was the two walking, Alexia giving Draco a second glimpse. "Can't get any privacy in this world." Alexia sighed.
"You look great though!" Daphne assured her.
"Yeah," Alexia mumbled, staring at the image which replayed over and over.
"Everything okay, Alexia?" Pansy asked.
"Oh- yeah, of course." Alexia replied.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I guess there's just so much happening right now and sometimes I feel like I'm trapped within all this drama and expectations and reputations. I just don't know when it's all going to end, if ever." Alexia admitted.
"Al," Pansy began, "We're here for you always. You're so strong. You can tell us anything. And we've always got your back."
•••
It wasn't until the Owl Post arrived on Monday morning when voices became hushed as both Alexia and Draco entered the Great Hall separately.
"What's going on?" Draco demanded as he arrived to the Slytherin table and joined the Supreme Slytherin group several minutes after Alexia and her minions. He glanced around the Hall at the students who were occasionally looking over or whispering in their friends ear.
"Don't know," Pansy said, "they were doing the same when we walked in with Alexia."
"If it's some pathetic rumour again, I seriously injure someone." Alexia spat viciously.
"Hey Burke!" Someone from down the table called. "Is it true?" A magazine flew from a seventh year and landed right in front of her.
"Oh no..." she mumbled under her breath as she read the print.
MALFOY CATCHES THE QUEEN BEE, ALEXIA BURKE
Pansy snorted, reading the print herself, "These magazines are full of shit!"
"Let me see that?" Draco demanded in his snappy tone.
Pansy grabbed the magazine and passed it along.
Draco studied the magazine cover for a few minutes; everyone patiently waiting for what he would say, including Alexia, she knew he could handle this and cover it up better than her. "How pathetic! I don't date! Everyone knows that! No one would believe this rubbish; they have no source!"
The Hall had managed to quiet down. "Yes they do!" Someone yelled from the next table over.
"What?" Pansy questioned, snatching back the magazine and opening it. She read aloud, "'Could young, wealthy handsome Draco Malfoy son of Lucius be dating the one and only Alexia Burke? Read on as former 'minion' of Alexia Burke's clique Evangeline Eskers tells Which Witch what she overheard in the dark corridors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.'"
Alexia could not believe what she was hearing. Draco was shaking his head in denial and he looked angry but Alexia wasn't sure what was for show and what wasn't. She needed to talk to him. She couldn't keep this from her closest friends, could she? They were bound to find out the truth eventually, was now the time?
"This is not even worth it!" Pansy hissed. She flicked her wand, "Inncendio!" the magazine smoked and a small crackle of fire burned it into ashes.
"You can't just light a fire in the Great Hall!" a voice called from down the table. Eva Esker's voice.
"Oh can't I? Then what's this?" Pansy said standing up and walking towards Eva. She pointed at her chest.
"Your Prefect badge." Eva said plainly.
"And this?"
"Your Inquistorial Squad badge."
"Yes. Now do you understand how much power that gives me?"
"Well it's still somehow not as much power as your friend Alexia has even without one of those." Eva said. "Why do you even continue to suck up to her when you know the rumour is true?" Eva questioned.
Pansy raised her wand, her face going red with fury, "You do realise that magazine states that you were the source. You must've gotten in contact with a journalist from out of school boundaries, did you forget that's exactly, thanks to Potter, what Education Decree number thirty-six states what not to do if you want to end up punished?" Pansy asked. "To Professor Umbridge's office we go!" she chimed, grabbing Eva by the collar, still with her wand directly pointed at a frowning Eva. "Same goes for anyone else!" Pansy called as she exited the hall.
Alexia needed to speak to Draco, but he was wiser and now knew better to be seen talking lowly together in the busy school hallways. That would cause suspicion which there was already enough of. Instead, Draco became even more of the womaniser he was. Alexia caught him winking at other girls and talking dirty. It confused her as he had just spoken out to her about making their relationship public, but that idea must have changed. She felt desperate, worried, concerned and furious. Furious at the little brat, Eva Eskers. Hogwarts was becoming a living nightmare for Alexia; she just wanted it to end.