Unexpected Changes

Chapter Five


“Before I show you to Slytherin housing would you like a tour of the school?” Draco asked Kalista as lunch came close to an end.

Kalista glanced back at her sister who was still engrossed in her conversation with Blaise she would barely notice her absence if she was to go off with Draco. “Sure, but as long as you have be back in enough time for I can get ready for the Ball tonight.” She told him when she looked back at Draco.

“I'm sure I will have you back in plenty of time.” Draco said as he stood and held his hand out for Kalista to take. Which she did and gave him a smile. “While I am giving you the tour would you mind telling me a bit about yourself?” he said placing her hand on his forearm as he lead her out of the Great Hall. He could literally fell the stares he was getting from the other boys in the Great Hall. On his arm he had one of the hottest girls that had graced the school, the other being her sister, Krista. At one of the boys that was sending him a glare that radiated jealously he sent an amused smirk.

“You are loving the attention aren’t you?” Kalista asked him as she saw the smirk he sent the boy glaring daggers at him.

“I have no idea what you are talking about.” Draco said far to innocently.

“Yes you do. I happen to know just how beautiful I am and the fact that you are the one I walking and talking with is causing you have everyone sending you death glares.”

“Well aren’t we cocky?” Draco said chuckling.

“I happen to be very modest. I am just stating the facts. Besides if it is just my beauty that they only see then they do not deserve me. And the same goes for you as well.” Kalista said pulling her hand from his arm as she stopped.

“For now that is all I may see. But I will like to be able to learn more about you.”

“You are quick with your tongue aren’t you?” Kalista asked him smirking at him.

“One of my many attributes, but I was honest in what I said. Even if nothing more than knowing you enough to be friends, I would like the chance.” he told her holding his arm out to her again so she could place her hand on his forearm.

“I will give you your chance. I want you to also understand that I will not go into my past to much. That is something I will like to leave where it is. But I will have no objections letting you get to know me on a somewhat personal level.”

“May I ask what is so bad about your past.”

“At another time I will probably be more comfortable to elaborate for you. But for now this is all I will tell you, my past is very dark and an unhappy place that I will never like to return to. There were many times when I was not sure that I was not going to be able to look past everything that I have gone through. But I have gotten past most of it, and continue to do so. Now I am focus on myself having a better tomorrow. Can you respect that enough not to pry?”

“I am willing to take what ever you will give me, the rest I can wait for.” Draco told her honestly.

He couldn’t even begin to explain the emotions that were passing through him when he first saw Kalista. At first she held a hint of familiarity but from what he knew about her so far there was no way they could have crossed paths, she had grown up in the states and he here in the United Kingdom. He had traveled plenty of course but he had never been to the States. And there wasn’t away he could have ever met her at one of his families many Pureblood gatherings were they had invited people over from all over the world, because she wasn’t a Pureblood or even from a Pureblood family. She was a half-blood for the most part. But from what she had told him her family bloodlines still held many surprises. Though as he told her earlier bloodlines meant very little to him these days. He had learned his lessons. He had seen what all the craziness over bloodlines could cause, and it almost ruined the English Wizarding World. And the fact that his father had always told him those who held on to those beliefs were foolish but to survive to the end of the war they had to pretend that they believed in such rubbished. And gladly gave it up when the half-breed bastard met his end.

Another thing that struck Draco about Kalista was her eyes. Something kept telling him that he had seen them somewhere before but he couldn’t place them and nor did he wish to. But in all, there was just something about this girl that made him want to get close to her. There was a pull to her, he just knew he had to know her or he would regret it for the rest of his life. If he wasn’t careful he knew he could easily fall for her. He knew it was a bit early to think on such things but he was mature enough to know that with her it could easily be done. And when he thought about it he had no objections to it.

“So are we going to walk silent this whole tour or are you going to tell me what I am actually walking by?” Kalista asked him amused.

“Oh sorry. I was just thinking.”

“Its fine.” Kalista chuckled.

Draco continued to give Kalista a tour of the Castle along the way they shared a bit about themselves for Kalista it was also interesting to see the Castle through Draco's eyes. Things she never noticed before he mentioned. He told her about the portraits of people that she had passed countless times but had no clue as to whole the occupants. A few of them were even portraits of the founders and several of their descendants. He had even told her about one of the portraits that was actually a painted by one of his family ancestors and several that were his ancestors. She had known the Malfoy and Black family had a long history but from all Draco was telling her about the different people in the portraits and when and whom they were painted by she gave her another insight as to how old the families were. He even told her about one of the portraits that held a relative of the Potter ancestry. That had instantly caught her attention. She had no clue that a portrait of one of her ancestors was being held in the castle. He told Her the lady's name was Lady Ginevra Garrick. She was a direct descendant of Merlin himself and when she was sixteen she was married into the Potter family. He also told her that her children were the only ones to carry on the lines of both Merlin and the Potters, and that Harry Potter was the last leaving descendant for both family lines, which surprised her greatly.

She had never realized that the Potter family was ancient as the Black's and Malfoy's. It gave her a new since of pride in her familial history, but it also reinforced her choice to leave the name Harry Potter behind, at least the Potter part until she was sure that Dumbledore would no longer bother her and let her life be hers as it was meant to be.

After telling her about many of the Portraits he introduced her to many of the ghost that passed their way he even told her a bit about their history. Many of them she did know by name but never did she know much about their history. About two hours later they returned back to the front of the Great Hall. The whole tour gave her a new perspective of Hogwarts and the Slytherin Ice Prince. She had learn a lot about throughout the tour. He definitely wasn’t what she had always thought him to be. To see him as he had shown her today made her have a new found respect for him and the Malfoy Family as he explained a great deal about.

“DRACO!” someone yelled from behind them.

Draco didn’t even turn around to see who it was before he address the person, “Caius, must you shout?” Draco asked him just before his cousin reached them.

“Oh please Draco, don’t try to act all high and mighty on me.” Caius said rolling his eyes at his cousin. Than he caught sight of Kalista. “And who is the pretty lady?” Caius asked as he smiled at Kalista.

“Kalista this is my cousin Caius, Cai this is Kalista Pavens one of the students here invited to the school to attend the Tournaments this year.”

“Pleased to meet you Ms. Pavens.” Caius said kissing the hand that Kalista offered him. “What are you doing hanging out with my snooty cousin?”

Kalista giggled at him, while Draco glared, “He offered to show me around the castle. He doesn’t seem all the snooty, though.”

“Than he must be suppressing it today, but don’t worry it will surface soon.”

“Don’t you have better things to do Caius?” Draco sneered at his cousin.

“See I told you it will come out soon. And no Drake I don’t. I still waiting on Corvin to get back here. He left around an hour ago to portkey back to the manor to go see his mother.”

“Why what is wrong with Aunt Rhea?” Draco asked worriedly

“Nothing is wrong with her.”

“And the baby?”

“She's fine to. I think he just had to go see her about something. I am sure that if something was wrong with Aunty Rhea they would let us all know.”

Draco seemed to calm down with Caius' explanation, “Where is Cassia? I thought she came with all of you as well.”

“She is here somewhere. She was talking with one of the boys from Ravenclaw during lunch before I left. I think his name was Terry something.”

“Terry Boot?” Draco asked his cousin, and received a nod in return, “Well I hope Boot can keep his paws off or I’ll chop them off for him.” Draco drawled a slight frown on his lips as he thought about his cousin hanging out with Boot.

“What is the matter with Terry Boot?”

“He is complete obnoxious and has no sense of propriety.”

“He didn’t seem all that bad Draco. I actually go to talk to him for a few before I left. He seems like I decent guy.” Caius said trying to defend the guy

“If you say so.” answered but clearly stating that he didn’t believe his cousin. He had been around Boot for the last seven years and since the beginning his opinion of the boy has not changed in the slightest.

“So where are you from Ms. Pavens.”

“Please call me Kalista. And I am from the States. I lived in England a while when I was young but we moved to the States when I was about four.”

“When you walked into the Hall earlier today you were with someone, may I inquire as to who she is?”

“My sister, Krista.”

“And where is she now?” Caius said glancing around as though he may happen upon her.

“She is with Draco's friend Zabini. They seemed quite taken with each other during lunch.”

“Drat! I was hoping to at least be able to get with at least one of you. But it seemed you both have been snagged up. But than again I can always persuade you to leave my dreadful cousins company and accompany me instead.” Caius teased, causing Draco to growl at him.

Kalista laughed softly at the two cousins. “I think I am fine where I am Caius. Besides Draco doesn’t seem all that bad.” Kalista said the, but then added to get a rise out of Draco, “But if he does turn dreadful I’ll be sure to join you.”

“I'll be sure to hold you to that.” Caius said taking Kalista's hand again to give it a kiss before leaving her and Draco.

“Your cousin is quite charming.” Kalista told Draco as he begun to lead her away from the Great Hall entrance.

“Charming? I think he is a prat.” Draco said through clenched teeth, then he pulled himself together not noticing the amused look on Kalista's face. “But I guess he can be charming after all he is a Malfoy.”

“You Malfoys seem to hold yourselves in high esteem and you had a nerve to say I was cocky.”

“I will not lie you Kalista, we Malfoys are known to be quite arrogant and very full of ourselves but not without purpose. We are one of the oldest and influential families in the Wizarding world. The name Malfoy is known in almost every Wizarding community if it isn’t then they are a very primal community. And we Malfoys have a tendency to be very possessive. We do not like the idea of people taking or touching and sometimes even interacting with what we deem as ours.” Draco said staring her in the eyes so she could see the emotions that passed through them. “But what is not known about us Malfoys is that we are raised to actually love one another, we may seem cold and indifferent to the public eye but that is only to the public. Among ourselves we actually display how much we care about each other.”

“You don’t seem that cold and indifferent to me.” Kalista told him as Draco stopped them in front of a portrait with a large cobra that was coiled up and appeared to be taking a nap.

“I feel as though I don’t have be cold and indifferent to you.” Draco told her as he leaned against the wall and held her hands in his before he decided to pull her close by wrapping his arms around her waist. “With you I feel as though I can be myself, I know I have only known you for about three hours but in that time you have told me a great deal about yourself even though you don’t talk much about your past and that is enough for me. One day I hope to have you open enough to tell me about it. But for now I am comfortable with what are able to tell me. And in turn I will tell you all that I am comfortable to tell you, which at the moment is everything. I don’t feel as though I have to hid around you, so I don’t intend on doing so.” Draco told her sincerely.

“And you don’t have to. I plan on being myself around you so you can do the same with me.” Kalista told him honestly. She didn’t plan on lying to Draco about who she was no more than she had to that is why she was going to keep the past in the past and focus on what was right in front of her. If he wanted to know something specific and she felt like sharing it would be as close to the truth as she could get it. But as for her personality wise she was not going to lie about it, she would be up front with him about who she was as a person.

“To be honest with you I feel as though I know you from somewhere.” Draco told her as he stared her in her eyes as though trying to remember where he had seen them before.

“And you just might. But I won't tell you where. That you will have to figure out for yourself.” Kalista told him as she smirked up at him. “Now can you please tell me where you have led me. I don’t remember this being on the tour you gave me.” she told him as she looked around, she vaguely recognized it from her time at Hogwarts but just barely. She knew it to be the dungeons and that was about it.

“We are in Hogwart's dungeons. Right now we are standing in front of the entrance to the Slytherin Dormitories.” Draco told her as he was still staring at intently at her. “So have I met you before?”

“Yes you have.”

“And you won't tell me where? I know it couldn’t have been in the States because I have never been. But that leaves all the other countries I have been to and that is far to many for me to try and figure out where so can I have a hint?”

“It was here in the UK, but that is the only clue you will get from me. But really you shouldn’t waste your time to try and figure it all out because. We weren’t on speaking terms with each other when we met.”

“And why is that?”

“You were in your own little world and I was in mine.” Kalista told him honestly.

“So when I introduced myself to you, you already knew who I was.”

“Yes, but you didn’t know who I was. So I thought it polite to introduce myself.”

“Well I can't figure out why I wouldn’t have taken the chance to know you if I met you before seeing how when you walked into the Great Hall you immediately had my attention.”

“It wasn’t so much as you didn’t want to take the chance to get to know me, it was that you couldn’t. Remember I am not a Pureblood Draco, you wouldn’t have been able to get to know me, not with Voldemort around, as you said earlier you were kept from doing certain things that you would have wished to because you had a facade to keep up. Conversing with someone who was practically a Mudblood-”

“Please don’t call yourself that.” Draco told her with a slight grimace.

“But isn’t that what you Pureblood wizards think of all half-bloods and Muggle-borns? I know that you probably don’t think much of it now, but that is what I was to you during the war.”

“Than why even give me a chance to talk to you when you came sit by me?”

“Because I don’t hold grudges, they are not worth the trouble. And because I heard of your families part in the war. And knew most of what you have done in the past was nothing but a front. I am mature enough to look past all that and start over. Unless you are to focused on trying to figure out where you know me from in and not focus on the chance to actually get to know me?”

“I am more than willing to focus on the chance to get to know you.” Draco told her as he smiled genuinely down at her.

“Good, because that is my focus as well.” Kalista told him.