d o v e

s e v e n t e e n

Alexandra hasn't been able to get Tom off of her mind since she met with him that night. Something about that interaction pulled her closer to him, and she went to see him again the following evening.

"You've been avoiding me recently," Tom said, almost sadly.

"I saw you yesterday," she defended, confused as to what he meant.

"That's not what I mean," he continued, walking closer to her. She began to internally panic when she couldn't back up any further, not liking being trapped the way she was. "You keep your distance. You won't touch me, or kiss me. Why? Who else are you sharing your affection with?"

"Nobody," she lied. He saw right through her. He attempted to invade her mind, but she worked very hard to keep him out. "You've been the one avoiding me. Just last night, you spoke a single sentence to me before running off. I don't know what affection you're referring to, exactly."

"Somebody else is feeling the very sensation I crave, and, in turn, I'm being deprived. I don't think that's quite fair, do you?" He taunted. He went through all conversations they've had and all memories he's seen, and thought of anybody that could be taking her away from him. "Is it Malfoy?"

"No. If you must know, his name is Harry Potter," Alexandra lied in a panic. She didn't choose Harry because they were arguing, but she chose him because Voldemort is already seeking to kill him, and she knows Harry is a wizard more powerful than Voldemort will ever be. She's confident this small miscommunication won't hurt him in the slightest. "He's a very powerful wizard. You see, I find power quite attractive."

"No wizard," Tom yelled, slamming his hand against the wall next to Alexandra's head. "Is more powerful than I."

Alexandra took a hold of his hand, guiding it back down to his side. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

In that moment of weakness, Alexandra strategically placed false memories in Tom's mind. Memories of her own, showing her and Harry acting romantic towards each other in a way to convince Tom that she was being truthful. These memories would later replace the ones he saw when he invaded her mind at the Department of Mysteries. As of this moment in time, Voldemort no longer had any recollection of Alexandra's and Draco's past together other than one single memory he obtained, and Tom's future plans for Draco's death had changed. Voldemort still set the boy up for failure, but, instead, to punish Lucius.

Tom felt his body become weak. Traveling back and forth at this rate was not an intended use of the time turner, and thus was taking a toll on Tom. After all, bad things happen to witches and wizards who mess with time.

Both Alexandra and Tom looked at Tom's chest where the time turner seemed to be spinning on its own. In a panic, Tom attempted to put the chain around Alexandra's neck, but he wasn't fast enough. He suddenly found himself alone, and groaned in frustration when the time turner would no longer turn. He ripped the necklace from around his neck, throwing it on the ground before exiting the room.

Catching her breath, Alexandra rested her head against the wall behind her. She wasn't exactly sure what happened, but it was very clear that Tom had panicked. He almost looked desperate when he attempted to place the turner around her neck, as if he needed her with him despite his original plans to keep her in her time. The broken necklace was not a variable Tom took into consideration, though. He never expected to use it, let alone use it to the point of no return.

Tom came to the realization, however, that the time turner was not necessary. If he were to split his soul once more, and place a piece of it in that room, part of him could live there forever. He would no longer have to wait every night to feel her presence. He would no longer have to travel back and forth through time to see her face. He could continue his climb to power with no distraction, while still feeling the effect of her touch. It was brilliant.

Picking her things up off of the floor, Alexandra rushed back to her dormitory. As she was passing through the sixth floor, though, she heard what sounded like fighting coming from the bathrooms.

"Crucio!"

"Draco?" Alexandra asked, running into the boys' bathroom. The sinks were shattered and the floor was flooded with water. Hearing her voice, Draco quickly turned to her.

"Get out!" He yelled, causing her to take a step backwards. Harry took this brief moment as an opportunity to use a spell he read about in his potions textbook.

"Sectumsempra!" He yelled, expecting Draco to start dancing or turn into a funny object. Instead, Harry saw a flash of red as Draco fell to the ground. He knew by the horrified look on Alexandra's face that this spell was not that of a joke.

Letting out a loud cry, Alexandra ran to Draco who had been cut several times all over his body, including his face.

"I didn't mean it," Harry told her, backing up from the scene.

"Get out!" Alexandra yelled, with a familiar panic in her voice. Not knowing what else to do, she took off her robes and began pressing the fabric against the wounds in an attempt to stop the bleeding. She felt herself being pulled away as Professor Snape took her place. Noticing Harry leave, she decided to run after him. "What have you done?"

Harry moved out of the way when Alex attempted to hex him out of pure anger.

"I didn't know. The book-"

"Shut up about that bloody book! How could you use that spell having no idea what it was capable of?" She yelled, failing to hex him once again. "Sectum means to cut. What, did you think it would turn him into a pair of scissors?"

"I didn't think-"

"Of course you didn't think!" She yelled. He frowned, seeing how much damage he's caused in a matter of minutes with his ignorance. There was a pool of red forming around Alex from the amount of blood dripping off of her robes and the water flooding the bathroom, and Harry couldn't look at anything else. Draco had to have been hemorrhaging for that much blood to leave his body in such little time. "I don't think you've thought about anybody or anything other than yourself all year."

"Alex-" he protested as she began to walk away. She turned quickly, pointing her wand at him.

"Don't!" she warned, tears threatening to fall down her face at any moment.

Ignoring her friends, Alexandra immediately ran up to her dormitory and began rinsing her robes and clothes in her washroom sink as she cried. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop hearing Draco's cries echoing in her head. It didn't help that she had to see his blood flow down the drain in both the sink and again in the shower.

It was still rather early, but she got in bed anyway, not wanting to hear her friends' whispers when they inevitably entered the room later on. Unable to fall asleep, Alexandra played with the emerald necklace around her neck with her fingers as she stared off into space. She couldn't help but think this was all her fault. If she had never returned, she thought, maybe everyone would be happy.