Author's Note – Hi everyone this is a joint collaboration between Samatha(StarletSpotlight) and Rebecca (rnl1993) we hope you like it a lot and leave a review. This will be a Draco/OC and we have lots of ideas in mind for it and think it's going to be great and hope you agree. So here is the first chapter of 'A Double Life'. It will become happier and less angsty as the story progresses.

Important Story Information: This story is AU to an extent in HBP and DH. We took a few things from each and decided to use them, thrown out some others, and twisted some to how we want it and we can because this is a fan fiction after all.

Anyway Draco has joined the Death Eaters but he wasn't asked to kill Dumbledore he was just asked to fix the vanishing cabinet so the other Death Eaters could get into the school. So no one knows he is an actual Death Eater or was involved in the attack on the school in HBP. Also Severus was the one that killed Dumbledore but Harry wasn't in the room when it happened so no one knows who killed him, many believe it was another Death Eater that murdered him.

That's all you need to know for now we'll inform you of any more changes if there is any as the story continues.


Chapter One

I never thought I'd see Thestrals. I never thought I'd be someone to witness death.

It was quite ironic that these gorgeous skeletal horses are pulling the carriage to the church where my father's funeral would be held. There's two words that shouldn't be said in the same sentence when you're 17: father and funeral.

My father, a muggle, Richard Hargrove, had been diagnosed with a muggle disease known as cancer the summer I returned home from Hogwarts after my 6th year. Spells and potions couldn't cure the fast growing sickness and it battled with his body for three short months. In the end, the treatments and radiation lost the short battle and my father died on the last day of August. Tears began to rim my eyes as I thought about that night. I thought I would have more time. More time to spend with him, more time to make memories, more time to tell him how much I loved him. Just more time in general.

"Eryn, dear" my mother's voice broke my thoughts. She grabbed my hand and gave it a light assuring squeeze and I looked over where she sat next to me. Fresh tears clouded her usually bright eyes that were now deeply pained, she quickly dabbed them with her handkerchief. I commended her for looking as nice as she did on a day like today. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a tight bun and she wore a black hat that held a lace veil to shield her eyes, to hide her from the world.

My older brother, Grant, who sat across from us grabbed my mother's other hand. He looked tired and had dark circles under his eyes. He had been stronger than the both of us, making calls and talking to whoever needed to be talked to. He was my mother's voice this past week.

The carriage came to a stop and my mother quickly put on her sunglasses. There would be hundreds of people at the funeral and already many stood outside the church. My father was an important business man and our family was well known. I could see why my mother didn't want her tears to be seen.

I suddenly wished I had a pair myself as the carriage door opened. Grant was the first one out. He held his hand out for my mother and then me. I hung my head low as my long dark brown waves hid my face.

As we began to walk up the steps of the church I looked up at the looming building. It seemed sad and dreary. I didn't want to be there. I didn't want to have to say goodbye to my father and I didn't want him to be associated with a place like this. Of course I couldn't change any of that so I settled with just wanting today to be over already, gosh how I wanted it to be over already.

I scanned the people who stood outside the church and saw my three best friends: Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley and Harry Potter standing there with a look of concern on their faces. Hermione looked like she was restraining herself from rushing towards me and engulfing me in a giant hug. I attempted to give them all a small smile but it came out more like a grimace than anything else. I had met them my first year at Hogwarts when I had been sorted into Gryffindor with them. We'd been with each other through everything, many near death experiences during our years at Hogwarts. All those experiences had brought us extremely close together. I was glad they were here today when I needed them the most. I love them.

As I reached them they each held out a small bouquet of orchids that I took with another small forced smile which came out better than the first one had. Grant bowed his heads at the three and led me into the church.

The funeral went as well as a funeral should, there had been lots of crying throughout the service and many silent tears shed.

I felt like I should have been crying, bawling my eyes out but I wasn't. I just sat there numbly staring at the coffin memorizing the lining of the wood. It was illogical since he was gone but I wondered if he would have liked the coffin mom had picked for him or the outfit he would be wearing for the rest of time, if he would have liked or hated everything that was going on now and one of the more important questions I could think of was if he would have wanted to mourn his death or celebrate his life.

Throughout the entire service I only heard half of what the minister was saying about my father. I already knew what a great man he was or had been. Once the service was over everyone left the church to meet back at our estate for dinner. Food was hardly on my mind.

School was hardly on my mind too. I would be starting my 7th year in a couple of weeks and I still hadn't started packing or gone to Diagon Alley to get my school things. At the moment school didn't seem all that important.

Once we arrived back at the estate along with everyone else after spending a good fifteen minutes nodding and thanking everyone for their condolences. I snuck off into a quiet corner of the kitchen where most of the others weren't at and sat down at the kitchen table in the breakfast nook while staring out the back windows looking at the lawn, childhood memories began flashing in my mind of spending afternoons with Grant and my parents. I let out a sigh and leaned back in my chair while running a hand through my hair again. I just wanted the day to end. I continued to stare out the windows for who knows how long until I heard someone come in.

"Hey" I heard a soft voice say and looked up to see Hermione who sat down next to me, Ron and Harry following behind her and sitting down at the table as well. "How are you holding up?" Hermione asked.

I shrugged staring at the plate of food that was placed in front of me from my Auntie Peaches who had wondered into the kitchen earlier. I really didn't know how I felt at the moment. I had sat through the whole funeral without crying. My mother had been hysterical and Grant even shed a few tears, but I sat, still, numb.

Harry put his arm around me and rubbed my shoulder. "Your family is loved. Everyone is feeling your loss, Eryn, and you know I am here if you need to talk." He told me sincerely, having known what it felt like to lose his parents and his godfather, Sirius Black in our 5th year.

I just nodded silently. Ron just sat there sadly staring at me. "My family is here, Eryn. They loved your dad. He was a good guy." Ron said. I had seen the Weasley family earlier in the church. I knew Ron definitely wasn't the best when it came to touchy subjects but I was still thankful for what he said and I nodded. I wanted to agree with him and say that "yes my father was a great man". But the words wouldn't seem to come out. It was like my brain had shut down and all I could do was nod.

"Eryn, you have to eat." Hermione said softly and pushed my plate towards me. She picked up the fork, stabbed a piece of chicken, and brought the fork to my mouth as if I was a small child that needed help. I usually would have had shoved her hand away, instead I opened my mouth unconsciously and welcomed the surprisingly still warm food. It tasted bland. Although maybe it was suppose to, in fact I preferred that it did. I didn't want to be eating delicious food when he no longer could.

As I looked at my three friends I made a mental note, when I felt like myself, if I ever felt like myself again, to do something very special for them.

I ate what I could and once I heard some guests begin making their way into the kitchen I immediately wanted to bolt out of there without having to confront anyone else expressing their condolences. Harry, Ron, and Hermione understood and let me leave. We had made plans to meet up in Diagon Alley the next Monday to buy our school things, although I had mostly just nodded when Hermione suggested it.

I exited the kitchen into the dining room on my way to the living room I found Grant, sitting with his friends. He looked the same as I did. Numb. We locked eyes and I mentally told him I was leaving. He nodded and I continued out into the living room area.

I was almost in the clear when I nearly ran into the number one person I did not want to see until school started. Severus Snape was standing right in front of me.

"Sorry." I murmured softly, not daring to look him in the eyes. It had been the first thing I'd said since the funeral and my voice sounded void of all emotion, it didn't sound like me.

"Ah, Miss Hargrove, my condolences." He drawled. "I knew your father quite
well."

THIS caused me to look up at him my face finally showing an emotion, confusion. "How?" I asked him, because I really didn't seeing Severus Snape of all people hanging out with my father playing cards in the den.

"We had a lot in common" Severus said casually as if it was obvious. Had it been any other day I would have scoffed at what he said. Instead I shot back "Why don't you tell me why you're really here" I was getting angry, at least I was finally feeling something but I didn't want anger to be what I felt. All I knew was TODAY of all the days was not a day to mess with me.

He stared at me briefly before he looked behind me to the dining room having silently decided to not answer my question as if it was not worthy of a response, which infuriated me further. "Right well, I need to have a word with your mother." he sneered, returning back to his usual self having dropped the fake polite act then side stepped me and took off in my mother's direction.

I silently watched as he went up to my mother who did not seem to know him but talked to him regardless, and a puzzled look appeared on my face. I knew something was definitely up. Little did I know that it would change my life forever.

oOoOoOoOo

My inner Gryffindor seemed to want to emerge from the numbness, I wanted to know what my mother and Snape where talking about and I would have stayed around to go and ease drop but I saw a group of people heading my way with sympathetic looks on their face and I decided to make my escape while I could. I had originally intended to head to my room but the staircase was all the way on the other side of the room.

So instead I backtracked and snuck out one of the back sliding doors and walked into our backyard, wandering over to an old single swing attached to a tree that we had. I walked up to it and held onto the rope then sat down on the swing, leaving my feet on the ground rocking myself back and forth lightly. I leaned my head against the rope near where my hand still was and let out a sigh.

Now that I was finally alone the anger that I had felt towards Snape seemed to begin to slip away and I was waiting for the numbness to return. But it wasn't, the numbness that I had been feeling since my father's death that had almost pleasantly protected me from feeling the full affect of what's happened wasn't returning.

Instead all the suppressed emotions seemed to be coming to the surface at full force. The pain I hadn't felt began to fill my chest, so much pain that it almost physically hurt. In my mind I began to relive the days since my father's death. Hearing the words from a doctor that my father was dead, my mother's devastated wail at hearing those words and seeing both her and Grants anguish filled faces.

As I thought of all this tears began to well up in my eyes and they soon began to fall and steadily stream down my face. Then I began to think of the funeral and how I had just sat there. I sat there and did nothing, I had felt nothing at my father's funeral. With that thought I began to bawl, all the emotions I hadn't been feeling started overwhelming me at once. My body began to shake with my sobs and I slowly slid out of the small swing and slumped into the grass bringing a hand up to my mouth as I cried.

oOoOoOoOo

Harry, Ron and Hermione all watched as Eryn quickly attempt to make an escape, all three of them were silent for a moment until Ron finally broke the silence. "I know this is a really tough time for her but she doesn't seem as upset as I thought she'd . . .ya know be." He said with a shrug.
Hermione gave him a incredulous look and whacked him on the arm. "Honestly Ronald! Of course she's upset, her father just died!" she told him in a scolding tone and she scowled at him for a moment before her face returned to the sad look it'd had. "She's just not coping yet. I don't think it's fully set in for her yet, that her father is gone and isn't coming back…. I can't imagine what she's going through." Hermione said with a sigh.

"It's tough." Harry said softly and Hermione reached out and patted Harry's shoulder, knowing that at times Harry still deeply missed Sirius and his parents. "I'm fine." He told her instantly, stopping her from saying anything concerning him. He had dealt with his godfather's death and still cherished his memory. Right now their focus was Eryn.

Hermione nodded to Harry and was quiet again. "…but when it does set in for her we'll all have to be there for her to help her in any way we can." She added, having silently been looking for something to do to help out her friend in any way she could.

Both Harry and Ron nodded immediately in agreement. "Of course we will Mione." Harry told her and after a moment added, "I'm gonna go see if she needs anything." He then stood up and headed in the direction Eryn had gone.

Harry looked around and his eyes widened as he saw Eryn's mother talking with none other than Severus Snape and a look of pure confusion appeared on his face. He immediately returned back to where Ron and Hermione were looking back behind him a few times to back sure he wasn't imagining what he saw. He set both palms on the table and leaned down to be head level with both Ron and Hermione "You'll never in a million years believe who's here!" he told them.

"Who?" Hermione inquired curiously while tilting her head to the side.

"Snape!" Harry exclaimed.

"SNAPE?" Ron said loudly then quickly lowered his voice. "Snape? What on earth is he doing here? Are you sure it's him mate?"

"Come and see for yourselves." Harry said and straightened up then motioned to where he just came from. Both Ron and Hermione stood up and followed him. They all leaned in the doorway and looked across the room to where Harry pointed.

"Blimey it is Snape. What the bloody hell is he doing here?" Ron wondered aloud then with a slightly panicked look whispered to the others.

"I'm sure he's just here to pay his respects." Hermione finally said after a few moments of thinking of an explanation.

Harry snorted, "Yea right Snape taking the time out of his day to come and give his condolences to a family of a girl who in Gryffindor about a man he doesn't know."

Hermione sputtered for a moment then began to state some reasonable explanations but each one she said either Ron or Harry shot down instantly. Finally out of logical reasons she let out an irritated sigh. "Well then I have no clue what so ever as to why he is here!" she exclaimed and threw her hands up in the air then stormed back into the kitchen to the table they'd all been sitting at.

Both Ron and Harry sighed, tossed a look at Snape one last time then headed back to where Hermione was. "We're sorry Hermione it's just none of those seem like reasons for Snape to be here for a different person yea they all seem to fit but for Snape not so much." Ron told her but Hermione ignored him as she was staring out the window with a hand over her mouth. She suddenly stood up and headed out one of the back doors.

Hermione's abrupt departure left both Harry and Ron baffled and they quickly followed her out back. Ron had just closed the door behind them and they both stopped at the site before them. There Eryn was, kneeling in the grass. Her black dress splayed around her as she sobbed. Hermione was already a few feet away from Eryn. She silently reached her friend, kneeled down and brought her friend into her arms.

oOoOoOoOo

I don't know how long I'd been crying. I'd been doing it so much in such a short amount of time. Suddenly someone put a soft hand on my shoulder. I looked up and saw Hermione who silently pulled me towards her and rested my head in the crook of her neck. She held me close running a hand through my hair and whispering to me that everything would be ok over and over again. I desperately wanted to believe her and I hoped it would but at that moment I didn't know if it actually ever would be ok again.

At that thought I cried a bit harder for a bit then I began to sob less and less all the while Hermione continued to hold me even as it began to get dark. Harry and Ron had come and sat by me both rubbing my back occasionally and murmuring soft words. Finally after what seemed like forever I had stopped crying but just stayed in Hermione's arms and she let me, I whispered a small thank you to them and then just hugged my friends in a big group hug. I truly love my friends.

A while later my mother came out and told me everyone else had left and that it was time to come inside. She stayed outside leaning against the door for a moment looking at us wondering what had happened but Harry quickly told her we'd all be in a moment and she went back inside.

All of us stood up, my muscles aching a bit from having been kneeling down for too long. I sniffled and wiped my eyes, although my mascara and eyeliner was beyond smeared and it didn't make any difference. "Thank you." I said to them again. They all smiled at me and gave me another hug.

"We're always here for you Eryn no matter what." Harry told me.

"Yea I mean we've kept you around for almost 7 years what's another 50 gonna be." Ron said jokingly obviously attempting to lightly the depressing mood. A small hint of a smile appeared on my face as he said that.

"If you need anything just let us know, night or day." Hermione added.

I gave them a normal smile that I hadn't felt in a long time. "I love you guys." I said to them and we all walked inside.

After saying our goodbyes they left and I felt exhaustion hit me. I walked up to my bedroom cleaned up my face, took a quick shower and got into my pajamas. Once I was finished with that I headed down the stairs in search of my mother to tell her goodnight.

I heard some voices coming from the den, my father's den. I walked up to the door that was slightly opened and pressed my hand to open it further. My mother wasn't sitting with my brother or a family member. Not even one of her close friends. Instead, my mother was sitting across from Professor Snape and Headmistress McGonagall all drinking tea. Each professor sat in their own armchair side by side as my mother sat on the couch across. They all looked up at me as I entered the room.

"Eryn I would like to give you my deepest sympathies. You're father was an extraordinary man." Professor McGonagall said to me.

"I… thank you." I said confused as to what she was doing here.

"Honey come sit down." My mother said and motioned to the seat next to her on the couch.
I did as she said and sat down next to her suddenly feeling underdressed in my sweatpants and t-shirt.

"What's going on?" I asked looking from one adult to the other.

"Ms. Hargrove we have some important issues to discuss. Mainly regarding your father..." Headmistress McGonagall said.

"My father? What? What about him?" she began, "I… I don't understand what the hell is going on?" she asked.

"Eryn!" My mother chided me for my language.

"It's alright, Lauren. Eryn, I'm sorry that we have to discuss this so soon, but it is an urgent matter." McGonagall continued.

"I… alright, what about my father?" I asked becoming frustrated with the whole situation. I was tired physically and emotionally exhausted. I wanted to go to bed and forget about today and just hope things get better with each passing day like Hermione said it would.

"Eryn, there's no other way in saying this," McGonagall hesitated. "But, your father was a Death Eater..."


Author's Note -

The second chapter is already halfway finished and should be up soon.

-Becca and Sam