I have absolutely no idea what this is. It's pretty much a one-shot, but I'm considering expanding it. There are some serious canon time issues, but quite frankly I don't care. Reviews, constructive criticism are always appreciated. Flames will be used to burn my all my high school notes.

Note: Quite obviously considering I'm a poor soon-to-be uni student, I don't own Harry Potter.

He sees them in his minds eye.

They are dancing in the snow, Selena whirling Caterina through the snow flakes in the air. Little Caterina is laughing with joy at the feeling of flying through the snow. He doesn't go out to them, because he knows that Little Caterina will stop being so happy when he appears, and he doesn't want to take her joy away. Instead he watches out the window as they make snow angels – Cat does this with a ferocity that flings snow up into the air and on her mother.

But Selena doesn't mind. Instead she grabs the snow and throws it back at her daughter who looks at her with wide, injured eyes… but they both know it is an act, as Caterina retaliates in mere seconds before it turns out to be a fully fledged snowball fight as they attempt to out snow the other. It ends with them collapsing exhausted on the ground, Selena wrapping her arms around her daughter and brushing snow out of her hair.

They disappear before him, but he won't let himself cry.

Little Caterina isn't quite so little anymore. At least in age. In statue she still is quite small, much smaller than her age-mates but this does not deter her. Her Father – her real Father, that is – tells her that she is still special because of her differences and that if people don't understand this, it is hardly her fault. She should ignore these people because they aren't worth her time.

Her Father is always right. Because her Father holds her when she is scared, wipes away the tears when she cries, makes her laugh, makes her smile, plays chasies, builds forts… Tom never did this, and this is why she doesn't call him Father. In fact, Tom scared the living daylights out of her but she never admit this. Her Mama was always sad when she said something, and she didn't like to make her beloved Mama cry.

But at age eleven, with the revelation that she was, in fact, a witch, she somehow expected her idyllic world to tumble down before her feet. She finds herself pleasantly surprised by the fact that her parents do not mind this (for she doesn't know that they were already informed of this fact) and she loves them all the more for it. Instead of being afraid they immerse themselves in the world of magic.

They are with her when she boards the train to Hogwarts. Special permission is given to muggle parents to see their children off. There are conditions, of course, but her parents would do anything to make sure that their child is safe. They fear for their baby at the school where they cannot help her with her homework, or bullies, or teachers who just don't seem to understand. She is too far away.

What they don't know is that she will be safe, because in the self-confidence that these two parents have given their little elf-child, she will be noticed. She will not be ignored because she is ignorant, or has muggle parents when all the other children seem to come from wizarding families. Because her Father tells her that she is special because of these differences and her Father is always right.

Little Caterina's safety is assured, by of all people, the Malfoys. Of course Narcissa will always see herself as a Black – the Black family is extremely close – but Malfoy is still a pureblooded and respectable name. They see the white-haired elf-child making her way through the crowd with her parents. They see her make her way to the carriage, despite the fact that she is smaller than everyone there, and they see the determination.

But it is when she turns around that they see her. They see Little Caterina who is so special because of her parents. They see what they perceive to be the real Caterina, not the one who is raised by muggle parents. Rather the child who was stolen so cruelly away by a man who meddles in everyone's business. Caterina doesn't know it yet but they have assured her security in this new world.