Hello, my readers! I just wanted to thank everyone who has followed, favourited, and reviewed my story. I know that I haven't updated on a regular basis, but college will do that to a person. And it doesn't help that I had lost my flash drive that had my complete story and I had to start from scratch. I promise that I will be updating more often now that I'm on vacation! Please, don't forget to review! Enjoy!

Year Two

Part I

Dafnie Ricamry was having the absolute most boring summer she had ever endured. Her mother had forbidden her to contact her old friends in fear that they would find out about her being a witch. The thought terrified the woman beyond belief, all because she was afraid Dafnie would get hurt. She made that clear one morning when Dafnie asked why she wasn't allowed to leave the premises.

She still remained in contact with her fellow Slytherin, Draco Malfoy. He had been trying to persuade his parents to allow her to stay at Malfoy Manor, but to be honest, the thought of Draco's parents made her sick to her stomach. Draco came from a long line of pureblood supremacists. They firmly believed that anyone that was Muggle-born was worth less than dirt. She could almost imagine how she would be treated in their home.

Dafnie missed her world at Hogwarts. She missed her classes, the library. She missed Slytherin's common room that was located in the dungeons under the lake that surrounded the castle. She missed how she could see the giant squid while she laid in bed at night. She missed her friends, Draco, Pansy, and Abraxas, a Ravenclaw boy that happened to be Draco's cousin and lived with him and his family. She even missed the three Gryffindors that were always poking their noses where they didn't belong. But most of all, she missed her favorite professor, Professor Snape. He was the Potions teacher, and he was brilliant in her eyes. His snide remarks toward the Gryffindors always put a small smirk on her face as she brewed whatever potion they were assigned.

It was a Friday morning when Dafnie found herself going through her school books. She didn't want to fall behind when term started again so she immediately started to do homework as soon as she returned home. She was reading about kneazles, a cat-like creature that can tell whether a person is trustworthy or not, when there was a peck at her window. Her eyes darted up to see a barn owl with a letter. She set her book down and opened the window.

The owl flew in and rested on her bedpost as she removed the letter from its beak. It flew away at once, so Dafnie figured Draco wouldn't be expecting an answer just yet. Dafnie opened the envelope and pulled out the note.

Dafnie,

My parents have allowed you to stay at our home for the rest of the holiday. I'll be arriving with the servant to pick you up today at noon. Be ready when I get there.

Draco

She glanced at the clock and instantly shot up from her bed, throwing everything she owned in her trunk. The time read 11:46 am, giving her only fourteen minutes to make sure she had everything she needed before Draco arrived. Her books, cauldron, clothes, robes, and wand were all stuffed in her trunk within a span of two minutes. She rushed down the stairs where her parents were watching a documentary on underwater creatures.

"What is it, Dafnie?" her father asked, looking up from his tea.

"Is it okay that I stay with my friend, Draco, for the rest of the summer?" she asked quickly.

Her parents gave each other uneasy looks. "I don't know, Dafnie... I would rather you stay here," Mrs. Ricamry finally said.

"But Mum! He's on his way over right now! He'll be here any minute!" she exclaimed.

"Well, what was the point of even asking if you could go?"

Dafnie shrugged, not really having a good answer.

It was her father that cracked. "Come on, Sonya, how often has she left the house at all this summer? It would be good for her to spend time with her friends until they have to worry about class again."

Mrs. Ricamry shot her husband an irritated glance before sighing. "I suppose you're right-"

Just then, there was a loud noise coming from the fireplace and green flames burst to life. Mrs. Ricamry shrieked and jumped into her husband's lap as two figures appeared. The first was Draco Malfoy. The second was something Dafnie had ever seen before. It was a small creature with a long nose and long ears and big, green eyes. It wore a very grubby pillowcase, and looked rather curiously around the living room.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Ricamry, I'm Draco Malfoy, and I go to school with Dafnie. The elf and I are here to pick her up, if that is acceptable," Draco said, a hint of innocence in his usually smug voice.

Mrs. Ricamry stood up to shake the boy's hand. "It's a pleasure, Draco. Dafnie should be ready to leave, right?" he asked, looking at his daughter.

"Yes, I am. Let me just go get my trunk..." she replied, turning to the stairs.

"That won't be necessary. Dobby will take it to Malfoy Manor. We are traveling by Floo Powder," Draco said.

The elf, Dobby, quickly walked up the stairs as if he knew where to go.

"But that trunk probably weighs more than he does!" Dafnie exclaimed.

"Dafnie, he's a house-elf. Magic, you know," he said as if he couldn't believe that she would question his orders. "Okay, we should probably go. Mother and Father are anxious to meet you."

Dafnie gave her parents a hug, telling them she'd see them next summer. Draco reached into his traveling cloak and pulled out a small bag of ashes. "Take a pinch and throw it into the fire. When it glows green, you need to step into it and say 'Malfoy Manor', but make sure you speak very clearly."

She took a pinch of the ash and threw it into the fire. The flames turned green and she stepped into its warmth. "Malfoy Manor!" she said, and she started spinning around and around and around until she fell out of a fireplace and into a dimly lit room. Two blonde people were standing over her, arrogance in their faces.

"Ah, you must be Miss Ricamry," the man said in a droll voice.

"Y-yes, sir," she said, standing up and brushing the soot off of her front. He looked very much like Draco with his pale skin, blonde hair, and cold, grey eyes. Draco appeared out of the fireplace at that moment, and Dobby appeared with a loud crack in the middle of the room, carrying her trunk.

"Take that up to the guest quarters, elf," Draco ordered. The elf nodded quickly and began to drag the trunk out of the oversized room.

"Lucius Malfoy," his father said, extending his hand out. Dafnie took it, unsure of this man's intentions. "This is my wife, Narcissa."

"It's a pleasure to meet you both. Draco has told me so much about you," Dafnie said as calmly as she could manage.

Lucius smirked. "Draco has also told us all about you, you and your parents."

Narcissa scoffed, as if she would rather not have such filth talked about in her home.

"It took us quite a while to decide whether or not you should be allowed, but Draco and Severus both say that you are quite the exception," he said, emphasizing his last word.

Dafnie's eyes that had been staring at the floor shot up. "Professor Snape?"

"Oh, yes. He had quite a few things to say about you," Lucius started to circle the girl, making her even more uneasy than she felt to begin with. She felt his eyes burning holes in the back of her head, but she refused to let this man know she feared him.

Narcissa seemed to notice. "Lucius, you are going to give the poor girl a heart attack."

Lucius stopped walking around her and smiled at his wife. "That is not my intention, I assure you. Draco, why don't you show Dafnie around? Give her the grand tour of Malfoy Manor, son."

Draco grabbed her by the arm and led her out into the entrance of the mansion. As soon as they were out of earshot, he sighed. "Sorry about that. They're a bit scary at first."

"Draco, why did they allow me over? Are they going to keep me on my toes this entire time?" she whispered as they walked up the stairs.

"Father is convinced that you are at least a Half-blood. He doesn't believe that you are what you say you are."

"But that's ridiculous. Why would I pretend to be a Muggle-born when I'm in Slytherin and most people hate me?"

Draco shrugged as he opened a door, gesturing for her to enter. The room was bigger than Dafnie's bedroom and parents' bedroom put together. The queen-sized bed that had purple draped on the canopy sat in the center. A wardrobe sat against the wall to the right, and to the left was a desk. Her trunk had been placed at the foot of the bed.

"I'm not sure, but whatever my godfather said to them changed their minds completely about you," he said, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"What did he say?"

"Don't know. They won't tell me. It must be good, though. I mean, you're here, aren't you?" he smirked.

She smiled back at him. She had missed Draco quite a bit, for he was her closest peer. Even though he was a foul git, she really did enjoy his company. He was always kinder to her when it was just the two of them, but even he would snap on Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle if they made snide comments about her.

Draco led her around the house, and Dafnie soon realized that there were many rules at Malfoy Manor. There were certain rooms she was not allowed to enter, along with certain floors. She was warned not to touch anything unless it was handed to her. She wondered if these rules were just for her, or if these rules were there to hide the dangerous things from her.

Abraxas didn't come out of his room until dinner was ready. Dobby had prepared a pork roast for the Malfoy family, Abraxas, and Dafnie. She watched as Dobby looked at the food that the family had started eating, his face showed obvious longing.

Dafnie looked down at her meal and then back to the house elf. Doing the least she could do for the elf that actually made the meal, she held out her plate. "Would you like a slice?"

Dobby's eyes got really wide, making them even bigger than they already were, and looked timidly at his masters. Narcissa gasped as if she had never heard such a question. Abraxas and Draco were hiding sniggers as they continued to eat.

"Dobby gets the leftovers just like every other lower being," Lucius said coldly. "Dobby, go."

The elf whimpered and then immediately vanished into thin air with a loud crack.

Dafnie slowly lowered her plate to the table and began to pick at her meal. Suddenly, she wasn't hungry.

"So, tell us, Dafnie, about your parents," the man asked, a smirk forming in the corner of his mouth. "What are they like?"

"Er, they're fine, I suppose. Mum is a bit over-protective, but Dad is great," she replied.

"What do they do?"

"My mother is a realtor, and my dad is a lawyer."

"What do they do?"

"A realtor sells houses, and a lawyer defends people in court."

"Interesting," Lucius said, taking a sip of wine. "And how do they possibly manage? Living without magic like animals must be horrible."

Dafnie glanced over at Narcissa, who quickly darted her eyes away, and looked back at the smug man sitting across from her. "Muggles have made their own kind of magic to get by," she said coolly.

"Technology? Electricity? Miss Ricamry, those things are not considered magic," he countered.

Draco's eyes quickly told her not to say anything else, so she continued to pick around her plate. To make it look as if she were actually eating, she would hide bits and pieces in her napkin, which she stuffed in her pocket. She was relieved when Draco stood up and they left the family to their meal.

She had told Draco she was very tired, and excused herself to her room. She locked the door, being wary of Draco's parents, and took out the napkin. Dafnie remembered Draco tell her if she ever needed Dobby for anything, all she had to do was say his name.

"Dobby," she whispered. The elf appeared before her, looking as if he were expecting a beating.

She held out her hand. "Here, this is for you. I couldn't leave it on my plate, because they would have known I was saving it for you."

Dobby looked up at her. "Dobby has never received more food from any master," he whimpered.

"It's the least I could do," she smiled. She was horrified when instead of graciously taking the leftovers, Dobby burst into tears.

"Dobby! Shhh! It's okay!" she pleaded until the elf stopped his crying.

"Dobby is sorry, Miss. Dobby will just say Dobby was punishing himself," he said.

"That's horrible!"

"Dobby is used to it, Miss," he said sadly.

She looked at the poor thing and wished she could take him out of this crazy house. The house-elf was covered in cuts and bruises, and his hands had bandages covering his knuckles.

She reached out and placed the leftovers in his hand. "It's the least I could do," she said with a small smile. "It will be our little secret."

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~

The next morning, Dafnie woke up to Draco shaking her shoulders. "Wake up, Dafnie! We're going to Diagon Alley today! Breakfast is waiting at the table," he said when she opened her eyes.

"Good morning to you, too," she mumbled.

"And don't come down in any of your Muggle clothes. Mother would be awfully offended."

"All right, I'll be down shortly," she snapped. Draco nodded and left the room so she could get ready in private. She looked in the wardrobe and sighed; all of her clothes would be considered offensive to Draco's parents. She reached in and pulled out her Hogwarts uniform and robes. She took a quick shower and pulled her uniform on. It was a tad loose on her, for she hadn't really eaten too much while she was home. She missed the food that Hogwarts served, and her mother's cooking was nowhere near as delicious as the school's.

Hoping that she looked acceptable, she went down the stairs to the dining room where she found the rest of the family already sitting there eating. She sat in between Draco and Abraxas and looked into Draco's father's staring eyes.

"Good morning," she said.

"Good morning," Lucius smirked.

She started to nibble at her toast as Lucius began explaining the day's schedule. He would be taking Draco, Abraxas, and Dafnie to get their school supplies. Dafnie was relieved at the fact that her father had already given her money for spending before she left. They quickly finished their breakfast and their plates disappeared.

"Children, you will be arriving in Knockturn Alley first, and you will not move an inch until I retrieve you," Lucius said, handing them each a pinch of Floo Powder.

"Knockturn Alley?" Dafnie repeated.

"Yes, Knockturn Alley. I have some business to attend to before I take you all shopping. Perhaps if you would have been down for breakfast on time, you would have known this," he snapped.

She opened her mouth to say something before she closed it, knowing better than to ask any more ridiculous questions.

Abraxas was the first to throw the powder into the fireplace. The green flames rose and he stepped into them. "Knockturn Alley!" he said, and then disappeared.

"Dafnie, you next," Draco muttered.

Dafnie tossed the powder into the fireplace and stepped in. "Knockturn Alley!"

The familiar sensation of spinning around and around suddenly overcame her. She closed her eyes and waited for the spinning to stop. When it finally ended, she stumbled into a dark room where she found Abraxas waiting. He grinned at her when she stopped in front of him.

"Not a fan of the Floo?" he asked.

"No, not really," she smiled.

Draco appeared moments later, brushing the ash from his cloak. "I absolutely hate the Floo."

"Draco, where are we?" Dafnie asked, looking around. It looked like an abandoned store. Everything was covered in cobwebs and had a thick layer of dust covering the floor.

"It's just one of the connections within the Floo Network. Father always uses this one; he says it's less conspicuous."

Dafnie shuddered. If this place was considered less conspicuous, then she could only imagine what kind of shops made up Knockturn Alley.

"What books do we even need this year anyway?" he asked a few minutes later.

She reached into her robe pocket and pulled out her Hogwarts letter she had received a week before. "It says we need The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 by Miranda Goshawk, Break with a Banshee by Gilderoy Lockhart, Gadding with Ghouls by Gilderoy Lockhart, Holidays with Hags by Gilderoy Lockhart, Travels with Trolls by Gilderoy Lockhart, Voyages with Vampires by Gilderoy Lockhart, Wanderings with Werewolves by Gilderoy Lockhart, and Year of the Yeti by Gilderoy Lockhart. Lockhart must be some expert on dark creatures."

"He thinks he's an expert," Abraxas snorted as Lucius Malfoy appeared right in front of them.

"Quickly, now, we must go to Borgin and Burke's before we head to Diagon Alley," he said, leading them out of the old, dusty shop and around the corner to a shop just as creepy looking as the one they had just left.

The counter was covered in human bones. Evil-looking masks hung on the walls, and rusty weapons dangled from the ceiling. She could have sworn that a cabinet door had just closed by itself, but then she remembered what kind of a shop she was in.

Lucius swaggered up to the counter and rang the bell before her turned to the three children. "Touch nothing."

Draco, who was reaching for a glass eye, looked at his father. "I thought you were going to buy me a present today."

"I said I would buy you a racing broom."

"What's the point if I'm not on the House team? Harry Potter got a Nimbus Two Thousand last year. Special permission from Dumbledore so he could play for Gryffindor. He's not even that good, it's just because he's famous... Famous for having a stupid scar on his forehead..."

Dafnie and Abraxas exchanged exasperated looks as Draco had bent over to look at a shelf of skulls.

"...Everyone thinks he's so smart, wonderful Potter with his stupid scar and broomstick-"

"You have said this at least a dozen times, Draco," Lucius hissed. "And I would remind you that it is not prudent to appear less than fond of Potter, not when most of our kind regard him as the hero that made the Dark Lord disappear- Ah, Mr. Borgin."

A man that had a slight humpback came from the backroom to the counter.

"Mr. Malfoy, what a pleasure to see you again," he said in a greasy voice that made Dafnie's insides twist in discomfort. "Delighted- and Master Malfoy and Master Lestrange, too- charmed. But who is this young girl?" Mr. Borgin eyed her up and down.

"Dafnie Ricamry," she said.

"Miss Ricamry, what a pleasure," he bowed his head before running his hand through his greasy hair. "I do say, you remind me of someone-"

"Mr. Borgin, if you don't mind, I am in a hurry and would appreciate if we got back to business," Lucius snapped irritably.

"I'm sorry, sir, how may I be of assistance? I must show you, just in today and very reasonably priced-"

"I'm not buying today, Mr. Borgin, but selling," Lucius said.

"Selling?" Mr. Borgin's face fell slightly.

"You have heard, of course, that the Ministry is conducting more raids," Lucius said, taking a roll of parchment from the inside of his cloak and unraveling it for the greasy man to read. "I have a few -ah- items at home that might embarrass me, if the Ministry were to call..."

Mr. Borgin's face scrunched up as he read the list. "The Ministry wouldn't presume to trouble you, sir, surely?"

"I have not been visited yet. The name Malfoy still commands a certain respect, yet the Ministry grows ever more meddlesome. There are rumors about a new Muggle Protection Act- no doubt that flea-bitten, Muggle-loving fool Arthur Weasley is behind it, and as you see, certain of these poisons might make it appear-"

"I understand, sir, of course. Let me see..." Mr. Borgin said.

Draco, who had long abandoned interest in the adults' conversation and had begun wandering around the store, stopped and pointed at an old, withering hand on a cushion. "Can I have that?" he asked casually?

"Ah, the Hand of Glory!" Mr. Borgin exclaimed, setting the list down and walking over to the blonde boy. "Insert a candle and it only gives light to the holder! Best friend of thieves and plunderers! Your son has fine taste, sir."

"I hope my son will amount to more than a thief or a plunderer, Borgin," Lucius snapped coldly.

"No offense, sir, no offense meant-"

"Though if his grades don't pick up, that may indeed be all he is fit for," Lucius darted his eyes at his son.

"It's not my fault!" Draco sneered. "The teachers all have favorites, that Hermione Granger-"

"I would have thought you'd be ashamed that a girl of no wizard family beat you in every exam."

Dafnie looked down at the floor, wishing that she were anywhere but that very store.

"It's the same all over," Mr. Borgin said. "Wizard blood is counting for less everywhere-"

"Not with me," Lucius snarled.

"No, sir, nor with me, sir," Mr. Borgin bowed.

"In that case, perhaps we could get back to my list. I am in something of a hurry, Borgin. I have important business elsewhere today..."

The two men started to negotiate and the three children returned to their looking around. Draco had stopped in front of an opal necklace and smirked. Dafnie read the card that was propped up next to it: Caution: Do Not Touch. Cursed- Has Claimed the Lives of Nineteen Muggles to Date.

"Amused, are you?" she asked coolly.

Draco ignored her and turned to the cabinet in front of them. He started to walk towards it reached for the handle.

"Done," Lucius said at the counter. "Come, children."

Dafnie, Draco, and Abraxas walked over to their guardian.

"Good day to you, Mr. Borgin. I'll expect you at the manor tomorrow to pick up the goods."

Borgin bowed his head as his guests left the store, and Dafnie felt extremely thankful to be out of there.

"Now, Diagon Alley," Lucius said. "I will be leaving the three of you there for a bit while I run a few more errands. I shall expect to meet you at Flourish and Blotts within the hour."

Abraxas, Draco, and Dafnie all nodded their heads in understanding as they reached Diagon Alley, a place that felt more welcome than the area they had just vacated.

The first shop that they entered was the Quidditch store, by Draco's demands of course. He was practically drooling at the sight of the new Nimbus Two Thousand One.

"What's the point of having a broom at Hogwarts if you're not on the team?" Abraxas asked.

Draco shot his cousin a dirty look. "I'm not on the team yet, but I will be. Then we'll see who the better Seeker is."

"Draco, if you have a crush on Potter, then you should just tell us. We won't judge you... Well, we'll try not to," Dafnie joked. Abraxas held back a laugh with a slight cough as Draco's face turned red.

They then went to Madame Malkin's so Dafnie could get her robes refitted. It didn't take too long, and the three were off to buy more ingredients for Potions class that they would need that year.

After they had everything they needed, they made their way to Flourish and Blotts. When they got to the door, they saw that they weren't the only ones in the shop. In fact, there was a crowd of people outside the door that were trying to make their way in. Dafnie looked up at the upper windows and found out what the commotion was all about. A large banner read GILDEROY LOCKHART will be signing copies of his autobiography MAGICAL ME today at 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

"Well, isn't this just great," Draco huffed as the three squeezed in through the door. A long line was snaked from the front of the shop to the back, most of them being middle-aged witches.

Lucius appeared at the door and with a quick look, gestured the three to the far corner of the shop, where they could be out of the way of the nonsense. They watched as more witches and wizards and children pushed their way through the shop.

Gilderoy Lockhart slowly came into the room and sat at a table surrounded by portraits of him. His portraits were beaming and winking at the crowd. Lockhart wore robes of forget-me-not blue that matched his eyes perfectly, and on top of his wavy, blonde hair sat a pointy wizard's hat.

A short, irritated looking man was taking photographs of Lockhart at every angle possible. Dafnie heard him yelling at someone up in front, but she couldn't see whom.

Lockhart looked up and started at the direction that the photographer was. Suddenly, he stood up, beaming. "It can't be Harry Potter?" he shouted. The crowd started to whisper and spread out amongst themselves, and Dafnie saw that Harry Potter was indeed standing up there with the Weasley family and Hermione Granger. Lockhart quickly snatched Harry and pulled him to the front of the table, causing the crowd to burst into applause. Draco and his father scoffed as if they were watching something incredibly disgusting.

The photographer bounced back and forth, taking pictures enthusiastically, causing a thick cloud of smoke to waft over the crowd. Lockhart beamed proudly as he shook Harry's hand furiously, while the boy looked as if he wished he were anywhere but there. When he was finally released, Harry attempted to walk back to where he was previously standing until Lockhart threw an arm over Harry's shoulders.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said loudly. "What an extraordinary moment this is! The perfect moment for me to make a little announcement I've been sitting on for some time!"

"Please let it be early retirement," Dafnie muttered under her breath. She could tell that she did not like this man at all.

"When young Harry stepped into Flourish and Blotts today, he only wanted my autobiography- which I shall be happy to present him now, free of charge-" The crowd applauded. "He had no idea that he would shortly be getting much, much more than my book, Magical Me. He and his schoolmates will, in fact, be getting the real magical me. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have great pleasure and pride in announcing that this September, I will be taking up the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!" The crowd went wild, clapping and cheering a little too loudly for Dafnie's tastes, and Harry was presented with a large stack of every single one of Lockhart's books.

Draco was already moving and pushing his way through the crowd to get to Harry as he stepped back into the crowd. Knowing she would have to split the two up, Dafnie followed behind her friend.

"Bet you loved that, didn't you, Potter?" Draco sneered. "Famous Harry Potter. Can't even go into a bookshop without making the front page."

"Leave him alone he didn't want all that!" a red headed girl about a year younger than Dafnie said, glaring at Draco.

"Potter, you've got yourself a girlfriend!" he drawled. The girl went beat red as Ron and Hermione pushed their way forward, carrying Lockhart's books. Dafnie nodded at them in greeting, and they nodded back.

"Oh, it's you," Ron said, eyeing Draco nastily. "Bet you're surprised to see Harry here, eh?"

"Not as surprised as I am to see you in a shop, Weasley," Draco retorted. "I suppose your parents will go hungry for a month to pay for all those."

Ron went as red as the girl, who Dafnie presumed to be Ron's sister, and dropped his books into the girl's cauldron. Abraxas and Dafnie quickly grabbed the back of Draco's cloak as Harry and Hermione did the same to Ron.

"Ron!" a man with red hair and glasses said, struggling over with the Weasley twins. "What are you doing? It's too crowded in here, let's go outside."

"Well, well, well - Arthur Weasley," Lucius had appeared next to Dafnie, a hand on Draco's shoulder and a sneer on his face.

"Lucius," Mr. Weasley nodded indifferently.

"Busy times at the Ministry, I hear. All those raids... I hope they're paying you overtime," Lucius said, reaching into the red headed girl's cauldron and pulled out a very old and battered copy of A Beginner's Guide to Transformation.

"Obviously not," he continued. "What's the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it?"

Mr. Weasley flushed a deep shade of red. "We have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy."

"Clearly," Lucius said, looking over to where Mr. and Mrs. Granger were standing. "The company you keep, Weasley... and I thought your family could sink no lower-"

Mr. Weasley had had enough. He threw himself at Lucius, sending the youngest Weasley's cauldron flying and knocking Lucius back into a bookshelf. Spell books started falling heavily down on their heads. One of the twins had bellowed "Get him, Dad!" while Mrs. Weasley came running toward them shouting "No, Arthur, no!" and the crowded pushed themselves backwards, knocking more shelves over in the process.

"Gentlemen, please! Please!" the assistant cried. "Break it up, there gents, break it up!"

Hagrid walked his way through the numerous books and pulled the two men apart with no effort.

Mr. Weasley had cut his lip during the fight, and Lucius had a black eye from a heavy Encyclopedia of Toadstools. He was still holding the small girl's Transfiguration book. When he noticed, he shoved it back at her.

"Here, girl, take your book. It's the best your father can give you," he sneered, pulling himself free from Hagrid's grip. Beckoning to Dafnie, Abraxas, and Draco, he turned out and left the shop.

"Filthy Muggle-loving scum," Lucius muttered to nobody in particular as they left Diagon Alley.

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~

The altercation between the two grown men made Dafnie realize that there was strong prejudice in the Wizarding world. She knew that some of the students she went to school with weren't so fond of Muggle-borns, but she honestly didn't think that the adults had stronger hate towards each other. It caused her to wonder if the two men had a horrible history together.

Her thoughts followed her to bed, keeping her up. Wanting her questions answered, she tip-toed out of her room and down the hallway to Draco's room, where she knew he would still be awake. Draco took advantage of late nights without worrying about getting up at a decent time. As she turned around the corner, she noticed that Draco's parents were still up; their door was cracked, leaving a sliver of light glowing in the hallway. Sinking into the wall across from their room, Dafnie slowly crept up the hallway.

"I don't want her here anymore, Lucius. The girl makes me uneasy in my own house," Narcissa was saying to her husband. Dafnie stopped in her tracks and listened quietly, wanting to hear the conversation about her.

"Narcissa, that is out of the question. She has to stay here," Lucius said.

"No, she doesn't. She can go back to her filthy Muggle parents." Dafnie's face began to flush at that remark.

"You mean her filthy, adopted Muggle parents. You can't deny that she is his-"

"She is gone. She's been gone since he has been."

"Severus said-"

"Just because Severus thinks she is, doesn't mean that she really is her."

"Narcissa, you can't deny it. She has his hair, his face, and those piercing eyes when she's displeased..."

"Then there's even more reason to not keep her around. I don't want Draco around the likes of her."

"He's already going to be angry at the fact that his daughter was raised by Muggles. Do you want to be punished for not keeping her away from them when we can?"

"He's gone, Lucius-"

"He is for now! But he will return!"

Dafnie's heart raced as she heard footsteps approaching the door, where she knew one of them would see that she was eavesdropping on their conversation. She let out a sigh of relief when the door closed, leaving her in the dark hallway.

Quickly, she continued to Draco's room where she could see that his light was still on from the cracks under the door. She knocked quietly before she heard him get up and walk to the door.

"Dafnie, what are you still doing up?" he asked.

"Keep me company?" she whispered.

He examined her for a moment before he stepped aside to let her in. She sat on his bed as he closed the door and sat next to her.

"Something bothering you?" he asked.

She considered which of the two things were bothering her the most before she sighed and looked up.

"Who am I?" she finally asked.

Draco's face became puzzled. "You're Dafnie Ricamry, of course. Have you gone mad?"

"No, that's not what I meant. I know who I am... Well, at least I thought I knew who I was."

Draco became even more confused so Dafnie explained what she had overheard on her way over. If her friend knew what she was talking about, he was doing a good job pretending to be oblivious.

"You mean my parents think you're one of us?" he finally asked.

"What do you mean?" she questioned.

"You know, not a Mudblood. Sorry," he apologized as she glared at him.

"But they said that my father would not be pleased if your parents didn't allow me to be here."

Draco became uneasy and didn't reply.

"What? What is it, Draco?"

"Well, there is a rumor that the Dark Lord fathered a child. They say the child disappeared when he did. But it's just a rumor, nobody really knows the true story," he said, adding the last part a bit quickly.

Dafnie's blood went cold. "You mean to say, your parents knew Voldemort?"

"Don't say his name! It's forbidden in this house!"

"That doesn't answer my question," she said seriously.

Draco looked away. "Don't think bad of me or my parents... It was a dark time, and the Dark Lord promised protection to his followers..."

Dafnie's eyes grew big. "So they would know better than most people... Wait, Draco, I have another question."

"Well, spit it out," he said impatiently, already bothered by the questions she was asking.

"Your parents mentioned Professor Snape. Was he one of the Dark Lord's followers, too?"

"I don't know, Dafnie! He and my father have been friends since they were in Hogwarts together!"

"Then how would he know who I am?" she asked quietly.

Draco stretched his arms out and let out an over-exaggerated yawn. "Dafnie, I'm tired. I'd like to sleep now."

Dafnie stood up and sighed as she said good night and started her journey back to her room. If Draco wouldn't answer her questions directly, she would have to wait until she got back to Hogwarts.