Odd One Out
Odd One Out

A/N: I'm so sorry about the long time this took to get out! I almost forgot about it! Please review, they really do help the chapters to be written. Thank you all who have reviewed, I really appreciate all reviews. This is for my reviewers, my sis for letting me hog the computer (But don't tell her… shhh), everyone who's reading this annoying author's note and whoever invented school holidays! (I have 2 weeks of joyous no-school days! Yay!) Also Fiona who's on holiday now… lucky! Hey, you made it through! You can read now!

Disclaimer: The HP characters are all of J. K. Rowling's mind and not mine. I wish, but they're not. However (This is the nice bit!) Emarisa (Em), Adam and all friends of them are mine. Their surnames might not be, though. (eg: Longbottom, Weasley, Potter etc.) If so, they also belong to J. K. Reality check: I don't own much at all, just a rather twisted imagination. Wow, this was loonnggg. Chapter 7 – Trouble

"So." The Headmaster's voice was stern, yet his eyes had their normal twinkle in them. "So."

The four people with him in the room squirmed; two went red as well.

"I suppose this calls for a detention, but it wouldn't set a very good example to have a teacher and parent sit a detention now, would it?"

Harry reddened noticeably. "No, Professor. I – We're terribly sorry."

"Don't speak for me, Potter," Draco snarled viciously.

"Oh, shut up, Malfoy. Hard to believe some people can be such gits after so long."

"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing… perhaps you should get some help Potter." The two men growled at each other and lunged.

"Dad!" Em and Adam muttered angrily together. They glanced at each other, then both burst out laughing.

Professor Dumbledore smiled amusedly too. "You were saying something about sorry?"

"Oh, this is such a laugh!" Em gasped. "My first time in the Headmaster's office and it's because of a fight... that my dad was in!" She started howling, and choked. Draco reached over and patted her back.

"Seriously, Dad. That is just the stupidest thing," Em continued after her choking subsided.

"So you're better about the... your mother..." She quickly sobered up.

"I guess. I still don't really understand why... but I guess I never will, huh? But you still should have told me, Dad. Did you think I was weak? That I can't stand the truth? Bloody hell, Dad, that's dumb!"

"Language, Em," Draco said pointedly, in full Fatherly-Draco mode. "We both agreed not to tell you. Exactly what did she tell you anyway?"

"A lot."

"That was very helpful. But if you want to talk... Professor Dumbledore has offered to let me stay here, talk things out. Do you want me to?"

Em looked at him. He looked back. She smiled, jumped up from her seat and hugged him. "Yeah Dad. But don't you have some Ministry thing to do?"

"They can wait," Draco looked down at his daughter. It was good to see her happy again. Making a couple of days in the same place with Potter almost worth it. Bloody hell, he certainly had his priorities all screwed up. He shouldn't even be thinking that. But no one knew quite how much he loathed Potter. He didn't say that out loud though. No. Because he loved Em.

"You two–Em and Adam–can go now," Professor Dumbledore smiled kindly at them. "Harry, Draco, if I could have a word?"

~*~*~*~*~

15 minutes ago...

"Em!" Draco Malfoy rushed through the door. "Why did you do that? I was looking all over for you, until one of the portraits told me they saw you heading here. Oh..." His worried babble trailed off when he saw her tear-streaked face. "I'm sorry." He hastened to her side and attempted hugging her. But she pushed him away.

"Don't. Just don't. So all that stuff is true? The entire You-Know-Who's side thing. And all of grandfather's friends, they were ex-Death Eaters?"

"Em, don't-"

She ignored him, her voice steadily rising. "What about you? Mum said you aren't, but with all the lies you've fed me, I'm not sure what's the truth anymore. So are you?"

"No! Em, you have to believe me. We never lied to you. We just... didn't tell you some things."

"And that's not the same how?"

"Look, maybe we were wrong to do that. And I'm sorry. But believe me, I had nothing to do with your mother's disappearance. That was her choice. I swear, I didn't know." Draco looked at her anxiously, waiting for her reaction.

Em just looked at him. Her mind was in a jumble. She had no idea what was happening anymore. Maybe it was a dream. Maybe this whole thing was just a dream, a dream. "Please Em." She looked at her father's outstretched arms. Giving in to her feelings of wanting to be held she went into his embrace. "It's all right."

Someone's cautious voice broke into her stream of endless thoughts. "Uh... how did you get into the Gryffindor Common Room? I thought you were a Slytherin, so how did you know how to get here?"

"Yeah, and what about the password?" It sounded like Adam or his father, but Em wasn't quite sure.

"When I found out you were here I went back to Professor Dumbledore. He told me the password. And it's not like I've never been here before."

"So it was you!" Harry exclaimed. "In Sixth year. I knew it was you guys. Filch gave us a week's detention for your slimy trick. The whole Pie-whirling hex got us into so much trouble! We almost lost so many points that we almost didn't get the House Cup."

"But you won anyway," Draco drawled sourly. "Like you always won – the House Cup, the Quidditch Cup, every bloody thing else."

"We didn't always win. What about the first couple of years? We didn't win at Quidditch," Harry challenged.

"Only because you were off saving the whole bloody world. Oh, and if you were thinking about the whole fifth year fiasco, you let Chang win."

"I did not!" Harry protested, but without his previous firmness.

"Oh, come on Potter. You were such a damn hero even then you didn't have the guts to beat a girl."

"She could have fallen and it was dangerous!"

"See? You won the Tri-Wizard Tournament too."

Harry paled, "It was a draw."

"Tried to be a hero even then, didn't you," Draco provoked. "Tried to beat Diggory."

"You slimy git!" Harry yelled.

Em had been watching the whole scene with scared fascination, but it wasn't until it happened did she realize that Professor Potter (If they could call him that – it didn't sound quite right) had tried to hit her dad and they were now engaged in a furious fistfight. Had she not been so scared and worried (About the past occurrences as well as the row that had just happened) it might have been quite funny. She briefly wondered if they would get in trouble for this before trying to get them to stop without hurting herself.

She caught a look on Adam's face and smiled. It was obvious he found this very comical too. At least she wasn't alone on this. Any of this.

~*~*~*~*~

A/N: I'm so sorry about the age this took to get out. It was a really annoying chap. to write, I tried to stick to a plan I had but it didn't really work. I didn't know where this was going so there was a lot of stopping to wonder stuff. J I suppose that means there'll be more chapters in the end. Wonder if that's a good or bad thing... hmmm...  Review, please! It might inspire me to write a little faster (I have time anyway... Yay!)

Thanks to...

Meredith, Sophie W., makulit, Seshat, Syoki, silver, PigwidgeonChick, Alistian Black, Happy Kitty, Ashlee, Alisha, Bubblez, Em MKS, KITTY,  Mialee, Fallen Darkness, Houlie, Lynn, Hermione Hino, Harry Potter, Bonnie, Sila-chan, SaltineRitz, maidmarian62, White Butterfly, Michelle Ravel, Low Zhen Lin, Chaos*Katana, Ayla Pascal, Kayla, hayz, bezebees, Pheonixx, The Bumbling Firefly, Shorty, Romilly McAran, MoonShadow, ~*~Naughty Angel~*~, potionsmaster, GoGoGirl, KE Heyduk, Liz, hi, Trinity, Penelope Clearwater, ginny5, Draco's Ravenclaw, Bryn, Miekka, Angelfirenze, Laurel, Kelsey Searles, Trowa Barton, Kamikaze, H, Emily. Whew! This took so long that most of you must have forgot you even reviewed, but better late than never! J Review please!