Wow. Long chapter. Now that this is done, I'm off to sleep! :D

Review, please! I miss the input!


Severus slinked through the halls, checking to make sure that he kept his distance from Kathryn. He didn't want to get too close in case she turned around and saw him trailing her. That would have been incredibly awkward.

So is sneaking around after the girl you're taking out on a date later. He reprimanded himself. He pushed the matter aside as he watched her run into the library. He smiled. Nayeli had told him that the library was her second bedroom, as she'd oftentimes fall asleep in it.

He rushed in and slipped behind a bookshelf. She was too concentrated on where she was going that she didn't notice him accidentally knocking a book off of the shelf. He caught it swiftly and placed it back, and he swear he heard it mutter a "thank you".

He watched as she slowly opened a large, wooden door, looked around to check if anyone else had noticed, and slipped inside. He heard the door click as she locked it behind her. Really curious now, he walked up to it and leaned his ear against it.

Kathryn sat down cross-legged in front of a mirror, mystified. It hadn't shown itself up until recently, and she'd visited it almost every day since she discovered it. As she gazed into it, she thought of her father. As she focused, the magical properties of the mirror responded, bringing up a reflection of her father.

She opened her eyes, and smiled.

"Hi, Dad." She said.

He smiled back at her. Even though he couldn't speak back to her, he seemed to be able to hear her. This was a little more comforting than writing in her diary, because this way, she could get her thoughts out without risking somebody reading them.

"It's good to see you again, Dad, even though I saw you yesterday. I still don't understand how this thing works, but in the meantime, I'll keep using it." She gabbed. She sighed, and folded her hands in her lap.

"My friend Nayeli wants me to stay for winter break. I would love to, as I'll be close to my friends and Severus, but I have a duty to those at the orphanage. I think that you would agree with me, Dad. Madam Maddess would destroy those poor kids, given the chance." She shuddered, tightening her cloak around herself. She looked back at the mirror.

Her Dad stared down at her. He wore glasses and had a moustache, and was shaved bald. He had started going bald early. He was dressed in a BDU (Battle Dress Uniform), the bottoms of his pants tucked into his black leather boots, neatly cared for and polished. He held his cap in his hand. Kathryn smiled when he sat down too.

"I have a date with Severus tonight. I'm excited, and nervous." She continued. Her dad grinned at her, signing "Good luck. I love you."

Severus backed away from the door, smiling to himself. He looked back at the door, and then sighed, and walked away. This moment was something she'd gone out of her way to ensure privacy for. He had no right to infringe upon it.

He stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked out of the library, his head held high, grinning to himself.

He bumped into his mother just outside the door, and both of them jumped. Sheeva grabbed onto his arms and he grabbed onto her shoulders to steady themselves.

"Hi, Mom." He smiled, pulling her into a hug.

"How are you?" He asked. Sheeva smiled, rarely seeing her son so openly happy like this.

"I am… well, I have something to do." She muttered, looking away. Severus frowned, getting the gut feeling that she wasn't telling him something. Considering the bomb that his parents had dropped on him last night, he realized that these gut feelings were usually true.

"Is it about what happened last night? I didn't destroy anything, I swear!" He joked. Sheeva chuckled, and shook her head, the smile still coming off of her face. Severus leaned against the wall, crossing his arms.

"I always wondered why you looked so young, Mom. Nayeli and I thought maybe it was an anti-aging potion." He stated. Sheeva smiled again, nodding. They'd tried to tell her one year that she didn't need those "silly potions".

"Does your back still hurt?" She asked. Severus shook his head.

"Not too bad. If I move wrong, it does, but it's nothing, really."

"Your sister did not want me to release the seal. She broke it herself. She's resting in our office, now." Sheeva stated, knowing that Severus would be proud. Severus grinned.

"Yup. Sounds like her. That's my batshit crazy sister."

Sheeva laughed, and then frowned as the memory came back to her. She stared at the ground. She sniffled, and pulled him into a hug.

"You kids have grown up so much. I am so proud." She complimented, able to hide her face from him and give a false reason as to why she was so down. Severus bought it, to her relief.

"Thanks, Mom. Do you mind… if I tell Kathryn?" He asked. She shook her head and smiled.

"Do as you like. What color of dress is she wearing?" She asked. Severus closed his mouth, thinking. He opened it, and closed it again, blushing as he imagined her in a dress.

"I… uh… hrm…" He shook his head. Sheeva laughed, amused with her son's reactions.

"You should probably just go with black, then. Draco might have some that you can borrow." She set her hand on the handle of the door.

"Stop by after you get back, ok? I want… want to hear all about it." She broke away, and walked into the library without another word. Severus shook his head and smiled. She was overemotional about their fight, he figured.

He checked the time with a tempus charm. It was barely past 10. He made his way slowly to the dungeons, planning to get a sliver of homework done, knowing that Professor Granger wouldn't stand for him turning an assignment late, even if he was Draco, Sheeva, and Blaise's son…


Lily and Kathryn were rummaging through Lily's closet, picking out various pairs of pants, shirts, and even a bra or two to match the shirts. Thankfully, they were about the same size, Kathryn having slightly smaller breasts than Lily.

Lily hummed and smiled to herself as she held up a red, silky, low-cut shirt that cut off just between Kathryn's bosom.

"You know, Lily, I- She stopped to throw on a green shirt that she'd handed her. She found that she liked it. It wasn't too low, and it hugged her hips. She took it off and set it gently on her bed. Lily paused, pulling her head out of her closet.

"I'm listening." She stated, poking her head back into the closet. Kathryn stared at the closet in wonder.

"What are you searching for, Narnia?" She joked. Lily poked her head back out, confused.

"What's that?" She asked. Kathryn laughed, and shook the matter aside.

"I was actually wondering if you had any dresses?" She asked, fidgeting with her fingers and biting her lip, blushing a little. Lily crawled out of her closet, and grinned.

"That is a great idea! Yeah, give me a second!" She said, rummaging through chests. She grew aggravated and grabbed her wand, cleared her throat, and commanded loudly: Accio Dresses! A load of dresses flew out of her closet and knocked the small girl to the ground, and she disappeared in the heap.

Kathryn laughed, and helped to dig Lily out of the mound. Nayeli walked in at that second, rubbing her eyes. They widened as they saw the condition of the room. Clothes were strewn every which way.

"Spring cleaning?" She joked, picking up a lacy bra off of her bedpost. Lily snatched it out of her hands, laughing as she threw it back in her closet.

"Good thing you put that back, 'cuz she's not wearing that around my brother." Nayeli smirked.

Kathryn picked up an emerald colored dress, and held it against her body, looking at herself in the mirror. She slipped it on, and smoothed it out. It wasn't too low cut, and it was long enough to cover just below her knees. She smiled and couldn't help but twirl, and then laughed at her girly attitude.

Nayeli grinned.

"That's it. That's perfect!" She stated, hugging Kathryn. Kathryn hugged her back.

"Thanks." She muttered. She looked back at herself in the mirror.

"Sit down! I want to do your hair!" Nayeli piped in, pushing a chair behind Kathryn's legs, causing them to buckle. Kathryn turned her head.

"Is that really necessary? I was thinking about just leaving it down…" She muttered, obviously worried about something. She crossed her legs and stared at her hair. Not only was it bushy, it was a pain in the neck to manage.

"Have you seen my hair? I'm the master at fixing hair! Otherwise, I'd end up with an afro…" She muttered, grabbing a water bottle and wetting Kathryn's hair. Kathryn quickly reached up and took her hearing aids out before Nayeli could get them wet.

Lily draped a towel around Kathryn's shoulders.

"Why don't you close your eyes? It'll be a nice surprise." She suggested. Kathryn looked at her.

"…Ok." She did so, and began to think about the upcoming evening. What she'd say. What they'd do. She mentally smacked herself, as she had not thought that far ahead. Geeze, for as smart as you are…

She winced a little when Nayeli tugged at her hair, running a brush through it.

"Comb." She heard Nayeli mutter. Lily jumped to action, handing her a black comb.

"Hairpin." Nayeli ordered. Lily searched for one that matched her dress. She grabbed a floral decorated hair pin, and handed it to her. Nayeli pinned it in Kathryn's hair and smiled at her handiwork. She then smirked.

"Scissors." She joked. Kathryn snapped open her eyes and turned around, slightly frightened.

"Scissors?" She exclaimed. Nayeli and Lily laughed.

"Just kidding!" Nayeli said cheerfully.

"Take a look, Kathryn, you're done." Lily pointed out. Kathryn looked back at herself, and her mouth dropped open. Who was this, staring back at her? Herself, of course, but the transformation shocked her. Her long, curly brown hair cascaded down her back, and when she placed her hearing aids back into her ears, they were barely visible. She smiled, relieved, as that was one of her insecurities.

"You hid my hearing aids." She stated. Nayeli smirked.

"You know… Severus really likes you. I think he'll be too stunned by how pretty you look that he won't even notice those things. Truth is, I don't think he really cares…. He learned sign language for you, you know?" She admitted. As irkful as it was that she was going on a date with her brother, she couldn't help but be happy for the both of them, as well as slightly jealous.

Kathryn hugged the both of them, tears coming to her eyes.

"Thank you, both of you. This really means a lot to me." She whispered, trying to keep her cool.

She glanced at the clock, and she gasped.

"Crap, I've got to get going!" She exclaimed, stepping into the pair of slip-on shoes that she also happened to be borrowing. Lily stopped her before she left, throwing a white fish-net shawl with a floral design in the middle of it over her shoulders.

"That should help you keep warm." She stated, before pushing her out of the door. She hurried down the steps, leaping off of the fifth one as it tried to trap her on it by moving at the last minute. She laughed at it as she continued. It grumbled at her.

She paused at the top step of the first staircase, catching her breath and regaining her composure.

Severus was talking with one of his friends when suddenly, his friend smacked his arm and pointed, wide eyed at the girl walking gracefully down the steps. Both boy's mouths dropped open. Gary closed his mouth and nudged Severus, snapping him out of his reverie.

"Close your mouth, mate, you'll catch flies."

Severus squinted his eyes at Gary, and then turned his attention back to Kathryn. She looked up at him, and blushed as he held out his hand for her to take it.

"Too much?" She asked, motioning towards her dress. Severus shook his head.

"No, you look…" He racked his brain for something to compare her too, because "beautiful" wasn't enough. "I… Wow." The amazement shone on his face like a lighthouse beacon.

"Well… It's all thanks to this dress, really…" She muttered, blushing. Severus shook his head again.

"That's not true. You look pretty every day." He blurted. She smiled at him, and turned beet red.

Get going, Severus, you'll miss your ride there, you dorkfish. Nayeli barked at him. He looked up, and smiled at his sister. She and Lily were waving at them.

She looped her arm around his as he held it out for her, and together they walked out the door. Nayeli and Lily followed at a distance. Draco, Blaise, and Sheeva walked out from their corner of the hall, and stood next to them.

"Did you see his face?" Gary started up, laughing.

"Did you see yours?" Lily retorted, giggling. He laughed harder.

"Who knew the bookworm could clean up like that?" He stated. They all grinned.

Blaise let out a sniffle, and then immediately turned about, wiping at his eyes. Draco arched an eyebrow.

"Are you crying, Blaise?" He asked. Blaise sniffled again and said "no", his sinuses plugged as he fought to keep from crying.

"I'm just… Sweating from my eyeballs. Got a problem with that?" Blaise asked, smirking as he turned back around. Draco laughed.

"I'm just glad it's not me, for once."

Sheeva took their hands and squeezed them tightly, tears of joy streaming down her face. Nayeli felt a moment of weakness, and hugged her mother.

Lily and Gary stared at them for a moment, smirking.

"Ah, family moments." Lily teased. Gary chuckled, and turned to her.

"Lily Potter, right? I'm Gary. Er, Gary Nothstine." He introduced himself, holding his hand out for her to shake it. She smiled, and shook his hand.

"Nice to meet you… Formally, this time."


Severus and Kathryn sat across from each other in the carriage, trying to decide what on earth to say, exactly.

"You've been hiding in the library a lot recently. Moving in?" He joked. Kathryn laughed, and shook her head.

"No… I found something. I… I'll show you when we get back." She smiled, crossing her legs. Her foot bumped his leg, and he felt a surge of a tingling sensation shoot through his body. He jumped, and blushed.

"A secret, huh?" He asked. She nodded.

"Something like that. I still haven't figured out how this thing works." She admitted, smiling.

"Speaking of secrets, Nayeli mentioned that you have a family secret. Care to share?" She asked. Severus smiled, and his stomach turned into butterflies.

"Well… now's not the best time to explain it, but it'd be better if I showed you, and there's not enough room in this for me to do so." He whispered, low so that the carriage driver couldn't hear.

"You seemed upset this morning." He mentioned, abruptly changing the subject. She let out a "hmm" of remembrance.

She folded her hands over themselves, and set them in her lap.

"Nayeli wants me to stay over the break." She admitted. Severus nodded.

"That would be really great." Severus commented. Kathryn smiled, and then shook her head.

"I can't. I really have to go back over the breaks." She stated. Severus took her hands.

"Then, I'll come visit you!" He said excitedly. She looked at him, and smiled widely. Due to the dimness, he didn't catch the hint of fear and worry in her eye.

"That… would be wonderful." She said as calmly as she could. Severus drifted into a daze as he traced the backs of her hands with his thumbs. The knuckles were rough, slightly calloused and there were a few small scars on the backs of them.

He looked down, staring at them a little closer.

"Wow, I never noticed these. What are they from?" He asked. She looked down at her hands.

"My father told me that they had to put IVs into my hands to help keep me alive after I was born." She admitted. Severus looked up.

"What?" He asked incredulously. She nodded.

"I was born three and a half-months prematurely, which is why I wear hearing aids. I had a fourth-degree hemorrhage on the left side of my brain, and a second-degree on the right. At a week, they did a heart surgery to close a valve in my heart that had failed to close." She explained. Severus was floored.

"That's… incredible! Sorry, but shouldn't you be… dead?" He whispered. She chuckled, and slowly nodded.

"Yes, that's right. If not dead, comatose." She admitted, eyes downcast. She brightened, as she thought of something.

"But, I'm here now, and I'm just fine, if not better!" She admitted. Severus smiled, and kissed the back of her hand.

"I'm glad." He muttered, grinning sheepishly. She blushed. The carriage stopped, and the driver opened the door for them. Severus got out first, holding out his hand for her to take, giving her a confident grin.

"I was thinking we could go dancing." He started. Really, it had been his father's idea. Kathryn smiled nervously, looking around at the many shops.

"That sounds awesome! What kind? Swing?" She asked, eager. Severus blinked, and cracked a crooked smile.

"I uh… don't know. To be honest, I've never really danced before."

She laughed at the look on his face.

"I used to swing dance with my father. We used to listen to a lot of jazz, particularly George Gershwin." She remembered. Her grip on his arm tightened as she fought from crying. He led them to The Marc, where he'd made a reservation. The clerk at the desk smiled at them, greeting them cheerfully.

"Names?" She asked, glancing at her logbook.

"Malfoy, Severus." He responded. She flipped through, and smiled as she found the name.

"Welcome to The Marc. If you'd follow me, please…" She said, leading them through the restaurant. They looked around. It was packed, but despite how busy the room was, the noise was hushed.

"Can I start you with a drink?" She asked. Severus caught glances with Kathryn, and arched his eyebrow.

She smiled and asked for a glass of Moscato. Severus was slightly shocked, as he hadn't expected her to ask for wine, much less anything with alcohol in it. He smiled to himself. She was full of surprises.

"I'd like the same, please." He stated. Kathryn blushed and looked at her hands, smiling a little. The piano echoed sweetly in their ears. "Reflection" by Fox Amoore. The pianist was doing a wonderful job, Kathryn decided.

"If I could give anything to dance with my father again, I would." She muttered, continuing their conversation.

"Be careful what you wish for. Who's George Gershwin?" He asked. She looked up at him, and chuckled.

"A muggle musician. It's funny, I made another reference to a muggle thing today, and Lily didn't get it. We… really do come from different worlds, don't we?" She asked.

Severus sat back, sighing as he realized that, yes, they really did. He shook his head, dismissing the thought.

"What kind of music does he write?"

Kathryn looked at him and smiled.

"Jazz. Despite being pretty deaf, I really love music…" She chuckled.

"I'll show you sometime." She promised when he gave her a confused look. He smiled, and nodded.

"My mother likes a wide range of music. So does Blaise."

She gave him a look, and smirked.

"What's it like, growing up with two fathers?" She asked. She'd always been curious, but had never asked, for fear of offending Nayeli or Severus. He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off when a waiter placed their glasses on the table, smiling at them. He set two menus on the table, and asked if they'd like anything else. He smirked, and told them to signal him when they'd decided—it seemed that they had a lot to talk about.

"It's… interesting to say the least. Although, I'm used to it, so it must seem really strange to other people. I don't really care though. I love my family, even if we are bizarre." He admitted, smiling as he remembered how his mother had fussed over his outfit this evening. He looked away, scanning the crowd that they were sitting amongst. Kathryn took this moment to look him over in the better lighting.

He had on a black suit with no tie, the top two buttons open to allow air to go through. She grinned; he really did look amazing with the way he'd dressed for the occasion. His dark skin had a nice sheen on it, and she gazed at his eyes again. Her heart did a flip in her chest.

"You look outstanding tonight, Severus." She complimented. He looked back at her and smirked, and she blushed again. He picked up his glass and raised it. She picked hers up too, and chuckled.

"Here's to us?" He asked. She nodded.

"To us and kamikaze paper birds." She laughed. He laughed too, and they clinked their glasses together, taking a drink.

"I really didn't mean for that bird to dive into your juice. It was supposed to perch itself on your head." He admitted, pinching the bridge of his nose, embarrassed. She shrugged her shoulders.

"Nothing is perfect, you know. Things aren't always like the movies." She muttered. Severus looked up at her.

"Movies?" He asked. She blinked and stared at him, amazed.

"Don't tell me, you've never seen a movie?" She asked. He gave her a look as though saying: really, Kathryn… really?

"They're like plays, only, on a TV." She explained. Severus blinked again, and shook his head, giving her an apologetic look. She sighed.

"Never mind." She said with a wave of her hand. He watched her over the top of his glass as he took another drink of his wine. He let it sit on his tongue. It was sweet, light, and didn't dry out his mouth like the red wines that his mother would drink on occasion.

He swallowed it, and clicked his tongue.

"You know, you can always teach me." He stated, mentally chiding himself as he thought he'd sounded a little bit too harsh. She smirked.

"It'd be better if I just showed you. Some things are hard to describe." She replied. He remained silent for a few minutes while he listened to the current song that the pianist was playing. It had a peppy, jazzy tune to it, and he smirked.

"Would you teach me how to dance?" He asked. She looked up at him, shocked and pleased. She smiled.

"Anytime, Severus." She agreed. He arched an eyebrow.

"Now, then?" He asked, standing and offering her his hand. The smile disappeared, and she looked around.

"Here?" She asked. He laughed at her reaction.

"Why not?"

She bit her lip, and took his hand. She tried to ignore some of the other customers as they stopped to look up on the scene. Severus pulled her close to him, smirking. She giggled, and rested her hand on his shoulder as they began to dance. To her surprise, Severus was able to keep with her.

"I thought that you said that you'd never danced before." She whispered. He leaned down to her ear.

"Mom gave me a crash course before we left." He whispered, twirling her around. She smiled and laughed, imagining a clumsy Severus trying to dance with his mother, who was just a little shorter than she was.

"Huh, she did a good job." She complimented. He laughed and they moved apart, and she turned, spinning herself into him. He lightly placed a hand on her back and they moved apart again. She spun underneath his arm, and then back into his embrace, blushing madly as they realized that a few of the other patrons had joined them on the floor.

An elderly couple smiled at them, and they began to dance too.

"Well… I wasn't expecting this." Severus blurted. His parents always tried to instill in him to think before he acted. He always ignored them.

"This is still very sweet, Severus." She said, blushing. He smiled at her and moved again, trying to make sure that everyone had enough room. The pianist, excited, played song after song, varying from smooth classics to more spunky tunes, most of which Kathryn didn't recognize.

They spent most of their night dancing, pausing once to eat, and then continuing immediately after. She taught him how to swing dance, as she promised, and after four clumsy attempts, he had it down—he thought.

When they attempted to do a Barrel Roll, Kathryn and Severus bumped shoulders, and Kathryn began to fall. He quickly caught her wrist and waist and pulled her back up, standing straight up. They froze.

Their faces were inches away from each other, and their noses were touching. Hazel-colored eyes and emerald green locked. Severus blinked, and placed his hand gently on her cheek. To his relief, she leaned in to his touch. They closed their eyes and lightly brushed their lips together.

Kathryn's body burst in a wave of tingles, and she smiled, resting both of her hands on his shoulders and moving closer to him. Severus opened his eyes slowly, as they parted, and then closed them again, kissing her a little more fully, still barely able to believe what he was doing.

They were lost, as neither one noticed that people were clapping for them. The elderly couple beamed at them, as they could tell; it would be a long-lasting relationship that this young couple would have.


Kathryn and Severus cuddled against one another in the carriage, their fingers intertwined. Severus had his arm wrapped around her waist and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"I wasn't expecting them to applaud like that…" He muttered. She chuckled.

"Neither was I… Thank you, Severus, for this… for all of it." She squeezed his hand, trying not to cry.

She sniffled, and he looked down at her, alarmed.

"You ok? I didn't upset you, did I?" He asked. She sat up and shook her head.

"Not at all! I had a wonderful time! I… I felt so special. I haven't felt like this since… Since before my Dad got sent to Korea." She whispered sadly. He smiled, and then frowned, placing a hand on her cheek, stroking it with the pad of his thumb.

"I wish that had never happened to you… I would have liked to meet him." He admitted, the corners of his lips curling in a small smile. She smiled back at him.

"Maybe, you can." She stated. Severus looked at her, confused.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"When we get back, there's something that I want you to see. I found it in one of the back rooms of the library." She admitted. Severus nodded, and as she sat in his lap, he grinned and held her against him.

"My mother wants me to stop by, but I don't think she'll mind. It's only…" He cast a tempus charm, and the time floated in front of him before disappearing in a puff of red smoke. "…ten."

Kathryn yawned, and rested her head down against his chest, closing her eyes. Normally she wouldn't be tired at this time, but she supposed that dancing for three hours, as well as being in Severus' embrace gave her a bountiful dose of melatonin. She giggled sleepily at this thought.

"What's so funny?" He asked. She chuckled.

"Normally, I don't get to sleep until well after three. My natural melatonin must have kicked into overdrive from all that dancing." She explained. He blinked.

"Melatonin?"

She nodded, and yawned.

"It's what makes you sleepy…" She whispered, her eyes lulling closed. He smiled, kissed her on the forehead, and leaned his head back, closing his eyes to get a little rest himself…


This was a cute chapter... my dream date, somewhat... :3

I hope that you all enjoyed it!