Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters.
Chapter 11.
Harry woke up early the next morning. It had been a long time since he had felt so comfortable, and he was reluctant to open his eyes. He remembered all that had happened the previous day, and even though he still felt confused, he no longer had the urge to fight against everything Snape may say, as long as it was reasonable. Sighing, he realized he wasn't going to get any more sleep; his mind was too awake. Sitting up, he saw a bit of light coming from one of the windows. Moving the curtains aside, he was startled to see a small garden. Guessing it was charmed to be that way, Harry finally stood up and picked out clean clothes. On his way to the bathroom, he noticed it was eight in the morning and assumed the others would be still sleeping. Quickly, he cleaned up and decided to go and search for food.
The Great Hall was fairly quiet, McGonagall was there reading the Daily Prophet and Flitwick was eating while reading a thin book. Both looked up and smiled at him. "Good morning, Mr. Snape."
Harry grimaced slightly at his transfiguration teacher. "Good morning, Professors."
The smaller teacher smiled up at him. "Albus told us what was going on, it was quite a shock."
Harry couldn't help but chuckle slightly. "I know how you feel; I can't start to explain how I felt when I found out."
McGonagall looked at him seriously. "You should have told someone."
Harry pressed his lips together. "It was not my story to tell, Professor, and I would never have gone and talk to Professor Snape."
Without waiting for an answer, the boy turned to his breakfast, taking only a bit since he still felt full from his dinner the night before. While Flitwick returned to his own breakfast, McGonagall seemed to be ready to say something more, but she was silenced by Snape's entrance. The tall man looked at them for a moment, before taking a seat next to his son. "Good morning."
The boy looked at him from the corner of his eyes and nodded slightly. "Good morning, Professor."
Slowly, more teachers joined them, greeting them in turn. Albus arrived smiling brightly, greeting everyone with a cheery smile. Draco and Hermione arrived together and sat at Harry's other side after formally exchanging greetings. They had been eating for a few minutes when Dumbledore lowered his cup and turned to face the three teenagers.
"I need to know what you want to do. You can stay here for as long as you want, but if you think you'll be more comfortable elsewhere, neither Professor Snape nor I will stop you."
Chiara shrugged lightly. "I need to go back to my parents, we had arranged another trip to the United States, and I don't want to miss it."
Dumbledore nodded slightly. "I'll make you a portkey so you can leave this evening." Then he turned to the two boys. "What about you?"
Draco pressed his lips together. "I would like to go away and think about things, but it's not like I can return to Malfoy Manor, and I doubt I could stay with other relatives, so I guess I'll be staying here."
They stayed silent for a long moment, and Dumbledore was about to turn to Harry when Hermione spoke. "You can come with us, if you want. I'm sure my parents won't mind."
Draco looked at her startled. "I wouldn't want to impose."
She waved him away. "As long as you can promise me to behave properly towards them, I'm sure they won't mind." She looked at him intently. "You're my brother; I'm offering you the chance to become family. But if you do, you will have to accept my parents, and they are muggles."
Draco stayed silent for a long while, the whole room awaiting his answer. Finally, the boy looked up at Chiara. "I know nothing about the muggle world, and I've been taught to hate anything that doesn't belong to the wizarding world, so I can't assure you it will be easy. But if you're willing to teach me all you know about muggles, then I'll come with you."
His sister smiled brightly at him. "Deal. I'll owl my parents telling them to expect you." Then she turned to Harry. "Do you want to come with us, Zach?"
She obviously felt a bit guilty for leaving him out of it, but the boy quickly shook his head. He understood her need to get to know her brother, and he wouldn't want to stand in their way. He looked at Draco for a long while and then spoke in a deadly cold voice. "If you hurt her, you're going to regret it."
The other boy smiled slightly and raised an eyebrow. "I'm her brother, that's supposed to be my line."
They shared a small smile and Chiara sighed. "Oh, God, two over-protective brothers, I'm not going to survive this."
Everyone laughed brightly, amused by the children's antics. Finally, Dumbledore turned to Harry. "And what are you going to do, Zach?"
The boy stopped smiling and looked at him for a long moment before turning to face his father, who was looking away. Pressing his lips together, trying to hide the hurt he was feeling, Harry turned to Dumbledore. "I'll go back to the Dursleys."
Without waiting for an answer, he stood up and left. Hermione was about to follow him, but she saw the hurt look in Snape's face and decided it was better if she stayed. Picking up a sandwich, she spoke softly. "You do realize he wants to stay, don't you?"
Snape turned to her, a frown etched on his face. "He just said he wanted to go."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "And if you knew Zach, you would know that to him anywhere is better than the Dursleys; he was willing to leave with Snuffles after meeting him half an hour before."
The professor looked even more confused. "But then why didn't he say so?"
Both teens groaned, unwilling to believe the man could be so dense. "Honestly, Uncle Sev, I don't know Zach as well as Chiara does, but even I can tell you that he doesn't like to be a bother to anyone."
Hermione nodded. "He will do everything that's in his power to make sure everyone is as comfortable as he can. If you want him to stay, you will have to let him know that that's what you want, otherwise he's just going to leave, no matter what he really wants."
Snape sighed deeply. "I'm not ready to be a father."
Before anyone could comment, he stood up and left the room. Hermione and Draco finished their meal and stood up, ready to go pack, but Charlie stopped them.
"Hermione... well, Chiara, Bill and I would like to tell the rest of my family about this. Professor Snape already said it was fine with him. Do you mind?"
Hermione shrugged. "Why should I mind?"
Both brothers looked at her uncomfortable. "Well, you know Ron, he won't like that Draco is your brother or that Zach is Snape's son."
The girl laughed a bit and looked at them amusedly. "He might surprise you."
Turning around, she left the room, followed by a puzzled Draco. When the boy caught up with her, he looked at her worriedly. "Aren't you afraid about Weasley's reaction?"
Hermione chuckled lightly. "Why should I be? He has had a year to get used to it; he won't say anything."
Draco stopped short. "He knows?"
Chiara laughed. "He's our best friend, of course he knows."
The boy shook his head. "It's a wonder the whole school hasn't found out."
Hermione glared at him but continued walking; there was no sense to get into an argument about Ron. They would have more than enough time to do that later. To be continued...
A/N: Thanks for all reviews. And thanks to my beta reader, Vinnie.
Chapter 11.
Harry woke up early the next morning. It had been a long time since he had felt so comfortable, and he was reluctant to open his eyes. He remembered all that had happened the previous day, and even though he still felt confused, he no longer had the urge to fight against everything Snape may say, as long as it was reasonable. Sighing, he realized he wasn't going to get any more sleep; his mind was too awake. Sitting up, he saw a bit of light coming from one of the windows. Moving the curtains aside, he was startled to see a small garden. Guessing it was charmed to be that way, Harry finally stood up and picked out clean clothes. On his way to the bathroom, he noticed it was eight in the morning and assumed the others would be still sleeping. Quickly, he cleaned up and decided to go and search for food.
The Great Hall was fairly quiet, McGonagall was there reading the Daily Prophet and Flitwick was eating while reading a thin book. Both looked up and smiled at him. "Good morning, Mr. Snape."
Harry grimaced slightly at his transfiguration teacher. "Good morning, Professors."
The smaller teacher smiled up at him. "Albus told us what was going on, it was quite a shock."
Harry couldn't help but chuckle slightly. "I know how you feel; I can't start to explain how I felt when I found out."
McGonagall looked at him seriously. "You should have told someone."
Harry pressed his lips together. "It was not my story to tell, Professor, and I would never have gone and talk to Professor Snape."
Without waiting for an answer, the boy turned to his breakfast, taking only a bit since he still felt full from his dinner the night before. While Flitwick returned to his own breakfast, McGonagall seemed to be ready to say something more, but she was silenced by Snape's entrance. The tall man looked at them for a moment, before taking a seat next to his son. "Good morning."
The boy looked at him from the corner of his eyes and nodded slightly. "Good morning, Professor."
Slowly, more teachers joined them, greeting them in turn. Albus arrived smiling brightly, greeting everyone with a cheery smile. Draco and Hermione arrived together and sat at Harry's other side after formally exchanging greetings. They had been eating for a few minutes when Dumbledore lowered his cup and turned to face the three teenagers.
"I need to know what you want to do. You can stay here for as long as you want, but if you think you'll be more comfortable elsewhere, neither Professor Snape nor I will stop you."
Chiara shrugged lightly. "I need to go back to my parents, we had arranged another trip to the United States, and I don't want to miss it."
Dumbledore nodded slightly. "I'll make you a portkey so you can leave this evening." Then he turned to the two boys. "What about you?"
Draco pressed his lips together. "I would like to go away and think about things, but it's not like I can return to Malfoy Manor, and I doubt I could stay with other relatives, so I guess I'll be staying here."
They stayed silent for a long moment, and Dumbledore was about to turn to Harry when Hermione spoke. "You can come with us, if you want. I'm sure my parents won't mind."
Draco looked at her startled. "I wouldn't want to impose."
She waved him away. "As long as you can promise me to behave properly towards them, I'm sure they won't mind." She looked at him intently. "You're my brother; I'm offering you the chance to become family. But if you do, you will have to accept my parents, and they are muggles."
Draco stayed silent for a long while, the whole room awaiting his answer. Finally, the boy looked up at Chiara. "I know nothing about the muggle world, and I've been taught to hate anything that doesn't belong to the wizarding world, so I can't assure you it will be easy. But if you're willing to teach me all you know about muggles, then I'll come with you."
His sister smiled brightly at him. "Deal. I'll owl my parents telling them to expect you." Then she turned to Harry. "Do you want to come with us, Zach?"
She obviously felt a bit guilty for leaving him out of it, but the boy quickly shook his head. He understood her need to get to know her brother, and he wouldn't want to stand in their way. He looked at Draco for a long while and then spoke in a deadly cold voice. "If you hurt her, you're going to regret it."
The other boy smiled slightly and raised an eyebrow. "I'm her brother, that's supposed to be my line."
They shared a small smile and Chiara sighed. "Oh, God, two over-protective brothers, I'm not going to survive this."
Everyone laughed brightly, amused by the children's antics. Finally, Dumbledore turned to Harry. "And what are you going to do, Zach?"
The boy stopped smiling and looked at him for a long moment before turning to face his father, who was looking away. Pressing his lips together, trying to hide the hurt he was feeling, Harry turned to Dumbledore. "I'll go back to the Dursleys."
Without waiting for an answer, he stood up and left. Hermione was about to follow him, but she saw the hurt look in Snape's face and decided it was better if she stayed. Picking up a sandwich, she spoke softly. "You do realize he wants to stay, don't you?"
Snape turned to her, a frown etched on his face. "He just said he wanted to go."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "And if you knew Zach, you would know that to him anywhere is better than the Dursleys; he was willing to leave with Snuffles after meeting him half an hour before."
The professor looked even more confused. "But then why didn't he say so?"
Both teens groaned, unwilling to believe the man could be so dense. "Honestly, Uncle Sev, I don't know Zach as well as Chiara does, but even I can tell you that he doesn't like to be a bother to anyone."
Hermione nodded. "He will do everything that's in his power to make sure everyone is as comfortable as he can. If you want him to stay, you will have to let him know that that's what you want, otherwise he's just going to leave, no matter what he really wants."
Snape sighed deeply. "I'm not ready to be a father."
Before anyone could comment, he stood up and left the room. Hermione and Draco finished their meal and stood up, ready to go pack, but Charlie stopped them.
"Hermione... well, Chiara, Bill and I would like to tell the rest of my family about this. Professor Snape already said it was fine with him. Do you mind?"
Hermione shrugged. "Why should I mind?"
Both brothers looked at her uncomfortable. "Well, you know Ron, he won't like that Draco is your brother or that Zach is Snape's son."
The girl laughed a bit and looked at them amusedly. "He might surprise you."
Turning around, she left the room, followed by a puzzled Draco. When the boy caught up with her, he looked at her worriedly. "Aren't you afraid about Weasley's reaction?"
Hermione chuckled lightly. "Why should I be? He has had a year to get used to it; he won't say anything."
Draco stopped short. "He knows?"
Chiara laughed. "He's our best friend, of course he knows."
The boy shook his head. "It's a wonder the whole school hasn't found out."
Hermione glared at him but continued walking; there was no sense to get into an argument about Ron. They would have more than enough time to do that later. To be continued...
A/N: Thanks for all reviews. And thanks to my beta reader, Vinnie.