A/N: Chapter titles for this year are taken from William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.

Momento Mori

Chapter Thirteen: Midsummer Madness

"What do you mean we are staying at the campgrounds?" Narcissa was scandalized. In fact, she was so shocked by this announcement that her fork had fallen from her hand and clattered against her dinner plate. A silence fell over the table as all eyes focused on the Malfoy patriarch.

Bethany took another bite of her roast. Lucius had just announced that he had reserved a camping spot for the Quidditch World Cup. She glanced across the table to see Draco wearing an expression of disgust, just like his mother.

"The Ministry offered priority to its employees, so I thought I would seize the opportunity," said Lucius, taking a sip of his wine.

"But really, Lucius? Staying in a tent? It seems awfully... lower class."

"We shall discuss it later, Narcissa." Bethany wasn't oblivious to the fact his eyes flickered over to her as he said it. Maybe it was because of Narcissa's lower class comment. It was no secret the orphanage Bethany had grown up in had been far from luxurious. He was the only person in the Malfoy family who had witnessed this first hand. "Besides, I assure you, many other families of our station will be staying there as well. I spoke to Gareth Goyle yesterday, he had reserved a spot, and so has Joseph Parkinson."

Narcissa said nothing, but stabbed at her potatoes with a rare ferocity.

"So what do you think about staying at the campground?" Bethany asked Draco as she pulled out her History of Magic homework. After dinner each night, the two of them would work together, collaborating as they did their work. Occasionally they would sojourn to Bethany's room, but Draco's bed was bigger than hers, which made it a more comfortable place for them to study.

"I think it's stupid," Draco dipped his quill in ink. "I don't want to stay in a tent."

"I've never stayed in a tent before. I'm kind of interested in it, to be honest."

"I haven't either, but I don't want to. It sounds awful."

"Well, at least you'll know with absolute certainty that it's awful, right?" Bethany said, flipping through the pages of the book. She glanced down at the question on the paper. 7. Who was the author of Magick Moste Evile and how did he die? "Hey, where did you find number 7? I can't find it anywhere."

"The answer is Godelot," Draco said without looking up. "And his son locked in the cellar so he could inherit his father's wand because it was supposedly unbeatable."

"Thanks," said Bethany, writing it down. She then made a face. "God, that's morbid, isn't it?"

"It was a different time."

"Well, yeah, but still...killing your dad for a wand?"

"I'm not saying I would do it, I'm just saying he thought it was unbeatable," Draco said with a shrug. "At any rate, it doesn't matter. There's no such thing as an unbeatable wand. The only way it could be unbeatable is if the wizard was unbeatable."

Bethany looked up from her book. Draco usually didn't wax philosophical, but it was an interesting turn that their conversation had taken. "What do you think you would do— if you owned an unbeatable wand?"

Draco shrugged again. "I don't know. Probably hex Potter." He looked up, grinning when he saw Bethany glowering at him. "I knew that would get to you," he teased her and she stuck out her tongue at him. "Besides, why do you want to know? It's not like it matters. It doesn't exist."

"I know," said Bethany, but she wasn't sure if she believed herself. What if there really was an unbeatable wand? "I was just curious."

"You're always curious."

"I'm a Ravenclaw. I'm supposed to be," Bethany quipped.

"Number 8 is Hereward, by the way. That's Godelot's son."

"Thanks," she said again, writing the answer down.

The day of the Quidditch World Cup arrived a few weeks later. Bethany and Draco had been roused out of bed by Lucius at four fifteen in the morning. Lucius had all of their belongings packed by the door and had the tent strapped to his back. "Hurry along," he said to the tired teenagers. "We're already behind schedule. The campground opens at five."

It was four forty five now, Bethany noticed from a glance at the clock. "But we have plenty of time!" Draco protested.

"Don't talk back, Draco," Lucius said sternly. "And we have to walk half a mile to make sure that we don't appear suspicious to the Muggles."

Bethany thought the Muggles would be suspicious of them anyway; showing up with no luggage or automobile with only a tent was odd behavior but she decided to keep this to herself. She didn't want to be scolded like Draco.

Bethany and Draco held onto Lucius's arms as he Apparated them to the side of a dirt road. Ahead of them was another wizard family, hauling all their possessions with them. Oh, well. At least they wouldn't be the only weird group of people there.

Draco, as Bethany has expected, detested the length they had to walk. "Why couldn't we have flown?" Draco complained after ten minutes. "It's the Quidditch World Cup, not the Legball World Cup or whatever the Muggles play."

"It's called football," Bethany corrected him.

"Whatever!"

"The Muggles would be in hysterics if they saw you flying around on your broom, Draco," Lucius said briefly. "It is absolutely out of the question. Besides, I thought I told you not to talk back."

"I'm not talking back!"

"You are right now."

Draco let out a noise of frustration. Normally, Bethany would have been amused by Draco getting told off, but after years of no athletics or gym class, her legs were starting grow sore.

As they approached the campground, Draco muttered, "He's being awful today."

"Who?" She whispered back.

"Father! Who do you think?"

"I didn't know. You were being awfully vague." Truthfully, Bethany was shocked he was saying this. Lucius was his idol. It was clear Draco tried to emulate his father in all he did. Bethany has assumed Draco was under the impression Lucius could do no wrong.

"I'm losing my mind," Draco mumbled, shooting daggers at Lucius's back. "This is the dumbest thing he has ever done."

"Be quiet!" Bethany hissed. "He's mad at you already!"

"I don't care! I hate this! It isn't my fault he's being such a—"

"What are you two talking about?" Lucius said loudly. "I hope you aren't complaining."

"Of course not," Bethany said, sweetly as she could manage. "Draco was just telling me he has had a change of heart. He said it's not as bad as he thought it would be." Draco glared at her.

"Don't lie for my son, Bethany," Lucius said.

Bethany felt herself flush as Draco let out a muffled laugh. "Shut it!" she hissed. "I was trying to help you, you jerk!"

The Malfoys and Bethany managed to check into the campground with little to no difficulty. Seeing as Lucius was the only one who was permitted to use magic, he assembled their tent with one quick flick of the wand when he was certain nobody was watching. "Get in," he told them.

Bethany stepped into the small tent but was amazed by what she saw. It looked like the inside of a small house. There was a white table with four chairs, a small kitchen area, and a living room with two couches. "Where's my room?" Draco asked Lucius.

"You and Bethany can decide on that," Lucius pointed to two flaps on the side of the right hand wall. "One for you, and one for Bethany."

"Come on," said Draco, reaching for Bethany's hand as he pulled her along to the flaps.

Bethany didn't resist, but asked, "Aren't we getting a bit old for this?" When he gave her a quizzical look, she looked down at their hands.

"I guess," Draco said, letting go of her hand.

They peeled inside the first flap. There was bed, roughly the size of Bethany's at the Manor, with an end table and mirror. The floor had a dark green carpet and a crystal chandelier hung over top of the bed. The second one was similar, only instead of a mirror, it had a boudoir and the floor was covered by a violet carpet. "You can have this one," Draco said. "You probably packed more stuff than I did."

"Okay," Bethany said. "Uh, thanks."

Draco didn't say anything, merely ducking out of Bethany's room and stepping into his own. Judging by his grumpy mood, he was probably going to take a nap. Bethany didn't blame him. She was tired as well... actually, a nap didn't sound so bad.

Bethany laid down on the bed. The mattress was softer than her bed at the Manor, and blankets smelled fresh and clean. She closed her eyes, stretching out across the bed. It was so comfortable, so nice... like sleeping on a cloud...

"Bethany!"

Her eyes snapped open. Narcissa entered the room, smiling. "Oh, I'm sorry, did I wake you?"

"Yeah," said Bethany, voice thick with sleep. She cleared her throat. "What time is it?"

"It's almost eleven o'clock."

Bethany's eyes widened. Had she really been sleeping that long? "I brought your clothes and a couple of books," Narcissa said, handing Bethany her trunk full of items.

"Thank you," Bethany said.

"Your hairbrush is in there as well, if you wanted to fix your hair," Narcissa said, stepping out of the room.

Fix her hair? Bethany groped through the bag, finally finding the brush. She hurried over to the boudoir. It seemed as though she had tousled her hair up in her sleep. Bethany ran the brush through, grimacing when she met a knot or two in her hair.

When she stepped out of her room, she found Winnie standing at the oven, preparing lunch. Lucius was at the table, paging through the Daily Prophet. Narcissa was moving luggage, waving her wand about. "Where's Draco?" Bethany asked.

"He stepped into the bathroom. He'll be out in a minute, dear," said Narcissa. The briefest of smiles crossed Narcissa's lips before she pulled them back into her regular emotionless state. Bethany wondered if she had imagined it.

True to Narcissa's world, Draco emerged from another flap, shaking his hands. "There's no hand towels," he complained.

"Batty is busy setting things up in our bedroom," Narcissa said, paying no attention to him. "You'll have to wait."

Bethany heard Draco muttering to himself, picking out the words 'ridiculous' and 'absurd'. His negative attitude was starting to get on her nerves. Maybe he needed to get away from his parents for a while. "Hey Draco, do you want to explore the campground?"

Draco seemed indifferent but said, "We can."

"Be back by three o'clock!" Narcissa called out as they reached the opening of the tent. "And stay together!"

Once they left, Bethany quietly said, "I thought you might want a break from them."

Draco nodded. "They've been driving me up the wall this summer."

"I noticed."

They walked side by side down the dirt paths, passing by wizards and Muggles alike. It was easy to tell who the wizards were and who the Muggles were; they passed by a gray haired man wearing a denim jacket and burnt orange skirt.

Thanks to Bethany, the Malfoys managed to blend in. Narcissa had taken her along, and Bethany had vetoed the outfits that would give them away. Draco was wearing a pair of jeans and a black Beatles tee shirt that Bethany had found. Truthfully, she had wanted it for herself, but it was too large for her to wear and Narcissa hadn't wanted to buy more Muggle clothing than necessary. "The Beatles are my favorite band, you know," she said, trying to fill the silence that passed over them. "They were a Muggle group, obviously, and they're music is absolutely fantastic—"

"Hey, look!" Draco pointed. "There's Crabbe!"

And indeed there was. Vincent Crabbe sat upon a bench, licking a red lollipop while his parents struggled to put up the tent behind them. A small boy of about seven ran around their campsite. "Who's that kid?" Bethany asked Draco.

"His little brother." Bethany's eyes widened. She didn't realize Crabbe had a brother. To be honest, she didn't know much about the boy, other than he was Draco's friend and not terribly bright. "Come on, let's say hi."

"Okay," said Bethany reluctantly. Truthfully, the idea of chatting with Crabbe sounded like torture, but if the situations were reversed, she knew she would want to say hi to her friends.

"Hi, Crabbe," Draco greeted his friends, who made loud slurping noises at he licked at the lollipop.

"Hi," Bethany waved to him, trying her best to be friendly.

Crabbe's brow furrowed. "Hi, Draco. What's she doing here?"

"She lives with me, you dolt!"

"Oh, yeah. I forgot," Crabbe nodded his head, which earned him a look of disgust from Draco.

Draco began telling Crabbe what had been doing over the summer, and Crabbe responded with several grunts. Bethany was bored to tears, picking at her nails. It was a habit usually reserved for when she was feeling anxious, but hearing a recap of their whole summer was excessive. Finally, Draco bid his farewell, Bethany waved goodbye, and they left Crabbe behind.

"Can I ask you an honest question?" Bethany asked, turning to Draco as the continued walking. She had to look up to do this; Draco had grown several inches taller over the summer.

"I guess." He paused. "Is there such a thing as a dishonest question?" He grinned when Bethany glared at him.

"Ha ha, you're absolutely hilarious," she said dryly.

Draco reveled in his moment of triumph before saying, "Go on. What were you going to ask?"

She sighed, biting her lip. "Why do you hang out with Crabbe and Goyle so often? It's not like you seem to enjoy their company."

"Because we're friends," Draco replied simply. "I've known them my whole life."

"But you don't like them."

"Sure I do!" Draco seemed offended.

"You don't act like it," Bethany said. "Like back there, you called him a dolt. It seems like only friend you actually seem to like is Pansy, which is more than a little sad."

Bethany saw his eyes light up with a familiar anger. "Hey!"

"Sorry," Bethany apologized, but she wasn't sorry at all.

Draco opened his mouth, as if he were going to tell her off, but closed it, changing his mind. Then he said, "He doesn't mind being called a dolt. I mean, you know him, he really is."

"Yes, but it's not a very nice thing to call someone," Bethany said.

"Oh, so it would be better to call him names behind his back like you and Granger do to Weasley and Potter?" Draco arched an eyebrow. "Don't think I haven't heard you two whispering in Ancient Runes about what idiots you think they are."

"That's only when they are acting like idiots!" Bethany defended herself, feeling her face grow warm.

"There you go. I only call them dolts when they are being dolts."

Bethany sighed. "But why would you call him that while his parents were there? I doubt they like you calling their son names."

"They don't care. They call him worse things," Draco said, kicking a small stone across the ground.

Bethany's jaw dropped. "That's horrible! Why would they do that?" Crabbe might not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but she could hardly imagine parents treating their child like that. That sounded... well, Dursleyish.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Oh, calm down. It's not that bad."

Bethany narrowed her eyes. "Not that bad?" Of course, Draco had no idea what it was like to grow up where people didn't value you. Dana has always treated Bethany kindly, but she knew too well what it was like to grow up with people who didn't respect her.

"You're overreacting."

"Draco, my father is the Dark Lord and he never insulted me," Bethany snapped. His eyes widened. It was rare that Bethany spoke of her parentage. "Even when I was actively working against him. What do you think that says about Crabbe's parents?"

Draco stared at her with a mixture of shock and awe. "Sometimes I forget," he said, speaking only so she could hear him. "I think you do, too."

"I want to forget," she said savagely. "I wish I wasn't." She didn't have to explain what she meant; he understood her.

"Why? He is one of the most powerful wizards. I wouldn't mind being related to him."

"And that's where you and I differ," Bethany said. "I hate him."

"You don't hate me," Draco pointed out.

"You're different."

"I believe in the same things. So why do you hate him, but not me?" Draco countered.

Bethany stopped walking. "You aren't evil," she stated. "Can we stop talking about this? Please?"

"I guess," said Draco. "But you know he did like having you around, right?" When Bethany didn't respond, he continued. "Mother said he was always happy when he came back from missions, and even though you were at the Manor a lot, you lived with him. Moth—"

"Draco, shut up!" She exclaimed. Her hands had balled up into her fists, her nails digging into her palms. "I don't care!"

Bethany refuses to look at him, staring down at the dust that had appeared on the toes of her shoes. Maybe she had been harsh, but she couldn't listen to Draco try and humanize him. She didn't care about him. At all. She knew he didn't care about her— he was willing to endanger her to succeed in world domination; it was hardly the act of a loving parent.

"Bethany! Hey!" Bethany looked up, glancing around until she saw Fred and George Weasley standing in front of a yellow tent.

Bethany smiled and waved. "I'm going to head over and say hi," Bethany told Draco.

"Fine. See you later." Draco shoved his hands in his pockets and began stalking off.

"Draco!" She chased after him, grabbing his arm. "Your mum told us to stay together!"

"Do you see Mother around here? She won't know unless you tell her. I'm not going to hang around a bunch of blood traitors," he sneered. "Besides, you'd rather hang out with them with me."

Bethany opened her mouth to protest, but no words came out. Truthfully, if he was going to act like this, she would rather be with her friends. "Will you let go of me?" Draco looked pointedly at her hand, which was still latched onto his arm.

Bethany did so, staring at him with disappointment. "I'll be back here around two thirty," he said. "I'm going to find Goyle."

"Okay. Have fun," Bethany said flatly. She turned around, heading over to the Weasley tent.

"What was that all about?" George asked her, eyes on Draco as he weaved through the crowd and disappeared.

"He's been an arse all day," Bethany crossed her arms over chest. The twins let out laughs. "Well, he has! I'm sick of it!"

"We don't doubt that," Fred grinned. "It's just awfully colorful language for you."

Bethany wanted to protest, but stopped herself. It would be too much like a small child insisting that they were all grown up. While Bethany knew she was nowhere close to being an adult, she didn't need Fred thinking she was too immature. "I'm glad to be here," she said instead. "I've missed you two."

"Aw, we're blushing!" Fred said, and George let out a laugh. "I suspect you want to find our dear brother, Harry, and Hermione?"

"Um, yeah," said Bethany, stammering when she made eye contact with him. Dammit, why did he always make her so nervous? It was as if she became an entirely different person around him.

"Well, Ron and Harry got sent on a mission to find water by Dad, but Hermione's in the girl's tent with Ginny," George offered helpfully. "We can take you inside."

"That would be great, thanks," she said. "Wait, why are they looking for water? Can't your dad just cast Aguamenti?"

"You know Dad. He loves Muggle stuff. He'd go himself, but he's busy doing other stuff," Fred elaborated. "Careful, if you mention anything Muggle to him, he start interrogating you."

Bethany grinned, feeling butterflies fluttering in her stomach. "I'll keep that in mind."

The twins lead her inside a second tent, leading them to the room the girls were sharing. "What are you doing?" Bethany heard Ginny shriek as Fred stuck his head inside. "Get out!"

"Relax, Gin, I've brought a guest!" He looked out and nodded to Bethany, motioning her to peek in.

"Uh, hi?" Bethany poked her head inside.

Hermione, who had been sitting on one of the two beds, jumped up. "Oh my goodness!" She raced over, practically dragging Bethany inside as she hugged her. "I've missed you so much!"

"I've missed you, too!" Bethany laughed, taken aback by Hermione's enthusiasm. "Hi, Ginny," Bethany smiled at the other girl. She hadn't spoken much to the other girl last year, and hoped the other girl had forgiven her as Ron claimed she had. Bethany hadn't forgotten about how Ginny had thought she was stuck up, but she was determined to change that.

"Hi, Bethany." Ginny returned the smile, but sounded uncertain.

"We'll leave you girls alone to do whatever it is you do," George said. "Bye."

"Bye, boys," Hermione said. Bethany waved back as Ginny returned to her bed.

"So," Bethany said. "What did I manage to interrupt?" Based on Ginny's reaction by Fred's entrance, they had been discussing something that they wanted very few to know about.

Ginny glanced to Hermione uncertainly. "It's alright," Hermione said gently. "I trust Bethany. She wouldn't tell." Before Bethany could ask, Hermione said, "Ginny was just about tell me who she had a crush on."

Bethany's eyes widened. "Oh!" A smile crossed her features. She'd never been entrusted with a secret like this— something that was so normal yet important. "I promise, I won't say a word to anyone," Bethany said, trying restrain her excitement.

Ginny nodded, seeming decide Bethany could be trusted. "It'sHarry," She said as one sentence.

Hermione's mouth fell open as Bethany grinned. It wasn't much of a surprise— after all, her dad had told her as much, but she hadn't realized that Ginny still liked Harry. It must be serious. "Really?" Hermione said.

"Yeah," Ginny's face had turned red. "I know it's stupid, and I know he'd never notice me in a million years—"

"Don't say that," Bethany interjected. "I think you two would make a really cute couple." Truthfully, Bethany didn't know Ginny well enough to know how suited she was to Harry, but Bethany figured there would be nothing wrong in them giving it a try.

Ginny flushed again. "Bethany's right. You shouldn't be so hard on yourself," Hermione said. "You're a wonderful girl. Harry would be lucky to be with someone like you."

"But he doesn't know me! Well, I mean he knows me because of Ron, but I don't ever talk to him!l I don't think he even notices me most of the time!" Ginny lamented. "And I can't even bring myself to talk to him! I'm so shy!"

"Don't worry. That's how I am too," Bethany said, but when she saw Ginny's eyes widen, she frantically said, "Not with Harry! No, no, with the guy I like!"

"You like somebody?" Hermione's eyes widened. "Who?"

With two pairs of eyes on her eagerly waiting for her answer, it was Bethany's turn to blush. "Um," she began, nervously biting down on her lip, "lean in really close, I can't say it loudly." The both girls leaned in close to her when she quietly said, "Fred."

Ginny's eyes widened and Hermione seemed to be smiling in relief. "Really? My brother?"

"Yeah," said Bethany. "He's really funny and he's nice to me, and I think he's really cute."

"It's just weird to me," Ginny said. "Not that you're weird!" She clarified quickly. "Just... the idea of anyone wanting to date any of my brothers. And I don't know... you just seem really serious most of the time, you know? When you aren't with Ron or Harry, that is."

"That's true," said Hermione. "But it sort of makes sense."

"What do you mean?" Ginny asked, crossing her legs.

"Well, since Bethany tends to generally be a more serious person, she seeks out friends who can help lighten her mood and help her see things in a different light," Hermione explained. "It makes a lot of sense that she would want a romantic partner who encourages her to do the same."

"Are you speaking from personal experience?" Bethany teased her.

Hermione's eyes widened. "Is it that obvious?"

"If you are talking about who I think you're talking about, it is to me," Bethany said. "However, I don't think it's obvious to him." Hermione let out a sigh of relief.

"Wait, who are you two talking about?" Ginny looked back and forth between the two of them.

"Ron," Hermione flopped back onto her bed.

Ginny gaped again. "Both of you like my brothers? I thought you two were supposed to be smart!" When Hermione sat up in the bed, Ginny quickly said, "I'm kidding!"

"It's silly, isn't it?" Hermione said.

"It's not silly at all," Bethany tried to soothe her. "For what it's worth, I think he likes you, too."

Hermione sat up. "Really?"

"Yeah. I don't know if he realizes it yet or not, but he really admires you."

"How do you know?"

"How could I not?" Bethany retorted. "You two were flirting with each other on that trip to Hogsmeade when Harry wasn't there! Remember when he tried to nickname you?"

"He did the same for you," Hermione pointed out, sounding miserable. "And he actually started calling you by yours."

"A lot of people call me Beth, Hermione. It isn't that big of a deal."

"Besides, Ron talks about you all the time at home, Hermione," Ginny added. "I really think he likes you."

"Why can't he just tell me that? So I could know for sure?"

"Have you ever met Ron?" Ginny asked. "He's so stubborn."

Hermione sighed. "You're right."

A brief silence passed over them. "So...since your both Harry's friends and you know him really well...how do you think could get him to notice me?"

"Maybe you could try and talk to him about Quidditch?" Bethany suggested. "You like Quidditch, don't you?" A second later she buried her face in her hands. "That was a dumb question, of course you like Quidditch, we're at the World Cup."

Ginny laughed loudly. "That is a good idea," said Hermione, nodding. "Harry does like Quidditch. I think that you could confidently talk to him about it, that's a good start."

"I just don't think I have the confidence," Ginny sighed. "I try to talk to him, but then it's like my voice doesn't work."

"I know what that's like," Bethany rested her face on her propped hand.

Hermione bit her lip. "I know it's a little risky but...maybe you could date some other guy? Just to see what it's like. And if Harry sees what another guy sees in you, he might be more inclined."

"I just don't know who would want to go out with me," Ginny said.

"You'll find somebody," Hermione urged her. "I promise. You're a lovely girl, inside and out."

Ginny smiled. "Thanks, you guys. I feel a lot better now."

"I do too, honestly," Bethany said. "I've been keeping that secret for two years. It's nice to share it with others."

"I think it was good for us," Hermione agreed, and Bethany felt content.

The boys returned back soon enough, exchanging their hellos with Bethany. "That chocolate bar was delicious, by the way, thanks Beth," Harry said to her.

Bethany glanced over to Hermione, as if to say 'see?' "I'm glad you liked it, Harry," she said, giving him a hug. Somehow, exchanging chocolate for birthdays had become a tradition between the two of them.

They chatted for awhile, exchanging and laughing at stories that hadn't made it into letters. They stayed like this for a while until Bethany glanced over to the clock. It was, much to her horror, 2:55. "Oh, shit!" Bethany jumped to her feet.

"Bethany!" Hermione gasped, shocked, while Ron roared with laughter.

"I have to go, I'm sorry!" Merlin, if her and Draco were late, Narcissa was going to kill them. "I'll see you later!"

There was a varying chorus of goodbyes from the Weasleys, and Bethany raced frantically through the Weasleys tent. Merlin, what if Draco had left without her? What if he had forgotten and she had to find him?

But Draco was standing a few feet away from the Weasley tent, scowling. "You're late."

"Yes, yes, I know, I'm sorry!" Without saying another word, they began sprinting in the direction of the Malfoy tent, bumping past several people. Bethany's heart was pounding out of exertion and fear.

"Why didn't you just knock on the tent door? I'm sure they wouldn't have minded!" Bethany asked Draco as the tent neared in sight.

"I wasn't about to step foot into their filthy hovel," Draco sneered. "What if I'd caught diseases from them?"

Bethany opened her mouth to tell Draco to do something she was certain would have sent Narcissa into hysterics if she had heard her using such "unladylike language", but Lucius stepped out the tent. "Oh, there you are. Good. Your mother was getting worried," Lucius said to Draco.

"We're sorry," said Bethany. "We lost track of time, it won't happen again." It wasn't a lie; they had. Well, she had.

"Hm." Lucius didn't seem displeased at all. "I told her not to worry. I'm glad you two are getting along better than you were last year."

Bethany blinked twice rapidly. If anything, she thought her and Draco had been more agreeable last year. Yes, their disagreements then had been more volatile, but they nowhere near as frequent. This summer, Bethany has found herself weighing the pros and cons of shoving Draco down a flight of stairs when he became especially disagreeable.

"You two better hurry inside," Lucius said, glancing at the flap of the tent. "Before your mother worries herself to death."

Bethany felt somewhat guilty. As overbearing as Narcissa could sometimes be, she knew it came from a place of love— and fear. So Draco and Bethany didn't have to be told twice as they jumped back inside the tent.

"There you are!" Narcissa rose from her chair, hugging them both with one arm. Narcissa was still taller than Bethany, but Draco had surpassed his mother in height. "I was so worried."

"We're sorry, Mother. Bethany lost track of time."

Bethany shot him a dirty look. Even though it was true, it didn't mean he had to tell her that!

"That's alright," Narcissa said, releasing them from her grasp. She returned to her seat. "Did you two have fun?"

"Yes," they said in unison.

Narcissa smiled. "Good. I am so happy that you two are friends."

Bethany and Draco exchanged a glance. It was bizarre, that both his parents would tell them such similar things in such a short amount of time. Perhaps they had been talking about them before they had arrived... yes, that sort of made sense... "Why do you say that, Mother?" asked Draco.

"No reason, dear," Narcissa said brightly. "I know it's a bit late, but would you two care for some tea?"

Draco declined, stalking off to his room. Bethany, however, sat beside Narcissa. As she stirred in her sugar, Narcissa said, "Try and ignore Draco, dear. I know he is being awfully surly this summer, but that's often how boys are at this age. Lucius was the same way."

Bethany raised her eyebrows. "Really?" Lucius was usually so composed, it was hard to imagine him snapping at everybody and everything. Then again, Draco was every bit Lucius's son. Even though a lot of his behavior was the result of mimicry, it wasn't surprising it was inherited as well.

"Yes, really." Narcissa sipped her tea. "It was a nightmare. I made up excuses to spend more time with my sisters just to stay clear of him. He grew out of it though, just as Draco will."

Bethany began stirring her tea. Narcissa rarely spoke of her years at Hogwarts. "How did you meet Lucius?"

"I can't remember, to be honest," Narcissa said. "All the pureblooded families met up for parties and various social gatherings. Oftentimes, all the children were pushed off into a few rooms with a house elf supervising them." Her eyes were shining, as if she was remembering something that she sorely missed. "I know I must have met Lucius there, but we were so young. I can't remember a life without him.

"We were always good friends, even before we came to Hogwarts. I always missed him during the school years, just as I missed my sisters." Narcissa stopped suddenly, as if she had said something she wasn't supposed to. She gulped before continuing. "I always sort of had a crush on him, though. He was one of the most handsome boys at Hogwarts. I was so jealous when he started dating Katherine Bulstrode."

Millicent Bullstrode's face appeared in Bethany's mind. She must have been making a face because Narcissa let out a laugh. "I know what you are thinking. Poor Millicent didn't take after her aunt in the looks department. No, Katherine married Barnabus Flint— She's Marcus's mother."

"Oh!" Bethany exclaimed. "I know Marcus. Not very well, of course, but I know who he is." She paused. She thought back to her conversation that afternoon, with Ginny and Hermione. Somehow, Bethany thought that dating someone else to attract the attentions of someone was perhaps not the best move. It felt dishonest, as if you were using them as a pawn in your game. But still... if she dated somebody else, would Fred finally see her the way she saw him? "Did you ever date someone else? Before Lucius?"

Narcissa shook her head. "I did not. I was asked a few times, but never by anyone I thought was worth seeing." Bethany wondered if she was simply referring to boys she wasn't attracted to or if she was talking about Muggleborns and halfbloods. Maybe it was both. Either way, Bethany didn't ask. The answer probably wasn't one she wanted to hear. "Eventually, we started dating at the end of my fifth year, which was probably the worst time for us to do such a thing," Narcissa let out a laugh, "Between my OWLs and his NEWTs, we hardly any time to spend together. And then he graduated, so we decided to take a break, and if promised each other that if we still wanted to be together, we would get back together after I was finished with school."

Bethany held her breath. As silly as it was, since she knew how the story would end, she was intrigued nonetheless. "I think it was the worst two years of my life," Narcissa said, her eyes distant as she relived her past. "I missed him so much... It didn't help that it felt strange to send letters, seeing as we had broken up. But eventually, after I graduated, we agreed to meet up for lunch. I was so worried— I was convinced he had met somebody else and was going to break the news gently to me. Imagine my surprise when he proposed!"

Bethany grinned. "Oh my goodness, that's so cute!" The idea of Lucius being so spontaneous was a foreign one, but it made the whole story all the more romantic.

"I think so," Narcissa said, and they giggled into their teacups.

Bethany drained her cup. "Thank you for telling me that, Narcissa. I know... I know you and Lucius aren't my parents, but...you're my family," she confessed staring down at her knees.

Narcissa, touched, stood up and hugged Bethany fiercely. "I understand," she said softly. "I would never want to replace Delilah, but Lucius and I have always seen you like the daughter we never had." She pulled away and Bethany saw tears shining in her blue eyes. "We love you very much."

"I love you, too," Bethany blinked back tears.

"And...I want to thank you. For being friends with Draco." Narcissa glanced down at her tea. "He enjoys spending time with you, whether he says it or not. And I think you have been a good influence on him."

"Thank you," said Bethany, not sure if that should be considered a compliment or not. Bethany wasn't certain if her definition of a good influence and Narcissa's were the same.

"Why don't you go and rest up, dear?" Narcissa gave her a gentle smile. "The game will be a long one, the professional ones always do."

"I think I better do that." With an exchange of smiles and another hug, Bethany wandered off to her bedroom.

A/N: Thank you all so much for reading! I hope you have a wonderful day!