A/N- Here we are with another chapter, guys. We're getting closer and closer to the reveal. I only hope it doesn't disappoint. Anyways, thanks to everyone out there reading and reviewing, you guys keep me motivated, hence why I crank out a chapter every other day. Just a warning, as the holidays get closer, the chapters will slow down. Life in insane for me around the holidays.

** Shout out to jacktank10 for being my 1900th reviewer. You are da bomb!**

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing except the twist on the plot line. Pureblood Hermione has been done before, daughter of Regulus and Sirius has been done before, angsty Harmony has certainly been done before. The idea for Part One was gifted to me by Hermione Lyra Malfoy-Riddle. I merely twisted it and used it to draw me down this dark and winding road.

Chapter 55

March 18, 1994

Hermione felt the familiar worry rise up in her chest as she watched her cousin rise from the breakfast table in his quidditch robes. They were playing Ravenclaw today and while Ravenclaw was the one favored, Draco was pumped and thriving on the happy energy his table was creating.

As one, the team rose and started for the door leading them to the pitch. As if he had just remembered, Draco turned and jogged back to the table to press a kiss to the top of her head and tug a curl. She grinned at him and hugged him close.

"Don't do anything stupid. If you get hurt, I'll be very angry." He laughed out loud and pulled her curl again.

"I'll be fine, Mia, just you watch." She smoothed his robes before he could run away.

"Good luck. I'll be watching." He didn't say anything else but she knew that he appreciated it. She could feel Pansy glaring at her but she refused to give her the satisfaction of turning around meeting her gaze. Instead, she turned and met Daphne's gaze. The girl loved watching quidditch and Hermione could see the excitement on her features.

They made small talk for another half hour before the bell rang, dismissing them to the quidditch pitch. Hermione wrapped her cloak around her tightly, recasting the warming charm. It was decent in the middle of the afternoon but it was still pretty chilly in the mornings since it was only mid-March. Daphne was smiling next to her and Hermione couldn't resist just a little bit of light teasing.

"So, are you so happy because it's quidditch or because Draco is playing?" Daphne's cheeks flushed prettily and Hermione wanted to grin at her friend. Since she had had a falling out with Pansy, they had really grown close. Of course, it had come with the promise of never telling Draco that she had a crush on him but that was easy enough. Hermione would be the first one to admit that it was nice having a female friend. The pair had even made tentative plans to go shopping over the holidays, even though Hermione wasn't the biggest fan. She wanted to have other things to do with her friend other than study.

"I do like watching Draco play but I know he doesn't like me like that. He wants Pansy. That's ok, I'd rather be with a boy that likes me for more than being pretty." Since Hermione understood completely, she hooked her arm through Daphne's and smiled.

"If Draco doesn't realize that you're better than Pansy, he doesn't deserve you. Besides, you're only thirteen. You'll meet plenty of boys that will like you for yourself. I caught Blaise eying you just the other day." Daphne blushed again.

"I know. It just hurts that he doesn't notice me but he pays attention to Pansy. I know I'm pretty, I have eyes. Like you said, one day I'll find a boy that only has eyes for me. As for Blaise, he's no better than Draco. I caught him snogging a Hufflepuff the other day. When did snogging become so important?" Hermione chuckled and leaned her head on her friend's shoulder.

"I don't know but I don't plan on rushing into it. Besides, my Aunt Cissy might kill me if I disgraced the family. My father would probably understand, he's a bit of a rebel after all, but Aunt Cissy would be so disappointed." Daphne laughed.

"I guarantee you she wouldn't. I bet you she was messing around with Lord Malfoy before they were married. My mum told me that almost everyone does, it's just nobody talks about it." Hermione could almost bet that her blonde friend was right. Her aunt and uncle were far too in love to wait until it was proper. They barely waited now. Hermione smiled at her.

"Enough of this depressing talk. Let's concentrate on quidditch." It just so happened that at that moment, Harry walked past her with his arm around Mandy Brocklehurst. He pulled her into the dark shadows under the stands, disappearing from sight. Hermione felt her face fall and Daphne didn't miss it either. Since Daphne had several inches on her, when she leaned her head down, her neck was at an odd angle. Hermione smiled softly at her friend.

"How long have you liked him?" Hermione shrugged her shoulders since she really didn't know for sure when she started liking Harry as more than her would-be brother.

"I'm really not sure. I didn't even realize I did until recently." Daphne smiled at her.

"Seems we're in the same boat. The boys we like don't see us at all. I don't understand it either since you're bloody beautiful." Hermione pinched her arm.

"So are you. My cousin's just an idiot." Daphne laughed but started pulling her up the stands.

"Oh well, we can be spinsters together then. Boys be damned." Hermione started laughing now, feeling genuinely better after Daphne's words. As nervous as she had been about Daphne finding out, she really did feel better.

"Let's get settled."

Hermione pulled her friend to the top of the stands so they would have the best view. The boys that were seated there already were happy to move and then offered them the use of their cloaks if they found themselves cold. Hermione thanked them for their offer but told them they were fine at the moment. After they settled in, Hermione couldn't help but start to worry again.

However, she didn't have to worry for long. Only ten minutes later, the Ravenclaw team emerged and Lee Jordan announced them. They took their lap around the pitch and the school cheered for them. Hermione wasn't under any illusions that the rest of the school wanted Slytherin to win. If it came down to it, the whole school would rather Slytherin lost every single match. She didn't take it personally.

The Slytherin team emerged next, to the same introduction as the Ravenclaw team. All the Slytherin stands cheered and when Draco's name was announced, Hermione and Daphne went to their feet and started applauding him. Since nobody else had gone to their feet, they were easy to pick out and Draco waved at them with a smile. After they landed on the ground in the middle of the pitch, Madam Hooch started the game by releasing the balls and throwing the quaffle in the air.

Hermione always struggled watching quidditch. She knew what each player did and what their purpose was but she had a hard time following the quaffle at the speeds that it was passed. She wasn't sure why but it had always been like that. Her father and uncles made fun of her all the time but she had learned to ignore them years ago. Even though they teased her, they still dragged her to all the professional matches they attended.

The match lasted over two hours and even though Hermione knew that they were behind in points, it all came down to Draco doing his job as seeker. While he was a much better chaser, he was still a decent seeker. Slytherin was down by eighty points and even though she couldn't follow the quaffle, she was pretty sure that they wouldn't come back eighty points by the end of the match. She knew that Draco was going to have to end the match before Ravenclaw got more than a hundred- and fifty-point lead.

Another twenty minutes passed before Draco leaned forward on his broom and shot through the sky. Cho Chang, the seeker for Ravenclaw, leaned forward and shot off after him. Hermione couldn't see the snitch but judging by how Draco was focused, he could. It wasn't a feint and she thought that Cho realized that. Hermione had never been a huge fan of Cho Chang. While she was a pureblood, she always acted like she was better than everyone else because of it. Hermione was more than capable of using her pedigree when she needed to but she didn't think that others were beneath her just because of her "pure blood".

Slytherin and Ravenclaw were all cheering loudly, some people jumping up and down in the stands, urging their seeker to get the snitch first. Hermione was gripping Daphne's hand tightly, scared to death that Draco would hurt himself or fall off his broom. Granted, he hadn't fallen from his broom in probably eight years but that was beside the point. The two seekers ended up bouncing off each other in the race to the snitch.

The race came to an end near the hoops at the Ravenclaw end of the pitch. Draco feinted left but went right, closing his hand around the tiny golden ball. Ravenclaw seemed to sag in disappointment and the whole of the Slytherin stands went to their feet and cheered, chanting Draco's name. Hermione was bursting with pride for her cousin and his accomplishment. Daphne was cheering as loudly as everyone else and Hermione was unsure if it was because of Draco specifically or the fact that Slytherin had won against the odds. Either way, Hermione didn't care.

As a whole, the Slytherin stands rose and rushed the pitch. Hermione took her time picking her way down the bleachers since the last thing she needed was a broken neck. She had faith in Madam Pomfrey but it wasn't something that she really wanted to experience. Daphne was nice enough to stay with her. Once they reached the pitch, Hermione realized that Pansy had thrown herself into Draco's arms and was hugging him tightly around the neck. Before Hermione could even step in, Pansy had kissed him. Not just a peck but a full-on snog that had everyone around them cheering. Her cousin's arms wrapped around the girl hanging on him and Hermione sighed. This was only going to get ugly by the time her cousin finally tired of Pansy.

Daphne wilted next to her but Hermione shot her a look that told her to stay strong and not show weakness. When she stepped into sight, Hermione waited for her cousin to separate himself from Pansy. He finally pulled away and had a stupid grin on his face. However, his expression fell when he caught sight of Hermione. He shoved Pansy away from him and made his way to her side. He wrapped Hermione in his arms and started to kiss her cheek but Hermione squawked in protest.

"Please, Drake, I know you're going to kiss girls but when you kiss her, please keep your lips to yourself." He laughed at her words and kissed the side of her head anyways. She pinched his side but smiled at him when he released her. However, she couldn't stay angry at him for long.

"You're lucky you stayed safe, now I don't have to kill you." He laughed out loud and several others around them chuckled at her words as well. Daphne grinned softly but stayed behind Hermione. It seemed that as soon as Hermione moved just a tiny bit, Draco caught sight of her. He stepped to her and grinned a roguish grin. He reached out and took her hand in his so he could bend at the waist and kiss her knuckles like a proper gentleman.

"Did you enjoy the match, my lady?" Daphne blushed but curtsied in response.

"Of course, my lord. You were wonderful." Draco released her hand but kept his eyes on her for a few moments more. Pansy came to his side and wrapped an arm around his waist, laying her hand on his chest.

"Now we can turn my birthday party into a celebration for winning. It'll be great." Hermione smiled thinly at the girl but said nothing. Draco raised his eyebrows at her in question. Hermione straightened her robes.

"Feel free to do so. I think I'll find the twins and Neville instead. I find that I have other things to do besides mingle with those undeserving of my attention. Have fun though, Drake. I'll find you before I go to bed and we'll talk." It was a slap in the face for Pansy and everyone around them had heard it. Hermione didn't make a habit of wielding the power that her family had but she had warned Pansy time and time again about making a spectacle of her cousin. If she had to publicly shame her, she would. Most of the girls took a step back, completely aware of what she had just done. Draco smirked at her but waved to the boys he usually spent time with.

"Let's go, boys. I suppose Pansy's birthday has become a quidditch celebration." He was well-aware what she had just done and he found it amusing. While he might find it amusing, he would never work against her. Pansy's eyes lit up at his words but all the girls started making excuses to not attend. Pansy's party was originally planned for that night and everyone had been happy to attend. Now, none of the girls dared attend unless they wanted to commit social suicide.

Her cousin kissed her head one last time before he allowed Pansy to wrap herself around him once again. Hermione wrapped her arm through Daphne's and pulled her back towards the castle. Since it was close to lunch time, she figured that they could eat lunch first. The other girls of Slytherin dispersed and Hermione leaned towards Daphne.

"I figured we could go eat lunch before we find the boys. You are going to stay with me, right?" Daphne burst out in laughter, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Of course, I'm going with you. You think I'm going to attend that party after what you said? I may be blonde but I'm not stupid." Hermione grinned at her but said nothing. Daphne finally calmed to just chuckles as they entered the castle.

"You know, it really is amusing to watch you sometimes. You are the last person to use the power you have just by being the Black heir and niece to Lord Malfoy. When you do decide to use it, though, it's hilarious. You cut down whoever you need to and leave them bleeding like the vicious socialite that trained you. I know Lady Malfoy taught you everything she knows." Hermione laughed now as they took their seat at the table.

"You're right, she did. She started teaching me a few years back. I'm almost ready for my role as Lady Black. I don't like to ruin people but I will do anything I have to make sure nothing happens to my family. Like it or not, Draco is the most important person in the world to me. Whoever he ends up marrying is going to end up dealing with me for the rest of their lives." Daphne's eyes sparkled at her words.

"I pity Pansy if she ever takes her place at his side." Hermione started to spoon food onto her plate.

"You should. If she can't be a proper Lady Malfoy, I'll make her regret ever taking her vows. Draco deserves the best and if he's stupid enough to choose her, I'll do my best to make sure that she fits the requirements." Daphne's face fell but Hermione squeezed her hand.

"Stop worrying about Draco. He's just being young and stupid. In case you haven't realized it yet, boys are stupid. One of these days, he'll pull his head out of his arse. He might not choose you, but I can almost guarantee you that it won't be Pansy." Daphne nodded but changed the subject.

They passed lunch with small talk about classes and homework. Hermione really wasn't sure what they could do with the twins and Neville but for once, she didn't want to study. Maybe later she would visit her Uncle Sev. It had been a couple weeks since she had spent time with him in his quarters. Once Daphne finished eating, Hermione pulled her over to the Gryffindor table where their friends were still eating. Harry was sitting between Ron and Ginny and she could feel his eyes on her as she crossed the Great Hall. The twins were grinning widely at her and Daphne when they got there. Hermione smirked at them.

"We were wondering if you three wanted to do something fun with us this afternoon." Neville cocked his head to the side and looked contemplative.

"Don't you two have a victory party to get to?" Daphne burst out laughing at his words. Hermione kept her smirk in place but nothing more. All the attention of the lion's table was on them when Daphne finally spoke.

"Only the boys will be attending the victory party. Hermione made sure to make it clear that attending the party would be social suicide." The twins started laughing and even Neville looked amused. Hermione could tell that Harry was confused. However, she didn't feel like explaining for him. Neville instead asked her reasoning.

"You finally wielded your power as Hermione Black, princess of the wizarding world. What made this happen?" Hermione just raised an eyebrow at him but Daphne burst out laughing before laughing.

"She warned Pansy a month ago to quit making a spectacle of Draco, that it wasn't dignified. She even gave them dispensation to do whatever they wanted in private but to keep it discreet. Pansy leapt into Draco's arms on the pitch and snogged him in front of everyone. Pansy declared that her birthday party was going to be a victory party. Hermione then informed her that she had better things to do than mingle with those undeserving of her time." Neville and the twins burst out in laughter. The twins leapt from their seats and dragged Hermione to sit between them while Neville gestured for Daphne to sit as well. Fred spoke once she was settled.

"Vicious little Slytherin, aren't you?" Hermione shrugged with one shoulder.

"I learned everything I know from my Aunt Cissy. Do you think she would approve of Pansy's behavior?" All three boys laughed again and then she heard a voice she hadn't heard directed to her in quite some time.

"So, you ruined Pansy socially because you didn't like her snogging your cousin?" He sounded genuinely confused so Hermione tried not to take offense. Ron, however, knew exactly what she had done. She knew that he had been taught the pureblood way of thinking just the twins had been.

"She ruined her socially because she was jealous that her precious cousin moved on from her to Parkinson." Hermione didn't have to say anything. Neville pulled his wand and hexed Weasley's mouth shut.

"Shut up, Ron. You don't even know what you're talking about. She cast aspersions on Pansy's character publicly because she refuses to keep their private life private. The main reason is because she's hoping to trap Draco into a betrothal contract." The twins were nodding and Harry still looked confused. Hermione rolled her eyes and turned to Neville.

"If he's going to survive in this world, you have to educate him." She gestured to Harry and Neville nodded.

"I try but he's resistant to learning." It wasn't her place and it wasn't her problem. Therefore, she turned back to her friends.

"What do you guys want to do? Daphne and I are yours until dinner." George grinned.

"Let's go skip rocks on the Black Lake." Hermione nodded amiably. She wasn't very good at it but she was down to do anything as long as it wasn't attending Pansy's party.

The five of them finished quickly and started for the doors that led outside. Hermione allowed the twins to formally escort her while Neville offered Daphne his arm. If Daphne didn't have such a crush on her cousin, she would be hopeful for Neville. He was a great friend and a nice boy. Sure, he was probably no better than any other boy in private but he didn't make spectacles of himself.

They spent several hours competing against each other, skipping rocks as far as they could around the lake. Fred ended up challenging Hermione to a race around the lake and she had basked in the glory of winning after she beat him by several minutes. Of course, he was unaware that she made four to five rounds around the lake every morning. Conversation did turn to schoolwork briefly, mostly because the twins were despairing that they couldn't figure out a potion for one of their pranks.

The evening drew closer and found Hermione laying on the blanket between the twins, her head on one of their legs while the other one rubbed one of her feet. She usually didn't allow such familiarity between them but she knew they wanted nothing from her but friendship. Neville had long ago draped his cloak around Daphne's shoulders and they were all talking about what they wanted to do after they graduated from Hogwarts. The twins wanted to open their own joke shop, something that she was quite sure they would excel at. Neville wanted to gain a mastery in Herbology and breed new and exciting plants. Daphne didn't really have academic plans but knew that she wanted to start a new wing of St. Mungo's for creatures that weren't allowed to be treated, like werewolves. Nobody was surprised when Hermione waxed on that while she wasn't sure what she wanted to do, she enjoyed potions, transfiguration, and creating spells.

The five of them finally headed back to the castle at dinner time. Hermione had had an enjoyable afternoon even though she hadn't been studying. It was a reminder that learning wasn't everything and she needed to remember to have fun here and there as well. The boys convinced the pair of Slytherins to dine with them that evening since all the boys were still celebrating. Just about every girl in Slytherin turned up for dinner and looked quite pleased that Hermione noticed their presence.

Hermione could feel the eyes on her from up and down the Gryffindor table. She glanced up to the High Table and while her godfather looked worried, Professor Cat looked quite pleased. She knew that she was happy that they were trying to house rivalries but until the mouth of Ronald Weasley and Seamus Finnegan were contained, that would likely never happen.

Hermione bid her friends farewell at the end of dinner. Daphne said that she was going to go to the library and find a book to read in bed that night. The twins were going to go put her advice to use while Neville was going to hang out in the common room and play chess. Hermione didn't announce her plans but she was heading to her godfather's quarters. She missed seeing him all the time and maybe they would be able to brew something together that night. With a merry wave to her friends, Hermione started off towards the dungeon, determined to forget all about Harry and Pansy. She was going to see her godfather, after all, one of her favorite people in the world.

-O-

Harry watched Hermione all through dinner, completely surprised that the twins and Neville had been able to convince her to stay and eat with them. Ron hadn't noticed him watching the Slytherin girl but he was quite sure that Ginny had. He couldn't help himself, however. In fact, he had followed them to the Black Lake and watched them, curious as to what they would do to spend their afternoon. He realized that this was probably considered stalkerish but he was truly curious what the girl did for fun. All he ever saw her do was study.

He supposed that he should feel ashamed that he listened in on their conversations but he heard nothing that was important or life threatening. He had been quite surprised to hear that such a society witch planned on having a career that dealt with potions, transfiguration, and spell creation. It made him respect her and that was more than he could say for most girls these days.

He really had been confused how and why she had ruined Pansy Parkinson socially. Sure, he wasn't going to cry over it but the thought process that went behind it eluded him. After it was explained, it made him feel a flush of embarrassment. Did his actions embarrass the name Potter? Would his parents be disappointed if they had been alive? Again, he vowed to keep private business private.

He had snogged so many girls as of late that he wasn't sure that there were any girls with morals left. Sure, they had to exist, they just had to, but he hadn't met one yet. One of them had to see that he was just using them to remove Hermione from his mind and demand better treatment, see past his eventual place as Lord Potter, his fame, and his money. However, so far, that hadn't been the case. In fact, he had met with Mandy earlier that day and spent half the match snogging and lightly petting her breasts but tonight, Ginny had begged him to meet her. He was on his way to the alcove just outside the dungeons. Nobody ever checked there during rounds and he had yet to be caught there.

He stepped into the darkness of the alcove and found that Ginny was already waiting for him. She bunched his robes in her hand and pulled him closer, her mouth slanting over his, thrusting her tongue into his mouth. Harry no longer held back, lightly massaging her tongue back. His hand fisted in her hair and jerked her head back roughly. It should have hurt but instead Ginny moaned. It went straight to his cock and he ground his hips into hers.

Ginny reached down and opened his trousers, pulling his cock out. Only Lisa had dared to give him a handy so far but Ginny surprised him completely by sinking to her knees and putting his length in her mouth. It was clumsy and it was clear she wasn't experienced but as his first blow job, he wasn't going to complain. His hands buried in her hair and he thrust into her mouth roughly, completely uncaring that he could be hurting her. Women had become a tool for him to forget, to cope, and he now treated them as such. He knew they deserved better but at the moment, he didn't care.

It didn't take him long to spill himself inside her mouth, his seed trickling out of the corners of her mouth. Her tongue snaked out and caressed his softening cock, cleaning him. Just before he could get aroused again, he pushed her away. She stood and kissed him again, something he really wasn't too keen on but allowed. She pushed his hand to her pants and urged him to slide into her knickers. Harry had never done this but he knew the general idea of what he was supposed to do.

Harry couldn't help but feel just a bit disgusted at the overgrown hair of her pussy. She was only twelve! Did she take some sort of potion to appear older? He knew that most witches didn't believe in shaving, very few did, but muggles were firm believers in being hygienic. However, he tried to ignore it and focus on the task at hand. Ginny was sopping wet, something he really didn't find surprising. Ginny was rumored to have fun with three to four boys so he was probably not the first one to do this for her. He really wasn't that interested but since she had made him orgasm so spectacularly, he felt he owed her. His finger found her nub and started to rub circles around it, just like the books had told him.

It didn't take her long to orgasm. At least, he thought she did. She moaned loud enough in his ear that he wasn't sure he'd be able to hear until the next day. Her pussy didn't spasm like he had read and it didn't gush fluid. He hoped that she was just different rather than faking it. If he was going to do something, he was going to do it right. He pulled his hand from her pants and sniffed his fingers. She wasn't paying attention so he didn't feel bad that the smell wasn't what he had expected. He vowed to cast a cleansing charm as quickly as he could after he left. Ginny turned mischievous eyes to his and Harry was reminded in that moment that she was exceedingly young. He should probably feel guilty but the one time he had tried to deny her, she had been even more forceful.

"You were great, lover. I hope I was as good as you were." Harry couldn't keep back the grin at her words. She had definitely been good.

"You were amazing." Ginny grinned now.

"Shall I tell my mum we're exclusive?" Harry frowned at her and stepped back.

"Gin, we aren't exclusive. I shouldn't even be messing around with you, you're twelve. This is wrong. I don't want to be exclusive with anyone." Ginny seemed to realize that he was retreating and stepped forward to grab his hand and lay it on her cheek.

"That's fine. You have your fun and when we're both old enough, we'll deal with it then. Just don't stop letting me make you happy." Harry knew he should get out now while he could but he couldn't help it. As soon as they had separated, his miserable life came flooding back, the look on Hermione's face when she had ran from him and the guilt that refused to leave him. Hoping for another chance to forget it all, he nodded. Ginny grinned and went to her tip toes to kiss him before she stole from the alcove as silently as he had come. When Harry had tucked himself back in his pants and left the alcove, he stepped out right in front of Hermione Black. She ran right into him and he wanted to catch her but knew that it would be wrong to catch her with the hand that smelled of Ginny's pussy. Therefore, she fell to the ground and cried out as she landed on her tail bone. Harry stepped forward and offered her the hand that wasn't soiled. She refused to take it, however, and kept her eyes downward and she tried to slip past him.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to run into you." Harry reached out and caught her elbow but she shook him off as if his touch burned.

"It was my fault, not yours. I'm sorry I didn't catch you." Hermione nodded slightly and tried to move forward again. He hadn't released her yet so she sighed and turned towards him fully.

"Please let me go. I'm trying to do as you asked and leave you alone and stay away from you. I can't do that when you're holding onto me." Harry knew that he had no right to hold her there but he kept hold for just a moment later.

"I am sorry. For everything." She finally raised her eyes to meet his and Harry could see the pain there.

"Please, if you want me to leave you alone, allow me to do so. Don't apologize when you're just going to do something hurtful again. We both know you feel guilty but your feelings haven't changed. You don't have to feel guilty about me. Just consider me someone who tried to be your friend but decided it wasn't a good idea. You don't have to be sorry. I got the message and I'll leave you alone. What more do you want?" Harry had a mountain of things that he wanted to say but he remained silent. It wouldn't be fair to her so he released her as she had asked. Instead, he muttered the words again.

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry." She smiled at him sadly now.

"You don't have to be." Without another word, she was gone and he felt even worse about himself, mostly because she was right. Nothing had changed except that he felt bad about hurting her. She was doing as he had asked and he had no right to make things harder for her. He watched her scurry away and hated himself even more than before. Without another word, he turned and headed towards the Tower.

He would do anything to forget tonight but he didn't think that he could that lucky.

-O-

Severus grinned at his goddaughter as she explained what she had done to Pansy. He hadn't expected any less; everyone in the school had seen Pansy's kiss. They had both been raised to enjoy attentions from their other half but to keep it private. Pansy was truly not showing herself well and he had truly thought that his ruthless niece would have done something about it earlier.

They were laying on the couch together; or rather, he was sitting in the corner while she took up the rest of the couch with her feet in his lap. He was rubbing one absentmindedly while he listened to her prattle on. He could tell that something was bothering her but wasn't sure what it could be since putting Pansy in her place should have made her day. When her dialogue finally ended, he arched an eyebrow at her.

"Tell me what's bothering you, dearheart." She rolled to her side but didn't pull her foot from his grasp. She sighed and seemed to be contemplating what to tell him. Finally, after several minutes, she met his gaze.

"Can I trust you not to tell my father?" Severus glared at her. He would never betray her trust unless she was in danger.

"Unless you're in danger, I won't say a word." She sighed again and began.

"I realized that when Harry told me all those horrible things that I liked him. Not just as someone who should have been my brother, but I liked him, liked him. Now, he's snogging everyone he comes across and he just tried to apologize to me this evening. I saw Ginny Weasley leaving the alcove he was in and then he tried to tell me how sorry he is after he's the one who drove me away. It's just very confusing and it hurts even though I want to forget so badly. I want to forget Harry Potter but that won't ever be possible because of who he is to my dad. He'll always be there rubbing it in my face that I'm not good enough for him and it hurts." Severus reached down and pulled her hand until she was leaning against him. He hated teenaged drama more than anything but his goddaughter was in pain and he hated to see that.

"I'm sure I'm telling you what Draco has already told you. If Potter is too fucking stupid to realize how wonderful you are, he doesn't deserve you. You'll find someone who cherishes you for the treasure you are." His goddaughter nodded against his chest.

"I know, that's what I keep telling myself. It doesn't make it hurt any less though. How do you get past your first heartbreak?" Severus wanted to groan at her words but he didn't.

"You just cope as best you can and distract yourself until you're over it. Sometimes you won't ever be totally over it but it will hurt far less. As for Potter, he's a young boy. He's not going to get smarter, he's going to get dumber, just as Draco will. Don't sit around and wait for him. Don't give him the satisfaction. If the chance for happiness comes along, you grasp it with both hands and to hell with Potter. If you two are meant to be together, he has to pull his head from his arse first." He knew that she knew this but sometimes hearing it helped. She grinned against him and nodded.

"Thanks, Uncle Sev. I love you." He kissed the top of her head and grinned even though she couldn't see him.

"Love you too, princess." She pulled out of his grip and laid back down before grinning mischievously at him.

"You didn't finish my foot massage." He picked up his wand and sent a mild stinging hex at her backside. She yelped loudly and scowled at him before grinning unrepentantly.

"Brat." Even though she grinned at him, he still picked her foot back up and started massaging it again. The only female in his life laughed and started to regale him with tales from her afternoon, reminding him there were still good things in her life.

Severus grinned as he listened to his goddaughter enlighten him with the story of her day. He loved her more than anything and listened with a smile.

After all, she was worth it.

A/N- Just a little teenaged drama and angst. My daughter is thirteen and it's horrid. I don't know how I ever survived, I'm surprised my mother didn't murder me. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Thanks to everyone out there reading and reviewing, you guys are awesome! Leave me a message after the beep and leave me your thoughts.

Next chapter, Hermione shows up Ron in class and things explode.

Love,

Alicia