Another chapter up! Sorry for my disappearance!

Comments:

Yuriko-Rurinia: I'm glad you like it!

Remember to keep posting your reviews cause I love hearing your opinions!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

~GharrahGirl

(SG:Y1)

I yawn widely as I sit up, shaking my head slightly to clear the sleep form my head. It's Sunday, then...

I get out of bed and quickly shower and dress before I head up to breakfast alone, more than eager to see what the day will bring. As I walk up the stone steps and into the Entrance Hall, I notice the sun shining through the high windows. Ah, good. I always love a sunny Sunday. I enter the mostly empty Great Hall and head to the Gryffindor table, where I grab some eggs and toast and dig in, quite content with the quiet drone of voices.

"You're up early."

I look up and Smile as I see Hermione standing near the table. I sit straighter and smirk up at her.

"So are you."

"Yes, well, I had to get a new book at the Library."

"I'm not surprised. Have you already eaten?"

She nods, and I pop the rest of my toast in my mouth before standing with a slight smile. She returns it and walks with me as we exit the Great Hall together, her chatting aimlessly about the book she just finished last night. I keep silent as we head back out to the Black Lake, the two of us sitting near a tree and just enjoying the lovely sunny weather. After a bit, she finishes talking about her book, and we just sit in silence for a bit.

"What's the Slytherin common room like?"

I look over at Hermione, who is sitting against the tree as I lay and bask in the sun near her. She's looking down at me, clearly curious and eager for an answer.

"It's under the Black Lake, so it's got a greenish light to it."

"Under the Black Lake? Really?"

I nod, shutting my eyes and turning my face up toward the sun once more.

"I assume there's a lot of green?"

I nod, keeping my eyes shut, "The couches and chairs are black, and the wood is dark. There's a fireplace that has the crest hanging above it. Our beds are made with green sheets and surrounded by velvety green curtains."

"Is it cold?"

"The common room is kind of chilly, but it's really welcoming on a hot day. The rooms aren't, or, at least, mine's not."

"Are the other girls nice?"

"Not particularly, but I'm a professor's daughter, so they don't really talk to me. I think they think I'll tell my dad if they do anything bad or be too mean to me."

"What's your father like outside school?"

"Different, but the same. He's not so stressed in the summer," I say, sighing as I open my eyes and look at her, "He doesn't yell or glare, and he's not all silent and broody all the time. In the summer, he lets me help him with projects and teaches me different potions techniques. Sometimes, we'll go to Diagon Alley for new ingredients, and he'll tell me about their different uses, or he'll quiz me if he's already told me before."

"Sounds like school over the summer," she says, smiling in amusement.

"It kind of is, but it's also not. He doesn't lecture me or take points or belittle me if I get it wrong, he simply corrects me and moves on. Neither of us are particularly energetic people, so the house is really quiet. It's just us, really. It's called Prince Manor. It used to belong to my grandmother before she died, and Dad inherited it. When I was born, he gave me his room from his childhood, and he took his parents' old room. There used to be these really nice people that lived a mile or so away, the Evans'. They were really nice, always used to talk to me, and Mrs. Evans used to make me cookies. They were muggles. Dad never really like me going there, but he never told me why. I could tell it was painful for him, though, bad memories or something. So, I only ever went over there when he'd leave to help Professor Dumbledore with this or that or go tutor Draco in Potions. I always made sure I was back home before he got back, though. I think he knew, but he never said anything.

"In the morning, we sit down together for breakfast and tea, and again at lunch and dinner. He never misses it, and I never miss it. It's like an unspoken rule. So, even if he'd be gone all day, he'd still make sure to make it home for meals with me. When I was little, he'd read to me before bed, and he'd even let me sit in his study while I played or colored and he worked on new potions. Draco would come over and play sometimes, but he stopped when I showed him we lived near muggles. His father didn't approve."

"Do you still visit them?"

"Not often anymore. They always seemed so sad, you know? When I was younger, I didn't notice, but I started to as I got older. One day, I asked them, and they just said they lost one of their daughters a while back. I asked them before why they always let me come over, I thought I bothered them, but they told me I remind them of their oldest daughter, the one that died. I never found out how she died, you know, but I don't figure it matters too much. It really hurt them to talk about. I asked Dad once, but he wouldn't tell me. That was the first time I ever saw him actually, properly mad at me. He sent me to my room, wouldn't let me out for the rest of the night. I was so mad and upset and confused that I refused to go to dinner with him, so he dropped me off at the Malfoy's for a few days. We'd never fought before then, and it was really bad, but I was just so sorry and crying by the time he came and got me. I was eight. You know, I might just visit that old couple again when I go back home. They must be... Oh, about seventy now. They're both pretty healthy, though,so I think they'll last quite a few years more."

Hermione stays quiet for a bit, and I look over to see her with a soft smile on her face.

"He sounds so different."

"He is."

"Have you talked to him about what happened in class?"

I roll onto my stomach, frowning down at my hands as I pick at the grass.

"No, I haven't. Like I said, we don't really fight too much, we're so alike, but... He's never yelled at me like that before, not even that time he sent me off."

"You'll never get past it if you don't try."

I look up at her and smile.

"How'd I get such a good friend out of you, Hermione?"

She only smiles and looks down at the book in her hands. I laugh slightly and roll back onto my back, basking silently in the sun once more.

(SG:Y1)

"What're you doing?"

I open one eye and smile as I see Draco looking down at me.

"I'm laying in the sun," I answer, shutting my eyes again with a smile, "What're you doing?"

"Crabbe and Goyle have detention."

"Already? What could they have possibly done?" Hermione asks, looking up in surprise.

Draco sneers slightly at her, and I smack his leg, giving him a warning look. He glares down at me, and I return the glare. We both stay silent for a minute beofre he reluctantly sighs and looks at Hermione with a forced pleasant expression.

"They set a bed on fire pretending to duel. Professor Snape gave them detention all day today for it."

"Well, sit down, then," I say, patting the spot next to me, "Lay back and relax for a bit."

"I'm a Malfoy, Charity. I don't lay in the grass."

I open one eye and smirk as I shrug.

"Then leave."

He glares before turning to do that. As he takes a step, I grab his free ankle, holding tight and causing him to fall to his knees in the grass. He glares at me, and I smirk smugly as I release him.

"Look, you're already halfway there. Now, lay down and stop being a prat."

He mumbles under his breath, but sighs as he rolls onto his back near me, looking up at the sky with disdain for a long moment before looking over at Hermione and me.

"Is this what you two do all day? Just lay in the grass?"

"No, we do homework, too, and we skip rocks and talk and stuff."

"What could you two possibly have to talk about?"

"Home," I say, shrugging, "She grew up with muggles, so she lieks hearing about how I grew up with magic, and I like hearing about how she grew up without it."

"How'd you manage," he asks, looking at her incredulously.

I wait for an angry retort, but, instead, she laughs. Draco looks at her like she's grown another head, and I only smile in response.

"Well, I didn't know it existed, did I?"

"But... How'd you get things done, get anywhere?"

"We did stuff by hand, and my parents have a car."

"A car? Those wheeled things that move?"

She nods, and he looks back to the sky silently.

"They're loud."

"Typically, yeah."

"So, you physically made your bed?"

"Yes, didn't you?"

"No, of course not. Why do it, when it can do itself?"

She raises her eyebrows.

"And you never flew?"

She shakes her head, and he looks at her, frowning slightly.

"What'd you do for fun?"

"I played games, of course, or I read."

"What, like Exploding Snap?"

"No, like Old Maid or Go Fish."

"What is that supposed to be?"

I laugh openly at his incredulous expression, and he glares at me for it.

"They're card games," Hermione explains, her voice betraying that she's trying to hold back chuckles herself.

"They're probably rubbish. Exploding Snap is the only card game worth playing. Have you played?"

"I can't say I have."

He falls silent again, and I look over at him, smiling slightly as I see his brooding face.

"If you'd like to teach her, I'm sure neither of us would say anything to anybody, Draco."

He looks at me silently, and I stare back, completely serious. I know his dilemma, and I've never seen him so open with a muggle-born before. If this is the start of a new leaf in Draco's life, then I'm happy to keep quiet about it until he's comfortable admitting it. After a bit, he nods and sits up, pulling a deck from his pocket and moving to sit across from Hermione, who looks slightly surprised before she smiles and listens as he starts explaining the game and how to play. I roll onto my stomach and watch the two with a smile. The very sight of Draco playing exploding snap with a muggle-born witch and apparently having fun doing so is one I've never seen before. It's refreshing to see another side of Draco, though, instead of the spoiled rotten pureblood brat I'm used to seeing.

"Draco, have you written your Potions essay?"

"Not yet, why?" he asks, looking at his cards to make his next move.

"You should get on that," Hermione says, looking up from her own cards, "Professor Snape will be cross if you don' do it."

"Not if you're his favorite."

"Uhm, you wish you were his favorite," I say, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

"I am his favorite," he retorts, smirking at me.

"I'm his daughter. I'm obviously his favorite."

"You wish! You're his daughter, so you're just your annoying self to him."

"I'm annoying?!"

"Yes, you are. I'm glad you've realized it."

"Draco Malfoy, I will hex you, and I won't feel sorry about it."

He looks at me, raising a challenging eyebrow.

"I don't think you will."

"Care to risk your teeth on that, Draco?"

"You two are like brother and sister," Hermione says, shaking her head with a slight smile.

Draco and I look at her, and she breaks out in laughter. Draco sneers at her, and I start chuckling, her laughter becoming contagious. Draco looks between the two of us before he, too, smirks a bit as he holds back laughter. It takes us all a few minutes to calm down. Once he's sure he's not going to laugh, Draco stands and brushes off his pants, taking the cards from Hermione as she gathers them and holds them out.

"I should get back to the common room," Draco says, looking at the setting sun, "Crabbe and Goyle should be done with detention by now. Your dad wanted to talk to you tonight, by the way."

I sigh and stand, brushing off my shirt and skirt before helping Hermione stand. We all walk together up to the school and separate, Hermione and I saying goodbye as Draco inclines his head in his own form of the word. Draco and I head toward the common room, and I go toward my dad's door, walking up to it and looking at the wood, preparing myself.

"Boomslang skin," I say quietly, opening the door as it unlocks.

I walk in, and Dad looks up silently before motioning toward a seat near his fireplace. I go over there, sitting down, and he finished writing whatever he's working on and stands, walking over and sitting in the chair across from me. He silently looks at the fire before he snaps his fingers. I frown in confusion before I smile softly as a tea kettle and two cups appear on the table between us. It magically pours tea into the two cups, and he takes one for himself, watching me silently as I take the other, sipping the hot tea before looking at him.

"My behavior was... uncalled for," he admits slowly, looking down into his cup before looking at me, "But so was yours. If you've a problem with the way I am treating a student, do not shout it to the classroom. You talk to me afterward."

"Okay. I'm... I'm sorry, Dad. I didn't mean to embarrass you in front of the rest of your students," I say, looking down at my cup in shame.

"I... apologize, as well. I shouldn't have yelled like I did."

I nod, looking back up at him to see a rare hal-smile on his face.

"Finish your tea and off to bed, okay?"

I smile widely at him.

"Of course, Father."

We sit in comfortable silence, the both of us drinking our tea in the firelight, just the two of us. Just like back home.

(SG:Y1)

And, another day down, and some Nice!Draco action! And, of course, a lovely father/daughter scene between Snape and Charity. Nothing sweeter!

Another chapter down, another to come!

Don't forget to review!

Next Chapter Update: 3-18-15

Until next time, my pretties!

~GharrahGirl