Author's Note: Well, I'm still a starving student, so obviously I do not own Harry Potter. If I did, I don't think I'd be spending my time studying J
Merry Christmas to you all. I hope you had a good one, and have a Happy New Year.
Thanks go out to my reviewers and friends. Major thank you to Skye for her prodding of me continuing, and to annelle for the constructive criticism that sparked my will to write again.
Fatal Attraction
Chapter Four – Love in a Bud
The room slowly turned to face Aleese. "I…I don't know…I mean…" She muttered quietly, rather shocked. "I…"
Dumbledore rubbed her back gently, and smiled. "Take your time." He whispered lightly to her.
"Father, I think I would like to stay here at Hogwarts. I like it here, and I prefer to stay with my new…friends." Aleese whispered back, turning to tell her father her wishes.
Dumbledore sighed gently, as if he did not wish to have her follow that course. But, he seemed to steel himself to it, and nodded. "If that is what you wish, Aleese."
Harry turned over to his friends and grinned.
"Since Aleese has made her wishes known, I believe it is time for the rest of Hogwarts to go to sleep! I would hate to have to deduct points for children being out of bed at this hour." Dumbledore smiled while he and Snape ushered the children out of the room and to their own respective dormitories.
After making their way back up to the boy's dormitory, Harry and Ron couldn't help but chatter. Neither of them had expected the red hair underneath the robe, and the shock at Dumbledore having a daughter was going to make it difficult for any of the children to go back to sleep. It explained some of his odd behaviour towards the girl recently (AN: As well as my inability to write Dumbledore in Character). Harry and Ron climbed into bed and quietly whispered to each other their shock until they decided it would be best to just make their way down to the common room and wait for breakfast. They quickly got dressed and then were surprised to find half of Gryffindor had made the same decision about breakfast and were all chatting away quietly about Aleese.
"Not really surprising, you know." Hermione said, coming up from behind them. "He has been acting odd towards her. Rarely does he do such introductions, nor explain things about students. Personally, I think Dumbledore would be a good father." She continued.
"I don't know if I'd want any professor to be a parent. Just imagine what would happen if you got a bad mark!" Ron groaned.
"It's not so bad really." A voice piped up from behind them. The three turned to stare at Aleese.
"Aleese!" Harry squeaked slightly. "We didn't mean to…"
"Its alright Harry. I can't blame you guys for being…surprised. I grilled my father as soon as I heard you were going to Hogwarts, so we're even now." Aleese seemed to radiate calm from behind her drawn up hood. Harry couldn't help but wish that there were no hood to her robe. The hair underneath was beautiful, and before he knew it, he had reached up his hand to touch it. Catching himself, he pretended to brush away a piece of lint.
"So, what are you doing here, this morning?" Hermione asked.
"I couldn't sleep and I wanted to see you all before I walked into the Great Hall this morning. Somehow, I can't imagine people going on about me as normal. I just…I hope I haven't made a mistake in staying." Aleese sighed, her hood facing more downwards.
"You haven't. We want you here, and we'll protect you. Besides, Harry is used to it. You should see how people used to stare at him." Ron grinned, in an attempt to comfort her. Hermione lightly punched his side, while Aleese giggled beneath her hood.
"We certainly are made to be together, aren't we Harry." Aleese giggled again. "Destined almost, by Voldemort."
Harry stared at her, and his heart began to beat rapidly. While her comment was made in a friendly, light-hearted way, he couldn't help but feel some truth to her words. They were certainly two of a kind.