Diabetes. How she hated that word. Towards the end of her fourth year she had gotten sick. She felt dizzy, ate so much yet lost a lot of weight. Her parents had been shocked when she had been diagnosed; they both thought that a witch probably could not get such a disease. They had become so protective of her these last three years. Maddie hated these bounds. Her wild spirit was crying desperately to get out. Yet it had gotten better. During the last year, she had had considerably few fights with her mother.
She shifted her focus back to Potions. Snape was lecturing the class about something. She really couldn't care less. She sighed heavily.
"You ok?" Malfoy asked her with almost a bit of concern. She forced a small smile and nodded.
"Now today we will be using the same partners as yesterday," Snape barked. The class groaned, with the exception of Maddie and Malfoy. She looked at him and he turned his head away. They had almost made a connection the day before.
"Let's get started," Malfoy said and started to heat the cauldron. Maddie started to chop ingredients and he sat down next to her and began to help.
"Can I ask you something?" she asked bluntly.
"Shoot," he answered, not looking up from his cutting.
"It's a bit personal."
He looked up at her with interest. "Go ahead."
"Why are you so cross? I mean, why don't you try to get along with other people?"
He looked at her quizzically. "I do try and I succeed," he said stuffily.
"Not with any other house than Slytherin."
Malfoy sighed. "Maddie, look. They're not exactly angels to me either."
"Well, if you'd be nice once maybe they would be."
"You don't understand."
"Try me."
"It's," he started. "It's my father."
"What about him?" Maddie asked.
"It's nothing. Just forget it." he snapped angrily. He started to chop with more force, almost cutting his finger.
"Draco," Maddie said and placed a hand on his shoulder. He glanced up at her. Good god, he looks like Grayson, she thought. All he needs are some freckles and they could be twins.
"Why do you care?" he said. His voice had a bit of a shake in it.
"I just do. Tell me," she pleaded.
"My father doesn't approve of me associating with other houses."
"You're associating with me."
"We are working together on a class assignment," he sneered. "Are you a mudblood?"
"No. Is your father opposed to them also?"
"Yes. He hates them the most," Malfoy sighed.
"Well, I think your father is either a jerk or a bit crazed," she stated.
"He's the former," he said with a grin. "The latter describes my mother." Maddie laughed. "Which really works because they hate each other's guts!" he started to laugh. "What about your parents?"
"They're both, so, I don't know, perfect. Especially my mother. She's brilliant and just good at everything. I don't know how I'm her kid."
"Do they like each other?"
"Yeah," Maddie admitted.
"Then you're lucky. I wish my parents got along. Actually what happens is they don't talk to each other at all. I live in silence," he said with a small, sad smile.
Maddie paused and looked at him. "Why do you keep on looking over at Harry and co. during class? You don't have a crush on Hermione, do you?" she joked, trying to change the subject.
Malfoy snorted. "No way."
"Well, who do you like?" Maddie asked. "I think I know."
"No you don't."
"I think I do, but, whatever," she smiled. She looked at him again. He was actually handsome, with his blonde hair and blue eyes. She missed Gray so much.
***
Harry sat at the foot of their tree. He had just gotten done with Quidditch and was now thinking profusely. He didn't want to die. He saw Hermione walking toward him and forced a smile.
"Hey," he said as she sat down next to him.
"Hey," she returned greeting.
"Where's Ron?" he asked.
"Off flirting with the sixth years," she grinned. "Real mature of him, but this is Ron. Oblivious to the world." She looked at him worriedly. "What's wrong?"
"I was just thinking," he said softly. She nodded.
"You want me to go?" Hermione offered, getting up.
"No, no. Don't." She sat down again, watching the Hufflepuff Quidditch team practice.
"They're really bad," she pointed out.
Harry grinned. "Yep. Of course, the one time we've lost a game we ironically lost to Hufflepuff."
"Amazing," Hermione said, shaking her head. "Because they are really, really bad."
"Hermione, about the other night…"
"Yes?"
"I want you to know that I appreciate your and Ron's support, but I don't want to endanger you two," he said slowly.
"We're not changing our minds. We're with you 100%," she said stubbornly, then she looked up at him. "We're friends, right?"
"Right," he whispered softly. He didn't know what came over him. He just had a feeling wash through him. He leaned very close to her, looking into her eyes. She shut them and he leaned closer….
Bam! A bludger hit the tree and threw them both back apart from each other. "Sorry!" a fourth-year Hufflepuff beater called out. Harry and Hermione just looked at each other for a minute.
"Well, I have got to be going," Hermione said.
"Yeah, we've got homework."
"And with our N.E.W.T.'s coming soon, I need to be studying," she rambled. "Bye!" she called out and left.
Stupid, she chastised herself as she left. You're scared. Scared of a lot of things.
***
Ginny walked to the Gryffindor common room from the Great Hall with Ron and her friends. He was obvious flirting with her best friend, Rosalie. It was very uncomfortable because Rosalie had confided in her days earlier that she thought Ron was 'hot'. Ginny had felt like vomiting at that statement, but being the good friend she was she held it in.
Does Rosalie have to be so smart? She thought to herself. She was carrying Rosalie's books along with her own and they weighed at least fifty pounds. Probably in total she was carrying eighty pounds of books. She dawdled behind Ron and Rosalie, farther and farther behind until they turned a corner and left her behind. Thanks guys, she sneered.
"Need a hand?" a voice came from behind her.
It was not a voice she expected. Ginny turned around to find Draco Malfoy standing there, offering to help her. "Sure," she mumbled, still in shock. "Here." She handed him Rosalie's books.
"How many courses does she take?" Malfoy whined.
"A few too many," Ginny said with a grin. Draco Malfoy, a Slytherin, trying to help her, a Gryffindor sixth-year whose brother he despised? This didn't fit. "Why are you doing this?"
"I'm trying to be nice," he said.
"Why?"
"I found out today that I'm usually not very nice to people. I'm trying to change that," he said kindly.
"Oh." Ginny mumbled, awestruck. "Thanks."
"Don't mention it," he said with a smile. "Why are you alone?"
"My brother and my best friend went off and left me, flirting." He chuckled at that.
"Sounds like something Weasley would do," he said. "No offense, Ginny, but your brother is…"
"Not with it?" she finished. He nodded. "None taken. He's like that. He's quite a player, and I'm a bit worried about Rosalie."
"She'll be fine," he said. They reached the Gryffindor common room. "Here you go," he said, handing her back Rosalie's books.
"Bye. Thanks again," she said. He waved and walked away. That was odd, Ginny thought to herself.
***
Maddie looked at herself in her mirror. She had to admit that she was pretty. If one really wanted to make a contest out of things, she was prettier than Gwyneth. Her bright green eyes almost sparkled. Her long chestnut hair went halfway down her back. Her nose was cute and 'bunny-ish' as Gwyneth had called it. Her teeth were small and perfect, unlike Gwyneth's slightly bucked teeth.
Just then Hermione came into the dorm and threw herself on her bed. Maddie froze. She turned around and looked at Hermione. "What's wrong?" she asked.
"Ugh!" Hermione groaned. "Just things." She sat up and looked at Maddie. "You have very pretty eyes."
"Thanks," Maddie said, uncomfortable.
"Can I tell you something?" she asked.
"Sure," Maddie said, sitting on the bed facing her. "What is it?"
"Oh, it's embarrassing."
"Oh, come on. You know you want to tell me," Maddie grinned.
"Well, I was outside by the Quidditch field, and Harry and I were talking."
"Uh huh. Go on."
"Well, he almost kissed me. We were interrupted by a bludger of the team that was practicing," Hermione said solemnly, biting her bottom lip.
"Wow, Hermione! That's great!"
"I don't know," she sighed. "I mean, we're best friends. It might ruin our friendship."
"Well, don't you want more than friendship?" Maddie asked.
"Yes. Yes and no. I guess I do. I don't know. I'm so confused." She sighed and put her face in her hands.
"If he had kissed you, would it have been your first?"
"Yes," she admitted. "Pretty sad, huh?"
"Not really." She was so naïve about some things. Maddie felt a rush of guilt flow through her.
"I have to go to the library. It was good talking to you."
"Good talking to you too," Maddie said.
"Bye."
"Bye."
She watched Hermione leave. Poor girl, she was so wonderful and had such little self confidence. She was perfect. Maddie happened to know that Ron had a crush on her during their third and fourth year, and Harry had liked her for a year. Poor perfect Hermione.
Maddie felt horribly guilty. Hermione was nice, but Maddie was seeing something in her she had never noticed before. She had been watching her very closely and intensely, searching for something, anything. And she found something. She was confused. Perfect Hermione was confused and torn about something. Maddie had always thought that she had had the answer to everything. Here she was, just as confused as Maddie always was. It was small and a bit stupid, but it made her feel closer to her than ever before. She took a picture of Hermione off of Hermione's bedside table.
"I'm sorry," Maddie mumbled softly, fingering the photo. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I put you through everything I have. I'm sorry I wasn't as good as Gwyneth. I'm sorry I didn't try harder. I'm sorry I'm not smart and I'm sorry I can't play Quidditch and I'm sorry I can't make you proud of me." Tears were falling down her cheeks. "I'm sorry I put you through hell my fourth year. I'm sorry I ran away. I'm so sorry I got sick. You didn't deserve it. I didn't deserve your kindness. I'm sorry I hurt you. I love you Mum. And I will make it up to you. I will. You and Dad. I'll save you. And I promise I'll never hurt you again. I love you."
She took a family photo she had hid under her pillow. It was about three years old. It was taken in the summer before her fourth year. She saw her fourteen year old self smiling broadly. Gwyneth was next to her, grinning, wearing her head girl badge with pride. The was Jamie, who was starting his first year that fall, holding his first wand. He looked just like their father had when he was smaller. The behind them where their parents. There they were, aged about twenty years, her father with his wild black hair and glasses, and her mother with her warm cinnamon eyes and long brown hair.
"I love you all," Maddie said. "I won't rest until you are alive."
A/N: Now you know who she is! (In case you didn't, she's Harry & Hermione's daughter.) Please please please review guys! I hate not getting feedback. I'm begging you! J