Title:Andromeda
Rating:PGish
Author:Houakan
Pairing:Sorta Draco/Harry. Will be more strongly
Summary:6 years after leaving Harry returns to Hogwarts only to find
a strange child that forces him to face his past and it's consequences.
AN: Thanks to Kay for Betaing again. It's another short chapters but you know how the muses union is. Working for only a little bit at a time. Please tell me what you think



Draco tried hard to concentrate on the babbling of the little girl floating in the water in front of him and not on the man that had waltzed back into his life that day after 6 years, but it was useless.

"So what should I caw that man?" Andromeda asked, prodding the enchanted rubber duck Remus had given her for her first birthday. It squeaked indignantly and swam away. "Dray Dray? What should I caw him?" An angry look crossed Draco's faced as he mumbled something under his breath. The little girl gasped. "Dray Dray! I can't caw him THAT!"

Sirius and Harry sat quietly across from one another in the teachers lounge. "How can she be my daughter?" Harry asked, barely breaking the silence of the room. "It's impossible."

"That's what we all thought, well save Draco and Severus. But they did a genetic revealing spell and you and Draco were the parents." Sirius answered.

"But how?" Harry asked. "And why?"

"After you left Draco, no one knew what was really going on. None of us really asked what caused Rommi to start growing, but everyday we gathered into a small dungeon room and watched the clear caldron as she grew. However, the only ones who knew how she got there was Draco and Severus. After she was born, we all had our hands full. Draco needed help raising her, so, Remus, Severus, and I stepped in. We took turns keeping her in class with us when we all had classes at the same time. When one of us didn't have classes, we had her. In the evenings the four of us took turns watching her so the others could do their lesson plans and things. We all cared for her, but Draco came to depend on her." Sirius explained. "But even though she keeps us all on our toes, she can't keep his mind off of you. He still calls out to you in his sleep."

"Is Rommi asleep Draco?" Remus asked quietly as sat down with Draco in their shared apartments.

"Yeah. She said she want's you to wake her up in the morning." Draco picked up the cup of tea Remus had placed in front of him. They sat in companionable silence for a moment.

"How do you think you'll do tomorrow with Harry being back?" Remus asked, calling Draco's attention away from the fire.

"Can't I just hide in here until he goes away?" Draco replied weekly.

"I don't really think that's an option." Draco turned away from him, "You have to face him sometime Draco. He is Rommi's father after all."

"No, I'm her father. He may be the source of half of her genetics but I'm the one that's been here for her. You and Sirius and Severus are more her fathers than that man." Draco replied angrily.

Remus sighed, "Draco I know you're angry with him, but you should at least talk to him. He's back now, for good it seems, it wouldn't be fair to him or Rommi to keep them apart." Remus stood. "Sirius will bee wondering where I am, I better be off to bed." He started for the door to the bedrooms but paused before leaving, "Just talk to him Draco. Maybe he still loves you."

"If he loved me then he wouldn't have left."

"Professor Dumbledor, I think there has been a mistake with these schedules." Sirius said at the staff meeting the next morning. "The third block of classes on Tuesdays and Fridays you gave Draco, Remus, Severus and I 6th and 7th years at the same time. There's no one left to watch Rommi." At the mention of her name the little girl looked up from her play area on the floor.

"I'm sorry." Dumbledor said, not looking all that regretful, "but there is nothing I can do. Scheduling was very hard this year, that was the best I can do."

"Why can't you just keep her in class with you?" Professor Sprout asked, slightly confused.

"Because our 6th and 7th year curriculum are to in depth to be watching her and teaching at the same time." Draco said sounding very tired already.

"I can watch my sewf." the Andromeda said proudly climbing onto Remus' lap, "Right Remmi?"

"I'm sorry Angel, but I just can't let you stay on your own yet." Draco said quietly, smiling softly at his daughter. The little girl pouted.

"Well where else are we going to send her?" Severus asked, glaring around the room. The other teachers shied away from ever keeping the energetic little girl during school hours. After a few moments a quiet yet determined voice interrupted the silence.

"I'll keep her." Harry said, meeting Draco's eye.

Draco opened his mouth to protest when Dumbledor cut him off. "See now? Problem solved. . ." As the older wizard moved on with the meeting, Draco settled for glaring at his old lover.

"Draco, can I talk to you?" Harry asked, stopping Draco on his way to the great hall for the start-of-term feast.

"No." Draco answered flatly, speeding up a step.

"Dray Dray swow down." Andromeda whined, trotting to keep up with her father.

"Sorry Angel," He said picking the small girl up and hugging her softly.

"Draco I need to talk to you." Harry insisted again.

"Listen Harry." Draco said, whirling around to face the other man. "I don't want to talk to you now and I won't want to talk to you later." Draco's silver eyes bored into Harry's green ones. "So just leave me alone. It's bad enough Rommi'll have to stay with you twice a week, any more than that I want you out of our lives as much as possible." With that Draco swept down the hall, little girl in his arms and head held high.

The great hall was filled with Children by the time Harry got there. His gaze slid over to the Gryffindor table, where yet another generation of Weasleys were already causing trouble, their bright red hair and loud voices setting them apart. The Slytherins conversed in hushed tones, glances sliding over different people. The Hufflepuffs were whispering amongst themselves, no doubtedly, if thing were anything like when Harry was at school, starting the rumor wheel for that year and the Ravenclaws were comparing book titles.

"Some things never change." He whispered to himself, as he slid into his seat next to Sirius.

"Uncwe Siri." Andromeda hissed at her "uncle" from down the table. "Teww Dray Dray to let me come down and tawk to you and Remmi."

"Sorry Rommi but you know you're not allowed out of your seat during meals." Sirius hissed back.

"Why does she call you and Snape uncle but Remus Remmi?" Harry asked, intrigue by the child he barely knew as his.

"Remus spent more time with her than Severus and I did. So Dray. . . Draco and he didn't get an uncle." Sirius shrugged.

"And I thought you and Snape hated each other and now you live in the same apartments?" Harry was trying to figure out much of the complicated life he had come back to. When he had left it had been so simple, and now it was full of blond haired child who held more energy than all of Diagon Ally. It had been two days and he already couldn't imagine not having her at least in the background of his life, and he wanted her in the forefront.

"Well raising a child tends to change a person. We put our differences behind us for Rommi." Sirius watched the incoming children excitedly. "Hermione and Ron's little girl, Anne, their oldest."

"Yes I remember her." Harry interrupted, "She was born less than a year after graduation."

"Yes well, she's starting her first year this year."

Sure enough, at the head of the line of first years was a red headed girl, striving confidently to the front of the hall. "Does she realize she'll be one of the last to be sorted?" Harry whispered.

"Of corse she does." Sirius whispered back, his eyes not leaving the Weasley. "She's Hermione's daughter. Smart as her mother but a temper to match her Fathers."

Harry smiled fondly at the daughter of his two best friends, pain hitting his heart for the millionth time since he had come back as he realized once again the effect his leaving had on the people around him. This girl, who was his God-daughter, he barely knew. A girl who he should know almost as well as his own flesh and blood he hadn't seen since she was 5.

"What have I done?" he asked himself quietly. "Merlin, what have I done."

Draco spotted the tear that slipped down Harry's cheek and wanted nothing more at that moment, as he stared at the man he loved, to wipe that tear away. For a moment he forgot everything Harry had put him through and just wanted to hold him. But then he looked down at the young girl who was about to be sorted and Andromeda next to him and he remembered everything Harry had caused with his leaving and Draco's poor napkin suddenly found it self being strangled.

"Dray Dray." Andromeda tugged on his robe sleeve. "I'm hungry."