Draco started laughing, a mocking laugh.
"What?" Aleron asked, slightly offended.
"You are so obviously crazy" Draco said, his laughing stopping immediately.
"Oh is tha-"
"I mean, who would have such a weird name? ALERON"
"For your information, my DAD named me. It means eagle," Aleron said proudly. Draco laughed harder.
"Eagle? Cripes, it's like your father ran out of imagination when he named you and took the name off a billboard just outside the window!" he said.
The pony-tailed boy crossed his arms.
"Are you dissing my dad?" he asked, eyes narrowing alarmingly in a dangerous manner. Draco assumed a casual stance and crossed his arms.
"If I the word 'dissing' means insulting, in your alien language, then yes. What is your father anyway? A cheap circus performer? Hawker? SQUIB?" he asked with a sneer. Aleron glared at Draco. The look would have melted steel.
"My DAD is in one of the HIGHEST positions of the Ministry of Magic," he said.
"Oh really? What's his name? Let me guess, hm, Geraldine?"
Without warning Aleron leapt for a very startled Draco and laid a punch to the smaller boy's face. Recovering quickly, Draco kicked Aleron viciously in the face. Almost immediately a line of blood came down from Aleron's nose to his lips. He brushed it away impatiently and was about to punch Draco again when they were both suddenly defying gravity again.
"Boys!" McGonagall said crossly.
"Thank you Minerva. Now if you boys have quite finished squabbling," Dumbledore said, making an embarrassed blush creep across Aleron's face and drawing a cold arrogant scowl from Draco, "Aleron, what is the name of your father? We may be able to trace him. Find out if you are, indeed, related to Mr. Malfoy"
"This Mr. Malfoy" Dumbledore amended, remembering that they both claimed the same surname. McGonagall let them both down slowly.
"Whoa! That was sizzlin'! Can you do that again?" a very excited Aleron asked McGonagall, obviously very much in awe of her ability to make people float off the ground. In reply the teacher glared at him. Aleron's eyes suddenly widened.
"You're one of them aren't you? One of the Gifted ones!" he exclaimed. "Wow" he sighed. "Finally I get to meet one. Hey, what's-"
"The first name of your father, please Mr. Malfoy?" Dumbledore asked patiently, addressing Aleron. Aleron blushed again.
"Oh right" he said, grinning sheepishly. The proud look came across his face again. Draco desperately hoped he wasn't really related to him, this Aleron boy was just so READABLE. Not to mention irritating.
Oh geez, what if he's my cousin? Or worse, long-lost brother? Draco wondered. The thought was too much to bear. He suddenly realized McGonagall and Dumbledore were staring at Aleron in shocked silence.
"What? I didn't hear you" Draco said. Aleron sighed in irritation. Draco added short-tempered onto his list, along with irritating, easily readable, weird and stupid. Definitely stupid.
"I SAID my dad's name was DRACO"
There was a silence. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred and George, who were standing outside the door eavesdropping were momentarily deafened by Draco's loud "WHAT?!?"
Dumbledore put his wand down.
"Well?" Draco asked.
"Well Draco, it seems that Aleron IS in fact your son. You share the almost exact same genes"
"Jeans? I share the same pair of PANTS as him? Oh ew"
"GENES you moron. DNA. How THICK can someone get?" Draco snapped irritably.
"Well aren't we short-tempered"
"Well aren't we hypocritical"
"Hippo what?"
"NEVER MIND!" Draco stormed to the door and flung it open. The Gryffindors fell into the room in a heap at Draco's feet. He stared at them, his face coloring in anger.
"Interesting?" he spat then, stalking out, stepped (on purpose) on Ron's back.
"Ah!" he yelled. Ron jumped up easily, him being on the top of the pile.
"Where's the disinfectant? Hurry people I'm going to die!" he shouted. Aleron laughed, puzzling Ron.
"You're LAUGHING?" he asked in disbelief.
"Why shouldn't I?" Aleron laughed.
"Because you're Draco's SON!" Ron said, pointing a finger.
"Uh, Ron…" Harry said, laying a hand on Ron's shoulder to try and pacify him, noticing with unease a frown forming on McGonagall's face.
"Yeah. Can't believe that kerk's my DAD" he said, jerking a thumb to the empty doorway.
"E-heh. 'Lo sir, professor" Fred said with a nervous grin.
"We weren't spying or anything. Just leaning on the door. Hoo boy was that run tiring wasn't it guys?" George said, winking discreetly to the Gryffindors to make sure they got his meaning. Ron didn't.
"What run? We- ow! 'Mione! We… oh" Ron said, finally getting it. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.
"ALL of you went for a run?" he asked, amused.
"Uh, yeah. Three times around the school" Fred lied.
"And all of you wanted to lean on the same door"
"Uh…"
Dumbledore sat back in his chair. "I really think we should get more walls. Can you imagine, all these poor children having to rest on one door only" he said to Fawkes.
"Is he, like, nuts?" Aleron whispered to Ron.
"No. At least I don't think so" the redhead replied.
"Well along you go then. As for you Mr. Malfoy, I'll see if I can find something for your situation"
Aleron lifted his hand and saluted smartly, the backs of two of his index finger and middle finger, kept together touching his forehead lightly.
"Thanks sir. You rock" he said and received a sharp nudge from Hermione.
"Ix-nay on the asual-cay with the eadmaster-hay" she said out of a corner of her mouth while smiling nervously at the two teachers. Aleron looked at McGonagall's face. If her frown got any bigger would her forehead have to expand to take it? The boy wondered. He suddenly realized he had been staring blankly at McGonagall's head.
"What?" he asked Hermione, confused.
"Nothing! Never mind!" the girl said hurriedly, her smile growing wider and more plastered.
"Is SHE nuts?" Aleron asked Ron.
"Definitely" Ron replied, grinning.
Aleron shuffled a little, uncomfortably, away from Hermione. Dumbledore chuckled.
"All right now, away with you!" he said, hiding a smile. Hermione, Ron, Harry and Fred escaped thankfully. Aleron wavered.
"Thanks again, you-"
George clamped his hand firmly on the boy's mouth.
"Thank you sir, we appreciate it. Um… have a nice day" he said then beat a hasty retreat, practically dragging along a squirming Aleron.
Draco was returning to his room from an intense broomstick practice when he found himself face to face with a grinning Ron, Harry, Fred and George.
"Oh how flattering. More adoring fans. Move" he said venomously.
"Nuh-uh Malfoy. Have you forgotten something?" Fred asked. They moved aside to reveal Aleron, whose vicious scowl matched Draco's to the last detail.
"Come on guys!" he pleaded. "Why leave me with the kerk? I thought we were friends!" he added, pulling puppy eyes. Draco snorted.
"Pathetic. Bit I have to agree with him. Why leave me with the 'kerk'?" he asked. George was by Draco's side in an instant and was pulling his cheek in an almost affectionate manner.
"Come on now daddy dearest! You wouldn't abandon your SON, now would you?" he teased, grinning as Draco swatted irritably at the boy's hand.
"Be nice! He's your FATHER!" Fred said in the same teasing manner to Aleron, ruffling his hair.
"He is not my father!"
"He is not my son!"
"Oh dear. Aren't family fights so sad?" Harry asked to Ron.
"SHUT UP POTTER!"
Aleron looked with interest to Harry. "Potter? Say, you're not Jamie's dad, are you?"
"Jamie?" Harry asked with equal interest. "I have a kid?"
"Heaven forbid" Draco muttered, only to be cuffed on the head by George and ignored by Harry. Aleron nodded enthusiastically.
"Yeah, in Gryffindor, same as me!"
Draco's eyes widened. "Gryffindor?" he asked faintly.
"Yeah, Gryffindor. What, you deaf or something?"
"And you're my… my son? From the future?"
Aleron snorted. "Yeah, I'm supposed to be"
Draco's mouth hung open. It was unnerving.
"Draco…" Harry started. Draco ran forward and grabbed the front of Aleron's robes. Then buried his head into the soft robes.
"WHERE DID I GO WRONG???" he wailed.
"Why? What house are you in?" Aleron asked.
"Slytherin" Ron said the word like a curse. Aleron's eyes widened. He stood back from the shorter blonde in shock.
"OMIGOD! DAD!" he yelled in disbelief.
"Say 'Draco must be so powerful' or something and I'll slug-" Ron started. Aleron grabbed the front of Fred's robes and buried his head into them, in a similar fashion to Draco.
"WHERE DID YOU GO WRONG DAD? WHERRRRRRE???" he wailed in distress, lifting his head dramatically to the ceiling. Harry and the Weasleys exchanged an uncomfortable look at each other. All with the exception of Fred who was trying to regain his hearing.
"A new student? And I wasn't informed" Snape sneered. Aleron looked at the man blankly, hands clasped innocently behind his back.
"You weren't? Would it be good enough to tell you now?"
"No"
"That's unfair!"
"Detention!"
"DETE- IT'S NOT MY FAULT IF… IF… IF THAT OLD GUY WITH THE LONG WHITE HAIR DIDN'T TELL YOU!"
"Fifty points from your house for your insolence!"
Hermione stood up bravely. "Sir, you can't take points off his house"
"That's right. I'm from the FUTURE. You can't take points that'll really affect me!" Aleron said smugly.
"Oh is that so?" Snape asked menacingly. "Twenty points from Gryffindor Granger!"
"From GRYFFINDOR? Hey that's not fair! I'll tell my dad!"
"Shut up, shut up, shut up…" Draco muttered.
"Really? Precious daddy going to rescue his son?" Snape brought his face close to Aleron. The boy noted with some discomfort that the man's eyes were glinting just a BIT dangerously.
"Yeah!" Aleron said, gathering courage.
"Really? So, what is the name of precious daddykins may I ask?"
"Shut up, shut up, shut up…" Draco muttered, almost like a chant.
"Draco Malfoy" Aleron said immediately. Draco jumped up.
"I told you to shut up!" he yelled. Snape looked a little taken aback.
"They're both just a little uh… stressed. I'll take them to see Pomfrey…" Hermione said. With a brush of his hand Snape dismissed the three. Hermione took the two boys out.
"Are you NUTS? Going around telling people Draco's your father?" Hermione asked once they were sure they were alone.
"EXACTLY!" Draco shouted.
"But it would be a lie to say otherwise" Aleron said. Draco and Hermione stared at Aleron's face. It looked almost exactly the same as Draco's. Except the eyes weren't full of malice and hatred but of friendliness and honesty.
"You're sure he's your son?" Hermione asked.
"I hope not Mudblood, I hope not…" Draco muttered.
"Mudblood? What's that, some sort of old slang?" Aleron asked. He grinned. "Are you two, you know, girlfriend and boyfriend?"
Both Hermione and Draco yelped and leapt apart. "NO!" they both yelled simultaneously. Aleron's grin grew wider.
"C'mon, tell me" he said, nudging Hermione.
"Omigod" Draco said suddenly. He turned and looked at Aleron. "She's not… not your… ohhhh please say no"
"What?"
"What's your mother's name?"
Aleron's face suddenly became serious, sad. It was a startling transformation, one instant a happy, smiling face and the next completely dejected.
"I don't know," he said.
"What? How can you not know?" Draco pressed. Aleron's face changed again. His eyes hardened, muscles tensed, almost a protective stance. It was a stance Hermione recognized well, in Draco. Indeed, Aleron's eyes now resembled Draco's completely, cold and unfeeling.
"She left" he said, voice carefully blank.
"Left?"
"All right, she's dead!" the boy yelled. "Two weeks after I was born!" he lowered his voice and looked at his feet. "I… never knew her"
"Well maybe we can find out who she is now!" Hermione said brightly.
"What? How?" both the boys asked, Aleron's eyes brightening. Hermione looked thoughtful. She looked analytically at Aleron.
"Whoever your mother was, she was tall," she said, assessing Aleron's height.
"Muscles must have run in her family. We're all slim in my family" Draco said. Hermione looked at Aleron's muscles and nodded.
"She was also quite open. She would just talk about anything cheerfully," she said.
"Actually, no, my dad was pretty op-"
"No he wasn't" Draco snapped.
"So your mother probably had a sunny personality. And she was open. It couldn't have been you Draco; Aleron has some pretty 'open' eyes"
"Thank goodness" Draco muttered.
"So to summarize…" Hermione started.
"I married someone big and stupid" Draco said. "Just my luck. I must have been under some sort of potion or something"
"So who, in this school, is big and stupid? And a girl?" Aleron wondered. Just then someone pushed roughly past Hermione, running.
"Hey!" she exclaimed. The person (who was a girl) glanced back.
"Why don't you watch where I'M going Mudblood?" Millicent Bulstrode shouted. Hermione and Aleron blinked then turned to Draco, grinning.
"Hey…"
Draco's eyes widened. "Ohhh no. No, no, no"
"I remember you once telling me how mom used to be SO rude in school…"
"GAH!" Draco yelled then, his eyes rolling up into his skull, he promptly fainted. Aleron and Hermione watched him fall, his light body making a 'thump' noise on the floor.
"No. I did NOT marry Bulstrode"
"I think you diiiid"
"Ew. How disgusting" Draco said, taking a long, delicate sip from his goblet.
"Yes you did!" Aleron chanted happily.
"You mean you WANT her for your mother?" Draco asked coolly.
"Ew. Oh no, DEFINITELY not my mom. Did NOT get my genes from her. Nope. No way"
"Didn't think so. But then who?" Draco pondered and sat up. He found himself in his room, after Hermione and Aleron had supposedly lifted him up and taken him here. Although he firstly wondered how they knew the password and secondly why he felt more like he had been dragged than carried. Certainly he knew his back was severely bruised.
"Who knows?" Aleron shrugged. "Could've been that redhead girl. The short one, freckles, green eyes…"
"Ginny Weasley?"
"Yeah, her. She's cute"
"WEASLEY, CUTE?" Draco exploded. He paced the floor.
"Weasley, Weasley, yes, that is possible, she IS a Weasley, open, one of her brothers are… yes…" Draco stopped. "OMIGOD I MARRIED GINNY WEASLEY!" he wailed.
"Well maybe not her, maybe you married that girl in class… the one who kept staring at you"
"PARKINSON?"
"How would I know?"
"OMIGOD I MARRIED PARKINSON!"
"Well don't worry about it. I mean you won't be getting married for another couple years. And besides I'm probably wrong. Who knows, you might meet her at University!"
Draco glared at the taller boy, who shrugged casually and grinned cheerily. Draco slowly reached for his pillow, which happened to be pretty big and overstuffed with feathers.
"Do you MIND?"
"What?" Aleron asked. Draco swung the pillow hard. Aleron's face was buried in the soft pillow.
"SHUT UP ALREADY! YOU'RE RELIEVING MY STRESS!" Draco yelled.
"Family problem again?" Fred asked cheerfully, walking into the room.
"Wha… guh… HOW DID YOU GET IN HERE?" Draco shouted.
"You really should see someone about that nasty temper of yours" George said, emerging from behind his twin.
"Guys! Hi!" Aleron called. Draco glared at him.
"I suppose you told them the passwords?" he said through clenched teeth.
"Yep!" Aleron replied happily.
"I suppose you didn't come alone?" Draco snapped. A sheepish Harry and Ron came in through the door.
"Thought so" Draco said.
"We decided to help you" George said, seriously.
"What? Help me?" Draco asked.
"Yes"
"Good!" Draco said. He pushed a startled Aleron to the redhead. "Dump him in the nearest trash can. And lock the lid" he said.
"No, we meant about your family problems"
"Family is very important" Ron said.
"Tell me about it" Harry said.
"If your parents are cruel and don't pay attention to a child, the child is likely to turn out bad. They'll take drugs or turn into an alcoholic" Fred lectured.
"Or worse" George said. "They might… might…"
"Work for the Dark Lord" Ron said in a low voice.
"Voldemort" Harry explained to a confused looking Aleron. Draco stared at the boys in front of him, their faces so serious. He sat down on his bed. Then started to laugh. Slowly. It wasn't normal laughter.
"He's cracked" Aleron said, perceptive as always. Draco's laughter was low and slow, almost cackling, like a madman.
"Heh heh heh heh…"
"Uh… Draco?" Harry asked.
"See? What kind of irresponsible father is he?" Fred asked. "Don't worry kiddo you can always come to us for help" he said to Aleron.
"You… you think I have family problems?" Draco asked, gasping slightly.
"That we need to sort out" George said boldly. Crabbe and Goyle, the two boys eavesdropping outside Draco's room, curious as to why nearly everyone that Draco had declared an enemy was inside his room leapt backwards and fell on their butts when the door slammed open and the Gryffindors (including Aleron) were running for their lives, followed by a volley of pillows, blankets and generally anything Draco managed to get his hands on.
"FAMILY PROBLEMS??? FAMILY PROBLEMS??? I'LL SHOW YOU FAMILY PROBLEMS!!!" yelled a hysterical Draco. They finally stopped running outside the Slytherin dorm.
"So, you think he was angry?" asked Fred.
Isn't Aleron's stupidity just adorable??? Reviews please!
And sorry I didn't e-mail the chapter to anyone, but no one guessed correctly! Hah! (laughs evilly)
"What?" Aleron asked, slightly offended.
"You are so obviously crazy" Draco said, his laughing stopping immediately.
"Oh is tha-"
"I mean, who would have such a weird name? ALERON"
"For your information, my DAD named me. It means eagle," Aleron said proudly. Draco laughed harder.
"Eagle? Cripes, it's like your father ran out of imagination when he named you and took the name off a billboard just outside the window!" he said.
The pony-tailed boy crossed his arms.
"Are you dissing my dad?" he asked, eyes narrowing alarmingly in a dangerous manner. Draco assumed a casual stance and crossed his arms.
"If I the word 'dissing' means insulting, in your alien language, then yes. What is your father anyway? A cheap circus performer? Hawker? SQUIB?" he asked with a sneer. Aleron glared at Draco. The look would have melted steel.
"My DAD is in one of the HIGHEST positions of the Ministry of Magic," he said.
"Oh really? What's his name? Let me guess, hm, Geraldine?"
Without warning Aleron leapt for a very startled Draco and laid a punch to the smaller boy's face. Recovering quickly, Draco kicked Aleron viciously in the face. Almost immediately a line of blood came down from Aleron's nose to his lips. He brushed it away impatiently and was about to punch Draco again when they were both suddenly defying gravity again.
"Boys!" McGonagall said crossly.
"Thank you Minerva. Now if you boys have quite finished squabbling," Dumbledore said, making an embarrassed blush creep across Aleron's face and drawing a cold arrogant scowl from Draco, "Aleron, what is the name of your father? We may be able to trace him. Find out if you are, indeed, related to Mr. Malfoy"
"This Mr. Malfoy" Dumbledore amended, remembering that they both claimed the same surname. McGonagall let them both down slowly.
"Whoa! That was sizzlin'! Can you do that again?" a very excited Aleron asked McGonagall, obviously very much in awe of her ability to make people float off the ground. In reply the teacher glared at him. Aleron's eyes suddenly widened.
"You're one of them aren't you? One of the Gifted ones!" he exclaimed. "Wow" he sighed. "Finally I get to meet one. Hey, what's-"
"The first name of your father, please Mr. Malfoy?" Dumbledore asked patiently, addressing Aleron. Aleron blushed again.
"Oh right" he said, grinning sheepishly. The proud look came across his face again. Draco desperately hoped he wasn't really related to him, this Aleron boy was just so READABLE. Not to mention irritating.
Oh geez, what if he's my cousin? Or worse, long-lost brother? Draco wondered. The thought was too much to bear. He suddenly realized McGonagall and Dumbledore were staring at Aleron in shocked silence.
"What? I didn't hear you" Draco said. Aleron sighed in irritation. Draco added short-tempered onto his list, along with irritating, easily readable, weird and stupid. Definitely stupid.
"I SAID my dad's name was DRACO"
There was a silence. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred and George, who were standing outside the door eavesdropping were momentarily deafened by Draco's loud "WHAT?!?"
Dumbledore put his wand down.
"Well?" Draco asked.
"Well Draco, it seems that Aleron IS in fact your son. You share the almost exact same genes"
"Jeans? I share the same pair of PANTS as him? Oh ew"
"GENES you moron. DNA. How THICK can someone get?" Draco snapped irritably.
"Well aren't we short-tempered"
"Well aren't we hypocritical"
"Hippo what?"
"NEVER MIND!" Draco stormed to the door and flung it open. The Gryffindors fell into the room in a heap at Draco's feet. He stared at them, his face coloring in anger.
"Interesting?" he spat then, stalking out, stepped (on purpose) on Ron's back.
"Ah!" he yelled. Ron jumped up easily, him being on the top of the pile.
"Where's the disinfectant? Hurry people I'm going to die!" he shouted. Aleron laughed, puzzling Ron.
"You're LAUGHING?" he asked in disbelief.
"Why shouldn't I?" Aleron laughed.
"Because you're Draco's SON!" Ron said, pointing a finger.
"Uh, Ron…" Harry said, laying a hand on Ron's shoulder to try and pacify him, noticing with unease a frown forming on McGonagall's face.
"Yeah. Can't believe that kerk's my DAD" he said, jerking a thumb to the empty doorway.
"E-heh. 'Lo sir, professor" Fred said with a nervous grin.
"We weren't spying or anything. Just leaning on the door. Hoo boy was that run tiring wasn't it guys?" George said, winking discreetly to the Gryffindors to make sure they got his meaning. Ron didn't.
"What run? We- ow! 'Mione! We… oh" Ron said, finally getting it. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.
"ALL of you went for a run?" he asked, amused.
"Uh, yeah. Three times around the school" Fred lied.
"And all of you wanted to lean on the same door"
"Uh…"
Dumbledore sat back in his chair. "I really think we should get more walls. Can you imagine, all these poor children having to rest on one door only" he said to Fawkes.
"Is he, like, nuts?" Aleron whispered to Ron.
"No. At least I don't think so" the redhead replied.
"Well along you go then. As for you Mr. Malfoy, I'll see if I can find something for your situation"
Aleron lifted his hand and saluted smartly, the backs of two of his index finger and middle finger, kept together touching his forehead lightly.
"Thanks sir. You rock" he said and received a sharp nudge from Hermione.
"Ix-nay on the asual-cay with the eadmaster-hay" she said out of a corner of her mouth while smiling nervously at the two teachers. Aleron looked at McGonagall's face. If her frown got any bigger would her forehead have to expand to take it? The boy wondered. He suddenly realized he had been staring blankly at McGonagall's head.
"What?" he asked Hermione, confused.
"Nothing! Never mind!" the girl said hurriedly, her smile growing wider and more plastered.
"Is SHE nuts?" Aleron asked Ron.
"Definitely" Ron replied, grinning.
Aleron shuffled a little, uncomfortably, away from Hermione. Dumbledore chuckled.
"All right now, away with you!" he said, hiding a smile. Hermione, Ron, Harry and Fred escaped thankfully. Aleron wavered.
"Thanks again, you-"
George clamped his hand firmly on the boy's mouth.
"Thank you sir, we appreciate it. Um… have a nice day" he said then beat a hasty retreat, practically dragging along a squirming Aleron.
Draco was returning to his room from an intense broomstick practice when he found himself face to face with a grinning Ron, Harry, Fred and George.
"Oh how flattering. More adoring fans. Move" he said venomously.
"Nuh-uh Malfoy. Have you forgotten something?" Fred asked. They moved aside to reveal Aleron, whose vicious scowl matched Draco's to the last detail.
"Come on guys!" he pleaded. "Why leave me with the kerk? I thought we were friends!" he added, pulling puppy eyes. Draco snorted.
"Pathetic. Bit I have to agree with him. Why leave me with the 'kerk'?" he asked. George was by Draco's side in an instant and was pulling his cheek in an almost affectionate manner.
"Come on now daddy dearest! You wouldn't abandon your SON, now would you?" he teased, grinning as Draco swatted irritably at the boy's hand.
"Be nice! He's your FATHER!" Fred said in the same teasing manner to Aleron, ruffling his hair.
"He is not my father!"
"He is not my son!"
"Oh dear. Aren't family fights so sad?" Harry asked to Ron.
"SHUT UP POTTER!"
Aleron looked with interest to Harry. "Potter? Say, you're not Jamie's dad, are you?"
"Jamie?" Harry asked with equal interest. "I have a kid?"
"Heaven forbid" Draco muttered, only to be cuffed on the head by George and ignored by Harry. Aleron nodded enthusiastically.
"Yeah, in Gryffindor, same as me!"
Draco's eyes widened. "Gryffindor?" he asked faintly.
"Yeah, Gryffindor. What, you deaf or something?"
"And you're my… my son? From the future?"
Aleron snorted. "Yeah, I'm supposed to be"
Draco's mouth hung open. It was unnerving.
"Draco…" Harry started. Draco ran forward and grabbed the front of Aleron's robes. Then buried his head into the soft robes.
"WHERE DID I GO WRONG???" he wailed.
"Why? What house are you in?" Aleron asked.
"Slytherin" Ron said the word like a curse. Aleron's eyes widened. He stood back from the shorter blonde in shock.
"OMIGOD! DAD!" he yelled in disbelief.
"Say 'Draco must be so powerful' or something and I'll slug-" Ron started. Aleron grabbed the front of Fred's robes and buried his head into them, in a similar fashion to Draco.
"WHERE DID YOU GO WRONG DAD? WHERRRRRRE???" he wailed in distress, lifting his head dramatically to the ceiling. Harry and the Weasleys exchanged an uncomfortable look at each other. All with the exception of Fred who was trying to regain his hearing.
"A new student? And I wasn't informed" Snape sneered. Aleron looked at the man blankly, hands clasped innocently behind his back.
"You weren't? Would it be good enough to tell you now?"
"No"
"That's unfair!"
"Detention!"
"DETE- IT'S NOT MY FAULT IF… IF… IF THAT OLD GUY WITH THE LONG WHITE HAIR DIDN'T TELL YOU!"
"Fifty points from your house for your insolence!"
Hermione stood up bravely. "Sir, you can't take points off his house"
"That's right. I'm from the FUTURE. You can't take points that'll really affect me!" Aleron said smugly.
"Oh is that so?" Snape asked menacingly. "Twenty points from Gryffindor Granger!"
"From GRYFFINDOR? Hey that's not fair! I'll tell my dad!"
"Shut up, shut up, shut up…" Draco muttered.
"Really? Precious daddy going to rescue his son?" Snape brought his face close to Aleron. The boy noted with some discomfort that the man's eyes were glinting just a BIT dangerously.
"Yeah!" Aleron said, gathering courage.
"Really? So, what is the name of precious daddykins may I ask?"
"Shut up, shut up, shut up…" Draco muttered, almost like a chant.
"Draco Malfoy" Aleron said immediately. Draco jumped up.
"I told you to shut up!" he yelled. Snape looked a little taken aback.
"They're both just a little uh… stressed. I'll take them to see Pomfrey…" Hermione said. With a brush of his hand Snape dismissed the three. Hermione took the two boys out.
"Are you NUTS? Going around telling people Draco's your father?" Hermione asked once they were sure they were alone.
"EXACTLY!" Draco shouted.
"But it would be a lie to say otherwise" Aleron said. Draco and Hermione stared at Aleron's face. It looked almost exactly the same as Draco's. Except the eyes weren't full of malice and hatred but of friendliness and honesty.
"You're sure he's your son?" Hermione asked.
"I hope not Mudblood, I hope not…" Draco muttered.
"Mudblood? What's that, some sort of old slang?" Aleron asked. He grinned. "Are you two, you know, girlfriend and boyfriend?"
Both Hermione and Draco yelped and leapt apart. "NO!" they both yelled simultaneously. Aleron's grin grew wider.
"C'mon, tell me" he said, nudging Hermione.
"Omigod" Draco said suddenly. He turned and looked at Aleron. "She's not… not your… ohhhh please say no"
"What?"
"What's your mother's name?"
Aleron's face suddenly became serious, sad. It was a startling transformation, one instant a happy, smiling face and the next completely dejected.
"I don't know," he said.
"What? How can you not know?" Draco pressed. Aleron's face changed again. His eyes hardened, muscles tensed, almost a protective stance. It was a stance Hermione recognized well, in Draco. Indeed, Aleron's eyes now resembled Draco's completely, cold and unfeeling.
"She left" he said, voice carefully blank.
"Left?"
"All right, she's dead!" the boy yelled. "Two weeks after I was born!" he lowered his voice and looked at his feet. "I… never knew her"
"Well maybe we can find out who she is now!" Hermione said brightly.
"What? How?" both the boys asked, Aleron's eyes brightening. Hermione looked thoughtful. She looked analytically at Aleron.
"Whoever your mother was, she was tall," she said, assessing Aleron's height.
"Muscles must have run in her family. We're all slim in my family" Draco said. Hermione looked at Aleron's muscles and nodded.
"She was also quite open. She would just talk about anything cheerfully," she said.
"Actually, no, my dad was pretty op-"
"No he wasn't" Draco snapped.
"So your mother probably had a sunny personality. And she was open. It couldn't have been you Draco; Aleron has some pretty 'open' eyes"
"Thank goodness" Draco muttered.
"So to summarize…" Hermione started.
"I married someone big and stupid" Draco said. "Just my luck. I must have been under some sort of potion or something"
"So who, in this school, is big and stupid? And a girl?" Aleron wondered. Just then someone pushed roughly past Hermione, running.
"Hey!" she exclaimed. The person (who was a girl) glanced back.
"Why don't you watch where I'M going Mudblood?" Millicent Bulstrode shouted. Hermione and Aleron blinked then turned to Draco, grinning.
"Hey…"
Draco's eyes widened. "Ohhh no. No, no, no"
"I remember you once telling me how mom used to be SO rude in school…"
"GAH!" Draco yelled then, his eyes rolling up into his skull, he promptly fainted. Aleron and Hermione watched him fall, his light body making a 'thump' noise on the floor.
"No. I did NOT marry Bulstrode"
"I think you diiiid"
"Ew. How disgusting" Draco said, taking a long, delicate sip from his goblet.
"Yes you did!" Aleron chanted happily.
"You mean you WANT her for your mother?" Draco asked coolly.
"Ew. Oh no, DEFINITELY not my mom. Did NOT get my genes from her. Nope. No way"
"Didn't think so. But then who?" Draco pondered and sat up. He found himself in his room, after Hermione and Aleron had supposedly lifted him up and taken him here. Although he firstly wondered how they knew the password and secondly why he felt more like he had been dragged than carried. Certainly he knew his back was severely bruised.
"Who knows?" Aleron shrugged. "Could've been that redhead girl. The short one, freckles, green eyes…"
"Ginny Weasley?"
"Yeah, her. She's cute"
"WEASLEY, CUTE?" Draco exploded. He paced the floor.
"Weasley, Weasley, yes, that is possible, she IS a Weasley, open, one of her brothers are… yes…" Draco stopped. "OMIGOD I MARRIED GINNY WEASLEY!" he wailed.
"Well maybe not her, maybe you married that girl in class… the one who kept staring at you"
"PARKINSON?"
"How would I know?"
"OMIGOD I MARRIED PARKINSON!"
"Well don't worry about it. I mean you won't be getting married for another couple years. And besides I'm probably wrong. Who knows, you might meet her at University!"
Draco glared at the taller boy, who shrugged casually and grinned cheerily. Draco slowly reached for his pillow, which happened to be pretty big and overstuffed with feathers.
"Do you MIND?"
"What?" Aleron asked. Draco swung the pillow hard. Aleron's face was buried in the soft pillow.
"SHUT UP ALREADY! YOU'RE RELIEVING MY STRESS!" Draco yelled.
"Family problem again?" Fred asked cheerfully, walking into the room.
"Wha… guh… HOW DID YOU GET IN HERE?" Draco shouted.
"You really should see someone about that nasty temper of yours" George said, emerging from behind his twin.
"Guys! Hi!" Aleron called. Draco glared at him.
"I suppose you told them the passwords?" he said through clenched teeth.
"Yep!" Aleron replied happily.
"I suppose you didn't come alone?" Draco snapped. A sheepish Harry and Ron came in through the door.
"Thought so" Draco said.
"We decided to help you" George said, seriously.
"What? Help me?" Draco asked.
"Yes"
"Good!" Draco said. He pushed a startled Aleron to the redhead. "Dump him in the nearest trash can. And lock the lid" he said.
"No, we meant about your family problems"
"Family is very important" Ron said.
"Tell me about it" Harry said.
"If your parents are cruel and don't pay attention to a child, the child is likely to turn out bad. They'll take drugs or turn into an alcoholic" Fred lectured.
"Or worse" George said. "They might… might…"
"Work for the Dark Lord" Ron said in a low voice.
"Voldemort" Harry explained to a confused looking Aleron. Draco stared at the boys in front of him, their faces so serious. He sat down on his bed. Then started to laugh. Slowly. It wasn't normal laughter.
"He's cracked" Aleron said, perceptive as always. Draco's laughter was low and slow, almost cackling, like a madman.
"Heh heh heh heh…"
"Uh… Draco?" Harry asked.
"See? What kind of irresponsible father is he?" Fred asked. "Don't worry kiddo you can always come to us for help" he said to Aleron.
"You… you think I have family problems?" Draco asked, gasping slightly.
"That we need to sort out" George said boldly. Crabbe and Goyle, the two boys eavesdropping outside Draco's room, curious as to why nearly everyone that Draco had declared an enemy was inside his room leapt backwards and fell on their butts when the door slammed open and the Gryffindors (including Aleron) were running for their lives, followed by a volley of pillows, blankets and generally anything Draco managed to get his hands on.
"FAMILY PROBLEMS??? FAMILY PROBLEMS??? I'LL SHOW YOU FAMILY PROBLEMS!!!" yelled a hysterical Draco. They finally stopped running outside the Slytherin dorm.
"So, you think he was angry?" asked Fred.
Isn't Aleron's stupidity just adorable??? Reviews please!
And sorry I didn't e-mail the chapter to anyone, but no one guessed correctly! Hah! (laughs evilly)