A/N: Enfleurage's completely right. See her flaming but good review to explain this.

Chapter Seventeen: Not the Wisest Choice

"Why do you want to take it all of a sudden, now?"

Severus hadn't spoken to Hermione that way since she was his student -cold, harsh, and decidedly unsympathetic in any way. She flinched and replied nervously:

"Her scar- -I thought-'

"You thought that you might as well find out why our daughter's scar is worse than Harry's ever was?"

Hermione knew that Severus's calling Harry by his first name usually meant that he was in a good mood, but he was speaking in such an accusing tone, she knew he had to be angry with her somehow.

"Severus, why are you-"

"Why are you trying to fix your mistakes too late?" Severus gave his wife a look of abject hatred then. "I've had three months with my daughter in fifteen years; she says and does things I don't and can't understand because she didn't grow up with me. She's afraid to talk to us when she needs new clothes, even, because she grew up in a Muggle hell like Voldemort!"

"Are you saying it's my fault?"

"You're swift today!"

Almost the instant Severus said it, he wished he had not. Hermione didn't have the weakness to burst into tears; she just turned away from him and left as quickly as she could. The way her retreating form left the dungeon completely reminded him of her sixteen years ago, and he knew instantly why she didn't take the test.

There were memories in her mind that would have hurt him then. Had she agreed to Dumbledore's suggestion of a memory test, it would have had him fired if not even sent to Azkaban. And even if Dumbledore hadn't found out how their relationship started out, the fact that she had been sleeping for several months in a teacher's bed would certainly have been enough to ruin them both.

He knew it would have been bad for her, but even worse for him.

He also knew she knew back then how they'd react.

A momentary flash of memory struck him: an afternoon several weeks ago when Julie had not been on the Quidditch field. He had found her in the library with her mother, studying like two versions of the same. Leaning on their right and left elbows, absently turning pages with their left and right hands, which held their quills lazily, there could have been a mirror between them and he wouldn't know. Even with his daughter's dark hair and the nose his father'd given them, Julie and Hermione were quite alike. When he had cleared his throat they looked surprised the same way, and Severus wished he'd had a camera at that moment to see again their matching eyes- -like clear amber cinnamon in duplicate.

Hermione had lost just as much as he.

********************

With Halloween the next day, the man in the black cloak had to move quickly. There were many things to do before midnight tomorrow night, the one night when the dead could truly rise again.

In necromantic sorcery, that was to say.

The man had never been much good with wizardry, but sorcery was easier to one with lesser magical gifts. His arms were filled with a great sack of bones he'd brought, dug up from the cemetery just that day. In the Forbidden Forest outside Hogwarts, he put his sack down. But he could not pause to even rest a little bit. The man drew a nail from his pocket and a long red string. Tying string to nail, pounding nail into ground, and walking a circle around the nail by dragging his left foot took him only ten minutes to accomplish. Next he broke each bone in two and pounded them into the circle's edge, in pairs creating lines across the diameter. Using a Muggle protractor to make sure he had the angles right, he marked the lines to make a pentagram with ground bone dust. His Master would return tomorrow if all things went right.

That thought made Peter nervous, and his white hand twitched.

*******************

"Dress robes," Julie sighed apprehensively. She was not looking forward to taming her bushy hair, and her mother was nowhere to be found to help her with it. Well, she wouldn't have to be ready until six that night, so she got dressed in her patch shirt and worn-out jeans. A knock on her door made her jump in surprise.

"Julie?"

It was Chloe. Thank Merlin for small favors.

"Come on in, I've just finished getting dressed."

The little first-year entered with the easily indentifiable look of someone with interesting news that they want to be asked about. Julie grinned.

"Well?"

"JuliedidyouseeDonaghanhelookssocute?" Chloe inquired at hyperspeed.

"Uh… excuse me?"

"The Weasleys gave Donaghan a bad potion, he's grown sideburns and his hair's down to there in back!" Chloe tried to indicate hair as long as her own.

"What?" Julie asked in amusement. "How?"

"I don't know, but he's dishy. You've got to see!"

Had it been anyone but Chloe, Julie would have sighed and made some excuse to hold off looking. But she was not one to disappoint her young friend, knowing that the eleven-year-old valued her company very much. Sigh.

She followed Chloe to the Common Room and there stopped cold.

'Damn," she thought, looking at Donaghan. When a girl who has grown up in France says that someone is dishy, they do not mean they look mildly handsome or usual. Donaghan had turned into what the Muggle girls Julie knew called a total fox- -which, with the reddish hair, he might have been. The typical shoolboy haircut had grown out fast, and he now had it tied in a ponytail. The sides of his face had grown sideburns, too, almost as long as some of vintage rock's dishiest. Julie bit her lip and wished she were invisible, as a look of total lust tended to unnerve guys a little bit, but it was too late. Her Captain had noticed her.

"Oh, Julie, I was hopin' to see y' here!"

She felt her cheeks redden a little more.

"I 've managed to shave off this bloody beard at least, but could you help me fix this hair, it's as long as yours." Donaghan shook the ponytail in disgust, and Julie wondered if it was soft as his short hair was.

"Er- fix it? It looks okay to me-"

"I mean, cut it off."

How did he know she could cut guys' hair? The only time in years she had done it-

Those damn Weasleys.

"Tim and Tom said you trimmed theirs last week, thought you could…" Donaghan trailed off, seeing that Julie had expected they would tell him. "If you're busy, I'm sure I could-"

"Oh, that's alright."

Julie didn't know why she'd agreed to help. Cutting hair like that was like profaning a monument. Having gotten out her scissors, she told him this.

"A monument to scruffiness," the Scot answered.

"No, it looks really good, haven't you looked yet?"

"I look like Tim and Tom's uncle."

"Well, sort of, yeah. But who said that's a bad thing?"

"Their grandmother."

"I think you look nice with it," Chloe chipped in.

For some reason Julie had asked her to come and assist them in the Prefect's bathroom down the hall. It wasn't so much she needed someone to help with the haircutting, but she didn't think she could handle talking to that alone. The suddenly-lust-object Donaghan was sitting with a towel around his neck, looking even dishier than ever now.

"Are y' sure I don' look like a total scruff?"

"Believe me, it's lovely. Hair looks good long."

Donaghan appeared to consider Julie's word.

'Okay, shallow much?' Julie thought distressedly. 'I must sound like I'm totally gone for him- -and I'm not! Not, not, not going to fall for him.'

Well, could y' even it out and maybe clean it up? The one part's longer than the other for some reason."

"Okay. Do you want me to just shampoo it and trim the ends?"

"Whatever y' think best, only-girl."

'If he calls me that again, I may slit his throat,' Julie thought, putting her scissors down sharply. ((A/N: Sorry! A wretched pun!)) Hastily she looked over the products available, finally selecting a shampoo that smelled lightly of strawberries. She would normally have much preferred the coconut, but she didn't think she could stand whatthat particular smell might do to her. Did coconut make others horny much? For some reason it had had that odd effect on her ever since she-

Oh, damn. His shirt was off. Damn, damn, damn.

"I though' it would be easier if'n y' didn' have t' worry 'bout getting' m'shirt all wet."

Damn!

"Okay, lean your head over here."

As quickly and efficiently as she could with her eyes shut tight, Julie soaked Donaghan's long hair in the prefects' sink. Chloe brought him a chair, (drat her,) and he sat down, neck on the side of the sink, with his hair quite drenched. The sink had not been designed for the purpose, and Julie found herself wondering why he didn't just shampoo his own damn hair in the shower and let her cut it while still wet. Except the shower meant he would be naked at some point and the thought of him being so while she was in the building was far too much, let alone what his actually being unclothed could do. Arrrrgh!

Julie got his hair as clean as she could manage with Chloe's help. The first-year remembered conditioner, prolonging the ordeal with a smile that could only mean similar thoughts were shared. Except Chloe didn't have a wonderful blond skeleton in her closet. Or more specifically the dungeon, as Draco was far from skeletal. Perhaps Julie could get Donaghan together with- -no, she was eleven, and he seventeen. Her own disparate relationship was warping her view of age.

Finally Julie finished trimming the ends of his red-brown hair, resisting the temptation to save a few, until she remembered what hairs in potions were useful for. She pocketed a small amount for her revenge on Tom and Tim. Taking out her wand she mumbled:

"Thermos Follicus," instantly drying his hair out straight. It was even worse down than it was pulled back. Damn her hormones to hell and damn Tom and Tim. She was going to get them back rough for this!

*************************

"Weasleys!" Donaghan shouted, his hair pulled back.

Tim and Tom dropped their forks in mild shock at him. One didn't just stomp into the Great Hall and-

"Come with me!"

Well, it seemed Donaghan did. He looked beyond ticked.

"If it's about the potion, Donaghan, we said-"

"Apologies do not negate the need for proper punishment!"

It was if Professor Snape had grown long red hair. Shocked, Tom and Tim had no choice but to follow him. They were too surprised to notice his accent was Irish now.

"You will mow the whole Quidditch field with these," he announced, holding out two pairs of nail scissors. "You have one hour. Get moving." He threw them down.

The Weasleys were so startled that they complied, kneeling down and proceeding to trim the grass. They had gotten about a square foot each finished when Professor Snape landed on his new Firebolt.

"McPhersen, have you seen my wife about?"

"No, Dad, I've missed her all day. What's wrong?"

The Weasleys looked up at Donaghan in total shock. Professor Snape looked surprised, but more ticked, really.

"Excuse me, what did you just call me?"

All three of them watched as a suddenly sheepish and accent-less Donaghan's eyes changed color from greenish blue to cinnamon and his hair blackened. He also shortened to only five-foot-seven and became decidedly more female in build and shape.

"Julie?" Tim asked nervously.

"Starcatcher!"

"I'm sorry, Dad, it was just a joke on Tom and Tim."

"I don't care about that, you changed back too fast. Detention on Monday to practice that potion more!" He flew away like a raven, then swooped back down. "And if you see your mother, tell her I need to see her soon."

With that he left the Weasleys to their staring, which they did well.

"Well, guys-"

"That," Tom observed, "was the funniest trick all year."

"And your dad giving you detention for doing the potion wrong! That was priceless!"

"I didn't do it wrong, just not very well."

"Sure, Julie. How did you talk Don into it?"

"I didn't. Somebody told him I could cut his hair." The Weasleys gave her guilty looks as Julie became stern again. "Who told you to quit mowing?"

'Yep, he's her dad."

********************** 

Hermione was crying in the Potions room. What Severus had said that morning in the dungeons was too much to bear. She had been hiding feelings of guilt for the past three months, and to know that Severus thought it her fault Julie'd lived in an orphanage, she was certain that her feelings were justified. There was a knock at the door.

"Are you in there, Mum?"

For a moment, she was quiet, hoping Julie would assume she wasn't there and just go away the way Severus had all morning. After all, the door was locked-

She heard a scraping noise.

The door opened very quietly and Julie stepped in the room.

"Julie!"

"Mum! You scared me!"

"How did you-"

Julie held up the picks.

"Used the burglar's key."

"I should have confiscated those."

"But you didn't, Mum." Julie walked over to her mother's desk very quietly. "Dad said he needed to see you, are you okay?"

Hermione was surprised at how easily Julie could comfort her. A child nearly raised to be a criminal, under horrible conditions, shouldn't she blame her? It was her fault Julie'd been nearly sixteen when she finally saw her father for the first time, didn't she realize that? She wasn't stupid, her grades proved that point for sure.

"Julie, did you learn how to pick locks at the orphanage?"

"Sort of. A guy at the record store showed me once, he had accidentally locked someone in the soundproof booth." Hermione looked about to ask a question, but too nervous to quite ask it. "What is it, Mum?"

"Would you have rather grown up with your dad and I?"

"Of course, but I'm not quite grown up yet, Mum. Did you two have a fight about me today?"

Julie looked frightened, desperate to make her not look sad anymore. It occurred Hermione that if Julie thought she was causing a rift between the two Granger-Snapes, she would feel more pulled apart than any normal kid, because her parents had been together when she met them. She didn't know of any figts in their long history, so naturally the first reason for their fighting would be herself. Hermione knew she'd have to tread carefully.

"No, dear, it isn't your fault, it's not about you at all."

Julie knew enough about how she herself lied to tell her mother was not telling her the whole truth. What was wrong and was it her fault? She couldn't stand to see her mother sad like this.

"Would you mind me asking what it is about?"

"Oh, just an argument of sorts, you know how-" Julie raised an eyebrow and Hermione stopped lying. It was useless trying to fool her own child at this, especially when Julie was by far the better liar there. "I was thinking of taking that test you took, with the Veritaserum and memory potion, find out why your scar is hurting suddenly."

"Dad doesn't think you should?"

"Quite the opposite." Hermione couldn't believe she was admitting this, but something about how Julie looked like Severus, she couldn't lie to her anymore than she could to him. "He thinks I should have taken it years ago, that way you wouldn't have had to grow up in the orphanage."

For a moment the usual roles of comforter and comfortee were reversed, as child hugged parent and told her it was okay.

"I don't think anybody really had any choice about how this happened. You couldn't have known that anything like me happened while you were kidanpped because you thought you couldn't then because of the anticeptive charm. And you only refused to protect Dad from getting fired then. It isn't your fault, it's Wormtail's and Voldemort's." Julie held up her hand to show her scar.

"How did you know that?"

"Put it together from a few sources. The Mirror of Erised showed you and Dad in school…just kissing, you know, nothing serious, and it seemed logical that that was why you refused. The anticeptive charm, well, certain people can be bought." Julie gave her mother a smile, hoping she might cheer up a bit, but Hermione still stared in disbelief at her.

"Voldemort stole your whole childhood. Aren't you angry or sad at all?"

"The git's dead, Mum, and I think that I'm lucky, still. Uncle Harry didn't get his parents back at all."

Hermione was astonished at her daughter's calm attitude. Somehow Julie's relationship with Harry had never occurred to her. It figured he'd explain the whole thing just to prevent Julie's blaming his best friend for what had happened then. Hermione smiled, a bit relieved that Julie understood.

"So can I tell Dad you're up here? 'Cause he looked worried. I'm pretty sure he's figured out by now what's really wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"It's simple logic that it isn't your fault, Mum. Dad's not that thick, he should have pretty much thought it out by now. I'm kind of ticked at him for making you sad, though."

"Julie, you of all people know how your father is."

"Clever wit and perpetual sarcasm are not excuses for making one's loved ones cry." Julie was quoting from a source Hermione had never heard. "Miss Parkington told me that years ago."

"You keep mentioning her, she was your teacher?"

"Sort of. She grew up in the orphanage just like me, except she was around my age now when I was a baby there. Kind of a big sister-y type, used to take me out. She was studying to be a teacher and a special aide, and her first assigned kid was Cory, my sort-of-brother. She was like his mum and my aunt when we hung around; because since I had school and other things, he saw her more. Cory never really left the hospital wing for long."

"So he was really like your brother?"

"You could say that, yeah."

"I'm sorry that I never knew him."

"He'd have liked you, Mum. I don't know why, but I looked out for kids like him, maybe 'cause the bigger kids picked on me. Cory had black hair, so I figured we might have been related somehow, even if it was only by distant race. Maybe I was just lonely for a family."

"You've got one now, and you might get a sibling sometime still."

"I'd like that, I've always liked little kids."

"I know. Chloe Davies thinks the sun rises in your glove."

"She was the first kid to be nice to me at Hogwarts, Mum. I'm not just friends with her because I want a maid around."

"True, and Chloe would not stand to be your maid. With all the guys on the Quidditch team, you need a girl to talk to sometimes. She reminds me of your Aunt Ginny back in school."

"Were Uncles Ron and Harry like the Weasley boys?"

"Sort of, except I only led academic things. You would never catch me talking them into going to raid Filch's office at night." She raised an eyebrow at her daughter. Julie raised one back.

"The Polyjuice Potion, Mum?"

She sighed.

"You've heard that, then?"

"And a good thing, too, I was just considering trying to turn myself into a ferret when Uncle Harry told me that story."

"Why would you want to be a ferret?"

"To tick Malfoy off. And Anthony's shedding a lot, you know. I gave a little thought to a white mouse, but Mrs. Norris might have gotten me in the halls."

"That cat has got to be more than twenty years old by now and she isn't the slightest bit arthritic or tired at all. I wish Crookshanks knew her secret, poor darling cat."

"Speaking of, I brought Crookie a catnip ball." Julie opened the door to her mother's office and petted the old orange cat within. "Here you go, Crookshanks, happy Halloween."

The large cat purred and rubbed against her legs happily, before going to Hermione and greeting her the same way. He gave the appearance of wanting to jump on her lap though it was too much, and Hermione picked him up carefully. She gave Julie a look that was very sad, and Julie knew Crookshanks might have to be put down soon. They had talked about it a few nights ago, very late. Julie loved her pets so much she could understand, and the dear cat had taken her in as well when she first joined the family. In fact, one of Julie's favorite memories about her first week at Hogwarts, in addition to the night when she found out who her parents were, was the time she had been introduced to her mother's cat. Crookshanks got up and moved over as if he knew her already, purring and looking quite pleased she had finally come. Maybe cats knew something people didn't, maybe she and her mother just smelled alike, she wasn't sure and knew she'd never be certain.

The meeting with the puppies had been different. Lefty seemed to take to her immediately, Patch sniffed her once and then licked her face, and Trofast merely looked at her for the first week. The fact that all three puppies happened to share the same body had been very odd, but at least each face (and tongue) had a different name to go with their different personality. Lefty was the usual friendly dog, while Patch was a little more self-absorbed. Trofast, meaning faithful, seemed a bit aloof, but it was clear as she got to know them that her dad had named him very accurately. The puppies were lots of fun to take out for their walk, especially when Chloe came with her and they could talk. Her mother was right about needing a girl sometimes. Chloe was the only person in Hogwarts who completely understood why Julie liked old music and Julie was the only one who knew why Chloe wanted to be in Gryffindor. Maybe age didn't matter to wizards much. It would certainly explain a lot of other things.

Because as much as Julie needed a girl to talk to, there was also something she needed to talk to her mum about. Except she couldn't tell her mum about Draco…could she? If anyone would understand a teacher-student relationship-

Except her mum had gone through bags of hell because of it. And Julie was her only daughter, after all. Still, she had to tell somebody…

"Mum, there's this guy that I like at school."

"Really? A nice one?"

"I think he is."

"Well, describe!" Hermione pulled another chair from across the room with her wand. "Is he a Quidditch guy, a Gryffindor, a Slytherin, cute, not, long- or short-haired, details, dear."

"Long- or short-haired makes him sound like a poodle breed." They both laughed.

"Which means your father's a long-haired Slytherin."

"Highly temperamental breed, best suited to dungeons and all-black clothes."

"So what's yours?"

"A Slytherin. Nice and tall."

"Okay, normally I'd lecture you about dating Slytherins, but I have no room to talk and they are quite fun sometimes. Are you going to the Ball with him?"

"No, alone, except for the Quidditch boys."

"Didn't he ask you?"

"Naw, we're just sort of friends right now. And I'm starting to think Donaghan still might like me, so I wouldn't want to do that to him right away."

"But you will dance with him?"

"Certainly, if he asks."

"Julie, may I make a suggestion?"

"Sure."

"Dance with Donaghan, too. He's a very good friend. And even if you aren't dating someone anymore, it still helps a lot to stay friends with them. Look at Viktor and I, we aren't really close, but sometimes we still send owls to keep in touch. When Durmstrang was taken over by Dark forces, Viktor was able to spy for the Ministry because we'd stayed friends so long."

"Was that in sixth year?"

"Yes, before you were born, m'duck. I went with him to the Yule Ball in fourth year and that was all, we were never really much of an item here. Svetlana and I get along just fine, and he seems to be alright with Severus, though he was just as shocked as everybody else was when we eloped."

"Uncle Harry's told me about a reporter you didn't like…what did she do when you and Dad-"

"Nothing at all. Rita Skeeter switched to writing the crosswords a long while before that time."

"Is that why they're so tricky?"

"For you they are. After about seven more months they'll be cake to you, as soon as you pick up more wizard words."

"There doesn't happen to be a wizard dictionary, by any chance?"

"I think there is. Look in the library. Maybe tomorrow we can stop by there after lunch."

"Gee, the library. We almost never go there, Mum, it's very odd."

They were laughing as Severus crept slowly in.

"That joke's in the second generation now, and Harry won't let me forget it yet." Amid laughter, Hermione looked up and saw Severus. Julie's face froze like a stone carving.

"Professor," she greeted him icily.

"Julie-girl." The nickname showed he was in more of a contrite mood.

"I've got some things to do, I'll be up in the Tower, Mum."

She left and Severus was forced to ask:

"She seemed angry."

"I was in something of a state when she came in here. She's a little ticked at you, but it won't last long."

"About that, I am sorry. I didn't think."

"That much, Professor, is obvious." Hermione gave her husband such a perfectly deadpan imitation of himself in class that he was hard-pressed to know how to answer back. Finaly he returned the idea of imitation, trying his best to look belligerent and somehow sort of know-it-all.

"Professor Granger, I was just angry at Voldemort, and I took it out on you. It was very wrong. But please don't take off any more points from Slytherin!"

"No, I think a detention is more in the way for you." She raised an eyebrow and Severus got her message.

"Your room or mine?"

"I think yours today."

"I really am sorry, Hermione."

"That's alright, I know why you were angry, dear. You just aimed wrong, it happens to all of us."

"You aren't blaming yourself anymore, I hope?"

"Not since Julie came up here and picked the lock."

"She did? That little Slytherin! There's two charms on that."

"I know. Sometimes she's more Slytherin than Gryffindor."

"I'd rather she'd be Gryffindor, it's more like you."

Severus kissed her hand apologetically, still trying to make up for the words he'd said.

"She's your daughter, too, and she likes a Slytherin."

"I've suspected that. She's been seen in the dungeons twice."

"Any idea which one might appeal to her? She describes him as tall."

"Most of this year's boys are. Flint is the only one I can stand, even if he does act like a damn forgiven penitent all the time and call Julie 'Miss' as if he were afraid of her."

"If someone could just forgive you after something like he did, wouldn't you be just a little bit scared of them? That is why Julie did that, you know."

"Full well. Malgryevic's too slow for her intelligence…I don't suppose Blodgett would have the looks…I can't think of anyone off my hand."

"That's alright, she'll dance with him tonight if he asks her. I told her she should also dance with Donaghan, he really does seem to still like our girl."

"Now him I approve of. He's not one of those types who would pressure her into making a mistake while she's still in school -as good as those things have the potential to be."

"You know, I think that's why she gave up on him as a boyfriend, she got bored with only staying within the rules."

"Are you implying that Julie's…?"

"A lot like me. Most girls her age are, you should know that, Sev."

The elder professor sighed heavily.

"Why don't they teach classes in parenting?"

"Who could teach it?"

"You've got a point. About tonight, are you still going to go with me?" He gave her such a pleading, contrite look that Hermione smiled and kissed his cheek.

"Of course, love. I'm not angry anymore."

"Weren't you going to punish me?"

"Oh, yes! I had almost forgotten your punishment. Into the fireplace, Severus. You've been a very bad professor today, you know."

Outside the door, Julie bit down hard on her own arm as she heard a smack. The mental image of what her parents were implying made her want to give up eavesdropping in favor of needlework. She quickly pinched her nose tight to prevent giggles escaping and alerting them. She wasn't aware that they were far from a state to notice things like that.

After a long and very satisfying make-up kiss, Severus obeyed his wife and jumped into the fireplace. She had a few things to put away before she joined him in the dungeon by Floo powder. There were two bottles on the desk, one of which she picked up and took to the open door.

"For a Slytherin you really are bad at that."

Julie drew blood from her arm as she jumped in shock.

"Cripes, Mum! You scared me!"

"You needed it."

"Def'nitely. I just wanted to make sure you two were…not fighting anymore… I was just concerned. I won't do that again."

"Not to us at least. Here's the stuff that should straighten your hair out, it works kind of like Muggle conditioner."

"Thanks, Mum."

"I'm going to be a bit –er, busy for awhile-"

"Punishing Dad?"

"Yeah, I'm going to make him do laundry -the Muggle way. I have to stand over him to make sure he doesn't turn anything into a bleach-specked mess, so I'll meet you in your room to get ready, dear."

Her mother was so bad at lying, still!

"Okay. Guess I'll see you later, then."

Julie was certain that from then on, noone could mention laundry in her presence. What a terrible, horrid mental picture, that!

A/N: Alright, now that I've gotten almost to the Halloween Ball, (which wasn't in the books, I know, but I wanted one,) and it's clear that something's going on with Voldemort, I must explain in further detail what's going on. With me, I mean. I got a blistering review from someone called Enfleurage, and it occurred to me that she's completely right right now. I've been neglecting poor Sev and Hermione, and letting Julie get too cool without any flaws. That's also why she's been scared to walk around without a knife always, which is a disorder called weapons-defense paranoia common in children who've seen lots of violence or been teased a lot in school when they were little. So unless I say she isn't, Julie is always armed, so you know.

Another little note, Malfoy got a dose of that potion, too, so we're going to be seeing some longhairs at the dance tonight. I got the idea from a reviewer who emailed me, which I really appreciate if you've got time. Good ideas I listen to in the reviews as well, (except Spike-Lover, why would you want to kill Ron? He's completely benign so far aside from being a really cheap plot device.) I'm not a very good writer, and a lot (too much) of the conversations are pulled out from my own life or friend's lives somewhat, so the 'gift for dialogue' is really just a gift for changing things around. All the talk about Quidditch happened to my friend on the soccer team, (only girl on it.) Julie's pet ferret is a whole lot like my brother's bunny, Thumper, and Nagaina is the snake from the Jungle Book. (You know in 'Rikki-Tikki-Tavi'? I borrowed just the name, though, so far.) Why I've gotten so many reviews is a mystery, as I can't think why anyone but Kylie can stand this tripe. Her tastes have always been questionable. (I'm on a new medication for depression, now, so maybe I'm not as bad as I think I am. Thumper seems to think I'm a good writer. But he's a little gray bunny. (lol.) J)