Dark Peppermint:  Er – click happy, are we?  Mwa ha ha.

Tine:  Thinking about Harry, Blaise, Draco, and the company has been proven to be beneficial for your health. 

Catdragon:  I'm so glad you like this story.  It's more than I deserve but I appreciate it nonetheless.  You can use your character!  It isn't like you're stealing off of me or anything!  Let me know if you write the story with the similar character.  And – er – I'm a normal writer just like everyone else.

To everyone else, thanks for reading.  Sorry I didn't reply to more of you.  I thought posting the chapters were more important.

DISCLAIMER:  Don't know.  Don't own.  Don't imply.

Chapter Eleven:  It's About Time

Dropping her unicorn hairs into the cauldron, Kali peered over the side and grinned at the lime green liquid simmering before her.

"Oh, Daddy!" she called.  Snape briefly glanced up from his lesson plans before his gaze fell back down to them.

"What is it, Kailah?"

"I think I've got it right."

"You think you've got it right?  Honestly, Kailah, either you've got it right or you don't.  There is no middle ground."

"Well I think I've got it right and you have to come tell me if I'm correct or have made yet another mistake."

He grumbled as he pulled himself out of his seat and drudged over to where she was sitting.  Over the past three hours Kali had been desperately trying to make an accurate Blessure Fatale potion, but she was constantly letting her mind wander and either putting ingredients in at the wrong time or simply adding the wrong amounts.  Snape was not only getting annoyed with her mistakes but even more irritated with her lack of enthusiasm.

"It's about time," he muttered under his breath as he inspected it.  "Bottle some of this up and then you may go."

Sliding off her seat, Kali headed for the potions vials on the shelf.  "Draco Malfoy knows."

"Knows what?" he asked as he rested his arms on the table in a weary gesture.

"Knows you're my daddy.  He figured it out for himself."

"Did he, now?"  Kali nodded.  "Well good for him.  And what about your friends?  Do they know?"

"Not yet."  She returned to her cauldron and began to bottle up her properly brewed Blessure Fatale.  "I want to tell them but I'm timing it right.  It doesn't bother you either way, right?"

"Not at all."  He yawned.

"Tired?"

"Why would you say that?"

"Because you look like you haven't slept in days.  You need to sleep, Dad."

"I'll get some, Kailah.  I promise."

She looked skeptical as she handed him her vial but nodded anyway.  "Okay, Daddy.  I'm trusting you on this one.  Just know that I'm worried about you."

"Please don't.  You need your rest as well.  Go to bed, Kailah."

"I love you."

"Love you, too."

She swept out the room remembering to shut the door behind her.

~*~

"You're going to do it today?" asked Hermione a few weeks later as she sat across from Kailah in a big squishy chair in the Gryffindor common room.  Kali nodded.  "Gods.  What I wouldn't give to see his face when you ask him."

Kali gave a short laugh at this and nodded.  "I know.  If I didn't feel rude about it, I would offer to take pictures for you but I don't believe Ron would enjoy that.  Do you really think he'll say yes?"

"Kali, are you blind?  Of course he'll say yes!  Ron's been harboring this intense fancy for you since he first laid his eyes on you.  You spend practically all of your free time together.  It's about time one of you decides to try to advance this relationship one step further."

Sighing, Kali nodded.  "I'm a bit nervous.  I'm going to need you to keep Harry and Blaise distracted today.  Lead them off somewhere and I'll pull Ron along with me."

"Blaise?"

"I told him he could spend the day with us.  There's no one else for him to really hang out with."

"Okay.  Don't worry about it.  I've got it covered."

"Morning, ladies," said Harry as he came into the common room.  "Hogsmeade visit today.  You're both coming along, aren't you?"

"Of course," replied Hermione.  "All we need to do is have some breakfast and then we can be on our way.  Where's Ron?"

"How should I know?  I don't know where he is at all times now that he has his own rooms.  For all we know, Ron could still be sleeping."  Harry shrugged.  "Wherever Ron is, I'm not waiting for him.  I'm hungry and I need some food."

"Great friend you are, Harry," said Ron as he emerged from his room.  His eyes were still a little red and puffy but he looked otherwise awake.  "Are we all going to Hogsmeade today?"

"That seems to be the plan," said Kali.

They left together for the Great Hall and after a breakfast of eggs, sausages, toast, and tea, the four friends met up with Blaise Zabini in the entrance hall before heading off for Hogsmeade.  Hermione kept going on and on to Kali about the new bookstore she had heard about while Ron, Harry, and Blaise were animatedly discussing the new Firebolt model expected to come out around Christmas.

Once they arrived in Hogsmeade, Ron had immediately led them into Honeydukes and was looking around at all the various sweets when Hermione began to formulate a plan under her breath.  It was when they were walking down the streets again that she pointed out Zonko's.

"Fred and George are going to wipe that place out with Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes," said Ron before explaining to Kali just exactly what Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes was.  "They're opening up shop this winter.  Mum isn't thrilled about it but we'll be able to stop in when we have a Hogsmeade weekend closer to Christmas."

"Care to go in?" offered Blaise.  Harry and Ron quickly agreed.

"Actually, Ron," said Kali, slipping her arm in his and catching Hermione grinning at them, "I was hoping you'd come with me.  Hermione's been telling me about this wonderful bookstore and I'd like to get a look.  Snape's been on me about my Potions grades and seeing as how you're Head Boy, I thought you could give me a bit of help."  It wasn't really a lie.  Snape was on her about her Potions grades but Ron didn't need to know that this was mostly because he was her father and that in addition to grades, he was also on her about her Hufflepuff qualities.

"Oh.  Er -"  He shot Harry a helpless gaze and the other boy simply shrugged.

"If you want to go, then go."

"Okay."  Ron slightly blushed as he tightened his grip around Kali's arm.  "Er - we'll meet up with you later, then."

"Sure," said Hermione.  "At the Three Broomsticks in two hours okay?"  Kali nodded.

"Hermione?  Aren't you going with?" asked Harry.  "She said bookstore or maybe you didn't hear."

"No.  I heard, but someone has to keep an eye on you."

To Harry, this seemed like an appropriate Hermione answer, and she followed Blaise and Harry inside Zonko's, giving them both looks like Mrs. Weasley was frequently seen giving the twins when she suspected something was afoot.  Kali barely gave either one of them time to watch the retreat as her mind quickly searched for the name and location of this new bookstore Hermione had been telling her about.  Once it slipped in, she pulled Ron away before she had time to forget.

They spent a good hour in the bookstore.  Ron seemed bored after five minutes but Kali was searching so enthusiastically through texts that he tried to display a small fraction of excitement for her sake.  She purchased a Potions book in hopes that something would make her father happy when she came back to Hogwarts with a Weasley boyfriend (if all went well, that is).

"Well we still have an hour left," said Kali consulting her watch.  "What do you reckon we go to Three Broomsticks awhile and talk for a bit?"

"Er - eh - sure," stammered Ron, shooting Quality Quidditch Supplies a longing gaze.  He held the door for her as they entered and took seats at a table near the back.  After ordering butterbeers, they sat sipping their drinks and Kali stared into hers as she contemplated just what to say.

"Uh - Ron, er - there's something I wanted to - er - say to you. . ."

"Okay. . ." he said watching her shift in her seat.

"Well - see - the thing is . . . Oh I'm just no good at this.  Okay.  The thing is, I'm rather fond of you and . . . wouldyoubemyboyfriend?"

Ron stared hard at Kali for a very long time.  Instead of going red like he usually did, all the color had drained from his face.  She continued to stare into her butterbeer and avoid his eyes not wanting to see just how he was looking at her.

"Really?" he squeaked out when he finally did speak.  "I mean - er - I'm no better at this than you are."  They both gave nervous laughs.  "Really?"

Kali, not trusting herself to speak, nodded.

His face brightened and instead of answering her, he leaned across the table to softly cover her mouth with his own.

"It's about time," grumbled Harry sitting down beside them.  Ron barely had time to pull away and already his face was a deep crimson.  "We've been following you around all afternoon.  I didn't think you were ever going to ask him."

"You've been following us?" screeched Ron.

"How?"

Harry briefly brandished his invisibility cloak at them before slipping it back into his robes.

"Sorry, Kali," said Hermione.  "The boys were persistent.  I had to tell them what the plans were."

"That and Hermione has a very large mouth," added Blaise.  "Congratulations, Ron."

"Thanks," he mumbled but a small smile crossed his face when Kali took his hand under the table.

"It's about time you two got together, I mean.  Kali goes on and on about you all the time," said Blaise.  Hermione nodded in agreement.

"Well you'd have to be blind not to notice the way Ron stares at her," said Harry, stealing Ron's butterbeer.

"You've embarrassed me enough, thank you," said Ron.  Kali gave him a playful tug on his arm.  "Get your own drink."  Stealing his butterbeer back from Harry, he briefly stared into it, sighed, and sent it back across the table.  "I've decided that I don't want your germs.  Enjoy."

Harry shrugged and accepted the drink.  Hermione, Blaise, and Ron each ordered drinks and Harry proceeded to drive them all crazy going on about how lovesick both Kali and Ron were.  It was impossible to tell whose face got redder as he continued to drone on.

~*~

Draco's head fell against the tiled wall of the shower while his wet hair hung in his face.  How long had he been sitting in here with the hot beads of liquid pounding relentlessly against his fragile skin?  He wasn't really sure.  In fact, Draco had lost all concept of time after a good portion of Hogwarts students from the third year and up left to visit Hogsmeade.  Thankfully, Blaise had gone and was out of his way for an entire day but at the same time, the thought dug into his soul.

It was a little over a month since Draco had his hands clawed around Blaise's neck in an attempt to strangle the life out of him.  Ever since he had snapped at him, Blaise had stopped speaking to him and part of him wanted Blaise in his way again.  The new girl, Kailah, was out of his way enough in the way that she didn't want him spilling to everyone about her connections with Snape.  She, however, was not completely gone as she had sent Potter on more than one occasion to visit him since the library incident.  Even a few of Potter's attempts to help him may have been on his own accord, to Draco's suspicions anyway.  He sighed.

Halloween was only two weeks away and with Halloween came the Halloween Ball.  Instituted last year after suggested by the Head Girl, a Mudblood Hufflepuff who obviously had less brains than the title of Head Girl implied, the Halloween Ball was a part of the feast and extended well into the night.  Parents were invited to see how their children were doing, speak with the professors, or just have a good time.  Last year, Draco and Scarhead had been two of the few people who didn't have anyone in attendance.  This year, Narcissa had already written to tell Draco she would be there to see him.  He didn't even want to think about what she would say when she saw how sick he was looking.

Sick looking, he was.  After eating very little and mutilating his body, it was a wonder he wasn't dead at all.  His face was gaunt, his skin pallid, and his eyes had lost any of the life they once contained.  Draco, in simplest terms, looked like the living dead; a walking corpse who attended his classes and was avoided as he was a seriously unhinged Slytherin freak.

Resting in the space between his knees on the floor of the shower was the dagger.  Draco couldn't help but notice just how ashen his skin was as he reached for the knife and turned it slowly over in his hands to examine it.  Alone it looked harmless, beautiful even, but when wielded in his hands it could cause disastrous results.  One swift flick of his wrist to any of the vital parts of his body and he could be dead.  Less vital parts could cause serious pain; the kind of pain he was needing these days to drown out the severe emotional loss.

Slicing his arm, Draco stared, unmoved, at the wound.  His arms were so scarred that there was barely any pain anymore to deal with.  Starting on his arms had become more of a ritual continued out of habit than an actual necessity and he didn't stay there long before he made a series of slashes in his chest and inner thighs.  They were followed by a deep and rather painful gash across his stomach and as the heat of the wound crept through his body, Draco's arm began to spasm in a violent shudder.  The dagger fell from his hand and he allowed it to lay abandoned on the tile as he pulled his bleeding limbs into his chest.

Sitting naked in the fetal position, Draco rocked back and forth, his eyes wide opened and staring at the dagger with accusation reflecting in his eyes.  It all happened very fast to him.  He had been in pain.  A great deal, in fact, but then he was numb.  Just as quickly as he lost it, the pain came searing through him again only this time, it was accompanied by a deeper, emotional pain that pounded at him from the inside.  The blood pouring from his stomach did nothing to quell what the emotions did to him and Draco was soon sobbing, the tears pouring down his cheeks in heavy streaks and leaving his cheeks tear-stained.

Stepping out of the shower once he had cried himself dry, Draco grabbed his wand and stopped the bleeding on his wounds.  Without bothering to wipe off the dried blood, Draco toweled off and began to change back into his robes.  First considering leaving it but then too afraid that someone would find it, Draco grabbed his dagger and headed back into the Slytherin dormitory.  Collapsing on his bed, he fell into a dreamless sleep.

Hours later and after much-needed rest, Draco headed down to the Great Hall for dinner.  Forcing food down his throat as Draco knew he needed to eat before he starved to death, he picked at the meal.  He was always thin and he had lost so much weight over the past three months that it was alarming.  The mirrors told him so.  Blaise was back but sitting at the Gryffindor table with Potter and the gang.  From Draco's view, he could see Snape's daughter and the Weasel holding hands under the table.  He smirked.  Snape was going to love that when he found out.  It would at least provide the private entertainment that only he, Kailah, and Snape himself really understood when they bickered in Potions.  And Pansy thought Kailah was sleeping with Snape.

After eating the most he could without feeling sick, Draco stared down at his plate and waited for when most of the students would leave the Hall.  He came late and left early on most nights and he hated the way people would stare at him for this particular habit.  From down at the other end of the table, Draco caught the sound of Pansy's high-pitched laugh and he glanced down there just long enough to see her clawing at Crabbe's arm and chatting with Millicent Bulstrode.

"Draco," came a meek voice from behind and Draco's head jerked up.  Turning around he saw Blaise and Kailah behind him.  Even further behind them was the Gryffindor trio.  He had wanted Blaise to talk to him but this was worse than being ignored.  Gods, he couldn't even make up his mind.

"What?"

"You - well, there's no nice way to say this . . . you don't look so good."

Fucking Blaise.

"Thanks.  I'll keep that in mind."

"No - er – Draco . . . are you alright?"

"Are we back on this again?"

"Well, no, I was just wondering."

"Well wonder somewhere else."

"There's blood on your robes," Kailah pointed out.  Bitch.

"And what's it to you?  I thought we had a deal."  Weasley's eyes flickered to Kailah at the mention of some sort of deal.  So did Blaise's.  So they didn't know.  Draco grinned.  "Remember.  I don't tell and you leave me the fuck alone."

Kailah nodded.  "I know."

"Is it still on?  Are you going to leave me the fuck alone or am I going to have to tell your little secret?"

"I'll leave you alone," mumbled Kailah and she turned from Blaise to walk back to Ron.

"And what about you?"

"We have no deal," said Blaise.  "There's nothing you could tell people anyway.  Really, Draco.  You look sick.  You haven't been eating properly and you haven't been sleeping and I know you're cutting yourself so you may as well just admit it."

"I haven't," snapped Draco rather severely.

"Then show us your arms," said Blaise with a laugh.  "If you've got nothing to hide, let me see your arms."

"Leave me alone, Blaise.  Remember what happened last time and take heed."

"Someone has to put you in your place."

"You aren't my father."

"No.  Your father is gone and he isn't coming back.  It's time you move on."

Draco stood up from his seat.  From the corner of his eye he could see some of the professors coming their way, obviously remembering the last fight.

"I could take you down just as easily this time as the last, Zabini.  Give it up."

"No.  If I do, you'll only end up hurting yourself again."

"Leave it alone."

"Show me your arms."

"Fuck you."

"Just because your father is gone doesn't mean you have to go, too."

Before Draco knew what he was doing, he spit in Blaise's face.

"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME YOU COCK-SUCKING HOMO FAGGOT!"

Blaise didn't answer but the teachers had now made their way to them.  Somewhere in the back of his mind Draco could hear McGonagall taking twenty points from Slytherin for the infraction and Snape assigning him a detention.  All he could see was the stone-cold anger flaming in Blaise's eyes as he wiped the saliva from his face with his cloak.

"It's okay, Professor," said Blaise softly.  "If Draco has problems talking with me because of my sexuality than there's nothing I can do about it.  A little tolerance wouldn't hurt but I knew there were going to be people who had a problem with it.  I've dealt with it before in this school.  Please let me fight my own battles."

"Yes, well, nevertheless, you still lost twenty points from Slytherin for your anger, Mister Malfoy," said McGonagall.  Draco nodded.

"And detention," added Snape.  "I'll owl you with the details tomorrow morning."

"Yes, sir," mumbled Draco before they left.  He left the hall still buzzing about the display and the last thing he heard was Pansy talking about the 'sick queer fuck' getting 'what he deserved.'