Kristen:  Glad you like the Draco/Harry pairing now.  They are so wonderful together and I'm very happy to see that you agree.

Tine:  Your reviews never cease to make me feel special.  Sometimes people talk to me like I do or have cut myself, which I never have, and it kind of intimidates me.  I'm a relatively emotionally stable person, though a lot of the emotions I did draw from a time when I was suffering from depression.  The slash is – well it's impossible to not know it's coming anymore. 

Beautifulelf:  Make Draco and Harry fall in love?  I think that can be arranged . . . *wicked smirk*  No, seriously, the Draco/Harry goodness is coming.

Catdragon:  I'm trying to keep Snape's tongue as sharp as ever.  If I fail – erm – then at least I'll have the prequel to explain it.  *mwah!!*

To anyone who reads and/or reviews:  Thank you for taking the time to read and pay attention to my trifle (epic) of a story.  I'm very pleased you've come this far and I hope you will stick with it to the very end.

DISCLAIMER:  I am not JK Rowling.  This story is based on characters of her own creation and I do not have a hand in the Harry Potter merchandise whatsoever.  If I did, I really wouldn't be writing fanfiction.

Falling Chapter Fifteen:  What Almost Was

Harry sighed as he furiously scribbled on his parchment and giving up, shoved it aside before closing his Transfiguration text book.  He looked up to see Draco's head buried in the covers of the purple book once again.  Harry had tried repeatedly to find out just what exactly this purple book was but every time he came close to it, Draco would snap it shut and sheepishly put it away.  Blaise knew about it and even if they weren't friends long, it hurt Harry in a way that Draco didn't trust him enough to show him it.

Exactly eleven full days had passed since Draco woke up in the hospital wing.  People had been streaming in and out, most of them being himself, Kali with and without Ron, Hermione, Blaise, Snape, and Dumbledore.  That wasn't to mention Madam Pomfrey, who was constantly downing him in liquids, and Padma Patil, who came once a day for Draco's counseling sessions.  He was still on Suicide Warning and had to have someone with him at all times except for the bathroom and showers, which pleased Harry.  During the first forty-eight hours, Draco needed someone with him even in there and he had put up quite a fight when no one else was there to assist him but Harry.

Padma seemed to be making some progress but Harry was confident that Draco's vast improvement came from the absence of the dagger, which seemed to be poisoning his mind, and the constant company that kept him alert and sane.  When Harry had first seen the dagger that Draco apparently kept with him at all times, his stomach had turned knowing that this was Draco's personal instrument of destruction.  It was probably the one thing Draco held dear and the thought revolted him to his deepest emotions.  No one should ever feel they have to look for salvation in an act so cruel.

As strange as it was for someone as proud as Draco had been, since coming to the infirmary, he seemed to be letting most of his arrogance go.  He still fretted over his father and his depression had barely even begun to ebb away if it was dissipating at all but the prospect of being so close to dying seemed to have scared him enough to get on the right track.  Harry did his best, trying to be there for Draco at all times, even when Kali or Blaise would wake him up in the middle of the night telling him that Draco was asking for him.  Sometimes he would get bitter and resentful but then he would see Draco and knowing just what he was capable of made all the anger go away.  It was replaced by concern and Harry would be right by his side.  Worst of all, Harry would stare into Draco's eyes and it would hit him.  He was falling for Draco Malfoy.

Draco was beautiful; there was never any doubt about that.  Between his wide, grey eyes and the way they had first held apprehension when looking at Harry, then grew to a state where there was trust, and the silvery blond hair that fell just over his eyes when he was concentrating, there was very little about Draco that wasn't beautiful.  On the outside he was a picture of perfection but Harry found that once you got beneath all the anger, pride, and depression, there was a beautiful person wanting to burst out.  Just by laying there in that bed, the sheer determination bursting from him in waves, he would transfix Harry and mesmerize him.  Draco was still a confused kid who didn't quite grasp on to the real world and he was lonely.  Harry tried to fix that.

"Couldn't take McGonagall's lesson anymore?" asked Draco.

"Er - no.  Transfiguration just isn't my thing.  Actually, nothing is really my thing."

"Except for Quidditch.  You're good at that."

"Better than you, anyway."

"Okay, Captain Gryffindor."

Harry smirked.  "So what about you?  Still got your nose in the mysterious purple book?"

"Yes, I do."

"You know, part of me thinks that you won't tell me what it is just because you know it drives me nuts."

"Partially.  It's payback for tormenting me all those years."

"Tormenting you?"

"Yes.  Tormenting me.  Do you know how many people teased me when I was turned into that ruddy ferret?"  Harry stifled a laugh.  "It's not funny.  Stop laughing."

"I'm sorry."  Harry tried to recompose himself.  "I wasn't laughing at you, exactly."

"Well I certainly wasn't laughing so you can't say you were laughing with me."

"No.  Of course not.  You know, Malfoy, I know it sucks that you're stuck here in the hospital wing and everything but - er - I just thought I should say that I'm kind of glad you're here."

"You're glad I tried to slice and dice myself a second time?"

"No.  I'm glad that we got the chance to be friends.  It's a whole lot nicer than dueling in the hallway and getting detention for not knowing when to be properly composed."

"I agree."

"Will it stay that way when you leave the infirmary?"

"Do you mean if we'll still be friends?"  Harry nodded.  "Of course it will.  I mean, things will be a bit strange, but this is Hogwarts.  When aren't things strange?  And it isn't like people won't be staring at me all the time, anyway.  Like I have nothing better to do than to be stared at by bloody Hufflepuffs all day long."

"So - er - when do you plan on leaving?  I mean, it's just because you get off Suicide Warning in five days and I was wondering if you were going to leave or choose to stay longer."

"I've been thinking about it, but. . ."

A soft knock interrupted and Blaise entered the room.

"Hey, Harry.  Draco."

"Hey, Blaise," they chorused.

"D'you mind if I talk to Draco?"

"Course not," he said before turning back to Draco.  "We'll talk later."  Draco nodded.  "See you."  Harry reluctantly grabbed his Transfiguration book, parchment, and his quill before drudging out of the room.

"So," said Draco.  "What's up?"

"Just coming to see how you are.  You get out in five days."

"I know.  Harry and I were just talking about that."

"D'you reckon you're going to leave or are you going to choose to stay?"

Draco shrugged.  "What?  Are you and Harry on the same wavelength?"  Blaise grinned and also shrugged.  "I don't know yet.  The last thing I want is to stay with that Pomfrey bitch but I think that'll be what's best for me to do."

"That's cool.  Whatever you think is best for you.  For what it's worth, I think you've come a long way already.  Just by being here, you know?  I respect you for doing that.  At least you aren't beating yourself up because you're hiding behind your pride anymore."

"There's no use," answered Draco, rather melancholy as he frayed the corner of his bed sheets.  "I lost my pride and dignity when I looked into that mirror and saw my bloodied self looking back at me.  It was like seeing what everyone else would see if I died and it scared me.  If I want to live . . . well, I certainly can't go about being pretentious, now can I?  Padma's been great and Harry. . ." his voice trailed off here as he avoided Blaise's eyes, a twinkle much like Dumbledore's in them at the mention of Harry's name.  Apparently it hadn't gone unnoticed that he was spending almost all of his time with either Padma or Harry.  "Harry's been beyond wonderful.  But - you know. . ."  A sheepish smile came over Draco's face but he still refused to look up at Blaise.

"Yeah."  His voice contained mirth and Draco finally looked up to see a knowing smirk on Blaise's face.  "I bet Harry is beyond wonderful."

"Shut up, Blaise.  Don't even look at me like that.  I know what you're thinking."

"I'm not thinking anything."

"You are, too."

"I think you think I'm thinking about it because it's what you're thinking about."

"I am not."

"Okay," he said but Draco noticed that Blaise was still smirking.  "But still, you had to move on from me sometime.  Harry is bisexual and he'd be crazy not to be attracted to you."

"Well thank you for the compliment but no, Blaise.  No.  I do not think of Potter like that.  Get it out of your head."

"Back to Potter, is it?"

"Blaise."

"Fine.  Okay.  It's out.  So . . . what were you two up to before I came in?"

"Nothing that you think from the way you're wriggling those foul little eyebrows of yours at me.  Potter was doing homework and I was looking at this."  Rather reluctantly, he handed Blaise the yearbook.

"Hogwarts yearbook?  1977?"

"It was my father's graduation year.  In fact," he drawled as a small, wicked smirk came over his face, "it was the same year Kailah's mum graduated, too.  She was gorgeous."

"If I promise to bring it back, do you think I could let Kali see it?  I mean, she never knew her mum and I bet she'd be wicked glad to see this."  Draco shrugged and nodded.  "Thanks.  Hey . . . do you think Kali's dad would be in here?  I mean, we all hear so much about him but no one really knows who he is."

Draco shrugged again and smirked.  "Maybe.  They were in the same year, weren't they?"

"Yeah.  So he'll probably be in here.  Excellent.  Well, I'll be going then.  I'll send Harry back in."

"Okay," said Draco, still smirking.  "See you later."

"Bye."  Blaise disappeared through the door and Harry emerged in less than five seconds.

"And what are you smirking about?" teased Harry as he threw his Transfiguration work on the table, forgetting it as he brought a chair over to sit next to Draco's bed.

"Nothing."

"You okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know.  You weren't getting along so well with Blaise before and you're always in a foul mood when Padma leaves you."

"She pries into my business and when I tell her to sod off and that I don't want to talk about it, she yells at me and tells me that I have to do it anyway."

"She doesn't yell, she's stern.  Besides, Padma's your counselor, and as your counselor, that's kind of what she's there for."

"I know."  Draco let out a long, audible sigh before sitting back in bed.  "It's just, I try to forget about how awful I felt.  Padma keeps telling me that I can't repress my feelings.  She reminds me constantly and it's not like I don't appreciate it, I just would rather have a friend to talk to."

"I'm here."

"I know."  Draco gave Harry a soft smile.

"It's okay for you to open up to someone.  I know you're scared of letting someone get close because of your father . . . I never knew my father so I can't say which is worse."

"Maybe they're just as bad.  Two evils."

"Maybe."

"Let's not talk about this today."

Harry pressed his lips into a light line and nodded.  "Maybe later."

"Maybe.  Harry?"

"Hm?"

"Why are you being so nice to me?"

"Because you're letting me."

"Oh.  Er - sorry about that.  Guess I've been a real prat over the years."

"You were just arrogant and immature.  So. . .are you planning on staying here after your Suicide Warning is over?"

Draco sighed.  "Back to that, are we?"

"I'm curious."

"I think I'm going to.  The hospital wing is not my first choice but I don't trust myself just yet.  I'm not ready to face the Slytherin common room and my dorm . . . my bed.  Not after what I went through there.  I don't even know if I'm really a Slytherin anymore.  I don't feel like I fit in.  Hell, I don't know what I am at all anymore."

Hanging his head, Harry stared at Draco through the pieces of black hair that had fallen into view.  "That must be scary," he said rather softly.

"It is."  Draco paused, playing with the cuff of his sleeve with his newly healed left hand.  "You don't think there's any chance of getting resorted, do you?"  Harry gaped but quickly shut his mouth as not wanting to be rude.  "I mean, if I still am a Slytherin, wouldn't the Sorting Hat just put me right back there and have that be that."

"But the hat barely touched your head before it put you in Slytherin!  I thought you were proud to be a Slytherin!"

"People change," he said sadly.  "Look at me.  Look at Ron."

"True.  I must admit, I was shocked that you didn't let your pride get in the way."

"Both you and Blaise.  Was I really that proud?"

"Well-"

"You needn't answer that."

"No, but really.  Last year . . . something changed in you.  It was like you somehow - shifted.  And then when you moved in here last week, it was like you grew up.  Something that just wasn't there before shone through."

By the end of Harry's words, Draco had turned a light shade of pink.  "Er - thanks.  I appreciate you being here for me.  I guess you just are one of those disgustingly good guys.  Lends a helping hand even to the lowliest of life forms.  Malfoys, namely."

"Don't be like that.  You're . . . you're so much more than that.  You're . . . wow, Draco."

"I'm wow?  Are you sure we're talking about the same Draco Malfoy?"

Harry feigned surprise.  "Wow, Malfoy you have changed.  Any other time you'd have gotten that smug grin on your face and been a total git about it."  Draco shrugged.

"I told you I don't know who I am anymore.  I've been so busy living up to other expectations that I lost sight of my own."

"I know.  Sort of.  So, are you planning on going to the Halloween Ball?"

"Can't.  It's in three days and I'm still on Suicide Warning."

"Isn't your mum coming?"  Draco nodded.  "Do you want to go?"

"Of course I do.  All my friends are going to be there.  You.  Blaise.  Kailah."

"Well I'm sure Dumbledore would let you go.  I mean, you'd have plenty of people by your side and you need to get back out to the school sometime.  With the chaos from the Ball, you aren't as likely to get noticed.  Well, you will, but it won't be a massive swarming.  There will be other things on people's minds."

"How long have you been thinking of this?"

Harry blushed and Draco grinned at causing this emotion in perfect Potter, Mister Boy-Who-Lived.  "Am I really that bad?"

"Eh."  Giving a quick shrug, Draco smiled.  "I'd really love that.  Maybe I should say something to the headmaster."

"I'll go for you if you want me to.  I'd love to have you there."

"Harry . . . I can't help but ask.  Why?  You don't even like me that much."

"Sure I do.  We're friends."

"You know what I mean.  You don't have to be so nice to me just because I tried to kill myself."

"That isn't why I'm being nice to you.  I already told you.  I'm being nice to you because you're letting me be.  I want to be nice to you."  Harry moved from the chair to sit down on the side of Draco's bed letting his fingers brush Draco's wrist.  "It's weird.  For once it's not me in the hospital bed."  Draco gave a short laugh but his eyes immediately darted back to Harry's fingers lying so delicately next to his pale wrist.  "Draco, I meant what I said.  You've really grown up.  You don't give yourself the credit you deserve."

"Harry, I. . ."

"Don't protest."  Once again, Harry's fingers shifted and Draco found himself responding.  They briefly brushed past each other before the contact occurred again, this time lasting a bit longer when finally their fingers locked.  For a moment, both sets of eyes fell down on their clasped hands, staring at the way their fingers had twined with each other's but neither dared to move them.  "I know you're going through a hard time," Harry almost whispered.  "You aren't the only one who feels lost.  Sometimes I get so sick of people expecting something out of me just because I'm their golden boy so I try to be someone else.  I'm not sure which traits are mine and which I fabricated to surprise people.  Sometimes, most of the time, actually, I feel so lost."

"Me too," Draco whispered, voice just as soft.  Moving his eyes away from their clasped hands, Draco looked up to find Harry's green eyes intensely staring into his own.  Both seemed surprise by the contact but neither could look away as they continued gazing.  It was the slightest of moments as both heads tilted, inclined to one another.  Draco's lips were slightly parted and he could feel Harry's breath ghosting over and prickling the flesh at his mouth.  Harry moved a little farther forward, their noses just barely touching when Draco whispered, "Wait.  Don't."

The heat was lost as Harry yanked back from him taking his lips and his hand along with him.  Draco wiggled his fingers missing the curves of Harry's hand and they way they had so perfectly fit tight and snug into each other.

"I'm sorry," stammered Harry.  "I know you aren't like that.  Really, I don't know what I was thinking.  I mean, especially after that scene with Blaise a few weeks back.  You're vulnerable and I shouldn't have taken advantage of that."

"No. . .I'm not homophobic.  I was just mad at him.  Sorry."

"Don't apologize.  I shouldn't have taken advantage of you when you were in a weak position."

"I wasn't in a weak position."

"Well you still shouldn't apologize.  I just . . . you know I'm bisexual and I'm attracted to you.  I know you aren't.  I - eh - hope that we can still be friends.  I don't want to weird you out or anything."

"It's okay."

One quick knock came from the door and both Harry and Draco jumped to see Padma sticking her head in through a crack.

"Hey, Harry," she called.

"Hey."  His voice was weak as she came in and took his chair by the bed now that he wasn't occupying it.

"How are you doing today, Draco?"

How was he doing?  He almost kissed Potter, that's how he was doing.

"Better than yesterday."

"I was just leaving," said Harry.  "I'll let you two get on with your business."

"Nice to see you, Harry," she said.  "Say hello to Ron for me."

"I will.  See you later."

"Bye."  Harry disappeared through the door.  "I'm glad today's better than yesterday.  You had a good day yesterday."  Draco nodded.  "So?  Was there anything specific you and Harry were talking about?"  Draco went a slight tinge of pink.  "Draco. . ."

"Not really.  Just. . .stuff.  Blaise came by.  I lent him the yearbook so that Kali could see her mum."

"That was nice of you."

Draco grimaced at her statement.  "Evil word.  Am I actually becoming nice?"

"I think you were always nice, just only to people you wanted to be nice to.  You were so arrogant and immature."

"I know."

"I know you know.  Your adjectives, not mine."  Draco nodded.  "Anything new?"

Potter almost kissed me.

"Well, I thought about what you said and I decided to stay here when my probation is over."

"That's great!"  She gave him a quick hug.  "I'm so proud of you."

"I was wondering . . . I said something to Harry . . . d'you reckon I could ever convince Dumbledore to let me get resorted?"

Padma seemed to be in shock as she stared down at him.  "You - don't want to be a Slytherin anymore?"

"Just a thought to ponder.  I just don't feel like I fit in there anymore and going back would just be too much.  It's obviously doing me no good being in Slytherin.  I would always remember what I went through in there."

"You could ask.  It wouldn't hurt."

"Harry wants me to go to the Halloween Ball."

"Draco, I think that's a wonderful idea.  With everyone's parents and your mum coming, it would be the perfect opportunity to be seen again.  Do you want to go?"

"Sure.  Yeah.  I guess it's just something else I'll need to talk to Dumbledore about.  Padma - er - if you don't mind, I know you can't leave but if you could just give me some time to myself to think today, I would really appreciate it."

"Oh!  Yeah!  Sure.  Go ahead.  You seem to have a lot on your mind.  I'm just going to work on my Arithmancy and if you need me or want to talk, just say something and I'll be ready."

"Okay."  Draco watched as she unpacked her bag at the table Harry's things were still shoved on.  He dropped back into his pillow and staring at the ceiling, thought about Harry.  His mind wandered from Harry's wild reputation to the Harry he had grown over the past two weeks to know.  He thought of every word that came out of Harry's mouth before Padma interrupted.  He though of Harry's breath smelling so sweet as it ghosted over his lips and he moistened them with his tongue.  Bloody hell, he had fallen for Potter.

~*~

Blaise settled back into one of the high back chairs around the fire in the Slytherin common room and opened up the yearbook.  Figuring he would show the book to Kali at dinner, Blaise wanted to get a look through it first and he immediately turned to the index.  If memory served, and he was rather certain that it did, he looked up Kali's mum, Drusilla, and was pleased to find upon turning to page sixteen that she was, indeed, a Gryffindor.

So that's Drusilla Strauser, he thought as he looked at the headshot.  Her long golden waves curled around her face framing it with a sort of sweet perfection.  All Kali claimed she got from her mother was her surname and her eyes and checking this over, Kali couldn't have said truer words.  She was rather pretty and the girl in the headshot kept fixing her hair and grinning up at Blaise.

Running over the list of activities and achievements, he began to check out the pictures featured on the pages.  One of these guys, a Slytherin, should be Kali's father.  She did say that they had been together at Hogwarts and being the seventh year book, her boyfriend should be Kali's father.

The first picture was one of Drusilla, Lily Evans, and Elizabeth Fielding sitting in the Gryffindor common room and studying for their N.E.W.T.s, according to the caption.  All three were smiling at the camera but would occasionally turn back to their books to flip through frantically.  Blaise couldn't help but think that in a few years only Elizabeth would still be alive.

Next to the picture of the girls studying was Drusilla with Sirius Black and James Potter, all three clutching their broomsticks and waving at the camera.  All three had been on the Quidditch team, the Chasers, and Sirius kept tossing the Quaffle back and forth between his friends in the picture.

Dropping below, Blaise almost bit through his lip upon seeing Drusilla in the library with Lucius Malfoy, Snape, Lily, Elizabeth, and Lupin.  Lily, Elizabeth, and Lupin were looking at Lucius with a great sense of distrust and from the death glares Lucius was sending back at them, it seemed the feeling was mutual.  Drusilla and Snape didn't seem to notice this animosity.  She was settled snug under his arm, her head resting on his chest as they seemed to be having a conversation over whatever it was that they were studying for.  Blaise blinked, closed his eyes for a minute and reopened them, but it was still there.  It had to be a mistake.

From a picture on the opposite side of the page, he had been wrong.  It wasn't a mistake.  The caption read: Sirius Black, Silver Marcositi, James Potter, Lily Evans, Drusilla Strauser and Severus Snape at the Graduation Ball.  Above the writing were the six people listed, apparently three couples, all spruced up in dress robes.  Snape's arm was protectively wrapped around Drusilla and his fingers were running through her curls.  She heeded no attention to the camera as she was staring up at him, chatting away.  Possibly the most frightening thing of all was that he was smiling down at her, looking amused as she gabbed away.

Blaise snapped the book shut and left the Slytherin common room in search of Kali.  She had some things that needed explaining.  As he stalked the halls, he ran over possible things to say to her but nothing really felt right.  He figured he'd just play it by ear when he found her.  These days the best option seemed the library but when he dashed in, he was met by a rather irritated Madam Pince and from the looks of it, a rather frustrated Hermione.

"Er - Hermione?" he said as he approached her table.

"Oh, hello, Blaise.  I was just going over my Potions essay one last time.  Can I help you?"

"Have you seen Kali?"

"Not since she went off with Ron to Divination after lunch.  Something wrong?"

"Well," he shifted, wondering if he should really tell her this but Hermione was Kali's friend and deserved to know.  "Not really wrong, it's just . . . well, Miss Strauser has some explaining to do."  With that he slammed the book down displaying Drusilla's pages for Hermione to see.

"Is this Kali's mom?"

Blaise nodded.  "Oh yeah.  Take a closer look."

Hermione scanned the pages and Blaise smirked when her jaw dropped.

"But . . . but that would mean that Professor Snape is Kali's father!"

"Exactly," said Blaise dropping in a seat across from her.  "Draco gave me the book.  I bet he's known for awhile."

"Well," she said matter of factly as if she were in class, "it would explain a lot.  Like why she disappears in the morning before breakfast and in the evenings after dinner."

"Yeah!  I've seen her in the dungeons.  Probably going to visit him."

"And he is easier on her in class than the other students.  Remember the Blessure Fatale incident?  She didn't even get detention."

"And they're always bickering in class," reminded Blaise.  "I mean, even Pansy noticed their closeness only she wrote it off as if they were shagging."

Both took on looks of disgust.

"No wonder Kali laughed," said Hermione.

"And said it was the grossest thing she'd ever heard."

"And when Draco came to her for help, she took him to see Professor Snape."

"Oh," said Blaise.

"What is it?"

"I just thought . . . Ron."

"What about Ron?"

"How about that Ron is Kali's boyfriend?  First of all, I bet Snape hates that."  Hermione smirked at this, apparently trying to suppress laughs.  "I mean, it could be worse.  It could have been Harry.  But still. . ."

"Ron!  He doesn't know!"

"And we had better not tell him," said Blaise.  "Kali should have told us but I bet she was going to after Halloween.  Remember?  Ron's meeting her father at the Ball.  She probably wanted to tell Ron first."

"Well it's really no wonder Kali didn't tell us with the way Harry and Ron go on about how awful Professor Snape is."

"You see!  It all makes perfect sense."

Hermione nodded.  "So that must be where she spent the night."

"What?"

"One night Ron, Harry, Kali, and I snuck out of the common room and we ran into Snape in the halls.  We would have been alright under the invisibility cloak but Harry tripped and we all fell all over the place.  Snape called Kali back to come with him.  She said he lectured her and she fell asleep in his office but I bet she just spent the night.  I mean, what's the big deal when the man gave her life?"

"And it's no wonder she's always defending him.  Remember?  She's always saying that she doesn't understand why you all hate him so much."  Blaise paused.  "Does that mean Snape teases her about her Hufflepuff tendencies?"

"It would!  He kept telling her she should have been a Hufflepuff in our very first Potions class."

"That's right.  Well, I reckon we go find Kali."

Hermione nodded and they packed up their things, book tucked securely under Blaise's arm as they left the library.  Dinner was almost upon them and they decided to go straight to the dining hall rather than find Kali in the school.  When she entered with Ron, Hermione scooted up to them, asked if she and Blaise could borrow Kali, and Ron, clueless, shrugged, nodding while Blaise and Hermione ushered her out.

"What is it?" asked Kali once they got into an old, empty classroom.

"This," said Blaise, shoving the book at her.

"What is this?" she squealed with delight.  "Where did you get this?"

"Draco took it out of the library because it's the same graduation year as his father."  Kali nodded.  "You know?"

"Of course I know.  What's the big deal?"

"Your mother's boyfriend," said Hermione.  Kali quickly scanned the pages and felt tears prick in her eyes as they landed on one at the top corner of the second page.  According to the credits, the picture had been taken by Harry's mother.  Drusilla and Snape were sitting in a back corner of the library cuddled together.  Asleep, Drusilla's head lay gently against Snape's chest and her breath was soft as he stared down at her, running his fingers through her hair, over her cheeks.  Kali swallowed the lump in her throat.

"I've never . . . really seen photos of them together," she whispered.  "I mean, I have, but not like this."

"Is Professor Snape really your father?" asked Hermione.  Kali looked up at her friends and nodded.

"Yeah.  You aren't going to disown me forever, are you?  I know practically everyone hates him."

"Of course we aren't going to disown you," Hermione practically shouted as if it was silly she even considered the notion.  Blaise followed suit.

"How could you even think that?  We're your friends."

"Thanks," she said.  "Just, please don't tell Harry or Ron yet.  I'd like to do that on my own."

"Halloween, right?" said Blaise.  Kali nodded.  "I think we'll be able to hold it in until then."

"I certainly hope so.  Draco's been keeping it secret since the second week of school."

"Since the second week?" asked Blaise.  Kali nodded.

"He figured it out right away but it helps that we're cousins."

"Cousins?" asked Hermione.  "You're related to both Professor Snape and Draco Malfoy?"

"I feel like I keep good company," she said, grinning.  "Lucius and Daddy are cousins so yes, Draco and I are related."

"It's so strange to hear someone call Snape 'Daddy,'" said Blaise.

"Speaking of," muttered Hermione and Kali turned around to see Snape heading their way from the dungeons, probably going to the Great Hall for dinner.

"Miss Strauser," he acknowledged.  Kali smirked at Hermione and Blaise.

"Daddy."

Snape stalled, staring at her.  His gaze flickered between Blaise, Hermione, and back to Kali.

"Excuse me?"

"They know," she answered.

"Know?"

"That you're my daddy.  Honestly, sometimes you can be really rather slow."

"The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

Kali put on a fake laugh.  "Funny.  Yeah.  That was wonderful."

"Kailah."

"Daddy."

"I hate it when you do that."

"I know."

"So . . . what made you decide to tell them?"

"They figured it out on their own."  She handed him the book still open to Drusilla's pages.  His eyes flickered down to them, closing for a brief, pained moment, and his jaw slightly trembled as he handed it back to Kali.

"It is best not to dwell in the past."

"You do it all the time," she pointed out before taking on an impersonation of Snape's voice.  "Miss Strauser, what in the name of Merlin did you do to that Polyjuice Potion?  I hope this is not a repeat of your Blessure Fatale experiment.  Miss Strauser, ten points from Gryffindor.  No, Draco, it's okay.  The Blessure Fatale is lime green, not royal blue.  Kailah didn't make it.  Miss Strauser, Miss Strauser, Miss Strauser!"

"I get the point," he drawled rather coolly as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.  "Are you going to be like this when Mister Weasley is informed?"

"Honestly, his name is Ron and probably."

"I think I liked it better when you weren't telling anyone."

"Why?  Because I was quiet?"  Snape cocked an eyebrow.

"Kailah, it has been my personal experience that you have never been quiet."

"Okay, I was quieter."

"You're getting warmer."

"I was a pest but less pesty than I am now."

"You've hit the nail on the head.  Pest, indeed."

"Love you, too."

"Shouldn't you be eating?"

"Shouldn't you?"

"Kailah, I was on my way to eat when you so rudely interrupted me."

"It was rude."

"Very."

"Then you're just going to have to teach me proper manners.  You see what happens when you ship your children overseas and force them to play nice with stupid Servius Atwater?"

"That stupid Servius Atwater is your cousin."

"So is Draco Malfoy but you don't see me doing a song and dance about that."

"Kailah."

"I know, I know.  Go to dinner or I'm taking five points from Gryffindor, Miss Strauser.  You're just like a Hufflepuff, Miss Strauser.  What color is your potion, Miss Strauser?"

"Go to dinner, Kailah, before I carry you there myself."

"You wouldn't."

Snape didn't answer but instead, arched one solitary eyebrow.

"Let's go to dinner," she said, grabbing both Blaise and Hermione by the wrists.  "Ron's waiting for us, after all."

"Mister Weasley?" spit out Snape in disdain.

"Yes, Daddy.  He is my boyfriend and you had better be nice at the ball or all hell is going to break loose.  I'm going to be one very unhappy Gryffindor.  Gryffindor, and not Hufflepuff."

"Whatever you say," he replied, snickering as he watched Kali rush away, dragging Blaise and Hermione down the hall.

I have no comments.  If you have a comment, leave a review or email me at angeldlsm00@hotmail.com

I've se up a separate account for when the story is updated.  If you want to be informed of when this story is updated, email me at angeldlsm01@hotmail.com, though it typically happens every Monday.

As promised, Draco/Harry goodness clearly coming.  I may be setting up a website soon to archive my fiction.  I'll let you all know when it's up.  And just a reminder, for those who are interested, this story is going to have a prequel to it once this epic is finished.  I really need to get a life.

So maybe I did have a comment or two.