A Family for the Dragon
Chapter 16: …and Puzzling Events
By: Madame Moony
"Good morning!" said Albus to Katrina, Draco, Hermione, Severus, Minerva and Remus.
"Good Morning," replied the rest then went back to their conversations as they ate.
"Is everyone ready?" asked Albus after they had finished eating. After everyone replied positive, he looked up at the time. It was only seven o'clock.
"Since we still have an half hour and more to wait for Arabella and Harry, I think we should go ahead to our picnic spot and wait for them there," suggested Albus.
"Yes, but how will they get here?" asked Minerva.
"I was thinking that maybe someone like Remus could wait here for them with a portkey," replied Albus.
"I don't mind waiting here. You should go ahead, it is no point for all of us to wait," said Remus.
"If that is settled, shall we go?" asked Severus.
"Fine, everyone, please, hold on to this ball of string," said Albus as he passed out a ball of string.
"Now say together at once Transportemos and we will be off. Now at the count of three; one, two, three!"
"Transportemos!" chorused everyone except Remus.
Instantly they vanished and arrived in a bright airy woody area.
"How lovely!" exclaimed Hermione wandering through the grove in which they arrived in.
"That way is our picnic spot, in the next Addler Tree grove. This way, my dears," said Albus walking off with Minerva.
'This place is so peaceful,' thought Katrina to Severus as they walked happily through the woods.
"I wish that we could come to this place everyday," said Hermione.
"Uh-uh. The only place that I have seen more peaceful would be the Taven Islands," replied Draco.
"You have been to the Taven Islands!!!!" cried Hermione.
"Yeah, we went there once," replied Draco off-handedly.
"But they are supposed to private, exclusive islands that have the most beautiful gardens and woods in the world!!" exclaimed Hermione.
"My da-dad's friend owns the place," said Draco freezing up slightly on the first part of the sentence. As excited as Hermione was, she didn't miss the unusual stutter.
"Draco, why are you here at Hogwarts this summer?" asked Hermione gently.
"Because...because," started Draco looking away.
"If you don't want to tell me, it's okay," said Hermione quietly.
"My parents wanted me to take the Dark Mark and become a Death Eater. After seeing one of the revels, I decided to ask Severus and Uncle Albus for help," said Draco. Hermione slyly slipped her hand into his and gave his hand a little squeeze.
"So they brought you here?" predicted Hermione.
"Yeah," said Draco. As Hermione looked into his eyes, she could tell that he was a thousand miles away. She stopped walking for a second and hugged him hard.
"What was that for?" asked Draco surprised.
"For being your own person and letting yourself by Draco not Malfoy," said Hermione smiling at Draco who still hadn't let go of her hand.
"Are you sure it was not just because you wanted to hug me? It is hard to resist my natural charm," joked Draco running his hand through his hair.
Hermione playfully hit him on the arm and said, "No way! What natural charm are you talking about?"
Draco lunged at Hermione, who just ran away. Draco raced after her as they played good old "TAG". Behind them, Katrina smiled and turned to her love.
'Did you see that?' asked Katrina.
'Yeah. She is good for him,' said Severus.
'Do you remember when we were the ones running around like that,' thought Katrina delving into happy memories.
'I was never so foolish!' thought back Severus pompously.
'Oh yeah, who was the one to push me into the lake?' teased Katrina. A slight blush came over Severus's face as he remembered the particular incident that she was referring to.
'That aside, I wonder how her friend will react to fact that they are flirting so obviously,' wondered Severus evilly.
'Severus! If he truly is her friend, then he will not care,' admonished Katrina.
'Sure, and Minerva's real passion about life is karate,' sarcastically replied Severus.
'Maybe it is time the dream team has reached out to others,' said Katrina as she thought back to the incidents that Severus and Hermione and Remus had told her about the Dream Team.
'Look we are here,' thought Katrina as they reached their destination. The Addler Tree grove was full of beautiful huge trees in a circle. Sunlight followed and filled parts of the grove where the trees didn't block it out. Conveniently some died tree stumps were wonderful seats.
"Look at that tree! It is huge!" exclaimed Minerva as she walked around the grove.
"Shall we take a walk around the woods, my dearest love?" asked Albus to Minerva.
"Of course. We will be back around 10:00. Then we can go to another garden if you wish," said Minerva to everyone.
"Bye Uncle Albus, Aunt Minerva!" said Draco as he took off his robes. Underneath them he wore muggle jeans and a tee shirt. He quickly scaled up a tree to sit in its beautiful branches.
"I wish I could climb up a tree," said Hermione looking down at her sundress in dismay. She was wearing a beautiful yellow sundress with white and purple flowers all over it.
"Would you like me to transfigure your clothes for you?" asked Katrina.
"Yeah, if you could just make them into a pair of my jeans and a tee shirt. I can climb in these shoes," said Hermione.
"Do that, Katrina, but if anyone of you falls I will kill you after healing you. Do you understand?" threatened Severus.
"Oh come on, Severus! I am going to climb!" said Katrina transfiguring Hermione's and her clothes into jeans and tee shirts. She also transfigured their shoes into something easier to climb with.
"Come on up, Hermione!" shouted Draco.
"I don't know how to climb very well," said Hermione looking up at the tree. Draco laughed and climbed down.
"How about I help you climb up? I will be right here to catch you if you fall," said Draco reassuringly.
Meanwhile, Katrina pleaded with Severus to climb with her.
"Please, love? It will be like old days," wheedled Katrina.
"Fine!" said Severus and transfigured his robes into jeans and a tee.
"Jeans, Severus? Going soft?" teased Draco as he watched Hermione slowly climb up their tree.
"Watch it, Draco. Just because I am nice to Slytherin, doesn't mean I won't take points off," threatened Severus as he expertly scaled up a tree. Katrina just laughed and reminded Severus that it was summer. For the next minute the air was filled with laughter and muffled curses (from Severus).
"Are you okay, Mione?" asked Draco as he climbed up the tree to sit next to her. Hermione nodded and rested comfortably as Draco sat next to her. The next half an hour went by fast as they teased each other and talked quietly among themselves.
"Hermione? Draco? Severus? Katrina? Albus? Minerva?" called Remus as he, Arabella, and a suspiciously familiar boy with messy black hair and a lighting shaped scar walked into the grove.
"Remus, Arabella, Potter. Up here," said Severus briskly.
"Harry! How are you?" yelled Hermione from her tree.
"Hermione! Where are you?" yelled back Harry.
"In the trees, Potter. In the trees!" yelled Draco.
"Draco, can you help me get down?" asked Hermione smiling at Draco. Draco nodded and scaled down the tree. Harry watched in wonder as Draco positioned himself underneath the tree yelling directions to Hermione *nicely*.
"Just a little more, Hermione," called up Draco ignoring Harry's confused stare.
"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh," screamed Hermione as her foot slipped and she plunged down.
Draco used his seeker skills to good use and caught her swiftly in his arms. Harry sprinted over as if he hoped to catch her himself. As he ran towards Hermione, he heard Draco say, "Didn't I say that I would catch you?" Hermione hugged him as he put her down gently.
"I never doubted you for a second. Thank you," said Hermione kissing Draco lightly on the cheek like she would to Harry or Ron.
"Hermione are you okay? Did *he* catch you?" asked Harry worriedly. Hermione laughed and hugged Harry.
"Is that anyway to greet a friend? I am fine! Wow, you have grown!" said Hermione happily looking her friend once over.
"Yeah! Kind of weird since the Dursleys never feed- never mind," said Harry remembering Draco was standing right next to Hermione.
"Before I have to yell at you both, I want you to call a truce. Draco is my friend, Harry. I expect you to deal with it as if you found out that Seamus or Neville was a friend of mine. Draco, no side remarks or innuendos about Gryffindors. If you don't, you can expect me not to talk to either you for the next year after my temper gets the best of me," replied Hermione glaring at both Draco and Harry. Both of them winced at the thought of Hermione yelling at them.
"Truce, Potter," said Draco sticking out his hand.
"Draco..." said Hermione warningly.
"Fine, but only for you! Truce, Harry," spat out Draco.
"Truce, Draco," replied Harry in the same voice shaking Draco's hand.
'Did you see that?' asked Severus astonished.
'If anyone can make peace between a Malfoy and a Potter, it is only Hermione. The way she has those boys twisted around her little pinky is hilarious,' thought back Katrina. Severus nodded and continued watching the little comedy in front of them.
'Excuse me, but aren't you going to go make peace with Harry Potter or not?" asked Katrina pointedly.
"How about not?" replied Severus quietly aloud.
"Not if you want to talk to me the rest of the year. You will go down there and make peace," said Katrina and hopped down the tree. After a couple of pointed looks from Katrina, Severus also climbed down the tree sighing.
"Hello, I am Prof. Louver. You can call me Katrina," said Katrina kindly.
"Hello, I am Harry Potter, but you probably already knew that," said Harry jokingly. He watched gratefully as her eyes never flicked towards his head.
"Potter," said Severus nodding his head in greeting.
"Professor," replied Harry.
"Love, remember what I said?" said Katrina smiling a fake smile at Harry.
'What?' snapped Severus at her in his head.
'Be nice,' reprimanded Katrina sharply.
"Fine, you can call me Severus, Potter. Happy, Kat?" snapped Severus as he strode back to the tree. He climbed up and grumpily sat on one of the branches.
"Excuse me," said Katrina politely as she went back to Severus. After a few teasing remarks and some soothing words, Katrina managed to lift Severus out of his mood.
"She has him twisted around her little finger," remarked Hermione softly.
"Yeah, doesn't she?" replied Draco laughing lightly.
Harry didn't say anything, but stared at the two couples. He just couldn't understand why Draco was being nice and why Prof. Snape was also being polite? Hermione was another thing that confused him a lot, why was she hanging out with Slytherins???? Hermione watched as the circles turned (slowly in my opinion, but what can I say? I am definitely a Draco fan!!! Tom Felton is so cool!!)in his head. Sighing, she walked over Katrina's and Severus's tree. She motioned for Katrina to come down. After a minute of conferring with Katrina, she walked back to Harry and Draco. She had just reminded Katrina of their conversation about Draco yesterday.
~Flashback~
"Hey Katrina, can I talk to you in my room privately for a sec?" asked Hermione when they were done with playing Monopoly.
"Sure, what's up?" asked Katrina as they walked into Hermione's room and closed the door.
"Tomorrow, I am going to have to do some explaining to Harry about Draco and Severus. I need you to make sure that when I do that Draco doesn't feel left out. Can you do that for me?" asked Hermione as she paced nervously back and forth.
"Sure, don't worry. I understand that it will need some carefully handling," said Katrina smiling.
"Thank you! I am so in your debt," said Hermione gratefully.
"No prob. Draco is one of my favorite people," said Katrina.
"You know what, Katrina?" asked Hermione suddenly.
"What?" asked Katrina.
"I am so glad that I got to know you and Severus like friends not teachers. Severus is so hard and mean in class that you would never guess that he is so nice and cool outside of class," said Hermione happily.
"I am glad I have a friend among my students. You can help me in class when I am stuttering with fright the first day," smiled back Katrina.
"No way! You will probably walk in and have a fourth of the class in love with you already. Then Draco will walk in and scare another fourth into liking you. That is after I walk in and persuade the smart fourth of the class that you are a good teacher. You will really only have to deal with a fourth or less of the actual class by yourself. By the end of the first lesson, you will probably be the most liked teacher anywhere!" said Hermione comfortingly.
"Thanks, come one we should join the guys," said Katrina and they walked back out to the rest of their friends.
~End of Flashback~
'Love, I am going on a walk. Keep Draco occupied, Hermione has to do some 'plaining to her friend,' thought Katrina.
"Hey Draco!! Severus here wants to talk to you, something about potions lessons, etc. I am going to take a walk," yelled Katrina walking off into the woods. Severus, though confused, waited till Draco was in the tree and kept him occupied till Hermione was done.
"Harry, come on. Let's take a walk. I have lots of things to tell you," said Hermione.
"Okay, I have lots of questions," replied Harry.
"Let me tell the whole story, and then you can ask me any questions. It all started when I got a letter to come to Hogwarts to help the staff take care of a baby..." started Hermione. Slowly but surely an hour passed as Hermione went over her life from the beginning of the summer. Harry was a very good audience laughing when something was funny and expressing support when something was sad.
"....after the ball we haven't done much. Hanging around mostly doing this and that, so tell me your questions," finished Hermione.
"Really, Hermione, why these people? Why not someone else?" asked Harry.
"Because they were ones who I was here to help. At first that was the only thing, now it is so much more. They are my friends like you are, like Ron is. After living with someone, you can either hate someone or you can like them. I rather like someone then hate them. They aren't so bad when you get around those hard exteriors," replied Hermione honestly.
"Why are you so good friends with Malfoy?" asked Harry curiously.
"Because I raised him, and when he was a baby I loved him for himself not for his father or family image," replied Hermione. By this time they had gotten back to the grove where they saw Draco, Severus, Katrina, Arabella and Remus sitting in a tree. They too climbed up and sat down next to them.
"Severus? Hermione? Draco? Oh there you all are," said Albus walking in with Minerva.
"Hello, Prof. Dumbledore and Prof. McGonagall," said Harry as they all climbed down.
"Since we are all here then I think it is time for us to go to our next picnic area. Unless, you want to stay here?" asked Albus. Everyone voted to go to their next spot on their day long picnic.
"Come on, lets go," said Arabella. They all took a piece of the string except Remus who just stood there unmoving.
"Remus! Come on!" said Arabella, but Remus didn't move. Albus, Severus, and Katrina looked at each other. Could it be that Remus was one of them? Katrina sat down and called up to her Lady.
"Lady Rowena, Former Queen of the Mystics. Answer my plea, is our beloved one truly one of us?" called Katrina calling on her powers to send the message. A beautiful voice was heard and it said, "Yes, my student. He is."
"Albus!" said Severus suddenly gripping his hand to his left forearm.
"Must you go?" asked Albus sadly.
"Yes, Katrina..." started Severus continuing in his mind.
"Please?" asked Katrina begging.
"No! Severus, you can't go!" said Hermione figuring out what they were talking about.
"Don't expect me back soon. Katrina, I want you to go to sleep if I don't come back before tonight. That applies to you too Hermione. Take care of Remus, and explain to him," said Severus before turning to Albus.
"Be safe, my boy, and come back to me," murmured Albus.
"As usual, always," said Severus before apparting away.
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OHHH! A cliffhanger! *authoress laughs evilly* Anyway, I just want to say that I need you to be patient about all these weird things that are happening. I will explain very soon! Hang on, and review!!
~Madame Moony