A/N: sorry if this gets a little sappy, I'm still in mourning of my
favorite character in the series; but I'm sure it works out in the bigger
picture; ALL POWER TO YOU, JKR!!! By the way. she owns all these characters
except for Kristin. (I have to work a disclaimer in there every so often)
-----
"Professor McGonagall," Harry called to the headmistress.
"Yes, Mr. Potter," she replied sternly.
"I need to speak with Professor Dumbledore."
"But Harry"-
"Now, please." Harry was holding back tears. He couldn't stand it any longer. Albus Dumbledore had told him long ago that Lord Voldemort was the last in the line of Slytherin. He never told Harry about Kristin.
"All right." McGonagall sighed. There was no bargaining with Harry. She could tell by that look in his eyes.
The professor led him up the staircase. She told the painting the password (whatchamacallit) and proceded to Dumbledore's office.
"Who's there?" Albus Dumbledore answered when she knocked. She opened the door slightly.
"Mr. Potter wishes to see you, headmaster." McGonagall left at Dumbledore's nod. He gestured Harry to sit down, but he refused.
"Why did you tell me he had a daughter?" he demanded, struggling to keep from yelling. The tears he had been holding back finally came forward.
"I see you found out about Kristin." Dumbledore remained calm.
"Damn right I did!" He yelled. He would have been surprised at his nerve at any other time, but today his sense of shock was all worn out.
"Sit down, Harry."
"I don't WANT to sit down. I want you to tell me the truth. I want to know why you didn't tell me sooner.. Maybe when you found out we were going out. I know you knew about it. Don't you owe it to me? I mean. he killed my parents! I have to live the Dursleys."
"And you killed her only remaining parent. She had to live in an orphanage. She was shuttled from wizardry school to wizardry school the moment that they found our her real last name. Kristin Riddle was not a popular student." The headmaster was still as calm as ever.
"But Kristin Campbell came along and teachers didn't mind," he continued. "She started to have friends, have a life. Until the accidents. Her father never really liked where she was heading. She was a good witch. Obviously her mother's fault. He regretted letting this child into the world and he would cause "accidents" to happen."
Harry had become calm enough to listen over his sobs.
"What kind of accidents?"
"Well," Dumbledore began quietly and with great reserve, "like the accident last year with the candle."
"What accident last year?"
"She never told you?"
Harry shook his head.
"She wasn't in school for a week after the first day of school, because her father found out about you and her kissing in the library."
"What did he do?"
"He took shape in a flame and beckoned her to it. Then it blew up at her. She could have been killed. The burns were very bad. But thank Merlin that Professor Snape walked in when he did and that we have as great a nurse as Madam Pomfrey to pull her out of it. Didn't you wonder where she was?"
"Well. yes, but we had a, kind of, fight that first day, so when she didn't show up in the potions for a week, I kind of thought it had something to do with me. I asked but she'd never answer." His story broke off a little. He paused and then got angry again. "But she kept telling me she loved me. Why didn't she tell me?"
Professor Dumbledore looked at him like he was crazy.
"She loved you too much to tell you. She knew it would upset you. Kristin came to me a lot over the past year and a half. It tore her up inside that you never knew quite who she was or where she came from. But she hid all that. She pretended that she was happy when she was with because she loved you so much." He sighed. "But I guess she loses you anyway. Her father will be happy to hear."
With that, Harry was dismissed.
-----
"Draco, I asked you what you are doing here?" Kristin repeated.
"I heard you screaming. Well, I figured it was you, because the only one these things really happen to are you and Potter so I figured you had the scream that didn't nearly sound as girly." He smiled at her, but she only glared at him for the insult on her boyfriend- or EX- boyfriend at this rate. He took the hint and a serious expression washed once again over his face. "What happened to you?" He asked, tucking a bit of hair behind her ear.
"Can I tell you later? I need to find Harry. He found- um- we got into a fight and I need to find him before he goes and does something stupid," she fretted.
"Yeah, he has those tendencies doesn't he?"
Kristin began to walk away but her strength had been tried in that hallway and now called for a rest as she nearly collapsed on the floor, but Draco led her Snape's room.
"Listen, Kristin, stay here with him; you'll be safer that way," Draco chided her. "I'll go look for Potter."
"Draco," she whimpered, "don't be a git, please."
He kissed her lightly on the forehead. "I'll do what I can." He promised her.
-----
"Potter!" Draco called after the black tousled hair he noticed bobbing down the corridors.
"What do you want now, Malfoy?" Potter snapped back, turning and facing him.
"Listen, I'm not here to make fun of you or yell at you." Potter's stance relaxed but his face remained anxious and interested in what Draco was about to say. "Pott- uh- Harry, Kristin really needs you right now and she cares about you beyond imagination. So, please, just go talk to her and work something out."
"Malfoy, do you even know what happened? There's nothing to talk about. Besides, now you've got that girlfriend you've always wanted." He started back on his way.
"She doesn't want me though." Draco painfully admitted, "She wants you. So I'm going to do whatever I can to make her happy, even if that means talking to you. Please, um- Harry, Kristin can't be alone anymore, especially without YOU. She adores you and doesn't want to lose you. Don't let her, alright?"
"MAYBE SHE SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT OF THAT before SHE LIED TO ME, DON'T YOU THINK? YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON, MALFOY?"
"Listen, Harry, I'm sorry. I'm only trying to help."
"You can't help, Malfoy. She did this to herself and it's not something that can be taken back. I'm sure she wants to keep it a secret so I'll let her tell you what happened, if she ever does. She didn't intend for me to know." A single tear ran down Potter's cheek. Draco knew that he was never meant to see this but had always thought he would be rejoicing at Potter's misfortune. This time, however, it was different. This was serious. Draco always knew how much Kristin cared for this boy but never thought about how the boy must love her. He knew he did. He imagined the emotions that would run through his veins and mind if Kristin would let HIM into her life, into her body and soul, the way she let Harry. He didn't think it was possible but realized he would somehow fall for her even more.
But he had to push these thoughts from his mind, because right now it didn't matter what he wanted.
"Harry-"
"Give it up, Malfoy. Nothing you can say can make me forgive her. Nothing anyone could say. Why am I even talking to you?'
"I'm sorry." Draco hung his head low. What was he going to tell Kristin? "I'm sorry for even trying."
-----
"Professor McGonagall," Harry called to the headmistress.
"Yes, Mr. Potter," she replied sternly.
"I need to speak with Professor Dumbledore."
"But Harry"-
"Now, please." Harry was holding back tears. He couldn't stand it any longer. Albus Dumbledore had told him long ago that Lord Voldemort was the last in the line of Slytherin. He never told Harry about Kristin.
"All right." McGonagall sighed. There was no bargaining with Harry. She could tell by that look in his eyes.
The professor led him up the staircase. She told the painting the password (whatchamacallit) and proceded to Dumbledore's office.
"Who's there?" Albus Dumbledore answered when she knocked. She opened the door slightly.
"Mr. Potter wishes to see you, headmaster." McGonagall left at Dumbledore's nod. He gestured Harry to sit down, but he refused.
"Why did you tell me he had a daughter?" he demanded, struggling to keep from yelling. The tears he had been holding back finally came forward.
"I see you found out about Kristin." Dumbledore remained calm.
"Damn right I did!" He yelled. He would have been surprised at his nerve at any other time, but today his sense of shock was all worn out.
"Sit down, Harry."
"I don't WANT to sit down. I want you to tell me the truth. I want to know why you didn't tell me sooner.. Maybe when you found out we were going out. I know you knew about it. Don't you owe it to me? I mean. he killed my parents! I have to live the Dursleys."
"And you killed her only remaining parent. She had to live in an orphanage. She was shuttled from wizardry school to wizardry school the moment that they found our her real last name. Kristin Riddle was not a popular student." The headmaster was still as calm as ever.
"But Kristin Campbell came along and teachers didn't mind," he continued. "She started to have friends, have a life. Until the accidents. Her father never really liked where she was heading. She was a good witch. Obviously her mother's fault. He regretted letting this child into the world and he would cause "accidents" to happen."
Harry had become calm enough to listen over his sobs.
"What kind of accidents?"
"Well," Dumbledore began quietly and with great reserve, "like the accident last year with the candle."
"What accident last year?"
"She never told you?"
Harry shook his head.
"She wasn't in school for a week after the first day of school, because her father found out about you and her kissing in the library."
"What did he do?"
"He took shape in a flame and beckoned her to it. Then it blew up at her. She could have been killed. The burns were very bad. But thank Merlin that Professor Snape walked in when he did and that we have as great a nurse as Madam Pomfrey to pull her out of it. Didn't you wonder where she was?"
"Well. yes, but we had a, kind of, fight that first day, so when she didn't show up in the potions for a week, I kind of thought it had something to do with me. I asked but she'd never answer." His story broke off a little. He paused and then got angry again. "But she kept telling me she loved me. Why didn't she tell me?"
Professor Dumbledore looked at him like he was crazy.
"She loved you too much to tell you. She knew it would upset you. Kristin came to me a lot over the past year and a half. It tore her up inside that you never knew quite who she was or where she came from. But she hid all that. She pretended that she was happy when she was with because she loved you so much." He sighed. "But I guess she loses you anyway. Her father will be happy to hear."
With that, Harry was dismissed.
-----
"Draco, I asked you what you are doing here?" Kristin repeated.
"I heard you screaming. Well, I figured it was you, because the only one these things really happen to are you and Potter so I figured you had the scream that didn't nearly sound as girly." He smiled at her, but she only glared at him for the insult on her boyfriend- or EX- boyfriend at this rate. He took the hint and a serious expression washed once again over his face. "What happened to you?" He asked, tucking a bit of hair behind her ear.
"Can I tell you later? I need to find Harry. He found- um- we got into a fight and I need to find him before he goes and does something stupid," she fretted.
"Yeah, he has those tendencies doesn't he?"
Kristin began to walk away but her strength had been tried in that hallway and now called for a rest as she nearly collapsed on the floor, but Draco led her Snape's room.
"Listen, Kristin, stay here with him; you'll be safer that way," Draco chided her. "I'll go look for Potter."
"Draco," she whimpered, "don't be a git, please."
He kissed her lightly on the forehead. "I'll do what I can." He promised her.
-----
"Potter!" Draco called after the black tousled hair he noticed bobbing down the corridors.
"What do you want now, Malfoy?" Potter snapped back, turning and facing him.
"Listen, I'm not here to make fun of you or yell at you." Potter's stance relaxed but his face remained anxious and interested in what Draco was about to say. "Pott- uh- Harry, Kristin really needs you right now and she cares about you beyond imagination. So, please, just go talk to her and work something out."
"Malfoy, do you even know what happened? There's nothing to talk about. Besides, now you've got that girlfriend you've always wanted." He started back on his way.
"She doesn't want me though." Draco painfully admitted, "She wants you. So I'm going to do whatever I can to make her happy, even if that means talking to you. Please, um- Harry, Kristin can't be alone anymore, especially without YOU. She adores you and doesn't want to lose you. Don't let her, alright?"
"MAYBE SHE SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT OF THAT before SHE LIED TO ME, DON'T YOU THINK? YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON, MALFOY?"
"Listen, Harry, I'm sorry. I'm only trying to help."
"You can't help, Malfoy. She did this to herself and it's not something that can be taken back. I'm sure she wants to keep it a secret so I'll let her tell you what happened, if she ever does. She didn't intend for me to know." A single tear ran down Potter's cheek. Draco knew that he was never meant to see this but had always thought he would be rejoicing at Potter's misfortune. This time, however, it was different. This was serious. Draco always knew how much Kristin cared for this boy but never thought about how the boy must love her. He knew he did. He imagined the emotions that would run through his veins and mind if Kristin would let HIM into her life, into her body and soul, the way she let Harry. He didn't think it was possible but realized he would somehow fall for her even more.
But he had to push these thoughts from his mind, because right now it didn't matter what he wanted.
"Harry-"
"Give it up, Malfoy. Nothing you can say can make me forgive her. Nothing anyone could say. Why am I even talking to you?'
"I'm sorry." Draco hung his head low. What was he going to tell Kristin? "I'm sorry for even trying."