Thanks to reviewers:-

Legolas19, Cnorth, Robin the bird, jennifer, kate walsh - thanks

distraught soul – thanks, mother of Arianna is found out in this chapter

Dwindsor – nope, Arianna only has one father – thanks, it's an italian name – one of my cousins

Lampshadesrgreat – thank you – harry curses like a proper english man

Kana-chan – nah, sorry, no love triangles with harry/draco/arianna but thank you kindly for your review

kazillion – yup, these people just appear. You write the best reviews – I like you

grin – thanks – uuuh...as for the hair lets just assume people were seeing it in different lights – though it is meant to be jet-black

SpazMcG7 – one of your theories is right and you find out which in this chapter – I promise

Oh, I've given up on starting all the titles as 'the one with' it's a bit difficult

4. Italian promises and departures

Much, much later that night and all the students and staff had all gone to their rooms, full of food from the feast and ready to just sleep.

All but one.

Harry sat in a chair in the corner of the Great Hall, pondering his thoughts. Fifteen years without seeing that beautiful face, without hearing that voice, without feeling Dracos' presence near him.

Of course, he had only himself to blame for that.

'Selfish, stupid bastard I am,' he thought bitterly.

He had left for a career and lost Draco. He had lost the one person he had ever loved with every single part of him, visible and not so. Just for a career as seeker on a world class team.

Sure, he'd loved Italy – how could he not? The sun, the sand, the laid-back attitude of the people. And he'd loved playing quidditch and had got on incredibly well wth his team mates and their families – he still kept in touch with them. And he'd tried to forget about Draco, and most of the time he at least managed to push the blond to the back of his mind, but, at times when he was alone or upset or pensive, or the snow fell, he thought of Draco.

However, as irnoic as it would seem to some, the best thing in Harrys' life had come from leaving behind the man he had fallen in love with.

Arianna Blaze Potter.

He couldn't imagine his life without her. Couldn't imagine life without his beautiful, black haired, green eyed, music-loving, fifteen year old daughter.

"What you doing lurking in here?" asked someone.

Harry looked up and his breath caught in his throat. Standing in the darkened doorway was Draco.

"Just thinking."

"Yea, well, seems a lot of us are doing that lately."

Draco's voice was hard and Harry could almost hear him sneer.

"Do you need something Draco?"

"I figured I'd find you here. You always used to think here since people discovered the astronomy tower was good for a quickie. Can't you think in your room?"

"I'm sorry," replied Harry sarcastically. "Am I annoying you?"

"To be honest, yes."

"Oh just piss off Malfoy."

Draco closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He had known Harry would be here, but he didn't want a fight. "I want to talk."

"About what, pray tell?"

"Your daughter."

Harry fell silent.

'How does he know?"

"She looks exactly like you Harry," said Draco, seemingly reading Harry's thoughts.

"I know."

"She's beautiful."

"I know."

Draco walked a few steps nearer to Harry. "I thought you were gay," he suddenly blurted out.

'Oh shit,' he thought. 'Come back to me words.'

Harry, however, seemed unphased. "I am."

Draco blinked. "Did I miss something really big here?"

"Ari was a...well, not a mistake, let's just say...a very very big shock."

Draco summoned a chair and sat opposite Harry, waiting for him to explain.

Harry sighed and ran a hand through his black hair, messing it up even more. "When I was eighteen, it was my first quidditch world cup-"

"Which Italy won," Draco interuppted, unable to stop himself.

The blond could've sworn he saw the ghost of a smile on the other man's lips. "Which we won. After that, me and the team-"

This time, Draco managed to resist the urge to correct Harry - 'the team and I.'

"-went out for a few drinks. A few drinks turned into vodka shots off Petrach's chest, and that turned into me meeting a very pretty girl named Natalia. She was eighteen as well. Well we talked, she flirted, I attempted to flirt while hopelessly drunk, and, as it seems, I had sex with her that night. I'm surprised I could even get it up."

Draco's jaw clenched and his fisted his hands.

"Few weeks later she tells me she's pregnant. Well, I'm not about to drop her and my baby on their asses. So, I told Natalia to move in with me and she did. I didn't love her and she didn't love me but I helped her with the pregnancy and she...well she was carrying my child."

Harry closed his eyes and just sat for a moment before continuing. "Arianna was born on 19th June." He looked pointedly at Draco. "Same as your birthday."

"Where's Arianna's mother now?"

Harry shrugged. "Your guess is a good as mine. When Ari was six weeks old I came home one day to find all Natalia's stuff gone and Ari screaming from her crib."

"She just left?" asked Draco, sounding shocked.

"Yup."

"What about Arianna?"

"She doesn't remember anything about her mum." Harry looked slightly sad. "She doesn't ask either. I'm not sure whether she does it for me or because she really doesn't want to know."

He glanced at Draco and laughed slightly. "Don't feel sorry for me Dray. Me and Ari get along great, she's a lovely girl. I think I raised her pretty good."

"Why did you come back?"

"To England?"

"Yea."

"Getting bit too old for quidditch. I was twenty-eight, mind, and Ari was ten. Besides, she got her Hogwarts letter."

"In Italy?"

"Don't be so naïve. They do send them to people in other countries. Most of those people opt not to come as it's so far from home to them. But I got an invitation to teach DADA, which I took."

"And you had to unleash another generation of Potters on the school."

This caused Harry to laugh. "Yea, well, how could a Potter not go to Hogwarts?"

"And, of course, she's a Griffindor."

"Well...duh."

Draco grinned and for a moment it was like old times, no isues between them, they were just Harry and Draco.

But the moment passed and they remembered themselves. There was an awkward silence.

"I should go to bed. First class tomorrow," muttered Draco, sending the chair back and moving to leave.

"Yea, me too. Class that is," babbled Harry, also getting up to leave. "Draco?"

The blond turned around. "Yea?"

"I did care about you, y'know. I really did."

Draco smiled softly, mimicking the actions of their last conversation fifteen years ago. "I know."

So now you know about Arianna's mother. Review please.