Hey, no one's had the chance to review the last chapter yet, so I guess I'm saved from doing the thank yous. Cool.

Draco sensed Ashley's hesitation and took initiative, figuring that Ashley would follow soon enough. He strode over to where Victoria was standing, having regained the Malfoy composure. Victoria smiled when she saw him, and proceeded to introduce him to the rest of the team before launching into a very excited "Did you see it, did you see it? Huh huh huh?"

Draco smiled (and fangirls all across the world fainted. Oh wait, that's Oliver's thing. Never mind.) and congratulated Victoria and the rest of the team on their win. Keisha almost burst from excitement upon meeting someone so highly esteemed as Draco Malfoy, and seized his hand and shook it vigorously for considerably longer than necessary.

"Victoria, may I see you alone for a moment, please?" Victoria nodded and Draco turned back to walk back to Ashley. She told the team that she would catch up with them all later, pausing only a moment to observe Alex and Kyle being yanked into a bone crushing hug by who Victoria assumed to be their mother. Then she scampered over to where Draco was now standing.

The first thing she noticed was that he was not alone. There was a woman with her, who at first struck Victoria as very pretty. For some reason she seemed vaguely familiar to Victoria, as if she had seen her in passing some time before. As she struggled to place the woman, Draco began to speak.

"Victoria, there is someone here that I think you will be happy to meet. Ashley?" The woman who was standing slightly behind Draco was fully revealed as Draco stepped aside. For a moment, Victoria's heart stopped. Ashley... She had heard that name before. Draco had said something to her, something that was important, something that Victoria should remember. She thought hard, trying desperately to figure out why this woman sounded so familiar.

Ashley's gaze fell on Victoria really for the first time once Draco had moved away. A thousand thoughts ran through her mind, all centering on this girl, and how she had left her for years to get by with only her father for love and support. Ashley felt her heart rate speed up as Draco spoke again, his voice sounding distant to her ears.

"Victoria, this... this is your mother."

Hot tears stung the corners of Ashley's eyes as a light of recognition flickered across Victoria's face. Instantly she was transported back to the days when Victoria was just a baby, before everything that happened occurred, back when they were all a family.

Draco's words echoed in Victoria's mind as something clicked in her memory. This was... her mother. The very same mother that had been absent all Victoria's young life, for some reason unknown. Victoria knew she should be mad at this woman - her mother - for abandoning her and Father, but all she felt was overwhelming love and compassion, as she lapsed back into the little girl she had long left behind.

"Mommy?"

Ashley heard the one word Victoria uttered, and was almost brought to tears. Instead she looked to Draco, who nodded encouragingly. She turned back to Victoria - her daughter - and took a tentative step forward.

Victoria saw the woman - her mother - coming toward her and ran to meet her. She threw herself into Ashley's arms and hugged her tight, tears streaming down her young face.

Ashley was slightly taken aback by the display of emotion, but recovered quickly. She had been expecting hate, rage, a sense of distaste for leaving, but certainly not this. She held her daughter tight against her and whispered soothing words in her ear, stroking her amber curls.

"Shh, baby, it's OK. Everything's OK, I'm here now."

And I'm never leaving you again.

Ok, that was really reeeeeeeally short, and I apologize. Sometimes it's just REALLY hard to write good, long literature when your mother is practically standing over your shoulder bitching every two minutes that it's time for you to go to bed! pants Ok, I refrained from putting that in all caps. I think I'm good now. Next chapter will be longer and not nearly as mushy, kay?