AN: Back again, FINALLY, after a SERIOUSLY long wait… sorry people, but I'm having serious issues with school and all that… been working hard, you know… now that it's over I should be able to type more often. But enough chit-chat and on with the chapter! Which, by the way, is a bit longer than normal cause I made you wait so long.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Harry Potter. Let's use common sense, folks.

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Chapter 7: Back Home

\V/

Cassandra was sitting in her afternoon Potions class, glumly staring at her cauldron, which contained her half-finished Scouring Solution. Today was Thanksgiving, and she found herself checking her watch every few seconds, determined that time must have stopped all together. Just when she was debating whether or not it was too early to be acceptable to leave for Dumbledore's office at 2:37, there was a knock on the dungeon door.

"Enter," said Snape from his desk, not looking up from the parchments he was correcting. The door opened slowly and small boy looked in. Cassandra thought he might be a second or third year.

"Excuse me, professor…" the boy stuttered. "I – I'm supposed to get Cassandra Calaway and Draco Malfoy…"

"For what purpose?" asked Snape smoothly, looking up from his desk. The boy hesitated.

"…Professor Dumbledore sent me, sir… he – he said it's really important…"

"Very well… Draco, go ahead…" said Snape, and Draco rose out of his chair and started walking toward the door.

"Sir, I – I'm supposed to retrieve Cassandra Calaway, too…" said the boy.

"Miss Calaway has not yet finished her assignment, she will be at the headmaster's office when she has completed it," said Snape silkily.

"Professor, I really think the Headmaster needs to see her immediately," said the boy. He was becoming a little more confident, determined not to fail on his mission for Dumbledore.

"Very well!" snapped Snape. "Calaway, you'll finish your potion when you return." Cassandra, who had been holding her breath, let it out gratefully. But as she got up, the boy spoke again.

"Sir, Professor Dumbledore said that neither of them would be returning to class today," said the boy, a little more quietly. This seemed to be the last straw for Snape.

"Fine, fine! Just go!" he said loudly. The three students left in a hurry, feeling sorry for the remainder of the class that had to suffer Snape's wrath.

"So who are you, anyway?" asked Cassandra to the boy when they had gotten out of the classroom.

"Oh, I'm Dennis… Dennis Creevey," he said shyly.

"Really?" said Cassandra with mild interest. None of them said anything else until the staircases, where they parted ways on the third floor.

"See you, then…" said Dennis.

"Yeah, see you," said Cassandra. She and Draco then walked through the corridors until they came to the one that housed Dumbledore's office.

"Did you know that kid?" asked Draco.

"Sort of… I had heard about him."

"Oh, right." They looked up ahead in the corridor to see the stone gargoyle standing at the end, and Professor Dumbledore standing in front of it. They walked quickly up to him. By now it was 2:50.

"I trust you had no difficulties in getting here?" asked Dumbledore.

"Well, Professor Snape wouldn't let Cassandra go until that little kid… Denny or whatever his name was… kept bugging him about it," said Draco.

"But other than that, no problems," said Cassandra.

"Well, that's good. Now, let's go up into my office for a minute to refresh you on what we talked about a few days ago…

xXx—

Ten minutes later, after Cassandra and Draco had been re-told everything, they were both holding onto a single quill, and Draco had a small sneakoscope in his pocket that would activate that evening at nine o'clock Eastern Standard Time, which would bring Draco back into his dormitory at one o'clock in the morning at Hogwarts.

"Now, on the count of three, the portkey will activate, and you both should end up in the front yard of Cassandra's house. Ready?"

Both teens nodded.

"Good luck and have fun," said Professor Dumbledore. "One…two…three." Cassandra felt a tugging just behind her navel and found herself spinning in a whirl of color, Draco next to her, and a few seconds later, she was standing in a very familiar patch of grass.

"Oh my! It worked!" she exclaimed.

"Why wouldn't it?" asked Draco. They were standing in a spacious front yard in front of a Cape Cod style house, cream colored with dark green shingles. There were woods on all sides of the house, except for a long driveway in front of the house and a rancher-style house next to Cassandra's house.

"Come on, let's go!" said Cassandra, grabbing Draco's arm and pulling him to the front steps, which they hastily climbed to get onto the wrap-around front porch. Once they got to the front door, Cassandra rang the doorbell. She was literally jumping with excitement. A few seconds later, the door opened, and Cassandra's adoptive mother opened the door. When she saw Cassandra, she nearly fainted.

"Sarah?" said her mother faintly.

"Mom, that's not my name, remember? I'm Cassandra now." Draco was a bit surprised to hear Cassandra using an American accent, since she had been speaking fluent British at Hogwarts.

"Oh, right, silly me… when you said we'd be getting a surprise on Thanksgiving, I certainly wasn't expecting this…" her mother seemed to just notice Draco.

"And who is this, Cassandra?" Draco was suddenly quite aware of the fact that he and Cassandra were both still in school robes.

"You bear a striking resemblance to Draco Malfoy…" continued Cassandra's mother suspiciously. Draco looked over at Cassandra, who nodded.

"Well, Mrs. Calaway, that would be because I am Draco Malfoy," he said, temporarily ignoring the fact that Cassandra's mother would even know he "bore a resemblance to Draco Malfoy." He figured Cassandra would explain it later. While Draco was thinking all of this, Mrs. Calaway seemed quite shocked.

"Sar—I mean, Cassandra, you…you brought Draco Malfoy home with you? Why on earth…?" she finally managed to say.

"Mom, calm down, it's all right…"

"All right? All right?" said her mother faintly.

"Mom, how about we come inside?" hinted Cassandra.

"Right, of course," said Mrs. Calaway, opening the door wider and allowing Cassandra and Draco entrance into a small foyer. To the left was the dining room, and to the right was what Draco assumed was the formal living room. Mrs. Calaway motioned to steer them into the kitchen, but Cassandra was thinking otherwise.

"Let's go in here…" she said, going into the living room.

"Cassandra, what is this all about?" demanded her mother.

"Mom, just listen… why don't you sit down?" she said, doing so herself. She settled herself on the couch, and Draco followed her example, sitting next to her. Her mother reluctantly sat down on a wingback chair opposite the couch.

"Now, this might come as bit of a shock… but you remember that you didn't know who my real parents were?" Her mother nodded. "Right, well, I found out at Gringotts that I had a brother as well. As it turns out… Draco is that brother." Her mother's jaw dropped.

"All those years of hating Draco Malfoy in the books and you turn out related to him…?" she said quietly. "So that means… your parents are…"

"Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy," finished Cassandra.

"My word…" said Mrs. Calaway. Cassandra's grandmother appeared in the doorway just then.

"Alice, who was that at—" she started, but cut herself off when she saw Cassandra. "Is that my Sarah?" she said. She looked like she might cry with happiness. Cassandra smiled weakly as her grandmother enveloped her in a hug.

"Yes, yes, I love you too, Grandmamma, but I think we need to explain some things to you and Grandpa and Dad," said Cassandra.

xXx—

After Cassandra's close family had been enlightened of her relations, Cassandra had drug Draco up to her room.

"Come on, you need to take off your robe before the rest of the family gets here and they ask questions… they all think I've been at some boarding school mom made up," said Cassandra. She was already unfastening the clasps of her robe, revealing her plaid skirt, white blouse, and red and gold striped tie. Draco did the same.

"Here, give me your robe and your tie," she said, opening her closet door. Draco got a quick glimpse of a small walk-in closet as he handed her his garments before she threw them in and snapped the door shut. He was now clad in black pants and a white button-up shirt.

"Okay, if you don't mind, I'm going to change into something a bit more comfortable… sorry I don't have anything decent for you," said Cassandra apologetically, as she dug through her dresser. Every once in a while Draco heard her mutter things like, "Ugh, I actually wore that?" or "I can't believe this actually fit me last year…" Eventually she pulled out a pair of jeans and a shirt and jumped into her closet. A minute later she emerged in a pair of long, dark, flared jeans and a short-sleeved gray shirt that said, "You didn't beat me… I let you win" on it in black print.

"So… would you mind telling me what all of this stuff is?" said Draco, eyeing Cassandra's TV, PS2, VCR, and computer. Cassandra laughed.

"I figured I'd have to endure something like this…" she said.

xXx—

After a half hour of explaining about the Harry Potter series and what all her electronics were, Cassandra heard the kitchen door open and new voices downstairs. She leapt up from her position sitting in front of her computer desk.

"Uncle Dave and Aunt Patty are here!" she said excitedly. "I'm really close with their daughter, Lydia." With that she bounded out of the room, but paused at the top of the stairs to tell Draco to stay there. He did so, and a few moments later he heard two sets of feet bounding up the wooden steps, and Cassandra's voice saying, "Come on, Lydia, there's someone here I want you to meet!" Not a second later they both burst through Cassandra's bedroom door. Lydia spotted Draco and looked him up and down.

"He looks a lot like Tom Felton, you know?" said Lydia. Cassandra did her best not to laugh. Lydia was in absolute love with Tom Felton.

"Well, it's no wonder. Tom Felton plays the lovely guy before you in the movies," said Cassandra. It took a moment for this statement to sink in to Lydia. Then she started laughing.

"Cassandra! That's impossible! If Tom Felton played this guy," she pointed to Draco, "then he would have to be Draco Malfoy, and that isn't possible."

"Actually, it is," said Cassandra quietly. "That is Draco Malfoy."

Lydia laughed nervously.

"You're kidding…right?" she asked.

"No. Listen, whatever boarding school my mother told you I'd been going to is wrong. I've been going to Hogwarts. You know I'm adopted, right?"

"Yeah…" said Lydia faintly. "Your mom told my mom a couple months ago."

"Well, my parents are Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. Draco Malfoy, who is sitting right there, is my brother."

Lydia was silent for a moment.

"Prove it," she finally said.

"Well, I can prove I've been going to Hogwarts… look," said Cassandra, and she went to her closet and opened it, then took out her robes and Draco's.

"That doesn't prove anything, you could have bought those anywhere," said Lydia. She was known to be a skeptic.

"All right. Shut the door. And lock it," said Cassandra. Lydia did so.

"Now, stand away from the door, and watch," said Cassandra. She then pulled her wand out of her back pocket, and Lydia gasped. Cassandra paid no attention, but pointed her wand at the doorknob.

"Alohamora!" she said. The door lock clicked and the door opened. Lydia's eyes were as wide as saucers.

"You – you just did – and – and the door – it…"

"Yes, I magically opened the door," said Cassandra. "Now, watch this." Cassandra then pointed her wand at her robe, now lying on the floor.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" she said, and the robe slowly rose into the air. Once Lydia was near the fainting point, Cassandra ended the spell.

"Believe me now?" said Cassandra. Lydia nodded, then spoke.

"But you still didn't prove that he's Draco Malfoy," said Lydia. "Why doesn't he do magic?"

"Dumbledore wouldn't give him permission. He's only letting me do simple spells as it is, because he knows I'll want to show it off to my parents."

"Oh," said Lydia simply. "But still, that's wicked that you can do magic!" she added.

"Yeah, I know, I know," said Cassandra.

xXx--

Ron took a deep breath, preparing himself for what he was about to do. He wasn't quite sure why he was doing it, he was positive it was going to end badly. But he did it anyway. He cautiously walked up to Hermione in the common room.

"Er – Hermione?" he said hesitantly. She was reading, but looked up at him when he spoke. His stomach was doing gymnastics.

"Could I…" he cleared his throat. "Could I talk to you a moment?"

"Ron, you're talking to me right now," she said with a laugh.

"No, I mean…I mean somewhere else…" he said.

Hermione eyed him closely, but got up.

"Where to?" she asked.

"Erm, I don't really care… just out of sight of everyone," he said, trying to sound casual. His stomach's gymnastic ability seemed to be increasing.

"How about just outside the common room?" suggested Hermione. Ron didn't like the idea of doing this in front of more portraits than he could count, but what choice did he have? They both walked out of the common room, and Harry, who had been watching, smiled. Once Ron and Hermione were safely out of earshot of the rest of the Gryffindors, Ron began his rehearsed conversation.

"Er, I was wondering, Hermione… when's the date of the next Hogsmeade weekend?" he said in a would-be casual voice, his stomach still doing back-flips.

"It's a week from Saturday, I just told you yesterday," said Hermione.

"Oh, yeah, er, I… I must have forgot," said Ron.

"Is that all you wanted to ask me?" asked Hermione. "If so, then that's a very silly reason to pull me out of the common room." She had started to turn around when Ron grabbed her arm.

"Hermione, wait!" he said. Hermione slowly turned to face him again, glancing down at his hand, in which was her wrist.

"Yes, Ron?" she asked quietly and with a slight air of impatience.

"I… I… I was just… I wanted to ask you…"

"Ask me what, Ron?" said Hermione, anticipating the question.

"Ifouwannedogotothvillgewime," said Ron in a rush.

"What?" said Hermione. "Speak slowly Ron." Ron, who knew Hermione had heard him speak quickly on many occasions, thought she was just doing this to torment him, but took a deep breath and repeated his sentence.

"I wanted to ask you," he paused, closed his eyes, then opened them again, "if you wanted to go to the village with me – just you and I." He held his breath, waiting for her answer. It seemed like an eternity had passed before she responded.

"Well, I think that can be arranged," said Hermione sweetly. She was suddenly aware of the fact that Ron's hand was still clenched around her wrist. "And, can you let go of my arm now?" she added.

"Oh, right," said Ron, blushing. Once his hand was at his side, however, she slipped her hand into his. Then, as they walked back to the common room entrance, she quietly whispered into his ear.

"I was wondering if you were ever going to ask me," she said, and kissed his cheek.

Neither of them paid any mind to the whispering portraits all around them.

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AN: Again, I apologize for the long wait. Hopefully I'll have the next chapter up quicker! (no guarantees, though.)

xXx SpicySugar xXx-