Chapter 32

Ron was pacing the hallway outside the library. He needed some quiet time to think about what both his brother and wife kept harping on him about. They'd taken turns over the past day and a half chastising him for not understanding the situation or rather refusing to. It wasn't that he didn't care about Harry, but it was difficult to accept that he and Draco had a child together. Draco had been the rich snobby bully that had hounded their days at Hogwarts. How could Harry have fallen in love with him? Ron understood that a couple that drank Hathor's Kiss had to be in love with each other in order for it to work. Cassie had been born, so there had obviously been strong feelings between them. How could Harry have kept this from him though?

How was he supposed to tell me? Hey Ron, I'm in love with Draco Malfoy. Yeah I know he's practically a Death Eater, but he's drop dead gorgeous? Ron shook his head. That wouldn't have done. Sighing heavily, he turned a corner and started towards the Great Hall. He should talk to Harry, even if he wasn't sure how he felt. Draco had improved since seventh year, he reminded himself. They hadn't thrown anything more than sarcastic comments so far. He'd never be best-friends with Draco, but he could be civil.

As he strode down the corridor he noticed Mrs. Norris. She was sitting quietly as Cassie scratched behind her ear. Stopping dead, he watched the little girl as the cat suddenly broke into a loud purr. Ron never thought he'd see that, Mrs. Norris letting someone pet her and purring at the same time. His gaze shifted to the child as she carefully eased her hands around Mrs. Norris. Pulling the still purring cat towards her, Cassie picked her up. Mrs. Norris didn't put up a fight because she was still purring happily.

"Hello Mr. Weasley." Cassie said, noticing the man standing in shock in front of her.

"Um, hello Cassie." His brows furrowed. "How did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Pick up Mrs. Norris."

"Daddy said that she wouldn't let anyone pet her but Mr. Filch. Papa Harry said it was because she didn't like anyone, so I got her to like me. I've been feeding her sausages and chicken and fish from my plate for the past week. Now she likes me so I can hold her." She grinned and snuggled the cat that suddenly wasn't sure she wanted to be held.

"Cassie, where's your papa Harry?" Ron asked coming up to her.

"He's with Daddy and Mr. Snape. Oh, and Aunt Natalie is there." Cassie paused and looked up into Ron's surprised face. "She said I could call her Aunt Natalie."

"She did?"

Cassie nodded, holding Mrs. Norris tightly.

"Aunt Natalie said it was because she's almost Papa Harry's sister. Doesn't that mean you're almost Papa Harry's brother?"

Ron stared into her big eyes. She knew Harry was upset and that he was the cause. Children always knew more than their parents thought they did. Ron would have to remember that for his own child.

"Yes, I suppose it would." The guilt began to creep around his heart. He was an adult; it was time to start acting like one. "I haven't been one recently though." He admitted quietly looking down at her. "I wasn't sure what to do when he told me he was your papa. From what I knew, he and your daddy didn't like each other."

"I didn't know what to do either," she confessed. "But Daddy's really nice and I thought that if one daddy is good, then two would be better. Daddy and Gran told me that I had two daddys. They told me my other one was far away fighting the bad men, Lucy-us and Voldigmort. Now I got to meet him and he gets to buy me presents on my birthday!"

Ron chuckled causing her to regard him curiously.

"Two is better than one I suppose. Now why don't you show me where your papa is."

"Okay." Cassie twirled around, cat still in arms and headed off towards the Great Hall. "Mr. Weasley?"

"Yes?"

"Can I call you Uncle Ron?"

He thought about it for a minute. Despite the fights they'd had over the years, Ron was the closest thing Harry had to family. Hell, he'd been Ron's best man at his wedding. Glancing down at the little girl, he knew that whatever he felt, she was Harry's.

"Sure Cassie."

"Yeah! Now I have an aunt AND an uncle." She exclaimed happily. "I've never had that before. Lisa has three aunts and three uncles. Now I have a some too!"

They walked towards the Great Hall in silence for a few minutes. Ron wasn't sure what to say once he arrived, but maybe if he could understand what had attracted Harry to Draco, it would help.

"Uncle Ron, why don't you like Daddy?" Cassie asked suddenly coming to a dead halt in front of him. For a moment he couldn't answer. How could Ron say her father was a git without damaging her perception of him?

"When your papa, daddy and I were in school together your daddy wasn't very nice to me. We used to get into lots of fights. You see your daddy was rich and I wasn't therefore he looked down on me. He used to make fun of me. I thought your papa didn't like him either. That's why I'm having problems understanding why your papa suddenly likes your daddy." He explained quietly, choosing each word carefully as not to upset her.

"But they didn't suddenly like each other," Cassie said, turning around. "Daddy said he liked Papa Harry for years. It just took time to admit it."

"What about Papa Harry?"

Cassie frowned for a moment.

"I'm not sure. I think he's the same." They were silent for a few seconds before she spoke again. "Do you still not like Daddy?"

"I don't know. I don't hate him, but I don't know him well enough to say I like him. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?" Ron wondered if he'd hurt her feelings. He knew what it was like to have someone bad mouth his father. He didn't want to do it to Cassie, and he worried that he was.

"I think so. Daddy's been gone from England a long time. Gran says it been long enough for people to change. But I don't know what people change into after a long time." She said, frowning slightly.

"Hopefully better people than they were," Ron replied. "Come on, I need to talk to Harry and you should probably be with your daddy."

"It's after lunch, so it's almost curse studying time." Cassie admitted. "Then I get to go outside and play. Daddy says I should spend more time outside and less time with Mr. Peeves."

"Probably a wise idea. Peeves would probably get you in trouble." She nodded and held onto Mrs. Norris tightly. Ron shook his head and tried to ignore the glaring cat.

They entered the Great Hall to find Snape finishing his tea. Cassie wandered over to the table and sat down next to him. Snape glanced down, regarding Mrs. Norris horrid fate. The cat was being held hostage by the five-year-old who was ignoring her undignified state. She meowed pitifully at him.

"Where's Daddy and Papa Harry, Mr. Snape?" Cassie inquired ignoring the pitiful squeak that escaped the creature's mouth.

"Looking for you," he answered. "You're to stay put."

"Oh, okay. I just went after Mrs. Norris. I caught her."

"I can see that," he replied arching one eyebrow.

"Cassie, why don't you put her down? Mrs. Norris has an important job here. She needs to patrol the corridors." Ron said, pulling out a chair and sitting down next to her. She nodded and let the cat go. Mrs. Norris leapt to the ground and stalked off, tail straight in the air.

"I see you've decided to be civil Weasley." Snape snorted.

"I needed to think things through." He retorted as Harry reentered the Great Hall.

"Cassie! Thank Merlin. Where did you wander off to?" He demanded hurrying up to her.

"I went after Mrs. Norris. Then I ran into Uncle Ron and he said I could call him Uncle Ron and he said he needed to talk to you, so we came back." Cassie explained in what Harry was sure was one breath.

He glanced at Ron who was having trouble meeting his gaze.

"Yes, we need to talk, but not here." Ron nodded silently and got up. The two walked out leaving Snape to watch over Cassie who'd spied the sports section of the Daily Prophet and was asking him if he'd read it to her.