Author's Notes: The holidays were crazy! I barely spent any time at home. I did get your present finished though. The link is at my website under www(dot)geocities(dot)com(backslash)tigresspern(backslash)harrypotter(backslash)AWFamilyChristmas, I will leave this up until January 31, 2005.

Chapter 40

Hugging her coloring book to her chest, Cassie looked left then right. None of this was familiar to her. Draco and Heather had told her to stay in their quarters and take a nap, but she couldn't sleep. There'd been a great commotion outside in the hallway, someone was screaming. It was Professor Trelawny. She'd been afraid, so she'd grabbed her book and crayons, and snuck away.

Vincent meowed and rubbed against her ankle.

"I don't know where we are." She tipped her head down. "Do you?"

Vincent meowed again.

"I don't like this. I want Daddy, but I ran too far, I think." She peered left again. "Maybe down there?"

"Lost, Itty-bitty Cassie?" a voice laughed from above. "I know where you can go." Peeves misted in above her, hanging upside down.

"This won't be like last time?" Cassie warned. "Daddy was very upset."

"No," promised the poltergeist, rubbing his rear. "It won't." He grumbled something about the Bloody Baron and punishment, but most of it thankfully didn't float down to the child's ears. "Follow me."

"Cassie can be really sweet once she gets to know you," Natalie said, smiling. Beside her, Hermione sighed.

"I'm still uneasy about having Cassie in the restricted section, even if Harry and Malfoy say it's all right." The two friends walked down the corridor on the fourth floor leading towards their old hide out, "Wulver's Burrow". Ron had gotten a request to return to Hogwarts last night. She'd wanted to visit her friends and had accompanied him.

"It does seem a bit extreme, but all considering, I don't fault her fathers for being overly cautious."

"I can understand, but that doesn't make me feel any better," Hermione replied. Sighing again, she glanced up the hallway looking for the statue that marked the entrance to the secret room.

"I got an owl from Ginny last night," Natalie said, changing the subject. "She wants to come visit Ron, Percy and I, as well as you and Harry if you're available. I'm guessing she's planning on having the baby shower when she comes. She's been very hush-hush about it."

"She hasn't spoken to me about it yet," Hermione commented. "Just the same, it'd be nice if all three of us could get together and have tea in Hogsmead and perhaps discuss one more exploration into the bowels of the Minatour's House?" Smiling slyly, she glanced over at Natalie, who was wearing an equally sly grin.

"One more quest for the Queen of the North, Scholar of the Tower, and Countess of the Seven Knights before the heir is born? Sounds like fun." The brunette winked, causing Hermione to laugh. "I'll let the Countess know that we look forward to her arrival."

"I can't wait," Hermione exclaimed. Coming up to the statue, Natalie suddenly paused and held her stomach. Waiting anxiously, Hermione asked if she was all right. Natalie shook her head.

"No, it's just the baby moving around," she assured. They waited a moment until Natalie was sure the baby wasn't going to try anything more.

"When will you know if it's a boy or a girl?" Hermione asked before speaking the password. The knight stepped aside, allowing them to enter.

"We decided we were going to wait until it was born to..." Natalie stopped. Staring into the room, both women could make out the top of a head covered in black hair, sitting beside the couch on the far side from them.

At the sound of the women's voices, Cassie peeked over the arm. Frowning, she wondered who'd given away her new hiding place.

"Cassie, what are you doing in here?" Natalie inquired, taking a few steps into the room.

"Coloring." Cassie held up a coloring book with crayon marks all over it.

"How did you get in here?" Hermione asked, wondering if Draco had found this room and had left her there. If so, why did he leave her there unsupervised? At least Crabbe and Goyle should've been there, but she didn't see them anywhere. Not to mention, how had Draco found out about this room. If he knew about this room, how many others did? Did he know about her midnight outings their last few years at Hogwarts? Had he found out about the other passages and rooms? Greenland's Journal was safely in Natalie's hands, so he couldn't have found out that way. At least she hoped so. Suddenly it felt like she was seventeen again and could be punished heavily for her secret explorations.

"Mr. Peeves showed me," Cassie murmured. "He even told me the secret words to make the statue move. It's really quiet in here and has a nifty couch with lots and lots of pillows. I piled them all together so I could jump on them." Cassie lowered the book. Hermione eyed the pillows heaped together on the sofa. "Daddy and Papa don't know about it, but Gregory and Vincent do."

At the sound of their names, the two tomcats lifted their heads from the mountain of pillows they'd buried themselves in. Noting Hermione and Natalie, the crept out, stretched and crossed to the arm closest to them. Gregory meowed loudly.

"Peeves showed you," Natalie mumbled, silently cursing the poltergeist. "That was nice of him, but you know you really should tell your fathers where you are. They might get worried."

Dropping down behind the couch again, Cassie muttered something that resembled, "I know", but didn't say anything more. Hermione sighed audibly, while Natalie removed several pillows and returned them to their proper home.

"Daddy was in class and Gran was helping Madame Pomfrey. I was supposed to be taking a nap, but Professor Trelawny was screaming at the top of her lungs about death and the Grim. I didn't like the noise, so I came up here where she can't get me."

Both women exchanged understanding looks. This certainly explained why they'd seen Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Harry run past them earlier. Trelawny rarely comes down from her tower; she must be really in a state to flee her refuge. Hermione surmised she must have seen Sirius wandering around or maybe all that tea had finally gotten to her brain. Not that she had much of one to begin with.

"I'm sure Dumbledore will make her stop." Hermione said confidently. There was no response from the little girl. Uncomfortable suddenly, Hermione shifted from one foot to the other while Natalie finished putting the pillows away.

"Cassie, can you promise me something?" Natalie said after a minute.

"What?"

"That you won't come here again without an adult. You need to make sure someone, besides Gregory and Vincent, know where you are at all times."

"Yes," Cassie mumbled. Grabbing another crayon, she drew large blue circles in the coloring book.

"Can you promise Aunt Natalie that?"

"If you or Miss Granger are here, can I come up here then?"

The women looked at each other. It was the first time Hermione had heard the sadness in Cassie's voice. There weren't any children her age and the students weren't interested in playing with her at all. It must be lonely.

She remembered being lonely and wanting someone to talk with. Then she'd found Greenland's Journal, which gave her the chance to get to know Natalie. Something she was grateful for. Unfortunately, Cassie didn't have anything like that. There were no children her age around and it was too dangerous still for her family to live outside of Hogwarts. It must've been awful to move away, Hermione realized, a frown tugging at her lips. She'd left everything she'd ever known in New Zealand. All the places she used to visit, the friends she used to see. Hogwarts must seem like a prison to her rather than a safe haven. Hermione hadn't thought about that, but she supposed it was true. Staring at the child, she really felt sorry for her. Maybe if Cassie had someone besides her fathers to play with, she wouldn't be as lonely.

Walking over, Hermione got down on her knees next to Cassie.

"If you want to come up here, just let me know Cassie. I know the secret words too and Harry is my good friend."

"Really?" Cassie asked, putting down her crayon. Hermione nodded. The little girl regarded her skeptically. "Really, really, REALLY?"

"Yes, really, really, REALLY. Plus you can keep some of your coloring books up here too."

"It'll be okay?"

"Yes, I don't mind. Natalie and I used to come here often when we were in school here. It was our secret place."

"This is your secret place?" Hermione nodded. "And you're going to let me play up here too?" Again Hermione nodded. "Okay. Thank you." She grinned happily.

Natalie smiled. Sitting down in a chair, she watched Cassie continue coloring. Hermione got up, shooed Vincent out of the way, and sat down on the sofa. They talked for a little bit until Cassie announced she had to use the washroom. Leaving the room with the cats in tow, the ladies headed off. They hadn't gotten far when Draco, came running up. His face was pale, but once he laid his eyes on Cassie, he instantly looked better.

"Snapdragon, you're not supposed to run off like that from our room. You had me worried." Wrapping his arms around her, he hugged his daughter.

"It's okay, Malfoy. We found her and were bringing her back." Natalie reassured.

Draco nodded; Cassie squirmed slightly wanting to be let go.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Trelawny apparently had the place in an uproar, Cassie found me. Then Hermione and I took her on a little walk while things settled down. Besides, she's good practice for mine." Natalie joked. So it was a little white lie, Draco didn't need to know what his daughter had really done. Draco stood, picking Cassie up in the process.

"I doubt you'll be as ready as you think you are," Draco replied. Natalie shrugged as she and Hermione followed along behind. "Just wait, you'll see." There was a knowing, almost mocking, gleam in his smirk. Thankfully, neither woman could see it.