Rhiannon woke to Aponi nibbling on her ear lobe gently. Rolling over and sighing softly she looked at the owl through a sleepy haze.
"You're pushy aren't you?" she said, then laughed softly and ran her fingers through Aponi's feathers. It had been just over two months since she first came to Hogwarts, and things couldn't be more perfect. She was at the top of her class, on decent terms with Pansy Parkinson and most of the other Slytherins, even some of the non-Slytherin students. And, she was dating Draco Malfoy.
She smiled widely to herself at that last thought. She had all but forgotten about Connor back in America, and hoped that he had found someone to accept and love him for his sweetness. The thing was, Draco wasn't overly sweet. If anything, Rhi's relationship with him was wonderful . . . . It was terrible . . . . It was volatile . . . . A complete and utter explosion, and she loved it. Rhi had written home to her parents to tell them, and while her father was happy for her, her mother was less than thrilled.
She thought sardonically about what her mother had written her. Rhiannon, you be careful around that Malfoy boy. I went to school with his father, and he was always testing everything, trying to see how far he could go, and he didn't care who he took down with him. So once again, be careful Littlest . . . . You are so special to me.
Now, Rhi loved her mother, but thought she worried too much. She couldn't wait for her parents to arrive, then her mother would see that Draco was really wonderful.
Suddenly she sat up, bolt straight in her bed, spilling Aponi off her chest. "Oh my god! Mama and Papa are arriving today! I completely forgot! Aponi, why didn't you remind me?"
Rhiannon scrambled out of bed as the owl watched her from the window sill, with a disgusted look on her face. Rhi flung open her closet doors and dug through her endless amounts of clothing, looking for something to wear.
After digging through fabrics for nearly twenty minutes, and smacking her head on the top shelf of her closet at least twice, she scrambled back out with a pair of black fitted pants and a long sleeved black top that was trimmed in bright green.
Throwing her robe around her, Rhiannon made for the shower at a full run. Instead of taking her time as she normally did, Rhi scrubbed herself down quickly and dashed out of the shower once more. She dressed at the same speed she had showered, and nearly flew to the Slytherin common room. When Rhi got there, she didn't see Draco and swore.
Instead of waiting for him, she climbed the stairs to the boys dormitory and flung open the curtains that hung around his bed. "Draco, get up," she said, shaking him gently.
Instead of listening to her, Draco rolled over and pulled the blankets up around his ears. Rhi climbed onto the bed and shook him harder. "Draco, get up, my parents are coming today. You have to get up now!"
Still he ignored her, pushing her away gently, and mumbling, "sleeping, no wake up."
Rolling her eyes, she reached to grab the down comforter that was wrapped around him and pull it off, when Draco shot straight up out of the bed and tackled her. Rhi squeaked as soon as Draco jumped at her, but she let him pin her anyway, as she laughed hysterically. "You're such a little punk you know that?" she said through her giggles.
Cocking one eyebrow slightly, Draco looked down at her. "A punk am I?" he asked. "Are you sure about that? Choose your answer wisely Brandy."
Rhiannon narrowed her eyes as laughter danced in them. "Hmm," she said thoughtfully. "I think that . . . . Yes, you are in fact, a punk Malfoy."
And with that he started to tickle her until she gasped out, "okay, okay, I yield . You win, you're not a punk!"
Draco sat up with a triumphant smile on his face. "Looks like I win. So what brings you to my dorm in the morning looking as wonderful as you do?"
"Draco, did you forget? My parents are arriving today. Shortly in fact. Come on, get up and get dressed and come down and meet them when they arrive with me."
Draco's face fell. "They're arriving? Today?"
"Yeah, that's what I just said, why?"
"My father and mother are arriving today also."
"Okay, what's the big deal? If anything, that should make you move faster."
"My father only comes here if something's up, and my mother never comes."
"Maybe they missed you."
"And maybe Potter is my long lost twin," he said sarcastically.
"Draco . . . They're your parents. They love you whether it seems like it or not."
He sighed and stood up. Walking over to his closet, he ran his hands through his sleep-tousled hair. "If you say so immortal beloved."
Rhiannon smiled at the term of endearment. No one had ever called her anything like that before. It had always been things like "pumpkin-pie," "darling," and even one time "hey you." But Draco called her his "immortal beloved," his forever love. And that meant so much to her, it stirred something deep inside her, she wasn't sure what. It always made her feel as if she was flying without a broom, under water, in a foggy dream and curled up in front of a raging fire all at the same time. Disconcerting for sure, but amazing at the same time. She loved him and he loved her back. It was all so perfect.
Once Draco was dressed, they walked down to the Great Hall together, and Rhiannon rushed him through breakfast. Draco complained and objected, and Rhi made him gulp down his pumpkin juice, then jumped up from the table and dragged him away with her. Not having time to even put his glass back on the table, he tossed it to Crabbe, who's clumsy fingers fumbled it, allowing the glass to fall to the floor and shatter.
Rhi half rushed, and half dragged Draco to the top of the observation tower to wait for her parents arrival. "Good, we haven't missed them," and with that, she sat down and pulled out a piece of parchment and her quill.
"What're you doing? Draco asked her.
"Drawing," she replied back, as she looked up at him quickly, then back down at her page.
"Drawing what exactly?"
Rhiannon peeked over her paper and looked at him once more. "You. Look that way please."
Draco laughed at her but looked in the direction that she told him. They spoke as they waited, and she finished her sketch.
"Show it to me," he said when she was done.
"Promise not to laugh?"
"Yes, I promise."
"Okay, but only if you promise," she said, turning the parchment around so he could see it. Draco took it from her and studied it closely.
"It's very good Rhiannon. You never told me that you could draw."
Rhi smiled. "There's many things I haven't yet told you about me Draco."
"Oh yeah? Like what?" he asked leaning in closely to her, his lips a breath from hers, his hand resting gently on the side of her throat.
"Oh, many things, but they will have to wait for now," she spoke softly.
Draco traced his lips over her face and whispered in her ear, "and why is that?"
"Because my parents are arriving," she replied with a laugh, and jumped up to greet them as Draco stood, straightening his clothes, then going to stand right behind Rhi, his left arm around her shoulders.
Rhiannon's parents flew in, and Draco immediately say where she had gotten her good looks from. Her father touched down first, got off his broom, and then turned to offer his hand to an extraordinarily attractive woman.
Her hair was a deep, auburn color, but closer to the shade of freshly polished mahogany, and her eyes were a bright emerald green. But when she swept her hair away from her face, Draco could have swore that it was Rhiannon standing there, tousled from the wind, with a warm smile on her lips. "Hello Littlest," she spoke softly, her voice gently accented from being born in Britain. "I've missed you my baby."
Rhiannon slid out of Draco's arms and into her mother's warm hug. "I've missed you too Mama. Too much in fact. I couldn't wait for you to get here. There's so much to tell you."
Draco watched as a tall, lean man with midnight hair and black eyes approached Rhi and her mother. "Mi dulce angelita, (my sweet little angel)" he said and bent slightly to place a kiss on the top of Rhiannon's head.
"Mi papa, le he faltado tambien, (my papa, I've missed you as well)" she replied and wrapped her arms tightly around her father's neck.
Stepping back, she turned and took Draco's hand, pulling him forward gently. "Mama, Papa, this is Draco Malfoy. He's my boyfriend."
Mr. Brandy raised his eyebrows slightly, but said, "it's nice to meet you Draco. You're Lucius's boy aren't you?
"Yes, I am," Draco replied, holding his head high and proud.
Mrs. Brandy walked forward and placed a kiss on Draco's cheek. As she did, she whispered in his ear, "if you must be with her, then take care of her. She's fragile, though she doesn't seem it."
Draco watched her with his icy blue eyes and nodded slightly. Just then, Dumbledore entered onto the top of the tower where they stood. "Ahh, my grand-daughter has finally come home to England," he said, smiling at her. "Welcome back to Hogwarts Kerensa, and you as well Tynan. Please, come inside and make yourselves at home."
Rhi's parents followed her great-grandfather into the beautiful castle that was Hogwarts, and Rhiannon and Draco followed, hand in hand. Once inside, Rhi and Draco went in one direction, to the Slytherin common room, and her parents and Dumbledore went in another, to the guest quarters.
In the common room, Draco and Rhiannon sat together on the black leather couch in front of the fire that blazed in the marble hearth. Rhi's head rested on Draco's shoulder, and his arms were wrapped around her shoulders. "You missed them didn't you?" he asked her.
"Yes, more than I realized. When I was little, Mama would put me to bed, and she would cast a spell above me so I could watch swirls of colored light and twinkling stars as I fell asleep. Papa would always tell me that I'm destined for great things, and he always made me believe them, even when I didn't want to. They're half of what makes up my world."
Draco played gently with the ends of Rhiannon's hair, as he looked down on her. "What's the other half of your world, Immortal Beloved?"
Rhi tilted her face upwards and pressed a soft kiss to Draco's lips. "You are," she said, and gazed up at him.
Draco smiled down on her and brushed his finger tips over her face. Just then Crabbe and Goyle and thundering in through the portrait hole. One look at them had Draco and Rhi trying to contain their laughter.
The two of them were covered in some kind of slimy purple goo, and had very disgusted looks on their faces. "What happened to you two?" Draco asked.
"Potter," said Crabbe. "Him, Weasly, and that mud blood ambushed us, and cast a spell that made grape jelly fall on us."
At this statement, Rhi doubled over with laughter and received dirty looks from all three boys. "You find that funny?" Draco asked.
"Yes, I do," Rhi said through her giggles. "If they were smarter, Potter wouldn't be able to pull stuff like that on them."
Draco's mood grew dark. "Go change your robes and then get back down here," he ordered Crabbe and Goyle. "Rhi, stop your laughing dammit."
Once Crabbe and Goyle got back, Draco stalked darkly out of the Slytherin common room with both boys, and Rhiannon following. She was still giggling, and every now and then, either Crabbe or Goyle would look back and say, "why are you even here? Draco doesn't need your help casting a curse. Go back to the common room and wait for him until he gets back."
In response to this, Rhiannon would whisper "buldoffis," and cause them to bite their tongues hard. Finally, they stopped talking to Rhiannon, and continued behind Draco in silence until they rounded a corner and came face to face with none other than Harry Potter, Hermoine Granger, and Ron Weasly.
"You all think you're funny do you?" Draco demanded.
"Actually, yeah," replied Ron. "I haven't seen those two look so good since . . ." he paused, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Well, since, never.
Hermoine laughed at his comment, then said, "please Malfoy, you know as well as we do that they had it coming."
Draco turned his hard gaze on her. "Shut up or I'll curse you next, mud blood."
Harry pulled his wand out of his robes and stood in front of Hermoine as she paled slightly. "That's enough Malfoy," he said coldly.
Just before Draco could reply, Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy walked up, with a house elf in tow. "Now, now Draco, there will be none of that," Lucius said coolly.
"Hello Father, Mother," Draco said. "When did you arrive?"
"Only just. Who's your new friend?" his father asked him.
"Mother, Father, this is Rhiannon Brandy, she's Dumbledore's great grand-daughter." Lucius's eyebrows shot up, but the rest of his face remained still, and Narcissa looked at Rhi with polite interest. "Rhi, my mother and father, Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy."
Rhiannon stepped forward and offered her hand. "Hello Mr. And Mrs. Malfoy, it's a pleasure to meet you both. You must be very proud of Draco."
"And why is that Miss Brandy?" Lucius asked.
"Well," Rhi began, "because he's the seeker for the house Quidditch team, he's among the top students in our classes, and because he will one day become a great wizard."
Lucius watched Rhi for a moment and then asked, "how is it that you're related to Dumbledore?"
"Through my mother."
"And who is she?" Lucius asked.
"Kerensa Brandy, formerly Kerensa Spellstein. You attended school with her I believe."
"Ah yes, Kerensa. You look very much like her. Tell me, how is your mother?"
"Why don't you ask me yourself Lucius," Kerensa said, coming up behind them.
"All grown up I see," Lucius said.
"You don't miss a thing Lucius" Kerensa replied coldly. Looking past Lucius, she said, "come along to the Great Hall every one, dinner is nearly ready to be served."
"Since when do you think yourself worthy or telling these children what to do?" Lucius asked.
"Oh, since I just became the newest Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher," Kerensa said. She then spun on her heel and left.
"Well, I guess we had better go, it was a pleasure to meet you again Mr. And Mrs. Malfoy," Rhi said, and all seven students walked to the Great hall to take their places at their house tables.