Due to Hurricane Rita, my classes have been canceled. So with that fact in mind there might be another chapter in a few days

An: so because I think that I'm shortchanging Draco this is going to be more of a Draco centric chapter. Because I love the possibilities that I have with him, I think that I'll probably going to make a lot of the next few chapters Draco centric? Nah!

Disclamer: If I owned Harry Potter, Julia would be in the books, i look everywhere and find no mention of here, so obviously I don't own the rights to Harry Potter. Jo does and im sad :(

A surprising development

Waiting for Draco to wake up proved a harder and more exhausting task than she previously thought.

As Julia drifted off to sleep she casually wondered what Draco was dreaming about.

Draco was walking down the hallway toward the thundering voice that was his father, and toward the sobbing that was his mother.

He shouldn't be going towards them, he knew it, but he didn't listen. He should have been down in his room. But he hated his room, he hated the basement.

He still couldn't hear what they were arguing about, his mother and father. He could guess though. His father didn't want him to attend Hogwarts in the fall. He didn't want him to be taught at a school where the headmaster was a muggle lover. His father wanted him to attend Durmstrang, what he considered a proper school.

His mother on the other hand didn't want him to go so far away. She wanted it to be possible for him to come home for Christmas and other holiday, durmstrang never allowed their students home for any holiday they considered it inefficient. She countered that since Severus Snape was working there, that Draco wouldn't be negatively affected by what they called "Muggle lovers". Draco had heard the argument dozens of times before, he could almost recite it by rote.

He knew that was what his parents were fighting about. That's what they had been fighting about for the last few months, well mostly.

As he approached the room he could hear the voices more clearly. "Draco's my son, my only son. I love him. Please don't take him away from me. Please." Silence then, "you got to take care of him for 10 and a half years, that's long enough. Don't make me do this, Narciccia, please." Lucius was begging his wife for something. Draco stopped in surprise, he had never heard his father talk like that. In fact, only one person had made him beg for anything, the dark lord.

Draco paused just outside his parents bedroom door, maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Before he could change his mind the door opened. "What are you still doing here?"

"I repeat what are you still doing here Draco?" Draco opened his eyes to see the scowling face of Severus Snape.

"Hello godfather", Draco said lazily.

"I told you to go to your common room and rest, didn't I? And what may I ask is She doing out here?"

Draco looked around to see Julia sitting not two feet away; she looked like she was asleep. She was leaning against the wall with her head in a very uncomfortable position.

Draco was confused, how did she get out of the infirmary? He didn't think she had the strength to leave the infirmary, from what the nurse had told him she was still, bed ridden. How then did she end up out in the waiting room? It was a question that would soon be answered, because Julia was waking up.

Draco looked up at his godfather, "I wanted to talk to her, I didn't bring her out here. I didn't even know she was out here. You believe me right?"

"Yes Draco I believe you."

Eating lunch proved to be a difficult task, when a whole roomful of people was watching her. She lifted her fork toward her again but put it down before it reached her mouth; it was just too weird to eat when there were people watching.

"Why did you stop, you haven't eaten nearly enough. If you keep eating like that you'll never get to a healthy weight." Madam Pomfrey said in exasperation.

"You're kidding right? How am I supposed to eat when all of them", she pointed toward the assorted people in the room, "you try eating when everyone's watching you, heck I'm the only one eating!"

"I don't care if ten thousand people are watching you, eat!" and with that she thrust the fork into Julia's hand.

After more internal grumbling Julia finished her plate. She pushed the plate away from her when she was done. "Happy now?"

"Don't be snippy with me girl. You're still underweight. Tell me, do you ever eat? Your at least ten pounds underweight, if not more." Madam Pomfrey was still short tempered due to lack of sleep.

Julia sighed, nothing was every easy, if this was the standard.

"What are you all doing here anyways?" she asked snapped at the people in the room.

Remus Lupin, Arthur Weasley, Severus Snape, and Draco Malfoy all cringed back away from Julia's bad temper.

"Julia, please try to calm down, we," and he motioned to the others in the room, "were just worried about you."

Julia didn't say anything, she knew that her godfather was indeed worried about her, but she didn't believe for one moment that Professor Snape or Draco Malfoy could be worried about her. Then she remembered her request of Professor Snape.

"What happened to her cat?" Julia asked tentatively.

"I'll talk to you later about it, okay Potter?" Snape seemed almost frightened that Julia would force the issue. His face seemed to relax when Julia acquiesced.

Julia turned to Malfoy, he cringed. Probably here to gloat, Julia thought and then almost as if ashamed of her thought she remembered him sitting beside her when she woke up. She never did get an explanation for why he was there. Just something to think about later I guess.

She didn't ask what Mr. Weasley wanted she didn't have to, he beat her to the punch.

"Well I'm here because Harry wanted me to give you this" Mr. Weasley handed Julia an envelope.

"Thank you" there was something else Julia wanted to ask but she was too afraid to. There was a moment of silence and then finally she mucked up enough courage to ask, "How is Harry doing?"

Arthur chose his words carefully before answering. "He's doing well; he's very worried about you. He really wants to see you."

"Here give him this." Julia handed Mr. Weasley an envelope with a carefully written note. She had hoped that it would be possible for someone to take him the note. Now it was.

"Harry I have something for you." Harry looked up as Mr. Weasley entered the kitchen. He had wondered who Ms. Black had been yelling at.

"How's Julia?"

"She looks better than she did when they brought her in, that's all I'm allowed to tell you. Here she told me to give you this"

Harry took the envelope proffered and opened it, "what's it say?" and anxious Ron Weasley asked.

Both Harry and Hermione shushed Ron as Harry began to read.

Dear Harry:

I hope that you're okay. Don't worry about me I'm fine.

I wanted to apologize for what's happened recently. I

Know that I should have done things differently. I

Didn't mean what I said about Sirius I hope you know that.

Please find it in your self to forgive me.

Much love,

Julia

It was short and to the point, like everything Julia said.

"Well what did it say?"

Harry looked up at Ron. His friend looked worried.

Harry didn't want to tell Ron or Hermione about the argument that he'd had with Julia. He hadn't event told them about what had happened at his aunt and uncle's house, Julia wouldn't want him to. He put the letter in his pocket when he noticed Hermione reading it. She gave him a questioning glance that Ron completely missed. Later he mouthed. Hermione nodded, she already had a good idea of what had happened she just needed conformation. Ron didn't need to know, he was always so overprotective of her, he might go out and do something rash.

"It said that she was okay."

Ron nodded relieved. "Good, I was worried."

Somehow Harry couldn't find it in himself to believe her.

"So there you are"

Julia looked up at Draco. She was hiding down in the dungeons.

"This is the third time this week, why are you hiding?"

Julia carefully hid her face from view; no one had seen her face since she had been woken up earlier in the week. It had bothered no one because no one had noticed. And no one had noticed because Julia hadn't spent much time around other people.

For the last week she had been sneaking around the castle avoiding everyone. The only way time she saw anyone was when she took her medicine in the mornings and evenings. Twice before she had forgotten about her evening medications and the nurse sent almost everyone in the castle to look for her. The first time professor Snape had found her on the astronomy tower, sitting on the edge with her legs dangling over. He had almost fainted right then and there. The second time Professor McGonagall found her sleeping in one of the unused teacher's offices. She said that the whole castle had been looking for her for three hours. Both times she had been yelled at by the nurse, she had screamed her self hoarse before she would demand an apology and then storm into her office for the rest of the night. Julia was afraid that they would lock her in the infirmary. She didn't like locked doors.

"I'm not due for my potions till six. It's barely three. What are you doing here?"

Draco was silent for a second, then, "well as were the only two people in the castle who aren't teachers or what not I thought we could…you know…," he was having a hard time saying it, "hang out."

"Hang out?" Julia was incredulous. Why would Draco Malfoy want to hang out with her?

"Yeah, you know like normal people do. You do know what hanging out means don't you potter?" Draco meant it as a joke but unfortunately Julia didn't take it that way.

"yes Malfoy," and she stressed his name, " I do know what hanging out means and what it entails, I just didn't think that you as a Slitheryn would want to hang out with me, a mixed blood." Draco's prejudice against muggle born wizards infuriated Julia to no end. Little did she know, Draco didn't really believe in the propaganda he said, he just knew that was what his father expected of him.

"Look here Potter, I was just trying to be nice, for once." Those last two words were whispered so only he could hear, but Julia heard it anyways. Then Draco turned to leave.

Feeling bad about lashing out, Julia stopped Draco before he left. "Wait Draco, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. If your offer to hang out is still open, I'd like to take you up on it." Julia extended her hand, and hoped that it wouldn't be left hanging.

Draco took her hand.

"So tell me, what did she mean?" Hermione Granger fairly shouted at Harry.

"Huh? Sorry didn't hear you." Harry lied, he had heard her and he was sure that if anyone was in the top portion of the house that they would have heard her too. Luckily everyone was gone to Diagone alley to buy school supplies. Other than the two order members downstairs Harry and Hermione were alone in the house.

"Harry James Potter, answer me right now!" Hermione was fairly sick with worry. She liked Julia, but Julia and her had never really connected as friends. The best they could do was acquaintances.

Harry didn't know how to answer really, what to say what to say. "Well, how much do you know about what happened the week before the attack?"

Hermione was taken aback, had something happened before the attack. She knew that there had been some sort of falling out at the Dursley residence but over what she didn't know. Then reality struck. The Dursley's had always treated Harry as less than dirt, but she had never thought of how they had treated Julia. She had guessed that it was better than Harry, because Julia was a girl. It never occurred to Hermione that Julia might have been treated the same or worse. She didn't even know how bad they treated Harry. "Oh no, did they hurt her?" Hermione tried to keep the tears from falling. She tried but she couldn't stop them.

Harry, she could tell was trying to hold back some emotion. Finally he choked out, "yes they hurt her. They hurt her and I didn't even know about it until, it was almost too late." Harry then related what had happened on the night that Julia moved out (a month ago now). By the end both of them were too upset to speak. All they could do was stare at each other wordlessly.

Downstairs they heard the slam of a door. The others were back. They both made a silent agreement not to tell Ron. He just wouldn't take it well.

Without any introduction Ron ran into the room, door slaming behind him. His face was flushed with excitment.

"Hey guys guess what mom got me, a new broom." Ron brandished a shiny new broom, "it's a comet 420, isn't it beautiful?"

Harry and Hermione both pasted smiles on their faces and exclaimed over Ron's broom.

"Really Ron it's beautiful." Hermione exclaimed.

Harry smiled, "Nice broom mate, now we can't lose."

Ron smiled sadly, his friends were hiding something from him, he just didn't know what. What he thought it was; was as far from the truth as he could get.

"You still never told me why you were hiding?"

Julia paused, as she was about to take out Draco's rook, thereby winning the game of chess they were playing.

"Try not to delay the inevitable Draco, you know I'm going to win, why prolong your misery." Julia was trying to avoid the question and Draco knew it.

"Oh and by the way," she took out the rook, "checkmate."

"That's the fourth game this afternoon, how do you keep winning?" Draco was astounded; she was almost as good as his godfather. As far as he knew though, the two had never played against each other in their lives.

Julia smiled thinking she had successfully avoided the question, "well I had a good teacher." That was true, she did have a good teacher; Ron had played with her, when he was tired of beating Harry and Hermione.

"So now that you've basked in your glory, are you going to answer my question, why were you hiding?"

Julia looked up, how was she supposed to answer that…

A/N: well I lied earlier when I said that this would be more Draco centric, sorry. Things just turned out a little differently than I thought.

Next Chapter: You will learn: Who Is Saris.

Why Julia was hiding

What Remus and Severus have in common?

Oh and for my lovely reviewer who wants more Draco/Julia, stuff, never fear, I'm trying to make that happen, I just don't want this to turn into a soap opera. Which I hope that I haven't already done.

Kira