Chapter Nine: Permanent Residence?

Hermione slowly opened her eyes and looked up at Draco Malfoy. He was looking down at her as though it was the most natural thing in the world for the two of them to be kissing.

"I need to go find Theo," she whispered.

He nodded and put his arms around her, protecting her from the pain she was about to face. She rested her head on his shoulder for a few seconds before separating from him and walking back into the house.

"You just sent yourself into a battlefield more dangerous than the one Voldemort is planning," Draco told himself before shoving his hands into his pockets and rushing into the house to see what he and Harry could find.

Harry was in the library looking through the records section. There was something on what seemed to be practically every family, magical or not, ever. Entering the room/secluded section he automatically grabbed the first five he could think of: Potter, Evans, Black, Riddle and Gaunt (A/N Is that Voldie's mom's last name? I don't know where my HBP is, ).

The first book he threw open was the one that has caused his hand shook more than any other book, even Riddle's diary; Potter. There were pictures of people with his messy, black hair, his nose, skinny body, and even his knobby knees. He looked through his glasses, not unlike those of his great uncle on his grandmother's side, and felt a fist penetrate his chest and twist his heart into a tight knot. His breathing became tense and sweat began to form beads along his forehead. Finally, he reached the end of the book, the only person left in his family who occupied his dreams, memories, and secret wishes.

James Potter looked like he always had. Harry felt as though he was looking at all the pictures not on the Dursley's mantle. There was 'Daddy and me fifth birthday' and 'Harry's first wand'. Harry knew what he had to do.

Harry closed the book and reached for 'Evans'. He took in a deep breath and opened the book to the very last chapter: Petunia and Lily. He skimmed the pages until he found what she was looking for.

'Wow,' Harry didn't know what was more intense, the old school uniforms or how happy his mother looked surrounded by the eight other girls in the picture. He scanned the picture for a skinny, blonde girl with pale skin, remembering how Narcissa looked at the Quidditch World Championship (A/N ok, so I'm just too lazy to go get any of the books, but is that really a crime?). There was no blonde girl with pale skin, tan skin, brown highlights, anything.

Leaving the book open at the page it was, Harry grabbed 'Black' and flipped open to the family tree. He found Narcissa and turned the pages, bunches at a time, until he found a larger picture of her. There she was. Silver-blonde hair. Pale skin. Skinny as a stick. Harry didn't miss her in the other picture. He read the biography about her life, but found that it ended the year she was married. Harry jumped up and ran back to where the other thousands of books were and searched for 'Malfoy'.

"While you're there you might want to look down."

Harry looked down from the ladder and out to where Zelia's voice had come from. She was holding up a large book that said 'Malfoy' in gold letters. Harry leapt down and grabbed the book.

"Thank you!" He half-yelled excitedly. "I was looking all over for this."

"No problem," she smiled.

Harry smiled back at her. He hadn't noticed it before, but there were small flecks of blue in her eyes.

"Well, er, I'd better get back to reading," he said. "Thank you so much for your help and sorry for not being more social or anything."

"Don't worry," Zelia laughed. "Ron is more than making up for that."

"What's he doing?" Harry asked nervously.

"Well when I came in here before looking for Tanya he was lying about where she was and blushed when I said her name."

"Just as long as it isn't like last year (A/N I will be using some stuff from HBP, including Ron having had a very…interesting relationship with Lavender)" Harry said.

Zelia laughed. "Details now."

Harry told Zelia about Ron and Lavender's relationship (A/N The Hermione part did not happen) and made sure not to leave out the part with the gold necklace for Christmas. By the time he got up to the part where Ron wanted to break up with her, but was afraid to Zelia was in tears.

The door to the library suddenly opened and Harry rushed to see who it was.

It was Draco and he walked directly to the second floor of the room not even bothering to look anywhere but his destination.

"I know what we need to do P-Harry," he said. "By the way, Wea-Ron and that girl, Tanya are looking for a good spot to…I don't even want to think about it, so knock before entering a room."

"So I've been hearing," Harry said, turning to a giggling Zelia. "So what do you think we need to do?"

"I found a section before filled with-"

"Records? Way ahead of you." Harry led him to the table where the other books were and placed the 'Malfoy' book in the middle where there was space.

"I was actually going to say bonding spells, but this works too," Draco said, looking through the other books.

"Cool, so how about you look through these books for something that I hopefully missed and I'll go find that section you were talking about?" Harry suggested.

"Next to the records section," Draco told him.

"I know where it is, I'll get it," Zelia said. She looked Harry in the eye and touched his arm, as though to tell him to sit with Draco.

Harry took a chair and brought it across from Draco.

"Pretty."

Harry looked up. "What?"

"Your mom, she was pretty," Draco said, his eyes not leaving the page.

"Oh, thanks." Harry didn't know what to say. "So, um, what did you have in mind?"

"I actually thought that maybe we could find my mother first," Draco said as he closed the 'Gaunt' book.

"Sure."

"When we find her, maybe this can be more than just a 'because we have to' thing?" Draco suggested, not looking up.

Harry's head, on the other hand, shot up as he stared at the boy across from him.

"Look back down or else we might have to have some kind of emotional thing that guys just don't do," Draco smirked.

"Well you didn't mind being emotional with Hermione before," Harry teased.

Draco froze. How did Harry know?

"What do you mean Potter?"

Harry smirked. "Well for one thing, since when did I go back to being Potter?" Draco began to shift in his seat. "And second, when I was walking away after Theo left I saw the two of you."

Draco looked up at Harry. What was he going to say?

"Theo really loves her."

"She doesn't love him."

"I'm back!"