Disclaimer: I don't own anything of the Harry Potter brand.

Impressing my mother is the hardest thing to do, next to getting a decent grade on any of Snape's assignments that is. But I, against my will, had to put on the most ridiculous tweed pink and yellow blazer with matching skirt. My mum bought me it last year, but do you honestly think I've worn it?

No!

But it's a nice gesture and it boosts a person's ego to wear something they've bought for you. Now I'm not into trends as much as Ginny but...really it looks disaterous...

After putting on some tennis shoes, I walked over to whatever place the directions mum gave me led to. I didn't bother to remember any kind of name because I knew that if my mum picked it out, then I wouldn't be coming back. Walking along the aisle where the outside tables were set up, I saw my mum waving at me. I resisted the huge urge to roll my eyes and started my way to her with the biggest grin plastered on my face.

"Hi mum." I said. Mum quickly went over to me and gave me a tight hug.

"Honey! I haven't heard from you in ages!" she said. "Come, you must tell you what has been going on!" It was kind of weird because she was acting almost like a teenager in an odd sense. But that was my mum, forever young and with an excellent set of teeth. I sat down and we ordered.

"Um, well nothing really has happened just the usual." I explained as I sipped my water. My cocked her head.

"Really?" she asked and pulled out a copy of Witching Weekly. "Then what is this?" On the front of Page 6, was a huge picture of myself and Draco kissing. With a huge article wondering if we were dating and "trusted" sources confirming we were dating! I was steaming mad as my eyes scanned the details of the fabricated story. I did read most wizard papers but I didn't bother reading the most gossip consumed paper in production. I should've known he would have been famous with the photographers! Now I was going to have serious damage control, as I sighed in relief that the photo didn't show me actually behind the bar counter. My cover was safe, at least for now. Then a pit of dread collected in my stomach as anyone that had a brain in Hogwarts I remembered subcribed to that magazine.

"Some guy from school. Stupid git." I said. My mum's eyebrows went up a bit.

"Oh? And who is this 'some guy'?" she asked interested, leaning in.

"Draco Malfoy. You know? The guy who tortured me at school?" I said making the word torture stand out. I was trying to make her hate Malfoy and hopefully not think of him as someone I could date.

"You never know sweetheart, people change. As I always say 'Men are never good until after school is over.'"

"Mum, you never say that." I pointed you. She rolled her eyes.

"I say something to that meaning. My point is he could be your last chance."

"Mum! I'm a year out of school for God's sake! I'm almost 19, I've got what? Another 10 more years?" I asked. My mum darkened a bit.

"Excuse me for caring about wither your father gets to see his grandchildren! You know he might not make it." I froze.

"What? What do you mean dad might not make it?" I asked. Mum's eyes got wide as if she were caught red handed stealing from a store.

"The radiation and chemotherapy isn't working as it should, honey." she said quietly after a moment. I could tell this wasn't how she planned on telling me this but it seemed like she had held it in so long she had to spill everything out now."He's going to need surgery, it's a 50/50 chance."

"What?" I asked as I felt my world crash into the pavement. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Do you think I wanted to tell you something like that?" she said. It was one of the rare moments where she wasn't trying to be my age.

But actually my mum.

"No...I just..." I answered. Suddenly it felt like the world had just dropped a bit and it was crushing me. Like I couldn't breathe suddenly. She had known about this and she hadn't told me. I know she thought she would harm me by telling me but I perfer the blunt truth. The knowledge of kept secrets just kills me inside to my core.

I had to get out.

Now.

"I have to...just..." I stumbled and rushed from the table full of confusion and feeling for the first time in my life ever that things could possibly be out of control.

Walking into some kind of place nearby, all I wanted was some where I could remain calm. So I wouldn't cry. If I cried, I wouldn't be able to stop until I was drained completely dry and weak. I would only see the flashing rotation of memories as they flickered in secession in my mind.

I don't really know why my dad got cancer, since he's a dentist he's one the two only health nuts I know so I knew it couldn't be because he ate something. But it just seemed like he was so healthy. Then out of the blue they find something and that's when the treatment started.

It scared me to death.

It was like my dad was there but it didn't look like him and I tried to stay away, not that I don't care, but it was hard to see him like that. To watch someone who taught you how to ride a bike, soothed your tears when the younger boys made fun of your hair, and supported your witchcraft just waste away and the only thing I could do was hold his hand...I mean I'm a witch. I can use magic, anything can be fixed with magic. I'm the most brillant witch of the age they say, I should be able to solve everything.

Right?

Not so fast.

I can't tell you how much I wanted to ring Professor Dumbledore's neck when he told me that. I knew it wasn't his fault, but just I'm the one with all the power, and I can't use it. It seems like all these years of magic only to end up with a deadly illness, a book that probably will never be published, and working in a muggle bar, it just seemed pointless. Why did I ever go to Hogwarts if this was all I was going to amount to? Why did I have to be so driven to publish a damn book? I could've gotten any job I wanted in the Wizard world but writing was my passion. It's what I love, and I would've been bored at a desk job with nothing new everyday. How did I go from top of the class to just barely making it? Sinking onto an outside bench, someone's voice became very clear.

"Are you sure you want to be crying in public?" I jerked my head and rolled my eyes.

"Oh it's you." I said to Draco. "Why do you care?" I said narrowing my eyes.

"I don't, it's just people are staring." He pointed out and sure enough the people who passed my way looked at me with sympathy or whispered to their walking partner.

"Well maybe I feel bad, and maybe I am pissed off. Maybe I'm crying in public because I don't care." I shot back.

"Want to talk about it?" he asked. I laughed.

"So you can go tell your buddies about how Granger is doing so bad? I don't think so."

"Well crying...while it eases the pain but it doesn't make it go away, unless you talk about it.."

"At this point Draco, I don't really care. Now go away." I said, not caring why he would be in a muggle place yet again. Or how strange it would be that we would end up at the same place within days of seeing each other again. I just wanted to curl into a ball and never wake up from this dream. He turned and looked at me for a minute. Then he flicked something my way. He nodded and then left, one of the few truly nice things he had ever done for me. After a second I looked at what he threw to me. It was his bussiness card with his number on it. I suppose it was if I wanted to talk to him. I tucked the card into my pocket and walked out.