Hey guys, thanks for putting this on story alert and thanks for the review. I'm going for a bit shorter chapters and updating faster, instead of long chapters and slow updating. Hope that feels good for you :)

RonHermione7: Thanks, you kind of made my day! ;) Alice is born the same year as Harry and co. But in the fall, so she'll start in the 5th year at Hogwarts and not the 6th, as the others go. :)

And on to the story, love KG

Chapter 2

"How soon?" Anna asked and showed her friend to take a seat. It was as if the two friends had forgotten about the younger woman, whom they were speaking about. Alice stood absolutely confused at the spot they'd left her. Who was it he wanted back? Who was he?

"He's expecting us tonight", Narcissa said, as she thanked for the bowl of soup Anna poured to her. "Lucius is in Azkaban prison." She let out a silent sob before taking a sip of the hot liquid. Anna laid a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"You wouldn't need to worry for Alice of course. She'd start in school with Draco. I think that would be the best for her."

"Draco, how is he?" Anna carefully asked, afraid to upset her friend again.

"He's hanging in there. It is hard, for all of us."

"How old is he now?" Anna asked. "He's turning sixteen?" Narcissa didn't answer; instead she stared at Alice with a blank face, almost dreaming. Then she nodded.

"Alice?" Anna said, as if she just remembered her daughter's presence. "Go pack, take only what you need. We leave in half an hour."

A big, dark, almost intimidating mansion appeared in front of them. Alice took a moment to take in the, in her own words, castle. There were lights in some of the windows, but most of them were dark. With haste they moved forward, across the gravel road, trough an enormous gate, in between high hedges and out on a huge lawn that surrounded the mansion. The look Narcissa had given their little hut did now make sense to Alice, no doubts about it. The heavy wooden doors swung up in front of them, as if someone opened them, but no one was there. They entered a big hallway, filled with old portraits, mostly of men, that watched them suspiciously as they crossed the room and headed for the stairs. On the first floor they passed a half-opened door. Alice took a peak in before following the others to the second floor. The fireplace was lit, in front of it stood a sofa, two armchairs and a table. She'd seen the back of a boy, about her age she guessed, with dark cloths in contrast to his light hair and skin. He'd looked rather handsome, at least according to Alice. The image of the boy disappeared as she entered a big room. Even though it's size, it felt cosy. The far wall was covered with large windows with heavy, navy blue curtains and by the side; in the corner was a huge bed, with the same blue on its covers. Besides from the bed, there was a sofa, some bookcases, a drawer and a fireplace similar to the one on the first floor.

"This is your room Alice", Narcissa said with a faint smile. "Draco and I have ours on the third floor. Your mum will have the room next to this one."

"Try feel as if home, sweetheart", her mother whispered to her before the two older women left the room. Alice felt numbed. Drastic, in the matter of minutes had her life changes beyond imagination. There she was, in the middle of a room as big as her own house, without knowing the purpose of their moving. What was she supposed to do? Unpack? She didn't even know if they were to stay. She took her bag, put it on the bed and sat down next to it. Then she heard footsteps in the hallway, dampened by the rough carpet. Curiosity took over and she went on her tiptoes to the almost closed door. It was the boy she'd seen before. He carried a large book under his arm and had another one spread, in which he frenetically read. He looked tiered, as if he'd seen too much for his age. Even though she wanted, she did not dare open the door and say hi. Alice took one look around the room again; her eyes got stuck on a curtain way out of its place. She walked over to it and pulled it aside. Behind it was a mirror. But she couldn't see herself in it. No, she was an old man with long, white hair sitting alone by a table with a cup of coffee and a paper. She looked over her shoulder just to be sure she was alone. Was it really a mirror? Carefully she reached out and touched its blank surface. Did it show the past? No, the rooms didn't look the same.

"Alice?" Her mother called from the hallway.

"Coming mum!" She let the curtain fall back over it and hurried to her mother.

"Are you ready?" Anna asked. Alice didn't know what to answer.

"For what?" Alice asked in a whisper. They went down the stair and stopped outside the room she'd peaked in to before.

"To meet your father", Anna said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. She gave Alice a gentle nudge trough the door. The fire was still lit, but it missed the warmth it had before. In one of the armchairs sat a man, his back facing her and on the backrest was a big snake.

"She's here, the one you've been looking for is here", the snake hissed. Alice knew, she wasn't crazy as her mother said; she was just her father's daughter.