Draco and I spent that entire week just enjoying each other's presence. We went to Hogsmeade and even tried to sit in this awfully gawdy little tea shoppe Madame Pudifoots. It was good food but I just could not stand the froo-froo nature of the place. We ended up going to the Three Broomsticks instead.

When we entered the Weasley twins approached me once again. This was getting to be a habit for them. I could tell Draco did not like it, he kept swearing one of them was giving me the once over. Besides the one time one of them winked at me at the World Cup I had no idea what he was talking about!

It surprised me even more when they dragged their little brother Ron out from behind them. "Apologize." One said with a glare. I had never seen either of them angry before.

"I am sorry I suggested you were being inappropriate with Malfoy. Please forgive me." He was glaring at his shoes. Whether because he was embarrassed or because he was being forced or a combination of the two I didn't know.

But I was determined to show them that Slytherin was the better house. "I accept your apology, Ronald. I doubt we will ever be friends, but I don't want to be your enemy either. As I told your friends, I did not grow up with all of this animosity between houses and ancestors." I squeezed Draco's hand. "I just wanted to stay with my friends."

"BOYFRIEND." Draco made a point of clarifying.

I blushed "And yes, of course, now my boyfriend. I hope you can respect and appreciate that."

"Yeah… I get that." He said finally looking in to my eyes. "I am sorry Harry said you would turn on your friends. If you would even join Sly.." one of the twins shoved him in the back "I mean choose your house without knowing anything about the history of Hogwarts to go on, you must be pretty loyal."

"I am. Well, mostly, I don't like everyone in my house." I glared over at Pansy who was glaring right back.

Ron laughed "You're all right, Taylor."

"You too, Weasley." I laughed.

"But you have crappy taste in guys." It was almost like he couldn't help it.

I shook my head. "Boys." I dragged Draco away before he could make an issue out of it.

At the time I genuinely believed that it was a matter of house rivalry and silly macho boy stuff. I was soon going to realize how very wrong I was.

That weekend I was all packed to go home for Christmas. I hated that just after Draco and I got together we would be separated even for a weekend. But I also wanted to see my parents. I wish I could have both, but it was not realistic. Draco helped me pack and even used his own wand to levitate my trunk upstairs. Blaise and Theo were on hand to make sure I had everything I needed.

Lydia and Daphne were going to be at their own family gatherings so we made plans to meet up in Diagon Alley on Christmas Eve.

Draco was planning to stay at Hogwarts. I hated to be suspicious, but sometimes he got so secretive that I couldn't help it. "Draco… You will try to be good while I am gone won't you?" I wasn't sure what I wanted from him.

"Cassandra Taylor, are you asking me not to cheat on you? That is pretty insulting you know." He had a tiny frown line between his eyebrows.

I was surprised "NO! I know you aren't like that! It is just… I don't know… sometimes you get very…" I did not want to come right out and tell him he was a sneaky Slytherin bad boy, partly because I knew damned well he would enjoy it but… "just promise whatever you are doing you will be careful?"

He looked at me for a long time. "I am always careful, Cassie, but I promise to be extra careful for you."

With that he took me to the school's travel office where I would be flooing out. My parents finally trusted me to travel alone. Not that there was much danger of getting in to trouble between the school and home along the floo network, but still, it felt like a sign of really growing up.

With a final kiss, we said good bye and in a few moments I was stepping through our own fireplace at home.

My parents were still at work, which I expected. They had owled me before I left to tell me that they would be home in time for dinner, and that if I had been assigned any homework I needed to get started on it and not put it off and blah blah blah.

Actually... I guess this time they were right I had two feet of an essay to finish for charms class. Draco positively refused to help me write it and only grudgingly agreed to look it over when I am done. He really wants me to go to the library and actually study.

To be perfectly honest? I am not really certain I could find the place on my own.

I sat down to at my desk and realized I had no ink, no parchment… no desire. Still, I would not put it past my mother to actually owl the school about my homework so I went in to Daddy's study to grab some.

While in there I could not help staring at the little closet door. I know that back home in the States in daddy's study a weird mask hung. I thought I had seen that same mask worn by someone who was helping to torture no-maj.

I told myself I was only opening the door to prove that I was wrong. That there was no way that my father's mask was out on a night that had frightened so many. Including me.

That there was no way my father had helped unleash fear and chaos and danger at an event I had attended.

And there was no way at all he had done all of that and never even checked that I was OK. That I wasn't harmed in any way.

I know how self centered that sounds, people were actually hurt and those poor no-maj would never be the same again.

But what could I say? Even if that mask was not in there. Even if my father was a saint who would never harm anyone… why hadn't he come to check on me? He had barely come in to the Minister's box at all. And once the Minister left, so did he and Lord Malfoy.

At the time, I had just assumed that they had wanted to pop off for a drink and cigars, since he knows Mother does not approve of his smoking.

Now… well, now it just seemed suspicious.

And I was just stalling by replaying everything in my mind.

I paused with my hand on the door knob. Did I even really want to know what was inside that door? No I did not and yet…

Finally making up my mind I yanked the door open.

Other than my father's robes, coats and hats and rubber boots there was nothing inside. No terrifying mask. No "I hate No-Naj" buttons, or whatever other horror I thought I would find inside.

I laughed in relief and went back to my room to work on my essay. I had to write two feet on the Banishing charm.

As the hours ticked by I read over what I had written.

I crumpled it up and tossed it against the wall. It was pure and utter trash.

"Hey!" I heard my father's laughter "I know you have missed us, but pelting me with parchment seems a little extreme!"

I had not even notice my father open the door until he spoke. I jumped up and ran into his arms. I was so happy to see him and I felt so guilty about accusing even in my own mind of being one of those Death eaters.

"I guess you really did miss us." He laughed again hugging me tighter. "Let's go down stairs and see your mother."

I skipped down the stairs ahead of him chatting about everything and nothing. When we got to the kitchen where my mother was I grabbed her in a hug making her hold her wand higher. She had been using it to chop vegetables. She really loves to cook.

"Hello to you as well, sweetheart." She laughed.

"Hello Mom! I am so happy to be home!" My parents smiled at each other over my head.

"And I am glad you consider this home." She patted my shoulder and went back to chopping. I helped and soon we were sitting down eating.

"How is school? How is Draco?" I wish sometimes she would ask about my other friends. But I guess it is only natural. Draco IS my boyfriend, something she had made it very clear she was pleased about when I owled her.

"Both are great… well, Draco, is great…" I remembered my unfinished essay upstairs.

"Uh oh, what's wrong?" She smiled at me.

"It is just this stupid essay I have to do on the Banishing Charm and I have nothing! I mean you cast the spell and stuff gets shoved away." I put my head on my hand in defeat.

"Christopher, didn't you have an ancestor who excelled at using the Banishing Charm to keep the leaves from piling up in his yard?" Mum looked at Daddy. He was busy writing an owl and just nodded distractedly.

"Go up in to the attic honey, there are some old journals up there that will help you." Mom shooed me from the room while she cleaned up. "With some effort you can finish that essay tonight."

She was right, of course. I went to the attic and started prowling around. She labeled everything so it would not be hard to find.

In fact I found it in just a few moments, but my eyes fell on an unlabeled box. That was… unusual. I opened it and sitting on top was the mask I had been afraid to find.

I heard my father calling me "Sweetheart, come down, those boxes are not stable."

When I came down he asked "did you find what you were looking for?"

"Yes Daddy." I held up the book.

"You didn't disturb anything else did you? Those boxes need to be sorted better." Nope, the only thing I disturbed was me.

"No Daddy, nothing else." I forced a smile.

Thankfully, he didn't seem to notice.

.