Chapter Four

Lillianna looked back at Draco as she sat in a spare chair that had been placed between the two couches, Draco walked quietly to his spot next to his father and sat down as Dumbledore handed Lillianna her letter. He could see her eyes light up for just a second as she reached out and grabbed the letter.

"Now, Ms. Cromwell as you don't have any schooling there are a few options I'd like to discuss with you." Lillianna looked up from the letter she'd begun opening and towards Dumbledore, questions flying through her mind faster than she could form them into words. "One of those options is sitting right besides you."

There it was, that sparkle again.

Lillianna looked over at Draco her face lighting up with a bright smile.

Dumbledore continued, "The other one, you could come to Hogwarts early. Now even, if you'd like to, and a few teachers could be arranged to help speed up your learning process, but the choice is yours."

Draco scooted forward slightly in an effort to be closer to Lills as she looked back down at her letter.

"Sir, i'd really like to go to Hogwarts with Draco on the train, I think i'd like to choose my first option, if that's alright." Her head stayed bowed, feigning opening her letter as she responded.

Draco let out a sigh he hadn't realized he'd been holding as she chose him as her teacher. His father's gaze was hot on his neck, but he ignored it. Pretending to be fascinated with the conversation before him. Besides, teaching Lills wouldn't be hard. The accidental magic that girl did without a wand was good enough to beat even Granger.

Lillianna looked up from her letter, clutched like a lifeline between her calloused hands. Her gaze fell on Dumbledore, his crooked nose was much more prominent in real life than in the cards she'd been given by Draco. And his half moon spectacles gave off an illusion that made his eyes look almost see through. She smiled at him, a soft thankyou placed delicately on her face, but no words coming from her lips.

"The complication Albus, you were speaking of a complication i believe." Lucius' words startled Lillianna, she had forgotten his presence. Dumbledore's eyes did not leave Lillianna as he nodded.

"Yes Mr. Malfoy. There are, you see, complications having to do with Lillianna's acceptance into Hogwarts that have to do with not only her bloodline and magical abilities, but legalities as well. As you have a special way with the governors, perhaps some of it may be avoided, but alas, these complications still must be discussed and brought to light." Dumbledore leaned forward towards Lillianna, causing Draco to stir as the crazy old man got closer to her.

"What do you mean my bloodline, sir?" Lillianna's eyes narrowed in suspicion at the headmaster.

"Why my dear. You're a Cromwell, are you not?" He spoke gently to her, as if the words may break apart the very air they breathed. "You dear, are no mere witch."

Lucius stood from his seat, anger playing on the edge of his eyes, but sat down as he heard the echo of his wife's words in his mind

We promised Lucius, Leanne was our friend and we promised…

Draco held his breath, and placed a hand near Lillianna as his father sat back down on the sofa, waving his hand at Dumbledore. Go on, the motion said, tell her. Dumbledore needed no permission as he continued. His eye boring into Lillianna's deep brown orbs. Light bouncing off them, confusion etched upon her face.

"Draco," Dumbledore said, "Has Lillianna ever done anything, any type of magic, that you yourself have never read of in all your studies at school?"

Draco thought for a second, all of Lillianna's accidental magic had always been far more advanced than his. Storm clouds and accio-ing items to herself my pure chance, despite swearing she'd never tried that spell. Her capability to do certain tricks with fire and how the correct words said on her tongue brought about the wrong reactions to spells he'd studied for years.

"Now that i think about it." Draco paused, looking at Lills, her soft eyes stared back in fear and he gave her that goofy grin she seemed to like so much, "She's always been far more talented than any witch i know."

"Wiccan." Dumbledore corrected. "Lillianna Cromwell, names hold power just as much as words do. Cromwell is a name known only to the oldest of books and historians. I've been trying for years i'm afraid, to put Wiccan studies into the Hogwarts curriculum but to no avail, our kinds just don't enjoy mixing much."

Dumbledore pulled out a small bag of candies from his cloak before continuing, Lucius' mind had long ago wandered off to the stack of paperwork he'd be forced to go through once this got back to the Minister. Draco and Lillianna were silent, only ever looking away from the headmaster to glance at one another and quickly look back to him. Dumbledore popped a candy into his mouth.

"But your family is quite profound to us wizards. We believed them to have vanished long ago, snuffed out perhaps. The Wiccan line is rarer than that of Wizards, and is solely passed down through blood. You," Another candy entered the old man's mouth as he spoke, " may be the answer to quite a few problems we've had with our two communities."

"And why is that Sir?" Lillianna asked, her voice shaking, throat threatening to break open any second.

"Why, my dear. Because you're a Potter of course. Always the trouble makers those Potter's."

Draco's breath caught in his throat and choked on the way back out, a loud cough ripping through his body as Lillianna's letter fell out of her hands and onto the floor beneath them.