The night seemed cool to Petunia Dursley, unusually cool for late July.  She thought it was the chill that had woken her but as she made her way back from the bathroom she heard a soft muffled sort of moan from the smallest bedroom and made her way there.

Petunia was frightened of her nephew, she truly was.  He had powers that she would never know, and though her head knew that she should have been kind to him all these years and earned herself an ally; fear and resentment and jealousy never allowed it.  The door creaking open slowly and the shaft of street light that eerily crossed the room only added to her fright and she could barely make herself shuffle across the room to her nephew's bed.

Tears were streaming down his face and he had the blanket twisted up and clamped between his teeth, his hands were white knuckled as they pulled on the raggedy ends.  It was a heartbreaking sight, to see a boy young man child in such distress and so unearthly quiet about it.  "Harry?" she whispered.

His eyes shot open, big and watery and the exact shade of his mother's.  Petunia startled at the intensity and pain in his eyes but she swallowed and crept a little closer, crouched a little lower, "Harry, do you need help?"  It was a stupid question she realized but she was one of the ones who had trained him to never ever ask.

He nodded and groaned a tiny bit.  "Do you need hospital or, or a healer?" She could barely even whisper healer, it was just a breath of air.  His eyes widened in surprise, he took a shuddering breath and centered himself a little, the gag was pulled out just enough for him to whisper, "healer, call F-figg." And then the gag was back and his eyes closed and his forehead creased as he curled in on himself. 

Petunia was surprised that her nephew had asked for Mrs. Figg, but then again she was completely barmy and had all those cats.  She was so busy running through all of her interactions with Arabella Figg over the years that she didn't even notice she was straightening out the blankets and tucking her nephew in a little better as she rose and left the smallest bedroom.

The kitchen phone was the most discrete, Arabella answered on the second ring and sounded almost competent and not the slightest bit shocked when Petunia informed her that Harry was unwell and needed a healer.  She said it out loud that time, just threw it out there.  And then the conversation was over and she thought about going back to the smallest bedroom but decided to put the kettle on instead so she could open the door quickly and quietly when they came.

Hopefully they would come and wave their little sticks over the boy and Vernon would never know, or maybe they would just take him away again.  How would she explain that?  Maybe she could pretend she didn't know, on the one hand Vernon wouldn't be happy to know that they had been in the house while he slept, but on the other hand, the freak gone a month early would be a good thing.  The kettle whistled and she jumped ten feet. 

Arabella Figg had not been shocked to hear her phone ring in the middle of the night, this was what she trained for after all.  She was a little shocked to hear her neighbor Petunia ask for a healer for Harry though, shocked and deeply concerned.  She knew how Petunia treated her nephew and could only assume that Harry had decapitated himself or something for Petunia to actually seek out help for him.  Or possibly got blood on the new living room carpet, but really wouldn't Vernon consider more blood the fix for that?

Hilarity started to creep up on her at the image and she wondered if she was getting shocky at the excitement, but she was still moving towards her fireplace.  The gas logs sprang to life as she slammed her palm on the button, for years she had kept real wood and tinder laid out ready to be lit at a moment's notice -except for when the cats knocked it all to hell and dragged branches into the dining room.  Finally she had seen an ad on the telly for the gas logs and when she asked Minerva if she thought that would work.  Minerva who was so reliably no-nonsense had just shrugged and said, "it is magic after all."

Let's hope, she thought grimly as she tossed down the floo powder and stuck her head in the flames, "Albus!"

Albus Dumbledore had been deeply asleep before the floo network woke him up.  His mind wanted to snap to full alert but this was one of those nights where he actually felt as old as he was.  Fawkes burbled a few notes that helped put him to rights and he was able to drag himself up and pull on a robe before he shook the sleep from his head and made his way to the fireplace.

"Arabella! what's the matter?"

"It's Harry, Petunia phoned me asking for a healer for him.  He must be very bad indeed Albus for Petunia to call at such an hour."  Arabella had a sudden urge to go check the boy herself, squib or not she could comfort him at least.  Petunia was probably done with it now having made her big heroic phone call; she was probably making a cuppa and dreaming about how the boy would leave early due to this.  Arabella's lips turned down and her eyes started squinting at the thought, when Albus glanced up at her he thought she was cross with him.

"I will have the guard investigate the situation, I believe it's Bill Weasley now, and see about sending some medical help post haste."  He stood up to draw his wand and send the patronus, Arabella started to draw back herself.  Both of them creaked a bit and cursed the floo network, if you put the grate at a comfortable height for talking it was no use at all for traveling, really there must be a better way.

As the silvery patronus phoenix streaked out the tower window and into the deep night a real phoenix warbled to itself.  The trills and clicks sounded as if the bird was talking to himself, should I go too or will he be alright?  Fawkes had a great fondness for the boy that he had saved from the basilisk bite.  But now Albus was taking a deep breath and crouching before the fire again, another shower of green and he shouted, "Severus!"

Bill Weasley, like most Weasley men, knew how to cat nap.  He wasn't literally a cat of course (it's worth checking in the wizarding world) but he was curled up in his cloak, drowsing against a friendly tree trunk when the patronus found him.  It was embarrassing to wipe his chin even in front of Dumbledore's patronus, the eyes seemed to notice and twinkle.  Surreptitiously rolling his shoulders back, Bill stepped from the shadows and up to the back door of 4 Privet Drive where he could see the kitchen light was on.

Petunia was peeved of course to see that his hair was too long and he had an earring with a bone or fang or something, but she knew in her heart that it could have been a far more unnatural looking person at her door so she let him in.  Bill opened his mouth and then realized he wasn't sure what the hell was going on, the patronus had just asked him to check on Harry.

"He's upstairs, the door is open."  She gestured vaguely towards the stairs and then turned back to her tea.  Bill gave her a strange look and then headed for the stairs, respecting her apparent wish to not hear his voice.

The antiseptic house felt extremely unnatural to him as he took the stairs two at a time.  Everything was sharp and square until he reached the dingy ajar door with six locks on it.  He pushed it open and then rushed across in a heartbeat to fall to his knees next to the suffering boy.  His arms automatically wrapped gently around the shuddering shape and he leaned his head close to whisper, "Harry, what's the matter?"

Bill noticed the hands twisting the blanket and gently disentangled one so that it was squeezing his own big warm hand.  Harry seemed to clutch it gratefully, "it hurts," he managed to say.

Bill brushed his sweaty bangs back a bit, "I know, Harry, I know, but what hurts?"

"Everything" was the unhelpful response so Bill just kept holding his hand and waiting with Harry, hoping that someone would come soon.

Severus Snape was at his home, Spinner's End, and awake when the headmaster shouted for him.  He wished that he wasn't, he wished that he might have been curled up snug in his bed on the fifth moon of Jupiter where there was no atmosphere, and thus no blasted floo and thus no headmasters summoning him in the middle of the night for whatever catastrophe he had chosen to stick his lemony fingers in.  But alas, he was awake so he responded, but not pleasantly.

The headmaster had told Arabella that he would get Harry ‘medical help', he never promised a healer, even Madam Pomfrey a basic mediwitch was out of the country and he certainly wasn't going to call St. Mungo's without a very good reason.  "Severus, I was wondering if you could pull together some basic healing potions and go check on Mr. Potter?  Arabella Figg just called and said he requires a healer."

"As my employer Albus, perhaps you have noticed I am not a healer?"

"Of course, but look you're already dressed.  It's probably just a summer cold with this bizarre weather we've been having."

"As you wish Albus.  I will gather a kit and apparate there directly..."

Dumbledore withdrew his head just slow enough to hear Snape finish his sentence under his breath, "- after I finish writing my acceptance speech for the Witch Weekly Most Charming Smile award."  The headmaster regretted his sloth when an uncontrollable snort of laughter caused a plume of ashes to go right up his nose.

But Snape did summon a small carry-all and dutifully began stuffing fever reducers and pepper-ups in to it.  His own competence worked against him though and in no time at all he was departing for Privet Drive.  Like Bill he quickly saw the kitchen light on and approached the back door.

"Severus!"  Petunia was shocked to see her sister's childhood playmate at her kitchen door.  She took in his dark clothes and sallow skin, his thin angular body so reminiscent of her own and realized she was looking at something of a kindred spirit.  Maybe this person was just as destroyed by the loss of Lily as she was, it was more than a little horrible to see, she drew back and her hand came up over her chest.

"Tuney," he sneered.  The sneer was to cover up that his thoughts had been running exactly parallel to hers. 

"Are you a healer?" she asked, not sneering quite as bad as he was.

"No."  Severus saw no need to expand beyond the monosyllable.

"He's upstairs, there's... someone with him already."  She waved vaguely towards the stairs and went back to her cup of tea.

Severus looked at her, rather closely and then moved towards the hall.  He registered the dingy door under the stairs but wasn't quite sure why he was looking at it so closely, and then he was heading up the stairs, also two at a time, his satchel thumping his leg as he went.

The hall was dark but a light was coming from the slightly open door at the end.  He noticed all the locks on the door, he noticed how small the room was and how shabby the furniture.  He noticed the chill coming in the open window and the owl sitting upon the sill with a few envelopes tied to her legs, and then he saw Bill Weasley holding a quivering shape on the bed and stopped noticing everything else.

At first Severus wasn't even sure it was Harry Potter, the hair was dark but it looked like it was dark with sweat, the skin was paler than he expected the shoulders narrower than he remembered.  Bill was rocking slowly and whispering comforting words to the person he held, their hands were intertwined and it looked almost as if Bill's fingers were being bruised before his eyes.  It was hard to see a face, the blanket still being used as a gag was covering most of it.  Severus crept closer and crouched down to see better, the blanket was very grubby and not the slightest bit sanitary, he longed to pluck it out but realized several teeth would probably come with it, assuming he could budge the rag.

The face also didn't really look like Potter, it was hard to tell under all the tears and snot and grimacing but after the last year Snape was actually familiar with what Potter looked like in such a state, and this wasn't it.  He drew back and thought for a moment, item one -where was Harry Potter, item two -who was this, item three -why was this person in such obvious pain?  Time to multitask he decided and began to wave his wand for a diagnosis charm while he whispered to Bill, "Mr. Weasley, who is this?"

Bill was startled by the question, he looked down at the person in his arms in surprise, "it's Harry Potter, isn't it?"  His voice rose at the end as he looked back at Snape, "granted," he continued, "he didn't look exactly like this when I got here, I can feel his body shifting.  It's like polyjuice wearing off very slowly."  "And painfully," he amended.

Snape was completely baffled by that response but Bill seemed quite certain of it, his spell told him that the person before him was in a lot of pain and stress but nothing more specific.  "Mr. Potter," he began in what he considered his authoritative tone, he wanted a response, "do you know what's going on?"

The miserable figure seemed to draw a deep shuddery breath and the gag was slowly eased a bit forward, a whispery voice was just barely audible.  "It f-feels like what Bill said.  And it is me, I am Harry."  He shoved the gag quickly back in and squeezed his eyes shut but he had opened them while he spoke and Severus knew those eyes, it really was Harry.

Bill seemed to hold Harry even closer and he managed to tease, "how would you know what polyjuice feels like Harry?  My little brother better not know too."

Harry seemed to like the teasing; he curled in tighter to Bill and relaxed a tiny bit.  Snape quickly decided that a muscle relaxant would help, and a pain numbing potion and possibly a calming draught.  Definitely a calming draught, in conjunction with the others it would knock the child out completely.  ‘Child?' he asked himself, the boy was supposed to be fifteen, or was it the 31st already? sixteen, he looked like he was shrinking.

He stuck his wand into the case and summoned the potions he wanted and uncapped the pain reliever first, "Mr. Potter," he said gently and then immediately regretted it when an obviously girlish face turned to him; he tried to suppress the shock and gestured with the vial, "for the pain." 

The hand with the gag was slowly lowered and the potion quickly snatched and thrown back.  As soon as it was gone Snape was reaching for it and passing over the next one.  By the time the third was gone the ‘child' was pretty close to unconscious and completely relaxed.  Bill gave a big sigh of relief and pried the much smaller hand off of his and tried to shake out the tingles left behind.  He lowered Harry's head and shoulders so they could get a better look at him, and to their amazement they could actually see the features slowly morphing, perhaps not as slowly as before owing to the muscle relaxing potion and Harry's unconsciousness.

They watched silently for a few moments, until the shifting seemed to end and Bill was left definitely holding a young girl; a very pretty young girl with pale skin and wide cheek bones and hair that seemed to be turning a dark red.  "What the hell Severus?"  Bill finally asked.

Snape dearly wished he had an answer.  "Lay her out on the bed so I can do a full scan."  It was a stall but the best he could do.  Bill complied and as expected the scan revealed a young woman, all parts present.  Her body was still under stress, slightly dehydrated, slightly malnourished, but aside from that healthy.  They were both at a complete loss and thinking furiously.

Bill was scanning her too, no doubt checking for curses, "it's as if," he suddenly mused aloud and startled Snape, "as if all of the James was drained from her..."

Snape leaned over and lit his wand to peer more closely at the girl's face, "it is," he agreed.  The phrase started his brain hurtling through a hundred different potions and they both lapsed into silence again.

Eventually they heard Petunia creeping back up the stairs and realized it was still the middle of the night and the leader of the Order of the Phoenix needed to be informed of what was going on.  Petunia poked her long neck through the door just then.

"Are you taking him away?" she asked, hope plain in her voice.

This caused new thoughts to crash against the already present confusion and both men looked at each other, looked at the shabby room, looked at the aunt who didn't ask how her nephew was faring.  "Yes, we are."  Bill answered definitively, not really giving a damn what Dumbledore would think of his response, not after he had held Harry in his arms all that time and his blood relative drank tea downstairs.  He stepped forward, to block Petunia's view of the sleeping girl, knowing they didn't want to give this woman any weapons to use against Harry.

Severus' eyes flicked between them but he did not oppose anything Bill said.  "I will sit with Harry while you go talk to Dumbledore," he instructed Bill.  Bill's shoulders shifted a fraction, he knew what Snape was saying, ‘you go and try to sell that, I'll conjure a nice squashy chair and stay here.'  Nonetheless, he couldn't leave Harry here so he nodded to Petunia and Snape, touched Harry's unconscious form once more and then left.

Petunia, gazed at Snape.  "It would be best," she paused, "if you kept the door closed."  - If you kept the door locked and your mouth shut and didn't let anyone know you are here was left unsaid.

He nodded, and surreptitiously stepped to block her view like Bill had, it didn't seem to matter.  She wasn't looking towards the bed, she wasn't even looking at Severus anymore, she was looking at the floor and drawing away.  She probably would have slid one of the many locks into place if they were quiet enough, but in the silence of the house it would have been very loud indeed.

Once the door was safely shut, Severus relaxed a bit and began to figure out what came next.  He decided to pack the boy's trunk in case Bill was successful, but really how could they leave Harry here?  He had been fragile enough after watching his godfather be killed, after being possessed by the Dark Lord, after leading his classmates into a trap that got a few of them seriously injured; they couldn't possibly leave him here after this too.  ‘Careful, Severus,' he chided himself, ‘you'll grow a heart.'

The packing hadn't taken long at all.  The boy didn't seem to have many things, although it was interesting to find the little hidey-hole under his bed.  Her bed.  Severus had straightened her out and folder her arms across her abdomen, she looked like Snow White waiting for a prince now.  No, she looked like her mother waiting for a prince.  Severus was deeply affected by how much Harry looked like Lily now, and that was with her eyes closed, he dreaded the effect when they were open.  It would be like a ghost come to haunt him.  He wondered what Petunia's reaction would be but knew that her muggle brain would be so boggled by Harry turning into a girl that she wouldn't see anything beyond freakishness.  He doubted she had ever seen anything about Harry beyond freakishness.  What a tragic mistake it had been to leave the boy here all those years ago.

Packing accomplished, owl flown off into the night, Harry still blessedly unconscious, Severus conjured that armchair and sat down to think.  He took a deep breath and thought about all of the James draining away and leaving Harry a girl that looked like Lily, that looked like Lily and her father he presumed.  It must have been a potion, a potion that wore off.  Severus realized it was in fact the 31st of July, so a potion that wore off after sixteen years.  A potion that was thrown off by a wizard growing in power.  A potion that made the infant look like his father.  A potion that changed the infant so much...

There were a few; he couldn't believe Lily would use them on her baby though.  How desperate could she have been to imbibe such a powerful potion?  He remembered, all too well, how dark and hopeless things had seemed in the year before Harry was born.  He remembered a rendezvous they shared in a muggle cafe outside of Spinner's End, she had seemed excited and then she saw his Dark Mark and a light snuffed out of her.  Those were especially dark and hopeless years for him. 

He was such an outsider but just burning with his own sense of potential and Lucius had all those showy Slytherin connections, Lucius had all the answers, Lucius had the big powerful friends who were going to help him.  Help him drive away the only good and decent and beautiful thing he had ever loved.

Loved.  They were lovers, the first time he wanted to shout it from the top of the astronomy tower (not that that was where it happened, it's merely a metaphor).  He wanted to rub it in James Potter's face, he wanted to rub it in Dumbledore's face, but he never did.  And she never did and nobody had ever known and in the end nothing had come of it.  Unless...

Unless the boy that he had been malicious to for the last five years, unless the boy that had been dropped on an unloving doorstep like a bottle of sour milk, unless the girl with all the James drained out of her... 

There was a charm.  Of course there was a charm, how could a society make it through the intrigues of the middle ages without developing such a charm, which told the paternity of a child.  Severus just had to pull out his wand and wave it over the sleeping girl, a few swishes and...

Lily was not a promiscuous girl, well, present company excluded, but if Harry wasn't James' son then she had to be Snape's daughter.  She couldn't be Black's daughter, or Lupin's.  No, not with those cheekbones.  Severus startled himself a little with that observation.  Cheekbones, really?  Who notices such things about unconscious sixteen year old girls who might be their own daughter?  ‘Hmm, this must be what panic feels like, or losing your mind, or talking to yourself,' Severus mused.

The Chosen One as his daughter, Harry Potter as his and Lily's love child.  The thought was laughable, and yet, if true he would certainly put an end to that chosen one business.  No daughter of his, no precious bit of Lily was going to go around challenging the Dark Lord.  Panic indeed.

And then he chanced to think of Harry's reaction to that, remember how you always thought that goody-goody rich pure-blooded Gryffindor James Potter was your father?  remember how you always thought you were a boy?  remember how you used to have a...  Perhaps it would be best to just obliviate the poor blighter and start over.

But that really truly wasn't an option, was it?  Although it was possibly the best way to protect Harry from his fate as the Chosen One.  It was an escape from this place too, from the ratty blanket that he had to use as a gag.  Why did Harry gag himself?  Why was it so important that he keep quiet?  ‘Do you really wonder Severus?' he asked himself, remembering stories from Hagrid about the whale that was Vernon Dursley and the slightly smaller whale that was Dudley Dursley.  Strange that they should be so whale sized and Harry so small, so dehydrated and malnourished, locked away in this tiny bedroom.  The door under the stairs popped into Severus' mind too and he remembered flashes of that door opening from Harry's occlumency lessons. 

He was across the room and down the hall before he had another thought.  He was opening that door and looking down on the tiny cot, the skimpy shelf with a neat row of cheap broken toys before he realized that the rushing sound in his ears was rage, was his blood boiling.  Then suddenly Bill Weasley was next to him again, looking down at the cot too.  He opened his mouth and a brief, "wha-" sound came out before he saw the little crayon drawing that said ‘Harry's Room' and the vocalization became a growl.  Together they shut the door and stepped back from it. 

Severus just stood there staring at the door and noticing the lock upon this door too when Bill came back from his foray into the dining room.  He had the best bottle of brandy he could find in the Dursley's bar in his hand and he shoved Severus towards the kitchen table.  They sat woodenly and drank a deep snifter each before either spoke again.

But first Bill Weasley pulled out a dark potions book and tossed it across the table to Snape.  "Paternus Potion," he announced.  She must have taken it before she realized she was carrying a girl, it completely rewrote Harry's DNA and forced him to be a boy, to be a better clone of who she wanted the father to be."

Severus nodded, "that's what I came up with too.  She could have killed Harry, she still might have -when he wakes up and realizes his whole identity is based on a lie, on two lies..."

"I remember you; I remember seeing the beautiful red haired lady at my uncles' funeral and her slipping out the back to meet with you.  I didn't know I remembered Lily Evans at all until I looked at Harry's face tonight."

"You didn't go to see Dumbledore did you?" asked Snape, flipping through the book and reviewing the potion that Lily had used so foolishly.

"No, I didn't," Bill confessed.  "I was going to and then I started thinking about how he might use this and it gave me a bad taste in my mouth.  Just like this house does, and the guard being set to watch Harry but not talk to him or let him know we're here does.  -This brandy is helping though."  He smiled and refilled both glasses.

"This does seem like an interesting turn and it's most Slytherin of you Mr. Weasley to double back like this and explore the options with me."  If he had been anyone else, if he had been more stricken by the events of the night, or possibly less stricken, he might have clinked glasses with him.  But he didn't, he swirled the amber liquid and allowed a small smirk to play across his face.  He suddenly remembered Albus telling him that the Sorting Hat had considered placing Harry in Slytherin too. 

"We must get Harry out of this house."  Bill announced, as though he were making a list of home improvements.  That would be an improvement for sure.

"Agreed," said Severus easily.

"We need to get him somewhere private so he can come to terms with this."

"Interesting that you would say private, you don't think the Burrow is the place to recover?"

Bill smiled, "Judging by how boggled I am that Harry turned into a girl before my eyes, I'm guessing that Ron will completely flip his wig and I don't know how helpful that will be.  I think Mum will be more than a little crushed and disappointed in Harry's mum too and that also will not be helpful."

"I suppose not, I am impressed by how calmly you can acknowledge your family's shortcomings," he gave a little salute with his glass, "well done Mr. Weasley."

Bill was so surprised that he almost expected Snape to add five points to Gryffindor and then he really might have blushed.  But instead he plowed on with his list.  "Are you as impressed with my conclusion that he should go home with you?"  He almost added, his father, but he noticed that Severus hadn't acknowledged that bit of obviousness yet and thought he'd leave it off for the moment.

"It does seem to make the most sense, as a potions master I can easily keep him in calming draughts until September first."

Bill actually chuckled at that.  "That just leaves the tiny detail of what to do about the boy Harry Potter.  Petunia wants him gone tonight obviously but Arabella or the next guard or Albus, or someone is bound to notice -aren't they?"  His voice trailed off as he realized maybe not, Harry was extremely isolated in the summer months.  It was really just the guards they had to worry about. 

"We need to keep it simple.  We could make up a disease for now, say he has dragon pox or something and I had to take him to Spinner's End for quarantine.  I can even be suitably angry about the horrific imposition."

"A disease is good for now, it explains the late night emergency, explains the removal... but it won't work in September."

"No, but that's a whole month away.  And it gives us time to ask Harry what he wants to do, if I was him I would kill the whole Chosen One character off and start fresh with a whole new identity."

"The scar is still there," Bill pointed out gently.

Severus had noticed that too.  "I can get rid of scars" he scoffed, "I can even fix his eyes if he's still nearsighted."

"I bet he won't be, I bet it was part of that potion."  Bill said.

"Probably," Snape agreed.

"Can you really get rid of the scar Severus?" Bill asked softly.

"Yes," Snape nodded, his mind already whirling with potions ingredients.

"Wizard pox it is then."  Bill drained his glass, "I'll go inform Albus and you can escort your... -Harry home.  Do you need a hand?"

"No, he only has his trunk, broom, and his owl, I'll shrink the trunk and the owl has already left."  Snape was so distracted he didn't even acknowledge Bill's slip.

"Best of luck then, make sure you have a double batch of that draught for when she wakes."  And with a grim smile he apparated away.  Severus looked at the small mess they had made of glasses and stolen brandy, then pushed himself away from the table leaving it all behind.  Let ‘Tuney explain that to Vernon, he smirked.  Maybe he'll think she had a bit of a fling with the wizards who came to pick up Harry.

Harry awoke in a strange bed.  Harry awoke in a strange body in a strange bed in a strange room in a strange house and when she pushed the curtain aside the sky looked absolutely green and for a moment she thought she might be on another planet, because magic right -who knew?  She jumped about ten feet when she heard her professor sneer, "don't worry, the sky is often green over the mills."

Harry had to grab the wall to steady herself, everything felt wobbly suddenly and her vision seemed to be tunneling -the ground was too close, her arms the wrong length, even her lungs weren't working the way she thought they should.  A vial was thrust in her face and she thunked her head on the wall recoiling.  Snape put his hand on Harry's shoulder to steady her, "it's a calming draught, drink it all."

Harry obeyed.  She felt better immediately: legs, arms, lungs, private parts were all still utterly wrong and foreign but it didn't seem as pressing a crisis.  She took a breath with the weird lungs and handed the vial back with the stranger's hand.  Maybe it was some polyjuice curse thing that the Death Eaters had slipped through the wards and she was with Snape because Snape had a cure.  Yeah, that seemed plausible her very calm brain supplied.

"Have a seat Mr. Potter,"  Snape realized as he said it that every part was wrong, the mister and the Potter, but he was going for calm here and remaining in character would help Harry for now, he hoped.  He guided Harry to the small arm chair wedged between the bed and the window and then conjured a straight back wooden chair for himself, another arm chair would not have fit and one of the headmaster's squashy monstrosities might have confused Harry even more.

They settled themselves and Snape flicked his wand at the bedside table, conjuring a glass of water.   "Drink that too please," the boy-girl-child looked very pale and he remembered the diagnoses of the night before.  Harry complied immediately but seemed to have trouble holding the glass with the unusual size of her hands.  She drank deeply and then set it down.

"Harry, your mother was very young when she became pregnant with you.  You have figured that out haven't you?"

"Yes sir," a soft girl voice answered him.  Snape was surprised at the wave of tenderness that rose up in him at just the sound of it.

"Bill Weasley and I have conjectured that James Potter was not your father Harry and Lily took a potion while she was pregnant that would make you look like James when you were born.  Either so James wouldn't know or perhaps so other people wouldn't know."  He paused until Harry nodded.

"The potion was very powerful though and it changed all of you to be more like James, it even changed your sex Harry."  Harry nodded during the pause again but it was a lot shakier this time.

"And now Harry, the potion has worn off, or perhaps your magic became powerful enough to throw it off.  But either way, now you are the way you were always meant to be Harry.  The way you were conceived to be."

Harry was quiet for a while; Snape let it settle for as long as Harry wished.  He wasn't enjoying this and wasn't particularly looking forward to the next bit.  He wanted to get it all over with though.  Finally the soft girl voice spoke again, "Do you know who my father was sir?"

"Yes, Harry.  Your mother and I were close friends from childhood, she and Petunia grew up just a few blocks away from here.  We stayed friends through most of Hogwarts, though it was difficult with the house rivalries and with my own idiocy..." he trailed off as they both thought about Snape's worst memory.  "But towards the end of seventh year and after graduation we grew close again and we would, meet, in secret..."

"Are you saying that you are my father sir?"  Harry interrupted, quickly before -gag- Snape could get into -heaven forbid- details.

"Yes, Harry, I used a charm on you to check, I can teach it to you and you can check for yourself, or..."  Snape trailed off and Harry looked up quickly in challenge.

"Are you going to suggest that I look in a mirror sir?  I might need another calming draught before I attempt that, sir." 

Snape stood abruptly and vanished his chair.  "Why don't you rest a little more and I will send up some breakfast for you."  And he made his way out of the room, leaving Harry sitting in the chair and staring out the window.  Looking as beautiful as any girl Snape had ever seen.

It was quite a bit later that same day; the lying to Albus had gone well, small amounts of the food he brought upstairs were disappearing and Harry hadn't required another calming draught, well it was a close thing after her first trip to the loo but she had managed.  There were tears of course but, who wouldn't have indulged in a few tears at that point?

Severus was, to his own surprise, relieved when he saw Bill's face in his grate and Bill asked if he could come through.  There was no need for niceties between men sharing such an enormous secret, "how's Harry?" Bill asked skipping all preamble. 

"One when she woke up and almost one after the first trip to the loo.  I don't think she's looked in a mirror yet and she certainly hasn't come down the stairs.  All in all, about as I expected."

"You must have done a good job explaining then."  Bill tried to offer his support, Snape shrugged lightly.  "She's probably awake if you'd like to visit, provide a friendly face."

Bill grinned, "That was my plan.  Kind of let her rage at me if she needs it."  Snape rose to trigger the hidden door and reveal the stairs to Bill.  Bill patted his shoulder as he went up them.

He knocked and was surprised by the softness of the voice that called out to come in.  He stuck his head around with as big a grin as he could manage, "hey Harry, I would ask how it's going but..." he paused, "I'm not sure I'd be able to comprehend the answer."  Bill was valiantly stamping down his shock and channeling the twins as best he could, the reward was a smile that made it very worth his effort.

Harry was really quite pretty, especially when she smiled.  "Hey Bill, I'm not sure I could answer you anyway."  Harry was sitting on the bed, and she gestured to the chair for Bill.  Bill sat down and noticed the tray of congealing dinner.  Actually, it didn't seem that congealed and he patted for Harry to scoot closer so they could share a bit.  He was pleased when Harry complied.

Bill spent a long time listening and nodding and trying to respond with brief supportive comments that he hoped matched the tone of Harry's feelings.  Harry was disappointed with her mother and wasn't sure if she was conceived before the wedding or after, Bill wasn't sure either but he promised to try and find out -as surreptitiously as possible of course.  Harry was confused about why her patronus was a stag if James wasn't her real father.  Bill was able to reassure Harry that it was because James had loved him like a father and died to protect him and his mother, of course his patronus was a stag. 

Harry was filled with rage at the years of loneliness and misery she endured at the Dursley's when she had a living father.  Bill didn't have a response to that; he had grown up surrounded with so much love that the memory of Harry's tiny cupboard with the cot in it still made him nauseous.  He didn't dare to tell Harry that both he and Snape had seen the cupboard so he just nodded along and rubbed Harry's arm a bit.  But not too much because it felt weird when Harry was such a remarkably pretty girl, sitting on a bed in a room with a man who was not a relative.

Bill almost started blushing when he realized how mixed up his feelings were getting.  But then he would look in Harry's eyes and it was simply talking to his little brother's mate again.  Her eyes were extraordinarily the same and Bill realized there might be another stumbling block to their new identity plan.  He also realized that Harry apparently hadn't thought about the future yet, otherwise she surely would have mentioned it in her rambling.

Harry seemed to be getting down again and Bill tried to figure out where she was now with her thought train.  "I was just thinking about Sirius.  He and Snape hated each other and he died trying to save Snape's daughter, I, I, I don't know if I'm glad he died before he found out or, or, or what."

Bill grabbed Harry's arm and dragged her across the bed to his lap again, he squeezed her as tight as he had the night before, "oh Harry," he said to her hair, "you can't think of yourself as so-and-so's sprog all the time, you are a person all by yourself and you are very worth knowing and rushing into danger for all by yourself.  When you saved Ginny from the basilisk was it just because she was Ron's sister or was it because she was a person worth something all on her own?"

"She didn't deserve to die down there all alone," Harry responded, horrified.

"Do you think so little of Sirius that he wouldn't rush in like a Gryffindor fool to save a bunch of students just because they were in danger and not because of their blood purity or parentage?"  Bill was pleased when he felt Harry shaking her head emphatically, one crisis sorted he sighed to himself.

"I, I still think I'm glad that he died before he found out I'm not James' son."  Harry sniffed.

"Well," said Bill was as much force as he could muster, "I'm glad to know you like this and not be dead."  Harry chuckled a tiny bit at Bill's deliberate obtuseness.  

They sat quietly for a while and then Harry whispered, "what will everyone say?"  The thin arms wrapped around Bill's neck and he held tight and rocked the poor miserable girl. 

When he woke later he found a blanket draped over the two of them and the congealed plate was gone.  He felt a flash of embarrassment at the state in which Harry's father must have found them but he got over it quickly.  Harry wasn't a girl girl yet in Bill's mind.

The next time Bill awoke Harry was slipping back into the room.  Her cheeks were slightly flushed and she seemed a bit dazed, "need another draught?" he asked with a smirk.

"I'm trying not to make it a habit of taking one every time I need to use the loo."  Harry replied tightly.  "It becomes counterproductive to the using of the loo actually," Harry continued wryly.

Bill burst into laughter at Harry's comment and suddenly felt as if Harry might survive this.  He smiled easily at Harry and stood up to stretch and crack from a night in an armchair, a night in an armchair with a person on his lap.  It was actually the first time he found himself standing next to the new Harry and he marveled at how petite she was.  Five two, five four perhaps, eight stone tops, with wide cheek bones and mussed up dark dark auburn hair.  ‘Don't forget the giant green eyes!' his mind supplied helpfully.

Of course Harry looked even tinier because she was swimming in the clothes she had on.  The track pants were slipping down her hips and just the tips of her toes were peeking out from where the legs puddled on the floor.  Even the neck on her t-shirt swam on her revealing collar bones and a long white neck.  His laughter kind of died away as he took in the picture before him.  The silence was starting to become noticeable so he roused himself a bit and drew his wand.  He gestured at Harry's pants and shirt and plastered on a charming smile, "Shrinking charm?" he offered.

Once they had Harry's clothes better fitted to her new frame Bill managed to convince Harry to venture downstairs for breakfast.  It felt normal for a little while until they both seemed to remember they were in Snape's house.  Although it was hard to forget with the dark dingy hallway and the creaky stairs.

The kitchen wasn't much cheerier but Severus did have coffee and toast waiting for them.  Severus was sitting at the table with the Daily Prophet when they stumbled in.  "Harry, Bill," he greeted them each with a nod.

Bill darted towards the coffee pot with a mumbled, "Sev'rus."  Harry gave a more polite, "sir," before she pulled out a chair not too near her professor father. 

Snape peered intently at the Harry creature before him, bone structure and delicacy aside Harry had been through quite an intense few days and in the hub bub she seemed to have let a few things slide.  "I think it's past time for you to take a shower Harry, would you like a calming draught before?"

Harry had been about to take a bite of the toast she had just drenched in marmalade and the question made her wrinkle her nose.  Shee put the toast down and pushed the plate away a bit.  "I suppose before sir."

Bill pushed the plate back in front of her, "there's plenty of time, eat first." he chided and sent Snape a glare over Harry's head.  Snape managed to look contrite for a moment or two, but dropped it as soon as Harry started to lift her head again.  She picked up one piece of the toast and took a minuscule bite from the corner.

Severus summoned a big glass of pumpkin juice and yet another vial to thunk down in front of Harry.  Harry peered suspiciously at the vial, not recognizing it.  "It's a nutrient potion," Snape supplied when Harry looked up at him.  At Harry's continued look, he shrugged, "drink it, you need it, and eat the toast too."  Then he returned to his paper.

Bill had flopped down in a chair too by then and was perking up more with every sip he took.  "So," his voice suddenly broke the quiet, "Harry needs to buy some clothes."

Harry's hands moved as if to push the plate away again, but at the glares she was receiving she hesitated and settled for just shrinking in on herself.  "It's okay," she said, "I can learn that shrinking charm and just resize what I have."

"Of course," Bill nodded, "to some extent you can but it doesn't work too well on shoes.  The arch always ends up in a funny place, you'll definitely need to buy those.  No one was suggesting that we get you girl clothes, well, obviously they would be -but they don't have to be pink and flowery or skirts or anything." He trailed off, a bit miserably.  Snape and Harry both stared at him and Bill would have been amused by the similarities of the glares if they weren't making him squirm so much.

"Harry does need clothes." He started again, "if we don't get him proper ones he will use it as an excuse to stay in his room and mope for the rest of the summer.  He needs clothes so he can go out and get fresh air and learn how to adapt." 

"Nobody cared before if I went out for air or moped in my room all day."  Harry objected stubbornly.

"Well, people care now," was Bill's simple response.  He met Severus' eyes for back up on the statement and got a nod in return.

"Finish your toast, your juice and all of the potion Harry.  Take a shower and then Bill will escort you to a muggle shopping center for a few necessities.  Is that acceptable Bill or do you need to return to work, I can escort him..."

"No, no, that's fine," said Bill, "I have the whole weekend free.  The joys of being a young bachelor," he was going to wink at Harry but stopped himself at Snape's glare.  Instead he drained his coffee and stood up, "Why don't I head home and get cleaned up too, meet you back here in two hours Harry?"

Harry had finally taken a reasonable bite of her toast so she nodded and waved to Bill.

Snape pretended to go back to his paper so the magic of Harry eating would continue.  Not that Harry looked emaciated, just tiny.  But then Snape thought about it, nobody would have called Harry tall before, he was always on the short side, which was odd because his parents were average to above average, but Harry had shrunk when the paternus potion wore off so -what did he look like before he shrunk, when he was five six and eight stone?

Behind the safety of his paper Snape allowed his lips to curl into a snarl he was careful not to voice.  His mind catalogued all the non-uniform clothes he had ever seen Harry wear, and of course it visited that cupboard again.  How dare she treat his daughter like that!  Not that he had done much better, of course he didn't know Harry was his daughter but still, he had treated the child horribly.  There was no denying that.

"Harry," he spoke up just as Harry was putting her neatly washed dishes in the drying rack and leaving the room.  "I know this is hard, I can't really imagine how hard it is.  But for now, just try to adjust and don't worry too much about the future.  You will have options and you can make the choice about what you want to do.  Right now everyone believes you are sick with dragon pox and you're free of those decisions for a few weeks still.  Take these weeks to just adjust and don't worry too much."

Harry had stopped when Snape addressed her of course, and Snape's words went right to her heart.  They were exactly the thoughts that were troubling her and Snape had reassured her, like a parent would.  It was nice, shocking to hear such niceness from Snape, but still nice.  Harry nodded and left to go take a shower.  She wasn't really looking forward to confronting this new body but it was going to have to happen at some point. 

Snape's bathroom was cramped so it was impossible to get a good view of oneself in the obligatory mirror over the sink.  Harry had sighed in relief when she realized it was a plain muggle mirror and wouldn't be telling her to comb her hair, but now she realized a magical one might have some flattering words to say and that could have been useful.  She really didn't know how to see herself, or judge herself.  Her face looked weird; she tried to pretend she was looking at a picture in a magazine -would she think this girl attractive?  Maybe, she wasn't sure.  Her hair was a strange color she thought, red but really dark red -almost black and not like the Weasleys at all. 

Even though she could see without glasses now pretending it wasn't her own face didn't work at all once she saw her eyes, they seemed to be exactly the same to her and she knew it was herself, duh.  The scar was still there too, although now she could probably grow her hair longer and flop it over the mark.  Eyes wouldn't automatically flick to her forehead now that she was a girl, she hoped. 

Harry realized she was dawdling and Bill would be back eventually so she took a deep breath and pulled off her t-shirt.  She took a step back from the mirror and looked at her chest.  She had hoped, a bit desperately, that being only sixteen and being skinny would keep things on the small side in the chest area, and for the most part it did.  But small boobs were still significant compared to no boobs at all.  She made sure that the door was locked and then gave a small experimental shimmy.  And as the blush rose up her face she realized that, good lord, she and Bill were going to have to purchase a bra today. 

Harry suddenly remembered that she had left the breakfast table without getting that calming draught from Snape.  Oh well, she decided.  I'm not putting the shirt back on and walking all the way down there again, I'll be okay.  This is okay.  She thought about touching them to see what that was like, she hadn't touched another person's yet.  She shook her head and decided that she'd wait until she was in the shower and it was foggy and not quite so pervy. 

Speaking of pervy, she pulled off her track pants.  There was no way at all to look at her legs in the tiny room, she stuck one to the side a bit and twisted her ankle, decided it was just a leg and she could bear it.  And then she was standing there in boxers.  The boxers were better than y-fronts but they did look dumb.  I guess we'll be in the unmentionable department anyway, Harry told herself with a deep breath.  And slowly lowered the boxers.  Words like smooth, curvy, missing!  threatened to overwhelm her so she turned abruptly to the shower.

The shower was hot and good and she switched mostly to automatic pilot, not over thinking what she was doing.  Her eyes were closed and as her soapy hand trailed over new parts none of it seemed too traumatic.  She enjoyed washing her hair, it seemed wavier and nicer to her now.  She enjoyed having knees that were less knobbly than before.  She marveled at how tiny her new toes were and then began worrying that Snape might have placed the calming draught in the shampoo or something crazy like that.  Then she thought about Snape shampooing his hair right here, naked and that would have grossed him out if he could picture Snape shampooing his hair.

Eventually she was done and pleased with herself for managing so well.  But then she had to get out of the dark steamy shower and towel off.  Then she had to go back to her room, where the sun would be streaming in, and get dressed.  Not many options though, it was already getting chilly.

When Bill finally came back it was at least three hours later but he seemed suitably abashed.  Harry was wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt that Snape had shrunk for her while she was in the bathroom.  Her feet were bare and her hair was clean and softly curling around her ears.  Snape wasn't around but Harry was curled up in the front room with a book.

"Hey mate," Bill said as he walked in, "sorry about the delay, my mum called and wanted to know how you were doing.  It took forever to escape."

"That's alright," Harry replied, "it was nice of her to ask about me."  She marked a page and put the book down on the table beside the chair.  Her toes curled in the carpet as she was suddenly shy in front of Bill of all people.

"Yeah, whatever," Bill dismissed, trying to drum up some adventuring spirit.  "So Harry, have you ever apparated while conscious before?"

"I don't think so, what's it like?"

"You hold on to my arm very tightly, I don't think that will be a problem for you, and then it's like you're being horribly squeezed to death and you can't breathe and you're going to die and then you're there and it's over.  Not much to it.  Unless I splinch you, but I won't do that."  And he smiled.

Harry didn't smile, she knew she hated travelling by floo -inhaling ashes and winding up in the wrong place, she knew she hated travelling by portkey -winding up in front of mass murderers and getting tied to headstones and all that, but this apparating did not sound the slightest bit better.  Bill was still smiling and it was starting to look less like winning and more like deranged.  Harry took a step back, "there's floo here isn't there?  We could go to the Leaky Cauldron and then pop right out to muggle London?"  she tried adding her own version of a winning smile.

Bill paused for a moment, "I was hoping to avoid all wizards but if we change or cover up your eyes, it should be okay..."

"The eyes are really that noticeable aren't they?  I was looking in the mirror and trying to pretend it was another person to you know, judge unbiasedly or something, and every time I saw my own eyes it all went to pieces." 

"Well, it's rather nice isn't it, to keep a bit of the old you?  And they are a really cool color and all.  Plus with your hair more red now it isn't so odd.  Maybe the shade is a little -it's the brightness, if you, if you wanted to pretend to be someone else you could be Lily's niece or younger sister or something, you know.  We can work with it."  Bill's voice was very soft because he knew that Severus didn't want Harry to worry about these things yet.

Harry appreciated learning that Bill was working on what sort of options she might have too.  Surely between Bill, Snape and herself they could come up with a good plan.  When they needed to, but Snape had told her that they didn't need to yet.  She had weeks to just adjust.  Weeks. 

"Okay," she said, "I might as well give this apparating a whirl, I'm sure I'll hate it since I hate all the others but it seems easier than bothering with a whole disguise and talking to Tom and worrying."

"That's the spirit, Harry" and he flicked her nose for good measure.  "Do you have anything we can transfigure into shoes for now and we'll hit a department store?  I wasn't thinking a grand expedition, just one or two of a few things so we know your size and then you can owl order more if you want." 

"Spoken like a true man Mr. Weasley."  Snape commented as he swept into the room.  He had a tiny pair of black trainers in his hand, "try these on Harry and see how close they are."

Harry dropped back in the chair and tried them on, the fit was plenty good enough for someone who was so used to wearing Dudley's hand me downs.  She stood up again and before she could reassure them that they were fine, Snape was waving his wand some more and they fit even better.  Harry looked down in surprise, "wow, these are really comfy!"

Snape just sneered, Harry thought it was at her but it was at the invisible Dursleys behind her back.  A deep red flush slowly travelled up his neck and across his cheeks, Bill and Harry watched in amazement.  "Also," Snape coughed a little, "make sure you purchase the proper... under things and perhaps some supplies for when Harry gets his menses."

Snape's head could have burst into flames at that point, because Bill and Harry were every bit as red and not looking at anyone anymore.  Harry was just about to demand a calming draught and a trip back to her room when Bill miraculously found his voice.  Or his squeak, "yeah Severus," he coughed too, "I thought of that."  He fought really hard not to check out Harry's chest now that he was wearing a more fitted t-shirt.

Harry had crossed her arms over her chest anyway, "I know," she bit out, "I sort of checked and I suppose I do need something for my,,, a bra."  She said the word like it was the most filthy thing ever.

"You know Harry, Tonks is in the order and I'm good friends with Fleur Delacouer, she owes you a life debt -or she feels that she owes you a life debt which is just as good and she could take you b-bra shopping."

"Mr. Weasley, are you seriously suggesting that it's worth calling in a life debt to not have to go bra shopping?"  Snape was back on form already.

"Maybe," Bill squeaked looking a little miserably at Harry, "It was actually the menses thing that really threw me."

"I've decided not to ask what that is until we get back and I have already drunk the calming draught," Harry supplied helpfully.

"Well, that's sorted then," Bill declared helpfully.  "I'm sure those ‘supplies' can be mail ordered to an anonymous post box three towns away with an assumed name."

"Super-sorted," declared Harry feebly.  "Shall we have a bit of a pinky swear about anything sparkly or sweet or in unmanly colours?"

"I'd rather suprise you." Bill smiled.  "Let's be off then before Severus recommends I take you for a diaphragm."

"What the hell is a...  or maybe I'll just jot that down for when I have that vial in my hand."  Harry didn't look anywhere near Snape and so missed the way he went from deep red to deathly white.

"That would be best, ready?"

"Yes," Harry nodded with determination and moved closer to Bill.  She tucked one arm up and around Bill's forearm and then wrapped her other hand around it the other way, it was a pretty solid death grip. 

"Good," Bill patted her hands.  "Severus," he nodded to Snape, "we're off to Harrod's, if we aren't back by dinner send a patronus and call in the reserves.  And maybe make a few extra batches of the calming potion this afternoon.  It couldn't hurt."  Harry laughed and Bill swelled a little to have such a charming creature hold his arm so tight and laugh like that at his jokes. 

Severus was going to say something and puncture whatever that emotion swelling Bill up was but then he decided they were less likely to splinch themselves if Bill was happy and confident so he let them go.

There were only two salesladies and Harry voted for the younger one, she seemed less likely to tear up over the poor mum-less dear and Harry couldn't abide the tearing up thing. The younger one was really pretty young and she handled the story well. She had Harry pull his shirt tight so she could get a look at the girls and know where to start. They started very low and didn't go much higher but Harry felt so much more comfortable with the bra on. The sales girl even cut the tags off and let her wear it out.

Harry made the wonderful discovery of 'boy shorts' which were girl knickers that looked just like boy knickers so she bought a whole armful of them. And when she wasn't looking Bill tossed a pack with unicorns and rainbows under the others where Harry wouldn't notice.

They ended up buying the same trainers that Harry had before but in her new size. Harry was rather distraught that they had to go to the children's department to get them in the right size but she was still pleased that they were exactly like her old ones.

For a moment she was concerned that all of her clothes might come from the children's department but eventually they followed a short woman over to the petite department and found pants that were Harry's length. Harry saw all the skirts and dresses and fancy clothes around and was suddenly very grateful that she wasn't with Tonks or Fleur who would dress her up like a doll. Bill was doing a good job of sticking with his just the basics plan. They had found one size of jean that fit Harry well enough so she bought two pairs of them. They found a rack of t-shirts and Harry bought three different colors in size small. Bill suspected that extra small might have been more flattering on Harry but he kept his mouth shut. No need to jump right into flattering, baby steps first.

But still, when Harry wandered off to try on a pair of cargo pants Bill scooped up some of the more flattering t-shirt styles (in small) and tucked them under the pile. Harry returned with a big smile and the dark green cargo pants were added to the pile. "I think they have them in black too, would you like a second pair?" Bill asked.

Harry was shyly fiddling with the price tag, and shrugged. Bill waved the credit card that he had been using for everything that day, "The exchange rate today is insanely great, and Snape is paying. He insisted rather firmly actually, I think he's trying to make amends and from what Ron has told me over the years he has a lot to make up."

"He does actually," Harry smiled, "but I have money myself don't I?"

"Sure you do," Bill shrugged, "but we haven't spent that much today anyway. Like I said, the exchange rate is fantastic."

"Whatever," Harry finally shrugged. "I guess I will get them in black, that's a nice depressing boy-like color isn't it?"

"Keep believing that Harry," Bill smiled at her, pleased that Harry hadn't noticed all the extras he was hiding in the pile.

Harry ended up wearing all new clothes home, and she was laughing and joking with Bill when they walked in. Snape had in fact brewed an extra batch of calming draught that afternoon and was just tidying up his potions lab when they returned. Everyone was hungry so Bill ordered them some take out from up the street and they sat around the table laughing while Bill and Harry shared stories from their adventure.

Harry was going on and on about her new knickers, Severus was seriously wondering if she was high on something because the girl seemed to be about to pull down her pants and show them, when an insistent pinging noise began.

Bill leapt up instantly, recognizing it as a ward but not knowing exactly what it meant. "Someone with the Dark Mark has apparated nearby and is approaching." Severus explained. They banished all the leftover food into the fridge, and Harry hopped around a bit wondering what she should do.

Bill grabbed Harry by the wrist and dragged her up the stairs "Severus, we will quietly put Harry's new clothes away,", Snape grunted at them, he was too busy sweeping around the house like a giant bat searching for any clues that would give them away.

In a few short moments he was satisfied and he hadn't heard the slightest sound from upstairs so he settled himself on the settee with a book. It was the book Harry had been reading earlier, Severus was so unused to sharing his home that he thought for a moment he was losing his mind when he didn't recognize a single thing on the marked page. Then he remembered that Harry had been reading it and he flipped to the title page, as soon as he saw the title he began formulating plans for how to ward his books from his daughter. This text was completely inappropriate for her. And she didn't need to know any of this, hadn't he told her he was putting an end to the whole chosen one thing?

Needless to say when Narcissa Malfoy finally knocked on his door he looked suitably in character. Narcissa looked awful, and the petulant Draco that she pulled out from behind her wasn't too great either.

"Narcissa, Draco, to what do I owe the pleasure? Shall I fetch us some tea?" His thin lips were moving with the correct words but the real meaning was quite clear '-what are you doing here? Leave immediately!' This was the very reason why Severus often tried to stay at Hogwarts over the summer.

"Severus, I'm so sorry. But I have come to beg you, please take Draco. Take him back to Hogwarts with you; come up with some story about an apprenticeship, anything -anything! The Dark Lord is very disappointed with Lucius, he's seeking to punish us all and my sister, Bella is insane. She would hand Draco over right now to be branded, it's outrageous." Narcissa said all this in one beseeching breath and Snape moved to fetch a brandy instead of the faux proffered tea.

"Narcissa dear," he said, guiding her hands around the glass, "please remember to breathe." However she chose not to breathe just then and instead began draining the glass. Snape tore himself away from the sight and looked at Draco again.

Draco looked wrecked, his father -his protector and the source of so much of his power and self esteem was in Azkaban. The boy looked as though he had actually met the fabled Dark Lord and seen him for the deformed lunatic he was these days. And Draco looked as though he was seconds away from summoning a house elf to fumigate and sterilize all of Spinner's End. Fastidious little fop, Snape thought uncharitably.

And yet Snape knew that he would be taking in Draco and using the terrible apprentice cover story. Albus believed very strongly that Draco could be saved and should be saved. Maybe Draco could create enough angst among the Order that they wouldn't notice Harry gone missing and replaced with a young Miss Snape. Maybe.

After Narcissa drained another glass and they talked some more and set up a way for the Malfoy house elves to bring food and perhaps do a bit of cleaning, maybe. (Snape's nostrils sealed themselves up in vexation at that suggestion.) It was decided that Draco would stay and in two weeks time they would move to Hogwarts. Albus Dumbledore's name never came up but Snape let them understand it would not be an issue with him.

There was a suitably awkward good bye and then Narcissa had tripped away into the night. Draco was shrinking down into his poor little mama's boy persona and Snape had just placed his foot on a stair when he realized Harry was in the guest room. Snape stopped abruptly to think about this tiny oversight and Draco plowed into his back. Snape whipped around and barked at Draco to go wait in the kitchen, that he would fetch him in a moment. As soon as the door closed behind the confused and peeved Malfoy Snape continued briskly up the stairs (not running) and pushed open Harry's door.

The silencing charm had been really good, Bill and Harry were joking and shoving over a pile of clothes on the bed. They looked like girl clothes and one look at Harry's outrage filled in all the blanks for Snape.

"Bill," he said, "a moment in my room?"

Bill shrugged and followed Snape out. "Do you need me to stay with Harry while you make a report to the Headmaster?" Bill asked once they were in Snape's room and behind another silencing charm.

"No, well maybe, but not yet. Narcissa Malfoy came tonight and asked me to take Draco for the rest of the summer so the Dark Lord can't mark him."

"What did you say?" Bill asked, already concerned and his fine mind leaping ahead to various outcomes.

"The Headmaster is quite convinced that Draco can be turned to the light, or at least a paler shade of gray. I told her Draco could stay and we would tell some lie about an apprenticeship."

Bill understood but was instantly outraged on Harry's behalf, "what about Harry? He's your daughter and you've spent two whole days with him -one where he cried in his room and one where I took him out for the day. What's he going to think about this? And we haven't decided on the cover yet, we can't just come up with something right now in your bedroom. What will you tell Malfoy when he meets little Miss Snape with her Harry Potter scar and eyes?"

Severus looked truly pained, most of that he had in fact thought of, but not how it might/would hurt Harry. Of course it would hurt Harry, his relatives spent fifteen years tossing him aside for the big blonde whale and here he was after two days tossing Harry aside for a little blonde ponce. Dammit. But still there was nothing to be done about it.

"I propose, Mr. Weasley, that we tell Draco the truth and enlist his assistance. He is a very canny Slytherin and can bring skills to the table which we don't have."

"What skills, haircare?" Bill sneered. Severus almost slapped himself, how could he forget the animosity between Weasleys and Malfoys?

"Well, what are your suggestions then? Do you want to install him on some couch in your bachelor pad? What will your mother think of that, you and a sixteen year old girl shacking up?"

"Fine," Bill exploded. "Tell him, reveal all of Harry's vulnerabilities to a Malfoy and shove Harry aside for the Malfoy prince. You've done such a great job of treating Harry like a human being so far I'm sure this won't set you back at all."

"Draco has not had an easy time either." Snape contributed softly, "it's, I'm not a suitable choice for a father. I've never done it before; I never expected to be one. It could be easier if they have each other. They can bond over my ineptitude and Draco will tease Harry into going out and doing things. You've seen how well Harry responds to gentle friendly goading, Draco isn't one to mope; nor is he one to do things alone. He will drag Harry forth one way or another.

It's by no means ideal, obviously. But it could work, and you of course, you will have to keep coming round and meeting with Harry alone as much as you can manage. You are his connection to all things Weasley and all things past."

Bill was leaning quietly against the door. His very DNA hated all things Malfoy but Snape was raising good points. He knew that the teasing and goading and getting out were what Harry needed, he knew he needed to get back to work and back to his family to quiet their suspicions and he knew that Severus was constitutionally disinclined to get Harry out and about. Jaunts to the mall or the beach were not in Harry's future if it was all left up to Snape. Damn, Harry in a bathing suit was not an image Bill had meant to conjure. He thunked his head against the door to try and dislodge it. "Okay," he agreed. "I'll bring Harry down; I'll try to brace him a little first."

Snape inclined his head in gratitude and left, presumably to go brace Draco.

Bill made his way back to Harry's room. Harry was looking out the window; he glanced over to see that Bill had returned. "We're telling someone else aren't we?" She asked, probably not even aware of the way she was curling in on herself, crossing her arms over her chest. Harry glanced at Bill's stricken face again and saw how very upset Bill was. Harry continued, "and judging by your face it's a bad someone, the worst possible someone, so I'm going with Draco." She smiled a little, "it's a bit of survival strategy I picked up, brace for the very worst you know." She was trying to kid but by Bill's reaction, or lack, she knew she had hit it dead on.

"Draco's mum says You-Know-Who is on a rampage against all things Malfoy after the Ministry thing and she doesn't want him to be marked or killed..."

"Sounds like a mum-sort of thing; I can't fault her for that."

Bill took a deep breath and continued "Snape says that Dumbledore has been talking about turning him from the dark. It would be a great thing, imagine how many Slytherins might follow him, if not into the light then at least into neutrality. How many other mothers might follow Narcissa and shield their children from the mark."

"Professor Snape's Summer Potions Camp?" Harry asked wryly.

"Exactly," smiled Bill. "And you know Malfoy will at least provide some diversion while Snape is hiding in his lab. Something to get your blood pumping besides languishing in this room, right?"

"Oh Bill, I thought you had appointed yourself as my blood pumper?" It was the first time Harry had tried a coquette voice and she was wildly successful if Bill's bright red face and stammering was anything to go by. Harry found that her teasing had grossed herself out. Oops.

Bill recovered swiftly though and started to drag Harry down the stairs.

Draco had long suspected that Snape was a double agent but the tricky thing with double agents was knowing which side they really were on. He had almost fainted at the risk his mother took coming here and asking what she did. But her instincts were good and it looked like Draco might make it through the summer with his skin intact. That relief had lasted about five seconds until they reached those frankly dangerous looking manky stairs and all the blood had left Snape's face when he apparently remembered there was a hippogriff in the bedroom. As if!

Draco tried to convince himself that Snape was merely changing the sheets and freshening up the room for him. He was snorting softly to himself when Snape returned and assumed the boy was going into shock or something. Luckily he had massive quantities of calming draught on hand.

Draco recognized the potion immediately of course and tipped it back without further thought. Handy it was that Snape seemed to have just the thing.

"Draco," Snape had seated himself at the kitchen table and was speaking very slowly, considering words carefully, "have you ever heard of the paternus potion?" Draco shook his head no, a look of consternation on his face -wasn't the potions tutoring thing a cover story? Was he actually going to have to do potions in the summer?

Luckily Snape was looking at the table and not Draco, "It's a potion which appeals to only the most desperate of witches. It changes a fetus to more closely resemble a chosen wizard. So a witch who has... become pregnant with a half-blood's child could use this potion to make the child look exactly like her pure-blood husband. For instance."

Draco looked as if he was going to demand a spell to show that he wasn't actually Snape's child. Severus needed to keep talking even though he was floundering and getting pissed off again. "But," it came out louder than he meant, oops, "the potion is hideously hard to make and dangerous for the fetus. If the fetus is female for instance the potion can change the sex to male and if or when the potion wears off the poor child suddenly learns that not only was their parentage a lie, not only did their mother almost kill them, but their whole sexual identity has been a lie as well. Most die or go insane. It's a very foolish potion, I still can't believe..."

"Can't believe what, who Severus? Who took it?" Draco demanded, completely entranced with the story.

"My mum did."

Draco quite literally fell out of his chair when he whipped around to see who had spoken. And when he did see his knees were too watery to stand. It was a petite girl, thin but just the right curvy with dark dark red hair that was cut too short but still managed to curl a bit around her ears and neck, she was totally beautiful and Draco was instantly smitten. Right up until she met his eyes.

Draco woke up on the couch in the sitting room with Bill Weasley towering over him. Well, he didn't know it was Bill yet. "Who? wha?" Coherency was taking a bit longer than consciousness apparently.

Bill tried to loom a little more, he hadn't approved of the way Draco's eyes had travelled over Harry right up until he passed out. And he didn't approve of the passing out either because it had upset Harry quite a bit. But he and Severus were working hard trying to get her to laugh at Draco's feebleness now, and Draco was actually helping a bit with the gibbering.

"Bill, stop looming. He might faint again or something." Harry tittered a little, and then squeaked because she wasn't used to tittering (good lord) and then she tried to cough as manly as she could because squeaking?

Draco struggled upright so Bill would move away and also so he could see Harry better. "Harry?"

Harry blushed and looked down, kicking a toe on the floor. She glanced up quickly and then looked away again just as quickly, shrugging a little. Something about the way the light caught her cheekbones made Draco look at Snape's clenched jaw. "Severus? Is Harry Potter your daughter?"

"Calm yourself Draco, it's entirely too soon for you to have another calming draught, you're just going to have to muddle through this on your own." warned Snape.

"I haven't had a calming draught all day Professor, unless you put one in my pumpkin juice." Harry watched her father professor's cheeks turn the slightest bit pink.

"You did! You put one in the juice! I thought the shower..." and Harry suddenly trailed off, Draco and Bill were staring at her intently now and Severus was turning pinker and pinker. "Never mind," she finished feebly.

"Draco, as one of the more Slytherin of the Slytherins I am sure you can see the weapons we have given you today. Harry's magic overpowered the paternus potion the day before yesterday and so far only Bill and myself, in addition to you now, know what has happened.

We told Harry's family and friends that he has dragon pox and is in quarantine at my house. Harry has the two week quarantine period to adjust to her new situation and decide what to do next.

As you will recall from the conversation with your mother, you are also quarantined as it were, here, for the next two weeks. We ask on your honor as a gentleman and as a human being to help us and to help Harry figure this all out. If you feel that you can't do that, if you will be hurting Harry in any way at all, if you step on her littlest toe, you will be obliviated back to your infancy and fed to the hippogriffs."

Snape looked over at Bill, "Mr. Weasley, you will lie, cheat and steal to assist me in carrying out that oath to my dying breath, will you not?"

"Absolutely." said Bill without the slightest pause or hint of a smile, unless terrifying unholy glee counted as a smile.

Harry's mouth was a perfect round circle as she gaped at her father and Bill. Draco was taking them completely seriously too, he swallowed a bit and then he nodded his head. "Understood."

"Excellent." Snape did actually seem pleased. "Now, as you have probably noticed Spinner's End is not a large abode and Harry is already ensconced in the guest room. Therefore Draco, I will transfigure my bed into two twin beds and you will be bunking with me. Let me show you to your room," and he dragged Draco up the stairs.

When they were gone Bill pulled Harry down on the couch next to him. "That was amazing," Harry finally said. "I've never heard such a threat before, and for Snape to make it for me. Just, wow."

Bill knocked shoulders with him, "well he is your dad. And Draco is a huge risk." Bill decided not to mention anything about how Draco had clearly been checking out Harry's body. Although, he thought, if he did warn Harry a bit maybe Harry would lock his door tonight -oh but wait, Draco was bunking with Snape. Ha!

"What's so funny?" asked Harry.

"Draco bunking with Snape."

"That is funny," agreed Harry. "Better him than me. Who knew -my first benefit to being a girl?"

"I'm sure you'll find more."

"Like handsome men threatening to feed other boys to hippogriffs?"

"Perhaps," Bill smiled. Bill's smile sent a flicker of warmth through Harry. She felt cared for, the big threatening show for Draco had affected Harry just as deeply. Harry was cared for. She rubbed the knee on her brand new jeans and smiled to herself.

All too soon Bill had to head home and get ready for work the next day. Harry bid him goodnight and Bill chided him gently about falling asleep alone and in a bed for a change. Harry blushed prettily and Bill had to wrench himself out the door, it was getting harder and harder to hold on to memories of Harry as a boy, especially when he seemed to do girl so easily.

Harry returned to his room and was confronted with the pile of clothes on the bed they had been bickering over; it seemed like a hundred years ago. Harry realized he had probably overreacted to Bill sneaking the clothes in with his purchases; it was just a bit much to go from no new clothes ever to buying joke clothes. And there was also the strange feeling that Bill hadn't really meant them as a joke, Bill had chosen things that were nice and would be flattering. Harry just didn't think she could bear flattering yet.

Hiding everything seemed like a good idea to her now. Maybe she could pretend to be a completely new Muslim student and wear a burka? Harry smiled to himself because that seemed like a brilliant idea, totally brilliant. A tiny corner of her brain shook its head sadly and muttered something about not quite making it to bed without a calming draught.

Harry wanted to shove the pile on the floor and crawl under the covers but there was a wardrobe in the corner so she decided to put things away instead. These were all new clothes that fit after all. The jeans and pants were folded and shoved on a shelf. The t-shirts took a bit longer to sort through and fold but Harry had been doing the Dursley's laundry for years so in a short while there was an incredibly neat stack of shirts. And the ones that Bill had chosen weren't as bad as Harry thought. She had even tried one on, just to see and it had made her feel kind of good. Kind of empowered actually, like yeah he was a girl, want to make something of it bub?

The underwear and bras she just shoved in a drawer. Aunt Petunia usually sorted her underthings separately and washed them herself, one of the few things Harry was really grateful to her for doing. A part of Harry dearly wished that her first experience with a bra could have been with another girl wearing one and him being a boy undoing it, rather than being horribly embarrassed with the saleslady today. "If wishes were horses Harry..." she reminded herself.

Bed cleared off Harry kicked off new sneakers, peeled off tiny socks (which were clean and white and had no holes at all), shucked her jeans and very happily unhooked the new bra. The bra had felt so good when she first put it on but now it felt like it was chafing in all sorts of unpleasant spots. She thought of pulling out one of her old tees to sleep in but decided to just stick with what she was wearing. It was less likely to get horribly twisted and strangle her.

The air felt cool on her chest once the bra was gone, Harry merely sighed as if this was just another bitch slap from Voldemort and crawled under the sheets. She seemed to drop off quickly but it didn't last long.

A scream ripped the night wide open. Snape leapt from his bed and smashed his knees on the strange bed that was now next to his own. Draco had also jumped at the scream, and then he had cowered from the horrific thump of Snape plowing into his bed, if Snape's wand had been in his hand Draco was convinced that he and the bed would have been blasted to smithereens. Their hazy (and pain-filled for Severus) standoff was interrupted by another scream and Snape staggered out of the room and across to Harry.

Harry was thrashing and moaning, her hair was wet with sweat and the famous scar was a vivid red on her pale face. Snape hurried to her side and sat down on the edge of the bed while trying to grab her arms and quiet the poor girl. At first Snape had thought it was a nightmare but seeing her scar so inflamed told him it was much worse. She was still thrashing and moaning, her eyes squeezed tight, Snape leaned forward so that his forearms were pinning her a bit more and gently pried her eyes open with his fingertips. "Legilimens," he whispered.

Snape had been in Harry's mind many times before but this was like a tornado of pain and confusion. He could see through the Dark Lord's eyes, he was torturing someone, some anonymous muggle Snape quickly decided, it was of no consequence to Snape anyway, not when his daughter was in such pain. Severus quickly tried to soothe the mind he was in and erect an occlumency barrier. An impossible task to do in someone else's mind while they were under attack and hysterical in pain and fear but Severus knew a few things about Harry Potter and decided not to just dismiss the impossible.

It felt like hours later and the shield was just barely better than nothing at all but it had done the trick, or the Dark Lord had finally killed the muggles and moved on to other things. It didn't really matter to Snape as he blinked and came back to himself. His arms were still resting beside Harry but she had fallen asleep, thankfully. Asleep or unconscious, Snape looked carefully at her tear stained face, checking to see if he or she had hurt or bruised her in any way. His brain felt really muddled and he wondered if he should have just cast a quick stupefy when he first came in, it might have been just as effective.

Draco's voice was very quiet but he still jumped a little. "That was very decent of you Severus, my father would have just stupefied me." Snape nodded to himself a little and was pleased that he hadn't thought of the stupefy first. Draco stuck out a cup of tea and offered a headache potion. Snape settled back a bit more and accepted both of them. He couldn't quite leave Harry's side yet.

While he busied himself with deep calming breaths and willing the potion to work faster Draco scooted to Harry's side. His wand danced a bit on the sides of her face where Snape's fingers had left tiny smudges that were starting to bruise. Draco next noticed her sweaty hair and cast a quick cleaning and drying charm leaving it fresh and curling around her ears. He repeated the charm tapping her collar bone and then did the sheets too. Harry opened her eyes a tiny slit and gave Draco a quick smile, her hand reached out for his too and she murmured "thanks" before slipping back into the sleep of the utterly worn out.

Draco's face softened into a look of utter besottment and he looked at his hand as if he was proud of it. Snape had gathered himself enough to snarl a bit and he reached out to unhook their fingers, sneering at Draco. It was a wasted sneer though, Draco was still admiring Harry's face.

"Mr. Malfoy, that is your arch rival in case you've forgotten." he hissed.

Draco didn't look up at all, "I've switched sides, remember Sev?"

"That's my daughter Mr. Malfoy and I shall thank you to not Sev me in front of her." And with that he grabbed Draco by the ear and they returned to Snape's bedroom. Snape was lurching quite a bit as his leg suddenly reminded him of the bedstead horror and he pinched harder than ever on Draco's ear but Draco never flinched or stopped smiling.

The next morning Harry cracked an eye open to see a breakfast tray with a sodding rose on it and a beaming Malfoy standing behind it.  "Good morning Harry," Malfoy chirped.

"Die Malfoy scum," Harry returned with feeling, covering her head with the blanket once more as the sunlight made her head pound. 

"I brought you a headache potion," Draco purred, well, he thought he was purring.  Really he was a sixteen year old boy and it all sounded like different kinds of sneering to Harry.  Nonetheless Harry's hand shot out from under the blanket and made grabby motions.

"Come on, sit up properly or you'll spill it.  And wouldn't that be a tragedy?"

Harry struggled out from under the blankets and tried to arrange herself so that Malfoy would hand over the blessed potion.  Unfortunately she had completely forgotten that she was a girl, in all truth it usually took her until after the first trip to the loo to remember.  And that wasn't really the best way to realize it.

And so, due to Harry's grogginess Malfoy got a wonderful view of a toned white thigh, the edge of Harry's underwear (which wasn't too racy thankfully) and just Harry's general rumpled morning sexiness.  All of which Harry was completely oblivious about, even after she had smacked her lips on the pumpkin juice which she had chugged right after the headache potion.

Still not noticing Malfoy's leering Harry started in on breakfast and asked as casually as she could, "how did you know my head would hurt so much?" 

"Do you remember having a bad dream last night?"  Malfoy asked.

Harry nodded, "it wasn't a dream though, it was a vision from Voldemort."

Draco cringed the tiniest bit at Harry's use of that name but carried on, "yes, well.  Severus recognized it as that too and did legilimency on you to help strengthen your occlumency shields and get him out."

Harry's mouth had fallen open, bits of chewed up toast and all.  Draco struggled hugely to not find it adorable, arch enemy, rival, Gryffindor, oaf, he reminded himself mercilessly but then Harry realized and shut his mouth and his little pink tongue came out to lick his lips and Draco's brain started gibbering about cute and pink and rumpley goodness.

He pretended to be alert though when Harry cried out, "that was crazy!  Voldie could have sensed his presence and known he was helping me.  He should have just put me under a silencio or stupefied me, the visions don't usually last that long or cause a lot of damage."

Draco was rather shocked to find the object of his adoration and his father in such agreement on the subject of nightmares.  He reached out for Harry's arm and made sure he had eye contact, "that's completely absurd Harry.  Neither Snape nor myself would ever do that to you."

Harry blushed a little and looked down, "it's what my family would do."

"Don't you live with muggles?  How could they cast a stupefy?"

Harry turned redder but had no other response for that, oops.  Draco was looking at her all squinty-eyed now.  Harry tried to ignore it and go back to breakfast, she was really hungry and suspected that it was long past breakfast time.

Draco settled back a little.  He didn't want to upset Harry, she might come to her senses and kick him out of the room.  Snape was hiding in his potions lab and Draco was bored, he needed to keep his only entertainment in a happy mood.  And also keep her oblivious to how much of her thigh he could see right now.  He leaned back and pretended to look out the window and daydream.

Harry relaxed more too and kept gobbling up her breakfast, it was really good and quite fancy for Snape's house.  "Draco, did you make this?"  she finally asked when she couldn't figure anything else out to explain the wonderful breakfast's origins.

Draco snorted a bit, "no, the Malfoy house elves sent it over.  Mother wouldn't dream of imposing on Severus if he didn't agree to let the elves cook, and hopefully clean too.  This house is dreary isn't it?"

Harry smiled, "it really is," she agreed.  "The first time I woke up here I saw the green sky and thought I might be on another planet."  Harry waved vaguely in the direction of the mill chimneys and Draco peered around the windowsill to see for himself. 

"That's disgusting!  We could get ill from breathing that.  Why don't they scourgify it?"

Harry kicked him a little, "‘cuz they're muggles?"

The tips of Draco's ears turned pink and he chuckled a little.  "Oh yeah, I guess that would explain it."

Harry noticed the pink and felt a strange fluttering in her stomach.  Suddenly she remembered she was a girl, and her naked leg was sticking out, and her t-shirt was seven times tighter than a Dudley shirt, and her hair was probably poking straight up.  Oh well.  She didn't even pull her leg back, she just took a deep breath and kept eating, trying to remember how powerful she had felt when she looked good.  And then something about Draco's words made her remember more about the vision from the night before, she remembered Snape's presence, soothing and gentle for the first time ever.  And she remembered how exhausted she was when he finally left her mind.  Someone had healed her face where Snape had held it too tight, and someone had cast scourgify over her and her sheets so that they were fresh and dry and she had slept one hundred times happier after that.  Even now she could feel that magical rush as all the sweaty smelliness had disappeared.  "Hey,"

Draco whipped around and looked at her, "I just remembered the healing and all the scourgifies last night, thank you."

"You're welcome, you can always rely on me to know when a scourgify is called for."

Harry laughed, sudden and bright, at his statement and Draco blushed again.  "I'll keep that in mind."  And then her forehead wrinkled (adorably) "but you did magic in the summer, won't you get in trouble?"

Draco looked at her as if she was mad.  "Of course not, Snape's house is thoroughly warded they'll have no idea."

"Wicked, so I can do magic too?"

"Sure."

"Good, I can use the distraction."

"Hmm," said Draco, "it was my understanding you have rather a lot to do in the next two weeks."  At Harry's blank look he continued, "we get to invent your new persona -back story, mysterious past, tragic losses.  I love that sort of thing, Pansy used to make me read these horrible novels with her, she called it book club or something but I really feel like it's all going to come in handy now."

Harry's face wanted to smile and laugh at Draco's antics but her gut twisted uncomfortably.  "I haven't decided about lying yet.  I could just tell people it was a horrible potions accident -all Snape's fault and that would be the truth- and that I'm stuck like a girl.  See, nice, simple, plausible because it has that big nugget of truth to it.  Eh?  What do you think?"

Draco looked frankly disappointed.  "But what if they still think you're their Chosen One?  What if it makes you more famous than ever?"

"Draco, not to shock you too much or anything, but I am still me.  I am still the Chosen One, the big red scar in the middle of my face will give that away in two seconds no matter how much back story you invent."

Draco scowled at him, "Severus can hide that scar."

"Can he hide my eyes and my wand too?"

"Yes." Draco responded quickly and emphatically.  "He knows this thing called magic he can do all sorts of things."

It was Harry's turn to scowl back.  "I'm not an idiot Draco.  I just didn't think they could hide a curse scar or transfigure a wand."

Draco smiled indulgently even though now he wasn't as sure either.  But for some reason he wanted Harry to lie to everyone about who he really was and he wanted to be one of the few who knew the truth.  He even had a dream of Harry in Slytherin, under Draco's protection.  It was quite a good dream.  -The smile was starting to piss Harry off.

Harry finished her breakfast with a few last grumbles and then pushed the tray to the side.  She stood up and stretched, t-shirt riding up, boy shorts riding down, chest pushing against the thin cloth.  All of Draco's blood rushed to his lap leaving him quite light headed.  Harry turned her (very fine) back on Draco and leaned over at the waist to pick up the jeans she had only worn for half a day around the house yesterday.  Then she stumbled to the wardrobe and pulled out fresh underthings (tucking them inside the balled up jeans as discretely as possible) and one of the shirts Bill had chosen.  She glanced over her shoulder at Draco as she headed for the door, enjoyed his gobsmacked and painfully turned on expression, and wriggled out the door and to the shower.

When Harry returned a short while later her bed was made and the clothes that had been on the floor were gone.  The breakfast tray was gone too, and of course Draco was missing.  Harry strolled down the stairs to see what the day would bring.  The stairwell seemed brighter and Harry felt less hesitant about wandering around barefoot.

Draco was in the library with a bunch of textbooks and some grubby looking parchment that had some half-hearted chicken scratching on it.  With a start Harry recognized it as her homework.  She had tried to do some of it at night at the Dursleys and during odd moments when she was home alone but she hadn't gotten very far and she knew that what she had done wasn't very good either.

"Potter, this homework is awful."

"I know," she sighed miserably.  "It was hard to find the time and concentrate and stuff..."  Harry's head was down forlornly and she watched her toe trace a flower in the carpeting.  When Draco didn't continue with his criticism she glanced up and saw his face completely mesmerized by her foot.  For a moment she was exasperated, Draco was ridiculous, but then some Slytherin instinct kicked in and she decided that she could use this.  She could use this well, obviously.

"Draco, maybe you can help me with it, if you don't have anything better to do."

"Of course I don't have anything better to do Harry.  I'm trapped at Snape's house for the next two weeks just like you are.  Come pull up a chair," he actually looked like he was about to offer his lap, and hey, if it meant exceeding expectations for potions what was it to Harry?

Harry sat down next to Draco and picked up a quill.  She immediately dropped it again and jumped back.  "What the hell?"  Draco spluttered as he made a grab for the ink pot that had almost tipped.

Harry was staring at her hands and looked like she was going to hyperventilate.  She made a slow fist with each hand and turned them, then she picked up the quill with her left hand and made experimental writing motions in the air.  "Draco, I think I'm left handed now!"  Harry squeaked, then she coughed to cover up the squeaking and tried to write something lefty.  Her hand smeared all the ink and made a huge mess.

"Harry, what do you mean you're left handed now?"

"If the stupid potion made me into a boy why wouldn't it have screwed around with which hand is dominant too?  Is Snape a lefty?  Was my mum a lefty?  Sometimes it runs in families."

"Professor Snape is not a lefty, I have no idea about Lily Evans.  That's bizarre, can you write at all with either hand now?  What about your wand?  You might have to learn all the motions again!"

"Shit, really?"  Harry pulled her wand out of the skinny pocket on the side of her jeans (90% of the reason she had bought them) and gave a swish and flick at the quill, she did it left handed and the quill shot across the room.  Her wand also gave a huge splutter and smoke started pouring out of it.

Draco and Harry's eyes were as big as saucers and they both yelled "Professor Snape!" at the same time.

Severus of course was at the single most crucial step in his potion and he was massively inconvenienced when he had to cast a stasis spell on it and make his way out of the lab. He had clearly recognized both voices so he wasn't as worried as he might have been otherwise.  Although that changed slightly when he reached the library and saw all the smoke.

"What happened?" he barked angrily and cast a charm to clean the air.  Actually it was a charm he intended to show both of them soon so they could use it whenever the air around town got especially pungent.

"Professor, I came down and Draco was going to help me with my homework.  I picked up a quill and it felt all wrong in my hand so I tried it in my left hand and that felt better so I realized I must be left handed now and then Draco told me to try my wand and I did a wingardium leviosa on the quill holding my wand in my left hand and it went whizzing up to the ceiling even though I didn't try to do it that hard and then smoke started coming out of my wand and then we called for you sir.  And my wand doesn't look very good anymore sir but it can't be damaged sir, I need it to fight Voldemort sir, it has the same core as his and they don't work against each other and if I have a different wand sir, he'll kill me sir.  He'll kill me!"  and with that Harry burst into hysterical sobs.

Draco had instantly stepped forward to offer his arms and his comfort to the girl but Snape snarled and pulled her away from him.  "Draco, fetch a calming draught."  and then he pulled the girl into his own arms.  He settled them both on the couch, Harry more on his lap than not and even managed to pat her back a bit and say "there, there Harry" a few times.

Draco was back ridiculously quickly with the potion and Harry threw it back with remarkable desperation.  "Oh my God," she hiccuped, "why am I crying like this?  What the hell?"  and she sobbed some more.  "It, it isn't working, the potion has stopped working.  What will I do now?  I -I can't breathe, my my stomach hurts.  Snape, it hurts!  Snape, what's happening?!"  and she looked up at him with her huge hysterical watery green eyes.  Snape felt like his heart was going to burst out of his chest.  Draco looked like he was going to kill something.  Neither was very helpful to Harry just then, in fact they frightened her into crying harder.

"Draco," Snape's voice was very calm, "fetch her another vial." 

Draco looked at his professor in shock, "sir, she weighs like eight stone..." 

"I am aware of that Draco, fetch another vial now."

Harry decided that meant she was probably going to die from calming potion overdose, it wouldn't surprise her in the slightest she decided.  And then she realized perhaps it was working if she wasn't surprised.  She tried a small breath and then when that worked a few times she tried a bigger breath.  Slowly she was getting better but then her stomach gave a huge wrench and she gasped and lost track of the breathing thing again.

"Harry, what is it?  You seemed to be getting better?"  Snape asked her softly, rubbing his arms up and down her back.

"It's my stomach Professor, it really hurts.  Do you think Malfoy's elves gave me something?"

"No, I doubt they would do that.  Lucius didn't do much to inspire loyalty among them.  I fear this is something different."  And he squeezed her a bit.

Harry moaned louder, "what?"

Draco had just come skidding back in the room with the calming draught, "Draco," Snape said, "I think you may be right, would you put that back and get us a muscle relaxing potion?"

Draco was looking a touch winded by now but when he saw Harry's continued distress he turned and ran out again.

Snape looked down at the hyperventilating girl in his arms and began rubbing her back some more.  "Slow breaths Harry, slow.  You're alright, you're alright now."  Harry wrapped her arms around her father more securely and burrowed her head into his shoulder, but she seemed to be heaving much more reasonably. 

Draco returned with the other potion and offered it to her; she took it but looked up at Snape doubtfully.  "It will be alright, you can drink it."

Harry shrugged a bit but then threw it back in her usual manner.  She immediately began hacking and coughing, Snape pounded her on the back.  "Foolish child, I said to drink it, not inhale it.  Are you okay?"

Harry didn't answer, she didn't dare to open her mouth.  But both Snape and Draco could see where she was heading, her face was dead white -and green.  Snape started rubbing her back again, "shhh, my Harry, you'll be okay, you can keep it down, breathe in through your nose.  There you go, you're okay."

Harry's eyes were streaming and she dearly wanted to spew all the nasty potions she had chugged that day.  But then her headache might return, and the panic attack and the weird cramps.  Cramps!  Her mind boggled a bit -she was a girl with cramps, she was getting her period.  At first she thought the shock would drive away her nausea but she was wrong, it just pushed it back for a moment before it sprang forth more powerful than ever: a tidal wave of nasty potiony glop and everything she had eaten at breakfast.

It went all over Harry, and Snape and the couch and more than a bit of the floor.  The smell was pretty horrible too so she started again, leaning as far from Snape as she could get but the carpet wasn't safe at all.  And then she was just sobbing and the headache was coming back and everything was awful until she started hearing a barrage of scourgifies and then the smell was gone and she felt cleaner and a pair of arms was pulling her up, she wrapped her legs around a waist, she buried her head in the crook of a neck, her arms clung to a pair of nice shoulders.

A hand was rubbing her back and the person holding her started swaying a bit, as if they were rocking her.  It was so very very nice, Harry hadn't been held like this since the day her mother died.  She could hear Snape moving around, no doubt trying to clean himself off more, or get the couch or something.  Then she heard Draco talking to Snape and Draco's voice was all nice and rumbly beneath her cheek.  She breathed in a scent of aftershave and felt Draco's hands shift under her thighs where he was holding her.  She started to pull away, but instantly he turned to her, "shhh, you aren't heavy yet.  Wait a moment," and then he was rubbing her again and Harry was a helpless puddle of goo in his arms.

She put her cheek back down to see if she could tell what he was saying.  "More potions than food in the last three days..."  Harry had to agree with that, stupid nasty potions.  "*Something*... shock," oh so astute are these Slytherins, Harry huffed.  Of course she was in shock, who wouldn't be?  The horrible pain of changing, being trapped in the wrong body, can't even hold a bloody quill anymore, the horrible headache, being at the mercy of Slytherins like this, and now getting a period.  Shouldn't it be a monthly cycle?  She had only been a girl for two days, how unfair was that?  The embarrassment was excruciating.  And she puked on Professor Snape, and his couch and his rug and his shoes, and she puked up all his precious potions. 

Misery was like a steam engine running right over her; Draco felt the increase in tears and shudders.  Before Snape could stalk off Draco made a low rumbly request, Harry couldn't tell the words but she heard it go up at the end like a question.  Then she heard Snape ask, "Does that suit," and an affirmative rumbly thing from Draco.

Draco started walking over towards the weak little bit of sun that had penetrated the green atmosphere and the grimy window.  He turned and sat down in a rocking chair, Harry could just see the wooden arm of the chair but she couldn't remember seeing a rocking chair in the room before.  And then Draco's arm was sliding under her bottom and scooting her in tight to his warm solid chest and his other arm was rubbing and rubbing her back.  And then Harry gave a great sigh and closed her eyes.

Draco rocked her for a while; it felt so nice to have the girl he was smitten with in his lap like this.  She fit perfectly and he was so content to just hold her for now.  Of course he was still Draco, he wondered if she really was getting her period and if so did he really want her legs around his waist like this?  Ick.  But for now he didn't want to restart the trauma, that had been quite the panic attack and they clearly needed to stop loading Harry up with potions.

They rocked in the feeble sunlight and eventually Draco felt Harry relax into slumber.  He whispered, "Harry?" and got no response so he slid out his wand and cast a small muffliato on Harry.  Then he spoke clearly and called for a Malfoy house elf.

"Master Draco called for Minksy?" a little female elf appeared in front of Draco, still holding a wet rag in one hand, sudsy drips disappeared (magically) right before they reached the floor.  Normally Draco would be very haughty and sneer at Minksy no matter what but he was so contented just then that he actually smiled a bit at the wonderful bit of magic Minksy was doing.  Minksy noticed his eyes following the water and his smile; she was a little bit scared but very much intrigued by her master's strange behavior. 

She figured rightly it had a lot to do with the person he was hugging.  Master Draco didn't get enough hugging in the opinion of all the Malfoy elves; she was pleased to see steps being made to correct that.

"Minksy, this is Harry..."

"Harry is a boy name Master Draco and that is a girl."

"I know Minksy, there was a potions accident."  Draco cringed to be using Harry's line so soon after he had scoffed at it.  "And now Harry is a girl and we think he -she- might be getting her first, you know."  He gestured to Harry's waist without really moving his hands, hoping that Minksy would get it and he wouldn't have to discuss Harry Potter's period with an elf.

It didn't look good, Minksy seemed completely lost but then suddenly she understood.  "Ohhh, Minksy understands Master Draco.  Mistress Harry is getting her first..." she affirmed and nodded but thankfully didn't share with Draco whatever the house elf word for that was.

"That's what we thought, now Minksy, Mistress Harry doesn't have a mother or an aunt or anyone except me and Professor Snape to help her and explain how to manage things..."

Minksy got a very sad look on her face for poor Mistress Harry but then she easily decided that this was something she could do.  "I will take care of Mistress Harry."  Minksy told Draco what he had already seen cross her face.

"I'm so glad, I hoped you would Minksy.  It will be easier for Harry if she has another female to talk to and you house elves are so clever about magic."  Draco figured a little flattery could only help; maybe the house elves had a cure or something, magical impermeable pants.  Ick, best not to think about that now.

"Is Harry alright now?  Do we need to move her or change...?" Draco trailed off, completely unable to discuss Harry Potter's knickers with a house elf.

Minksy seemed to look right through both Draco and Harry, "Minksy made her okay for now, later when Mistress Harry is alone in her room Minksy will come and teach her things. Sleep is good for Mistress Harry now.  She needs to eat too."  Minksy suddenly got a rather angry look on her face, as though her magic was showing her just how desperately Harry needed to eat.

The wet rag disappeared and Minksy snapped her long fingers to make a little apron appear.  "Minksy will make lunch now, when it's ready we will wake Mistress Harry and she will eat."  And with that declaration (and a pop) Minksy disappeared.

Harry had been vaguely aware of the muffliato charm being cast, it was interesting because she could still feel Draco's voice through his chest and she spent most of the conversation trying to decide if she could make out the words just the same or worse after the charm.  It was an important bit of research into a potential shortfall of the spell and Harry didn't mind being more intrigued with the results of this study than with whatever Draco was doing.  Part of her brain really felt, hello enemy speaking to who knows who and who knows what and you're just going to lie here and snuggle?  But it had been a really difficult day (and what was it eleven?) so she ignored that part and continued to snuggle.

She was in that drowsy free-association state that was always very fertile for her.  (Don't think of fertility she scolded herself.)  So I'm a girl now and I can't just dress like a boy and pretend I'm not.  Apparently I'm not even a bit of a tomboy, alas.  I'm girl, all girl and a fertile girl too.  I'm all sorts of sweet and dainty and men want to pick me up and treasure me.  And if I fight against it they just think I look adorable and want to pick me up and treasure me.  So I'm girl, all girl. 

And it doesn't really suck that much.  All those stupid years at the Dursleys and I certainly wasn't treasured, I have a right to a bit of a makeup.  And why am I so okay with Bill or Draco holding me like this?  Did my sexuality flip just like everything else?  Did it flip?  I never felt like holding Cho or Ginny like this, I was always kind of eek -it's leaking.  Was I immature or just confused?  Does it even matter now?  What will Ron think?

Oh God, if Ron saw me now.  Or Dean or Seamus, or anyone really.  Harry cringed tighter into the little cave she had made for herself between Draco's neck and shoulder, which didn't really help.  She tried to think how Ron would have reacted if Harry suddenly started menstruating in front of him, she figured Ron probably would've upchucked too.  Hermione might have squealed and researched it, eww.  But the whole dynamic of their trio would change now, two girls and one boy.  Poor Ron would be in the minority.  It would be an adjustment, that's for sure.

Maybe Harry should have Bill talk to them soon, give them as much time as possible to calm down.  They would get it eventually; eventually they would be okay with everything.  Draco shifted a bit so he could lean his head back on the side of the rocker better and continue with his own nodding off.  Harry shifted with him, never breaking contact in the slightest and wondered how long exactly it would take for Ron Weasley to be okay with Harry cuddling on Draco's lap.  She was guessing a long long long time.

Sad thoughts were sad and she drifted morosely over them until Minksy popped back and announced lunch was ready.

Harry untangled herself from Draco's lap and they caught each other glancing down to see if there were any stains *shudder*, but there weren't.  Hooray for Minksy.

Super hoorays when they sat down to a huge fancy lunch that practically filled Snape's little kitchen table.  Even Snape looked pleased when he stalked in, he paused and his eyes travelled over all the dishes before he sat down.  Harry was relieved that Snape could still eat after having someone puke all over him but quickly decided not to think about that anymore.

She took a big helping of fruit salad and some Shepherd's pie and some peas and kept going until she ran out of room on the plate.  Everyone seemed hungry or just appreciated eating as the reprieve from talking to each other that it was.  Eventually they had to slow down.

"Draco, perhaps you and Mr. Potter can go to Daigon Alley this afternoon and get some quick drying ink for Harry to use.  That way if she does need to write left handed she won't smear it all over."

Draco nodded, "Should we go to Ollivander's too sir?"  He tried to ask it as casually as possible but it was no good.  Harry felt like an icicle had stabbed her in the heart just remembering the holly wand smoking all over.

Snape tapped his chin thoughtfully, "I should probably consult with Albus but it is virtually impossible that the smoking damaged the core in any way.  It is a phoenix feather core, right Harry?"

"Yes sir, from Fawkes."

"Likely the wood is no longer suited to your new personhood Harry and Ollivander will just swap it out for another.  No need to fret."

They watched Harry relax into her chair, "oh," she said softly "I guess I didn't need to freak out like I did."

"That's alright, wandlore is hardly a topic at Hogwarts.  Perhaps it would be best if you made that trip as unobtrusively as you can. The first-years will start descending on his shop soon."  Draco began to dance around a bit, clearly excited to be leaving the house and going to Daigon Alley.

When lunch was over Snape stood up and pulled out a money bag which he passed to Harry.  Harry took it with a confused look, "but sir you gave Bill money to buy me stuff just yesterday, we don't really need to go today..." she trailed off uncomfortably.

"Nonsense, you can't protect yourself without a wand and you can't finish your homework without ink.  Off you go."  Harry stood up and Snape swept over her with his eyes, noticing her bare feet.  "Did I provide insufficient funds to purchase shoes yesterday?"  He asked with a perfectly arched eyebrow.

"N-no sir, we bought shoes, they're just upstairs still.  I'll go get them."

"No need," Snape drew his wand and accioed two starched linen napkins with big M's embroidered on them from the lunch table.  He waved his wand and they transfigured into a small pair of sandals which Snape held out to Harry.

Harry sat down (on the ground) and tried them on; they fit perfectly just like the trainers yesterday.  He tried not to admire the strappy design and looked up at Snape a bit confused.

Snape met his eyes and waved his hand dismissively, "your mother had a pair just like that; she loved them and would start wearing them in April -in Scotland.  I swear she gave herself frostbite on one trip to Hogsmeade."

Harry was awestruck; Snape had made his mother sound like a real person.  A silly person perhaps, but Harry could see a bit of herself in that little story.  Harry's eyes went a bit glassy and she took a breath before distracting herself with gathering other things for the trip.  The poor charred stick of holly went in the side pocket and she tried to stuff the money bag in her jean pocket.  But her jeans were rather tight for the little sack, Draco watched her struggle a bit and then stuck out his hand for her to give it to him.  She looked disgruntled at that and Draco curled his lips at her, "unless you would like your father to transfigure you a matching purse?"

Harry showed everyone her horrified face again and then shoved the bag at Draco.  "Anything else?" she asked.

"Yes," Draco replied, "we need to disguise your eyes."

"How will we do that?  Should I get sunglasses or something?"

Draco scoffed at her, "please I'm a Malfoy my mother taught me how to charm eyes to match dress robes when I was twelve."  He put a hand on her shoulder and led her over to a mirror near Snape's front door.  Snape followed.  Draco looked at both Harry and Snape when he asked, "Lighter or darker?  I think we can keep the green and just tone it one way or the other."

Snape looked closely at his daughter, her pale skin and dark hair, her stress and exhaustion, "why don't we try lighter first?"

Draco nodded and waved his wand carefully at Harry's eyes, doing the motions a bit slower than normal so it appeared as nonthreatening as possible.  When he stopped Harry eagerly leaned towards the mirror to see the results.  She suspected that her father had suggested lighter to lend some sense of happiness to her face and it had worked a bit.  She still looked tired but her eyes seemed sort of carefree and happy as a lighter green.  And they were less striking too, less freakish her aunt's voice hissed.

He looked up at Snape, an utterly beguiling look that made Snape wonder just how quickly Harry was adapting to being a girl.  Snape peered closely and then gave a satisfied nod, "That will do nicely Draco.  How long does it last?"

"Until I take it off," Draco responded, as if amazed that not every child was taught how to charm their eyes to match their dress robes.  "What about the hair, it's rather unfeminine and might be a little jarring?"  Draco started tugging on bits of Harry's hair, pulling it over her ears and pushing some across her forehead in a sweep.

Harry's brow wrinkled (adorably) as Draco Malfoy of all people fussed with her hair.  She was going to say something evil about hair gel but the attention was kind of nice.  Draco was standing very close and she could smell his cologne again.  He looked down suddenly and stared intently at her face, "What's the matter," he chided, "no hair helmet jokes?"  He tapped her nose, "You're losing your touch Potter; don't let it change all of you."

Harry felt the blush sweep up her neck and fan out across her cheeks.  The appropriate response was probably to push or deck Draco but instead here she was blushing like a school girl, oh the horror.  But Draco didn't say anything else about the matter, he might have but Professor Snape was looming over the pair of them and he chose that moment to tap his arm with his wand in a rather snappy manner which broke the sudden awkward blushing charged moment.

"I presume Draco, that you are equally adept at hair charms."  He said hair charms as though it was the most filthy thing imaginable and Harry chuckled gratefully.

"Of course Professor," his eyes crinkled up merrily in a way that Harry had never seen before, and Draco continued, "but my father is the one who taught me those." 

Harry burst out laughing and he was pretty sure that even Snape laughed.  Who was this Draco person?  And why had Harry never met him before?  And most crushingly, why did he make Harry's heart beat faster?

"If you make my daughter a blonde I will kill you Mister Malfoy."

"Understood Sev."  and Draco tipped him a little salute with his wand while he went back to studying Harry's hair.

Harry clearly heard Snape mutter something about "cheeky brat," but he didn't hex Draco.  Who was that?  Harry was seriously off-kilter, joking with Snape, charmed by Malfoy, scared of Ron, everything was backwards.  Well yes, everything was backwards.  Accept it, roll with it and carry on.  That was the new plan. 

Harry liked to have a plan.  Plans don't always work, granted, but with Harry's life ‘surviving' was often considered a win.  Escaping graveyards full of Death Eaters, finding enough food for the summer, repelling soul-sucking dementers...  surviving was often a paramount goal.  This gender issue was a threat too: his sanity had been attacked, all the little things that seemed to chip away at who he was, he needed to remember who he was and keep some of that.  Obviously not every last bit, she wasn't perfect and this was an opportunity to grow...  Grow?

Harry suddenly started paying attention to the two Slytherins that were practically standing on top of her waving their wands at her head.  Mad-Eye Moody would have his balls for day dreaming like that, well let him find them first, eh?  And then the two Slytherins had stopped and were watching the girl laugh to herself in a not totally sane way.

"Harry?" Draco asked.

"Sorry, just thought of something funny."

"Hmmm, if it was that funny maybe you should share."  Snape intoned in that teacher voice, the one that automatically made Harry wonder if he would deduct points.  The one that told Harry he would dearly love to deduct points.

"No, that's okay.  So what have you done to my hair?"  Harry tried wriggling around so she could look in the mirror again, not even sure when they had manhandled her so she wasn't facing it.  Her hair was really long now; it went way down her back and was parted severely in the middle.  She looked uncomfortably similar to Snape.  This was not cool.

Draco looked at her face and instantly began to berate Snape, "I told you it was too long and nobody but you parts their hair like that.  Look at the fright you've given her now."  He turned to Harry, "there, there, I just had to let him see for himself or he would never have stopped pestering us.  We can change it now."

Draco sneered at Snape a little and then smiled winningly at Harry.  He waved his wand and her hair shrunk up to just past her shoulders.  He waved it around the front a bit and then reached with his hands and recombed it through his fingers. Now it was a bit shorter near the front and the assymetrical part was dragged off to a side and covered the scar.  It looked a lot wilder and more Harry-ish than Harry would have thought Draco capable of.  Harry sighed in relief; he was a girl but a girl Harry and not Snape's daughter.  Well, he was, but he didn't look like a mini-Snape in drag, thank Merlin.

Draco seemed very pleased that Harry liked it, he seemed to like it too because he kept fussing with bits.  "Draco," Harry breathed, "this is wonderful.  I look like me still but a girl version but still me.  Thanks."  She might have lost her head and pecked him a quick kiss, Draco looked like that would have been completely fine, but Harry was not raised among random acts of affection -at least none that involved her, so the moment passed unpecked.  And Draco seemed okay with that too.

Draco stepped back and towards Snape's fireplace, "okay so we have money, shoes, eyes, hair, scar covered up, a very short list, anything else?"

Snape pulled out a small jar of ointment, "this should make the scar less noticeable.  If you use it every day Harry it will work even better."  Draco snatched the jar and put a little smear on his pinky and danced it over the scar.  It wasn't a miracle but with the hair it was good enough.  Snape banished the jar to Harry's room.

"Perhaps a different name, just for the afternoon of course.  As part of the disguise.  There aren't that many witches named Harry or Potter."  Thanks, Snape thought Harry as her stomach dropped down to her new sandals.

"Yes, a nickname for just the afternoon.  Princess?"

Snape almost fell over in shock, he managed to snort "I think not," but they could tell he was chortling in glee and not quaking in horror.  Harry had no idea why it was that funny and he looked at Snape for an explanation.

"My mother's maiden name was Prince, your grandmother I guess."

"Oh," said Harry and a little candle lit inside her,  she had had a grandmother, who knew?

"Well then it's all fitting, and what better nickname for the Chosen One?  Plus it can be a subtle reminder to act like a girl Harry."

"I'm not sure that word subtle means what you think it means Draco."  Harry teased.  But she knew it was a done deal, how would they ever stop Draco from calling her Princess now?

"Take my hand dear, we'll go through together."  Draco reached out with surety.

Harry looked apprehensively at the fireplace, she hated flooing.  Maybe holding hands would help, she certainly didn't fancy ending up all alone in Knockturn Alley again.   She reached out and they threaded their hands together, Draco shot Severus a smirk over the top of Harry's head and Snape shot back a magnificent sneer.  And then Draco was throwing down the powder and pulling Harry after him.

Harry stumbled of course but there seemed to be more headroom and such now that she was short again.  Heads turned all through the Leaky Cauldron, was that Draco Malfoy?  And who was he with?  Draco steadied Harry without a comment, pulling her hand around his forearm and promenading to the archway, his nose seemed to be scraping the ceiling and Harry had her head tucked way way down.  But she didn't resist at all and the others went back to their drinks.

"Let's go to Ollivander's first," Draco announced still steering her.  "I don't like you out here without a wand."  Harry nodded and followed and felt like she was three but didn't know what else to do.

Ollivander was shocked to see them, although his eyes were already so big maybe not.  Without a word Harry pulled out her poor crispy holly wand and laid it down on the counter.  Ollivander cooed over the piece of wood, Harry felt even more horrible for destroying the wand and her stupid bottom lip began to stupidly tremble.  Draco noticed (of course) and wrapped an arm around her.  "There was a potions accident and when she tried to do a wingardium leviosa in her altered state the wand just started smoking."

"I see, "said Ollivander, gazing curiously at Harry, his stupid giant eyes flicking to her forehead and then gazing long at her eyes.  "And is this condition expected to be permanent?"

"It is," Harry answered embarrassed that Draco had to explain her story for her.

"Well then, Miss Potter, it seems you are in need of a new wand."

"Can we keep the phoenix feather, sir?"  Harry's lip was starting to go again and she squeezed Draco's hand in a death grip below the counter.

"That would be up to the feather dear but I think so."  He pulled out his own wand and tapped the holly, it split neatly in half.  Harry gasped in dismay, but Ollivander just smiled at her.  He then levitated the feather with his wand over towards Harry and Harry automatically put out her palm for the feather to land in. 

A powerful surge of warmth and magic and rightness washed over Harry, her hair curled and seemed to get new highlights.  The stress melted off her face and a beatific smile took its place.  A brief burst of Phoenix song seemed to echo around the silent shop.  Both Draco and Ollivander smiled brightly at Harry.

"Well, that bit is settled, why don't you bring your feather in the backroom and look at some other woods with me Miss Potter?"  Ollivander seemed to look through the counter at Harry's hand clinging to Draco Malfoy's, "you may come as well Mr. Malfoy."

Draco nodded his gratitude and they walked into the back of the shop.  "Now, wait right there for a moment while I get some things ready."  Ollivander ordered, as he ran around grabbing blocks of wood from various shelves and bins and wait, that was a bin of firewood wasn't it?  It was next to the hearth.

Finally he was ready and he stood with a proud smile and waved to the counter where he had lined up all his offerings.  "Now Miss Potter, just walk down the row with your feather and see if you can tell which one is calling you."

"Calling me?" Harry asked with a curious smile.

Ollivander laughed, "After that feather I think this will be obvious too."

Harry let go of Draco and stepped up to the first block, "that's cypress," Ollivander supplied helpfully, "for the brave, the bold and the self-sacrificing."  Draco sighed in relief when Harry walked past it. 

"Elder, for powerful witches with a special destiny."  Again Harry passed over it.

"Fir, resilient -a survivor's wand."  Harry might have paused longer than she had with the others but she didn't stop.

"Is that hawthorn?" Draco asked as Harry approached the next one.

"Yes, Mr. Malfoy, a good wand for the paradoxical is it not?"  Harry looked at Draco with her head tilted in question but Draco just blushed a bit.

The next was a different piece of holly, Harry stoked a finger down the side but there was no longer any pull at all from the wood.  Harry tried to tell herself that her feelings were not just hurt by a hunk of wood.

The next was definitely the piece that had been in the fire bin, Harry picked it up without hesitation.  She didn't know if it was because she felt bad that it had been destined for such an ignominious end or what.  She looked at Ollivander and he smiled and answered the unasked question, "that Miss Potter is the mighty larch -they say it instills courage and confidence.  Also that it helps to unlock a witch's full potential."

Harry nodded and put the block down, determined to do it properly and check out all the woods.  After all that first day when she was eleven she had waved just about every wand in the shop.  There was no response though from pear (splendid, generous and wise), red oak (fast reactions, quick-witted and adaptable), redwood (able to snatch advantage from catastrophe), rowan (clear-headed and pure-hearted).  The last bit of wood didn't even look like proper wood; it was just a twist of vine.

"That is vine; they say it works well with those who astound others.  Particularly others who might think they know them best."  Harry chuckled at that and was pleased that Ollivander had put it out there for her.  She picked it up and trailed her fingers down the curves and whorls of the strange wood.  And then she carried it back to the larch, the larch had really appealed to her but she was embarrassed to have a wand which instilled courage -shouldn't she have her own confidence? 

Still thinking deeply and trying to figure out who the hell she was she placed the feather, the larch and the vine all together across the palms of her hands and looked down at them.  She twisted one hand so it covered the other and squeezed, I wish I knew who the hell I am now, she thought angrily glaring at the holly wood which had refused her.

"Miss Potter," gentle hands covered hers and opened them up again.  "I think I can work with your selection.  Come back in two hours."  Ollivander removed the pieces from Harry's hands, there were scratches on her palms from the edges of the larch and the thorny bits on the vine, quite a deep gouge from that vine actually.

Draco pulled her hands towards him and tsked gently; Ollivander leaned over and murmured a healing charm, tapping each palm.

They went to the stationery next but Harry was still fuzzy, holding all three of those magical objects together like that had been quite the rush.  She realized with a start that it was good Draco had been holding her hand; otherwise she might have walked into more than a few people, and possibly walls.

"Princess, do you want blue ink too?"  Harry tried to pay attention to Draco's prattling with the shop clerk.  "Of course you do, we'll take two black, one blue and do you have any other fun colors you know, befitting a princess?"  Draco seemed to be taking advantage of her magical buzz here; Harry tried harder to pay attention.

"And of course we'll need new quills, all sorts of fetching colors if you have them.  Are there any charmed for legibility?  Well, one can hope, right?  How about primers?  Do you have one for the abominably left-handed showing how to hold the quill and such?  Oh excellent, yes, we'll take that too."

Draco was happily filling a basket and they were in a stationery store.  Harry was mystified, who was this boy that burbled to shop girls and enjoyed choosing quills?  Whatever, Harry decided and tried again to focus on what was going on.  The shop girl was pretty cute, wasn't she a Ravenclaw a year ahead of them, maybe with a summer job or something.  She and Draco were laughing about turning in homework to Snape and McGonagall with purple ink and who would take off the most points for the unusual color.  Harry was about to put in her opinion that McGonagall would but she remembered she was in disguise just in time.  Draco noticed her try to open her mouth and then close it again and he smirked indulgently at her.

Soon enough they were out of the shop and still had an hour and a half until the wand was ready.  "Let's go to the pet store Princess, it's always fun to see the animals."  Harry shrugged and they were off again.

The pet store roused her that was for sure.  It was a cacophony in there.  Harry automatically headed for the owl treats and then froze; she hadn't seen Hedwig since she left Privet Drive.  Granted that was only two or was it three days ago but she had forgotten all about her owl.  Harry's face went completely white with horror and she turned to Draco.  "Draco, can we go home now?  I just realized I haven't seen my owl since I left my aunt's house and I can't believe I forgot all about her.  Have you seen her?  Did Professor Snape mention her?  Do you know where she might be?"  Harry said all this in a hyperventilating rush.

"Shh, Princess, you've had a very traumatic few days, I'm sure your owl is fine.  I'd rather not leave before your wand is ready, it's only another hour or so, but if you really need to..."

Harry took a deep breath and thought about Hedwig.  It had been Harry's birthday and Hedwig arrived with a few gifts around ten o'clock.  Harry had written her usual thank you's and sent Hedwig out with them.  Well, she had tried to send Hedwig off but that was when she really started feeling bad and Hedwig had sat there with all the envelopes tied to her legs and refused to leave Harry's side.

Harry looked up at Draco, "I remember a bit," she smiled.  "I sent her off with a thank you note to the Weasleys and Hermione.  That would take her at least two days, where does Professor Snape live even?"

"I think it's Cokeworth, right in the center -that could be another day.  And the air is awful, she might have just decided to stay somewhere nicer."

"Not my owl, she'll turn up soon I guess."

"Best get her lots of treats then."  Draco smiled and began filling up another shop basket.  

A short while later he came and found Harry, "Har-Princess," he quickly corrected himself and then continued in a softer voice, "let's see if you can still talk to snakes, they have a big tank in the back here."

Princess allowed herself to be pulled along to the back of the store.  There was a tank full of wriggling serpents and as they drew closer she could in fact understand them.  They seemed to be just making noise and jabbering about when the food would come and who's turn it was to lay on the good rock and silly things like that.  Harry leaned down and softly hissed hullo to them.

Every snake froze and turned to look at her and then they swarmed to be near her.  Draco looked around in alarm and wished fervently that he could risk a notice-me-not charm.  He settled for putting on a bored yet intimidating face and keeping watch, shielding most of Harry with his body too.  Harry was pretty oblivious to his concerns because she was instantly enraptured with talking to the snakes.  Draco glanced over his shoulder and couldn't help but smile when he heard her giggle at sssssomething.  Had anyone ever heard Harry Potter giggle before he wondered?

Eventually he realized it was time to get back to Ollivander's.  "Well, it seems like you've still got it.  Which one made you laugh?"  Draco could have thunked his head on the glass, nice Slytherin subtlety there.

Harry didn't seem to notice, she just pointed at a little pair of snakes that were twining around a dead tree branch together, and, upon closer inspection, butting each other with their pointy snouts."It was those two, they never stop bickering with each other, it's kind of amusing.  Almost makes me miss Ron and Hermione though."

"What do they fight about?"

"Who's hogging the branch, who's blocking the light, who has the prettiest colors -that sort of stuff.  Not very deep or anything but it's kind of soothing to be around creatures that don't have crushing worries, y'know?"

Draco couldn't help but give Harry a quick hug, he hated thinking of her having crushing worries but it was hard to deny.  "Are you all set then, your wand should be ready now.  That's one worry less, right?"

Harry smiled up at Draco, his bizarreness was becoming predictable to her at least.  As soon as she admitted to being worried she knew he would be hugging her soon and trying to solve everything for her, which was a strange action to expect from Draco Malfoy but expect it she did and she was not disappointed.  This must be how Draco is with friends and now that I'm Snape's daughter and clearly a bit Slytherin he's decided I'm a friend.  That's all.  -Friend? Her treacherous mind instantly questioned, that's not all...

Draco paid for his basket of owl treats and led Harry (by the hand) back to the wand shop.  Harry seemed to be slowing down and he wasn't sure if she was tired or apprehensive or a bit of each.  He thought about suggesting a quick ice cream first but decided to get the wand shop over with and then have ice cream.

The bell jangled and Harry wondered if it was possible for a bell and chain to wear out after centuries of jingling.  Surely there was a minute bit of wear each time it stretched and struck and surely eventually it would all add up and a link would break, a clapper would fall.  Cheery thoughts she decided as she walked to the counter as if to her own death.

"Miss Potter, right on time.  It turned out quite lovely I think, but then it was made for a lovely."  You dapper dog thought Draco.  Huh? thought Harry.

Mr. Ollivander gestured to a bright and clean velvet pillow on the counter in front of him, the rich purple highlighting the light tan of the larch and the darker vine twisting around and embellishing the wand.  "Pick it up Miss Potter and allow me to tell you about your wand." 

Harry realized it was a direct order and she resolutely reached out and touched the wand.  The warmth and nurturing surged again, it was like a wind made out of love that rose around her.  Draco laughed out loud, "She seems to grow more beautiful every time she touches it Mr. Ollivander, when will it end?"

Mr. Ollivander beamed at Draco Malfoy, it was surely the magical overflow from Miss Potter's wand that was making him and Draco act like this but that didn't make it unreal, did it?  Ollivander intended to write to his old friend Albus Dumbledore, just like he had the moment Harry had first purchased the phoenix feather wand.  But he wanted to see how Miss Potter and her wand interacted and how the wand turned out before he wrote, and now he was having second thoughts on the whole thing. 

He was quite sure Albus didn't know about the "potions accident" Harry had suffered.  Actually he wasn't sure suffered was the correct word at all.  She acted much more like someone who had been released from a curse.  She seemed more authentic now and well, her wand was larch that said an awful lot for Ollivander.

"Wands with three magical elements are often more stable than other wands, which doesn't in any way mean that their owners need that stability as a crutch.  It's more like spreading your legs and getting into a position of strength before attempting something momentous.  Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," said Harry, did her voice seem more melodic?

"Vine and larch are both all about being your true self Harry.  I was just thinking that your ‘potions accident' seems much more like a curse being lifted than a catastrophic setback.  I think that piece of holly was just holding your phoenix feather until this happened and bigger things were unlocked.  And my goodness, that's not even getting into the whole phoenix rebirth aspect of your wand.  I could write a treatise..."

Draco immediately confronted the old man, "What do you mean by that sir?  Clearly you can see this is a rather private matter for Harry."  He stopped talking but did not stand down as Ollivander swung his lamp like eyes up to meet his.  Ollivander was weighing and judging every inch of Draco, he could feel it and he met his gaze as calmly as he could while still remaining firm.

"You are quite right Mr. Malfoy, I was just thinking aloud.  This is all very symbolic and interesting to me but perhaps others would find the interest in more vulgar aspects of Miss Potter's change.  I will absolutely honor the obvious need for discretion here.  I believe that even my nosy friend Albus shall have to wait and learn about Miss Potter on his own."

Mr. Ollivander gave them both a slow smile, "yes, I think I shall quite enjoy having one up on him when he does learn about all this."

"You have my thanks sir," said Harry quite formally she seemed to be speaking from a great height and both Draco and Ollivander marvelled at the change the wand had made in her.

"No problem miss.  Why don't you try a lumos before you go, just to make sure -well obviously it isn't necessary, perhaps just to satisfy my curiosity then?"

Harry raised her wand, and looked at the tip -they could almost hear her think ‘lumos' but her lips never moved.  It was not the blazing of 100 suns bleaching all of the reality from the tiny shop, it was just a regular -maybe a touch rosy- lumos spell.  They all sighed a bit in relief and smiled happily at each other.  It was always a wonderful thing when a witch or wizard was reunited with their wand.

When the moment faded away Draco stepped up to the till with Professor Snape's money sack and the no-nonsense Malfoy air about him.  Ollivander thought a bit, "7 galleons the last go-round wasn't it Harry?"

Harry nodded.  "Well then, an old bit of firewood and some nasty vine that I had just pulled off the eaves, two hours time, two galleons even I believe."

Draco handed Snape's gold over with no hesitation and then saw Ollivander's enormous eyes were fixed on the wretched sack and the wretched wretched potion master crest that Snape had stupidly placed upon it.  There was almost an audible click as Ollivander finally located the thread that had brought together Malfoy and Potter.  Draco watched as Ollivander studied Harry for the umpteenth time it seemed but this time he was no doubt seeing all the Snapeish qualities Harry had inherited three days ago.

Draco felt the need to glare again but Ollivander just chuckled, "oh ho, Albus will be in a twist won't he?  I can hardly wait."  And he sent them on their merry way.

Draco bustled Harry back on the street and asked brightly, "ice cream?"

"Sure," said Harry, still a little dazed but better now that she had a fully functioning wand.  "Florean will be a good test of the disguise, I lived at the Leaky Cauldron for a few weeks the summer after second year and he gave me free ice creams every single day, it was wonderful."  She even skipped a little, Draco was delighted to meet another face of Harry, he wrapped her arm around his and leaned over dishily, "you must tell me how that happened."

Florean was clearly enchanted with Draco's companion but he showed no signs of recognizing her.  They each had an enormous sundae and Harry told Draco all about accidentally blowing up her Aunt Marge and how she practically got a ribbon from Fudge for it.  They both laughed a lot and marveled a bit at how much simpler things seemed back then.  As they strolled in the late afternoon sunshine back to the Leaky Cauldron, Draco looked at Harry and noted that it had been almost like a date and he really enjoyed himself, and then Harry looked at Draco and thought it had been almost like a date and she really enjoyed herself.  And then they both sort of looked away and never mentioned anything aloud.

Bill was there when they got back; he stayed for Minksy's dinner even though he was fresh from a fry-up that his mother had made at the Burrow.  The meal was less awkward it seemed than it should have been.   They spoke mostly of wandlore and Ollivander's strange decision to keep what he knew from Dumbledore.  Harry suggested that it was good news for Bill and Snape, they were no longer the only ones keeping things from the headmaster.

Snape and Draco were impressed with the Slytherin qualities that Bill and Harry continued to show, Bill and Harry noticed and smirked to each other because it was true, they were pretty Slytherin.  If the people in each house only had the quality their house stood for it would be a world filled with one-dimensional caricatures, and who would want that?

After dinner Snape took Draco off to his potions lab for brewing and left Harry and Bill in the sitting room to catch up.  "You look really good Harry,"  Bill had said the same thing when he first came through the floo but at the nasty looks he got from Severus and Draco they had talked about other things during dinner.  Now that they were alone he could tug on a dark auburn curl and find out what had happened.

Harry twisted around so that she could compare the curl in Bill's hand with Bill's own hair, the shades were close but Harry's was still darker.  "So close to being a long lost Weasley cousin instead of Snape's daughter" she sighed.

"First cousin or distant?"  Bill quipped with a joking lecherous waggle of his eyebrows.

Harry blushed and stepped away a bit.  Bill laughed harder.  "But really your eyes and hair I suppose are spells but there's something else, a deeper thing that's changed."

"Did you know that Draco's mum taught him a spell to change your eye color to match your dress robes when he was like twelve?  And Draco said his dad taught him the spell to make your hair longer but I think he was just taking the piss out of Snape."  They shared a good laugh over that and talked about other small things for a while.

Eventually though the fire had burned lower and they were on the settee in front of it together, quite close, and the talk shifted to deeper topics.  "Harry, I'm not saying that everyone feels this way but it's hard for the Order sometimes to see you as a person and not as a secret weapon.  I think this is a really good chance for you to get away from that, you look different enough now and your wand is so different, you can be Snape's daughter when you return to Hogwarts and escape from all those expectations, from the headmaster's mad chess match."

"You can't escape from destiny Bill." Harry said softly.

"But Harry, the Chosen One thing can stay with the Boy Who Lived and you can live your own life."

"You don't understand Bill, don't you remember it was a prophecy Voldemort was after last year?"  Harry spoke very softly and Bill pulled her closer. 

"You heard it then?  I thought it was destroyed..."

"We shattered the copy in the Department of Mysteries but Dumbledore was the witness when it was first said, "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies ... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not ... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives ... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies ..."

"Harry the prophecy says he.  And prophecies are bunk anyway, pretend that the fraud Trelawney made it and don't let it rule your life."

Harry felt as if a thousand pound weight had been lifted from her shoulders.  She shuddered a little at the huge feelings that were rushing through her at Bill saying just the things she wanted to hear so desperately.  Bill saw the tears start and understood them; he conjured a blanket and pulled Harry onto his lap again.  Wrapping his long arms around her while she quietly soaked the front of his shirt.

When Snape and Draco emerged later they found Bill staring hard into the fire with Harry curled up asleep on his lap, tear tracks silvery on her cheeks.  "Mr. Weasley, do all the girls cry themselves to sleep on your lap or is it just my daughter?"

They fell into a pattern for the next week or so: faffing about in the morning, running out on some feeble errand that Draco invented in the afternoon, and then attempting to teach Harry how to write using her other hand and finishing her summer homework up in the evening.   Harry enjoyed all of it, even though she suspected the manic pace was designed by Draco and Snape to keep her from dwelling on things.  It worked pretty well and she especially liked the outings, they went to this tiny shop or that boggy meadow place fetching ingredients for Severus.  Harry had spent a pretty sheltered life, trapped at Privet Drive in the summer and confined to Hogwarts the rest of the year. 

Naturally Draco embraced taking Harry places but when they could they lured Severus into going with them and he enjoyed himself too.  Draco had quickly developed multiple plans, plan one and most important of course was to keep Harry all to himself -he couldn’t bear the thought of Harry going back to Gryffindor and her old friends and hating Draco again, plan two was to bring Severus and Harry closer together into a proper father child relationship.  Plan three, well, plan three involved all sorts of rainbows and unicorns and maybe after that and peace and being elected minister it involved betrothal.

It was during a faffing about period on a sunny morning that Draco found a botany book in Snape’s library.  “Well Princess, let’s look at some lovely flowery names for you, shall we?”

Harry was dozing lightly on the couch, Voldemort had interrupted her sleep last night but Snape and Draco didn’t know that, she had taken to casting a whole slew of privacy charms at night, thoroughly enjoying the wards on her father’s house and her new wand.  Of course if her handy potioneer protectors had known they would have offered her dreamless sleep or helped in some way.  And then they would start insisting on tucking her in at night and being all smothering and junk, Harry wasn’t entirely certain why that thought made her so anxious but it did, so she hid her hurts.  Not very well though.

Draco had noticed that Harry looked rougher some mornings than others and he had his suspicions but Snape wasn’t about to let him nip out in the middle of the night to check on Harry.  “Come on Princess, I’m worried that my immensely clever joke name is going straight to your head and you’re beginning to believe you really are one the way you loll around all morning long.”  He tugged on one of the tiny bare feet at the end of the couch and Harry grudgingly lifted her legs so Draco could have a half.

Draco sat down and Harry’s legs dropped back on to his lap.  Draco stroked an ankle and started flipping through his book.  Harry’s feet were always bare, Severus made her a new pair of shoes almost every day.  Draco was endlessly amused by Severus’s doting and Harry’s obvious enjoyment of getting a little gift each day from her father and a little story about how her mother had worn something similar.  Draco wondered if Lily had often been shoeless too and if that was part of why Severus was so indulgent.

“Alright Princess, are you ready?  Remember it has to go with Snape as the last name.”

“Why does it have to be a flower?” Harry asked, not even opening her eyes.

“Because flowers are pretty and so are you.  It’s a wizard thing now listen...”

“It’s not just wizard y’know, my mum was Lily and my aunt Petunia and they weren’t raised wizarding.”

“All the more reason to go with the flower name, right Princess?”  Harry shrugged so Draco proceeded.

“How about Poppy?”

“That would be extremely appropriate because I am, in fact, going to become a heroin addict now.”

“What about Primrose, it’s so sweet and delicate and we can call you Prim?”  A small heel ground at his private parts in response to that suggestion.  Draco groaned.

“Daffodil?” 

“Do I look daft then Draco?”

“Clover?”

“Am I a cow or a bunny?”

“Hyacinth?”

“Bye-a-cinth!”

“Are you having fun Princess?”  Draco demanded shutting the book.

Harry shrugged a little, still not opening her eyes, “maybe, is that okay?”  Her eyes fluttered open then to look beseechingly at Draco.

“I suppose it can be forgiven just this once Princess but you know I think you do need a more realistic name.  For your sorting you know, when the hat puts Primrose Snape into Slytherin with me.”

“Is that the plan Draco?”  Harry had curled onto her side but hadn’t made any move to get her feet away from Draco.  Ron would be horrified, even Hermione would be shocked, but the rubbing felt nice and he was being mildly amusing.  Draco had a way of making it easy to be herself, his teasing was so gentle now and his concern so real, and his fingers so warm and strong.  Ron would be horrified.

“You can’t just kill Harry Potter you know.”  Harry was curious, she knew she had run through options in her own mind every night of the last week but what had Draco come up with?

“I know, we wouldn’t kill him that would devastate the light side.  They’d all lose hope and surrender to the Dark Lord, it would be chaos.  No, we’ll just send him away to train somewhere.  Somewhere warm and exotic maybe and you can write to your friends all the time and send them post with parrots.”

“No, please, my-my godfather used to do that when he was in hiding.”

Draco hauled her up to his lap, “I’m sorry Princess, I didn’t know that.  We can send Harry somewhere perfectly boring and you can use good old Hedwig.”

Hedwig, who had shown up within a day of Harry getting her new wand, was perched on a bookcase nearby and she gave a questioning hoot when she heard her name.  Harry slapped Draco’s shoulder lightly, “don’t call her old.  She’s not old is she?”

“Of course she isn’t Princess, you got her your first year right?”

“Hagrid bought her for me on my eleventh birthday, she was my first gift.”

“The first gift of the day?  Usually I like to start with a small one myself you know, like a new quill or a bit of candy.”

Harry laughed but didn’t feel the need to correct Draco’s assumptions.  Plus she felt almost caught up on all those missed birthdays at this point, after how many days of Draco using shopping for Harry as his main entertainment.

“So I only get to write to them?  You don’t trust them?”

“I don’t know Princess, I think I do.  But they get so emotional and loud don’t they?  And there’s like only one shot at this, if the Prophet finds out about you then what are we going to do?  Make your eyes brown, make your hair blonde?  You’d still be cute, still be you and all but it was hard enough making your eyes that bit lighter.”

“Really, it pained you to mess with my perfection?”

“Definitely, it was like a searing pain, my hand was shaking.  You know how perfection gets drawn to perfection Princess.”

“I suppose I can imagine.  So Harry Potter gets sent to an undisclosed location for training and Severus just shows up with his mysterious daughter.  Won’t people be suspicious of the coincidence?  One student leaves and another appears.”

“A Gryffindor boy disappears and a Slytherin girl appears.”

“I don’t know, it still seems close, maybe I should drop back a year or something.  Well I suppose I could go up a year but I’m not sure how good I would do and then Snape would completely freak out about having a less than brilliant daughter and it would be all awful for me.  Drills and extra essays and I still can’t hold the quill properly or anything.”

“Offering to drop back is noble Princess but then you have to stay an extra year and won’t you be bored out of your mind?  And also not in any of my classes which is unacceptable.  What if we lie about your age and pretend you’re fifteen but doing the sixth year classes?”

“Oh, that’s good.  Because I am a bit on the small side you might have noticed, I think it would be believable.”

“Yes, perhaps” said Draco with a matching smirk.

“So Severus unveils his daughter and she gets sorted into his house and she’s all home-schooled and brilliant so she goes up a year, and her name is Primrose Snape?”

“I am afraid I will have to concede that Primrose sounds stupid.  Tomorrow we’ll find a book of Roman Empresses and find something that matches your daddy.”

“A Roman Empress?  Really, because of Severus?  And not so that you can justify continuing to call me Princess?”

“Not at all, that’s merely frosting.”

“Draco, I...”  Harry was half on Draco’s lap as she often was.  She looked down at her feet which Draco was stroking, his warm thumbs rubbing her arches just so.  “Draco, you like me don’t you?”

Draco started turning pink but he didn’t stop rubbing.  “I do like you Harry, I have always liked you I think, I think that’s why I was always needling you, I always wanted you to be concentrating on me.”

“I think I can understand that, but what about how all my bits have shifted?  I mean if you liked me before when I was a boy how can you like me now when I’m a girl?

“Is that a wizard thing?  Not caring about the bits part?  Because of polyjuice and metamorphmaguses and whatever other wizard world thing there is that I haven’t heard of yet?”

“I think it’s a Draco and Harry thing actually.  But you are so beautiful now, you were intriguing and powerful and mesmerizing before and I was like a moth drawn to your flame.  But now you’re a flame that’s fifty times brighter and if we go back to Hogwarts and you go to Gryffindor and start sneering at me with your friends.  I don’t know what I’ll do.

My Slytherin status is shot: my father is in prison, my mother turned traitor on the Dark Lord, all I will have going for me is being the teacher’s pet.  That’s not much in the Slytherin world.”

“No, I don’t imagine it is.”  Harry put her chin on Draco’s shoulder in a commiserating manner.  “Having a super hot girlfriend who is also the Head’s daughter would help wouldn’t it?”

“Girlfriend?”  Draco looked at her hard with an eyebrow raised.

“Well no, I don’t think I’m really ready for that but we could hang out all the time together like this (you know with the foot rubs) and let people think what they will.”

“That would be immensely gratifying, especially Pansy’s face.”

“Yes, I would think so.  That’s a lot of wins for Draco though and not much for Harry.  I mean you want to call me Prim, I need a bit back don’t you think?”

Draco had to squeeze her for that.  He kept forgetting that Harry was a Slytherin, or would be soon.  “What can I offer you Princess?”

“I want to take the next generation of Death Eaters away from Voldemort.  I want you to sway as many as you can, they don’t have to join Dumbledore lots of gray neutral people is fine with me.  A war is coming Draco, Voldemort will use your friends -our peers- as his soldiers, he’ll send them out in the front lines like expendable expendables, I don’t know.  And I’ll be on the other side of that line and I don’t want to fire curses at kids my own age.”

“Princess, you don’t have to be on that line anymore, remember?  We’re getting you a new name and you can just walk away.”

“I can’t Draco, it’s gone too far already.  I’m going to end it.  If I was willing to just curl up and slip away I wouldn’t be that intriguing, mesmerizing boy that captivated you.  Would I?”

“You will make a stunning Slytherin.  The whole house will be at your feet,” Draco went back to squeezing and rubbing said feet.

“Excellent, are they all as talented as you are?”

“Not even close, and don’t bother checking on that.”

Harry laughed and went back to laying on the couch, stretching out luxuriously and closing her eyes again.  A fluffly light blanket appeared over her and she snuggled down into it, drifting back into a glorious nap.

The next day found them in the same position.  Harry barefoot again despite the mound of shoes Severus had made for her.  Draco had a much bigger book laying across Harry’s legs.  “Valeria?”  There was a noncommittal sort of hum response to that name.

“Drusilla?”  that got him the heel in the groin, a smile and an emphatic head shake no.

“Orestilla?” 

“No, -illa names, they remind me of Godzilla.”

“Who is Godzilla?  Some muggle performer?”

Harry laughed and sat up to explain to Draco all about Japanese monster movies, their afternoon plans solidified with a trip to the cinema.  But the afternoon was still hours away so Draco, to Harry’s dismay, opened the book of stupid names again.

“Lollia?”

“Doesn’t that sound as if my neck doesn’t work and my head just kind of lolls around?”  Harry demonstrated, Draco laughed a short bright sound and then went right back to the book.

“Paulina?” 

“Doesn’t that sound as if my dad should be Paul and not Severus?”

“Severina?”

“Doesn’t that sound like what I’ll do to your balls if you ever call me that?”  Draco crossed his legs but went back to the book.

“I suppose Severa is out too then?”

“That sounds like I’m a haughty severe sort of person, I don’t think I could pull it off.”  Harry wrinkled her nose and her forehead (adorably) in an attempt at a severe frown and Draco beeped her nose.

“Agreed, Poppaea?”

“Poopy?  Don’t you dare!”

“Bruttia?”

“I beg your pardon.”

“Vibia?”

“Sounds like one of my new parts,” Harry said, shifting her hips and almost killing Draco.

“Publia?” he croaked before they both dissolved in laughter. 

“Orbiana?”  Harry puffed out her cheeks and tried to make her face as round as possible.  Draco took her cheeks in his long fingers and squeezed so that she looked like a fish instead, “Piscea?”

“Manlia?” 

“Subtle that, how about Harrilia then?”

“Aurelia?” 

“That’s another bit.”

“Livia?”

“Bit.”

“Crispina?” 

“That’s just dumb.”

“Cornelia?”

“Dumber.”

“Fundana.”

“Dumbest, just stop.  Let’s get lunch and go watch a movie.”

The third morning it was a book of stars.  Draco didn’t notice how Harry was withdrawing until he suggested Eridanus and didn’t get a response.

“M’not a Black you know.”

“What do you know about the Blacks Harry?”

“Oh loads, Sirius was my godfather, he was going to take me away from the Dursleys and we were going to live together, until I got him killed.”

“Harry, how did you get him killed?  I heard that my mother’s sister Bellatrix killed him.”  Harry just shrugged and rolled over to hide her face in the couch cushions.  She started to curl up too but Draco grabbed her feet and held on to them, rubbing them almost too hard.  “You didn’t kill him Harry, stop thinking that.”

Harry didn’t move and Draco despaired a bit.  He was getting to know Harry better each day and he knew just how she would hold onto this guilt and let it eat her up while she refused real food and pulled herself away from her friends. 

“How about a fairytale princess then?”  He moved her feet with a little pat and came back shortly with a greatly worn book.  “Have you ever heard about Princess Rosette?”

Draco distracted Harry with that story and the one about Princess Mayblossom.  “Mayblossom would be a highly excellent name wouldn’t it?”

“I don’t know, it sounds kind of silly to me.  Headmaster Mayblossom?  Minister Mayblossom?  No thank you.”

“Oh, so you can be polite and not just make noises or kick me when you don’t like a name?  I’m going to hold you to real words now.”  Draco smirked just as lunch was announced.

Later that evening Snape was helping Harry with her penmanship, he seemed particularly vested in her mastering the quill -perhaps because he knew he would be stuck reading her scrawled essays. 

“Professor,” Harry began softly and Snape turned to look at her, “I’m sure you’ve heard Draco and I kicking around names, you know in case I choose to return to Hogwarts under a different identity,” Snape nodded, “and as my dad sir, if you had any thoughts or suggestions, it should really be up to you.  As long as it isn’t you know, too stupid or anything.”

“I understand Harry.  In case you didn’t know it is my wish as well that you return to Hogwarts under a different identity.  What is Draco’s master plan these days?  You pretend to be fifteen instead of sixteen to further confuse the issue and get sorted into Slytherin with him?”

“Yeah pretty much, has he told you my terms for that scenario?”

“No, Harry, I was unaware you had negotiated.”

Harry gave her father a small proud smile, “he’s going to help me turn the Slytherins away from the Dark Lord.  They don’t have to swear allegiance to Dumbledore or the Ministry of course; we just want to keep them from being marked.  That’s my demand.”

“Very nice Harry, I will of course do all I can to aid you and Draco.”

“Thank you sir, and clearly you can see how difficult it would be for me to influence a house such as Slytherin with the name Mayblossom.  I mean the Hufflepuffs would be enchanted with me but I need a strong noble name to be the Princess of Slytherin.”

“I will devote my every thought to the matter.  And Harry, even if we do not pursue Draco’s plan, no matter what you choose to do, you may, if you want, address me as your father.”

“Thank you sir, it would perhaps be good if I began getting used to that.  Do you want me to be all formal and call you father or would da be okay?”

Severus turned his head away but Harry saw the glassy sheen in his eyes, “from you Harry I think I would prefer da.” 

“Da it is then,” and Harry Potter to her utter shock shifted around until she was kneeling on her chair and could reach up to wrap her arms around the evil slimy git Severus Snape and hug him.

Snape brought his arms around his daughter too, “I’m sorry Harry, sorry for acting like I hated you, sorry for the occlumency, sorry for Sirius, sorry you had to spend all those years at the Dursleys, I’m so sorry I never knew.”

Harry started weeping on her father’s shoulder.  Stupid girl hormones she thought viciously but it felt so good to have her da holding her and telling her he was sorry for all those miserable years.  “I will make it up to you now sweetheart.  I will keep you safe and happy and I will always always be there when you need me.”  And for the tenth time (it seemed) since she became a girl, Harry cried herself to sleep.

The next morning Draco didn’t bring a book with him to his seat on the couch.  “Now you’ve done it Princess.”  Harry cracked open one eye curiously, and Draco continued, “You’re going to let Severus name you? Have you lost your mind?  And here I thought you cared.”

He shifted around and pulled a bit of parchment out of his pocket, “I prepared a list of the worst names I could imagine Severus giving you.  I thought perhaps if you heard them first it would make it easier later.  Are you ready then?  Got your little heel lined up with my nuts just so?”

Harry twisted around and gave Draco an incredulous look, then she pulled her foot back experimentally, it seemed to be in place, so she nodded.  Draco adjusted himself too and took a deep breath, “alright then the Spanish name for princess is Edelmira.”

“He wouldn’t!”  Draco just looked at Harry and Harry thunked her head (harder than she intended) on the arm of the sofa.

“Other famous princesses that wizards seem inexplicably fond of are Ermengard and Ingeltrude.”  Harry was writhing a bit and moaning no.

“It’s also likely that he will wish to subtly honor your mother, Spathiphyllum is the proper botanical name for the peace lily.  Nereida is just full of meanings, Roman goddesses, stars and a lily it’s like a three-for one; hard to imagine how a man who overthinks everything will pass that one up.”  Harry was trying to smother herself with a pillow now.

Draco continued on, “I also thought he might rather like the whole peace theme it has that lily tie in but it could also work to subtly influence you away from the war, Concordia was the goddess of peace, Selima is Arabic for peace -and has nice alliteration Selima Snape, Serena Snape sounds pretty good too, I could see him going for that.  Selena is the moon goddess.  Like any of those Princess?  Groan once for yes and twice for ‘oh god no’ what have I done now?”

Harry groaned twice, actually thrice, what had she been thinking?  What an appalling show of sappiness allowing Severus Snape to name her.

Bill and Draco had always been a bit cordial to each other, partially the Weasley/Malfoy feud, partially their pointless battling for Harry’s affections (pointless because she liked them both a lot and in different ways and neither way was overly romantic at this point) but that night, when Bill heard what Harry had done, Bill and Draco got along swimmingly.  They made clever (in their opinion) jokes all night long, “Severus, did you know that Berenice is a lovely Egyptian name meaning ‘victory bringer’?”  Even Severus had to laugh as Harry slammed her head on the table and got potatoes in her hair.

That night after dinner they met in the library to finalize the story.  Tomorrow Severus had to bring Draco and Harry to Hogwarts, the quarantine was over.  They were going to tell Albus the truth about Lily and the potion.  Neither Bill nor Severus planned to apologize for leaving Dumbledore in the dark for the last two weeks, they had wanted Harry to have that time to quietly adjust and it had worked out well.  End of story.

Harry was going to be introduced at the sorting ceremony as Snape’s daughter and she would be sorted into Slytherin (Harry assured them it would be no problem). She would take classes with Draco and help to sway the students away from the Dark Lord.

They decided Albus could figure out the details of Harry Potter spending the year abroad.  Albus Dumbledore had spent so much of his time controlling the details of Harry Potter’s life why ask him to stop now, but Snape’s daughter was different.  They were going to be her protectors and Albus would have no say there.

It was Bill who came up with the best idea though, that they should find some polyjuice and have Harry become Harry Potter once more and say goodbye to his friends for the year.  They could do it at headquarters and have Draco polyjuiced as Princess get introduced to the trio at the same time.  Harry was a tiny bit hesitant about fooling Hermione but he realized that he didn’t really have to, he was supposed to be just himself and Draco could screw up Princess a bit if he wanted since it would be their first meeting and he was certain he’d get sorted into Slytherin.

Harry thought to ask where they would get a piece of his hair from last year and then he realized that surely the Order of the Phoenix had some.  It would be stupid of them not to have Harry’s hair and polyjuice sitting around for just this sort of ruse.  Maybe that was why Bill had thought of it.  Draco noticed the path Harry’s thoughts were travelling and squeezed his hand.

He tried to tease her back to good humor, “If I’m you Princess will I have to rub my own feet or do you think Harry Potter will do it for me?”

“I think it might scar me mentally to rub someone polyjuiced as me quite frankly.  I’m sure the whole time I’ll be convinced you’re a mirror across the room or something.  Just swear to me you won’t use the loo.”

Severus turned green and stated quite strongly, “I can swear to you Harry that Mister Malfoy will be given no opportunity at all to explore the body he is polyjuiced into.  If necessary I can keep him unconscious until he is on the stoop of the building.”

Harry laughed, “yeah Da, I think that would help my peace of mind immensely.  Remember Draco, not even if Hermione or Ginny try to drag you off in one of those girl herd things.”

“I can promise quite solemnly myself that I will not partake in such girl behavior with them.”

“And don’t start things you know I can’t finish -like being mean to my friends.”

“So many rules, Princess.  However will I know what to do or say?  Keep in mind my brain will shrink down to your size too.”

Harry launched herself at Draco and even though she was much smaller now she still remembered how to tackle like a boy.  Draco slammed his head on the rug in a really satisfying way.  Bill and Severus just laughed.  Harry found herself perched on top of Draco, one knee on either side of his slim hips and Draco laughing up at her, she wished that Severus and Bill weren’t watching so closely.  And she wished she was a little more comfortable with being a girl, but Draco wasn’t doing anything sexual or looking for anything sexual.  So she just beeped him on the nose and they all laughed some more.

The next morning was a bit crazy.  Severus and Draco had gently pointed out that it was too dangerous for Harry to bring her old things.  Harry mostly accepted that but there were a few things which she could not leave behind: her Firebolt, the cloak, the map and the photo album.  Hedwig was also a problem.  Harry decided that she would loan her to Mrs. Weasley for the year that should keep her from being at Hogwarts most of the time and hanging out on Harry’s shoulder too much.

“I don’t know” she joked to Draco, “you’re going to have to be my surrogate Ron, Hermione and Hedwig -that’s a lot of entertaining even for you.” 

“Is it so hard to imagine making new friends among the Slytherins?”  Draco was a little hurt but Harry just laughed. 

“Oh my god, I never thought of that.  I keep thinking of the big mission and swaying people and keeping my cover, I forgot that they’re mates too.  You’re absolutely right Draco, thanks for reminding me.”

Draco was a little shocked and a little smug, until Harry continued, “so who should my besty be Pansy or Millicent?”

Draco groaned and buried his head at the horrible image of his sweet princess cackling with those witches.  “Never mind, don’t talk to them.”

Draco and Snape had of course purchased a new trunk for Harry.  Usually school trunks had initials on them but there was no such hint on Harry’s.  “I can easily add it later can’t I?” Snape had smirked when Harry petulantly pointed it out.

The trunk was bigger and nicer than Harry’s old one but even so it barely held all the clothes and trinkets Draco had bought her in the last two weeks and the pile of shoes Snape had transfigured for her.  “You can leave some things here you know.  How many pairs of sandals do you need in Scotland in September?”

“I suppose you’re right,”  said Harry glumly from her position sitting on the trunk trying to get it to close. 

“Or perhaps a shrinking charm.”

“But they’re already transfigured, I don’t want to mess them up.”

“Mess them up by wearing them?”  Malfoy asked smirking at her bare feet.

Harry just stuck her tongue out at him; sometimes that was the only possible response to Draco.

“Shrink the shoes or leave some home so there’s room for one more thing.”  Draco ordered.

“What thing?” asked Harry.

Draco pulled out his wand and summoned a package from his room across the hall.  It was medium sized and kind of light, Harry was instantly intrigued.  At Draco’s nod he tore the paper off and found himself holding a white owl plushie.  Instantly Harry remembered all of Dudley’s plushies and how he was never allowed to touch them unless he was putting them away for Dudley.  He remembered how he used to ‘carry them’ hugged tightly to his tiny chest and Aunt Petunia would yell even for that. 

So of course Harry started to cry, his first plushie and it was his Hedwig who he was so upset about missing and it was so thoughtful of Draco and he was a stupid helpless girl now and cried at everything anyway. 

Draco might have felt all manly and protective at Harry’s tears a week ago but now he just dug out another handkerchief and passed it over.  He wasn’t stupid enough to miss out on a good hugging opportunity though, even if it did seem to prolong the waterworks.  Nobody really cared if they kept Dumbledore waiting.

When Draco and Harry were finally ready and waiting in front of the fireplace with their trunks all packed for the year.  Severus appeared from his study with a trunk of his own and a briefcase stuffed with papers.  Snape’s eyes drifted over the figures and paused at Harry’s feet, she was wearing the first pair of sandals he had transfigured for her and he felt a bit of a loss at not having a reason to make shoes for her today.  He slid his wand back up his sleeve and approached the pair.  “Are you ready Harry?”

‘Yes Da,” she replied but she still looked like she was going to the gallows.

Luckily Severus had just the thing to take her mind off things; he had chosen a name for his daughter this morning.  He wanted to have one before Albus could bully them into something of his own political choosing.  “I have decided on a new name for you Harry, I think it might be a prudent time to share.”

“Really sir?”  Harry was instantly curious, there was a thunk as Draco dropped his trunk and stepped closer.

Five minutes later they were drying their eyes and taking deep calming breaths, preparing to floo once more.  Severus went first and stepped smartly out into the headmaster’s office, Draco followed and then they both turned and put their hands out to catch Harry.

Dumbledore had expected Severus (ten minutes ago) and Draco but he almost choked on his lemon drop when the third person popped out on his rug.

"Headmaster," began Snape as formal with him as ever, "may I introduce my daughter, Brogan Snape."

Draco had dropped the charm on Harry's eyes earlier that morning, they thought it might help them to convince the headmaster if he had too many annoying questions.  And sure enough one look at Brogan's eyes convinced him.  Much like Ollivander he seemed to be visually cataloging all the Snape features and all the Evans features and adding them up to the creature before him.

He sat down with a thump and Fawkes trilled a laugh.  Brogan looked over at the perch and smiled brightly,"Hello Fawkes!"  Fawkes instantly flew over to the girl and settled on her shoulder, nuzzling her ear and tugging on her hair.  Draco was extremely impressed.

Dumbledore listened quietly to the story that Snape had pieced together from the evidence.  He waved his hand dismissively at Snape's decision to fake the quarantine and give himself time to get to know his daughter and Harry time to get used to her new identity.

They launched into their plan for the future and Albus went along with that too, mumbling softly about Ollivander being a goat when he saw Brogan's beautiful wand.  He even approved of polyjuicing Brogan so she could say goodbye to Ron and Hermione as Harry.  He offered to call a meeting for the next evening, needing the slight delay so he could come up with a convincing destination for Harry.

"Miss Snape," he said and was pleased when she looked up right away, "why don't you try on the hat while you're here and see if your resorting will be acceptable.  Best not to leave it to chance."

Brogan nodded and walked over to the grubby old hat, she suddenly remembered pulling the sword of Gryffindor out of the hat and faltered.  Maybe it was best to do this in private; she gingerly placed the hat on her head, startled when it fit so much better than last time.  And then the voice was whispering in her head again, "oh ho, so it's Miss Brogan Snape now, do you think this changes things missy?  Well of course it does, both more than you think and also less than you fear."  Brogan smiled a bit at the reassuring words, "Slytherin this time Miss Snape?  Yes, I think I can support that choice."  And then the seam was opening and the hat called out, "Slytherin!"

Dumbledore actually clapped a bit, and Fawkes trilled some, Draco and Snape just sighed in relief.  At the last moment Brogan hadn't seemed very confident at all.

The house elves popped their trunks away to Snape's quarters and they dragged themselves away to freshen up for lunch.  Brogan was missing her morning nap something fierce and there were eight thousand steps between the headmaster's tower and the dungeon.  She grumbled over five thousand of them.  In fact she was so sleepy and out of it that she walked straight to the totally secret and absolutely hidden Slytherin dorm entrance a few steps ahead of Draco and Severus. 

She stopped and leaned her head against the blank bit of wall the entrance was hidden behind.  "Brogan," Severus began softly, "why did you come here?"

Brogan opened her eyes and looked around, "oh sorry, are we not going to the dorms?"

"No, we're going to my private quarters, but Brogan, how do you know this is the entrance to the Slytherin dorms?"  The voice that Brogan was so used to being gentle and supportive was rather harsh.

Brogan popped awake and all the blood drained from her face before it all rushed back to her cheeks.  Even Draco was looking at her rather coldly.

"Hmm," Brogan tried to stall, "that's kind of a long story from many many years ago.  Why don't I tell you over lunch?"

"I'm sure," scoffed Draco and he led her down the hall to another blank piece of wall which opened at Snape's password, ‘privacy'.

Severus himself was surprised to find his spare bedroom had divided itself into two rooms, each rather small but sufficient for Draco and Brogan.  He was pleased when Brogan took the room in the middle.  The ex-Malfoy house elf Dobby appeared suddenly with all their trunks and things.  He did a triple take over Harry and Brogan gently drew him aside to explain that there had been a bad potion that made her look like a boy all those years but she was healed now.  Dobby could not deny that his beloved Harry Potter seemed happy. 

"Now Dobby," Brogan continued, "you remember all the bad wizards that were after Harry Potter right?"  Dobby's huge eyes went straight to Draco and he gave him a bit of a glare before he nodded.  "NOT Draco Dobby, maybe Draco's father but not Draco, not anymore.  Well those bad wizards don't know that I'm Brogan Snape now and we're not going to tell them, we're not going to tell anyone except the people in this room and the headmaster and Bill Weasley, because that way I will be safer.  Right Dobby?  Can you help with that plan Dobby?"

"Yes, Dobby understands that plan and can help with it.  But Mistress Brogan, the other house elves that knew Harry Potter well will know it is you.  Can Dobby bring them here too so we can explain?"

Brogan thought for a moment about spending her precious napping time using small words with house elves, "You know what Dobby, why don't you bring them all to the headmaster?  He can explain it too and if they're confused he can order them to keep it a secret."

"That is a great idea Mistress Brogan.  Dobby will do that."

"Thanks Dobby," Brogan said with another great smile, "I'm kind of glad you recognized me so we can still be friends.  Is there anyone else that you think will know it's me, besides the house elves?"

Dobby thought for a while, "Professor Flitwick will probably know, he is good at noticing magics.  Master Firenze will know but Dobby doesn't think Professor Trelawney will."

Brogan looked a little horrified by the list but Severus was just thoughtful.  "When you bring the house elves to the headmaster tell him about the others too.  Very astute work Dobby.  Thank you."

Dobby blushed furiously and bowed to everyone, he snapped his fingers and the trunks were in the correct rooms.  Then he disappeared himself.

Severus walked over to his daughter and rubbed her shoulders.  "It will be alright Brogan, they are decent people who will respect your secrets.  Why don't you go take your nap?"

Brogan nodded dumbly, she waved a bit to Draco who was prowling around the room and then stumbled off to her new bed in her newest new room in her father's quarters.  When she woke she had no memory at all of taking off her sandals, getting under the covers, and certainly no memory of pulling out her new stuffed owl and wrapping her arms around it, and yet, there she was.

There were no windows, neither fake nor underwater so it was kind of hard to judge the time.  She felt nice and refreshed though.  Draco was waiting for her on the couch, "afternoon Princess," he greeted her.  He pulled his nose out of his book enough to gesture to the plate on the coffee table in front of him.  "You missed lunch so eat all of that and we can go for a broom ride."

"Really?  We can go flying?  Awesome!"  Lunch was quickly dispatched, shoes were found for Brogan and they were marching out into the sunlight.

Brogan hadn't been flying since the change of course and there had been a debate among them about whether her flying style would be too recognizable as Harry Potter and whether the Firebolt was too recognizable -but nobody was here now.  They swooped and soared and found a practice snitch and only touched down because Brogan had to pee.  "Can't you find a bush Princess?" 

"No," she hissed, "I'm not that good at it yet."  Draco fell over laughing and they both sped on their brooms back to the castle, and the loo.

For dinner that night they went to the Great Hall and everyone sat together at one house table.  There were several professors there, including McGonagall.  She was very polite when she met Brogan and she only seemed to be looking over her shoulder for Harry.

"So Brogan, aren't you a lovely girl.  How did you become reunited with your father?"  They had rehearsed this story more than once so Brogan trilled on about homeschooling and how her mother was offered a position on the continent so they decided she should come live with her da for a bit.  Severus was such an insanely private person that he could have had a daughter, legitimate or not all these years.

Dumbledore piped up that although Miss Snape was only fifteen she had tested into the sixth form curriculum and how Mr. Malfoy would be available to help her out if she needed it.  For perhaps the first time in her life Professer McGonagall gave Draco Malfoy an indulgent smile.  Draco preened a bit under her pleasure, the candlelight was very flattering to his features and he was sitting very close to Brogan.  Severus was ready to sneer at them for laying it on so thick but then he couldn't be sure they were acting after all.

The next night Brogan was a mess.  Dumbledore had produced a smattering of letters from Ron and Hermione that he had promised to deliver for them.  Brogan quickly read all the get well wishes and felt awful for not responding.  Why hadn't Dumbledore delivered them earlier?  Or Hedwig?  Who knew, it was too late to write back now, and then she had another sick thought, how was she supposed to correspond with her friends when her penmanship was so out of whack?

Without a further thought Brogan burst in on her father in his potions lab, "Da!"  Severus almost dumped a whole vial of gunk into his cauldron.  But he stilled himself in time, carefully put the vial down, cast a quick stasis charm and looked up.

"Yes, Brogan dear?"

"How will I write to Ron and Hermione when my penmanship is so messed up?"

"I am pleased Brogan that you are unaware of the many charms that exist to change penmanship.  Are you quite sure you've never charmed something Miss Granger wrote to look like you did it?"

A slow flush went up Brogan's cheeks.  "Oh, yeah, I might have heard of such a charm I guess..."

"Excellent, now are you ready for this evening?  Would you like me to quiz you on the salient points again?"

"No, that's alright.  It's going to be bizarre though, and I haven't decided how I feel about the Headmaster having a sample of my hair on hand."

"That is understandably disturbing but convenient nonetheless and as a newly minted Slytherin you must learn to value pragmatism above idealism."

"I think that's going to be the hardest part for me," Brogan agreed glumly.

"Brogan," Snape tangled his fingers in her curls, "don't try too hard on that.  We love you just the way you are."

Brogan was a little unsure of who the we referred to but she had her suspicions and she cherished the sentiment all the same.  They shared a brief hug and then Brogan returned to her room.  Between Dobby and Minksy they had acquired a genuine Harry Potter ensemble from Spinner's End, it was all laid out on Brogan's bed.  She was looking at it longingly when Draco came in.

"So what shall I wear tonight Brogan?  You want to make a good impression right?"

"Then I'm sure you should pick it out yourself Draco."

Draco nodded his agreement and walked to her dresser as if he owned it.  "Just because you bought more than half the clothes in there doesn't mean you actually own it Draco."  Brogan pointed out, Draco scoffed.

Aside from her uniform Brogan didn't own any skirts or dresses.  Draco had desperately wanted to see her legs on display but he was too sensitive to suggest it in those first tentative weeks.  The black cargo pants were definitely Brogan's favorites and the t-shirts Bill had bought her that second day.   

Just because Draco was raised as a proper little pompous pure blood wizard didn't mean that he didn't approve of Brogan's choices.  Her cargo pants fit her perfectly and she often used all the different pockets, the shirts were fitted just enough and they were cute and fun.  "I think Brogan, that you have done much better at not looking like a boy trapped in a girl's body lately," 

Brogan smiled easily, "but..."

Draco turned to her rueful at being so predictable, "but real girls wear more jewelry. When I thought of it I picked up a few simple things for you.  This is a simple string necklace -no precious jewels or anything, just string in pretty knots."

It was in fact nothing more than green and grey string with pretty knots, Brogan couldn't figure out how it opened or closed but Draco took it gently from her, placed it around his own neck and then tapped the ends with his wand.  They sealed up seamlessly.   Brogan admired it on his throat, "it is nice, so I get it after tonight?"

"Of course," said Draco, "there's a bracelet too, is that alright?"  Brogan inspected the bracelet that Draco was already wearing.  It went with the necklace but wasn't exactly the same.  She nodded.

Draco had pulled out a very light grey t-shirt that went well with the black.  He turned to look at the heap of transfigured shoes.  "Maybe I should skip them, just to be true to your character Princess."

"Maybe," Brogan agreed.  "It doesn't matter overly; if you need them Da will make you a pair."

"You're so adorable when you call him Da and he makes you shoes."

"We're allowed to be friendly tonight right?  The story is that we spent the last two weeks together at Spinner's End, you helping to nurse me back to health after the dragon pox."

Draco pulled their intertwined fingers up and pecked one of her fingertips, "Yes, I think we can be friendly, but if they think Harry likes Brogan then Ron and Hermione will be even crankier when they see how much Draco likes her."

Brogan blushed, "I guess that's a good point.  I wouldn't want to make them hate you even more."  Draco's lips were still hovering near Brogan's hand and she could feel his breath puffing on her fingertips when he spoke.  It sent shivers up her spine and she unconsciously tilted her head and leaned in closer.  Draco slid his other hand to her jaw and leaned over to carefully peck her chastely on the lips. 

Severus arrived shortly after with two goblets.  "Urgh I hate that stuff!"  Brogan burst out and then clamped a hand over her mouth in horror.  It was much too late, both Severus and Draco rounded on her.

"That's it Brogan, spill now."  Severus ordered.

"In my second year when there was that whole Heir of Slytherin thing going on we were sure that Draco knew who the heir was so Ron and I polyjuiced ourselves as Crabbe and Goyle and went in the common room with him and asked about it.  That's all."

"You brewed polyjuice in second year?  You stole my boomslang skin didn't you?"

"There is definitely a statute of limitations on being cross about these things.  Nobody was injured, well except Hermione I guess.  She put a cat hair in her goblet instead of Millicent's and it didn't turn out too well.  Trust me, she was punished enough."

"I suppose you are correct, and our time just now is limited.  Change into your old clothes, take this and meet me by the fire in five minutes. 

Draco, have you selected a suitable ensemble?"  Draco held up the pants and t-shirt.  "You need underthings as well Mr. Malfoy."  Brogan grabbed a random bra and pair of underpants, she balled them up and passed them to Draco.

"I will supervise Draco's transformation," Snape restated for the umpteenth time.  Brogan gave Draco a very sympathetic look and they made their way out.

It was kind of fun for Brogan to put on her old clothes, they had brought her glasses too.  And Snape had transfigured a fake wand to look just like the holly wand.  Draco had Brogan's new wand, it worked pretty well for him.  It didn't really work with him though.

She felt extremely weird and not at all as comfortable as she thought she would feel making her way to the fireplace.  She was nervous about seeing Draco as Brogan too.  Soon enough Severus's door banged open and the pair came out.  Brogan/Draco was blushing, which wasn't as shocking as Snape blushing.

"Da!" said Harry urgently, "you're blushing!  We can't go to Grimmauld Place with you like that."

"Give me a moment Brogan," said Snape while putting a hand on the bridge of his nose.

Draco was also taking deep calming breaths, but a few were too deep and caused his bosom to sort of heave and the blushing began anew.

"Remember, I'm not really a girl.  I was like this for sixteen years and it's all still awkward equipment for me too."  Draco nodded tightly but didn't say anything. 

Time was wasting, they each had two more doses tucked in their pockets but it was best to keep moving.  The headmaster had given Draco the secret address but he stood aside while Severus went first, then Harry, then Draco.  Draco thought for a moment about whether he should stumble because Harry always did and if anyone saw Brogan floo in the future she would surely stumble, but it wasn't really a question, he stumbled anyway in his unfamiliar body.

Draco was surprisingly gratified to see all the Weasley men checking him out.  He sighed in relief that he wasn't expected to know Fred from George.  The pair of them descended on him with a hungry glint in their eyes.  Severus smoothly cut them off by stepping in front of Brogan and putting an arm around her shoulders.  Snape was really tall compared to Brogan, everyone was Draco marveled.  No wonder they all had such a manly desire to pick her up and carry her places.  Being barefoot didn't help either Draco realized as he stubbed a toe on the uneven floor.

For a moment he remembered the joint threat from Snape and Bill about harming one of Brogan's toes and then he realized he was the one in actual pain.  Severus saw the wince and halted immediately.  He looked down and made a believable show of being shocked at finding his daughter barefoot, "again Brogan?" he asked in that deadly silky voice.  Draco shrugged.

Snape pointed his wand at her feet and a pair of light gray ballet slippers appeared.  They felt like the softest kid skin, Brogan noticed Harry smirking at him as if to say, see -doesn't it feel nice and also, save those I need to add them to my pile.  Draco was struck by how weird it was to be able to read Harry Potter's faces.  He swallowed and hoped this whole thing worked.  They had remembered to lighten Brogan's eye color and they had put on the cover-up lotion, but surely someone would notice that Brogan and Harry had the same expressions. 

He wished they had taken the potions earlier so they could have worked through some of the strangeness in Snape's quarters instead of surrounded by the Order of the Phoenix.  The Order people were all being cautiously cordial to Snape's daughter, imagine if Molly Weasley realized she had just called Draco Malfoy a dear and shook his hand?

Draco was hugely relieved that he already knew a lot of the people there from his own life; he was much too distracted to learn names for real now.  Eventually he made his way around the room to Hermione, Ron and Ginny.  Harry was standing with Ginny much too close and they were all whispering urgently when Hermione caught sight of Brogan.  She smiled kindly and stuck out a hand, "How do you do Brogan, I'm Hermione Granger a sixth year in Gryffindor House.   This is my friend Ron Weasley and his sister Ginny.  Ginny is your age although I understand you'll be in our classes."

Draco politely shook all the hands, "Yeah, I'm ahead in some things and not so much in others but Da decided it was better that I have to scramble rather than be bored.  And he promised to get me a tutor."

"Have you been sorted yet?"  Ginny asked even though all the Gryffindors knew she would be in Slytherin.

"Yes, we did it in the Headmaster's office the other day, the hat said Slytherin.  Not a big shock I guess with Da being the head."

"I'm sure you'll make a lot of close friends there Brogan." said Harry.

"I hope so, I'll miss you though Harry."

"Brogan has been around the last few weeks helping Professor Snape and feeding me potions and stuff.  You have to remember shoes at Hogwarts Brogan, the castle is freezing and all the floors are rough stone."

Brogan blushed, "I'm sure if the floors are that nasty I'll remember."

"Ginny, you should see the mountain of shoes that Brogan has, all transfigured by Professor Snape.  He makes a pair for her every day just about, I'm sure if Professor McGonagall saw she would give him top marks."

"The pair he made you today are really sweet," Ginny commented, she put her foot next to Brogan's and was disappointed to see how much smaller the grey flats were.  "Funny to imagine Professor Snape reviewing fashion magazines for ideas."

They all laughed politely at that.  "So Harry, Mum and Dad said you aren't going to Hogwarts this year," Ron whined.

Draco stuck out Brogan's lip in an adorable little pout at the sad news and Ron stuttered a bit.  Harry just smirked at her and fake pouted back.  "Yeah, Dumbledore let me listen to that prophecy they were guarding last year and the Chosen One thing is pretty much accurate. 

We realized that if we want to end this war as quickly and efficiently as possible I can't be wasting my time learning about Goblin Wars or hinky punks you know.  So he set something up for me with a trainer.  The plan is to learn as much as I can, as fast as I can and then pick up my life again."

"Harry!"  Hermione was completely scandalized, "you can't let Dumbledore boss you around like that.  You're only sixteen; you can't be trained as a soldier yet.  It's illegal, it's immoral.  You have rights." 

Harry smiled gently at his friend, "Hermione I so appreciate the way you would rage against the Headmaster for me, but sixteen is the legal consent age to drop out of school.  And I'm okay with this, I prefer to stay busy and do concrete things you know, since Sirius died  I-I just can't sit around waiting."

Hermione had angry frustrated tears forming, "I know Harry, but you don't need to leave us to do useful things.  When you were in the Triwizard we learned all those handy spells together right?  We can do it again."

Harry was teary too, and he hugged his friend close, "Hermione that was a competition for teenagers, this is the most powerful dark wizard in decades.  We would spend all our time in the Restricted Section learning horrible things that can't be unlearned.  I don't want your beautiful mind full of evil spells."

Ron was impressed by his friend's smoothness, Draco wanted to give him a bloody award for best acting, Ginny looked like she just wanted to jump his sensitive and caring bones.  Draco thought more about it and realized that Harry must have had super girl insight powers all along, but then he thought of that Yule Ball and realized probably not.

Then it was time to eat and a sniffly Hermione took one side of Harry, Draco really wanted the other but he realized that this night was so Harry could say goodbye to his friends and instead he walked over near Severus and shyly looked up at him.  Severus smiled indulgently and took Draco by the hand to lead him to a seat near the Headmaster.

Dinner was tasty and afterwards they had a belated birthday cake for Harry which he really enjoyed.  Snape had carefully fed Harry his second dose, pretending it was something else for his dragon pox recovery.  Draco had faked a coughing fit and Snape had passed him his second dose.  They were safe for another forty-five minutes or so and Harry was chatting with his friends eating his second giant piece of birthday cake when the attack struck.

His hand flew to his scar as the pain burst forth and he quickly looked up for his Da.  He could feel Voldemort's glee; he could see Death Eaters swooping through the sky outside of Azkaban.  What the hell, they could fly without brooms now?

Ron had jumped up and his arms were wrapped tightly around Harry, before Dumbledore or Snape could even move.  Harry turned so that he could bury his face in Ron's shirt, grinding the burning scar against Ron's collar bone.  Then he was falling off his chair and dropping to the floor, Ron moving with him and never letting go.  "It's okay Harry mate," he whispered over and over again, even as the adults started to smother them in a circle of concern.

The circle drew back quickly when Harry pushed himself away from Ron to throw up all over the floor.  Ron never faltered though, rubbing his back and pulling him in to safety and security when it was over and someone had vanished the mess.

Snape, Bill and Draco were extremely agitated, they all wanted to snatch up Harry and whisk her back to Spinner's End but they all hesitated, unsure that they could do any better for her just now.  A most welcome distraction came moments later when a patronus appeared and announced in Tonks' voice that Azkaban was under attack and the Death Eaters were escaping.  Despite the confusion that erupted from that bit of news Snape could hear Ron whisper to Harry, "not that great of an early warning system then are you?" and he saw Harry's shoulders shake as he chuckled.

Dumbledore dragged the adults away to discuss how the Order should respond, particularly since they were not considered allies by the Ministry.  Hermione pulled Ginny away next, offering to get a wet flannel for Harry or something.  And then it was just Harry and Ron on the floor together in a tangle of legs and white knuckles. 

Ron felt Harry's shoulders shake in the way that meant he was sobbing silently.  He noticed that Brogan was still standing nearby and staring, he spared half a second to give her a dirty look in the hopes that she would leave, the tart certainly didn't seem inclined to leave -she looked like all she wanted to do was trade places with Ron. 

Ron pulled out the leg he had been sitting on and adjusted himself so he was more comfortable, and hopefully Harry was more comfortable too.  He tucked his face down closer to Harry's and whispered softly, "hey mate, what's wrong now?"

Harry rubbed his eyes on Ron's shirt and whispered back, "just wondering what I will do without you."

"Could I come with you?" Ron offered, "You know I'm not keen on those goblin wars either."

Harry looked up at Ron, the area all around his scar was red but the scar itself was the reddest, tear drops were glistening on his lashes, his whole face was blotchy and wan looking; Ron had seen Harry like this so many times.  Harry looked like he was about to keel over and even before he opened his mouth Ron knew that he was going to turn down any offer of help or comfort.

Hermione returned with the flannel and together they helped Harry up and back into his chair.  He sat for a while and sipped some tea but the polyjuice clock was running down.  Snape and Brogan appeared silently near him and Harry knew it was time to go.  He drained his cup in one long pull and pushed himself up.

He started the long round of goodbyes to all the Weasleys and gathered Order members.  It was a lot sadder than it would have been without the attack but eventually he got through everybody, including Hermione and Ron who looked like they would never let him go.

But then best friends realized their hugs were pretty much all that was holding Harry up.  Snape stepped in, "come along Mr. Potter, that's enough dramatics for someone just getting over the dragon pox.  I believe it's bedtime for you."

Harry gave Snape a grateful grin, "yes sir." He said softly and Snape hustled him over to the fire.  Draco had already gone through with the Headmaster so Snape slid his arm under Harry's and hauled him as close as he could without it looking too strange.  By the time they stepped out in his quarters back at Hogwarts Snape had to catch Harry and carry him in his arms.

He carefully removed the round glasses, laid her out on the bed and waited a few minutes until she reverted to her real form.  She looked even paler if that was possible.  Snape sat on the bed and looked at her for a while before he summoned a potion and woke her up enough to drink it.  Then he pulled off the too big shoes and socks and jeans but left her in the t-shirt and tucked her in.

Draco was sitting on the couch in his regular form and his pajamas when Snape finally left Brogan's room.  "It's intolerable that she suffers like this.  I have noticed how drawn she looks some mornings; she must put up silencing spells, dammit."

"I gave her a dreamless sleep, but I can't let her take it every night."

"No, but you can invent a potion she could take every night."

Snape nodded, his thoughts already on the potion he would be inventing.

Brogan opened her eyes and saw Bill Weasley sitting in the chair next to her bed.  She could see him clearly so she knew she was back to being a girl.  She stretched out and noticed how not far down the bed her toes travelled, yup back to being a girl.  "Hey Bill," she said softly and Bill looked at her over the journal he was reading, ‘Break That: Egyptian Edition'. 

Bill gave her a strange look; he was mad at her and worried and relieved and chagrined all at once.  "Have a nice nap Princess?  We were worried you might have taken the nickname literally and gone down for a century or something."

"What?" said Brogan sitting up and looking around the windowless room with no clock or calendar or whatever in it.  "How long have I been asleep?"

"Two days, after Severus flooed you back from headquarters he gave you one dose of dreamless sleep and it knocked you out for two days.  Why do you suppose that happened Brogan?"

Brogan blushed, "maybe I missed a few of my naps?"

"You've been casting silencing spells on your room haven't you?"

Brogan nodded miserably.  "Are they very mad?  Am I going to be sent back to the Dursleys now?"  Her voice was very soft and frightened.

Bill sighed, cursed the Dursleys in his head for making her so insecure, for making her hide every little hurt, sighed again and then climbed onto the bed next to her and pulled her on his lap.  She collapsed against him and started sobbing and apologizing. 

"I'm sorry," she hiccuped, "but my aunt and uncle used to get so cross and I know that my Da wouldn't but he would worry a lot and then he would smother me and I'm too old for that and I know I can't take Dreamless Sleep every night so I thought it was just best if I dealt with it myself."

 "We are mad," Bill started and Brogan was so horrified that she stopped sobbing for a moment and looked up, "we're all mad that you silenced your room and didn't tell us how much the visions hurt you.  And we're mad that You-Know-Who has a way to hurt you when we want to keep you safe.  Get it?"

Brogan shook her head, no.  Bill chuckled a little and rubbed her back, "well, we will just keep repeating it I guess until you do understand.  But for now, I'm going to step out and order some breakfast while you take a nice shower and get dressed, okay?

And one last thing Brogan, we placed a ward on your room to prevent any silencing spells.  I realize as a teenager that's a bit of an inconvenience but Severus and Draco don't want you hiding things from them anymore."

Brogan, nodded as she got up and started gathering fresh clothes for after her shower.  "Where are they now?" she asked with a quivery voice, so sure that they really hated her and didn't ever want to see her again.

"Same place they've been for the last two days, Severus's lab.  They're inventing a new potion for you to block the visions and make it so you can sleep."  Bill laughed as he watched the blush swoop up the girl's cheeks.  "Still think they would let you leave?"

They were just finishing up the huge breakfast that Dobby had brought them when a tired but satisfied looking Draco and Severus walked in.  They both smiled at seeing Brogan up and eating, they each walked right over to her too and gave her a hug and a peck and a ‘so glad you're alright'.  Brogan blushed like mad over all of it, and stabbed her bacon so she wouldn't have to look at them.

Severus sat down and poured himself a large cup of coffee.  "So Brogan, I trust Bill has told you about the ward on your room to prevent silencing spells?"

Brogan nodded miserably and Draco sat down next to her and took her hand to squeeze it.

"You have always been exceedingly stubborn, please don't try to take care of everything yourself, it isn't necessary and it makes us feel unwanted.  Okay?"

"Yes sir," said Brogan softly.  She didn't see Severus flinch a little, didn't see his hurt at not being called Da like Brogan always did.  But he let it go, eager to move on.

Now there were only a few days until the start of term. Dumbledore offered to let Draco and Brogan portkey to King's Cross and take the Hogwarts Express with their friends but since they were sixth years they politely declined "the experience". Nonetheless Draco was bubbling with excitement. He was corresponding daily with several of his friends, boasting of course at being at Hogwarts already and the potion he and Severus were inventing together, and the biggest news of all, how he was becoming fast friends with Snape's daughter.

Brogan was pleased that Draco was getting back in his form, so long as he kept civil to the other houses this year. She was thinking about the year starting and how strange to not be up in Gryffindor tower with her mates but how she would be down in Slytherin instead and with a shock she realized she would have to go to a girl's dorm. Suddenly she was flying down the corridor to Snape's private lab; she had quickly learned to check for him there at any time of the day or night, at any time when he wasn't actually with her pretty much.

"Da!" she shouted flinging the door open. It was comical how used to her entrances Severus had become, he didn't flinch or pause in what he was doing, he didn't even cast a stasis charm anymore, he was thrilled however every time she came running to him and called him Da. Much to the joy of everyone else in the castle she was pulling him back to life, there was a warmth to him now that hadn't been seen in years.

"Yes, Brogan," he prompted, still not looking up. She padded softly to his side and his eyes flicked over to see that she was barefoot -in the dungeons -in his potions lab! He ignored it for the moment though since she was climbing on a stool near him anyway.

"I was just thinking about the Slytherin dorms and I was wondering if I'm going to be sharing a room with other girls or not. Because I realize you can't put me in with the boys and so that would mean in with the girls but I -I don't think that would be proper yet. Well maybe it would be okay but it's still kind of awkward and then there are the visions and everything too. Because I know you don't want me to use the silencio but the potion -which helps enormously and is really great, it isn't quite fool proof yet though and maybe it won't ever be and I don't want to disturb them and I actually really don't want to share a room with Millicent and Pansy and I thought I should tell you that."

Secretly, well he thought it was secretly but others could see it quite plainly, secretly Severus loved it when his daughter rambled at him like that. He wondered if she rambled like that to her friends when she was Harry Potter, he supposed that she must have and sometimes he worried that it might give her away. Brogan had no illusions about maintaining the ruse forever, she had money down with both Bill and Draco that Hermione would figure it out before Christmas. She was fairly certain that Hermione would come to her first and not Ron and together they could ease Ron into the truth.

Severus looked at his barefoot daughter, with her beautiful dark auburn curls and imagined for just a moment her bunking in either the Gryffindor sixth year boys' dorm or the Slytherin boy dorm. A magnificent sneer came across his face, "You will not under any circumstances spend the night in a boys' dorm, of any house. Nor would I ever force my own kin to share a room with Pansy Parkinson, you may continue to sleep in your room in my quarters. As my daughter nobody will think twice and if they do dare to inquire we will tell them that you are taking an experimental potion and need to be near me."

Brogan's smile was brilliant. She had actually not thought about just staying in her current room next to her Da -that would work great!

"Although," Severus continued slowly and Brogan looked up in instant consternation, "that room is rather small and windowless at the moment isn't it? We shall have to consult the headmaster about making it a good deal nicer if you're staying there for the whole year."

"A window? That would be brilliant but how could you do that?"

"Magic," smirked Severus and Brogan just groaned.

For a moment it looked as though Draco might petition to stay in Snape's private quarters too but then he got excited about being with his friends again. Dumbledore and Brogan got together the next day to improve Brogan's room. It was really good for the pair of them. The headmaster had heard from Bill Weasley and Snape how atrocious Harry's life was at the Dursleys and he truly felt remorseful for leaving Harry there.

The headmaster's mind had been swimming with regrets and might have been's and he was seriously wondering if being with Severus was in fact the right move now, maybe the Weasleys would be better -they were so loving and light hearted, he had even started on the fib he could tell them. But then he met with Brogan in her room and saw the heap of transfigured shoes. "Miss Snape," he started, "I have never known you to be so material. This is rather an outrageous amount of shoes!"

Brogan blushed, "I know, I always forget to wear them though and Professor Snape has to transfigure me a pair. He transfigured all of them for me, AND he even named me Brogan."

Suddenly the name clicked for Dumbledore, it was the Gaelic term for shoes! Dumbledore laughed so hard he had to take his glasses off and wipe them afterwards, "you know Miss Snape, it seems that everything is going to work out for you now doesn't it?"

Brogan smiled at him, "when we got my wand repaired we explained to Mr. Ollivander that it was a potions mishap and after the woods were figured out he told us that the larch and vine told him that it was a curse being lifted. That's how it's felt to me sir. Some things have been difficult of course and there's a lot to get used to, but I feel more authentic I guess.

Bill and Professor Snape and Draco, they all hug me and carry me and do nice things for me and I feel like I'm just soaking it up. It's nice. When Draco first came Bill and Da had a long talk about whether to tell him or not and what to do and after they decided it would be okay to tell him they both threatened to chop him up and feed him to a hippogriff if he harmed one toe on me. I felt really safe and protected..."

"And loved." the headmaster added for her. Brogan just nodded mutely. "I am so happy for you Brogan and I would like to also promise to chop up anyone who harms a toe on you."

He patted her shoulder a bit and then looked around the room. "It seems rather small and cheerless in here doesn't it? Let's see what we can do, shall we?"

At one point the headmaster had to poke his head into Severus' room to see if Brogan's room was noticeably larger or not, he wasn't sure if it would really irk the potions master or not but he had stopped just a shade smaller. Brogan got walls that did not look dungeony, her own bathroom, a huge closet and a big canopy bed (with room for her Hedwig doll). Dumbledore also taught her a charm to make her shoes march themselves (in neat pairs) to the closet and line up there.

Little magical windows appeared on each wall reflecting the best views around the castle, "you must know what the weather is like dear, otherwise you might fall into the dreadful habit of wearing the same black robes every day regardless!" And they both chuckled.

As one last touch, with a flick of his wand, the headmaster added a little loveseat, 'for piling your clothes on of course.' Brogan noticed again the horrible spell damage on his hand. "Professor Dumbledore," she said softly, "what happened to you sir?"

The headmaster shook his sleeve down and blustered a bit, "it's just a bit of a curse I got caught in. Nothing to worry about."

"Can I try sir? My new wand is very powerful and really healing with the phoenix feather sir." She looked up at him with such loving guileless eyes that Albus could only smile.

"Of course Brogan, it would be most rude of me to decline such an offer. Are you familiar with the spell, 'Absit iniuria verbis' it's a general healing spell that you might try with that marvelous wand of yours."

Brogan nodded determinedly and murmured the words once before she got out her wand and took the headmaster's hand in her own. His hand felt dry and cold and wretchedly dead, but she gave it a gentle squeeze anyway with her warm one. Even holding her wand still over the injury caused that magical wind to appear, caused her hair and eyes to glow, Dumbledore's mouth opened in surprise. Ollivander had hinted but this was more marked and magnificent than expected, he suddenly had a spark of hope that Brogan might actually help.

She heard his little gasp and looked up with a smug smile, "it's a wonderful wand isn't it? It was great before but now it's like the potential has no limit. I love the feeling and I'm determined to live up to it you know? Have you ever had a magical object professor that you tried to be worthy of owning?"

"Never owning my child, we just receive the privilege of working alongside them for a while, right?"

"Exactly sir."

"It's very wise of you to sense that Miss Snape, I look forward to witnessing your adventure."

Brogan smiled, satisfied with her professor's apparent determination to live a bit longer. The hand she held felt very dead to her and she sensed the curse travelling further up his arm and towards his heart. A few tears appeared in her eyes at the thought of this great man dying from a curse and without realizing it, since she had the wand in her other hand, she used the hand holding his to wipe her tears away, inadvertently smearing them across his blackened flesh. Taking a deep breath and remembering the words, Absit iniuria verbis, she cast the spell.

It was utterly bizarre to put on the girl uniform. Brogan sort of wished she had done some practice skirt wearing before now but it was too late for that. She had on the proper Slytherin skirt and blouse and tie and socks and shoes and a new robe. Her hair had been brushed and was tucked behind her small ears. Not wanting to look too much like a first year she left the tie a little loose so the knotted choker Draco had given her could be seen.

She was still fussing a little with her hair, it didn't have to cover her forehead anymore; the scar cream had done a really good job and it wasn't visible at all except when she was experiencing a vision. Snape had been a little concerned with how quickly she had gone through the pot of salve but he didn't know that she was using it on the "I must not tell lies" scar on her hand too. She figured that he supposed she was using it on other scars but he was too polite to ask and she was too smart to tell.

Draco waltzed in on her, he was extremely impressed with her new room and loved to take up the entire settee whenever he visited (must you be so posh Draco, it's a loveseat, oh really Brogan, why don't you come over here and show me the difference, eep!)

"Princess," he greeted her. Brogan groaned: her hair was stupid, the skirt was too short, the shirt too thin, but maybe Draco could help.

"Did your mum teach you any charms to make a skirt longer?"

"No, but I could demonstrate the one my dad taught me," and he grinned lecherously at her smooth white legs. He sent a silent heartfelt thanks to Minksy for teaching Brogan useful womanly charms. Draco and Severus had heard Brogan and Minksy talking several nights back at Spinner's End but they never made further inquiries, more than grateful to delegate that embarrassment. The kind little elf was probably here earlier this afternoon too, Draco pondered for a moment how he could ask without implying that Brogan could no longer get dressed by herself.

"I'm sure Madam Malkin wouldn't set you up with a skirt that's too short. And you look fine to me."

"Do I look fine for alone in my bedroom with you or fine for being stared at by 500 teenage boys in the Great Hall?"

Draco took an involuntary step back, Brogan raised an excellent point and he was completely unprepared for sharing his new best friend. He was excited to see Blaise again, but he hadn't really considered Blaise leering at his girl. He wasn't even sure if Blaise talking to her would be okay. And Blaise looking at that much of her legs? A sneer crossed his face as he considered it.

Brogan saw the sneer come with glee, "See, you're thinking about it and it is too short! -Da!" she bellowed.

Draco half expected Severus to come barging in as if Brogan had cut her arm off but he merely strolled in as calm as could be. He was buttoning his robe sleeves and looked up at her, "yes Brogan?"

"Isn't this skirt too short?"

"It is, unfortunately, as short as all the other sixteen year old girl skirts are. If you make it longer you will look strange, however you are already on display as my daughter so perhaps it won't matter compared to that."

"No," Brogan was aghast, "I can't be a dork for two things that would be worse. I'll just try to remember all the things Minksy told me and cross my legs and stuff." She took a deep breath, "it will be fine. I'm just feeling a little nervous right now."

Severus gave her a glimmer of a smile, "perhaps I can offer you a calming draught?"

Brogan turned green, she hadn't taken a calming draught since that day she threw up all over her father, and the couch, and the rug, and herself, and then cried herself to sleep on Draco's lap, yeah, that day. She shook her head, "no thanks, I'll sort it out."

"Good, you look very nice. There is no need to worry. Once the carriages start arriving we will go to the Great Hall, you and Draco can sit together at the Slytherin table. Albus will introduce you to the masses at some point and when he does you just have to stand up and wave a little, then you can sit right back down, stick your head in Draco's armpit and hide until the tables are dismissed.

After the feast go to the Slytherin common room so you can hear the rules and then I will escort you back here afterwards. Understood?"

"Yes, but have I ever actually put my head in Draco's armpit? I think I would remember that."

When the headmaster introduced her the room went very quiet and then there was a lot of murmuring. Brogan, stood up, smoothed her skirt down, and then shyly looked up through her bangs and around at the room. She spotted Hermione waving to her and gave her a bright and lovely smile and waved back a bit. The whole effect was utterly charming and Draco began glaring at everyone he could.

In truth Brogan was a little on the short and flat side for a lot of the boys. Her hair was probably too short and too curly for others. Her nose was neither pert nor Snape-like. Her eyes were pretty but lots of girls had pretty eyes. She had a kind of awkward chummy air about her, not something that usually attracted Draco but he was definitely attracted. Pansy could see no reason for Draco to be so besotted with this new girl. Maybe because he was such a little teacher's pet and she was the teacher's brat? Pansy sneered and started looking forward to taking the new girl down a peg in the dorm that night.

Blaise decided to talk to Brogan before forming an opinion. He also couldn't figure out why Draco seemed to like her so much but decided that with time he might see it. She was funny; she had a nice smile and a good laugh. He could see the Snape qualities when she made sly jokes but most of the jokes were aimed at herself.

She was gentle too and kind to even Crabbe and Goyle, the whole of Slytherin table was suspicious about that. None of them had witnessed her sorting, maybe the headmaster just put her in Slytherin for convenience when really the hat would have put her in Hufflepuff?

Brogan was just trying to be herself. She had gone around and around on how she should act and finally decided not to act. She knew she couldn't sustain an ice princess persona, or Merlin-forbid some kind of seductress with throaty laughs and lots of eyelashes. She knew she was raising a few eyebrows with her un-Slytherin friendliness but whatever. Confidence and power were other Slytherin qualities and she owned those when it mattered. She was the only one at that table that had been in the Chamber of Secrets, let them sneer about Hufflepuff.

The pudding had been served when Brogan noticed that the headmaster hadn't said anything about Harry Potter. She realized with a stab of ice down her back that Draco would have totally noticed and sneered something about it if she wasn't sitting next to him. Taking a sip of her juice to ease her dry throat she turned to Draco as casually as she could, "Is Harry Potter here? My Da told me I would be in his classes this year."

Draco calmly moved back a little and scanned the Gryffindor table, "I don't see him Princess, maybe he's waiting to make a grand entrance."

"Princess?" asked Teddy.

Brogan rolled her eyes, "my Da's mother was Eileen Prince and Draco thought that was enough to call me Princess. There are worse nicknames right?

And usually he treats me like a Princess too so I really can't complain."

"It's certainly more delicate than your real name isn't it Shoe-Girl?" sneered Pansy.

Brogan laughed right at her, "see," she said to Teddy, "I told you there were worse."

All the boys that were sitting around Draco and Brogan laughed and Pansy was left wondering how she had lost that one.

When it was time to return to the dorms Draco held Brogan's hand the whole way there. When the common room was crowded he pulled her down to sit on his lap. It was a little weird for them since neither was used to her being in a skirt but they got settled and waited for Professor Snape.

Brogan listened avidly to everything her da said. He was very different from McGonagall of course and yet a lot of it was similar: your new family, see the prefects with problems, etc. At the end he introduced them to his daughter Brogan Snape again. Brogan slid off of Draco's lap and went to stand next to her da. Severus placed his big hand on her shoulder and the claiming gesture almost made her go all wibbly in front of the snakes.

When his little speeches were wrapped up and the first years were all entrusted to the prefects to get to bed that night he steered her to the door. Brogan turned back and called a cheery "Good night" to Draco and her new acquaintances. Draco waved back and waited for Pansy to descend.

"Where is she going?" Pansy demanded.

"To her bedroom in her father's quarters?" Draco supplied as if Pansy was the dumbest creature on earth.

"I guess she really is a princess if she gets a private room like that." Pansy sneered.

"Or, her father is a professor and has an extra room in his quarters." teased Blaise.

Draco was so relieved that Brogan wouldn't be assaulted by a jealous Pansy all night that he could have fainted. He pictured his girl curled up in her big new bed with the Hedwig doll he had given her tucked under her arm and got one of those dumb besotted smiles - and with Pansy hovering right over him too.

"So Dray," she began, "you two seem thick as thieves, when did you meet Princess Shoe?"

"Professor Snape is inventing a new potion to help those who suffer regular nightmares, something less addictive than dreamless sleep and also able to promote good dreams since not dreaming at all can lead to other side effects. I have been helping him with it for the last month or so, just lots of chopping and fetching and keeping meticulous notes but it's been fascinating."

Blaise smiled fondly at him, "Only you would be excited about cutting your summer vacation a month short to make potions in a dungeon."

"Yeah well, Brogan was here too and she's a good flyer and funny so it wasn't all dungeons."

Teddy leered at him, "I would chop potion ingredients if it meant getting chummy with her."

Some teasing and boy talk followed and Pansy was just stalking off when Draco called out to her, "Pans, be careful with that nickname. You should know that it probably won't bother Brogan much and if Snape hears he might get a little vicious. He named her."

The Slytherins who heard that statement had to sit for a moment and try to imagine a time when their head of house was so human that he could have named a little girl. A time when he would have forsaken all the pure blood traditions and chosen such a funny name. They couldn't really imagine it and comforted themselves that it was probably a long time ago.

Brogan had terrible nightmares that night. The potion seemed to work about 80% of the time which seemed marvelous to her but was unacceptable to her father. Especially now that classes were starting and she wouldn't have access to her morning naps. Snape held his hysterical daughter in his arms that night and she sobbed and then worried about the time and the classes the next day and how was she ever going to stay awake for them and how was she ever going to fall asleep now and then she got the hiccups and Severs feared she might work herself up so much that she threw up on him again. He soothed and rocked and eventually she fell asleep.

At one point in her rambling she had asked if he could stupefy her, when he refused she asked if there wasn't a go to sleep spell for parents with fussy babies or for leaving teenagers chained to the bottom of a lake. There was, of course, but Snape wanted to talk to Poppy before he started offering such easy fixes.

Madam Pomfrey was not among those in the know about Brogan Snape being Harry Potter. The headmaster had tentatively suggested telling her, just in case, but Snape had snarled and growled and spit about his daughter not being some freak show exhibit -which really wasn't fair to Madam Pomfrey at all- but there it was.

So when Severus went to her and spoke about his daughter having terrible nightmares and non-potion options poor Madam Pomfrey really didn't quite grasp the scale of the problem. She thought it might be a touch of homesickness or anxiety over being in such a large intense school for the first time. Her suggestions were for quiet before bed activities, rituals, tea, meditation, that sort of stuff.

And of course the meditation suggestion reminded Severus about the occlumency classes he had canceled the year before. He knew so much more about Brogan now, and there seemed to be real trust between them, perhaps occlumency would work. It was something to think about.

The morning of the first day of classes Brogan really wished that her da had stupefied her but he was trying to make it up to her. There was a small table with breakfast for two set up in his quarters and a dose of pepper-up potion was sitting next to her plate. A pleased flush spread across her chest as she realized they were sitting down to breakfast together before the first day of school. Like a real family, and there was even a seat at the table for her.

Severus seemed a little flushed as well. "I hope you don't mind," he started. "I asked the prefects to hand out the schedules, I thought we could," and then he trailed off, unsure of what he thought he was doing really.

Brogan gave him a shy smile and put her hand on top of his, "it's nice Da, it's perfect. And you completely surprised me too, when did you have time?"

Snape scoffed at her, "you should know how little I actually sleep." Brogan looked stricken for a moment so he hit her lightly on the back of her head, "from when you used to creep around at all hours of the night with your cloak, foolish child."

Brogan rubbed her head and looked down, "oh yeah, from that."

They each started filling their plates and Severus slid a battered old book across to Brogan with her schedule perched neatly on top. She almost asked what it was but her mouth was full of scrambled eggs so she just cocked an eyebrow at her father.

"As you have heard, I will be teaching defense against the dark arts this year and Horace Slughorn will be teaching potions. Slughorn will be expecting my child to excel in potions, a few things we can pass off on spotty home schooling but we do not want to raise his suspicions. He can be a bit of a gossip and it would be best if we concealed the truth from him as best we can. Thus I am giving you my old potions text, you will find it heavily annotated and if you cannot manage an E using my notes then you really are a dunderhead."

Brogan had finally swallowed, "Draco is going to help me too, maybe I'll even get an O! But are you sure you want me to have this? I know some of the things I've written in my books are kind of personal…"

"You raise an excellent point; I wrote a lot of things in this book, including many spells. I didn't always write what the spells do; you must not try any of the spells without asking me first. There is one which inflicts vicious knife wounds, Merlin forbid you should try that one out on Mr. Malfoy."

"Da! What did you write down spells like that for?" Brogan cringed away from the book she had been flipping through.

Snape shrugged, elegantly, dismissively, "I was a boy."

"Yeah," she laughed, "so was I huh?" They finished up their breakfast and Brogan was super happy that she could take just the books that she needed for the day, so convenient being delivered her schedule at home. Home?

She had her book bag slung over one shoulder; it seemed heavier than she remembered and then she realized she was probably weaker or something. A troubling thought. Potions was up first, with the Slytherins and Gryffindors of course, tradition. Snape was walking out at about the same time she was and he turned to her and brusquely gave her a peck on the forehead, "have a nice day Brogan."

She swallowed hard, "thanks Da" and then headed out for her first potions class as a left-handed Slytherin girl wearing a skirt. What could go wrong she wondered?

Ron was in the class, which was kind of a surprise. He sat with Hermione in the area where the three of them used to sit together. Draco had arrived early and saved a seat for Brogan, his brow furrowed when he saw Brogan pull out her battered book but when she opened it he recognized the handwriting immediately and tried to take it so he could read it closer. Brogan gave him a dirty look and pulled it back towards herself, "mine!" she hissed. "Da wants me to do well in this class so it isn't suspicious."

Draco huffed, "we can share it!"

"Maybe," sniffed Brogan, "if you're a good boy."

And then Professor Slughorn was there and they had to pay attention. Brogan was amused when Slughorn unveiled the polyjuice potion as if four of the students in the class hadn't taken it, two of them a week or so ago.

The amortentia was interesting. Brogan didn't really want to smell it, she wasn't ready for that part of her new identity but when she got a whiff of Quidditch leathers and dark chocolate it didn't seem too traumatic. The liquid luck was really intriguing, she wanted that! So did half the class, mostly the Quidditch players.

It turned out that using the clever little notes in her magnificent new book was enough to win her the luck, much to Slughorn's delight. Too much delight perhaps, he looked at Brogan very closely and was reminded of the last green-eyed red-headed star potions student that he had, and sure enough this child looked quite a bit like his Lily. Even knowing that Severus Snape had claimed Brogan as his daughter didn't dissuade him from wondering if Lily could be her mother, he knew the two had been on again off again friends.

Brogan could see the cogs turning in Horace's head, normally she would freak out and run to Ron and Hermione and they would try to figure out the best thing to do. But now that she was alone in Slytherin she felt like she should be able to handle it on her own. Trusting her instincts she caught the professor's eye, he was about to ask a very awkward question, she looked at him as if they were sharing a secret, gave him the most mysterious knowing smile she could manage and put her finger on her lips, in the universal shhh sign.

Slughorn seemed completely delighted to be sharing a secret with the mysterious new student, he definitely wasn't sure what secret they were sharing but that could wait for the moment. Relieved, but trying not to show it, Brogan slid the bottle of luck in her pocket and caught up to Draco so he could pretend to show her the way to their next class. Winning the luck didn't earn Brogan much favor as the new girl, the professor's kid and the Slytherin that the Slytherins didn't trust yet –but Brogan tried not to care. For her keeping it out of her enemy's hands was as important or more important than having it in her own pocket.

When she saw the glare on Draco's face she wondered if she really did need to explain that to him. Shouldn't he be sneaky enough to figure it out on his own? So the Gryffindors were probably going to be jerks to her because she was in Slytherin and the Slytherins were going to be jerks because they weren't sure she was really Slytherin and she was going to be rude right back to them because they weren't as strategic as she wanted them to be?

That evening Brogan did her homework in the Slytherin Common Room, it was much quieter and more studious than the Gryffindor room.  When she was done and couldn’t think of anything else to stall with Brogan went to her father with a request.  “I want to try out for the Quidditch team, is that okay?”

“What do you mean by okay?  Do you want permission or advice or another smack on the back of your head?”

“Actually,” she blushed, “I want a new broom.  I was thinking that it will be a different team so they won't know my style as well and my style is mostly wrecked now with the lefty/righty thing and my size being totally different.  I thought that if I had a different broom, because the Firebolt is just -I mean two students with a Firebolt would be absurd.  So if I had a regular broom, I was hoping it might be enough.”

“I think you raise good points Brogan, and I know how much you love to fly.  I saw you and Draco before classes started, we should not underestimate the psychological benefit.”

“Definitely not.”

“Which broom do you want?”

Brogan pulled out the Quidditch Weekly magazine she had been holding behind her back.  “Funny you should ask, there's a new Clean Sweep...”

Three days later she had a strange sense of deja-vu when a long wrapped package was waiting for her at the breakfast table.  “Thank you so much,” she gushed “and try outs are tomorrow, this is so perfect!  Do you think I'll have time to give it a test spin after classes today?  There's double herbology and Professor Sprout always seems to plan it so we're right in the middle of the project when the class ends and there's really no choice but to stay late and finish it.  I think she does it on purpose because we're free labor.”

“Wouldn't you do the same?  It's rather Slytherin of her, I'll have to share my complements.”

“Oh don't, they already treat me weird enough because I’m you daughter, if they knew we actually talked to each other it would be horrible.  Plus if you start acting too differently they'll think I'm poisoning you to get the Snape fortune.”

“It's odd how you've never inquired about the Snape fortune.”

“Yeah well, I did live at Spinner's End for a few weeks so I figured if there was one you would have spent it on moving out of there.”

“I feel as though I should reprimand you but I'm so delighted to see you reasoning things out that I prefer not to break the spell.”

Brogan deflated a little at that comment and picked at the straw on the bottom of her new broom, “I make different decisions now than I would have before, it frightens me.  If I look different and think differently then it's even more like Harry Potter died or something and I feel bad for him, he wasn't perfect but he tried his best and I kind of liked who I was, I worked hard not to let the Dursleys break me, you know and now it's like he's gone anyway.”  She started blinking hard at the memory of how hard she had fought to stay alive and true to himself.

Severus quickly realized the serious turn their breakfast conversation had taken, “I don't think it's the potion Brogan.  Your circumstances have just changed a lot and perhaps you have matured faster because of the change but I find you still extremely like Harry Potter.  Every time I see you flatten your hair over your forehead I'm convinced one of your friends will pop out of the woodwork screaming.  You have the same courage, I see it every morning when you pick up your bag and walk out the door. 

The potion your mother took changed how you looked; it didn't change your heart or soul or mind.  It didn't change your personality, we are wizards not gods.  I know you feel like a different person but I believe it's because you have a family now, such as I am, but I will still do my utmost to protect you and shield you.”

Tears were streaming down Brogan's face, “Harry Potter never cried and I cry every day it seems,” she complained ruefully, scrubbing her cheeks.

Severus was as unfazed by her tears as he was by her screaming, he unfolded his newspaper, “yes well I never said your hormones didn't change.  Hopefully you will get used to them soon, on the bright side I have gotten used to them.”

“Bully for you,” said Brogan, rubbing her eyes again and finishing unwrapping her new broom.  “Will it be obvious that it's new?”

“Would you like it to be a birthday present?” 

“No, we can just say you wanted me to be on the house team.  Of course I'll have to try and beat Draco for the seeker position; he's gotten kind of tall for it lately though.  Has he ever talked about switching it chaser?”

“That would be convenient for you wouldn't it?”  And Severus gave her an evil smile.

Herbology did go long but Brogan ran back to her room and ripped off her uniform as fast as she could.  She still hated the skirt, it made her horribly uncomfortable.  She pulled on a pair of jeans, a t-shirt and grabbed a jacket.  Halfway to the pitch with her new broom clutched in her hand she realized she had forgotten shoes again, but who needed shoes to sit on a broom, right?  She told herself as she kept running, being extra careful not to stub a toe.

Flying was awesome.  She rolled and dove and shot straight up.  A fair number of students were using the pitch to practice for the try-outs which all the houses would be holding that week.  Ron was there and he watched Brogan, it made her a little nervous how intently he watched her but she just flew harder to try and forget about what he might be thinking.

Draco was conflicted by her announcement of course.  On the one hand it would be wonderful to beat the Gryffindors, on the other hand he liked being seeker.  Maybe they could beat Gryffindor on their own without Brogan since Gryffindor wouldn’t have Harry Potter, but a Slytherin never accepted maybe when they could be certain about something, and having Harry Potter on their team made it certain they would beat Gryffindor.  He was also nervous about Brogan being recognized though; he wanted to forbid her from doing a Wronski Feint for so many reasons.  The Wronski was a signature Potter move, and it was dangerous, and it was extra dangerous because the fool wasn’t on a Firebolt anymore, and he was also convinced that she was still adjusting to her new body size.

He wished that Snape would point out all these things to her; she was still enough Harry Potter that she would completely disregard Draco pointing any of them out.  His perfectly valid and well reasoned concerns would be filed under Draco is trying to sabotage me so he can keep the seeker position.  This might have been true as well, so Draco kept his mouth shut.  He could do wise on occasion.

The tryouts were held the first Saturday of term and Draco had rehearsed how he would react to losing his position as seeker.  He had written a note to Brogan the night before as well, explaining his political motives and the various benefits that came with each nuance.  She was glad that he had warned her; otherwise she would have been shocked and disappointed to see him reverting to his ferrety old self and pitching such a tantrum.  Apparently though it was a comfort to his old friends to see that she hadn’t completely brain washed him and he was more trust worthy as a known quantity; if she could earn his respect back after this then she would have more power too.

She had hoped that maybe Draco would use their seeker fight as an excuse to be a little more standoffish too, but he seemed to have a horror of her doing anything alone.  He had even accepted a chaser position so he could chaperone her Quidditch practices.  It took under two weeks for Brogan to get sick of Draco always being right next to her.  When she asked him if he could please possibly back off he smiled sweetly and reminder her that they had Herbology next and she had never been to that particular greenhouse before and needed him to show her the way.  Clever smarmy bastard she thought uncharitably.  But that night after dinner when he wanted to drag her to the common room she asked him for a map to the library instead.  When he offered to escort her there she gave Blaise the most desperate look and he swiftly intervened for her. 

“Now, now, Draco.  Brogan is going to have to start finding her way at some point.  The two lasting gifts we owe our children are roots and wings after all.”  Brogan snorted in a most un-ladylike manner.

“Fine,” snapped Draco and he did seem hurt or peeved or something.  Brogan gave him a concerned look, what did he want from her?  What was he worried about?

“Alright, I’ll see you later.”  Brogan might have seemed a touch mad at her excitement over going to the library alone, but she was really desperate to be away from the Slytherins and pretend for a little while that it was another year.

After she scurried away Draco tried to look busy with his papers and avoid whatever comment Blaise was dying to make but it was no use.  “So Draco, what’s going on?  Why are you trying to keep Brogan glued to your side?  First years get lost all the time, she’ll be alright, the portraits will help.”

“I know,” Draco muttered.

“Well, then what?  Is Professor Snape making you monitor her every minute?”

Draco snorted, “no, he respects her too much for that.  I’m just an insecure little wretch I guess.”

“Draco, since when?”

Draco looked deeply at his best friend and then dragged him up to their dormitory.  He cast half a dozen privacy spells and then began to talk.  “Since this summer I guess.  My mother disobeyed the Dark Lord, he summoned me and she hid me with Snape instead.  And then just a few weeks ago there was that big break out from Azkaban, my father escaped with the others.

I got a post from my mother shortly after; she’s in France now, visiting some second or third cousin for the indefinite future.  So that’s good, she’s safe.  But I don’t dare to leave the castle.  I’m worried he’ll send me a howler soon disowning me.  I’m worried period.

And you know me, when I’m worried I cling.  Brogan is nice but more than that, she’s Snape’s daughter I can’t help but want her to like me so Professor Snape will keep offering me protection, or at least a passable cover story as his potions apprentice.”

“Draco, you can’t just pretend to like her for Snape’s favor.  Brogan is new here and if you hurt her in any way Snape will have your balls.”

“Actually I think his exact words were he would chop me up and feed me to a hippogriff.”

“Draco, it might have sounded amusing but I’m sure he was totally serious.  You’ve been around them for weeks now; surely you’ve noticed how protective he is?”

Draco nodded and Blaise continued, “I mean, yeah.  Your father might disown you and that would suck big time but if Harry Potter wins this war you won’t be on the losing side.  Maybe the Ministry can reinstate you since your father is probably not thinking his best after the Dementors and all.  And you said your mother is safe.  So those things are not ideal but if you’re using Professor Snape’s daughter to get closer to him then you aren’t coping with other people’s bad choices you are making your own horrifically bad choice!”

“I know.  And I think I like her just for her too, but I can’t stop thinking about what an important ally she is.  You know how I get obsessed with plans and schemes, making her like me is one of my many plans.”

“Making her like you is an acceptable plan and I endorse it, but you’d better not be lying about liking her back.  If Snape has his chopping knives and asks me which way you went I will answer.  I’ve only known her a few weeks and I can tell she isn’t like most Slytherins yet.  Maybe she is and there’s a double blind going on but really I think she’s actually nice and still working on being a nefarious bastard.”

“I know and I’m so glad she isn’t in a dorm with Pansy.”

“Aren’t we all?”

Brogan was glad too except at the moment it was hard for her to remember anything positive.  For some reason on her trip to the library everything had caught up to her all at once, being in such an achingly familiar place surrounded by friends that she couldn’t talk to.  She had heard Seamus yelling up a flight of stairs to Ron that they were grabbing snacks for an Exploding Snap marathon that night, someone said something about Quidditch, Hermione was laughing to Lavender and only gave Brogan a quick smile as they passed in the hall.  Brogan felt like a ghost damned to walk the halls and forbidden from making contact.  She wanted to ask Hermione a question about the charms homework, she wanted to be on Ron’s team for the marathon, and she wanted her own life back.

She settled for tucking herself away in a back corner of the library and curling up in a ball of misery.   This just wasn’t going to work, she couldn’t do it.  But she still didn’t know what the alternatives were, the hat had placed her in Slytherin, she couldn’t share a dorm with Ron or Hermione anymore, would Ron even accept her as Snape’s daughter.  She tried to remember if she had ever found girls crying in the library and what she did about them.

There was a rustle as someone sat down next to her.  She jumped and looked up to see Luna Lovegood’s sympathetic face.  “Hello person I’m not supposed to know.”

“Luna?” whispered Brogan.

Luna stood up again and stuck out her hand, “come on Harry, you’re supposed to be doing this in the bathroom.”  She pulled Harry up and continued, “Will this be your first trip to the loo with another girl?”

Harry’s heart was filling with joy and sunshine, “Yeah, and it’s Brogan now.  Okay?”

“As you wish,” she responded and led him in the girl’s bathroom.  She sat Brogan down and got a wet towel to wipe her face.  Then she sat down on the floor across from Brogan and waited. 

Brogan opened her mouth, not sure what she was going to say, but just then the door opened and a tittering herd of girls came in.  They did not look kindly on the two misfits sitting on the floor.  Brogan clambered quickly to her feet, “Luna, would you like to see my room?  The Headmaster helped me make it.”

Luna popped up, “yes BROGAN, that would be lovely.”

Brogan cringed a little at the clumsy attempt at sneakery and led Luna over to the nearest flight of stairs. 

Sometime later they finally arrived back at the dungeons, for a moment Brogan felt a little hysterical about her big rebellion to go to the library alone and how she had ended up right back down here, but she was with Luna now and somehow Luna knew and Brogan clung to her like a lifeline.

Luna showed no squeamishness about being in Professor Snape’s private quarters; in fact she looked as if she would dearly like to rummage through the drawers in the coffee table but dutifully followed Brogan into her room.  Luna squealed when she saw the Hedwig doll and went straight for it, but then she looked up with big teary eyes, “oh Harry this must be so hard for you.  At first I thought it might be fun to become the opposite sex and get resorted but when I saw your doll I realized how much you must miss everything.” She gave Brogan a big hug.

“I keep opening my mouth without knowing what to say Luna.  Luna, how did you know it was me?  Will anyone else figure it out?  Dobby warned us that the house elves would know and he thought that Prof. Flitwick and Firenze might figure it out - I can’t believe I didn’t think about you.  I mean I wonder how you did it but I’m not surprised.”

Luna giggled, “You really are different now aren’t you?  The old Harry never babbled like that.  What else is new?”

Brogan cupped her own small breasts, “really?  What else?  But Luna you’re avoiding my question.”

Luna had left the bed and was exploring the closet now, “I think the shoe fetish is new and it explains the name I guess.”

“Right again, they definitely are linked.  You need to answer my question so I can fix it before the junior Death Eaters figure it out too.”

“Hmm, I don’t know if you need to worry about them.  I think I figured it out because I knew you before and I usually see more than other people.  If there was another student who also saw more than other people I can only assume that they would also see how evil being a Death Eater is and you wouldn’t have to worry about them.”

“Luna that made sense.  Have you always made sense to other girls?”

“Hermione would say no.”

“True.  Luna, do you have any stories or anything to tell me about Neville or Ginny or yourself, I miss everyone so much.  I feel like I’m a phantom cursed to walk the castle unseen.”

“Ooh Brogan, your feminine side is poetic, how lovely.”

“Don’t get me started on feminine sides Luna; it’s mad being a girl.  I cry at everything, and not pretty silvery tears - my eyes turn red and I get snot everywhere and I feel like my chest is going to explode.

But then if something makes me happy I skip and laugh and smile like a four-year-old.  It’s horrible.

And everyone wants to touch me, they’re always petting or hugging or patting or something.  Or they’re cooing at me and how tiny I am, and I can’t reach shit anymore.

And they call me dear or princess all the time, like I’m some dog.”

Luna was laughing and laughing by the end of Brogan’s tirade, “do they look either over your head or at your chest too?”

“Yes!” shouted Brogan.  “I don’t know how you can stand it.”

“But surely you remember what an idiot you were?  I give the boys allowances because I know they’re not quite fully developed yet.  Boys are the least of my problems actually, girls are much more vicious.”

“They are, thank Merlin Da got this room for me or I’d be bunking with Pansy and Millicent.”  They both shuddered.

Snape returned to his quarters about an hour before curfew and heard laughter coming from Brogan’s room.  He paused to assess, two people were laughing, they were both girls.  It took him longer than it should have but then again he didn’t usually hear students laugh, laughter was not a reaction he ever sought out from them.  Eventually he placed Miss Lovegood and, just like Brogan an hour before him, he shook his head at their stupidity in overlooking her perceptiveness.  But by the sound of things it would be alright.

More than alright he supposed, Brogan had been getting rather brittle and having a friend who was a girl and knew him from his Potter days was rather a blessing.  He heard more laughter and a strange thump from the room that could not be silenced and quickly decided to abuse his head of house powers as much as he could to keep their little party going.

He knocked gently on the slightly open door.  Brogan immediately opened it the rest of the way and greeted him with a bright smile, “Da, I swear I didn’t tell her, Luna just figured it out and I’m really glad she has, it’s such a relief to have someone to talk to, well I know I can talk to you and Draco but Luna understands all the girl things.  Not that Minksy isn’t great but, you know, she isn’t that knowledgeable about teenage witches.”

Luna had a happy indulgent smile on, as if she was saying, ‘this –this is the joyful goofy girl that we have to nurture together Professor Snape.’  Snape nodded to Luna.

“I am pleased that you have found a girl friend Brogan, in fact since curfew is shortly approaching I thought to make an unprecedented indulgence.  Miss Lovegood if you have no objections perhaps you would like to partake in a slumber party with Brogan?  I could firecall Filius, I’m sure I can persuade him…”

There was a lot of happy squealing and Snape was pleased to escape to make his firecall.  Filius had been taken into Albus’s confidence and he was as pleased about Luna having a friend as Snape was.  Just as they were signing off Filius tried to look especially stern and asked if Severus had ordered snacks from the house elves for the girls. 

The sleepover party was good for Brogan.  She seemed to get a sparkle back in her eye and a bit of her old self back.  But as much as she liked Luna they had never been tremendously close.  Brogan couldn’t even bear to ask how Ron and Hermione were, she didn’t want to hurt Luna’s feelings but she also didn’t want to know. 

They had a pleasant breakfast at the little table in Snape’s rooms the next morning.  Brogan refused to attend breakfast in the Great Hall and she had good reason not to, Hedwig.  Mrs. Weasley used the beautiful owl to send post to her children all the time and it broke every one’s heart to see the white bird fly around and around the room looking for Harry before she’d reluctantly drop off her mail.

Severus was quite sure that if Brogan was in the room the owl would fly to her no matter who the letter was addressed to.  Hedwig and Harry had been well matched on many levels; loyalty and stubbornness were just two of them.  He made sure to tell Brogan when Hedwig had been seen that morning though and she would sneak off to the owlery to visit before the bird headed back to Ottery St. Catchpole.

Dumbledore had come up with the clever idea of using Fawkes for the correspondence between Brogan, Ron and Hermione.  Fawkes was smart enough to bring the letters to the headmaster and he would redirect them.  It added to the confusion quite magnificently and made things a bit more mysterious too.

Brogan got a few letters from Bill once in a while, checking in and continuing to be her non-Slytherin sounding board.  Brogan found herself in a just barely tolerable realm of loneliness.  Loneliness was familiar, there was the time in second year when everyone had found out about the parseltongue and been rude, and there was the time in fourth year when Ron hadn’t spoken to her for months, and there was also the time just last fall when the Prophet had made Harry Potter sound like a lunatic and everyone shunned him.  These were not comforting thoughts though, so she would drag herself out of her da’s rooms and look for Luna in the library or Draco in the common room.

People noticed Brogan and Luna together of course and Draco warned her to stop, it would ruin her standing in Slytherin and drag him down too.  Brogan, mostly because of all the times popular opinion had swung against her, refused to play politics with the Slytherins. 

Pansy was never going to like her.  Friendship with Brogan wasn’t worth pursuing for Millicent because then Pansy would get jealous and make her life miserable.  There were other girls of course, the Greenglass sisters seemed alright and Brogan had tried to be friendly to Daphne in their classes, but they weren’t very warm or goofy.  Once Draco had shellacked his hair back it seemed his heart got cold and hard too, Blaise was as close as Brogan could find to warm or goofy. 

Brogan was sitting morosely in front of the common room fire one evening, she was actually laying on the floor in front of a couch with her feet on the seat cushion and the potions text balanced on her stomach.  She saw feet approach and recognized Blaise as the one sitting next to her feet on the couch.  He had a book to read also but he was distracted from it by the pom-poms on her newest pair of slippers. 

They were wonderful new slippers her da had made for her, warm lambskin, all soft and fleecy with great goofy pom-poms that she could use to make Crookshanks mad with joy if she was ever around Crookshanks again, sigh.  They were entertaining for Blaise too, he was flicking the balls around and then he seemed to notice how small her feet were.  She put her book down to watch him pick one foot up and compare it to the palm of his hand, his hand was bigger of course because he was already six feet tall at sixteen.  He slid his hand around to cup her heel and asked, “may I?”

Brogan shrugged as best she could, laying down on the floor as she was.  Blaise tugged off the slipper and then the other one and pulled both feet onto his lap.  His big warm hands felt wonderful rubbing her soles.  She couldn’t stop the big sigh or the way her entire body relaxed for him.  Blaise stopped his magical rubbing and reached down to haul her all the way onto the couch, they shifted and scooted until Brogan had her head on one arm and Blaise was at the other end with her feet in his lap.

Brogan smiled wistfully at him, “I took a nap every morning this summer in just this position with Draco providing the massage.  It was pretty awesome.”

Blaise laughed, “Well, just relax, I taught him everything he knows.”

“Fabulous!”  Brogan replied, “Maybe I can entice you to continue by sharing some secret tips on tomorrow’s potion?  My Da gave me his old potions book and he has annotations for everything.  It’s so wonderful, it’s the main reason I’m passing that class.  I suppose being Draco’s partner is the rest of the reason.  But imagine the scandal if a potion master’s daughter sucked at potions, I think that’s why they’re working so hard to keep my head above water.”

“You’re doing well in other classes though, aren’t you?”

“I’m really hit or miss in all the classes with wand work, I had a wand incident in August and my new wand and I are still figuring each other out.”  Brogan pulled out her pretty new wand and sat up with it, “watch this!” she exclaimed happily and then opened up to her wand like she had that first day in the shop.  Through lots of experimentation she had found out this was the way to the magical wind and aura.

Blaise’s eyes nearly fell out of his head as he watched Brogan’s hair glow and lift around her head as magic seemed to fill her up.  He quickly reached out and stilled her, his eyes darting around the room to see who else was watching.  “Hey, watch it, you’re in the Snake’s Den remember?”

Brogan did actually remember that, she was getting tired of being dismissed for being kind or whatever and she was ready to shake things up a bit.  Blaise’s concern suited her needs perfectly though, she gave an embarrassed smile, “sorry, it just feels like a great warm magical hug.” 

Too Hufflepuff?  She hoped not, she wanted them to know she was powerful but she didn’t really want them to know that she knew she was unusually so.  Perhaps a few would step forward to help guide the naïve girl and she could use that to start some sort of dialogue or at least the next step in this really boring so far plan.  She looked around to see if anyone was staring, of course they weren’t.  It was a good excuse to see who was in the room though, it was a small crowd but surely they would spread the word.  Nobody could have been oblivious to that display; Draco was going to be livid.

Blaise was still on edge so Brogan slipped her wand away, she suddenly realized she didn’t want him asking any pesky questions about the core, and plopped her feet back on his lap.  Not too gently either if his face was any indication, Brogan laughed, “Draco made that face a lot too, were you finished?”

“I guess not,” said Blaise, “that was amazing though, how it made your hair light up.  Are you worried that your hair will start frizzing if you keep doing that?”

“Frizzing?  I don’t know, I think it will settle down later or something.”  Brogan patted her hair down a bit, careful not to pat the bangs like her father had warned her.

“You aren’t like the other girls Brogan.”

Brogan blushed, “I wasn’t socialized much as a child I guess, I don’t really get a lot of the things that seem important here.”  She suddenly looked very small and lonely to Blaise and it was like an unstoppable compulsion to pull her all the way on to his lap and wrap his arms around her waist.

“I heard you made friends with Luna Lovegood, that’s kind of social suicide in Slytherin.”

Brogan wanted to scream and smack Blaise but instead she took a deep breath and exhaled it as shakily as she could, “I know but Pansy hates me for some bizarre reason and none of the other girls want to piss her off by speaking to me.  I needed to have one friend who wasn’t Draco –or a boy.”  She added awkwardly not wanting to ignore Blaise who was being very decent.

“Quidditch is going well though right?  I know when Draco and I are doing the chaser drills you seem to be doing alright with all your loops and turns.  The captain seems pleased even if Draco is still put out about losing his position.”

“The captain has a crush on Pansy and now that Draco is paying so much attention to me he thinks he might have a shot at her if he shows the proper disdain for me.  But he can’t take all the fun out of flying.  And when I win our first match for us he’ll have to suck it up and thank me, right?”

“Beat Gryffindor for us and a lot of people will change their tune about you Brogan.  They don’t have Potter anymore, he was a decent seeker, but the little Weasley is pretty fierce, she might give you a run for it.”

“Did you get to see their try-outs?  Do you know who else is on the team?”  Brogan inquired, trying to distract herself from boggling over how weird it was to be talking about her team like this with a Slytherin.  She still got a sick feeling in her stomach just putting on the Slytherin uniform. 

The spying business didn’t suit her at all, she dearly wished that they were nicer to her and she felt more like she belonged and less like she was using them all.  So far she hadn’t used them for anything at all and it wasn’t fair that she had to feel so guilty for nothing.  The guilt would become even more tangled if Slytherin beat Gryffindor, although she didn’t doubt for a second that she would give her all to win at any price.  Severus was right about that, her plumbing may have changed but not her wiring.

As their Quidditch gossip wound down she put her head on Blaise’s shoulder and they drifted off into silence staring at the fire for a while and thinking their own thoughts.  Eventually Blaise stretched to the side and pulled their books over, he didn’t ask Brogan to move though and she was really comfortable where she was so she just pulled the book up on her knees and stayed.

Of course with Blaise’s chest moving with his gentle rhythmic breaths and the warmth of the fire Brogan fell asleep pretty quickly.  And of course that’s how Draco found them.  Blaise just gave him a bright smile and Draco smiled fondly, reaching out to push her bangs to the side and trail a finger down her cheek.  “You look besotted.”

“She’s highly agreeable to me when she’s asleep I guess.  It’s just awake that makes me crazy sometimes.”

“Did you hear what she did in here tonight?”

Draco’s lips curled down and he nodded tightly.  He tugged on a curl that was indeed curlier than it had been.  “She’ll look like a sheep soon.”

Blaise chuckled.  Draco shrunk down the potions text and slipped it in his pocket, then put the slippers back on her feet -flicking the pom-poms a few times for good measure.  Then he crouched down in front of Blaise and lifted Brogan into his arms. 

Draco had expected the girl to wake up when they moved her and she did, a bit. He got a softly mumbled, "hey Dray," and she snuggled tighter. Wrapping her thin legs around his hips better and stretching up to put her arms around his neck    Her head dropped down and he could feel her breath right on his pulse point.

"To bed Princess?" he asked and felt her head nod.

Blaise chuckled and got up to open the door for them. Brogan really was like a different person when she was asleep, when she was vulnerable and soft.

Draco walked slowly relishing his warm bundle, she wasn't heavy at all. He jostled her a bit and knocked soundly on the blank wall that was his head's door. There was no answer and Draco figured there was probably some poor sod in detention with him.

"Brogan," he murmured into the warm hair beneath his chin, "Brogan, wake up and give the password love."

Brogan lifted her head and looked around a bit. She tightened her arms and squirmed evilly against his waist. Draco thunked his head against the wall and his arms tightened again. Brogan blushed, "sorry Dray, it's privacy."

"Well, just whisper it or something. Do you want me to put you down?"

Brogan laughed and shifted again on his hips, she put her lips close to Draco's ear, "Silly Draco the password is privacy."

Draco groaned, whether at the teasing or the pun he didn't know himself. He did get the door open though and Severus definitely wasn't home.  “Brogan,” he gasped his hands glued to her bottom, “do you think you're ready to try a bit of kissing yet?”

Brogan had been flirting with Draco more and more as time went on, she was becoming addicted to the power she felt when she made him blush and bite his lips around her.  As a former boy herself she was always very aware of how turned on he was too, way back in August she had known.  Yeah, she was probably ready for a bit of kissing.

She put her hands on his neck and his chin and responded by matching her lips to his.  It was so good and so hot.  Draco staggered a few steps forward and pressed her against a wall so he could lean into it... 

“Brogan,” he finally whispered, “I have to go before your father comes back.”

She let him go, but gifted him with a pout from her reddened lips.  “That was amazing and Merlin I hope we can do it again,” he kicked himself a little for sounding so needy.

“Definitely,” she purred up at him. 

“Excellent,” he gave her a quick peck on her nose, and ran his fingers through her hair, and then another peck.  And then wrenched himself away.

Draco seemed to want to announce their engagement the next day but Brogan reeled him in.  She sniffed that they weren't even really dating yet because she still wasn't ready for that.  Draco dragged up her promise about being his pretend hot girlfriend so Brogan did the only thing left to her, she fought the hot with all of her remaining boy-ness. 

She refused to style her now frizzier hair in any way and wouldn't let Luna or Draco mess with it either.  It creeped her out that Draco would even know how to mess with it.  Her plan was to just leave it alone, she could barely even brush it and really wanted to quit trying, but then suddenly one day it seemed to grow a half inch longer and just relaxed into soft natural waves that perfectly framed her face and radiated whatever light was nearby with deep red highlights.  Luna pouted and insisted that growing out Brogan's hair a half inch was exactly her plan too.

Brogan also refused to dress like a girl except for the school uniform, but even then as the weather got chillier she declared the uniform absurd and started carrying a change of clothes in her bag so she could slip into the nearest bathroom after her last class and put on jeans.  Some of her early Weasley sweaters would have fit her perfectly now but she couldn't explain wearing them.  Luna offered to ask Mrs. Weasley to knit her friend a new one.  Brogan thought for a moment about how motherly Mrs. Weasley would feel about a sixteen year old girl suddenly living with Severus Snape and quickly decided that was probably enough to justify a sweater.  “If you think you can manage it Luna, I think I would actually like that a lot,” Brogan finally admitted wiping her eyes.

Her Da decided that transfigured shoes were not sufficient for the colder weather and ordered her a few pairs of boots and far too many pairs of socks (was she suddenly Dobby?)  He and Draco dragged her to Hogsmeade one weekend and did the whole winter wardrobe thing with capes and mittens and hats and all that.  Brogan whined a bit about it on the way there because she was tired and grouchy from an early morning Quidditch practice and she still wasn't sleeping perfectly every night but after she saw a few of the extremely jealous glares she was getting from the other Slytherin girls she tried to be more gracious.  But then it came out as demure and sweet and they ended up buying her the moon.

Draco was nervous about leaving Hogwarts, even to just go to Hogsmeade but Snape assured them Dumbledore had arranged extra guards for both of them that day.  It was probably completely confusing to Ron and Hermione to see so many Order members around without Harry near.  At least they looked confused when Brogan saw them leaving Honeydukes together.

It was really hard for Brogan to accept all the gifts her da and Draco had insisted on buying.  She knew the weather was getting colder and she needed some of it but back when she was Harry Potter nobody took care to make sure she had warm boots and coats so it was strange for her now.  When she was the hero of the light safely ensconced among the lions she had been cold and wet most of the winter, now that she was the bastard child of everyone's most hated professor, the pseudo girlfriend of Hogwarts most obnoxious student and living with the snakes everyone was bending over backwards to take care of her.  And that's why she was crying this time she decided as she wiped her eyes on the path back to the castle, it was her keen sense of justice raging again.

Practice that morning had been a tough one because the big match against Gryffindor was scheduled for next week but as soon as they got back to Hogwarts from the spree Brogan dumped everything on her bed and grabbed her broom to go fly again.  Of course Snape and Draco cared about Brogan but they weren't necessarily moved by her tears anymore, they both had seen so much of them recently that they ran away to hide in a lab and left her alone to sort out whatever had caused this most recent bout.  So Brogan was by herself when she stalked off to the pitch.

She zipped and turned, staying out longer than she should because her clothes were so warm for once.  But eventually she landed and noticed the figure sitting in the stands watching her.  It was Ron.  She walked over to him and he shifted over making room for the girl to sit beside him.  Ron looked at her for a while, kicked his feet a few times and then seemed to steel himself.  He turned suddenly and reached out to her face, he put one hand so gently on her cheek that she could barely feel his fingers through the cold.  With his other hand he pushed her bangs to the side and traced his hand down the scar that was almost invisible but not quite.  Brogan knew that if he still had any feeling in his fingers he could feel the ridge. 

Ron dropped his hand and shifted his attention to the back of her left hand, that scar was much fainter too but when he curled her fingers under and tightened the skin the words he expected to see were there.  He slid his hand up her arm to the crook of her elbow where he knew there would be another scar, the one from the graveyard, and he traced that one too.  He slid the hand that was on her cheek down to the neck of her jumper and gently pulled it to the side, and there marring her pretty collarbone was the scar from the dragon in fourth year.

Brogan held out her other arm and pushed back her own sleeve so that the shiny round scar from the basilisk bite was visible.  Tears had started flowing down her cheeks of course, she wiped them back and chuckled, “Snape only gave me one jar of scar cream so I had to prioritize the most visible scars you know.”

“Makes sense,” agreed Ron easily but his voice was strangely rough.

“Was it the flying?”  Brogan tried to ask conversationally but she failed and ended up with her arms around Ron's neck hiccupping into his chest, “Oh God Ron, I missed you so much.  It's been so hard to see you and Hermione and missing you.”  She sobbed and sobbed and like every male before him Ron pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her.

“Shhh, it's okay Harry.  I know now, you don't have to cry.”

“I do cry, I cry all the f-ing time now.  I hate it.  I hate being like this, you have no idea.”

“Shhh, I said.” admonished Ron.  So Brogan did, she just let herself be held and rocked by her first best friend Ron.  She breathed in his smell, a smell that she had missed as much as any other part of her lost life.  And slowly she calmed down.

“My mother ch-cheated on James Potter with Severus Snape and then she panicked and took this potion that was supposed to make me look like James Potter.  B-but it was really powerful and it changed me into a boy to look more like him.  And it wore off on my birthday, Snape came and found me and took me home that night.  He made up the dragon pox story and then we finally told Dumbledore and decided to try this whole mad scheme.  B-but I didn't know it would be so hard.  I heard you one day calling to Seamus in the stairwell and I missed you guys so much. 

And I can't go to breakfast because Hedwig might be there.  And I've had this fucking charms question for three weeks now and I just want to ask Hermione so bad.”  Brogan could feel Ron chuckling beneath her cheek.

“Yes,” he said, “it was the flying.  I mean it was suspicious the way Harry went off to train and Brogan showed up, but you did a good job being together at Headquarters that night.  Was Draco polyjuiced as Brogan and you were polyjuiced as Harry?”  Brogan nodded and smeared tears on his shirt.

“That was good,” Ron continued “but then the opposites were a bit pat y'know?  Boy/girl, left-handed/right-handed, Gryffindor/Slytherin especially since you still had dark hair and green eyes.  Although your eyes do seem a different color.”

Brogan sat up straighter and pulled out her wand, she pointed it at her face and mumbled, “finite incantatum” and blinked once, when she looked up at Ron again her eyes were full green again.  Ron gasped, and then smiled.   It was a slow brilliant smile and he squeezed her close, “I missed you too mate.”

He seemed to notice the wand with some consternation, “what happened to your wand Harry?”

“The holly caught fire but the core was alright so Mr. Ollivander made a new one with the same feather, thank God.”

“Did you cry?” he teased.

“Oh God, I cried so hard I threw up on Snape and Draco had to rock me to sleep.  I’ve been a mess.  But, I had just gotten my period that day too.  I'm sure anyone would have cried and thrown up at that.”

“Oh mate, I'm sorry,” she could hear the smile in his voice.

“And I'm fucking short again.”

“But you fit nice on a lap,” Ron said squeezing her for emphasis, “and your flying is incredible.”

“They banned me from doing the Wronski because they thought it was too identifiable and I have to fly a ruddy Clean Sweep when I have a Firebolt hidden in my room.”

Ron laughed at that, “poor Harry.”

“And worst of all, my galleons were on Hermione figuring it out when it was you and Luna who got it first.”

“Prime sucker move overlooking Luna there.”

“I know; she figured it out like the first week.   She found me crying in the library.”  Ron hugged her again, he felt awful for the loneliness he knew his friend had suffered.

“I think you tried out for Quidditch hoping I would recognize you.”

“I'm also trying to curry favor among the snakes.  The hope is to turn some of them away from joining the Death Eaters, you know they’ll all love me for finally leading them to victory over Gryffindor and then I’ll ask them to just stay neutral and they’ll all say anything for you Mighty Seeker and Lovely Daughter of Snape.”

“Oh there's a plan then?”

“Of course there is, I wouldn't walk away from you and Hermione unless, you know, it was for the greater good and some such thing.” 

Ron chuckled, “oh yes, you're all about the greater good mate.”

“Da thinks that now I'm a girl I can just walk away from all the Chosen One stuff.”

“Da?” asked Ron with a perfect eyebrow arch.

Brogan blushed hotly, “I know it's stupid isn't it?  But he can be very kind when you're his love child and a Slytherin.  He made a potion for me so I can sleep a lot better and my room is really brilliant.”

“It isn't stupid, it's what you deserve Brogan.”

“He did that too,” Brogan whispered, “Draco was coming up with all these horrible stars and Roman queens and stupid pure-blood names so I finally asked Da to just pick one and I really like the one he picked.  It's like a joke but a clever joke and it reminds me not to get all caught up in the pure-blood games, you know?”

“Yeah, I can imagine,” agreed Ron.

Night was falling but Ron had a warm cloak so he opened it up and wrapped it around Brogan, neither one wanted to return to the castle just yet.

“So I can accept Snape being all right to his Slytherin daughter but what's up with Draco?  Are you really going out with him?”

Brogan shrugged again, “No, not really, I'm not ready for that yet -I still get a shock each morning if I hit the loo before I'm fully awake.” Ron shuddered and Brogan continued, “Basically I'm sort of letting him pretend with me so his status will increase so he can influence more Slytherins to not become Death Eaters.

He's definitely not a Death Eater, his mum is in hiding in France and his father is on the verge of disowning him.”

“Ouch,” said Ron.  He hugged Harry tight again and marveled at how right his mate felt in his arms.  “Well, I think pretending to date you will definitely improve his status.”

“Why's that?” asked Brogan in a sleepy voice.

“You make a pretty girl Harry, and you're an excellent snuggler.”

“I do always seem to end up on the laps of cute guys.  Oh, Bill knows too!  You can write to him about the mess if you want, he was my guard that night at Privet Drive.  He was really great, it hurt so incredibly much, you can't imagine.  And Vernon was home so I was trying to be really quiet and Bill helped. 

He visited me a bunch of times after too, oh my God Ron, I just remembered, he helped me buy bras too.  Can you imagine?  It's all a bit hazy because they had me so incredibly doped up on calming potions.  But you know; it's what I would have done to me, right?”

Ron was smiling and smiling, “Harry you babble now, this is amazing.  Mate, I think you might be happy or something.  It's like you used to be in the sad and stressed box and now you're out.”

Brogan blushed again but it was getting darker and harder to see.  “Yeah, Mr. Ollivander and Dumbledore both said it was like a curse was lifted off me.  And I feel bad because you stuck with me and were my friend when I was all moody and now that I might actually be developing a funny bone you're missing it.”

“No mate, you always had a funny bone.  You haven't changed that much, don't think that.”

“Thanks Ron, it's nice to hear that.”  Brogan burrowed into Ron's cloak a little more and he held her a little closer.  He was quiet and thinking for a while and then he realized that Brogan was beyond quiet and thinking, she had fallen asleep.

“Crying yourself to sleep on yet another boy, huh Harry?” he muttered as he stood up and swung her legs around his waist.  She fit well and didn't weigh much at all.  He grabbed her new Clean Sweep, “it's not such a bad broom, mate,” and managed to stuff it under his arm without dropping her.

As he got closer to the dungeons he became a bit nervous, dinner was long over so everyone should be tucked away in their common rooms, he knew where the Slytherin room was but he didn't want to go there.  He wanted to go to Snape's private quarters without anyone seeing him but he didn't know where it was.  Through sheer dumb luck Snape was just finishing up in his lab when he saw Ron and his bundle.

“Mr. Weasley?” he inquired.

“She sort of fell asleep sir.”

“I am not surprised.  Come with me please,” and he strode purposely towards a blank piece of wall that looked exactly like everywhere else in the dungeons, he leaned close and whispered a word that Ron couldn't hear.  Ron followed his professor into his quarters and through to Brogan's room.  His heart clenched when he saw the Hedwig doll too.  Snape swept down the sheets and blankets and Ron laid Brogan out.  He pulled off her shoes, he had done the same for Harry a few times, and stepped back.  Snape waved his wand and Brogan's jeans and sweater became a nightgown, he swept the blankets up again and stepped away, back to the living room.  Ron followed.

Snape was pacing a bit and pointed at the couch, “Please have a seat Mr. Weasley.”

Ron sat and Snape continued, “no doubt you recognized Mr. Potter's flying style?”  Ron nodded.  “Then what did you do Mr. Weasley?”

Ron swallowed, “I know all of Harry's scars, you didn't give him enough scar cream to get rid of all of them sir.”

“I was unaware that Brogan required so much scar cream Mr. Weasley.”

Ron huffed, “I'm not surprised about that sir.”

“Can you tell me about the nightmares Mr. Potter used to have?”

Ron shifted awkwardly, “not really sir, he got pretty good with the silencing spells.”  He looked suddenly at Brogan's room.

“Your brother helped me to ward it so no privacy spells can be cast in Brogan's room now.”  Ron nodded his approval. 

“You're not surprised that your brother knows?”

“No, Brogan and I were outside for hours sir, she told me quite a bit.”

“I'm sure she's massively relieved that you are now in the know Mr. Weasley.”

“Yeah, I think so.  And Luna figured it out too, huh?  Do you plan to tell Ginny and Hermione or do they have to figure it out for themselves too?” 

“What do you think would be best Mr. Weasley?  I'm sure we can trust them but if Brogan is seen suddenly hanging out with a bunch of Gryffindors it might be suspicious.”

“True sir, it might also be interesting to see how long it takes Hermione, I heard Harry had money down on Christmas.”

“And we're all shooting ourselves over Miss Lovegood.”

Ron laughed (laughed with the Greasy Git!)  “I could have made good money sir, never underestimate Luna.”

Snape smiled back and it wasn't scary at all. 

“Well Mr. Weasley, the hour is late and you should return to your tower.  Thank you for bringing Brogan home.”

Ron blushed, “it was no trouble sir.  I will try to think of ways we can integrate Brogan back in our group, one thing sir, if you could suggest to Professor Flitwick that Brogan needs tutoring and maybe Hermione would be good…  I think that might be subtle enough. 

Actually the only doubt I had about Brogan not being Harry was because of her wand.  She really hasn’t come to terms with it yet.  Harry was much better with his wand work.”

“I know Mr. Weasley, it is certainly cause for concern, although you should set your mind at ease, the new wand does seem to like Brogan.  I think in a fight it would be a powerful weapon.”

“That is good to hear.  Well, good night sir.”

And with that the strangely mature and competent Ron Weasley walked out of Snape’s private quarters and back up to the tower.

The next morning Brogan had to drag herself to the breakfast table.  There were dark dark circles under her eyes, or maybe they just looked darker because her eyes were their natural color again.  Snape summoned a slip of parchment and wrote a quick note asking Draco to stop by his rooms, he flicked his wand a few times and it became a paper airplane that whizzed under the crack in the door and off to the common room.

Brogan had drained a mug of tea and eaten half a bagel before Draco knocked.  Something about the door opening jostled a memory for poor Brogan.  “How did Ron find the rooms?”  she asked.

“I ran into him in the hall outside, it was very fortunate for him I suppose.”

Draco had sat down at the table with them and he raised an enquiring eyebrow as he prepared to take a humongous bite of bagel.

“Mr. Weasley saw Brogan flying last evening and he confronted her on her identity.  Brogan could not deny his proof so they spoke for a while, and then as is unfortunately her habit, I presume you cried and then fell asleep?”

Brogan blushed hotly but she looked so tired and wretched that there was no heat in either of their gazes.  Draco scooted his chair closer to hers and wrapped an arm around her.  Brogan smiled at him and then swallowed, “yeah, I think that’s pretty much it.  But they were happy relief kind of tears you know.  He was very understanding.”

“Indeed he was.  We spoke after you were put to bed.  He suggested that I request a charms tutor for you because the wand work is still difficult.”

Draco started to get an indignant scowl but he stopped when he saw the look of pure hope on Brogan’s face.  “Hermione?” she breathed.

“Precisely,” nodded Snape.  “And if Filius orders it, then what can we say?”

“Ron is so brilliant.”  Brogan smiled.

Snape nodded, in agreement?!  “I believe he will figure out other ways to draw you back to your friends too.”

“That might help.” She conceded with a big yawn.  Without even thinking about it she slid off to the side and onto Draco’s lap.  His arm automatically came up around her and she put her head down on his shoulder and closed her eyes.  “What classes do we have today Dray?” she mumbled.

“The morning is open, Defense Against the Dark Arts doesn’t start until 10:00, you can take a nap if you’d like.”

 “Will you stay?” she murmured.

Draco looked at his professor who shrugged, “sure I will” said Draco.

Snape nodded and stood to gather his things for the day, “Mr. Malfoy, I summoned you to reapply the charm on Brogan’s eyes too.  It was removed last night.”

Draco nodded and reached with one hand for the pot of jam, completely comfortable to be sitting at his professor’s breakfast table with a sleeping girl on his lap.  He knew that his professor knew the eye charm but it made him feel bad to alter Brogan’s eyes.  It made Draco feel bad too and he had never even met Lily Potter.

Snape looked at the exhausted girl for a long time, “Draco, are you free this evening to work on the potion with me some more?  It seems to be losing efficacy.”

“It does indeed sir.  Did you hear anything last night?”

Snape shook his head no, and Draco continued softly, “I’m free tonight.”

“Good, do you require anything?”

Draco had managed to snag the jam and was applying it one handed to his next piece of bagel.  He smiled, “no, I’m all set.”

Brogan’s cheeks were flaming and her eyes were brimming with shame, stupid hormones, but then she registered what was happening.  She looked quickly at her professor and he shot her a wink from beneath his bushy eyebrows.  Hermione was oblivious but clearly moved by Brogan’s mortification, and Ron was trying very hard, and pretty much failing, to not look smug.

Later that afternoon they met in the library but Ron quickly steered them to an empty classroom, “Hermione, she needs to do the magic and say the spells…”

Once the three of them were alone in the classroom neither Brogan nor Ron could stand to leave Hermione in the dark.  Ron locked and silenced the door to their room, Hermione turned to him with a look of utter confusion but he just beamed at her and then gestured to Brogan and nodded.  Brogan was crying, of course, and all she could do was gasp, “Mione!” and then she was in her arms and Hermione screamed “Harry!” and then she was crying too and that was when Ron realized that all of his best mates were girls now.  The shock was enough that he thought he might cry too but he manfully kept it together.

They conjured a couch and Hermione was stroking Brogan’s curls and holding her hand and trying to comprehend the messes that wizards could make with magic.  The story seemed to go by quicker this time and Hermione, once the shock was over, made Brogan actually do random spells with her wand while she was talking.  Ron and Brogan both assured her that Professor Flitwick had come up with the story just to give them an excuse to be together but Hermione really did think that Brogan needed to get better with her new wand so there was nothing else for it.

The Slytherins did trounce Gryffindor, it nearly killed Ron.  He kind of expected his team to lose because Brogan really was an excellent Seeker, better than Ginny unfortunately.  Ron had blocked a bunch of nice shots so he didn’t feel awful or anything, he worried that he might be merely rueful and not his normal oh my God we lost to the filthy Slytherins mood but he ended up in the filthy mood automatically so that was good, for keeping suspicions down at least.

Brogan was outrageously beautiful, her hair was a wild tangle but the weak sunlight picked out all the dark red glints.  Her wide cheeks were rosy from the wind and her smile was completely contagious.  Draco had swept her up in his arms and swung her around and around while she squealed.  Blaise had snatched her away and flung her straight up in the air then caught her again.  Somehow she ended up on Draco’s back with the team gathered around shouting and laughing.

They didn’t look like Slytherins at all, and Ron suddenly realized how dark and hard their lives were.  Ron’s own dad didn’t even pressure him to get a nice job at the Ministry, he could not imagine his dad pressuring him to be branded by a mad man and commit murder.  And clearly these were children the same age as him if they could laugh and scream about winning an inter-house Quidditch game.

Suddenly Harry’s plan for the greater good wasn’t so abstract, it wasn’t necessarily about shortening some theoretical war on the horizon it was about saving the lives of his classmates and keeping them safe from a lunatic serial killer.  Ron found himself not so upset about losing but feeling really proud of Brogan, and by extension unaccountably, proud of Draco Malfoy too.  It left a bizarre taste in his mouth; he shrugged and headed for the showers with his morose teammates.

Ron owled Brogan later that day and suggested a secret trip to her old dorm. Hermione had some study group thing with a bunch of Ravenclaws on Sunday night and Brogan could use her invisibility cloak to meet Ron by the Fat Lady and then sneak to the dorm.  It sounded wonderful to Brogan but she imagined that there was an 85% chance she might fall asleep there and Ron would have to carry her all the way back to the dungeons.

She should really warn her da but then he probably wouldn't let her go, because really how could he allow his underage daughter to sneak off to another house's boys dorm?  And she really wanted to go.  So she settled for leaving a note on her bed with her Hedwig doll (ha ha).  She figured her da might come in late from his lab but he always checked on her and if she was late coming back he would see the note at least.

Brogan dressed in her black cargo pants and her quietest shoes.  She thought for a moment of wearing the pom-pom slippers but there were about 6,000 stairs between her room and Ron's so she decided on trainers instead.  She almost wore a black t-shirt too, but that felt too Snapeish.  Then she was going to wear a dark green one but that was too Slytherin, finally she found a nice dark red one.  It was from the pile Bill had bought her of course, which meant it was more flattering than most of her tees.

While she was digging out her cloak she saw the Marauder's Map too and decided to bring it, she hadn't checked it yet to see if she was Harry Potter on the map or Brogan Snape.  Lastly she grabbed a bag of candy that Draco had bought her and finally, off she crept.

It was fun to creep up to Ron who was casually waiting for her and make him jump.  He seemed to be amused though, as if he had been expecting it.  He casually gave the password and slowly entered the common room, then he slowly strolled across it to give Brogan a chance to savor it once more and then he mounted the stairs to their old dorm. 

Nobody was around but that could change at any moment so after only a few minutes of snooping and being sad that her bed was completely gone as if she never was or something, they hopped onto Ron's bed and spelled the curtains shut and sound-proofed.

Brogan pulled off her cloak and Ron seemed surprised to see her in regular clothes, or maybe it was the red shirt.  They giggled though as Brogan dumped out her bag of candy and threw the map on top.  She somehow managed to mumble around the giant sourball in her mouth that she was up to no good and the map unfurled before them.   They quickly flipped to the tower and then found the dorm, then found Ron's bed and there they were Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter.

Brogan was a little surprised that it was her old name.  “How would magic know that you changed your name though?”  Ron asked.

“Huh?” replied Brogan.

“When you're a baby they have a naming ceremony and magic learns your name, when you get married if you change your name it's during another ceremony so magic knows.  I think to change it on the map you would need to do another naming ceremony or maybe an adoption one.”

“Oh, I guess that makes sense.  I'll have to ask Da about it when he's done grounding me for running off to a boy’s dorm room.”

Ron choked on his piece of candy for a while and then gasped, “Mate, I didn't think of that, do you want to leave now?”

“No, just try not to let me fall asleep, right?  I don't think you want to lug me down all those stairs.”

“Lugging is not a word I would use to describe carrying your speccy little self.”

Brogan kicked him, then realized she was still wearing shoes and stripped them off.

Ron grabbed a tiny little trainer, “mate, these are just like your old ones, but are they from the children’s department or something?” 

“Shut up Ron.”  But Ron was busy comparing the shoe to his own massive boat/shoe and she had to kick him again. 

They laughed a lot and finished all the candy.  Then they stretched out side by side on the smallish pillow and spoke seriously.  Brogan told Ron about the prophecy and he tried to analyze it with her.

Brogan asked about Hermione and Ron blushed but said that he sort of supposed he would probably end up with Hermione someday but he kind of wanted to date or at least mess around with other girls first.  Just so he wasn't completely green with her, since she had been with Victor and all.

Brogan got the feeling that his explanation would have made more sense to her before she was a girl but whatever.  They were quiet for a while and then Ron asked if she had ever kissed the ferret.  Brogan nodded, “yeah, I did.”

“Was it good?” prodded Ron.

Brogan felt a warm flush travel down her whole body, “yeah, it actually was really good.”

There was a long pause and then like a completely predictable freight train Ron asked, “Brogan, will you kiss me?”

Brogan rolled over and propped herself up on her arms so she could really look at Ron.  She saw insecurity in his blue eyes, she saw loyalty though and gentleness, and a little bit of mirth, and it was her best mate and now she was a hot girl, why not?  “I think I can do that Ron,” she breathed. 

But he put his hand up to stop her, “can you take off the eye charm again first?”

The request shocked her, she would have expected Ron to try and put as much distance between Brogan and Harry as he could in this situation, but instead he wanted to see the real her.  It reminded her of his first careful inspection of all her scars.  She hadn't any idea that Ron knew her scars at all but he did and now he wanted to see her eyes again.  Wizards were very open she decided as she canceled the spell again.  “If I tell you the words can you put them back?”  She asked, “Otherwise I have to track down Draco for it, Da won't or can't do it.”

“I can put them back,” Ron assured her.  “I just like the way they look when they're the right color, it's like Harry is shining through.”

“And you want to kiss Harry?”  Brogan could have shot herself for asking, because she wanted to kiss Ron now, lying next to him and seeing the heat in his eyes had excited her, but she didn't know if that question was a mood killer or not.

Ron chuckled though, low and deep, “yeah actually.  For kind of a long time too, there's always been something about you.  I have always wanted to love you, I think I wanted to take care of you ever since I first saw you but I knew you'd bite my head off.  So I sort of settled for loving you because I could tell there wasn't enough of that in your life.”

“Don't make me cry Ron, the kiss will be all wet and Cho-like, trust me, they aren't good like that.”

Ron smiled brightly and ran his huge hands through her hair and over her cheeks again and again while Brogan tried to get a hold of herself.  When she was ready Brogan leaned over him and carefully placed her lips on his. 

After, Brogan gave a huge naughty stretch and curled up on Ron's chest.  He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a happy kiss on top of her head.  They were both about to doze off when a jolt of horror went through Ron, “Snape!”

He immediately scrambled up and fell out of the bed.  Neville and Seamus were just getting ready for bed so that was good; it wasn't as late as he feared.  Of course witnesses were bad.  And his pants were uncomfortable, but Brogan was still hidden behind the curtains so he scrambled back in before anyone could say anything.

In the ten seconds Ron was gone Brogan had crawled under the sheets and was swiftly falling asleep.  “Brogan,” he hissed, “we have to get you back to the dungeons!”

Brogan opened her piteous green eyes as wide as she could, “I don't want to, it's all scary and nightmares down there and I wake up every night cold and alone.  You're so warm Ron and the tower is home and you said you wanted to take care of me, please Ron, please can I stay and sleep?  I'm so tired.”

“Snape will put me in detention for the next two years!”  Ron whispered furiously.

“But I need to sleep,” said Brogan and her luminously green eyes filled with tears of frustration.  “Please?”

“I swear if you make me do this I'm putting these memories in a pensieve for him.”

“Okay, but start from when you fell out of the bed, right?”  and she gave him a look.

Ron found himself kissing Brogan again without quite realizing he had moved.  “No,” he said quite firmly, pulling away.  “If you stay it will be torture for me because you will sleep.  Come on, let's go.”

Brogan gave him a mighty pout but sat up and dragged her shoes on.  The map was still active so she snatched it up to see who was in the common room, pretty much everyone.  Great.

Ron pulled her up on his back and they draped the cloak over both of them.  They snuck out of Ron's curtains on the far side of the bed and slipped out the door when Seamus came back from brushing his teeth.

It was good that they were both under the cloak because otherwise Ron would have had to lie to ten people just to get to the door.  As it was Hermione seemed to be looking around for him.

Ron waited in front of the portrait for ten minutes before Ginny finally came in and he was able to slip out before it closed again.  He was a bit curious about where she was so late but mostly he was worried about Brogan falling off his back because she seemed to have fallen asleep again.

Just as Ron had made it to safety outside the common room and was wondering if he was going to have to carry her down all those stairs and then sneak all the way back -seriously it would take him half an hour at least to walk that far, he noticed a shadow round the corner further down the hall and come striding swiftly towards him.  Ron recognized Snape at once and to his own surprise pulled the cloak off.

Snape saw his daughter sound asleep sliding dangerously to the side on Weasley's back and stepped forward to take her in his own arms.  Ron saw his professor take a big breath, no doubt with which to berate him, and bravely started first.

“Sir, you need to do something so she can sleep more.  She's a mess like this!  She can't go on, she begged me to let her sleep in Gryffindor tower.  Before, when she lived there as a boy you know, she slept in my bed half the time.  She's always had these horrible nightmares and that's what works against them, me. 

It doesn't help if you spell her room unsilenceable, she doesn't make noise anyway.  The Dursley's beat that out of her, she wakes up with a tiny gasp and then she'll just lay there shaking and white for hours.  Sometimes, usually, she gets so scared she'll throw up too, that's why she can't ever gain weight like you think she should.  But if she isn't alone, if she's sleeping with someone else she doesn't have the nightmares.  I don't think she has visions either actually.

Harry used to get embarrassed about it, he would try to sleep alone but eventually he'd get desperate and come back.  I think that's why she keeps falling asleep all over the castle sir.”  Ron finished up.

“So Mr. Weasley, is that your reason for why I should not give you detention or are you actually suggesting that I let you return to your dorm with my sixteen year old daughter?”

“She's already asleep sir.  But you can take her home, just know that if you're expecting her to yell and wake you up with her nightmares, she won't.  And if you think she's going to come padding into your room with her Hedwig doll to wake you up, she won't.”

“You paint a vivid picture Mr. Weasley.  Tomorrow is Monday and her first class is Potions at 9:30, see that she isn't late.”  And with that Snape put Brogan back in Ron's arms and dropped the invisibility cloak over both of them.

It was tricky getting back in the common room but a few of the students had gone to bed while they were arguing in the hall.  Ron made it back to his bed without incident, he dropped Brogan there and went to brush his teeth and put his pajamas on.  When he got back he pulled off her sneakers and carefully removed her bra without taking off her shirt or seeing anything.  Then he snuggled down in bed and tucked the sleeping girl against his chest.  Brogan was curled up on her side like Ron and he wrapped an arm around her waist.  He leaned forward so his nose was in her hair and took a deep breath. 

Ron woke up at his usual time and carefully extricated himself from the girl in his arms, careful not to jostle her awake.  He casually got himself dressed and ushered his friends out of the room before doubling back for a forgotten book.  He gave explicit instructions for them not to wait, and to tell Hermione not to wait, and then he dove into his bed and back to Brogan.

She was just waking up, her hair was wild and her sleepy eyes were glowing in the semi-dark like a cat's.  Ron kissed her on the lips before she was really alert.  Her eyes popped open and she kissed him back with a naughty smile.  If Ron had found her irresistible the night before when she was trying to stay it was worse now when she was rumpled and apparently horny.  “Thanks Ron,” she purred, “I slept so well last night.  I feel amazing now.”

Ron kissed her again and rubbed her cheek with his thumb.  “Yeah well, your Da knows you slept here, so good luck with that.”  Brogan shrugged, not too worried.  “He doesn't want you to be late for Potions so you'd better get up soon.

And I'd better go before Hermione comes in looking for me.”

Brogan paled at those words, “are you and Hermione dating?”

Ron pecked her quickly, “No, of course not.  I wouldn't have done anything with you if we were.”  He pecked her again.  And then again, and then she leaned back on the pillows and he followed her.  Her leg came up to wrap around his hips and her hands wandered over the wide expanse of his back.  He really was big and now that she wasn't competing against his size, not that there was ever a competition, but now she felt like she could appreciate him for himself and himself was pretty fine.  Their kisses wound down, until they were just breathing each other's air.  And finally Brogan took a deep breath and decided she did need to get up. 

Ron leaned back and allowed her.  They stared at each other for a while and then Brogan drew her wand and pointed it at Ron's lips.  She murmured a tiny healing charm and they looked a little less well-kissed.  Ron drew his wand and pointed it to her eyes then looked at her expectantly.  “Oculis coloris, and then just imagine the color you want.” 

Ron quirked a smile, “but they are the color I want.”

Brogan blushed and gave him a fake glare.  Ron pecked her on the nose and then did a fake serious cough, he raised his wand again and firmly said the spell.

Brogan snuck out right behind him, safely under the cloak.  She darted down to the dungeons praying she would have time for a shower.  There was time for a shower but she ended up with a bagel in one hand as she darted into the classroom.  Slughorn gave her an indulgent look and told her to make sure she finished before the brewing began.  She blushed prettily and thanked him profusely.  Slughorn considered himself well repaid.

And then she just had to worry about Draco's curiosity.  And also hope that Hermione (or anyone else) wouldn't notice the pink tips on Ron's ears.

Snape was pleased with how happy and calm Brogan seemed that day and he realized that Ron must have spoken some truth about her sleeping better with another person.  His mind began to work on the problem at hand and before the day was out he found himself in the library with a wizard parenting book (the cover was charmed to look like it was about the darkest of dark arts) trusting that there were other much more paranoid parents than himself out there he was rewarded by finding a spell that alerted someone when the subject awoke.  After dinner that night, when they were both reading quietly in the little sitting room he cast the charm on Brogan.

Hours later he found himself jolted awake with no idea why.  The dungeons were as quiet as ever and that was what finally jogged his sleepy mind to remember the spell.  He pulled on a dressing gown and crept to Brogan's room, she was curled up with the sheet in her mouth, just like that night months ago.  Tears were leaking out of her eyes and her shoulders shook.  The Hedwig doll was forgotten on the floor.  Snape whispered her name from the doorway and she looked at him fearfully.  Severus cursed the Dursleys and approached the bed.  He sat down with his back against the headboard and tucked his legs under her warm blankets, then he pulled her on to his lap, tucked her head beneath his chin and pulled up the covers.

After a long long time she whispered, “m' sorry I woke you up Da.”

“Hush, foolish child.” and he tightened his arms.  She was warm and cuddly and Severus felt his heart melting. 

It was so sweet that first night, by Thursday though he was a wreck and so was she.  Tuesday night she had thrown up everywhere before he arrived and been completely hysterical about the mess and cleaning it, Wednesday (sadly) was the same.  She was pale and shaky as she dressed for classes on Thursday, in addition to the nightmares and the vomiting she felt horrible that somehow her da kept waking up.

She guessed he had put some monitoring spell on her but she couldn't figure out which to remove it, she had checked all his darkest dark arts books and hadn't found it yet.  Her da was not dealing well either, he was livid that his daughter was suffering and he wasn't helping as much as he wanted to.  And he was exhausted and falling back into his Snapeish ways.

They looked at each other grimly over the breakfast table, Brogan was just pushing food around and her da was throwing back mug after steaming mug of coffee.  Finally he looked up at her and said, “Brogan, if Mr. Weasley doesn't have an issue perhaps you should take your cloak tonight and visit him again.”

“Oh Da, I'm sorry that Ron,” and she trailed off, unsure how to finish it.  Sorry that I trust Ron unconsciously more than I trust you?  Sorry that he was there when I was eleven and you weren't?  Sorry he's kind and you were a snarky git?  She sighed and just looked at him sorrowfully. 

Severus sighed himself and then took her hand, “we will figure it out Brogan, you just need to concentrate on taking care of yourself.  All right?

If Ron can comfort you so that you can sleep the whole night without trouble then that's the important thing.”

Brogan irritably brushed the tears from her eyes, stupid tears, “thanks Da'” she murmured and gathered her bag to leave for her day.

She managed to sneak to the owlery before lunch started, Hedwig was there and they had a mini reunion.  Then Brogan realized she could use Hedwig to send her note to Ron, she had been planning on using a school owl but nobody would really notice if Hedwig brought Ron a note. 

Brogan had forgotten about Ginny's curiosity but she was engrossed in something else and didn't notice.  Hermione also didn't notice as Ron's ear tips turned pink but Brogan was watching for it.  Ron caught her eye and nodded once sharply, it seemed like they were set for meeting by the Fat Lady at ten that night.

Nine thirty found Brogan in her room with clothes everywhere.  She wanted to wear something comfortable to sleep in but not too much like pajamas; she hoped they would fool around some more but wasn't sure how much further she wanted to go.  She settled on sweatpants and a t-shirt and then she tore them off, then she put them back on and then she found her most flattering tiny white t-shirt and decided that it was enough to balance the sweats.  Not that the sweats were as unsexy as she thought, they hugged her curves rather well and rode pretty low on her hips.  In a final fit of rashness she slithered out of her bra and left it behind.  A few hours without wouldn't bother her and it was much better than sleeping in it or leaving it in Ron's bed like she had on Sunday night. 

After she decided to brush her teeth too she had to run a bit to make it to the Fat Lady on time.  She was under the cloak so thankfully nobody saw her bouncing up the stairs but when she was finally ensconced in Ron's bed and he had tugged the cloak off there were trickles of sweat on her neck and trailing down between her breasts.  They each leaned in immediately for a kiss and they were still panting into each other when Ron pulled out his wand and held it to her temple, whispering 'finite' and then diving in for another frantic kiss when the green eyes he loved so much gazed trustingly up at him.  “Oh God Harry,” he groaned, “when you look at me like that it just makes me crazy.  How can you look at me like that after all the times I was such a twat?”

Brogan shrugged and slid her hands under his shirt, pulling it up over his head.  His chest was as big as his back, duh, and her small hands were like moths fluttering trying to touch him everywhere at once.  They froze when they heard the door bang open, and then they each scrambled for their wands, locking the curtains, silencing their cocoon.

Sleeping together half dressed was almost as wonderful as waking up tangled together.  Ron knew he had to leave and get dressed and go to classes but in the early morning light he could see how worn Brogan looked even after sleeping.  The dark under her eyes was better but her face was a little pinched and he wished her hips didn't jut out quite so much.

“Come here every night,” he whispered, “let me take care of you.  And eat something, okay, we knock together like bags of bones.  Eh?”

Brogan blushed and then grinned at him, “okay.”  He kissed her nose and then sighed and lifted his wand to reapply the eye charm, as bad as it would be to get caught with Brogan in his bed, caught with a semi-naked girl Harry Potter would be really bad.

“See you in potions,” she whispered as he carefully parted his curtains to steal out and start his day.  Brogan took a deep whiff of Ron from his pillow and then dragged on her own clothes and the cloak.  She slid out and paused to absorb the banter and energy of her old mates getting ready for their days.  She almost laughed out loud at one point when Seamus caught sight of a dark spot on Ron's neck and started interrogating him. 

The boys all left the room in a noisy herd and she was right there with them, only invisible and silent beneath her cloak.  She stayed with them until they turned for the Great Hall and the dungeons were the other way.  Once she was alone outside her da's door she could have taken off the cloak and strolled in but for some reason she kept it on, wanting to inspect herself for marks in the bathroom before anyone saw her.  So she whispered the password and slid through the door, unnoticed by Draco and Severus who were having a tetchy breakfast together.

"She is in the Gryffindor dorm, I have learned that it helps with her nightmares. I am well aware that it is unseemly but the nightmares were so grievous this week that it reached a point where I decided it was worth the appearance."

"The appearance?" spluttered Draco, "Severus, she has grown more comfortable in her new form than you realize."

"What precisely does that mean Mr. Malfoy, and how precisely do you know?" asked Severus with a grim face.

Brogan scarcely dared to breathe. Draco turned pink, the traitor, and didn't need to say anything more beneath Severus's glare.

"Why Draco, you act as if you had forgotten that you and Brogan are merely pretending for the Plan. An exchange of favors was negotiated, correct? And Brogan is supposed to pretend to be your girlfriend in exchange for you turning the Slytherins from the Dark Lord.

Have the terms changed Draco?"

Draco was a deep red now and it looked horrible with his fair hair, "no Severus," he whispered sounding gutted. He rose woodenly from the table and turned to make his escape, Severus was equally agitated and scraped his chair back, throwing down his napkin and stalking off to his bedroom. Brogan held her breath and crept to her own room, her mind spinning.

Unsure what else she could do she resolved to enter the Slytherin common room that night and drape herself on Draco as if nothing was wrong. Draco had been sitting in his favorite chair by the fire when Brogan walked in, she had a transfiguration book in her hand and simply walked up to him, barely saying hello to the students who were supposed to be strangers to her (and pretty much were). Draco had looked up at her and shifted back opening his arms in welcome, but not pausing in his chat with Pansy. He had a playful flirting banter going with Pansy Parkinson and he did not break it off even as Brogan twisted her hip into his groin. Brogan had thought that playing it cool and acting entrenched in her own book would work but eventually she found herself drawn into their jesting and she took to muttering her own comebacks, just loud enough for Draco to hear. She quickly became more entertaining for Draco than Pansy.

When Pansy sensed she was losing she became quite a bit more vicious towards Brogan but Brogan brushed it all off and refused to say mean things back, returning instead to her book. She slid down a bit so that her head was against Draco's chest and her legs were thrown over the arm of their shared chair.

It was a Friday night so the students stayed up quite late, not Brogan of course. She lasted maybe an hour with the warmth of the fire and the reassuring rumble of Draco's voice beneath her cheek. When she awoke again it was quieter in the room, the smaller children having gone to bed. Draco was running his fingers through her hair and lazily watching Theodore Nott whisper with Crabbe and Goyle across the room. Brogan slid her arm around Draco's back, it wasn't as wide as Ron's but she could feel his muscles tense and she imagined he had a wiry strength to him. She turned her lips towards his ear and sighed to him, "do you know what they're plotting?"

Draco shrugged minutely and rubbed his lips across her forehead. He could almost feel the ridge of her scar though he couldn't see it in the dim firelight. Brogan shivered and dropped her book with a soft thud so she could take Draco's hand in her own. She brushed her own lips against his fingertips and looked up at him through her lashes. Draco felt his will crumble as if he was standing on the edge of a cliff and the earth was dropping away. With a jolt of alarm he drew his hand away and sat up straighter, trying to shake off whatever spell she was casting.

Their movements drew the attention of the other boys and Draco sneered at them easily. Brogan was muzzy from her nap and Draco's jolt had startled her so she wasn't sure what her response should be now. She put her head back down on Draco's shoulder and nuzzled her nose at his neck; Draco didn't relax into her, his back felt like iron beneath her hand. She sighed and felt a bit pouty. This wasn't fun.

But still, the nap had been good, "thank you Draco, for letting me sleep for a while. I kept my da up for three nights this week and we're both kind of losing it."

"Severus's presence doesn't help?" Draco murmured into her hair, the other boys were making their way to bed.

"No, I wish it did. Maybe it's because of all those years of hostility. Maybe it's because of his Dark Mark, I don't know. It's horrible, he wants so much to help and then he just makes me tense and guilty. I feel so bad when I see his face all white and upset and tired in the middle of the night and it takes me hours to relax with him, to convince myself that he isn't going to tease me about it or be hurtful.

I've been trying to figure out what spell he put on me that's waking him up. I don't dare to ask him to take it off but it's been so awful that I'm sure if I got it off myself he would stop trying."

Draco was aghast, "Severus would never hurt you Brogan," he tried to reassure the girl.

"I know it in my head but h-he was so mean before, and I don't understand I guess, why he would change now. You can tell me that it's because he found out I'm his flesh and blood but after living with flesh and blood for the last fifteen years I don't believe it would really make a difference."

"I was mean before too though wasn't I?" Draco whispered.

He was rewarded with a smile, "you were but it wasn't so malicious, you didn't have access to the same weapons Snape did."

"I guess that makes sense, the Weasel hasn't been perfect either."

"I know, I remember all the times he has been jealous. But I trust him and when I fall asleep near him I feel safe and I sleep all night long. It's the same with you, you don't need to be jealous."

"Do you flirt with him too?" Draco tried for a teasing tone.

"I suppose I do (she seriously understated) but nobody has ever seen Ron and I together, it won't affect the charade we have here." She paused and looked closely at him, "this is a charade, right? Not that I feel safe with you, that's all real, but the kisses and the petting. Well, the petting can be real, right, because everyone enjoys that and a nice foot rub... Well, I guess it is a bit fuzzy.

What do you want Draco?"

Draco gazed at her, it seemed she was still full of that Gryffindor honesty, at least he hoped she was, otherwise she was getting too good for him. He traced her cheekbone with a finger tip, her face looked pinched to him too. He even shifted her on his lap and tried to gauge if she was lighter than she had been a week ago, he thought she might be. Brogan accepted his pause with absolute faith and calm; she was totally pliant in his arms and so very trusting with her big eyes and rumpled hair. "I want you Brogan, all of you and all for myself. Who would want anything less?"

She blushed and looked around the room to be sure they were alone, then she slid around until she straddled his lap and put her hands on the side of his face to pull him down to kissing range. He bent easily and they kissed long and passionate. Brogan slid her hands down to his neck, then his shoulders -mapping the muscles there, then she slid them down his ribs on the sides and tugged his shirt out of his slacks so she could repeat the journey skin on skin. Draco was thin but he had nice definition and she enjoyed how his skin jumped around beneath her fleeting touches.

Draco tugged her shirt out too. The kiss was more gasping and sucking than actual kissing now, it was wet and filthy and perfect in Draco's mind.

Soon enough they were a sleepy sated tangle in Draco's favorite chair. He patted the arm of the chair fondly, his really most favorite chair now. They tugged their clothes back into a semblance of decorum and Brogan looked up at Draco with a hopeful shine to her eyes.

Draco sighed and struggled to his feet with Brogan still wrapped around his torso. She supposed he would carry her back to her room now and let out a happy sort of chirp when he walked over to the couch instead. Draco carefully lay down without letting go of his bundle, Brogan stretched out on top of him -her cheek on his chest and their legs tangled. Draco flicked his wand at a nearby blanket and it settled over them. Brogan kicked a bit and there were two thunks as her shoes landed on the floor next to the couch. Her bare foot slid up his pant leg and he chuckled a bit and squeezed her closer.

They lay there entwined for a while, Draco's mind was everywhere and nowhere as he watched the embers of the fire die down. Slowly he became aware of a dampness on his chest, his first thought was that Brogan might be drooling. Strangely this thought didn't make him leap to his feet and throw her on the floor, something he surely would have done a year ago. Instead he craned his neck as much as he could and was surprised to see silvery tear tracks slipping down one of those cheek bones that he loved so well.

He worked a hand free and brushed a tear away with one of his long finger tips. "What's the matter?" he whispered. She moved as if to roll away and he trapped her with his thighs.

Brogan gave him a watery smile and lifted her head to wipe her other eye, "oh the coals were just reminding me of this time when Sirius Black floo-ed me through the Gryffindor fire late one night, he wanted to give me some advice about the dragon task."

"You were amazing with that task, I almost had a heart attack when it gouged you though." And to Brogan's surprise Draco's hand went right to where the ridges of that scar still were. He traced it once over her shirt, slipped his hand underneath and traced it again, then he leaned up and gave it a kiss too.

"I make a lousy girl with all these scars." Brogan chuckled.

Draco sat up more, "you have others? Can I see them?"

Brogan laughed, it was such a guy thing and such a weirdly pleasant change of topic. "Sure," she agreed, "you'll like this one," she sat up too and pushed up her sleeve, "this one is from an actual basilisk."

Draco looked at the small round scar in wonder, "how did you not die?" he asked.

"It was a really close thing, I was dying, but then Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix, cried on the bite and saved me."

"Cool," said Draco, "and I presume you slayed the basilisk."

Brogan, blushed and nodded. Draco was stroking her other arm and as he traveled up it he saw another scar inside her elbow. "What's this one?" he asked.

"Resurrection ceremony, I'd rather not talk about that one."

"I have heard about this one, I'm sorry." He said, and the way his eyes glowed in the firelight looked very sincere. He kissed that one too, a long warm chaste kiss as if he was trying to purify it with his sorrow.

"You are the queen of near death experiences aren't you? I heard dementors attacked you one summer too."

Brogan scoffed a bit, "that was just two; back in third year over a hundred came after Sirius and me out by the lake one night."

Draco boggled, "how did you survive that one?"

"My patronus." Replied Brogan dismissively, but her eyes told another story.

"What is it?" Draco pried as gently as he could.

"My patronus was a stag because my father, James, was an animagus stag and I don't know if it's changed now or what."

"He still died protecting you, it might be the same. Do you worry it's a great greasy bat now?" Brogan squeaked and covered her mouth with her hand, she tried to hit Draco but he squirmed away. They wrestled as quietly as they could for a while and ended up lying side by side on the couch staring once more at the fire.

Draco was in the back with a hand wrapped around Brogan's rib cage and a leg thrown over her hips. He nuzzled her ear with his nose, "are you going to fall asleep now? Will I have to carry you back to your room and suffer the wrath of your da?"

"Maybe," Brogan yawned, "will we get in trouble if we stay here? We're dressed aren't we?"

"Plus, you don't seem to get in trouble."

Brogan smiled, "not so much I guess. Still peeved I got to sleep in the tower?"

"Yes" hissed Draco in her ear, raising goose bumps all down her arm. He tugged her possessively closer. "I don't like sharing; surely you have noticed after all these years?"

"I'm sorry," said Brogan, choosing not to offer him more than that.

"That didn't sound like a promise to never do it again."

Brogan twisted around so she could look at him, "I don't want to promise you that."

"But we do have an agreement; you agreed to be my smoking hot girlfriend."

"I agreed to appear to be your girlfriend."

"And no girlfriend of mine would be seen sleeping with a Gryffindor."

"I wasn't seen sleeping with a Gryffindor."

"But you might be."

"True, and if that happens we can stage a big fight in the Great Hall and one or the other of us will win depending on which we mutually agree will be most beneficial for the plan. If we really are following our prior agreement then there is no issue here... So, are we? Are we still following the plan or do you wish to alter the terms?" She finished by looking quite coldly at Draco.

Draco shifted uncomfortably, of course he didn't want her to sleep with that stupid mountain of ginger but neither did he want to confess to feelings beyond their agreement. Mostly he really didn't want to lose a debate like this to a Gryffindor. "Yes," he said simply, "I do wish to alter the terms."

Brogan gaped at him. "Really? How?"

"I don't want you to be my pretend girlfriend; I want it to be real." His cheeks flushed and his eyes looked a bit glassy, he stroked her face and kissed her gently on the lips.

"Draco, I can't be a real girlfriend. I'm not a real girl yet."

"Bullshit," Draco murmured, kissing her again and sliding his hands around her curves.

Brogan had to smile at that, "alright granted, I seem to have sorted out the kissing and making out parts, but I'm sixteen. Maybe sixteen isn't too young to go steady or whatever but two months is."

"Have you kissed the Weasel too?"

Brogan blushed and nodded, "But, but imagine if Blaise was a girl and you could mess around with him as mates, you know with no strings attached. Just so you could both learn things, learn really amazing things."

"Stop, I refuse to imagine that any of the amazing things we did tonight were taught to you by Weasley."

"That seems a bit short-sighted, don't you want to imagine me bruising Ron in all sorts of terrible ways just so I can do things perfectly with you?"

"No actually, that doesn't help at all. Sorry."

Brogan crossed her arms to sulk on this a bit. "So you want me to choose?"

"Yes."

"Even though Ron and I have no strings or expectations at all?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure you're not the giant girl Draco?"

"Yes."

"Are you going to stop saying yes like that?"

"Yes." He smiled a bit though.

"Can I sleep platonically on this couch with you tonight and see if you are an effective bad dream preventer too? I would like to know before I make such a big decision."

Draco sighed and looked at the fire. It was incredibly hard to say no to Brogan. He wondered if she had made up the nightmares or exaggerated Ron's powers, but she really had looked better Monday. "Alright," he sighed.

Brogan got up in the early hours of dawn, not that she could tell in the dungeon, and gathered up her shoes to sneak back to her own room. Draco probably didn't notice, but her night had not been restful. It was surprising that Snape hadn't burst in, maybe his spell had worn off or maybe he assumed she was with someone who would take care of her.

She went to quidditch practice the next morning using every bit of her strength to look well rested but ran back to her room right after. She avoided her father by taking a long shower and when she finally emerged she had decided to spend the rest of the day hiding in the rooms.

It was a good plan, especially when Bill Weasley came through the floo around tea time. Dobby brought them a huge tea tray and they got quite cozy with their cups.

Ron had written to Bill so they talked about how Brogan had been able to reunite with some of her old friends and what a relief that was. Then Bill asked about Draco and how their plan was working.

"Not too well," admitted Brogan. "He isn't satisfied anymore with me pretending to be his girlfriend; he wants it to be real."

Bill wasn't surprised so he fussed with some biscuits and waited for Brogan to keep talking. She was very prone to rambling now so he didn't have to wait long.

"I told him I'm not comfortable enough yet as a girl but he knew that was a lie pretty much. The truth is that I don't really want to go steady with him because there's this other guy. We're mostly mates now but I'm sure we could be a lot more than that, he makes me feel so safe -it's incredible.

And I don't know, it's hard to choose because he's so totally different from Draco: he's kind instead of sarcastic, he's gentle instead of demanding, he's fun instead of pretentious. And when he looks at me sometimes, just a look is enough to turn my knees to jelly. I guess we have good chemistry.

Although Draco and I have a lot of passion too, and Draco treats me like a princess and he has his good points too. I like them both and I don't want to choose."

Bill listened with as blank a face as he could manage. He was pretty sure that Brogan was confessing her crush on him and he wasn't sure if he wanted to let her down easy or start kissing. He was really too old for her he told himself sternly as he hid behind his fifth biscuit and coughed manfully around his tea cup.

"Well Brogan, if you're so conflicted then maybe it's a sign that you are too young to choose. Perhaps you should keep all your options as open as you can."

"But what about kissing Bill?"

"Kissing?" he didn't squeak by God.

"Yeah, I really really like it you know, and is it okay if I kiss them both? Or does that make me a slut or something?"

Bill swallowed and licked his lips and wiped a hand on his thigh, then he swallowed again, "well you probably shouldn't be kissing them both, but if you can keep it a secret I guess, and if you can convince them not to tell right? I don't think there's a lot of harm in just kissing."

"It's not just kissing actually." Brogan mumbled.

Bill started to turn red and wondered if he could shift the plate on his lap without Brogan noticing. "Well, a bit of petting among mates, right? That, that should be fine, just don't tell your da right?"

"Bill, you player you! Thanks, I think I can convince my mate to keep things on the quiet and what Draco doesn't know won't send Draco into a snit."

"Yeah," said Bill, wondering/hoping/fearing what Brogan would do next.

She grabbed a handful of biscuits off the tray and sat back a lot more relaxed, "so," she said, "how upset was Ginny about that quidditch match? She flew really well and it could have gone either way I think. She shouldn't blame herself at all..."

Brogan had barely slept with Draco the night before, true she didn't have nightmares but after his words she couldn't settle down. She felt guilty avoiding Draco and his ultimatum all day but she couldn't resist the pull of the tower. Ron had told her the password and she waited until just before curfew to sneak off, her father was patrolling and she hadn't fallen asleep yet so he wouldn't sense her waking up.

When she reached the dorm Seamus and Dean were still awake hunched over a magazine together. Brogan could imagine all too well what sort of magazine it was. She grinned to herself, oh boys if only they could see through an invisibility cloak -she could give them an eyeful.

Luckily Ron had pulled his curtains shut, he was sprawled out and taking up the whole bed. His mouth was open but he looked endearing to her somehow. Still in her cloak she crawled under his sheets and tried to wedge herself into a tiny space under one of his outstretched arms.

He felt her moving around and woke up enough to roll onto his side and wrap his huge warm body around hers. He went to kiss her hair but encountered only cloak, he made a displeased sound and pulled it away from her head. When her face and hair were free he opened his eyes and looked at her, he thought she looked a little sad or something but he was too muzzy to work out why that might be. He kissed her on the forehead and ran his fingers through her hair, "I'm glad you came." He whispered, "‘S'nicer sleeping with you here."

"Thanks for telling me the password and letting me, you were all sprawled out when I got here, is, is that more comfortable for you?"

He put a finger on her lips, "shhh, this is comfortable, before was more like reaching out looking for you. This is what's right." He sighed and pulled her in tighter, jammed his knees up against the backs of her knees, carefully placed his nose in a clear spot just below her ear and went right back to sleep.

Brogan sighed too and followed him down.

The next day there was a lot of homework to catch up on. She ended up in her room with Luna that evening and the two of them had books spread out all around. Luna was just finishing up an essay she had written in a sparkly navy blue ink when she looked at Brogan with her head cocked to the side, a clear warning sign that something big would be coming from her soon.

"Ginny told me that Ron got a big hickey this week."

Brogan hadn't noticed the head cock warning so she ended up gouging her parchment a bit with her quill, "Oh really, any ideas from whom?"

"At first people assumed Hermione of course but she said it wasn't her. It's hard to tell how Hermione felt about it, I think she assumes a lot about Ronald without actually vocalizing it to him -which is rather remarkable considering how much she does vocalize to him."

"That seems about right, um the Hermione assumption thing. But just because they spend all their time together doesn't mean they're going steady or anything."

"No, that's just another assumption lots of people make."

"Assumptions are bad."

"Sometimes, but they're right often enough that people keep doing it to save time."

"Well, if they're just lazy then maybe they deserve to be tricked." said Brogan, perhaps more defensively than she intended.

Luna looked at Brogan until Brogan started squirming and then broke completely, "Was Hermione really hurt? Ron told me they weren't going out."

"Hurt might be too strong a word, but she misses having Harry Potter around and the thought of Ron having a relationship that's secret from her makes her feel even more abandoned. But we are all growing up, and one would hope that we'll make other friends and find other interests and not spend the rest of our lives with the people we met when we were eleven or twelve or thirteen."

"So, are you saying it's good for Hermione if Ron lives his own life a bit?"

"Harry," Luna admonished, "for me to say something like that would require a whole lot of assumptions."

Brogan sighed, Luna was far too clever.

"Draco's not happy either and he knows very well that I'm just pretending to be his girlfriend."

"Do you hang out with Draco just for pretend?"

"Well no, we spent a lot of time together over the summer and he's actually really nice to his friends."

"Do you pretend to kiss Draco?"

"Not so much pretend, no."

"Do you change how you act when nobody is around?"

"I guess not, so you're kind of getting me to admit that Draco is right and we aren't really pretending much."

"Well, Harry, I didn't want to assume anything so I was merely vocalizing some of my questions."

"Do you think that couples should be exclusive when they're only sixteen Luna?"

"I think I would want to be, so I guess it should be up to the couples."

"Well Ron knows I'm pretending with Draco." Luna hummed to that and Brogan thought about thirty seconds ago when she had admitted there wasn't much pretending but she plowed on, "And Draco knows that Ron and I are just mates messing around."

Luna shook out her sparkly blue essay and began rolling it up, she looked around gathering her belongings. Brogan felt a desperate need for Luna to not leave like this, "Luna, I'm not a real girl. I'm still a stupid boy inside you know. I don't even really understand why I'm attracted to boys, doesn't it seem kind of quick for that?

Maybe that's why I'm messing around; I'm not ready for it to be so real yet. It's easier to pretend if it is pretend."

"Hmm, I hadn't thought of that Harry. Were you attracted to Draco or Ron before your change?"

"I'm not sure. I was really close to Ron, closer than anyone knew I think, but we never kissed and I never thought about him that way. And Draco has always captured my attention. I was always very aware of where he was and what he was doing, kind of obsessed maybe.

I asked them about me you know. Because they both wanted me so quickly I wasn't sure what was going on and they both said that there was something before but it was a lot bigger now."

"Well, I'm not surprised they're both attracted to you now."

"Luna, whenever I'm alone with Ron he makes me take the charm off my eyes. You can't imagine how that feels, it's just so Ron and so I don't know, he just has this sense of how the world should be and it's like he's this big wall between you and all the things he wants to protect you from."

"Wow," said Luna, "he sounds kind of sexy when you describe him like that and not really like the Ronald I know who chews with his mouth open."

Brogan smiled brightly, she remembered fondly how she and Hermione had learned to sit next to Ron and not across from him. Luna sat back down in front of Brogan, "and Draco?" she prompted.

"Draco has definite opinions too, how he wants the world to be. Mostly it's tidy -he has cast more scourgifies on me than anyone else I know. But that's really just a mask he wears, I've smeared snot all over every one of his favorite shirts and he still opens his arms to me whenever I'm upset. It's amazing, and I just can't give that up either.

Luna, my childhood was really kind of horrible and nobody gave me hugs. Like literally no hugs at all, and even when I made friends and stuff here people don't hug adolescent boys all that much. So when Bill or Draco or Ron open their arms for me I can't not go. And then they all smell so good and they're all so warm, it's really hard not to... I don't know is it unhealthy or something?"

Luna looked at Brogan with a small frown, "let's see," she said and opened her arms. Brogan moved into the hug and put her head down on Luna's shoulder. It was pretty nice, the smell was pleasant, Luna was very soft and her hair was pretty.

Brogan relaxed a bit more into the hug, a radish from Luna's earring bumping her forehead. Luna could protect her, she sensed that. Luna could help take care of her too, let her know when she was making a mess of things like she was with their conversation tonight. Brogan relaxed more until it seemed like she was melting into Luna.

She felt Luna's lips on her hair and tilted her head back to look up at her; Luna looked down and took a startled step back. "Wow! Harry, is that sex magic?"

Brogan pulled out of Luna’s arms as quickly as she could, her face flaming red.  “What’s sex magic?  Is that real?  What are you saying Luna?”

Luna held up her hands to ward off the smaller girl who was quickly getting upset.  “Shhh Harry, calm down.”

Brogan took a step back and a deep breath, then she took another breath, then she looked up at Luna with her most beseeching expression.

Luna had taken a few steps back herself and was pacing a bit with her hands behind her back.  “A few years ago my father did a special edition of The Quibbler highlighting a special sort of magic.” She arched a pretty eyebrow in a knowing way.  “He wouldn’t let me read it of course but since they’re printed at our house I managed to abscond with a copy.”

“And?”

Luna pushed a pile of clothes to the floor and sat on the loveseat with her ankles neatly crossed.  “Well, there are numerous creatures who use sex to lure their victims to them, succubi and vampires for example, veelas too.  Many purebred wizards have a bit of creature blood in their lines.  The Malfoys have a bit of veela, they don’t admit it of course but it’s as plain as the hair on their heads.

It could be that the Potters have some sort of creature blood…”

“But Luna I’m not a Potter, I’m Snape and mudblood.”

“That’s true, Snape isn’t actually a pureblood family either.”

“Da said that my grandmother’s name was Prince.”

“Well we can look up the Prince’s in the library, they have genealogy books there.”

“So that’s the only kind of sex magic there is, from creatures?”

“Oh no, there are lots of spells and stuff but what you were doing seemed unconscious, it felt like creature magic.”

“So you think that I’m using this unconscious magic, like an accidental magic, to get boys to like me.  Like I’m a succubus?”

“Not like that Brogan, they both said they liked you before.”

“Sort of, but they said it was much stronger now.  The potion could have been masking this power and now that it’s loose, and it was set loose all at once right, so I wouldn’t know how to control it.”  Brogan was getting more and more agitated at every thought that spilled into her head.

“And maybe that’s why I can’t sleep alone because I’m a succubus.  What if I’m damaging them when I sleep with them, sucking out their life forces?”

“Brogan, does Professor Snape keep calming draughts around?” Luna asked as casually as she could manage, which wasn’t very.

Brogan stopped abruptly at the thought of the detested calming draught and made a real effort to calm herself down.  She stopped pacing and took deep breaths.

“Well that’s better I guess.  Brogan do you even know what a succubus is?”

“Of course, sort of.  I don’t know exactly I guess –they seduce and draw life essence and magic and they’re demons…”

“Demons aren’t real Harry.”

“Oh, it’s sort of hard to tell after you’ve been raised muggle.  They should have a book or something –stuff that really is make believe.  After I found out about werewolves and vampires and mermaids I just sort of assumed everything was real.”

“Well, I said demons aren’t real, the succubus isn’t a demon it’s a creature.”

“Like the crumple-horned snorkack?” Brogan asked hopefully.

Luna gave her a cold sort of look for that crack, “it’s a bit more widely accepted than the snorkack.”

Brogan slumped.  “Are they supposed to be very beautiful?  Because my mum looks pretty in her pictures but my Aunt Petunia and Snape aren’t so much, no offense to them.”  Brogan looked up suddenly, remembering how her room was warded against privacy.

“That is an interesting point, and also you haven’t killed anyone yet so I suppose we can cross succubus off the list.

Maybe it isn’t creature magic, maybe it’s just your magic that really needs to feel safe.”

“Like the turmoil from the change and the new wand is still going on?”

Luna nodded, “And now that you know you’re doing something Brogan, will you try to keep it in check?”

Brogan nodded miserably and Luna grabbed her hand.  “Oh not like that you silly, we just said your magic needs it.  Maybe you can tell your boys what you think you’re doing and let them make an informed choice?”

Brogan shrugged miserably, that seemed risky to her.  Who would want to sleep with a succubus freak?  “Any other advice?” she asked morosely.

“Yes, actually.  I think you should talk to Professor Snape.”

“Tell Da that I think I’m a succubus?!  Are you mad?”

Luna winked slyly at Brogan, “I’m going to pretend you didn’t ask that, okay?  Good luck and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Brogan didn’t see her friend out but she could hear Luna wishing Professor Snape a good evening, it seemed extra loud.

Brogan slowly tidied up her books and dragged herself out to the sitting room.  “Hey Da,” she said, “no detentions or faculty meetings or patrols tonight?”

Severus was a bit surprised by her words, was it really so unusual for him to be in his quarters during the evening?  He frowned to himself and ran through his last few nights, indeed he was out most of the time.  Brogan hesitated when she saw his frown, she was pretty sure that it wasn’t aimed at her but she was still getting used to her new relationship with her professor.

Severus quickly noticed her hesitation though and berated himself, he got up quickly to answer her, “no, I’m free all evening.  Perhaps we should spend it together, like we used to with your quill lessons?”

“Those were kind of fun, except for how terrible I was.”  Brogan smiled.

“You persevered admirably though, and your penmanship is just as good as it ever was now.”

“That’s damning with faint praise Da.”

Severus grinned with pride at his daughter, rueful that he had ever mistakenly attributed her rapier wit to James Potter.  He called for a house elf and Dobby brought them a snack, they settled on the couch together and started chatting about classes.  Their relationship was much improved now that they were sharing a course that Brogan was good at.

When they ran out of Dark Arts things to talk about and had rehashed all the recent Slughorn anecdotes, they ended up just sitting quietly and sipping their tea.  Brogan wanted to talk about the things she and Luna had discussed, she wanted to share her fears and concerns but the words just wouldn’t come.  It had been so easy to talk to Luna but adults were different.

Brogan slumped next to her father a bit more and thought about why it was so hard for her to talk.  Well, first because the Dursleys had never allowed her to talk or ask questions.  But also because Snape had been rude and condescending and snide ever since he had laid eyes on Harry Potter.  And then thirdly because adults had always been rather useless to Harry.

It was an adult that left her on the Dursley’s stoop like a bottle of sour milk.  It was adults who ignored the too thin child with the ratty clothes and the pinched face.  It was adults who kept things from her, who pushed her into dangerous situations, and Brogan kept adding to the list of shitty things adults had done.

Severus had thought the lull was just a natural pause and then he noticed Brogan was thinking of something that was making her look as though she had to take a particularly loathsome potion, worse than the chalky aftertaste of skelegrow –more like the fetid and malodorous Wiggenweld Potion.  He studied her face for a few more moments and then seemed to remember that she was a person and not a subject.  He put his hand on her leg and she jumped a bit but gave him a faint smile when she looked over.

“Brogan, I sense there is something you’d like to discuss but you don’t seem ready yet.  Perhaps, in the meantime, I can tell you more about your mother?”

Brogan looked at him with a bit of surprise but not the excitement to hear more about her mother that Snape really expected to see.  Severus, a bit awkwardly, put his arm around Brogan’s shoulders and settled down to talk.

“There are times when any sane or somewhat intelligent person looks around at the world and wonders why human beings are allowed to exist.  We spread pollution and violence and cruelty like a curse upon the earth.  We have wiped entire species from the planet, we commit crimes upon the weak and defenseless, and yet we prance around like the kings of the world.  You must know this far better than most Brogan.  And yet, despite her mistakes, whenever I am disillusioned with the world and I need to restore my faith I think of your mother. 

You have seen the misery that is Spinner’s End, Lily was like a beam of sunlight penetrating that gloom.  She was fresh air and flowers and bird song, and she was so very very kind.  She was friendly and generous to a boy who wore odd hand-me-down clothes.  Have you ever known such a person Brogan?”

Brogan knew all too well what it was to be that oddball child and she could only shake her head no, before she got on the train for Hogwarts secure in the knowledge that she had the right uniform and it fit her, no other child had ever been kind.  She wiped an eye absentmindedly and Severus squeezed her a bit more.

“Gentle and loving to a fault perhaps, I think James and I were both so eager for her affections that we would never risk losing her by demanding she choose.  At least I know that was the case for me, I was happy to be her secret, happy to take whatever she could offer.  Not the healthiest relationship I suppose but we were young and she had so much love to give.

I remember one day she was pointing out desirable Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws and telling me she was considering going for the full set.  She could have gotten it easily, all the boys were eager for whatever they might get from her.”

“Was she that pretty or do you think there was more, like an unconscious spell or something?”

Snape paused to think about that.  “There might have been, she could be very compelling at times.  Was Miss Lovegood suggesting that there might be Veela blood hiding in your veins?”

Brogan gave an abashed grin, “something similar,” she mumbled.

“It is possible I suppose, although looking at myself and Petunia perhaps not.”

“Yeah, I can’t really see myself birding out either, but then Luna thought it might be more like accidental magic.  Because I, because my magic, I guess I’m still kind of frightened maybe and sort of like unstable.”

Snape sighed, what else could he do or say?  “That is a most distressing thought Brogan.  I am regretful that my presence doesn’t help.  You should know though that even when I was cruel in public I was always protecting you, from that foul Quirrel fraud, from Lupin’s werewolf, whenever I saw you in danger.”

“I know Da,” said Brogan but she didn’t seem convinced.

“I understand Brogan, and I regret how harsh I was.”

“Yeah, you regret now that it turns out I’m your daughter, but if I was still in Gryffindor tower would you regret being cruel to an eleven year-old child?”

“Your point is fair, my actions were inexcusable.  I don’t have a time turner though, I was existing in my own little world of malice, and you looked just like the Gryffindor who married my Lily and fathered her child.”

“Yeah, I remember how pleased you were to have a celebrity in your class.”

“I thought you had forgiven me Brogan.”

“I’m sorry, I thought I had too but I’m just all out of sorts tonight.  You know those days where you list everything bad that’s ever happened to you?  And then you just wallow in it and snap at everyone?”

“Oh yes, I know those feelings well, exquisitely well.  I’m sorry to be on your list but perhaps you can feel closer to me by knowing that I have those thoughts as well.  Take fair warning though in how I have turned out after many a night of nursing my wounds thusly.”

It took Brogan a moment to parse out what her father was saying and then she chuckled and elbowed him a bit.  “And if I gave you my puppy eyes would you buy me robes like yours, all black and buttons?  Halloween is this week, do you think we could get them by then?”

“As tempting and hilarious as that might be it would be best if you got Mr. Malfoy to assist you, I don’t think my persona would survive direct involvement.”

“And if I said that I only want to do it with you, am I more important than your aloof bat image?”

“Your safety and happiness is far more important than my aloof bat image, however I don’t believe a joint Halloween costume is vital to either your safety or happiness.”

“How convenient for you.”

Snape shrugged elegantly.

“I’m glad you didn’t have detentions or a meeting or a potion in your lab tonight.”

Snape threaded his fingers through Brogan’s, “I am too.  It seems we will require a lot of nights like this if we are to get over our past and become the family we both long for.”

Brogan sniffed and used the back of her other hand to wipe her nose.  “You were aware, I hope, that I want us to be a family.”  Snape continued.

“Yeah, I knew that.  I think.  Like the way that you brought me to your house right away and bought me clothes and made me shoes and stuff.”

“If those were your only signs than I apologize for being so vague, Brogan when I realized you were my child it was like an opportunity to live again.  I know I should have been kinder before, I know you are the same person I was rude to and it’s probably hard for you to understand why I would treat you so differently now. 

At first I did honestly think you were well loved, I knew better after the occlumency lessons.  But I should have been kinder just because of who you are and because of the trials that I saw you suffer.

That I only emerge from the woodwork when you are in imminent physical peril does not reflect well upon me as a person.  Your mental well being is important too and now that I have a sort of permission to be kind, now that there is a socially acceptable expectation for me to be kind I only hope I can manage it.”

Brogan sighed as she tried to decide how she felt about her father’s confessions.  Poor Da, she understood him.  She understood his childhood and how it felt to be bullied, she understood how things that seem impossible one day can suddenly happen the next just because the rest of the world has changed and now it’s expected.  (Thanks Daily Prophet!) 

It was getting late and there were classes tomorrow.  Her Da had decided to stop giving her the experimental potion; the efficacy had faded so quickly that he was worried about her developing a tolerance to some of the ingredients.  That was why she had been so surprised to see him at home; he had been working on a new version every spare moment it seemed.  She would have to be particularly oblivious to think her father didn’t care and after hungrily searching for scraps of affection from the Dursleys for years and years she was anything but oblivious to Snape’s actions.

“Are you worried about sleeping tonight Brogan?” Snape asked softly after the silence had stretched out.

“I guess so, it’s so frustrating and embarrassing and everything and Luna said that Hermione is getting upset.”

“You have no reason to be embarrassed by your nightmares.”

Brogan just shrugged.

“Have you always had them?”

Brogan nodded, “yeah, I used to dream of green light and wake up terrified having no idea why.  Maybe if someone had done something when I was little I could have learned how to deal with them, but on my own I didn’t really know what to do so they got stronger, and then when I got here…  I guess we could say I got some new material.”

“And has Mr. Weasley always helped you with the nightmares?”

Brogan nodded, “even when he was mad at me, he would wake up in the middle of the night and carry me to his bed until I went back to sleep.”

“And why did you never mention this?”

“Mention it to who?  I begged Dumbledore to let me go to the Weasleys every break since I met Ron.  And we were boys you know, you don’t want to go blabbing to other people about how your friend is weak. 

I don’t know, maybe we were afraid of what other people would think too.  I mean when we were eleven it was one thing but after Sirius died, I went right to Ron’s bed as soon as I could manage it.”

“So do you want to tell Draco that it’s time to end your charade?”

“Not really, but if you think it’s for the best.  I could.”

“Why do you want to keep stringing him along?”

“I don’t know, why did my mum keep stringing you along?” Brogan answered tiredly.  “’M sorry, that was mean.” She bowed her head to rub her eyes and missed her father grinning ruefully at her.

The words were uncharacteristically rude for Brogan but exactly what Snape himself would have snapped if he had been the one pestered, he put his hand on her back and started rubbing it.  “I suppose I’m sensitive because of just that, but really what do I care?  Crush them beneath your heel, I will teach you how to sneer at them and then take you on hunting expeditions to find more.”

Brogan chuckled wetly from behind her hands.  Snape drew out a handkerchief with a sigh and tried to shove it in between her palm and her cheek.  Brogan looked up as the corner poked her in the eye and gave her da a bright but teary smile.  “I’m sorry I’m such a shite girl.”

“I am a less than perfect specimen of fatherhood, we must suit each other.  It’s getting late, are you sneaking off to the tower tonight?”

“I don’t know, Luna said that Hermione was upset about Ron having a secret girldfriend.”

“And?”

Brogan shoved him, “and I like Hermione, I think I should talk to her first or something.”

“I see, sneaking to the Slytherin dorm then?”

“No, Draco gave me an ultimatum and I’m still hiding from him so I won’t have to answer.  And please don’t ask me these things so bluntly, I feel like my face is on fire here.”

Snape smirked at her, pleased as always to have the upper hand.  “Alright then, go get ready for bed.  I came across a new book of meditation techniques and you can try one of them tonight to see if it helps.”

“Okay but no incense, Luna gave me funny looks when she smelled my bedspread before.”

They had tried a few other meditation things before, they all worked well enough to send Brogan peacefully off to dreamland but once she got there the trouble would start.

Hours later she jolted awake with her heart pounding and looked quickly at the doorway waiting for her da to appear.  He didn’t so she waited some more.  She found her Hedwig doll on the floor and wrapped her arms around it thinking.  First she tried to decide if she was hurt or not that Snape hadn’t appeared, she decided she was mostly relieved even though it had been nice talking to him. 

Squeezing the doll helped a bit but her real Hedwig was so much better.  Actually a real person was what she really wanted.  The tower was such a long cold walk away though, Draco was closer but did she really want Draco?  Snape was right next door but she was much too old to climb in his bed.

She thought briefly about what sleeping with Blaise might be like but then she sort of horrified herself.  Her thoughts went back to Draco and how she wasn’t even sure where his dorm might be, creeping around the Slytherin dorms in the middle of the night didn’t seem like a good idea.

She pulled the blankets way up and closed her eyes tight trying to imagine that the Hedwig doll was Ron.  It was absolutely no good at all; Ron was always the one in the back, that was the way they fit together.  Brogan wished she could just talk to him for a minute like on a phone, or smell him or snog him for a little while.  She tried closing her eyes and picturing as vividly as possible exactly what she wanted to do with Ron and sometime later she managed to drop off to sleep again.

There was a note for Brogan at breakfast the next day, the headmaster wanted to see her that evening.  This was her night to be tutored by Hermione on wand work and she realized that she had an excuse for getting out of one thing or the other, the question was which one did she want to ditch more.  If she worked things out with Hermione she might be able to sneak into Ron’s bed tonight.  But putting off the horrible awkward conversation with Hermione was tempting too.

She noticed her da was turning the pages of his paper very slowly and glancing at her so she passed the note over.  “I don’t suppose you know why the headmaster has requested me?”

Snape had a very peevish expression, “no,” he murmured and his face got even darker.  “Isn’t your charms tutorial scheduled for this evening?”

Brogan nodded.

“Excellent, I shall convey to the headmaster that you are unable to attend and see if I can figure out what the coot has up his overly flamboyant sleeve.”

“How will you do that?” asked Brogan curiously.

“I will inform him that you will not be allowed to meet with him unless he tells me why first.”

“Hmm, I guess that will work.”  Brogan nodded and went back to her breakfast.

That night Ron (the big baby) did not show up for the charms tutorial.  Hermione seemed wistful to Brogan, she was sitting in a shaft of late afternoon light that was angling just so through the narrow window.

It wasn’t Brogan’s plan to attempt flattery but the words came out of her mouth before she thought about them, the danger of being around a best friend.  “Hermione, you look so pretty sitting there like that, how do you manage to always look so poised?  I always feel like someone’s just pulled me off the bottom of their shoe.”  And Brogan gestured helplessly at her untucked shirt, jeans, messy curls.

“You do have your moments Brogan where I wonder how anyone is fooled into thinking you’re a girl.”

Brogan shrugged, “I agree.  But then I don’t actually do anything about it so I suppose I really am still a boy.”

“Well, I heard there are those who would disagree with that statement.”

Brogan blushed furiously.  “I’m sorry if that hurt you, Ron swore that you guys weren’t an item.  I know you like him but we didn’t, it wasn’t supposed to mean anything, we were just messing around like mates.”

Brogan had sat down next to Hermione and Hermione turned to look at her with teary eyes, “Harry, it is kind of hard but I can see how the temptation to experiment with a friend would be hard to resist.

And I keep reminding myself that we’re teenagers and if he asked me to marry him now I would be appalled so why not test the waters while we still can.”

“Thank you Hermione, thank you so much for understanding.  I was so afraid of messing up our relationship.”

“Is the experimenting over now?” Hermione asked a little desperate despite her earlier words.

Brogan took a deep breath, “I still have those nightmares Hermione,” she looked up pleadingly and Hermione noticed the dark smudges under her friends eyes, “sleeping with Ron is still the only way –besides dreamless sleep, that I can get a full night’s rest.

Da and Draco tried to invent a new potion for me but it only worked for a little while, they’re trying again now.  Last night I was awake for hours hugging this stupid, well not that stupid I guess, but hugging this big snowy owl plushie that Draco bought me.

So, I don’t know, it’s hard to sleep with Ron and not want to fool around a little because he’s pretty damn sexy when he’s taking care of you and wrapping you up in his arms.  And it’s impossible to sleep without Ron, I swear I have tried.”

“What about Draco?” Hermione asked, she seemed a little blotchier now to Brogan.

“Draco and I had this plan where I would pretend to be his girlfriend but it’s hard to pretend something like that and not have it become a little real.”

“So you’ve been a girl for two months and you dress like that and you have both of the cutest boys in our year?”

Brogan nodded, “last night I actually started,” she swallowed hard, “fantasizing about Blaise too.”

“Well, Blaise is totally hot so I understand that.  Have you seen that pompous twit Zacharias Smith lately?  I think he worked out this summer.”

Brogan’s mouth dropped open, “Hermione?” she squeaked.

Hermione dropped an arm around Brogan’s shoulders.  “Oh Harry, you are always such a mess but a noble mess –well as noble as you can manage I guess. 

What can you tell me about how you changed into a girl, was it gradual or sudden?”

“It took a few hours I think, it was like slow painful polyjuice.  I could feel my bones grinding and I swear I felt organs growing.”

“Mmmhmm,” Hermione nodded, “and have you gotten your period yet?”

Brogan flushed, “yeah I got it like two days later.  Those cramps are a bitch, boys really have no idea.”

Hermione nodded again, “and your moods?”

“I cry about once a day, give or take.”

“And Professor Snape didn’t suggest any sort of hormone therapy?  What about Madam Pomfrey?”

“I don’t think she knows, I haven’t seen her at least.”

Hermione was shaking her head in disapproval, “well judging by how quickly you got your period it seems like your body got quite the shock when it was suddenly flooded with a sixteen year-old girl’s estrogen level and I think you’re still sorting it out.  It could be why you cry all the time and try to jump all the boys.”

“Oh, Luna thought I might be part succubus.”

Hermione slapped a hand across her face to try and hold in the sudden peal of laughter.  “Watch it Hermione, this is the wizarding world yeah, she could be right.”

Hermione’s hand couldn’t hold back that laugh.

There was still a lesson after that, with Hermione there was always still a lesson.  It wasn’t strictly wand work though, Hermione found herself in the strange position of trying to tell Brogan how to be more feminine.  “Do you want to smuggle me in to meet with Lavender and Parvati?” she suggested glumly after what seemed like forever.

“No, I think it’s too risky, the Slytherins might find out.  Can you go to some of those girls and ask for help?  Halloween is coming up, you could tell them you want to look nice for the feast and you have no idea what to do.  They might like it if you ask.”

“I suppose they would, but what if they make me look stupid?  Or worse, good?”

“Then you can find out what kind of kisser Blaise is.”

Brogan nodded, with a considering smile, “so hormones you think?”

Hermione nodded.

“God I love science,” said Brogan in her most heartfelt voice.

Her da was waiting for her in their little sitting room, he looked murderous and after a few moments of panic she remembered that he had met with the headmaster that evening.  Snape glanced up as Brogan came in and tried to look less frightening but quickly gave it up as a lost cause. 

Intrigued Brogan dropped her bag, kicked off her shoes and walked over to where her da was sitting.  “Well?” she prompted.

“The headmaster remains convinced that the prophecy is true and you are the one foretold to have the power to conquer the Dark Lord.  In light of the connection you share and the brother wand cores I was unable to argue otherwise,” Snape seemed bitterly disappointed by that and Brogan waited for him to continue.

“The headmaster has gathered information about the Dark Lord, his origin and early years, that he wishes to share with you to further empower you on your quest.  Since he has not spoken of training you per se but merely informing you, I concede that it is a good idea.

You will not leave the school grounds without my prior approval and you will not learn any dark or violent spells, you will merely go to the headmaster’s office and view pensieved memories.  That is, if you wish.  If you do not wish then we are done with all this. 

We can withdraw from Hogwarts entirely if it suits you and move to Beauxbaton or anywhere really.”

Brogan was quiet for long moments while she digested all of that, “if we leave he will either destroy the British Isles and then come after us or just come after us straight away.  Either way I don’t think there’s much to be gained by fleeing.

I can go to Dumbledore’s office and look at the memories, I already know a bit about him from the diary, learning more will only help.”

Snape sighed but didn’t seem surprised.  “So be it then, I will talk to Albus and we will set up another night for you to meet.”  He glanced at the clock, “It is late and this has been a disturbing topic, why don’t I get you some dreamless sleep just for tonight?”

Brogan smiled at his thoughtfulness and they both rose to get ready for bed.

Brogan really wished that she wasn’t still expected to defeat the Dark Lord, there were enough problems swimming around in her head.  She needed to figure out how to get the Slytherin girls to befriend her.  Really she needed to figure out how to get Pansy to like her because so many of the other girls followed Pansy’s lead.  She could pretend (or not pretend whatever) that she was done with Draco and wanted Pansy’s help turning Blaise’s head.  But Brogan realized that even if she sent a friendly little note to Draco beforehand telling him about it, he still wouldn’t be okay with her suddenly flirting with Blaise.  And also Blaise was really nice and she didn’t want to destroy his friendship with Draco.

But why would Pansy want to help Brogan look nice for Draco?  Maybe she could say that Draco was only acting chummy with her and kept talking about how nice Pansy looked and then she could ask Pansy for help.  But then Pansy would help Brogan look more like Pansy because that’s what she was asking for and then Brogan would look like Pansy and, that seemed like an awful high price to pay just to possibly save a bunch of lives.  Brogan took a deep deep breath and tried to think of the cutest little Slytherin first-years that she possibly could. 

After classes she went back to her room and tried to find her least flattering clothes, it wasn’t that hard.  Then she studied herself in the mirror, it still looked like a stranger.  Brogan didn’t think anyone else realized how much she avoided mirrors now, avoided her own face.  She could go weeks with ink on her nose and not know about it.  Quickly she checked her nose, it was clear of ink.  Brogan didn’t think she was an ugly girl, she thought she looked kind of pathetic though.  The kind of girl that you would want to feed and make sure she had warm socks.

Her hair was as wild as ever, that actually pleased her.  It was a bit of her Harry Potter appearance that she was able to retain, the hair was a slightly different color and it was longer now but the messiness was the same.  Her eyebrows were probably too heavy for a girl, she supposed the real girls would know a spell to thin them out some and make her look less mannish. 

Mannish, Harry never reached adulthood Brogan realized.  Sure he had tried a few shaving charms with Ron and the others but that was mostly just messing around.  Dispassionately Brogan watched her eyes fill with tears for a boy who had ceased to be on the eve of his sixteenth birthday, the just-cried look would be useful.

She picked up her bag of homework and made her way to the Slytherin common room.  She had checked the map and knew that Draco was with Severus in a lab but she pretended to look around for him and then scuttled over to sit near Pansy and Millicent.  They looked at her as if she was something that Fang had dragged in from the forest.  Brogan bit her lip and shoved some hair behind an ear, “can I ask you guys for something?  It’s kind of pathetic and all so you can say no if you want but I just don’t know who else to go to.”  She tried to tremble a little.

The Slytherin faces gave nothing away but they continued to look at her, waiting.  Brogan swallowed nervously, “it’s this Hogsmeade weekend thing, Draco asked if I was going to dress for it or just roll out of bed.  Or you know, one of his snarky comments.  I mean, I know –everyone knows, that he spends more time on his hair than I do and I thought he accepted me for who I am inside but now it feels like he’s getting tired of me.  Like my novelty is wearing off, or now that he and my da are so buddy-buddy with their potion work he doesn’t need to pretend to like me anymore.

And you know how he thinks he’s so subtle and suave but he’s really just a prat?  This morning after charms he told me how nice he thought your hair looked today Pansy, and he was all ‘I believe Millicent has new earrings in’.  And there I was with my hair, you know –like this, and my ears aren’t even pierced.  And the only necklace I own is this thing,” she fingered the string around her neck, “and it’s probably going to rot away soon.”  She sighed theatrically and willed a few tears to well up if possible.

The Slytherin girls were preening a bit that Draco had noticed them but they also felt a strange sympathy growing for the odd girl who had come to them so humbly.  “I suppose I could give you one tip for free,” drawled Pansy, “buy a hairbrush.”

Brogan blushed bright red, and cast her eyes down.  She started counting in her head: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1… 

“Now now Pansy, there’s no need for that.” Millicent scolded softly, she raised her arm and waved Daphne and Astoria Greenglass over.  Reaching out for Brogan’s hand and turning an excited smile to the other girls she almost squealed, “makeover time for Brogan!”

“Really?” asked Astoria.  “No offense Brogan but we’ve been waiting for you to ask.  Every girl, well not really every girl, but some of us, fancy ourselves a bit talented in makeovers and we were hoping you might ask some day.”

“But it’s one of those things where you can’t ever bring it up first, you know?” finished her sister Daphne.

Millicent pulled the smaller girl up to stand with them, “so,” she said, “our room or yours?”

Brogan looked at them in shock and stuttered her reply, “I-I guess it better be your room,” she turned to Pansy and confessed, “I don’t actually have a hairbrush in my room.”

Even Pansy had to roll her eyes at that, but then she flounced herself in to the lead and led the little parade to the Slytherin sixth year girls’ dorm.  It was a pretty nice room and the girls were all obviously very comfortable together in it.  Brogan shyly wandered around peering at their mirrors and dressing tables, for a moment she felt bad that she didn’t live there with friends.

Daphne noticed her wistful looks and gently suggested that if Brogan wanted to she was welcome to get a bed in the dorm too.  Pansy glared at her behind Brogan’s back but Brogan blushed and shook her head, “I-I couldn’t, I have a sleeping disorder and my da needs to be close by at night.  That’s why I always look so tired you know, and why I fall asleep in your common room when I do manage to visit.”

The girls nodded sympathetically, their Slytherin minds processing the information.  They led her to one of the chairs and then settled down on the beds and flat surfaces around her.  Astoria took up a position behind Brogan, she spun her around so they were both looking in the mirror and put her hands on Brogan’s shoulders, if she felt how tense Brogan was she didn’t say anything.

“Well,” she started, “the first thing is that you don’t actually want to try and brush hair like this, it’ll just poof out –what you need is a wide tooth comb.”  Daphne passed one over that had magically appeared from somewhere and the tutorial began.  Brogan tried to pay attention to their words but it was hard, so much of herself was trying to zone out and run away.

After they had washed and combed out her hair, it still looked messy but artfully so, after they showed her how to use eyeliner and mascara and blush and gloss, after they had indeed trimmed her eyebrows, and after they had pierced her ears (Pansy volunteered for that) they turned their attention to her sorry outfit.  “I have nicer clothes, really I do.  Do you want  to come to my room and see?  I can get a house elf to bring us a snack.”

She didn’t need to bribe them with biscuits, of course they wanted to see her room.  Her da was still in his lab so they paused to look around the little sitting room for a moment and Brogan was able to dash ahead and hide her Hedwig doll.  It was really the only incriminating thing –she hoped. 

They loved the settee, the snacks from Dobby were brilliant and her boy short pants were horrifying.  Brogan surprised herself by having a really good time.  Draco and Severus came by when they were done in the lab, they were bearing another experimental potion for her –it looked like grey sludge with flecks.  It was the sight of the potion that they honestly expected her to drink, that erased all of Brogan’s guilt about not warning either of them about her plans for the evening.

Draco’s eyes had quickly scanned the room, checking out who was there but also sort of looking for Brogan, he didn’t recognize her straight off which was rather a shock.  When his eyes did settle her hair looked a bit sleeker but still pleasingly rumpled, her eyes were smoky and piercing and he wished fervently that he could cancel the charm and see her real green eyes blazing out from the charcoal smudges.  He noticed her face was a touch lighter and brighter and realized they had trimmed her eyebrows too, and there were even tiny glints of gold peeking out from beneath her hair –he could now buy her earrings for Christmas, excellent, that was on his list too.  He really couldn’t help the soft smile, it pleased Brogan and Millicent and Daphne and Astoria but Pansy was undelighted.

Severus had a faraway look on his face too and Brogan supposed he was thinking of her mum.  Even Pansy had to feel a little smug about moving her head of house so deeply.  He smiled benignly at all of them and tried to sneer but failed, he walked over to Brogan and tipped her head back so he could look more closely at their work. “Ten points to Slytherin for this most judicious use of beauty potions –each.”

Predictably Brogan blushed like mad, “Da,” she screeched, “are you actually giving them points for being nice to me?  Words can’t express how humiliating that is!”

The other girls all laughed but were pleased anyway.  “Draco, please escort your housemates back to the dorms, curfew approaches.”

There was a chorus of goodnights and some more teasing of Brogan before Astoria actually plucked up the nerve to ask her Head of House if he could, if he had time or anything, if he could possibly transfigure another pair of shoes like the gray ballet slippers but in a size seven?  The sneer came easily to Severus in that instance and they all scarpered out.

He was still standing next to Brogan so he pulled her in to a tight hug as soon as they were alone.  “I apologize for the points, I knew it would offend you but,” he paused to make sure the others were all the way out of his chambers, “it’s how things are done with Slytherins.  I’m sure you had to make it worth their while to play doll with you.”

“Actually it wasn’t that hard, they apparently enjoy doing hair and makeup things and had been waiting for me to ask.  And we let Pansy pierce my ears, I think it was cathartic for her and we’ll be better housemates now.”

“Excellent.  Is all your homework done?”  Brogan nodded.  “Then get ready for bed and we shall see if this latest potion helps you tonight.”

When Severus was updating his potion notes the next morning he had to admit the side effects were definitely two strikes against the potion but Brogan was so exhausted after dealing with the hives and the not breathing that she did in fact sleep the rest of the night through.  So, he tapped his quill, not only were ingredients losing their efficacy much too quickly for his comfort but she was developing sensitivities too; the bad was getting worse.  How many curses were on his child?

Brogan was pale and shaky at breakfast but she had combed her hair and it looked as though she had dressed with extra care.  Snape stood and felt her forehead, checked her pulse along her throat and generally fussed like an old lady.  “You don’t have to go to classes today Brogan, at least go back to bed and skip the morning ones.”

She swallowed gently, still nervous about breathing, “No, just let me get some juice into my blood stream and I’ll be good.  I actually slept pretty well after.”

“There is a difference between sleeping and being unconscious.”  Severus sneered even though he had just written the same thing.

Brogan smiled, “yes, when you’re unconscious you don’t have any bad dreams.  Plus I told the girls that I have a sleeping disorder, if they see me all pathetic today they’ll feel even more protective of me and it will show them I wasn’t lying.”

“Is Draco in all of your morning classes?”

Brogan nodded, her mouth was full of Danish pastry.

“Alright, you may attend but I will talk to him first about your adverse reactions so he knows what to look for during the day and at lunch.”  Brogan shrugged, mildly amused that her da was acting like a nursemaid.

Time was short, as it so often was for Brogan in the mornings, so Severus ended up writing a note to Draco and trusting her to deliver it.  She slid into the seat next to Draco in potions and dutifully handed the scroll over.  Then she sat and watched as he paled and started glancing between the scroll and her as if she was going to asphyxiate next to him.

Brogan put it out of her mind until it was time to gather their ingredients for the day.  “Stay here, I’ll get them.” Draco ordered.

When he returned she had her knife out and reached for the daisy roots to start shredding them.  “No, don’t touch them,” Draco admonished putting his hand over hers and studying the ingredient list carefully.  “You can cut up the bat spleens but don’t touch anything else.”

“What?!” Brogan spluttered, “Why do I have to do the disgusting slimy bit?”

Draco looked at her extremely seriously, “Brogan, we’re brewing a mild sleeping potion today, if you want I can do the spleens too but after your reaction last night we don’t want you to touch any of the ingredients from that potion and the only thing here that wasn’t in there is the spleens.”

“Oh,” said Brogan blushing.  “Well, you could have fooled me, it tasted like it had bat spleens.”  She looked around awkwardly for a bit, “Really I can’t even touch things?”

Draco shook his head no, “You must have scared the crap out of Severus.”

“I suppose I did, he was right there at least.  As soon as I drank the potion my throat started to close, it was kind of madcap because he wanted to get me this other potion to fix it but he didn’t want to leave me I guess, you know not able to breathe and all, so he picked me up and ran with me to the potion cupboard.  Which totally worked, but you know, wizard –accio and all, I think he might have been panicking or something.”

“I’m sure you could have pointed that out to him if you’d been able to breathe.  Hmm?”

Brogan smiled smugly, “of course.”

By then all of their ingredients were chopped up and Draco allowed Brogan to levitate them into the cauldron.

Draco was hovery but charming all day long.  He carried her bag and checked over her lunch selections like a mother hen.  “I hardly think they’re serving bat spleens for lunch Draco.”

“You forget my dear, you are allowed to eat bat spleens.”

Blaise gave them a very curious look as Brogan put her head down on the table.  Draco leaned over and brushed a bit of her hair off her plate, tucking it safely behind her ear.  “Brogan had an allergic reaction to an experimental potion last night and we haven’t had a chance to figure out which element it was.”

“Ah,” said Blaise.  “Was there chocolate in the potion?”

Brogan peeked up to see Draco’s response, “it sure as hell didn’t taste like chocolate.” She supplied helpfully.

“No, there was no chocolate.”

“Excellent,” said Blaise, “then this should be perfectly safe.” And he passed her a large dark chocolate bar, receiving a blinding smile in response.

“How did you know?” she asked Blaise as she tore open the wrapper.

“When I saw Draco carrying your bags and you letting him.”

“You are wise beyond your years Mr. Zabini.”

Pansy was checking them out and Brogan broke off a huge piece and passed it wordlessly to her, she gave Pansy a sly look and then turned back to Blaise who was boggling at that transaction, “did my da see you give me chocolate?” She craned her head to check out the head table, “because maybe he’ll give you points if he did.”

Pansy screeched with laughter and decided maybe Brogan wasn’t a complete waste of space.

By the end of the day Draco was carrying Brogan on his back and Blaise had everyone’s bags.  Draco led them slowly to Snape’s quarters and whispered the password to let them all in.  Blaise followed to Brogan’s room and helped get her shoes off, the poor girl was so soundly asleep that Draco was even able to find the Hedwig doll and stick it under her arm while he and Blaise snorted.  Blaise was patient while Draco smoothed out Brogan’s hair and gave her a quick peck on the forehead too.

They didn’t linger much longer, there was quidditch practice in half an hour.  Brogan would be upset that she missed it but she was in no shape for flying and she didn’t need the practice as much as the rest of the team anyway.

They were actually surprised to see her at the Halloween feast  that night, they weren’t as surprised that she looked like she had just rolled out of bed.  “Hey sleepyhead,” Draco greeted her, shoving her gently to the side so he could sit down and then pulling her right back against him.  Brogan cuddled right back to him.

“Hey,” she yawned, “how was practice?”

“It was cold,” Blaise announced while Draco helpfully slid a hand around her neck to show her. 

“Oh, that’s nice, can you put it here Draco?  My head is pounding.” And she pulled his hand up to her forehead.

“Pounding how?” Draco asked hoping it wasn’t a vision.

“Had juice for breakfast and chocolate for lunch pounding I guess.  That’s why I’m here now, some house elf tattled on me to Da.”

“Oh, well as long as you brought it on yourself through your own foolishness,” started Draco pulling his hand away.

Brogan wrapped her hands around his wrist, “no please.” She moaned, turning desperate eyes on him and burrowing more into his side.

Draco happened to glance up to see who was watching her scene and found Ron Weasley glaring at him from across the room.  Ron looked large and angry.  Draco sighed and tried to reassure Brogan he was only teasing.  He also took it upon himself to fill up a plate for her with his other hand, plonking down lots of protein and vegetables.

After he had filled his own plate too he jostled her out from under his armpit and made her eat.  Regretfully he had to remove his hand so he could cut his meat.

When they had finished Blaise noticed Madam Pomfrey staring at them quite hard and talking earnestly to Professor Snape.  Professor Snape looked uneasy.  “Brogan!” hissed Blaise.  “I think Madam Pomfrey is trying to get you admitted to the hospital wing.”

“Whu?” Said Brogan but the jolt of adrenaline had her sitting ramrod straight in an instant.  “I hate the infirmary.”  She tried to see without craning around too much, “does Da look like he’ll let the witch take me?”

“No, they seem to be discussing it still.  Keep your chin up though.”

“Draco, can we go now?”  Brogan asked after she had eaten about half her food, grabbing his hand under the table and squeezing it really hard.

Draco looked over at her and could just glimpse through her hair that her scar getting redder.  “Sure thing Princess, let’s go.”  He put down his fork with a bite of food still on it and climbed to his feet pulling her up next to him, their hands still clasped tightly.

Draco tried to angle his body to block their hands as he led her out of the room, Blaise and the other Slytherins had never seen Draco leave a feast quite like that.  As soon as they were out of the hall Draco turned to pull Brogan up into his arms, her legs clamped around his waist and her arms were like bands around his chest.  Draco was no longer chilly from the practice but she ground her scar into his neck anyway.

Draco looked once over his shoulder to make sure no one was there but even as he looked Ron Weasley was cracking the door open and slipping through.  He didn’t say a word but started leading Draco back down to Snape’s quarters.  Ron stood aside while Draco whispered the password and then they were darting through to Brogan’s room, but once they got there neither was sure what to do next.

Ron approached the mess of hair gently, “Harry mate, how’s it going?”  He brushed back sweaty bangs and put his hand over her scar, his hands weren’t that cold but her scar felt burning hot against his palm.  When it became too hot for him he pulled his hand away and went to her bathroom to get a wet washcloth with a strong cooling charm.

They arranged the washcloth and Draco could see that Ron’s arms were itching to take over for him.  “There’s a rocking chair in the sitting room, can you bring it in here?  Over the summer she seemed to like it.”

“Yeah sure,” said Ron.

They got Draco and Brogan arranged in the chair and she seemed to relax a tiny bit.  “Do you think Professor Snape will come soon?” Draco finally asked.

“No actually, it looked like Pomfrey was hovering too close and there’s that prefect meeting tonight.  I don’t think he’ll leave unless we call for him.  Pomfrey seemed really suspicious and it was pretty clear that he was disagreeing with whatever she was saying.”

“I don’t think Madam Pomfrey knows about Brogan being Harry.” Draco replied.

Ron snorted, “well I guess good luck with keeping Brogan out of the infirmary.”

“First year I didn’t go until the very end of the term.” Brogan piped up hoarsely from the area of Draco’s neck.

“Yeah, well your speccy little self should have gone first thing, she would have set you right on nutrient potions.”

An arm unclenched from Draco’s robes to shoot Ron the bird.

Ron laughed, “Well I guess you’re going to survive the night.”

Brogan shrugged a bit.  “Don’t move for a while,” Ron warned, “maybe you won’t spew if you can just keep still.”

“Oh that’s reassuring,” drawled Draco.  Ron grinned at him and saluted as he wished them good luck and  made his way out to the prefect meeting.

“I like Ron,” said Brogan sleepily.

“He wasn’t too horrible just then I suppose.”

“Don’t worry, I like you too.”

“Oh that’s a relief, I was about to drop you on the floor and fetch my gauntlets, but I guess we’ll just sit here and rock instead.”  Draco was delighted when he could feel her cheeks shifting against his neck and knew she was smiling.

“Poor Princess has had an awful day haven’t you?  And you looked so pretty last night, what on earth brought that about?”

Brogan carefully shifted around so that her cheek was on Draco’s chest and she could talk clearer.  “I wanted the girls to like me more so I told them that you kept dropping unsubtle comments about how nice Pansy’s hair was and how Millicent had new earrings.  I didn’t think it would work at first but then Astoria and Daphne came over and apparently they’ve been frothing to give me a makeover.

The clever bit…”

“It all seems clever so far Princess,” Draco murmured, not at all fussed about what Brogan had made up about him.

“No this part was really good, I let Pansy pierce my ears and it really hurt.”  Brogan could hear the rumbly laugh starting low in Draco’s chest and she smiled to herself.

“Well, I’m sorry it hurt but that was well done, and now I can buy you earrings.  Can I buy you real jewelry too?  With actual precious metals and gemstones?”

“Maybe,” Brogan replied softly, “just don’t propose or anything.”

“In sixth year? That would be scandalous.”  Draco lapsed into silence for a while, one hand gently stroking up and down her back, the other combing through her hair.  After he had finger combed her loose hair behind her ear he peeled off the washcloth to look at her scar, it was an angry red and looked very painful.  He was frankly afraid to even touch it; it looked like it might start seeping blood any minute.  Awkwardly, because he was unwilling to stop rubbing her back, he flipped the washcloth around until a fresh still cool side could be pressed against her forehead.  He got a happy sigh for his troubles.

They were quiet for a few more moments and then Draco noticed the tears trickling down Brogan’s face.  “Will you talk to me Dray?” she asked, “Just babble about stuff so I can think of other, other things.”

“Of course, well I presume you saw my face when I came back last night and saw all those Slytherin girls in your room.  Did you notice how long it took me to realize that was you?

I’m still a little mixed about this new look, you were very brave and open minded etc. etc. but I prefer you being my secret.  I definitely liked it best when I could pretend that I was the only one who knew how beautiful you are under your jeans and sweats, behind the wild hair.

Of course I can see how the other girls would believe your story about how I might want you to look fancy, but it honestly doesn’t bother me.  I was raised to care a lot about appearances but I’m realizing more and more that I was raised by fools.”  Draco broke off his musings when he heard a soft moan from his lap.

A fat dribble of dark blood was seeping out from under the washcloth and Brogan’s eyes were squeezed tight.  It also looked like she was about to bite through her lip.  Draco quickly tried to get her to stop biting, tried to get her to squeeze his hand instead, tried anything but then it passed and she went limp in his arms.  Shakily he flipped the washcloth around again and gingerly dabbed at her scar.  Brogan sat up then, she was very white and looked like she might be throwing up soon.

“Shhh,” he said, “I’ve got you.  Put your head down again, shhh, put your head down and cry a bit.  I won’t tell.”

When Snape returned much later that night Draco let him hold Brogan just long enough for him to visit the loo and brush his teeth.  Then he crawled into her bed; shoes, belt and oxford off everything else still on; and Snape settled her down in his arms for the rest of the night.  He wasn’t thrilled about the arrangement but there was no way he could give her a potion until he did more research into her latest reaction.  Plus she was too out of it to fool around, plus Draco would whine and carry on and end up sleeping in the rocking chair or scrunched up on the settee, then everyone would be miserable the next morning...

Draco woke up early planning to sneak back to his dorm, shower and maybe get to breakfast early enough to do a little homework but the girl sleeping peacefully beside him on the pillow was mesmerizing.  Snape had transfigured a nightshirt for her, poor Severus had tried to make it as unattractive as possible but the soft flannel brushed against her collar bones and a pulse fluttered in her throat like a small bird.  Even in sleep she looked troubled though, he smoothed the wrinkle between her eyes over and over and over until it stayed away.  Then his hand trailed down the side of her face and all by itself crossed over to her lips.  They seemed pursed or puckered even in sleep and Draco traced them once or twice before he absolutely had to lean over and press his own against hers.  And then he got up and started searching for his shoes.

Draco wasn’t normally a very early riser but he was determine to get the heck out before his professor woke up.

Brogan had to skip classes the next day because her scar was too visible.  Also because she was completely exhausted and still pale and shaky but clearly that alone would not have kept her at home.

Draco was just washing up in the loo before lunch when Ron Weasley walked in.  Ron didn’t seem surprised to see Draco there, “How is…” he started.

“She’s okay,” Draco interrupted him, knowing their time was very short –anyone could come in at any moment.  “It lasted maybe another twenty minutes after you left and then she managed to sleep through the night.”

Ron looked relieved, but then he noticed Draco wasn’t finished.

“Has it ever, has it bled before?”  Draco shuddered at the memory; the blood had looked so dark and evil not bright and red like a skinned knee.

Ron swallowed and nodded, looking intently at the faucet he was playing with.  “Sometimes it does, I think it’s when You-Know-Who uses the killing curse on someone during a vision.  But usually the connection breaks soon after, I guess it’s the end of the party for them.  We should have expected it, he almost always does something on Halloween.

Sounds like you did well Draco, I’m glad.”  Ron clasped him on the shoulder for just an instant, and then he turned and left the room.

When Draco brought Brogan her homework and copies of his notes that evening she seemed disturbed. “What ails you my fair lady?” he asked.

Brogan was stretched out on the couch with a quilt, she made a face and then answered slowly, “I hate missing classes because of him. Whenever he affects my life I feel like he's won something.”

“So we need to do something fun to make a statement. I was going to ask you to the Three Broomsticks this Saturday, now you'll have to say yes.”

Brogan smiled, “I guess I will. I can put all that make up stuff on and the girls will be so pleased when they see us.”

Draco pouted a bit, “but really, it’s because you want to have lunch with me.”

Brogan smiled and reached over to Draco who had lifted her feet and slid underneath. She threaded their fingers together and gave his hand a squeeze, “Yeah, really it’s because I would greatly enjoy lunch with you Draco.

And thank you so much for staying with me last night, the way you talked to me and that cold flannel you got really helped a lot.”

“You are most welcome.  I'm sure if Ron or I weren't around or if we called for him your da would have been here too.”

“I’m sure,” Brogan replied but her eyes didn’t seem to agree.

That Saturday was surprisingly warm. Brogan pulled out all of her clothes, more or less, and piled them around her bed and loveseat and then moaned over what she was supposed to wear.  Severus came in and suggested she seek female assistance.

Brogan looked at him in shock, “Luna?”

Severus shuddered the tiniest bit, “actually I was thinking of Astoria Greenglass or her sister. Draco is not as materialistic as he appears, or as his parents tried to make him but Luna...”

“Yeah, I know. Astoria is a good idea, I'll go see if she's still in the common room. Thanks Da.”

There was an awkward moment where a person who was raised as a girl probably would have kissed his cheek on her way out or maybe touched his arm, and Severus (to his embarrassment) thought she might, but she didn't. Sixteen year old Harry Potter would not have pecked Severus Snape on his way out, no matter how happy he was. She did look happy Severus told himself and that could be enough.

Draco had a very silly smile on his face as they tucked themselves into a much-coveted booth at The Three Broomsticks. Astoria had come in to the common room with Brogan to meet Draco for the walk to Hogsmeade so he knew that she had helped Brogan to get ready. The fifth-year deserved more points from Severus in Draco's opinion, and Brogan deserved points for having good features to work with.

“Stop with that stupid smile Draco, you make me feel as if I must look really crap on regular days.”

“Oh definitely not crap, easily good or in the right light beautiful, but today you're exquisite.”

“In the right light? What does that mean, in the dark?”

Draco flushed, “no, when the sun strikes your hair just so the red highlights show up and it's pretty.”

“Highlights? Good thing you're girly enough for both of us.”

“You're a girl Brogan, you're just trying to be extra brutish today to compensate for looking so nice.”

“Since when do they offer pop psychology at Hogwarts?” Brogan asked and then stuck her tongue out too for good measure.

After they had polished off their bowls of thick stew  Brogan returned from the restroom looking very upset.  “What is it?” asked Draco praying the answer wouldn’t be in anyway biological.

“Madam Rosmerta tried to imperius me so I would deliver this package to the headmaster.” Brogan replied softly pushing a crudely wrapped bundle across the table.  Draco recoiled slightly.

“What do you mean tried?” he asked placing a napkin over the package.

“Don’t you remember when Moody was our Dark Arts instructor fourth year?  I can throw off the imperius curse, I threw off Voldemort’s I think I can manage Rosmerta.”  Whispered Brogan and she actually allowed herself a haughty look for a moment.

Draco boggled for a moment at the thought of throwing off an unforgiveable from the Dark Lord and then realized that Harry had resisted the avada kedavra as an infant too.  He remembered the magical wind from Ollivander’s shop and dared to hope that his mother had left him in the care of the winning side.  “Does Rosmerta think the imperius worked?”  he asked and Brogan nodded quickly.

“Do you think Rosmerta was imperiused too?” Draco whispered.

“Yes,” hissed Brogan, “why else would she do such a thing in the loo?  She knows almost all the other students here, she could have just asked.”

Draco nodded thoughtfully and when he noticed Brogan reaching out towards the package he snatched it back, keeping the napkin firmly on top.  “Don’t,” he hissed, “don’t touch it.  What do you think it is -lemon drops?”

Brogan blushed, “I suppose not.  Have you seen the headmaster’s cursed hand?  I think the Death Eaters are trying to kill him.”

“You think maybe?” sneered Draco.  He dumped out a bag of sweets he had bought at Honeydukes and shoved the candy into his pockets, Brogan scooped some up and stuffed it in her coat pockets too.  Then Draco carefully placed the bag over the napkin and over the package and rolled it all up. 

Draco noticed the bar owner was behind her counter again, he hoped that the booth had shielded their conversation, he hoped that once her task of passing along the package was done she had forgotten everything, and while he was hoping he hoped that it was just a coincidence the package was passed to Brogan.  If they knew that Brogan was Harry surely they would have chosen someone else, someone not resistant to the imperius. 

Severus had given Brogan some pocket money when he heard she was going to Hogsmeade with Draco so she threw a few coins on the table and together they scurried back to the castle.  

They went to Snape first of course.  It wasn’t even discussed which would have pleased Snape enormously, but he was so horrified by the incredibly dark curses on the necklace they brought him that it never occurred to him. 

Dumbledore had been summoned through the floo shortly after Snape decided the object was dangerous and Brogan was trying to mentally teach Draco how to be completely still and quiet so the grown-ups might forget they were present.  Draco noticed what she was doing and saw it for the survival skill that it was, he also saw that it was far more effective when you were dark haired and child-size rather than himself. 

Of course Draco had the advantage of understanding what the professors were talking about, he also supposed, correctly, that they wouldn’t be dismissed until Brogan had been interrogated.

Brogan startled badly when Dumbledore and Snape swung around together to pierce her with their intent gazes and begin their questions. Draco moved closer and took her hand, "they aren't mad at you," he murmured, "you did everything exactly right. They're frightened because the necklace was cursed and if you had opened the package or touched it at all you could have died."

Brogan looked at him with large trusting eyes. "How do you know that?" she whispered back.

Draco just shrugged and nudged her to turn away from him and face the professors. The professors had, of course, listened in on the conversation and they were both trying to calm down and appear less frightening. They were a little bit ashamed too because if Draco hadn't been there or if Brogan had still been a boy they would not have paused despite the timidness being displayed.

Brogan told them the meager details she had and the professors seemed to pause to digest the information.  “Is it the same kind of curse professor as your hand?”  Brogan asked as softly as she could and still hope to be heard.

“It’s similar but I don’t believe the same person cursed the object I touched and this necklace.  This necklace was cursed centuries ago.”  Dumbledore self-consciously shook his sleeve down over his damaged hand.

“Did the spell I cast help sir?  Do you want me to cast it again or anything?”  Draco and Snape turned to her with wide eyes, they had no idea what she was talking about.

Dumbledore pulled his hand back out and held it for the girl to inspect, it was the least he could do.  “Yes and no my dear, the spell you cast has helped but you don’t need to cast it again.  Your magic has been like a bandage and has softened and slowed the effects, but like all bandages it can’t actually heal the wound.  Underneath your very kind bandage the curse still festers and it will eventually destroy me.”

“But if I cast the spell again wouldn’t that be a fresh bandage?”

“I’m afraid my analogy can’t be applied that literally, you have done all you can and I truly thank you for it.  You have comforted me greatly but you cannot cure me.”

“Oh,” was all Brogan could manage in her disappointment.  She hadn’t really thought that she had cured the headmaster but maybe she had hoped a bit.  Draco rubbed her shoulder comfortingly, he was surprised that she had tried to cure the headmaster but with her kind heart and the immense power in her wand, trying made sense and it sounded like she had managed a bit of something.

“If the Death Eaters are persevering in their attempts to kill me it seems I should begin the special meetings with Brogan sooner rather than later.  Are you free this evening Miss Snape?  Perhaps after dinner?”

“Sure,” Brogan nodded, as if she could say anything else.  She caught her da’s eye and he seemed vehemently displeased but he said nothing.

Hours and hours later Brogan and the Headmaster seemed to thump back down to his office.  Brogan was very white and the headmaster reached out a hand to her.  “Brogan dear, are you alright?” he inquired, wondering if he should summon tea or Severus.

Brogan stepped away from him jerkily with her arms wrapped tightly around herself as if she would fly apart.  “I can’t, I’m, I, Professor Dumbledore you had parents didn’t you?”

“Of course my dear,” he was about to say something flip about everyone having parents but thankfully caught himself.

“And you had birthdays and Christmases and they bought you stuff and there were hats and candles and all?”

“Yes,” he sighed fearing where she was going.

“Orphans don’t get that sir, maybe the lucky ones do but I don’t think Tom or I were lucky.  Everything I had when I was little was nicked from my cousin.  They were all broken so he wouldn’t miss them too much, sometimes I took things out of the bin because they would rather throw them away than give them to me you know.  But usually they poured ashes on top of the bin so that I couldn’t get stuff." She was pacing around and twisting her hands together.

"And I knew it was stealing but I was little and sometimes you just want things so badly when you’re little.  And you need them, you need them to show that you exist -that you’re not just poor-fitting hand-me-down clothes.  You’re not just a waste of space or a burden or a freak; or at least that you’re more than those things.

If you arrived at my cupboard like that professor with your suit all posh like that, and you pretended to burn up my things, my really really precious things sir,” and here Brogan turned and gave him such a look, a look of disdain and loathing, a look that cut right through him.  Brogan sighed, sorrowfully as if it hurt her to share this with him, “if you did that to my things I would have made sure that I destroyed all of your most precious things too sir.  Someday I would burn you and your stupid suit and your fakery.”

Dumbledore gaped at the girl, he had never expected this reaction and a tendril of fear began to snake through him.  He could tell that Brogan was trying very hard to control herself.  Was she implying that he was the reason Tom Riddle had become the Dark Lord, worse was she implying that he had done it twice?

Brogan held his eyes with hers, the wand wasn’t in her hand but it almost felt as if that magical wind was coming, his things, his instruments began to tremble all around the room.

“I need to leave sir,” she wrenched her eyes away.  “I need to go somewhere and calm down I think.” And she shakily turned to leave, she was so very white that Dumbledore feared he had hurt her physically too somehow.  He wanted to call out to her and tell her that it wasn’t like she had thought, he hadn’t really bullied Tom, he wanted to tell her that he had taken care to make sure Tom was taken care of when he arrived with warm clothes, tell her he had been sympathetic when Tom had begged to stay at school for the summers -but he knew Brogan wouldn’t believe him because he had done none of those things for Harry Potter either.

Brogan stormed through the halls in a haze, she stopped outside the room of requirement.  That was the safe place her feet had brought her, she needed a safe person too, someone she could spill all of her thoughts to before her heart exploded.  “Dobby?” she called to the air.

A moment later there was a pop and the little elf was before her, “Mistress Snape?” the elf started but then he stopped with a gasp and stepped closer reaching for her hand, “Is mistress okay?” he asked worriedly.

Brogan shook her head, “not especially I’m afraid.” She squeezed the elf’s hand back as hard as she could, knowing how much strength was really in those bony fingers.  “C-could you get my Wheezy please?  And ask him to meet me here?”  She dragged her arm across her face, blotting tears on the sleeve.

“Yes, Dobby will do that.  Your Wheezy is a good boy, he will help.  Do you want anyone else?  Do you want Professor Snape?  He cares too.”

“I know Dobby, I’ll talk to him too but later.  I think Ron can help me sort out what to say you know?”

“Yes, and Dobby will bring tea too,”  he disappeared while she was still murmuring her thanks.

Brogan felt slightly better now that she knew tea and reinforcements were on their way.  She slid down the wall and wrapped her arms around her knees to wait.

Ron came but he seemed a little miffed.  He sat down near her and kicked her ankle a bit, “I was with Hermione, you know.  Dobby tried to be sly but that’s not really a Dobby trait is it?  She’s going to be upset that you only sent for me.”

Brogan shrugged, she was beginning to second guess all of her reactions now and felt as if she was going to just throw up.  “I was panicking, I think.  You can go or get Hermione or whatever, it’s better now.  Well not better but, not panic.  Dobby is bringing tea we can ask him to go invite her, I just...  Sometimes Hermione has answers you know and I’m not ready for the answer yet or to see how a clever person would have handled it.  I guess I just wanted you because you know when to just nod.

And really I want to crawl on your lap and cry so hard that I throw up on your shoes and it’s embarrassing for me to do that in front of Hermione.  She’s so good at being a girl and I’m crap at it. 

And every minute that goes by I feel like what I just did was more and more stupid and now I’m wondering if I can avada kedavra myself and I’m hoping you’re strong enough to wrestle the wand out of my hand.”

“I guess those are pretty good reasons," Ron nodded,  "let’s get the door open so you can start talking, but you’re not going to puke on my shoes.”  Ron dragged her up and together they turned in front of the room three times.  Neither one had any idea what the room would present them with, it shouldn’t have worked at all actually, but it did.

There was a fire with a rug in front and two prim chairs.  They were both a little relieved that it wasn’t a couch and they were both a little bummed that it wasn’t a couch.  A table sprang up between the chairs and a tea tray appeared on it.  Ron moved for it at once but Brogan didn’t seem to notice.

She opted for pacing while Ron ate.  “So Dumbledore decided that he does need to actually train me this year.  Da threw a hissy of course but then he met with Dumbledore and Dumbledore explained that it wasn’t really training like hexes and curses but it’s giving me background information on Voldemort.  Which is of course a good idea so then Da had to allow it.

So,” here Brogan paused for a breath but also to try and decide whether or not to tell Ron about the necklace.  She decided to wait and tell both Ron and Hermione together about it, she knew that Ron had good points about the mistakes she was making excluding Hermione and she didn’t need to talk about that tonight. “Well, there’s a bunch of stuff that I should tell Hermione about so let me skip to the stuff that I wanted to tell you about first.”

Ron shrugged around the two sandwiches he was stuffing in his mouth together.  Brogan smiled fondly and continued, “so tonight Dumbledore pulled out his pensieve and brought me into this memory of when he delivered the Hogwarts letter to Tom Riddle.

Tom was just eleven and living in this orphanage, it was all cold and gray but Tom had a whole room to himself with a pillow, a bed and a window.  And Dumbledore was wearing this crazy suit that was all velvety and junk and he just pops in and is like, you’re a wizard my boy.  And they talk and Tom gets kind of shifty so Dumbledore decided he needed to get all showy.  He made Tom’s cupboard -the cupboard he kept his clothes and stuff in, he made it rattle and then he made the door open and this little box came out.  And you know just the sort of box, all little boys have them, it was full of all Tom’s treasures, the junk he had nicked from friends or pulled out of the trash probably.”  Here Brogan glanced up to make sure Ron was nodding, he was. 

“And then Dumbledore set the box on fire and was all ‘there’s no thievery at Hogwarts Tom’, blah blah blah and Tom looked like his whole world was in flames.  But then Dumbledore ended the spell and the box was fine, and Dumbledore was like the man and he was all, ‘now be a good lad and return that stuff.  Don’t miss the train, blah blah blah’.  And Tom’s face was just like, I will learn that spell and I will burn down your fucking house sir.”

Ron was a reasonable person, he knew that Brogan was overreacting to whatever she had seen.  And he knew why she was overreacting so  his heart ached for her.  Dumbledore was such a fool, not such a fool that Ron would blame him for creating Lord Voldemort, but really why did he have to share that memory with Harry?  The man was completely oblivious to what he had done leaving Harry at the Dursleys.

“And after the memory ended you shared your impression of what you had seen?”

Brogan blushed and nodded.  “I know it was uncalled for but you should have seen what a self-satisfied prick he was.  It’s like he has no compassion at all.”

“Hagrid delivered your letter?”

“Yeah, but only because the owls couldn't get through.  I guess they assumed the Dursleys had told me things instead of trying to squash the magic out of me.”  Brogan had stopped and was staring at the fire with her arms wrapped tightly around herself again.

Ron put his food down and opened his arms, “come here mate,” he beckoned her.  “Tell me the rest,” he prodded once she was settled.  He had one hand around her waist and the other was pressed over her heart feeling it thunder.

She looked at him and Ron smiled, “I can tell there’s more, tell me the part that you don’t want Hermione or Snape to hear.”

Brogan closed her eyes, he was right and this was the harder part.  “The Dursleys used to threaten me with the orphanage, they made it sound so horrible but Tom had a room, a whole room with a window Ron.  Imagine seeing the sky and watching the rain patter on the glass and feeling the air.”

Ron wrapped his arms tight and felt his own tears start, “I thought that’s what it might be, you slipped up mate when you were talking.  The cupboard he put his clothes in, a bed with a pillow...  Oh baby, they were so wrong to you.”

That was when the crying started for real, Ron found himself crying too and was a little relieved that Hermione wasn’t around.  He never even noticed when the chair they were in started rocking comforting them both.

Brogan had twisted now so that she could hide her face on Ron’s chest, her voice was muffled.  “And I got scared because if I was taking Tom’s side over Dumbledore’s, I mean I felt like it was me on that bed it was so uncanny, and if he became a Dark Lord then am I going to be one too?  But then I thought I’m not because I have you -and Hermione, but mostly you because your bed was next to mine.  That’s the reason, because your bed was there and you’re you and you let a miserable unloved little orphan lay next to you and called him mate before anyone else ever did.”  Brogan looked up and was shocked to see Ron’s tears.

“Ron?”

Ron, brushed his face a bit, he managed to smile, “you’re fucking contagious you are, I swear if I get tits I’ll kill you.”

Brogan smiled back and burrowed into his arms some more.

Not too much later Ron shook her, “we have to go.  Hermione and Snape will be going spare.  I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re waiting outside.”

Brogan slipped off his lap and blew her nose with a tissue from the box that appeared on the table.  She scrubbed at her scalp and shook her head.  “Okay, I suppose I should go talk to Da.  I’m sure Dumbledore already has.”

“Can we meet here with Hermione tomorrow?  Bring her up to speed?”  Ron asked and Brogan nodded.

“Do you want to bring Draco too?” Brogan looked up in surprise, she hadn’t realized they were so cordial.  But it would be good, she could see that, at the very least it would keep her from jumping in Ron’s lap when she got flustered. 

“Yeah, I’ll see if I can do that.  Maybe around four, maybe we can get tea again?”

“Sounds like a plan, owl if you can’t make it.”  Ron was standing right in front of her, smoothing her hair behind her ears and straightening the shoulders on her shirt.  He could see the pulse fluttering in her neck and it captivated him but he didn’t try to kiss her.  Well, he did hug her one last time and he did press his lips to her hair but hair kisses didn’t count.

Nobody was in the hall when they opened the door.  Ron had offered to walk her back to the dungeon but she didn’t want them to risk being seen together and it was really really far out of his way.  He seemed relieved when she declined.  Plus it gave her time to think, just what she needed -more thinking.  By the time she got there she was back in a state again, not as bad as before but the calm she had gained was gone.

Severus stood immediately and went to her when she came in.  He wrapped his arms around her, hardly awkward at all in his haste.  Brogan hugged him back and gazed up timidly, “what did Dumbledore say?”

“The Headmaster (it was an automatic response and there was no heat at all, just fondness for her) told me that he showed an appalling lack of judgement tonight and perhaps also fifteen years ago.”

“I overdid it too though.”  Brogan interrupted, “I’m just -I still, I still have trouble with emotional stuff I guess.  And it was hard to see a boy so much like I used to be in an orphanage.”

Snape pulled her over to the couch and sat next to her, “the Headmaster was confused by your use of the term ‘my cupboard’.”

“He catches everything doesn’t he?” Brogan said ruefully.

Snape folded his hands and looked down at them, “Bill and I saw your cupboard at the Dursleys.”

Brogan blushed and looked away, “oh, I didn’t know you saw that.”

“We felt that you already had so much to deal with that we could give you time before dredging up the misery of the Dursleys.  But, make no mistake, we both  planned to discuss their treatment with you.  Even now I find myself willing to put it off if you’d like but not forever.”

“It’s actually kind of comforting to hear that Da.  They were really awful but I’m not sure that excuses my behavior tonight.”

“You’re probably too harsh on yourself as usual.  I don’t think you actually told Dumbledore that his boorish behavior resulted in a Dark Lord.”

“Are you sure?  It felt like that was what I was saying.”

“He allowed me to view the memory as well.”  Brogan looked at him in surprise and Snape shrugged, “It may have been under duress but he did allow me to view it and knowing the tiny bit about your life at the Dursleys that I do your reactions made some sense to me.  I made sure that the Headmaster came around to that thinking as well before I left.”

“Parted on good terms then, eh?”

Severus just smirked.

“I’m sorry I didn’t come straight to you, I didn’t know you knew about the Dursleys so I went to someone who did.  I didn’t want to have to explain every bit, I just wanted instant sympathy.”

“And was it Mr. Weasley who provided that sympathy?”

“Yeah, he was mad that I didn’t ask for Hermione too -I had Dobby deliver my message, but Hermione is so quick she would have told me all the things I should have done instead and she would have pointed out all these reasonable things that I jumped over.  And by the time Ron came I already felt horribly guilty as it was.”

“You do look awful.”

Brogan stuck her tongue out but couldn’t disagree.  “Perhaps some Dreamless Sleep tonight,” Severus continued with an indulgent smirk.

“Does it have any ingredients from that other potion?”  Her da had narrowed it down to three substances that she was probably allergic to, the testing was slow because he still refused to ask for Madam Pomfrey’s help.

“Would I offer it to you if it did?” he sniffed.

“I suppose not,” she smiled back, basking a bit in having someone to take care of her.

Severus seemed to follow her thoughts precisely.  “I had an unhappy childhood too, my mother loved me dearly but my father was a miserable man.  I often wrestled with the temptation to steal as a child, others seemed to have so much and it didn’t feel fair to me.  If it was a small item and the guilt was not too overwhelming I would take things.”

Brogan looked at him with surprise.  Sure there was a long history of animosity between them but Severus Snape had always seemed exquisitely honorable, to learn that he had nicked things too was quite the revelation.  They shared a smile that became a smirk and Brogan imagined for a moment the two of them in black costumes stealing the crown jewels together.

The next day Brogan managed to pull Draco aside just after lunch.  “I’m meeting with Ron and Hermione this afternoon to tell them what the Headmaster showed me last night, would you like to come too?”

Draco was shocked by the invitation, never in his wildest imaginings had he expected to join the famous trio.  He was surprised to find that he did want to join them, he was dying to hear what Brogan had learned last night and maybe the others would have some secret Order news they could share too.  “What time?” he asked coolly.

“4:00 in the Room of Requirement, that’s where you caught us with Dumbridge last year.”  Draco blushed a bit and Brogan knocked her shoulder into his arm to show there were no hard feelings, well not too many hard feelings.

Draco pushed an errant chunk of hair behind her ear and touched her face quickly, “I was a jerk and I apologize.  Umbridge was an obscenity of a person and I should have known better than to follow her.”

Brogan rubbed the back of her hand and looked down and then away again quickly.  Draco was puzzled by her behavior and pulled the hand free so that he could look at it.  When he saw the scar his hand tightened on hers until she whined and tried to pull it away. 

“What is this?” he asked in a cold voice.

“Blood quill,” whispered Brogan, inexplicably embarrassed.

“In detentions?” he wasn’t squeezing as hard but he couldn’t bring himself to let go.  Brogan nodded.

“You had dozens of detentions, why didn’t you go to McGonagall?”

“I tried, but she gave me a biscuit and told me to keep my head down.” 

Draco huffed a laugh, tracing the back of her hand with his thumb.  “You did a crap job explaining then.  Did you actually show her?”

“No, obviously not.  She would have flayed Umbridge if she saw that and what good would that have done?  McGonagall would still be in Azkaban.”

“True, I guess as long as you know that she really would have killed Umbridge, Snape would have too incidentally -even last year before he knew you were his daughter.  He’s like that you know: decent.”

Brogan had to chuckle at that.  Draco had wrapped himself around her somehow, she didn’t even notice when.  They were standing against a wall in the entrance hall, the gentle clinking of the house point hourglasses only slightly distracting them.  Lunch had let out a while ago and most of the stragglers were gone, it was a lazy Sunday though and the occasional student or professor happened by.

“Did the scar cream not work on this?” he asked rubbing his lips gently across the back of her hand and throwing a quick sneer at a few young Hufflepuffs who scurried on their way.  Shocked, utterly shocked, by the public display before them.

Brogan blushed and shrugged a little, “it was more important to block the other scar.  Only a few people know about this one and it kind of helps to remind me I guess.”

Draco studied the faint words some more, “your handwriting was always atrocious, ‘I must not sell pies’?  Do you bake Brogan?  How utterly charming.”  He actually got her to squeak, it was a definite win.

His whimsical mood lasted even as he and Brogan strolled into the room together.  Ron and Hermione were already there sitting together on one of the two couches the room had provided.  The tea tray between the couches was humongous and Ron seemed to be taking it as a personal challenge.  He barely paused to grunt hello at the newcomers.

Hermione seemed to want to get up and hug Brogan or something but they were still negotiating their new relationship; Brogan went over and hugged her though.  Draco busied himself with the tea tray, budging Ron aside so he could pour cups for himself and Brogan. 

Ron and Hermione both noticed that Draco knew exactly how Harry wanted her tea.  They also admired him for coming at all. 

Ron had spoken to Hermione almost all morning long.  She wasn’t around when he got back last night so he had woken early and waited for her in the common room.  There was a grim set to her lips when she first came down but seeing Ron’s serious face had stilled her.  “Is she alright?” Hermione had asked.

Ron shrugged his response and took her hand, at breakfast they had sequestered themselves at the far end of the table and nobody had dared to approach their furious whispering.  Somehow Hermione had understood why Brogan excluded her, her embarrassment and regrets. 

It also helped that Brogan had gone straight to Hermione to make her apology hug, “I’m sorry, I was just too shamed to face you last night.  It was stupid of me but that’s not a good enough excuse after all these years.”

“It’s alright Harry.”

“You’re such an amazing woman and I’m just this greedy insecure nightmare, it’s -it’s embarrassing.  But that’s not a good enough excuse either.”

“You don’t need an excuse Brogan, Ron is Ron and I’m me, it’s alright to have different relationships with us.  It’s mature.”

Brogan sniffled, “you would know mature much better than I would.”

Draco was holding up her teacup for her and she took it with a smile and plopped onto the couch next to him.  “Well, I had the most eventful day yesterday...”

Ron and Hermione were horrified to hear about the cursed necklace.  “Oh Draco, it’s such a good thing you were there or else Brogan would have opened the package,” gushed Hermione. 

Ron nodded too and Brogan took offense, “I would not have!”

The looks she got from her friends showed how much they believed that statement.  Draco tried to help restore her pride though, “the really lucky bit is that Madam Rosmerta tried to imperius probably the only student at Hogwarts that could resist it.”  He shifted his leg to nudge hers (then left it touching) and gazed at her with pride.

Brogan blushed a bit, then she blushed more when she saw the indulgent faces on her friends.  She left her leg pressed against Draco’s though while they discussed who might have imperiused Madam Rosmerta and the chances of the plan working and what that told them about the whole thing.

The hour was getting later but there was still plenty left on the tea tray so they stayed and Brogan launched into her tale of Dumbledore’s memory.  She was clearly getting upset just remembering the memory but Hermione and Draco were a little confused about why it was quite so disturbing, Hermione had to admit that Brogan had probably done herself a favor by just going to Ron -he seemed to understand better.

Draco had never really considered how the Dursleys treated Harry Potter but he could see that something was wrong so he pulled Brogan on to his lap.  She put her head down on his chest immediately and wrapped one arm around his back.  Draco wrapped his arms around her and started rubbing soothing circles.

It happened so quickly and naturally that Hermione’s mouth had dropped open in surprise.  Ron took Hermione’s hand and gave her a smile, it was a kind smile that said ‘isn’t it good?’  Hermione smiled back, it was good.  It was good for both of them.  And, she looked down at where Ron was holding her hand, maybe it was good for all four of them.

The Gryffindors clattered with their cups and ate sandwiches for a while until Brogan gathered herself enough to tell them more.  “Hey mate,” Ron had finally lured her back out, “looks like Dobby sent those nasty fish sandwiches you like so much.”

And so Brogan had emerged to wipe her face and hold out a shaky hand for the sandwich.  “You know,” Draco started around his own sandwich, “I thought I recognized this tea tray -not the tray itself but the sandwich combinations you know.  Mother was quite cross when Dobby left, he made the best treacle tart in the manor.  But I think the other elves were relieved, they never knew what to do with Dobby.”

Brogan’s eyes bugged out with glee, “I didn’t know Dobby could make treacle tart, that’s my favorite too.”

“Well, you’ll have to order him to make a big one all for you.”  Draco said.

“Oh Dobby isn’t my elf, he’s a free elf.  Dumbledore pays him and everything.”

“Pays him?”  Draco exclaimed, “He’s stranger than I thought.  And what does he do with money?”

“He buys socks,” Ron explained, “lots of socks for himself and for the great Harry Potter sir.”

“Oh shut up, it’s sweet of him.” Brogan pouted.

“You never called him sweet when you were a boy mate.” Ron pointed out.

Brogan stuck her tongue out at him, it was easier than trying to explain her new emotional range and the hormones stampeding her system.

Hermione clinked her spoon authoritatively and tried to get them back on task, “so why do you think Dumbledore shared that memory?  You already knew that Tom Riddle was an orphan right?  Didn’t his diary tell you that?”

“Tom Riddle became Voldemort?”  Draco had pieced a few things together but he didn’t want to strain himself when he could just ask.

“Yeah, Tom Riddle was a half blood orphan who went to Hogwarts around the same time as Hagrid, and the same time as Moaning Myrtle.  He was Head Boy and everything.”

“Half blood?” asked Draco.

“Half blood, funny that huh?  He was also the heir of Slytherin though so I bet that makes up for a bit.  He found the Chamber of Secrets when he was a student and could command the basilisk living there.  -The basilisk is what killed Moaning Myrtle. 

And then, just like when we were in second year, the Board of Governors wanted to close the school but since Tom was an orphan he didn’t have anywhere else to go so he shut the chamber up again and the attacks stopped.”

“Fascinating.  I had no idea.”  Draco really did look fascinated, it made Ron and Hermione a bit uncomfortable -they felt horror was the only appropriate response to any thoughts of Voldemort.

“Mmm hmm,” said Brogan around her full mouth, she swallowed and continued, “if you want to really piss him off you can call him Tom.”

“Why would you want to piss him off?” Draco had to ask.

“Anger makes people sloppy,” shrugged Brogan as if everyone should know that.  “Plus if you do it in front of other Death Eaters it reminds them that he’s a half blood spewing policies that would lead to his own persecution -if he was logical.  That’s a two-fer.”

“Clever,” mumbled Ron around his own bite.  Hermione was nodding beside him but Draco knew the Dark Lord better than either of them and the thought of taunting the Dark Lord boggled his mind.  Nobody taunted the Dark Lord.

They talked more about the memory and Brogan was chagrined that her fit had prevented Dumbledore from explaining why he had chosen to share that memory.  “Maybe he told Da why he wanted to share it.” She finally suggested.

“Severus saw the memory too?”

“Yeah, after I stormed out the Headmaster went to talk to him and Da demanded his own viewing of the memory so he could see why I flipped out.”

“And did he understand?” asked Ron seriously.

“Yeah,” said Brogan.

“That’s good,” Ron approved.  “Are you going to talk more with your da?”  Hermione’s mouth had dropped open again but she could feel this bubble of happiness growing in her that Harry, Brogan she corrected herself, had a parent who cared and Ron was mature enough to put aside his legendary dislike of Snape to encourage Brogan to pursue a relationship with her father.  Her boys were making her proud, very proud.

Brogan met her eye and seemed to say, ‘isn’t he sexy when he’s all sensitive like this?’  Hermione smiled and nodded back, putting her hand on Ron’s back. 

Ron’s ears started to turn pink.   In the lull that followed Hermione cast a tempus charm and was dismayed to see how late it was.  “Good thing the tea was so massive, dinner’s just ended.” 

She stood up and pulled out her bag from next to the couch, “sorry Brogan, I need to check over my Dark Arts essay for tomorrow.  Ron?”

Ron lumbered up too, “yeah, I need to finish that one too.”

Brogan stood up, “you guys should go and we’ll hang out here for a few more minutes so nobody sees us leaving together.”

“Good idea,” approved Hermione, “see you tomorrow.” 

Brogan flopped down full length on the newly empty couch.  Draco got up and sat near her head, rubbing the back of her neck carefully.  “Did Severus give you a potion last night?” he asked.

The head nodded, she turned her face to the side so he would hear her answer, “yeah, dreamless sleep -the good stuff.”

Draco nodded and swallowed down all the questions he wanted to ask about her childhood and why a boy in shabby clothes on a thin bed in a bleak room filled her with such anger or despair or whatever it was.  She must have noticed his jaw clenching as he struggled with his curiosity, no it was more than curiosity, it was a burning need to know and understand her so that he could take better care of her.  He had seen how Ron understood and it filled him with jealousy.

“The Dursleys were abominable to me, they never let me forget their generosity in taking me in.  They weren’t generous enough to give me a real bedroom though, or clothes that weren’t my cousins cast-offs, or gifts on my birthday or Christmas.

And if I misbehaved at all they would threaten me with the orphanage, and I guess that memory was the first time I saw an orphanage and,” Brogan grinned a bit, “and Tom’s room was nicer than mine.  It’s stupid to think that I would have gotten as nice a room I mean obviously I would have been sent to a different orphanage, one in Little Whinging if there is one there, and not in London but...” 

Draco took advantage of her pause to sit down and pull her on to his lap, he looked at the back of the couch to see if there was a blanket around and one materialized.  He wrapped it around her back and held her close, they were both staring in the fire when she continued.

“And you know as if being jealous of a Dark Lord’s childhood wasn’t bad enough there were all these things that we have in common.  His mum died for him -my mum died for me.  His da never knew he existed my da never knew.  The misery and neglect thing, the not knowing you’re a wizard thing, the Slytherin and parseltongue thing.  When I met him through his diary he seemed so familiar, it was disturbing.”

“You can’t honestly be afraid that you’re going to become a Dark Lord?”

“I don’t know, after I left Dumbledore’s pensieve I was so upset all the stuff in his office started rattling because of my anger.  Actually I’m surprised he still has stuff, last year I smashed a ton of it in a different temper tantrum.”

“That’s just stuff, you would cut off your own wand hand before you cast a curse on another person Brogan.  That doesn’t bode well for a career in evil.”

He hugged her and rocked for a while, “So Ron knows about the Dursleys and not Hermione?”

“Yeah, last night I had Dobby get my Wheezy for me and Hermione was kind of miffed but...”

“She understands now I think.” Draco reassured.  “I understand too.”

“I know I have to stop going to Ron for comfort, it’s messing things up for us and for him and Hermione but, he’s been my teddy since I was eleven.  We would lay in his bed talking for hours and if he saw me wake up from a nightmare he would haul me over to his bed.  I would be a lot more like Tom Riddle if it wasn’t for Ron.”

Draco thought about that, he could picture the tiny little Harry Potter having a bad dream and climbing into his mate’s bed as if he was a big brother.  Ron must have loved being the big brother figure, well there was the weasalette, but still Harry Potter was a much cooler little brother.

It wasn’t that Harry had been effeminate before, he wasn’t fragile either.  He still wasn’t fragile; tears and small size and all.  Maybe he had always been cuddly, it was easy to imagine Ron holding the smaller boy close to his side.  Draco preferred not to imagine Ron holding Brogan close but he knew it had been happening.  But Brogan had just said she would try to stop, even knowing that there wasn’t a viable potion alternative and she would have nightmares without his presence.

Draco wondered if now that he was getting to know Brogan better if he was earning more trust and if she might want to go to him for comfort.  Of course Draco would want to/have to make out with her if they were in bed together and then Snape would take his potion knife and chop him into little bits. It was a difficult situation.  Maybe there was a libido quashing potion that he could take.  Maybe if he just offered to take a libido quashing potion Snape would be so impressed and let him sleep with her without actually taking the potion.  Such a potion, which he was sure must exist somewhere, just couldn’t be good for a teen.

Belatedly Draco realized that he had been quiet for too long and the blanket was too warm and he would likely have to carry Brogan down to the dungeons.  He leaned back to look at her and saw that she was still awake.  Unexpectedly delighted he started running his fingers through her hair and tucking it behind her ear.  The little lobe felt warm to him and she winced when he touched it gently.  Concerned, perhaps ridiculously so over such a trifle, he investigated the other ear too.  That one seemed better at least.

“Does your ear hurt?” he asked.

“The one with the chunk of metal piercing it?  Of course it does.”

“I think it might be getting infected, we should have Severus look at it.”

“No, he’ll be pissed that I let Pansy do it and tell me I deserve it.”

“He will not!  Well, he will -but he won’t let you suffer.”

“We could go show Pansy and see if she knows what to do.  I have to finish that stupid essay too.”

Draco leaned back, “hmm, we could but it’s awfully far away and this is awfully cozy.”

“True that, but let’s go anyway before I fall asleep.”

They thought about it for another few minutes and then pulled themselves up and started the long trek down to the dungeons.

Pansy pinched Brogan’s ears rather hard when she checked them for infection but then she taught Brogan a charm to sterilise the area.  The charm stung too but soon enough she was valiantly trying to concentrate on her Dark Arts essay.  There was a whole table of sixth years slaving on the same essay, all silent and intent on impressing their head of house.  Brogan found the camaraderie understated but nice.

She had forgotten about the dreamless sleep her da gave her the night before and startled herself by still being awake at ten o’clock when the others all seemed to finish at once.  Theirs all seemed much longer than hers, and much neater written too.  But Da wouldn’t grade her too hard on the penmanship after she really had tried to do better and she knew her content was good.

Looking it over one last time before she rolled it up for the night Brogan heard a voice shout across the room, “Harry!” and her head whipped around to see who was calling.  Through some heroic effort she didn’t blush or turn white but slowly turned back to their table, she saw the others staring at her and tried to murmur something about hoping to see Harry Potter, and what was the point of going to Hogwarts if you didn’t get to meet him?

Blaise and Pansy didn’t look like they were buying it one bit, but neither said anything more.  Draco was frozen down to the smallest molecule and didn’t know if he would ever move again, his brain though was flying through different scenarios.  Finally he spoke, “there’s a new first year named Harry Higwerden, most Slytherin families would be too stuck up to name a child Harry at this point but the Higwerdens have always had H names and even Horatio had been used recently.”

Brogan attempted to breathe and smile at the same time, “is there any end to the useless knowledge crammed under that flaxen head?”

Draco’s smile was more successful, “No.  Done with your essay then?  Do you want me to read it over for you?”

“No, it would take you ages to decipher my handwriting and you would have a running commentary the whole time, and then if you did find something I’d have to do the stupid thing over again.”

Draco shrugged and finished packing up his own things.  Blaise and Pansy were still very silent and very watchful but they started packing up too.  Brogan decided to run away back to her room, she desperately wanted Draco to come with her so they could talk and she could freak out with him there to tell her it wasn’t so bad, but if there was any hope at all of convincing Blaise and Pansy that they hadn’t seen what they very well had seen -well it was best if she left the rest up to Draco’s skills and his superior knowledge of the Slytherin brain.

Draco was hoping that Brogan wouldn’t be dumb enough to ask him to walk her back to Snape’s quarters.  He was deeply relieved when she didn’t but he knew she would be panicking soon and he felt bad that she would have to do it alone.  He thought that maybe a bit of snogging would help to convince his friends that this was a real girl (more or less) and not who they thought it was.  He hopped up to walk her over to the door and whispered in her ear, “don’t you think a scorching good night kiss would help?”

“It might rabbit,” Brogan replied.  “At the least it will reassure me that you don’t hate me forever now.”

“Never that princess,” he murmured and kissed the back of her hand, “Mmm pie,” he mumbled around her skin and got her to laugh for real.  Then she leaned up and he leaned down and they shared a perfectly perfect good night kiss.

Brogan’s eyes had slipped closed and when she opened them she noticed two thirds of the room staring and a red flush started at her cheeks and swept down her face.  “Prat,” she said just loud enough for some to hear.  Then she gave him a shove and finished running away.

When Draco turned back he was relieved to see that Pansy and Blaise were not secretly conferring on how best to orchestrate the downfall of Snape’s daughter.  Pansy refused to look at him though and she left to go sit with some other girls.  Blaise flicked his eyes over to Theodore Nott who was reading now, Draco understood immediately.  He knew they wouldn’t even chance talking tonight, maybe late after everyone else was asleep but best would be to wait until quidditch practice tomorrow.  He could only hope Pansy wouldn’t strike before he figured out where Blaise stood.

Pansy did strike but not in a way that anyone could have predicted.  She simply followed Brogan into the girls bathroom after Defense the next day.  Brogan was washing her hands and not looking in the mirror when Pansy stepped up beside her.  Pansy opened her mouth and looked over, trying to catch Brogan’s eyes indirectly through the mirror.  Brogan hoped that whatever Pansy had to say she would be able to hear it over the pounding of her heart in her throat.

She did hear her, “How did I ever think you were a girl?” Pansy asked the mirror in front of her.

The words went right to Brogan’s spine and suddenly she was standing as straight as possible, shoulders back, chest out and chin up.  It was hard to tell but it felt like her ovaries were offended too, “I beg your pardon?” she asked.

Pansy smirked but it was a friendly smirk, at least Brogan thought it was and she was getting better at judging them now.  “I have some other earrings that you might like, perhaps I can bring them to your room tonight?”

“That would be lovely.  Just you or the whole gang?  I can get snacks.”

“Just me I think, but a snack would be nice.”

“I know where Da hides his dark chocolate.”  Brogan gave a tight smile and left.

At lunch she sat as close to Draco as she could, feeling like it was all going to fall apart soon.  She wasn’t afraid of Pansy, or even anything Pansy might do.  Her worst fear was Pansy telling the Daily Prophet, what they would do, and what they could cause others to do.  Her father’s life would be in immediate danger, Draco would be in danger.  All the children in Slytherin could be in danger -Death Eaters weren’t known for being forgiving, if they found out that she had been hiding in Slytherin, and none of her housemates had figured it out or told, all of them were in danger.

Draco noticed of course and put an arm around her waist, “Did you see your father last night?” he asked.

Brogan was putting tiny spoonfuls of food on her plate and shook her head no.  “He’s hardly ever home at night, too many detentions I guess.  I saw him for a bit this morning at breakfast but then he got called to the headmaster’s office for something.”

Draco made a sort of humming sound but he was displeased that Brogan hadn’t been able to talk to her father and update him on the slip in the common room.  He felt like his insides were freezing in anxiety and could only imagine how poorly Brogan must be handling the stress.  It felt like a terrible thing to say, it was a terrible thing to say, he knew that she was strong and brave and clever and all that but this kind of game was not her thing.  Although her father was certainly excellent at it, perhaps her mother too judging by how she had duped James Potter for over a year, maybe Brogan was better at this than he thought.  But Draco didn’t want her to be skilled at the art of deception, he needed to trust her and for that he needed to believe that he could tell when she was lying.

They were unusually quiet while they toyed with their mostly empty plates, it wasn’t that unusual for Brogan but people were starting to look at Draco.  Just as Blaise was trying to help out with a question about their practice that afternoon Severus Snape and Albus Dumbledore approached their table.  Snape went right to his daughter and placed a hand on her shoulder, “Brogan, please come with us.”

As Brogan moved to get up, looking slightly more confused than panicked, Madam Pomfrey entered the Great Hall too and waited for the other three to walk over to her.  That was when Brogan started to look panicked, her father kept his hand firm upon her shoulder and the four of them walked out together, the sound of the door closing behind them unleashed a furious wave of chatter.

Astoria Greenglass gave Draco a filthy look, “Draco,” she drawled loud enough that the entire table turned, “did you knock up Snape’s daughter?”

Brogan was glad for her father’s hand on her shoulder, her knees felt very wobbly and everyone’s faces were extremely serious.  They walked all the way to the infirmary and then straight through to Madam Pomfrey’s office.  Snape pushed her into a chair and then sat down next to her and took her hand.

Brogan figured she was dying.

“You’re not dying Miss Snape, or can I still call you Harry?” started Madam Pomfrey once she was behind her own desk.

Brogan managed a faint smile, “it’s best if you stick to Brogan or Miss Snape, it helps me stay in character.” Brogan’s voice cracked a little as she said that, thinking back to the night before but nobody asked.

“Alright then,” Madam Pomfrey smiled kindly, “we are here today because the Headmaster and a teacher became aware of a student being willfully neglected by his or her guardians.  Such knowledge needs to be reported and documented and followed up and all those things, would you like some tea Brogan?  or perhaps a calming draught?”

Brogan was very white and at the mention of the calming draught she pursed her lips and shook her head no.

“Alright then, let’s get this over with.  Since you have already been removed from the Dursley’s care and established residence with your father this is just documentation.  It will be sealed and placed on file but it need not cause any further upheaval, there won’t be any Daily Prophet headlines, okay?”

Brogan nodded, feeling slightly reassured.

“Of course there is also the matter of your newly restored sexuality.  I must say I am extremely disappointed that you and your father, mostly your father of course, felt it necessary to keep this from me.  I’m sure I could have assisted you in the adjustment, no offense to the house elf I understand has been meeting with you.”  Madam Pomfrey gave Snape such a glare that he was forced to fidget with his cuffs.

The Headmaster grinned slightly and Madam Pomfrey rounded on him as well, “You are his accomplice in all this, withholding medical care is on my list of neglectful charges; I could write up the two of you for it while I have the forms handy.  Don’t think for a moment that I wouldn’t.”

The righteous matron turned back to Brogan and struggled to get her kind smile back in place.  “Now dear, these gentlemen are permitted to be present while you answer my questions,” here she unfurled a scroll that rolled across the floor, “there are quite a few of them.  If you think it will go quicker without them we can of course ask them to leave.”

“What about my classes this afternoon?” asked Brogan trying to calculate how long exactly the scroll was.

“You will be excused of course, we have procrastinated enough with this and I refuse to put it off for a moment longer.  Plus if we’re lucky I think we might finish before your quidditch practice and I expect it will be most beneficial for your nerves if you’re able to go for a good fly after all this.”

“That’s certainly a goal worth shooting for, okay, let’s get this over with -and you’re right it will go much quicker without the guests.”

“Keep in mind that I will stop you if I think it’s necessary and ask for more explanation on some items if I think it beneficial.”

Brogan nodded still preferring the matron’s no nonsense ways.

Snape felt indignant that he was being asked to leave his own daughter like this but he knew better than to start blurting things out.  The matron had already threatened him with criminal charges for not reporting his suspicions after the occlumency lessons -which were of course themselves grounds for criminal charges in the matron’s opinion.

“Madam,” he started trying to be as reasonable as possible, “your concerns about my presence are all well founded, however my daughter and I are attempting to create familial bonds.  It has always been my intention to speak with Brogan about her childhood, I was just respectfully giving her time to adjust to more pressing changes.

It would spare Brogan if you could let me read her responses before you seal them.  That way I could get an overview without questioning her myself.”

“That would be fine with me Madam Pomfrey, I think it would be easier for both of us if it was in writing you know.”

“Very well,” allowed the matron, “you two are excused then.”

She and Brogan shared a smile, Brogan realized just then that the Headmaster had never uttered a word.

The questions took hours and then there was a physical exam: a deep, thorough, all-encompassing exam.  By the end of it Brogan was vibrating with the need to escape.  Madam Pomfrey kept her for a few more minutes while she went over her scroll one last time.  The abuse was mostly neglectful and not violent although the lack of nutrition troubled the matron greatly.  Brogan would be taking nutrient potions every morning for the rest of the year, and Severus would be brewing them in whatever damn flavor Brogan wanted Pomfrey decided.

It was fifteen minutes before practice and Pomfrey had just tucked her quill into its stand, Brogan was praying that meant they were done.  But no, she just folded her hands and started asking about nightmares and hormones.  She saw Brogan’s eyes flick to the late afternoon sun streaming in the window.  “I’m sorry, you shouldn’t be too late though.  I would let you leave if I thought you might come back on your own later.”

Brogan sighed, alas, but she didn’t argue with the shrewd assessment.  “The hormones seem to be settling out, I used to cry a lot more.  And incidentally Hermione Granger was horrified when she found out that I hadn’t seen you, she thought you would have been able to help with the adjustment.

Umm, Minksy -that’s the house elf, has been really great.  She taught me lots of charms and things to, you know, manage...  And she was easy to talk to because she was pretty calm about the whole thing, she never gets all ‘oh you poor dear how awful’ or anything.  I really think that part did in fact turn out well.

And the crying is getting better I think, I mean it’s sort of hard to tell because I’m always so tired and the situation is still really stressful so that kind of wears on me.  Last night, there’s a boy in Slytherin named Harry, and last night someone called to him and I was distracted with my homework so I whipped my head around to see who it was.  Trying to figure out who saw that and what they think now, that’s stressful you know, and I cried a bit about it last night but it was strange, it’s often strange. 

It’s like a stranger is crying and I have a Harry voice in my head that says things like, ‘oh really, at it again?’  or sometimes there will be a Hermione voice that says things like, ‘it releases this chemical thingy-bob -not that I’ve ever heard Hermione actually say thingy-bob, and you’ll feel better later.’ 

Which I guess is worrying in itself for the schizophrenia aspects but I like to think that it’s me getting better control or at least distance over the crying thing.  And honestly I’m just sort of trying to understand it and not really control or stop it because I think it’s immensely useful for preventing people from thinking I’m Harry Potter because nobody ever saw Harry cry.”

“Did Harry cry?  I know that’s a personal question but it isn’t the most personal I’ve asked you this afternoon.  You were very neglected, I can see that your aunt probably would not have responded to your tears, did you stop when you got no response?”

“When I was a boy I didn’t cry a whole lot, just when Sirius died really.”

“Hmmm,” said Madam Pomfrey.  “And what about the nightmares?  Your father came to see me earlier this year about those, are they still very disruptive, have you found anything that helps?”

“He and Draco made some potions for me to try, is that okay?  It isn’t abuse is it?  They meant well.”

“Your father is more than proficient as a potions master it’s safe for you to take anything he feels comfortable with you trying.”

“Oh good, it’s just that in the muggle world they have years of testing and stuff for medicines.  Well anyway none of the potions has helped much yet.  We tried a few of the meditation techniques too, I don’t know if you suggested them.  They worked well for me getting to sleep but they didn’t prevent the nightmares from coming.”

“Have you discussed with anybody what the dreams are about?”

“Yeah, well I used to do it more, I used to talk to Ron about them because our beds were next to each other.  My da usually gets up with me but it’s harder for me to talk to him, I think I’ll be able to at some point but we’re still getting used to each other.  It’s a little hard because we hated each other so much before.”

“Hate is a strong word Brogan and you need to remember that your da always tried to protect you.”

“I do try, like I said we’re working on it.”

“Okay, do you think talking to me again sometime would be beneficial?  I would like you to start on a few potions, perhaps you could come back in two weeks so I can follow up and we’ll schedule a bit of extra time for tea and talking?”

“That should be fine Madam Pomfrey.”

“Excellent, and now you must hurry and change for your practice.  Let me help you floo to your father’s chambers so you can save some time.”

Brogan felt emotionally pooped and it was a cold clear pleasure to fly like a demon and tire out her body too.  There were so many thoughts swirling in her head she could have flown to the moon and back or all the way around the world and still be seething over Snape and Dumbledore.  She hadn’t really thought before about wizards being able to fly around the world, sure the ocean crossing might suck but if you had a copilot and took turns napping on each other’s backs; and if you had an invisibility cloak for the muggles...  It seemed feasible and there would be no passports or baggage checks or expenses.  Magic was brilliant! 

Friends were brilliant too because Blaise shouted her name just in time for her to wake up and avoid a bludger that really would have nailed her.  She gave him a smile and shrugged as if to say, oops.  Draco, who was supposed to be practicing his passes with Blaise, zipped over to the naughty bludger and booted it with a rather nice move straight back at the numbskull who had dared to knock it near Brogan.

“Oi!” the poor beater shrieked, “she needs to stay awake in games too.”

Draco literally snarled at him.  Blaise flew over and whispered urgently to Draco, “Stop it!  They’re going to think she really is.”

“What?” said Brogan, she had flown up beside them and Blaise hadn’t noticed.

“Absolutely nothing,” they both chorused.

Brogan flipped them both off, even letting go of her broom to do it properly and zipped off.  She had just spotted the snitch near their team captain and she did an amazing bit of fancy flying to swoop over, dive straight down very close and then end up in a dead stop right next to him with the snitch fluttering casually in her hand caught only seconds ago.  She rolled it around a bit and then let it go again, “I’m so glad we’re having practice this afternoon.”  She gave him a quick grin and then she darted off again and caught the snitch easily.  Laughing back at Draco and Blaise and letting it go yet again.

Blaise had a look of complete awe on his face and Draco smiled at him shaking his head.  “Does anything really matter when she can fly like that for our team?”

“Maybe not,” Blaise answered, “but we’re talking after practice anyway.”

Draco sighed and nodded, he really wanted to go back to Snape’s quarters after practice and find out what the hell had happened this afternoon but Brogan seemed to be okay now and he didn’t want Blaise to get petulant or unhappy in any way.  He was pretty confident that Blaise liked Brogan enough, and Blaise’s family was neutral enough, that he could be told the truth and brought into their circle.  And if he guessed wrong he would just quickly stun Blaise and have Severus obliviate him.  It was nice to have a plan.

Brogan knew that Draco was probably bursting with questions and she would have liked to answer them but it was a relief to see him walk off with Blaise instead.  Brogan was the last one to leave the field because, as usual, she had let the snitch go one time too many; as the sky got darker and darker finding the damn thing got harder and harder but she kept telling herself that one more would be okay.  Now it was almost completely dark and she was squinting into the gloom for an invisible object.

It was getting darker and she suddenly remembered that Pansy was supposed to be coming over and her father would want to talk to her, he had probably already reviewed that whole stupid scroll.  And it was getting darker and she would probably miss dinner which would piss off Madam Pomfrey after she had been sort of okay that afternoon.   She sighed and wondered if she could stay out here forever flying around in the dark pretending to search for the snitch.

Then through the darkness she saw another person on a broom; they held up a wand and cast a lumos charm lighting up the whole pitch.  Brogan saw Ron’s face, he gave her a smile and after looking around pointed out where the snitch was for her.  Brogan caught it easily in the bright light and then flew back to Ron who let the charm fade out slowly.

They touched down together and Ron held her broomstick while she put the snitch away.  When she turned back to take her broom she had to smile at her patient silent friend.  “Dumbledore and Snape were suddenly legally obligated to report their concerns about how the Dursleys treated me and Pomfrey interrogated and poked me all afternoon.”

Ron’s face went from shocked to angry to rueful in just a few seconds,  “a day late and a sickle short huh?”

Brogan shrugged, “Yeah, since I’ve already been removed there isn’t anything else to do.  Well except Snape is going to read the whole report and then want to talk about it.”

“Don’t call him Snape like that,” Ron admonished, “and yeah he will but it will be good for you.”

He hugged her a bit, “there’s more,” Brogan announced in a watery voice.  “I’m pretty sure Pansy figured out that I’m Harry Potter and she’s coming over tonight.  I think Blaise figured it out too but Draco is talking to him. 

There’s a Slytherin named Harry and someone shouted for him last night and I whipped my head around.  So stupid, after all these weeks, to ruin it like that,” and she burst into tears.

Ron leaned down and hoisted her up in his arms, her legs wrapping around his waist automatically.  “Can you get Draco to talk to Pansy too?”

Brogan shrugged, “I don’t know, she came to me before lunch today.  If she wanted to talk to him I suppose she would have, I think it’s all part of that crush she had on him.”

“Oh, that should make your chat pleasant.”  Brogan nodded and Ron stood there leaning against the broom shed for a few more moments.  “Draco likes you now not Pansy.”  Brogan shrugged.  “And you like him.”  She shrugged again, or possibly wiped snot on his shoulder.  After a few more moments Ron continued, “will you be creeping up to the tower tonight?

“I just took some dreamless sleep on Saturday so Da won’t let me have more for another week or so.  But if you don’t want...”

“No, I want you to come and tell me more about your visit with Pomfrey.”  Brogan nodded into his shoulder.

“Ron, is it okay if we don’t mess around any more?  I think it was, not a mistake, but kind of me not really knowing what I was doing.”

“Yeah, I think we can be done with that.  It was nice but not worth those looks I got from Hermione -like I had boiled her cat or something.”

“Stop that, when you’re reasonable and mature it’s sexy and doesn’t help.  It’s right up there with being big and strong and kind.”

Ron laughed and pretended to drop her.  “Noooo, don’t be funny too!” she shrieked.

Brogan was in a good mood when she got to dinner.  Blaise seemed normal so that improved her mood too, right up until Draco began rattling off all the  assignments from the afternoon she had missed.

She had wanted to dash back to her rooms after dinner hoping to warn her father that Pansy might be stopping by but instead she had to follow Draco to the Slytherin common room and get copies of all his notes.  Not that Brogan had any intention of doing homework that night, she was tired from worrying all of last night and all she could think about was getting through the upcoming Slytherin intrigues and then sneaking home to Gryffindor.

It was depressing to realize that she was thinking of Gryffindor as home again, especially since Ron was the only one she could let see her there.  But her da had pissed her off so much today that she couldn’t even allow herself to think about it yet.

Draco pulled her into a corner and started unloading his bag so he could spread out and copy the notes she would need.  Brogan slumped down next to him, convincing herself it was a casual looking slump.  Draco carefully put his wand on the table and then placed his hand over it and incanted a a privacy charm.   He leaned over with the first page of notes and pointed at something on the page, “Blaise knows the truth, he allowed Severus to cast a charm on him so he won’t be able to tell anyone.”

“Like a secret keeper?” Brogan asked staring at the page but not seeing anything.

“Somewhat.” Draco answered, “What did Pomfrey want?”

Brogan sighed, “She asked about the Dursleys and started a file thing.”

Draco jerked his head over to look at her, concern flooding his features.  “What does that mean?”

“Nothing much, I’ve already been removed from their care so it was just paperwork really.”

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Not really, I’m trying not to think about it until I’m...” she faltered a bit and then spoke softer than ever despite the bubble of silence shielding them.  “Ron is my oldest and best friend and he helps me so much with like, processing these things, and we decided that we’re going to be just friends, you know.  Because he sort of likes Hermione and I sort of like you...”

“That’s fine.” Draco responded wrapping an arm around her shoulder and pulling her closer to his chest. 

“Did you talk to Snape about Pansy?”  Brogan tried to stay on task.

Draco gave her a curious look when she said Snape but figured he probably deserved it somehow, “Yes but she hasn’t approached me yet.”

“No, she came to me before lunch.  She’s stopping by my room tonight with a new pair of earrings.”

“Hmmm,” said Draco and then he checked Brogan’s ears and cast the sterilizing charm.  Brogan rolled her eyes at him, muttering something about ‘bitten by an effing basilisk hardly think some earrings are going to kill me now...’

“Do you have any idea how my little rendezvous will go?” she asked Draco when he was done and she was finished glaring at him because her ears stung.

“I think she’ll be amenable to keeping the secret.  Slytherins love power and knowledge is power, hopefully your da will be home to cast that charm on her too.  If you think it will help let her know that Blaise agreed to the charm.”

“What were Blaise’s other choices?  obliviation?”

Draco didn’t answer.

“Draco, he’s your best friend!  You really would have done that?”

“Of course Princess, we promised to keep you safe.”

He didn’t expect the sadness that crossed her face when he said that.  “What about keeping you all safe?  I continue to do a crap job at that, if De- if certain people find out that I’ve been hiding out in the Slytherin common room all of you will be in danger.”

“Only because certain people are effing monsters and not because of you.  No matter what you do certain people will always be monsters and you can’t be responsible for that.”  He kissed her forehead; because he wanted to and because he couldn’t stand to see her so miserable.

“I don’t think I’ll make it through this year,” she sniffed packing up his notes.

“Sure you will, Pansy will be fine.  Severus will grovel for a while and figure out how to make you hats or mittens or something equally ridiculous and charming, you’ll win every quidditch match for us, you’ll make it.  No you won’t just make it or survive, you will kick ass all year long.”

Brogan snorted.  “You already are kicking ass, you have me as a boyfriend now.  Your grades are up, no doubt because my notes are better than Hermione’s.  We flattened Gryffindor and I’m sure that if you had been playing for them you would have just squeaked it out.

You never have to go back to that wretched aunt and uncle because you have a father who loves you.  Granted he has no idea how to show you, which is rather convenient because it means he buys you lots of stuff and lets you get away with everything.

Nobody has tried to kill you...”

“Unless you count that potion or the necklace.”

“No, we certainly don’t count that potion and the necklace was just coincidence.”

Brogan gave him a pitying sort of look, “there is no coincidence in my life Draco.”  She looked across the room and caught Pansy’s eye.  Draco canceled their privacy charm and stood up when Brogan did.  “You can try to sneak here tonight, or I could...”

“I need to talk to him about things and there isn’t any other time.  But maybe tomorrow?”  she felt like she should be more apologetic but she was too tired to work it up.  Instead she gave him a small smile and a peck on his cheek.  Then she walked over to Pansy and together they left.

Severus wasn’t home, Brogan could only hope he would show up soon.  She led Pansy to a couch in the sitting room and offered to call for tea.  Pansy declined and looked down at the hem of her skirt, she had lined it up neatly across her knees.

Brogan consciously tried to copy her pose and sit as neatly on the chair across from her, she felt stupid for trying and she was wearing jeans anyway -she had showered and changed after her practice that afternoon.

Pansy watched her for a moment and then said, “Don’t bother trying Potter.”

Brogan blushed but didn’t respond.

Pansy sighed and sat back a little, “Don’t feel so bad, Draco gave it away as much as you did.  It’s actually a relief for me, for as long as I’ve known him he’s been obsessed with Harry Potter.  He was devastated when you didn’t shake his hand on the train first year, he was a wreck watching that dragon attack you, all these years it’s been you you you.  He’s watched what you wear, what you eat, who you talk to; I think at some point he even stopped noticing he was doing it, it just became part of him.

So when Potter didn’t show up I thought I might finally get a chance.  But then he was suddenly in love with Snape’s daughter.”  She trailed off for a few minutes and Brogan shifted awkwardly but still didn’t know what to say.  “And most damning of all,” Pansy finally continued, “he hasn’t mentioned Potter at all this year.  That was what really got me thinking, it’s been most unlike Draco. 

I thought the only time he isn’t wondering where Potter is or what Potter is doing is when he knows.  So he must know where Potter is and what Potter’s doing, and there you were with dark hair and green eyes sitting practically on his lap.  No wonder Draco has been happier and more carefree than, maybe not forever, but years, definitely since fourth year.”

Brogan finally looked up, her eyes were glassy but she gave Pansy a smile.  “Well reasoned.” she admitted.

“Does it earn me the right to the full story?” Pansy asked archly.

“I guess that depends on what you’ll do with the full story, someone else figured it out recently and my da put a charm on him so he can’t tell others, would you consent to that charm as well?  I’m sure it isn’t too dangerous if my da would put it on a student and I think there would be benefits, for one you would get more of your Draco back.

He’s missed you, it’s been hard on him keeping something so big from his closest friends.  I know he would be relieved if you finally knew.”

Pansy smiled, “were you supposed to be in Slytherin all along?”

“Yes actually,” Brogan responded.  “Why don’t we get that tea and you can think about your decision while we wait for my da to show up?”  Brogan didn’t have the stomach to threaten Pansy with obliviation but she figured that Pansy was smart enough to know that Severus wouldn’t let her leave unless he had charmed her or obliviated her.

They shared their tea and Brogan told her about the potion Lily Evans had taken, how they had decided it was a good opportunity to keep her safe from the Dark Lord for a while.

Pansy was a lot less circumspect than Hermione or Luna or anyone had ever been, they ended up sitting quite cozily on the couch trying to figure out if Harry Potter had been gay or not.  It was a topic that Brogan had thought about a lot but she hadn’t been comfortable talking to any of her friends about it, Pansy turned out to be the perfect person though.  Pansy had been scrutinizing Harry for years trying to see if Draco’s crush would ever go anywhere.  They discussed Cho Chang in detail but neither mentioned Ron Weasley.

Brogan leaned back on the couch, her shoes were off and her feet were curled up underneath her, “you really think Dray would have made a move on me even if I was still male?”

Pansy had her mouth full of biscuit but she nodded emphatically.  “It wasn’t so much that he’s homosexual or heterosexual he’s Harry-sexual.  Not that you’re Harry anymore.”

“No, I get it.”  Brogan bit her own cookie and then she had to chew and swallow before she could continue, “he came on to me really quickly after the change, it must have been like Christmas for him.”

Pansy cackled a bit and then she went on, “you said it was like you were under a curse, I wonder if your magic was sending out damsel-in-distress vibes or something that got him so hooked.”

Brogan opened her mouth to tell Pansy about Luna’s magic theories but then thought better of it.  Pansy gave her a curious look and Brogan couldn’t think of anything else to say so she told her, “Luna Lovegood has her own sex magic theories.”

Pansy didn’t laugh she just got a fond sort of smile.  “Sometimes I wish I could get to know her better, I know it sounds mad but I have a cousin in Germany who’s the same kind of crazy and she’s so fun to be around.  And you know, how full of ourselves can we really be -it is magic after all.”

Brogan gave her a blinding smile in response, “Luna comes over all the time to study, we even had a sleepover once.  You can join us anytime you like, I mean it should be easy enough to spin it, you can even pretend you were upset she was here too the first time or something.”

“You’re much too good at this Brogan, it must drive Draco nutters.”

“It has been really liberating letting my inner Slytherin out.”

The door opened just then and her da stalked in, he almost froze at the sight of the two girls on the couch together with tea and biscuits.  Then he gave a most respectful nod to the pair, “It seems you have worked things out quite well together.”

Pansy stood up and faced her head of house, “we have sir but I would like you to perform the secrecy charm on me as well.  I have no intention of betraying Brogan but considering my family it would be best to take every precaution.”

“As you wish Miss Parkinson, I am most happy to have your allegiance.”

Brogan shook her head, Pansy had been speaking English before her da walked in and now they were like robots.  Parts of Slytherin still eluded her but she decided she didn’t need to follow all of their rules.

Pansy left shortly after the charm, Brogan was pleased to keep her night moving along but she was also terrified, maybe not terrified but uneasy, about being alone with her da.  Snape flicked his wand at the teapot and heated the water so he could pour himself a cup then he settled himself in the chair across from her.

“I regret not warning you about this afternoon’s proceedings.  I didn’t learn of them myself until that morning and Madam Pomfrey would not delay and allow me time to speak to you first.”

Brogan nodded woodenly and straightened up on the couch so she was sitting as primly as Pansy had been at first.

“Do you, or the headmaster, regret not reporting it years ago?”

Snape paled but he answered, “At first the headmaster believed the safety from the blood wards was paramount, and then we thought you might go live with your godfather, then we thought it didn’t really matter because you had left.  But we were thinking like chess players, we were not thinking beyond your physical safety.  A failing that has been my downfall more than once with you.”

Brogan nodded and wondered if there was more coming.

“Have you made arrangements to see Mr. Weasley this evening?”

Brogan blushed and nodded, it seemed ridiculous that she was discussing this with her father but she didn’t know what fucking else to do.  So intent was she on not meeting her father’s eyes that she startled when his hand was suddenly on her shoulder.  He had set his tea down and was awkwardly patting her, “We’ll figure out a better solution soon, in the meantime I shall bask in my glory of being the most progressive father ever.  Cool is something I had never consciously aspired to, and also,” here he peered around suspiciously and then leaned closer, “sometimes I like to imagine what James Potter’s face would be like if he knew I was letting his daughter go sleep in the boys dorm.”

If Snape had leaned over and said that sometimes he liked to wear frilly undergarments Brogan could not have been more surprised.  She looked up at him with an expression of perfect shock.  Snape shrugged, “I know it isn’t very mature or healthy I suppose, but it is amusing.”

Ron was lying in his bed thinking about a few nights ago when he had met Brogan outside the room of requirement, remembering how Brogan had said she hoped he was strong enough to wrestle the wand out of her hand if she tried to avada kedavra herself.  He knew that in such a situation he would be able to snap the damn thing in half with two fingers but the wand wasn’t what he was worrying about while he waited.

Just as he was getting really concerned though his curtains parted all on their own and his bed dipped.  Nothing could have stopped the smile that crossed his face knowing his friend had arrived, and when Brogan pulled the cloak back she was smiling too.  Ron opened his arms and she launched herself at his chest, chuckling a little into his neck.

“Pansy went well then?” Ron asked.  He felt a nod, “and your da too?” another nod and he was pleased that he had stopped himself from saying Snape.  “Tell me,” he ordered.

Brogan crawled off of him and shucked the cloak she was still mostly wrapped in, underneath she had on sweatpants and a t-shirt.  Her wand appeared, he wasn’t sure from where because it didn’t look like her clothes had a lot of pockets, and she flicked it at the hangings a few times.  Then she stuffed her wand under the pillow next to Ron’s and curled up beside him.

“Pansy is brilliant!  I love her!” 

Ron laughed.

“We spent half an hour trying to figure out if I was gay before,” Brogan’s enthusiasm dimmed a tiny bit at Ron’s face and she faltered but kept going, “and she told me that Draco has had a crush on me forever and she said he was Harrysexual which was kind of awesome to hear.

And then my da told me that whenever I leave to come sleep with you he likes to imagine James Potter’s face.” Brogan paused and looked at Ron’s completely shocked face.  “I know,” she continued, “I don’t think I’m dreaming because it’s too crazy to come up with in a dream -do you think Dumbledore put a good luck charm on me?  or slipped some of that good luck potion in my drink this morning?  Because seriously how is this my life?  How is this anyone’s life?”

“I don’t know mate, I’m still working on Pansy being brilliant.”

Brogan nodded seriously and flopped down next to Ron, “I’m wondering if you should try dating her, she’s really cool and I think you’d like her.  She wants to hang out with Luna too.”

Ron whipped his head around so fast that they could hear his neck pop.  “What?”

“Ron, I think the Slytherins might actually be humans too, it’s been bizarre.”

“Give me a moment mate?”  Ron asked.  So Brogan did, she pulled off her socks and shoes and tucked them in her cloak and arranged the pile on the foot of the bed.  Then she wriggled under the sheets and blankets next to Ron, automatically turning on her side to face him and bringing one knee up to just touch his hip.  Ron slid an arm under her neck and dragged her closer.

“We’re going to put Pansy to the side for a minute, and Draco’s sexuality, and Snape getting even with a dead guy by letting his daughter sleep in the boys dorm,” Ron shuddered, “and we’re going to talk about your visit with Pomfrey.”

Brogan gave him a dirty look, “sure pick the one bummer thing that happened today.”

Ron beeped her nose and waited.

“Pomfrey ran a deep diagnostic on me but most of what they did was neglect you know, not beating me or anything.  She’s making me take potions for the rest of the year to see if they’ll help repair some of the malnutrition damage, to see if I can grow any taller I guess and to strengthen my bones and stuff.  And Pomfrey asked me what flavor I would like which was a surprise, I didn’t know potions came in flavors but I think she wants to stick it to Snape and have him make them special.  Which is sort of evil but I wasn’t going to say anything.”

“Why do you think it’s evil?”

Brogan shrugged, “I guess because of all the times I was in the infirmary before and she didn’t notice anything either.”

Ron said, “hmmmm,” and then went silent again waiting for Brogan to say more.

Brogan realized he wanted to hear more and looked up at the canopy above them, thinking about what else she should say.  “I’m going back in two weeks, she’s going to see how the potions are working and we’re going to have tea.”

“That’s good.”

“She told me she wanted to do the interview this afternoon because she knew I had a practice scheduled and the flying after would be a nice release.”

“It looked like it was; letting the snitch go in the dark is a very Harry thing by the way, you might want to watch that.”

“I suppose having Ron help me find it again is very Harry too.”

Run blushed and grumbled, “you’d still be there now.”

Brogan retorted with something about Pansy being very intimidating and they launched into a very quiet and subdued tickle fight. 

Some time later they were fixing the sheets and getting themselves arranged in the narrow bed.  Ron was pushing her hair out of his face and trying to get it to stay behind Brogan’s ear when he noticed the little gold earring.  He thumbed it gently and Brogan let out a soft whine, “stop they’re all nasty and sore.  It was a stupid idea, but you know anything to bring out my inner girl.”

“I suppose,” said Ron.  “Do you want me to get an ear done too so we can share the pain?”

“Sure, I’ll ask Pansy to do you; she did mine.”

“Before you were besties or after?”

“Before, definitely before, so maybe yours won’t hurt as much.”

They were quiet for a moment and then Ron asked a question he had been holding in for a long time, he only asked it because he knew that his mate was probably wondering the same thing too, “Harry, do you think your aunt and uncle would have been better to you if you were a girl?” 

There was a long silence but Brogan sighed and answered, “Yeah, I think they would have been.  I wouldn’t have been competing with Dudley so much and they would have had to buy me my own clothes, I think it would have been a little better.  But I don’t think they would have loved me, I would have still cooked and cleaned, I probably still would have gotten the cupboard.”

Brogan could almost hear Ron’s heart thumping next to her, she twisted around in his arms so she could put her head down on his chest.  Ron’s hands were carding through her hair, they were getting stuck a lot and the little tugs were sort of annoying but she didn’t say anything. 

“I wonder what will happen next,” Ron finally asked. 

Brogan snorted and elbowed him, “I come here to be soothed Ron, not to have you get me all upsetter.”

She felt his chest heave as he laughed about ‘upsetter’.  It brought a very pleased smile to her face and she dropped off to sleep quickly, safe in the circle of his arms.

The morning rush was bittersweet for the girl under the cloak; she had her shoes and socks on and was sitting quietly out of the way watching everyone run around searching for ties.  Brogan was ninety percent sure that Ron had hidden Seamus’ tie in Neville’s trunk just to make a better show for her.

It was a fun morning and the start of a good day.  A good day that led to one good week after another as Brogan became better friends with all her year mates in Slytherin now that she was secure in Pansy’s approval.  She still woke up too many nights with bad dreams or visions so she still fell asleep in the common room but it just served to endear her more to the snakes now.

One night in particular she fell asleep early with her head on Draco’s lap and when Draco needed to get up and do some prefect thing he had Blaise slide in to take his place, but then later Blaise had to look over a star chart with Daphne so he actually got Greg to take his place and then Greg needed to participate in the exploding snap game so Pansy who was just back from the prefect meeting took his place and then a few minutes later Draco showed up and decided enough was enough so he carried her home.

“When do you get your homework done?” Draco mused aloud as he carried her down the hall.  She was a bit heavier than she had been, he decided this weight was perfect; just solid enough that he didn’t worry.  Even so he almost dropped her when she answered sleepily.

“Between three and six when I can’t get back to sleep.”

“That seems rather lonely.”

She shrugged, “I guess that’s why I go to the common room even if I know I’m going to fall asleep, at least I’m absorbing auras or something.”

A gust of wind blew down the empty corridor and Brogan shivered and tried to burrow into Draco.  “You should have brought a coat, it’s almost December.”

“It’s like ten steps,” she lifted her head and peered around, “did you get lost?”

“No, we’re almost there.”  She made a sort of humming sound that conveyed, well get along then chop-chop, but Draco still paused, “do you think Severus will be home?”

“I really have no idea, sharing his schedule with me is still a very new concept to him.”

Draco hummed and then turned briskly and carried Brogan instead to a little alcove, the snogging bench (as it was called) was close enough to the common room entrance that if you heard someone coming you could just make it back -usually, if you heard the noise soon enough.

Draco settled them on the bench and pulled out his wand to cast a warming charm.  Brogan smiled and gave him a soft kiss, even she knew it was the snogging bench.  Draco returned the kiss and then seemed to realize where he had brought her.  “Actually,” peck, “I” peck, “wanted to tell you something.”

Brogan leaned back and looked up at him with a face that said, uh huh sure you did.

Draco put his hands on her shoulders and kept the distance between them though he met her eyes with a completely smitten smile.  “I got a letter from my mother today, she wants me to go to France for the break.”

“Oh,” said Brogan and tried to keep the pout off her face.  She knew that her friends had homes for the holidays and everyone was making their plans now. 

“I asked if you could come with me but Severus said no, he’s afraid that my mum knows him too well and is too clever.  I don’t think you could stand up to her extended scrutiny like that.”

“But she sent you to Severus...”

“I know, but it was never her intent that I get this close to the side of the light, she wants me to be neutral.”

“She wants you to be safe.”

“But I’m working on maybe you coming for a day or two, you’ve never been to France have you?  We could even meet for lunch in Paris.”

“Lunch would be lovely.  I can have Astoria lay out an outfit for me, just in case, before she goes.”

“Just in case,” Draco agreed and then decided that he had said what he needed to say and now was a good time to resume kissing.  He needed to let Brogan know that he really did want her to come to France with him. 

At breakfast the next day Brogan was kind of glum.  “I heard Draco is going to France, it seems like everyone is taking off...”

Snape looked at her, wondering if he was supposed to guess what was depressing her.  Well, he decided that wasn’t too hard to guess, an entire winter break with a man who hid behind newspapers every morning was rather bleak.  He took a sip of his coffee and decided to spare them both any further unfinished sentences.

“Foremost amongst my own wishes for the break is to spend some time with you working on basic defensive spells, namely shielding, expelliarmus and stupefy.

I also have two new potion variations for you to test.  They should be ready quite soon but I thought we might wait until an adverse reaction didn’t jeopardize your coursework or social life.”

Woo-hoo thought Brogan wishing she could hide behind a newspaper too but since there was only the one copy she tried to look pleased.  Her father didn’t comment on the face but he did continue.

“Molly Weasley was quite forceful in demanding Harry Potter’s presence at the Burrow this Christmas, obviously an extended visit under polyjuice would become tiresome but if you wish it you may go for Christmas and Boxing Day.

Mr. Lovegood has also written to inquire if you might visit with Luna for a bit this holiday.  The Lovegoods live quite close to the Weasleys so I thought if you were open to that as well, perhaps for New Year’s, you could manage to see your friends again without the burden of disguise.”

Brogan was beaming now.  Snape took another sip of his coffee, “You were also invited to the Parkinsons, the Greenglasses and of course the Malfoys.  Your recent rise in popularity is quite remarkable.”

Brogan was bouncing a bit now, “Will I be able to see any of them?”

“No.  Those families are all too dark and it is too risky, we will make up some story about you visiting your mother to account for the rest of your break.”

“Draco thought maybe we could just meet somewhere for lunch, and avoid his mum that way.”

“In Paris no doubt?”

Brogan blushed and shrugged.  “Very well, I will discuss it with Albus and see what can be done.”

“Thanks Da, I can’t believe so many people want me to visit!”

Snape was unsure how he should respond to that, had people asked before and been refused by the headmaster without the headmaster ever telling Brogan?  Were people too intimidated by Harry’s fame or stories about Harry to invite him?  Were Slytherins simply more gregarious than Gryffindors?  Hypothesizing about these questions with Brogan wouldn’t get them anywhere, in fact it might just make her glum again; Severus returned to his paper.

The holiday spirit seemed to descend in force the last few weeks of term.  Brogan fretted over what to buy for whom, she seemed to have twice as many people to shop for now and the excitement sent her into a tizzy. 

At first money had been an issue of course, Brogan inherited funds from the Potter estate but she felt terrible using them -in her opinion James Potter had been used enough.  Brogan had learned in early September that she was named as the heir to the Black estate but that made her feel terrible too.  Her Da tried to give her money too but she even felt guilty taking it from him, he had never asked to be a father.

“Whose money do you want?” Severus actually snapped at her one day when she was acting especially tiresome on the matter.

Brogan thought seriously about it for a moment,  “I wouldn’t mind spending a big heap of the Dursleys money actually,” she finally came up with an answer.

“Fine,” snarled Snape, “that seems perfectly appropriate to me as well.  How much do you suppose they owe you for all the chores you performed and all the decency they withheld?”

“£500 pounds?”

“You never cease to underestimate yourself, let’s make it £1,000 even.”  Responded Severus getting up to fetch a clean piece of parchment.

“You’re going to write to them and ask them for that much money for me?  Well, obviously you are, but they won’t respond.”

“Of course they will,” sneered Severus drawing out his wand and preparing to charm the parchment.

“But that’s magic,” breathed Brogan, “and they’re muggles.”

“They are muggles already aware of magic, are you afraid I’ll get in trouble?”  Her da seemed to be daring her to suggest such a thing.

“No, of course not.  It’s just- effing brilliant is what it is.  Oh if this works I swear I will spend every penny on the most ridiculous most magical items I can find.”

“Now you’re doubting my plan will work, wait and see missy, wait and see.”

A few days later a sack of coins was waiting for Brogan at the breakfast table,  when she arrived her da explained, “Your aunt sent me a cheque yesterday so after classes I flooed to the bank and had it converted for you.  Happy shopping.”

Released from the guilt of spending money she didn’t feel she deserved, released from societal (or Gryffindor) prejudices that boys don’t have fun shopping Brogan had a ball shopping.  She went through catalogs constantly with Luna and Pansy desperate to find just the right gifts for everyone.

She was lounging in her room one day with Pansy, they were looking through a clothing catalog when Pansy, who knew very well that she didn’t,  asked if Brogan had an outfit for Slughorn’s Christmas Party.  Brogan turned red immediately, it was double embarassing because Slughorn had only invited select students to his party and then of course because she didn’t have anything to wear.

“I really don’t want to go to the stupid thing but Da wants me to be nice.”  Brogan complained to her friend, which was a complete lie.  Dumbledore had asked her to attend and be ‘nice’ to Slughorn because there was another memory (of course) that she was supposed to see at some point and then she had to try and get information from the professor or something, Brogan thought it was all very cloak and dagger and she wished he could just show her the stupid memory so she knew what was going on but her da was being an arsehole, and oh, Pansy was talking still.

“....borrow?”

“I’m sorry, I tuned out for a moment there because we were talking about clothes, did you have a suggestion?”  Nice save, Brogan congratulated herself.

“I was saying that since you’re one of the only girls I know going you should just borrow something.”

“I hate how he’s making people feel bad by being all exclusive, I really don’t want to go.”

“Well I can get over you going, you're his potions star and a professor’s daughter and all that.  Are you bringing Draco with you?”

“Yeah, I’m certainly not going to go by myself and I’m sure Draco’s good at these sorts of things, right?”

“It’s like he was born for it, well, because -you know- he was.”

“And it’s something for his parents to be pleased about I guess.  He told me he’s going to France for the break.”

“Did he invite you?”

“Yeah, but Da won’t let me go, except maybe for lunch in Paris one day.  Don’t worry,”  Brogan was quick to reassure,  “if they do let me go I already had Astoria choose an outfit -she set it up on a hanger or something in the wardrobe.  And she had entirely too much fun doing it too.”

“Well, you should tell her you’re going to the Slugfest and let her go wild on that too.”

“That would be easiest wouldn’t it?”  Brogan sighed and then rolled over closer to Pansy, “Pansy do you think I’ll ever get the hang of this?  Will I ever get like style or grace or poise or those things that make being female cool?  I still get dressed every day and feel like I”m going out in a disguise.  Actually when I go to bed every night I feel like I’m in disguise too.

The only time I feel like my old self is when I’m with Ron.  Even Hermione makes me feel weird, like I can barely hear what she’s saying because I’m wondering if her boobs are bigger than mine and how long it takes her to fix her hair.”

“How do your new friends make you feel, like Astoria?”

“Mostly like I’m an idiot, I guess.  It’s hard to believe what a double standard there is until you’ve experienced it like this.  As a boy, and I guess as an orphan too, nobody cared at all about my grades.  First Gryffindors aren’t expected to be super brainy, then boys aren’t encouraged to be all nerdy, and then nobody but me ever looked at my grades so there was no parent to be disappointed.  And now all of that has changed and it’s been quite the shocker actually.

I got a poor on that nasty pop quiz McGonagall gave us the other day and my da went ballistic.  Made me cry too.”

“Did he give you a biscuit when you got an O on the second pop quiz?”

“No, but he did say ‘well done’ and then gave me this sort of inscrutable look, and made me cry again.”

“Poor little choochie face, what doesn’t make you cry?”

“Actually the raspberry potion I think.  Madam Pomfrey prescribed a whole slew of flavored (can you imagine?) potions for me and I’m pretty sure the raspberry one is some sort of hormone modifying thing.  The first week I took a nice big dose and it felt like I had gotten my bits back but every week there’s less and less of it. 

Da even puts a box of tissues on the table Saturday morning because that’s the day the dose goes down.”

Pansy had a very concerned look on her face and she flopped down near Brogan so she could rub her shoulder a bit, Brogan couldn’t believe she had ever thought Pansy cold or mean.  Pansy sniffed loudly, “you need to tell us these things Brogan, we don’t realize them you know.”

Brogan nodded and sniffed herself.

“Draco told me that you’re wearing a charm on your eyes too because they were so recognizable.  Can I see?”

Brogan reached out for her wand from the night table, she just wrapped her hand around it though and non-verbally removed the charm.  Pansy gasped when she saw the difference, “wow, he’s right.  It’s uncanny to see; like you don’t realize how green they were but seeing them again...  Just another piece of suck for you huh?  The one thing that stayed the same and you have to hide it.”

Brogan nodded and tried to reapply the charm non-verbally without pointing the wand at her face, just holding the wand at her side.  She looked up at Pansy again and Pansy beamed at her success.

Brogan smiled back, “I spend hours practicing it, I don’t know I had some weird scenario in my head where someone is trying to catch me out and they cast a finite at me but if I close my eyes and touch my wand I can reapply the charm quickly and quietly before I open my eyes, right, and then they think nothing happened with the finite.”

“That’s brilliant, I think you’ve got it too.  Show your da, he’ll be really impressed, he might even give you points.”

“Or a biscuit.”

They sprawled quietly on the bed together for a while, Brogan decided to practice more non-verbal spells with her wand by making the Hedwig doll fly around the room.  At first the doll was just floating around but that wasn’t very gratifying so Brogan figured out how to make the wings flap and eventually it was as if the doll was animated and flying. 

Pansy nudged her and smirked, “I would have made you cry over that poor grade as well,” and in her best Snape voice she continued,  “see what you can do when you apply yourself?”

Brogan flicked her wand and Hedwig attacked.

The Slugfest, the Slugfest, who was going, who was taking whom, who was wearing what; it was all that anybody cared about for the week before.  Brogan was mortified that she was invited and irked that she had to go and very short-tempered with all the excitement.

She had ordered Draco to go with her straight off though, that one part pleased her.  It was so much better than all the stress of the Yule Ball during the Triwizard Tournament, knowing that everyone expected her to go with Draco anyway for The Plan, and also he was pretty much her real boyfriend now and all that.  Plus, Draco would make it a fun evening, he would know who people were and how they should be acting but he would still hide in a corner and make sarcastic remarks with her anyway.

And if she looked nice then Draco would beam and be all silly, but if she didn’t look nice he would be pleased that nobody else knew how pretty she really was (or so he had told her.)

Blaise had been invited and he was bringing Pansy, Hermione was invited and she was bringing Ron, Ginny was invited and she was bringing Dean.  Brogan hadn’t been able to talk to Dean all year and she was looking forward to the chance.  Nobody had seen Brogan and Ron together all year either but Hermione was still her tutor and she had ‘met’ Ginny that summer so hopefully...

Luna wasn’t attending the Slugfest, Brogan wished she was still Harry Potter too so she could invite her but Luna didn’t seem to mind.  Brogan decided that Luna was even more mysterious than she was, and that rather boggled her.  Whenever she thought about her upcoming visit to Luna’s house and meeting Luna’s da her stomach would give a weird little swoop -she wasn’t even sure what they ate.

But now it was finally the evening of the party and seeing Draco all decked out for the party gave her stomach a different swoop.  He was wearing a suit, it looked like a muggle suit and Brogan was sure Aunt Petunia would have known what brand and how much it cost.  The suit was nice and the hair was nice as usual but it was always his eyes and his mouth that captivated her. 

Brogan tottered across the common room and over to him, Astoria had insisted on high heels and combed the whole of Slytherin house to find a pair that fit after Brogan refused to ask her father for them.  Draco smiled softly at her approach, it wasn’t nearly as wobbly as she felt.  Mostly he thought she looked fan-fucking-tastic; heels simply did something to a woman’s posture that made them worth all the pain and fuss, in his opinion.

They intertwined fingers and Draco gave her a careful kiss high on her cheek so he wouldn’t muss any of Astoria’s work before she reached the party.  After the party though...

Pansy and Blaise looked very grown-up together, Draco felt a rush of pride at his friends they seemed posh and smart and he was pleased to be with them.  The underclassmen and those not invited rolled their eyes at his swotty look and waited for them to be on their way already instead of prancing about in a great show.

The walk to the party was short and when they got there they saw that Horace had outdone himself, and that was saying something indeed.  Brogan half expected there to be scantily clad men and women posing as furniture holding bowls of crystallized pineapple, but no, they were just house elves draped in napkins that made them look like little roaming tables holding bowls of crystallized pineapple and every other nibble imaginable.

Draco paused just inside the door and over to one side so that Brogan could stare at everything, he glanced around too it really was amazing, but he had been to other showy wizard parties and watching the expressions cross Brogan’s face was more interesting.  She had this mixture of delight at magic -sheer joy at the things it could do, but also a wistful sort of disappointment that this was what they chose to do with that power.   She never said anything about it, certainly never judged the wizarding world on the choices they had made, but he knew she had trouble figuring it out and understanding.

Draco thought about the choices too, much more often now than before he was friends with Brogan and he realized that the status quo she was quietly upsetting was the reason the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters were so against muggles and muggle-born.  They didn’t want to know about children dying in deserts when it would be so easy for them to charm an old well into an everlasting supply of clear water. 

He could easily picture Brogan and Hermione Granger traipsing through deserts leaving magical wells, or tricking muggle scientists into ‘discovering’ ‘herbal’ cures for diseases, or doing good deeds in all sorts of ways.  Sometimes he pictured Ron as their sherpa carrying the heavy stuff and quietly providing his protection, grounding them both.  Sometimes he pictured himself joining them too, reminding them not to try and do everything the hard way, directing them to the little wizard enclaves and sweeping them all off to a fabulous dinner after a grotty day.  Those dreams were rather like a sappy children’s adventure book though so he tried not to get too wrapped up.

Brogan spotted the knot of Gryffindors hanging out near the punch bowl (Draco could only assume they showed up abominably on time) and asked if they could go say hi.  Blaise and Pansy had already disappeared into the crowd so Draco nodded.  Ginny Weasley started giving him dirty looks as soon as they headed her way and Draco tried to think of how he could gracefully excuse himself, it might be tricky since they were loitering on top of the punch bowl and offering to fetch drinks was out.  Whatever he decided, they were Gryffindors and he could excuse himself to go tickle a walrus and they wouldn’t notice.

Draco was just far enough behind Brogan so he could watch Ron and Dean’s faces as Brogan approached, he saw their eyes slide down her form to her pointy shoes and then slowly go back up following the curves of her legs to the short black dress and then up to her white throat and the tendrils of hair escaping from the fancy braid that Astoria had somehow managed.

He even saw Ron’s eyes trace her collar bone and the place where the dragon scar used to be; luckily Astoria had talked Brogan into the dress with enough time for Snape’s scar cream to do its magic.  The ratty string necklace was gone too thankfully, Draco had insisted on giving Brogan her Christmas present early and she was wearing a simple gold chain with a golden Hungarian Horntail figure.  It was almost as good as hanging a sign around her neck that said ‘Draco’s girl’.  He met Ron’s eyes after the red head had noticed the necklace and smirked; Ron rolled his eyes back.

Just as she reached the group Brogan seemed to falter a bit, not on the heels, but she suddenly remembered that they weren’t supposed to know her now.  Hermione was allowed though and she reached out quickly, “Brogan you look so great!”

“She does,” Ron agreed to Ginny’s shock.  Draco smirked at her too.  Ginny looked very nice, her legs were longer than Brogan’s and her dress was just as short, her face was younger looking though.  Hermione also looked great, her hair was tamed like Brogan’s and she had a soulful intelligent face that really was attractive.  Draco sighed, he liked girls a lot.  Sometimes he felt guilty because he was so thankful that Harry had been turned into a girl (just for him);he knew that Harry was having a bitch of a time adjusting and was sad and lonely because of it, but luckily Draco had been given everything he wanted his whole entire life so he knew how to accept the universe’s kindness graciously.

Like now for instance when his hand automatically planted itself in the small of Brogan’s back, his fingertips just ghosting over her dress.  He tuned back in from glaring at all the boys in a twelve foot radius to hear Brogan nattering on about Astoria, of course she couldn’t just accept a compliment.  Ginny and Dean were both still glancing uncomfortably at him but Ron and Hermione were completely focused on Brogan.  Well this won’t do he sighed to himself. 

Draco looked across the room in a random direction and gave a small fake gasp, “Princess can you excuse me for a moment, I just saw someone across the room?”

Brogan looked up at him with a touch of worry in her eyes and Draco felt like a giant security blanket, he smiled, “I’ll come right back.”

Brogan swallowed and nodded, Draco poured her a cup of punch and placed it in her hands before he left.  He had to restrain himself from shaking his head as he walked away, ‘saw someone across the room’ honestly and they didn’t even ask who.

The tension around Ginny and Dean decreased a bit when Draco left but they still seemed a bit confused about why Brogan was standing there talking to Hermione and Ron.  Ginny thought Ron was giving the Slytherin rather inappropriate looks too, especially with Hermione right there. 

Hermione had just noticed the necklace and was cooing over it, Ron was laughing and so was Dean.  Ginny’s eyes almost fell out of her head when Ron reached out to pet the little dragon, it seemed to twitch a little almost preening itself, “How subtle this is,” Ron was saying, “and so much classier than a big sign saying Draco’s.”

Brogan blushed and smacked Ron, hard, on the arm.  Hermione smacked him too but not as hard, luckily for Ron.  Ginny had to laugh then too and slowly she found herself thawing out a bit to the strange Slytherin girl with the most unfortunate last name, first name too actually in Ginny’s opinion.

Speaking of which, she looked down at the spiky heels that Brogan was doing a pretty good job of managing.  The heels were certainly doing their part of managing her.  “Don’t tell us that Professor Snape conjured those shoes for you.”  Ginny suddenly burst out and then flushed a bit.

Brogan laughed kindly at her and smiled, “I refused to ask my da to make me a pair of ‘fuck me pumps’, Astoria borrowed these for me from Tracey Davis I think.  The only reason I dared to wear them is because I knew my da would be here and if things get dire I think I can talk him into making me a pair of trainers or something flat at least.”

Dean laughed when Brogan said fuck-me-pumps but Ginny and Ron just looked confused, “Muggle thing?” Ron asked.

“Yeah,” said Brogan, “but pretty much exactly what it sounds like.”

Dean looked at her in confusion, a muggle-born in Slytherin?  Brogan saw his look and smiled again, “My mum raised me in Surrey and I went to muggle schools for a while.”

There was never any point in denying her sort of posh accent, there were lots of suburbs of London and she never had to say Little Whinging.

Dean smiled, “I don’t suppose you know any recent football scores?”

“Not really,” smiled Brogan wishing she did.  “Are you excited to get back to the real world this break?  My da wants to keep me here but I have to escape and see the new James Bond.”

Hermione started squealing and asking if they could meet up somewhere to see it together and Dean let himself be invited along.  “Will Draco be joining you too?” asked Ron.

Brogan unconsciously touched her new necklace and her face fell, “No, he’s going to France for the whole break.”

“And Professor Snape is really going to keep you here the whole time?” asked Ginny.

Brogan smiled at the compassion in Ginny’s voice, “he might let me meet Draco for an afternoon or something in Paris and I’m going to Luna’s house for New Year’s and then I’m going to visit my mum, so it’s not bad at all really.”

“Good,” said Ginny.  “Luna lives quite close to us so you can pop over for tea or something while you’re there.”

“Oh that would be wonderful, I adore Luna but I have to admit I feel a bit timid about visiting her house, you know,” and she looked around carefully, “will they serve wrackspurts for breakfast or something?”

The group laughed, carefully, because it was rather a cheap shot but also wickedly funny.  They chatted for a while more, and the conversation flowed well, but eventually Draco got bored or lonely or petulant and came back to them.  Even then Ginny and Dean were a lot more gracious than they had been, but Draco had found the real vampire and wanted to show him to Brogan; he did not want to introduce them by any means, but gawk together, yes.

He pulled Brogan along, their fingers tangled and swinging slightly.  They paused whenever they spotted a tempting bit of nosh but Draco was eager to show Brogan the vampire.  And then they had to duck around hiding from Trelawney, although they both doubted her second sight Brogan had heard true prophecies from her before and didn’t want to take any chances.

Unfortunately they were so engrossed in being where Trewlawney wasn’t that they ended up backing right into Snape and the Headmaster.  Snape’s eyes zoomed in like laser beams on Brogan’s new necklace, his lips made a thin angry line but he didn’t say anything.  The headmaster noticed too but he seemed more entranced with the outfits the students were wearing, and the way they were still holding hands.  Draco feebly tried to let go of Brogan but she squeezed him back and refused.

“Miss Snape, it seems this new environment is agreeing with you.  That is, you look lovely.  Perhaps even too lovely for your poor father to bear, but I would argue that is his burden and none of your concern.”

“Headmaster, I believe your opinion is just as well kept private.  However, Brogan you do look lovely and I will keep my suffering to myself.”

Brogan beamed at him and laughed.  “If you hate the shoes feel free to make me a pair that are reasonable, I’d be happy to let you take the fall with Astoria before I literally do so.”

Snape’s eyes flicked over to Draco and saw that the young Mr. Malfoy appeared to be in favor of keeping the torture devices.  “Find me later if it gets worse, they make you look quite feminine for now.” 

“Did my mum know how to walk in heels?”  Brogan asked, assuming that Snape remembered everything about her.

“Of course, I don’t think she ever wore them to please herself though.  They were more like weapons to be used in the slaying of young men.”

“Oh, well, I’m not exactly on the hunt at the moment though.”  Brogan responded blushing a little.

“That may be true Miss Snape, however I ask you to recall why we were so insistent upon you attending tonight.”  Dumbledore trailed off as Professor Slughorn began to lumber nearer to their group.

Brogan paled and Snape looked furious but it was Draco who spoke, “Professor Snape, I would remind you of the threats which you and Mr. Weasley made upon my person that first night at Spinner’s End.  I fully expect you to model the behavior which you requested of me.”

Brogan started to laugh at Draco’s literalness, the Order of the Little Toe flashed through her head.  So she was, if not composed, at least mirthful when Slughorn finally reached them.

“Well, well, he declared.  It doesn’t look like you lot have done a very good job of mingling.  Miss Snape the esteemed Gwenog Jones is here from the Holyhead Harpies, I’m quite sure she will be most interested in hearing all about your quidditch talents, why don’t you run along and find her?”

Brogan gave him her most excited-looking smile, although she saw Draco wince a bit and decided she might have over reached and gone straight through to demented.  As if it really mattered with Slug anyway, Brogan sighed to herself trying to look sane(r).

“Which one is she?” Brogan asked craning her head around.

Draco sighed and surreptitiously pointed at a tall woman wearing dark green and talking to Ron and Ginny Weasley. 

“Duh,” said Brogan laughing at herself.  Ron noticed her and made a hand motion inviting her over, Brogan smiled and nodded.  “Are you coming with Dray?” she asked.

“I’ll catch up soon, I actually had one quick potion question while Professors Slughorn and Snape are right here.”

Slughorn knew that Draco was gifted in potions and he was aware that he worked with Severus on experimental brews but he never let that affect his coolness towards the boy in class.  Slughorn was frightened of the Death Eaters and tried to maintain what he thought was a professional detachment towards all the children of suspected families.

“As you may have heard Professor Slughorn, my mother left me in Professor Snape’s able hands this past summer to do some extra work.  Since that time my mother has moved to France, she has an elderly second cousin who is quite enjoying her company from all accounts. 

It’s quite early to begin worrying about next summer of course but one always likes to be prepared, my mother is eager for me to spend the summer close to her and I was wondering if you had a connection to a potions master I could begin corresponding with.”

Draco had grown weary of Professor Slughorn’s chilly attitude, and worse his disdain could easily hamper Draco getting a top notch potions apprenticeship.  Seeing the Headmaster with Snape and Slughorn in a polite social setting was too good an opportunity for Draco to pass up, what better chance would he get to proclaim he was not a junior Death Eater and had no intention of becoming one?

He had let Brogan leave first because he knew she was upset that he was going to France for the few weeks of winter break, she would be really depressed to learn he was supposed to leave for the whole summer.  And if Slug or Snape couldn’t set up a connection for him then he might not go anyway and she would have worried her pretty little head over nothing.

“Oh dear, won’t Miss Snape be disappointed with that news.” Slughorn chortled in a knowing way.

Draco allowed himself to blush and look down, “Yes, that is part of the reason I waited until she had stepped away.  Not that I intend to keep it from her, but just that this is very exploratory you know.”

Inside Snape was seething at the heavy handedness Draco was showing, he heard the boy complain about Slughorn a thousand times and clearly now he was trying to stuff it into the walrus-like head that he welcomed an opportunity to remove himself from the politics of England, but really, he was being so obvious about it.

Dumbledore was unaware of Slughorn’s classroom behavior with the children of suspected Death Eaters but he figured there was some reason Draco would have brought this up now, some reason beyond a summer apprenticeship in France certainly.  He noticed that Snape looked ready to murder Mr. Malfoy and smiled to himself that it would certainly help cement Draco as a non-Death Eater in Slughorn’s eyes.  Perhaps he would get wrapped up in the star-crossed lovers, Draco and Brogan, trying to escape from her Death Eater father and discover a new life safe in France.  Dumbledore’s smile grew, well done indeed Mr. Malfoy he thought, more sympathy for Brogan was just what Dumbledore needed.

He wasn’t sure if Brogan could get enough sympathy from Horace as Brogan Snape and loathe though he was to ask her to reveal herself as Harry Potter to the shameless old gossip, if it needed to be done he would see that it was.  Nothing was as important as getting that information from Horace.

Ginny glanced up to see who her brother was waving over and was rather peeved to see that it was another female quidditch player, did he understand nothing?  But before she could stomp on his giant foot he was introducing Brogan to Gwenog as the amazing Slytherin seeker.

“Well, I was disappointed that Harry Potter wouldn’t be here tonight but I’m meeting lots of other quidditch talent, and you witches are more employable by the Harpies, that’s for sure.”

“I was sorry that I didn’t get to play against Harry Potter too but Ginny certainly gave me a run for my money in our last match.  Her efforts were easily as good as anything he could have done.”

Ginny blushed and hurried to compliment Brogan back, “I tried, but Brogan did get the snitch.  It seemed like you were still adjusting to your broom but a few more matches to work that out and you’ll be unstoppable.”

Brogan grinned evilly, “Thank you, we need to have a match without my da around -then I can try out my Wronski Feint and have some real fun.”

“Oh Harry loves that move, I always find it rather vicious, especially in a school setting like this but he enjoyed leading Draco Malfoy to the turf when he could.”  Ginny said.

Ron watched as a little wrinkle of concern marred Brogan’s forehead, he knew that Harry had never ever considered the Wronski as vicious but this was Brogan now, she was quite a bit more soft hearted than Harry.  He was glad to see her worry, if she flew any better more people would wonder about her identity, plus if she flew any better Gryffindor wouldn’t have a chance in hell at the cup that year.  And yet, he didn’t want her to cry or get even more angsty over quidditch of all things.  Quidditch had always been Harry’s escape and Brogan had just as much to escape from.

He wrapped a warm hand around her bare shoulder and leaned down conspiratorially, noting that he didn’t have to lean as far as usual with those ridiculous shoes on her, and said, “Keep in mind mate that she’s on another team from you.”

Brogan gave him a quick relieved smile and laughed a bit with the others.  Ron noticed that the shoulder beneath his hand felt cold and decided to leave his arm and his hand where they were, at least until Draco came along -which probably wouldn’t be long.

They chatted about quidditch a bit more until the Headmaster interrupted them and asked to speak with Brogan for a moment.  He looked as nonchalant as ever but Brogan had no desire whatsoever to leave Ron’s really warm arm or the conversation.  She tried not to look forlorn though as she wriggled out and excused herself.

Gwenog left too shortly after and Ginny turned to Ron with a curious look, “Ronald Weasley, can you explain to me why you had your arm draped around Draco Malfoy’s girlfriend for the last five minutes?”

Ron turned red although it was more of an angry (at himself) red than an embarrassed red and only served to make Ginny more curious.  “It’s nothing, Hermione tutors her and I tag along sometimes.  She’s really rather wickedly funny and since she transferred in so late she doesn’t really understand that we’re not supposed to be friends.  And I don’t know, I just put my hand there but then she felt cold so I left it.

Believe me, if Draco walked over I would have moved.”

“So, no designs on stealing Draco’s property?”

“I wouldn’t call her Draco’s property no matter what necklace she’s wearing.  Maybe she just likes Hungarian Horntails.”  As soon as the words left his mouth he regretted them, of course he had recognized the breed and of course Ginny had too -she had the same dragon tamer brother after all, but saying the name just seemed to reinforce the Harry Potter/horntail connection.  How had he ever thought Slytherins were sneaky or subtle?

Ginny looked at him thoughtfully for a long moment and then Hermione saved them by bringing over a napkin with some strange treat on it that she wanted them to try and also identify but only if identifying it didn’t make her want to hurl in the drapes.

The Headmaster led Brogan to the most secluded corner he could find, he was quite tall and quite popular so it was a bit of a feat.  “I wish to apologize my child.  It was quite wrong of me to suggest using your female charms to make Professor Slughorn like you.”

“Quite wrong in quite a few ways sir, it was sexist and embarassing -you said that in front of my father and my boyfriend.  And you know I’m still a bit tentative about all of it sir.”

Dumbledore sighed, “I am not looking forward to the next time I am alone with your father.”

Brogan sniffed her approval of that image.

“However, perhaps my idiocy will help you to understand how absolutely crucial the cooperation of Horace Slughorn is to our cause.  I have another set of memories to share with you at your earliest convenience.”

“And you’ve spoken with my da about this?  Has he seen the memories?”

Dumbledore looked away again, “I was going to speak to him soon but now I fear he may dismiss me out of hand no matter what.  He has a bit of a temper.”

“Could we see it together?”  Brogan offered, “That way even if it isn’t something he likes it will be too late sort of.”

“Perhaps, I will certainly place that offer upon the table.  If he refuses me Brogan will you meet with me and see the memory anyway?”  Dumbledore asked.

Brogan looked at him with some shock, how could he ask that of her?  Was he just saying this so she would feel bad and save him from talking to Snape?  She opened her mouth, whether to yell or what she wasn’t sure but then realized they were still in the middle of Slughorn’s Christmas party, her anger spiked even higher.  “No sir, I won’t.  Not while I’m underage at least, possibly after I reach my majority.”  Her shoulders were back and her chest was out, her eyes were blazing too.

Draco probably caught her change in posture out of the corner of his eye but it had the same effect as a Pansy-romance-novel-veela-soul bond, he was halfway across the room before she even finished her first sentence and had his hand on her elbow before she took a breath.

He looked coolly at the Headmaster, the man was not making things easy for Brogan tonight, “All right Princess?” Draco asked rubbing her back gently and stepping close.

Brogan wanted to melt into him but she was too mad at the headmaster to allow herself, instead she stood there with fury and righteous indignation radiating from every rigid line.  Draco just hoped the Headmaster would walk away before she started crying.  He didn’t hope it in a belittling way, it was just those hormones or whatever after effects from becoming a girl in one night. 

He really needed to tell her how in awe he was of the way she managed to cope, even with the tears.  It was obvious to him that Brogan/Harry thought the tears were a nuisance more than anything and she just put up with them, shouldered it like she shouldered everything else.  And yet, she didn’t just cave because apparently she wasn’t caving to the headmaster just now.  She was complicated, he liked that, it would keep him entertained for the rest of his life.

She was powerful too, his arm was still around her back and the hairs on his arm were starting to stand up.  Uh oh, he leaned over to her ear and whispered, “God you look sexy when you’re pissed off.”

The moment she turned to sneer at him the Headmaster retreated, Brogan made a face at his back and Draco brought up his other arm to wrap her in a hug.  He kissed her forehead, “Don’t tell me what he said, I’ll just get mad too and we’ll have to leave early to go blow things up together.  I’d rather dance for a bit first, we haven’t danced together yet.”

Brogan finally allowed herself to slump into Draco’s embrace, she put her head on his chest and breathed deeply his expensive cologne, his shampoo, his everything.  Two things struck her, he hadn’t jumped in front of her and started fighting the battle for her -he had just barely touched her back and stood quietly beside her.  And he had assumed without question that the Headmaster was in the wrong, knowing nothing at all about the conversation.  And well if there was a third one it was that he wanted to dance with her.

“I can’t really dance, you must remember from that Yule Ball and I’m sure it will be even worse with these things on.” Brogan attempted to beg off.

“You weren’t dancing with me at the Yule Ball,” Draco responded smugly, “I’ve got you now.” 

And he led her to the tiny bit of floor that was cleared off in front of the band which was really just a few wizards trying to keep up with their enchanted instruments.  He arranged their hands the way he wanted and then looked at her, “this might actually be tricky for you I guess, I’m going to lead and you’re going to follow.  To follow is sort of like doing as you’re told, it involves trusting the other person to not twirl you out into danger,” he demonstrated by pushing her away and then pulled her in close, “but just fake it until you make it okay?”

“I don’t think I have to fake trusting you Draco.” 

Draco looked down at her and smiled, it was nice to have her trust.  “And I don’t mind following you on things like this, things that you know and I don’t.  It’s kind of nice.”

“I’m glad, I think it’s nice too.  You’re a tricky little bastard to figure out, it’s a good thing I stalked you all those years so I know when it’s safe to help and when you’ll bite my head off for offering.”

“I stalked you too, you’ll notice how few times I have mocked your hair.  It was easy to tell that wasn’t a battle worth fighting.”  She was rewarded with the chest rumbling laugh that she loved so much.

“I think I know where you’re coming from on that one Princess,” he mocked and tugged on a wisp that had escaped Astoria’s braid during the night.

Brogan kept on smiling and they kept on dancing.

In retrospect Brogan sort of regretted dancing with Draco, it had been too nice and now she was even more in love with him and he was leaving for the whole break.  Was she really in love she asked her Hedwig doll the next morning, silently of course, she would die a thousand deaths if Snape caught her talking about her crushes with a plushie owl.

The yellow eyes gazing calmly back were almost the same, it was a small comfort.  The doll just kept gazing and Brogan wondered how badly she would freak herself out if she magicked the doll to blink once in a while.  Pretty badly she decided. 

The thing was, it didn’t have to be ‘In Love’, it could just be a crush and that would be fine.  But she didn’t have to call it a crush, if it felt like ‘In Love’ she could call it that -it didn’t mean anything really.  What sixteen year old girl didn’t fancy herself in love with this person or that?  She could even sign up for a David Beckham fan club now if she wanted. 

Hmm, she hadn’t thought of him in a long time.  It might be kind of fun to get post, sweaty footballer pictures post.  Being a girl wasn’t going to go away, well it would change into being a woman but that was just semantics, the parts were here to stay.  Maybe she was adjusting too easily but what were the benefits of fighting it?  Hedwig had no comment.

When she finally left her room, classes were over for the term and there was no rush, she was surprised to see her da lounging around reading the newspaper.  She picked up the bowl of oatmeal waiting for her on the breakfast table and sat down on the couch with him.  Snape actually smiled at her so she smiled back.

Severus studied his daughter as surreptitiously as he could; last night she had looked like a woman with her hair swept up, the fancy dress and those very grown up shoes but this morning she was barefoot in jeans and a jumper with her hair crazier than ever -probably because it had been so restrained the night before.  She looked closer to twelve than to womanhood and he found himself somewhat awed that such a small package could contain such multitudes. 

He had seen her stare down the Headmaster over some tiff of theirs even though Albus was at least a foot taller than her, and at least a century older too.  And then moments later, literally moments, she was shyly being swept across the dance floor laughing with Draco Malfoy - a boy she had hated passionately for the last five years.

Brogan finished her oatmeal and traded the empty bowl for a cup of tea before returning to the couch.  Snape folded his paper and turned to face her, “so,” he started, “would you like to tell me what you were fighting with the headmaster about?”

He had timed it well and the tea dribbled all down her front.  She scowled at him as he cleaned her up with his wand but then she answered.  “He has another memory to show me and I told him he needed to convince you to let me see it.  Then he asked if I would sneak out to see it if you said no,”  Brogan paused so she could watch the fury sweep across her father’s face and indeed his lips got tighter and his eyes got a little bit scrunchier. 

Satisfied she continued, “I told him absolutely not or something like that and then asked how he dared to even ask or something like that.  I mean really, he knows we’re trying to be a family and he so blatantly undermines you like that.  Plus there was his earlier comment about, what the hell was that, me seducing Slughorn?  And he suggested it in front of my father and my boyfriend and Slughorn’s like what eighty and huge.  And disgusting.”

“Certainly not Albus’s finest work last night.”

Brogan snorted but quickly softened, “Do you think he’s that desperate for me to see this memory and get information from Slughorn?”

“Perhaps, or perhaps he’s trying to make himself look that frantic and thus play upon us.”

“Is he really that sneaky?”

Snape just gave her a look and Brogan nodded, she feared so too.  Her da got up, “The Headmaster invited me to stop by this morning, I waited to get your side of the story first but now I should go see what he wants.”

“Oh, you should have knocked or something I was just laying around thinking.”

“I gathered you weren’t wasting all that time making yourself presentable but it’s of no matter, I don’t mind making him wait on occasion.”

Brogan smiled, “Okay, I told him I wanted you to see the memories first or with me.”

Snape paused, “Do you really feel like you wouldn’t be able to handle the memories alone?  Granted you are in a more vulnerable position this year because of the biological changes you are adjusting to but you still have your friends to support you.”

Brogan blushed, “No, I'm sure I could see them alone and it would be fine.  It’s just petty or immature or something I guess, but I like having a parent to defend me, defend my innocence or my stupidity.  And it’s just plain fun to be able to sic you on the Headmaster, to get my revenge for him leaving me with the Dursleys.”

Severus smiled, it was quick and more evil than anything, but he smiled and patted Brogan on the head before he swept off.

Brogan spent most of her afternoon moping around the Slytherin dorms watching everyone pack.  She returned the borrowed shoes and clothes and sat quietly while Pansy went on and on about the party.  Brogan was chuffed to tell them all about meeting Gwenog Jones, not that they were as into quidditch as she was, but still a professional team captain was a professional team captain.

Brogan’s new necklace was tucked under her jumper and Pansy never mentioned it.  Brogan almost pulled it out to show them a few times but it seemed too personal still and it had been crazy, perfect but crazy, of Draco to get a Hungarian Horntail.  Not that she thought the Slytherin girls had followed Harry’s exploits close enough to remember which dragon he had faced years ago...  She kept slipping into day dreams and memories, her friends got worried she would fall asleep on one of their beds so they kicked her out after a while.

Draco saw her in the common room and dragged her up to his room to help him pack.  “What help exactly do you expect me to provide?” Brogan asked seating herself on his bed and absently sniffing the pillows.

“Just company Princess, I realize this is outside your expertise.” Draco answered as he pulled out two shirts for every day of the break.

“No laundry elves in France?” Brogan asked.

“Now you’ve made me lose count!” Draco pretended to fume and got the laugh he was looking for.

Snape wasn’t around after dinner but there was a note that said they were scheduled to meet with the headmaster tomorrow just after lunch and then they could go blow up things/practice defense against the dark arts afterwards together.  Brogan had to smile at his thoughtfulness, it was reassuring to be so similar and so well understood.

Her da even held her hand as they walked up to the goblin statue together.  Their steps seemed to echo in the newly empty castle and Brogan was glad she wasn’t alone.  The Headmaster seemed his usual buoyant self and she was glad for her father’s dour presence, it matched her own mood and made her feel less odd.

She wondered if Snape would let go when it came time to enter the memory but he didn’t seem inclined.  “I could have shown you these memories first, if we were going to go about things strictly chronologically but,” he shrugged away the rest of the thought.  “This is the Gaunt family, direct descendants of Salazar Slytherin for all the good their pride did for them.”

Within the memory her da startled badly when the filthy man started hissing at the serpent and Brogan squeezed his hand, “he’s just talking to it about the stranger,” she translated for the others.

“How remarkable that the memory should be clear enough that you can translate it,” Dumbledore said.

They were mostly quiet while the memory rolled on with Brogan translating the parseltongue as it cropped up.  Her eyes got somewhat glassy over the pitiful figure of Merope but Snape kept squeezing her hand and she was alright.

They took a quick break for tea and had a brief discussion about whether they should see another set or wait a day or so.  After Dumbledore revealed that the next bit featured Slughorn they decided to push on.

When they emerged from the second batch Snape was very shaken, Brogan was the one squeezing his hand and offering whatever support she could; it wasn’t much with the Headmaster right there and Snape’s pride being what it was. 

They all sat down, Brogan pulling her chair closer to her da.  A house elf appeared with a fresh pot of tea and there was a pause while they each got another cup. 

“The diary was his horcrux wasn’t it?” Brogan finally broke the silence, “And I destroyed, or killed, it with the basilisk fang.  But that was second year and he was resurrected in fourth so he must have made more than one.”

“I found the Gaunt family ring over the summer and destroyed that horcrux as well, it’s how my hand was cursed.”  Dumbledore added softly.

“So there’s more than two.”  Snape added, “that’s what you want from Horace isn’t it?  He and Tom Riddle spoke about how many a person could make.”

“Yes, I have evidence that Tom stole a cup that belonged to Helga Hufflepuff and reclaimed that Slytherin locket we saw.  I also have suspicions about Nagini.”

“Five?” Snape asked, “that isn’t a very meaningful number.  I would guess there may be more but without information it’s impossible to know isn’t it?”

“Indeed, and then there is the trouble of finding and destroying them.”

“And doing it quietly so he doesn’t find out and make more or move them to even more secure locations.”  Brogan finished.

“Where did you find the ring sir?” Brogan asked after a few minutes of silent thinking.

“It was in the house that we saw today, or rather the shack I guess.”

Brogan nodded, “I suppose he left one here too, and maybe at that orphanage.  He didn’t belong to many places so there aren’t many places they could be.”

Snape nodded, “He left the diary with Lucius, he might have left another one with a different Death Eater.”

“That would be a lot of trust for him, giving his soul to someone like that.  Do you think he trusts his Death Eaters that much?”  Brogan asked honestly.

“Not all of them certainly, but a few.  Lucius obviously, Bellatrix perhaps, not me but I don’t have a pure blood vault or a manor to hide things in.”

Brogan nodded, “Nagini makes sense too I think, the way he can direct her to attack through their bond.  I’m pretty close to Hedwig but I can’t psychically send her after people.”

Brogan was looking out the window while she mused and she missed the frantic look from her da to the Headmaster.  She missed the resigned sorrow on the headmaster’s face and the look of horror on her da.  Neither spoke to add any thoughts to what it might mean to have a living horcrux.

The Snapes left shortly after and went right to the Room of Requirement to blow things up.  Brogan had worn her favorite black cargo pants and a pair of sturdy boots.  She had a new black jumper that would have completed the outfit but she couldn’t bring herself to dress in all black, yet.  Instead she had on a green sweater, when they arrived Brogan wrapped her hand around her wand and told her father to watch.  She closed her eyes and when she opened them they were bright green.

He touched her cheek with his long fingers, “that’s quite the trick, I assume you can do it the other way too?”  Brogan blinked slowly and her eyes went back.

“I thought it would be useful to know how to reapply the charm in case someone casts a finite on me.”

“Well done indeed, ten points to Slytherin for good self-preservation skills.”  There was a bitter twist to his lips but Brogan didn’t pay it any heed, they had just come from a disturbing meeting.

She made her eyes their natural color again, it made her feel more powerful for some reason, and required a bunch of targets to appear on the far wall.  They all had slits for eyes and were lacking in noses, with a smile Brogan started blasting at them.

Snape regretted that he had to stay with Brogan and couldn’t go off to research desperately in his books or scream at the Headmaster, but he was also glad to be near her and to have this time together; her targets were satisfying too.

They spent a long time in the room working themselves into a state of calm.  Brogan had good form and power, her da didn’t spend a lot of time correcting her spellwork but he did show her a few new shielding charms.

By the time they left the room they felt closer to each other and satisfied that they had done something productive.  They felt tired too, Brogan was yawning and stumbling but she wouldn’t let her da help her and they had another six flights of stairs to go too.  Snape rolled his eyes behind her stubborn back and cast a sleeping charm at the girl, then he scrambled to catch her before she fell and Poppy killed him. 

She was heavier than she had been but Snape cherished every step of his long trip, it felt good to be allowed to carry her like this, he wished it would last forever.  He wished many, many things as he walked the silent halls.

Brogan slept well that night and the next day he dragged her to the potions lab to help him finish experimental good dream brew #46.  “This is not the 46th iteration,” Snape groused.  Then he paused, “Draco and I have discussed significantly more possible combinations than that, but also we haven’t made you drink that many.”

Brogan blushed, “Maybe I averaged them.  I’m sorry for complaining, you and Draco have spent too much time on this.  It makes me uncomfortable.”

“Your suffering makes us uncomfortable too, we are grateful that there’s something we can do to help.  Meager as it has been.”

Brogan nodded and accepted his statements, then they got to work.  She wasn’t half bad at helping, Petunia had taught her how to cook at a very young age and Draco had filled in a few gaps this year as her potions partner.  Best of all though was Snape’s attitude, he seemed mellow and patient.  Brogan wondered what had brought around the change and then remembered it was break time.

The potion worked pretty well, it certainly didn’t make anything worse.  Her da dragged her to the lab the next day too.  “Lucky number forty-seven?” she asked.  “Good grief, imagine if Tom had the same thought.”

Snape thwapped her on the back of the head. 

They worked quietly until the potion reached the boring part where it simmered gently for half an hour, then Severus pulled out a book and began flipping through it.  “What’s next?” Brogan asked.

“A very mild aging potion, the hair that Dumbledore has -the Harry Potter hair, is from when you were just over fifteen.  It may seem strange if you prance around the burrow without having aged a day.”

“Prance?  Really Da?  Prance?”

Snape stuck his tongue out.

“So would you add the aging potion to the polyjuice?  -No wait!  I didn’t ask that, of course you wouldn’t it could have all sorts of interactions and it isn’t worth the bother.  I would take the aging one after the other, every hour for the entire time I’m there.  Please tell me it isn’t as disgusting as polyjuice.”

“It isn’t.  And you won’t have to take the potion during the night, just make sure you take some before you leave your room.”

Brogan was not really looking forward to her trip to the Burrow but she could see how it needed to be done.  She thought for a while, “hey Da, what if we age the hair?”

Snape gave her a huge smile, it might have been the first time she had seen such a thing on him and she quickly resolved to try and be more clever so he could be proud of her again.

They exchanged gifts after lunch on Christmas Eve, Brogan was supposed to floo to the Burrow in time for dinner.  Brogan was extremely shy about her gift, she was pretty sure he would like it and Draco had helped her a lot with it so maybe she was more than pretty sure, but it was still vain she supposed, whatever, and she shoved it in his hands with her eyes down and her cheeks flaming.

It was a heavy rectangular package and Severus could barely breathe as the paper was torn away to reveal a fancy silver frame and a stunning picture of Brogan.  He couldn’t tell exactly where it was taken, her face took up almost the whole surface but it must have been somewhere private because her eyes were the same as her mother’s.  The image laughed soundlessly and then seemed to notice the camera and look right at it with a shy smile.  Almost the same as the shy smile the real girl was giving him now.

He wiped an eye and wrapped one arm around her, the other hand was still holding the frame.  “I love it,” he said gruffly and kissed her head. 

“I could get you some from when I was younger, like first year you know, too...” she trailed off and Snape knew she was thinking, ‘if you want a picture of Harry Potter the boy you hated,’ but strangely enough he did want a picture.

“Could you please?  As many as you have I would like to see them all.  Would the Dursleys have any?  I could write to Tuney again -or perhaps even better we can break into the house when they aren’t home, do a bit of ransacking and take them?”

“You need to do a better job of controlling your criminal tendencies Da, I don’t think they have any pictures of me though.  I have a nice one from Hagrid that we can probably copy, it’s mum holding me as a baby.”

Snape put the picture down so he could hug with both arms and said thank you.

Brogan’s gift was a box of letters and pictures, all the mementos that Snape had of his beloved Lily.  “Da, you can’t just give these to me.”  Brogan squeaked.

“Well, perhaps we can have joint custody of them -but I do invite you to look and read as you wish.”

Brogan pulled out a picture of a teen aged Severus Snape holding her mum, “Can we make a copy of this and frame it for my room?” she asked.

“I’ll have it done before you return from the Burrow.”

“I wish I could stay here and just go through this box with you.  I’m kind of dreading this visit.  I mean the polyjuice will be horrible but so will trying to act like Harry Potter I feel so different from that now, it will be strange.

It’s a good thing Fred and George dropped out last year, they’re so sharp, I’ll have to be really careful about taking the potion in front of them.  And Ron’s room is way at the top of the house so I keep imagining myself asking him to carry me in front of the whole family.  That would be pretty funny wouldn’t it?”

“We ask too much of you,” Snape said softly, “you have worked so hard to adjust and now we’re making you go back to what you were.  If you wish to leave early do so, you can just floo to my quarters you know the password and the hearth is open to you.  And if it is hard we won’t do this again, we’ll get someone else to impersonate you or just tell Molly to stuff it.”

“Or tell her the truth.”

Snape sighed, “I suppose the truth is an option too.”  He smiled, not entirely unpleasantly but no doubt thinking of the most dramatic way possible to inform the Weasley matriarch.

“Bill will be there, and Ron, I’ll try to spend most of my time with them and it’s just one day -less sleeping time and all.  You know what really bums me out though, Mrs. Weasley will make me a sweater and I won’t be able to wear it.  Brogan can’t wear a Weasley sweater and it probably won’t fit anyway.”

“Nonsense, we’ll shrink it a bit and you can wear it in the rooms.  Don’t be so maudlin.  Now let’s clean this up and get you ready to go.”

Brogan carefully carried her box to her room and left it on the settee,  Then she changed into new Harry Potter clothes, and went to find her da.  He was in his room, she rarely went in there but the door was open and she only paused briefly before crossing the threshold.  Her da had a chest of drawers across from his bed and he was rearranging the knick knacks on top of it to make room for her picture.  There was a picture of Lily too, Brogan had seen it before but looking at the two pictures together she really noticed how similar they were.

“It’s kind of surprising more people haven’t guessed who my mum is, or are they just too polite to say anything to me?”

“I think it’s the latter, I’m certain McGonagall has gone to the Headmaster and tried to find out, I suspect Slughorn has too.”

“We should tell them, we should tell everyone.”

“I understand your wishes but you are safer now than you were as Harry Potter.”

“It could be a carrot I guess.”

Snape looked at her curiously.

“You know, my reward for killing the Dark Lord, once I get that done then I can live with no secrets.”

“Because destroying the wizard who killed your parents and bringing peace to the wizarding world wouldn’t be enough?”

Brogan laughed, “exactly.”

There was a big mirror in Snape’s bedroom so he handed her a decorative flask, as unlike the one that Barty Crouch had used the year he pretended to be Mad Eye Moody as he could find -and yet they were still similar.  Brogan tried to peer down the neck of the tiny bottle, “is this enough?”

“Yes, there’s a charm on it so it’s actually holding close to a quart.”

“Oh, and it’s just one sip per hour?”

“Yes, are you stalling?”

Brogan stuck her tongue out and then took a sip.  It felt as though she was inflating and filling the clothes that had been hanging loosely on her before.  When the changing stopped she tried to peer in the mirror to see, “Fuck, I forgot I’d be blind.”

Snape smacked her head, “Language!” he hissed and handed over the round glasses. 

The smirk that Snape received as Brogan/Harry reached for the glasses was exactly the same as the one Brogan would have given him, and yet it looked natural on Harry’s face.  It was strange and difficult for Severus to reconcile the two, how much worse was it for Brogan/Harry?

Harry turned slightly away and adjusted his pants, Snape watched him in the mirror and smirked.  He noticed that Harry was barefoot too, he wanted to say something rude about traipsing around the dungeons in late December barefoot but despite the feet being the wrong size he couldn’t muster up the proper disdain.

Harry had turned back to the mirror and was studying himself, aging the hair had worked quite well and he looked about sixteen now.  There was a bit of fuzz on his face, certainly enough to justify a shaving charm.  Apparently Harry agreed and pulled out his wand to take care of it.

The wand was unchanged, they had decided it was too finicky a magical object to risk disguising it and since Harry was underage he shouldn’t use it anyway.  He was to keep it on him at all times but only draw it in matters of life and death.  Harry was grateful for the life and death clause, he would use it if he needed to and the odds were perhaps even that he would.

Snape was smiling at Harry through the mirror, when the shaving was done -there wasn’t much so it didn’t take long, he put his hands on the boys shoulders so he could turn him and study him straight on.  The line of her shoulders, the way her head kept wanting to drop, the bare feet burrowing into his rug, it was all his daughter half-heartedly disguised standing in front of him.  He didn’t even think before he pulled her in for a hug, he even kissed the differently messy hair in front of him, although the height was quite different.

“You’re still so much you,” he stepped back and looked again, “it’s remarkable how little you seem to have changed in my eyes.”

Brogan smiled.  “Don’t even try to act differently, if they can’t tell then they’re so dumb they’ll never figure it out.  Just be you, always and always.  Promise?”

Brogan nodded, as his/her eyes started to fill again.  “Oh God, I thought the crying would end.”

On the one hand perhaps the Snape family should have waited to exchange their gifts after Christmas, since Brogan felt like an emotional wreck as she left for the Burrow.  On the other hand changing into Harry Potter again wrecked her anyway.

He stumbled through the floo with a duffel bag that Snape had found for him, it held his clothes for the day or so and his gifts for the Weasley family.  Ron and Ginny were decorating the tree across the room from the fireplace and they both shouted, “Harry!” when they saw him and clambered over.

It was beyond odd to be so much taller and hugging Ron, he probably shouldn’t be hugging Ron at all but there it was.  Supposedly they had been apart for the whole term so it wasn’t that weird.  Hugging Ginny was definitely weirder, it creeped Harry out a little and he stepped back awkwardly, but that ineptness was in character too and Ginny just gave him a wry little smile.  Mrs. Weasley came in then and swallowed him up in a hug and then stepped back to study him as carefully as she could with the tears that were in her eyes.

Brogan was glad for her father’s advice to just be herself, it was such a whirlwind of activity that night that she probably couldn’t have managed anything else.  Brogan had set it so that her doses were on the hour, Ron picked up on it quickly because he was looking for it and between the two of them they managed the night.

The hardest part of Christmas Eve was when Bill came in, Brogan wanted to leap up and hug him but she couldn’t.  Bill had brought his girlfriend Fleur Delacour too and that was a little awkward for some reason.  Fleur remembered Harry from the Triwizard Tournament, especially for saving her sister, but her veela senses were buzzing about danger or rather, threat.  She had never known Bill to be attracted to scrawny sixteen year old boys before but she couldn’t bear to leave his side, to leave him alone with Harry.

And Harry desperately wanted to be alone with Bill, or Ron, either one would do so that she could just take a breath from all the fakery: all the smiling about training and how much she missed Hogwarts.  The twins were especially troublesome of course, they sensed weakness too and hounded him/her constantly.  Brogan didn’t even want to lie to them for the whole visit, it was horrible.  She really only wanted to lie to Mrs. Weasley and Ginny for some reason.  -Well an obvious reason actually, because Ginny had a crush on him and he could tell that Mrs. Weasley approved of the crush in some way.  Brogan didn’t want to disappoint them, which was stupid but she couldn’t help it.

Finally the night ended, it seemed to drag on forever and Harry was dozing off on the couch.  Ron shoved him though, “It’s 10:30 mate, let’s hit the bed.”  Ron figured it was late enough to avoid suspicion and with any luck he could have Harry tucked in before he needed the 11:00 dose.

There was a moment where it looked like Harry was just going to raise his arms in the classic toddler ‘carry me’ pose but he woke up enough to shake that off and recover.  Bill and Ron both caught it though and sniggered.  Bill hopped up from the chair he was sharing with Fleur, “let me go with you guys -maybe I can do a bit of wand work and get you some extra floor space.”

Harry gave him a look that said, ‘feeble Bill, really feeble’ but nobody else noticed and they all trooped up together.

As soon as they reached Ron’s room they sent Harry right back out again to quick brush his teeth.  He came back just as Bill was actually levitating things around and making more space.  Harry looked at him and asked, “can’t you just make Ron’s bed bigger?”

Ron’s ears turned bright red and Harry went to bury his face in his chest, “sorry mate, I’m too tired to keep it up.”  Bill laughed out loud at that and Ron was able to reach out with his long arms and smack him.

Harry decided that since he had to change in front of two men he should do it while he was a guy too.  He got the pyjamas on just in time, the effects seemed more drawn out than any other time and Brogan guessed it was because she had been taking doses for so many hours.  When she opened her eyes she found that Ron was sitting on his bed with her on his lap and four concerned blue eyes were staring at her, they were all the exact same shade.  Brogan rolled her shoulders back experimentally, “hey,” she said rubbing her temples, “your eyes are the exact same shade of blue.”

Ron smiled at his brother, “Yeah, she’s a girl again.”  and they laughed.

Bill couldn’t stay very long but he seemed satisfied once he saw Brogan again.  “Are you two going to be alright?  Do you want me to put a ward up so you’ll know if anyone comes up the stairs?”  He asked on his way out.

Ron thought about it, “that would be kind of reassuring but if Dad found out it would be hard to explain so we’d better pass.”

“Alright, just make sure you wake up early, you know how the twins are.”

Ron nodded and Brogan looked awkward and unhappy until Bill finally left and then she dove for Ron’s bed.  Ron laughed at her, “so you’re shy now?”

Ron went off to brush his teeth too and soon enough they were squeezed in to Ron’s bed together.  “What did you think of Harry?” Brogan asked when the lights were all out and the darkness made her brave.

“It was really strange, I don’t think I had realized how little your mannerisms and all changed before.  And Harry looked older, how did you manage that?”

“Oh that’s a great story!”  said Brogan and proceeded to brag a bit.

“That’s freaking amazing that he can age a hair.”

“Yeah, magic woo-hoo.”

“Anything else happen?”

“Mmm hmmm, but it’ll keep until you’re back and Hermione and Draco are around too.”

After a few moments Ron spoke up again, “You looked very feminine at Slug’s party.”

“Thanks, it was kind of fun dressing up -except for those shoes.”

“You pulled it off really well.”

“Hermione looked nice too, did you guys dance or anything?”

“Or anything?”

“Shut up and answer.”

“We didn’t dance but there was a good night kiss.”

“Excellent, good thing we practiced.”

“Now you shut up.”

“Ron, I think you’re beyond my best friend ever, I think you might be like a vital organ or something.”

“I know mate, come closer.”  and he dragged the girl so her head was on his chest and that was how they fell asleep.

That was pretty much what they looked like when Fred and George crept in too.  The twins were a little suspicious of Harry and his on the hour potion -which they had easily noticed; they had been quizzing Harry all night on things that only Harry would know and Harry had passed with flying colors, but still the every hour on the hour potion niggled.  So did Bill, full on member of the Order of the Phoenix, walking them to bed.

They lasted an hour with their curiosity and then they held a battle of the wills to see if they could last another hour so it was properly late for creeping about.  Finally they made their way up the stairs, stairs that were normally all sorts of creaky but they could manage silently in their sleep even before they were allowed to use their wands.  They noticed there was no ward and that gave them a moment of confusion, what was Bill doing then, but they pressed on anyway.

Wizardkind had grown so used to stupefy the spell that sometimes they forgot the other meaning, the more archaic and muggle one which meant to become motionless or senseless because of a great shock.  A great great shock such as discovering your little brother wrapped up with Severus Snape’s daughter in his childhood bed while his mother slept downstairs.  The twins froze and then crept closer, they saw two wands (one not Harry’s) on the nightstand and pushed them a little further away, they split up and flanked each side of the bed.  And then George reached out his hand and touched Ron’s shoulder.

“Ronnnnnn, Ronniekins,” Ron stirred a little, “Ron, there’s a girl in your bed.”

Ron tightened his arms around said girl and smiled sleepily at them, “we all guessed you guys would figure it out,” he whispered hoping Brogan would sleep on.

“Ron, is that Snape’s daughter?”  Ron nodded to Fred.

“Ron, is that our little Harriekins?”  Ron nodded to George.

The twins sat back to think on that, but they resumed their questioning quick enough.

“Bill knows?”  Ron nodded to Fred.

“Hermione knows?”  Ron nodded to George, “but not about the sleeping in the same bed part.”

“Are you both decently clad under there?”  Fred asked sternly.  Ron nodded.

“Well that seems a bit of a waste.” George remarked, but then he noticed Ron’s ears turning red.

“Oh wait a second, you’re both decently clad now -this time.”  Ron blushed harder.

“Well George,” Fred started, “imagine that Lee turned into a hot girl, you would totally do him at least once.”

“That is a fair point Fred, and we certainly are talking about a fetching specimen.”  They both looked down and noticed that Ron had been brushing Brogan’s hair back, her hair was dark and curly in the moonlight.  Ron had trouble getting it to stay behind her ear but once it was moved they could see the wide cheekbones and long eyelashes, her mouth was slightly puckered too as she dreamed.

“You should have seen her at this party last week, she had on these super high heels and this short black dress.  Man, at one point she was chewing out the Headmaster, I shit you not, I’m not sure why, but she was a vision.”

“Does she have a boyfriend?” asked George.

“Yeah, Draco effing Malfoy, she’s in Slytherin with the tosser.”

“That’s our Harry, nothing by halves.  And yet she’s in bed with you.”

Ron wriggled out from under Brogan and pulled the blankets higher to cover her.  Fred cast a light sleeping charm to keep her under, he wasn’t sure why but it seemed like Ron wanted her asleep.  Ron sat up and crossed his legs, “Harry always slept with me too.”

“Really mate?” asked George, getting more comfortable himself.  Fred looked up from where he was petting the blanket over Brogan.

“You remember the bars on Harry’s window, the Dursleys were evil.  And then all those things that happened to him at Hogwarts.  I mean really, a happy kid with a loving family wouldn’t be able to cope with all that and Harry never knew a loving family, he only had me.

He had nightmares and trouble sleeping ever since first year and, I don’t know, I guess I liked being able to protect or take care of him so I’d lay down with him and then we figured out that he didn’t have nightmares if I was there so it became more regular.  And then he became a girl but the nightmares didn’t magically disappear because of that, so, here we are.”

“How did he become Snape’s daughter?” George asked softly.

“Snape and Lily Evans, um you know, were together I guess but then I suppose because Snape was a Death Eater Harry’s mum decided to try and pass the baby off as James Potter’s so she took this potion.”

“It always starts with a potion,” commented Fred who was still rubbing his hand down Brogan’s arm.

“Yeah, so if their guess was right this potion was really wicked powerful and it actually made Harry into a boy so he would look more like James.  But then on Harry’s birthday this summer it wore off, and Bill was on guard that night so that’s how he knew and Dumbledore sent Snape to check it out too so that’s how he knew.  I guess they don’t have any real proof about the potion but it’s what they both came up with and it seems to make sense.”

“And now Harry is a little bit safer isn’t he?  Hiding in plain sight and all that.”  said Fred.

“Yeah but Ron said she’s in Slytherin, is that safe?” asked George.

“In Slytherin as the head’s daughter and the prince’s girlfriend, so I think she’s pretty safe.  And she’s their seeker too, they trounced us in the first match.  She’s hoping to get enough influence to keep the Slytherin kids neutral.”

“So Harry was always a girl?”

“I don’t know, he’s had some trouble adjusting.  Hermione said that there’s like these potions in our blood that are different for men and women and when Harry switched he was suddenly flooded with the woman potion; he cried all the effing time and, I kind of hate to say this because you know I kind of aided and abetted, but he was a bit of a slut for a while too.  But Poppy finally found out and got him on some potions that are making it better.”

“So who knows?” asked Fred.

“Loads of people, I don’t know why they aren’t telling our whole family.  Me, Hermione, Luna, Draco, Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson -but they’re under a secrecy oath with Snape, I’m not even sure who else.”

“It’s because of Ginny and mum I bet, Harry knows that Ginny has a crush on him and mum is rather entranced with the idea and he probably doesn’t want to disappoint them.  That’s my guess.” said Fred.

“Plus she would be bunking with Ginny and Fleur now instead of here with you.”

“Where does she sleep at school?”

“She has a room in Snape’s quarters, but she has an invisibility cloak that she uses to sneak out sometimes.  Snape and Draco are trying to make her a potion for the dreams too.  Snape is pretty cool about it all; well I mean what choice does he really have?

She’s so pathetic when she can’t sleep, and she’s dealing with so much shit; who could deny her?  It’s pretty awesome to watch him spoil her.”

“And you’re okay with her dating the ferret?”

Ron looked at Brogan and traced the side of her face, “I guess it’s a little painful, but he calls her princess and dotes on her so that helps.  There’s Hermione to consider too.” 

Ron drew a deep breath and added, “Brogan needs me to be her friend now.”

“Ronniekins, you’re so grown up.” marvelled one twin.

“And mature.” added the other.

“I think if she slept with us instead of you we could keep the bad dreams away twice as well.”

“Sure, everyone wants her now that she’s a hot chick, I liked her way back when she was just the bloody boy-who-lived.” Ron grumbled as he settled back down in bed.

The twins laughed and knew they were dismissed, they looked back once to see that Ron and Brogan were back in the same position as when they had first come in and Ron was dropping off to sleep already.

The twins were back bright and early the next morning though.  Ron had slipped out to visit the loo so, being wicked, they ran straight for the bed with Brogan still sleeping in it.  It was a tight squeeze even though Bill had enlarged the bed a bit but they managed to get in on either side of her, intent on getting even for the shock they had received last night.

Fred leaned over her head and called softly, “Harriekins, it’s Christmas.”

George was the one that was rewarded when sleepy luminous green eyes fixed on him and a slow smile spread across Brogan’s face.  “Merry Christmas George,” she said in a rough morning voice, and then she twisted around, “Merry Christmas Fred.”

“Why are you ruining all of our fun by not being shocked?” pouted Fred.

“Hmmph, after all the quizzing yesterday?  ‘Harry do you remember what sweater you were wearing when we gave you that second canary cream -it was a Thursday right, in October?’” Brogan said in a mocking voice.

“After the completely unsubtle ways you would look at the clock and then at each other every hour, you were even more useful than Ron in reminding me to take the potion.  I knew you twigged it.”  Brogan had one hand on George’s arm but her feet were pressed against Fred’s leg.

“It’s even more delicious that apparently you stopped by after I fell asleep last night and found me in bed with your brother.  Which I assume set your loins aflame with jealousy and that’s why you’re here now.  Too bad Poppy’s potion is working so well, a month ago you would have gotten a much more satisfying reaction.”

“More satisfying than this?” asked George wrapping his hand over Brogan’s, his voice cracking a bit.

“Much more.” Brogan answered, leaning over to brush her lips across his knuckles.

Ron walked in then, “Bloody hell Brogan, I thought you were on a potion for that.  You evil succubus.”

The Snape-like laughter coming from the vixen between them sent both twins scrambling for the door.

“That pretty much made this whole visit worthwhile.” Brogan remarked later as she psyched herself up to swallow the day’s first dose of polyjuice.

Ron rubbed her back, “I understand the deep psychological scarring you’re probably getting from doing this but,” Brogan looked at him and his face split into a grin, “we haven’t opened presents yet!”

Brogan snorted, “oh yeah, presents that makes it all worthwhile.”

Ron placed his hand on hers, “hold up a minute, you can open mine here.”

He dug under his bed and pulled out a lumpy package, he offered it with such a shy bashful smile that Brogan, for a moment, was afraid it would be all sappy and meaningful and she had forgotten to bring the potion from Pomfrey, the one that helped with the emotional wreck thing -which really was a grievous oversight considering...  With shaky hands Brogan opened the gift and found a quidditch t-shirt, the front had a pair of crossed brooms and the back said ‘I have 99 problems but a snitch ain’t one’.

“This is so effing true, isn’t it!?” she squealed in joy.

“I know, it was just completely perfect for you and I thought that, it’s Brogan-sized so you can wear it at school, but if Ginny sees you get it then you can’t really.  Right?

“You looked a little scared there for a moment mate, you thought it would be deep and meaningful and you were going to cry didn’t you?  Didn’t you?”

Brogan had to tackle him for that and she only felt a tiny bit bad when he whacked his head on the table leg.

The other gifts that morning were nice too.  Harry got a bit of a jolt when Remus Lupin showed up, he resolved to be quadruple as stealthy taking his potion with the Professor around and he took to shoving a candy cane in his mouth right after too, hoping to overwhelm any polyjuice breath.

Either it worked or Remus already knew and was playing along.  Either way Brogan was limp with relief after he left, apparently there wouldn’t be a Christmas showdown ruining the Weasleys’ day.  Not that the day was perfect, Percy wasn’t there and the twins were acting twice as boisterous to try and distract their mother, which was sweet but loud.  Really loud compared to quiet nights in her da’s quarters or the Slytherin common room. 

Despite having slept well with Ron the noise and hub bub and stress of being Harry again were wearing on Brogan and by the time they sat down to dinner her eyes were dry and her head was pounding.  Wearing the much-hated glasses again was a pain too she decided.

Bill had taken a seat next to Harry despite Fleur’s glares and a lot of odd looks from the rest of the family.  He placed a big hand on Harry’s shoulder and leaned over to talk in a soft voice to the obviously wilting boy.  “I’m not surprised this is too much and too loud for you, it isn’t what you’re used to anymore is it?”  Harry gave him a wry smile and shook his head no.

“After dinner I’ll get you back.”  Bill promised.

Half the people at the table were about to say something about Harry leaving early, or about Bill knowing where Harry had been, or about Bill of all people taking him when they were interrupted by a knock at the door.  Molly went to answer it and the whole house heard her shriek, “Percy!”

Needless to say the Weasleys abandoned ship and rushed to the door.  As shocking as Percy standing there with a mean little after thought of a gift was the sight of the new Minister of Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour, standing behind him.  A silent but heartfelt curse (starting with f and ending with k) was shared between Brogan, Ron and Bill.

It was either leaked somehow or a very shrewd guess that Harry might be here tonight and the minister had ridden in on Percy’s coat tails.  Molly had barely even registered his presence and Arthur was just opening his mouth when the minister actually reached out and grabbed Harry by his arm, “A moment if you please Mr. Potter, let’s leave the happy family to their little reunion.”

It had been about forty-five minutes since her last dose so Brogan nonchalantly took another swig of polyjuice as they reached the garden gate.  Her eyes scanned the surroundings while her head was tipped back, she could see Ron staring out the back door at her and since she couldn’t see Bill she assumed correctly he was disillusioned and closer.

The minister looked at her taking the potion and merely stared and waited.  Brogan toyed with saying nothing at all but she didn’t want to seem more petulant than necessary.  “I had a nasty case of dragon pox this summer and they were afraid I might be getting a cold so I’m on this to help prevent it.”  She glared and rubbed her arms a bit, in a ‘you know you might be killing the saviour of the wizarding world by dragging me out here in the cold’ sort of way.  The minister did not roll his eyes, no doubt that was part of the rigid self control which had gotten him the job, and cast a warming charm on the boy.

“So Mr. Potter, it’s my understanding that you have not returned to Hogwarts this year.”  No chit chat with this minister, Brogan liked him slightly better already.

“Do you concern yourself with the schooling decisions of every wizard in England sir?”

“No, of course not.  Just you Mr. Potter.”

Brogan shrugged, she couldn’t think of a good response to that.

“Your safety, because of your fame, has always been a concern at the ministry.”  He tried.

Brogan, just stared at him, there was nothing she could say to that without the risk of launching into her big list of magical creatures that have attacked me while at Hogwarts.

“But I see that you’re looking quite safe and sound.”  The minister kicked the garden post a bit and startled off the garden gnome that had been stealthily (or so it thought) approaching his boot.

“I’m also here to request a favor of you.” The Minister looked as humble as he could manage and Brogan tried to keep the frown off her face.  “People are worried about sending their children to Hogwarts, if it isn’t good enough or secure enough for you...  And they’re worried that you’ve left the country, that you aren’t working with the Ministry.”

“I’m not working with the Ministry.”  Brogan couldn’t stop herself from interrupting.  “And I haven’t heard about any other children not showing up for Hogwarts this year.”  she frowned, trying to think of any.

“Well, it hasn’t quite reached that point yet.  But the people want to know that you’re not abandoning them.”

“Why should what one boy chooses to do matter to the people?  Tell the people to mind their own damn business.  This was an ill-advised trip Minister, I suggest you don’t make the same mistake twice.”  and with that Brogan spun angrily on her heel and walked back to the house.  She would have stomped except she was repeating over and over in her head, don’t stomp -be cool, don’t stomp -be cool.

Percy had mashed potatoes in his hair when they passed each other at the door.  An extremely ill-advised trip indeed.

The rest of the meal was unsurprisingly awkward.  Only Ron seemed to be able to muster any enthusiasm for tucking in.  Brogan pushed her pudding around half-heartedly for a while, Bill kicked her under the table and she managed a faint smile before going back to playing with her fork.  Bill kicked her again, Fleur noticed -most of the family noticed because Brogan dropped her fork.  She picked it up and smiled faintly at everyone, ate a tiny spoonful so they would go back to their own meals and then, when it seemed safe, she looked over at Bill with a ‘what the hell?’ expression.  Bill looked at the clock, most of the hands were pointing to at home, oh wait, there was a real clock too.  Oh, it was time for another swig.

How stupid to have Bill, Ron, Fred and George all know but still have to take the nasty potion, ‘and who’s fault is that’ she asked herself.  But still, now seemed like the worst time ever to confess, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were clearly still thinking about Percy and it wasn’t like they needed her sexual reorientation to distract them. 

Brogan pushed back her chair figuring she could carry her plate to the kitchen and take her dose there.  She was just stowing the bottle and wiping off her lips with the sleeve of this year’s sweater when Ginny came in.

Somehow this was the first time they were alone together.  Ginny looked at Harry and Brogan recognized every bit of despair in her face, she opened her arms wide and Ginny flew into them.  ‘Fuck,’ she thought to herself as red hair invaded her mouth.  ‘What the hell am I doing?’

Ginny held on tight for a few moments and then looked up with glassy eyes, she unconsciously (at least Brogan hoped it was unconscious) licked her lips and looked at Harry’s lips thoughtfully.  ‘Oh my God Ron will kill me, and Ginny too when she finds out.’ Brogan thought desperately.  She took an awkward step back but left her hands loosely on Ginny’s shoulders.

“Ginny,  I...”  Brogan paused, “I can be a spare brother if you could ever imagine needing such a thing, but I’m sort of seeing someone now.”  She did not add, just like you are.

Ginny looked completely shocked for a second and then she shoved Harry in the shoulder, hard.  “Get out!  You are not.  You are completely hopeless with the opposite sex, how in Merlin’s beard could you be seeing someone?”

Brogan blushed furiously and tried a little fruitlessly not to get offended.  Ginny just laughed.

“It’s alright Harry, tell me about her.  What’s she like?”

“Blond,” Brogan started and then had no idea what else to say.

When it became really apparent Brogan had nothing else to contribute Ginny spoke up again, “well I guess blonde is better than another red head, I’d probably get wickedly jealous if you took up with another ginger.”

Brogan was saved by the sound of Ron’s laughter, he almost dropped the stack of plates he was carrying his shoulders were shaking so bad.  “Seriously Ron, your mum will kill you if you drop that pile.”  Brogan stopped blushing enough to yank half the plates away and carry them to the sink.

“So Harry finally confessed to you about his new squeeze huh?”  Ron asked Ginny as he dumped his stack.

“Yeah, but all he’s said is that she’s blonde.”

“Not even her name?”  Ron asked with a wicked gleam.

“I -I don’t think I should give you the name, it -it could be dangerous you know.  Word could get out and the Death Eaters wouldn’t be pleased.”

“Or rather they would be pleased, pleased to have another target, right?”  Ginny asked.

Brogan had meant what she said and she was being super careful with her pronouns for whatever perverse reason but she just let Ginny’s comment go, grateful that Ginny seemed to be accepting it and she wouldn’t have to make up a name.  She had been there once and it was definitely harder than it seemed.

Bill came in then, he was carrying a few bowls and Fleur was trailing behind him with many many more bowls and platters.  “Hey Harry,” Bill said, “I can take you back whenever you’re ready, I suppose you have to pack up and stuff first.”

“Oh yeah,” said Brogan, “I might need some help with getting all my gifts to fit in that duffel I brought.”

“I’ll send the twins upstairs then to shrink a few things.”  Bill offered as he dumped his bowls on the counter, leaving Fleur almost no room at all for her big pile.

Harry gave him a brilliant smile and scampered off with Ron, thrilled to be leaving Ginny’s interrogation.

Harry had received quite the haul of gifts from his first Weasley Family Christmas and Brogan was apprehensive about fitting them all in her bag but also what was she supposed to do with them, well most of it was books and dark arts stuff but she hugged her newest Weasley sweater to her, already missing it. 

“If you confessed to Ginny you know you could wear that at school, she’s the only one who would think anything.”

“I know but if I told Ginny then I’d feel bad for not telling Neville and then I’d feel bad about not telling Dean or Seamus and how could I tell them and not McGonagall and how could I tell her and not Hagrid and mate, I love Ginny -like a sister- but I’m not telling Hagrid; he can’t keep a secret to save his life.”

“Well, as long as you’ve thought about it I guess.  Actually have you told anyone or did they just figure it out?”

“I told Hermione, but that’s it I think.  With Draco I think he figured it out when I walked in the room but I had the bright eyes and my old haircut at the time -oh and I was wearing my old clothes too.  He actually fainted, it was pretty funny.  I don’t think I ever properly teased him for that.”

“Well that’s a tragedy, especially after the way he mocked you for fainting on the train, what was that -third year?”

“I try really hard not to remember all that stuff, it would be detrimental to my current situation, you know?”

“Your current situation?  Those times when he holds you to the wall and tries to suck out your tonsils?”

Brogan turned deep deep red, “yeah, those times.”

“Oh my god, he has done that?!”

“Shut up Ron, we’re packing.”

“Harry buddy, have you talked to Pomfrey about ‘charms’, you know ‘those charms’.”

“Shut up Ron, we’re packing.  And I’m not talking to Pomfrey about that, she knew my mum.”

“All the more...”

“You did not just say that!”

Ron realized what he had in fact just said and burst out laughing.  “Sorry, sorry, I swear I didn’t mean it like that.  But really, you should...”

“I talked to Minksy alright.”

“Minksy?  Who’s Minksy?”

“She’s a Malfoy elf, Draco got her to explain things to me.”  Brogan felt like her face would never ever stop burning.

“An elf?”

“Yes, now stop or I swear to God I’ll get your brothers to hex you.”

The twins arrived just then, Brogan was unbelievably grateful that the sex conversation, such as it was, had at least taken place before they showed up.

General rambunctiousness followed until Bill arrived and announced it was time for him to escort Harry back to his secure location.  “Wink, wink, nod, nod Bill old man.” said Fred.

Bill look confused for a brief moment and then he smiled broadly, “they know?” he asked.

“They figured it out,” groused Brogan.

“So all that subterfuge today and basically it’s just our parents and Ginny that don’t know?”

“Shut up Bill,” said Brogan.  “It’s complicated, Ron understands.”  and she threw herself at Ron, forgetting that she still looked like Harry Potter.

“Harry mate, this isn’t quite as effective when you look like Harry.”

“Oh yeah sorry, I guess I kind of got used to taking advantage of the cute factor.”  But she still stayed where she was with her/his arms wrapped around Ron’s torso.

“It’s alright.  I’m going to miss you too, you said you’re visiting Luna next week?”

“Yeah, for New Year’s Eve, if we invite you to tea will you and Ginny come?”

“Of course we will.”

“Good.”

“Alright, if that’s all settled we should get moving Harry, unless you want to take another dose?”

“Gah, no, I’ll go.  That stuff is vile, Barty Crouch was more insane than I thought if he took that slop every hour for a whole year.”

“Barty Crouch, what?”  asked George.

“I’ll fill you in later,” promised Ron.

They all thundered down the stairs together and Harry shook hands with Mr. Weasley and hugged Mrs. Weasley and Ginny and thanked them for his best Christmas ever, which made Bill and Fred and George and Ron’s eyes all go squinty and hard for a moment.  But then Bill cast a complicated sort of charm to disguise his words and threw down some floo powder and dragged Harry through.

Snape wasn’t in when they arrived, there was a note though to their mutual shock which said, ‘potions lab’.  And reading it they realized how Severus really didn’t need to leave notes about where he was when it was so obvious. 

“That charm was pretty cool,” Harry started dumping his bag down and wandering around the room.

“It was just so they wouldn’t hear me call out, Severus Snape’s quarters at Hogwarts”

“Yeah, I figured that.  I’m sorry for making you lie to your parents Bill.”

“It’s okay Brogan-Harry, you can’t imagine how many times I had to catch myself these last two days.”

“I didn’t think it would be that hard, boy equals Harry and girl equals Brogan...”

“Maybe it’s because I knew you as girl Harry for those few weeks, but it could also be because you didn’t change except for physically.  The smile was the same you know, stuff like that.

So, I know you hated the potion but was it fun being a boy again?  Reaching the top shelf in the cupboard and all that?”

“The glasses sucked, I had forgotten how much I hated them and how appallingly near-sighted I was.  And the, um, equipment change was difficult, well maybe not difficult just weird.  I kept sitting when I didn’t really need to. 

I forgot to bring the hormone potion too, I’m on a tiny dose now so it doesn’t really matter but it keeps me a bit more stable I think.  Actually it’s probably just a placebo now.  Oh my God, I’m babbling aren’t I?  Do you think that means it’s wearing off?  No, it wouldn’t be that because the potion never affected my personality like that, I think it means I’m relieved to be home.”

“I think that’s what it means too, I’m sorry you weren’t that comfortable at the Burrow.  You should have been.”

“It would have completely thrown people off,” Brogan waved away his concerns, “the world isn’t ready for a babbly Harry Potter.”

“Screw people, isn’t that what you told the minister?”

“Not in those exact words.  God that was scary, I thought he was going to demand to know who had custody of me or something, but then he started to piss me off and I decided the best defense was a good offense.”

“It was well done.  Ron said you chewed out the headmaster at a Christmas party too?”

Brogan flopped on the couch, “Yeah, he said some really dumb things.  He needs me to help with the war and he’s not very good at asking nicely or appropriately.  Not that there is an appropriate way to ask a sixteen year-old to fight a war for you.”

“No, I don’t think there is.”  Bill mused, walking over to flop on the couch near Brogan.  “Hey, are you alright?”

Harry had tipped over on his side and his legs were curling up even as his arms were wrapping around his torso.  After a shudder or two Brogan lay there, back in girl form.  She stayed as she was for a long moment, Bill wasn’t sure why so he started rubbing her arm.  Slowly the body relaxed and then she wriggled until her head was on Bill’s lap.

Her clothes were too big again, the sweater ridiculously so especially.  “I think Fleur sensed that our relationship had changed.”

Brogan’s voice startled Bill, he hadn’t been thinking about Fleur.  “I don’t want to mess up what you have with her,” Brogan continued even as she melted into the hands stroking her hair and rubbing her arm. 

“I was really needy before, I still am actually but I’m trying to work on it.  And it came out as kind of a succubus sort of situation with me trying to get all the men I could, build like a wall of protectors, and it was wrong of me.  I mean, I do get comfort from being near you but I’m going out with Draco now.  I’m choosing him, for now at least.

I’m still really young and confused, we’re not like betrothed or anything.  But leading on all the boys and flirting with everyone, hogging them all, that isn’t cool.”  Brogan had sat up as her speech got more impassioned.

“You’re right, I guess.  And I’m certainly old enough to know better than to go for someone so much younger.”

Brogan looked at him seriously, her face was serious but she was completely oblivious to how the sweater was hanging off her neck and how silly she looked in the too big clothes.  She shoved up the arms and they slid right back down, but dealing with clothes many sizes too big was something she had been doing all her life.

“I think you should talk to Fleur and tell her about what happened to me this summer.”  A floppy sleeve came up to stop him from interrupting, “your family is going to find out some day I’m sure.  If Fleur finds out in a bad way she might make assumptions.  You can make me sound as pathetic as I was and tell her how you were incredibly kind in coming round and being a friendly face while I adjusted to having Severus as my da.”

Bill looked at her seriously for a moment and then sighed.  “I think you’re right, she was losing patience with me and she definitely gathered there was something off about you.  She’s a powerful witch.”

“A rightful triwizard champion.”  Brogan noted remembering fondly some of that year.

“She could still be a spy though, infiltrating the family known to be closest to Harry Potter.”

“I suppose she could be, you can figure it out.  She’s working at Gringott’s, don’t they research their employees?  I’m sure you can figure it out, and if she isn’t a spy you should tell her something and you can make me sound really evil and needy if you want, just so long as she doesn’t hate you for something you haven’t done. 

She can be mad about other things though, you were rather distracted today and that was a really generous thing she did, being with your family instead of her own.  You ought to acknowledge that you know.”

Bill didn’t stay very long after that.

A few days later Brogan tripped through the floo again and landed on the floor of the Lovegood house.  She was nervous and shy about visiting Luna, so much so that her Da had offered her a calming draught.  She had refused of course, with a face, but somehow knowing the alternative helped her get a hold of herself.  Severus had hugged her before she left and assured her that if she had a miserable time she could always just come home.  It choked her up so bad she almost reconsidered the calming draught but then she just gathered up her Gryffindor courage and went for it. 

She had known that whatever she managed to imagine Luna’s house would be hugely different and so it was.  It was also hugely wonderful.  Aunt Petunia was a strict sort of housekeeper, she liked things as sterile as possible.  Mrs. Weasley was not sterile in the slightest (ha!) but she still had a certain sense of decorum, a tidy aesthetic that she struggled mightily to achieve (even though her children were gone it was still a country house).

The Lovegood house had no decorum at all, it was passably clean but not the slightest bit tidy.  Some huge sort of experiment took up the entire dining room table and every where Brogan looked there was something odd leaning against something else odd, creativity was dripping from the rafters.

“Luna, your house is wonderful!  I’ve never been in a house like this, it’s so interesting.” 

Luna hugged the shorter girl, “Oh, I’m so glad you like it, the visit would have been very awkward indeed if it gave you the heebie jeebies.”

They spent a pleasant afternoon touring the house and discussing the different projects going on in the different corners.  It segued neatly into dinner which they prepared together and Luna was suitably impressed with Brogan’s mad culinary skills.  Brogan learned that cooking was fun when you did it with someone else and chatted, and were allowed to sit at the table and eat after too.

It seemed like no time at all and they were climbing up to Luna’s bedroom.  It was a cozy little space and rather than have her father transfigure an extra bed which would have been a really tight squeeze they had just made Luna’s bed bigger.  Brogan got misty at the thoughtfulness of her friend, and that was before Luna thrust a small sparkly package at her.

“Merry Christmas Harry,” said Luna.  Luna had been very careful about calling Brogan Brogan all day, with her father pottering about the house too, but now they were alone.

“Thanks Luna,” said Brogan opening it carefully.  “Umm, what is it?”

Luna held the object up by a little ring in what must have been the top, hanging vertically like that Brogan suddenly recognized it, “oh, it’s a dream catcher!  Wait, do those things actually work?”

“We’ll see won’t we?  The ones made by real shamans in America work but I made this one special for you so it hasn’t been tested yet.”

She pointed at the willow ring, “Whomping willow, willow of course; it’s a bit aggressive but I thought that trait might be called for to stand up to your nightmares.

I got the yarn from Mrs. Weasley, I know how fond you are of her and her sweaters so I thought that would be good.  It’s red for Gryffindor,” she pointed at one web-like creation, “and green for Slytherin,” there was another web occupying the other half of the ring.  “The feathers are from Hedwig of course, she’s so fond of you and also quite protective so I thought that would be good.  And then there are other little bits and bobs, a crystal that’s supposed to be healing, a rock that has good vibes, but mostly they’re just to make it more interesting.”

She gave her creation a little whirl, “What do you think?”

“Luna, it’s so thoughtful and wonderful, even if it doesn’t catch a dream it’s already brought me good feelings.”

“I can’t believe all that poetry and sappiness was trapped in a boy body for all those years,” said Luna wistfully.

“Shut it you,” grumbled Brogan and she lifted the catcher out of Luna’s hand so she could inspect it better herself.

When she first put her head on the pillow that night Brogan’s mind was whirling with all the things she had seen that day and all the ridiculous discussions they had over the things she had seen.  Her mind felt very busy but busy with frivolous thoughts: she hadn’t thought about whether she was really a boy or a girl all day, she hadn’t thought of the war or Death Eaters, she hadn’t thought about Snape and her mother’s affair, she hadn’t thought about anywhere she needed to be or anything she needed to do, it was just a day with a friend, it was like a vacation or something.  She slept well that night. 

The next day was just as relaxing, although they did choose to mix it up a bit and meet  with Ron and Ginny.  The girls were sitting close together on the couch, driven to such proximity by the piles of papers taking up the rest of the space.  Brogan had her legs stretched out to the coffee table in front of them, her heels were resting on another tottering stack of paper and she was wiggling her toes to make the pom-poms on her slippers bounce; both were still in their pyjamas.

“So,” Luna started, “I guess we can start with here or there?”

“I’m thinking there because Mrs. Weasley might make scones for us.”

“Scones are good.  I’m sure we can make our own scones though and cooking last night was fun.”

“Well, we have to make dinner again tonight so we’ll still get that fun and Mrs. Weasley is an uncommonly good baker -have you tried her scones?”

“Okay, but how do we invite ourselves over there.  That seems a bit awkward, I mean I’m friends with them and I know they aren’t that far away but I’ve never been to the Burrow.”

Brogan flapped a hand, “don’t even worry about it, Ron’s expecting us to meet up.  We just have to call him.”  She struggled a bit with the gravity of the couch and Luna helped shove her up, “where’s your powdery stuff, what’s it called?”

“Floo powder Brogan, it’s in that jar on the mantel.  No, not that jar, not that one, you’re getting closer I think it’s that one.  Wait, is it green?  Try the next one.”  With a huff Brogan dragged Luna off the couch and together they peeked inside the dozens of jars filling up the mantel.

They were very giggly indeed by the time Brogan had successfully initiated her first floo call, Ron was deeply amused to see the laughing girls.  If he had ever seen Harry so carefree and giggly before he wasn’t sure when.  Their hair was a wreck and they still had their jammies on, when they decided (telepathically?) they were laughing too hard to actually talk through the floo they just reached out to try and pull Ron to them. 

Ron laughed too and pulled back a little, he stood up and told them in a slightly admonishing voice, “Let me check with Mum okay?  I’ll tell her you need help with a jar or something.”  He gave them a bright smile and disappeared.

He came back a few minutes later and was amused to find the daft birds still in his fireplace.

Luna managed to make enough room on the couch for Ron too and as they sat there ‘planning the day’ Ron entertained himself with the pom poms on Brogan’s slippers.  “You have seriously worn these in the Slytherin common room?”

“Yeah, and Blaise was every bit as engrossed by them as you are.”  Brogan informed him fondly.

“So why are you still in your jammies?” Ron asked as his ears turned pink.  “Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah, I slept fine mum.  Luna made me a dream catcher for Christmas, let me get it.”  and Brogan leaped off the couch, ‘forgetting’ that her foot had been in Ron’s lap while he played with her poms and causing him to groan a bit.

Ginny came through a while later, trying to discover what had happened to Ron.  She was shocked to find him engrossed in a project at the Lovegood’s dining room table, they had decided to build a second dream catcher for hanging in Ron’s bed, mostly because Ron thought it was cool looking and Luna had extra supplies.

When Brogan finally returned home she could swear that her cheeks hurt from smiling so much for days on end.  Severus was very pleased, and next she was scheduled to visit Paris. 

A day later she put on the outfit that Astoria had told her to wear and met her father in the living room.  Brogan was wearing boots, tights, a wool skirt and a sweater, she had a cape too which made her feel stupid and she kept flicking off and on her shoulders.  Her da walked over and adjusted it then slapped her hands away.  She was also wearing the dragon necklace of course and make up (because Astoria made her swear that she would).

Dumbledore had procured an international portkey for them and they strolled to the front gates together.  They arrived in a big old fashioned terminal; Brogan stumbled a bit but she was craning her head and gazing around before her feet knew what was what. “Where are we?” she breathed.

“Lovely isn’t it?  It’s an old metro station that the French Ministry more or less appropriated.  In fairness it’s an inconvenient stop and the muggles weren’t using it very often, they basically put a notice-me-not charm on it and took it over, similar to platform 9 3/4.”  Severus had his hand on her shoulder to keep her from toppling while she continued to look around.  There were stalls along the edges selling books and flowers and pastries; it was so much like a picture in an old story book that he smiled despite himself and left Brogan to gawk as much as she wanted, well he did gently lead her to a side so another portkey wouldn’t land on them.

It was ironic that the person so engrossed in seeing everything around her was the one oblivious to Draco walking up to meet them.  Draco was trying to wear an amused smirk on his face as he approached, he dearly would have loved to make some sort of sneer at Severus who was watching Brogan twirl around with the most besotted expression ever in the history of the world but Draco had no faith at all in his own lack of besottment.  He figured, rightly, that his own expression was probably just as bad so he just walked up and waited with Severus.

Soon enough he was noticed though and Brogan launched herself at him, “this place is wonderful, I wish I spoke French, I’m so glad we didn’t have a big breakfast I can smell the croissants from here, and did you see all the flowers, do you think we can get some for your mum, this place is wonderful, do you speak French, what are we going to do today?  are we going outside too?”

“You do look as though you might be content just to explore the terminal today don’t you?”  Draco managed to catch a few of the questions but only answered the last one.

Snape’s besotted look melted away in the face of so much energy and enthusiasm for such touristy things, “Alright then Mr. Malfoy, we shall rendezvous at 7:00 for supper at Le Prétentieux Renard; your mother will be meeting us there as well?”

“Oui, professeur.”

“Tres bien, au revoir.”

Brogan did the chic thing and kissed her father on the cheek, “Au revoir papa.”

Snape chortled (if you knew him you would notice that’s what it was) as he disappeared into the crowd; his hand did drift up to his cheek though, he rested his fingertips there a moment as if the spot was tingling.

Draco bought Brogan un petit pain de chocolat just to tide her over before he dragged her up onto the streets and they began their whirlwind tour. 

It was hours and hours later when two exhausted and rosy cheeked teens, weighted down with many many bags raced each other to the door of the tres chic restaurant, they were almost more than fashionably late.  Narcissa Malfoy felt a little pull to glare or rebuke her son for his behavior but the more time she spent away from her husband the smaller that pull became, and also Draco looked very very happy.

It wasn’t possible to keep news of Severus suddenly having a daughter from Narcissa, she was in contact with too many other Slytherin parents and it was the juiciest gossip of the year.  The mystery of the child’s mother was what made it so choice and given the close ties between the Malfoy clan and Severus many had gone to Narcissa hoping for more information.  She only had one possible candidate, and that was impossible, so she remained close-mouthed and mysterious; which in fairness she probably would have been anyway.

The mystery did niggle at her though and when Draco wanted Brogan to visit over the holidays meeting the girl was her only condition, and not an unreasonable one.  Narcissa didn’t mind that they were meeting in public and for as brief a time as Severus dared to suggest, she just wanted to lay eyes upon this Brogan and see if she could pin down her parentage.  It took about three seconds from when Brogan walked in and came to a halt in front of her chair.

Draco politely introduced her, “Mother this is my girlfriend, Brogan.”

Everyone gave Narcissa a moment to decide how she would handle her new information.  It was possible she might leap across the table and stab her wand into Severus’ Dark Mark, summoning the Dark Lord and restoring the honor of her family while sending Severus and Brogan to their deaths.  It was possible that all of her money woes could end now, she could blackmail Severus and probably Dumbledore into paying her handsomely for her silence.  It was also possible that Snape could whip his wand out and curse her into eternal silence on the matter.

The moment seemed to drag on, Brogan nervously clasped her hands in front of her -nails digging in and skin turning white.  Draco reached over calmly to pry them apart and link his own fingers with Brogans, squeezing -but a bit gentler and much more reassuring.  Narcissa watched and decided.

“Miss Snape, it’s a pleasure.  Draco has told me ever so much about you.”  She leaned over to politely brush her lips across Brogan’s cheek, they were in Paris after all.  “Child, you’re half frozen.”  She put a hand on Draco’s cheek too, “You as well.  Why don’t you both head to the sanitaire and get cleaned up?”

Hesitantly they departed and Narcissa sat down again, “you had best order a very expensive glass of wine for me Severus.  And then start talking fast.

I was a bit ahead of you at Hogwarts but I noticed your friendship with a certain red-haired Gryffindor girl.  You can’t be fooling very many people.”

Severus looked down, not embarrassed but conceding the point that it was a rather obvious truth they were trying to cover up with some scar cream and an eye charm.  The wine he had ordered when he arrived at the restaurant first was brought over just then, he nodded his approval and the sommelier poured giving Severus another moment.

“I had no idea, about anything, until this summer.  It has been a difficult adjustment, for Brogan more than anyone else I’m sure, but we are adjusting and I must say I find myself pleased.”

“Pleased, ha!  I have heard from more than just Draco that you are enchanted with your daughter.  I’m not surprised, she looks a good deal like her mother and I know you loved her. 

I was worried, I’ll admit,” said Narcissa pausing to swirl her wine,  “when I first heard you had a daughter.  I feared your child might have been conceived ill-advisedly or for some treacherous end, I was certain you knew nothing about her existence before this summer.  But now I think I understand enough, I remember those days and I remember your devotion to Brogan’s mother. 

You are walking an exceedingly dangerous path and I am not happy to see Draco accompanying you but I will trust the both of you that this is worth it.  That she is worth it.”

And with that the teens returned, making a little extra noise on their way.  The rest of the evening wasn’t quite charming but at least it wasn’t uneasy.

A few days later the Hogwarts Express rolled into Hogsmeade and the castle came to life again.  Brogan had a quick consultation with Hermione and they decided to meet the next night in the Room of Requirement.  Brogan hadn’t asked her father or Dumbledore for permission to tell her friends about the horcruxes, she didn’t want them to tell her she couldn’t.  But honestly, she wondered, how could they expect her to not talk to them?  Did they think she was going to research what they were without Draco and Hermione?

At the appointed hour she and Draco walked to the room and found the two couches and fire, and snack, just as they had been last time.  Ron and Hermione were already on their couch so Draco and Brogan took the other, but not before Hermione popped up and gave Brogan a hug.

“You look so good, like well-rested good, has one of the potions been working?” asked Hermione.

Brogan smiled easily at the odd compliment, “Yeah, I’ve been taking an orange one that seems to work okay but Luna gave me a dream catcher for Christmas and I think that’s working too.”

“Really?  Did she tell you what elements she used?”

“Mm hm, Whomping Willow, Weasley yarn, Hedwig feathers; she did a good job on it.  It’s cool looking too.”

Draco had always been a bit horrified concerning the social suicide of Brogan’s friendship with Luna Lovegood but over the months he had to concede that the benefits outweighed the drawbacks of being seen with the odd girl.  A dream catcher really was an elegant solution and he knew that Severus had slapped himself over not thinking of it first.  Draco was even considering making a second dream catcher for Brogan with elements specific to their own relationship, he had a vision of forty of fifty of the things lined up around the perimeter of her bed making an impenetrable love bubble.  (He actually used the term love bubble too, it was only in that squishy part of his heart after all.)

He got some food and let them chat, sitting back on the couch and waiting for the call to order or whatever.  Brogan sat down right next to him and pulled up her legs, she was wearing those black cargo pants again and a gray sweater.  She wrapped her arms around her knees, clearly signalling to everyone whether she knew it or not that whatever she was going to tell them was disturbing and scary for her.  The mood of the room shifted and for a moment it looked as though Ron might get up and move to her other side, but Draco wrapped an arm around her shoulders first and hauled her as close as possible.

With a shaky breath Brogan began, “Okay, so at Slug’s party you guys probably saw me talking to Dumbledore, he was asking me to come view another memory.  I guess you should know that it was after he pretty much told me I had to attend Slug’s party and dress nice and be nice to him.”  She paused while Draco growled remembering the Headmaster’s words.

“So he was telling me that I had to see these next memories and I told him only if Da said I could or if Da came with me.  And actually Da spoke to me about that later so I guess I should explain that I didn’t say that because I was scared or worried I’d see something upsetting, it was probably just to tick off the Headmaster.  Sometimes I feel like he took advantage of me before because I was an orphan and I’m not anymore.  So that was that fight and then he spoke to Severus and we ended up going together to see the memory.

It was some stuff about Tom’s mother and her family, they were Gaunts.”  Ron and Draco both made the same sort of ‘oh, of course’ grunt while Hermione just made a squeaky ‘must look that up’ noise.  Brogan continued, “The Gaunt family were descended from Salazar Slytherin, the father and son spoke parseltongue just like Tom does.  They were really poor and kind of damaged, like inbred damaged I guess.  No offense to any purebloods present,”  Brogan managed a smile to Ron and Draco.

“So we saw that disaster and then we saw Tom at Hogwarts in his sixth or seventh year and Slug was his Head of House.  Slug had one of his little gatherings and then it was just him and Tom and they spoke about horcruxes.”  Brogan paused again and looked up to see if there was a flicker of recognition on anyone.  There wasn’t, which was a little inconvenient but mostly reassuring.

“A horcrux is a magical object that you create by committing murder, the violence tears your soul apart and you can send that torn off bit into an object, for safety.  The reason that Tom didn’t die when the curse he cast on me rebounded is because he had a horcrux anchoring his soul here.”

“The diary was a horcrux then?” asked Hermione and who wouldn’t be proud of her quick wits?

“Yeah, but...”

“But you destroyed that in second year and he was still resurrected in fourth year so he made more than one.”

“Exactly.”

“How many?” asked Ron.

“You don’t know,” guessed Draco, “but Dumbledore thinks that Slughorn does and he wants Brogan to find out from him.”

“Exactly,” said Brogan, feeling loads lighter.  “The Gaunt family had a ring that was passed down through the generations, Tom made that a horcrux too but Dumbledore found it over the summer and managed to destroy it.  That’s when his hand got cursed.

There was a locket too, the Gaunts had a locket that was supposed to belong to Slytherin.  Dumbledore thinks that Tom got a hold of that and made a horcrux from it too.”

“Anything else?” asked Draco, “Do they have any guesses for what else he might have used?  I mean we could look through old Prophets and see what was stolen...”

“Yeah, there was a cup that belonged to Helga Hufflepuff.  And, there’s another one that Da and Dumbledore think they know, Nagini.  The way he can control her, it’s an uncommon bond and they think she might be a horcrux.”

“A living thing?” asked Hermione.  “Isn’t that risky?  What if she chokes on a goat?”

“What?” said Ron, his head had been jerking back and forth following the volley of questions.  “Choke on a goat?  Is that what huge snakes eat?”

Brogan started giggling at the image and combined with the relief of finally telling her friends this horrible news, the giggling quickly got out of control. It spread to the other Gryffindors and while they were able to get back on track it all seemed a bit easier to swallow (!) now.

They ended the night by assigning homework: Hermione was to research horcruxes, Draco was to research lost or stolen magical artifacts, and Ron was to research how to choke and/or poison snakes.

“What’s my job then?” asked Brogan.

“Get close to Slughorn and find out how many there are.” said Ron.  “Sorry mate, the Headmaster was right we need to know and you are our best bet.”

Brogan pouted but nodded her acquiescence.  Ron and Hermione packed up so they could leave first.  Ron gave Draco a strange look as he clasped Hermione’s hand and led her to the door, Brogan didn’t notice it though she was selecting a biscuit from the tray between the couches.  Draco gave Ron a sort of, let’s talk later nod, and Ron left.

Draco closed his eyes and took a deep breath, he felt wrecked but he didn’t want to show it yet.  Brogan elbowed him, “that would be a switch, you sacking out up here.”

Draco opened his eyes and smiled, “It would.  You really do look well rested and all that, I’m glad.  I’m sure you’re relieved about sharing all this horcrux nastiness too.”

Brogan nodded, “yeah, well Da knows too and we talked about it a bit.  I mean I know you don’t want word to get out because then he might make more but it seems like it would be dumb to just tell one teenager and put all that responsibility on them.  What if I decided to bugger it and run away to France with you?”

“Mmm, don’t even suggest it.  That was such a wonderful day, I would go back with you in a heartbeat.  Even if there wasn’t a deranged inbred mass murderer chasing us both.”

Draco moved over to the corner of the couch so he could stretch his long legs out along the length of it and put his head against the cushions.  Brogan moved to his lap and stretched out on top of him, Draco wrapped his arms around her and hoped she wouldn’t notice the way his heart was pounding.

She must have, her cheek was on his chest but she didn’t say anything.  She threaded their fingers together and just laid there for a while, finally though she spoke.  “Are you upset that your father had one of the horcruxes?  It actually turned out well that he did because we know that one is destroyed now and we know that basilisk venom destroys them, and we know that he trusted at least one Death Eater to keep a horcrux.  Da thinks he might have given another to Bellatrix if he gave your father one.”

“Oh yes, the basilisk that bit you too?  That turned out well did it?”

“Shush, you know what I meant.  I’m here now, safe and sound, snug as a bug in a rug.”  To further prove her point she dragged herself up from Draco’s chest until she could reach his lips and kiss him.  The kiss was well received.

Later, a fair bit later, Draco dropped Brogan off at Severus’s quarters and continued down the hall.  Brogan probably thought he was going to the dorm but he was heading straight for Snape’s lab.  His steps got slower and more uneven as he got closer, wanting to talk to Snape, desperate to talk to Snape and yet, he felt like it would be nice to put it off forever and ever too.  Finally he arrived, but even then he decided to knock.  Maybe he would be sent away, maybe it was a bad time, maybe he could come back next week or next month.

Severus opened the door.  Draco stood there looking shaky and white, Severus stepped back to let him in but Draco was leaning so heavily on the wall that he didn’t seem able to take another step.  He reached out and fisted his professor’s robe, he opened his mouth and only silence came out for a moment and then a great hitching breath.  Draco looked up at his professor’s eyes and saw the grief, he was right and his professor knew it too.  Finally he seemed able to speak, “he made her one too didn’t he?  She’s a.. a..”

Snape reached out and viciously jerked Draco into the room before he could finish, he slammed the door shut and then swung his free arm up so that he was gripping Draco by both shoulders.  Draco didn’t care, he had kept from acknowledging the thought for as long as he could but now that he had said it, or close enough said it, now that he knew that Severus thought so too and Brogan didn’t know, couldn’t know, could never ever know...  Now he was safe enough to fall apart and cry or break things.  Cry first he decided stepping up to his professor and wrapping his arms around him.

Severus had already broken things, he had secretly longed for the catharsis of tears too though and that’s what he got as he wrapped his arms around Draco and stood with him.  It was a relief to have someone else know, he didn’t envy either of them in trying to keep this from Brogan, but now they could work together and figure something out.  And after they had a solution, or maybe a few solutions, then they could go to Brogan together and gently, so gently, so so gently, they could tell her.

Late that night Filch dragged a student before a livid Minerva McGonagall, she was in the tartan dressing gown and her hair, the bits that had escaped from the long braids down her back, was crackling.  “Mr. Weasley, what on earth did you think you were doing destroying Hogwarts property in the middle of the night!?”

Ron’s face was white but his eyes were red and burning, he brushed his cheek where a splinter from an exploding chair had scratched him, “I just wanted to break things ma’am.”  He answered softly.

The next weeks passed swiftly, too swiftly for Brogan who was not getting any closer to Professor Slughorn and certainly too swiftly for Draco who was back to clinging to Brogan like a limpet.  Blaise was not impressed.

“I know you’re not trying to seduce her for a nefarious end Draco.  In fact I refuse to believe you’re trying to seduce her at all because you’re driving everyone mad and it isn’t cute at all.  Are you going to tell me what’s up?”

Draco shook his head no, they were trudging back to the castle after a frigid practice.  One of their chasers had decided to quit the team because of the upcoming NEWTs and the new chaser was another girl, she and Brogan had become fast friends and they were walking quite a bit ahead of Draco and Blaise.

“You can tell me,” Blaise wheedled, “I have that spell on me from Professor Snape, I won’t be able to tell anyone.”

Draco shook his head no again.

“Is it something that Brogan doesn’t know?”  Draco stopped to glare at him.

“Oh it is, all the more reason to tell me.  If you can’t talk to someone you know you’ll go mad, it’s how you’re built Draco.  Can you talk to her father?”

Draco shrugged.

“Not the sort of thing to talk to him about then, what about the Weasel?  You and him seem to have a bit of a truce going on now.”  Draco’s next shrug was more thoughtful somehow.

“Well, consider it because this behavior has got to stop, you’re making us all barmy.”  And Blaise swatted him on the rear with his broom for good measure.  That at least got Draco to squawk a bit and chase Blaise all the way back to their dorm.

Draco had talked to Ron, they had met in the boys’ bathroom the day after That Meeting.  Ron looking wrecked as he cast a silencing charm and dragged Draco to a corner.  Draco was frightened for a moment that he might try to hug him or something but Ron just stood there with his arms wrapped around himself, maybe holding himself back from just that.  “Did you talk to Snape?” he asked in a rough voice.

Draco nodded, he didn’t trust himself to open his mouth about this topic at all, ever.

“He thinks she...  she’s one?”  Another nod and Ron made a sort of choking sound, Draco recoiled as if Ron’s grief was a match that would set his own back on fire again.

“Are you, is he, going to tell her?”

Draco took a deep breath, “after we find some, some solutions.  And Severus will, he’s crazed, I’ve never seen him like this.  He’ll find a ritual or something, he’ll save her, I know he will.  He’ll do anything for her and he’s smart and powerful and ruthless and... crazed really.”

“That’s actually reassuring,” Ron chuckled a little, leaning against the wall now.  “I don’t think Hermione suspects -she would have said something if she did, and I didn’t want to mention it to her but, if we needed the research, I would.”

“Yeah, I know, but I don’t think we do.  So now we can protect her too, for a little while at least.”

“Yeah,” said Ron.  He reached up to rub his cheek where the scratch was bothering him.  Draco noticed it and gave him a questioning look.  Ron gave him a rueful smile, “I snuck out to the old charms classroom last night and blew up a shitload of old desks.  McGonagall gave me detention for a week and took twenty points.”

Draco smiled, “I had the same thought but after I talked to Severus I was too wrecked to do anything but go to bed.  He probably drugged me.”

“So we’ll play it cool?”  Ron clarified.  “You’ll let me know if you and Snape need anything yeah?”

“Yeah, and we’ll play it cool.”  Draco promised breezily, well it was a shadow of his usual breeziness but Ron appreciated the attempt.

Ron had one bit of sunshine to cling to after that, Draco’s abject failure at playing it cool.  More than once Ron got to sleep with Brogan held safe in his arms because she had come up to rant about what an ass Draco was being.  It wasn’t very sporting or anything but at least Ron was trying to keep up his end.  The fact that he was succeeding more than Draco was probably just because he was more experienced at fearing for Harry’s life and trying to cover it up.

“Draco wants to go out for Valentine’s day.”  Brogan announced from the pillow next to Ron.

“Of course he does,” said Ron.  “Why wouldn’t he?”

“Because he should know how annoyed I am with him.  That’s why he shouldn’t.”

“That’s ridiculous, that’s such a girl thing to say, he’s a guy he has no idea that you’re thinking he should be thinking like that.”

“What?”

“You know what I mean, or at least you would have before.”

“That’s a low blow Mr. Weasley.”

“Says the bint who stepped on my jewels over Christmas break.  You’ve sold out mate, no hard feelings just admit it.”

Brogan opened and shut her mouth looking for a suitable retort.

“And hey, if you start to cry I’ll take that as admitting it too.”  Ron said, although Brogan was close enough to feel his sides start shaking with suppressed laughter.

“Cry?  Cry?  I’m just trying to decide the best way to make you suffer!”

“There, there, I know it can be hard with all those emotions swirling around,” Ron paused wondering if he dared to finish that sentence and decided what the hell, they could do with the distraction, “...swirling around in your uterus.”

The effect was instantaneous, and violent.

The Valentine’s date in Hogsmeade was less sweet than it could have been.  Astoria tried and tried and tried but she couldn’t get Brogan into a skirt much less a dress.  The cargo pants did look pretty cool though tucked into Brogan’s high leather boots.  “You look like a muggle soldier of fortune,” Astoria despaired.

“Astoria, what sort of magazines do they sneak in your dorm room at night?” asked Brogan, truly shocked.

Astoria crossed her arms to sulk, “I saw an ad for a movie once, and that’s what they called the guy -the guy who was wearing the same outfit as you are.”

Brogan laughed, “don’t worry so much about it, Draco likes people who can take care of themselves, this will be fine.

Now what about you?  Did you want to borrow anything for your date with Michael Corner?”  Astoria was easily diverted and it made Brogan feel a little nostalgic for when her life was that simple, until she realized it had never been.

“I hope I don’t call you Harry by mistake Princess,” was Draco’s only comment on the soldier of fortune ensemble. 

Brogan just shrugged and fell in beside him, “I blame you, you’ve been hovering and I thought if I showed you just how bad ass I can be you might come to your senses.”

“I know and I’m sorry.  I’ll try harder to be reasonable, I just care...  I care a lot and you’re in danger.”

“Well there’s no denying that,” said Brogan linking their hands and swinging her arm playfully as they approached the village.  “But you must have noticed the mad survivor skills I have too.  I wouldn’t want to call myself the master of death or anything but...  a straight on AK from the Dark Lord, a basilisk bite, an attack by a nesting dragon...  I think you can relax a little more.”

“You’d think that helps but it just makes me despair even more, because you know you’re the one who stole the egg from the nesting dragon you idiot and you’re the one who waltzed into the basilisk’s lair.  I can grant you mad escape skills but must you keep testing them?”

“I swear it always made sense at the time.”

“I’m sure, and that’s why you’re not allowed to make any decisions like that on your own anymore.”

“But Hermione was even around for some of them, she’s at least as reasonable as you are.”

“Ha, she’s a Gryffindor.  Nobody has self preservation skills quite like a Slytherin, you are to rely only upon my judgment from now on.  No more listening to the Gryffindors.”

“You make it sound like a wonder I got placed in Slytherin.”

“It is a wonder.  Actually that also makes me nervous, because if you’re so clearly lacking in a major Slytherin skill then there must be another one that you have in spades; like cunning.  If your cunning is off the charts to make up for your lack of self preservation then Merlin only knows how you could be playing all of us.”

“Do all Slytherins give themselves ulcers?”

“Yes.  Those aren’t after dinner mints on our table, they’re antacids.”

“Fascinating.”

Later they were drinking tea at Madam Puddifoot's, bags of chocolates and flowers lying at Brogan’s feet like offerings to an idol.  “I told Slughorn I’d stop by on my way back from Hogsmeade today, I was thinking you could impress him with your festive Valentine’s Day ensemble.”

“Well I guess that was something you should have shared earlier,”  said Brogan who was studying all the couples around them over the rim of her tea cup.  Astoria and Michael Corner were sharing a tiny table but Michael seemed to be sending too many glances at Ginny Weasley who was at a different table with Dean.  Oh the drama.

Her tea sloshed when Draco kicked her under their table.  She gave him a dirty look and he just smiled blithely, “so sorry, just stretching my legs a bit.”

Brogan blushed and focused her attention solely on Draco.  “Maybe if your legs weren’t so absurdly long they would fit under the table.  And maybe if you weren’t so absurdly good looking I wouldn’t have to spend all my time glaring at all the other girls trying to make eyes at you.”

She smiled when his ears turned pink, “Oh now you’re just being cute,” she crooned reaching out to tug one of his traitorous ears.  “You probably don’t know how well you’ve done just getting me in here.  I came with Cho Chang one year and had a horrible time; swore I’d never return.  And to be back, on the other side of the table as it were like this.  It’s disconcerting.”

Brogan got up and scraped her chair around so it was next to Draco’s, she got several annoyed looks from their neighbors but ignored them.  She sat down thigh to thigh with Draco and pulled his hand up to her chest, “Feel how my heart is pounding,”  He couldn’t really, not through her sweater so he dragged his hand up to her throat and there he could feel her pulse fluttering madly, he gave her a curious look.

“It’s the reminder of how idiotic I was with Cho and it makes me wonder if that was because I was the wrong gender then, and how could I not have known and what if this is all a mistake too and I change back, then what will happen to me?

See, I’m a good Slytherin, my stomach is churning too, ulcer here I come.”

Draco picked up her hand and kissed her fingers.  He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in close so she could rest her head on him.  “Honestly, the Dark Lord and every Death Eater is relentlessly searching for you -so they can torture and kill you- and you’re afraid your dick will come back and nobody will like you anymore?”  He was hoping for a chuckle but all he got was a hopeless sort of shrug.

“Come on, let’s get out of here.” Draco stood and pulled up Brogan, then turned to gather their stuff.  He guided her out before another Puddifoot Valentine’s Day tea could be ruined by tears.

They didn’t go straight back.  They stopped at the quidditch pitch where Draco sat down and somehow knew to give her the space to choose his lap or the bench next to him.  And he wasn’t (too) sad when she chose the bench.  He sat and waited while Brogan took deep breaths and seemed to gather herself for a siege.

“It’s so hard,” she finally said, “so so hard.  And the potion from Poppy makes me feel calmer right, and more in control.  Which is good but then it also makes me responsible for my actions too you know.

Last fall when I was such a wreck and crying every day I had like a tidal wave of emotions in me and they just swept me along and, I didn’t really try to fight it.  I just gave in and did whatever and now I look back and just cringe.”  Brogan finished.

Draco immediately put his arm around her, “You did try to fight it, you did really well.  And you were so exhausted and lonely then too.  It was a shitty time and you did really well.”

“But that time in the common room and by the door to Snape’s quarters?”

Draco pinked right up, “well, those were perhaps not our most coherent moments but I certainly didn’t regret them at the time.  And I don’t regret them now.”

“But aren’t you mad that once they put me on that potion it all ended?  I feel like I’m right back to being a clueless nerdy thirteen year old.”

Draco scooted closer, “I’m not mad, even I could see that we were rushing things a bit and if we had kept going I’m pretty sure Severus would have maimed me by now.  Somehow though, at the time it seemed worth it.  Even now, older and wiser as I am now, I think I would probably go for it if you offered again.

I’m learning a bit about Gryffindor tendencies you know, and that carpe diem thing, our futures are very dangerous and uncertain...”

Tears started to gather on Brogan’s lashes, “And then we circle around to another reason why we shouldn’t get too close.  The Dark Lord will see right through this disguise, in person it wouldn’t be a disguise at all to him and he’ll come after you too then.  And even if you do manage to deny me sufficiently to save yourself, it will still be worse if we’re close.”

“Princess, it’s too late for you to try and push me away for safety.”

She shook her head, “No it isn’t, we could stage a big fight.  Maybe we wouldn’t even need to stage it.”

“It’s too late.”

She sighed and nodded, she would have fought more but she had never been able to drive Ron and Hermione away there was no reason Draco would go; loyal Hufflepuffs the lot of them.  “So you’re just going to keep being my boyfriend even though I’m...” something kept her from saying ‘not a slut anymore’ and she couldn’t find anything else to say.

Draco waited but when she never finished he responded anyway, “Yeah, I’m going to keep being your boyfriend even though I know I hover too much and drive you barmy.  Even though I spend more time on my hair then you do on yours -and yours always manages to look better.  Even though I dress like an investment banker and you look like the world’s sexiest auror.  Even though you manage to make me smile and laugh every single day.  Even though you look at me as if you like me back and my stomach does flip flops.”

“You’re a hopeless romantic aren’t you?”

“Maybe, I prefer not to focus on the hopeless part though.”

That got him the smile he deserved, even better was when Brogan finally shifted and climbed onto his lap so that they were facing each other.  Draco wrapped his cloak around her back and trailed his hands down to her bum, tugging it in closer even as Brogan reached up to his face. 

They were not as crazed as they had been in the fall, this was a whole lot sweeter.  Draco gently brushed away the tear drops that were clinging to her lashes, gently swept his thumbs across her cheekbones, gently tilted her head just so, and gently reminded her that he was not going to go anywhere. 

They almost didn’t make it to Slughorn’s that evening.  By the time they left the pitch it was getting pretty dark and they had to cast little healing charms on their lips which were suspiciously red.  “Why are we going to see him again?” whined Brogan.

“I’m trying to get a summer potions internship in France.”

“Why?  I mean I know you want to go there and see your mum but why do you have to get a job?  Couldn’t you keep working with Da?”

Even in the half dark Brogan could see a flush start creeping up his neck.  “I need the money to take care of my mum.”

“What?”

“My father hasn’t disowned me yet but he’s close and he stopped supporting my mother.  Her relatives are very sympathetic, they won’t throw her out or anything but she, she hasn’t said anything but I know she likes to have nice gowns and things.  Imagine the torture of being in France and unable to shop for clothes?”

“Oh Draco, I’m so sorry.  But your mum is a Black isn’t she?”

“Yes.” said Draco and he looked at her questioningly.

“Sirius Black left me his fortune, we can give it to your mum instead.”

“But you might need it.”

“Well then we can share it or something.  I don’t really want it, not without Sirius knowing that James Potter wasn’t my father.  But if I don’t claim it Bellatrix might get her fingers on it and that cannot be allowed.”

“No, that cannot be allowed, bad enough they have access to the Malfoy fortune.”  They had arrived by then and Draco looked Brogan over critically.  “We’re still going in though, no wriggling out of it.”

Brogan sighed and fixed Draco’s collar, smoothing it out.  “Of course not, on with the mission.”

Draco rapped smartly.

Professor Slughorn was in his satin dressing gown, the bits of fabric seemed to be trying their best to cover his enormous stomach but the distance was simply too much for the slippery fabric.  And even though Slughorn was fully clothed underneath his dressing gown (honestly what was it even for?) Brogan was still vaguely repulsed.

Draco clandestinely pinched her bottom until she put a gracious smile on her face anyway.

They were bustled over to seats by the fire and Draco put on his fake manly voice to discuss manly things.  Brogan tried to look interested but not vapid, mostly she tried to not look miserable.  She tried to call for Dobby mentally to see if they could get some food since they would probably miss supper at this rate.  Then she decided it was a relief that she couldn’t mentally call for Dobby, because what if she accidentally did it at a bad time.  Then she noticed they were talking to her, oops.

Slughorn was pouring tiny glasses of something amber and offering her the first one.  As she reached out mechanically for the glass the professor turned to Draco and gestured with the bottle, “Mead from Madam Rosmerta, she wanted me to share it with Dumbledore of course but he’ll never notice if the bottle’s a wee bit lower now...”

Brogan had never tried mead before, it smelled divine so she took a quick swallow.  She immediately wanted to spit it out again but her body seized and she couldn’t move at all, she didn’t even think she had made a sound but Draco was there.  He was holding her and she could see his fright and his lips moving.  She stared and stared at him, right up until her eyes rolled back and she knew no more.

Horace Slughorn had never pretended to be a brave man.  He was no hero, he was not calm and collected in a crisis; and if he could admit his own shortcomings then what right did others have to judge him on them?  He felt like he was stating this case quite coherently but in actuality his gibbering was making Severus Snape even more murderous as if that was a possible thing. 

As soon as Brogan was stable enough Poppy poured a calming draught into Slug’s gaping maw and bundled him back to his quarters to rest.  She wished that she had the nerve to drug Snape too, failing that she bustled herself off to write up a report in her office.

“You did well Draco,” Snape finally murmured when they were alone.  They each had a chair on either side of Brogan’s bed and were just sitting and staring.

Draco huffed, “we’ve been studying poisons in class for the last month.  Brogan actually brought bezoars up in discussion last week.  And when that sleeping potion almost killed her last fall she joked about you not thinking to accio the remedy, it’s like she set out a road map for me.”

“Possibly, but clearly not just anyone would have the presence to follow the map.” replied Snape thinking of Slughorn.

Draco shrugged.  “She still looks awful.”

“She will recover though.”  Snape said it as if the force of his voice would make it so.

The door banged open and Ron and Hermione came rushing in, they made straight for Brogan’s bed despite the napkin wrapped around Ron’s hand and the blood soaking through it.  Poppy materialized and intercepted them.

“Mr. Weasley, what happened?” she asked as she guided him to a different bed and started peeling off the napkin.

“I cut myself with a knife at supper.” Ron mumbled.  Draco caught Hermione’s eyes and she shook her head as if to say, he’s completely demented.

“Well, it doesn’t look too bad,” Madam Pomfrey sighed.  She wanted to say, ‘really you had to actually hurt yourself?  You couldn’t just fake a headache or something?’  Nonetheless she healed the cut and rubbed a bit of cream on it. 

Hermione had drifted to the end of Brogan’s bed and was looking at her with teary eyes, “everyone was talking about it during dinner.  I was leaning over to reach Luna at the Ravenclaw table when I heard Ginny yell Ron’s name.  I guess the news was a shock and his hand slipped.”

Draco had stood up and led Hermione to his seat with his hands on her shoulders, “Yeah, why don’t we go with that.  It doesn’t matter, Ron’s all healed up and Brogan will be soon too.”

Snape looked up and caught Hermione’s teary eyes, “she will be Miss Granger, she really will.”

Hermione sniffed and nodded. 

Of course Brogan chose that moment to go into convulsions again.  Poppy and Severus leapt for the bed while the students scrambled out of their way.  After a few moments Brogan was quiet again, the fits were getting shorter and further apart as the antidote worked. 

Draco hadn’t left Brogan’s side so he knew that but Hermione was wrapped up in Ron’s arms and sobbing with fear.  Madam Pomfrey sighed as she stepped away from the bed and saw them.  She pulled them off to the side and spoke to them quietly for a long time, explaining patiently about the antidote.  In the end she decided to let Ron stay ‘for observation’ and sent Hermione off to get their homework so they could use the time productively.

After Hermione had washed her face and set off for the tower and their bags Madam Pomfrey wrapped up Ron’s perfectly healed hand and shoved a pair of pyjamas at him.  The bandage was uncomfortable and he felt like an ass putting the pyjamas on in the early evening but he didn’t say a word, his eyes just kept sliding away from the healer and over to Brogan’s bed.

When he was changed Ron settled himself in the bed behind Draco’s chair.  Hermione came back shortly after and settled herself on the foot of his bed with her charms homework.  She tried desperately to lose herself in the work and was startled when she heard the scratching of a quill.  Ron was doing his homework too, he looked up and met her eyes with a small smile.  Hermione smiled back and kicked his foot a little before going back to her work.

Ron had terrified her, it reminded her of first year when he let his knight be taken in the magical chess match, but this was worse somehow.  She knew of course that the cut could be healed in seconds but the way Ron had thought to do it - so quickly and so efficiently.  It made her shudder, that kind of ruthlessness that kind of blind stubborn determination to get to Brogan’s side.

It wasn’t that Hermione was jealous, except she was.  It didn't matter that in her head she knew that Brogan wouldn’t risk what she had now with Ron by trying for anything else.  And Draco challenged Brogan more, Draco got her eyes flashing and her blood pumping, Ron was a safety blanket or a brother.  Hermione smiled a little to herself, she knew how literal the safety blanket was sometimes.

Harry turning into a girl had shaken Hermione worse than anyone else, except of course Harry.  Hermione had spent days going over the years she knew Harry and trying to see if she had missed some clue, some hidden streak of girlishness or whatever.  Sometimes Harry was steely determination, sometimes Harry was shaking in his boots, sometimes Harry had been awkward and shy around girls, sometimes Harry was awkward and shy around boys, Harry had been just a kid.  A kid with issues and insecurities and needs and wants and hopes and dreams. 

Hermione looked at her professor sitting silently next to Brogan’s bed.  Would Snape be here like this if Harry was his son?  Did it make a difference to him that a daughter was something to cherish and protect?  Would Draco be there if he wasn’t attracted to Brogan?  What did love and sexuality really mean?  Would Ron like her if she became a boy?  Would she like Ron if he became a girl?  Was this something that wizards just accepted because they believed in magic and could overcome all her mundane concerns with potions and charms?

Hermione scrubbed her face for a while and breathed deeply.  Ron gave her a sympathetic look and rubbed her arm.  And really, really really really what bothered Hermione about all of this was that her relationship with Harry had changed forever.  She was working on something with Brogan and they were friends, sometimes they were even close, but it would never be like it was before.  The dynamic was all different now, even if Harry had become gay and they found themselves cackling in empty classrooms about Blaise Zabini together, she could picture that and it would have been fine.  But having Harry become a girl, become competition like this, it hurt Hermione. 

Hermione knew she was pretty and not just because her daddy told her so, or her mum, she could see it in Ron’s eyes too and she knew it clinically.  But she wasn’t comfortable with it yet, she wasn’t good at being a pretty girl and it made her more self conscious and less good at it.  Brogan wasn’t especially good at it either but instead of comforting Hermione it just made her more embarrassed and less enthused about spending time with her.

Not that Brogan even seemed to notice, she had Luna and Pansy and Astoria, and Millicent too now that she was on the quidditch team.  Brogan and Ginny had even been chatty together at Professor Slughorn’s party talking to that professional player.  Brogan had more girlfriends than Hermione did and Hermione had been a girl since birth.

Hermione felt another tear dribble down her cheek and looked up to see Ron giving her a look full of compassion.  She looked at him and then was quickly distracted by Brogan, her friend who had been poisoned and was having another fit in the bed next to them.  Madam Pomfrey was right, this fit was much shorter and less intense than the one before, she was getting better.  Ron took her hand and she realized that he thought she was crying over Harry.  And of course she was but mostly it was her own stupid self pity and, and she had to leave.

Everyone turned to look at her as she scrambled to her feet and started shoving books in her bag.  For a moment she thought hysterically that they would think she was leaving because Brogan was too loud and distracting for her to study near, but when she dared to meet their faces she saw that wasn’t so.

Ron got up too and walked her to the door, carrying her bag for her with his ‘injured’ hand.  “I’m sorry,” Hermione started.

“Don’t be,” said Ron casting a little silencing bubble around them and shifting so that Snape and Draco could only see the broad square lines of his back.  “Will you be okay getting to the tower?  Do you want me to come with you?  I can leave.”

“No, it’s alright.  Thanks for offering though, that’s nice of you.”

Ron placed a warm hand on her shoulder, close enough to her neck that his fingertips could reach skin.  “You know Harry and I, we never got caught up in competing for you.  He never thought of you that way, and I would have known.  I would have known because I thought of you that way.  It’s tricky with three of us sometimes, you know.  We had a balance, and I don’t know but I think we can get that balance back.  Maybe we’ll need to add a fourth right,” neither of them had to actually look at Draco to acknowledge he had already become their fourth, “but we’ll sort it out and get back to what we had.”  He licked his lips and shyly looked down before he continued.

“I used to have this dream of us getting married,” Hermione gave him a shocked look, “hold on, it gets worse,” Ron warned her blushing madly, “we would get married and then we would de-age Harry so he was just a little toddler again, take him right back to before he ever went to the Dursley’s and then we would raise him right.

That was my dream, you and I taking care of Harry together.  Just so you know it isn’t like a competition or anything.”

“Oh Ron,” warbled Hermione and she was really crying now, how could she not at such a sweet sweet thought.  “You can’t fix him, or her, you know.  If you did that, started over, it wouldn’t be Harry in that bed.  It’s so sweet but it’s almost disrespectful, isn’t it, of who he became and what he overcame to be that person.

It’s as bad as me trying to understand.  I always feel like I have to understand and know these things,” she paused to wipe her eyes again, “and it’s just as bad as fixing, this belief that I can know and understand.  Some things just are and we have to let them be.”

“You’ll be here to help me with that, won’t you Hermione?” Ron asked, his voice rough.

“Yeah, and you’ll help me too, right?”

Ron reached out for her hand and brought it to his lips, “of course,” he promised kissing her fingertips.  “Are you sure you don’t want me to go with you?”

“No, you worked hard to get your bed for tonight, if Harry has bad dreams then you should be here.”

“Snape might stay too, it’s weird to think of others caring.  It’s been just the two of us for so long.”

“There’s a bloody lot of changes for us to get used to this year isn’t there?”

“Hermione!” said Ron, impressed and delighted.

Hermione smiled, a smug little smile, and then she stretched up on her tiptoes and kissed Ron square on the lips, “good night Ron.”

Ron pecked her back, “good night Hermione.”

Draco got kicked out about a half hour after Hermione left, he might have been able to stretch it out until curfew but, even though Blaise and Pansy had brought his homework, he never even moved to touch his bag.  He just sat there staring and miserable and presumably thinking; it was creepy as hell and Ron was relieved to see him go.  It was like the git had never spent a night beside Harry’s bed in the hospital before, amateur scoffed Ron stretching out luxuriously in his bed.

Snape definitely didn’t want to go but Madam Pomfrey kicked him out too.  Ron supposed she was thinking of the children when she did it, the children who would have an absolutely venomous professor the next day if Snape sat there grim and fuming all night.

Snape gave her a filthy look before he left but the matron didn’t back down an inch.  Ron did his best not to look too smug as he snuggled down.  He would have been more apprehensive about being left alone on the ward but Brogan had improved a lot in the last few hours, the fits were just little shudders now and she seemed to be asleep instead of unconscious.

When she woke Ron up in the middle of the night with her soft cries and thrashing Ron didn’t even hesitate about scrambling into the other bed.  Her body turned in towards him and she curled up just like she always did.  Ron wriggled an arm under her neck and tugged her closer feeling all of his tension seep out into the mattress below him.

“Ron?” came a whisper a little later.  Ron made a sort of humming response.

“Where are we?”

“We’re in the hospital ward, you were poisoned.  Do you remember?”

“Yeah, now I do, I was with Draco at Slug’s...  Are they alright?”

“Yeah, you took the first drink I guess.  Draco saved your life, he got a bezoar.”

“Good.”  Some tiny part of her brain recognized that as kind of a stupid comment but she felt too warm and safe and sleepy to worry about it.  Brogan nuzzled closer instead and put her arm across Ron’s (hard flat) stomach.  When her fingers reached bandage instead of Ron she managed to struggle up onto an elbow so she could investigate better.

“What happened to you?” she asked in a firm voice.

Ron held his hand up to be inspected and hoped it was too dark for her to see him blushing, “I, um, I was eating when I heard you were poisoned and my knife slipped.  It was just a little gash and Madam Pomfrey healed it in two seconds.  You can take the bandage off, there isn’t anything underneath.”

“Then why are you still here?”

“Observation,” said Ron simply, pulling her back down to the pillow.

Brogan huffed, “well I hope she isn’t observing this.”

Ron set an alarm so he could drag himself out of Brogan’s bed and get dressed before Madam Pomfrey was forced to acknowledge their trespass; he owed her that much at least.  His friend was still asleep when he grabbed his bag from the chair between their beds.  She looked as pale as the sheets and his knees went weak for a moment as he remembered that first seizure he had seen last night.  He couldn’t imagine how terrifying it must have been before the bezoar; actually remembering Draco sitting in the chair still and silent and staring he supposed he could imagine pretty well.

They needed to meet, him and Draco -Hermione too if he could manage it but that might be hard since he usually talked to Draco in the boys’ bathroom.  Madam Pomfrey came out of her rooms just then and walked over to officially discharge Ron, interrupting his planning.

Ron had left the useless bandage on, he wasn’t sure if the nurse wanted him to keep it to help her justify the overnight stay or what; she seemed to be pondering that herself as she looked him over.  And then she decided and gently unwound it from Ron’s hand, she stroked his palm where there wasn’t even the hint of a scar and her warm fingers swept up his forearm too tracing the places where the brains had latched on to him all those months ago in the Department of Mysteries.  The marks were virtually invisible but Poppy had helped treat them and she remembered.

“You’re a good friend Mr. Weasley, loyal to a fault.”

“Thank you madam,” said Ron feeling his cheeks heat up.

“Did Miss Snape wake up at all last night?”

“Yes, just once.  She remembered what happened and seemed pretty lucid, tired but lucid.”

“And then she slept the rest of the night without bad dreams or needing more potions?”

“Yes, madam.”

“Thank you Mr. Weasley, you’re free to go and attend classes today.  I will probably release Miss Snape this afternoon and let her finish up her convalescence in her own room.  Hopefully in a week or so she’ll be able to return to classes.”

“Would you care to place a wager on that Madam Pomfrey?  A whole week?”

“No actually,” the madam responded with a twinkle.  “I don’t think I would.”

Draco came in just then, his face was a little flushed as if he had sprinted from the dungeons to squeeze in a visit before breakfast.  Ron smiled when he saw him, the word amateur floating through his head once more and Madam Pomfrey bustled off.

Draco stood quietly for a moment drinking in the pale skin and the mussed hair, even Brogan’s lips were pale. 

“She slept well,” Ron finally spoke up in a soft voice, as matter of fact as he could make it but still unbearably fond.  “Madam Pomfrey plans to let her go home this afternoon and recover in her own room.  Brogan will like that I think.”

“Yeah, that’s good.”

Ron looked at Draco, the other boy was barely registering him so Ron reached out and touched his arm, drawing him away.  Draco had to drag his whole head around to focus on Ron and even then his eyes kept sliding back.  Ron jerked his sleeve a little and waited.

Draco shook his head and gave Ron a rueful smile, “Yes, Weasel was there something else?”

“Yeah, I want to know everything that happened at Slug’s, can we meet in the room sometime today?”

Draco made a face of displeasure that was not a pout and looked at the sleeping beauty again, deciding that getting Ron and Hermione’s interrogation out of the way while she was still asleep would be preferable to missing out on her presence when she was conscious he nodded.  They set a time for just before lunch and Ron headed off to breakfast.

Draco paced like a trapped tiger while Ron and Hermione interrogated him.  “And he said the mead was supposed to be for Dumbledore?”  Hermione had asked the same questions six different times just stressing different words each time she asked.  Ron was impressed that Draco hadn’t resorted to violence or just leaving yet. 

“Yes,” he snarled, “and it makes no sense at all because Dumbledore is already dying.”

“What?” the Gryffindors asked together in perfect stereo.

“He was cursed this summer, that’s why his hand is all black.  Surely you’ve noticed that much?”  They nodded.

“Well, nobody spelled it out for me but it seems like he must have touched a cursed object over the summer and somehow they slowed the curse down but it’s still spreading up his arm and to the rest of him.  Eventually it will kill him, but eventually I guess he’s going to die no matter what right.  At least that seems to be the Headmaster’s bizarre <cough, Gryffindor> attitude.”

There were a few moments of sweet sweet silence while Ron and Hermione digested this news then Ron shrugged and said, “well I guess it just means the other side doesn’t know he’s dying soon anyway.  Which gives us an advantage right, they’re focusing all of their efforts on killing a dying man and that gives us time to find the horcruxes.”

“It would work like that if Brogan didn’t keep intercepting the deadly artifacts.”  mused Draco.

“Well, you can never really account for that.”  smiled Ron with the air of someone who had long ago accepted it.

“Right,” said Hermione.  She seemed calmer and more in control now, Draco was pathetically jealous.  “Well, with Brogan recuperating we need to help her with her task.  Slughorn might be strangely vulnerable now, you know with the guilt of almost killing a student.  We need to press that advantage.”

“Brilliant,” said Ron with a hint of adoration sparking in his eyes.

“I’ll go first,” offered Hermione.  “He knows that we’re acquaintances from tutoring and I can be all teary and frightened and see where it gets me.  That will give Draco the afternoon off to be with Brogan, but then tomorrow Draco you should visit him and see what you can get, he owes you a lot now for saving Brogan’s life.”

“It could almost be a life debt,” mused Ron, “because Snape absolutely would have killed him if his daughter died of poisoning in a potion master’s parlor.”

“Snape, may in fact be our best bet for getting the story now but I think if we keep the pressure up until Snape gets to him that will make it easier in the end.” said Hermione.

“Easier for Snape you mean?” asked Draco.

“Of course,” said Hermione with a rather frosty tone which implied that perhaps Snape could kill Slughorn after he got the truth and it would be no great loss.

Hermione’s plan didn’t work out exactly but it was a good thing she had implemented it.  She stopped by the professor’s quarters right after her last class of the day, still musing to herself about how exactly she should behave and wondering if she could drum up a tear or two, when she found the professor stuffing things in his trunk.

“Professor!” she allowed herself to squeal, “What are you doing?  Has something happened? Are you leaving sir?”

“Miss Granger,” Professor Slughorn tried to give her a bright and cheery smile but failed miserably.  “I’m afraid I am in fact departing, but fret not I have conveyed to the Headmaster the names of some of my best students; one of whom I am certain can be called upon to finish up the year here.  And your NEWTs my dear are a whole year off yet, isn’t that right?  So no harm there.”  He absently patted her arm a bit, nearly missing since he refused to actually look at her, choosing instead to scan the room for more personal items.

“But Professor why are you leaving like this?”  Hermione glanced around as if to be sure they were alone and whispered darkly to him, “Has the board said anything?”

Slughorn did not drop the flask he was holding just then but he did end up juggling it a bit, “What?  No child, they haven’t.  I mean of course they might and I of course would take full responsibility but this is almost unrelated.”

“Really sir?”

“Well, perhaps not as such entirely unrelated, but...”  Slughorn collapsed into the chair behind his desk as if his body could not hold him up for another second, as if had that chair not been conveniently located he would be on the floor at this very moment, so exhausted and spent did he appear.  “The thing is Miss Granger, I am not proud of how I reacted to Miss Snape’s duress.  If Mr. Malfoy had not been present, I...  Well I dare not think about it.”

Hermione sat too, “I know Professor.  What if you had been alone and tasted it yourself?”  Slughorn shuddered.

“But sir, it seems like we should draw together and share our strengths to bring them down.  To figure out who is trying to harm Hogwarts.”  Even as Hermione tried to appeal to the man she knew her lofty idealism was falling on deaf noses.

“I’m an old man Miss Granger, and not very brave.  I’m afraid I shall have to leave it to young Gryffindors like yourself and Mr. Potter, wherever he is.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must get back to my packing.”

Hermione stood and excused herself, solemnly shaking his hand and wishing him the best.  She wasn’t so foolish as to leave Horace Slughorn on bad terms with herself.  And as soon as the door closed behind her she ran like hell to the infirmary to find the others.

Snape was with Brogan, talking to Madam Pomfrey about the planned convalescence that was to take place in his quarters.  Brogan was sitting on her bed wearing soft jeans and a thick sweater that was just a touch too big on her, still pale but looking better.  They all looked up in shock as Hermione skidded around the corner, the door banging behind her.

“Professor, Brogan, you have to catch him!”  she gasped.

Madam Pomfrey gave Hermione a disappointed look for running in the halls and then decided she really didn’t want to know and excused herself.  Hermione barely even noticed, she had collapsed next to Brogan with a stitch in her side.

“Miss Granger?” asked Professor Snape in his ridiculously commanding soft voice.

“Sir, sorry, <gasp> Professor Slughorn is packing up his office, he’s leaving Hogwarts.  You have to go now and get that memory sir.”

Snape bolted to his feet and so did Brogan.  Snape looked at Brogan and she glared back, it was one of the more pathetic glares since she looked like a breeze could take her out but the determination was radiating off of her.  “Very well,” he acknowledged her silent demand.

“Miss Granger, did he say why he was leaving?”

“He’s frightened sir, and ashamed about how Draco had to save Brogan I guess.”

Snape’s lips thinned so that there was just a line of displeasure slashing across his face.  He nodded to the still panting Gryffindor and turned to leave.  Brogan scurried to keep up with him.  Hermione watched as her git of a potions professor stopped to hold the door for his daughter and then she heard him huff something about expediency and sweep the pale girl into his arms.

“I should have left you in the infirmary,” Snape was chastising himself in a dark mutter as he strode to Slughorn’s quarters.

Brogan heard him anyway since she was in his arms with her head tucked onto his shoulder, “Maybe, but I can always nap later.  It doesn’t make sense to leave one of your best chess pieces in the box.”

Snape lowered her carefully to the ground outside of Slughorn’s door and together they entered.

Horace Slughorn was just closing up his trunk when he saw them.  He sighed and looked truly sorrowful.  “Let’s head through to my sitting room, alright?”

Snape nodded and guided Brogan by her elbow through to a little room behind the classroom.  Slughorn took a big squashy chair and Snape carefully placed Brogan in the other upholstered chair before pausing, he seemed to be considering whether it was better to loom and pace or to just sit before he pulled up another chair as close to Brogan’s as he could.

Slughorn smiled, “I am glad I came if only to see with my own eyes the two of you together like this.  Lily would have been pleased, I am sure wherever she is now she’s happier.”

Brogan blindly grabbed for her da’s hand, “You knew?” she breathed with a look of horror on her face.

“Yes, and if you have any ill will at all towards Lily you must forgive her.  She didn’t know, I never told her about the risks of the paternus potion.  She never would have hurt you and it was a fifty-fifty gamble that it wouldn’t matter anyway so I just, I just didn’t tell her.”

Slughorn settled back a little in his chair, folded his hands over his enormous stomach and refused to look away from his stubby little fingers while he spoke.  “She came to me early in her pregnancy, she wanted the baby, she was already desperately in love with you Brogan, but the time was awful.  So dark, so frightening.

She loved you Severus, she believed in you, that you would do what was right but she knew that one does not just walk away from He Who Must Not Be Named.  And if you knew that the child was yours she feared that you would try.”  Brogan was shocked to see tears start to trickle down Slughorn’s cheeks, she glanced at her da and saw tears on his face too.

“James Potter was a good man, perhaps even a great man.  He knew the child was not his and he married Lily anyway swearing to raise the baby as his own.  You should know that Brogan, James Potter knew and he still...” he trailed off when he heard the sobs coming from the girl on his other chair.  Brogan had pulled her knees up to her chest and had her head buried in them, she was sobbing.

Snape stood up abruptly and threw some floo powder in the fire to summon a tea tray, giving everyone a moment to calm down.

Brogan didn’t emerge until they were pushing a tea cup at her hands, Severus thoughtfully shoved a handkerchief in her other hand after she looked up at him with red eyes and a smeary nose.  Everyone sipped studiously and waited until Brogan had gathered herself and taken a few sips too.

“I’m sorry Professor Slughorn, it’s just.  It was so overwhelming to hear all at once, I’ve been wondering since summer you know.  If my mum meant to run that risk with me, and if James Potter knew who he died protecting, and I hoped of course, but I didn’t expect to ever really know.  And then to hear it like that, it’s just, I’m happy I guess.  I’m relieved too that it turned out like that.”

“Of course my dear, it’s been a trying time for you hasn’t it?” said Slughorn sympathetically.

Snape seemed more interested in how pale his daughter was, how steady her hand as she sipped her tea.  He knelt next to her and placed a cool hand on her throat to check her pulse, Brogan rolled her eyes and allowed it.  When he was satisfied he slid the hand around to cup her head.

When he finally let go and stepped away again Brogan swallowed and tried to get a hold of herself again.  “Professor, have you known all year?”

“Yes, very much so, since that first day of classes.  Although in the pictures of Harry Potter his eyes seemed brighter, not that yours aren’t lovely my dear.”

“Oh, it’s a charm sir.  I’m rather too recognizable without it, would you like to see?”  And without waiting Brogan pulled out her wand and canceled the charm.

Slughorn had stood up, he couldn’t quite reach the biscuit he had his eye on from his chair, and he almost dropped his tea cup when he saw the result.  Instead he carefully placed it on the table and opened his arms wide to hug his Lily’s daughter.

Horace Slughorn had never been Brogan’s favorite professor; she found him gossipy and faintly disgusting, he had just stood by uselessly when she was poisoned in his sitting room, and also he had condemned her to sixteen years of living a lie when she could have been with her own father, but as others had noted before, Brogan’s capacity to love was a thing to behold.  She didn’t hesitate to rise up too and hug the poor man back, he did seem very sorry after all.

He was talking now, pleading in her hair, “I looked you know, I looked and looked for days, through every book I had.  I couldn’t find any other solutions.  She wouldn’t go into hiding, she wouldn’t leave, she just had this, this faith.  Faith in me, pathetic old me, faith in magic that there was something magic could do to make it all better. 

I know it’s beyond rude to say these things, but she was just so muggleborn with her faith that magic could do something.  And I just had to try.”  They broke apart then and shuffled back to their chairs.

Horace took a sip of his tea, the cup clattering when he put it down.  “Your mother came to me unspeakably young and unbearably trusting and I failed you Brogan.  She would not have taken the potion I suggested if I warned her about the damage it could do to you, so I didn’t mention it.

James Potter knew, not only that the baby wasn’t his, but also that it was yours Severus.  He knew about your relationship with Lily; I think he knew that she would always love you too but he was a good sport and he went along with it all.  Lily was planning to have more children with him but they never got the chance.”

“Do you know sir, if their friends knew?  Did Sirius Black know?”

“You know I think he did, he was your godfather right?  I think they did tell him because of that.  I don’t know if they dared to tell him who the father was, he probably guessed it but maybe not.  He did know you were, how did I put it to Lily...  Oh yes, blood adopted before birth.  I remember I phrased it that way so they wouldn’t have the name of the potion.  Old pureblood families like the Potters and the Blacks, one can never tell what those children know even if they aren’t the best potions students.

And you Severus, you were the best potion student.  I am not a man without a conscience but I kept my tabs on you and it seemed that as long as Harry was with Lily’s family it was probably better than the reports I got from my students about you.  I am sorry now, after seeing you two together but back then, four or five years ago you hated all things Harry Potter.  Why would I want to bring it up then?”

“Because she was my child?  Because she belonged to me, with me?”  Snape’s words were vengeful but his tone was just tired.

“I admit I underestimated you, Lily didn’t though.  I hope it gives you some solace to know that much at least.  She hid Brogan only to protect you and it pained her greatly to do so.”

“Are you still leaving sir?”  Brogan asked suddenly.  She was exhausted and only wanted to go home to bed, but she couldn’t leave without asking about the memory if this was her last chance to see Slughorn.

“Yes, I’m afraid I am.  I’m glad I had the chance to clear the air between us before I left, but the thought of that bottle of poisoned mead sitting on my sideboard all that time.  I can’t stay here, there will be another attempt I’m sure of it and if I’m not here maybe someone who can do good will be in my place.”

“You’re not without your uses sir, will you give us that memory before you go?  You know the one that the Headmaster wants.”

“Yes, I know.  Another dark star in my shameful past dear.”  He looked at the green green eyes silently beseeching him.  “You really are Harry Potter?” he asked almost to himself.

Brogan looked back at him steadily, “I am sir, I am the Chosen One and I have the power to defeat him.  Please give me that memory.”

They ended up using Slughorn’s fire to floo back to Snape’s rooms.  It wasn’t that far away but Brogan didn’t want to be carried around again in case the other students saw her.  Snape went through first so he could catch her when she stumbled on the other end.

He kept hold of her elbow and led her to her room, swishing his wand to turn down the covers on her bed.  Brogan kicked off her shoes and crawled in, “I’m just going to take a nap.” she mumbled, too tired to change her clothes.

“Very well.” said Snape smoothing back her hair.  “I’m glad Horace was able to put your mind at ease about your mother and James Potter.”

“Me too, did it help you Da?”

“Yes, I feel bad of course that it was necessary because of my mistakes,” he said turning the wrist of his left arm, “but considering the times it was probably a good decision.  It’s just hard to accept.”

“We have now though.  I’m glad you’re here, I’m glad we got this chance.”

“As am I.  However I must say that I thought your resorting would take care of those foolish Gryffindor traits.”

“What?  Like taking a sip of mead when a professor offers it to me?”

Snape just gave her a dirty look and Brogan continued in outrage,  “Everyone just assumes I go around with a sign around my neck, ‘I’m The Boy Who Lived why don’t you give it your best shot?’  and it really isn’t like that.  Things just happen.”

Severus had to smile a little at that, it sounded like something he might have said himself to the celebrity once upon a time.  “If you insist, now take your nap and maybe, if you don’t look so peaky, you can go to dinner with your friends tonight.”

Brogan slept right through dinner and woke up sometime much much later.  The sound of a page turning seemed like the loudest thing ever in the quiet and when she opened her eyes she could see her father in a chair near her bed reading a book.

The next day she slept in the common room which seemed kind of scandalous but Snape didn’t care.  At one point she even dreamed that he was tucking her in with a soft green afghan and when she woke up the blanket was real.  The second time Dobby had to wake her up for a snack and a potion she blushed furiously and asked the elf if he thought she should go back to the infirmary.  “But then Miss Snape all your friends would have to go there to see you, this way you are home where you belong.  Do you feel bad?  Do you think you need to go back?  Dobby thought you hated it there.”

“I do hate it there but I don’t want to cause trouble for you.”

“Dobby doesn’t care, Dobby has to bring trays from kitchen to white room so what’s the difference if Dobby brings trays from kitchen to Snake room?”

“I guess that’s true.” she mused as Dobby gently nudged a spoon closer to her hand.

Draco was pleased to have Brogan conveniently asleep on the couch near him while he scrambled to catch up with his homework.  He had been mildly scandalized all year long by Brogan’s cavalier attitude towards homework and a little self conscious around her of how much time he was used to spending on his.  He didn’t want her to think he was as obsessed as Hermione, but really he sort of was.

He realized with a start that he wasn’t actually doing his homework now and was just staring at the fire with his hand carding through Brogan’s hair.  The common room was mostly empty and he should probably get Brogan home, probably.  He felt protective of the girl but strangely the smothering fear that had plagued him for the last month or so was gone now.

His worst fear had happened right in front of his face and he had handled it, he had handled it pretty well and they had survived.  He didn’t feel cocky, it hadn’t been a full frontal assault from the Death Eaters and the Dark Lord, but it had been a life or death crisis and they made it through.  The Weasel had been looking at him that night, when he was still coming down from the adrenaline and quietly falling to pieces in the infirmary, the Weasel had looked at him like he was a rank amateur and Ron was oh so much better at handling the stress. 

Which was absurd because he had apparently sliced his own hand with a steak knife in order to get to Brogan’s side, but whatever.  Draco’s hand slipped from her hair down to her throat where he could feel the thump thump thump of her heartbeat and he went back to staring at the fire.

Snape arrived later, Draco vaguely remembered he had been at some faculty meeting trying to deal with the fallout from Slughorn’s abrupt departure.  The professor came right over to the couch and knelt down next to it, examining his daughter’s color and pulse rate.  Satisfied he scooped her up in his arms and turned to Draco, “Mr. Malfoy, if you could please bring her bag?”

Draco nodded mutely and gathered up the bag, then went to open the door for his professor.  They walked silently to Snape’s quarters and Draco stood around uselessly while Severus went to put Brogan in her bed.

When Snape came back out he took the bag from Draco’s hands and dropped it on the floor next to the couch.  “How are you doing today Draco?”  He actually touched Draco’s cheek and peered closely in the quiet boy’s eyes.  “You seem unnaturally quiet, do you feel as if the trauma from the other night is catching up to you?”

Draco shook off the hand, and stepped back a bit.  “No sir, I’m sorry, I was just daydreaming when you came in.  Actually I feel a bit better than I did before.  I think I’m not as frightened now, now that we’ve been tested a bit.”

“That’s good, your hovering was obnoxious to me -I can’t imagine how Brogan could stand it.”

“She didn’t really,” Draco replied with a fond smile, moving over to the couch.

“Were you able to meet with Professor Slughorn before his dramatic departure?”

Snape sat down across from his student, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning his head back in an uncharacteristic pose, “Thanks to Miss Granger we were able to chat.  Horace was unusually forthcoming; we learned a lot about the circumstances of Brogan’s mother taking that potion and also what number Tom Riddle considered the most magically significant.”

“Really sir, what number is that?”  Draco asked, deciding instantly that he didn’t want to pry at all into the circumstances around Lily Potter.  He felt a little ambivalent about her but knew very well that neither Severus nor Brogan shared his opinion.

“Seven, Draco.”

“Seven is pretty significant -and huge, it’s good that two are gone already I guess.”

Snape gave Draco a somewhat blank look but allowed himself to look tired for a moment.

“Are you alright sir?  Is the trauma of being a father catching up to you?”

Snape also allowed himself to kick Draco, but his eyes had slipped closed and he didn’t open them again.

“I can see myself out Severus.  Good night.”  Draco walked away and Snape stayed there on his couch, a litany repeating itself in his head; words and images flashing on his eyelids “the diary, the ring, Slytherin’s locket from the memory, possibly a cup rumored to belong to Hufflepuff, Nagini, maybe something from Ravenclaw, and the malevolent bit of dark and twisted soul lodged in his daughter’s forehead linking them so neither can live while the other survives.

Before she was even cleared to return to classes Snape had his daughter in the Room of Requirement with him blowing up dummies and practicing shields. 

“What will you do if Madam Pomfrey finds out what we’re doing?”  Brogan asked, her face was flushed after a half hour of work and she was holding a drippy glass of ice water up to her cheek.

“Lie.” was the curt response as he demolished another dummy, this one giving off a whiff of ozone as it disappeared.

“You know Da, I really am learning to love you.”  Snape gave her a smile which was actually a terrifying display of teeth and malevolence but Brogan had gotten used to him by now and took it as a reciprocation of affection. She watched him destroy a few more things and then he joined her for his own glass of water.

“So, did you get a chance to tell the Headmaster about the magic number?”  Brogan was still extraordinarily relieved that her task was over and absurdly grateful that she hadn’t done it alone.  Really her presence was barely required between Hermione cannily checking on him and Snape looming, Slughorn had just rolled over and given them everything.  Yuck, that was an unsettling metaphor.

“I did and he believes he has a lead on where an item might be.  The orphanage had regular outings to the seaside, to one beach in particular, and the Headmaster has found a cave nearby apparently oozing with magic.”

“So, like that locket might be in a cave by the seaside?”

“Yes.”

“And he’s going to retrieve it, alone or with Order members?”

“He inquired if you were available to go with him.”

“Me?  Why me?  I can’t even use magic off the school grounds.”

“Indeed, the mind boggles does it not?”

“So, what did you say?  Am I available?”

Snape gave her a look which strongly suggested she was either an imbecile or he was completely immune to her sarcasm.   “He acquiesced to the three of us going.”

“Really?  Why is he so keen on me going?  Does he want me to wear a bikini in case we meet some Death Eaters?”

Snape growled and Brogan laughed and pointed to the other side of the room where a fresh crop of dummies had appeared.  Rather than the faceless black robed dummies the room usually created these had long white hair, beards and were wearing garish robes.  They destroyed all of them together and had large grins by the end.

 ---------

“Do you think it’s true that the Headmaster can speak to the spirit of Hogwarts?”  Brogan asked a little nervously as they made their way down the stairs after the session.

“Absolutely not, he just gets the paintings to spy for him,” sneered Snape glaring at a very obvious looking man in a nearby frame with a huge mustache and a strange yellowy-green waistcoat.

“It’s not as if it’s a bother!” muttered the man when Brogan glanced back at him with a smile.

 ---------

A week later Snape hadn’t said another word about their trip to the seaside so Brogan worked up the courage to ask.  “You’re still recovering; besides the weather has been horrid lately, what’s the point of going to the seaside when it’s so poor out?”

It was nice to be sheltered and protected for once but Brogan was notoriously bad about dreading upcoming events, surely her da had noticed during the Triwizard Tournament?  Draco knew all too well what a brooder Harry was; he had seen him pale and sweaty before the dragon task and then completely calm and competent once he was actually facing the humongous furious fire-breathing dragon.

Draco knew that left to her own devices, and Snape’s, she would have spent all of August pale and sweaty in that little bedroom at Spinner’s End so it was with a surprising amount of determination that he accepted the challenge of getting them out every day that month and keeping Harry, or Princess, busy.  And then they were finally at Hogwarts and dragons were showing up every fortnight or so to keep Brogan distracted but now thanks to the headmaster they were back in the metaphorical tent and waiting.

He tried homework as a distraction and failed pretty miserably, it seemed as though if given the opportunity Brogan really would have left Hogwarts for more practical training that year.  She would scrape out something barely acceptable for homework and that was it.  If Draco tried to inspire some scholastic pride Brogan would just roll her eyes and ask how knowing when to pick puffapods was useful for killing Death Eaters.  Which bothered Draco for many reasons but bothered him too much to actually respond coherently.

He avoided her for a few days after that, silently fuming because his father was a Death Eater you know, and a lot of his friends fathers too, and actually her own father as a matter of fact.  And so he was rather surprised when Ron slipped into the bathroom behind him before lunch and threw a careless locking spell at the door.

“Anyone can get through that you know, like literally a first-year could.”  Draco sneered.

“I am familiar with how first-years can get through locked doors and into places where they really shouldn’t.”  Ron smiled, “But Hermione is already at lunch.  Besides, I don’t need that long.”  Ron finished, getting more serious.

Draco sighed and leaned against the wall, letting his head thunk the stones a tiny bit.  “I know, she’s a mess.  It’s the nerves and I can’t distract her.”

“What have you tried?”

“Homework.”

Ron scoffed, “That’s it? She isn’t Hermione you know.  ‘Sides, the Dursleys punished Harry if he got better grades than his cousin Dudley and his cousin Dudley is an absolute moron.”

“Oh.” said Draco in a quiet voice.

“I think the whole nerves thing goes back to the Dursleys actually, he was so powerless there you know.  And they were so, I don’t know, cruel.  He had this Aunt Marge that hated him and had a dog that also hated Harry; Dudley would start teasing as soon as he knew Marge was coming, right,” and Ron started in a bitter sing-song that made Draco’s hackles rise, “Aunt Marge is coming, with Ripper and Ripper is going to rip you.”

“So he gets this dread going...”  Ron trailed off but Draco had nothing to add besides maybe another softer oh.

“It seems like you really do like Brogan, you know with that necklace and all and you’ve stuck it out almost the whole year now.”  He swallowed, “With Harry, or Brogan, almost everything goes back to the Dursleys.  Whenever he’s acting really weird or you just can’t figure him out try to remember that.”

Draco nodded instead of saying oh again, “Snape takes him for training almost every night now.  I think they just blow up dummies but that probably helps, right?”

Ron nodded, pleased.  “Has she said anything about researching the horcruxes?  How they’re made or how to destroy them?”

“No, and I don’t want her to do that.”

“Yeah, she’d figure things out way too fast if she thought about them at all.”

“I wonder if the, the horcrux, is trying to suppress those thoughts.”  Draco whispered.

Ron turned green, “I hate thinking about it being sentient...”

“Do you think the poisoned mead might have hurt it?”

Ron gave him a sympathetic look, “No mate, he came just as close to death when the basilisk bit him and that didn’t hurt it.”

Draco nodded tightly his eyes glassy.

“Do you know if Snape has learned anything?”

“I don’t think he has, I think that’s why he goes to the room and destroys shit all the time.  He’s gone through most of his books by now; but he doesn’t have as many dark books as my father does.”

“There are lots of places to get books Draco.”  Ron said severely.

Draco shrugged and Ron shifted closer to put a hand on his shoulder. “If you went back to your father and found the information how would you even get it back to us?  And how would we explain to Brogan why you went back?  The only thing that would satisfy her would be the truth and, and then she would know and you would be gone, and then what?  Then what would she do?”

They stood quietly for a long moment, until they heard a fist banging on the door, “Oi!  I gotta take a leak and I’m not walking across the bloody castle to find another loo!”

Draco cast a disillusionment charm on himself so whoever was banging would think Ron had locked himself in alone for whatever reason.  Ron gave his general area a two-fingered salute as he opened the door.  (But really if word got out about Draco and Ron locked in the boys bathroom together the school might have collapsed.)

 ---------

Draco tried playing chess with Brogan but she lost and pouted and refused to play again.  He tried playing exploding snap, but really he was a sixth year Slytherin he had outgrown that ridiculous game on his way to the train first year.  Eventually they rediscovered the joys of flying together. 

“Do you think,” asked Brogan one afternoon with her eyes sparkling and her cheeks rosy, “do you think you like me enough to buy me a Firebolt?”

“You already have a Firebolt.” Draco replied, winded and confused.

“I know that, you could just pretend to buy me one and then I could fly my Firebolt.”

Draco looked at her with his mouth slightly gaping, Brogan had flown higher and faster and dammit, more recklessly, than he had ever seen anyone fly before.  If Snape got wind of these ‘practices’ or, Merlin forbid, saw them he would use Draco for potion ingredients.  He would start with Draco’s toenails and work his way up to vital organs and have Draco test each potion as he went.  - And she wanted a better faster broom with which to hurl herself to an early grave?  Not bloody likely.

“No,” Draco finally bit out, “I absolutely do not like you enough to buy you a Firebolt.”

Brogan laughed and blew him a rasberry before she went hurtling down the lake, skimming her toes on the water.  Draco leaned back with his shoulders pulling his broomstick up in a lazy arc, flying higher so he could watch her small shape disappear in the distance, and thought about the Dursleys. 

 ---------

Hermione also noticed how stressed Brogan was getting and decided that she should enlist her help in learning more about horcruxes, but for some reason, maybe it was the same insight that had led her to checking on Slughorn that night -she wasn’t sure, anyway she decided to bounce her idea off of Ron first.

They were in the library together, Hermione double checking her footnotes and Ron just trying to reach twelve bloody inches dammit, how could they be expected to write so much on something so simple?  Hermione finished and couldn’t think of anything else to do, so as much as she didn’t want to interrupt Ron and his twelve bloody inches she was bored and it was on her mind.

“Ron, do you think I should ask Brogan for help with my research?”

Ron gave her a mildly harassed look, “No.” he said curtly and tried to throw himself back at his essay so she wouldn’t want to know why he said that.

Hermione just gave him a very determined look and he began twirling his quill as he figured out what to say.  Something about how Hermione was jealous that Brogan had finished her task and now she wanted to pull her in to help with her own?  That would be less than useless.  Something about how they shouldn’t be seen working together, but they could overcome that with barely any thought at all.

He could tell her that Draco needed the help more but Hermione and Brogan were awkward together now.  They were still friends and he knew that they still loved each other very much but they hadn’t figured out the details yet.  It was so reasonable that Hermione would want to research a project with Brogan, spend time with her like she had with Harry and get over being strangers now.

“Maybe you can ask to be partners for some other project, just not that one.”

“Why?  Harry destroyed one when he was a second year, surely he will have some insights.”

“That was a complete coincidence and we all know it.”

Hermione sighed but she didn’t try to deny it.  Ron reached out for her hand and pulled his chair around so he sat facing her, “I just don’t want Brogan to research horcruxes, I don’t particularly want you to research them either.  Not any of us actually.  We could probably leave it to the adults you know, maybe just this once.”

“Ron, we virtually are the adults now.  Is there a specific reason you don’t want to Brogan to research them?”

Ron nodded.

“And you won’t tell me?”  Ron looked at his shoes, but still held her hand.

“Are you trying to do some noble protect the womenfolk garbage?”

Ron swallowed, “It’s something really really awful and if Brogan finds out she won’t handle it well, so yeah, it is a noble womenfolk thing.  But I would do it if she was still Harry so maybe it’s just protect everyone. 

And the reason I don’t want you to know is, I don’t know.  It will make you sad, it will make you cry and feel helpless and terrible and I feel like I would rather cut off my own arms or have you hate me forever, or even be really huffy and cross for weeks, then watch you cry for a minute if I could help it.”  Ron dared to look up and meet her eyes then, he looked down again quickly reading her next argument in the line of her shoulders even if her mouth wasn’t open to voice it yet.

“I know that you would help, you would read every book in the library; but Snape and Draco are already working on that, right?  And you’re the one who’s always like trust Snape and leave it to the adults.”

Hermione blushed a little and nodded.  “But how am I supposed to not wonder?  You make it sound like something that I might be able to figure out if I think about it for a while.”  She saw Ron look away, not trusting himself to confirm her suspicion -except looking away did confirm her suspicion.

She smacked his arm lightly, trying to release some of the stifling tension that had spread around them.  “Honestly, how am I supposed to not think about it now?  Don’t you know me at all?”

Ron nudged her knee with his own, “you started it.”

“I suppose,” Hermione huffed a little, “but that doesn’t really help now.”

“Maybe a distraction would suit you too.”

“What sort of distraction are you proposing Ron?” Hermione asked with a downright coy look.

Ron felt the tips of his ears start to burn with his blush, he squeezed the hand that he was still (still) holding,

---------

Draco was telling off a swotty little first year Gryffindor, apparently the cocky little thing had been rushing or something and jostled Pansy who was deeply engrossed in telling a story with both hands fluttering all around and she had crashed into a wall.  Brogan was pretty sure that Pansy wasn’t hurt, except her pride of course, and the little lion probably didn’t deserve quite the chewing out he was getting but it didn’t seem to be bothering him too much.  On the contrary it looked like he was straining himself to look as contrite as he could manage so Draco would, please Merlin, let it go already.

It was actually a drama that repeated itself frequently whenever Draco and Pansy were strolling along together paying little to no attention to anything around them.  Brogan found herself trying to remember why it had always irked her so deeply.  It used to make her completely mad, the gross injustice of Draco carrying on, but now she just saw it as an old habit or the bit of drama that it was.  The swotty little lion certainly wasn’t going to be scarred for life because of Draco’s bitching, in fact he was shooting glances over to Pansy now -secret little glances that Pansy was returning with a bit of an eye roll herself.  Well, Draco really was hitting his stride now so that was understandable.

Brogan felt a flush creep across her chest, she had watched variations on this scene all year -actually for several years if you counted the times she had played the swotty lion part and just now she was realizing it was all a lark.  She truly didn’t have a sense of humor before, it was worse than embarrassing to watch that little Gryffindor stand up to Draco and flirt with Pansy knowing that if it had been him, Harry him, he would have gone toe to toe with Draco and made it into a huge fight.  Why had he been such a prat before and how had he changed so quickly, well obviously a lot of quick changes had happened, but this was moral crisis disturbing, this was grasping at the edge of the void disturbing...

“Draco hasn’t found a good sparring person since you changed,” Pansy sighed as Brogan realized the yelling had ended and they were walking again.  “The unresolved sexual tension between you two was always magnificent.”

“Is that what it was?” Brogan asked softly, hoping Draco was still fuming and not listening, “I thought I was just a twat.”

Pansy wrapped an arm around the shorter girl and pulled her in close, “Sorry to say you were actually flirting dear.  Maybe I can get you a book with diagrams.”

“You’re not the first to offer me a book; Hermione told me I had the emotional range of a teaspoon once.”

Pansy laughed and laughed, Brogan looked up to see Draco’s shoulders shaking too, the eavesdropping traitor.

---------

It was a week later, on a Monday when they were having bangers for lunch that Brogan got a letter.  Brogan almost never got letters but she tried to act casual and like a normal person who actually knew people outside of the castle.  Which she did, of course, because the letter was from Bill.

Dear Brogan,

I went to an interesting little gathering last night.  They mentioned Harry Potter might be taking a trip soon.  I tried really hard to get myself invited along too but it was no go.  It sounded as if they didn’t want anyone else to go.  (Your da was not present to voice his no doubt loud and angry objections to that idea.)

Maddeningly frustrating but the one who wants to take Harry on this jaunt alone had his points.  He is correct that as an underage wizard certain wards will not register his presence.  Makes it rather clever to bring along an underage person on such an adventure and frankly I can’t argue that he's the best choice for a powerful secret weapon.  - Don’t let any of the other kids know that I said so.

Also, I don’t know if you noticed what with dodging enchanted necklaces and being poisoned but it seems as if someone is trying to do some serious harm to someone up there at Hogwarts.  We had a rather interesting discussion about who exactly they’re trying to damage (how could one girl not named Harry be so bloody unlucky?) but the who is almost incidental when the perpetrator is so sloppy.  The upshot of that conversation was that perhaps it is not the best idea to have all the thumping good wizards traipsing around leaving the castle all alone (with only all the other professors and staff there to protect the sprogs from sloppiness.)

And again, your da was not invited to lodge his most vehement complaints.  Not that the meeting was anything close to democratic mind you.

I would write to your da but I don’t really trust him not to go raging after he reads it and I rather like my head attached to my shoulders.  I shouldn’t be writing at all of course but I’m starting to figure you out: more information, not less.  It sounds like this trip has been in the works for weeks now, I bet the waiting is driving Harry mad.

The weather seems to be clearing though, I think it will be soon.  Be prepared Princess.

Yours,

Bill

Brogan folded her letter up and almost found herself clutching it to her breast like a complete girl, but then again she was supposed to be acting like one so she indulged.  Bill was so so awesome.  Aside from being a shit for writing all that down in a letter that could be intercepted by anyone friend or foe alike, it was the most dead useful letter Brogan had ever received.  She sighed, clutched and sighed, Merlin’s pants maybe she should flutter her eyelashes too or something. 

Draco gave her a seriously disturbed look so she handed the letter over.  Draco’s response was not to clutch his chest or flutter, he sneered at her and for a moment Brogan remembered the comment about her being the best choice but somehow she thought that wasn’t what was making Draco sneer.  It was so much easier though to ask what didn’t make Draco sneer.

Brogan sighed again, and thought about the Quidditch practice schedule.  During Charms she managed to slip the letter into Hermione’s book with a hastily scribbled note at the bottom, ‘tonight 8:30’.

When Brogan and Draco reached the room they were flustered and giggly, they had encountered a few people on their way and Draco had been really amusing with his innuendos that they were heading for a secret broom closet.  Ron was freshly showered from his practice and had required the room to provide a huge tray of cheese and crackers, Hermione had required a big chalkboard that she was swiftly filling.

She wrote a lot of things that everyone already knew, and she drew underlines on some but eventually she gave up and joined Ron by the crackers.

Finally Ron spoke, “Dumbledore is not going to let Snape go with him, not unless we catch the assassin first and I really don’t see that happening.  We have nothing.  So the question is, do we let Dumbledore go alone.  And by we of course I mean you Brogan, are you going to let Dumbledore go alone?  The last time he tried to destroy a horcrux he almost died immediately, I’m sure he hasn’t done anything smart like tell someone else where this thing might be hidden.  If we let him go and he doesn’t make it back we won’t know where he is or if he accomplished anything.”

“Could we put a tracking charm on him?” asked Hermione.

“Probably not, not without his permission at least.  I’m sure he would notice otherwise and just rip it off.” answered Draco.

“What about Fawkes?  If the Headmaster doesn’t return do you think we could send him off to bring him back?”  asked Brogan.

“We could ask but Fawkes wouldn’t have to answer, it seems risky to just put it all on a creature like that.  If Dumbledore does die, which you know, I hope he doesn’t of course, but if he did then whatever bond they have would be broken.”  Hermione responded glumly.

The following silence was so complete they couldn’t even bring themselves to eat more crackers.  Finally Hermione roused herself, “Alright, nobody is dead yet so here’s what we’re going to do.  The Headmaster will want to go quickly once he decides and make it so Brogan can’t tell us or her father that she’s leaving.”

With a flick of her wand she had the board erased and was writing on it again, “Brogan needs to put together a go-bag with all the useful things we can think of and keep it on her at all times.”

“What’s a go-bag?” asked Draco although it was clear Ron didn’t know either.

“It’s a thing that some muggles prepare in case of an emergency, it has useful things like I just said.”  Hermione answered impatiently, her chalk flying across the board.

“But surely she’ll have her wand, what else would she need?”

“Muggles bring water.”  Hermione said tapping the word water on her list.

“Aguamenti” responded Draco, flicking his wand and crossing out water.

Hermione glared at him, “Brogan, do you know how to do that charm?”

Brogan nodded and Hermione allowed it to stay crossed off.  They spent a while arguing but eventually they had a very short list of go-items and a slightly longer list of spells that Brogan should brush up on.  It was perilously close to having accomplished nothing and yet they all felt better somehow.

Draco was assuring Hermione that he had a wallet thing -not a man-purse whatever she meant by that- which they could use as the bag.  Hermione was asking about extension and weightless charms, they were being very cordial but clearly testing each other.  Brogan drifted over to the cheese and Ron.

“That was good of Bill to write wasn’t it?”  Brogan asked.

“Yeah, it was.  It’s kind of funny how many Weasleys know your secret.”

Brogan wasn’t sure how to respond to that but she hadn’t actually told anyone herself except for Hermione.  However pathetic that was Brogan was willing to cling to it as an out, as a reason to maintain some pretense of secrecy.  As a reason not to say, ‘hey Ginny I’m a girl now and going out with Draco Malfoy but I’ve caught you and Dean in that fourth floor closet like twice so I suppose you’ll get over it too, right?’

If Ron expected her to say something he gave it up when Brogan stuffed half the wheel of cheddar in her mouth at once.

Soon enough Hermione was handing her a list of spells to learn, Draco was crisply folding his list of items for the bag and then Hermione was pulling Ron away from the crackers and quizzing him on the completion of his homework.  Brogan started to chuckle at them but Draco whipped around and asked her about a transfiguration essay they had due the day after tomorrow.

Ron caught Draco’s comment and started laughing, for a moment Brogan and Ron just looked at each other and Brogan’s cocked eyebrow said, ‘we could ditch them and go play snap for an hour,’ but Ron spread his hands out to say, ‘nah, it’s for the best.’  And then Ron and Hermione were on their way to the library.

Since the others had left Draco seemed to decide that they could do their homework where they were for a little while, and also the cheese was still there.  “You know,” remarked Draco casually, “when we return we need to look as though we’ve been in broom closet...”

---------

Snape was sitting near the fire with a potions journal when Brogan finally returned to their rooms.  He didn’t seem bothered by the time, a few minutes past curfew, or the way her hair was extra tangled.  She sat down on the couch across from him, crossed her ankles and took a deep breath.

“I heard you aren’t going after the locket with us.”  She dropped right into it, she knew her professor and father better than to bother with chit chat.

“It’s not my preference but the headmaster and I have discussed it and we seem to be leaning that way.  I was remiss, apparently, in not telling you.”

Brogan shrugged, “Maybe, but it’s okay.  The others think that it’s all Dumbledore’s doing but I wasn’t so sure.  It’s so that you can keep your cover as a spy isn’t it?  There’s someone in the castle trying to kill the headmaster and if they’re in the castle they might discover you’re missing.”

“More or less,” Snape shrugged elegantly.  “Are you concerned for your safety, going with just the Headmaster?”

“Not really.  You’ve been showing me tricks for weeks now and the others have some ideas for other spells I can learn, other things I can bring.

And the Headmaster isn’t too shabby himself of course.”  Brogan added with a smile.

“No, he’s quite proficient.  I wasn’t trying to toy with your emotions though when I was insisting on going as well.  However much I trust you and, grudgingly, the Headmaster I would prefer to go too.”  Snape seemed rather fixed on making his daughter understand what was political maneuvering and what was earnest concern.

“I know.” Brogan smiled, she touched his shoulder lightly on her way to bed, for the Snape family it was quite tender.

It was only a few days later that the Headmaster pulled Brogan aside at lunch with a gleam in his eye.  Brogan tried to gleam back but it was hard.  True, she had felt much much better after Bill's letter, after meeting with her friends and pulling together a list of spells to study, items to carry with her in a little bag shrunken and stuffed in her pocket.  And she was hugely relieved the waiting was finally over.

She was also relieved, just a bit, deep deep inside, that her da wasn't coming with them.   Brogan was becoming very fond of Snape, in many ways they were a lot alike and of course if you're determined to not like someone and you're a lot alike it's just going to make you vicious about slamming doors or thrown jars of bat eyeballs, things that you might not even notice otherwise.

But despite all the relief flooding through her she could still remember the way Tom Riddle's diary had screamed and the black ink that had gushed like blood after she stabbed it.  Plus the headmaster still had that withered hand, dark evidence of the curse that was slowly choking off his life.  This was not going to be a fun trip to the seaside even if Draco and Hermione had brewed up a sunscreen potion and stuffed it in her tiny bag.

"It would suit us best if I'm seen during the dinner hour Miss Snape, but it would not do to linger over my pudding.  Perhaps at 7:00 we can meet near the front door?"

"Of course sir," Brogan replied demurely to the headmaster, "but won't my da have obligations at that hour?  There are almost always detentions or prefect meetings at that hour."  She didn't quite dare to lift her head, unsure of how innocent her eyes were at this moment.

"Ah yes, well, unfortunately there are some security concerns in addition to your father's hectic schedule and it will be just the two of us my child."

Brogan really had to look up at that, some surprise would be good too but it was just too much effort.  "Alright then sir, seven o'clock it is."  She turned away and left before she saw it but whatever face she had shown, whatever degrees of disappointment, disdain and resignation; the headmaster was more shaken than she could ever have predicted.  He sagged in on himself as he watched her walk away, regret thudded behind his eyes but this was the course he had chosen and he didn't think he could change it now.

Brogan's heart was thudding too, finally finally finally.  She slid into the seat next to Draco's at transfiguration; linking their hands she leaned near his ear to whisper, "seven o'clock tonight."

Draco squeezed back and brushed his lips over her cheek as he turned to face the front, neither one moved to unlink their hands for a long long time.  They spent the second half of the class transfiguring white handkerchiefs into doves and then chasing the birds around the room (and vanishing messes).  It was all too easy during the melee for Draco to pass the time along to Ron.

Five minutes later Hermione was over near their table scooping up her perfect white bird, "kitchens at six?" she murmured.  Brogan smiled brightly and nodded back.

Actually kitchens at six was a horrible idea, the elves were super busy but felt awful anyway about not instantly laying out a seven course meal.  They ended up hiding in an empty classroom with a picnic hamper.  Ron was the nervous eater of their grim little party so he inhaled most of the food.  Draco picked at something and then tossed it down and wiped his hands, he bumped Brogan's shoulder and announced to the room, "We will have to ask Dobby to cater the debriefing.  I can't eat now, but later, when you're back safe we'll all stay up shockingly late eating those tuna things and rehashing every detail."

Ron smiled broadly at the rest, thankfully with his mouth closed, and after a big swallow he informed Draco, "I can eat when I'm relieved too so tha's alright."

The others laughed and let Ron distract them.  They checked Brogan's bag one last time and Hermione took some of the more sturdy fruit from their hamper and stuffed it in with an apologetic smile.  Brogan hugged them all goodbye in the classroom, trying desperately to not make it a big deal, and then walked off to meet the headmaster.  She wasn't surprised at all that Snape was already waiting there.

Snape inspected his daughter carefully as she walked towards him; she was wearing black pants and a black sweater over a dark green long sleeved shirt.  She had stout boots on too.  They seemed to be early so she pulled out her bag and unshrunk it before passing it over wordlessly.  Snape opened it and saw the invisibility cloak, some fruit that would probably be smashed soon, sandwiches, a potion knife, a few bottles labeled as sunscreen and pepper-up, a towel which seemed odd and unnecessary, and some coins. 

After a bit of thought he reached into his coat and pulled out two more bottles, "blood replenishing," he enunciated clearly twirling the bottle a little so Brogan would recognize it again and added it to the bag then "pain reliever" and showed her that too.  He dropped it in and handed the bag back.  They were already standing quite close so it was easy to drape his arm across her shoulders and hold her close, "ten points to Slytherin for being well prepared."

Brogan turned so she could hug him properly and then stepped back a little, "I learned a few more spells too.  -Not that I'm fishing for more points or anything."

"No never, I'm sure.  However, return in one piece tonight and I promise to persuade the headmaster into giving us the house cup."

"Oh, imagine if we made it a house competition, there are what four left, we could have all the houses racing to destroy them.  And we'll just sit back to watch them win the war for us."

"A scavenger hunt, we can put clues in the Daily Prophet."  Snape joked along with her.

"Exactly, there's no need for me to hog all the glory like this."

Snape hugged her again, "There is no need, but you seem to have just enough ridiculous Gryffindor in you."  The voices in the Great Hall seemed to rise just then, students were finishing their supper.  Snape pushed Brogan behind his back and flared out his robes to better hide her, "quickly, put your cloak on."

Brogan did so and then she stood quietly.  Snape's body remained angled so that the students streaming past them couldn't see his hand oddly grasping the empty air next to him.  Eventually the headmaster arrived, ridiculously flamboyant as ever and spoke quietly to Snape who seethed a little, just for show, and then the Headmaster departed -through the front door with all the students watching and one student invisibly following.

Draco was loitering on the stairs a flight or two up from the front doors; his eyes narrowed as he watched the grand exit.  This was more than the Headmaster leaving Snape behind to supposedly protect the students, this was setting a trap.  Involuntarily Draco sought out Ron, his brain just had to find Ron and confirm this with him; Ron was closer to the Great Hall doors and he was scowling too.  A trap it was.

Ron lied to Ernie Macmillan about going out with Hermione over the weekend so he could patrol the halls that night.  Draco set himself up in the Slytherin common room with a clear view of the door and monitored every student coming and going.  Hermione piled a table with books near the entrance to the library and surreptitiously pulled out the Marauder's Map.  Next to her was another highly enchanted piece of parchment, this one had a protean charm on it so that she could write back and forth to Draco.

They hadn't really expected the Headmaster's show except they had expected something and so had pulled together their surveillance plan.  Hermione had asked about working with or at least telling Professor Snape but Brogan had scoffed.  "It isn't worth someone overhearing us or giving it away some other way.  You, especially you and especially Ron, have to act completely suspicious of my da.

He probably suspects you'll do something like this anyway, and even if he doesn't it will only take him seconds to figure it out and go along."

And although the first hour dragged by inexorably the second one flew.  Draco was disillusioned now and creeping after Theodore Nott, Blaise Zabini was covering for him back in the common room, Ron was patrolling a corridor over from Professor Snape (following Hermione's instructions -they had their own parchment) and Hermione was quasi-hysterical watching them all converge on the astronomy tower.

She watched the Theodore figure step out on top of the tower, the Draco figure was lurking one floor down.  The Snape figure was stalking and pacing, it was amazing to see it pace, then it paused (Hermione racked her brain trying to figure if there was a window nearby or not) and then the words Severus Snape were whizzing towards the astronomy tower too.  Hermione glanced at the clock as she watched words slide down a hall towards the stairs. 

Her job was to watch the map and send updates; the library was closing in fifteen minutes and it would take her five to get back to the tower.  Hermione had no idea what to do, she really didn't want to have to pack up and talk to Madam Pince while exciting things were happening.  Not that she could tell how exciting something was just looking at the map.

She packed up the books while she thought, flicking her wand to add them to the restacking cart.  Ron must have heard Professor Snape running because he was chasing him too, damn.  Hermione hadn't decided about telling him that Snape was apparently doing something or not, she was leaning towards not just because she didn't really want her hot-headed Gryffindor charging into a very Slytherin-looking showdown.  She paused and wrote ‘DISCRETION RON, STEALTH!' on his parchment, knowing he probably wouldn't look at it anyway.

The astronomy tower was further away than Gryffindor, it would take her ten minutes to get there because she'd have to go down a flight and then over a corridor...  And she wasn't patrolling tonight, curfew was coming.  "Really Hermione?" she found herself arguing with herself out loud in the library.  Madam Pince looked at her with a tiny bit of alarm.

Hermione gave her a vague smile back, "I apologize madam, homework stress you know."  It was best that she leave the library in any case.  The hallway was darker than the library as Hermione trailed along it but there was a torch near the window so she wandered over there.  The window had a view of the actual astronomy tower too, Hermione was almost so bookish that she didn't bother looking up -after all it wasn't like she would be able to see a bunch of Slytherins dressed in black lurking around up there, except she could.  She could see a student and Professor Snape facing each other on the roof, she could see them quite plainly in the green light of the Dark Mark that was shining above them.

Hermione looked down at the map, desperate to make sure the student was Theodore Nott and then she saw Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter come streaking across the grounds and towards the tower.  She looked up once more but couldn't see them, but then she could see the headmaster, he was on a broom.  He was landing as far away from the others as he could, Harry must be under his cloak but his name came to rest as well.

Hermione had to tell Draco and Ron that the others were back and up there but she didn't think they would be checking their parchments anymore.  She could run there and find them, but then she couldn't watch.  Hermione heard the first shout, another student somewhere had looked out a window and seen the Dark Mark too.  She ran for the astronomy tower.

The trip to the cave had been about as bad as it could be considering they weren't dead yet and had the locket, the trip back to Hogsmeade was a hazy blur but then seeing the Dark Mark had done something to both Brogan and the headmaster.  Dumbledore stood up straight and strong; Brogan felt the charm on her eyes drop away as a rush of magic flew over her.  She raised her wand and called, "accio brooms" not caring a whit who's brooms came bursting over to them.  They mounted but before they could fly the Headmaster wrapped a hand around her broomstick.  "Miss Snape, put the cloak on now."

It was wasting precious time but foolish not to preserve whatever advantages they could.  Brogan ripped it out of her bag and dropped it over herself, shooting off a quick glare before she disappeared.  For a moment she thought that being invisible might mean she could fly like the devil and reach the tower before the Headmaster but he didn't fly fair. 

They landed behind Theodore Nott; Dumbledore somehow heard the ridiculously soft sound of her boots touching down because he shot an immobulus charm and caught her.  For a moment Brogan was furious and determined to break free but then a wave of agony crashed over her.  Her head was on fire and if she hadn't been frozen she would have been screaming and screaming.  He was here, he was here, how, where: her poor brain was trapped in an endless motionless voiceless scream and for a moment she thought, ‘oh god I'm going to go insane.'

The headmaster was not aware of the hell he had just condemned his student to, but he didn't hear her move again so he was satisfied that his spell had caught her.  He turned and approached the others.

Snape was speaking softly to Theodore Nott.  "Mr. Nott this is rather dramatic but someone will have to take the blame for it and I must say it shall not be me.  This could easily get you expelled, perhaps even some time in Azkaban and then what service will you be to our Lord?"

Theodore Nott faced his head of house without fear, "why don't we ask our Lord?" 

He raised his arm and a band that had been wrapped around his wrist dropped to the ground.  "Engorgio!" shouted Nott with that familiar Death Eater mania leaking into his voice.

The snake grew and grew until it was twelve feet long, coiling and twisting.  It reared up and stared right at Snape who felt Voldemort's presence wash over him.  There was no doubt that Voldemort was possessing his serpent at this moment, no doubt that he was aware of every word that was said here, every movement.  Snape could kill Nott, he could probably kill the snake too but Voldemort who was safe somewhere else would see it and know.  Dumbledore could arrive but he would have to kill all three of them and Snape knew he would never do that.  Dumbledore would not lose his best spy to save a person already dying, especially if that person was himself.

Snape realized he was kneeling before Nagini, to Nott's amusement perhaps.  He bowed his head and then stood back up awkwardly brushing his knees and honestly not remembering when he had decided to kneel.  Perhaps his knees had just given out in the face of such catastrophe.

But Nagini was here, Nagini could be killed and that would be one less horcrux.  If the headmaster was seen by Nagini and then struck quickly enough...  Snape could kill the headmaster afterwards, it would be difficult of course, but he could do it and then Nott would bear witness and they could escape.  Well, Snape could escape back to being their best placed spy, perhaps Nott could get captured and be one less Death Eater. 

"How does our Master plan on leaving here?  Surely the students will notice such a fearsome sight, and though many will run a few may attempt to fight."  Snape wasn't sure Nott would answer his question, he would be a fool if he did but he was young and had obviously worked hard on this plan.  Theodore Nott wasn't as physically captivating as Blaise Zabini or as charismatic as Draco Malfoy, he was often overlooked in his own house and a direct question from his Head of House, with a bit of flattery and Nott's new insanity; Snape hoped it would be enough.

"Our Lord knows the secrets of Hogwarts better than many, better than the fool Dumbledore -that's for sure.  There are ways for a... snake to travel unnoticed, many ways, and our Lord knows them all.  Knows them from the mighty Slytherin himself..."  Nott bragged but as soon as Snape heard him say ‘secrets' he was reaching the inevitable conclusion.  A castle that could hide a bloody basilisk and allow it free enough passage to attack students could certainly help a mere twelve foot serpent slip out into the night.  They were idiots not to think otherwise.

Nagini could leave right now, Snape was sure they had chosen this tower just because it had the most favorable escape route.  Nagini could leave now, Nott could kill himself and the Headmaster, Nott could make it look like Snape and the Headmaster killed each other and slip away disillusioned in the bedlam.  The worst case scenario was suddenly incredibly worse.

Albus might bring Brogan here too.  Would she watch her father kill a classmate of hers, or kill Albus Dumbledore, or would she interfere?  Could he commit murder in front of her?  It isn't murder with Albus he reminded himself weakly.

Hermione arrived at the tower in a mess of flying hair and parchment.  She was as quiet as she could be but it wasn't much since she had run the whole way, plus she wanted the boys to know she was there.  After half a thought she decided to lock and bar the door behind her, she cast a quick locking spell and then another and another and then she pushed a desk in front of it and then Draco and Ron were there and piling another desk on top and a chair and then Draco yanked out his wand and cast a strange little charm on all of it that turned it to rock.  He noticed Hermione's face and gave her a bashful look, "it won't last very long but it should make them a lot harder to push out of the way."

Ron nodded his approval too, "but why have we locked ourselves in here?  Who else is up there?"

"Theodore Nott, Professor Snape, and it looked like the headmaster and Harry just flew in on brooms.  Nott cast the Dark Mark in the sky above the tower, I expect the castle is going into lock down now and the other professors will be trying to reach the tower."

"And we're locking them out because..."  Ron had to ask.

"Maybe we're just locking us in, so Nott can't escape."  Draco snapped, he was completely rattled by Teddy being the mysterious sloppy assassin of doom.  They had been sharing a dorm since they were eleven for Merlin's sake, and sure he knew Teddy was a Death Eater - in Slytherin they were all sort of Death Eaters but only in the most nebulous keeping our families safe kind of way.

It had never occurred to Draco that Teddy might actually have bought into the garbage party line, that he was plotting all year long and had never confided or bragged or anything to Draco.  How was it even possible that he hadn't let a single word slip?

"I can't believe that's Teddy."  Draco finally sighed.

Hermione had spread out the map, "No, it's definitely Theodore Nott Jr. that's up there with Severus Snape and, oh my God, Nagini is there too.  How did that snake get in and how does a map know that stupid creature's name?"

Ron shouted "Nagini?" at the same time that Draco shouted "Junior?"

"What?" said Hermione, "Draco you first."

"Teddy is the third Theodore Nott, it must be his father with polyjuice up there.  Maybe he got frustrated about the other failures and decided to take his place."

"Snape will think he's facing some sixth year."

"How can we warn him?"

"We can't," Draco sighed, "but maybe we can make sure he doesn't escape alive."

"I wonder how they're planning on getting Nagini out?"  Hermione asked aloud.

"Probably the same way she came in,"

"And how was that Ron?" snapped Hermione.

Ron shrugged, "I don't know.  I don't even know how big the ruddy snake is; Harry said it was big but what does that mean, five feet long?"

"It's closer to twelve feet." Draco softly volunteered, shuddering at the thought of that hateful snake up there.

"Harry should have said it was huge," mused Hermione, "but I guess he's seen bigger snakes with the basilisk."

"The basilisk!  Hermione you're a genius again, that's how they're getting it around.  Tom Riddle knew the basilisk, he commanded it, so he must know how it travelled in the pipes and that's how he sent Nagini."

"So it could find some drain pipe up there and just slither down to the Chamber of Secrets and then slip out whenever."

"Harry said the chamber was below the lake somehow, there's probably a pipe so that it could just swim to freedom."  They were all talking over each other now and as one they turned back to the map but it just showed them their little names huddled together.

Hermione gave a choky little sob, "Please," she started putting her wand on the parchment, "Moony, Padfoot, Prongs, can you show us the pipes?"

Draco was thoroughly confused for a moment and then writing appeared on the parchment, "Little marauder, we would if we could but we don't know where they run."

"Dammit!" Ron cursed and then hurt his foot kicking the stone desk.  Draco started pacing around too and Hermione struggled to dry her eyes. 

She tried to get a hold of herself, "okay, so there's no loo up here or sink or anything.  It must be a drain pipe that they're using or maybe a vent.  Would it be on an outside wall?  Can we look out the windows and see if there's a drain pipe?"

They each ran to a window but it was dark and they couldn't tell.  "If it was raining we could listen for the water."  Hermione had decided to think out loud for the time being, in case it spurred someone else on to a better thought.

"There's a spell to find water," Draco said casting it instantly but whatever pipe they were looking for was too dry to show up.

"Alright, so that's a dead end," Ron finally said, "now what?"

Dumbledore was so doomed.  The potion he drank in the cave was choking him as if he had dementors in his blood, he could just blearily see that Teddy Nott and Severus were facing off against each other in front of him but he didn't know how far Severus might have gotten in talking Teddy down.  He hadn't really expected Nott;a pureblood Ravenclaw maybe or even another Gryffindor betrayal along the lines of Peter Pettigrew but this was unexpected.  And unexpected was bad.

Severus seemed frightened too, perhaps Teddy had back up.  But how could that be possible?  He needed to communicate with Severus, as stealthily as possible he crept around so that he could make eye contact.  He was hoping that they could cast legilimens at each other, it would be tricky from this distance but they were so familiar to each other. 

He had known Severus Snape since he was eleven years old after all.  Had known him all through his difficult years at Hogwarts being picked on and teased by the Gryffindors, that horrible night when Sirius Black tried to trick him into seeing Remus transform.  The horrible night when Lily had died, when Severus had come to him sobbing and clawing at his own arm, filled with such regret and despair. 

And recently of course, he had watched Severus and Brogan inching their way towards being a family.  Hogwarts professors were a rather lonely lot, cooped up and boarding with all the children all the time.  Most had chosen this career but Severus had less of a choice than the others and it really didn't suit him.  The children annoyed him, the professors were either too old and remembered him as a child (thus embarrassing him) or they were his age and embarrassed themselves with their frivolity.  Severus Snape was an exacting man and cautious in his friendships, Hogwarts was simply too small a pool for him to make connections.

But family was different from all that, and if there was one person in all the world that craved a family more than Severus it was Harry.  Dumbledore shuddered then, thinking of his own family as the potion stirred up his regrets again.

Maybe it was that sudden movement, more likely it was just because he had no idea the snake was there.  But Nagini rose up then, towering over Dumbledore and hissing.  Theodore Nott spun around with a crucio on his lips and Dumbledore - with his cursed hand and the potion and the giant killing snake inside his school and now a sixth year casting a surprisingly powerful unforgivable curse at him-  Dumbledore was doomed.

Draco crept up the stairs to investigate.  First he saw Nagini swaying in the slowly fading light of the Dark Mark.  Her head was the same height as a man's and she was gazing down on the headmaster who was writhing below her, it was quite likely the most gruesome sight he had ever seen.  Brogan was nowhere to be seen, probably under her cloak, and quiet -probably spelled so by the headmaster otherwise her ridiculously tiny and brave self would be defending Dumbledore no matter what.

Dumbledore looked horrible, Draco couldn't help but hope someone granted him the mercy of death soon, and as advantageously as possible.  Voldemort was probably possessing Nagini to witness Dumbledore's death but after that she could certainly die too.  And Teddy, well it wasn't Teddy was it, it was a full grown Death Eater in Hogwarts so he could die last Draco decided.  But after Nagini so the Dark Lord wouldn't know who had done it.  So: Dumbledore, Nagini, Nott -and then Snape should escape, that was all sorted.

Snape was standing next to Nott now, watching with Nagini.  Draco tried to creep around behind the serpent while it was transfixed.  Although he was disillusioned the beast might scent him, but then again he had no intention of getting the slightest bit close.

Snape was exhorting Nott to cease his petty torturing and Nott did actually end the spell, he stepped closer to the groaning old man, whose harsh breaths were echoing weirdly in the sudden quiet,  and stripped the wand from his nerveless fingers.  Nott stepped back and gestured grandly to Snape, "Professor?" he invited twirling the stolen wand.

Dumbledore was twisting on his back looking as though he was still being tortured.  Tremors after crucio were common, it could have also been the poison though.  Or perhaps he was just being dramatic and trying to keep as many eyes on himself as he could.

Nagini was certainly transfixed, her head bobbed as though she was laughing but Snape was as steady as anything.  He gave Nott a venomous look, nodded deferentially to the observing serpent and easily cast the killing curse at Albus Dumbledore.  Draco took one breath in the sudden silence afterwards, another,  and then cast a vicious dark slicing hex that decapitated the serpent with a spew of blood, he whipped around quickly to the shocked Theodore Nott and cast an explosive expelliarmus that had both wands flying in the air and Nott tumbling backwards.  Snape threw another spell at Nott and his body was tossed off the side of the tower. 

Draco and Snape stumbled towards each other, Draco panted at his professor, "that wasn't..."

"I know," Snape soothed, "I could tell when he twirled the wand.  Is Brogan here?"  He was twitching a little now, he wanted to go to Dumbledore, he wanted to make sure the snake was dead, he wanted to peer over the side at Nott's body, he needed to escape, but first, first he needed to check on his daughter.

"She should be up here, under the cloak though.  I assumed that the headmaster put a spell on her but now that he's... it should have lifted..."  Draco could vaguely remember where the Harry Potter name had been on the map, he started crawling to that area reaching out with his hands and searching.  He found a broom and handed it to Snape, "you can use that to escape."

Snape took it but he didn't look like he was trying to escape yet, he had just found the edge of a silky cloak and he was dragging it off a still form.  They knew Brogan was alive because the dead don't bleed and the scar on her forehead had split open, in the dim green light it looked like black sludge oozing into her hair. 

Draco was glad that he was already on his knees, "If the Dark Lord was possessing Nagini here, right in front of her, it must have been like one of those vision attacks...  It must have been excruciating and she was immobilised...  She could be..."

"Draco, Draco stop.  She will be okay," and Snape reached out blindly to grab Draco's hand.  "She's alive, and the attack has ended, it will be okay."  He wanted to cast an ennervate on her, but he wasn't sure what he would do if it didn't work.

Draco nodded in the darkness and took a fortifying breath.  "You do need to get her to Madam Pomfrey though," Snape continued,  "and I'm frankly shocked that Minerva hasn't burst up here yet."

"We blocked up the door downstairs."

"Of course, you did." Snape managed to give him a slight smile.  "You and Brogan followed Teddy up here, Brogan was injured in the fight..."  He was checking her for injuries now with a quick little spell.

Draco winced, "I'd rather not be here at all, what if we duck back under the cloak and slip off?  Madam Pomfrey knows she's Harry, she can just think it was a bad attack because of the headmaster or whatever."

"That's fine.  You did well Draco, waiting until Nagini saw me kill the headmaster."

"You, you did well too sir, I know it couldn't have been easy to, to do what you did.  Even though I think it was, it seemed a kindness sir."

"It was Da," a soft voice shocked them both, "he drank some sort of poison in the cave too, there was no way..."

Snape scooped his daughter into his arms, blood didn't show up on his black clothes anyway.  "Are you injured, did anything else happen?"

"I'm okay, it was bad -having his presence so close through Nagini and, and being frozen like that, but it wasn't for long, I'm okay."

Draco was rubbing her arms and back too, he buried his face in her shoulder for a moment, "did you find anything?" he asked.

"Yeah, Dumbledore should have the locket," Brogan trailed off as they all looked over at the body that was lying so still with the snake corpse almost on top of it.  "Urgh," said Brogan as her face grew even whiter, "I don't think I'm well enough to fetch it right now." 

Snape wasn't ready to let go of his daughter with either of his hands so Draco cast an accio charm and the locket came skittering to him.  He slid it in his pocket and then stooped over to gather up the cloak. 

Ron and Hermione emerged onto the roof just then too, pausing only to lock the door behind them.  "McGonagall and the others are almost through our blocks now." Ron announced.

He surveyed the roof quickly, the mark was fading faster now it seemed, and then turned to wrap his arm around Hermione who was still fussing with the door.  He blocked her view of the headmaster and the gore with his chest and murmured in her ear while he carefully ushered her past everything and over to the others.  Curious as ever she tried to crane her head once but he touched her cheek and said, "please don't" in a tone Hermione had never heard before.

Brogan was angling herself away from the carnage as well, she took the handkerchief Draco passed her and held it up to her head with a grateful look.  "Time to retreat?" she asked.

Snape looked more pained at the thought than he had when he was executing Albus but there was a massive thud from the tower below them.  He gave her another squeeze and then gently let Draco take over supporting her.  He flicked his wand at the other broom on the roof and it flew towards Ron.  "Mr. Weasley, take Miss Granger on this broom and try to sneak into Gryffindor.  We've decided it will be easiest if nobody sees any students up here."

Ron nodded immediately and hopped on the broom, he pulled Hermione up behind him, pretending not to notice when she stole a quick look at her headmaster and then grabbed Ron tighter than ever.  Ron wrapped his free hand around hers on his waist.  "Good luck professor, Draco -I'll catch you tomorrow.  Take care mate." 

Hermione whispered her own, "Good luck sir," too and then they were soaring off, Draco and Brogan smiling a tiny bit as they watched Hermione bury her head in Ron's back and not look down.

Snape pulled the cloak out of Draco's arms and motioned for Draco carry Brogan, she settled easily with her legs around his waist and her cheek resting tiredly on his shoulder.  Snape fussed for a moment with the scar and the handkerchief and then floated the cloak down over the two Slytherins.  It was good they were clinging to each other so tight, the cloak just barely covered.

"You'd better go Da, McGonagall will shoot stunners at you and she might not miss."  Snape nodded and took off as well.  Slowly Draco edged along the perimeter and towards the door. 

Soon enough teachers were helpfully opening the door and leaving it wide behind them as they rushed through.  Someone cast a lumos and illuminated the whole scene, Draco cringed and slitted his eyes against the glare.  Someone let out a long deep cry that sounded as if their heart was being pulled out of their body.  Brogan started shaking in Draco's arms and he could feel her tears soaking into his collar.  He hadn't realized until then that he could hold her a little closer.

Severus must have spun around when the lumos was cast, or maybe it was at the cry, but anyway the professors all saw him and their anguish ratcheted up another notch.  Screams of traitor and coward chased him away as much as their stunners and curses but it looked to Draco like he got away cleanly.

It was obscene to be hidden there watching such raw grief but lying was as impossible as explaining.  Carefully and cautiously Draco edged them down to Snape's quarters, flattening around a corner once when Flitwick came barreling past murmuring to himself about aurors and wiping at his eyes angrily, other than that they made it alright.  He went straight through to Brogan's room only pausing to stuff the cloak out of sight before he climbed into the bed next to her. 

They lay there quietly for a moment and then Draco pushed himself up on one arm and looked down at Brogan, "Try to look wrecked and confused," he suggested helpfully.

"If you insist," Brogan answered thickly.  "Do you think he went to Voldemort?"

"Yeah, there will probably be a meeting tonight."

"I don't know whether I hope I see it or not."

"Should I get you a potion?"

"No, I'll just let it whatever.  What if Voldemort is angry about Nagini?  What if he realizes we know about the horcruxes?"

"Shhh," Draco said brushing her cheek,  "I don't think he'll realize anything.  Of course someone was going to try and kill that ruddy snake if it showed up at Hogwarts."

"You killed it didn't you?"

"Yeah, I was disillusioned and behind it.  She was looking right at Snape when I did it too so I think, I think he'll be alright."

"Thank you."

"You weren't poisoned too or anything were you?"

"No, but it was horrible, there were inferi.  I had never seen them before, and there were so many of them this whole lake of them and they were grabbing and grabbing at us, trying to drag us under with them."

"Shhhh, they're gone now.  You're safe, you're safe."  There was one lantern burning low near the door, Draco used the meager light to find another handkerchief for Brogan.  He mopped at her face and then gave her a critical look, "you're really nailing the wrecked look, but you might want to hold something in reserve for when they tell you about Dumbledore."

"You're such a prat," Brogan responded.  "I think I love you."

Draco kissed her softly, "I love you too and I'm going to stay right here with you."

"Thanks," said Brogan and then she dragged herself up.  "If I stay there I'm going to pass out and we should get the story straight first.  Da and I had a fight."

"A big fight, he wanted you to leave Hogwarts with him tonight and you wouldn't go."

"I've never picked a side in the war, that's why my mum was homeschooling me."

"Yes, so you had that big fight and then he stormed out and you called me to come stay with you."

"Because I didn't know if he was going to come back or not."

"Right."

"What about my head?"

"Hmmm?" asked Draco.

"The scar, does it still show?  Wasn't it bleeding before?"

"Oh, Severus healed it before he left."  Draco got up and inspected her forehead then tugged some hair over to cover it up a little.  "You're fine, no one will notice."

"I, I didn't even notice him healing me."  Brogan confessed with huge watery eyes.

Draco sighed and hugged her close, "we do need to put the eye charm on again though."

Brogan pulled her wand out of her pocket and squeezed her eyes shut.  "Got it," she bragged and Draco gave her a proud smile.

"Good job, do you want to lay down again?  I think that's enough story."  Draco patted the bed invitingly.

"Okay," said Brogan unlacing her boots and peeling off her socks, "we should keep our clothes on."

"Of course," said Draco kicking off his own shoes and stuffing his tie in his pocket.

Draco didn't think they would manage to sleep before someone came pounding on the door but they did.  Brogan looked truly awful and even managed to throw up when the aurors and Prof. Flitwick gently offered her a calming draught.

They wanted to bring her to the hospital wing for the rest of the night, or maybe see about waking up Luna or something but Draco somehow managed to convince them to leave well enough alone.  Flitwick was a godsend and dragged the aurors away eventually.

Draco led Brogan to the bathroom where they brushed their teeth and then he gently washed her face and then they both crashed into the bed.  Draco might have felt guilty about pulling Brogan on top of him, wrapping his arms around her back and tangling their legs but she was completely out and he needed to feel her heart beating, needed to feel the puffs of her breathing on his neck.  His mind was on overdrive, so much had happened, so much needed to be analyzed, so much more would happen tomorrow, so much needed to be planned, so much, too much, with great effort he slowly pared it all down to one thought: she's alive.  And it was only then that he was able to slowly drift off himself.

Madam Pomfrey was sent to check on Brogan and Draco the next morning, when she found the two teens (fully dressed) and cuddled up, silvery tear tracks on their cheeks, well she wasn't a monster -she let them sleep for as long as they seemed able. 

Pansy and Blaise knocked on the door while she was writing a note to go with the humongous breakfast she had on the table with a warming charm.  The students looked pale and lost when she let them in.  She wanted to hug them but aside from seeing Blaise for the occasional quidditch injury she didn't know them that well, instead she conjured two more plates and left them at the table to wait.

Pansy wasn't good with either sympathy or patience; she carried the fragrant plate of bacon to Brogan's door and used a wafting charm to rouse her friends.  As soon as she heard a loud thump she scurried back to the table and tried to look innocent, it was stupid but Blaise was smiling.

Draco didn't have any clean clothes to change into so he stumbled out barefoot and rumpled and went directly to the table.  Brogan of course had her whole wardrobe but she was too hungry to wait.  They ate all the food on the table; calmly dividing the too dark and the too fatty bacon amongst themselves like people who had been sharing breakfasts for years, and then at last they felt ready to talk.

"Teddy's dad was found at the foot of the astronomy tower wearing Teddy's clothes.  Nagini and Dumbledore were found dead at the top of the astronomy tower and Professor Snape is gone."

Apparently Pansy wasn't going to bother with conjecture or rehashing, it was a pleasant change from Ron and Hermione -not that Brogan could admit that out loud.  Draco was overthinking if that crease in his forehead meant anything but he didn't seem willing to share any thoughts yet.

"I hate the Dark Lord." Brogan announced, putting her pumpkin juice down with a thunk.  "He forced my da to leave us," she gestured to show she meant herself and the Slytherins in general.  "The plan the Dark Lord and Mr. Nott came up with was unfair to Teddy and has stripped the rest of us of our only protection.  Plus, it would no doubt have failed completely if my da wasn't there; Nagini is dead and Mr. Nott is dead.  If they had left it up to Da I'm sure he could have killed Dumbledore in such a way that he could have stayed behind to protect us, but they forced him to take part in their ill-conceived attack and now we have nothing.  They're fools and I hate them."

Draco felt a warmth blooming in his chest; every word Brogan said was mostly true and it garnered just the right sympathy for Snape, just the right disdain for the Dark Lord.   She was a genius.  All the nerves he had felt last night slipped away, suddenly the world was opening before him: they could save the Slytherins, they could defeat the Dark Lord, they could win this war, and then -what the hell, they could run the Ministry too.  Because now he saw that there was nothing this girl couldn't do.

Pansy and Blaise seemed every bit as impressed.  They nodded, with satisfaction.

"Well, glad that's sorted."  said Blaise.

"They want you to move into the Slytherin dorm too, that will add to your being persecuted angle."  Pansy added.

Brogan blushed, "it won't actually be a hardship, but if you don't want me to because I'm a... you know, I can probably talk to Madam Pomfrey or something."

Pansy waved her off, "No, don't worry about it, the year's almost over anyway.  It will be good for you to spend more time being distraught around the others.  We're already pretty protective of you, we can crank it up some."

"I don't want to use the students like that," mumbled Brogan.

"We know, don't worry we like protecting things it gives us something to do."

"Alright then," allowed Brogan, slumping a little in relief. 

"So, there's no classes today -obviously." said Blaise, "Draco get your shoes and I'll head back to the dorm with you so you can get showered and dressed.  Pansy will stay with Brogan while she gets dressed too and then we'll meet in the common room.  We have a house meeting this afternoon, McGonagall is the acting headmaster and they're still figuring out who will be head of Slytherin.

The Board of Governors is meeting tonight so we should be as prepared as possible in case your father shows up Draco.  There's talk of sending us home after Dumbledore's funeral, but we'll see."

Brogan had found Draco's hand about midway through Blaise's speech, it was so much.  Where would she go if they closed the school?  She needed more time here, more time with the Slytherins, more time with the library.

"Sounds like a busy day," Draco sighed dragging himself up.  He pulled Brogan up with him and gave her a hug and kiss on the cheek, for moral support. 

Then he disappeared to find his shoes and the next thing Brogan knew Pansy was gently herding her to the bathroom.  "You need to shower my dear, and we might need to burn those clothes and your sheets -it smells like you were swimming with corpses."

Which was too horrible to laugh at.

Brogan's position statements got spread around the school in record time, every student who had a parent or relative on the school board mentioned how they really wanted to finish their school year, how Dumbledore (or Snape, depending on the house) would have wanted the school to stay open.

It really was rather magnificent how no matter which side people were on they all felt bad about Brogan.  She got dozens of offers to stay with people over the summer, none from the Burrow though.

They weren't able to slip away to meet with Ron and Hermione until the morning of Dumbledore's funeral.  When Draco sent the note to set up the rendezvous he warned them that the locket was a fake, deciding it was worth spending the time to carefully code it out so that they wouldn't waste precious meeting time gnashing their teeth.  There was nothing to be done now, the trip, the cave, the inferi nightmares Brogan was still having, all of it was for almost nothing.  Not quite nothing because Draco guessed that RAB were likely the initials of his cousin Regulus and conveniently Brogan had inherited all of Grimmauld Place so they could poke around over the summer.

Ron managed to sneak Bill to the Room of Requirement too; when Brogan saw him she launched herself into his arms.  Draco thought he had been useful and comforting to Brogan the past few days but maybe not. 

"It was a plan Bill, it was all a plan, Da was supposed to kill Albus because Albus was already dying and he wanted to use that to get Da in a better position.  Please, you have to convince the Order, please don't let them hurt my Da, please."  Bill was nodding, although he didn't know and he had no idea how he could ever convince Minerva McGonagall but whatever.

Brogan was crying so hard and so wretchedly that Hermione was threatening to start, Ron wrapped an arm around her again and they gave Brogan and Bill as much room as they could.  Draco tried to get a hold of himself too and pulled out the fake locket for Hermione and Ron to examine.

Hermione read the note about fifty times (a combination of the note being short and Hermione being Hermione) while Draco explained about his cousin Sirius having a brother named Regulus Arcturus Black.  They spoke in soft voices about the benefits of keeping the school open for as long as possible and then Draco would bring Brogan to Headquarters, if Bill knew whether or not it was in use.  Draco figured they could lay low there until Brogan's birthday and the trace dropped off her.  They spoke about getting apparition licenses, if the Light side controlled the Ministry they could get arrested for being the children of known Death Eaters and if the Dark Lord was controlling it they would be worse than arrested for abandoning their Death Eater fathers.

Ron thought that a letter addressed to the Minister and signed Harry Potter might get a license for Harry -not that it would do Brogan any good really; and why waste the Minister's favor that way?

Eventually Bill and Brogan joined them.  Bill told them how he was now the only person in the Order of the Phoenix who knew where Harry was and there had been a huge overwrought meeting because everyone wanted Harry to attend the funeral.  Brogan had been carefully avoiding thinking about the headmaster requiring a funeral.  The thought of them demanding Harry attend gave her a hot surge of anger, but it quickly left as she thought more about the bond between Harry Potter and Albus -they meant well.  Still, she wanted to sit with Draco at the funeral.  But what would others think to see the daughter of Dumbledore's murderer at his funeral?

"Albus would want you to be seen at the funeral Brogan." Bill said after reading her expression, "it would be important to him that nobody judge you on what they think your father did."

The others nodded and shuffled closer.  "Besides, I told them there was no way I could get Harry Potter to attend on such short notice and they bought it.  We're going to have Tonks impersonate Harry; it's kind of stupid but I can see how it will help morale."

"It's a good compromise," Ron offered, "I'll warn Ginny that it's Tonks and you can tell her to sit with us, yeah?"

Bill nodded.  "Minerva told us how Slytherin has closed ranks around you Brogan, and how there are whispers about what the Dark Lord has done to hurt the Slytherins.  How the attack on the headmaster was just short of a complete failure.  Minerva was shocked that Slytherin managed to reach that conclusion, I think she was blessing Merlin's pants, but I know that if she had any sense at all she would be giving you and Draco all the points in the universe."

The other Gryffindors beamed too, "that really was well done mate" said Ron,  "and since Hermione is known to be friends with you she was just like, of course poor Brogan and a lot of Gryffindor slid right in too.  I mean they already disliked the Dark Lord of course, but it made them think about how this impacted the students.

Luna doesn't have quite the same clout in Ravenclaw but I think Flitwick is helping her nudge them in line."

Brogan wiped her eyes, stupid tears, "If Cedric was...  well I guess Hufflepuff hates the Dark Lord enough anyway."

Ron patted her a bit, "Of course they do.  And it hasn't come out with Slytherin being the victims or anything, you all are too pissed off for that.  I heard that you don't even have an acting head now."

Draco gave a smug grin, "That's true, there aren't any professors left that were members of Slytherin and the common room won't permit anyone else entrance.  If Professor McGonagall wasn't just the Acting Headmaster she might be able to force someone through but there's so much going on that they're just leaving us be for now.

And of course we're so defensive about everything that we have taken a house oath to be fucking perfect for the rest of the year."

"Da will be so pleased when he hears about it."

"I still can't believe that a professor can't get into your common room.  That just doesn't seem safe."  Hermione mused.

The others discreetly ignored her even though it was a really good point and had in fact been the biggest sticking point when Brogan was arguing with the snake carvings in the Slytherin common room about how they didn't want or need a new head of house.  But really some random head of house would have disrupted the carefully orchestrated Slytherin bonding that was going on.

And then they had to leave and get ready for Albus Dumbledore's funeral.  Ron swept Brogan up in a huge hug, "I'm so sorry," he whispered, "I wish I could be with you today."

"Don't make me fucking cry again," she whispered back but it was too late already.  The funeral was going to be outside near the lake and Brogan had so many memories of Dumbledore and Hogwarts and the lake and everything.  She knew it was going to be awful.  At least nobody present would be able to shake their finger at her for attending, her grief would leave no doubts.

Brogan and Ron or Harry and Ron had stayed up countless nights together discussing Albus Dumbledore, his many faults, his reckless positioning of Harry, and more recently, his exploitation of Severus Snape.  Dumbledore was always a complicated subject, Ron tempering Brogan's exasperation with his perspective as a pureblood light wizard and Brogan pointing out the things he did that were just daft but unquestioned.  By all rights after so many years together they should have been able to attend this funeral side by side, to lay it all to rest and make their peace with the man. 

Ron thought briefly of bringing Tonks in on the secret, she could be Brogan and they could polyjuice Brogan back into Harry and then he could have his mate with him.  But he didn't really want Harry sitting next to him; he wouldn't be able to pull Harry on his lap, wouldn't be able to bury his face in Harry's curls and breathe deep.  Harry was becoming a memory to him, Brogan was his best mate now.  This funeral was going to really suck.

Hermione and Draco stood there awkwardly for a moment, they were each learning to accept Ron and Brogan's uncomfortably close friendship.  Hermione gave Draco a smile and bravely suggested, "we need to find a hobby that we can do together Draco."

Surprisingly Draco took her hand, "It does appear that way.  Have you read any good books lately?"

He startled a laugh out of her and she squeezed his hand quickly before letting him go.  Ron lowered Brogan to the ground and she skipped over to Draco with a look of gratitude.  Draco made a note that being nice to Hermione did not result in death or cooties and resolved to try it again sometime.

Pansy gently sent away the Greenglass sisters who wouldn't have really understood Brogan's grief and walked with the other girl to her old room to get ready for the funeral.  Pansy still didn't know exactly what had happened on the astronomy tower but she trusted Snape no matter what, trusted that above all he wanted his Slytherins to be safe and his daughter to be safe.  As long as they continued to act to keep Slytherin and Brogan safe they were sure they were helping, there was no need for details at this point.

Luna had even less information but she turned up outside Spape's door anyway.  She was dressed somberly if not soberly, nobody pretended that the headmaster would have cared.

Brogan hugged the Ravenclaw fiercely and Pansy found herself impressed with Luna's bravery for visiting.  "I hope you haven't come with fashion advice,"  Pansy greeted with a smile that was a lot less shark-like than she thought.

Luna smiled back as they walked in, "oh of course not, just moral support.  I'll probably sit with my house or maybe Neville and Ginny but I wanted to stop by with my condolences while I could.  The headmaster loved you very much Harry, he loved your father too.  I'm sure someday all of that will be reconciled."

Brogan smiled and nodded,  "Thanks Luna, and I think the headmaster would be very impressed with your ensemble.  It's a nice tribute to him."

Luna bowed her head, secretly pleased, and they went to raid Brogan's closet together. 

"Okay, I get that you're a boy Brogan, but really is that reason to not have any dresses at all?"  Pansy exclaimed with exasperation later.

Draco handed Brogan a black handkerchief after the tufty-haired wizard started droning and he saw her getting teary.  No Gryffindor in the history of the house had ever considered charming their handkerchief black so it would look proper at a funeral and so of course that was what really broke her.

All the Slytherins were present, they were present and impeccable.  Brogan was one of the only ones sobbing, a few first years were frightened by her grief and sobbed a bit too, but really it was apparent that the house was there for her.  Even though their presence could be taken as a protest of the Dark Lord, they were too stoic with their straight backs and level shoulders to be considered Light but they were also too respectful to be considered Dark.  Brogan had provided them the perfect compromise path and they were all smart enough to follow her.  Their loyalty was to Slytherin House, Professor Snape and Snape's daughter; nobody could fault them for those choices.

Most of the house didn't really want to be at the headmaster's funeral but they weren't going to let Brogan go alone, who knew what might happen to her without them?  Or worse, if she had just Draco with her, they could all picture Draco flying off the handle and blasting ministry officials at a state funeral.  Perhaps that explained all the tense shoulders.

Ron was just tall enough to see Brogan half on Draco's lap from where he was.  Hermione and Ginny were sobbing steadily and poor Tonks looked like she might cry too but Ron kept giving her fierce looks.  Harry would not be bawling, manfully keeping himself from bawling -of course, but not actually bawling.  Ron felt it was important to keep his friend's image intact.

Draco would have been shocked to learn he was thinking almost the same thoughts as Ron.  He cast a muffliato charm on them and leaned over, the speeches were interminable, "you stopped taking your potion didn't you?"

Brogan nodded miserably, "I thought it would help with the... the everything.  Make me seem different from before and more wretched and all, you know."

"Silly princess, you really are wretched, you didn't need to stop your potion too."

"I was almost out anyway and I didn't want to go check Da's lab to see if there was more."

"Darling, I can check for you, or even brew more if you need it.  Are you ever going to learn how to ask for what you need?"

Brogan shrugged, "maybe, hopefully, I don't know.  Oh look, the mermen; I always meant to ask how the headmaster learned mermish.  I wonder if it's part of the headmaster duties because they live in the lake, you know?" she rambled while blotting her eyes.

"And there's some centaurs, remember how we met Firenze in the Forbidden Forest first year?  Bane was so mad at him that night."

"Alas, I executed my strategic retreat before the centaurs showed up."  Draco reminded her, chagrined that he had bailed on the adventure.

A honk like a foghorn interrupted Brogan's reminiscing, she craned around to the giant figures in the back row.  "Poor Hagrid," she murmured, "I've been avoiding him all year, he's rotten with secrets and I couldn't bear to lie to him.  Kind of like Ginny and Mrs. Weasley I suppose.

I wonder if Grawp would recognize me?  I don't think he could verbalize it to Hagrid anyway though.  Best not to check now, Hagrid is probably furious at my da."

"Did you babble when you were nervous before?"  Draco asked with a fake suffering look, people were starting to disperse, finally, thank Merlin.

"No, it's new this year."  said Brogan with a blush.

Draco twined their hands and started to pull her away, back towards the castle.  Brogan didn't follow, she was looking back at the white tomb.  Draco stopped and felt the beginnings of concern, it wass obvious that she actually wanted to go up to the tomb and do something; something respectful of course but there were people everywhere and some of them, possibly most of them, knew her as Snape's daughter. 

McGonagall for instance was glaring at Draco as if she could shoot spells with her angry little eyes.  Mrs. Weasley didn't look too pleased either, and Hagrid -actually Hagrid looked strangely okay with it, which was good because apparently Draco is walking up to the tomb with Brogan.  Because apparently Draco got so distracted by all the people glaring venomously at them that he forgot to unlink their hands and stupidly followed.

Draco didn't pull out his wand or anything provocative like that, he just kept their hands linked and his head down, wondering if he should muster up a tear or two or if that would be too much.  And he distracted himself again because now Brogan is drawing her wand, he can hear Ron's mum gasp.  He wanted to glare at her because seriously, what does she think Brogan is going to do?  And even if Brogan did do something absolutely horrid the man deserves it from her, stupid light side with their black and white vision; this great and pure white tomb should be gray -it should be gray and complicated like the man inside of it.

Brogan holds her wand aloft for a long moment, as if she's trying to think of a spell but then it looks as if she's waiting for a spell.  Standing there like a conduit of magic, like magic was going to come out of the the clear sky like lightning and crack down on her (and the person stupidly still holding her hand) and... 

Magic does not crack out of the sky but Fawkes does, he appears suddenly near them circling low.  Brogan flicks her wand (Mrs. Weasley gasps again as if Brogan could harm the immortal bird) and red gold sparks fly out, a maelstrom of harmless lights that sweep up into the sky twisting and turning together until they form a phoenix.  The magic sings; just a few notes but they resonate with everything, with the earth and the forest, with the lake and the castle.  And then the magic fades away but something lingers, some bit of peace remains.

Fawkes lands on Brogan's shoulder and runs his beak through her hair like Hedwig does.  Her hair seems curlier again and the bird is tugging it a little, watching the coils spring back.  Draco's pretty sure his mouth is open.  Fawkes gives a final tug and flies away before he can get his mouth to close. 

Brogan has her head down demurely but she slants her eyes over towards Draco, "Did they change?" she asked.

It takes Draco a moment to process the question and then he looks and nods, but one slow blink from Brogan and her eyes are back to the lesser green.  Brogan relaxes and smiles at him then, "I hope Mrs. Weasley is as gobsmacked as you are."

"Don't," Draco splutters, "don't even begin to pretend that you did that as a show for Mrs. Weasley or the Ministry or McGonagall or, or anyone."

Brogan gives him a ‘who me?' look and Draco's knees might give out.  "You couldn't have known that his phoenix would fly down like that, you couldn't have summoned it.  You couldn't..."  He falters as Brogan continues to just look at him as if he doesn't understand magic at all.

Flitwick arrives then, McGonagall dabbing her eyes and close behind him.  "Miss Snape, that was beautiful.  I'm tempted to award points but," he looks at the white tomb and shrugs eloquently.  "Perhaps it's enough to just say thank you."

"You're welcome sir."  Brogan mumbles and then McGonagall is stepping forward.

"Miss Snape, I'd like to see you tomorrow, I'll send you a note in the morning with the time."  She looks deeply into Brogan's eyes, glances at her wand as if double checking something and then strides off to the castle.

As soon as McGonagall is a decent distance away Brogran staggers a little, "She knows!" Brogan moans almost forgetting that Prof. Flitwick is still there.

"She probably does," Flitwick answered patting her arm,  "I'm sure she's looked at your student file by now if only to try and reach your mother."

"Damn," muttered Draco.  "Do you really think the headmaster would have left something that incriminating out?"

Flitwick shook his head, "Some of the documents are charmed to be self-updating and such, I wouldn't be surprised if something slipped through.  Minerva is very shrewd."

Brogan slumped a bit and started rubbing her forehead.  "Come on," said Draco, "let's head inside and think about this."

They went back to Brogan's room and Draco watched his friend carefully.  He honestly wasn't sure if she was going to collapse in her bed and pull the covers up or if she was going to unveil another brilliant plan, he was definitely hoping for a plan though.

It ended up a little bit of each, there was a plan but she looked like she wanted to pull up the covers instead.  The plan was to leave as soon as possible.

"Dobby!" she called and the little elf appeared.  Brogan crouched down so she was closer to his level, "Dobby, they told me that Sirius Black left Grimmauld Place to Harry Potter, do you know if that's true?"

"Dobby doesn't know for sure Miss Snape, are there elvses there?"  Brogan nodded, "Miss Snape could call the elvses and if she is the mistress they will come."

Brogan patted his shoulder and straightened up, "Kreacher!" she called imperiously.

A wretched looking elf appeared, he seemed completely malevolent.  "Mistress called?  Kreacher can't believe that horrible master left the wonderful House to a disgusting bastard like this.  Others will be interested in this new disguise, how loyal does Kreacher have to be with a mudblood bastard mistress?"

"Mistress was shocked too Kreacher," Brogan did not crouch down for this elf, "Kreacher do you know who this is?" and she pointed at Draco.  Draco quickly assumed his best Malfoy sneer, a shadow of what it would have been a year ago.

"Kreacher can see it's a Malfoy, a proper pureblood heir.  More Black than you are nasty halfblood mistress."  Draco's sneer improved remarkably.

"Kreacher, would you prefer to belong to Mr. Draco Malfoy?"  Dobby felt a frisson of horror and then remembered that Master Draco was nicer this year and on their side now.

Kreacher nodded and Brogan snapped, "Fine, Kreacher you are now the property of Draco Malfoy -may you serve him well."  Kreacher bowed low to her before he realized that this might separate him from his beloved house, but just as he seemed to be catching on Brogan kept talking.

"Draco, can you please ask your elf to pack all of my things up and bring them to Grimmauld Place?  And Draco if you're going to be shacking up with me there we're going to need a good elf to make it bearable, do you have one that can be spared?"

"Certainly, Princess.  Well, Kreacher, you heard our mistress?  Pack up her belongings -and pack them well mind you, I don't want a single item damaged, and then take them to the cleanest, sunniest bedroom at Grimmauld Place.

It shouldn't take you too long, except for the shoes of course, so then you can stop by the Slytherin dorms and gather my belongings.  I'll take the bedroom next to our mistress -and you can spend the rest of your time making sure that it's as clean as the other."

Brogan smiled, "And Kreacher, perhaps you can warn Mrs. Black that her great nephew is coming by tonight?  I would like to talk to her about how good elves keep the secrets of their house."

Kreacher bowed low and swept into the bedroom to start packing.  Brogan put her hand on Dobby's shoulder and sank down next to him again, "well Dobby?  Will he be loyal this time?"

Dobby considered, "He is happy to be serving Draco, he is happy to have a Black in the house again, I think it will work."

"Good, you know Dobby that I would rather have you with us but we can't let Kreacher slip away to serve Bellatrix again."  Dobby nodded absently.

"Youse is leaving tonight then mistress?" Dobby asked.

"Yes."  She stood up to address both Draco and Dobby, "I know that we can't really do anything until the trace is off me but I feel like the whole Brogan deception is unravelling and I don't want to be here when the truth comes out."

"Fair enough," said Draco.

Brogan wrote a note to Ron and Hermione which Dobby delivered for her.  They were in Snape's potions lab gathering whatever Draco thought they needed when the others arrived.  Ron still had the bit of parchment clutched in his hand and Hermione gave Brogan her very most worried look.

"What is this?" Ron asked crumpling the parchment more.  "You're leaving?"

Brogan put her hands up in a placating gesture, like she was trying to slow him down until she could figure out what the hell was going on.

"What the hell is going on Weasel?" asked Draco.

Ron glared at Draco, crossed his arms and then ignored him, focusing everything on Brogan.  Brogan's anger grew to match his but then she seemed to calm a bit, a little bit at least. 

"Professor McGonagall wants to meet with me tomorrow, Flitwick was there when she mentioned it and we figure that she must have looked at my file or something and saw my real name."  Brogan explained.

"So what?  Loads of people have known all year, loads of Slytherins have known all year and it hasn't bothered you.  Do you think she'll tattle on you or something, Gryffindors are more loyal than snakes."

"Oh yeah, my whole life is proof of just how honest and trustworthy fucking Gryffindors are Ron.  My mum and Peter Pettigrew were shining examples of that, what the hell?"

Hermione cringed a bit at that but Ron was unimpressed.  "What the hell is, you can't leave like this.  Sneaking off in the night when everyone suspects your father of killing Dumbledore, it makes you both look more guilty.  If you stay then people might wonder less."

"Ron, my father did kill Dumbledore.  If I leave now while people are at least confused then maybe they will keep questioning things.  If I stay and McGonagall knows who I am then she's going to try and make me Harry Potter again, poster boy of the light and all that shit."

"You don't know that."

"Yes I do, we both know that; she'll call a big order meeting and they'll decide that I need to hide out at the Burrow, or worse, they'll think about sending me back to the Dursleys and then that file will get opened.  Ron, I'm out of parents, I'm out of godparents, I'm out of guardians, I'm not going to let them make me a ward of the ministry or something."

"So skive off after you get on the train.  It isn't like you to run away from McGonagall, she isn't a bad person."

"I know she isn't, but I just don't want to face her.  She'll be hurt that we didn't tell her and then I'll act differently and the Slytherins will think I left them for her.  I mean is she really going to let me stay in the girls' dorm with no head of house?

And well, I'm not really loving the girls' dorm but they don't know that. 

I'm not actually loving anything Ron, I'm tired.  It's been a long fucking year and I want to go home."

Ron's anger had been fading for a while so he really couldn't help himself about wrapping an arm around her when she finally ended her rant with that confession.

Hermione had slumped herself on a stool and was holding her head while she tried to be reasonable and work through the situation for herself.  Draco was just staring at the potions vials while he listened too.  There was certainly nothing he could add to the argument, Hermione either.  This fight wasn't about telling anyone else or sneaking off in the night, it was about leaving Ron.  Brogan could stay and twist McGonagall around her finger, it would be hard though.  Draco could still hear McGonagall's screams from the top of the astronomy tower.

Dumbledore and Snape had chosen to not include her on their scheming, clearly Brogan was just trying to respect their wishes.  There was a whole arsenal of weapons to fight the Dark Lord with, the shield didn't need to know what the knife was doing.

It was quiet while he pieced his thoughts together, quiet enough to hear the muffled sobs start as Brogan burrowed into Ron.  And then she cut through to the heart, "I don't want to leave you, but I don't know what to say to McGonagall, I don't know which angle I'm supposed to play, I miss my da...  If I stay I could screw it all up, but if I go.  If I leave right now then the last thing they'll remember about me is Fawkes sitting on my shoulder, right?  What can I possibly do in the next few weeks that will be as good as that?

They'll wonder, is she evil, is she good, is it more complicated than that?"

Brogan stepped back and wiped her eyes, "Dumbledore's gone, there's nothing else he can show me.  If I make the students think, if I make them a bit more gray, that's all I wanted to do this year.  Learn from Dumbledore, help the Slytherins, that's it.  I don't need to be here anymore.

I don't have to avoid Ginny and Neville and Hagrid and even Hedwig.  I don't have to disguise myself every day.  I don't have to feel like I'm lying to every single person around, including me."

Ron looked completely miserable, "I'm sorry mate, I forgot.  I just don't want to spend weeks apart.  It could even be months, how am I supposed to cope with that?"

"It's just until term ends, then you can visit with your family a bit and then we'll be together again.  Then we can end this."

Ron made a whining noise, "But it's dangerous, and it will be just you and what Draco?  You didn't even say where you were going."

"We're going to Grimmauld, Sirius left it to me and if his brother was RAB there might be a clue or something there."

"What about Kreacher?  What if he tells the Death Eaters where you are, who you are?"

Brogan rubbed the back of her neck and looked very Harry.  "I gave Kreacher to Draco.  Draco's mum was a Black and Draco's pureblooded so Kreacher seemed happy with that, if he has a master that he likes we think he'll be okay.  We can forbid him from talking, but you know having him as an ally is better."

Ron sighed and Brogan worried that he might make that whining sound again, if he did -if he did that or Merlin forbid if his eyes got glassy, then she wouldn't leave.  She would stay and play mind games with McGonagall and do stupid hair things with her Slytherin dorm mates and walk past the shadow of the astronomy tower every day.  Leaving Ron behind sucked too, when choosing between bad and worse there really wasn't a lot of point in being selfish.

But Ron just held her close once more and then let her go.

Hedwig sailed into the kitchen of Grimmauld Place with a letter for Brogan.  She dropped it off at the table and then settled onto her perch in the corner.  Brogan nudged her bowl of oatmeal to the side so she could read her mail immediately.  Draco looked around the edge of his newspaper to see how much was left in the bowl and was satisfied enough to return to his article.

Brogan interrupted his reading again seconds later, just as he found his place actually.  "Exams are over, Hermione thinks she did well on all of them.  She says it felt weird not having you there, I guess I didn't realize you were that big of a nerd Draco."  Draco folded up his paper so she could better see his sneer but she was still reading.  He felt a pang about missing the exams but recently strange owls had started dropping off homework packets with very familiar cramped handwriting.

"The Express leaves tomorrow and then they're going to spend a couple weeks with their families.  They want to come here the week before my birthday and then we'll start, or whatever after the trace goes."  Brogan slumped a little; with her bare feet, jeans, t-shirt and all of her hair stuffed behind her ears Brogan felt herself the very picture of androgyny.  Draco let her think that.

"She didn't say ‘whatever' of course, she thinks I know what we should do, where we should go..."

Draco patted her hand, "You'll figure it out.  You'll get all sorts of brilliant insights and Ron will be all Mr. Reliable (except when he isn't)  and Hermione will be all Ms. Research & Knowledge..."

"And what about you Draco?  You're coming with us, what are you going to contribute?"

"I'm going to keep you from making yourselves unnecessarily miserable."

"You're anticipating some necessary misery?" asked Brogan wrinkling her nose to tease him.

"It wouldn't be Slytherin to set the bar too high but I'll see what I can do."

"I think we're all going to be glad to have you along."

"Oh, I'll make sure of that."  Draco replied, feeling a sweet sense of belonging.  He was going off on an adventure (or whatever) soon with the Golden Trio. 

He scoffed to himself at the golden part as soon as he thought it, now that he knew them he could see that they weren't that much different from any other kids his age.  Harry had put up with more shit than possibly all the other kids in their year put together, sure, but other than that they seemed normal. 

And she was definitely going to defeat the Dark Lord, not despite all that other crap but because of it.   - That might be the sappiest thing he had ever thought ever, but Merlin's drawers, it was true.  Draco looked over at Brogan and caught her smirking at him, bugger, the sappiness must have shown somehow.  He kicked her chair, hard, and she just laughed at him.

The sun was shining and there was a sort of tentative plan to go out and see a movie that afternoon, or maybe visit the park and try that frisbee thing again, or both.  Bill would probably be by for supper, Kreacher wasn't such a bad little elf anymore and Bill had fallen in love with his puddings.

When they got up to leave the table Brogan tried not to notice Lucius Malfoy's face sneering up from the paper that had slipped open a bit.  In her opinion he looked haunted, nothing mattered to Lucius as much as his family.  Well, there was all the wealth and power that he felt made his family look good, but they were really just accessories she knew -it was Narcissa and Draco that Lucius prized above all else.  And they had both left him.  Brogan had spent a lot of time, sometimes she wondered if it was more than Draco but probably not, a good deal of time though running through how different outcomes of this war would impact Draco.

If Brogan was able to defeat Voldemort she would make sure everyone knew that Draco had helped her and he was a hero.  If Voldemort finally killed her she hoped that he could somehow use her death to pretend he had been working against her all along and then his dad and possibly her da would take care of him.  And if Voldemort just went ape shit and destroyed all of the United Kingdom he could get his ass through the chunnel and go to his mum.

It comforted her greatly to know that there were a few ways Draco could make it through the war in one piece, she couldn't say the same for herself or Ron and Hermione.  Brogan was careful to never bring any of her contingency plans up with Draco though, he would shoot them all down and insist he would never leave her and then everyone she cared about would be trapped by this war.  It was more important, just now at least, for Brogan to have this little hope for one friend escaping.

Draco would have understood that hope, but he would have bristled at being the one she wanted to save.  For now it was just another thing that they didn't look at too closely or discuss out loud.  She knew that Draco had at least one topic, likely her own survival, that he refused to discuss.  He had a disturbing habit of reading dark texts from the Black family library too, very dark texts, feverishly.  In her bones she knew he was researching something specific but the books he looked at were so dark and the set of his shoulders as he went through them was so forlorn; Gryffindor or not she found herself willing to respect his apparent choice not to mention what he was doing.

They each certainly had their reasons to mope around the Grimmauld Place every day, which was kind of why they were manically going out every day.  Guarding each other against despair with endless games of frisbee and ridiculous quests for potion ingredients or supplies that might be useful in the future.  They fretted, but they fretted together in a productive manner and it helped them to deal with whatever was coming.  Because they both knew that 'whatever' was definitely coming, but not today.

Today was for more goofing off and getting outside in the sun and grass with a frisbee or without, but definitely together.  And Brogan was definitely going to have to run back upstairs because after last time Draco refused to go anywhere with her unless she had shoes.

-The End-