Tabitha jumped when she heard her mother calling her down the stairs. “Tabitha! TABITHA!� Her mother’s voice echoed through the whole house.

“Yes, Mum?� Tabby bellowed out her bedroom door. Her mother’s head appeared at the bottom of the stairs, her brown eyes full of stress.

“Tabby, the trains leaving in one hour. By the time we haul everyone’s trunks into the car, drive there, and make it through all the crowds, you’ll have about five minutes to board the train. Why didn’t you pack last night, like I asked you too?� Her mother’s voice showed as much stress as her eyes did.

“Because I didn’t expect you to sleep through your alarm,� Tabby said, then slammed her door to continue her packing.

Tabitha Kate Potter looked around her room, trying to decide what was worth taking. She had already packed her clothes and school supplies, now she just needed to pack her personal things. She hesitated, then unpinned her Chudley Canon poster, and laid it in her trunk. Then she remembered.

She shoved things around, desperately looking for her most prized possession.

When she picked up her jumper, she finally found it. The leather bound book that she had explored with her brother as a child. Inside it contained countless tales, each of which she had read a hundred times over.

She carefully placed it into her trunk, along with the rest of her luggage, then heard a knock at the door.

Her older brother appeared in the doorway, his messy raven-colored hair all over the place. “Tabs,� he said, using his pet name for her. “Mum says we’re leaving right now. Need help?� He nodded towards her trunk.

“Yeah. Thanks Trent,� she told her brother. She went over to her trunk to shut it, but found that she couldn’t. She pushed on the lid, but it wouldn’t close.

Trenton sighed. “Here, let me help.� Then he walked over and sat on top of Tabby’s over-filled trunk. The lid slowly closed under the pressure, and he locked it.

Tabby grinned at her brother, and told him a quick “Thank you,� then together the siblings lifted the heavy trunk out of her room. Tabby was unsurprised to see the downstairs in complete pandemonium.

Her second youngest brother, Christopher, was busy second checking his luggage, making sure he had everything that was needed. It was going to be his first year at Hogwarts, and he was scared that he would forget anything.

The youngest of the Potter children, Edward, was throwing a tantrum; he didn’t want all his siblings gone. It was bad enough with only Chris to play with, but now he wouldn’t have any playmates.

Ginny Potter, the mother of all four children, was busy trying to reassure Chris he didn’t forget anything, and at the same time trying to calm Eddie down. Ed stopped crying when a figure appeared at the doorway.

“What’s going on in here? We need to make it to the train, or no one is going to school this year,� Harry Potter scolded his family. He shot a worried glance at his pregnant wife, who looked like she was about to have a nervous break-down.

“Gin-“ he started, then his wife interrupted him. “I’m fine darling. Could you help me with these trunks?�

Harry nodded, then pulled out his wand. He uttered a simple spell which caused all of the children’s luggage to levitate in thin air.

“Come now, dearies. We’re going to miss the train,� Ginny said to her children. She ushered her children out the door, then double-checked to make sure she didn’t forget anything. When she was finally reassured that she didn’t leave anything behind, she walked out the front door, her pregnant belly causing her to do more of a waddle than a strut.





Chris, Trent, and Tabby made it onto the train safely, with only a minute to spare.

Then they departed, all going off the look for their closest friends. Tabby had to walk the whole length of the train before she found her closest friends, Nikki Straight and Quinn Smith.

When she appeared at the compartment door, Nikki jumped up and gave Tabitha a huge bear hug. “Tabs! How was your summer? Mine was good. Oh, how I missed you!� Nikki spat the words out of her mouth, and they came out in a jumble.

Quinn pulled Nikki off of Tabby, then took her turn for a hug (Quinn’s wasn’t as rough, and Tabby was thankful for that).

Tabby looked at her best friends closely, taking in every detail, and making sure they didn’t change to much over the summer holiday.

Nikki’s glossy dark curls were still more glamorous than Tabby’s straight copper red hair. Quinn’s brown eyes still looked intelligent, and still had that shine that Tabitha loved.

Tabby always felt ugly compared to her friends. She was tall for her age, (something she thought she inherited from her Uncle Ron) and had her dad’s knobbly knees. The only thing she like about her appearance was her bright green eyes, ones that made even her feel beautiful... sometimes.

“Could you help me with this?� Tabby motioned towards her rather heavy trunk. Her friends nodded, and together they tucked it into the corner of their compartment.

“Are you going to try out for the Quidditch team this year, Tabs?� Nikki asked. She became one of the Gryffindor Beaters last year, and has been trying convince Tabby to tryout. “I heard they’re looking for a new Seeker. And with your brother as captain, I don’t see how you could not make it onto the team.� Tabby’s heart lightened when she heard her friend say that they needed a new Seeker, but sunk again when Nikki brought up her brother.

It was true. Tabitha’s brother, Trent, was a Chaser, and captain, of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Trenton had already made it clear that he wasn’t going to “hand the spot over� to her just because they unfortunately had to have been born from the same mother.

“You’re really good, Tabby. Really,� Quinn said. Unlike her friends, she had absolutely no Quidditch talent, but also unlike her friends, she had enough brains to make up for it. It was because of her that Tabby and Nikki were even passing half of their classes.

“I’ll think of it,� Tabby reassured her friends, then changed the subject, and went on to tell a funny story about her brother, Christopher.

“I was playing chess with Trent, when we heard an explosion upstairs,� Tabby told her friends, trying hard not to laugh at the memory. “Then Chris came running down the stairs. You should have seen him! His hair was an even bigger mess than it usually is, and his glasses were all bent, and cracked. One hair of his was sticking up on end, still on fire!� Tabby had to stop, so she could catch her breath, she was laughing so hard.

“Then I said to Trent, ‘If he caused my bed to fall through the ceiling again, Chris wouldn’t be able to sit on a toilet the right way for a month!’� Nikki and Quinn were laughing heartily at Tabby’s tale; this was just the kind of thing Chris would do.

“So what happened?� Quinn asked. When Tabby gave her a questioning look, she added, “What potion did he make that caused the explosion?�

“Oh,� said Tabby. “He made this weird potion that turned his room into a jungle. Mum was not happy when she saw what he did.� Tabby smiled fondly at the memory of her brother’s punishment.

“Want anything off the cart?� a woman asked them, rolling along the food trolley. Quinn, Nikki, and Tabby all handed her a large sum of money for all the treats they bought. Chocolate Frogs, Pumpkin Pasties, Licorice Wands, Cauldron Cakes; the list could go on. But what Tabby enjoyed the most were Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans. Sure, some flavors were nasty, but that’s what gave them all the excitement.

Tabby had her face stuck in a Pumpkin Pasty, when Nikki asked her, “What house do you think Chris will be sorted into? He’s smart enough to be sorted into Ravenclaw.�

Tabby silently agreed, though she didn’t want to. She couldn’t bare the thought of her brother being sorted into a house other than Gryffindor, the house everyone in her family was in. Ravenclaw wouldn’t be the worst- imagine if he was sorted into Slytherin! Though she doubted that would happen.

‘My godmother, Luna, was in Ravenclaw,’ Tabby thought to herself. ‘But she’s mad.’ Tabby immediately erased the thought.

The rest of the train ride went smoothly. The three friends shared happy stories about their summer break; Tabby having more tales to tell than the rest of her friends.

When the train pulled into the Hogsmeade Station, the friends quickly changed into their robes. Tabby didn’t want to think about all the homework they’d have this year, or about the possibility that Chris could be sorted into another house. She just wanted to think about the good times ahead of her.

She took a deep breath, then stepped off the train.





AN~ Thanks to my BRILLIANT brother for editing my story for me. He’s the best beta a sister could ask for! :D Sorry this chapter doesn't have much "romance" in it, but the next chapter will introduce you to some knew characters...

“Potter, Christopher,� Professor McGonagall said.

Tabitha held her breath as her brother nervously made his way up to the stool. She crossed her fingers and toes, silently praying her brother would be sorted into her house. Besides her, Trent was sitting still, just as apprehensive as his sister.

“GRYFFINDOR,� the Sorting Hat called out.

Everyone at the Gryffindor table cheered, but no one cheered harder than Tabby and Trent.

Tabby looked over at the Ravenclaw table where another good friend of hers, Marcus Longbottom, sat. He was a year younger than she was and was the goofiest-looking person she’d ever seen. Marcus looked a little disappointed that Chris wasn’t sorted into his House, but when his eyes met Tabby’s he gave her a small smile.

Chris, on the other hand, looked immensely relieved. His huge grin on his face gave it away. Trent and Tabby kept patting him the back and every time their hands met Chris’ back, his grin grew about an inch.





Later that night, all three siblings gathered around the common room fire.

“Chris, I’m so proud of you,� Tabby exclaimed, then she pulled Chris into a big hug.

When Chris started to turn a delicate blue, Trent said, “Tabs, let go. He can’t breathe.�

Tabby nodded then loosened her grip on her brother, holding him at arm’s length. All three siblings stood silent for a little while. All three of them relieved that Chris was sorted into Gryffindor.

Finally, Trent broke the silence. “Tabby, when is mum supposed to give birth? Isn’t it only in a couple of weeks,� he asked. Their mother was indeed very pregnant, and had taken a couple of months off work to have her child.

“Yeah, I think it is,� Chris answered.

“I hope she has a girl,� Tabitha replied wishfully. How she dreamed of having a little sister to play with. When Edward and Christopher were little, they didn’t enjoy having Tabby dress them up in bonnets.

Trent didn’t like it very much either.

Chris said, “Yeah, I wouldn’t mind having another sister.�


Tabby yawned loudly, so the trio bid good night to each other then headed up to their beds. All of them were anxious for classes the next day.





Tabby woke up to her friends beating her on the head with pillows.

“Wake up! You’re going to be late for class!� Quinn exclaimed. “How late did you stay up last night? Didn’t I warn you not too?�

Tabby bolted straight up, panic filling every square inch of her body.

“What time is it?� she asked herself more than she did her friends.

“Almost time for classes to start. Now come on!� Nikki yelled, then her and Quinn turned around and headed straight out the door.

Tabby jumped out of her bed and quickly changed into her school uniform, silently swearing to herself every time she put a garment on backwards. When she was finished dressing, she ran out of the room and through the portrait hole.

Tabitha kept running, slowing down every so often when she heard a teacher near by. She looked at her watch. “Crap,� she muttered to herself; classes started in a minute.

Finally, she arrived at the Transfiguration door and hurried on in.

She couldn’t help but notice the fact that everyone in the room was giggling as she walked by. She felt her cheeks turn more red with every giggle and point in her direction. She quietly sat down next to Nikki and Quinn, her cheeks burning. Tabby was about to ask Nikki what was going on when she was interrupted by Professor Cook, the Transfiguration teacher.

“Miss Potter,� he started, a note of humor in his voice. “May I ask you that the next time you walk through those doors, that you wear appropriate shoe wear?� Tabby blushed even more crimson, then looked at her feet.

She was still wearing her fuzzy pink slippers.

The class erupted into enormous laughter, leaving Tabby to slowly sink down into her seat. Nikki patted her arm but Tabitha couldn’t help but notice she was smiling with everyone else.

The rest of the class continued swimmingly, but every now and then someone would make a slipper joke, then the class would laugh again.


When Transfiguration was dismissed, Tabby rushed out of the room to go change into appropriate footwear.

“Oh,� she exclaimed when someone bumped into her, knocking her to the ground. She quickly stuffed all of her belongings that fell out of her bag back into it. When she noticed that the person who caused her to fall was helping her, she looked up to say thanks.

“Tha-“ she started, then stopped mid-word.

Decimus Malfoy was looking straight into her green eyes. Tabby quickly stood up then turned around and hurried away.

Tabby nearly skyrocketed to the moon when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

“Malfoy, leave me alone,� she said calmly to Decimus who had an iron grip on her arm.

He smirked at her. “What’s wrong, Tabs? Can’t a guy help a girl without her running away?�

Tabby snorted. Malfoy always did this, ever since they first met.

“What’s up with the footwear? Trying to start a trend,� he asked playfully.

Tabby blushed, then said, “I was in a hurry this morning. If you’d let me go, then I could go to my dormitory and change.�

“I’ll take you there,� he said simply, as if this was the answer to every question anyone ever asked.

Tabby stood rooted to the spot. “I didn’t ask you to escort me, I asked you to leave me alone.� She glared at his gray eyes, trying to muster the meanest, most assertive look she could.

Malfoy laughed. “Well I’m obviously not going to leave you alone. Just let me take you to the Fat Lady, then I promise I’ll leave you alone.�

Tabby considered this, then nodded. “You promise,� she asked cautiously.

“Slytherin’s honor,� he replied, then saluted her.

With that, he lead the way. Sometime on their little walk, he slipped his hands into Tabby’s, and when she tried to pull away, he held on tighter. Fortunately, they didn’t run across anyone, so Tabby didn’t need to worry about anyone starting a rumor that her and Malfoy were going out.
When they stopped at the portrait, Tabby successfully pulled her hand out of Decimus’ grip.


“Farewell. Until we meet again,� he said, then swooped down to plant a kiss on her cheek. Tabby tried to move her head, but he was to quick, and she felt the warm spot where he pecked her.

She stood perfectly still as she watched Malfoy descend down the stairs, her hand touching the burning spot where Decimus’ lips touched her cheek.

“What’s wrong,� she heard a male voice say. Thinking that it was Decimus’ she ignored it.

“Tabby, why aren’t you answering me?� She turned her head and saw Marcus Longbottom giving her a worried glance. She gave him a smile.

“Just lost in my own thoughts.�

“Oh,� Marcus said. “I heard about the ‘Slipper Incident.’�

“Already?� Tabitha asked. She had only been out of class for ten minutes, and already people were starting to hear about it. Not only that, they named it.

“So, how was your first day of class,� Tabby asked, trying to change the subject.

“It was okay, but in potions I tripped over someone’s cauldron and broke it. So now they’re demanding that I pay for it,� Marcus replied. Tabby had to stifle a laugh. Marcus was just like his father, Neville. He is the most clumsiest person you’d ever meet, and if anything went bad, it happened to Marcus.

“I better go change.� Tabby nodded towards her feet.

Marcus nodded, then continued down the hall, humming a tune that was frequently played on the radio.

Tabby sighed, then said the password to the Fat Lady. She slowly climbed through the portrait hole to the common room, her thoughts filled with her encounter with Decimus.

Ever since they had met, the hatred that their fathers share had torn between them. Tabby didn’t like Decimus, not because of the stupid thing he’s done, but mostly because of his surname. She would be the first to tell you that this isn’t the best way to make enemies, but somehow it had divided the two teenagers, creating a wall that could never be broken.





“Potters,� they heard a voice say. Tabby, Trent and Chris all looked up to see Headmistress McGonagall heading their way. “May I have a word with you in my office?�

All three siblings nodded, then followed Professor McGonagall up the twisting staircase that led to her office.

“Hershey’s kiss,� she said, the gargoyle jumped aside leading to another staircase. She turned to the children. “I swear I didn’t make up the password,� she told them with a smile. The trio smiled back hesitantly. “Come along.�

Tabby, Trent, and Chris followed the Headmistress up the stairwell, and into her office.

It was nothing like what their dad told them Dumbledore’s office was like. His office, according to Harry, had many magical objects and had a Phoenix named Fawkes. McGonagall’s was just like the Hogwarts library, filled with books and had a very orderly feel to it.

“Children, I have some good news for you,� the Professor said.

All three heads turned towards the elderly woman, curious about what the news could be about.

“Potters, your mother gave birth yesterday.�





AN~ I’m starting this new thing where I dedicate chapters to reviewers that I happen to like. There are many reasons why I might dedicate a chapter to you. Like you might be the first reviewer, or you review every chapter I am going to submit, or maybe just the fact that I liked your review!!

This chapter is dedicated to Grimmrook, LexiGirl, and summer time girl for being my first three reviewers. YOU GUYS (or gals) ROCK!!!!!

Decimus smiled to himself after his encounter with Tabitha Potter that morning. Images of her piercing green eyes taunted his memory.

‘So what,’ he thought. ‘I happen to like Harry Potter’s daughter? Why should I care if my father doesn’t like it? It’s not like he has ever done anything for me.’

He rounded a corner, and ran smack into Trenton Potter. ‘I seem to be having a problem with running into the Potter children today,’ he thought.

“Watch it,� demanded Trent, his brown eyes narrowed in disgust.

Decimus snorted. “Why should I have to watch where I’m going? It takes two to tango.� Decimus’ mouth curved into a smirk as he watched Trent turn red with anger.

The red in Trent’s face disappeared and was replaced with a knowing smile. “How’s your dad, Malfoy? What’s the matter? Aren’t you allowed to write to Azkaban?�

This didn’t irritate Decimus in the least. He didn’t care if people insulted his father. In fact, he did it all the time.

“Look at the time! I really must dash. Oh, and by the way, your sister says ‘Hi’.� Decimus brushed past the eldest Potter child, and was not surprised when Trent’s well-trained arm hooked onto his shoulder.

Trent looked furious.

“What have you been doing with my sister?� he demanded.

“Nothing, but I must say she has quite a talent for kissing. I assume she got it from you?� With those words, Trent hurled Decimus up against the wall.

“If I find out you’ve been doing anything to Tabby, I’ll-“ Trent started but was interrupted by a stern voice in the corridor.

“Potter. Malfoy. May I ask what you’re doing here?� asked Professor Cook.

“Nothing,� replied Trent and Decimus in unison and Trent reluctantly loosened his grip on Decimus.

“Well then! Mr. Potter, if you’d be so kind as to walk me to my office, I need to discuss Quidditch tryouts with you.� Professor Cook said. Trent turned his back on Decimus, and followed the old man down the hall.

Decimus sniggered. He couldn’t quite believe his luck. He had an inkling of what Trent would do if he caught him and Tabitha doing anything... and it would not be pleasant.


Decimus strutted by a group of first years, and remembered the first time he ever saw Tabby....

*

Decimus was running as fast as he could to his next class. If he was late again he’d get another detention from Professor Cook. The one last night caused him to miss the Sorting the previous night.

He stopped as a red-head crawled around on the ground, looking for all the items she dropped. He sighed, sometimes his soft side annoyed him.

He dropped down next to her. “Here, let me help,� he said in a soft voice. The first year looked up at him and Decimus’ heart stopped. The girl had the greenest, most beautiful eyes he had ever seen.

“Thanks,� the girl mumbled then continued down the hall. Decimus had to run to catch up to her.

“What class do you have next?� he asked her. The girl’s almond shaped eyes looked surprised. She gave him a cautious look then mumbled, “Potions.�

Decimus gave her a grin then said, “I know a good shortcut we can take. I don’t want you to be late.� His kindness towards the girl surprised him. He silently told himself that the eyes had found a way to control his mind.

“What year are you in?� asked the girl in a soft voice. Her green eyes gave him a questioning look, and Decimus found himself stuttering an answer, something very unlike him; he always knew what to say and when to say it.

“S-second,� he replied.

The girl nodded her head as if she understood. They walked like that for a minute or two, asking each other small questions and giving short answers. They stopped when they were in front of a painting of a very pretty angel.

“Here,� Decimus said shortly, and he poked the angel in the eye.

“Ow!� the angel exclaimed and the painting slowly opened, revealing a hidden staircase.

The red headed girl looked surprised. “Why did you poke her in the eye?� she asked, and she looked back at the painting in worry.

Decimus laughed. “I don’t know why, but that’s the only way to get her to open up. It took me all of last year to figure it out, but I finally did.�


The girl gave a hesitant laugh then asked, “Aren’t you going to be late for your next class?�

“It’s okay if I’m late,� Decimus lied. “I have special privileges,� he added with satisfaction. Lying was something Decimus was very good at, but that’s what you get when the first words you ever said were lies.

“Really?� the girl said, her eyes getting wide with admiration.

Decimus simply nodded then grabbed her arm and led her down the staircase to the right; it was hidden in the shadows, and if he wouldn’t have guided her she would have gone completely the wrong way.

He led her up a straight staircase and to the back of another portrait, this time of a demon-looking thing. He pushed the painting open, and they appeared in a busy hallway full of running students.

Decimus groaned when he saw Trent heading towards them, a determined look on his face.

“Watch out for Mister I’m-too-good-for-anyone-because-my-dad-is-famous-Potter,� he hissed at the girl.

The girl gave him a shocked and hurt look, and he didn’t quite understand why she had given him the look until Trent said, “Malfoy, I think I can show my sister around without your help.�

*

It had been a year to that day when Decimus had met Tabitha. He didn’t understand that in all the questions they asked each other, and all the talking, they didn’t happen to catch each other’s names.

Tabitha was shocked when she found out Decimus’ surname, but that didn’t stop her from trying to be friends. She bugged him for a week, running up to him and asking how his day was until he got tired of it and yelled at her, “I CAN’T BE FRIENDS WITH A GOODY TWO-SHOES POTTER! DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND?�

Tabby gave him an annoyed look when he said it, then she replied calmly, “Fine. I just thought we could put our fathers’ differences aside and be friends, but if that’s how you feel....� her voice trailed off, and she spun on her heel and left him.

Ever since then they never said a nice thing to each other.

It wasn’t her father that made Decimus scream at Tabitha like that, it was more the fact that she scared him. He had never felt love in his whole life. Not from his grandmother, grandfather, or his father, and now he found himself having new, and yet wonderful feelings for a red-haired girl.


Not just any girl- the daughter of Harry Potter.





Decimus hissed the password to the portrait, and the portrait swung forward.

“Decimus,� he heard a voice say, and he looked up from his feet.

Krystal Connolly was looking at him, her icy blue eyes glaring at him. Decimus often called her the Ice Queen because her eyes and her white blonde hair gave her the look of a... well, an Ice Queen.

Her white skin– so white it’s almost blue– also helped.

“Where were you?� she asked.

“I had a run in with Potter,� he replied.

Krystal’s pretty face twisted into a disgusted look. “The boy or the girl?�

“Trent.�

Krystal sneered. “Lucky you.�

Decimus snorted. He looked over to a large boy sitting over in a corner. The boy was pretending to be reading a book, but he kept peering over it.

“Runt,� Decimus called across the room. The big kid looked over when his name was called. “Are you still doing that essay? You’ve been working on it since dawn.� It was true; Runt woke up at dawn and has been faithfully working on his homework ever since.

“I’ve been trying to help him, but the moron’s mind can’t process anything,� Krystal said, and her eyes turned bright red. Krystal was a very impatient person, and whenever she was mad or irritated her eyes turned red. They changed color because Krystal was a Flammeus Paetuic, or a person with amazing eye power. A Flammeus Paetuic could read a sign five miles away.

“They are extremely rare,� she assured Decimus when he first found out about her multi-colored eyes. “But most Flammeus Paetuics have been in my,� she poked herself in the chest, “bloodline.�

“Calm down,� Decimus told her when he saw her eyes. Often when her eyes turned red things around her broke.


Krystal took a deep breath then said, “So. Deci, are you gonna tell us about your run in?�





AN~ Now, for dedications. As some of you know, if I review a story I ask the author to please read and review my story. So this chapter goes to Islander and ForbiddenLove for responding to my plea. People, those two are really great writers, and I strongly suggest you check out some of their stories.

I’d also like to thank butterflykisses (that’s her name in the forums, and I think her name on MNFF is nymphadora08) for being my wonderful beta.

Trenton and Christopher’s jaws hung open in surprise. Tabitha screamed in joy.

“Miss Potter, please,� the Headmistress said. She wasn’t really paying attention to Tabby though, she was more worried about Trent and Chris; they still hadn’t said anything.

Trent was the first to snap out of his dumbfounded state. “Is it a boy or girl?� he asked McGonagall.

“I do not know,� she replied grimly. “All the letter said was that your mother gave birth and that your father wanted you three home as soon as possible.� Trent nodded in understanding.

Tabby looked at the professor. “When do we go home?�

“Tomorrow,� she replied. “You’ll stay the rest of the weekend and return Sunday evening.�

Tabby beamed at the elderly lady and turned to her siblings. “Did you hear that? We’re gonna see our new baby sister or brother in a matter of hours!� Chris gave her a queasy smile; he looked like he was going to be sick.

Headmistress McGonagall observed this and decided it was time for them to leave. “Come to my office this time tomorrow, we’ll have a portkey arranged.� The trio nodded then they left the office.





Tabby couldn’t sleep that night. She decided it was either her anxiety or Nikki’s snoring. She rolled over on her side, trying to make herself comfortable.

It didn’t work.

She sat up. Slowly she swung her legs over the side of the bed and slipped on her slippers. She walked across the room, careful not to wake up her room mates. Nikki and Quinn wouldn’t mind but her other two fellow fourth-year Gryffindor girls would kill her. She snuck out the door and tip-toed down to the common room. “Tabby,� she heard a voice whisper, and she jumped out of surprise.

“Chris?� she asked the mysterious voice. She walked around to face the nameless figure, and found that it was indeed her brother. Tabby sat down next to him on the couch and asked, “What’s wrong?�

Chris hesitated a moment, then replied, “It’s just.... With a new baby around, things aren’t going to ever be the same. We’re the Potter children, you know? Trent, Tabby, Chris, and Eddie, the inseparable siblings.... With a new brother or sister around, things aren’t going to be the same.�

Tabby smiled at her brother. “I felt the exact same way when Ed was born. I was scared of change. But when I saw Mum holding Edward in her arms, I knew that things were going to change for the better.� Tabby looked at her brother, then remembered. “Didn’t you say the other night that you would like to have a new brother or sister?�

“I was excited, but when Headmistress McGonagall told us the news it was like time stopped. I was hit with reality like a ton of bricks. It was then that I realized things would never be the same.�

It still amazed Tabby how much older and more mature her brother was than most people his age. She still remembered the day when he showed signs of being a wizard. It was when he was three years-old, and he was throwing a hissy fit because their father wouldn’t let him buy a potions kit and cauldron. He was so mad the cauldron shattered into a million pieces. Their father was so happy he bought him the dang potions kit. He showed signs so early, and so large, there was no doubt that he would be brilliant.

Tabby looked at her brother sympathetically. Not many people his age would be so willing to share their feelings with their sisters. “You should go to sleep,� said Tabby. “We have a big day tomorrow. And do get to feeling better.� Chris smiled at his sister, feeling better now that he got his problems off his chest. He gave Tabby a quick hug and trudged up the stairway to his dormitory.

Tabby sighed and lifted her legs so they were resting comfortably under her chin. When it came to the baby she had felt a lot of emotions, but nervousness was never one of them. She was surprised to now find it creeping up on her so unexpected.

Tabby suddenly found herself craving her story book, her most prized possession. She quietly crept back up the stairs to her dormitory.

“Where were you?� demanded a voice. Tabby found herself facing Wendy Jacobs, a nosy and rather nasty person. She sneered at Tabby. “If you were out past curfew you are so much trouble!�

Tabitha sighed. “I was in the common room.... If you don’t believe me, you can ask my brother. Now go back to bed.� Wendy snorted and crawled back into her bed. Tabby couldn’t help but notice that she ripped her curtains shut rather roughly. Tabby stood still until she could hear a steady beat of snoring.

She walked across the room to her trunk and opened it. She dug around for a minute before she found her leather-bound story book. The front had the words “Yriaf Selat� in gold lettering. She knew that it was Parselmouth for “Fairy Tales.� Her and her brothers inherited their gift for serpent speak from their father.

She opened her book and flipped through a couple of pages until she found her favorite story: The Elves and the Shoemaker. She didn’t exactly know why it comforted her when she had nightmares or when she couldn’t sleep, but it did. Maybe she just had hopes that she would wake up one morning and some little elf would solve all of her problems.

Tabby silently snuggled into her warm bed, and was asleep in a matter of minutes.





Tabby was thankful to not have been awoken by pillows beating in her head. She stretched and sat up. From the view out of the window she could tell it was just past dawn. She yawned and noticed that Nikki’s bed was empty. She smiled; her friend was always an early riser. She tip-toed out of the room, careful not to wake Wendy.

Sure enough, Nikki was curled up on the couch in the common room, the reflection of the fire dancing in her eyes. Nikki raised her head and grinned at Tabby. “Where were you last night? You got in late.�

Tabby grinned. “McGonagall wanted to see us.�

Nikki laid her head back down on the couch. “Oh. What about?�

Tabby smiled. She was hoping to tell Nikki and Quinn the news together, but she couldn’t keep it bottled up any longer. “My mother gave birth.�

Nikki’s head shot up again. She gave Tabitha a questioning look, and Tabby nodded. Nikki squealed in delight. “Boy or girl?�

“I dunno. McGonagall didn’t tell us.� Nikki rested her head back down on the couch, and turned her eyes back towards the fire. Tabby waited a couple of minutes for her friend to speak, but when she didn’t, she got up and walked back up to the dormitory.

When she got up there she was happy to see that Quinn was wide awake. “Hey,� Tabby said to her friend as she walked over to her trunk.

“Hullo. Have you seen my Potions book?� Quinn asked Tabby as she rummaged around the room digging for her book.

“Nope,� she replied. Tabby was trying to decide when it would be best to tell Quinn the news. She was about to tell her but thought it would be awkward to say, “Nope. Oh, by the way. My mom gave birth!� Tabby took a deep breath and said, “Quinn, I need to tell you something at breakfast.�

Quinn looked up from under her bed and gave Tabby a worried look. “Is everything okay?�

Tabby nodded, maybe a little too enthusiastically. Quinn raised an eyebrow at Tabby then returned to her search.

Tabby spotted a green sweater in the huge clothes pile Quinn had made. She plucked it up from the pile. “Quinny, can I wear this sweater today?�

Quinn raised her head. “Oh, that old thing? You can have it. It’s much to long for me anyway.�

Quinn was very short for her age, and Tabby towered over her so much it was almost comical. If Tabby got something too short she gave it to Quinn and vice versa.

“Thanks,� said Tabby, and she slipped the sweater over her head. It fit perfectly and matched the color of her eyes. Tabby slipped on a pair of blue jeans and admired herself in the mirror. Her hair, which she had loosely tied up in a ponytail, was behaving itself today. The green sweater and blue jeans combo fit her slender figure perfectly. She smiled at herself. She looked good. She bid good-bye to her friend and went to wake up Trent, part of her usual routine.

When she opened the door to Trent’s dormitory, she heard a couple of wolf-whistles in her direction. She blushed and said, “Sod off!�

When she noticed Trent’s bed was empty she looked over at Darren, Trent’s best mate, and asked him, “Where’s Trent?�

“In the s-shower,� replied Darren. Tabby couldn’t help but notice that Darren had been stammering around her a lot lately. She also noticed how Darren was eyeing her up and down with wide eyes. She smiled at him and turned around and left the room.

When she got to the common room, Quinn and Nikki were waiting for her. Together, they departed to the Great Hall for breakfast.

Sometime on their way down, Nikki grabbed Tabby by the arm and pulled her back. She waited until Quinn was out of hearing range and asked her, “Have you told Quinny yet?�

Tabby shook her head. “I was gonna tell her up in the dormitory but she was busy and Wendy was in there.� Nikki nodded in understanding. She let go of Tabby’s arm and they both hurried to catch up with Quinn, who was a good fifty paces ahead of them.

The Great Hall wasn’t full; it was still early in the morning. Tabby quietly thanked God for her luck. It would be easier to tell Quinn the news when there wasn’t over-curious ears around.

Quinn found them some seats at the Gryffindor table. Tabby and Nikki sat down on either side of her. Nikki tucked into the eggs, but Tabby just stared at it all. Quinn noticed this and she asked, “What’s wrong? It’s not like you to not be stuffing your mouth full.�

Tabby smiled and playfully elbowed her friend in the stomach. “I have some big news.�

“Your brother finally said you could play on the Quidditch team?�

Tabby frowned. “No. As cool as that would be, this news is better.�

Quinn raised her eyebrows. “Do go on.�

Tabby grinned. “My mother gave birth the other day.�

Quinn squealed. “You’re kidding, right? This is some kind of joke, isn’t it?� Tabby shook her head, no.

Quinn looked at Nikki, “Did you know about this?� Her voice sounded somewhat hurt.

Nikki nodded. “Tabby told me this morning after while you were sleeping. I’m sorry Quinny. I wanted to tell you, really.�

Quinn nodded her head solemnly. Tabby smiled at her friend, starting to wish that she would have told her friends at the same time. “I’m leaving this afternoon with my siblings. Daddy wanted us back home.�





The rest of the day went by in a flash, and before Tabby knew it, her and Chris and Trent were standing in the headmistress’ office.

McGonagall smiled at the trio. “The portkey,� she said, motioning towards the paperweight on her desk.

“On the count of three we all touch it,� said Trent. Tabby and Christ nodded in agreement.

“One,� Trent started. “Two. Three.� All three Potters put a finger on the paper weight. A couple of seconds later, they felt the familiar feeling that a hook had jerked their navel. Six legs hit the hard floor of a hospital. They turned around to see their father and Eddie smiling at them.





AN~ This chapter goes out to bookie, for just being a great reviewer.

“Oho!� Eddie exclaimed when he saw his siblings. He ran forward and wrapped his small arms around Tabby.





“Ed!� Tabby said as she hugged her youngest brother. His black hair was sticking up everywhere and his bright brown eyes glowed with happiness.





Ed slowly broke free from Tabby’s grasp and moved on to Trent, who hugged his brother with great affection.





Tabby went up and hugged her father, who was watching the scene with mild interest. Harry kissed his daughter on her head and held her close.





“A tabby cat for Tabby,� he whispered in her ear and he handed her a small figurine of a cat. Tabby smiled at the cat as it walked across her palm. Her dad did this often, and each time he whispered the same words. Tabitha had quite a collection of figurine cats on her night table that her and her friends admired once in awhile.





Tabby smiled at her father, and said, “Is it a boy or girl?�





Her father smiled. “Come see.� He ushered his children down a long hall and through a large doorway.





Tabby took in her surroundings. This was the same hall she walked down to see Chris and Eddie. No doubt this was also the same hall Trent walked down to find out he had a baby sister. Healers were rushing around. Some were escorting patients, others walking alongside each other, discussing things Tabby didn’t want to know about.





Her dad rounded a corner, and they followed along quietly. Finally, her dad stopped at a door and smiled. “Go on in,� he said.





Trent led the way into the room, where all four children saw their mother holding a tiny pink bundle.





Pink.





Tabby had to cover her mouth to hold back her squeal of delight. Trent looked down at her and grinned. Tabby finally got her wish: A baby sister.





Tabby edged forward to her mother. She looked down. There, in her mother arms, was a black-haired baby girl. “What’s her name?� she asked.





Her mother shrugged. “We were expecting a boy, so we don’t have a name picked out yet.� Tabby nodded. Her parents had the name Jacob Ryan picked out if they had a boy. Now that they had a girl, they weren’t prepared.





Trenton and Christopher now moved in next to Tabby. They stared down at their new sister. “She’s so small,� they whispered in unison.





“C’mon,� their father said, and he led them out the door. “You’ll have more time with her later.�





Tabby was hurt that her time with her baby sister was cut so short, but when her father led them into a small room with several chairs and an easel in it her sadness was replaced by curiosity.





The easel had a large piece of paper pinned to it. On it were various girl names, such as Isabella, Olivia, and Lauren.





“Sit,� their father commanded, and they all immediately sat in the nearest chair.





“Your mother and I have an idea. We decided we were going to let you pick out the name for, er, her.� Harry watched as his children’s eyes widened.





“This is a list of approved names your mum and I selected,� he nodded towards the large piece of paper pinned to the easel. “So have at it.� He shut the door behind him as he left.





Trent turned towards his siblings. “Well, it’s official. Our parents are legally off their rocker.�





Chris laughed. “For letting us pick the name of their child?�





Trent shook his head. “No, just look at the names of some of these names! What kind of name is Edwina?!�





Eddie grabbed the quill sitting on the table in the corner and hurriedly crossed it out. “If they name her Edwina, then her nickname will be Ed, and that’s MY nickname!�





Tabby laughed. “What about some of these other names? Hey, Abigail isn’t so bad,� she said, inspecting the list.





“Then her nickname will be Abby, which sounds to much like Tabby,� Ed pointed out.





“How do you pronounce THAT name?� Trent asked, pointing towards the name Sraddha.





“Shrah-rad-huh,� Tabby said laughing. “Trent’s right! Our parents really are off their rocker. Where did they get THAT name? I think it’s German.�





Chris snorted. “The name is Hindu, and it’s the name of one of Shiva’s wives. It means ‘faith’.�





Trent looked at his brother in awe. “Where the hell did you find that out?�





Chris was about to answer when Tabby interrupted him. “What about this name? Clarimonde?�





“I’m not going to have a sister named ‘Clarimonde’,� Trent exclaimed. “Sheesh. Thank god mum and dad let us pick out her name, or we could of had a sister named,� Trent paused as he looked at the list,“Bertha.�





His siblings laughed at this.





Ed pointed at the list. “What about this name. A-a,� he paused; he couldn’t pronounce the next letter because he was just learning to read.





“Ava,� Chris helped. Eddie nodded with enthusiasm.





“Yeah! I like how it’s spelled,� he said.





“How ‘bout the name ‘Alison’?� Tabby asked no one in particular.





Trent shook his head. “That’s the name of my ex-girlfriend. Alison Temple from Hufflepuff, remember?�





“Oh yeah. The dunderhead that kept calling me ‘Tracey.’ How the heck did she get ‘Tracey’ from ‘Tabitha’?� Tabby demanded.





“Dunno,� Trent answered. He obviously wasn’t as moved by this as Tabby was. “How does ‘Thalassa’ sound?�





“Like crap,� Tabby answered, and Trent retaliated by sticking his tongue out in a very childish manner.





When Chris burst out laughing, Trent and Tabby looked over at him. “T-they have the n-names ‘Brilliant’ and ‘Blue’ on h-here.� He couldn’t even talk straight because he was laughing so hard.





When Chris calmed down, Tabby said, “‘Sundari’. Hm. I like that.�





Trent snorted. “Well you’re the only one.� Tabby elbowed him in the groin.





“Isn’t ‘Aaron’ a boy’s name?� Chris asked.





“It can be a boy’s name,� Tabby corrected. “But it can be a girl’s name as well.�





Trent was still bowed over from when Tabby elbowed him. “It’s usually a boy’s name though,� he said.





Ed pointed to another name, and instead of trying to say it, he asked straight away, “How do you say this name?�





“Ah-kay-dee-ah,� Tabby answered when she saw the name Ed was pointing to: Acadia.





“You know, none of these names are good enough for her,� Trent said, scanning the rest of the names on the list.





Tabby walked over behind him. “I agree. Who thinks we should screw the list and brainstorm our own name for her?�





“AYE!�

















The Potter siblings walked into the hospital room where their parents and new sister were waiting for them.





“So,� said their mother. “What name did you pick?�





Ed stepped forward. “Juliana Rose. Julie for short.�





Their parents furrowed their brows. “That wasn’t on the list,� said Ginny.





Tabby stepped forward. “Mum. Dad,� she said, nodding to them individually as she said their names. “No offense, but your list sucked. So we threw it aside and came up with our own name. Juliana Rose is what we picked.�





Their father smiled. “It is, is it?�





“Yup.�





Ginny smiled. “We love it.�

















All seven Potters walked into the living room of their house, Ginny holding baby Julie. St. Mungo’s released Ginny and Julie that evening, and they were happy to leave. Using a portkey, they traveled back home, and were now standing in the Potters household’s living room.





Ginny yawned and looked down at her sleeping baby. “I’m going to put Julie to bed and go to bed myself. G’night,� she said. She kissed her husband and children and slowly made her way up the stairs.





Eventually, the rest of the family made their way to their rooms. Tabby laid in her bed thinking. This had been one of the best days of her life. Slowly, Tabby drifted off to sleep, thinking about her new baby sister.

















AN: First, I’d just like to say that this has been my favorite chapter to write so far. I love writing about the Potter children and how they react to one another. (Sheesh, I sound like Steve Erwin, don’t I?) Also, the bit about Sraddha being one of Shiva’s wives is true. I’m not Hindu, but I did a lot of research for this chapter.





Also, a big thanks to my beta, Ella Gardené and butterflykisses.



This chapter is dedicated to inkfreak, my big friend Eavin. You kick-arse, Eav!

Tabitha was the first to rise; she always was. She stretched a bit and sat up. Quietly, she tip-toed out of her room to Julie’s.

Julie slept peacefully in her crib. She already had a thick head of messy black hair. She opened her eyes to see Tabby standing over her. “Hiya little girl,� Tabby whispered to the baby, who looked up at her with big brown eyes- exactly the same eyes as all of her brothers. Tabby lifted her sister out of her crib and carefully placed her in her arms.

Julie didn’t make a sound as Tabby rocked her; she was perfectly comfortable. Tabby looked in awe at her sister, who looked exactly like Trent, Chris, and Ed, she even had the same knowing eyes and the same messy black hair. Julie clasped her small pudgy hands around several locks of Tabitha’s red hair, and fell into a fitful sleep.

Tabby was trying to pry Julie’s hands from her hair when she heard a small cough come from the doorway. Looking up, she saw her mother standing there with a smile on her face. “I didn’t want to disturb you. You looked so happy holding your sister,� Ginny said to her daughter.

Tabby placed Julie back in her crib. “Thanks Mum,� she said after she kissed her mother’s forehead.

“What for?� Ginny asked, hugging her eldest daughter. Tabitha usually regarded her mother with the air of an annoyed teenager. At this age, it was odd for Tabby to kiss her mother, let alone thank her for anything.

Tabby returned the hug happily. “For giving me Juliana,� she said, using Julie’s real name. Tabby and Ginny- who were already the same height- held on to each like that for a couple of moments, until Ginny said, “Tabby, why don’t you go clean up,� she said, more of a demand than a question.

Tabby raised her eyebrows mischievously. “What?� she asked. “Do I smell bad?�

Ginny sighed. “No, you smell fine. But, by the time you get cleaned up, I can have Julie fed. Then if you watch her, I can clean up. We’ll be out of the house before eight to go shopping in Diagon Alley.� Tabby grinned. These were words she understood perfectly.

She hurried to the bathroom to take a shower. In her hurry, she slipped and fell a couple of times. Fortunately, none of the men woke up from the rather large crash that came from the bathroom. In just a matter of minutes, Tabitha was dressed to go.

She found her mother in Julie’s nursery, exactly where she left her. Her mother smiled as Tabby came in. “That was quick,� she said in surprise. “Here you go,� she said to Tabby, then to Julie she said, “Mummy will be back soon.� She strategically placed Julie in the nook of Tabby’s arm. When she was sure Tabitha had a good grip on Juliana, she headed off to the bathroom.

Tabby sighed and sat in the rocking chair in the corner. She felt content sitting there with her baby sister in her arms, and was almost upset when her mom finished so quickly. “Ready,� Ginny said. “I even remembered this time to write a note to your father saying where we went. I swear, I forget one time and he gets all upset,� she finished with a grin. Tabby laughed; the one time that her mother forgot to leave a note, her dad got all worried, thinking that they were kid napped by angry ex-Death Eaters. Even though this is a serious matter, Tabby and her mom laugh uncontrollably every time it is mentioned. Needless to say, Harry doesn’t think it’s that funny.

“Mum? How are we going to get to Diagon Alley with Julie?� Tabby asked. Babies as young as Julie were advised not to Floo, because of the lack of oxygen you receive when you travel by fireplace. A grown person, or even someone Ed’s age, could do them just fine. But a baby only a couple of days old....

“We are taking the car to London. We should get to Diagon Alley just fine if we go through the Leaky Cauldron,� Ginny replied with satisfaction.

“Oh,� said Tabby. ‘Why didn’t I think of that?’ she thought to herself. It was the obvious answer. Her mother wouldn’t risk Julie’s health just so they could take a pleasure shopping trip. Thinking of another question, she asked, “Did you tell dad in your note that we will be taking his car?�

Ginny chuckled. “Yes. Of course. Your father loves that thing.� She grinned. “He’s probably think some Death Eater took it if I didn’t tell him we were using it.� She and Tabby laughed at that. Ginny calmed down first. “We shouldn’t be making fun of your dad. He just cares for us, and he worries,� Ginny’s tone turned grim. “Ever since the news of the Azkaban break-outs, he’s been worried. I don’t think he’s be able to go on without his children.�

Tabby silently agreed. Her father loved all of his children, and was afraid some Death Eater will take them. “I don’t think he’d be able to move on with out you either, Mum,� she whispered as her mother clipped Julie into her car seat.

Ginny kissed the top of Tabby’s head. “I know I wouldn’t be able to even live if anything happened to any of you.�





Ginny studied the brick wall for a couple of seconds as Tabby held onto Julie. She pulled out her wand and lightly tapped several bricks. When they started to move, Ginny jumped back in surprise. “I thought it would be at least my third try until I got it right.� She laughed. “I guess my memory is better than I thought.�

Tabby sighed. “Mum, you’re a mum. Of COURSE your memory is better than you think it is.� She smiled as she thought of the time her mother first caught her kissing a boy. “Remember when you caught me kissing Josh?� When her mum nodded, she continued, “You said that you remembered me whispering something to Quinn about it the night before. So, of course you run into the room where I happen to be snogging my boyfriend.�

Ginny smiled at her daughter as they walked through the gate into Diagon Alley. “You should thank me. After I caught you two, he broke up with you. You deserve a better boyfriend than one is scared of your parents’ wrath.�

Tabby laughed so hard that Julie woke up.�Mum,� she exclaimed. “Dad defeated Voldemort! You helped! Who isn’t scared of you?� Tabby laughed even harder at the shocked look on her mom’s face. “Oh, Mum. I was just teasing,� she reassured Ginny.

Julie’s eyes opened, and she let out a soft cry. Tabby handed her over to Ginny, who gently rocked her. When Julie calmed down, Tabby asked, “Where do we go first?� She had her eyes on the new Quidditch store– Quidditch Store.

Ginny caught where her daughter was looking. “We can go there, but I want to go visit your uncles for sure. They haven’t seen Julie yet.� Ginny’s twin brothers, Fred and George, were the co-owners of Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes, the best place to buy jokes, gags and wags (Tabby never really understood the wags part, but her uncles said that all the time).

Tabby grinned. “Look who it is, Mum,� she said, after she spotted a tall and rather horsey-looking woman approach them.

Ginny groaned. “Don’t tell me it’s Brita again. I swear if she bugs me one more time, I’ll give into the temptation of slapping her.�

Tabby laughed. Ginny was a popular writer and editor for The Daily Prophet, and Brita Crippen was her biggest fan. Trent and Tabby often laughed about this, and they swore Brita was stalking their mum. Ginny didn’t think it was very funny, though.

“Let’s walk really fast and pretend we don’t know her,� Ginny whispered to Tabby. Ginny grabbed Tabby’s wrist and started walking as fast as she could with an infant on her hip.

Unfortunately, they didn’t walk fast enough. “Yoo hoo! Over here,� cried out Brita as she tried to walk faster to catch up to the Potters. When she was right behind them, she said, “Ginny, you silly coot! I know you’re there.�

Ginny spun around with a look of fake surprise and happiness on her face. “Brita! Oh, I didn’t hear you! Silly me, I must be going deaf.�

Brita laughed her horsey laughter, then she spotted Tabby. “Oh, Tabby!� she exclaimed. “You’re getting taller and taller every time I see you!� Tabby couldn’t help but notice her overuse of exclamation points when she talked.

“Well,� said Brita, “I must dash. Hopefully I get to see you again. I want to talk to you about your article on the elf movement,� she added to Ginny. She gave Ginny and Tabby a hug, kissed Julie on the cheek, then ran back into the crowd.

Ginny sighed and Tabby grinned. “That lady needs to get a life,� Tabby told her mother. Ginny pinched her lightly on the elbow, although she was laughing at the same time.

Ginny looked at a small building with signs flashing in the windows. Tabby opened the door as her mother, with Julie in tow, walked into the cramped joke shop. In a flash, Fred and George Weasley appeared at their side.

Fred tickled Julie’s toes. “Another one that looks like Harry, eh? C’mon Ginny, you can at least give us ONE Weasley.�

Tabby gave her uncle a look of mock hurt. “What am I now? You talk about me like I’m the family’s owl.�

George laughed. “Good going, Fred. You just insulted the Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes heir.� He messed the top of Tabby’s hair.

Ginny laughed. “What about your own children? Wouldn’t Zach and Casey like to take over?� Zach was Fred’s ten year-old son, and Casey was George’s three year-old son.

Fred sighed. “Zach is to much like his mum. All serious about school work. Hard to believe I married that woman, actually. And Casey is to small to tell, although he already seems like a more reasonable candidate than Zach.�

Tabby looked at her watch. “Mum, we need to get going if we want to get everything on our list done.�

Fred and George kissed the top of Julie’s head. “Bye,� they said in unison. They each gave Ginny and Tabby a hug and went to go attend a boy who looked like he might shoplift a fake wand.

Ginny and Tabby slowly made their way out of the shop, letting the door’s bell ring behind them.





Mother and daughter pulled into the drive to find Trent trying to teach Chris Quidditch in the front yard. Harry walked out the door and waved. Tabby noticed that he was holding a crying Eddie.

Ginny got out of the car to go attend Ed, while Tabby unhooked Julie from her car seat. Harry kissed Ginny, then handed her Ed.

“I’m making lasagna for dinner. Is that okay?� Harry asked as Ginny tried to calm Ed down, but it was Tabby that answered.

“That sounds delicious. I’m starving.� She handed Julie to her mom after Ginny put Ed down. “I’m going to go join Trent and Chris, tell me when dinner’s done.�

She left her parents and two youngest siblings to grab her Hummingbird. It wasn’t as fast as Trent’s Lightningbolt 130, but it was faster than the ancient Firebolt her father refused to get rid of, even though he had a much faster broom than that one.

She ran out to join Trent as he tried to show Chris how to mount a broom the correct way.

“No, Chris,� he said. “If you mount it that way, it makes it hard for you to be comfortable on a broom. Especially if you’re a bloke.�

Tabby mounted her broom and took off, calling out from the air, “Come on, Chris! You can do it. Live up to the Potter Quidditch Legacy!�

Chris sighed loudly, so loudly that Tabby could hear him from where she was floating in the air. Then he said, “I don’t want to play Quidditch! I want to just focus on my schoolwork.�

Tabby held her hands out, palms forward, in a dramatic fashion. “Please, say no more. You’ll make my heart give out and I’ll die.�

Chris threw his broomstick aside and stormed into the house. Trent picked up his broom and set it up next to the fence. He mounted his broom, the proper way, and flew up to join Tabby. “Are you going to try out for the Quidditch team this year?� he asked. “You completely bombed it last year.�

Tabby stood up straighter. “I didn’t bomb it, precisely. I just had a little problem with nerves.�

Trent threw his head back and laughed. “A little problem? You were about as green as moss. I was tempted to call you the Lochmoss monster for awhile, but decided against it.�

Tabby was about to retort when she heard her father’s voice call, “Time for dinner!� She flew down as fast as she could, just to prove she could fly better than Trent.





Tabby, Trent, and Chris walked into the common room. Immediately, Tabby went to sit next to Nikki and Quinn, who were playing chess.

“Hullo,� Nikki said. “How was your weekend?�

Tabby grinned. “It was great, yours?�





AN~ This chapter goes to ginger_sporty_gal for her great review. It made me feel special :D

Also, a big thanks to my beta, butterflykisses. You two rule!!

Krystal watched with narrowed eyes as Decimus walked into the common room, soaking wet and shivering.

“Where have you been? Runt and I have been waiting here for hours!� Krystal exclaimed angrily. She motioned to Runt, who was trying his hardest to beat her in a game of chess.

Decimus almost laughed. A monkey could beat Runt in chess, let alone Krystal. Runt picked up his king and positioned him first in one place, then another. His tongue was stuck out in thought. Finally, he was satisfied with where he put it, and he crossed his arms proudly.

Krystal sighed as she moved her knight and took the place of Runt’s king. She said without a trace of remorse, “Sorry.�

“I-I’m going t-to go ch-ch-change,� Decimus said, more of a question to Krystal for permission to change out of his freezing clothes.

She smiled. “First, tell us where you were.� She motioned towards a chair for Decimus to sit in. When Decimus seated himself, she commanded, “Tell.�

He sighed. “I was tutoring someone in Transfiguration,� he finally said after a minute’s pause. He got up to go, but Krystal pushed him down again.

“Who was it?�

Decimus mumbled something and Krystal couldn’t make out what he said. “Who?� she asked again.

“Tabitha Potter.�

Runt and Krystal gasped. “You didn’t!� Runt exclaimed. His usually simple mind was whirling with thoughts. He covered his face with a blanket when he saw Krystal’s eyes turning red.

Decimus noticed, too. “Krys,� he started tentatively, “let me explain. Professor Cook asked me to tutor her because she is having trouble in his class.�

Krystal’s eyes slowly turned their natural blue once again. “Why didn’t you say so? I didn’t know Potter had trouble in Transfiguration.�

Decimus rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, she’s horrible.�

This sparked Krystal’s interest.

“Really? Tell me more.�

~*~*~
Decimus had just had another double period of Transfiguration, and- listening to the rumble in his stomach- knew that he was looking forward to lunch.

Hurriedly, he walked to the door in the back of the room: His gateway to food.

“Mr. Malfoy,� he heard the professor call out to him. “Please come here.�

Decimus cursed under his breath and wondered what Professor Cook wanted with him. Transfiguration was his best class, and he didn’t mess up often. Never.

“Um, Decimus,� Cook started, “I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind tutoring a student of mine. She needs help, I think.�

Decimus was only half-listening; he was paying more attention to the giant gurgle his stomach just emitted.

“‘Course I’ll do it,� he said half-heartedly. “When and where?� He was looking forward to getting this over. He felt his mouth start to water as Cook pulled out a grape and ate it.

Professor Cook looked relieved as he chewed his grape. “Meet us in this classroom at seven. I’ll introduce you two. She isn’t in your year.� He scampered out of the room giddily, leaving a ravished Decimus behind him.

It was only when Decimus was half-way to the Great Hall when he remembered that he didn’t ask Cook who “she� was.





Decimus was late. He was in the middle of teaching Runt chess strategies when Krystal said, “Don’t you need to leave now?�

He sprang up. “Damn!� he exclaimed, and he sprinted out of the common room and up three flights of stairs to the Transfiguration room.

“S-sorry,� he panted.

Then nearly fell over.

The “she� standing next to Professor Cook had red hair and green eyes, and was actually a “Tabby.�

He pointed at her. “This is the person you wanted me to tutor? HER?!�

Tabby rolled her eyes as Professor Cook clapped his hands. “So you already know each other? Good. This makes my job easier. Must dash.�

Tabby put her hand on his shoulder as he tried to leave. “Wait. You’re leaving us? Alone?�

The professor looked at her in surprise. “Of course I am! If I didn’t need to leave you alone, then I would tutor you myself! But, alas, Minnie has a pool going on who wins the arm wrestling championship we are having. I put all my money in on Filius!�

He dashed out of the room quickly, leaving a shocked Tabby with her mouth hanging open in surprise.

“You shouldn’t hang your mouth open like that. You’ll get bugs stuck in there,� Decimus said coolly.

Tabitha snapped her mouth shut.

Decimus looked out the window, which revealed a bright pink sunset. “Shall we go outside?� he asked.

Tabby considered him through narrowed eyes, then shrugged. “Sure. Why not?�

She brushed past him and out the door. “You coming?� she called out over her shoulder. Decimus had to run to keep up.

Out the front door they went. Decimus spotted a shaded patch of grass underneath a big oak tree. “Wanna sit there?� He looked at Tabby, at her green eyes. She looked back at him.

“Fine.�

Once again, she leaded the way. She glanced down at the ground first- looking for bugs- before she made herself comfortable.

“So,� Decimus said after he sat down, “what do we have to practice?�

Tabby smiled slightly. “We have been working on turning a raven into a robin lately.�

Her companion looked around. “Well, we don’t seem to have a raven with us at the moment. So have you been working on anything else?�

“We have been turning alligators into crocodiles,� she said with a full-fledged grin.

Decimus rolled his eyes. “We don’t have alligators either,� he said grimly. “What else have you been doing?�

“We’ve been turning crocodiles into alligators.�

Decimus raised his eyebrow. “Don’t you want me to help you?� he said with a tint- just a tint- of annoyance.

Tabby- who was laughing- stopped when Decimus said that. “I was just kidding around. Well, not really. We have been turning crocodiles into alligators lately.�

“We should start with basics, then work our way- or your way- up to more challenging stuff,� he said.

Tabby stuffed a lock of her bright red hair behind her ear. “I already know the basics,� she said defensively. “I’m not an idiot.�

“I know you aren’t,� he sighed. “But it wouldn’t hurt to run through them again, would it.�

Tabby knew that was supposed to be a question for her to answer, but he didn’t say it with a question mark at the end. He said it with a period, as if to state a fact.

Tabitha answered the question anyways. “No, I guess it wouldn’t.�

“We’ll start with how to hold your wand the best way when performing a Transfiguration spell.� He shifted her index finger on her wand, so it was now on top of her thumb.

“That’s the way to do it,� he said, looking her straight in the eye. “Many witches and wizards make that mistake. They don’t realize that if your index finger is over your thumb, it holds your wand more securely.�

“I didn’t know that,� Tabby said.

Decimus smirked proudly. “Not many people do. They don’t teach it. I had to find out myself.�

Tabitha held out her wand, and Decimus grimaced. He scooted over so that he was sitting right behind her.

“Here,� he said. He placed his hand on Tabby’s lower back to stop her from slouching. “Hold your arm like this.� Decimus moved her elbow out from where it was tucked next to her body.

“What now?� Tabby asked, looking over at Decimus, whose head was right behind hers.

“Now we practice wand movements,� he whispered in her ear. Tabby felt tingles running up and down her spine.

Decimus was leaning closer towards her, and their mouths were only an inch apart. Just a bit closer, he thought.

Tabby pulled back when she felt a water droplet on her forehead. “I think it’s going to rain,� she said as if they hadn’t just almost kissed each other.

Just as she said that, it started pouring. Tabby got up and said, “We should get to the castle, or we’ll get soaked.�

Decimus was thinking about how obvious her last comment was, and was going to make a joke of it, when he noticed that she had already started the long walk to the front doors. He sat underneath the tree, cursing the weather, for several moments until he finally got up and followed her inside.

~*~

The events of that night flashed in Decimus’ eyes as he replayed the story to Krystal and Runt, conveniently leaving out the part where he nearly kissed Tabby Potter.

He looked at Krystal. “Can I go change now? I’m freezing my arse off,� he said lightly, trying not to notice that his skin was turning mauve from the cold.

Krystal sighed. “Go ahead.�

Decimus practically ran up to his dormitory, wondering why on earth he let Krystal tell him what he can and not do.

It’s the eyes, he told himself.





AN~ Many of you will be saying that Tabby and Decimus’ relationship is moving to fast, but you’ll find out more in the 9th chapter :D Next chapter we find out a little more about Nikki and her past.

This chapter goes out to my good friend Hailey (grangergurl).

Side note: The first draft of this story was written in a diary form. But a mod rejected it, so I re-wrote it in third person. I may have re-wrote it, but the title stuck.

Nicola Straight was seemingly flawless. Beautiful, active, clever... She had it all. Or so it seemed.

People didn’t like Nikki because of her perfections. They didn’t know that she would rather be homely, lazy, and stupid and have people that like her. She had two good friends, people she could rely on, but she felt lonely.

She wasn’t supposed to be a witch. She wasn’t born one, and her parents and big sister were muggles. But being a witch and being perfect came with the package.

The package of being a vampire.

She was bit when she was five, on a dreary rainy night and she was sitting on her front porch. She remembered it well. Before she was bitten, she was a homely child. Most children had red, pudgy cheeks; she didn’t. Most children had thick locks; she didn’t. Most children had thoughtful big eyes; she didn’t.

She remembered someone coming up to her, and even though Mummy told her never, ever to talk to strangers, she remembered the cloaked figure giving off an air of familiarity. Like she’d known him for her whole life.

“Hello, cutie,� the figure said. People didn’t often call Nikki cute. Maybe that’s why she didn’t run screaming into the house. “What do you got there?� it asked.

Nikki looked down at her feeble attempt to draw a bird. She looked up into the figure’s eyes, noting how bloodshot they were. “A picture of a birdie,� she replied, pointing at the beak of her bird drawing.

“I can help you if you’d like,� the figure said seductively. “I can help you make it better and more pretty.�

It was something about the eyes that drew her in. They looked kind, thoughtful. But there was something deeper in them, something that looked... thirsty.

She edged closer to the figure. “How can I make it better?� she asked. She was right next to the figure now.

She remembered him leaning in closer, like he was going to whisper something in her ear. She remembered her mum coming out to tell her it was time for bed. She remembered feeling a tingling on her neck, then the oozing feeling of blood.

Her mother screamed, and the figure let go of it’s tooth grip on her neck and ran into the night. Nikki touched her neck and felt to scars and dried blood there, and was surprised at how easily the wound healed.

Nikki looked out into the darkness to see if she could catch a glance at the cloaked figure. To see if she could look into those bloodshot eyes again and feel that warmth again.

Nikki heard a crack, and saw two more cloaked figures approach her. Nikki’s mother, Carol, stepped in front of her, to protect her.

The figures got closer. A woman with a heart-shaped face and purple hair spoke. “We aren’t going to hurt your daughter, miss. But we think she was just bitten by a vampire.�





Over the night, Nikki transformed from a caterpillar to a butterfly. She got to be perfect, and all she had to do was drink two potions every night. One to prevent her from biting, and another to allow her to stand sunlight- for awhile.

According to the good cloaked figures, she is one of the very few muggles that get bitten by vampires. And in all cases, after the bite the muggles found that they were no longer muggles. She was very fortunate (or unfortunate) to have been bitten at such a young age, so that she can continue her magic studies at a school called Hogwarts.

Nikki listened to all of this happily while her family sobbed. Nikki didn’t understand why they were so miserable. She was pretty now and looked at the world differently. Through different- more thoughtful- eyes. Not only that, but she had magical powers.

Over the next six years, she was happy. People looked at her differently, and she could stop them in their tracks. They only sped up when Nikki grinned, and showed her large and sharp incisors.

None of this mattered, though, because she was happy. She was pretty and she was happy, which she hadn’t been before.

She remembered turning 11, and hoping that she really did get the letter they said she would. Hoping it wasn’t some mistake.

It did come. She watched the mailbox for weeks, only to find out it came on an owl. She squealed when she read the letter. Her dreams were coming true.

From the letter to September 1st, things when by in a blur. She only vaguely remembered going to Diagon Alley. She only vaguely remembered the night before, August 31st, and laying in bed thinking about Hogwarts, and thinking about getting to do magic, meeting new friends, and being the pretty popular girl she never was before.

Her family dropped her off at King’s Cross the next day. Looking at her ticket, Nikki wandered through the station, looking for platform nine and three-quarters. She wandered around for what seemed like hours, until she saw someone run through platforms nine and ten.

Huh.

She readied herself in front of the platforms, preparing for the crash that would surely come, but it didn’t. Instead, she looked up and saw a brilliant red train: the Hogwarts Express.

She felt eyes on her, following her long dark brunette curls. She learned long ago not to smile, which caused her to have permanent frown marks on her full lips. This did not decrease her beauty. It made her even more beautiful, if possible.

She heard the whistle blow, and ran for the train. With the help of a boy, she lifted all of her luggage onto the train, just in time. “Thank you,� she said to the boy, and smiled, being careful not to show her teeth.

After what seemed to be a long time, she found a compartment with a group of giggling girls in it. “Can I sit here?� she asked tentatively.

The girls looked at her. They surveyed her up and down, taking in her pale appearance. “Sure,� a girl with light brown hair and bright chocolate eyes said. “I’m Wendy. Wendy Jacobs.�

Nikki smiled. “I’m Nikki Straight. How long till we get to school?�

A pudgy girl who sat next to Wendy said, “It usually takes awhile. I haven’t seen you around before. Are you in your first year?�

“I’m going to be,� Nikki acknowledged. “I’m really excited. I’ve flipped through some of my school books, but I don’t quite get all the stuff they say about Houses.�

The pudgy girl smiled. “Well, there’s Hufflepuff, which I’m in...� She then told Nikki all about the different Houses, and how she heard that Harry Potter’s daughter was supposed to be in her first year. And also how she had a crush on Trenton. Then how she needed to lose weight so Trenton would notice her.

Nikki was surprised at how open the girl- Alison Temple- was to her, and she’d only known Alison for an hour at the most.

The train ride went amazingly fast. Nikki decided that she didn’t like Wendy much, she was a bit to snooty. Alison was a bit simple and dull, but she was nice enough. She also had the courtesy of showing Nikki how to play Exploding Snap.

They were almost there- and six Exploding Snap games along- when snooty Wendy said, “Did you hear? I heard there is going to be vampire this year.�

Nikki felt all the blood rush from her face. “A v-vampire?� she asked.

Wendy smirked, thinking that Nikki stuttered from fear. “Yeah, a vampire! I hope he’s not in my house.�

Nikki was steaming. “Who says it’s a he?� Nikki’s mother was a feminist, and raised Nikki to be one, too.

Alison and Wendy grinned at each other. “I hope it’s a he,� Alison said. “I heard vampires are devilishly good-looking.�

Wendy laughed, and Nikki reluctantly followed suit. “It’s not as bad as when they once had a werewolf as a teacher!� Wendy exclaimed.

Nikki perked her ears. “A werewolf?�

Wendy grinned. “Yep. A werewolf. He taught a long time ago, I guess. Back when Harry Potter was at Hogwarts.�

Alison sighed. “Trent talks about how his father is friends with a werewolf. I overheard him once talking to his friends about him.�

Nikki snorted. “You mean you eavesdropped.�

Wendy and Nikki laughed at Alison’s sudden blush. When Nikki calmed down, she said, “You seem to be talking about Harry Potter a lot. Who is he?�

Wendy stopped laughing. Alison looked at her in awe. “You don’t know who he is?� Alison asked.

Nikki shook her head. “Nope. I’m muggleborn. Didn’t I mention that?�

“He defeated You-Know-Who. Do you know who You-Know-Who is?� When Nikki shook her head, Wendy continued. “He was the darkest wizard that ever walked this planet. And Harry Potter defeated him two times! The first time he was one year-old, and no one knows how he did it. The second time when he was 17.�

Alison looked out the window. “Look,� she said, pointing outside the window, “the sun is coming out!�

Nikki saw that, indeed, the sun was coming out. The sun rays peered through the window, resting on Nikki’s arm. She pulled away quickly. “OUCH!� she exclaimed. The sun had burnt her, and she now had a red mark on her arm.

“What’s the matter?� Alison asked. She had a look of genuine concern on her face as she studied the red mark on Nikki’s arm.

“Do you think we could shut the blinds?� Nikki asked, moving to the window. “I’m feeling a little overheated.� She yanked the blinds closed, but not without getting burned again.

Wendy looked at her as is she just spontaneously combusted into flame. “Uh... I guess you can,� she replied. “The sun won’t be out much longer, though. It’s almost nightfall.�

Wendy was right. The sun soon settled under the horizon, but it left it’s mark. Nikki was still healing her wound when the train came to a sudden halt.

“O’er her’! Firs’ ye’rs, o’er here!� a grumbling voice called out. Nikki followed the voice to its owner, and was shocked to find a giant, with a large beard streaked with grey, calling them, leading them to a dock filled with boats.

Wendy, Nikki and several others found an empty boat and got in. Nikki gasped at the sight of the large stone castle, along with several others. The beauty and magnificence of it astounded Nikki, but what really surprised her was how large it was.

“Alison told me all about how they sort us. They use this thing called a sorting hat...� Wendy’s voice trailed off as they approached the gate.

All 100 students filed off of their boats, to be greeted by an elderly woman. “Hello,� the woman said. “I am Headmistress McGonagall. Please follow me.� The first years formed five long lines, and stumbled into a great hall.

Sure enough, resting on a wooden stool was mangy-looking hat that Nikki took to be The sorting hat.

“Accola, Roxanne,� McGonagall cried out, and Roxanne was to become the first Ravenclaw. “Benjamin, Shawn,� became the first Hufflepuff.

Wendy became the first Gryffindor, much to Nikki’s surprise. There were many things that Nikki thought Wendy was, but brave wasn’t one of them.

The list continued, and soon the headmistress said, “Potter, Tabitha.� Harry Potter’s daughter had long red hair, and sparkling green eyes, which astonished Nikki. She, for some reason, imagined Harry having cold eyes, and expected his daughter to have them, too. Tabitha Potter became the next Gryffindor.

The list moved along. “Sage, Guy� became a Slytherin. “Smith, Quinn� became another Gryffindor.

“Straight, Nicola,� McGonagall’s voice called out, and Nikki stepped towards the stool. The headmistress placed the hat on her head, and soon her eyes were covered in darkness.

“Oh, my. A vampire,� said a voice in her head. How’d he know that? she asked herself. “Oh, I know many things,� the voice said. “GRYFFINDOR!� the hat called out, and Nikki went to go sit next to Tabitha, Quinn and Wendy. The all clapped her on the back. “You can call me ‘Tabby’,� said a voice in her ear, and she turned to see smiling green eyes looking at her.

“Call me ‘Nikki’.�





AN~ There’s just the start of Nikki’s story. I have a feeling you all are surprised to find Nikki being a vampire, weren’t you? Well, to tell the truth, she wasn’t originally. It was one of those things that just happen along the way.

This chapter goes out to KalthiaQueenofAll for leaving a bunch of great reviews. They make my day, hun.

And a big thanks to my BETA, butterflykisses!

Tabitha stormed into the room, soaking wet. How dare he? What was supposed to have been a tutoring session turned out to be a close kiss match.

That’s the closest they’ve ever been to actually kissing. Once, last year, someone thought it would be funny to lock them into a classroom together. Some pranksters that knew how much Potters hated Malfoys, and vice versa, had locked them in a room to see who would come out alive.

They both did, but that’s just because Decimus, who was running away from a wand-sporting Tabitha, suddenly realised that he knew how to unlock doors by magic.

They came close to kissing that day, but stopped before it got too far and took up a chasing match. But today they got too far.

We need to stop the tutoring. I need another tutor, Tabby told herself. But he’s the best, and I need all the help I can get! This battle raged inside of her until Nikki and Quinn stormed into the room, arguing.

“I know he made you mad, Nikki! But that doesn’t mean you can bite him!� Quinn yelled. For a girl of her small stature, she had a rather loud voice.

“I didn’t, though!� Nikki retorted in a small voice.

“You almost did! You had your fangs out and everything!�

Over on the other side of the room, Tabitha said, “Wait. Nikki, you almost bit someone? Was it that Aaron Murphy bloke? He deserves to be bitten.�

Nikki nodded enthusiastically until Quinn slapped her sharply across the cheek. “You don’t... understand. If you... bit him... then everyone would know you are a... vampire... and you’d be... kicked out of school,� Quinn raged. She said all this in a small voice, almost a whisper, but it was enough to send Tabby and Nikki down to their seats.

Nikki was holding the part of her face that Quinn slapped. “You didn’t need to slap me, Quinny. That hurt.�

Quinn turned on her heel and left the common room.

“I don’t think I’ve seen Quinn that mad since Aaron Murphy stepped on her foot. Another reason he deserved to be bitten.� Tabitha tried to lighten the mood , the tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife, but Nikki only looked at the floor grimly.

“No, Quinn’s right,� she said. “I came this close�- she held her index finger and thumb an inch apart- “to biting him.�

“Don’t worry. You have me and Quinn, and we’ll never let you bite anyone!�

Nikki slumped down farther in her seat. “But that’s just it! What if I didn’t have Quinn there? Murphy would be a vampire by now!�

Tabby was about to answer when Trent and Darren came into the room, holding a struggling Chris. Tabby shot out of her seat when she saw the sign Chris was holding, which read, “HELP!� in bright red ink, giving it the appearance of blood.

“What are you two doing to Chris?� she asked calmly as she untied Chris’s hands from behind his back. Darren stared at her in horror, with a guilty expression on his face, but Trenton remained cool.

“We are trying to get Chris to, er, help us with our homework.�

“Uh, huh,� Tabby said skeptically. “Chris,� she said to her youngest brother, “why don’t you go do your own homework? Trent’s a big boy. He can finish by himself.�

Chris darted in the other direction and stumbled out the portrait hole. Tabby glared at her older brother who watched Chris go with a sad look on his face. Turning her head so she could see over her shoulder, she saw Nikki still slumped down into her seat. She had no tears left, and was drily crying.

She turned completely around and headed back to her friend when she felt a weight on her shoulders: Trent had caught her and was holding on rather tightly. “You know, Tabitha... if you want to play Seeker this year, you probably shouldn’t chase away the captain’s chance for a good grade.�

Tabby ripped herself away from the iron clad grip he had on her, and- while rubbing her shoulders- said, “You shouldn’t treat your brother that way, Trenton! And when are Quidditch tryouts?�

“This weekend. Darren here wants to be Keeper.� Trent patted his friend on the back and Darren turned bright red.

Tabby cocked her head to one side. “Really? That’s great. You’ll be a good Keeper.� Darren turned even more red, if possible.

Nikki was still crying. Tabitha sighed. “I am busy right now.� She nodded her head in her friend’s direction. “I’ll talk to you two later.� Trent waved and went off to find Chris, a beat-red Darren trailing behind him.

“You know,� Nikki said, “Darren used to talk a lot more than that. Actually, we used to not be able to shut him up!� She grinned at Tabby, suddenly much happier. “You know why, don’t you?� Tabby shook her head and Nikki continued, “Because he likes you, dunderhead!� Nikki was laughing at Tabby’s horrified expression.

“No! H-He can’t! I don’t like him like THAT!�

Nikki laughed some more. “We best go find Quinn, eh?� she said, wiping a tear of laughter from her delicate face. Tabby nodded numbly, not really quite sure what her friend just said.

They were almost out of the portrait hole but were shoved out of the way by a terrified Chris being chased by a rather rabid-looking Trent.





They found Quinn in an empty classroom. She was curled up on a desk in a fetal position, quietly sleeping. Nikki poked her gently. “Is she dead?�

Tabby elbowed her. “Of course not! She’s just sleeping.�She poked Quinn softly. “I think.�

“Of course I’m sleeping, dunderheads.�

Tabby and Nikki jumped back in surprise. “You didn’t honestly think I was dead? What are you going to do? Bite me?� Quinn hissed.

Nikki took a step back, her eyes filling back up with tears. She was about to run from the room when Tabby put a hand on her shoulder, holding her back. “Quinn, that was uncalled for,� she said firmly. “Nikki and I came to find you so she--� Tabby shoved Nikki closer to Quinn “--could apologize.�

“You’re always on Nikki’s side, Tabby!� Quinn huffed. “Like how you stayed behind to comfort her, and not me! Like how you told Nikki that your mom gave birth first, then me! You always say that we BOTH are your best friends, but I’m always the third wheel!�

“Quinn! That’s not it, and you know it!� Tabby exclaimed, surprised by the sudden outburst of her usually quiet friend. “I just think you blew the whole Nikki-almost-bit-someone out of proportion!�

“‘Out of proportion?!� Quinn was raging, standing on her feet and poking Tabby in her chest. Tabby was much taller than her, but Quinn had the element of surprise on her side. “Nicola nearly ruined someone’s life!� Quinn stormed out of the room.

Tabby and Nikki stared at the spot where Quinn laid in shock. “Wow,� said Nikki, impressed. “She used my real name. So, does that mean she’s mad at you now, and not me?�

Tabby sighed and rolled her eyes at her friend. “I think she is mad at both of us,� she said, before storming out of the room.




The next few days were pure hell for Tabby. Quinn refused to speak with her. Nikki was so ashamed at herself for almost biting Murphy and ruining Tabby and Quinn’s friendship that she didn’t talk much, just hung her head low whenever Tabby tried to make small talk. Trent was mad at her for chasing Chris, causing him to get an ‘A’ on his Transfiguration report. In fact, Chris was the only person in which she could really talk to.

Well, him and Decimus.

They continued with their tutoring sessions, staying inside and in a corner of the library, so they were around enough people to prevent another kiss, yet all the people that would ridicule them for being together (mostly Decimus’s friends) weren’t around.

Of course, things weren’t perfect between them, but at least now Tabby could ask him a question without feeling embarrassed, and Decimus could finally get a civilized conversation out of her.

Once, while Tabby and Decimus were having a session, Quinn was in there. Her and Tabitha pointedly ignored each other, a fact that did not slip by Decimus.

“What’s the matter? Did you two have a fight?�

Tabby sighed. “Yes, sort of. She got mad at me, saying I always take Nikki’s side...� This satisfied Decimus, who continued to teach her how to change the colors of book covers.

And so began the very fertile beginnings of a friendship.





AN~ Boring, I know. But it’s important (see, hpfan012? I told you I put everything in this story for a reason!)

This chapter goes out to Sperk Carm Evans, who gave me a review that left me speechless. Plus, she complimented my banners, and that rocks.

Tabitha Kate Potter has always been talented at keeping the peace. Whether it was between her parents or her brothers, she always knew how to end the fight in a way that satisfied both people.

But it was another thing entirely when she was part of the fight.

Being the offspring of two extremely head-strong people, Tabby was never one to apologize first, no matter how threatened she was.

Once, in her second year of school, she turned the then Transfiguration teacher into a dinner platter. Although the headmistress was rushed into the situation immediately, and the teacher was soon back to normal, Tabitha was told to apologize.

She didn’t.

“It wasn’t my fault,� she insisted. “Professor Worthington shouldn’t have been teaching us to turn pieces of cloth into dinner platters in the first place. If I didn’t know the spell, it wouldn’t have ricocheted off of the chalkboard and hit him.�

She was sentenced with two weeks of helping Filch muck out the dungeons for that.

For the remainder of the year, Professor Worthington pressured her into apologizing, threatening her with more detentions, but she never gave in. At the end of the year, Worthington quit teaching and taught at a small school in Russia for the rest of his days.

But Tabby never did apologize. She got to know Filch better than anyone else wanted to that year, but she held her head high. Wendy threatened to turn her hair blue if she lost Gryffindor any points, but she stood her ground.

In her third year, the incident was forgotten. Filch favored her now, but other than that, her life didn’t change. Professor Cook replaced Worthington, but Tabby like it better that way. The fight with Quinn was quite similar, with only one difference:

Tabby really missed her friend.





“Line up!� Trent called. What was left of the Quidditch team from last year stood behind him, completely dressed in their red and gold uniforms. Before Tabby lined up with the rest of the potential new Quidditch team members, she said to Nikki, noticing how pale she was, “Did you take your potion? So the sun doesn’t kill you?�

“No,� Nikki said through gritted teeth. Tabby opened her mouth in horror, earning her a glare from her friend. “Of course I did, Tabs. If I didn’t, I’d be a pile of bones and dust right there. Now go stand with the other kids trying out, before your brother decides to not let you join the team because you can’t follow instructions.� Nikki gave Tabitha a sad smile. “Be careful. He’s going to be harder on you than anyone else.�

“I know.� Tabby sighed and walked over to join the rest of the Gryffindors trying out.

“Now,� Trenton began. “You will start out by flying around the pitch. We�- he gestured towards the three members standing behind him- “will see how well you can handle a broomstick. Those of you who aren’t up to standards to call yourselves members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team will be eliminated.�

Tabby gulped as she mounted her broom. “Now, FLY!� Trent yelled, and Tabby took off into the air. Her red hair flew behind her like a cape. Her take off was a bit messy, which Tabitha told herself it was caused by a split on one of the broomstick twigs, not by her own fears or lack-of-talent.

But being up in the air soothed her. Tabby’s father always said that flying was some of the best times of his life, and she knew why. Being up in the air gave her a feeling of power, like she owned the world– all vulnerability gone.

When she was younger, her mother always made her fly around the house after a bath, because it was the only way to dry out her thick hair; the wind more effective than a towel. She would try to see how fast she could go to dry her hair quicker.

She flew well; that she knew for certain. Flying around the pitch was no problem, and when Trent told everyone to land, Nikki gave Tabby a thumbs-up, and she felt the air rushing out of her lungs in a relief-filled sigh. After a bit of arguing with his team members, Trenton excused more that half of the people trying out, for they just weren’t “up to scratch.�

But Tabby wasn’t one of them.

Trent eyed her appraisingly, and Tabby grinned back at him. “All right, feel lucky that you made it this far, because it only gets even harder,� Trent growled, and everyone around him took a step back. “We’ll try out the Chasers first, then Beaters, and lastly, the Seekers. As you all know, we only need one of each. If you aren’t chosen, I’ll keep you in mind if we need replacements. Now, I need all of my potential Chasers to step forward and mount your brooms.�

Three girls and a tall, gangly boy stepped forward. Tabitha didn’t pay much attention to the Chaser tryouts, because she was much more absorbed in looking at the other three members remaining. Maybe they’re all trying out to be Beaters, Tabitha thought giddily. Maybe I will HAVE to be the new Seeker, because no one else is interested.

She only half registered seeing a short, blonde-haired girl getting accepted and joining the rest of the team. As Trent asked her several questions (“What is your name?� “Is that Mandy with a ‘Y’?� What year are you in?� “Yes, thank you. I do work out.�) Tabitha sized up her opponents. One was a young brunette, who spoke to loudly in her high-pitched, raspy voice. Another a head taller than Tabby (and Tabby was the tallest girl in her year) and looked like if you even asked him the time of day, he’d lash out. The last was another bloke, who seemed to be staring at Tabby.

She turned around, and no one was behind her. Tabby looked at the boy and stuck her tongue out at him. Then she pulled at the corners of her lips, giving him a horribly childish face. The boy turned away abruptly, and Tabby felt a odd satisfaction in the pit of her stomach.

“Beaters, up in the air. Let’s see what you can do!�

As her brother’s voice rang through her head, Tabby saw the girl and the boy that stared at her stepped forward. She faced her large opponent and gulped. He was quite tall, and had startling purple eyes. His eyebrows were dark and furrowed in concentration. He cocked his head to the side, studying Tabitha who was studying him.

He grinned, lighting up his eyes. Tabby immediately decided he was handsome– in a tall, dark, and mysterious way.

“I’m Anthony. Gareth Anthony. And you are?�

Tabby was surprised at this. Everyone knew her name. Her parentage. She squinted at him, trying to recognize the face.

She didn’t.

He’s too old-looking to be younger than me, she thought impatiently. Yet if he’s older than me, I would’ve known him through Trent. The thought that maybe he wasn’t friends with Trent crossed her mind, but was soon erased. Trent was friends with everyone.

Tabby tilted her head back to its normally straight position. “I’m Potter. Tabby Potter.� Gareth’s smile vanished as realization hit him.

“Related to-� he started, but was cut off by the annoyed-sounding voice of Tabby.

“Yes, yes. Harry and Ginny Potter are my parents, and Trent is my brother.� She glared at him. “I get this a lot, mind you.�

Gareth smiled at her outburst. “No. I meant was if you were related to Chris. I see him in the library a lot.� One of his thick eyebrows was raised. “He’s a good kid. Fun to talk to.�

Tabby tilted her head to the side, once again. This had never happened before. Not many people spoke about Chris that way. He was usually “the weird smart kid with big glasses� or the “brainy bloke I always see in the library.� Hearing someone other than family refer to her little brother as “fun to talk to� brightened her outlook on life a bit.

“Yes. He’s my brother,� she responded after a moment.

Gareth grinned again. “He talks about you a lot, you know. Talks about all of his siblings a lot, actually. But mostly you.� Tabby flushed and reminded herself to thank Chris the next time she got a chance to.

Tabby didn’t have anything to say to this, so she just mumbled, “What year are you in?�

“I am in my sixth year.�

The same year as Trent, she thought. When Tabby didn’t say anything, Gareth said, “You fly pretty well. Your takeoff was sloppy, but you made up for it. It’s good to know that you made it past the first test not just because you’re the captain’s sister.� He said it casually enough, but Tabby caught a note of concern in his voice.

He was worried she’d get in because Trent was her brother.

She couldn’t help it; she started giggling. She snapped her mouth shut, her eyes closed, trying to restrain herself, but the laughter took over. Gareth stared at her, not believing her outburst. “Y-you’re afraid I w-will get the position b-because I am Trent’s sis-sister?� She was panting heavily, and a shiny sheet of perspiration crowned her head.

Gareth fidgeted slightly before replying. “Well– yes.�

“Don’t worry. My brother has informed me thousands of times that he won’t go easy on me. Says that just because I’m his sister, he won’t go easy on me.� She slouched her shoulders and gave a grim smile. “No need to worry, Gary.�

He stiffened a bit. “Don’t call me that.� He spoke politely, but Tabby had enough experience from her father and brothers (no... mainly her father) to catch the iciness in his voice.

Trent walked over, a satisfied smile on his face. “So. Our two potential Seekers. Up in the air, please.�

Gareth straddled his broom and was up in the air before Tabby had a chance to reply. She took off quickly, so her brother wouldn’t have a chance to yell at her for not listening to instructions.

The air was dry that morning, and the breeze light. It was good conditions to be flying in, and Tabby couldn’t have been happier. “All right,� Trenton called from the ground. “This is going to be rather simple. I release a Snitch, and whoever captures it first makes the team. Understand?� Gareth and Tabby nodded in unison, and Trent went off to get the Snitch.

Tabby held out her hand. “Good luck,� she murmured, while wishing him to be the worst ever. She liked him just fine, but she wanted the position more. Gareth shook her hand with a tight grip.

“Ow,� Tabby muttered, rubbing her hand fiercely. Berk, she thought to herself venomously. Probably did that on purpose so I couldn’t catch the Snitch.

Trent held the Snitch in his hands, which was saying something because it so desperately wanted to break free. “On your mark, get set...� He opened his hand and the Snitch took off. “Go.�

Gareth and Tabby took off at the same time. His Eraser was nothing compared to her Hummingbird, but he was a powerful flyer and could keep the pace with Tabby like it was nothing. This, admittedly, scared her. He purposefully bumped into her, shoving her sideways and taking the lead. Tabby decided something then and there:

It was time to play dirty.

She may have liked him, but everything was different in Quidditch. Even the people she respected most could turn into her worst enemies, and vice versa.

She put all of her energy into catching up to him, and when she did, she roughly bumped into him, pushing him out of the way slightly. Damn it, she muttered in her head. Because of his large size, he was a lot harder to push away.

Something gold caught her eye, and she knew right away that she had spotted the Snitch. She glanced over at Gareth, who had caught up to her by now, and saw with satisfaction that he didn’t see what she saw.

Or he could be trying to lead me away.

See the Snitch but lead her away from it. She didn’t even know him for an hour, yet she already knew that this was the kind of thing he would do.

It’s the kind of thing I would do.

She swerved in the direction where she last saw the Snitch, and Gareth swerved too, confirming Tabby’s thoughts. She tried to take him by surprise with that sudden move, but he must have been watching her closely, because in a second he was once again flying next to her.

They both followed the Snitch closely. Gareth had better speed, but Tabitha could make sharper turns. For several minutes it went like this- both of them were not looking for the Snitch, but racing, comparing themselves.

Tabby spotted a glint of gold, and, without thinking, she dove towards the ground like lightning. Gareth didn’t notice this right away, and he flew a bit farther before diving down too. But he was too late. In seconds, Tabby held the warm, glittery Snitch in her left hand.





Nikki slugged Tabby in the shoulder, grinning as they walked towards their table in the Great Hall. “I knew you’d make it, Tabitha! I knew you would.� She held Tabby’s hand tightly as they swerved around other students, who were discussing something. Leaning forward, her ears perked slightly, Tabby heard them mention something about the Defense teacher, Professor Rhodes, taking a leave of absence for the rest of the year. Tabby smiled; She didn’t care much for Rhodes, who was the Hufflepuff Head of House, and only treated his house with respect.

Tabby’s grin disappeared, though, when she spotted Gareth sitting in a corner, his face hidden behind The Daily Prophet. She broke her hand free of Nikki’s grasp and walked towards him. She said, “Hello. Do you mind if I sit here?� before slamming her Potions book down in the empty seat across from him.

Gareth looked slightly surprised as his head peered over the top of the paper. “Hello. Don’t mind me, I was about to leave.�

“You flew well.� Even though Tabby didn’t feel the slightest bit guilty over winning the position, she figured that flattery was appropriate at the moment.

Gareth raised both of his heavy eyebrows. “If I flew well, then I would’ve beaten you. Good job, by the way.� Tabby didn’t know how to reply, so she beckoned Nikki- who was standing in the middle of the hall, her mouth agape- with a single finger, and he friend obeyed.

“Gareth,� she said quietly, “this is my mate Nikki. You should remember her from Quidditch tryouts.� Gareth’s eyebrows exceeded their limit and disappeared underneath his hair as he took in the sight of Nikki, who, with the sun shining behind her, looked radiant.

“Nice to meet you.�





AN~ So here’s the chapter you have all been waiting for, for at least a month. This chapter is dedicated to WannaBeMrsRonWeasley, for leaving me a review that knocked the breath out of me, and to RampantMuggle, for just overall being a good reviewer and for putting “Tabby/Decimus� in his list of favorite ships.

Also, a bit of a riddle... Sorta... I finalized the name Tabitha when I looked up it’s meaning and origin at babynamesworld.com (where I go for all my names :]). In case you don’t know, it means “gazelle; roe-buck.� This immediately reminded me of Harry’s patronus; his stag. But I got the name Tabitha from another bewitching show that my mom and I used to watch a lot. The first person to name the show gets a chaptered dedicated to them! Have fun!

And a big round of applause for butterflykisses, who is my most excellentest beta =]

“Can I read it?�

“No.�

“Please?�

“No.�

Decimus and Krystal fought this never-ending battle all day. Runt, who was usually quiet and kept to himself, had told them to shut up many times. It only slightly worked, for Decmius and Krystal would pause in shock that he opened his mouth, but then the arguing would begin again. All this for a stupid note, Runt would think bitterly, then returned to the game of chess he played by himself.

For indeed, while the argument had progressed to different things throughout the day, it all began with the small note Tabitha had written Decimus. It made Krystal angry that he wouldn’t let her read it, and so she settled on driving him mad the whole day.

It wasn’t a very personal note, there was nothing in it that would embarrass him, but Decimus saw no need in Krystal reading it. She knew all his other secrets, thanks to her eyes, so he wanted to let her live without knowing this one.

“Why won’t you let me read it?� she asked again, this time without the hostility in her voice. “You say it’s not that big of a deal, yet you won’t let me read it. Ugh! I don’t understand you.�

Decimus was taken aback by how gentle her voice was. The calmest, warmest it was that day. He reluctantly handed her the note, thinking of how ashamed his father would be if he was there that moment and saw a Malfoy give in, in a fight. Although it wasn’t his fault; it was her eyes, which could convince you to jump from a cliff if she felt like it.

“Thank you,� the Ice Queen said happily, then she snatched the tiny piece of parchment from his hand and read in a scrawled handwriting:

Decimus,

Do you think we could meet tonight in the Astronomy
Tower? We have a sort of exam in Transfiguration
tomorrow, and I could use all the help I can get.

8 o’clock?

-Tabby P.

“Was there really a need for the last initial? I mean, what other Tabby is there that you meet with privately every night?� Krystal murmured, grinning.

Decmius grabbed the note back. “I let you read it, happy?� he said, then to protect his pride he added, “And I don’t meet with her every night. Just once in a while to help her with her homework, and only because Professor Cook asked me to.�

“Want me to play chess with you, Runt?� Krystal asked kindly, after seeing their friend in the corner by himself. “You’re playing by yourself, and you still manage to lose!� Runt was indeed horrible at chess. “By the way, Deci,� she added in an undertone. “It’s almost eight now. You better hurry.�

“‘Bye, then.� Decimus sprinted from the room, wondering why Krystal didn’t have any girl friends.

But he knew why. He had always known why. It was because Runt and Decimus were the only two people in the entire school, really, that could put up with her. Most people found her red eyes and moody temper intimidating, but Decimus got this all from his grandmother, and so he was used to it, and Krystal treated Runt gently, so he had no real reason to be frightened of her.

He walked quickly. It was almost eight, he saw, looking at his watch. He felt someone bump into him, and he looked up to complain. He opened his mouth then snapped it shut, his teeth chattering together. It was Trenton Potter, with his lackey Darren by his side.

Of course.

“Get up to the Astronomy Tower quick, Malfoy. Tab will go mad if she has to wait much longer,� Trent said. It was one of the few times he said something to Decimus and it not contain any sort of insult.

“How did you know that I was meeting Tabitha?� Decimus asked coolly. Following Trent’s lead, he kept the hardness out of his voice. He didn’t need to pick a fight with him now, not when he was already running late.

Trent was already halfway down the hall, but he called over his shoulder, “Because my sister tells me everything, Malfoy!

Decimus figured she probably didn’t tell him everything, because if she did, he would be dead.

~*~

Decimus arrived five minutes late. Tabitha was looking out the window, studying the stars with a telescope. “You’re late, Decimus,� she said softly.

“Sorry. I got held up.�

“It’s fine. Now, about this exam--�

“Don’t you mean ‘sort of’ exam?� Decimus asked, holding up the piece of parchment with her note on it.

“It’s to give us a taste of O.W.L.s. I’m doing much better now, and as painful as it is to say it, it’s because you have been tutoring me.� She blushed. “Now, it focuses mainly on the things we have been doing in class this past month, which is mostly turning our pets into tables. I’m getting better, I think, but my table still has a tail–�

“Do you really tell your brother everything?�

“Huh?� Tabby had no idea where that came from. She folded up her telescope and looked at Decimus concernedly. “Where did that come from?�

“I met your brother on the way here. He told me not to be late, so I asked him how he knew I was meeting you tonight, and he said you tell him everything. I was wondering if you really tell him everything?�

“Oh,� Tabby said, incredulous. “Yes, I s’pose I do tell Trent just about everything. He’s great to talk to; he has wonderful advice.� Decimus snorted– the Trent he knew was as good of a conversationalist as a frog. “No, really!� Tabby insisted. “You don’t know him like I do.�

“And I hope I never do.�

Tabby tilted her head to the side and look at Decmius slowly and carefully. “Don’t you tell your family members things about your life?�

“No,� he replied coldly.

“Why not?�

“The only person in my family I like is Grandmother, but she’s sick and has been for a while, so I can’t really talk to her. My father is in Azkaban, as you know, so it’s not like I can just prance over there and start spilling out my lifelong secrets. Everyone else in my family is just plain mad.� This was possibly the most personal thing he had ever said to Tabitha, and he bent down to retie his shoe so she would not see him blushing.

“What about your mum?�

“I don’t know who my mum is.�

After retying his shoe ten times, he looked up, and saw what looked like horror, amazement, and sympathy in her expression. Her brilliant emerald eyes were wide, and her mouth was open. “You don’t know who your mother is?� She sank to the ground and stared at him as if she was going to cry.

“No. Father never told me.� He walked over sat next to her on the hard, cold stone floor, patting her on the shoulder lightly. He was not used to others showing off their emotions so lightly, and he had no idea on how to comfort her.

“How could you live without your mother, though? I could never live without my mum.� She stared at him fiercely. “I couldn’t live without any members of my family, actually. I love them too much.�

Decimus nodded slowly. “Yes, but many people live without mothers. They’re as mortal as anyone else.� He glared at her intensely. “You say you could never live without your mum, but the day might come where you’ll have to, Tabs.�

Tabby smiled. “With my dad being who he is, I’ve dealt with the idea of dying many times.� She lightly nudged Decimus. “But this isn’t about me. How come your dad never told you who your mother was?�

“Because he’s a prat.� He stopped when Tabby laughed, and he decided he liked the sound. Not loud and obnoxious like Runt’s, or evil and sinister like his aunt Bella’s, but happy and tinkly.

“No, really! How come. If you don’t mind me asking,� she murmured.

“No, I don’t mind, because I have no idea why he never told me. He says she ran off soon after she gave birth to me, and left him with me to take care of. Maybe she died, but I dunno. Whatever the case, I don’t care, nor do I miss her at all.�

“That’s brave of you, handling you situation like that,� Tabitha mused. “Why weren’t you sorted into Gryffindor?� She grinned at him because they both knew the answer.

“My father would have killed me.�He said this in a joking manner, but Tabitha wondered if he was joking at all. He hesitated before saying, “I’ve never told anyone this, but the hat wanted to place me in Ravenclaw.�

Tabby tried to hide her surprise. “Well, it makes sense. You’re top in most of your classes, and you’ve been a wonderful tutor, really...�

“It’s all right, Tabitha. You can laugh.�

“Who’s laughing?� she asked. “I sure as hell am not! So, why didn’t you want to be in Ravenclaw?�

“You ask a lot of questions, don’t you?�

“I wouldn’t have to if you would elaborate a bit more often.�

“Because I wanted to be in Slytherin,� Decimus answered, rolling his eyes. “It’s the family house that we’ve all been in, and it would cause a lot of controversy if I was the first Malfoy in three centuries to not be sorted into Slytherin, wouldn’t it? Being in Slytherin makes things easier.�

Tabby nodded. “I see. I didn’t really have that problem you had, though. The hat sorted me into Gryffindor right away.�

“Figures.�

“What’s that supposed to mean?�

“Of course a Potter would be sorted into Gryffindor right away!�

“My da wasn’t!�

“Oh, really?� Decimus said skeptically. “What house was he almost sorted in, then?�

“Slytherin, for your information.�

“What?� He looked at her in awe. “Harry Potter was almost in Slytherin?�

“Yes, but he asked the hat to let him be in Gryffindor,� she said triumphantly. “At least, that’s what he told me.�

“I never would have guessed.�

“Oh, but wouldn’t you have?�

The way she stared at him– so intently, so fiercely– made him turn away from her.

“We should probably start working,� Decimus finally muttered after moments of pause. “You don’t want to fail that exam. It’ll make me look bad.�

Tabby smiled. “Wouldn’t want to make you look like a fool.�

“Thanks.�

~*~

Decimus walked into the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom just barely before the bell rang.

The talk around Hogwarts for the past week was about the new substitute professor in DADA. Rumors were flying around faster than owls, and Decimus didn’t quite know what to believe anymore.

“He’s late,� Krystal complained, her eyes flashing red for a split second. Only Krystal would be upset that a teacher was not on time.

But she didn’t have to lose sleep over it. The door to the room closed with a loud bang. A dark hooded figure walked down the aisle between the desks, and as it walked (or, Decimus mused, more like stomped) all of the open textbooks slammed shut. It turned toward the class, and Decimus looked up and let the horror wash over him.

He recognized those green eyes.

“Hello, class,� said the figure. It was a male’s voice. “You may call me Professor Potter.�





AN~ GAH!!! This took forever, and I apologize. The next chapter won’t take as long, I hope. But my beta has been uber busy lately.

Chapter is dedicated to later and jwman1986 for guessing the show in the last chapter right (and being the first two to do so)! The show, by the way, is Bewitched.

Once again, thanks to butterflykisses for being my beta.

The man wouldn’t blink for her.

She stared up into his green eyes, fighting the tempting urge to close her eyelids. The man had willpower, and she would be the first to ever admit that– besides maybe her mother, of course.

Tabitha finally gave up and closed her eyes forcefully for a second before opening them back up. Her father stared back at her, a triumphant smirk on his face. She scowled at him; he may have won the battle, but the war was not yet over.

“Tab, love...� Harry Potter began before stopping suddenly and raked a hand through his dark hair. “Tabitha Kate, I owed McGon- I mean, Minerva a favor. Your professor is out, and when Minerva asked me if I would substitute, I couldn’t say no. It’s only for a few weeks.�

“Didn’t you think of us before you said yes?� Tabby asked hotly. “Or did you just agree as soon as McGonagall asked you?�

Harry sighed and looked at his daughter. “Of course your mother and I discussed it through, but in the end we decided I should go for it. I owe the headmistress a favor, and I can spend more time with my children.�

“Aw, Daddy!� she cried. “Don’t go into the spending-time-with-my-children thing again, please? I mean, do you know how awkward it’s going to be for us? And Chris gets picked on enough as it is....�

“I’m not going to be around all the time.� Harry’s tone turned into disapproval. “Just Apparate to and from work every day. Unlike Minerva, I don’t plan on ever staying the night here.� His tone changed quickly to sadness. “Are you really that ashamed of me, Tabby Cat?�

She narrowed her eyes. She knew this game– she was the master. Laying on the guilt. He twisted his face so it resembled what she assumed was supposed to be sorrow, but Tabby didn’t buy it for a second. Knowing full well that her father secretly enjoyed the little spats they sometimes had (something to do with how he raised his children to be fighters), Tabby crossed her arms and glared, preparing her eyes for another staring contest.

Harry lost the sad expression. “You get that look from your mother, don’t you?�

His daughter prepared herself to shoot back an icy reply, but the door to the classroom shot open, and Trent and Chris marched purposefully in. Tabby could see Darren out in the hall looking anxious. She gave him a brief smile, causing him to turn an interesting shade of cherry red that reminded her of the lipstick her Aunt Fleur sometimes wore.

The door shut and Darren’s face disappeared behind the solid block of wood. “Father,� Trent said calmly, “care to explain, please?�

Trenton stood straight and tall, and it shocked Tabitha how much he had grown. He was eye-level with their father now, and while the resemblance was striking, Trent had too much of the Weasley roundness in his face. Actually, once he was older, Tabby had a feeling Chris would look more like Harry than Trent did. Edward didn’t resemble his father much; besides the hair, he was a male version of his mother. Tabby was a happy mix of both parents, and for Juliana it was too early to decide, but she had her father’s narrow face.

“I’ve done a lot of explaining already, son.� Their father sighed. “It’s not permanent. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if I am only here for three weeks. I won’t even be spending the night, but walking to and from Hogsmeade every day to Apparate back home.

Trent looked slightly peeved, but didn’t answer. The children stood obediently in a straight line in front of Harry’s desk, behind which he now sat. “So....� Chris suddenly looked excited. “Are you really going to be our professor, Dad?� Harry nodded and Chris grinned. “Lovely. This is one class I don’t need to worry about failing.�

“As if you’d fail this class anyway,� Tabby stated at the same time their father intoned, “Now, now! Don’t think you’ll be getting off easy. I’ll be just as hard on you as the other students, and in their presence you will call me ‘Professor,’ understood?�

His children were shocked. “So we have to deal with you and we don’t even get any benefits?� Tabitha complained. “Bloody hell.�

Harry shrugged it off happily. “Don’t swear, Tabitha. And you can blame your predicament on your headmistress. She’s the violent cheater here, not me.�

“Now what’s that supposed to mean?� Trent asked before they were hurried out of the room.





“So your father is really going to be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor?� Darren seemed as amazed by it as the Potter children were. His curly sandy blonde hair stood on end and his blue eyes were excited.

“Yes, he is.� Trent scowled at his mate, stirring the food on his plate around with his fork. “Don’t see why you’re so excited. He’s already told us that he’s not going easy on his own children, so don’t think he’ll be soft on you.�

Darren waved a hand in dismissal. “No, no. That’s not it,� he said around a mouthful of potatoes.

“What’s not it?� Tabby had plopped down on the same bench Trenton was sitting on at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall.

Swallowing his bite first (which was a first for him– usually he didn’t mind speaking with his mouth full of partially-chewed food), Darren answered, “Just talking about the new professor.�

Tabby made to reply but Trent interrupted. “What were you saying? About why you were so excited?�

“Oh, right.� Darren took a quick sip of his pumpkin juice before continuing. “Just saying, it’s nothing special to you that he’s working here now. You’re his children, and used to being around him.� He smiled crookedly in the adorable way he had. Tabby had a sudden urge to touch that dimple of his right under his right eye. “A lot of students here are excited to be taught by him. He defeated the Dark Lord, you know, and he’s a mighty powerful wizard.�

“Your point?� Tabby still didn’t catch on to what was so thrilling about it. Darren turned to her and abruptly turned a light shade of pink, as if just now remembering to be embarrassed around her.

“Well, Tab,� Darren said smoothly. “A lot of people here are excited to have the most powerful wizard in the Wizarding world teaching them.�

Trent and Tabby looked at each other in surprise. Darren had a point. To them, he was just their father, but to others he was a great and powerful man not to be messed with. “Well, I better get to class.� Tabby got up, her stomach lurching at the thought of a double period of History of Magic. She kissed Trent on the cheek and walked towards the door.

“Hold on!� Darren called. “I’ll go with you.� He had to run to catch up to her. “Potions next. The dungeon is on the way,� he muttered when Tabby raised an eyebrow questioningly.

“Okay, I don’t care,� she responded brightly, digging in her pocket for a hair tie. Her hair was getting long again, and it had a nasty habit of clinging to her face. Trent had yelled at her about it in Quidditch practice several times, and she had to trade a chocolate frog to Helen Deedle, from Ravenclaw, for a piece of ribbon.

Darren watched her intently, studying her face. Tabby immediately felt self-conscious, and ducked her head slightly. He had been looking at her that way for the whole year, and only now was Tabby starting to be embarrassed.

“Hey, Tabby.� Darren stopped and grabbed her hand to pause her. Tabby was amazed at how big his hand was compared to hers, even with her long, spidery fingers. “I was thinking....� He ducked his head, copying her. “Would you like to go to Hogsmeade with me? The next trip is next weekend.�

Not expecting this, she replied, without really thinking, “Um... sure.�

He beamed at her. “Great. Lovely.� He smiled at her, and Tabby did her best to force a smile onto her face. “I’d better get to Potions.� He kissed her hand before dropping it. “See you later tonight!�

Tabby’s hand burned from where his lips made contact with her skin.





“See! Told you he fancied you!� Nikki snickered triumphantly. She was pleased with the new development between Darren and Tabitha, as was the entire Gryffindor tower, it seemed.

Tabby had many mixed-feelings about the whole thing. She really liked Darren, and there was no doubt he was good-looking, but did she really feel about him in that special way? There was the sudden urge to touch his dimple in the Great Hall, but other than that she never really thought about him in a way other than a good friend.

“I dunno, Nick.� She sighed, staring out the window. Quidditch practice was cancelled due to violent storms, and lightning flashed in the distance. Only pretending to be doing homework, Nikki and Tabitha say cozily on the rug in front of the fire, Gareth dozing soundly next to them. (He had become an almost constant presence lately, and Tabby found she really quite liked him. Plus, with Quinn not being around after the fight, they needed someone to overlook their homework.) Winter was coming and with it came a chill that froze the whole castle. “I mean, I like Darren, I really do. But do I fancy him?� She bit her bottom lip.

“Don’t worry about it, love,� Nikki replied reassuringly. “Your father married his best mate’s little sister, and look at how well that ordeal turned out. Besides, Darren only looks at you with adoration and affection. Give him a chance, Tab. Maybe you’ll find that he can be really sweet.�

Tabitha felt herself flush. “I think you read too many romance novels, Nikki,� she giggled, but her mind wasn’t really on the upcoming Hogsmeade trip. She was thinking of her tutor, who had been treating her coolly lately. They didn’t usually act like the best of mates in public, but they’d nod at each other if seen in the corridors. It was like Decimus had been going to great lengths to ignore her. She assumed her knew about Darren, but why he was handling it so badly was a mystery.

Just then Darren and Trent came through the portrait hole, laughing at some unknown joke. Darren made a beeline for Tabitha once he saw her and sat down on the rug with them. Trent sat in the nearest chair, a book open in front of his nose.

Her eldest brother surprisingly had not been upset when he found out Darren and Tabby were Hogwarts’ newest couple. He hadn’t said a word about it, and whenever they were together he hid his face behind some prop, as he was doing now. Chris had seemingly taken a page from his brother and was acting the same way.

“Nasty weather, isn’t it?� Darren asked conversationally. He only ever reached out for Tabby’s hand or kissed her cheek when Trent wasn’t around. He kept his hands pointedly in his lap, clasped together as if in prayer.

“Yes, it’s horrible,� Tabby had to agree. “The team won’t benefit from this at all, unfortunately. We’re losing practice hours, and our first game is coming up.�

Gareth awoke and his head shot up. Yawning, he looked at the time. “Tabs, aren’t you s’posed to be in the Astronomy tower?� He groped for an imaginary pillow and settled back down to fall back asleep. Nikki stared at him, surprised.

“Oh!� Tabby exclaimed. She had completely forgotten about her and Decimus’ tutoring session. “Gotta go.� If she ran, hopefully she could still make it.





AN~ Summer’s coming, so hopefully updates will be quicker now. Chapter’s dedicated to Disappearance_26 for the longest review I have ever received and to NikkiSue, for being my SBBC buddy and for being such a lovely author.

As always, thanks to Mari for catching all my typos and getting this chapter back to me so quickly.

Tabitha reached the Astronomy Tower out of breath and panting. Decimus had several books spread round on the floor, and it seemed he had raided the kitchens, for snacks were piled under a window and four bottles of butterbeer sat in a bucket. She let out a low whistle and Decimus snapped his head up, his face revealing shock before annoyance.

“You’re late.�

“I know,� Tabby sighed. “Gareth . . . .� She trailed off, realizing that excuses weren’t going to help her here. She glanced to the side, where slips of parchment littered the floor. It looked as if Decimus had been doodling. Thinking nothing of it, she sat down next to him, crossing her legs and popping open a bottle of the butterbeer. “What are all the treats for?� She motioned to the pile of food beside them.

He shrugged in reply. “I missed dinner. And one of the house-elves fancies Krystal, we think, and he gives her all the food she wants.� He smiled crookedly. “Why he’d fancy her of all the birds here, I haven’t an idea.�

“She’s very lovely.� Tabby opened a box of Bertie Botts and popped one of the beans in her mouth. Her lips puckered and shortly after and Decimus laughed. “Lemon flavored,� she explained and quickly swallowed.

An awkward silence followed, and they shuffled where they sat restlessly until Decimus spoke up. “To be honest, I didn’t plan on doing much studying tonight.� Tabby looked at him curiously and he continued. “You’re getting better, really, and I brought the food along to give you– us– a break.� He studied her carefully, glancing at her green eyes before glancing down again, embarrassed. “I wanted time to talk.�

“Good.� Tabby relaxed and took another slurp of the butterbeer. “‘Cause I’m really not in the mood to work on Transfiguration. What do you need to talk about?� She tilted her head to the side. “Is it your family?�

Decimus shrugged. “Somewhat, yes. Grandmother’s sick, and she’s not looking very well at the moment. If she dies I have no where to go.�

“I’m sorry, Decimus.� Tabby didn’t really know what to say. How to comfort a person who might lose the only real family they had? “When did this start? Her sickness, I mean.�

“Last month.�

“Oh, dear.� Tabby bit down on her bottom lip.

Sensing the need for a change of subject, Decimus said, “What about your father? It was quite a shock. Did you know that he was going to be the new professor?�

She shook her head. “No. I went to class one morning and thought I saw a beetle on the floor. Soon I found myself staring at a pair of shoes that were very familiar. Too familiar. He said he wanted to talk after class, Dad did. Says he owes McGonagall a favor and it will only be for a few weeks.� She suddenly grinned. “I don’t think Trent was too happy, though. His mates were giving him a rough time at Quidditch practice yesterday.�

Which led Decimus to think of a certain mate of Trent’s that he had a few problems with. “Darren give him a hard time, too, then?�

Tabby’s grin vanished. “No,�she said matter-of-factly, something she picked up from her Aunt Hermione. “He was being a lovely gentleman on the whole thing. I don’t think he really minds that Daddy’s the new professor. They always got along, and Dad says Darren’s his favorite friend of Trent’s.�

“Does he know you’re dating him?�

Tabitha had really tried to keep the conversation away from the subject of Darren, but it seemed as if all her best plans fell apart where Decimus Malfoy was concerned. “Yes, I think he knows.�

“You think?�

“I haven’t said anything, but Trent or Chris probably did. And he keeps giving me this odd look, which I assume means he knows something I didn’t think he knew. Darren says Dad has been giving him the same look, as well.� She shrugged and drained her remaining butterbeer. “We’ll probably talk about it our next meeting.�

“Meeting?�

“Yes. Dad said he would grant us all privacy if we allowed him a meeting every week. Not so much a meeting as it is a family talk.� She popped open a bottle for Decimus, realizing he hadn’t had any butterbeer yet, then opened another one for herself. “Gathering, really, is a better term for it.�

“Is it?� He was smiling at her, but he seemed distracted, as if he wasn’t quite there with her, as if his mind was wandering off in other directions.

“Is there something on your mind?� Tabby whispered. There usually weren’t as many silences between them. It seemed like he had gotten over the silent treatment he had been giving her for the past few days.

“Yeah. A lot is, actually.� His voice sounded too husky and he stared at her intensely. She found she couldn’t take her eyes off his face. She had a deep feeling of doom somewhere in her gut, and her instincts told her to back away slowly and leave the room.

“What’s on your mind, Malfoy?� She scowled at him and got up from where she was sitting on the floor to look at him. “You’ve been acting . . . odd lately. I want to know why.� It wasn’t a question so much as it was a demand. Her voice had been frostier than she had wanted it to be, but it seemed to have the desired affect. Decimus’ eyes snapped to her eyes.

“Why him?� he croaked out at last. Tabby stumbled back in surprise. She had been expecting a confession of some great family trauma from him. If he had told her he had committed a murder she wouldn’t have been as surprised.

“Darren?� Tabby cried hysterically. Decimus nodded, his eyes not leaving hers. “You may not like him, but he’s a good person. He’s very witty and kind. He’s–�

“He’s two years older than you,� Decimus interrupted. “Practically old enough to be your father!�

“Your point? He has a good head on his shoulders, Decimus. He’s always the gentleman and, honestly, I couldn’t have asked for a better boyfriend!� She didn’t know why the conversation was led to this topic, but she didn’t really care.

“Oh yeah? Well, if you had any common sense you’d know that I fancy you, you prat!� He stood up so she was no longer tall than him. “You don’t fancy him, Tabitha. I know you don’t. You called him your boyfriend, but I don’t think that’s the right word for it.�

“Really?� She wanted to slap him, and the temptation was almost too hard to resist. “What’s the right term for it, then?�

“A protector,� he replied icily. “To protect yourself from the fact that you may have feelings for a Malfoy. To protect yourself from the fact that the bloke you really want for your boyfriend is the son of a Death Eater. To protect your name, ‘cause if you dated a Slytherin no one would call you a Potter anymore.� He leaned down so their noses were only two centimeters away. “Protector, I think, is a better term for it.�

He stormed out of the tower, leaving Tabby with a labyrinth of feelings that she had no clue how to get out of.





AN~ This chapter is short, yes, but the next chapter will be better, promise! Decimus’ POV, and he has a lot to say.

Dedicated to Julie, who was the lovely mod who featured this story! And of course, once again thanks to Mari for betaing this chapter in record time! (Couldn't have been more than five hours.)

Decimus ran out of the Astronomy Tour steaming and a bit confused. Did he really just say all of that to Tabby? His brain was foggy and he had one of those cases of short-term memory lose people often get after they did something incredibly stupid.

He told her everything that had been locked in his mind for weeks. He didn’t even know if she felt the same way about him as he felt about her, and yet he had screamed that Darren wasn’t really the one she wanted as a boyfriend, that the one she really fancied was a Slytherin and a Malfoy.

A conversation he had with his father one night long ago drifted into his mind.

“Never love a woman more than she loves you, Decimus,� Draco Malfoy had told his son. “And never let her know your true feelings.�

“Why, Father?� Decimus, who had been curled up in a chair by the fireplace reading a book, eyed his father warily. It wouldn’t make sense if his father was on a drunken escapade, since Draco hardly ever drank liquor. So then what was with this madness?

“That’s what your mother did to me.� Draco leaned down and patted his young son on the head, ruffling his hair. “I cared for her and she ran off, back to her shelter, to the family she knew so well. Cared more about her research than she did me and you. Now, c’mere, son.� Decimus got up and obediently went to sit in his father’s lap.

That was years ago, Decimus thought. Before Dad was shipped off to Azkaban. How would Draco feel now, if he heard his only son had ignored some of the few advice he had given Decimus?

He remembered what Tabby had said about her father approving of Darren, and his heart sunk. Darren could be part of a family where a Malfoy had no place; he would walk into open, loving arms, and Decimus would probably have the door shut in his face.

Maybe I can go back. Decimus played through ideas in his mind on how he could gain redemption. Tell her it was a spell gone bad–

“Going somewhere, Mr. Malfoy?� Decimus spun around and found himself staring at the chin of Professor Potter. One of his black eyebrows was raised, and his voice sounded amused.

“No. I mean, yes, sir.� Decimus took a step back so he could look at the teacher in the eye. “I’m going back to my common room, sir.�

“Heading back from where?�

“Astronomy Tower, sir. I was tutoring someone.�

“My daughter, perhaps?�

Decimus gave a curt nod and silently swore to himself. How did he know about that? Did Tabitha – the name made his heart hurt – tell him? Maybe he had spies in the castle, and in that case does he know what Decimus said to his daughter this very evening? “Do you mind, sir?�

“Me? Not at all.� He grinned, and Decimus realized with a lurch of his stomach that Tabby had the same smile. “Tabitha’s bloody horrible at Transfiguration.� His voice lowered. “Don’t tell her I said that.�

Decimus couldn’t stop from smiling. “I won’t, sir.� No need to add that he doubted that he and the professor’s daughter would be doing much talking at all after tonight.

“Very good. A sweet for you, then.� With a wink, Harry tossed Decimus a small yellow candy from his pocket, and Decimus couldn’t quite figure out what it was. Seeing his confusion, the professor explained, “It’s a lemon drop, Mr. Malfoy. A Muggle favorite of a very wise mentor I had when I was younger.�

“You keep candy in your pocket, sir?� Decimus marveled.

The professor turned suddenly serious. “War makes even the youngest of people grow up. Back then I was too caught up in serious matters, too worried about the safety of family and friends. It’s during times like those that you realize life is short. Never forget to enjoy life, Mr. Malfoy, because you don’t have a lot of time.� He smiled again. “Besides, sweets keep my younger children quiet.�

Decimus looked back down at the drop, turning it this way and that in his palm. “Professor, I–� But when he looked up Harry was gone, and he was left to wonder why his father despised Harry Potter so much.

~*~

Decimus entered the Slytherin common room a bit sulky. Krystal was lounged across a sofa in a corner reading the Daily Prophet, away from the mass of giggling students by the cackling fireplace. Runt was on the floor, books spread around him, busily writing a paper, his quill making scratching sounds on the paper.

“How’d your evening go?� Krystal asked behind the newspaper. Her ability to see beyond and through objects still astounded him.

“Horrible,� he responded, then, thinking of his conversation with Professor Potter, he added, “and interesting.� He lifted Krystal’s legs off the couch and sat down underneath them, putting them back in place so her feet were resting on his thighs. “Mostly horrible, though.�

“You poor dear, you,� she cooed sympathetically, and Decimus glared at her. “What happened that made your lovely plans for tonight go astray? Let me guess: She choked on her butterbeer?� How could one person sound so pleasant and yet still be so malicious?

“No, worse.�

Krystal set the paper down and placed a hand on her chest, her eyes wide. “Worse than choking on butterbeer? I wasn’t aware things could get much worse than that, Deci.� Runt chuckled and snorted as only Runt could chuckle and snort.

“Sod off, Krys. I had a lousy night and I really don’t need your jokes right now.� Krystal raised an eyebrow as if to say: Go on, I’m listening now.

Decimus took a deep breath and continued. “I told Tabitha that I fancied her, along with some other stuff about Darren and protectors. I can’t really remember all that clearly what exactly I said, honestly. I think I threw in some mention of her only going out with Darren because she fancies me and doesn’t want to admit it to herself.�

“Oh, dear.� Krystal was serious this time when she spoke. “It was worse than choking on butterbeer.� She patted Decimus’ shoulder with her foot, which was still laying on his lap.

“Yeah. Much worse,� Runt grunted, turning back to his paper. Decimus stared and him incredulously. He never spoke unless he had something important to add to the conversation. He didn’t classify what Runt just said as ‘important’ and obviously Krystal didn’t either, for she was giving him the same surprised look.

Shaking out of her reverie, Krystal leaned in closer to Decimus. “Look, Dec. You’re my best mate. I’d follow you to hell and back without any questions, because you always know what you’re doing and your instincts are usually correct.�

“Your point?�

“You wouldn’t have said what you said to Tabitha if it wasn’t the right thing to say. You may not see it now, but there was probably some truth in what you said, or else your mind wouldn’t have made you say it. You were blessed with amazing common sense. You see what I mean?�

“Kind of. But when it comes to Tabitha Potter I think my common sense disappears. The right thing to do was stay away from her, refuse to help her in Transfiguration, before something like this happened.�

“I believe that everyone is born here with a purpose, wizards and non-wizards alike. It affects your choices, which lead you on the path to what you were put in this world to do.� She shrugged. “You wouldn’t have said yes to tutoring Potter if it didn’t lead you to your path, Decimus.�

“You think so?�

She winked. “It’s called destiny, mate. What ever the case, Tabitha Potter has something to do with yours.�

Decimus grinned. “You said you’d follow me to hell and back, yeah?� Krystal nodded, suspicious. “So will you follow me to the kitchens and back? It’s my choice, so it should lead me on the path to my destiny,� he mocked, laughing.

Krystal nudged him with her foot. “Shut up. But yes, I’ll follow you to the kitchens and back. I’m starving.� She jumped off the couch and stretched her limbs. “You coming along, Runt?� He nodded, and Decimus reached out his hand to pull him off the floor.

Decimus always knew he kept Krystal round for some reason. He realized, watching Krystal pick carpet fuzz of the back of Runt’s shirt and Runt trying to wiggle away from her iron grip, that he wouldn’t have picked anyone else to call his best mates.

The three of them tiptoed to the door, keeping close to the walls. The group of younger Slytherins herding around the fire didn’t seem to notice them, and they were able to slip into the hallway outside the common room undetected.

“We’re lucky that our common room is in the dungeons, you know,� Krystal mused. “We’re closest to the kitchens. The poor Gryffindors and Ravenclaws are way up in those towers.� Her voice was a whisper, and she still clung to the walls to not be seen.

“I think Hufflepuff is even closer, though.� Decimus led the group, slinking behind pillars and checking both ways before moving forward. “We have so many corridors before we even get to the kitchens, and I think the Hufflepuffs are only a hallway down from them.�

“Oh, the lucky gits,� Krystal muttered. She went to take a step forward, but Decimus flung his arm out, slamming them into the wall. “Someone coming?� she breathed, only loud enough for Decimus to hear. He nodded as a teacher walked by, whistling and completely unaware of the three students out of bed after curfew.

Krystal, Decimus, and Runt let their breaths out simultaneously and continued down the hall until they reached the large painting of fruit they had come to know so well. Runt took a step forward and lightly ran his finger across a pear, tickling it. A giggle came from it as the pear morphed into a doorhandle.

The Slytherins were instantly greeted by a horde of house-elves, who were happy to have visitors. “Looky here! Looky! Another guest!� cried the house-elf named Bibby. She ran to Decimus and wrapped her arms around his leg. “So happy to have you again, Mussy.�

Krystal and Runt snorted. “Yeah, Mussy,� Krystal sneered. “And what were you on about when you said another guest, Bibs?�

Bibby released Decimus and ran over to Runt, having just realized he was here, and threw herself into his arms. “Sir Ethy is here, too.� She pointed a long finger toward a boy who was exploring the cabinets and nuzzled into Runt, who was her favorite student in the castle.

“Sir Ethy?� Decimus raised an eyebrow at Krystal and she shrugged her shoulders. The boy looked up and saw them staring at him. He picked himself off the floor sheepishly, and Decimus recognized him as Gareth Anthony, a quiet boy in his grade that often sat in the back and never raised his hand, although he seemed to know all the answers to every question. He had been a bit of a loner until recently, when he started following Tabby and her mates around.

“What are you doing here?� Krystal asked him accusingly.

“What most students are doing here in after curfew,� he answered, not missing a beat. “Getting food. That’s the purpose of a kitchen, I think.� He was smirking, his intense purple eyes flashing. He had a bag slung over his shoulder full of treats.

Before Krystal or Decimus could reply, a larger-than-average house-elf flung himself at an unsuspecting Krystal, knocking her to the ground with a harsh-sounding thump! Decimus winced – he could feel her pain.

“Missus Krystal!� the house-elf cried. He sprung up from where he was on top of her, and Decimus recognized who the creature was immediately. It was Murf, a large and loud house-elf who fancied Krystal and was the reason they were able to get so many late-night snacks.

“Hullo, Murf,� Krystal said with false cheeriness. “Mind if we got some food? We’re all very hungry.� The house-elf, who could never say no to the Slytherin girl, ran off to fetch some leftovers from dinner.

Gareth watched, impressed. “You’re able to get them to fetch you food?� he wondered, astounded. “They make me dig through the cabinets myself.�

“Missus! Come along, Murf will show you to the food.� Murf had come back nearly a second later. He had one finger flexed and beckoning her to the back of the kitchen. Krystal restrained from sighing and let the house-elf lead the way. Runt, still holding Bibby, followed, leaving Decimus and Gareth alone.

“Malfoy,� Gareth said, and Decimus looked up from where he was inspecting his fingernails, “did something happen in the Astronomy Tower tonight?�

Decimus blinked. “Why do you ask, Anthony?�

Gareth shrugged. “No reason, I s’pose. But on my way down here Tabby and I crossed paths. She seemed very upset for some reason.�

“And you immediately thought I was the reason for her distress?� Decimus crossed his arms over his chest.

The Gryffindor flushed slightly. “No, but I thought maybe you knew what was going on with her. I don’t think she talks to Nikki or me the way she talks to you, is all.�

Taken back, Decimus stumbled out, “What?�

“She told me she likes your tutoring sessions,� Gareth said slowly, wondering why the Slytherin boy found this to be so complex. “She said she can talk to you about things.� He looked down at his watch. “Hey, look. I gotta go. The rest of them up in the common room are waiting for their food.� He rolled his eyes and left the kitchens.

She trusts me as much as she trusts her best mates? Decimus thought giddily, but the euphoria was soon over when he realized he had blown it all that night, all because he couldn’t keep his stupid mouth shut.

At that moment he didn’t care what Krystal had said about all of it being ‘meant to be.’ He would of gladly strayed off the path to his destiny to have been able to take back all he said.





AN~ Much longer than last chapter, and I hope you enjoyed it. My favorite so far.

Don't get used to the quick updates.

This week’s chapter was extremely hard to dedicate, but after much thought, I’ve decided to dedicate it to FounderDisagreement, for leaving some lovely reviews.

And, once again, thanks to the beautiful butterflykisses for beta’ing this one for me.

Tabby trudged through the hallway, feeling sick to her stomach. Slowly, she made her way to the Ravenclaw Tower; her feet felt as if they were made of iron and her eyes were tearing up, causing her vision to go blurry. She only wanted to talk to one person at that moment.

Thankfully, Marcus opened the doorway to the Ravenclaw common room as soon as Tabby arrived there, saving her from the hard questions she needed to answer to enter — Marcus hardly ever got a question wrong, Tabby hardly ever got a question right. She didn’t think her self esteem could of handled another blow.

All she did on the long trek through the corridors was insult herself. How could I have let my relationship with him grow so much? What was Darren going to think? I’m scum. I’m worse than scum. Her thoughts got so nasty, in fact, that they were what caused her eyes to start watering.

But he was there. Tabby didn’t talk to him too often. Some weeks went by where they had barely said a word to each other. When things got hard, almost too difficult to handle, like the time Chris was sick with the dragon pox, Marcus was the only one she really wanted to talk to. There were some things that Quinn and Nikki wouldn’t understand, and some things that you just couldn’t share with family.

The issue of Decimus Malfoy being one of them.

He saw her immediately and asked, “Need to talk?�

Tabby nodded deftly. She didn’t trust her voice to not break. Marcus grabbed her by the forearm and dragged her down the winding stairway of the tower. They walked silently, and Tabby preferred it that way.

Marcus found their place — a small nice niche, out of the way and vision of students and teachers. It was where they went to talk and study, a quiet area of the world where everything felt as if it wasn’t broken into shards. It was their bandage; where they went to cover up wounds, if not actually heal them.

Feeling exhausted for some unknown reason, Tabby sat down with a sigh, and Marcus seated himself across from her. They stared at each other for a moment, taking the other in. Tabitha saw a tall, gangly thirteen-year-old, whose dirty blonde hair needed to be brushed. Marcus saw a lost and confused soul craving for answers.

“What’s wrong, Cat?� Marcus asked. Tabby cringed inside — the constant comparison of her name to a tabby cat was sorely overused. Her father giving her feline figurines was one thing, but referring to her as ‘Cat’ was something she would’ve rather kept secret. If it was someone other than Marcus, she would’ve hexed him long ago.

“I messed things up, Marc.� He was the lucky one without an embarrassing nickname. “And I don’t know how to get myself out of it.�

“Does it have something to do with Darren?� His voice was lofty and soft, so much like his mother’s it was eery.

Tabby considered. “Sort of, but not really.� She blushed and looked down. “It has more to do with Decimus.�

Marcus kept his face impassive, even though he felt like yelping girlishly, as he replied, “I see. He tutors you in Transfiguration, right? You could’ve come to me. I would’ve helped you.�

“But you’re so clumsy you’d have turned my hair purple.�

“Yes, but you’d pass the class, AND you would’ve looked great.�

Tabby snorted.

“Want to relay the story?� Marcus asked after a short pause. He tilted his head to the side, and Tabby thought he looked a great deal like the Muggle people who are paid to give advice.

And so the red-head went on to explain her story, starting at her fight with Quinn and ending with the long walk back from the Astronomy tower. It was amazing how little Marcus had known about what was happening to her, and she felt a pang of regret when she realized they didn’t talk as much as they really should.

“When was the last time you talked to Quinn?� Marcus tilted his head the other side, this time.

“A . . . few weeks.�

He responded with a look that made her feel even more ashamed, if possible. “I know I’m a terrible friend, Marcus! I should just go curl up in the dungeons and rot.�

“Now that wouldn’t be a lot of fun, would it? And a lot of people would be upset if you died. A lot of people love you, Catty. Quinn, Nikki, your parents, Chris, little Julie, me, and, from what I hear, Decimus and Darren, too.�

He leaned in closer. “Your fatal flaw, Tabs, is that you care too much about what people think. Stop trying to please the world, and do what you want to do. The reason you agreed to go out with Darren was because it would make him happy. The reason you wouldn’t say you fancied Decimus was because you were scared your family would be upset.�

“I don’t —�

“The reason,� Marcus continued, his voice rising to tune her out, “you fought with Quinn was to protect Nikki, and you forgot about how Quinn would feel.� He rolled his eyes. “Do I need to keep explaining this, Cat? I’m not a big believer of destiny — Mum and I have thought ‘bout it a lot, and we think that your choices affect your fate, not the other way around.

“You choose what you want to do with your life, and to do that you need to take a stand. If you keep caring about what everyone else wants you to do, your life will be what everyone else wants it to be.�

“What are you saying, Marc?� Tabby asked, although she had a feeling she knew what the answer was.

“Take a stand, Cat. Make amends and start doing what you want to do, and not what everyone expects of you.�

Tabby pursued her lips in thought for a moment, then stiffened when she heard footsteps coming nearer. “Is it past curfew?� she mouthed to Marcus, who responded with a nod and mouthed back, “Has been for a while.�

They dove behind pillars as the sound grew closer. “A teacher?� Tabby, who was behind Marcus and couldn’t see as clearly, breathed out almost soundlessly. Marcus shook his head. It didn’t sound like a professor; the footsteps were too quiet and not as sure of themselves, almost hesitant. A pair of trainers came into view, and Tabby and Marcus huddled behind the stone and held their breath, until Tabby realized that she knew those trainers all too well.

“Gareth!� she exclaimed, pushing Marcus away from her rather roughly. He landed on his back on the harsh stone floor some ten feet away from where he used to be, gasping for air. This went unnoticed by Tabby, who walked over to Gareth.

“What are you doing here? We thought you were a teacher!� She smiled in relief and looked up at him. He seemed just as shocked, his hand crossed over his heart as if to slow it down.

“Everyone in the common room randomly voted me to risk getting detention and fetch food from the kitchens.� He raised a dark eyebrow at her. “What are you doing here?� Noticing the splotchy red spots on her cheeks and her red-rimmed eyes, he asked, “Were you crying?�

Tabby rubbed haphazardly at her cheeks. “It’s nothing, really. Just ranting to Marcus.� She nodded to the Ravenclaw who now lay on the floor, staring up at the ceiling and twiddling his thumbs.

“You know, I never realized before how elaborate the ceilings of this castle were,� Marcus mused out loud. Tabby yanked and pulled him up off the floor. Gareth didn’t say anything, just kept his face impassive.

“Want to come with me to the kitchens?� he asked quietly.

“No thanks, Gareth. I’m tired.� She forced a yawn and gave him a watery smile. “You best go get the food now, before they all get angry.�

Gareth nodded and walked away reluctantly. Right as he reached the end of the corridor, he called over his shoulder, “If you want to talk, Tabby, I’m here.� He didn’t say it very loudly, but in the still air she still heard it.

“Who was that?� Marcus asked, once the mysterious Gryffindor vanished. “I’ve never met him before. A friend of yours?�

“Don’t get the wrong idea! He’s just a friend. I beat him at Quidditch tryouts, and he seemed kind of lonely, so I let him follow us around. He’s nice — you’d like him.� She grinned at Marcus, who responded with a serious expression.

“Make amends with Quinn.�

Tabby sighed. “We’re back to that again, eh?�

“I wasn’t aware we left.� Marcus patted her shoulder. “Apologize to Quinn. Then start making your own choices. We all love you, Cat. We just want you to be happy.�

“You make it sound so easy.� She gave him a lopsided smile.

He smiled back and simply shrugged. “You’re the one who makes it so difficult for yourself.�

~*~

Tabby crept up to her dormitory, careful not to awaken any of her fellow Gryffindor fourth years. Luckily, she knew the room so well finding her way around in the dark wasn’t difficult as she made her way to Quinn’s bed. She nudged her shoulder. “Quinn,� she whispered.

Nikki, who was a light sleeper (being who she was, it was difficult for her to resist her nocturnal tendencies), grumbled a bit. Tabby held her breath until she rolled over, her breathing slow and even.

“Quinny.� Her lips were a millimeter away from Quinn’s ear. “Quinn!�

Confused brown eyes glared at bright green ones.

“Oh. Hi.� Tabby smiled.

Quinn groaned and shifted so she was laying on her back. “Wha’s all dis about?� Her response was barely audible. Eyes clenched tight, Quinn spoke through tight lips.

“Can we talk downstairs?� Tabby pleaded.

“Can it wait?�

Tabby contemplated her conversation with Marcus, and what he would’ve done in this situation. “No, it can’t. Just talk with me downstairs for a few minutes? Please?�

Quinn grumbled and sat up, rubbing her eyes and yawned. Her mouth was too open, her arms flailed too much, and the sound that emitted from her was too loud. Tabby rolled her eyes at the melodrama and pulled Quinn off the bed.

“What do you need, Tabitha?� Quinn asked once they reached the common room. She looked as if she had lived through a battle — her clothes were wrinkled, her hair stood on end as if she had been struck with lightning. She was a heavy sleeper, one of the many things she didn’t have in common with Nikki. While the vampire awoke at the slightest scruff on the hardwood floor, Quinn could the whole night without moving a bit.

“I . . . I need to apologize.� Tabby’s pride wouldn’t let her look her friend in the eyes. She didn’t like apologizing, so she started talking fast, all in a rush. “You were right — what Nikki did was inexcusable and she deserved you yelling at her. You’re always right, and I’m sorry you feel as if I always take her side. Please, come back? Nick’s sorry, too, and I’m tired of seeing you sitting by yourself in class. Have you met Gareth? You’ll like him, he’s really nice and smart, like you. He—�

Quinn clamped a hand over Tabby’s mouth. “You’re babbling,� she scolded, but to Tabby’s relief she smiled. “I know how hard it is for you to apologize, so I accept, I suppose. But please shut up. You’re giving me a headache.�

Tabby felt that a hug at that moment would’ve been too cliché, so she kept her hands to herself as Quinn went on.

“I’ll admit that sometimes I am too hard on Nicola, but I want an apology from her, too. And how come it took you so long? I was getting worried we’d never talk again. Can we go to sleep now, please? I’ll be a dead weight tomorrow — completely useless.�

Quinn took Tabby’s hand and led her up the stairs, and Tabby felt as if an enormous weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Her trio was back (if she could convince Nikki to apologize, too) and, problems with Decimus aside, she felt content.





AN~ Wow. How long has it been since I last updated? I apologize, and next chapter will not take as long. Promise. =]

This chapter is dedicated to TrueIllusions1 and nysuperstarz, for being the only people to ever make me blush in real life online. ;] Thanks, once again, to my loyal beta Mari, who has stood by me since day one.