My Father's Only Rule {DRACO MALFOY X SNAPE'S DAUGHTER}

Chapter Twenty-Five: Someone Who Understands

June 1995 - Hogwarts

Draco and I were officially on a break. We still hung out with Blaise and Jane together, but I never spoke to him. I could barely look at him. In fact, at this point, I was ignoring him. Jane had tried to comfort me as I mourned Cedric, but she just didn't understand. I needed someone who would. I thought about Cho. She knew. In fact, she and I probably could understand each other better than anyone. But I couldn't bring myself to look at Cho. I figured that every time she looked at me, she'd be reminded of how I seemed to threaten her relationship. Then one day as I was walking on the grounds, I saw Harry sitting on a hill by himself. Harry knew. Harry understood. Harry was with him when he died. I walked towards him.

"Hi, Harry," I said. He looked up and was shocked to see me.

"Oh, um, hi, Grace," he said.

"Do you mind if I join you?" I asked.

"Um, yeah, go ahead," he said. I sat next to him on the ground as we looked at the sun setting over the lake.

"How have you been doing?" I asked him.

"Um, given the circumstances, not too well. Sorry if that answer surprises you, but it's the truth."

"No," I said. "No, I expected it. It just makes me a little happy to know someone else understands." He turned to me.

"Understands?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said. "Someone who understands his loss. Everyone knew him, but not many people really knew him. It's hitting us differently. Especially since-" I started to bring up how he died, then I stopped.

"Especially since what?" Harry asked.

"Harry," I said. "Is it true he was killed by you-know, I mean, Voldemort?" Harry smirked a little at me.

"Most people are too scared to say his name," he said.

"Saying his name or not means nothing," I said. "Is it true?" Harry took a breath.

"Yeah," he said.

"So yeah," I said. "That means his death was the start of something, right? I haven't gotten into the politics of this world. But now that it involves someone I love, well, I think it's time I do something about it." Harry smiled at me.

"You're not like the other Slytherins," he said.

"That's what people keep telling me," I said. "I don't understand."

"Well a whole lot of Slytherins come from families who support Voldemort," Harry explained. "That house produces evil witches and wizards dating back centuries." Jane's not evil. Blaise isn't evil. Draco is not evil.

"I'm not evil," I said.

"I know," Harry said. "That's why you're different." I noticed it was beginning to get darker.

"I should go," I said. "You coming? It's getting dark."

"I think I need to stay out here for a little longer," he said. "Thanks by the way. I needed that. I didn't realize that you understand."

"Of course," I said. "I feel weird that I haven't spoken to you when we've known each other all year."

"Yeah," he said. "We get along quite well. Will you write to me? Over the summer?" I smiled.

"Yeah," I said. "Of course. I'll see you around," I said, leaving. I think I just made a new friend. And to think, that's a friend I could have had a long time ago if I had just said hi.

My first year of Hogwarts was complete. So much had happened in the year I found out who I was. And my social life had taken too many turns to count. I wanted to say I knew what my summer was going to look like. I wanted to say that I'd spend a week at Malfoy Manor, a week at Jane's house, and write letters to Draco, Jane, Cedric, and Cho throughout the summer. But my world had been turned upside down. I didn't want anything to change, but I felt as though it had to. 

*Thanks so much for reading Year Four (Part One) of My Father's Only Rule. Stay tuned for Year Five...*