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

Chapter Three: The End Of An Era

June 1997 - Hogwarts

 The end of the school year was nearing, and seeing as I witnessed the event, every other account of the event seemed horribly wrong. My father was scheduled to take over as headmaster in my final year. The bad guy. My father was the bad guy and he was running the school. What did that make me?

Packing was strenuous on my mind. So I had to step away for a walk around the castle. This time of year was usually exciting for the students, but now, the atmosphere is just stiff. On my walk, attempting to find any reconciliation through some peace of mind, I saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione on a balcony. I knew Harry and I needed closure. I slowly approached him, trying to think of something to say, but he turned around before I could say anything.

"Hi, Harry," I said meekly.

"Grace," he said frustratedly. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Harry, I," I tried to say.

"He's dead and I could have stopped it."

"No, you really couldn't have-"

"And it's your fault-"

"Harry!" Hermione screamed. "Don't put that on her."

"Ugh, I'm sorry," he grunted.

"Harry, I'm not mad at you," I said. "I just need you to know that he's not the person you think he is, ok? And he needs me. And it's like I said on the train. You can do this without me. All three of you can do this without me. And I'd prefer it that way. Not because I don't support you guys. Or not because I don't love all of you, because I do. I really do. It's just that...it's just that I don't really know who I am right now. Or why I exist. I just feel like this story doesn't need me. Like, seriously, my father is in cohorts with Voldemort. And I thought my father was a good man. I mean, I thought he was on our side. You had your suspicions Harry, and you were right. And I really don't know what to do. I'm sorry...I'm rambling... I just...You know, quite honestly, I don't know why I'm here if not to be there for him. Because nobody else is. Does that make any sense?"

I cleared out the tears forming in my eyes to look up and wait for them to say something. Anything. But Hermione just hugged me. And just like that, we reconciled. I wished them luck, as I knew they would not be returning next year.

On the way back to my dorm, I paused at my father's classroom door. Anger brooding inside of me, I swung the door open, startling my father who was packing up some essentials in his classroom. He had that stone look on his face.

"How could you?" I asked him. He said nothing. I threw a glass bottle at him that shattered on the wall behind him when he dogged it. "You're not my father," I said to him. "You were never really a father anyway. So you don't have any control over me, and as soon as I turn 18 I'm changing my last name, and I never wanna see you again! And I hate you!" I slammed the door behind me as I left. I had gotten to a point where I didn't really care how many bridges I'd burned down. I burn bridges as needed.

I went back to my room to finish packing. I was joined by Jane.

"So what's your plan?" she asked.

"I'm staying with Draco," I said.

"Grace," she said. "I don't think that's safe."

"Why?"

"Grace," she said slowly. She sat next to me on my bed. "There is a very powerful wizard who would kill you in an instant just for your opinion on blood status. There is a family that is being used for all his dirty work. And you want to go live with them." I was ignoring her. "Grace. You may think you will stay uninvolved but you won't. He will kill you. Please come stay with me."

"Jane," I said. "This next year is going to be so weird. I mean, we have a whole year of school left. Then we graduate. And I have absolutely no idea what I want to do with my life because, for the past few years, all I have been able to think about is war."

"But by staying with Draco, you're getting closer to the war," she protested.

"I know that," I said. "I can't explain it, but I don't feel useful if I'm not helping him. You know, it's like there's no other logical reason for me to exist. Right? Like I'm obviously not here to help my dad out. And I'm obviously not here to be a legendary wizard because I am nowhere as experienced as I need to be so nobody is going to hire me. So he's why I'm here. I believe that with all my heart. Is it a coincidence that I met him right before things started going bad? He needs me. And that's why I'm here. Do you understand? At all?"

Jane hugged me and said she would miss me until we saw each other again next year. It was too dangerous for her to write, so we would have no way of communicating until I saw her at Platform 9 ¾ in the fall. There were many things that would be different by that time.