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

Chapter Twelve: Lost And Found

October 1997 - Hogwarts

In mid-October, it came time to go home for fall break. I suggested that Draco spend it with Blaise and I spend it with Jane. I needed to get back into the muggle world, no matter how dangerous it was. After award-winning goodbyes at King's Cross, the four of us finally split for the week. I missed the muggle suburbs Jane lived in. And I found Miss Baldwin's mothering embrace to be a warmth I didn't know I needed. While Jane and I were settling, she placed Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets on my bed.

"This was amazing," she said.

"Really?" I asked. "I started writing a third."

"Damn, Grace," she said. "How?"

"I don't know," I shrugged. "I just have so many stories."

"They're really good," she said. "Did you talk to Professor Gnat about it?"

"She said I'd be banished if I published them," I said. "So I guess I'm giving up on that. But it's really fun to write them."

"It's been really fun to read them," she said. "It sucks that you can't publish them, though."

"It is what it is," I said. As I continued to unpack, a sudden wave of panic washed over me as I noticed something missing. "Jane," I said, completely panicked. "I can't find my book."

"What?"

"The Philosopher's Stone. I can't find it."

"Did you leave it at school?"

"No, I never go anywhere without it," I said, dumping my clothes all over the floor. "I must have left it at King's Cross."

"Okay. Don't panic."

"Too late."

"It's fine. We can go get it."

"Jane, it's been hours," I said.

"Come on," she said. "We're going."

We practically ran to the bus stop. I couldn't stop thinking about what would happen if the book fell into the wrong hands. We finally arrived at King's Cross. Jane and I split up to cover more ground, but I didn't even know where to look. I spent all summer writing that book. I had never been more proud of anything I had done. Not to mention that it was at the mercy of the muggle world. I could feel the tears creeping up on me as I sat down on the bench. That was it. That was the end.

But thankfully, I looked up and cleared my eyes in time to see a blonde woman right across from me, reading my book. I quickly dried my tears and walked over her.

"Excuse me," I said. "Um...that's my book."

"Oh, it's yours?" she asked. "Oh, I'm sorry. My train was delayed and I found it. I thought I'd kill some time. It's very good. Is it new? I've never heard of it before."

"Oh no," I said. "When I said it's my book, I mean it's my book."

"You wrote it?" She said as her eyes doubled in size. "That's amazing. How old are you?"

"I'm eighteen," I said.

"And you wrote this?" she repeated. "That's absolutely incredible. I'm an author and I work at a publishing company, so I know a thing or two. Are you going to publish it?"

"Oh, no," I sighed.

"Why not?"

"I, uh, I'm not sure I'd like the, um, the attention, I suppose."

"Well if you write under a pseudonym, you wouldn't have to worry," she said.

"A what?"

"A pen name, dear," she said. "Have you written others?"

"I've written a second," I said. "And I just started on a third."

"Forgive me if I'm overstepping," she said. "May I read them? I have to know what happens." I didn't know what to say. A complete stranger, a muggle complete stranger, wanted to read my book.

"I'd love for you to read them," I said. "But how would I get them back?"

"I can mail them to you," she said.

"Well, I go to a, um, boarding school. In Scotland."

"Just like in the book?" she asked with a smile. "Was that the Inspiration for Hogwarts?"

"Um...yeah," I said. "But they only allow mail from families. But I guess I could have you deliver it to my family and then they can deliver it to me."

"Are you sure?" she asked. "I know how protective writers can be over their work."

"I'm just honored that you want to read it," I said. I reached into my bag and pulled out The Chamber Of Secrets. "Here's the second. I'll write my address in it." I wrote Jane's address.

"Thank you so much, dear," she said. "My name is Joanne Rowling. Pleasure to meet you."

"I'm Grace. Grace Snape."

"Like Severus Snape? The professor?" Who was the inspiration for that evil man?"

"My dad," I laughed. "He's quite the character."

"Well, it's lovely to meet you, Grace," she said, getting up. "I promise I'll send it back as soon as I'm finished. But I'd better go."

"Nice to meet you too," I said. As I watched her walk away, I should have felt scared. I should have been worried that I would never see that woman or my book ever again. I should have been terrified that I would get banished for telling a muggle about our world. But I was oddly at ease. I felt a strange confidence that my book was in the right hands.