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

Chapter Thirty-Four: Let The Games Begin

May 2nd, 1998, 12:30 am - Hogwarts

It all happened just as I suspected. I went back to bed so that I'd be there when they came to wake us up and call us into the Great Hall. I was quick to get up because I had to do my part of the plan.

"A little eager, are we?" Draco was just getting up and I was already on my way out the door.

"I have to do something," I said.

"What could you possibly have to do?" he asked. I walked over to him, held his face, and kissed him.

"I love you," I said. "I'll meet you in the great hall, ok?"

I was about to walk away, but he pulled me back for another kiss.

On my way out the common room, I ran into Jane, who was still in her pajamas.

"Hey," she said. "Do you know what's going on?"

"I can't talk right now," I said.

"Huh?" she said. "Grace, do you know something?"

"It's complicated," I said. "I have to do something, but I promise I'll meet you in the great hall, ok?"

I didn't give her time to answer, but I was in a heavy time crunch. I made my way to the Gryffindor common room, where I knew it would be bustling as the Gryffindors were preparing to leave- and I knew professor McGonagall would be there. The door was wide open, so I walked right in to find her standing in the center of the common room.

"Oh- Miss Snape? What on earth are you doing here?"

"Professor, I need your attention for just a moment," I said. "I don't know what you've heard about me this year. I know a lot of things have been going around and I've given a lot of people a lot of reasons to think a certain way about me but I need to tell you something. I'm not my father, ok?" She was staring at me like I was mad. "I'm not my father. For years I've had to remind a lot of people of that and now I need you to understand."

"Miss Snape, why are you telling me this? Where is this outburst coming from?"

"I'm telling you this because something is going to happen tonight," I said. "In the great hall. And when it does, I need you to stand up. Ok?"

"Stand up?"

"Be brave, professor," I said, running out the door. "I've got to go. But just be brave, ok?"

I found my fellow Slytherins who were being assembled in line by the Carrows.

"Miss Snape," one of them griped at me. "You're late."

"I think you can put two and two together and figure out what I was doing," I said. I leaned in and whispered, "The dark lord insists you excuse my tardiness." Without hesitation, he gestured to my spot in line next to Draco and Jane.

The power of secret identity. I can get away with everything. I'd been doing it all year.

"What were you doing?" Jane whispered.

"Later," I whispered back. Then we all walked in silence to the great hall. I looked over at Draco, and he had a very particular worried face.

"You do know what's happening, right?" I asked him.

"Yeah," he said back. We both kept our eyes straight. "And I know your part in it."

My face went red. But then, to my surprise, he took my hand.

"You fight your fight and I'll fight mine. I'll find you and we'll figure out the rest together."

"I love you," I said.