Learn to Fly

"Checkmate. Dad, you usually don't suck this much. What's up?"

Severus gave his daughter a solemn look.

"Alora, we need to talk."

"Alora? Okay, what have I done now?"

Sighing, he stood and walked over to his desk. Alora had been visiting his office every now and then to 'hang out'. This time was spent mainly playing chess and talking about things that had happened that week.

"Alora, what's happening between you and the Malfoy boy?"

The dark-haired girl jumped in surprise.

Well, that was unexpected.

"We're just friends, Dad."

When I tell you that I kissed Draco, hell will freeze over.

Severus smirked.

"Give your old man some credit. I would have to be blind to not see it. Ally, you're too young to have a boyfriend."

Alora pouted in annoyance. She hated being referred to as a child. She felt that living with the Potions Master was enough to make anyone grow up quickly.

"I'm not that young."

He couldn't help laughing at her.

She still looks like that little girl I met in the hospital.

"Anyway, we're just friends."

Severus quirked an eyebrow.

"And flobberworms can do back flips. I know your not telling me something."

Suddenly suspicious, Alora shielded her mind.

"I don't like you probing my head, Father."

A look of supreme innocence crossed his face. Alora was a little peeved when she realised it was the same look she had used many a time before.

"Did I say I was? But since you have admitted you have something to hide, you might as well tell me what it is."

Alora swore under her breath.

Caught in his trap.

"Language. Now, what happened between you and Mr. Malfoy?"

A quiet groan passed her lips.

Hell is starting to get very chilly.

"Well, Draco went to the ball with me so he wouldn't have to go with Pansy Parkinson. We danced for a bit then we went for a walk."

Severus gestured for her to continue.

"He told me that he liked me. I mean, really liked me. Then we...uh..."

"Kissed?" supplied Severus.

Alora nodded.

"Anything else?"

"Nope."

Severus regarded her with his dark, unreadable eyes.

"I still think that you're too young, but you're smart and I trust you. Just promise me that this won't go any further than kissing."

Alora screwed up her face.

"EW! Dad! That is so wrong!"

Severus chuckled.

"Well, I'm glad we agree on that."

*

"Tell me about your family."

Draco was leaning against a tree trunk, watching Alora play absentmindedly with a leaf. It was a beautiful evening and they were watching the sunset. The instant he asked the question, she bristled. She had been dreading the day when she would have to start telling lies about her life to her boyfriend.

Sitting up straight, she replied in a slightly defensive tone, "I told you, I'm from a pure-blood family and I moved here from Australia when I was ten."

Draco plopped himself on the grass next to her.

"No, I mean, what's your family like?"

The relief was almost too hard to hide. She could easily tell Draco about her former life, as long as she didn't mention names. She could put off lying for a little while longer.

"Oh. Well, Mum was real cool, as far as mums go. I lived with her my whole life. We moved around a lot, but we always got along."

"What about your father?"

"Oh, didn't know about him till I was eleven," she said absentmindedly.

"What?"

Alora suddenly realized what she had said. She froze and stared at the ground, cursing herself for forgetting her story. Ten! She was supposed to have moved when she was ten! She was supposed to have known her father her whole life!

"Ally? Are you okay?"

There was only one option left in Alora's mind; Run.

"I've gotta go."

Before her companion could reply, she jumped up and bolted towards the castle.

"Ally, wait! Ally!"

Draco caught up with her and grabbed her hand.

"Ally, what's wrong? Was it something I said?"

Alora tried to break away, her tears threatening to break free.

"Draco, please. Just let me go. Please."

"Not until you tell me what's wrong."

Alora continued to tug away, but Draco had a firm grip on her arm. After a while, she stopped struggling and went limp in his arms. Draco gently sat down and held her close as sobs racked her body. When she settled down, he wiped her eyes and kissed her cheek. Alora sniffed and leaned into his chest.

"You want to talk about it?"

Alora sighed.

"It's a long story."

"I've got time."

Alora gazed at him and began to talk.

"Mum was always afraid of commitment. That's why we moved so much. When she was twenty, she met Dad. They got engaged, but Mum, being her, freaked out and took off without a trace. No warning, no note. She didn't even tell him she was pregnant. With me."

She paused briefly to blow her nose.

"Me and Mum were always on the move. We never stayed in one place for too long. I think the longest was three months on the Gold Coast.

"When I was about ten, mum started to get regular stomach aches. They slowly got worse, but she hid it from me. It wasn't until she started haemorrhaging, that we went to see a healer."

Tears started to well up in her eyes.

"She was diagnosed with cancer. It's usually cured quite easily, but Mum had left it for too long. She had a little over a month to live."

At this point, Alora was incapable of speaking, tears clogging up her throat. Draco gently rubbed her back and pulled her closer, attempting to soothe her.

"I'm sorry," Alora whispered tearfully.

"Don't be. You need to get this off your chest."

Alora took a deep breath and continued.

"Mum decided it was time to tell me and Dad the truth. So she contacted him and told him about me."

Draco's eyes widened.

"She sprung it on him? Just like that?"

Alora shrugged.

"That's Mum. Impulsive and flighty. Frankly, I think I'm the only thing she ever stuck with.

"So, I met Dad. After a small tiff, we got along great. I was lucky he was there when...when Mum passed away."

Alora wiped the last of her tears away.

"I went to live with him, 'cause I thought there was no one else. But Dad's great, I wouldn't want to live with anyone else.

"About a year after I moved in with him, he managed to contact Mum's family: Nanna, Poppy and Uncle Wazza."

Draco looked confused.

"Wazza?"

"Aussie slang for 'Warren'."

"Oh."

"They knew I existed, but they had no idea where I was. The hospital had informed them of Mum's...passing, and they were frantic to find me. They were so relieved when Dad contacted them.

"Nanna and Poppy are great, if a little old fashioned and Uncle Wazza rocks! He takes me to all the 'Warrior' games and taught me to fly half decently."

Alora suddenly stared at the grass again.

"They wanted me to come and live with them, but I couldn't leave Dad. I visit them for a few weeks in the holidays, but not for too long. I think Dad gets lonely if I'm not around and I miss him terribly after a few days."

She smiled faintly.

"Guess me and Dad are stuck together. We're quite a pair: a lonely bachelor and a teenage girl. Honestly, I don't know what I'd do without him."

Alora sighed as she leaned against Draco's solid chest.

"Sorry you had to listen to all that."

Draco chuckled and kissed the tip of her nose.

"What are boyfriends for? Though, I do expect some form of payment."

Alora hid her grin.

"Oh, and that would be?"

"Twenty Galleons."

Alora rolled her eyes.

"Tell'm he's dreamin'!"

Draco pulled Alora to her feet and held her close.

"Guess I'll have to settle for a kiss," he murmured into her hair.

Alora smiled and obliged.

*

Draco strutted into the Slytherin common room in high spirits. No one knew that he and Alora were seeing each other, not even Greg and Vince, so Pansy continued to flirt with him. He longed to tell her to piss off, but Alora didn't want to go 'public' yet. So he held his tongue and ran to his dorm before Pansy could catch him.

Closing the door, he flopped onto his bed and grinned. Vince and Greg entered the room.

"Looks like you escaped her clutches."

Draco started.

How did they find out?

"Huh?"

Greg rolled his eyes.

"Pansy. Remember her?"

He had to stop himself from sliding off the bed with relief.

"Oh. Yeah, she nearly got me. Fortunately, I can run faster."

Greg raised a curious eyebrow and Vince narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"What are you so worked up about?"

Draco widened his eyes innocently.

"Nothing."

Vince wasn't satisfied. He moved closer to inspect Draco's face.

"Is that lip-gloss on your cheek?"

Draco jumped and rubbed frantically at the offending cheek.

"No!"

Greg moved closer.

"You've been snogging a girl. Who is it?"

"No one."

Vince growled.

"Who is it?"

"Why do you care?"

Vince crossed his arms across his chest.

"Are you honestly that blind?"

"What?"

Greg shook his head.

"Draco, are you so thick that you don't realize Ally likes you? It's obvious! And you're going to break her heart by snogging some random girl?"

Draco started to snigger, causing the two other boys to stare strangely at him. It looked like he would be telling the guys about his 'status' sooner than he expected.

"That is what this is about? I'm sure Ally won't mind, seeing she's the one I'm kissing!"

Vince gaped.

"You're going out with her?"

"Yes. Ever since the ball."

Greg laughed aloud.

"All that stress for nothing! I'm glad you two got together by yourselves, because I was that close to locking you two in a broom closet together!"

"Yeah, I was sick of watching you two toe the line."

Draco fell back on the pillows.

"We don't want to go 'public' yet. I wondered what you two were getting so worked up about."

"Draco?"

"Hmm?"

"Be careful."

Draco raised his head to stare at his friends.

"Of what?"

Greg leaned against the bedpost.

"Of us. Ally is our friend and you better look after her."

Vince cracked his knuckles.

"You break her heart, we break your neck."

Draco smiled.

"Don't worry. I care about her just as much as you do. Nothing is going to happen to her if I can help it."

Greg gave a crooked grin.

"The strange thing is, Draco, I believe you."

Movie Quote: "The Castle"