Confessions

Chapter 3

Aislynn walked into the Gryffindor girl's dorm and collapsed onto one of the beds. She had been excited when they had been told that the children would be staying in the dorms of their parents' house while their parents stayed elsewhere in the castle.

Aislynn was exhausted. She felt as if they had walked for ages. She was amazed at how big Hogwarts was, and how amazingly beautiful. The castle was huge. Bigger than it looked from the outside, which was enormous. She silently wished that she were able to attend Hogwarts to learn from the same people her parents had. She sighed, and slowly her eyes began to close as she drifted off into a deep sleep.

"Aislynn? Aislynn?" a voice called to her softly from the depths of her dream.

"Mmmmmm. . . ." she mumbled pushing the hand away.

"Aislynn," the voice said a bit louder, shaking her a bit to wake her up. "Aislynn it's time for dinner."

"Hmm?" she asked as she began to open her eyes.

"Dinner. It is time for dinner."

She slowly opened her eyes, letting them adjust to the light. She looked up to see who was waking her up and was surprised to find Harry sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Hi," he said smiling down at her as he stood.

"Hi," she groggily stated as she began to sit up, running her hands through her hair, "What time is it?"

"It is 5:45, dinner is at 6:00. I thought that you might enjoy seeing the Great Hall," Harry said to her.

"Oh. Yes, I would! Let me just brush my hair," she replied excitedly, standing up to look in the nearby mirror. She was horrified with the way her hair looked. This was definitely not a moment when her hair behaved, but she knew what to do. Quickly she ran a brush through the wild mass and braided it. She swiftly put her shoes back on, and walked over to where Harry stood watching her.

"Ready to go?" he asked her as she quickly walked over to his side.

"Yeah. Where's mom?"

"She was walking towards Moaning Myrtle's bathroom when I said I would come and get you."

"Moaning Myrtle?" she asked quizzically, giving him an odd look.

"What you will find, Aislynn, is that here at Hogwarts, there are several rather unique ghosts," Harry stated looking down at her, smiling. "Moaning Myrtle is just one of them."

Aislynn laughed, "So, where's this Great Hall?"

"Oh, right! Follow me," he gestured towards the door. They walked for a bit, side-by-side, not saying much to one another when Aislynn finally spoke up.

"Harry?"

"Yes."

"Did you miss my mother?"

"Yes," he said his voice soft. "I missed her more than I could ever begin to explain. I tried to find someone else to fill the void, but no one could compare to your mum. She is an amazing woman Aislynn, you know that don't you?"

"Yes. She is a wonderful person. Although, I think that she has been a bit strict in raising me. I didn't think that she trusted me but now I think it has to do with the fact that she doesn't trust me because of what she did when she was my age. From what I understand, grandma and grandpa were very upset when she came home after graduation. Mom secluded herself until I was born. Although she may have been strict, she did everything that she could for me. Mom moved us to America, got a job with a local witchcraft school as a professor, and bought a home of her own. She was, and will always be, someone who gave up everything she had just for me," Aislynn stopped for a bit, her voice shaking. After a brief period she continued, "Did you truly not notice that she was pregnant?" she asked as they began to walk again.

"Not at all," Harry laughed. "Hermione knew all sorts of spells though, so I wouldn't be surprised if that is how she concealed it. Then again," Harry paused his voice becoming softer, "none of us were on speaking terms around that time."

"Well, it seems as if things have begun to change," she smiled at him, her eyes twinkling.

Harry blushed lightly and chuckled as they went round a corner. Aislynn wasn't watching where she was going when suddenly she slammed into something or someone, she wasn't quite sure, and tumbled to the ground.

"What do you think you're doing?" a deep voice asked, sounding quite upset. Aislynn looked up into a pair of deep blue eyes and couldn't find the words to speak.

"Sorry. We didn't hear you," Harry stated apologetically as he leaned over to make sure Aislynn was all right.

"Well, if you would stop blabbing for a moment and watched where you were going, we wouldn't have had this problem," the boy stated glaring at them. Harry stood up and stared at the boy. He was just about to say something to him when Aislynn spoke up.

"Look, he said we're sorry. Why don't you take our apology and go along on your way?" Aislynn said as she stood up. Harry and the boy were glaring at one another. They both turned and looked at her, Harry with a small smile on his lips. "I didn't mean to walk into you. Besides how do you know I wasn't looking? You could have been the one that didn't know where he was going," the boy looked slightly surprised, yet his eyes quickly darkened.

"Didn't know where I was going? I think that you are mistaken. I have lived here for the last 6 years of my life. You being an American apparently have not. You better watch where you're going," he said, sounding as if he were threatening her more than giving her a bit of advice. She stared up at him He was a very attractive man, and Aislynn had to do everything to keep her voice from quivering. He was tall, almost as tall as Harry was. His hair reached his shoulders and was the same color as warm, melted caramel. Then there were those eyes. Deep blue like the depths of the ocean. They could draw a person in and never let go. Aislynn could tell he was dangerous, yet that was something she was sure worked to his benefit.

He continued to stand there glaring at her not saying another word. Beginning to feel self-conscious, she finally broke the silence, "Are you ready Harry? I'm quite hungry," she said never taking her eyes away from the boy.

"Yeah, come on. The food's this way."

Aislynn followed Harry down the hall. She could feel the boy's eyes glaring at her back as they walked away. They didn't speak for a while as they walked side-by-side. Harry chuckled lightly to himself.

"What?" she asked, glancing up at him.

"Nothing," Harry stated. "You just reminded me of your mother. Headstrong, not willing to back down, and very smart."

"You don't know if I'm smart."

"I can tell that you are. You don't seem to talk very much, but when you do, you speak very well and completely to the point," he smiled down at her surprised that she didn't think that of herself. "Come on, this is it," Harry gestured to the group of people that had gathered in front of two huge doors. Suddenly, the doors swept open allowing the people standing there inside. You could hear almost every child gasp as they got their first glimpse of the giant room. Slowly the crowd began to move, and Aislynn got her first look at the room.

"Wow," she stated, eyes wide.

The room was gorgeous. Candles hovered, suspended in the air above their heads, gently floating up and down. She glanced at everything, trying to take it all in. There were four tables that took up the length of the room and one additional table at the head of the room already filled with what Aislynn believed to be the school's professors. Above their heads, Aislynn saw four massive banners, which must have represented the four houses.

"Come on, I can see your mum and Ron already sitting down," Harry stated placing a hand on her arm and leading her away from the door. "Welcome to the Gryffindor table Aislynn," he stated gesturing towards a seat next to her mom.

"There you are!" Hermione stated, smiling as her daughter sat down beside her. "We have another guest to introduce you too," she said looking at Harry and Aislynn. "Meet Ron's wife, Felicity. She gave us a great surprise when she walked up to us."

"I really didn't think she was going to come! And was even more surprised that she got here on her own." Ron said with a smile.

"I had a bit of help from your mum and dad," she said, her voice soft.

"Felicity, this is Harry Potter, one of my best friends from Hogwarts, and this is Aislynn Granger, Hermione's daughter."

"Pleasure to meet you," Aislynn stated as her and Harry shook Felicity's hand. Aislynn glanced over at Ron. She knew why he hadn't introduced her as his daughter, but for some reason it hurt. She inwardly scolded herself. What was she thinking? She wouldn't introduce him as her father. Why did he need to say she was his daughter? As if Ron could tell what she was thinking, he gave her a look that said, "We all will need to talk, tonight."

Hermione grabbed her daughter's hand in her own and smiled. Aislynn knew her mom very well, and knew that she was feeling a bit uncomfortable. Aislynn knew that tonight's discussion probably would not be very relaxing. Suddenly there was the sound of a wine glass being tapped by a piece of silverware. Aislynn glanced up at the head table and saw a man stand up to talk. He looked very old with his hair pure silver, yet his eyes held a very young glint of laughter.

"Welcome. Welcome to Hogwarts. To those of you I have not yet met, I am Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. We are pleased to have you all here to celebrate the reunion of the class of 1998. It is a pleasure to see all of you again and to meet the wonderful families that you have raised. Enjoy your stay with us all of you! Let's eat," he said as he lightly clapped his hands. Aislynn was amazed. Plate upon plate of food appeared in front of them as people began to talk again to one another.

Aislynn watched as people began to talked to one another again, not really listening to what they were saying, but just watching their interactions with one another. Slowly she began to eat, trying to remember the last time she had been this happy. Glancing around she saw Harry and her mother gazing at one another and holding hands beneath the table, more than likely trying to hide the fact that they were from everyone else. Felicity and Ron were talking about their children and how they were doing. From what Aislynn had gathered, the children were with Ron's mom and dad. "So I do have a grandma and grandpa on my father's side," she thought to her self, smiling slightly. Looking around a bit more she felt as if someone was staring at her. Glancing across the room, she saw the boy they had run into in the hallway staring at her. His eyes could cut into a person, and she felt as if he could see through her. A man sitting next to him placed his hand on the boy's shoulder and smiled. He glared at the man who patted him on the back, before walking away. Aislynn couldn't figure out why exactly the boy looked so angry. Then again, she didn't know him. Perhaps he was always like that. Aislynn finished eating her meal and placed her hands in her lap, looking away from the other table and back at her mom.

"Are you all right dear?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just not very hungry is all. Too much excitement," she stated smiling at her mother.

"All right, but I think you should eat a bit more and put some meat on those bones."

"I am perfectly happy with the way I look," Aislynn rolled her eyes. She had received this lecture before about how she was too thin.

"I know. I know. I just worry about you some times Aislynn."

The others shortly finished their plates of food and decided to go and wander a bit. Standing, they all began to walk out of the room and into the hall. Harry had his arm around Hermione and Aislynn smiled because her mother was glowing with happiness. Turning her attention back to Ron and Felicity, she could hear Felicity ask Ron when he had begun talking to the others again.

"I think that we should talk," Ron announced to all of them still looking at Felicity. They all mumbled their agreement. They continued to walk until the reached the Gryffindor common room. They all sat around a table in one of the corners and Ron began to tell everything to Felicity, who sat there in complete silence.

Aislynn walked over to one of the chairs in front of the fireplace, "Best to leave them so they can talk," she thought, picking up a book and sitting down. Across the room the light from the fireplace shimmered off a silver and black ball on a table. Reaching her arm out, the ball quickly floated into her hand. Aislynn set the book down and examined the ball. Gently she tossed it up and placed her hand out allowing the ball to hover inches above her fingertips. Ron glanced over to where Aislynn was sitting, just to check on her, and gasped.

"What is it Ron?" Hermione asked with concern in her voice.

"Look at what she is doing!" he exclaimed pointing to Aislynn. "She doesn't even have her wand with her!"

Quickly they all looked over at her and Hermione smiled. They all continued to stare as they watched Aislynn pick back up her book and continue reading, all along playing with the ball in the air.

"Hermione, did you know she could do this?" Harry asked her amazed, for he knew it took a powerful witch or wizard to be able to do that.

"Yes," she said looking back at them. "Aislynn has always had an immense amount of power. I'm not positive why. No one can figure it out. It started when she was a baby. Nothing like that though, only little things. She just learned how to make things hover. She is an amazing young woman, and an amazing witch."

Aislynn, feeling as if she was being watched, lost her concentration and let the ball drop which promptly shattered on the floor. Slowly she turned to look at where the adults were sitting and was shocked to see them all staring at her with stunned expressions.

"Are you okay Aislynn?" Hermione asked, worried that the glass of the ball may have cut her.

"I'm okay. I just was nicked by one of the pieces of glass. I'll be okay."

"Here," Harry said standing, "I will take you to get it cleaned up."

Aislynn didn't feel like arguing with him. She could do a spell on herself and take care of the small cut on her leg. It wasn't very big. Yet, she didn't feel like sitting there any more. Quickly she said a spell to fix the ball, walked over to where he was standing, and kissed her mother on her cheek. She glanced at Ron, who looked amazed, and finally looked at Felicity. Aislynn could have sworn that the woman was glaring at her, but didn't want to jump to conclusions.

"We'll be back in a bit," Harry said, grabbing Aislynn's hand and leading her out. They hadn't gone much past the picture of the fat lady before he spoke again. "How did you do that?"

"I don't know. I just can. I'm not in trouble am I?"

"No, not at all! I'm just amazed. I have only heard of a few others that can do that. Dumbledore is the only one that I have ever met. I don't think that there has ever been anyone your age that has achieved this," he smiled at Aislynn.

"I don't want every one to know," Aislynn stated. "I normally never use it, I just was too lazy to get up and pick up the ball," she giggled.

"Come on, let's get you cleaned up."

"No, I can do it. Saves us a trip," Aislynn stated pulling out her wand. "I have to use this when I do something to myself. The other way is too difficult," slowly she withdrew her wand from her pocket and sat down stretching out her leg so she could see the cut. "Ripari la ferita," she said softly pointing her wand at the cut. Quickly the blood and small wound disappeared and she stood up and looked at Harry.

"Do you want to go back in there?"

"Not really. I don't think that Felicity likes me."

"She's had a bit of a shock today, Aislynn. She will come around."

"Harry?" Aislynn asked as they sat on one of the staircases.

"Yes?"

"What's going to happen when mom and I leave in a couple of days?"

"I don't know," Harry stated. He looked as if he hadn't even begun to think of that. He didn't want to lose her again. What right did he have though to ask her to stay? She had a life in America, and her daughter had a life.

"I'm going to miss it here," she said. Harry looked at her with a stunned expression.

"I would think that you would want to go back to America."

"What for? I really don't have much there. Besides, it is so beautiful here, and the school! Wow is the only word that I have for it. I think that I would be much better off here," she looked at Harry. "I think that mom would be much better off here. This is home to her. Plus, you all have such great accents!"

"You think so, huh." Harry said laughing aloud.

"Harry, my mom loves you. I can see it in her eyes. She is lonely. She never goes on dates, never brings a guy home. I have never seen her act the way she does when she is around you. Trust me. She needs you just as much as you need her," Harry looked at her with surprise on his face. "You can't fool me. I can see the way you look at her, the way you study every inch of her face. I think that you are perfect for her. Don't let her get away."

"I didn't expect you to say that. I would figure because Ron was your dad that . . ." he stopped, not really knowing what to say.

"Harry, just because he is my dad doesn't mean anything. I mean, really now, he seems as if he is happily married with a family of his own. You and my mom need one another. Go on. I'm going to walk around a bit."

"Thank you Aislynn," Harry said hugging her gently. "Thank you."

Aislynn smiled as he turned and walked back to the portrait, said the password, and disappeared. She felt comfortable with him and knew her mom loved him. Smiling, she turned around and walked down the hall to find the library. She wanted to know more about Hogwarts, for she hoped she would soon be attending.

To be continued . . .