When Your Parents Tell You Bedtime Stories

20

If you are going to walk on thin ice, you might as well dance.

~ Anonymous

"I'm not as think as you drunk I am."

"Do you hear that?" Mirach asked, sitting up after he had almost successfully forgotten the day and fallen asleep.

Persephone, on the far wall, sat up too. "Yea," she whispered, listening to the pounding sound on the wall. "There's voices too." In a second both her and Mirach had their ears against the wall, listening.

"You might not want to do that!" a distant fogged voice yelled, and they both backed away from the wall as a crack started down the center of it.

"What's going on?" Mirach asked, confused.

"We're being rescued. And, I think it's my dad and Potter, no less. Think we should tell them there's a door?" Persephone asked, amused.

"I'm so glad you find being a captive funny." Mirach rolled his eyes.

"It's better then being used for someone's own sick pleasure," Persephone spat out, walking away from him and sitting back down against the far wall. Mirach backed up as the wall cracked more and was against the back wall as well when a large wooden end of a shelf burst through, bringing down much of the strong wall.

Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter stepped through the hole they had made and took a glance inside. "Dad!" Persephone hollered, standing and running over to the blonde man. "I'm so glad you're here."

Harry Potter looked on as the two embraced and put his hand on top of Mirach's head and fussed with his hair.

"Hey!" Mirach said swatting his hand away.

"Your mom will be glad to see you," Harry said, laughing.

"What'd you get the wall down with?" Mirach asked.

"Blaise has a wine cellar. Unfortunately, we had to clear off the shelf before we could take it apart." Harry winked at the boy and hiccuped.

"Did you know that there's a door, just there?" Mirach asked, pointing to the side wall.

"Figures. Right now though your finger is in about three different spots, so I doubt it would've helped much. Took us forever to get the shelf positioned in the middle of the wall," Harry said.

"Persephone, are you alright?" Draco asked, pulling back from her and looking the fifteen-year-old up and down.

"I'll live," she said. "Let's get back to Hogwarts, we have a lot to talk about."

"I couldn't agree more," Draco said, stepping out of the room.

"Best idea all night," Harry said.

"Harry?" Mirach asked.

Harry spun around.

"You can tell me. Persephone's really yours isn't she?" Harry's eyes grew, answering Mirach's question. "You don't know," he stated. "But you did, umm, didn't you?"

"How do you know that?" Harry asked.

"Being locked up in a cell, one has time to piece two and two together. The dates didn't match up."

Harry nodded. "Really think she's mine?"

"I've thought since my first year," Mirach said, heading for the large hole in the wall. He looked down the hall where Persephone, hand in Draco Malfoy's, turned the corner. "Maybe it's best if we don't know for sure," Mirach found himself saying.

Harry smiled. "I couldn't agree more."

*******

"Mirach!" Tonks screamed, bombarding her son as soon as he had made it up the stairs into the Headmaster's office.
"Hi, mum," he said, awkwardly hugging her back.

Tonks pulled back and looked sternly at him. "Don't you ever do something like that again or I swear...."

Persephone tuned them out and turned to her dad. She knew that he needed to know. "Dad, can I talk to you?" Draco nodded and they started back towards the Slytherin common room.

"Why didn't you just tell me?" Harry asked, knowing the old wizened wizard was standing behind him.

"It was not my place."

"And being her father is not mine." Harry turned to Dumbledore. "Draco Malfoy already fills that position. It's best if I don't try to squeeze in there too. Maybe we'll just keep this truth away from her."

Dumbledore nodded. "The best idea I've heard all night, Mr. Potter. Bean?" Harry looked at the colorful beans in Dumbledore's outstretched hand and laughed.

*******

"He what?!" Draco exclaimed loudly stopping in his tracks. "That's it. Azkaban can wait, I'm going to deal with that son of a...."

"Dad," Persephone demanded quietly. "Please, don't make things worse. He'll get what he deserves, trust me. Guilt is the worst thing to have on your conscience going into Azkaban. And he'll have plenty of it."

"What about you?" Draco asked quietly.

"I'll be fine. I'm already...nearly...over it. My mom never got over it, and she missed out on something wonderful." Persephone reached up and brushed a stray hair of Draco's away and smiled.

"How did you...."

"Being locked in a cell gives you time to remember better times. And then it gives you time to figure out the mystery of those bedtime stories. I believe she loved you. Why wouldn't she?" Draco reached down and embraced his daughter, fighting back tears, determined not to show her his weakness. "Am I really Harry Potter's?" she whispered. "I hate to ask it, but..."

Draco pulled back. Then something came to him. He wanted Persephone to be his. He was tired of being jealous of Potter. It was finally his turn. And something told him Potter wouldn't mind. "I have no idea what you're talking about." And Persephone never questioned it again.