The Diary

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Chapter 10*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

~Flashback Continued~

She turned slowly and glanced up at the stranger. He was tall. He looked very stern and his blonde gelled back hair gave him an air of aristocracy.

"Lord Malfoy. I... I am very sorry for intruding upon your private study," she quickly apologized, "I shall take my leave now and rejoin the ball." She lowered her eyes to the ground and quickly tried to exit the room, but he grabbed her wrist and stop Kali.

"There is no need to rush out of here," he said as he looked up and down her body.

"But I must find my date, Lord Malfoy. Draco will be worried about me," Kali said hoping that he would let her go.

"Call me Lucius and my son can wait, so stay and we can talk," he said as he gestured to a chair near the desk. Stricken with fear, Kali didn't know what to do, so she accepted his offer to chat. She nervously made her way to the leather chair and sat down.

~End Flashback~

At that moment I felt something I had never really felt before, fear. The tone of Lucius Malfoy's voice and the look in his eyes chilled me to the bone. I didn't know what to expect. All I knew was that whatever he wanted would be bad and I was right.

~End Diary~

Thomas stopped reading when his stomach began to grumble. He closed the book, making sure that his finger still kept his place, and looked down at his watch. *10:15am... breakfast started fifteen minutes ago,* he thought before marking the page and pulling back the bed curtains. He hid the journal, dressed quickly and went down to the common room.

~Gryffindor Common Room~

"Allo Thomas. Did you sleep well?" asked Rhiannon as she continued to read a big in one of the plush chairs near the fireplace.

"Wonderfully, and you?" he inquired back as he took a seat in the arm chair next to her.

"Yes, except I had a weird dream," she answered never lifting her gaze from the magazine.

"About?" he asked as he glanced at the magazine cover, but he couldn't make out the title.

"It was nothing. Just the average run of the mill dream about becoming the Gryffindor Quidditch captain, Head Girl and rubbing Will's face in it," answered Rhiannon as she turned the page.

"I see," Thomas said, not really believing that she was telling the truth, "What are you reading?"

"Teen Witch Weekly," she answered as she closed it and placed it on her lap. She looked at Thomas and studied him. She could tell by the way that he was sitting, the small smile that played on his lips and the sparkle in his eyes that he was happy. In fact, he seemed happier than usual. "There is an interesting article about the most eligible teen bachelors and bachelorettes," Rhiannon explained.

"Any one we know make the list?" Thomas inquired.

"Well, of course, we are still too young to be included but Michael is on it and is pretty high up," she said and bitterly continued, "And Miranda was in the top ten."

"Really?" Thomas asked, "Well she is very pretty I suppose."

"Can we not talk about her?" Rhiannon shouted as other students began to stare at her.

"I don't see why you hate her so much," Thomas commented.

"Well you don't have to live with her. She is horrible!" Rhiannon said, "Everyone loves her and talks about how beautiful she is and how smart she is and how perfect she is. And the worst part is that my parents treat her as if she were the queen of England! Have you ever heard them introduce us?" Rhiannon stood up and in her best impression of her father, she said, "This is our daughter Miranda and this is our other daughter, Miranda's sister."

"It's not that bad. You're just exaggerating," he laughed as Rhiannon sat down again.

"It is so that bad. Oh forget it. You wouldn't understand. You don't have a sister or a brother for that matter," she huffed as she crossed her arms and pouted.

"I guess I wouldn't understand," Thomas sighed.

"Well I am going down to breakfast. Care to join me?" Rhiannon asked as the magazine fell to the floor.

"No I think I'll just sit here for a bit," he said.

"Suit yourself," she said as she headed out of the portrait hole. Thomas got up and picked up the discarded magazine and examined it. Atop the right page were the words 'Miranda Mya Malfoy' in gold lettering with a wizard photo of a beautiful, young girl. She was pale with golden blonde hair and calm blue eyes. She was dressed elegantly and was smiling happily. After the photo was the article about her...

At the age of sixteen, the undeniably beautiful Miranda Malfoy already has a multitude of admirers and with her charm and grace it is no wonder. She is currently in her sixth year at Hogwarts where she is a prefect, the top of her class and a shoe in for head girl. Besides intelligence, beauty and charisma, she is also the heiress to one of the largest Wizarding fortunes, the Malfoy fortune. Miranda comes from a long distinguished line of wizards, the Malfoys and the Weasleys, and with talent like hers, we are sure to see her continue to uphold her family name and make them proud.

To owl her please address the envelope to:

Miranda Mya Malfoy

Slytherin Table

Hogwarts

"I hope this doesn't go to her head," he said as he dropped the magazine on the coffee table and headed out the portrait hole to join Rhiannon.

~Backyard of Lupin Manor~

The cool crisp breeze rustled the few remaining golden leaves that still clung to the tree branches, but the trees were not the only ones in that quiet backyard. He was tall and lean but not as lanky as he was in his youth. He stood with his hands in his jacket pockets as he stared at the gazebo as the wind tousled his messy black hair. His round rimmed glasses slipped down his nose and he reached up to readjust them.

The gazebo was, in his mind, beautiful. It was medium sized octagon and made with strong oak that was painted white. Ivy vines coiled around the corner posts and wove around the gazebo's awnings. Dull wilting flowers carpeted the area around the gazebo. He laughed as he remembered the summer he had spent with the love of his life. Even though he didn't know it then, he knew that she was different than anyone else that he had ever met. To her he wasn't the Boy-Who-Lived or the famous Harry Potter. To her, he was just Harry, that annoying Gryffindor. And it was in this very gazebo that he fell in love with Kali Lupin.

"Hello Harry why are you here so early," called a tired but kind voice.

"Hello Remus," Harry said as he heard his father-in-law's feet crunch the dead fallen leaves, "I just came here to think."

"About Kali?" Remus clarified as he stood next to his best friend's son.

"How'd you know?" he asked.

"I figured if she visited me last night, she would visit you also," Remus answered.

"You don't sound the least bit surprised that her ghost came and visited us in our dreams," commented Harry.

"I learned early on that if Kali put her mind on it, she could achieve anything," he said.

"She was also very stubborn," Harry laughed.

"That she was," Remus chuckled, "Now why don't we go in and have a cup of tea."

"Alright," Harry said as he followed his old professor into the house.

~Great Hall~

As Thomas entered the great hall he noticed a group of people crowded around a Slytherin girl. She tossed her long golden hair and spotted him as he made his way to his house table. She smiled and waved at him as he politely and nervously waved back before taking his seat. Rhiannon looked up to meet the girl's eyes and glared. The Slytherin merely snubbed Rhiannon and turned back to her adoring fans.

"Dear God," Rhiannon started, "I told you Miranda would let it go to her head. She is such a pretentious..."

"Rhiannon that is not very nice," Thomas said before she could finish, "She is your sister after all."

"Unfortunately," she glowered, "Bloody hell she is coming over here. Do I look alright?" She sat up and smoothed her hair and robes as Miranda Malfoy made her way to her little sister.

"Hello Thomas, Rhi. How are you both this morning," Miranda greeted with a smile.

"I'm fine M," Rhiannon answered through clenched teeth.

"Great and you?" Thomas asked.

"Wonderful, except all this attention I am receiving from the magazine article," she said, "I cannot seem to get a moment's rest."

"Showoff," mumbled Rhiannon as she took a bite of toast.

"What was that Rhi?" asked Miranda.

"Nothing M," she answered with a fake bright smile plastered on her face. Miranda simply shrugged and began to talk to Thomas as Rhiannon let out a quiet stream of names directed at her older sister.

"So Thomas did you enjoy your first week at Hogwarts?" Miranda asked.

"Um yes, it's better than I had imagined," he answered.

"That's good. I hope Snape isn't giving you a hard time. He can be a bit rough on Gryffindors," she said, "Well I better return to my table before my fan club starts a riot. Bye Rhi and Good-bye Thomas." With a wink a Thomas she returned to the Slytherin table as Rhiannon fumed.

"God I hate her... Thomas?" Rhiannon asked as she waved her hand in front of a blank Thomas, "Thomas? THOMAS HARRY POTTER!"

"Huh? What is it Rhiannon?" he asked coming out of his trance.

"NEVER MIND! she shouted as she got up and poured pumpkin juice over his head. She stormed out of the Great Hall just as Will entered.

"What's wrong Rhi?" he asked as she bumped into him.

"Ask the idiot of Gryffindor," she said stomped out. Will stared at her disappearing form and when she was gone he turned toward his wet friend.

"What did you do this time?" Will asked as he took the seat across from Thomas.

"I was kind of gawking at Miranda," Thomas sheepishly answered.

"Rhiannon was right," Will sighed as he took a slip of his pumpkin juice, "You are an idiot."

~Corridor in Hogwarts~

Upset and not paying attention to where she was going, Rhiannon Malfoy eventually ran into another person.

"Miss Malfoy is something the matter?" asked a kind voice. Rhiannon slowly looked and came face to face with the DADA professor.

"I am sorry Professor Covington. I did not mean to bump into you like that," Rhiannon apologized as she dropped her gaze, "I'll understand if you deduct points."

"I will not deduct points, Miss Malfoy. It is obvious that you a upset. Would like to talk about it?" Professor Covington offered, "I have hot chocolate and other assorted sweets."

"Alright," Rhiannon said halfheartedly. Professor Covington arm around the young girl's shoulders and steered her to her office, which was not very far.

~The Library~

After finishing breakfast with Will, cleaning up the pumpkin juice and vainly searching for Rhiannon, Thomas grabbed book bag and his mother's journal and headed for the library. He found a deserted corner of the dim and stuffy library and pulled out his homework. Ever since he had found the diary he has been neglecting his schoolwork and his grades suffered because of it. Of course his grades were still higher than rest of his excluding Will.

Will was one of his best friends. He was the oldest of the three children of Ron and Hermione Weasley. Like his mother, Will was a bookworm to the core. He always had his nose in a book and was always the first to have his hand up in the air waiting to be called on. Will was also a Weasley at heart. He was loyal to the end and always there to lend a helping hand. He was always there to defend and protect a friend or sibling. And, like his father, he lacked tact, but then there were those rare occasions that he knew exactly what to say.

Rhiannon Malfoy had to be his best friend and always has been. She was almost a perfect mix of a Malfoy and a Weasley. Like her father, she was proud and confident and she had a fiery temper just like her mother and most of the Weasley clan. She was never afraid to smack you upside the head and tell you the truth without sugarcoating it. Like the rest of the Weasleys, she had a sibling, an older sister to be exact and let's just say that they give a new meaning to the term 'sibling rivalry.' To most of the world the rivalry between Malfoy children was a one-sided rivalry even though Rhiannon tried to tell everyone about the evils of Miranda, but no one would believe that the golden child of Draco and Virginia Malfoy could do anything but good, even if she is a Slytherin.

Thomas was the ring leader of the trio or as Sirius liked to refer to them as the 'new marauders.' He may have looked like his father but he was not like his dad. He had a mischievous glint in his deep blue eyes and an impish smirk to match. His grandfathers always said that he had the spirit of the marauders in his soul. Even from a young age he was taught how to pull pranks and not get caught. He had the makings of becoming the greatest prankster Hogwarts has ever seen. He could be greater than the Weasley twins and even the Marauders themselves. He grew up never knowing his mother for she had died when he was just a baby. He did know some things though. He knew that she was an Auror and a brilliant one at that. She was smart, pretty and had dazzling deep blue eyes, but that was about it. He didn't know what type of food she liked or what her hobbies were. He didn't even know what she was really like, but that was all going to change. Because now he had her diary and, he hoped, that it would be the key to discovering what his mum was like.

Thomas put his quill down and glanced over his DADA essay. After correcting the errors, he rolled up the parchment and placed it carefully into his bag. He contemplated whether or not to take out the diary and read. He had realized that he was neglecting his friends and schoolwork for it, but was that really wrong? He knew that within these pages are his mother's own words and own story. A story he desperately wanted to know. In the end he opted to read more of the diary.

~Professor Covington's Office~

Professor Kay Covington sat behind the oak desk of her newly organized office. She sat there quietly stirring and giving Rhiannon Malfoy some time. She silently smirked at her situation. Here she was... a professor at one of the most prestigious schools of magic in the world and they said former Death Eaters would not be able to get a good job or make a decent living. Of course who truly knew her past? Dumbledore? Probably seeing that the old wizard seemed to know everything somehow, but the only one who truly knew who she was and what exactly happened all those years ago has been dead for about a decade.

*If they only knew," Covington silently mused as she sipped her hot chocolate. She looked over the rim of her glasses and looked at the girl in front of her. She was obviously upset, but the cause of it was still a mystery. Kay shifted her position in her leather chair so that she could lean back and observe her young pupil. Rhiannon self-consciously sat on the wooden chair in front of the desk and quietly nibbled on a cookie and sipped some hot chocolate. Every once in a while, she would glance about her surroundings and study its simple decor.

"I like your office," Rhiannon said as Covington put her cup down, "but there is a lot of green and silver."

"Well of course," she responded, "I was a Slytherin after all."

"What?" Rhiannon said as she spit some of her drink, "but you're so nice."

"Yes, well you of all people should know that not all Slytherins are mean and evil. Your father was one," she said, "I believe they use to call him and his best friend the Prince and Princess of Slytherin."

"I suppose you are right," Rhiannon said as she went back to her drink.

"And your sister, Miranda, is a Slytherin correct?" Covington asked as she observed Rhiannon's shoulders tensed.

"Yes she is," she answered, "Some of the other Slytherins call her the Princess of Slytherin too."

"And how do you feel about that?" the professor asked.

"Well I..." Rhiannon started.

"The truth now," she stated, "How do you really feel about it?"

"I bloody hate it!" she shouted, "Everyone thinks she is so pretty and so smart and so perfect... It makes me sick! They always ask me why I can't be wonderful like her. And now Potter is even falling for her charm! He is supposed to be my best friend and not a member of my sister's fan club." Rhiannon promptly crossed her arms over her chest and huffed angrily.

"Feel better?" Professor Covington asked with a knowing smile as she took another sip of chocolate.

"Actually I do," a rather perplexed Rhiannon answered.

"It's never good to keep any emotion bottled up, Miss Malfoy," she enlightened, "In the end you'll only feel worse and, most likely, the situation will be worse. The professor looked at Rhiannon once again and noticed that the tension in the girl's shoulders had increase. "Of course, we could keep your feelings for Mister Potter just between the two of us," she added as Rhiannon's shoulders dropped in relieve.

"Thank you professor, if anyone found out I'd just die of embarrassment," Rhiannon said.

"It is no problem. I was once young too and I liked someone I should not have," she said.

"Really?" Rhiannon asked, surprised that a professor would get so personal.

"Yes, but it was a very long time ago and I have to move on," she answered.

"Move on with Professor Woods perhaps?" Rhiannon innocently asked.

"So that was you peeping on us?" Kay asked as Rhiannon dropped her gaze in shame, "He is cute isn't he?" Both of them laughed as all tension ceased to exist. "Well I think it is time for you to go and find your friends and have some fun. It is Saturday after all," she said as Rhiannon got up and moved toward the exit, "And Miss Malfoy, I am sure Mister Potter will come around eventually, but I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you. If I remember correctly Thomas father was also a bit oblivious to the obvious."

"Thank you Professor... for everything," Rhiannon said, "And I hope you have fun tonight."

"Thank you Miss Malfoy," Covington said to the retreating form of Rhiannon Malfoy. As the door closed, Kay smiled to herself and decided to start writing her lesson plans for the next week. *I have plenty of time to get ready for my date tonight,* she thought as she tied her hair up into a ponytail and started writing her lessons.

~Lupin Manor~

The famous Harry Potter sat in the kitchen of Lupin Manor having tea with his father-in-law, Remus Lupin. They sat in silence until Remus broke the quiet.

"So, Harry, what were you thinking about, specifically?" asked Remus.

"The day I proposed to Kali," he sad with a smile as he remembered that day.

~Flashback~

It was a cool spring afternoon on May 1, 2003. I was twenty three years old and I was standing by the gates leading to the back yard of the backyard. I ran my fingers through my messy black hair and sighed deeply.

"I can do this. I can do this," I mumbled to himself, "I am only asking her a simple question." *Simple question my arse. If she says no, I don't know what I'll do. Maybe I should wait,* I thought, *Snap out of it Potter you git! Just go to her and ask her.* I took one last look at the porcelain box in my hand and opened the gate and followed the path to the gazebo.

The gazebo look as beautiful as ever and there sitting on one of its benches was her. I saw her sitting there and never looking more beautiful. She was wearing dark blue flared jeans, tennis shoes and an emerald green pullover. I smiled as he realized that she was oblivious to my presence because she was daydreaming.

"Ahem," I said as he put the small box into his jacket pocket. The girl turned toward me and smiled brightly.

"Potter! You're late!" she said as she got up and hugged me tightly.

"I know Lupin, I know," I said as I leaned down and gently kissed her, "Forgive me?"

"I suppose," Kali smiled as she leaned in for another kiss. She looked in to his eyes and asked, "Is something wrong?"

"Um.... No, why don't we sit down," I said nervously as I, once again, ran my fingers through my hair.

"Why are you so nervous?" Kali asked as she laughed, "It's only me."

"Kali, we've known each other for a long time now. And, well, we've seen good times and bad, a lot of bad. And somewhere through it all I fell in love with you. And I hope that you fell in love with me. And I have been waiting to ask you this since we were eighteen," I ranted anxiously. Before continuing I grasped her hand, slipped off the bench and got down on one knee in front of her, "Kali Lillian Lupin, will you marry me and make me the luckiest man in the whole world?" I reached into his pocket and pulled out the small porcelain box and opened it revealing a simple white gold ring with a single diamond. *She is just sitting there. Oh bloody hell I am an idiot. That sounded horrible! Why would she ever want to...* I never got to finish his thought as Kali answered.

"Yes! Of course I will Harry!" she said as she pulled me by the collar for a kiss. Still in shock, I clumsily slipped the ring onto Kali's finger as she smiled at me. She kissed me again after her ring was on.

"I love you Kali," I whispered into her ear as we embraced, *She loves me!*

"I love you too Harry," she whispered back, "Always."

"And forever," I replied and smiled as I thought, *She said yes. She actually said yes.*

~End Flashback~