The Diary

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Chapter 16*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

~Gryffindor Common Room~

"Really? You can talk to Pixies? Wicked," Will said really fast.

"Well not exactly talk I can understand Pip by guessing what he is gesturing about. But all in all it is pretty easy if you try," she told him, "So what was yours?"

"I played chess," he answered.

"That was it? I have to try and talk to a Pixie and you played a game?" Rhiannon asked.

"Ten games actually and I only won one! One!" Will exclaimed.

"Wow, I've never seen you lose," she muttered, "Interesting."

"I know," he commented.

~The Diary~

~Flashback, Diagon Alley~

"I can't believe that lousy ferret had the audacity to... to think that Harry and I. That I would... AH!" Kali mumbled in frustration. She hefted her bags to Flourish & Blotts, the last store she had to go to. Ah, the back to school rush at its peak. The store was crowded as usual, children screaming, parents yelling and books flying. "Modern Magical History by Bathilda Bagshott, Hogwarts: A History, Guide to Advanced Transfiguration Revised Version, have, The Standard Book of Spells Grade 5 by Miranda Goshawk, Advanced Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger, have, have, Predicting the Unpredictable: Insulate Yourself Against Shocks and Unfogging the Future by Cassandra Vablatsky. Why do I have to take Divinination! Stupid Dumbledore, just because I have one lousy, stinking vision doesn't mean I am a bloody seer!" Kali seethed. She pushed through the other customers and collected the books, "Now for some leisure reading."

*Go back to the Divination section,* whispered a voice.

*Oh no, not you again, I am still very angry at you. That little picture show that you held in my head hurt like hell and made everyone think that I am insane!* she thought.

*I apologize but it was necessary,* replied Al.

*Apology not accepted!* Kali thought back, *What's in the Divination section?*

*You shall see when you get there,* he said.

Kali walked back to the Divination aisle and sighed impatiently, *Now what?*

*Find the green book... you'll know it when you find it,* he whispered.

*Al? Al? Bloody hell. Ok, green book... green book...* she thought, *There must be dozens of green books! Know it when I find it my arse.* Kali continued to search in vain till she felt a pull. It was light and trivial, but it still pulled her somewhere. Passed one shelf, two, three, four; she searched for the source. Finally on the third stack, fourth to the top shelf she found it... a green book. It was rather thin and the cover looked worn with age. The book itself was deep emerald green with silver trim and markings that resembled a snake. Kali opened the book up and found nothing inside but blank sheets of yellowed parchment.

*Take it,* Al coaxed. She held the book and stared at it for a moment longer. *Now young one,* he coaxed again.

"Okay," Kali nodded and then placed the mysterious book at the top of her stack and headed to the cashier. She paid for the books, grabbed her bags and began to head out.

"So Harry, where've you been all summer?" asked a masculine voice.

"I was staying with Snuffles and Lupin," responded an all too familiar voice.

She stopped and peeked past the stacks of books. There they were Ron Weasley, Know-it-All Granger and him, Harry Potter, not the Boy-who-Lived but the Boy-who Kissed-Her. She still remembered it; the fall, the landing, the stare and the kiss. It wasn't her first; Draco had the privilege of giving her that. Kissing Harry was different. He was timid, unsure, scared, but the kiss was filled with something she had never experienced before and it frightened her.

"How was it?" Know-it-All asked.

"I didn't get to see much of Snuffles and Lupin, but it was great," Harry said with a far off dreamy look, "I... I kind of met someone."

"Who?" inquired Ron as he began to walk to another part of the store.

"Kali Lupin," answered Harry as he followed, "She's wonderful! Smart, pretty, funny..."

"What about Cho?" Ron asked. Hermione promptly elbowed him afterwards.

A shadow passed over Harry's face, "I... we... she is still mourning over Cedric probably." They were moving out of Kali's hearing range.

"It wasn't your fault, Harry. You did what you could," Hermione comforted as she poked Ron.

"Yeah mate, there was nothing you could do, so don't beat yourself up about it," Ron said as he patted Harry on the back, "So what do you think of the Cannons this year?" After that comment the tensions lightened, Harry rolled his eyes and Hermione just sighed. Seeing that the interesting part of the conversation was over, she walked out of the store and into someone she wished she didn't.

~End Diary~

~Malfoy Manor~

Draco awoke to the sound of tapping coming from his glass doors that led to the balcony. Seeing that his wife was not going to wake up, he threw the black silk covers aside, sat up and tried to rub the sleep out of his grey eyes. Glancing at the clocks, which flashed 'Get up mail is here' and five am, "Who'd send me an owl this bloody earlier on a Saturday?" He walked to the doors and threw them open. A brown owl flew in and landed on the empty side of the bed. "I have nothing to give you so just go," he grumbled. The owl hooted once then left the way that it had come. He picked up the letter and recognized the handwriting on the envelope.

"What is it Draco?" mumbled Ginny.

"A letter from Rhiannon," he answered as he opened the envelope.

"What's wrong?" she asked, suddenly very awake.

"She addressed it to me so I am going to guess that it is not important," Draco said. "She probably just needs something to be sent to school."

"Okay," she yawned as she went back to sleep.

Draco took the letter out and scanned the contents. He frowned then retreated to his study. He sat down in his leather chair and reread the letter...

Dear Dad,

I hope everything is well at home. How is Mum? How is violet? I miss her dearly. And Nod, Dink and Wen? The house elves here at Hogwarts can never compare to them. Please tell everyone that I miss them.

School is going well. I have received stellar marks on all my papers and tests. I've even heard rumors that some of the staff already think that I am a shoe-in for Head Girl! That hasn't happened since Aunt Hermione and Miranda came to Hogwarts. Of course they are also comparing me to Miranda. GAG! I hate it when they do that! Why does everyone have to do it? We are nothing alike!

Anyways, Dad, I have some questions to ask of you. Why do you not talk about Mrs. Potter, Thomas's mum? I thought you were close to her. Why is it that no one talks about her? It's unfair to Thomas! He deserves to know the truth. What if it were different? What if it was Mum who died? Would you hide her from me and Miranda? Please, anything you could tell Thomas would be helpful. I love you.

WW,

Rhiannon

He had to smile at how she signed. The double w was invented when she was just learning to talk. One day she wanted to say that she loved both Draco and Ginny a lot, but she didn't know how to. So she said 'I love you double double you.' It has been her trademark signature ever since she could write. Draco knew that he never had to worry about his youngest daughter. She was independent and headstrong with a good head on her shoulders, but Rhiannon was also too inquisitive for her own good.

Long ago, Potter deemed that Kali was a taboo issue and, since then, no one talked about her.

* Too bad, she was remarkable. Now, to betray Potter or not to betray Potter, that is the question,* Draco thought. *I owe my life to Kali. Perhaps its time Rhiannon learned how I fell for her mother.*

~Flashback~

Two sixteen-year olds, one boy and one girl, stand in a deserted corridor of Hogwarts as a faint melody played in the air. The boy seemed stricken from sadness while the girl had tears trails on her cheeks but wore a look of determination. They stared at each other with a silent intensity that made the very air crackle between them. The melody seemed to gain strength and was soon joined by a voice.

I don't love you

And as you can see

We can never be

Kali sung the final chords and paused, "Draco, I... I want you to stop loving me. There is someone who is waiting out there for you and she deserves to be loved by you." With that said Kali ran out of the hallway leaving Draco with a broken heart.

~End Flashback~

*I was such a fool then,* he thought. *I kept throwing myself at her, even after her little solo. I never saw what was right in front of me. Thank God I eventually did.*

~Flashback~

A stoic-faced Draco pushed through the corridors not caring if he knocked someone down, till he actually did.

"Ow!" squealed a voice, "Watch where going you prat!" Draco, being ever the gentleman, helped up the poor girl he trampled, not knowing that it was little Ginny Weasley.

"Sorry," he mumbled as he tried to run off.

"No you don't Malfoy. Not till I have a word with you," Ginny said forcefully as she grabbed the sleeve of his robes. "Follow me." She led him to an empty classroom and he followed without complaint. "What's wrong Draco? You're usually not moping about like this. What has Kali made you become?" she asked.

"She didn't. She just dumped me, danced a jig on my heart and run off with that damned Potter!" he yelled at her. "I'm... I'm sorry I didn't mean to yell at you. It's just that..."

"I know," she whispered back. "It's hard being in love with someone who loves someone else."

"What are you talking about? Any guy who chooses another girl over you is bonkers if you ask me," he told her.

"Well then I guess you're bonkers," she sighed.

"What was that, Gin?" Draco asked.

I want you to want me.

I need you to need me.

I'd love you to love me.

I'm beggin' you to beg me.

I want you to want me.

I need you to need me.

I'd love you to love me.

After her impromptu song, Ginny ran out of the room leaving Draco more confused than ever.

~End Flashback~

*If Ginny didn't tell me, we would have never gotten together and I probably wouldn't be here now,* he thought to himself.

"Now what to tell Rhiannon?" Draco sighed as he got out a piece of parchment and an eagle feather quill.

~Professor Covington's Office, 9am~

Thomas looked at the crumbled parchment in his hand.

Mister Potter,

Please report to my office at nine o'clock sharp on Saturday to serve you detention. And please bring all your school books, parchment rolls, quills and ink. Also please bring the other book, you know of which I speak of.

Professor Kay Covington

Thomas sighed and approached the portrait that led to her office.

"Come in Mister Potter," Professor Covington called from her desk. "I see that you have made it here on time."

"Yes Professor," Thomas replied.

"Take a seat please. We have much to discuss before the punishment begins," she said. "How is the diary Mister Potter? Riveting I expect."

"Yes, ma'am," he answered unsurely, "I am enjoying it very much. I never expected anything like this, at least not about my mum."

"That's great," Covington's voice dropped its usual friendly demeanor. "Give me the diary Mister Potter."

"What? Why?" Thomas he asked in shock.

"Because you cannot handle it," she tried to explain. "Your grades have been slipping tremendously. I have a list of all your past due assignments that you must complete." She handed the boy a scroll, "You need to write over forty feet of essays this week or else you could be suspended from Hogwarts."

He glanced over the scroll and rolled it back up, "No, I won't. I won't give it to you."

"You must. I demand you to give it to me, "she said and added as an afterthought. "It's for your own good."

"No, you can't make me!" Thomas yelled.

"Please Thomas, your mother," Kay said.

"Is not you. You can never replace her, even if you marry my dad. You can't order me around," he picked up his stuff and ran out.

"I just wanted to help," she sighed as she slumped into her chair. "I promised I'd take care of you."

~Corridor, Hogwarts~

*How dare she!* he thought. *The diary is the only thing I have left of my mum. How else am I suppose to get information about her? It's not like my dad is going to owl me one day and start talking.*

"Thomas?" asked a somewhat distant voice. Thomas froze and slowly turned around.

*Bloody hell,* he thought before addressing the person standing before him. "Hi Dad."

~Guest Room, Hogwarts~

"How are you Thomas?" Harry Potter asked his son as he shifted his position on the sofa.

"I'm well, and you?" Thomas responded politely.

"Fine, how have you really been, son?" he asked in all seriousness. "I've been getting owls from your professors. They say you haven't been turning in your assignments. You're unresponsive to their inquiries. Kay said..."

"I don't care what she says," Thomas said through clenched teeth. "She isn't my mother."

"Of course she isn't Kali," Harry told him. "Thomas, I'm sorry that you think I was trying to replace your mum. No one can replace her. I'll always love her."

"Then why don't you talk about her?" he asked his father.

"It's... it's difficult. Your mother's passing was very hard for me, for us. Especially after everything that had happened before then," the elder Potter said, "Thomas, I never meant to hide her from you, but things are going to change now." Harry handed Thomas a small piece of parchment.

I hereby give Thomas Potter permission to leave Hogwarts for the day.

Albus Dumbledore

"What? Why can I leave?" Thomas asked, looking up his dad.

"Well I am going to take you to see your mum," Harry replied with a sad smile, "and then we are going home for lunch."

"Really? When do we leave?" he asked.

"Right now," Harry said as he led Thomas out of the room.