Truth is Weirder than Fiction

T. K.: *sways dizzily* Too many stories...

Neko: How many do you have going now?

T. K.: Just Harry Potter stories or all together?

Neko: All together.

T. K.: *counting* 15 HP stories and 32 others. I don't own Harry Potter.

~~~~~~

Hermione Granger-Snape walked down the still silent halls of Hogwarts. Severus Snape was in the Potions Lab with their son Godric and their daughter Elsa was out on the Quidditch Pitch with Draco Malfoy's daughter, Hunter, practicing.

Minerva McGonagall had taken over as Headmistress three years prior and Percy Weasley now taught Transfigurations, his brother Charlie now taught Care of Magical Creatures since Hagrid had moved to France to be with Madam Maxime and their children.

"Your flying is bloody BRILLIANT!" Elsa Snape's voice rang through the front hall. "There is no way Gryffindor can beat us this year."

"They didn't beat us last year or the year before," Hunter's smug voice followed Elsa's. Soon the two girls appeared in front of Hermione and both seventeen year olds smiled at her. Elsa was a short slim girl with curly black hair and brown eyes. She played Chaser for Slytherin.

Hunter played the Seeker position. She wasn't quite tall but almost gangly in the way she looked, Hermione knew she had a few more inches coming to her. Hunter had the oddest set of eyes Hermione had ever seen, one gray and one green, she also had silvery-blonde hair with natural black streaks.

Hermione smiled at the girls. "How did it go?" she asked.

"We are going to dominate the field, Mum," Elsa said.

Hunter smiled. "We'll start team practice as soon as possible. Gryffindor came too close to beating us last year," she admitted.

"Are you sure it will be a problem this year?" Hermione asked. "Their Seeker did graduate last year."

"That's only one player!" Hunter exclaimed. "If it were three or four players it would have made a difference, but they still have six excellent players."

"Better not let your father hear you praising the Gryffindors," Hermione said, "or Severus. He may ask you if you would rather be in their house."

Hunter stood there thinking. "Well, I mean, Richard Weasley is in Gryffindor and so is Alexia Weasley and James Weasley," she said as if considering the change. Richard Weasley was Percy's son and Hunter's best friend, besides Elsa, and Alexia was Bill's daughter and another of Hunter's friends. James Weasley was Ron's son and Hunter's current boyfriend. Although, knowing Hunter, that could change at any time.

"Nope, sorry," Elsa said smiling, "you're stuck in Slytherin. Just because you have a few Gryffindor friends doesn't mean the rest of them would kick your arse."

"ELSA!" Hermione scolded in her professor tone.

"What? Dad lets me curse," Elsa said.

Hermione's nostrils went white. "Yes," she said her voice tight, "your father and I will be having a chat about that."

"Where's my father?" Hunter asked before Elsa could say anything to get herself in more trouble. She knew from personal experience that there is nothing worse than getting chewed out in front of a classmate by a parent.

"He's making up this year's lesson plan," Hermione said.

"Thank you," Hunter said, heading for the Charms room.

~~~~~~

"I'm just giving you fair warning, Draco," Hunter heard Headmistress Minerva McGonagall say as she approached the Charms room. "Harry Potter is coming here to teach DADA."

"I give you my word, Minerva," Draco said, "as long as he keeps his end of the deal there will not be a cross word between us."

"You're going to have to face the past one day, Draco. And when you do, you are going to have to tell everyone the truth."

"Harry and I are nothing to each other anymore, we went our separate ways and made our choices."

Someone sighed.

"I've met his son, he was sorted into Gryffindor. He almost looks like a mirror's reflection---" McGonagall started

"I know," Draco said dejectedly. "She'll have him figured out before the first day is over."

A rustle of cloth and choked sob.

"The past always has a way of finding us," McGonagall said. "No matter how deeply you bury it."

Draco's voice was slightly choked as he said, "I know, I know. I just hoped Hunter wouldn't have to be entangled in it."

Another sigh followed by the sound of footsteps.

Hunter hurried down the hall and saw McGonagall standing in the doorway of her father's classroom. "Just be careful that you do not push your daughter away when you try to push the past away again."

Hunter hid behind a tapestry as McGonagall past her. Draco left the Charms room and Hunter made it look as if she were just coming down the hall.

"Hi, Daddy," she said hugging him and standing on tiptoe to kiss his jaw.

Draco gave her a watery smile and kissed her forehead. "Hi, dear. Have fun on the pitch?"

"We're going to cream Gryffindor!" Hunter told him.

Draco smiled. "You can tell me all about it at dinner, how do you feel about going into Hogsmeade for one last meal before school starts?"

~~~~~~

Hunter and Draco sat down at the Three Broomsticks Inn and ordered two Butterbeers.

"Do you know who's going to take Professor Black's place?" Hunter asked casually.

Draco almost spat his Butterbeer out. "Uh, oh, yes, Sirius retired, didn't he? I believe it is Harry Potter."

Hunter arched her black and blonde striped eyebrows. "Harry Potter? The Boy Who Lived?"

Draco scowled but nodded.

"Do I have to be nice to him?" Hunter asked taking a sip of her Butterbeer.

Draco smirked. "Only if you want to be." Hunter saw an opportunity arise in front of her and as Grandfather Lucius always said, 'Keep your friends close and their enemies even closer.'

~~~~~~

Hunter sat at the Slytherin table between Sally Goyle and Thomas Crabbe, her designated goons. The two of them weren't really all that bad, they were friendly enough once you got to know them. Goyle liked Herbology, she was rather good with the plants; Crabbe had the making of a Seer, according to Professor Lavender Brown. They weren't idiots, but they weren't brilliant, they could still manage to blow cauldrons apart in Potions or hurl her father across the room with Accio charm by accident. Besides, no one had been hurt too badly when they goofed.

Draco sat with Severus and Hermione at the Head Table, discussing something that looked to be of great importance from Hunter's point of view. Some sort of soft projectile flew across the room and hit Hunter's neck. Startled from her thoughts, Hunter picked up what she recognized as a crumpled napkin with the Gryffindor Lion on it. Hunter looked up to see all the Weasleys staring at her. She un-crumpled the napkin and recognized the writing as James's.

'Missed you, love you.'

Hunter dug in her pockets and found a quill and ink bottle, she wrote, 'Missed you and love you, too. Meet me at the usual place.' Hunter tossed the napkin back.

McGonagall watched the napkin fly. Hunter blew a kiss to James. McGonagall decided to let the two be, she just hoped the first Gryffindor-Slytherin relationship in over a decade and a half would last. She sighed and looked at Draco who smirked at her.

"No problems," he told her.

"Better not be, or I'll hex the both of you," Hermione said.

Severus looked at his wife of twenty years and the mother of his two children. "You should know, Draco, she'll do it. She's hexed the hell out of me." He smiled. "Why just a day ago, she hexed me seven ways from Sunday because I allow Elsa to say a few curse words."

Draco laughed. "You were the one who taught me to cuss, of course I taught those words to Hunter."

"SEVERUS!" Hermione scolded. "I didn't hex him all that badly," she muttered.

Draco snickered. "Bet it didn't hurt nearly as bad as when you smacked me across the face in third," he said.

Hermione flexed her wand hand. "I'm much more dangerous with my wand now."

Hunter turned back to the food in front of her and started to listen to the chatter at the table when the doors opened. Hunter smiled as the first years entered the Great Hall lead by the Transfigurations Professor Percy Weasley. Hunter waved to several red-headed first years.

"More Weasleys," Severus moaned to his wife.

"Poor, pitiful, and pathetically close-minded you," Hermione chided. "I must have given you a short term memory problem because if I recall correctly, your house's Seeker is dating one."

Severus glared at Draco who smiled smugly and said, "Who am I to say no, I married the man who's best friend was a Weasley."

"And look where that landed you," Severus said as the First Years finished filing in followed by Harry Potter and his son, Alden Potter.

Hunter was pointing at Severus and mouthing to the youngest Weasleys, Watch out for him. Hunter heard Hermione giggle along with the rest of the Weasleys in the hall with the exception of Percy who was rolling his eyes.

"When I call your name, step up here and place the Sorting Hat on your head," Percy said as everyone settled down and Harry Potter took his seat up at the Head Table and Alden Potter sat down at the Gryffindor table. Hunter knew that at least two of the five newest Weasleys would be Slytherin and didn't play much attention to the Sorting itself until Percy called on his own son.

"Arthur Weasley!" Percy called.

Hunter smirked as the Hat concentrated for a second the shouted, "SLYTHERIN!"

Percy looked floored as Arthur hand the Sorting Hat back to his father and strutted over to the Slytherin table, where he was warmly welcomed by Hunter, Sally, and Thomas. Next up was Bill Weasley's youngest son.

"Dunkin Weasley!"

Dunkin smiled at Hunter and his family as he sat down and placed the Sorting Hat upon his head.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Hunter had that one figured out, luckily, he wouldn't be eligible to play Quidditch until next year and by then Hunter would have graduated.

Next was George's daughter. "Françoise Weasley!" Fran blushed at the full use of her first name.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Next was Ron's youngest son, James's brother. "Sirius Weasley!"

Hunter looked at James and mouthed Slytherin as the Sorting Hat yelled it. Percy again looked shocked as Sirius walked over to the Slytherin table and Hunter hugged the boy who was like her own little brother.

Hunter shrugged. Not nearly as much as I've corrupted you, she mouthed back.

"Zelda Weasley!" Percy called the last Weasley and Fred's youngest. Zelda was the only Weasley that confused Hunter. She was cunning and conniving, more so than Hunter could be, but she was also courageous and courteous.

"RAVENCLAW!"

Hunter raised one eyebrow and smirked. Her father's house.

Draco about fell out of his chair, Zelda was the first Weasley in his house. He looked at Hunter who was still smirking and made a mental note to ask her later what Zelda was like.

Percy finished the list and said, "Now, Headmistress McGonagall has a few announcements to make."

Minerva stood up and said, "Welcome to Hogwarts. I would like to say to the First Years and remind a few of the older students," here James and a few of the older Weasleys blushed and Hunter and her friends squirmed, "that the Forbidden Forest is forbidden for a reason. Secondly, I would like to introduce you to our new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Harry Potter."

Very few Slytherins applauded with the rest of the Hall and Hunter actually sneered. Hunter didn't like him already. Draco applauded politely but stared pointedly at his plate.

"Professor Black retired at the end of last year and says to those of you he taught, 'Live by what your heart tells you' and that he 'would visit'," Minerva continued.

"Sounds like I have a lot to live up to with my name," Sirius Weasley said.

Hunter smiled. "You already have, Siri."

"Without further ado!" Minerva announced and clapped once. The plates filled with food and the school dig in. Hunter looked over at the Gryffindor table and saw James and the majority of the Weasleys looking at the boy at the end of the table. Hunter looked at him as he looked up, Hunter gasped as their eyes met.