Voldemort's final defeat was a turning point in my life. Now I hear you saying, "Gee Harry you don’t say." I mean, yes, Voldemort being gone and not trying to hunt me down anymore is a rather large plus, his defeat changed my life completely around.

Voldemort's very existence meant I had to live with my aunt and uncle, two people whom I hated very much and who hated me just as much in return. I had to train hard on things I didn’t need academically, that I had to know to stay alive, on top of my academic life.

His defeat meant I could do what I wanted to do. The first thing I did was get Draco, my lover, and we both left our homes. He also had the shadow of Voldemort lifted from his head.

Oh, wait. Draco Malfoy, I should probably comment on that, right?

Well, okay… let's see… Summer after fifth year, some private information and an unfortunate series of events caused me and Draco to become lovers and a tad more as the year went on. He's nice, really he is. When you dig through that whole "I'm a Malfoy and I'm so cool" thing he has got going on.

So, we left home and we looked for a place to stay.

We stayed at the Leaky Cauldron after I had tactfully declined Mrs Weasley's offer of somewhere to stay. We came across an ad in the Daily Prophet:

Lodgers Desired

Seeking two Lodgers for a house in Yorkshire.
Looking for males or females between 16 and 40.
Partners and couples welcome.

Two rooms available, shared bathroom, shared kitchen.
Bills expected to be split equally.

Room price negotiable.

Contact by Owl: Nicole Lindsey

Draco was rather insistent that I contact this ad, he liked this one best out of the others and he wanted to move away from the Leaky Cauldron as soon as possible. Narcissa was more than happy to let Draco leave the Manor, Lucius was the one he wanted away from. So, I owled Nicole and she sent me a letter back asking me and Draco to come see her. We hadn’t signed our proper names and I had also told her we were both seventeen.

When we met Nicole, she seemed quite shocked that The Harry Potter had turned up. I explained my and Draco's situation and she told us that we could have the room, the other candidates didn’t seem very desirable anyway.

So, me, Draco and Voldie-poo moved in.

You know, I really would make a lousy history teller, I miss out many important details. Voldie-poo is what I christened the cat that I turned Voldemort into. The muggle cat that I turned him into… I bet he didn’t expect that.

So yeah, we moved into the house and that was the end of June.

Nicole wasn’t overly pleased with Voldie-poo at first, she would often glare at him and shoo him away from her. After a week or so though, she began to look on it as an amusing form of punishment for the once evil overlord and she began to even feed him treats.

The rest of June went past quietly. I think it's one of the happiest times I can remember. Not a whole lot happened, but it was nice. Nicole, Draco and I began to get on and actually we became friends with Nicole over time (Being in the house with two Slytherins was rather scary at times trust me, don’t try it at home.).

By the middle of July we didn’t think much would happen, but one rather dark and nasty night who should show up, but one of the people Draco and I least wanted to see. Lucius Malfoy, father, husband and all round pain in the ass of anyone around him at the time.

He told Draco he was staying at an inn nearby and that he would be staying there for a while. After a few days of coming and going, Lucius had somehow managed to become a regular presence in the house and finally one night stayed rather late and Nicole told him to take one of the other spare rooms. He never did end up leaving.

Now, after the war and my subsequent battle with Voldemort, I hadn’t been coping too well. I had actually been cutting my arms quite frequently. Nicole found out and after lecturing me soundly on it she healed the cuts and made me swear not to do it again. I'll admit I almost did but I promised Nicole and I really don’t like to break my promises.

At the end of July we found out why Lucius had been staying at an inn. He had been meeting a vampire named Kain, his new lover. Unfortunately it brought up some memories for Draco and we found out why Draco had fled home so hastily as soon as he had the opportunity to.

Lucius found out that Blaise Zabini and Draco were in a tentative coupling. While he was drunk one night he walked in on Draco and Blaise kissing. He threw Blaise out after punching him and then… well, I'm not going to go into detail of what happened out of respect of Draco. Suffice to say it was unforgivable.

But somehow, Lucius managed to apologise so profusely and so sincerely that Draco decided to give him a second chance.

By the beginning of August we found out that Kain was Kain of Darkwood, the leader of the vampires. By then Lucius had discovered that he had somehow managed to fall in love with him. Lucius and I went out one day, he felt he had to try get to know me better in aid of Draco, I felt the same about getting to know him.

While we were out he mentioned to me about bonding rituals and how he had been thinking about asking Kain if they could bond. He explained to me that when a vampire bonds to a human they generally also turn the human into a vampire. He and I decided to buy rings, he bought two, one each for him and Kain, and I bought two, one each for me and Draco.

Kain made sure Lucius knew what he was getting himself into before he accepted. The last person Kain had attempted to turn was his sickly, half human daughter, Tia, but something went wrong and she didn't survive.  Because of that, Kain was hesitant to change Lucius, but with some careful convincing and, under the watchful eye of Nicole, he made Lucius a vampire. Lucius was out cold for a while as his body changed into a vampire, a rather long and painful process I'm told.

Kain was so weak, after he turned Lucius, that Nicole allowed him to drink from her, creating a blood bond between them.  While they were both recovering, they spent quite a while talking together.  I'm not sure what they talked about, but they've seemed to be growing closer since then, in a father-daughter sort of way.

Nicole then began to heal Kain, that's when Dumbledore showed up, looking for me. He found out that Kain was in the house and he attacked him not caring that Kain was weak from just turning Lucius.

Nicole and Dumbledore had an argument, a rather large argument, - turns out they're related, but there's some sort of bad history between them - that ended when Dumbledore left the house, just after giving me a type of protection stone called a nexus stone.

A few days later Kain's second in command, Sethopher, – who has the disturbing ability to know exactly where everyone is when they're in the house and what they're doing or thinking on the surface, without even trying, due to a really strong telepathic ability – came to the house and took a slightly more than platonic interest in Nicole. Nicole doesn’t seem to mind this interest and, I've noticed, often encourages it… the vixen.

Sethopher seems to now be a permanent fixture here, possibly the next member in what seems to be our growing family. He's now inhabiting the last spare room that Nicole has and I've noticed he, Kain and Lucius don’t seem to pay rent… I should talk to Nicole about that little detail. All bills split equally indeed, who drinks the majority of the milk, is it me? No, Malfoys' have the pale hair and pale skin because they drink so much fucking milk.

Anyway, like I said, I'd be a lousy history teller, if I don’t miss out details I go on rants about milk and other such things.

I also seem to be having issues with my magic, it doesn’t seem to want to behave.

I'm not the only one that's trying to deal with changing magic, Lucius is getting used to his Vampiric abilities. He has some new powers and abilities growing and showing up over the last few days, he seems quite pleased about them. (Especially his claws, he likes those.)

Well, I suppose that brings you up to date on my life so far, and I really don’t want to talk anymore, I'm getting rather parched. I should probably go get a drink…

19 August 1997

          *Draco and Harry have been in the kitchen for a while 'getting drinks' while Nicole, Kain and Lucius have been talking.*

Kain: *Looks at Lucius and then frowns* What’s this?

Lucius: What?

Nicole: What's what?

Kain: *Kain leans Lucius' head up slightly to expose his throat* There’s a lump on either side of your neck. Nicole, does that look like a gland to you?

Nicole: *Gets up from the couch and moves over beside them, runs fingers under Luc's jaw* You mean this here? Yeah, it does. *Frowns* Usually you can't feel glands there unless you're sick.

          *Kain grins looking very pleased*

Lucius: What?

Nicole: *Looks at Kain oddly* Why are you so pleased?

Kain: Nicole, *Points at a smaller gland* that’s his saliva gland.

Nicole: Huh...

Kain: This ... this is a new thing.

Nicole: *Puzzled look* Kain I don't know much about Vampire anatomy, just tell me.

Kain: *Feels along the gland* Lucius open your mouth.

          *Lucius opens his mouth and Kain presses the gland and a black liquid comes out*

Kain: Nicole, keep away from it.

Nicole: *Moves to the side* What is that?

Kain: *Kain picks it up and smells it and nods* It blinds humans for 12 hours.

Nicole: *Eyes widen* Wow.

Kain: Doesn’t work so well on vampires though... it's a rare gift, so that's one gift figured out, blindness.

Lucius: Tastes sugary.

Nicole: *Looks at Lucius* You'll just keep that away from me now, thanks, I like my eyesight just the way it is. *Grins cheekily, though hesitantly*

Kain: Hmm, there will be a knack to it... you should have seen the state of me trying to get to grips with my mist ability.

Nicole: *Looks curious* Mist ability?  Sethopher was telling me some about how Vampires had differing powers yesterday, but he didn't mention that.

Kain: *Kain grins* There's an unlimited amount of natural abilities we can accumulate... one of my original ones was that I can become mist. I am completely invisible within a fog... was very handy once upon a time in London...

Nicole: Wow, that is a handy trick.

Kain: Yes... I was created with two powers... I was a very normal type of vampire for the day.

Nicole: And I thought Sethopher's fireball power was interesting, invisible in mist, now that's something I'd like.

Kain: Well, I don’t know... Sethopher has a good stealth ability too, don’t you Sethopher?

          *Sethopher walks out from the shadows shaking his head at Kain who doesn’t bat an eyelid*

Sethopher: They call it 'the shroud'.

Nicole: *Looks up, mildly surprised* Sethopher. I didn't realise you were back... The shroud?

Sethopher: Yes, I can envelop the darkness around me like a cloak.

Nicole: ...Ok, very cool. *She grins*

Sethopher: ...*Looks round* Are those two young ones still in the kitchen?

Nicole: Now that you mention it, yeah.

          *Sethopher sits down*

Nicole: ...I'm afraid to even consider what they might have gotten up to that would delay them, with those two it could be anything. *Moves back over to the couch with Sethopher.*

          *Draco walks in with Harry and the tray of drinks looking flushed.*

Harry: Umm... had a spot of bother with the kettle...

Draco: Uh-huh... just... refused to boil.

Nicole: *Scathing look* Give up with the excuses Harry, just give me my hot chocolate.

          *Harry hands hot cocoa over to Nicole and drinks all round*

Nicole: *Takes a sip and a blissful look comes on her face as she leans back into the couch relaxed* Mmm, with Bailey's, just the way I like it... I haven't had this in so long, I nearly forgot how good it was.

Draco: I'll be right back... I have this urge to disinfect the kitchen... *Runs to the kitchen*

          *Harry stands off to one side, looking innocent as he looks into his own hot chocolate.*

Nicole: I'll pretend I didn't hear that. *Still focused on her hot chocolate.*

          *Sethopher is reading a Daily Prophet*

Nicole: *Sees the paper* Anything interesting in that tabloid today?

Sethopher: Oh, no nothing much, just how about Dumbledore being in hospital and the reason being hushed up.

Kain: Imagine that...

          *Nicole snickers*

Sethopher: And something about a strange mark on his wrist.

Kain: How...ghastly.

Nicole: *Brow furrows in puzzlement* Kain, what's that about?

Sethopher: You didn’t...

Kain: I did.

Nicole: *Still puzzled* Did what? *Sips at her hot cocoa still looking at Kain for an answer.*

Kain: Well... *Trying not to look too evil*

Nicole: *Rolls eyes* Give up the innocent act, you've never been able to pull that off.

          *Kain grins.*

Sethopher: Don’t fuck with that vampire is all I'm saying.

Nicole: *Looks over at Sethopher* He's looking far too pleased with himself, what the hell did he do?

Sethopher: He marked him...

Nicole: Ok, newbie to what's involved in the world of vampires, I'm gonna need a little more to go on here.

Kain: Well... he's the most powerful man in the world right? *Looks in Harry's direction as the boy disappears into the kitchen.* Or so he would have us believe...

Nicole: *Follows Kain's gaze and nods.* Currently.

Kain: Well, in times gone past a vampire would mark a man with a lot of power to show that he could have killed him but left him alive to teach the people a lesson.

Sethopher: So, now the world knows Kain has had a piece of Albus Dumbledore and walked away the better off of the two.

Nicole: Ok, that makes sense now.  No wonder he *nods towards Kain* is looking so smug. *Sips at her hot cocoa and looks over to Sethopher semi-shyly* Would you like to try a sip of this?  It really is quite good.

Sethopher: *Moves closer to Nicole* Smells nice...

Nicole: Here, try some *Smiles slightly and fidgets a little nervously trying to decide if there's a double meaning in his words* *Holds mug towards him a little*

Sethopher: *Wraps a hand round the mug taking one of Nicole's hands too and tilts it towards him and takes a sip, grins* Very nice...

Nicole: *Smiles slightly more confidently* Yeah, it is. *Slightly breathlessly*

Sethopher: I wasn’t talking about the hot chocolate.

Nicole: Oh? *Leans a little closer to Sethopher*

          *Sethopher smiles and leans in for a kiss.*

          *Nicole leans in to meet Sethopher, eyes closing.*

          *Sethopher kisses Nicole deeply to catcalls from Kain and Lucius.*

          *Nicole responds to Sethopher's kiss, pointedly ignoring Lucius and Kain.*

          *Sethopher gently bites Nicole’s bottom lip and runs his tongue up the roof of her mouth then pulls out and looks her straight in the eye.*

Nicole: *Opens eyes looking into Sethopher's, a bit breathless* That was... wow. *Blushes madly*

Sethopher: *Grins, then turns his attention to Kain and Lucius who are looking innocent* Juveniles.

Kain: This coming from the vampire making out with Nicole on the couch.

Sethopher: You've been Americanised.

Kain: Take that back!

Nicole: *Glares over towards Kain* You can leave now... Dad.

          *Kain looks like he doesn’t know how to take that statement, to be touched at the name or cower at the tone, he decides on both and walks out with Lucius close behind.*

Sethopher: Honestly... that vampire.

Nicole: *Laughs lightly* Like he has any room to comment, he's... *Clears throat lightly for a pause* Yeah, let's just say he's none to shy about showing Luce his affections, regardless of where they are.

Sethopher: *Smiles* He seems really smitten with that man, been a great many years since I have seen him like that. I’m surprised that he turned him though after Tia... he must have taken persuading.

Nicole: Luce was rather... persistent.  And I don't think he would have, if I hadn't promised to help make sure nothing went wrong.

Sethopher: Ahh, yes, your blood bond.

          *Harry and Draco sneak off*

Nicole: *Sees the boys leave* I forgot they were still in the kitchen...

Sethopher: *Smells the air* From their scent I should think they only have one thing on their minds... hormones... *Laughs lightly*

Nicole: *Smiles* They're teenage boys, rarely anything else ever is. *Meets his gaze, mildly teasing tone* Not that that is necessarily a bad thing of course.

Sethopher: *Grins* No, *Quietly* of course not... *Runs a hand along her cheek gently and the grin is replaced by a thoughtful look* You are beautiful.

Nicole: *Turns face down and to the side a little, blushing* That's kind of you to say.

Sethopher: Why is it kind to speak the truth?

Nicole: *Still blushing and not meeting his gaze* Well I'm not... I mean... *Sighs and gives up on talking*

Sethopher: *Sethopher turns her head up to face him* You are beautiful. *Captures her lips in a searing kiss*

          *Nicole is slightly surprised, but starts kissing back after a moment's pause. Sethopher's hand entangles in her hair as the kiss becomes more heated. Her hand slides behind his neck, fingers lacing in his hair, her other hand laying on his thigh. Sethopher runs his free hand down Nicole’s side and rests it on her hip as she leans in closer.*

          *He pulls her into his chest, the hand that was on her hip falls to the small of her back and he lets out a deep, low growl. She moans into the kiss, hand sliding from his hip to his chest steadying herself against him lightly.*

          *Sethopher pulls out of the kiss and kisses along Nicole's jawbone, he starts kissing fiercely on her neck. Nicole's head leans back, exposing more neck, eyes shut and groaning in pleasure. His hand comes from Nicole’s hair and runs down her throat, her hand at his nape slides a little and her thumb rubs gently at the area behind his ear.*

          *Sethopher groans lightly and runs his tongue up Nicole’s neck and kisses her on the mouth again, nipping lightly at her lips and then kissing her again. She moans into the kiss.*

Sethopher: *Pulls out of the kiss, eyes dazed* Beautiful and a great kisser to boot.

Nicole: *Is breathless, she leans her head against his shoulder, mouth towards his neck, words whispered against it* That... was the most amazing kiss I've ever had.

Sethopher: *Chuckles lightly* That’s quite a compliment.

Nicole: *Half grin* And entirely true. *Breath returning to normal but she doesn't move from her comfortable spot*

          *Sethopher's hand rests on her ass. Nicole pulls back just enough to look at his face, one eyebrow raised in a half smug/content, half inquisitive look.*

Sethopher: *Looks mock surprised* Now how did my hand get on your ass? Intriguing...

Nicole: *Laughs lightly* Tease.

          *Sethopher smiles.*

Harry: *Harry walks in* You two look awfully comfortable.

Nicole: *Mock glares over towards Harry* Was there something you wanted? *Eyebrow raised.*

Harry: *Pouts* Draco's asleep, Luce and Kain are well... busy... can I hang here?

          *Nicole groans in displeasure and disbelief, her forehead rests against Sethopher's shoulder and she doesn't answer.*

Harry: *Harry huffs* Fine I can see when I'm not wanted... *Walks off book, quill and ink in tow.*

Nicole: *Head still against Sethopher's shoulder, mutters* Great kid, love him like a brother, but sometimes he's as dense as a brick.

Sethopher: *Watching Harry closely* Hmm, indeed. *Turns attention back to Nicole grinning*

Nicole: *Looks up and smiles* So...

Sethopher: So... *Grinning more*

Nicole: *Leans in and trails light kisses along his jaw, pausing near his ear, voice slightly hushed as she speaks, lips brushing his skin*  How long are you planning on staying around here? *Mock innocently*

Sethopher: *Inhales gently and raises his eyebrows* Oh, I don’t know... I am due a holiday...

Nicole: *Turning slightly to cuddle in closer, her head leans against the crux of his neck, murmuring* Oh really? *Back pressed closely to his chest*

Sethopher: Mmm hmm... *Looks like he’s counting* Well, last time Kain told me to take a holiday was at least a thousand years ago... so, I have a long holiday and Valentine can hold the army for a while.

Nicole: Well, *Tilts head slightly, kisses base of his jaw, nipping skin lightly* he definitely owes you a hell of a vacation after all that time. *Kisses and nibbles the spot before moving her head again, tucked in under his chin. She sighs contentedly.*

Sethopher: *Laughs gently* He stopped telling me to go on vacation as I had this technique where I would ignore him.

Nicole: Oh? *Eyebrow quirks*

          *A small bell is heard and Sethopher looks very pissed off.*

Nicole: What was that?

Sethopher: *Pulls out a watch and looks at it and growls* I forgot about that...

Nicole: Sethopher?  Forgot about what?

Sethopher: I have to go... I’ll be back in an hour or two, it's a meeting with the Night Elves... they're rather tetchy... *Kisses Nicole deeply* Won’t be long. *Grabs his cloak and apparates.*

*From the kitchen singing is heard*: Don’t wanna be, all by myself, anymore!

Nicole: *Curls into the corner of the couch, sighs half content, half resigned* ... *Hears voice from the kitchen whispers to self* Now who could that be?

          *Male voice, not too bad a singer*

Nicole: *Sighs a little annoyed, but also curious.  Gets up from the couch and heads to the kitchen, stopping in the doorway* Who's in here?

          *Smashing noise heard*

Harry: Nicole, you scared the crap outta me.

Nicole: *Eyebrow raises and laughs* Reparo.  Didn't know you could sing Harry.

Harry: *Closes a leather bound book that’s on the table very quickly* *Reddens* I don’t think so... *Puts quill and ink to the side*

Nicole: You sounded nice. *Sits beside him at the table, ruffles his hair like a little brother* What're you writing?

Harry: N-nothing much...

Nicole: *Smiles teasingly* Harry?

Harry: What?

Nicole: You seem awfully evasive about what's in that book.  Is it a journal or something?

Harry: *Snorts* No... I have a joint journal with Draco.

Nicole: Then what's this? *Taps book with a finger*

Harry: Research.

Nicole: *Eyebrow quirks in interest* Oh?  What kind of research?

Harry: *Frowns* Well... I always assumed that there must be some basis in fact in the pureblood spiel... I mean... why would people get so worked up about something that wasn’t proven... right? ...so I read most of the literature that accompanied the stigma...

Nicole: Uh huh, and? *Is curious*

Harry: It was all written by people like Voldemort... people who had a personal vendetta against muggles... nothing to do with purity of blood, that became assumed as one had power and the other didn’t. It was never researched.

Nicole: *Nods knowingly* That's often how many prejudices are. Occasionally they'll have some basis in fact, but it's either twisted or forgotten in the hate.

Harry: It was all based in lies and in assumptions and... well this is what got me and Lucius Malfoy talking at first... I asked him if I could have a copy of the Malfoy family tree.

Nicole: Really?

Harry: He was perplexed as to why I would want it, I told him straight and he seemed very interested in my idea.

Nicole: *Looks thoughtful* When Luce gets his head out of his arse - excuse the crude language - he's actually rather open minded. I think becoming a Vampire probably helps that further, I mean things like that become inconsequential to a being that lives so long.

Harry: Yeah... so we sat and looked at the family tree... the thing I pointed out was that his family traditionally only had one or two children and the first child was always more powerful. Lucius himself told me he had a younger sister.

Nicole: I didn't know that.

Harry: His sister wasn’t as powerful and died during Voldemort’s first rise.

Nicole: Hmmm.

Harry: Yeah... you trace the line back and there’s a maximum of two children reaching adulthood in every line. There was never more.

Nicole: That's interesting, any idea why?

Harry: The rest of their children died and I put forward the theory that the children had been squibs and the 'pureblooded' Malfoy family would have been a laughing stock. He actually agreed with my idea...

Nicole: *Nods* Not to intend any offence to Luce or Draco, but it does sound quite probable.

Harry: Yeah, so, their family in every generation have two children, both quite powerful, the elder more so than the other. That’s their family, unique to their family.

Nicole: Really?  You've checked other family lines?

Harry: Yeah, take the Weasleys.

Nicole: *Nods* Point taken.

Harry: They're all rather powerful in different areas, then take Hermione. Why and how is she so damn powerful?

Nicole: Did you find anything that made the Malfoy's different that might have caused that pattern then, when it isn't found elsewhere?

Harry: *Smiles* I did... but I’m getting to that. Hermione... completely muggle born witch? Right?

Nicole: As far as I know.

Harry: Well yes, she is, completely muggle born... two muggle parents but Hermione’s parents researched their family tree a long time ago and I asked to see it. Way far back in the line is a name I recognised as a magical name. Hermione has some magical blood in her after all.

Nicole: Really, what name?

Harry: Satare I believe, not a very powerful woman, but she was a witch none the less and all her children were squibs.

Nicole: Hmm, so do you think all muggleborns have a magical ancestor?

Harry: *Smiles* Technically. See, I think that long ago, there was no such thing as a muggle. Everyone had magic in them to a certain degree.

Nicole: ...So that would make muggles in essence all Squibs, non-magical decedents of magical lines...

Harry: Yes, and they all have the ability to do magic, but, the difference... some of us know how to top up that power and some of us don’t. Those of us that don’t, don’t pass any innate magic, or very little, onto their children. Hermione's magic comes from all those ancestors that didn’t use any of their small amounts of magic left. It all got passed onto her.

Nicole: *Looks thoughtful* That's a very interesting theory... but would that mean for each child parents had, their own power would decrease as they were passing the power on?

Harry: They get the 'expendable' magic worth as their core, so if a parent doesn’t know how to make themselves more powerful then the child won't be very powerful.

Nicole: Hmm.

Harry: It rings true though wherever I have looked... Look at how powerful Lucius is and how powerful Draco is. He obviously builds up a lot of magic.

Nicole: ...So you think the reason there are only ever 2 Malfoy children is because the parents gave so much to each of the first two and there wasn't much left for the others that came along?

Harry: Theory of a rambling 17 year old I know. *Laughs* Don’t worry about it. *Nods*

Nicole: Actually, it makes quite a bit of sense... it would still need to be researched more, but interesting.

Harry: Yeah I know ... I have another family tree to go through tonight.

Nicole: Oh?  Which one?

Harry: ...Sirius'

Nicole: *Pulls Harry into a one-armed hug, kisses the top of his head motherly style* He'd be very proud of you for what you've done.

Harry: *Stays in Nicole's arms* Yeah... well...

Nicole: He would.  You're growing up to be a very fine young man.

Harry: *Laughs lightly* Me? This scruffy haired idiot? I hardly think so.

Nicole: *Pulls back a tiny bit, free hand moves under his chin to tilt his gaze up to meet hers*  You are not an idiot, I don't ever want to hear you call yourself that again. You are a brave and intelligent young man. And you have a wonderful heart.

Harry: Is this the pro Gryffindor campaign from a Slytherin? I've heard everything now. And the less said about my damned heart the better.

Nicole: *Expression and tone saddens at his comment* Harry...

Harry: No, really... 17 going on 30... *Looks rather bitter*

Nicole: *Raises eyebrow, tone not quite mocking, but firm* And you think you're the only one?  29 going on 40 right here.

Harry: *Smiles lightly, then looks annoyed at himself* I need to stop this bloody feeling sorry for myself.

Nicole: *Lips quirk, tone now teasing* If I'm not allowed, neither are you.

Harry: *Smiles* Yeah well... *Pulls his shirt sleeve up to show the very last remains of the cuts he gave himself all those weeks ago*

Nicole: *Traces a finger lightly across the marks, leans her forehead against his and smiles a little* I'm proud of you.

Harry: *Smiles sadly* For what?

Nicole: It takes strength to not let the pain inside force you to draw pain from outside.  And even more to stop once you've started.

Harry: *Looks down a little ashamed* If it hadn’t been for Drake... he held me that first night...

Nicole: *Holds Harry a little tighter* Harry there's nothing wrong with wanting someone there for you; humans aren't made to be solitary creatures... Kain held me when... well I had a tough night the night Luce went through the change, and before Albus showed up I did some soul purging.

Draco: *Draco walks in behind Harry and Nicole* *Quietly* You held yourself love... I just gave you strength.

          *Nicole smiles up at Draco, tilts her head to show he should come take her place.*

          *Draco nods and walks forward and pulls Harry into a loving hug.*

Draco: Nicole? Could you get Harry’s book, ink and quill and follow me through to the bedroom?

Nicole: Yeah. *Gathers up Harry's things*

          *Draco takes Harry through to the bedroom and lays him on the bed. He runs a hand through Harry's hair.  Nicole follows in and set's Harry's things on the dresser.*

Draco: *Draco frowns and kisses Harry's forehead* Thanks Nicole.

Nicole: *Smiles sadly* No problem. *Hand rests on Draco's shoulder, whispers so only he can hear* Take good care of him.  He's strong, he just doesn't realise it yet.

Draco: *Nods and almost laughs* Everyone knows it, apart from him.

Nicole: *Wry smile* He'll learn eventually. *Glances towards Harry* I'll leave you two be? *Raises eyebrow in question*

          *Draco Nods.  Nicole squeeses his shoulder once more and leaves the room. She walks back to the main room and curls back up on the couch, sighing to herself.*

Kain: *Shoves head out of the door* Nicole, I meant to ask you, did you give Harry that protection necklace back?

Nicole: *Nods* Yesterday.  Put it on him myself, and made him promise not to take it off unless you, I or Luce asked him to.

Kain: Good, good.

          *Nicole smiles slightly*

Kain: Sethopher not here? And I thought I ordered him to take a holiday.

Nicole: *looks up slightly disappointed* He had a meeting with some... Night Elves I think he said, that he forgot about.  Said he'd only be gone about an hour or two.

Kain: *Nods* Night elves are tetchy.

Nicole: *Laughs a little* That's what he said.

Kain: But, hey look at it this way, you got him to take the only vacation he has had in almost a thousand years...

Nicole: *Self-satisfied smile, wistfully* Yeah.

Kain: You ever see Harry hint at taking that damn thing off, you bite him... or get me to bite him.

Nicole: *Laughs, mock salute* Yes sir!

          *Kain is about to say something more when Lucius stomps out of the room butt naked and grabs Kain back into the bedroom.*

Lucius: *Heard from other side of the door* Like it couldn’t wait another hour!

          *Nicole smirks to herself and rolls her eyes.*

Sethopher: What are you rolling your eyes at love?

Nicole: *Smile brightens and Nicole moves to stand closely in front of him, laces her arms around his neck* Oh nothing much, just Kain and Luce. *kisses the corner his mouth* How was the meeting?

Sethopher: Fine, fine... Athreo was a little peeved that I was late... however I managed to pacify him.

Nicole: That's good... I'm sorry I made you late.

Sethopher: *Grins* Not your fault, I should have remembered. *Kisses her cheek*

Nicole: *Smiles* So... any other meetings you've forgotten about, or are free to take that vacation now? *Nuzzles his neck*

Sethopher: I’m free, on vacation now... *Pulls out a small pendant* For you. Elvin craft.

Nicole: *Eyes widen in surprise* Sethopher, you shouldn't have.

Sethopher: *Smiles* Yes I should have if that’s your reaction.

          *They go off and have some "quality time"*