Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to JKR, of course. Just puttering about in her world.

Harry released his first-year Muggle Studies students five minutes early when the Headmaster appeared in the classroom doorway. He knew Severus wouldn't mind waiting, as it wasn't unusual for him to pop in and observe a class for any of the professors, but with the Halloween weekend approaching, the children had been terribly restless without additional distraction. The only child who didn't stir was Allie, who sat at one of the classroom's ten computers with headphones on.

Finally the last student flowed out of the room to go to eat lunch, leaving Harry with only one lesson after that before the weekend. Severus indicated where Allie still worked, fingers steadily typing on the keyboard. "I take it the students don't seem to mind a younger child among them?"

"They're actually more tolerant of her than some of the Muggle-born children actually."

"Any more trouble with Mr. Morgan?"

Shaking his head, Harry leaned moved around tidying the classroom for the afternoon's double Muggle Studies for fourth-years. "I don't think he's changed his opinion on the subject, but he's learned to keep his mouth shut at least."

"Sometimes that's all we can hope for. If it happens again, we'll have to be far sterner with him."

Harry shrugged. He didn't personally care if Severus expelled the little brat. Just because Hogwarts was the most preeminent school for magic in Britain didn't mean it was the only one.

"What is she working on so diligently?"

"A computer program that teaches typing. I owl-ordered a few things for younger children, but I think the first-years would like to try that one out. It's more entertaining than theirs is."

"Test out which has better results. Being wizarding-raised children, I doubt they'll even care it's a program for younger children. We can switch to that one next year if it works out better."

Nodding, Harry decided to take advantage of Allie's activity to question Severus about her status. "How sure are we that Allie's a Squib?" he asked softly.

The sigh from the Headmaster was heartfelt. "As you recall from Neville's childhood tales, most children show magical ability by her age, even if it's just something simple like levitating a toy that's out of reach. She can't activate magical toys that draw off a child's inherent abilities, such as toy brooms. If she weren't from one of the oldest families, those guaranteed a place at Hogwarts, not getting a Hogwarts letter could simply mean she doesn't possess enough magic to qualify for the school."

"You have to qualify? But I was told my name was down for Hogwarts from the time I was born." Harry looked puzzled. "I always wondered how I could be told that, if you can't simply look up whether or not Allie's on the list."

"I'd imagine that was one of the old man's many exaggerations, although to be honest, as a Potter, the only thing that would have prevented you from attending Hogwarts would have been if you'd been unable to use a wand. No one's entirely certain how the Hogwarts enrollment book works, only that the magics are as old as the school itself."

"So the Muggle-born students are all more powerful students, on average?"

"It varies. One-quarter of each year's new student openings must be reserved for Muggle-born children. Of the remainder, Ancient and Most Noble Houses are the first selected and then those of any family who have had at least five generations attend Hogwarts. After those spots are filled, then children are selected by ability from strongest to weakest."

"And how many get turned away on average?"

"For every forty students we take each year, there are usually anywhere from fifty to one hundred children we don't have room for. As there are three other schools here in Britain, it's not worrisome. Although if not for the tradition for the oldest wizarding families always attending Hogwarts, I would prefer Hogwarts go by ability alone, regardless of birthright. There are far fewer true branches of the old families now, so it has become less of a factor aside from the Muggle-born quota."

"I never did feel it was really fair on some like Goyle to have to struggle along." Harry watched as Allie's program ended, figuring he'd best wrap it up. "So if Allie gets a letter, then we know she's at least got some hidden magical talent, but if she doesn't, she's a Squib, and we move forward on the Muggle schooling plans."

"She's gained a strong advocate in you, I see."

Harry smiled up at Severus. "Which I suspect you planned on, what with putting me next door to Draco's quarters and all."

"I will admit it did cross my mind that you would be good for her." Dark eyes met green, some of the intensity Harry remembered from his school years present in Severus' gaze. "I am very pleased that you have turned out to be good for both of them."

Keeping his voice low as Allie tidied away her headphones, Harry asked a question that had plagued him. "And were you playing matchmaker as well?"

"I suspected Draco's inclinations weren't toward women, but he'd been conditioned all his life to marry and produce an heir. He'd have never acted on such impulses before his marriage. I'm pleasantly surprised with how far he and Lucius have come that he feels free to do so now."

Harry nodded. "Not that I'm complaining."

Then his attention had to leave Severus for Allie as the little girl came to join them. "Ready for lunch, sweetheart?" he asked.

She took his hand after giving the Headmaster a sunny smile. "Sadie's going to meet us there with Richard, right?"

"I'm sure they're already there waiting for us," he told her and let her lead the way toward the Great Hall. Severus was quiet beside him, and Harry wondered if he was considering Allie's future as deeply as he was.

Harry had the subject of magical inheritance lurking at the back of his mind through his afternoon class and into the evening. His quietness was noted by Draco, although the other man didn't remark upon it until the children had been tucked into bed for the night.

"Something on your mind, Harry?"

"I was thinking about Allie and what happens if she doesn't get to attend Hogwarts."

"Well, we've got almost two years to worry about that. I'd figured we'd secure her a spot in a good school, just in case. With her birthday at the end of July, we'd have a month to cancel the Muggle spot if she got a letter."

That caught Harry's attention, as he realized he'd overlooked a rather important bit of information about Allie. "When exactly in July?"

Draco grinned, snuggling close to the other man. "She shares your birthday, actually, although if she'd been born an hour earlier she'd share Neville's."

"I can't believe you didn't tell me that earlier. Or somebody didn't."

"I'm glad you're happy about it. Imagine when all your birthday cakes are pink or covered with flowers because she wants to share a cake with you."

Harry's grin was possibly wider than Draco's. "I don't mind a bit. If it makes her happy, I'll eat nothing but pink birthday cake from now on."

"You know, you're almost as besotted as my father by my child."

"If anyone had told me I'd be proud of sharing a trait with your father twelve years ago, I'd have thought them completely barmy, you know."

"Strange to realize you do have traits in common, isn't it? Although I suppose they lead back to the same one – adoring one's family."

"I always thought you had some sort of cold, remote upbringing."

"Not in the least. Oh, appearances were highly important, and you never saw my parents show affection in any manner they felt was undignified when I was a child, but it was always there." The blond fiddled with Harry's fingers, seeming to compare his long, pale fingers to Harry's shorter, more work-roughened ones.

"I noticed that even after the Battle. Other families were clinging to each other as if they'd never let go, yet you three were rather dignified despite the grime on everyone. Although I did notice that your mother didn't let go of either of you in her sly little ways of keeping you linked together."

"I suspect if you hadn't intervened, that pair of Aurors would have had to do bodily harm to her to have taken either of us away that day." Draco flicked his wand out of the wand holster, studying the hawthorn's polished surface. "She was the only one who had a wand at that point, at least one that worked properly. And then you came striding over to thank me so profusely for the use of my wand and returned it."

Harry chuckled. "I think the Aurors nearly died of shock to realize I'd used your wand to defeat Voldemort."

"Implying I'd cooperated in that somehow was rather Slytherin of you."

"I owed both you and your mother directly and your father indirectly. You could have identified me at your manor. Your mother could have alerted Voldemort I was still alive. Your father could have led Severus to Voldemort instead of warning him to flee, and perhaps he would have died then, all things considered. I might not have figured everything out in time. So, no matter what the intentions were for any of you, I couldn't see you carted off to Azkaban, even if only until trial."

"We were lucky you survived. Only Mother would have managed to stay out of Azkaban otherwise."

"Possibly." Harry hesitated, unsure if the other man knew. "I was told after the Battle that I could ask any boon I wanted of the Minister, and he'd grant it. I asked him to ensure you remained free, since I knew Severus was safe."

Draco twisted to meet his lover's gaze. "Aside from gratitude for the wand or for not identifying you, why would you use that sort of power to save me?"

"At the time, I wasn't really sure, other than I didn't want you to suffer any further from trying to save your mother's life and your own. Merlin, Draco, if I'd had the same chance to save my mum, I can't say I wouldn't have made the same damned choices you did."

"Well, indirectly you saved Father too. The Minister figured a long house arrest was preferable after you vaunted my mother a hero."

Harry's thumb stroked the silvery, pale remainder of Draco's Dark Mark. "Does it bother you, to still wear this?" he asked softly.

Draco shuddered, trying to pull his forearm away. He'd done his best since they'd first slept together to keep Harry away from the faded Mark. "I loathe having it. I try to see it as penance, like Severus does, but it doesn't work that way for me."

"And if I told you it could be removed?"

"I'd call you a liar, if you were anyone else. But you've pulled off miracles before."

Smiling, Harry brought Draco's forearm to his lips, kissing the ugly remnant of desperately made choices. "I've offered to remove Severus', after I came across information how to do so when I was in America. This sort of linked mark is used over there, not for the abhorrent things Voldemort chose, but as part of a marriage bonding ritual."

Wide grey eyes held a glimmer of hope. "So you know the reversing charm?"

Harry nodded. "Divorce isn't as rare among wizards there as it is here, so being able to remove the marriage mark is important. Severus let me study the magic left in his Dark Mark to determine how similar they are, but he wouldn't allow me to remove it."

"Do you have one of those sort of marks?" Draco frowned, making his lover smile to realize he was probably trying to catalog every inch of skin he'd seen on Harry. Harry had a magical ouroboros tattoo encircling one ankle, but no others.

"No. I looked into it when Jessie and I got married, but it wouldn't have worked properly on a Muggle. Like the Dark Mark, the marriage marks tap into a person's magic. My ouroboros is magical, obviously, with the color changing it does. I could have spelled that same tattoo onto Jessie, and it would have simply been a fancy-looking bit of ink work."

"Are you sure you can remove it?"

Rather than reply, Harry reached for his wand. The removal charm was complex, so not something he'd attempt wandlessly. As sweat prickled his forehead, he threw a bit more power into forcing the ugly mark to not just fade away, but to remove every last trace from Draco's skin. In theory, he'd surmised anyone could remove the Dark Mark, with its maker well and truly dead. In reality, he was finding that apparently some of the power level used to inflict it was required to remove it.

"It's gone." Draco sounded so awestruck Harry couldn't help but smile. "Merlin, I could feel your power washing over my skin."

"Yeah?"

Draco nodded. His grey eyes were as dark as when he was aroused, and Harry realized he just might be. He'd noticed close displays of Draco's power often made his body very much aware of the other man, more so the longer they were together. Placing a tender kiss over the milky-pale, unmarked skin, Harry led his lover to bed to celebrate the removal of the lingering reminder of the symbol of the chasm that had kept them apart for so long.