CHAPTER 15
EXTRA EXTRA
After the incident that displayed the venerability of `Harry Potter's sister' Aeryn seemed to distance herself from others. Not only had people been whispering about her very rare condition, but it seemed that The Daily Prophet as well as other well known newspapers and magazines got hold of the information that the heir of the Wyndam name and fortune was in fact the twin sister of the Great Harry Potter. And as usual in the Wizarding world people didn't give a second thought to speak their mind. Aeryn and Harry both got their share of owl letters. Most of what Harry got was pity letters, people telling him how sorry they were for him, about his parents, and they hope he was happy now that he has a sister. Letters to Aeryn were some what different. She was often called a fraud and that she was nothing more then fame seeking girl. And after a week or two they stopped reading the letters, immediately chucking them into the fire.
Draco gave her the space she needed. He could tell from the look in her eyes that she needed time to resolve whatever it was she was going through. He would watch over her from a distance, watched the show she put on for her brother and his friends. He could tell her smiles were fake, sometime she'd gaze as if in deep thought.
A blue barn owl landed in front of Aeryn's plate one week before Halloween. She stared at it for a moment before she ripped the letter out of the bird's beak, tearing it open. She dropped her guard letting her true face come through. Draco could tell because Harry had that brotherly concern look planted on his face. She stood up staring at the letter in disbelief, uttering a few words that caught the attention of the surrounding student eating their breakfast. When she finally notice the staring eyes and her brother asking what was wrong she bolted out of the Great Hall. Harry stood up, about to go after her when he felt Hermione pull him back down. He looked at her and was about to ask her why she prevented him from leaving, but all Hermione had to do was point in the direction of the doors as they observed Draco Malfoy go after her instead.
Draco didn't have to go far; Aeryn was waiting for him right outside the Great Hall doors. She was sitting on the floor with her back against the wall.
"What's the matter, love" He asked her, he stood in front of her with his arms crossed. She didn't say anything; she looked at him with pleading eyes hoping for a quick solution to all her problems. She handed Draco the letter she had received.
Dear Miss Potter,
It has come to our attention here at Bray, MacKenzie and Walsh, that you have renounced your title as the heir of the Wyndam name and fortune. As stated in the Daily Prophet and other newspapers that you are indeed the daughter of the deceased James and Lilian Potter and therefore have no right to claim the title anyway. We, therefore, are officially freezing all Wyndam accounts at Gringotts and all business concerning the Wyndam name will cease until the proper person or persons comes to claim it.
Thank you for you co-operation and Happy Halloween.
Aidan Bray
Attorney at Magical Law
NY, NY
"You've got to be joking," was all Draco could say, "What do they hope to gain by this?"
"Prophet? I've got a feeling one of the other rich families in the world is up to this. I wouldn't be surprised if they went after you next."
"They wouldn't dare." Draco said as he handed Aeryn the letter. She held out her hand and Draco grabbed it pulling her to her feet. "You know what you have to do."
"Go on with life?"
"No, you need to fight this. Call this a test if you will a test to see if you can handle the Wyndam affairs. If you don't show them that you have power them maybe they should take everything away. And then the money and whatnot will find its way into someone's hands who is in league with the Dark Lord, then he has the power and that's not a good thing." Draco put his arms around her waist. Her arms naturally found themselves wrapped around his neck.
"Alright, alright, I get your point. But what about the part where I'm not really Frank and Patricia Wyndam's real daughter they've got me right there." She asked staring into his blue-gray eyes.
"Did they adopt you? Officially I mean." He asked. She nodded, "Got the papers?"
"Altair should know where they are, that is if he is still loyal to me, I haven't heard from him at all. But what good is that going to do, I basically renounced the title." He pushed a stray piece of her long dark red hair away from her face.
"Then don't denounce your name. I'm sure you could hyphenate it or something. They left everything to you in their will. Look, I usually talk to Snape about problems of these sorts," she gave him a dirty look, "yes I know you probably wouldn't get the same results with him as I do, but maybe you should talk to McGonagall or even Dumbledore."
"Yeah, maybe I will." The bell sounded and they could hear the sound of on coming students rushing to their classes. Draco and Aeryn slipped from their close embrace and ended up with their hands locked together. They were soon joined by Harry Ron and Hermione as they walked to class.
"You ok Aeryn?" Harry asked immediately.
"Peachy on the side of keen." She replied, she finally felt like her normal self.
"So Potter," Draco started, "I was thinking of asking your sister to the Halloween dance next week, and I thought I might ask you for your permission. So what do you say can I take her?" He winked at Aeryn who just smiled.
"Let me think about that, ahhhh, NO!" he said sarcastically. Aeryn looked at her brother.
"You do realize that he is going to take me whether you say yes or no." She said.
"It was worth a try. I'm just surprised you waited this long to ask her, it's only what, one week away?" Harry looked at Hermione who grabbed hold of his hand. "I asked Hermione about 5 seconds after it was announced that we were having a dance. Only 6th and 7th years."
"With the exception of a few 5th years," Ron piped in, "Ginny is going with Neville and Luna is going with me."
"Ahh yes the ickle 5th years. That'll be fun." Aeryn said with a giggle, she then turned her attention back to Draco, "I think I'll go talk to McGonagall now, she's got this period off, and Binns is always boring this time of the morning. So I'll see you in Arithmancy." And with that she gave Draco a quick kiss on the lips and a wave to the others as she strolled off to McGonagall's office and the others went to their History of Magic class.