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Silence. An awkward silence befell the group of three Hufflepuffs and four Gryffindors, sitting in the yard. Eleanor and Ron were determinedly avoiding each other's gaze while Harry and Noah kept on stealing glances at each other. Deanna, Hermione and Ginny kept on motioning each other to talk, but none of them could do so. It was a miracle that they could finally take Ron away from Lavender, but none of them knew how to start.

Ron finally sighed, breaking the silence. "Look, I–"

"Hey, Deanna." Eleanor cut him off with a tone of mock surprise. "Did you just hear a git talking?"

Everyone's eyes widened at that. Their aim was to make things better between the two childhood friends, not make them fight even more, but it seemed like Eleanor had a different idea.

"What's your problem?" Ron shot back at her, a tinge of hurt in his voice. "I didn't do anything to you. Why are you mad now that I finally have someone? I didn't say anything when you got together with Seamus and Zabini."

"What do you mean you didn't say anything?" Eleanor stood up and glared at him, finally meeting his eyes for the first time that day. "And I could care any less about who you are with. Go on, go snogging every girl who takes your fancy." She turned around and started to walk away when...

"At least I've snogged only one person. How about you? Probably snogged more than half the boys in Hogwarts." Everyone stopped and looked at Ron, horrified at what he had said. Even Eleanor stopped in her tracks. Ron's eyes widened as he realized what words had came out of his mouth. The words he didn't mean. "E-El, I-I'm–"

Eleanor moved away from him when he tried to reach out to her. She blinked back the tears in her eyes and scoffed weakly. "Now I know how you think of me. Don't ever talk to me again, yeah?" She started walking away from them.

"El –"

"We'll go after her, Ron." Deanna squeezed his shoulder and she nodded to Noah, the two of them going after Eleanor.

"You're such a git. Why can't you just admit your feelings?" Ginny scoffed at her brother before she too ran after Eleanor. Ron sank back in his seat and rested his head in his hands. Harry and Hermione immediately wrapped their arms around him, not knowing what to say. They knew Ron. He was not the type to say words like that, but Eleanor's words had hurt him too and he too had said his own share of hurtful words.

"I-I'm such a git." Ron mumbled shakily. Hermione was about to say something when Ron lifted his head, and she and Harry were shocked to see that he was crying.

"R-Ron – " Harry hugged his friend tighter. Ron buried his face into Harry's shoulder and sobbed his heart out. None of them knew what to say because it was an exchange of hurtful words in the heat of the moment. Both Eleanor and Ron had fault in what just happened, and they were the only ones who could fix this.

"El!" Deanna and Noah stopped running and panted for air once they caught up to Eleanor who was now crying in Jemina's arms. Jemina looked at Deanna and Noah with confusion and worry on her face though she continued comforting Eleanor.

"El –" Ginny stopped talking once she arrived beside Deanna and Noah. She looked worriedly at Eleanor who was calming down for a bit.

Eleanor sniffed and smiled weakly at them. "I'm fine. I-I'm sorry for causing a scene."

"You don't have to apologize, El." Ginny gave Eleanor's hand a squeeze. "We're sorry for putting you in a complicated situation."

"Yeah, we just wanted you and Ron to get better," said Noah softly. "You two were best friends since you were children."

"I know. I shouldn't have blown up at him." Eleanor sighed and tried smiling at them once more. "I'm fine. You can go now, Gin. Dee, Noah and Jem can take care of me."

Ginny hesitated before nodding and giving Eleanor another hug. She nodded to Jemina and smiled at Deanna and Noah before going on her way. Jemina watched her go with a look of curiosity before turning back to her friends, the three of them doing their best to lighten up Eleanor's mood. They could only hope that the two could somehow confess their feelings to each other and figure out a way to fix their relationship.

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"Are you still looking at that, love?" Dumbledore smiled in amusement as he watched Deanna fiddle with the necklace Hermione had gotten her on her birthday. It was just a simple necklace with a phoenix pendant. Despite the cold that December brought, she was happy. The necklace made her as warm as Hermione did.

"W-Well, it's a good necklace, Pops." Deanna stuttered and turned away from her father to hide her blush. Was she that obvious? "I-I'll go and turn in for the night, Pops. Good night."

Dumbledore chuckled when Deanna quickly ran up the stairs to avoid his question. His daughter was in love, and she was clueless about the depth of her feelings for one Gryffindor.

"Does she know by now, Fawkes?" Deanna paced around her room nervously while Fawkes looked at her with his head tilted. He may be a phoenix, but anyone who would see Deanna right now would think that she was crazy.

"Why can't I control my feelings?" Deanna banged her head against the wall with every word.

"Feelings for who?"

Deanna jumped in fright at the voice and turned around. Just like the previous encounters, her surroundings changed and she was in the same dark manor, face to face with Voldemort himself.

"You're here again." Deanna said in surprise. "It's been months since the last one. How does this happen?"

"Even I don't know." Voldemort let out a sigh and stared Deanna down silently, making the Dumbledore confused at why he was not speaking. She was about to say something when Voldemort spoke again. "Are you in love with someone?"

Deanna blushed at his question and she wanted to say no but surprisingly, she could not get herself to say it. She just sighed and glared at him. "And what is it to you if I'm in love with someone?"

Voldemort's red eyes glowed at her statement, and he mumbled to himself. "It means everything to me."

"Tom," said Deanna in an uncharacteristically soft voice. "I –"

"Stop. Just stop." Voldemort cut her off in the same soft tone. "I don't want to hear it." He took in a shaky breath and met her blue eyes with his red ones, clashing like fire and storm yet holding love for one and compassion for the other. "Did you ever wonder why I put you to sleep for 50 years even if it meant not having you for those years?"

Deanna's eyes widened at that. He was right, she was always curious about it, but she never got an answer. She knew she shouldn't ask but her curiosity was getting the best of her. "Why did you?"

"The prophecy." Voldemort knew by Deanna's reaction of surprise that Dumbledore did not tell her yet about her fate and it made his hatred for the Headmaster grow even more. It was his own daughter and yet he was acting as if everything would work out in the end when they all knew that was never going to happen.

"He did not tell you about it?" Voldemort scoffed at her confused expression. "I thought your father loved you."

"You're not in a position to say something about how my father loves me." Deanna responded angrily. "You –"

"Then, why hasn't he told you about why I kept you for 50 years?" Voldemort shot back at her. "He knew the answer and yet, he never told you about it. Did he even tell you the truth about yourself? You may be his little phoenix, but if he truly loved you, he would –"

"Voldemort!"

Deanna turned around and saw Dumbledore there with a murderous expression on his face, the same expression he had when he faced Voldemort last June and saw Deanna bleeding on the ground. She looked around, and Voldemort was gone. She was back in Hogwarts.

"What is this, Deanna?" Dumbledore asked her seriously. "How long has this been happening?"

Deanna could only stare at him and think about Voldemort's words. Was it true? Was he really keeping something from her? Her father always had his secrets, but he never kept secrets concerning her...

"Deanna." Dumbledore spoke in the same calm yet serious tone that demanded an answer. "How long has it been since you've been seeing Voldemort again?"

"Are you keeping secrets from me?" Deanna finally blurted out, her curiosity getting the best of her. Dumbledore looked surprised at her question, but his hesitance gave Deanna her answer.

"I –"

"Why didn't you tell me the reason why Voldemort kept me asleep for 50 years?"

"Deanna, I didn't know the answer back then." Dumbledore replied in a calm manner though he was feeling nervous inside. Did his daughter perhaps find out the truth about herself? The truth about the prophecy? Did he fail her once more like he did several times before? No, he already failed her. He failed her the moment Voldemort took her and kept her in a slumber of 50 years.

"You knew it was the prophecy, didn't you?" Deanna scoffed when she saw his eyes widen slightly. Despite how they could both control their expressions quickly, the two Dumbledores knew each other too much already to miss these little things.

Dumbledore reached out to his daughter, pleading for her to understand. "Deanna, I –"

"Tell me the truth, Pops!" Deanna clenched her fists and stared her father down, rapidly blinking to hold her tears in. The fact that it had to be Voldemort who told her the truth was hurting her. What did Voldemort know that she didn't? Why did he know what her father was keeping from her? "What are you keeping from me?"

Dumbledore felt his heart calm slightly at that. It meant she didn't know yet. It was dangerous now, but still... He would do everything for her not to find out yet. She wasn't ready. He wasn't ready. "Tell me first. How long have you been –"

"Why can't you tell me about it?" Deanna's voice cracked because of the hurt and anger. She felt angry and hurt for being kept in the dark. From her father's reactions, she could see that Voldemort was saying the truth. No matter how much she did not want to accept it, it was true. Her father was keeping a secret about her.

"How long do I have to wait again for the truth?" Deanna did not care anymore. She let her tears fall along with the pieces of her heart. Her father that she loved dearly and trusted with all her heart. "You've always kept secrets from me. I told you everything. These encounters with Voldemort and my feelings for Hermione are the only things I ever kept from you. I trusted you, Pops. Don't you trust me too?"

Dumbledore's heart was breaking bit by bit because of the heartbreaking cries coming from his daughter. He had seen her cry before, but to be the reason for her crying, it was crushing him. He reached out a hand again. "Little phoenix, I do. I do trust you, but –"

"If you trusted me, you would have already told me what this secret is. You wouldn't avoid answering the question." Deanna wiped away her tears with the back of her hand and glared at her father. "Just how many secrets are you keeping from me? Just how much do others know about me more than I do myself? You're the only one I've ever given my trust to then and now, Pops, but why can't I receive the same trust I've given?"

"You're not yet ready for the truth, Deanna." Dumbledore cried out, his voice raising. "I may have my own secrets, but how could you say that I don't trust you? You're my daughter, I give you as much trust as you give me."

"How could you say I'm not ready for the truth if you haven't even told me about the truth? Why does Voldemort know and I don't?"

"If you trust me as much as you say, then why didn't you tell me about you seeing Voldemort?"

"I was trying to figure everything out! I was afraid, damn it, I was only trying to protect you and the rest of Hogwarts!" Deanna shouted, her anger getting the best of her. "It was fine with me if he got to me, but I couldn't risk him getting to any of you."

"And that was what I was trying to do! I was trying to protect you too." Dumbledore shouted back at her. It was the first time he had lost his calm like this, but he and Deanna were too angry and hurt to think properly. The usually calm duo of father and daughter were now too fired up. They were too immersed in their fight that none of them saw how Fawkes had burned up.

"So, what is the secret then?" Deanna finally asked after a moment of silence. "What have you been keeping about me?"

"I can't tell you." Dumbledore said quietly, immediately regretting his answer once he saw the look of hurt on his daughter's face, but he remembered what he had to do. "I'm sorry, but I cannot tell you."

"Fine." Deanna smiled bitterly and turned around, walking to her closet.

Dumbledore was wondering what she was doing, but his eyes widened when he saw her wave her wand and all her things immediately went to her bag. "What are you doing?"

Deanna picked up her bag and stared at him through her tears. "Until the day you can finally tell the truth, I can't sleep here. I can't sleep in the same space as a man who can't even muster the courage to speak the truth to his own daughter." With that, she left the room with her bag in tow, leaving a crying Dumbledore and a confused Fawkes in her bedroom. Deanna went to the only place she knew she could go to in times like these.

"Miss Dumbledore?" Dobby spoke in confusion once the Hufflepuff arrived in the kitchens. Deanna too was surprised to see all the Hogwarts ghosts there with the house-elves.

"Hello, everyone." Deanna smiled weakly at them and sat down on the couch with her bag in hand. "You don't mind if I stay here for the meantime? I need to catch up on some schoolwork."

The ghosts and house-elves could just exchange glances because they knew by the way Deanna avoided their gazes, there was something more to it. Nonetheless, they all agreed and let Deanna rest.

Deanna laid down on the couch and covered her eyes with her arm, trying to control her tears. She too had said some hurtful things to her father, and she was at fault for that, but she was consumed by her hurt. She was hurt that he was keeping so much from her. She loved him and trusted him, but it seemed like it was one-sided. How could he keep secrets about herself from her?

Deanna knew her father was secretive, but he was always different to her. He only opened up to her about his past and his inner thoughts. She was proud to say that she and her father had a close relationship, but what happened today was making her question everything.

Deanna opened her eyes when she felt presences before her, and she saw the house-elves and the Hogwarts Ghosts smiling at her while the house-elf held out a plate of hotdogs to her. Deanna couldn't help herself then and she broke down in tears.

The Hogwarts Ghosts and the house-elves immediately crowded around her and tried to give comfort as much as they could to the breaking badger who deserved only happiness and love, but sometimes, those who deserved to be happy are those who have to go through the tragedies of heartbreak. They just hoped they could help heal this young girl's heart. Even just a bit.

And as night soon fell upon them. Not one would tell a soul outside that room about how Deanna cried her heart out because she needed this. She needed to cry it out.

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