Emi Smith had never liked Draco Malfoy very much. In fact, for a very long time, she hated him. Until one day in her fourth year when she caught Crabbe and Goyle picking on a first year muggleborn hufflepuff and Draco cut them off for acting like children. He had rolled his eyes at their stupidity and then dismissed the girl with a wave of his hand. Less than thirty seconds later he was teasing Emi mercilessly but the wool had been taken off her eyes and she was no longer blinded by her dislike.
"Out of my way, you filthy little mudblood!" he had sneered. Instead of rising to the taunt she simply tilted her head. In that one moment he had changed from "Malfoy" to "Draco" in her mind. In that one moment, that hatred began to change into a strange sort of pity and understanding. Because in that one moment, Emi Smith abruptly realised that Draco Malfoy was a prick and a jerk… but only because he had been raised to be that way. Because if Draco Malfoy was really as much of a prat as Granger and Weasley would have her believe…
"You wouldn't have let her go"
Draco Malfoy started and an ugly grimace tugged at the corner of his lips.
"Fool" he hissed before sweeping away with his bodyguards in tow.
Draco Malfoy looked ill, Emi decided in her fifth year. In fact, if it hadn't been christmas and her best friend hadn't consequently occupied all of her time, she would have dragged his miserable butt all the way to Madam Pomfrey's. Enemies or not, NO ONE should look that… horrified. She watched him closely though. Close enough to notice how often he disappeared into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. And so she did the only thing a rational Muggle-Born would do; she followed a suspected Death Eater into an abandoned bathroom knowing full well that Voldemort's reign had started again.
Well… There was a reason she wasn't a Ravenclaw. She was pulled from her thoughts with a force so sudden and powerful she got whiplash.
Draco Malfoy was crying.
"I can't do it" pain echoed in every word, in every feature as he leant helplessly against one of the sinks, his sleeve rolled up and the ugly tattoo branded into his arm contrasting horribly with his pale skin. "I… I can't do it" he muttered again, glaring at his reflection. His jaw tightened. "But I have to"
She slipped away before he could find her.
"Maybe I should join Potter's defense class" she thought, her heart still racing.
"Death Eaters" she breathed in absolute horror, before shaking her head clear and jumping into the fight at Luna's side, barely dodging a suspicious green beam. "Alright, it's party time!"
She fought hard, and for longer than she thought possible. But she couldn't stop. She was so focused on helping Bill Weasley fight against Fenrir Greyback that she barely even noticed as Harry chased Professor Snape and Draco Malfoy from the castle, screaming at the top of his lungs.
"MURDERER!"
The single word pierced straight through to her heart and she felt an overwhelming empathy and horror for the Malfoy Scion. That is what he couldn't do. That is what… he was FORCED to do.
She could never hate Draco Malfoy again.
Even though he was Head Boy now, Draco Malfoy still looked miserable. Some of the other Slytherins seemed to thrive under the Carrows rule, their ire and hatred stirred at every turn. But still, not once, had Draco Malfoy participated in the torturing of first years. His cruciactus curses in Dark Arts class did not cause the same pain that some of the others did. So though his words were cruel, though he was still hateful and taunting… Emi had seen Draco Malfoy's true nature and so she could never be convinced. Something that seemed to drive the Heir furious and led to some rather hideous fights.
She fought harder than she'd ever fought in her life. There was so much death, and horror around her. She had managed to pull the Weasley twin with both ears out from under an exploding wall before it fell on him, and he had in turn taken out Fenrir Greyback from behind with a well placed Reducto curse while he was fighting Professor Lupin and a pink haired lady with a funny nose.
And then, suddenly, it was over. They stood outside the broken school of their childhood… their worst fear materialized in front of them… taunting them while Hagrid sobbed over the lifeless body in his arms.
She saw the pain in Draco's face, when she abruptly realized she was standing less than two feet away from him. And then the well-disguised disgust when his name was called out by that horrid… noseless… thing.
Draco couldn't even begin to describe how he felt in that moment. As all eyes turned to him as Lord Voldemort called him out by name, calling him forward, calling him to JOIN him. He hid his disgust… his horror… his fear… as best as he could, before stepping forward… and then a hand had grabbed his and squeezed so hard he felt like his fingers would snap. He spun around to face the offender.
"Smith?"
Her eyes locked onto his, a blue so dark and deep he was surprised he'd never noticed before. He tugged his arm but then both of her hands were on his, holding him as tight as she possibly could.
Emi's heart pounded in her chest as she spoke to him, as strongly as she could, though she knew her voice was shaking.
"Voldemort has taken all of your choices away from you" and then Draco was blinking for a different reason, and he stopped fighting. "All your life you've been dictated for his purposes. Potter is dead but we won't stop fighting" and then she smiled at him. "If we're going to die, don't you want to do it on your own terms? Don't you deserve at least that?"
There was a horrible moment, and she knew her fear and worry was in her eyes as Voldemort called Draco's name again, instructing him to 'do-away' with the 'interference'. But then Draco Malfoy turned back to face the Death Eaters, and he was squeezing her hand back, just as tightly… so tight that Emi let out a soft gasp in pain. And then he stepped backward, standing by her side, his wand clutched tightly in his left fist, gripping her hand like it was his only lifeline.
She took out her wand and they interlaced their fingers.
"Draco" Lucius called in terror, glancing back at Voldemort and Emi just sneered. He was pathetic.
Draco shook his head.
"I'm fine here" he called out, his voice unwavering. "You picked your side. I picked mine!"
There was an outbreak of gasps and whispers, before Voldemort let out a hideous laugh.
"Lucius... It seems your son found himself a girlfriend" horrible snickers echoed from the dark robed monsters. "No matter" his voice sent shivers down her spine. "They will die with the rest"
"NO!" Neville Longbottom's voice cried out, and he stepped forward and Emi's heart surged with hope.
"We will win" she whispered out loud, eyes riveted as she watched her friend. Draco stared at her, desperately searching for something in her features… searching for reassurance.
"How do you know?"
She smiled again, a strange sight amidst so much horror and death and Draco found he couldn't concentrate on whatever Longbottom was saying.
"Because bravery and loyalty gives us the strength to keep fighting. Wisdom and cunning gives us the ability to fight and win. We have HOGWARTS" she chuckled horribly. "All he has is hatred, fear… desperation. He doesn't stand a chance"
Draco's jaw tightened, and that same determination that she had seen on his face that day in the bathroom was echoed in every feature.
"We will win" he repeated. "We will win"
He lost sight of her in the Final Battle. But he had made his choice and though he was terrified, for the first time in years he truly felt free. And so he fought. Harder than Draco Malfoy ever believed he could. Somehow he found himself fighting side by side with Neville Longbottom - who had become a complete BadA out of nowhere. He stood beside him with a newfound respect as a familiar voice sent a thrill of terror down his spine.
"Draco"
When had his own father's voice become the subject of his nightmares? He gripped his wand tightly.
"You made the wrong choice" he hissed. Draco just sneered at his father.
"No. You made the wrong choice, and I have spent my entire life beaten down by it!"
Lucius raised his wand.
"CRUCIO!"
Draco felt like a thousand knives had pierced him at once, his whole body writhing under the force of his father's curse.
"REDUCTO!"
The pain ended and Neville was pulling him to his feet.
Emi stared at the spot where Lucius Malfoy's head had been, her eyes wide in horror, blood and… she didn't care to know what else all over her face and robes. She.. she hadn't thought about the effects of using that curse so close to her target, or of the explosion it would cause. She had seen someone in pain and had simply… reacted. What remained of Lucius's body was on the ground at her feet and she just KNEW she could smell it. So she did the only thing she could think of, she threw up all over him.
"BOMBARDA" someone yelled, but someone called out a shield charm and she fell to her knees. Neville and Draco were at her sides, fending off masked attackers while she slowly pulled herself together to join the fray. But she didn't have to fight again, because Harry James Potter was facing down Voldemort himself.
"It's over" she breathed in relief. Draco just stared at the fallen Dark Lord in absolute shock. They had really won. He was torn from his thoughts when Emi had thrown herself at him and hugged him tightly. "It's over Draco Malfoy" she whispered to him, not caring that he hadn't hugged her back or that he was now covered in…. Well. Maybe she cared a little. "Now you can finally be free. Go find your mother"
And then she was gone, and he felt… empty. She had saved him. This annoying creature that had been the bane of his existence all year… had saved him.
And then she had run away.
Emi smiled up at the steaming, scarlet engine. She couldn't help the small pang of regret when she realized this would the be the last time she ever rode it to Hogwarts. A tear fell down her cheek.
"Are you okay?" a voice asked her, as a hand reached down to take her trunk from her grasp. She nodded.
"I haven't ridden the train without Anna since first year…"
She didn't have to explain further. He understood. They had all lost in the war. She turned to face her helper and a flush rose to her cheeks.
"Draco!" she managed. "You came back to repeat 7th year?" He nodded at her, those gray eyes showing an emotion that she never could have imagined there. "I'm sorry about the rumors… I should have realized everyone would think I was your girlfriend but it didn't matter at the time…"
Draco just smirked.
"I helped spread them"
She gaped at him.
"W… what?"
"Now you have to go out with me. At least once for appearances sake" he spoke matter-of-factly, "shall we board?"
"Uh… s… sure"
"Neville Scorpius Malfoy if you do not put that down this instant I won't let you get on the train!"
The blonde haired 11 year old rolled his eyes at his mother.
"Aw come on Mom!" he whined but handed over the stash of Puking Pastilles he'd been hiding in his robes pocket. She winked at him before slipping them into his trunk. "Save them for the right time kid"
"Emi, you are going to corrupt our son"
Emi just laughed, reaching up to kiss Draco's cheek.
"He was corrupted the moment he was born" Draco just shook his head with a slight laugh that quickly turned to a sigh. He glanced around the station awkwardly, locking eyes with Harry for a moment. The dark haired hero inclined his head slightly and Draco looked away.
"Daddy, I WANT to go to Hogwarts too!"
"Not this year Cissy" Draco picked his 9 year old up in his arms and slung her over his back. She giggled wildly.
"DADDY"
Emi tousled her son's hair gently, ignoring his 'geroff' and kissing his forehead.
"Have fun this year, make friends" she told him. He smiled nervously at her.
"Course mum… uh… what… what if… what if I get into Slytherin?"
Emi fake pouted.
"I will never forgive you"
"What if I get into Gryffindor?"
Draco let out a fake exasperated sigh.
"Nothing good comes out of Gryffindor"
Neville felt better then.
"Like mum?"
Draco nodded.
"Precisely. Mother never forgave me for marrying a GRYFFINDOR"
Neville laughed then. Grandma and Mum were always ganging up on dad.
"I love you" he threw his arms around his parents and they squeezed him tightly.
"We love you too kid. Go give Uncle Neville hell!"
Draco, Emi and Narcissa Malfoy watched as the train sped away on the tracks. Draco wrapped his arm around his wife, his first… and best… friend. Emi had opened up a whole new world to him. And he would spend the rest of his life thanking her for it. He kissed her cheek tenderly, and with a twist and a pop they were gone.
All was well.
At least… until Neville announced he was in love with Rose Weasley and Cissy proclaimed to be in love with Albus Potter.
"They're going to kill me" Draco had groaned dramatically. Emi had just laughed and laughed.