No Regrets

"Sometimes you cannot believe what you see; you have to believe what you feel. And if you are ever going to have other people trust you, you must feel you can trust them too- even when you're in the dark."- Mitch Albom 'Tuesdays with Morrie'

16th May 1997

Draco took a deep breath before taking his mother's arm and walking up the path to the ramshackle old house. There was a celebration tonight for the end of the war. At the Burrow, the Weasley hovel. He still didn't understand why Potter, no sorry Harry had invited them. He'd said it was because he knew they wanted to start again in society, and this was the best way to do that. He smiled at Narcissa and raised his hand to knock on the door.

Earlier that day…

Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Harry were sitting in the daisy meadow of the Burrow. Or rather Hermione and Harry were sitting watching Ginny chase Ron trying to retrieve the hair ribbon he'd stolen. Finally, she pulled out her wand hitting him with a leg locker curse, then leaping at him, causing them both to roll down the hill. Both Harry and Hermione jumped to their feet just in time to see two red heads jump up, daisy petals in their hair, waving their arms shouting "I'm okay!" They returned to the others, Ginny waving the ribbon triumphantly. Ginny fell onto the ground faking exhaustion and Harry caught her, the four sat in a sort of circle, Ginny wrapped in Harry's arms, Ron and Hermione at an awkward distance from each other. Harry shot Ron a death glare, knowing his two best friends hadn't spoken properly since their kiss in the battle 2 weeks earlier.

Ron was freaking out, he did love Hermione, honest. She deserved better than him though. Much, much better, someone with the emotional range of at least a teacup. There was tension in the air between them all after Ginny and Harry settled. Harry had just glared at him a 'don't-you-dare-go-off-at-me-for-dating-your-sister-until-you-start-dating-mine' which Ron had been on the receiving end of often these days. Clearing his throat he asked the first question he could think of.

"So who's going to be here today?"

Silence, as the others had a mini- yet silent- standoff over who would tell him the bad news. Harry lost.

"Umm, Hagrid, Dennis, the Lovegoods, Andromeda and Teddy, Dean, the Longbottoms, the Malfoys, your family, the teachers and the rest of the Order" he said all in one breath.

"Wait, who was that after the Longbottoms? Funny, I thought I heard you say Malfoy."

"I did."

Without another word he stood and marched off into the orchard. There was silence for several seconds before Hermione stood to follow.

She found him up in the tree house, eating apples. She sat next to him and tentatively started speaking.

"I'm not happy that he's here either, but Harry wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Narcissa."

"So? We invite her, not him. Never him" Ron responded, throwing one of the apples across the room, where it smashed against the wall "have you forgotten about the things he used to say in school? The things he used to call us? What he used to do?"

"No I haven't, I probably never will, nor will I forget that he took the Mark. But we did some awful things to him too. I punched him for god's sake!"

"But we had reasons for what we did! What reason did he have?"

"I don't know, but maybe jealousy makes you do things you wouldn't normally do."

"I was never jealous of Draco Malfoy."

"Maybe he was jealous of you, maybe you should think about that. I'll see you at the party" she whispered and climbed back out.

Looking out the window, Ron saw her reunite with Harry and Ginny, walking back to the house, Ginny and Hermione still wearing the daisy chains they'd made earlier.

Now…

The loud knock seemed to fill the house. Hermione and Ginny turned to face the front door, as did everyone else in the house. Everyone knew who must be waiting on the other side, but all seemed stuck, unable to answer. Finally, amazingly it was Ron who moved first. He reached the door and answered it, ushering Draco and Narcissa in through, guiding them over the discarded boots and bags. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief to see him and Draco greet each other calmly.

Draco had gotten over the first hurdle, getting in the front door. He watched as his mother was swept away by his aunt and nervously ran a hand through his hair, observing everyone. There was Pot- Harry- and his girlfriend –Ginny?- laughing with one of the twins, the one who'd survived was it George? There was Percy the Prefect talking quietly with his father, Neville and Loony. No, not Loony, Luna he corrected himself. He found himself following the sound of women's chatter to the kitchen where he found his mother and her sister laughing and joking with who he only guessed could be Ron's mother. She turned to face him and he saw she was holding a baby with rapidly changing hair.

"You must be Draco! I'm Molly, welcome to the Burrow!"

"Thankyou, I'm happy to be here. Is there anything I can help you with?"

This is how he finds himself helping Molly Weasley cook food for 20 or so people, and enjoying it.

Much later in the afternoon, when the food is all eaten, the younger guests begin making a pilgrimage to the daisy meadow, carrying cushions and blankets and mother's requests not to go too far or drink too much. Draco hesitates, he doesn't belong with these friends, and this is their moment. But then Hermione passes, her hair bouncing as she laughs at George and Neville who are weaving (they've both had a bit to drink already), green dress swishing in the breeze, daisy chain around her neck and she links arms with him and drags him with them. "You don't have to spend the whole day with the grown ups Draco. Be a kid for once!"

So he found himself walking towards a group of people he'd fought against in a battle, with a girl who'd once punched him across the face.

"So, how are things with you and Ron?"

"Non-existent."

"What? Really? No way! We had bets going; everyone in the school had probably placed at least one about you guys. Didn't you kiss in the battle?"

"Yeah, but it just got complicated, and we haven't even talked about it, haven't….nothing. It's almost as if he doesn't think he's good enough for me."

"Good enough isn't necessarily the best thing for a person."

"Try telling him that."

They glanced at each other and there was a mutual understanding between them. Sorry passed between them, bridging a gap, making it possible for her to ask him the question she'd wanted to ask for ages.

"Do you have any regrets Draco?"

"Many, taking the mark, making it possible to kill Dumbledore, believing the rubbish my father did, so many things that make me ashamed."

She nodded in understanding, and there was silence yet again.

"What about you Granger?"

"Not hitting you hard enough the first time" at this they both burst out laughing, and she shook her head and continued "not telling Ron how I felt earlier, not jumping forward earlier when I saw the wall crumble and saving Fred. So many things, too many to name."

He also nodded, and they joined the others, sitting and chatting. There is laughter, tears and lots of love hanging in the air. Then suddenly Luna uses her wand to create music in the air. Draco smiles as a familiar song drifts over him, one he'd danced to with his mother many a time. He can remember clearly, swaying with her, tears streaming down her face as she remembers her long lost sister, who's favourite song it was.

Sometimes when this place gets kind of empty

Sound of their breath fades with the light…

He looks up to see Hermione singing along as well, tears streaming down her face. He stands and offers her his hand, surprising everyone, himself included. They stand and dance slowly, her looking terrified. He smiled.

"Relax Granger; I just want Weasley to see what he's missing."

I think about the loveless fascination

Under the Milky Way tonight,

Lower the curtain down on Memphis

Lower the curtain down all right

I got no time for private consultation

Under the Milky Way tonight

Slowly, surely others stand and dance and Draco is not surprised to see the adults join them, he steps away from Hermione and joins her hand with Ron's. He walks over to his mother and they dance, happy to be able to do this without his father's snarling face. He looks around watches, Ron and Hermione laughing together, Ginny and Harry dancing cheek to cheek, Andromeda swinging Teddy around tears streaming down her cheeks. George and Charlie sitting and watching Bill and Fleur, Luna and Neville, so many couples, and the smell of daisies fills the air as the flowers get crushed underfoot. The song ends and a new one comes on, a soft slow song, and Draco sits back down. He isn't surprised when Narcissa and Andromeda begin dancing, however he is surprised when Andromeda hands him Teddy, whose hair promptly turns blonde.

"Hey little guy. You know, we're related. Don't ask me to explain, I never understood family trees, but your mother was my cousin" he whispered.

Harry twirled Mrs. Weasley while Ginny danced with her father, and caught sight of Draco talking to Teddy. He smiled, he'd had an ulterior motive for inviting them, and he'd wanted Teddy's family to be as complete as it possibly could be. That meant that the Malfoys had to reunite with Andromeda.

Much later…

Draco escorted Andromeda to the front gate, still holding Teddy. When they got to the Apparition point he handed him over.

"It was lovely to see you both Andromeda. I hope we can do it again sometime."

"I'm sure we will. And please call me Andy. Aunt Andy." And with a twirl she was gone. He walked back and found Ron standing waiting for him.

"You know Weasley, you're a twit. Granger is so perfect ad so in love with you that you should be proposing right now."

Ron nodded, and stuck out his hand for Malfoy to shake.

"I know that, you being here made me realize that. Thank you."

"No problems. I just don't want anyone to have to regret anything anymore, it's all over, and it needs to stay that way. We need to begin to move on, become closer."

"I'll pass on becoming closer to you."

The two laughed, and walked back to the meadow where Ron swept up Hermione for another dance. Narcissa walked to her son.

"I'm quite tired, are you ready to go or would you prefer to follow?"

"No, I'm ready, I'm just going to say goodbye to someone first."

He walked to the dancing couples, because Harry and Ginny had joined the others. He walked up to them and was surprised when Hermione hugged him and told him to come again sometime. He was even more surprised when Harry and Ginny did the same. Then Ron pulled him into an awkward hug and he took his chance, whispering in the other man's ear "No Regrets." Then turned and left.

Music drifted over the yard a soft, slow, romantic song. Ron took hold of Hermione and kissed her softly on the lips.

"I love you Mione" he whispered "forever."

She looked at him in shock and kissed him back. Then she smiled and they continued their dance.

If you're lost, you can look,

And you will find me, time after time.

If you fall, I will catch you.

I'll be waiting, time after time.

Draco smiled before joining his mother at the Apparition spot. This didn't make up for the bad he did, he knew. But those were two people who belonged together, and it made him happy to know he achieved it.

A/N: I know cheesy right? I just wanted a sort of reconciliation between the trio and Draco, even for Teddy's sake. I don't think they are friends, just people. The two songs are 'Under the Milky Way' by The Church (my mother's favourite song) and 'Time After Time' by Cyndi Lauper (my favourite). Please review! It's my birthday tomorrow and Mum's was yesterday, so this is kind of a present for us!