Disclaimer: In its use of intellectual property and characters belonging to JK Rowling, Warner Bros, Bloomsbury Publishing, et cetera, this work is intended to be transformative commentary on the original. No profit is being made from this work.

Cover image was taken from a photoset made by laNOhipster at weheartit.

The house belonged to his family, but it did not feel like home. The house was full of people but none were his friends. It had been nearly a year since Draco had left the ranks of the Death Eaters. He approached Snape, the only person he could trust and told him his concerns. Snape immediately took him to Dumbledore and since then remained hidden in Grimmauld Place.

During the first months he spent his days alone in the room that had been assigned to him. As expected, no member of the Order, especially Weasley and Potter, trusted him despite Dumbledore's instructions and merely ignored him, so Draco avoided the kitchen and rooms crowded with people.

But there was one person who did not avoid him. She would take dinner to his room and tried to engage him in conversation. Obviously, that person was Granger. Malfoy, you cannot spend your life locked up in here, she would say. Stubborn as ever.

At first Draco ignored her too. Sometimes he responded with a grunt but gradually became used to her repeated interruptions, even learned to appreciate her company. In truth, Granger was the only person in the house with whom it was worth having an intelligent conversation.

And it was Granger who convinced him to join the Order, so since a couple of months ago he trained day and night to fight. Not to help Potter. His motivation was his mother; he was doing it for her.

At the end of today's training, Draco did not go to his room as he usually did. Today he was in the living room watching the beautiful tapestry of the Black family tree. He was watching in particular the image of his mother, who was placed between the burned image of his aunt Andromeda and his psychotic aunt Bellatrix.

Draco touched the name of Narcissa, closed his eyes and rested his forehead on his hand. Soon, mother. I know we will see each other soon.

In that moment the door opened and there stood Hermione.

"Oh, Draco, here you are. I was looking for you. Dinner will be ready in ten minutes."

Draco turned around quickly and put his hands in his pockets.

"I think today I will skip dinner," he said and headed for the door.

Hermione frowned "Are you okay? You're not sick, are you? You should not skip meals, Draco, especially after training. Today has been a hard workout."

"I'm fine, Granger. I'm just tired. As you said, today has been a hard workout."

Hermione glanced at the tapestry on the wall and whispered "I know you miss her."

"Granger." Draco sighed loudly and said quietly, "I'm not in the mood, and I have already told you that I do not like these stupid heart to heart chats."

Hermione closed the door, crossed her arms and met his eyes.

"Draco, you're not the only one who is away from his family, you're not the only one who misses them and you're not the only one suffering in this house. So stop being so selfish and let others help you. The Order is not something to just kill Voldemort, is also a support for all, to be able to have strength among us"

Draco stood still, he would not say it out loud but deep inside he knew that Hermione was right.

"Fine," he muttered.

Hermione relaxed and made to open the door. But Draco thought about something he had not thought to ever ask her.

"Granger." She turned back to him, "What ... what happened to your parents? You never talk about them."

Hermione looked at him thoughtfully, sighed and walked over to one of the couches to sit down. Draco sat next to her.

"Well, if I don't talk about them it's because it is hard-"

"If you don't want-"

"No, no. It's okay." She took a deep breath and continued, "Well, when I realized that the war was beginning my first thought was what could I do to protect my parents. They are Muggles so taking them to a safe house would be very hard for them. In fact, they just know that I am a witch and that I attend a magic school, they know nothing about the war, or Voldemort or anything. So I decided to alter their memories, erasing every memory they had about me, I gave them new identities and made them move to Australia."

"Why?"

"Because it was easier, at least for them. Explaining everything about the war was useless, they would be worried and they would try to keep me from taking part. So it was easier to make them believe that they never had a daughter, so if isomething/i happened... they would not suffer ..."

Hermione was looking at the tapestry but her mind was somewhere else. Draco stared at her with a frown and his mouth slightly open.

A tear slid down her cheek and Draco pushed it away with his thumb without thinking. That made Hermione back to reality and looked into his eyes.

"Granger ..." His hand was still on her cheek but Draco did not know what to say, he was perplexed. Being away from his mother without knowing anything about her was hard but what she did for her parents was a thousand times harder. Draco could not imagine living something like that. He did not even know if he could do something like that for someone else. Something so selfless. Something so beautiful.

This time Hermione's eyes were filled with tears and her lower lip trembled. Draco pulled her to his chest and began to caress her curls softly while Hermione cried. She let out all the pent up emotions that she forced herself to keep inside.

Draco then thought of the words Hermione said before, that there were people to help him. But actually there was also someone who needed him.

Draco gave her a kiss on the top of her head and held her tighter.

After a while, Hermione stopped crying but her head was still snuggled against his chest and her arms around his waist. Draco stroked her head with one hand and with the other her cheek.

"You know, Draco?" She said with a raspy voice from the tears "Despite having all my friends here with me I can't help but feel lonely sometimes. Even scared. Scared of losing any of you ever day, that this war will never end.

"I know you miss your mother, I know you want to see her but she is fine. Andromeda's house is completely safe. Also it will be good for her to spend time with her sister. For both of them."

Hermione raised her head and looked directly into his eyes. "You know you're not alone, right Draco?"

Draco took a moment before answering, stared into her eyes and with his thumb he stroked her cheek, her freckles, her nose and her lips.

"I know, Granger." he finally said.

Hermione kiss him softly on the corner of the mouth, she rose from the couch and took his hand.

"Come on, dinner must be ready."

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