Draco Malfoy paused at the gate, staring up at the manor. He did not know what to feel, being back here. He had not been back to his parent's house since the night that the Snatchers had triumphantly delivered Potter and friends into his aunt's gleeful hands. He tried to shake away the memory, but found that it was much harder to do when he was back here. He clearly saw Bellatrix torturing Hermione, and hated himself as much as he had that night for being so helpless. He saw Potter and Weasley bursting into the room, and the chaos that followed leading up to their escape. He had wished to escape with them, knowing full well that when Voldemort returned, his wrath would be indescribable. Unfortunately, he couldn't have been more correct. When the Dark Lord arrived at the manor and found that Potter had escaped yet again, he had severely punished everyone present. Draco shivered as he remembered only too well how horrible the Crutiatus Curse had been, and yet he had felt that he deserved it after what had happened to Hermione. His torture had not lasted long, and at the time Draco had wondered why. It became clear before long—Voldemort wanted him alert to view his parent's punishment. Seeing his mother suffering had been worse than any other physical pain that Voldemort could have inflicted upon him. His mother was not quite the same afterward, she was defeated, a part of her spirit broken. She had still had enough of a will left in her to resist Voldemort's movement in the end, and had falsely reported that Potter was dead. This betrayal had ultimately led to the Dark Lord's death, which Draco was sincerely thankful.
He had never been close with his overbearing father, and couldn't stand to be near him after the war. Shortly after Hogwarts was put back together, Draco had set off for the Muggle world. This was his first trip back to the manor in months, and it was only because he missed his mother. He did not know how his unannounced arrival would be received, but he certainly planned to avoid his father as much as possible.
With a sigh, Draco decided that he had waited long enough. He placed his hand on the gate, knowing that the magical wards would recognize him and alert his mother.
OOOOooooOOOOOOoooooOOOOOO
Hermione had just finished the kitchen and was bringing Narcissa her requested cup of tea when the older witch jumped up, her normally pale face flushed with excitement.
"My son! Draco...he's home at last!" She ignored the tea and ran from the room. Hermione felt a shiver of fear run through her. The last few months had been terrible, but at least nothing too atrocious had happened to her. She instinctively stayed far away from Lucius and his cold, leering eyes. Narcissa made her work hard and occasionally slapped her, but had not subjected her to the Cruciatus Curse. She also did not request Hermione's presence when Bellatrix was in the manor, allowing Hermione to take refuge in her basement closet. But now that Draco was returning...whenever Hermione thought of him, all she could see was that night when Bellatrix had tortured her. The way his gray eyes had locked with her own. She had hated him for being there to witness that, unwilling to help her. She had always known that Draco hated her and everything she stood for, but they had gone through six years of school together. True, he had not betrayed them that night by identifying them, but he had not made a move to help, either. And still, in the Room of Requirement, when they were fleeing from the Fiend Fyre, it had been Hermione who had convinced Ron to fly back and help Harry save Draco. Why she had done that, she would never know, but Hermione had a strong feeling that she was going regret that action very soon.