DISCLAIMER: The wonderful JK Rowling owns these characters and the universe. I do not. I am using them for a story not associated with the canon universe.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

Blaise stood nervously on the doorstep of the crooked house. To them, he was the enemy. It would take weeks for them to understand. The weight of the letter in his pocket seemed to grow. He knocked.

The patriarch of the Weasley family opened the door. "May I help you?"

"My name is Blaise Zabini. I'm here to check up on you and your family."

"We didn't owl for help. Good day." Mr. Weasley tried to shut the door quickly, but Blaise put his foot in to stop it.

"Mr. Weasley, please do not make this difficult. I know you and your family want peace," Blaise tried to reason.

"We want freedom, Mr. Zabini. You wouldn't understand our position," Mr. Weasley snapped.

Blaise smirked. "I am in a situation you wouldn't understand. Now, are we going to do this the easy way or the hard way?"

After a minute Mr. Weasley opened the door and let him in. The place was as crazy on the inside just like the outside. "Could you please gather your whole family in the sitting area? I have to collectively survey you all and then interview you individually."

He nodded and walked off.

"What's this for?" Blaise turned around to see a one eared, puffy faced Weasley walking down the stairs.

"It's a...um...parole type thing. I have to check up on you and your family weekly," Blaise explained. This Weasley was familiar but he couldn't remember which one he was.

"Why would He want something like this? Why would he come up with this?" Blaise followed him into a sitting area.

"Actually, Theodore Nott, Jr. and I came up with this. It keeps you out of Azkaban," The Weasley family all stared at him.

The patriarch and matriarch sat on a couch with one of the older boys. In a chair sat another older Weasley with a blond woman, his wife presumably, sitting on his lap. Weaslette sat on the floor by the fire with a younger version of the patriarch. Blaise knew the Weasel was somewhere else having who knows what happening to him.

"Let's just get what we can done. I need everybody's name and birthdate. Then I have to do an interview with each of you individually and privately. First though, do any of you not actually live in this house?"

"We do," said the one in the chair. "My wife and I live away."

"I actually live in Romania," the next to his parents said.

"Names?"

"Bill and Fleur Weasley."

"Charlie Weasley."

Blaise glanced over at the girl. She hadn't looked up or said a word this whole time. "I'll make you a deal. You two," He pointed to Bill and Fleur. "Where is your home?"

"Shell Cottage," Fleur spoke up.

"I'll do your information here but try to be there often and on Saturdays. Then you won't get into trouble. And you," Now looking at Charlie, "I can get you a portkey out of here to Romania for tonight. Owl when you can. On paper, you were never here."

She looked up now and was staring like the rest of her family. "Why are you doing this?" The one he walked in with asked.

"I can't quite explain myself but it'll be easier this way. So shall we proceed?"

Blaise got through each Weasley till she and the one ear were left. "It's your turn, Red."

One ear stopped her from getting up. "I'll go actually." Blaise nodded and guided him to the kitchen.

"Name and birthdate?"

"George Weasley. Date of birth is April 1st, 1978."

Blaise pointed his quill at him. "That's why I recognized you besides being a Weasley. You and your twin brother were the pranksters."

George sighed. "Were is the correct word to use considering Fred is dead now. Write that down, will ya."

George watched him. "What kind of bullshit is this?"

Blaise looked up. "Pardon?"

"You heard me. This is a load of troll dung. Why are you actually doing this? I saw you staring at Ginny. You're not going to cause her harm," he snarled. "I can't lose another one."

Blaise set his quill and parchment down. "I'm not going to hurt her. I'm going to help her," George snorted. "You'll understand soon enough."

He exited the kitchen with George slowly making his way with him. He pointed at her to follow him. She followed him into the kitchen.

"Ginevra Weasley," she whispered.

"Pardon?"

"Ginevra Weasley born August 11th, 1981," She met his gaze. "You asked out there for name and birthday. I just gave that to you."

He nodded and wrote it down. "How're you handling the loss?" She stared at him. "You lost friends. You lost Potter and your brother. Your other brother hasn't been seen for a week."

"One of my friends agreed to play with this ploy, and another is living with him since her father is in Azkaban," She continued bitterly. "Oh, and don't forget my best friend is probably rotting in the dungeons of Malfoy Manor."

It was now or never. He pulled the letter out of his pocket and handed it to her. She didn't take it. He set it down on the table.

"Things aren't what they seem. Have a reply ready next Saturday," Blaise stood up and began walking out. He heard her tear the envelope open and sprint after him.

"Thank you for allowing me into your home, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. I'll be back next week," Blaise turned and was met with the sight of a teary Ginny holding the letter. George walked over to her and looked at it. He read who it was from and looked up with a shocked look. "I wish you good luck on your healing of losses, Ginevra. Don't give up hope."

He didn't pay attention to them after he said that. He apparated away, hoping the letter put down the first stepping stone into a successful future.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

Theo was relieved when Neville opened the door. Neville ushered Theo into the house and to the sitting room. "Gran is still upstairs sleeping. I'm afraid this war has taken quite a toll on her. I don't know how much she has left in her," Neville sighed. "Luna should be down in a moment."

Theo nodded. Luna was residing with the Longbottoms since her father was locked up in Azkaban. "Let's just get your portion out of the way." Neville agreed and answered whatever questions Theo had.

"How's Hermione?" He finally asked.

"She's doing as best as anyone can expect," Theo said. "We moved into our own place a few days ago so she has a bed and a room and clothes now. She's clean too. She hasn't bashed in Draco's head while he sleeps yet, so that's a good sign."

Neville nodded.

"Hello Neville. Hello Theodore," an airy voice said from the door.

Luna Lovegood strolled in and sat next to Neville. "How are you, Theodore? Neville has said some things about you. Is it alright that I have my bag packed?"

Theo stared at her and then at Neville, who looked just as confused.

"Pardon?"

"Neville said you had a plan and it involved me. I figured I need to pack a bag or two or three, which I did. Are we leaving today?" She asked with a smile on her face.

"Luna, I still don't know how to keep you safe with me," Theo admitted.

Luna laughed. It reminded Theo of how his mother used to laugh. "You're so silly, Theodore. Even I have figured out the perfect way. Personally I wish a bowtruckle could pick this locked situation but that is not possible."

Luna hugged Neville. "It's been wonderful letting me stay here but it is time to leave with Theodore. I promise to write often, Neville," She started to make her way to the hall but paused and turned. "You should write Hannah, Neville. I'm sure she's lonely like you are. She'd be nice company."

Luna skipped away after that shocking statement. "What just happened?" Neville asked in one breath.

"I think she understands more than we give her credit for," Theo admitted.

They walked towards the stairs and watched Luna levitate her bags down. This was the first time since the tamer days of Hogwarts Theo got a look at Luna Lovegood. He blond, wavy hair was down with strands hanging in front of her silver eyes. It hung to her shoulders but looked as if part of it had been chopped off at some point. She seemed as if she could be Draco's counterpart—female and the opposite personality. Theo shivered at the thought, though her whimsical and trusting small also brought chills through his body. She wore a light blue sundress that complimented her skin, hair, and eyes along with a pair of silver star earrings and a butterbeer cork necklace around her neck. She looked pretty in her own way.

"I have to admit, I didn't think you would come this easily, especially with me," Theo said.

Luna shrugged.

"I won't be alone, and you've also said that you won't bring harm to me. I trust you. It will be okay," She said. Her voice was airy.

Theo chuckled. "Do you have hope?"

"Of course," She answered. "What's the point of fighting and planning if you have no hope to ignite the spark?"

He ushered her to the door but thanked Neville first. He promised to let him know how Luna and Hermione were doing each week.

Before apparating away, he replied to her rhetorical question, "I don't have much hope. Blaise has all the hope. Draco just wants to live and make up for some of his wrongs. Our job is for you to have hope and ignite that in others so we can win our freedom. Because all I want is freedom."

They landed about a mile from Crestfall Estate. "You have hope, Theodore. You just don't know what form it is in and the cause for it," she whispered.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

Draco was starting to get fed up with Hermione. He tried to talk to her but she hid in her room or the library. Tippy was always with her, which relieved Draco a great amount since the Dark Lord kept calling him away.

Draco was home for the weekend because of Blaise and Theo's system. This was his chance to make her understand. He found her in the window seat of the library looking out into Sherwood forest. He sat next her.

It was quiet for a few minutes until she handed him the book in her lap titled The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood. It was muggle literature, and the book she brought up a few days ago he remembered.

"That town and this forest are the home of the legend," she began. "Robin Hood took from the rich and gave to the poor with his band of Merry Men. He rebelled against the upper class. He wore green."

"What's that got to do with anything Granger?"

She shrugged, still staring at the trees outside. "It's just funny to be living here in a place that was built on muggle literature. Robin Hood reminds me of you in this situation."

That was a hysterical thought. Draco started laughing until he saw the heavy frown on her face. "I understand the green thing but how else do I relate to this character? I don't, Granger. He took from the rich and gave to the poor."

"You give people hope like he did."

A slight chuckle left his lips this time. "I don't bring hope to people, Granger." He shifted slightly in the seat. "That's your job."

She finally turned to him."Why are you doing this Malfoy? Why did you save me?"

Draco gulped. He still didn't have an answer. He didn't know how this would go. He just couldn't let her die. He couldn't let the cause die.

"Aren't I just Harry Potter's mudblood friend?"

He met her eyes. The brown met the silver. He didn't like it. She was doing something.

"The pureblood snake saved the dirty mudblood. He's keeping her for special purposes."

Draco twitched. She sat up and towards him.

"Is the Slytherin prince scared of the Gryffindor princess?" She leaned forward even more. Her face was close to his. He could feel her breath on his ears. His pulse started beating quicker.

"Are you scared of me, Draco Malfoy?"

He grabbed her shoulders and pressed her down in her spot. She hadn't expected his move. Her chest rose and fell rapidly. Her eyes widened at the sight of him over her. "Are you scared of me, Hermione Granger?"

She whispered, "Terrified."

"Me too."

"I'm scared of everything to come."

"Me too."

"Why are doing this Draco?"

"Because I'm scared."

She brought her hand up to his cheek. "Why save me?"

"Because you know how to lead. They can listen to you," he explained.

"Some can listen to you too," she reasoned.

He let go of her. "Nobody listens to a rising pariah. Nobody believes in the pariah," He got up and walked towards the door. He glanced back at her one more time. "We can do this, Granger. We just need to cooperate."

Walking out was when he realized she had used first name.