Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any other recognizable work.

A/N: So a few things.

First, Guest reviewer. I'm not sure that you'll read this but I wanted to let you know that I saw your review for the first chapter and I'm sorry that you were affected. I would like to take this time by saying as someone who has lived through sexual abuse and as the best friends of two survivors, I don't take things like this lightly. It took me ages to post this because I was worried that it might be too hard to read for some. That being said, the warning in the first chapter said: " It will deal with mentions of, rape/non-con, torture, and other tough subjects." (I pulled this directly from the chapter and yes, that comma is there. It was my belief that would indicate those as separate subjects) I have since edited this to say that it will contain mentions and actions of the aforementioned subjects. It is my last wish that anyone be trigged by something that I write but I try to include proper warnings and I'm sorry that I didn't do so clearly enough for you. I have worked hard to remedy this for future readers.

Secondly, this chapter is long. I was going to split it but I have a thing about odd numbers and decided against it. This will be the last chapter and I would love to hear your thoughts!

Chapter 4

"Hermione?" Draco rushed down the hallway, his heart racing. He had barely sat the baby down when he heard the small squeak. His mind screamed as he thought about what might be waiting for him in the living room.

"It's all right-" she said as he rounded the corner and he saw her.

Except, it wasn't it her. She was different, softer than her sister and less cutting. Her hair was pulled away from her face, exposing her rosy cheekbones. And where his aunt Bella had had a manic gleam in her eye, this woman had pain in hers. If all that wasn't enough then the small child in her arms would have been.

"Aunt Anna?" He asked softly.

The baby in her own arms cried out and she softly shushed it before she turned to him, "where is your mother?"

Draco swallowed, "not here."

"Is she al…"

"I think so-" Draco said, his heart heavy with the unknown. "She floo called...but it's been months."

"And you're Granger?"

Draco looked to where Hermione stood, staring at the baby in the woman's arms, her face pale, and Draco took a step towards her wanting to reach out and touch her. Hermione nodded.

"They've been looking for you." Andromeda said, shifting the child in her arms. "Those boys-"

Their baby in the room cried out then and Hermione stiffened beside him before she hurried out of the room and down the hall.

"What was that?" Andromeda asked.

Draco narrowed his eyes, "What are you doing here?"

"You're mother- she asked me for help. Getting the both of you out. We set up our old cabin with the fidelius charm. We were to meet here if things got bad. She would be waiting she said, with you. And I would know because she would send me her wand.

"And did she?"

Andromeda reached into her pocket, pulling out the long piece of wood. "It appeared not five minutes before I came here. I-"

Draco stepped forward, his throat tightening as he took the wand from the woman's grasp.

"That's not her wand- it's mine." he breathed, feeling the weight of his wand in his palm, his hands itching to use it just as the baby cried out from the back room once more.

"Draco, is that-" his aunt began but was cut off as Hermione appeared in the room, the baby laid upon her shoulder. "An infant?"

Draco moved towards Hermione, reaching out to touch the baby's back gently before Hermione moved to sit down, changing the infant's nappy with nimble fingers.

"Oh Merlin and Morgana-" his aunt sighed and Draco looked to see her looking at the baby before looking at him sadly.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

She shifted the child in her own arms, "Your mother and I were to meet here-"

"Why now?"

Andromeda swallowed, "It's the final battle. My daughter and her husband they're- they've gone to help him. To help Harry-"

"Tonks?" Hermione asked from where she now sat nursing the baby as both of them looked to her. "Tonks and Lupin are fighting?"

Andromeda nodded and moved further into the room, crossing to sit the baby down on the sofa and pull off her long cloak. "They contacted us not long after you were taken. They wanted to find you Hermione-"

"They're alright?"

Andromeda smiled wryly, "As alright as anyone can be in the midst of a war."

Hermione closed her eyes, breathing deeply as a smile crossed her lips and Draco had to fight against the surge of jealousy that swept through him. Shaking his head he turned back to his aunt, "You said this was our cabin?"

"My- my late husband and mine, yes," she said stiffly. "You used to come when you were a small boy. You used to play in the back garden while your mothers and I had tea."

Draco's brow furrowed, "You're a blood traitor, my mother said-"

Andromeda nodded, "I am, was, but if there is one thing we value as Black's it is family. Your mother and I kept in touch albeit infrequently. When she asked for my help for her and you, I knew it was her only chance I thought- I thought she would be here with you."

Draco felt as though his wand grew heavier in his hand. His mother was nothing if not a brilliant witch, almost as clever as the witch sitting on the couch holding pieces of his heart. This was a message.

"Where are they?"

"What?"

"Where is the battle?"

"Hogwarts," Andromeda said, her voice low and though it was steady he could hear it, the fear that mingled in between her words, "They've gone to Hogwarts."

She knew almost as soon as the older witch had spoken; could see it in his eyes.

"Draco, no," she said quickly.

"Hermione-"

"No," she said more forcefully and the baby jumped against her breast, "You can't- you can't leave me. You can't leave us."

There was a pause, the briefest of moments where she thought, perhaps, he might stay.

He moved quickly, then, moving closer to bend over and press his lips to hers and then to the soft tiny forehead that was nestled against her chest.

"I'm sorry-" he whispered, "I have to go."

She choked back a sob, "Take me with you."

He shook his head, already moving away from her. "You need to stay, for her."

"Draco-" she cried, moving to stand up and he stepped to the door and opened it.

He turned back at the last moment, his foot on the step as he looked at her, "I love you Hermione Granger and i'm sorry."

"Then don't- don't go. Take me with you."

He shook his head, his gray eyes sad before he smiled a sad sort of smile, "I need to know you're safe...besides, she still needs a name."

And with that, he was gone.

He had no idea what he was doing save for the fact that it felt as though he had ripped his heart from behind his breastbone.

He wanted to go back. To stay with her and Andromeda, to hold the baby against his chest once more but he couldn't. He knew his mother's message was meant for him. His wand.

He thought of the only place he could go as he apparated and when he landed he nearly vomited, feeling the cold air rush through his lungs. He was just outside the bounds of the castle, the forest to his right. He could hear the sounds of the night around him and he wondered, briefly, if his aunt had been wrong.

"Expelliarmus," his wand flew out of his hand and before he could turn around he felt the wand tip pressing into his neck, "Don't. Move."

"Potter," he drawled, swallowing as the wand pressed harder into his neck. He turned to look at the man standing beside him. He had a wild gleam in his eye, as though he wasn't afraid to lose everything. Draco couldn't say he didn't know how he felt.

"I should do it," Harry sneered, "Right here where your precious death eater family will find you."

He closed his eyes, taking a breath, before he nodded, "Do what you must Potter but- Hermione is alive. She's with my aunt Andromeda in a safe house. She's safe for now but-" he closed his eyes. A younger version of himself would have hated him at the moment as he opened them to look directly into Potter's glare, "Please make sure she's safe. Make sure they're safe."

He closed his eyes, waiting for the curse that didn't come.

"Go, to the castle," Potter said suddenly, releasing the wand from his neck.

Draco watched as the boy- man, before him turned and walked towards the forest.

"Where are you going Potter?" he asked quietly.

Potter didn't stop as he turned to look over his shoulder, "To end this."

Hermione worried her lip as she paced the floor. Her heart was racing and aching all at the same time. Andromeda sat on the couch, the two infants on the floor in front of her.

"She- she looks like Draco when he was that age," the witch said softly and Hermione turned to see her looking not at the baby but at her. "Miss Granger-"

"Give me your wand."

"What?"

Hermione stepped forward, "I'm going one way or another. Give me your wand."

The witch shook her head but pulled it out of her sleeve anyway and Hermione reached out easily, plucking it from her fingers. She bent down then, pulling the baby into her arms and kissing her soft downy head as she whispered her goodbyes into her hair and took one last breath of her daughter, trying to commit her scent to memory.

"I'm sorry-" she finally said as she looked to Andromeda. The witch nodded and reached out and Hermione gently settled the baby into the other witches arms.

She turned then, forcing herself towards the door before she could change her own mind but stopped just at the threshold, her hand on the knob as she turned back to the witch.

"Her name is Minette. It means- faithful warrior. And she's-"

"A Malfoy?"

Hermione bit her lip and said nothing more as she slipped out of the door and into the night, the sound of her departure ringing through the night sky.

The smell of death seemed to permeate the air as Draco approached the castle. He tried to look anywhere except at the large building but he couldn't help but see the scorch marks of curses and the spilled blood that littered the stone beneath his feet.

It was no longer the home of his youth, the sanctity diminished by the horrors that had happened and he felt like a coward as he walked in only now, after the fighting had ended.

He walked unnoticed through the castle doors, noting the people inside the great hall but he continued past, unable to face them yet.

His hands shook as he walked up the staircase, stepping around the crumbling bits of the structure until he reached the third floor.

He had no idea where he was going, or what he was going to do when he got there but he didn't know where to go. Or who he was.

Not anymore.

He made it to the fifth floor when he heard it, the sounds of yelling coming from down below. He paused, leaning against the wall for a moment before he turned and went back down the steps he had just ascended. The cacophony grew louder, the din not loud enough to discern but loud enough to know that the skirmish had started once more. He yearned for a wand, for something to help defend his home and the people in it.

And then, as he reached the second floor, he saw her. He cried out and she turned from where she stood beside a fallen death eater and ran full hilt at him.

"I thought-"she cried, throwing her arms around him.

"The baby-"

"Is fine. She's not alone but… but you were and I couldn't- I couldn't leave you Draco." Hermione cried.

Draco shushed her, reaching up to swipe at the tears that streaked her cheeks with the pad of his thumb.

"Step away from the mudblood Draco-" his father's voice sounded behind them and Draco clenched his teeth so hard he feared they would crack inside his skull. "Don't want to get caught up in that mess."

Draco pulled his hands from Hermione and ignored her pleading look as he pushed away from her, walking towards his father. Lucius smiled at him, reaching out with one arm to welcome his son. Instead of accepting the proffered arm, however, Draco reached out and took a swing, knocking his father square in the jaw.

Lucius was thrown off balance, hitting the wall behind him and Draco took advantage, grabbing his father's shirt in his fist and pressing his forearm against his throat.

"What are you doing son?" his father asked.

"What I should have done long ago," Draco sneered.

"Draco-" Hermione said from behind him, her voice frantic. "Draco please."

Lucius sneered, his eyes gazing behind his son before a look of understanding finally dawned upon his features.

"You've fallen for mudblood filth. How...romantic," the man spat.

Draco tightened his grip upon his father, "the only filth here is you father. For what you did… to her."

"I did what I had to do to keep us alive," he croaked.

"Draco, please," Hermione said again, quieter this time and he turned his head to look over his shoulder to see her staring at them her brown eyes wide with worry.

Draco loosened his grip, stepping back from his father and smoothing out his own clothes.

"You will stay away from us," he started, "From me, from mother, from Hermione. And most importantly from her daughter."

Lucius paled then, his eyes going to Hermione and he looked as though he were going to be ill himself, "Daughter? I- what-"

Draco nodded, "It's exactly what you think it is."

"I have a-"

"No," Draco roared, his face hot and his heart thumping painfully against his breastbone. "I have a daughter and you will never set eyes upon her."

"Draco-" Lucius started, his voice low but the young man wasn't listening.

Instead he turned and walked back to Hermione, pulling her face into his hands and kissing her forehead, "Let's go, we'll tell the aurors where he is."

They turned to go back down the stairs, their hands intertwined. Draco didn't look back.

Which was why he didn't see his father pull his wand.

The body bind curse hit Draco, sending him toppling to the floor. Hermione whirled around, Andromeda's wand held aloft just as Lucius dispatched it from her grasp.

"Now dear, has no one ever taught you how to treat your elders," the man clicked his tongue as he walked forward. "Not to mention the father of your bastard…"

Hermione held her head high as he approached but said nothing.

"Where is the child?" he asked as he got closer and Draco grunted from where he lay silenced.

"You're mad if you think I would ever tell you-" she hissed.

Lucius sneered, "I hate to do this, I really do but you're leaving me no option," he raised his wand and Draco's muted screams grew louder but instead of pointing it at her he aimed it at Draco, "crucio"

Hermione screamed and jumped towards the man but he shook his head, twisting his wand as his own son writhed on the floor.

"Stop!" she screamed.

"The child Miss Granger," Lucius said again.

"I don't- I can't tell you," she said hurriedly, thinking of the fidelius charm.

"Pity," he raised his wand again, "Believe me Draco, this hurts me more than it hurts you."

Hermione screamed again, covering her mouth with her hand as she waited for the attack. It never came.

As suddenly as Lucius had raised his wand, his face crumpled, his back arching and then he fell to the floor. Hermione whirled to see Narcissa Malfoy standing behind him, tears streaking her face and her wand held aloft.

Lucius dead at their feet.

Draco was shaky as he stood, his knees trembling as Hermione helped him to his feet. His mother was there on his other side, her cheeks wet and her own hands shaking.

"Mother," he said softly, reaching out to her and grasping her hand.

"I couldn't let him-"

"I know," Draco comforted her and she fell into his arms, sobbing against his shoulder. He ignored the lancing pain in his side as he brought his arm around to comfort her.

"Draco," Hermione's voice said softly, "You're hurt."

His mother pulled away then as Hermione reached out and pushed up his shirt, showing the slash from where he had fallen on the broken stone, across his hip.

"I'm fine," he grimaced.

"No, you're not. Let's get you back to the great hall, I saw Madam Pomfrey," Hermione's tone left no room for argument and Draco grunted but allowed them to lead him carefully down the last set of steps.

Entering the Great Hall was disconcerting.

The normal chatter had died away though there were groups talking quietly amongst themselves. The mood of the room was somber yet, lighter somehow. Draco grimaced as he saw a few of the eyes move to them, settling on their figures as they entered.

There was a ripple of murmuring moving across the hall like a stone tossed across the black lake and then-

"Mione!" Hermione breathed, her hands falling from Draco as she moved forward and away from him and he instantly felt her loss. The Weasel was by her side in seconds, Potter close on his heels as they grasped each other in the middle of the hall.

The Golden Trio reunited.

"Come Draco-" his mother said softly, pulling him away from the reunion and towards the healers making their way around the room.

He wanted to argue, to stay and watch the happy reunion but he let himself be pulled away, ignoring the hole in his chest.

"Mione!" Ron's voice called from across the hall and Hermione felt as though the air had rushed her lungs as she saw the boys racing towards her.

They were here, they were perfect, and she realized as they collided in the middle of the room how much she had missed them.

Ron's arms were around her, squeezing her too tightly against him but she didn't dare complain as she relished in the feel of it. Harry was soon with them, his arms wrapping around both of them.

"I'm so sorry-" Ron said again and again.

"Ronald," she finally said, reaching down to lift his face to hers. "I'm here, I'm alright."

"Hermione," Harry started after a moment and she could see the red rimmed of his eyes growing wet once more. "Malfoy said-"

She turned then, looking for him and finding him easily as though she was connected to him even in the large crowd that had gathered to fight for them.

"Where were you?" Harry asked quietly.

Hermione sighed, her chest heavy as Draco looked up and met her eyes. As their gazes met the line between his brows softened and he relaxed under the healer's capable hands. "It's a long story."

"We've got time-" Ron said, reaching out to grasp her hand with his own.

It had been so long she realized, that the sudden movement made her flinch and she took a deep breath through her nose as the sounds of voices seemed to become muted.

"Mione?" Ron asked, moving towards her and she took an involuntary step back.

She needed to leave. She needed to run. She needed- she needed-

Draco saw it the moment it happened and he didn't give a damn about the healer who was working to close up the wound on his side.

He didn't care about the searing pain that ripped through him as he hurriedly moved off the table turned makeshift bed.

He only cared about her.

"Back up Weasley," he said to the man before him.

"Malfoy-"

"Stop, Ron-" Potter said quietly and Malfoy threw him a grateful nod as he moved around the witch so that he was far enough away but close enough. Always close enough.

"Granger-" he said, his voice firm but gentle and her harried brown eyes met his. "You're here, you're safe."

She nodded but her chest heaved in contradiction.

"Hermione-" he said softly, his eyes never leaving hers as he held his hand out, palm up, "I'm right here."

It was her choice then as they stood in the middle of the dismantled Great Hall just as it had been her choice before. Her choice to stay with him, her choice to love him.

"Draco-" she breathed as her hand slid into his and he gently tugged her towards him.

He rested his forehead against hers, watching her close her eyes as her breaths slowly began to even out before he finally pulled back, placing a kiss upon her forehead. He made to pull away, to give her space with her friends, instead she held tightly to him; anchoring him to her side.

"Stay?" She asked.

"I'm not going anywhere," he said as he brought her hand up to kiss her knuckles, "Not without you."

She smiled at him, squeezing his fingers one last time before she turned back to the boys before her. His eyes never left her.

Hermione told them.

Mostly everything.

The weight of Draco's hand in her own seemed to spur her forward as she told the boys of her time in captivity at Malfoy Manor. Of how she had thought she was going to die and of how she wished for it. She spared them the details and as Harry swore and Ron looked like he was going to be ill from little she told them, she stood by that decision.

And then she told them of their escape.

Of how Narcissa Malfoy had risked her life to get her to safety. To get them to safety. Of how Draco had nursed her back to health.

Ron had turned a rather brilliant shade of scarlet at that, his nostrils flaring as he looked between the two of them and she waited.

"Why didn't you come then?" he snapped finally and Harry sighed.

"I- I couldn't-" she said quietly.

"Because of him?" The man snarled, "Do you have any idea what we went through trying to find you?"

"No," Hermione said lowly but the man continued on.

"And where were you when we had to bury Dobby or tonight when Fred died?"

Hermione choked.

"That's enough Weasel," Draco said roughly from beside her, pulling her into his side.

"No, no he's right. I should have- but, I couldn't," she swallowed thickly.

"And why the hell not?" Ron snapped.

It was then that she heard it, the tiniest of cries and she turned quickly her eyes wandering through the crowd until she saw the witch.

"Draco-"

"I see her," he said and then he called out to his aunt, he raised his hand but lowered it quickly, pushing it onto the half healed wound on his hip.

Andromeda walked assuredly towards them, the moses basket in her hand clenched tightly, her face drawn and pale.

"I heard- I had to see-" she explained hurriedly but Hermione wasn't listening as she moved the blanket and smiled at her daughter, gently picking her up from her bed.

"Bloody hell-" someone swore and Hermione turned towards the people that had gathered

"I couldn't come because I had to care for my daughter," she explained fiercely.

"What did you do?" Ron snarled, his face growing redder by the second as he looked at Draco behind her.

"Ronald," she sighed.

The man wasn't listening to her however as he pushed forward, his fists clenched and Hermione gasped as he came toe to toe with Draco Malfoy.

She couldn't see this ending well.

"Ron!" she cried as the man grabbed Malfoy's collar, twisting it tightly as he pushed him back. "Stop!"

"You stupid, bloody ferret," The redhaired wizard spat, "Can't keep your hands to yourself?"

Hermione's hands shook, her ears clouding once again and she felt as though the room were spinning. She could see Draco's eyes on hers and she knew she needed to do something. To save him. Her lungs refused to obey as she held her daughter to her chest.

Ron pulled his wand from his sleeve, pointing it at the man in his clutches, the tip pressing into his cheek and Hermione did the only thing she could do.

"Ron he didn't do this. Stop. Please," she cried, her heart hammering so hard in her chest she feared the baby against her might feel it. "Please, he didn't- he didn't do this. It wasn't him and I love him."

The man turned his head, his mouth agape as he looked at her and then at the tuft of white blonde hair sticking up from below her chin and she knew that he knew.

She glanced to Harry and saw the rage behind his eyes as he too stared at the baby in her arms.

Draco however moved, pulling away from Ron as he moved towards her, pulling her against him and kissing her head before he addressed the two men before him, "Do what you must but I'm not leaving until they're somewhere safe."

"He did-"

Draco tensed beside her, "He's dead, she's safe and… That's all that matters."

And Hermione realized as she held the hungry, squirming baby in her arms, and felt his hand on the small of her back, that he was right.

A year.

The winds of change had blown and the world- their world- was different.

Not better. Not fixed.

But different.

Draco stood in the kitchen of the Burrow feeling out of place as the people around him talked and laughed.

His mother was somewhere with his aunt, having been welcomed into the fold before him as easily as breathing. He supposed they had meant to include him too but it still felt off. Like he didn't quite belong.

He could see it in the too long glances and the stiffness in shoulders when he would walk into a room. He supposed it could be worse.

He thought of the death eaters in Azkaban those who had done not much worse than he had. How he had gotten so lucky was beyond him. Of course, he realized without her he would be right there with him.

He had been escorted away, an auror on either side but he had been allowed to tell her goodbye. He had kissed her softly and hugged the baby to his chest, promising he would come back to her if she would let him.

Time had dragged by slowly in the days following that. The cell was too small and cramped and he missed the cabin. He missed the warm weight of the newborn on his chest as he napped on the couch. He missed her.

He expected her to realize she didn't need him. To realize that whatever they had between them had been forged in war and the need for someone. What he hadn't expected was the click clack of her heels as she marched along with the guard down the hall and waited with her arms crossed sternly over her chest as the guard unlocked the door.

He hadn't been able to breathe, her anger so palpable that he expected another slap.

But then.

Then she had rushed through the bars and pulled him into her arms, kissing him ferociously against the mouth.

"I am so sorry Draco," she seethed. "You never should have been in here to begin with but the ministry." she ground out and made herself stop. "Anyway, let's go."

"Go where?" he had asked, looking at her quizzically.

She had smiled and grabbed his hand, pulling him out of the open doorway, "Home of course."

And that was how he found himself entangled with the Weasley's. Standing awkwardly to the side as they all talked and laughed amongst themselves. He could see her- could see them- from where he was standing and it was enough.

"She's beautiful you know," the voice startled him and he turned to see Molly standing beside him, staring at the same scene he was.

He nodded, "I know."

He had no idea if she was talking about the fair haired little girl sitting in her mother's lap, her blonde curls bouncing as she moved her head excitedly or the woman who held her and honestly he didn't care.

"You know, it's amazing how well she's doing," Molly said quietly and Draco nodded once more, his eyes never leaving his girls. "I don't doubt it has something to do with you. You're a good lad Draco."

He averted his gaze then, looking at the elder witch who was looking at him with a soft smile on her lips, "I know it hasn't been easy for you but that baby and her wouldn't be here with you. We all know it. We all can't thank you enough."

He scoffed, "I didn't do anyt-"

"Oh but you did," she said simply. "You aren't your father Draco. His sins are not yours."

He swallowed.

"You're a sweet boy Draco and an even better father." she smiled, "Now go put this on the table and tell everyone it's time to eat."

He smiled to himself as she thrust a plate of roast beef into his hands and hurried off as though nothing had transpired between them at all. He waited only half a beat before he did as he was told, moving through the converging people to find them.

"Hey," she smiled as she stood up, "I wondered where you'd gotten off to."

Draco returned her smile and leaned down to brush his lips against hers, "Just helping Molly."

Hermione laughed, "You'll find out soon enough that you should find somewhere else to be when she's cooking or else you'll end up having to help."

"I don't mind," Draco smiled.

"Da-Da!" the baby said excitedly and Hermione laughed as she reached up to the man before her.

"Yes, yes, Daddy is here little love," Draco said as he slipped the baby from her arms and placed a kiss upon the soft ringlets upon her head.

They walked to the table together then, Minette in his arms and her mother by his side.