Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Just Esmeralda! :) Love you guys, my lovely readers!

AN: We'll get a little bit of motherly Esmeralda here towards Draco, and towards the end... perhaps a bit of SiriusXEsmeralda hmm?

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Draco opened his eyes. "Whoa," he whispered. It was two days after Esmeralda had exposed herself to him. This was the first time she had given him a singing session – while he was awake.

He sat up, swinging his legs over the side of his bed, facing Esmeralda, who was sitting in a chair next to it. Esmeralda smiled. She gently put a hand to heart. "Steadier, a bit steadier, good…" she lifted it to his forehead. "Fever's gone down a bit…" she then placed it back on his chest, and a slight frown hid her smile for a second, "but your breathing and air flow is still a little shallow, a little rough, raspy. Here," She stood, and went to the other side of his bed, sitting behind him gently. She rubbed his back in little circles, back and forth, up and down, humming slightly.

He sighed as he felt his breathing ease slightly, "I don't deserve any of this Esmeralda. The others were right." He tensed suddenly as Esmeralda dug in a claw for a second.

He heard her sigh, and felt her soft breath on his neck. "Don't say that Draco. You deserve plenty more than you've gotten. Really, you do. They shouldn't have treated you like that…" "They had perfect right to!" "Draco?"

He closed his eyes, turning to face her, pulling up his feet. "What's wrong, sweetheart?" Esmeralda asked softly, Healer-mode kicking in. When he didn't answer, she pulled him closer to her, and combed through his hair with her fingers.

"Nothing's wrong! I'm just saying they were right!" he said, frustration seeping into her voice. A tiny smile reappeared on Esmeralda's face – this was exactly how she was used to Lucius sounding like. She still didn't like what he was saying though, but she felt like he had the need to get something off his chest. "How were they right?" she said softly.

"Just…" he sighed again, heavily. "my family really is awful. Or, my dad is, at least. I was told by Mother so many times that what he was doing was right, good for us, keeping us out of real trouble, giving us money. I was blissfully naïve when I was younger, when he gave Ginny that… diary was it? Yes, and there was all that rubbish about the heir of Slytherin. He told me that I was to try and find out who Slytherin's heir was, and help them. He was my father! How was I supposed to say no? I've never had to lift a finger in any cases where he was involved! I have skill in Quidditch, he bought the team brooms to make them let me play! But, recently, I've learned that… the real trouble Mother was talking about was… the Dark Lord. And she was right, a bit, I guess. Father did one thing wrong. Look what happened to me."

Esmeralda gave a sympathetic smile, "None of that is your fault, though, Draco. I'll admit, I knew your father in school – granted, I knew him when I was nine and he was sixteen, and ten and seventeen. But, Severus introduced me… He's really a good man, but he doesn't know how to be truly good. Narcissa's much better… She was a good mother to you, in the places Lucius was not living up to parental needs. Your life has not been perfect, Draco… I do not blame you."

Draco shrugged, "But I still don't deserve any of this, certainly not your patience and care. You're too good for me, for many people, Esmeralda."

She smirked a bit, her gaze flickering at him. "You Malfoys, you certainly have the tongues of snakes. You know how to say the words most full of venom… I've heard your father gloat to your mum about the jeers he made at Arthur… while I stayed with you. But, you also know how to say the sweetest words… I'll have you know that I'm not all that good, certainly nowhere near perfect…" Draco smirked "Oh yeah?" He turned to her, a familiar challenge in his eyes that no one had seen for a while. "Enlighten me."

"Well, I'm half-werewolf for one." "That doesn't matter! It's not like that's your fault – or Professor Lupin's either." "Well, that is a point there… one of Remus's fears, though, was that he'd accidently attack someone… while I can hurt someone… the real problem is one I cannot cause. Let me see… I lied about who I really was to your family… for quite a while." "But that turned out fine, didn't it?" "Yes, you're right there… ah… I've never been able to get ahold of a lot of money, nor keep a job for a long time… In the past fifteen years I've been jobless, a babysitter, a Healer, an Auror… and… I'm not sure what to call my current job. A Hunter? An Assassin? A little servant? A guardian? A liar? Oh, that's a good one there. The amount of lies I've told! You wouldn't believe the amount, Draco. For one thing, I've told off many people when I was younger about me not being an animagus. They could've, of course, looked me up. I've been lying about my job, and about being a werewolf, and about being a Seer. I've told another lie that I've been keeping to myself for quite a while… among others. Not to mention lying to others about you Malfoys, they didn't know I've been a… that I've been seeing you."

She jumped slightly, shooting off the bed, as she heard floorboards creak. "Oh lord!" she said softly, starting to go towards the door, "It's bloody late already… you ought to get plenty of sleep, Draco." But before she could reach the door, he spoke again.

"What was that one lie? The one you've been keeping to yourself for quite a while?"

She softened. "I suppose I can tell you Draco… I trust you… Surely you will not be running around like crazy, telling everyone?" "Of course! Have you known the secrets and lies we Malfoys carry around?" he said with a smirk and wink.

Esmeralda laughed slightly, as another creak was heard. "I've been keeping this secret for about thirty years now. I… I never stopped loving him. Sirius, I mean. When I caught him cheating… it broke my heart, and trust. My heart has mended, my trust has not… I still… I still love him. And I know, now, that he can't just run off with another girl… he's a wanted man, after all. But…" she sighed, "I keep thinking he's just playing me."

She nodded a slightly distant look in her eye. "Goodnight, Draco."

It was a good thing she dawdled at that second, for outside the door stood Sirius, listening intently. He, of course, knew most of those lies… but the last one stunned him. She still loved him? After all this time! He just managed to scamper up a few more stairs before she came out, wiping her eyes.

...

AN: Does anyone else get the feeling that Sirius knows something, or is going to do something...? To get her back? Is there more to their break-up than there seems?