Disclaimer: The characters belong to JK Rowling

Chapter Nine - Decisions Made

Draco apparated straight back to his room at the Manor. His head was spinning, and he knew it wasn't from the apparation. He was in love, and he was engaged, just not to the right woman. But then what was the right choice, marrying for love or marrying for tradition? Only his Aunt Andromeda had married for love and for that she had been disowned, yet he had to admit that she seemed to have had the most stable life out of her, his mother and Bellatrix. His mother and Bellatrix had had arranged marriages, ok so Bellatrix's was to another psychopath so it worked, but then he thought of his parents marriage, and it certainly wasn't a good or happy one.

Draco flopped back on his bed, having no idea what to do. A big part of him wanted to fight for love, for Hermione, but could he really turn his back on his family, his mother? Would she support him? Would she understand? What would everyone say? Did he care? Draco's brain was going a mile a minute with more questions than answers, and nothing seemed clear. He thought about his childhood and the family environment that he had been brought up in. Could he have another family like that? Did he want another family like that? Could he grow to love Astoria?

At the thought of love his thoughts turned to Hermione. He remembered her stories of her childhood and her parents, and the family time they had shared. It was a complete opposite of his upbringing, and something he knew he wanted to experience. He could never imagine a time when his family had all sat around in their pajama's having a lazy day. You had to be dressed for breakfast and were never to be seen in your bedroom attire. He liked the sound of a lazy pajama day, and then a picture of him, Hermione and a small blonde curly haired child entered his head. He smiled at the image, and then shook his head, he needed to get out, clear his head, and he knew just what to do.

Narcissa awoke in the morning and headed down to breakfast wondering what mood her son would be in after their discussion last night. She had been so embarrassed when he had failed to be home in time for dinner with the Greengrass's, and she'd been forced to make many excuses and their guests had not been impressed. She knew it wasn't a marriage of love but at least Astoria seemed to understand and accept the decision of her parents. She was doing what was expected of her. Why couldn't her son?

She knew Draco understood what was expected of him and the traditions of pureblood society. He had been given the opportunity to have more of a say in his life than he had ever been supposed to have after the Malfoy businesses were dissolved at the end of the war. He'd been given that, so why was this so hard for him to accept and understand.

Draco never appeared at breakfast, so Narcissa went looking for him. No matter what had occurred within the family they had always eaten meals together, even if they were in silence. Draco was making a very strong point by missing breakfast.

Narcissa arrived at Draco's room and knocked. She received no answer so she entered and found the room empty. She then checked his study, the library and could find no trace of her son. Narcissa was getting mad and worried, where was her son! Then something caught her eye out of the window and she headed out into the gardens.

There was Draco up on his broom, flying back towards the Manor. She should have guessed he'd have taken off on his broom. Narcissa waited in the garden for her son to land.

"You missed breakfast" she stated as he walked towards her, with his broom over his shoulder.

"I wasn't hungry" Draco responded as he kept walking, heading back into the Manor, putting away his broom and heading towards his room. Narcissa followed behind, determined to talk to her son.

Draco had realised his mother was following him so he bypassed his room and headed to his study, taking a seat at his desk, looking at his mother as she walked in.

"Draco" she said "your an adult now, you need to stop acting like a spoilt child. You haven't acted this way in a long time".

"A spoilt child" he said "I was a spoilt child, at least in materialistic terms".

"Your father and I gave you everything you could want" Narcissa replied sternly.

"Everything except affection" Draco snapped back "no bedtime stories, no hugs".

Silence hung in the air, until Draco spoke again, quieter this time.

"Do you know what I used to promise myself. That when I had a child, they would know they were loved, they would be raised in a happy household where affection was shown. That they would have a mother and father who loved each other and showed it. That they would know that they were more than just the necessary heir."

"Draco" Narcissa said quietly "I do love you".

"I know" he whispered in response "but do you love me enough to keep your promise from the dungeon?" he asked.

Narcissa looked at him, they had never spoken about their time in the Manor dungeon and the various things that they had spoken about during their time locked up together.

"That was before I knew about the contract".

"So its a broken promise" Draco replied "I thought so".

Draco stood and headed out of the room, but Narcissa spoke as he got to the door

"I meant what I said in the dungeon, if you made it out I wanted you to be happy, and you are, you have your career. Then I found out about the contract and its how its meant to be Draco. It's how its always been. I wasn't sure if either of us was strong enough to fight against it, as we've fought so much. Is it really that hard for you to comprehend?"

Draco wasn't sure what to say, he still didn't know what the repercussions would be if he walked away from the wedding, but he knew he had to find out. "I love someone else" he whispered, not looking at his mother, "and I don't know how I am supposed to marry Astoria when I know that she's not who I want to be with or who I belong with".

Narcissa had had her suspicions about her son's feeling for Hermione Granger, and she was sure he had just confirmed them. "Ms Granger?" she asked quietly and Draco nodded. She could see the pain and conflict in his eyes, and then she remembered him coming back from Dublin and how happy he had looked and how happy he always seemed when he had been with Hermione. She knew she needed to keep the promise she made.

She took a deep breath and then placed her hand onto her son's shoulder and whispered in his ear "If you want to break the contract I'll stand buy you" as she then walked past him, leaving her son stunned in the doorway of his study.

Draco walked back into his study and sat back down in his chair, stunned. Did his mother mean it? Could he really walk away from his arranged marriage? Could Hermione possibly love him?

Narcissa meanwhile had made her way down to the drawing room where she fixed herself a large glass of firewhisky. She did love her son and she knew he hadn't had the happiest of childhoods. Seeing the look on his face and the hurt in his eyes as he described what he wanted for his family she knew that she had to keep her promise, her promise to allow him to live whatever life he wanted, to be the person he wanted. Now she just had to live through the consequences.

As she sat down with her second glass of firewhisky, as the first hadn't lasted long, she remembered the conversation that Draco was referring to. They had been locked up for more time than either of them could comprehend, and she had come to the conclusion that it would be a miracle if both of them survived, even for one of them to survive. Once she'd make this conclusion she had said everything to Draco that she had always wanted to say. She told him she loved him, how special he was to her and how much of an impact his birth had had on her life. She told him of her early marriage to Lucius and the problems they had conceiving. The determination he had to stand by the Dark Lord and that his son would follow in his footsteps.

Narcissa then remembered her words "Promise me Draco, promise me that if...when you make it out of here that you live your life to the full, you do all of the things you want to do. Find someone you love, someone to enrich your life, someone you adore. Cherish your family and love them unconditionally. Don't let your history dictate your life".

"I promise mother, but if we'll make it out together I want you to do the same, and to be there supporting me through it all" had been his reply.

"I promise" Narcissa had responded.

Narcissa downed the second glass of firewhisky, realising just how much she had let her son down, how easily she had broken that promise that had meant so much to both of them. It was that talk that had given them both a renewed sense of purpose and determination to keep on fighting and staying strong, to not give in to those torturing them.

Narcissa knew what she had to do. Calling her house elf, Dinky, she asked her to inform Draco she was off to see Mr Smart to put things right. Dinky nodded and left the room with a pop, before Narcissa did the same.

Draco spent the rest of the day trying to process everything that had happened and trying to figure out what he was going to say to Hermione. They were about to start night shift, so he knew he only had a matter of hours until he saw her. Night shift was usually slightly quieter that day shift, in terms of patient numbers but could be just as hectic. The positive was that there was always somewhere quiet you could talk, and he knew that's what they needed to do.

By the time he left for his shift at St Mungo's Draco was virtually buzzing. He still had no idea what he was going to say to Hermione, but he couldn't wait to see her. He knew he would have to apologise about his behaviour the night before, and he planned to. It was what he was going to say after that he was unsure of.

Draco arrived at the hospital, got changed into his scrubs and headed for the Healer's Handover meeting. He couldn't see Hermione as he arrived, and it was very unlike her to be late. He was getting anxious. As the briefing started Hermione had still not arrived, and then he found out why.

"Healer Granger will be absent from her shift tonight due to illness" the Head Healer informed them all. Draco's heart sank. He wasn't going to see her tonight and he had a feeling that he might have had something to do with her not being there, and that made him feel worse that he had in a long time.

AN: Sorry this update has taken so long, I hope you enjoy it.