A/N: Thank you everyone for the reviews. I am so glad you are enjoying the story. Please continue to R&R.
"Why aren't you doing anything?" Blaise asked, staring down at his Potions book. "You can make her pain stop."
Draco looked across the room at Hermione, who was watching Flora and Hestia play wizards chess with the greatest of boredom. He couldn't help but smile as he watched her face go deeper and deeper into her hand as she leaned over, resting all of her weight on her elbow.
"I think if I do anything now, whenever it wears off she will go back to-"
"Zombie mode?" Blaise asked, earning himself a glare.
"No, you prat. But she will shut down again and I can't have her shut down."
"So what are you going to do?"
Draco sighed softly, "I'm going to take her to meet my mum."
"You're what!" Blaise, although best friends with Draco, had only met Narcissa once, before the war had gone full-fledged. A very quiet, proper woman she was and she intimidated Blaise tremendously. He couldn't imagine someone else, a Muggle-born, meeting that woman and being any less intimidated, any less afraid as Narcissa looked down on them, as she had looked down on Blaise, as nothing more than a pawn in a game of wizards chess. "Are you sure she's ready for that? Your mum is...well..."
"Is what?" Draco asked, his voice monotone.
"Well, she's slightly intimidating. I don't know if that's what Hermione needs right now."
"Perhaps you're right Blaise." Draco answered sincerely, causing Blaise to sigh with relief. "Or perhaps it's exactly what she needs. Look at her." Blaise looked at Hermione, still bored out of her mind watching the two girls. "She is eating, going to class. What Granger needs is motivation to get out of bed. I'm simply fulfilling her needs."
"You are?"
"Not like that, you imbecile. We haven't done anything."
"And yet she's pregnant?" Blaise answered, earning himself another glare.
"You know what I mean. She sleeps in the bed, I sleep on the floor. We are content. What about you and her?" Draco asked, looking in the direction of Pansy, who was staring out the window on the other side of the room, deep in thought.
"What about us?"
"You can hide it from every other Slytherin, but not every other Slytherin shares a bathroom with you. I hear her moving around in there in the middle of the night."
"She's upset that you're taken. I comfort her."
"Comfort her, eh? Is that what they call it now-a-days?"
"It doesn't matter what they call it, it is what it is. Nothing more."
"So be it," Draco answered, standing up. "I'm going to bed. I'll see you tomorrow."
"You mean you're going to floor?" Blaise teased.
"Shut up."
Draco walked into the bedroom, Hermione not far behind him and he gently shuts the door.
"Is that okay? There is a lot of people awake in there still." He asked, pointing at the door. Gently, Hermione nodded.
"Hestia asked how you were," Hermione whispered as she sat on the bed, her cheeks already flushed with embarrassment.
"How I was?" Draco asked, taking his shoes off. "I don't think I understand."
"She asked how you..." Hermione's face turned even redder at the thought as she turned her head away from him "Performed."
"Oh," Draco smirks, "Is that why you were so red over there?" Hermione nodded again, still not facing him. "And what did you say?"
Quickly, she sat up straight, flustered at the thought that he would even ask her that. "That it is none of their concern and that it was rubbish to be asking one such vile questions. To think...Ugh." She trembled with disgust at the thought of discussing anything sexual with the twins.
"You are such a prude, Granger," Draco sneered, teasing. "How did you and Weasley ever-"
"We didn't," Hermione answered quickly with disgust and a hint of anger in her voice.
"Nothing?"
"Nothing."
"Oh, sorry," Draco answered before walking into the bathroom with a pair of Slytherin pajamas. Shutting the door behind him, Hermione quickly changed into her own pajamas, a silky red two piece set with gold around the wrists and ankles and climbed under the covers of the Slytherin bed. She listened as he walks out of the bathroom and whispered the word "Nox."
"Good night, Draco," she whispered, causing his stomach to drop once again. He couldn't understand how a word as simple as his name could make him feel so different. Could send chills up his spine and a want into his groin.
"Good night, Granger." He answered, "Sweet dreams."
"I said 'Close your mind,'" The dull, monotone voice demands as he sits in the chair.
"I am trying to. It's not that easy." Draco screamed back, into the darkness.
"So make it easy. Do you think that Bellatrix cares what is easy? That the Dark Lord cares what is easy? Do it." Draco watches as the professor paces back and forth in front of him. He had begged Snape to do this, to teach him and although on edge about the thought of it at first, Severus finally agreed. "LEGILIMENS!"
Draco grabbed his head in pain as Snape searched through his mind. He had tried to close it but it seemed to not be enough against the dark wizard. He saw everything, searching and probing through Draco's mind. He saw the young boy, a mere six, crying as he listened to his parents arguing in the other room. He saw the look on the blonde's face as he got his already expected acceptance letter from Hogwarts. He even saw as Draco stomped down, breaking Harry's nose.
"Miss Granger has a right hook on her," the professor sneered nastily, watching Draco breathe heavy, still holding his head.
"That's private!" Draco yelled, standing up. He didn't care that Snape had seen him cry or the fact that he had seen Draco crush a classmate's nose, he had seen something as sacred as Granger.
"Then keep it that way. Close your mind."
Draco jolts awake. The training was painful, excruciating even. They had spent hours trying to get everything mastered, trying to teach Draco how to fully close everything off and every time he failed, the emotions were overwhelming. Laying there he takes deep breaths, trying to focus on the here and now. Trying not to think about the war, about his old friend, Draco rolled over gently, falling back to sleep.
The next morning, Draco side-by-side Apparated with Hermione into the courtyard behind the Manor. In the daylight it was a beautiful building, breath-taking. Hermione had dreamed as a young girl of houses like this, of mansions that had a hundred rooms with their own courtyard in the back and a water fountain. Never did she imagine that a place like this existed in anywhere but the movies until that horrible night. Never did she imagine she would see a Manor such as the ones in The Secret Garden or her mother's romance novels. Places like this simply didn't exist. Draco felt her tense up, her arm still wrapped around his.
"It's okay," he whispered, patting her arm. "You're safe now."
"It doesn't even look like the same house," Hermione whispered softly, a choke in her voice.
"It doesn't. Are you ready to go in?" Gently Hermione nodded as Draco put his hand on the back door, opening it gently. "Mum."
"Is that you, Draco?" Hermione heard Narcissa call in a soft, nearly peaceful voice. She had never paid attention to Narcissa voice before now, but it did sound quite motherly, caring.
"Yes, Mum," Draco answered, standing up straight.
"Oh, Draco," Narcissa called, running into the room. "I wasn't expecting you. Is there a reason you're home from school?" Her dress went down to her ankles, a very formal, flowing dress even for a witch and her hair was down, framing perfectly around her face. "I have missed you so. I have been so worried about you."
"I am fine. Mum, this is Hermione Granger. Hermione, this is-" Suddenly, Narcissa dropped the motherly figure, standing up straight.
"Narcissa Malfoy," she said to Hermione before looking at Draco, "she looks familiar, son."
"She's-" Draco stopped himself, unsure of how to present their situation to his mother. "She's a friend of Potter's."
Narcissa's face went white with realization as she pieces together how she knew Miss Granger. "My apologies," she whispered, softening up once again. "I didn't realize you and Draco knew of each other during the war. It was a detail he had failed to mention." Draco flinched at what his mother had said, realizing that he had in fact left out some important details that his mother would quiz him on later.
"We were students together." Hermione barked with disgust, "Of course we knew each other and what would it matter if we didn't? It wouldn't make what happened any more okay."
Draco bit his tongue, watching the once-again feisty Hermione Granger snap. He knew this trip would be healthy for her but he wasn't expecting her to come out of her shell so quickly.
"Once again, my apologies, Miss Granger. But the war took its toll on all parties and Bellatrix had a very-" Narcissa stopped, considering her words before finishing her sentence, "-demented way of seeing things. Once she got an idea in her mind, crossing her path was deadly. My son did what he could to survive." Despite the fact that Hermione had just yelled at her, Narcissa kept a calm attitude, never losing her elegant demeanor. Hermione couldn't help but feel herself calm down listening to the woman's gentle voice. "Obviously, you have forgiven him, otherwise Draco wouldn't be telling me I needed to meet you."
"I have," Hermione answered, looking over at Draco. "Malfoy was there when I had no one."
"That sounds like my Draco," Narcissa answered softly but with pride. Hermione couldn't help but wonder who this person was that Narcissa thought Draco to be. The Draco she had known for the past seven years wouldn't think twice of making someone cry, of teasing someone when they were already at their lowest and yet here Narcissa was, saying that it sounded just like the pompous twit to be there for someone when they needed a friend. Was Draco really that different once he stepped foot in the Malfoy Manor. "So come, let's sit for tea and we can discuss what brings you here, Miss Granger."
Walking in front of Hermione and Draco, she led them into a small room with floor to ceiling windows all the way around, exposing sunlight to the plants that run along the walls of the room. In the middle of the room, Hermione saw a round, glass-top table already prepared for tea for the three of them.
"Sit," Narcissa whispered, her voice angelic but demanding all the same. Hermione sat down at one of the chairs, Draco following her. "Now what were you wanting to tell me, Draco?"
Draco took a deep breath before answering, "Granger was the one we tortured for information, Mum. It was during that time we had Potter."
"Yes," answered Narcissa softly.
"And now," Draco took another deep breath, thought it didn't steady him at all. Hermione watches as Draco bit his bottom lip, contemplating on how to explain their situation. Gently she reached over, setting her hand softly on Draco's. Looking down, he took another deep breath before making his announcement. "We are expecting."
"My Draco is going to be a father?" Narcissa said, clutching a hand to her bosom. "But you are just a boy yourself."
"And it's time I step up and become a man."
A single tear rolls down Narcissa's cheek, the only time in his entire life Draco had ever seen her cry. She looked over at Hermione,"That would put you at-" she stopped, doing the math in her head. "Three months?"
"Yes ma'am," Hermione answered, softly sipping her tea.
"My son is going to be a father. My Draco?" Draco softly nodded his head, looking down with shame. "You will join us here, Hermione," she replied, taking even Draco off guard. "You are family now, a Malfoy. You have Malfoy in your veins and you are to live at the Manor with us."
Tears streamed down Hermione's cheeks as she thought about what the woman who she had once considered evil just told her. She was a part of the family to them. "But I'm...I'm...I'm Muggle-born," is all Hermione can answer.
Narcissa looked at her son, her only son. She had wanted more children, siblings for their son, and they had tried for years after Draco was born, never getting anything more than broken dreams. "Is this what you want? This family?"
Draco ;icked up his eyes, staring at Hermione. "I want to make everything right, he whispered, barely audibly.
"Then we have a half-blood Malfoy," Narcissa answered, drinking her tea. "Your father will hear of this, but I don't think he has much say-so in the matter. He has no one to blame but himself for involving you in that war."
"Your mum has changed," Hermione whispered that evening as they prepare for bed at Hogwarts.
"She has," Draco answered. "The war tore us apart, my father especially. Mum didn't really know how to handle much of everything after it all. I think she just wants to know she has family somewhere, to keep what little there is together."
"Did you mean it? When you said you wanted me to stay there with you?" Draco gently nodded, not having time to think before Hermione's arms are tightly wrapped around his neck. "Thank you," she whispered into his hair.
"Go to bed, Granger," he whispered back, before leading her to the bed and tucking her in nad laying down on the floor. "Sweet Dreams."