Because he was well-known for making decisions without thinking them through first, Harry dealt with Draco Malfoy's unconscious presence in Grimmauld Place the only way he knew how – by avoiding the pure-blood. Harry gave Malfoy plenty of space while he contemplated how he was going to explain the situation to Malfoy once the blond woke up. The house-elves all knew to contact him the second Malfoy gained consciousness, so he didn't see a reason to hover. It would do his mind no good to linger and fret over the unconscious pure-blood like some sort of devoted lover. (Which he very much was not.) Instead, he kept himself busy. He held to his usual routine of working out, caring for his plants, and finding things to occupy his time. He read medical books that Megan leant him about basic care. He learned some of the body-regulating spells that kept Malfoy from ruining his bed sheets. He found things to do while Malfoy remained unconscious.

The last thing he probably wants is to be here, Harry frequently reminded himself. The least I can do now is give him space while he's unconscious. He wasn't sure how Malfoy was going to react when he woke up but he – selfishly – hoped that Malfoy wouldn't remember Sunday's Incident.

XXXX

He decided to visit the Burrow and check in on the Weasleys. When he arrived, Arthur was the first person to greet him and pulled Harry into a fierce hug. Unspoken relief passed between them as Harry wrapped his arms around Mr. Weasley. He was glad that the father-figure hadn't been injured in the attack.

The rest of the Weasley clan ran out to welcome him. Molly had to be forcefully pulled away from Harry by Ginny. George had taken the week off from running the shop to be with his family and he shook Harry's hand wildly in greeting. "I've gotta show you the new gadgets we've got in the store!" he told Harry excitedly. "There's one that makes your gag reflex obsolete!" George ignored the frown his mother sent him.

Bill and Fleur were delighted to announce their pregnancy to Harry in person – he got a kiss on the cheek from Fleur and couldn't help but blush like in his schoolboy days – while Bill beamed beside her. "I can't wait to be a father," he bragged. "I wonder if our child's going to have my red hair!"

"'Zey'll be beautiful," Fleur reassured Bill, resting her cheek against his shoulder.

Harry felt genuine happiness for the couple. "Congratulations, truly. You will make lovely parents."

Bill opened his mouth to reply but, before he could, Charlie appeared and swept Harry into his arms in a mock version of a waltz. "So good to see you again, my friend!" Charlie laughed as he dipped Harry. "Wait until you see how big the dragonlings have gotten! I've brought pictures!"

Laughing, Harry allowed the redhead to twirl him around for a moment before Charlie released him to shake Percy's hand in a short greeting. Like Arthur, Percy looked uninjured. He grasped Harry's hand for a brief moment before turning and making his way back into the Burrow. Something of a gesture, Harry figured.

While spending time at the Burrow, he learned more recipes from Molly. He flew on brooms with Ginny and George. He played chess with Bill and listened to Charlie's updates about the dragons. He even took the time to explain some Muggle inventions to Arthur. All in all, it was a warm visit that relaxed his soul and rejuvenated his spirit.

Towards the end of the day, Arthur pulled him aside before he could Disapparate back to Grimmauld Place.

"I know you must be worried about Ron and Hermione," he whispered to Harry, "but do not fret. They will be back soon enough."

"Are they safe?"

"I believe so. I think paperwork is keeping them from coming home to us."

"Are you okay?"

Arthur rested his hands on Harry's shoulders. "I am used to danger, my lad, especially working with an organization like the Ministry. I'm more concerned about how young Draco is handling it. This attack was aimed at him and people in his department lost their lives because of it. I can't imagine he will handle it well. I know I certainly wouldn't be able to."

Harry frowned. "He…sleeps. He hasn't woken up since he came to Grimmauld Place. I'm not sure if he knows what happened."

Arthur nodded and squeezed Harry's shoulders in understanding. "It was very big of you to take him in, Harry."

Harry couldn't agree. He had decided to house Malfoy for selfish reasons and because it had seemed like a good idea at the time. But now he wasn't so sure. What if Malfoy woke up and hated him?

XXXX

As the week went on, it became clear to Harry that the Malfoy house-elves were restless.

Harry tried to make them feel at home by giving them their own space and permitting them to travel throughout the townhouse freely. However, they did not seem to be at ease unless they were performing specific tasks to help Malfoy. They went food shopping. They bought more bandages and medical supplies. They Apparated Malfoy's clothing and some of his favorite belongings that had been salvaged from the attack to the bedroom he occupied. They cleaned Grimmauld Place. They moved furniture around and gave the townhouse a new layer of attention. They even tried to take care of his succulents for him!

It was getting to be a bit ridiculous.

Miraculously, Seelba and Kreacher only bickered occasionally and, when they did so, it was never in front of Harry. He had to hide and make himself scarce to listen in on their arguments when they were public enough for him to catch whiff of.

"You have let this house turn into a shamble!" Seelba was saying. "You bring disgrace on the pure-blood masters you once served!"

"Master Potter does not like the screaming portraits or the sacramental daggers or the –"

"You have covered the portrait of Walburga Black! This is an outrage!"

"Go back to the Manor if you're too good for this house. Maybe those filthy bombers will get you proper this time."

Harry peered around the corner and saw Seelba's eyes widen in shock. The house-elf's mouth fell open but no words came out.

Kreacher snapped his fingers and disappeared from sight.

XXXX

On Thursday, Harry received word that Hermione and Ron had appeared at the Burrow. When he Apparated there, he immediately pulled them into his arms and didn't let go.

"Mate, you're crushing me," Ron laughed against the side of Harry's cheek but his arms tightened around Harry. "We missed you, you bugger."

Hermione was no better – she had started tearing up the minute she saw him and Harry felt his shirt dampen. The trio stood there holding each other for several minutes while the Weasley family members lingering in the living room trickled out gracefully to give them space. Eventually, Harry pulled back far enough to look at each of them in turn.

"You're both okay?"

"Disappointed and frustrated – 'Mione's taking it all as a personal failure – but otherwise, we're good," Ron supplied. Because he had recently showered, the only visual clue of the rough week he had experienced were heavy bags under Ron's eyes.

"Nobody should have died," Hermione sighed. Like Ron, she had bags under her eyes and her hair was a bit more astray than usual. Her gaze was laced with despair. "We couldn't nab him in time," she whispered to Harry. Ron wrapped an arm around her shoulders as she muttered, "We tried our best but we still failed."

"Kingsley doesn't see it that way," Ron reminded her. "And we got the bastards in the end."

"Yeah but…"

Ron shook his head and directed his gaze to Harry. "She's stuck in her own mind about the whole thing. But Kingsley's really proud. He's going to announce that Hermione's his successor."

Harry's eyes widened. "Wait – really? Hermione, that's amazing! You've always wanted this."

She bit her lip. "Not after a heavy loss like this. I wanted to come off on a high note. Now it'll just look like he's naming me because of the situation."

"You've worked hard for this promotion," Ron reminded her. "Sure, this mission was a bit of a bust but you've had so many successes in the last three years! You can't let this define you, 'Mione."

It was true. Ever since she joined the Ministry, she had been working her arse off to make it to the top of the food chain. Shacklebolt thought the world of her – that much had always been clear – and she was ready to start preparing for the next step of her career. It was a conversation that they had talked about frequently since the end of the war.

Her eyes finally met Harry's. "How's Malfoy doing?" Clearly she wasn't ready to talk about the mission. "The Weasleys told us he only had a concussion?"

Harry nodded, figuring he would press her about her side of things later. Hermione would open up eventually. She just needed to calm down a bit first.

"And some fractured ribs that have been since-healed by Megan Jones," Harry said.

"Megan Jones? Wasn't she in Hufflepuff?"

"Yeah. She's working for St. Mungo's now."

"Huh," Ron remarked. A thought seemed to occur to him and he frowned. "Wait. How have you been? We kind of left you in a rough state."

"There's a bit to catch you both up on," Harry sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. There was no way he couldn't tell them all that had happened since they had left him on Sunday morning. "Come on – I have a feeling you'll both need some tea first."

XXXX

"Have you talked to him?" Hermione asked. They had spent the last few hours catching up and Harry had finally had the opportunity to enlighten them about his life. He shook his head.

"Since he came to Grimmauld Place, he hasn't gained consciousness. Megan said not to worry about it and that the body often shuts down after traumatic events but…I'm worried. Mostly, I don't want him to wake up and sock me."

"What are you going to say to him when he wakes up?" Ron asked gently.

"Honestly? I have no idea. I was so annoyed with him for leaving on Sunday but then, when he almost got killed, I just…that stuff didn't matter as much."

Hermione reached out and gently put a hand over his. "You'll know what to say when the time comes, Harry."

He hoped she was right.

XXXX

The trio wound up talking until the wee hours of Friday morning. On Saturday, Hermione had to leave the Burrow because she was to be present when Shacklebolt made his official report to reporters. Although she wouldn't be replacing him for a very long time, she figured that he would probably slip the announcement regarding her future position promotion in with his speech. Ron and Harry stayed behind at the Burrow to watch it unfold on the telly. Around noon, Shacklebolt stood in front of the Ministry on a small platform that allowed the cameras to capture his face clearly.

"We have determined that the explosive devices were intended for Ministry of Magic employee, Draco Malfoy," Shacklebolt began. "However, a mislabeling of the post sent the devices to an office down the hallway from Draco's. Andrew Filiburn, a half-blood, wrongly opened the packages meant for Draco and lost his life in the explosions. Three others, including Millicent Din, Charles Young, and Timothy Chalant, were killed in the blast. Many others were injured but are expected to make a full recovery – including Draco Malfoy, whose office was at the other end of the level from Andrew's.

"Violence against any Ministry of Magic employee is not tolerated. The people responsible for this attack are being put to justice. Matthias Scatterly, who previously worked for the Ministry of Magic and was a member of the Wizengamot, will spend life behind bars for these murders. We have discovered that Phillip Pern, Daniel Ky, and David Scornlon – who all worked as security personnel for the Ministry – were associated with Matthias and primarily responsible for allowing the explosive devices into the building. They have also received sentencing and are currently in jail.

"This attack was sparked by violence and hatred against pure-bloods. When we hate someone for their heritage or their blood, we become the same hateful beings that the Ministry strives to defeat. The people who did this and murdered Ministry employees are no better than Voldemort. People who approve of murdering pure-bloods or half-bloods or Squibs or Muggles are no better than Voldemort. We cannot allow ourselves to give in to hate. The world does not need more hatred. Voldemort is dead. This bigoted hatred needs to die as well."

He turned away from the camera to gesture beside him.

"With me now is one of the Aurors responsible for taking down Matthias Scatterly. In the past, many have referred to her as 'mud-blood' or 'dirty-blood'. Today, I call her the brightest witch of her age and, hopefully, my successor when I retire in the upcoming years. It is my privilege to introduce to you, Hermione Granger."

Harry watched as his best friend stepped up onto the platform to shake Kingsley's hand. Her hair was tied back and she wore a neat, black, business suit and skirt. Her smile was tight but Harry knew she was incredibly proud of the announcement. She had spent many hours with Harry and Ron explaining all the things she hoped to improve within the Ministry once she became the leader.

"Thank you, Minister," she began. Her voice was steady – level. She held her head high.

Beside him, Harry felt Ron grab his hand. They watched as she directed her attention to the reporters before her.

"Last Sunday, I and many of my Auror companions were asked to watch Matthias Scatterly for any suspicious activity. We determined that he was responsible for stealing equipment to make the explosive devices that would eventually infiltrate the Ministry. However, he slipped from our grasp and we were not quick enough to apprehend him before he could deliver the devices to Pern, Ky, and Scornlon. This mistake comes at the heavy cost of knowing that I will not be able to see my fellow colleagues again. Because of Scatterly's hatred and the failure of my department to apprehend him in time, the families of the deceased will each be short a loved one for this upcoming holiday season."

Ron's grip tightened briefly on Harry's hand.

"I stand before you to encourage the world not to give in to hatred. We must not let archaic bigotry keep us from moving forward.

"I admit that I have never been fond of the Malfoys. During Voldemort's years of terror, I was tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange in their family home. I still have the scars to prove it. Ridiculed by Draco during our time in school and often bullied for being born to Muggle parents, I did not harbor positive affections for members of the Malfoy family for most of my childhood.

"Those who are closest to me know that, above all else, I admire notions of loyalty the most. And, in the years since the demise of Voldemort, I have witnessed Draco Malfoy change his loyalty. No longer does he give his unending support to the Dark Arts and support prejudice towards non-pure-bloods. Draco Malfoy has changed his allegiance. Today, he works to make the lives of pure-bloods and Muggles alike better when they suffer symptoms of dementia. To me, that counts for something."

"It took her over an hour to get the wording right," Ron whispered to him. "She wanted to acknowledge his past while giving him the benefit of the doubt for the future."

"It's good," Harry replied shortly. He didn't want to miss the rest of her speech by talking to Ron.

"There was a time, long ago, when I would have condoned the reasoning behind this attack," Hermione continued. "But, since Voldemort's death, I have realized that hatred has no place in my heart. The Minister is right when he says that to practice violence in the name of hatred is to support the very ideals which Voldemort held for decades.

"We must work harder to make the world a better place. The Ministry of Magic must work harder to protect all people. We must not make the same mistakes again. We must not allow hatred to spread and grow. It starts with us. And it continues with each of you.

"I hope that you will contemplate my words and open your hearts the way that I have. When I become Minister for Magic, I hope to continue Kingsley Shacklebolt's mission to erase hate within our world." She gave a brief nod before stepping back to allow Shacklebolt onto the platform beside her. Together, they took and answered questions posed by reporters.

Harry wrapped an arm around Ron's shoulders and pulled him close. "That's your future wife," he told the redhead.

"Yeah she is," Ron said proudly. His eyes were shiny. "I'm so fucking lucky." He hadn't asked Hermione to marry him yet but Harry knew that it was only a matter of time.