Back to Slytherin Common Room, Draco headed straight to his dorm, went to bed, and quickly change his clothes to burry himself under his blanket. There he laid, thinking of the best way to explain to the Gryffindors why he ran away from Snape's office without making them angry or wary. But soon, the exhaustion due to his discovering and his cries made them sleep. What he dreamed about was not really important, but he woke up up at five with a feeling of lingering... and something else, like when you wake up and don't remember what your dream was about, but you know that it's not far. But the more you try to remember it, the farer it wanders from your conscient mind. That was exactly what Draco was feeling. He knew that he dreamt about something important, but what? So he tossed in his bed for a while, feeling quite restless.

But he soon became too frustrated to stay in bed more, so he got up and, prompted by some foreign yet implacable will, he went to his trunk and withdrew his photo album. He snarled at the sight of his father in his ever arrogant attitude, and sighed sadly at his mother who had to give up one of her children. As he was flipping the pages, his eyes laid on a particular picture that was taken when he was about three. Many times he had seen them, but for the first time he noticed them. There was that woman with familiar bushy hair, though hers was dirty blonde instead of brown. But Siobhan Malfoy undeniably handed it to Hermione. Then his gaze fell on his other grandmother, Virginia Black. That brown hair, those hazel eyes, that adorable baby-like face, all of those screamed to be Hermione's! How did he manage to look at them so many times and not noticed it? His grandmothers died when he was four and five, but he still remembered them. Though what he remembered about them was that they were reammy kind to him, particularly Virginia. Thinking about it, the last time he saw his mother laugh was when her mother was still alive, on his fifth birthday. But she died about two month later, and then Narcissa had always been sad since then. Of course, the fact that her husband forced her to reject her remaining sister, Andromeda, didn't help. He remembered having played with Nymphadora, a crazy but kind girl who was about eight years older than him.

Draco sighed and forced back his tears as he heard his roommates move. He was so enthralled in the pictures that he hadn't realized it was time to get up. So he carefully put the album back in his trunk, and got dressed for the day. The breakfast and, the morning classes passed in a blur, but suddenly time seemed to slow as he was having lunch.

After Advanced Transfiguration, his last morning class, he sat alone at Slytherin table, glaring daggers at anyone who tried to sit by him. He ate very few, and was eating some meat when he heard the most beautiful voice he ever heard. His back was turned to Gryffindor table, so he glanced above his shoulder, and he saw HER! There, chatting happily with her friend, was Hermione-Aurelia Granger, his beloved sister. He stared at her until Harry, who was accross her, pointed him to her. So Hermione turn over and gave him a hesitant smile, not quite sure of the reaction she would get after what happened the previous night. But he returned the smile, and, seeing the look in her eyes, mouthed 'I'm sorry'. She grinned at him, and pointed at the door of the Great Hall.

As he wasn't hungry, he left and waited outside the Hall. Soon Hermione came, followed more or less willingly by a smiling Ginny, and by Harry and Ron who were wearing wary looks.

Draco and Hermione looked in each other eyes for a while, not knowing what to say. Then they syarted to talk together.

"Look Granger I'm sorry!"

"Look Malfoy what you see..."

They burst into laughing, and that lased a while. As the ice was now breaken, it was more easy to talk.

"Look, Granger, I just wanted to say...well, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have run like that, but what I saw... I just couldn't stand it."

"I know. Sometimes I can't stand it myself. Actually not sometimes but never! It's just so hard to know that my parents..."

"You were adopted, I know. It must be hard not to live with your parents. I mean..."

"No, no! Actually, my adoptive parents are the best. You know, my parents, I mean my biological ones, were wizards. But my father forced my mother to abandon me. But maybe it was best!" She laughed nervously. "I mean, he wanted only a boy, and he seemed quite abusive!"

'You don't even imagine how much he is!' he thought.

"Yes, I see! Look, Granger, I know that I haven't treated you right, but since my father has been imprisonned, I have realized how wrong his view is. I have misjudged you, and I'm really sorry for that. I want to apologize to you, Granger, because I have insulted you when you didn't deserved it. Actually you only deserve praise!" Then he turned to Ron and Ginny. "I also want to apologize to both of you, because I've mocked you for being poor. But you have done things that I would have never dared to do, and your value is so much higher than mine!" Ginny grinned at him, while Ron blushed at the praise, but still managed a half-smile in pride.

Draco finally turned to Harry. "And to you, Potter, I'm so sorry for all I've said and done to you. I wanted to make my father proud of me, but I've realized that he was only using me. I feel so stupid for all this childish mockeries and taunting. I offered my friendchip to you once, but it wasn't sincere then, it was only my father's command. However, today, it is, and I really want to be your friend and help you against Voldemort. You warned me when I didn't deserved it, and I'll always been thankful about that."

Harry eyed him carefully,but Draco really seemed sincere. Hesitating a bit, he raised his hand and shook Draco's one.

"I can't say that I'm fully trust you, but I'm willing to give your a chance. We noticed that you changed, yes, even you Ron, and I hope it's for the best. But be careful, you try to betray us, you'll regret it dearly!"

"I won't, I promise. I'm not my father you know! I never liked dark magic, and I don't like harming people!"

"I hope you don't! But I think too that you deserve a chance, just don't waste it! Oh, by the way, call me Ginny."

" Thanks Weas... Ginny! And don't worry, I hate wasting things!" he said, shaking her hand

Ron came carefully by Draco, and raised his hand. "I think I'll let you prove yourself. I can't say that I like you, but I know that we need all the help we can get. Then maybe we will be friends." Draco bowed his head a bit smiling, and answered "Thanks, I'm really glad that you don't fully hate me after what I said to you", but inside, he was leaping with joy. After all, his soon-to-be stepbrother was giving him a chance. "And you can call me Ron"

"Oh, and call me Harry!"

"Thanks, all of you, you can even know how grateful I am!"

Then Hermione came in front of him. Draco's smile wavered a bit at her thoughtful face.

"Look, Malfoy, what you saw...!"

"Don't worry, I will never speak about it to anyone!" He said alarmed, in fear that she would reject him.

"You better not, I don't want anyone to know it. It has to remain secret, because as I'm a close friend of Harry, it might be used against me. And I don't want that! I don't think I will be able to live if I was the cause of my friends death! There are too important tome!"

Eager to prove his sincerity, he took her by her shoulders, and plunged his icy blue gaze into her hazel eyes.

"I promise you, I will never betray you! I've rejected my father's way, and I'll never follow him or his master again! I'll do what you want to prove it, and you'll see that I don't lie!"

Realizing what he was doing, he let go off her blushing, and not daring to look at her again. But this little convinced her that he was not lying, so she smiled and raised her hand. Seeing it, he raised his head, smiled at her, and shook forcefully her hand. 'Yes, she agrees! My sister doesn't hate me! Yes!'

"And call me Hermione, please, we have enough used our family names to hurt each other."

"Of course! All of you, call me Draco, I'm so glad that you don't reject me! I'll show you I'm worth your forgiveness! Oh thank you so much!"

They all answered some "You're welcome!", "It's ok!"... But Draco only realized how good it felt to shake the hand of the person he cared the most about in the world.

A/N: Hello, hello!

This chapter is dedicated to Siobhan Malfoy.

I'm really glad to see that youlike this story, at least I get a few reviews for each chapter! As I am still in holidays, I give you this chapter faster than I think I would do, but maybe school won't prevent me from writing more soon...

So if you want a quick update... well, I'm expecting your opinion about all of this!