a/n1: Hello my lovely readers! I hope you all had a nice first advent. It finally snowed yesterday,yay! The chapter is a bit longer than normal, Harry and Hermione just wouldn't shut up... Anyway betalove goes to reynadinepttr and viv-heart, enjoy the chapter!


"Narcissa Malfoy, née Black, is hereby sentenced to two years of social work. She may choose her field of work herself but it has to be approved by the Wizengamot. A proposal is to be made within the next seven workdays."

Narcissa exhaled slowly. This was good. This was amazing! Doing something for two years that she had wanted to do anyway was probably the best punishment she could have hoped for.

She caught Mr Potter's eyes and nodded with a tiny smile. She was rather sure that his testimony about her actions in the Forbidden Forest was the main reason that she didn't face a harder sentence.

The chains that held her wrists in place slithered back into the chair and she stood up. Narcissa turned around to step outside when she was called back by Professor McGonagall.

"Mrs Malfoy, may I talk to you for a moment?" the Chief Sorceress asked crisply.

"Of course, Chief Sorceress," Narcissa said with a pleasant smile. It wouldn't do for the journalists to catch up on her nervousness.

"I think my office would probably be best suited for this. If you would follow me?" McGonagall turned around and walked towards a door on the right side of the courtroom, and Narcissa followed her at the same pace. She would never deign to hurry after anyone.

The door led to a dimly lit hallway looking like any other hallway in the Department. McGonagall stopped on the third door to the left and opened it with a whispered password. Narcissa followed her inside and the door closed behind her on its own. The office was lined with bookshelves and had a brown and red colour scheme. The big desk across from the door seemed to be mahogany and the chairs were upholstered with red velvet.

"Please take a seat, Mrs Malfoy," McGonagall said while sitting down behind the desk. "Would you like some tea?"

"No, thank you," Narcissa said politely, sitting down on the right chair. "Would you be so kind as to tell me why I am here?"

McGonagall sighed and pulled something out of the desk drawer. "I'm here to talk with you about the Black holdings in your name. You gave us the permission to search and cleanse them from dark artefacts."

Narcissa nodded. "I hope they weren't in too bad a shape?"

"No, the magic laid upon them during their construction is still strong enough to prevent any damage by forces of nature. They do have some magical pests but nothing too bad," McGonagall said distractedly while thumbing through the parchment sheets. "Ah, here it is. The Cornwall summer house. There wasn't even one dark artefact, therefore the house has already been cleared and the Wizengamot decided to allow you to use it again. We wanted to suggest that maybe you could use it for your social work sentence."

"You want to suggest I turn it into an orphanage," Narcissa stated calmly.

McGonagall looked startled for a moment but then caught herself. "That would be a wonderful way of using the space the house has, and the location is certainly protected enough that nobody would notice magical children."

"Actually Lucius and I had already something in mind," Narcissa said cocking her head. An orphanage in the summer house was certainly an idea worth contemplating though.

"And what would that be?" McGonagall asked curiously.

"As you surely know, we live with Andromeda at the moment. We help her with everything as well as we can; that also includes the care for Edward Lupin," Narcissa explained. She relished the surprise showing on McGonagall's face. "Actually Lucius has taken quite a liking to the boy. Andromeda feeds him a muggle infant formula and Lucius came up with the idea to develop the magical one up to or past the standards of the muggle one. As far as we have been told the magical version is stuck in the thirties and not suited for a child as young as dear Edward."

"What do you propose?" McGonagall asked in what looked like genuine surprise.

"We would like to form a team of healers, potioneers and muggle scientists. The Malfoy Apothecary would fund the research and development of new formulas that cover the needs of differently aged babies better," Narcissa said proudly. This project would open so many new opportunities for magical research.

"How do you want to explain the ingredients to the muggle scientists?" McGonagall asked with glittering eyes.

"I'm sure there are more than enough muggleborns with doctors or scientists for parents. Maybe even muggleborns that decided to return to the muggle world and work as scientists there," Narcissa said leaning forward and genuinely smiling at the witch on the other side of the table.

"To be honest that would probably be a much better long-term solution," McGonagall said thoughtfully. "Your husband will probably get longer sentence than you, but between you and me I doubt they will send him to Azkaban. If you really did this, that would open so many possibilities for the magical world and it would go a long way to start changing the mind of people. If the muggles are better in that field, where else?"

Narcissa nodded. "Exactly. When I found out about this extreme difference I started to doubt the magical superiority."

"Splendid. That's what we will do. You may announce it after Mr Malfoy's hearing and I will personally take on the task of your parole officer," McGonagall said with a satisfied smile that made her look like a cat more than ever.

Narcissa nodded with a cat-like smile herself and they stood up to shake hands on it. "So mote it be," she whispered and felt the magic of the Small Vow seep into her skin.

The Small Vow would only remind her not to break it with a little sting and if she broke it, it would only leave a bit of a burn behind. But it would make keeping the promise easier.


Hermione frantically cleaned the library for an hour before Draco was set to arrive. She was nervous about this visit. She frevently hoped that he was in a better mood than the day before. And he hadn't been here yet and she would need to go over and take him along thanks to the Unplottability that was keyed to the constant inhabitants of the house. They hadn't even done that on purpose. They just had strangely cut themselves on the front door, and only when Harry called Kreacher back to live with them did the wizened elf explain to them that the house had decided for them to be its new owners.

"How can it decide that on its own?" Hermione had asked, a bit shocked, and mentally going over everything she knew about magical houses.

"It's old and forbidden magic," Kreacher had said calmly. "But the Noble and Ancient House of Black did it long before the ban and it is an enchantment that nobody can remove. If the bloodline it is keyed to ends in the male line, the house chooses the next owner. The Slytherins lost their ancient home in the West County that way."

The perks were that the house seemed to become brighter day after day and Kreacher and Tinna theorised that their combined magical energy helped the house. Hermione thought that the house was just glad to be rid of the burden of all the dark artefacts and spells.

A quarter to six, Harry stepped inside the library. "Hermione, you do realise that this is the cleanest this room will ever be until we get a chance to change the tapestry?"

"What?" Hermione looked up from the shelf she was currently dusting and looked around. The room was positively gleaming. "Oh, well, now it's probably the best cleaned room next to the kitchen."

Harry chuckled. "True enough, but I doubt Malfoy would notice."

"Harry! He is used to living at Andy's! Have you seen how clean that house is? You could basically eat from the floor!" Hermione exclaimed and flinched at how screechy her voice sounded.

"Take a break," Harry advised with a smile. "And maybe clean the dirt off your trousers."

Hermione looked down on the offending garment and cleaned it with a quick flick of her wand. "Thank you, Harry."

"No problem, someone has to remind you of your surroundings after all," he said and she stuck out her tongue. "By the way, did you plan on having dinner with Malfoy?"

"No, why?" Hermione asked frowning.

"Because you haven't eaten since we had lunch at noon," Harry replied shrugging. "I was just wondering."

"I'm not particularly hungry, to be honest," Hermione said. "I'll grab something when I get hungry."

"Alright," Harry said. "I'll be out with Pansy today. We'll meet Mr and Mrs Selwyn for dinner at the Leaky. Can you imagine that it's one of the last pubs that will even serve Slytherins?"

"Actually I can," Hermione said sadly. "I walked next to Draco before his trial. I heard what they called him and I blocked quite a few hexes that the aurors 'protecting' us just ignored."

"We should really do something against that," Harry said with a clenched jaw. "Well, I'll be off, and I think you have to go as well."

oOo

Hermione thought that flooing together was a rather intimate thing. One had to hold on tightly to the other and it was definitely more comfortable the closer one was together. That fact had Hermione putting her arms around Draco's waist and him holding her tightly to his side. She noticed that she felt his ribs under her hands, but they didn't feel too prominent.

As soon as she stepped out of the hearth, she let go of Draco to dust off herself and hoped that her blush was gone by the time she was done.

Looking up she saw faint traces of pink on Draco's cheeks as well, and had to suppress a chuckle. Well, at least she wasn't the only one enjoying this more than she should then.

"Now, where to?" Draco said finally looking around in the kitchen.

"Upstairs," Hermione said turning around and walking towards the door.

"Somehow I imagined it completely differently," Draco remarked when they climbed the stairs to the first floor.

"How did you imagine it?" Hermione asked opening the door to the library.

"Bigger, mostly, and maybe a little less dark," Draco answered, stepping inside and closing the door.

"It was actually even darker when we first moved in back after fourth year," Hermione said, sitting down on one of the couches. The books she intended to show to Draco were sitting on the table together with some tea and biscuits. So either Tinna had overheard Harry and Hermione talking or Harry had asked her to do it.

"How long had it been without a master back then?" Draco asked curiously, sitting down next to her - a polite distance between them of course.

"Roughly twelve years I think. Walburga died shortly after Sirius was sent to prison," Hermione said contemplatively.

"That's an awfully long time," Draco said sounding a bit awed. "I wonder why Mother didn't try to get inside."

"Walburga put a whole lot of wards and curses on it," Hermione explained. "It took Sirius, Mad-Eye Moody and Dumbledore nearly a week to break through all of them."

Draco whistled. "She was really bat-shit crazy towards the end."

"I think she was bat-shit crazy from the day she was born," Hermione said viciously. "I'm sorry, I know she was your great-aunt."

"Who I never met and Mother barely talked about her at all," Draco said with a laugh. "Don't worry, I won't take offense."

"Good," Hermione said. "Because I don't have even one good thing to say about her. But you didn't come here to hear me ranting about Walburga Black."

"Right, I take it the books in front of us are the ones you were talking about?" Draco asked eyeing the books on the table.

"Exactly. Most of them are about healing curse and hex wounds. But there are three that are about general healing of broken bones and flesh wounds." Hermione pointed the books out while she was speaking. "These two are about creature inflicted wounds, this one even has a paragraph about wounds inflicted by a hippogriff," Hermione said slyly.

Draco groaned. "You're just as bad as Pansy. Why are you as bad as Pansy?"

"I don't think I'm fawning about poor 'Drakey' being hurt," Hermione said, laughing, already readying herself to bolt should he try to attack her.

"You thought that was honest?" Draco asked startled.

"Yes, of course, why?" Hermione cocked her head in confusion.

Draco started laughing, very loud and very hard. "Oh my goodness, I have to tell Pansy, she won't believe it!" he gasped.

Hermione crossed her arms started tapping her foot. "What are you talking about?" she asked indignantly.

"That was pure and utter sarcasm!" Draco exclaimed brushing the tears away. "She was making fun of me for being such a baby."

"But you took her seriously!" Hermione said forcefully.

"Yeah, because I was wallowing in self-pity but even Greg caught on to her ridiculing me before I did! I thought that you Gryffs were more intelligent, especially you, Hermione!" Draco said his laughter having died down to chuckles.

"In my defence I was very sleep deprived back then," Hermione said blushing slightly and looking down on her hands.

"And you haven't known Pansy since you were in nappies," Draco said poking her gently in the side. "You shall be forgiven."

Hermione snorted. "You're awful!"

"Now you hurt me," Draco said playfully, poking her with a bit more force.

"Well, you certainly have bettered yourself, that's right," Hermione said with a smile, because she really didn't want to hurt him.

"All thanks to you," Draco said leaning against the back of the couch while facing her. "Who could stay a bigoted arsehole if he was constantly bested by the supposedly inferior girl."

Hermione snorted again and turned so she faced him as well. "You did pretty great for six years," she reminded him with a smile.

"Blame teenage hormones," Draco said easily and returned her smile.

"Don't worry, I do," Hermione said with a wink and Draco actually blushed.

"I'm sorry by the way," he said quietly toying with the hem of his shirt. "That I took so long to realise. And for yesterday evening"

Hermione instinctively put her hand on his knee. "It's alright. It's not good and I certainly hope that you will educate people who still are prejudiced, but I have forgiven you. And I guess I shouldn't just have grabbed you."

"Thank you, Hermione" Draco said quietly.

"No problem," she said with a smile and with a last squeeze took back her hand. "By the way, Andromeda told me you found a muggle friend?"

"Well, Thomas is basically my cousin and we only met twice, I don't know whether that counts," Draco said shyly.

"Will you meet again?" Hermione asked curiously, shifting so she leaned against the couch more comfortably.

"Yes, he wants to go clothes shopping tomorrow," Draco told her. "I think Andy put him up to it because she thinks I don't have enough clothes that are suitable for a guy of my age."

Hermione laughed. "I'd love to see you clothes shopping with in a muggle store, but sadly I have to go to the Ministry tomorrow."

"Thomas has already threatened to take pictures," Draco grumbled. "And he wears the strangest clothes! He calls them baggy pants and he says they're extremely comfortable. But they look as if they could slip from your hips any moment!"

Hermione had to suppress her laughter at Draco's indignation. "I heard of them. They seem to be the latest fashion from America."

"He said they were somehow connected to music, but I'm not quite sure what he meant. How can trousers be connected to music?" Draco looked like the concept really confused him and Hermione had to clasp her hand over her mouth so he wouldn't see her smile.

"Maybe you can ask him to explain it more thoroughly and try some on while you're shopping," she suggest smiling brightly. The mental image of Draco in baggy pants was just too hilarious and she would have to share it with Harry as soon as he was back.

They continued to talk about Thomas and muggle fashion until the newly installed clock reminded them of the time. Draco took out his wand to shrink the books but Hermione stopped him before he could.

"Don't, some of them are too old, they wouldn't survive shrinking and enlarging," she said and got one of her enchanted book boxes from under the table. "Put them in here. it's enlarged on the inside and there is a Featherweight Charm on it."

"Brilliant, Granger, really," Draco said with a smile and her last name sounded more like an endearment than it had the previous day.

"Well, I have to stay in character after all," Hermione said, smiling brightly at the compliment.

They went downstairs discussing the pros and cons of extension charms and just when they reached the bottom step the front door flew open and Harry came rushing in.

"I'm going to sue them! I'm going to fucking lose them their fucking business if it costs me my entire vault!" he shouted and Hermione felt the fizzle of magic before a ball of lightning raced past her and into the spot where Walburga had been a day ago. Well that explained how the awful portrait had been destroyed.

"Harry, please calm down, it's no problem, really," Pansy said stepping inside and closing the door cautiously.

"No problem? No problem!" Harry said deadly calm. "They treated you like dirt! Even worse! I fought to end prejudice but it seems like the people just turned to prejudice towards another group!"

"What happened, Pansy?" Hermione asked quietly. She didn't dare step closer because lightning still sparked over Harry's robes.

"We had dinner as planned, but Harry wanted to take me out for dessert, as a thanks. But they don't serve Slytherins at Fortescue's. Not that I can blame them," Pansy said quietly. She stepped forward and put a hand on Harry's shoulder, completely ignoring the bits of lightning.

"They should be the bigger people," Harry hissed, but he didn't remove Pansy's hand from his shoulder and she started rubbing it soothingly.

"But they aren't and really, it's not so bad," Pansy said with a tiny smile. "I found really nice muggle restaurants once I started exploring London a bit. Some are even fancier than some wizarding places."

"Still, you shouldn't be forced to go to the muggle world just because you want to eat," Harry grumbled, looking at the floor.

"I know, but for now I can live with it," Pansy said quietly and put her hand on his cheek. "When it's not acceptable anymore and everything has calmed down a bit we will sue them all, you can help if you want."

Harry leaned into her touch. "Alright," he said, sounding defeated.

Hermione and Draco finally stepped closer and each went to their best friend to hug them.

"I'm going to help as well," Hermione said, letting go of Harry and turning to Pansy and Draco.

"Thank you, 'Mione," Pansy said with a smile playing at the corner of her lips.

"I'm going to take Pansy home, if that's okay," Draco said quietly with a look to Hermione.

"Of course, just don't forget your books," she said with a smile.

Pansy snorted. "The day Draco forgets books I'm going to declare my undying love of Bertie Bott's puke flavoured beans."

"Sounds like he is a lot like 'Mione with books," Harry said winking at her. "Did she tell you that she had nearly thirty books with her while we were on the run? And never ask her for recommendations on light reading!"

"Hey, it's not like you're any better with all things Quidditch," Hermione exclaimed and poked him accusingly.

They bickered all the way down to the kitchen and only took a break to say goodbye to Pansy and Draco.

"You really like her, don't you?" Hermione asked quietly while she was eating. They hadn't wanted to wake Tinna but she had insisted on preparing a late dinner. Ron was staying at the Burrow for the night.

"She's so fierce, it's amazing," Harry said chuckling. "And she doesn't care about me being the Chosen One. She treats me like a normal human being and…somehow she seems to understand me better than Ginny ever did."

"That sounds wonderful," Hermione said with a smile and squeezed Harry's arm.

"What about you and Malfoy?" Harry asked with genuine curiosity shining in his eyes. "He nearly pulled you back from the landing when I lost control."

Hermione smiled thinking about their evening, she had had so much fun. "I don't know. He is so different from the boy he was. I mean of course he grew up, but still, he turned out really well."

"Maybe he is like my father," Harry mused and at Hermione's confused face explained. "He seems to have been an utter prat up till sixth year. Something happened that changed him. Because I really can't believe that my mother would have married someone who bullied Slytherins mercilessly. Back in fifth year I didn't really understand why it was so bad, but now I do."

"What do you mean? Because of what you saw from Professor Snape's memories?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Not exactly. I knew what happened there was bad," Harry said cradling his cup of tea. "But I didn't realise that even the casual bullying I saw was bad. I only thought my father went over the top at that moment. After all, Malfoy and I had a rather similar relationship at that point. But I hated him because of his attitude. As far as I heard from Sirius and Remus, my father hated Snape solely because he was a Slytherin. When he realised that Snape was an easy victim he singled him out."

"Wow, I didn't know that," Hermione whispered, her food completely forgotten. "That at least explains Professor Snape's hatred for you. It doesn't justify his actions of course."

"No, of course not," Harry said taking a sip of his tea. "And while I understand why Sirius continued to antagonise Snape it doesn't justify it either."

"Those two were really screwed up," Hermione said poking listlessly at her previously tasty food. "And it didn't help that Dumbledore kept them both at places where they were hurt."

Harry scoffed. "Sirius could have easily stayed somewhere else, but I guess this was more convenient. But Snape? If he wanted to keep him close so he could watch over me there was no other option."

"Maybe," Hermione admitted. "However I hope that you and Draco will be on better terms than your father and Professor Snape."

"I'll try," Harry promised. "After all, he seems to be acting decently towards you."

"He is," Hermione confirmed. And he was, if one ignored the episode in the Ministry and yesterday evening.


a/n2: We finally had a real dramione moment, yippeh! What did you think? I hope you liked it! Would you like to see the clothes shopping with Thomas or should I skip ahead to Lucius trial? I'm open for suggestions!