Draco felt muddled. That was the best way to put it really; he was full of emotions and they were swirling together in ways he couldn't understand. But he knew that he needed to let the emotions out somehow, and he was fairly certain he'd found the right person to direct them at. It hadn't taken him long to figure out that his father probably had something to do with the attack on Hogsmeade. Even if he hadn't physically been there, he'd done something. He'd been getting involved with bad people again, and Draco had ignored it long enough.

He knew that part of the reason he was so ready to go confront his father was because Hermione Granger had been injured in the attack on Hogsmeade. Even though that probably hadn't been the plan, it had happened, and Draco was furious. His father could have been the reason Hermione Granger had been killed. The men who'd attacked Hogsmeade easily could have killed her, and then he would have lost another woman he was in love with.

Draco paused at the front door to his old home. He couldn't believe he'd just thought that; in love, with Hermione Granger? He wasn't sure how his life had come to that point. But now, Draco didn't think being there was such a bad thing. She was perfect with Scorpius, and she was good with him. They worked together; he didn't know how, but they did. They did belong together; he knew that now. He'd fallen in love with Hermione Granger.

The fury came back then. His father had almost gotten her killed, and it was something Draco would never forgive him for that. Which is why he threw the doors open with a wave of his wand and stormed inside. Even though it was the middle of the night, Draco found his father sitting in a room with a few others. Two of the men in the room, he noticed, looked exhausted and like they were covered in soot. Just, he realized, like the scared people that had come into the hospital that night.

"Draco," his father said, looking neither pleased nor surprised. "Have you finally decided to come back to the light?"

"The light?" Draco asked in shock. He didn't know why anything his father did surprised him anymore though; he should have guessed that his father would think he was in the right. "You think this is the light? Murdering people? Destroying homes? Have you gone insane?"

"I've never been of sounder mind," his father said coldly. "If you haven't come to join in the discussion of how to proceed, I'll ask you to leave."

Draco's eyes narrowed, and he felt heat rush to his cheeks. "Do you have any idea what your...your men almost did tonight?"

"I know they accomplished the mission that was set for them, and they did a spectacular job."

"Do you know who was there?"

"Your mudblood girl?" his father asked, a spark in his eyes at the words. "It's a shame they didn't get a chance to kill her. Your aunt should have done that when that filth was here all those years ago. You should have done it all those years ago. And I could still make you do all of that-"

Draco stormed closer to his father, drawing his wand. Before his father could even really react, Draco had disarmed him and had his wand at his father's throat. "If you so much as touch a hair on her head-" he started to say through clenched teeth. The thought of his father attacking Granger made his stomach twist painfully.

It was then he realized that everyone else in the room had a wand on him. "You stupid," his father said, pushing Draco's wand away, "insolent boy. You never learned, did you? I am your father; I will always be your father. And you will not disobey me."

Draco tightened his grip on his wand. "I am not going down this path again," Draco said, re-positioning his wand. "I won't do it. You don't control me anymore. If you touch her, I will never forgive you. I won't rest until I get revenge. You will never see Scorpius again; you will never see me again. Is that what you want?"

"Draco?" a voice asked, a voice that made his heart drop. "Draco, please. Just leave the girl and come back to us. It's the right thing to do."

Draco looked to his left and saw his mother standing in the doorway. She looked better, not sick at least, and that thought gave him some peace of mind since he didn't think he'd see her again any time soon. "I won't," he said, his voice shifting almost immediately from angry to pleading. "Mother, you have to understand. I...I love her. I think I love her. I can't...I won't just walk away. But you could come with me; I can make a place for you."

She shook her head and Draco could swear he saw tears in her eyes. "I'll kill that mudblood before the end of the night," his father said, making Draco freeze. "I'll kill her, and you'll see how much she was ruining you. You'll come crawli-"

He stopped as Draco whirled around and hit him in the jaw. His father stumbled backwards and the others with him all either rushed to his aid or pointed their wands at Draco. He wasn't frozen anymore though, and he took of running for the front door. Once outside the house, Draco turned and disapparated, landing unsteadily at Hermione Granger's front door. He was confident that he'd gotten away from his parent's house successfully, but he felt cold inside. He'd given up his parents for Hermione, and she could decide at any time to abandon him. After all, he might have fallen hard for her, but that's no guarantee that she felt the same about him.

Still, he got inside her flat and packed a bag of things he thought she might want. It felt wrong, going through her drawers, but he couldn't stop himself from doing it. There was no way he could spend almost two weeks shut away in her small flat, so she would have to come and stay with him. She might not want to stay with him, he feared, but she would start that way without complaint.

Once the bag was packed, Draco appeared in his own house and straightened up a few things to make sure she could be comfortable wherever she went. He caught sight of a picture of Astoria and that too made his heart ache, but he watched as her picture nodded at him and smiled, as if she was telling him to go. Draco wondered what Astoria would have thought about all of this. Would she approve of his new love interest, or would she be furious that he'd found someone only a year and a half after her death? Draco couldn't be sure of any answers, but he'd just have to hope that she would be happy for him. In a similar situation, he liked to believe that he would be happy for her.

After the third stop, Draco went back to the hospital. He was exhausted, but he wanted to get Hermione Granger somewhere safe. As he walked toward where she'd last been, he heard the familiar voice of Harry Potter sounding through an open door.

"This is all my fault," he heard Harry Potter say with a thick voice. "I'm the reason you were out there. Hermione, I...This is all my fault. I should have-"

"Harry, stop," she said, her voice firm and slightly irritated. "Stop. I shouldn't have gone; I shouldn't have put myself in that kind of danger. I...I need to stick to paperwork right now. But that's not your fault; you followed protocol, and that's exactly what you should do."

"But with your history, Hermione, I shouldn't have put you in that kind of dangerous situation. What if you'd lost the baby? What would that have done to you? Nothing good."

"But I didn't," she said gently. "Harry, I didn't. I have to stay in bed, but you never know...that could be good. Some relaxing time with books. That's not too bad."

There was a heavy sigh, and then a chuckle. "Some quality time with Malfoy."

"Oh shut up," she said. "How many times have I told you not to tease me about that? I can't believe it either; me and Malfoy...but we work. I doubt he'll want to be stuck caring for me for two weeks, but extra time with him...won't hurt a thing." He smiled to himself as he heard her words. She wanted to spend some extra time with him just as much as he wanted to spend it with her. With that thought, Draco knocked on the door and walked inside, the bag he'd prepared for her hanging loosely from his fingertips. She looked up at him and smiled slightly. "Everything taken care of?" she asked, trying to sit up a bit more.

"Everything," he nodded, "I brought you a bag of things. You'll be staying at my house until you can get off bed rest."

She raised an eyebrow. "And who said I wanted to do that?"

"You did," Harry Potter said, rolling his eyes. "Two seconds ago, literally."

She glared at him, and then smiled at Draco. "Did you go to my flat?"

"You told me how to get in." he answered easily.

"Did you, by any chance, grab those pajamas that I-"

"I grabbed your favorites, yes, and your robe and all of the things you use that I don't understand."

"Did you think to grab any books?"

"Don't insult me," Draco said, a grin forming on his face. "Of course I thought to grab books. I'm taking care of you; I know enough to grab some books."

"Can we go then?" she asked. "I don't like being stuck in the hospital."

"Might I remind you you're going to spend two weeks with a healer?"

She rolled her eyes. "You're tolerable. Remember that Baker man you warned me about? He came in trying to convince me to let him head my care. I'd rather not stay here any longer than I have to."

Draco rolled his eyes; it was just like Baker to come and try to take on the care of someone famous, and Hermione was famous. There were people who thought she'd be Minister one day; Draco wouldn't be shocked if she got to the position. She climbed out of bed and it was then that Harry Potter cleared his throat. "I can bring Scorpius over in the morning, if you'd like. He's asleep right now; Ginny sent a quick message, and if we keep him a little while then you two will have time to rest."

Draco felt uneasy about the idea of leaving his son with his old enemy, but Hermione was nodding immediately. "That would be lovely, Harry. If he asks for either of us, just bring him straight over. Do you know where Draco lives? I can send an owl with the address. And he likes to eat eggs for breakfast, if you can give him any. It's a new kick; a month ago he was only cereal, but now he prefers eggs."

"Eggs for breakfast then," Harry said. "I've got it. I'll see you in the morning, Hermione." He came over and kissed her cheek before nodding politely at Draco and leaving the room.

"Shall we?" Draco asked, holding out a hand to her.

She nodded and took it without a second thought. "Hey, Draco?" she said quietly, just as they were about to leave the room. He just raised an eyebrow and looked at her, a bit concerned, but she sent him a small smile. "Thank you. For being so willing to look after me and everything. Most people don't do this with a partner of two months."

"You don't have to thank me," he said quickly. "Really, you don't. I'm happy to help you."

She laughed a bit and shook her head as they started to leave the hospital. "Who would have thought," she said as her laughter slowed, "that twelve years down the road, you and I would end up together? If we'd suggested that to someone in Hogwarts, they would have sent us straight to Madam Pomfrey."

"I would have sent myself to her," Draco said. He paused as they apparated and appeared in his living room. "Then again, you were the only person in Hogwarts that could almost keep up with me."

"Almost?" she asked, her eyebrow raising again. "Are you insane? You were struggling to keep up with me, not the other way around."

"I don't know," Draco said, taking her hand and pulling her toward his bedroom. He would have taken her to the guest room, but the bed in it was uncomfortable and she would need a nice spot. "You always could have cheated off me."

She laughed loudly and rounded on him as they got to his doorway. "Please," she said, "You probably cheated off me. I'm sure that you-"

"Granger?" he interrupted. She trailed off, looking confused and intrigued.

"What?" she asked. "And it's Hermione, Draco, really. This last name business is ridiculous."

"I'd like to kiss you," he said, voicing a part of his desires for the first time. She looked surprised, and she nodded a bit before falling silent and just watching his face. Draco tried to get himself to move forward, but all of the sudden he felt paralyzed. "I-"

He stopped as she reached up, her thumb on his chin. It brushed once again his lips before she cupped his face and brought his lips crashing on to hers.