Harry's question about Blaise and Pansy disturbed me somehow. It had been nearly four months since I'd last seen them. Why hadn't I heard from them? It wasn't like them to be so distant. I was so used to receiving letters from Pansy every week that anything other than that just seemed unnatural. These thoughts were so disturbing to me that they kept me awake. I laid in the darkness for over an hour, listening to Harry's even breathing beside me. 'At least one of us is getting some sleep,' I thought as I slipped quietly from the bed and headed downstairs.

The light was on in the kitchen when I opened the door, and I found Hermione placing a kettle of water on the stove. She smiled at me.

"Trouble sleeping?" she asked. I nodded, sitting down at the table running a hand through my hair.

"Yeah," I replied. "Harry's out like a light, though."

"Doesn't surprise me." She brought two mugs over with her and sat down across from me. "He's got a lot of excitement in his life now. He's been dreaming of living here for the past year and a half."

I smiled. "I don't blame him. After what he went through with those muggles, I'd be ready to get out on my own as well."

"From what I've heard, things in your life weren't so great either."

I shook my head. "People tended to think I had it a lot better than I did. I mean, why wouldn't they? I'm the sole heir to the fortune of one of Britain's richest pureblood families. Life should be heaven." She looked sadly up at me.

"That's what we all believed," she admitted. "Ron only just learned the difference. It's greatly changed his feelings toward you."

"Yeah, I've noticed the change. Still doesn't trust me, though."

"He's just protective is all. He's the same with all of us." The kettle whistled behind her and she hurried to retrieve it. "He'll warm up to you," Hermione finished as she poured water into each mug. I thanked her and took a sip, letting the tea warm me from the inside out. I'd only just returned the steaming mug to the table when the screaming began.

We both looked up at the same time. I knew that voice.

"Harry," I whispered. We were one our feet in a second, each racing towards the stairs. I took them two at a time and reached the landing just as Ginny reached the last step on her way down from the third floor. Ron was just behind her.

I threw open the door to our bedroom. Harry was thrashing wildly on the bed, crying out as if in excruciating pain. I was at his side in an instant, searching desperately for a way to wake him up. I grabbed him by the shoulders, trying to hold him still.

"Harry, wake up," I called. His eyes stayed closed, though he quieted slightly at my touch. "Harry, love, please! Harry!" I was louder this time and his eyes snapped open as he sat up jerkily. He was panting and sweating, and his eyes held a light of terror that I'd never seen in them before. I sat down on the edge of the bed and he turned to look at me before throwing himself in my arms. The others moved into the room slowly, gathering at the end of the bed. Hermione sat beside me, rubbing Harry's back lightly in attempt to calm him.

"Was it another one of the visions, mate?" Ron asked. Harry nodded. Hermione frowned and turned to Ginny.

"Go and floo Remus," she said. Ginny nodded and hurried out of the room. Hermione then turned to Ron. "Go light a fire in the downstairs sitting room. I'll go and make us all some tea." Ron opened his mouth to object, most likely against the idea of leaving me alone with Harry. But a look from Hermione was enough to keep him silent. In a moment they were gone, leaving us alone in the darkness.

I tightened my hold on Harry's waist, stroking his hair back from h is face. He was shivering, despite the heat I could feel radiating from him.

"Come one, love," I whispered. "Let's go down with the others." He nodded vaguely and stood with me. Together, we descended the stairs to wait for Remus.

"You're sure it wasn't just a dream?" Remus asked. He was sitting across from Harry. I held Harry's hand in my own, silently providing my support. He shook his head.

"It wasn't a dream. It was too real," Harry replied. Remus nodded.

"What happened in this vision?"

Harry's hands started shaking slightly as he began to tell us what he'd seen. "He was really angry. He was yelling about someone betraying him. There was a man and a woman. He killed them."

"Did you know who they were? Had you seen them before?"

He shook his head. "No. Voldemort said he'd granted them clemency once, but he wouldn't be so merciful again."

"Can you tell me what they looked like?"

"I didn't get a very good look at the man, but the woman…she had long dark hair. She looked oddly familiar—like I've seen her when she was younger."

An idea suddenly came to my mind. "Did…did she have brown eyes?" I asked quietly. Five pairs of eyes turned simultaneously on me. Harry nodded slowly.

"Do you know who it is?" Remus asked. I looked down at the floor.

"I think so," I whispered. "Jasper and Elizabeth Parkinson." My eyes connected with Harry's, and I saw the question in their emerald depths. "Pansy's parents."

The obituary appeared the following morning. The details of their death were left undefined. The article said nothing about Pansy.

Harry felt guilty for some reason. He kept apologizing to me, almost as if he felt it was his fault the Parkinson's were dead. Remus had informed the rest of the Order of Harry's vision, and within a few days Severus arrived at Grimmuald Place. It had been nearly two months since I'd last seen him at the Burrow, and his arrival brightened my mood considerable.

"I have some news for you," he said as we sat together alone in the sitting room. "I think it'll cheer you up quite a bit." I looked expectantly up at him. He said, with full seriousness, "I know for a fact Pansy was not present the night of her parents' murder. No one's quite sure where she is; she seems to have disappeared. But there is no doubt in my mind that she is alive and well."

I smiled. "Thank you, Severus," I replied. "You have no idea how worried I've been about her."

"Don't fret too much, then. I'm no expert, but it seems to be having a terrible affect on Potter." I nodded.

"He thinks it's his fault they're dead."

"Doesn't surprise me. Potter often blames himself for things like this. He still hasn't forgiven himself for Diggory's death, and it's sure to be the same for Black's."

"Can you blame him, though? Sirius was the only family he had—those muggles don't count." I shuddered, recalling all the stories Harry had told me about what the muggles had done to him. Severus's mouth twitched upward in a smile, and he stood.

"I think you and Potter are more alike than anyone knows." His hand rested lightly on my shoulder for a moment. "Believe it or not, I'm happy for you." And then he was gone, leaving me alone with a smile on my lips.

It took several days of talking and one night of incredible sex for Harry to realize I wasn't angry with him. I even succeeded in convince him it wasn't his fault, though the news of Pansy's escape might have had a slight hand in that accomplishment.

With this tragedy behind us, the next few weeks were quiet ones. There was no more news of attacks, no more visits from Remus or Severus. If anything, things were almost boring. Until that night.

Remus had taken me aside the day we moved in to Grimmuald Place. He told me the Order was worried about how safe this living arrangement would be, how much protection the house would hold for Harry without Order members around. He told me he trusted me, and that he knew I would protect Harry at any cost—and that was exactly what he trusted me to do.

It was midnight when I woke up. At first, I wasn't sure what had disturbed me—until I heard a door slam. Someone was inside the house. I reached for my wand on the beside table just as Harry's eyes fluttered open. He looked to me, confusion in his expression.

"Dray, what's going on?" he asked groggily, sitting up as I stood from the bed.

"Some one's in the house," I replied shortly, already heading for the door. "I'll check it out. Stay here."

"I'm not letting you go alone!" He threw back the covers, reaching for his own wand. I was back at his side instantly, pushing him down onto the bed.

"Stay here," I repeated.

"But—" My look silenced him, though his glare communicated his feelings wordlessly. I pressed my lips against his in apology. And leaving him behind me, I headed for the hall.

Ginny met me on the landing outside the bedroom, and together we began the search. We descended the stairs as slowly and as silently as possible, looking all around for signs of the intruder. A step creaked behind us, and we turned quickly, wands at the ready. Hermione looked apologetically down at us, her own wand drawn and ready. We crept down the rest of the stairs, stepping into the entrance hall.

A figure stood in the shadows at the far end of the hall, their back to us. I muttered a spell under my breath and the tip of my wand lighted. As we approached the figure, I pushed the girls behind me and raised my wand up higher. I stopped about five feet from the intruder.

"Turn slowly," I commanded. They did, and my heart skipped a beat. Black hair, blue eyes… "Pansy?"

Pansy smiled brightly, running to hug me. "Draco!" she exclaimed, kissing my cheek. "It's so good to see you! Remus told us you'd be here."

"Wait, us?" She nodded and the four of us turned as voices reached our ears from behind us. And there was Ron, holding Blaise back the back of his robes, his wand even with his throat. "Blaise!" Blaise waved slightly, then looked at Hermione.

"Hey Granger, you mind calling off your Weasel?" he asked.

"Ron let him go," she obliged. Ron grudgingly released him, and Blaise nodded his thanks before grinning widely and coming to hug me.

"Got yourself in a good crowd, haven't you, mate?" he asked. I grinned and nodded.

"The best," I replied. A stair squeaked behind us, capturing our attention. I smiled and made my over to them, looking up at Harry as he tried to sneak down. "Don't you ever listen?" I laughed. "Come downstairs, love. We have company."

I held my hand out to him and he took it as he reached bottom of the steps.

"Who is it?" he asked quietly.

"Come see."

We rounded the corner to the hall, and Harry's eyes lit up at the sight before him. A grin crossed his face as he looked from Blaise and Pansy to me, and back again. Pansy came to hug him, smiling happily at our clasped hands.

"When Remus told us where you were," she said, looking between us, "I'd hoped it meant you were together again. It's good to see I wasn't wrong."

"You've been to see Remus?" Harry asked. Blaise moved to stand beside Pansy.

"Before they were killed, the Parkinson's sent Pansy to me, knowing they were in danger," he explained. "We took off and went into hiding. After we heard news of the murders, we went to Remus. He said he could protect us, and he sent us here.

"We would have waited till morning, but the thought of seeing Draco again was far too tempting," Pansy added. Draco smiled before Pansy continued. "I hope we're not imposing." Harry shook his head.

"Not at all," he replied. "This place is huge. There's plenty of room. Take your pick."

With that, Blaise and Pansy were led upstairs, and as we returned to bed, Harry and I shared a sly smile as we noticed what room Blaise had chosen.

"He'll be in for a surprise," Harry whispered as we headed for bed. I smiled, wrapping my arm around his shoulders and kissing his hair.

"That he will, love," I replied. "That he will."