A/N: Chapter written by avdubs, remember she is uploading on her ao3 page as ell, so check it out! We won't be uploading on a strict schedule of Sunday/Monday (depending on your time zone anymore), but we will still be uploading once a week. Thanks for your reviews and comments, they mean a lot to the both of us. Enjoy!

It was rare that Hermione woke up before Draco, or rather, it was rare that he wasn't awake when she roused from her slumber. But when her eyes cracked open the next morning and saw his sleeping form next to her, she told herself there was a first time for everything, and given the events of the following night, she didn't blame him for needing a bit of a lie in. She slipped out of bed quietly and grabbed her wand off the bedside table before heading downstairs.

The sky outside was a bright orange and pink, yet the sun was not visible over the horizon. She stifled a yawn, and wondered how on Earth she was awake right now. She couldn't have gotten more than four hours of sleep. And though her eyelids felt like weights and her body was aching to crawl back under the covers, her mind was wide awake.

The house was quiet; it didn't seem as though Andromeda or Ted had woken up yet. Her bare feet padded along the wooden floorboards as she made her way to the kitchen. Her stomach grumbled; last night's dinner felt like years ago, not hours. She had just begun to daydream about a steaming cup of tea, some oatmeal and toast when she spotted a head of long blonde hair sitting at the kitchen table. Hermione froze just outside the archway to the kitchen. She could turn back now and wait a bit; she wasn't quite ready to be alone with Draco's mother yet. Their interaction last night had been rather awkward, and she didn't want to endure it again. But as she stepped backward, Narcissa had turned around. Their eyes locked, and Hermione was still standing with one foot retreating, rooted to the spot. It was Narcissa who spoke first. "Good morning, Hermione."

Her throat was dry, and her brain had gone blank. She blinked and shook her head, trying to compose herself. "Good morning, Mrs. Malfoy."

When Narcissa turned back around, Hermione felt she had no other choice but to continue on with her plan for breakfast. So she shuffled into the kitchen and rummaged in the cabinet for a mug and tea leaves. It was while she was retrieving the pack of oatmeal that Narcissa said, "Did you sleep well?"

The casual question caught her off guard. She paused for a moment, cleared her throat and replied, "For the short amount of time that I did, yes. Thank you. Am I correct in assuming you didn't manage much sleep?"

She heard a soft chuckle from behind her as she began to prepare her oatmeal and set the kettle over the fire. "You are, yes." Silence fell between them again, though now the air felt tense. It wasn't until Hermione had sat at the table across from her and was adding sugar to her tea when Narcissa spoke again. "Hermione, I feel like I did not thank you properly-"

"Oh, please," she gushed, her cheeks immediately blushing at her unexpected interruption. "Mrs. Malfoy you don't-"

But Narcissa held up a hand and Hermione fell quiet at once. "I lost many years with my sister because of my beliefs. And I meant it last night when I said I refuse to lose my only son - my only child - because of who he fell in love with. Oh yes," she said with a small smile at the look of surprise on Hermione's face. "I know Draco loves you. Aside from the fact that he practically told me himself, I can see it in the way he looks at you."

Hermione remained quiet. She had a feeling the elder witch wasn't finished, and she was right. Narcissa drew in a deep breath and said, "And I see the way you look at him. As a mother, this is hard to say, but I know my son is not perfect. He has his flaws, like the rest of us. I am also referencing the events of this year and the end of last. I know people will judge him in the future - for years to come, they will remember. But you, you cared for him and loved him in a spite of all of this. And for that...I can never thank you enough."

Hermione's cheeks were burning at this point. She hadn't the faintest idea what to expect while alone with Narcissa Malfoy, but this was definitely not it. When she'd managed to compose herself, she said hoarsely, "I love your son very much." She looked Narcissa directly in the eyes then, and held her hot mug of tea with both hands. "He's not who he appears to be on the outside. He's gentle, and sensitive, and...brilliant…" she trailed off, aware that she was beginning to ramble.

Narcissa was smiling genuinely now, the faintest hint of wrinkles crinkling at the corner of her eyes. When the elder witch remained silent, Hermione started on her oatmeal and found that it had gone a bit cold. She cast a reheating charm with her wand and was about to take a spoonful when Narcissa said quietly, "Thank you for not giving up on him."

Hermione watched silently, stunned, as Narcissa got up from the table, dropped her mug in the sink and swept out of the kitchen. The only other sound she heard was her oatmeal flopping back into her bowl.

They were sitting out in the yard, laid out on a blanket, their socks and shoes kicked off. For the middle of July, it was on the cooler side today, and large, grey clouds hung above them. Draco had been doodling on a piece of parchment, and Hermione was still amazed that he could draw star charts on the whim like this. When she commented on this, he blushed and muttered something about how he was just always really interested in astronomy. Hermione smiled at him fondly and chose this moment to tell him what happened earlier that morning.

"I talked to your mum this morning," she said, propping herself up on one elbow while he sketched. At her words, his quill froze and he looked up at her with worry.

"What happened?" he asked, laying down his quill now, and gave her his full attention.

Hermione chuckled. "It was fine. It was...more than fine, actually. She, erm... Didn't seem to think the thanks she had given me last night was sufficient enough."

"What do you mean?"

"Well," she said, feeling heat rise to her cheeks. "She said she knows that we love each other...and-and she's okay with that because it means that," she inhaled deeply, "That I never gave up on you. And I stuck by you. She said it meant a lot to her."

Draco swallowed hard, clearly at a loss for words at the moment. Hermione placed her hand over his and gave it a squeeze. "I'm glad she was kind to you," he said quietly.

"Me too," she said. "Quite honestly, I'm still a bit shocked she's alright with us. I mean, it was like she barely batted an eye!"

He looked as though he were about to say something but she heard him mutter, "Nevermind." His focus fell back to his star chart. She took that as her cue to leave him be again, and laid back down to look up at the cloudy sky. The clouds were growing darker; it looked as though it might pour any minute. She heard the scratching of Draco's quill and she knew he'd gone back to sketching his star chart. With the cool breeze tickling her skin and the sounds of birds chirping in the distance along with the sound of Draco's quill, her eyes slowly began to drift shut. She hadn't gotten much sleep last night; a nice, little nap could do her some good...

Something wet splashed against her eyelid. She blinked rapidly and shot up. "What the-?" But her question was answered when another drop of water hit the top of her head. More were falling now against her arms, her feet, the blanket they were laying on.

Draco had already rolled up his parchment and stuffed it into his pocket. He stood up quickly and helped her up. "Come on," he muttered, reaching for the blanket, "before it starts to pour."

They rolled up the blanket as more droplets fell from the sky, a slow drizzle falling over them now. It was a decent walk from where they lay in the yard to the house, and even at a run they were sure to get wet. Draco reached for her hand, and his flesh was warm against her skin, a sharp contrast from the cool rain falling steadily now upon them. There was a loud crack from behind them. They both whipped their heads in time to see a flash of lightning. She couldn't help but yelp at the sound, and they both stared up at the dark, threatening clouds as a crash of thunder rumbled overhead.

"Draco, we really should-" But when she looked at him, she froze in mid-sentence. His cool, grey eyes were burning into her; she'd never seen him look at her with such an intensity. She cocked her head, and just as she opened her mouth to ask what was wrong, he pulled her towards him, so their lips were mere inches from each other. He searched her features frantically, but for what she didn't know. He licked his lips, the rain was beginning to glue his blonde locks to his forehead. "I think I know why my mum thanked you again this morning," he said loudly over the rain, which was starting to fall harder now. He licked his lips again and gripping her face more tightly he said, "Last night I-I told you her that you meant more to me than I ever thought possible, and I meant it. With every part of me, I meant that."

Both of them leaned forward and their lips came together. A roaring fire burst inside her as she wrapped her arms around his middle, pressing them together as close as she possibly could. Their clothes were soaked at this point, the rain so thick around them now as they kissed. He kissed her with fervor, his tongue searching and tasting every inch of her mouth, swallowing her moans the moment they escaped her throat. The air had left her lungs, she could no longer breathe and she didn't care. She'd never been kissed like this, and she was going to savor every single second of it.

Hermione and Draco were sitting on their bed, their backs against the headboard, a book in her lap. The cool, summer breeze drifted in through their open window; the moon casting its light in their dimly lit room. Draco sat with his eyes closed as she read to him. There had been many novels written by various witches and wizards that neither one of them had ever read, and exploring them together was something they'd both come to enjoy. It was in the brief pause of one the sentences that they both heard it: muffled voices coming from the other side of the wall. "Hold on," he said, holding up his hand and opening his eyes. "That's my mum and aunt again."

Hermione strained her ears and sure enough, could hear two muffled voices and something that sounded like crying. She closed the book and sat up in bed. Draco had already gotten up and walked over to the wall to hear them better. "Draco!" she scolded in a whisper. "You really shouldn't eavesdrop, it's-"

Draco hushed her and held up a hand. Her eyebrows shot up in shock. She got off the bed and stalked over to the wall, slightly annoyed that he'd silenced her. "Draco, get away from-"

"They're talking about my dad!" he whispered angrily.

She couldn't help but press her ear against the wall as well, trying her best to make out their conversation. If only I had a pair of Extendable Ears right now...she thought miserably. The walls were thin, but even then they couldn't hear every word the two witches were saying. She did however, hear Lucius's name tossed around once or twice, and Draco's as well. There were more sobs, presumably from Narcissa. Hermione's heart sank and she stepped away from the wall.

"Draco," she said, reaching for his hand. "We really shouldn't…"

He nodded, and slowly he stepped away from the wall as well. He kept his gaze to the floor, but she didn't miss his clenched jaw or the stiffness of his posture. She led him back to the bed; he sat down on the edge but had his back turned to her. Tentatively, she placed a hand on his back. They hadn't spoken much of his father since the news, but she'd noticed the little jerks of his fingers of the twitch of his eye every time someone brought up his father's name. "You know what the worst part of all this is?" he asked, his voice constricted and strained.

"What?" she said, scooting closer to him on the edge.

"I know my dad loves me. He was always on me about my grades, and maybe sometimes the pressure was a bit much as I got older. But he always stood up for me." Hermione faintly recalled the fuss Lucius Malfoy made third year after Draco insulted Buckbeak and was attacked by the hippogriff. "I mean, it was like you said in the courtyard second year. My dad bought my way onto the Quidditch team… Bought us brooms too." He laughed bitterly. "There once was a time where my father gave me everything and anything I wanted, and the time that all I want is for him to be safe and with my mum and I...he can't give it to me." She was about to speak when he added, "It's all my mum wants, and he can't even do this for her. He's...he's too much of a coward."

Her mouth dropped open in shock. She didn't think she'd ever hear Draco call his father a coward. He'd threatened Harry for saying exactly the same thing in their fifth year and then again in Madam Malkin's before the start of their sixth. And now, here sat Lucius' own son, calling him the exact same thing. She couldn't believe her ears. "Draco," she said softly, making him turn his head to look at her. "Him declining the Order does not mean he doesn't love you. Maybe...maybe he is weak, right now. But don't give up on him, alright? Things change, and people change."

Draco nodded, though somewhat reluctantly and let his head rest against her shoulder, and her hand still rest on his back. They sat there in silence, looking out at the starry sky and the glowing moon, Narcissa's cries still audible through the walls.

Over the course of the next few days, Hermione saw very little of Ted. He was never around for meals, and she couldn't remember the last time she saw him in the living room with Andromeda. She couldn't help but wonder if Narcissa's presence was the reason behind it, but when she addressed Andromeda in private on a misty, Thursday morning, the elder witch laughed and shook her head. "I'm sorry," she said, giving Hermione a genuine apologetic look. "I can see why you would think that. No, he's just been helping with the Order with...well, I suppose you'll find out in a few days."

"Well," she said, leaning against the counter while Andromeda fixed herself a cup of tea. "How are you and Narcissa getting along then? It seems like you two are really hitting it off."

Andromeda paused, as though thrown off by her question. Her gaze lingered on Hermione for a moment, her head cocked to the side. "You know, at times I forget you are only seventeen," she said fondly. When Hermione didn't reply, Andromeda appeared amused and continued. "It's...wonderful having my sister back, but I think we are still rebuilding our relationship. There's certainly plenty to catch up on," she added thoughtfully. "But we're progressing, I think. To be honest, I almost wish Ted had been stuck at home these past few days just so they could get comfortable being in the other's presence."

Hermione frowned. "Who are you more worried about?" she asked, before she had time to think about it. She couldn't really explain why she had become interested in Ted's absence since Narcissa's arrival. "I just mean," she added quickly, "Does Ted...hold anything against your sister? Or are you more worried about how your sister might-"

Andromeda shook her head again and sat down at the kitchen table. "No," she said. "No I'm not so much worried about Narcissa as I am Ted. I don't know if he's forgiven her quite yet, but he'd never say so. Not to her, anyway."

The two witches sat in silence for a moment, Hermione lost in her thoughts and Andromeda sipping her tea. The moment the question popped into her head, she checked over shoulder to make sure neither Draco nor Narcissa were coming and in a low voice said, "Do you think your sister is changed? Or...changing? In regards to her views."

She saw Andromeda cringe, before she cast Hermione a grave and serious look. "You have to understand Hermione, what it was like growing up in a Pureblood home, especially a Pureblood family like mine. You are told certain opinions and views from the moment you can understand your parents and...you don't always question these things as children." When Hermione looked more confused than before, Andromeda sighed heavily and said, "I do not blame Narcissa if this is all secretly taking some getting used to. But I do believe, she is trying her hardest. And it would do well for you to remember that as well."

Hermione nodded, not quite meeting Andromeda's gaze. She had allowed Draco the time to readjust and inspect his views; there was no reason she shouldn't give Narcissa the same courtesy. The Malfoy matriarch had been nothing but polite to Hermione since her arrival, but she hadn't been able to help herself...to wonder if her actions were genuine or not. "Andromeda," Hermione said after a moment's silence. "You said...you said it's hard for Pureblood children to break away from the views instilled in them but then, how did you?"

Andromeda smiled, gripping her teacup between two hands. There was a twinkle in her eye Hermione had never seen before. "It was no walk in the park, my relationship with Ted. At least not at first," she started, looking ashamed and guilty for a brief moment. "I was hesitant, and I was desperate to keep us a secret. But...we can't control who we fall in love with. When I realized that's how we felt...I chose him," she said with a shrug and a laugh, shaking her head as her voice grew thick with emotion and nostalgia. "I realized nothing could be done to stop it, our feelings for one another. So...I ran."

Hermione smiled as images of a young Ted and Andromeda flashed before her eyes. Before she could say a word however, Andromeda leaned forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Narcissa respects you Hermione, because you saved her only son in more ways than one. You unknowingly helped their family more than you can possibly understand, and it is for that that my sister will always be thankful. We are not blind, Narcissa sees what you and Draco have. As I said, all of this," she gestured around the kitchen, "Is new to her." She moved one hand under Hermione's chin and tilted her head up until two pairs of brown eyes met. "Give her time just as you gave Draco time, yes?"

With too many emotions boiling inside her, none of which she could differentiate at the moment, Hermione nodded and rose from the chair slowly. When she reached the doorway, she froze. "I'd run with him," she whispered fiercely. "If we had to, I'd run with him."

Andromeda smiled at her, one tear trickling down her cheek. "I don't doubt you for a second, dear."

Despite the fact that Draco and Hermione were both of age, they were typically not allowed to stay for Order Meetings. So when Mad-Eye Moody, Tonks and Remus came round a few days later, and asked them to join them in the living room, they were quite surprised. Narcissa was asked to stay in her bedroom for the time being. When they were all seated, Mad-Eye looked around at all of them. "Listen up, and listen closely because I'm not repeating the plan. Now, you have the option to opt out of what I'm about to explain to you, and no one is going to blame you if you want to say no."

Draco exchanged nervous glances with her, and she felt his grip on her hand tighten. Andromeda and Ted exchanged looks. Tonks however, was standing tall and proud, with Remus by her side.

Mad-Eye turned to Hermione and Draco first, his magical blue eye boring into them. "You two," he grunted. "Potter is being escorted from his home on the evening of the twenty-seventh of this month. Now, the plan is to have six of us Polyjuiced as Potter, and each one will be paired with a member of the Order. We'll all meet at the Burrow; Molly and Arthur have already agreed to partake in the plan. This will be dangerous. We'll need both of you to be disguised as Potter."

"I'll do it," Hermione said immediately, looking Moody directly in the eyes.

Moody surveyed her for a moment then his gaze switched to Draco, who still had not spoken. She was about to tell Draco that he didn't have to; she didn't expect him to risk his life, not when he was surrounded by actual family. He had his Aunt and Uncle, and his mother back, finally.

She then felt his grip on her hand tighten again as he said, "I'll do it, too. I'm in." She didn't miss the wavering in his voice, but he gave her a reassuring smile nonetheless.

There was another prolonged moment of silence as Mad-Eye studied Draco before he turned to Ted and Andromeda. "The only ones who will be returning here are Hagrid and Potter. Not for long. They'll take a portkey from here to the Burrow."

"It's not a problem, Alastor," Andromeda responded, waving a hand dismissively. "Whatever you need from us."

Mad-Eye nodded in approval. "Right, well that's all I needed to say. I'm going to be on my way- No, no, I can't stay," he said gruffly, shaking his head, as Andromeda had insisted he stay for dinner. "Remus, Tonks, you're staying I assume?" The latter nodded and Moody grunted in farewell.

"Well, it'll be a bit before dinner is ready, so make yourselves comfortable, won't you? Ted, will you fix some tea for everyone?" Andromeda said as she stood to head to the kitchen. Ted nodded and got up to follow her out.

"Actually Ted, just want to make two cups actually. I think Draco and I will step outside," Hermione said abruptly, before Ted had completely disappeared. She saw Draco give her a confused look, but she shook her head and instead led him past the other four to the backyard. She wrenched open the back door and led them towards the pond. She waited until they stood by the bank, took a deep breath and said, "Are you absolutely sure you want to do this?"

He frowned at her, as though he had no idea why she was asking such a question. "Yes," he said, his voice firm. "If you think I'm not going to come with you on this-"

"It's just- It's dangerous, Draco! Voldemort is desperate to find Harry, there's no doubt about it. You could be hurt, or-or killed," she argued, placing her hands on her hips.

"I don't understand why you're arguing me on this," he shot back. "I thought you'd be happy that I'm willing to come along!"

"I am," she said. "It's just," her gaze fell towards the house behind him. His eyes followed hers, and she watched his features soften as he understood what she was trying to say. "You just got them back, Draco," she said quietly. "I just want to make sure you definitely want to do this, that's all."

He stared at the house for a while, and she stood waiting for his reply. She could see the confliction on his features; his shoulders were tensed, his lips were set in a thin line, jaw clenched and brows furrowed. The silence seemed to go on forever, and Hermione was starting to wonder if he would tell her he'd changed his mind. And then he turned around; it was then that she saw the glint in his eye, fierce and determined and dangerous. "I'm doing it." he said, more firmly than he had in the living room just minutes ago.

A warmth spread through her body, and it had nothing to do with the warm summer night. Draco was looking at her fiercely, his grey eyes piercing hers, and his hand clenched tightly in her own. And she knew then: she knew that he had made up his mind. There were no words she could string together to tell him what it meant to her that he was willing to risk his life, and to risk losing his family for the sake of someone he could hardly tolerate.

Hermione pulled him closer, wrapping her arms around his waist, and she nestled her head against his chest. She breathed him in, then looked up. "Draco, I am...so proud of you. You've changed so much and…" She didn't even know what else to say. All she knew was that she was swelling with pride. He'd truly become a different person, and she couldn't have loved him more in that moment. To know that he would be with her through all of this, meant more than she could ever explain.

When they returned to the house, they found Ted, Remus, Tonks, and Andromeda in the kitchen. The two of them greeted the other three, and Hermione and Draco continued into the living room, where they found Narcissa sitting by herself. She sat in an armchair next to a bookcase filled with odd knick-knacks and pictures. Her body was stiff, and her lips were pulled into what was clearly an uncomfortable smile. Hermione and Draco sat on the loveseat closest to her. "Mum?" Draco said.

Narcissa looked around at the pair of them, and her forced smile faded. "I was admiring these pictures," she said, gesturing to the bookshelf. Hermione didn't miss the conversational tone of her voice, nor the slight look of nervousness on her pale features. It had been several days since her arrival to Andromeda's, and she had met a fair few of the Order Members since they had collected her from their hide-out, but this was the first time she had been around Order Members at the time of a meeting, let alone having dinner with them too. "Why didn't we have more family photographs hanging around the Manor?" she asked rhetorically, her gaze now back on the moving photographs.

Hermione, who had never set foot inside Malfoy Manor, tried to imagine photographs like these framed on the walls of Draco's home or set on tables and bookshelves, but the image just seemed wrong, and judging by the look on Draco's face, he knew exactly why they didn't have many family photographs - he just didn't want to say it. The two watched as Narcissa's eyes fell on one that showed Andromeda and Ted standing behind Tonks and a birthday cake illuminated with candles. The young Tonks grinned goofily up at her parents before blowing out the candles.

Hermione saw the corners of Narcissa's lips quirk upwards into a smile, but a split second later, her features fell. She turned to look solely at Draco, her brows furrowed. "Draco," she said sadly. "Your seventeenth birthday...your coming of age...I-"

"Mum," Draco cut in, his voice firm. "It's okay. I didn't- We..." he stopped and looked at Hermione, "didn't even celebrate my birthday the day of. With everything that happened the night before… Anyway, Andromeda and Hermione surprised me a few weeks ago with a cake. The same cake you always used to make me, actually."

The elder Malfoy seemed to be shocked into silence, as she gazed at the two of them, her expression unreadable. Then, slowly, one corner of her mouth shifted upwards. "That's-that's wonderful, dear-"

"It was Andromeda who did most of the work, really." Hermione said abruptly. "I just...remembered that Draco had told me about it. But Andromeda remembered the recipe and everything…" she trailed off, forgetting her intention of speaking at all.

But this only made Narcissa smile wider, more genuinely it seemed. "Yes," she said quietly. "Yes, she would remember it."

"Dinner!" Andromeda called, poking her head out of the kitchen.

Hermione and Draco stood up immediately, and she was ready to head for the kitchen when Draco paused. She stopped too, and realized that Narcissa hadn't stood up. "Aren't you coming, mum?" he said, reaching a hand out for her to take.

"Hmm?" Narcissa said, acting as though she had not heard him. "Oh, yes. Yes, of course."

The two of them waited for the Malfoy matriarch to get up and walked slowly so she could enter the kitchen with them. Tonks and Remus were already seated at the table, which had been extended to fit the acquired number of guests, and Hermione didn't miss the way Tonks tensed at Narcissa's arrival. Ted beckoned them to sit, drawing out a chair for Narcissa, for which she thanked him for. Hermione's lips quirked up into a small smile as she sat down next to Draco. She wondered for a moment how he felt sitting between his mother and his girlfriend before she pushed the thought away and turned her attention to Tonks, who was sitting directly across from her. The witch was tense beside her fiance and kept stealing side-glances at her Aunt. "So Tonks, how's the wedding planning? It's coming up soon, right?" she asked, trying to distract Tonks from Narcissa.

"Huh? Oh yeah, well with the mission on the twenty-seventh we'll have to have it before then. We were thinking the twenty-third, but it's up to mum at this point," Tonks explained, not fully meeting Hermione's eyes.

"Tonks," Remus whispered, leaning in close to her. "Careful not to mention the you-know-what."

Narcissa looked interested, but an uncomfortable silence had fallen over the table. "Mission?" Narcissa asked, peering around at her sister, who was already giving her an apologetic smile.

"Sorry Cissy," she said. "It's Order business and it's well, only between active Order Members. We're not supposed to discuss it outside meetings." She gave her daughter a pointed stare. Tonks looked down at her plate, like a child who had been scolded.

"I understand," Narcissa said, now looking at Draco, who was avoiding her stare. "Well Draco, I believe congratulations are in order then? For both you and Hermione?"

The two exchanged apprehensive looks before Draco looked back to his mother. "I don't think that's necessary mum, really. It's-"

"Nonsense," Narcissa said, standing from the table. "If I know my sister, she has a few bottles of wine stashed around here."

Remus and Tonks looked as though they wanted to be anywhere but here at the moment, while Andromeda and Ted exchanged in a private and what seemed to be a wordless conversation. She felt Draco reach for the hand that rested on her thigh, giving her fingers a squeeze. "I wasn't planning on telling her yet," he murmured out of the corner of his mouth. "Wait until she hears I'm going on the mission."

Andromeda rose from her chair and went to assist her sister, who was now fumbling in the pantry. Hermione looked at Draco with a grim expression. "Better we face it sooner than later," she said with a heavy sigh.

It was a few days before they were able to get Narcissa alone for a bit and tell her that Draco was not only an Order member, but was risking his life on a mission in less than a week's time. Between Order members popping in and out to go over the plan for the twenty-seventh, and practicing their list of defensive spells, they'd had little time alone with her. Tonight however, they'd hit a stroke of luck. Hermione and Draco were the only ones left in the living room aside from Narcissa, with Andromeda and Ted turning in for the night just minutes ago. Narcissa was preoccupied with a book while Hermione and Draco had secretly continued creating their list of defensive spells she felt Draco should know. After agreeing to help transport Harry on the twenty-seventh of this month, she suggested they start going over and practicing defensive spells. They were crunched on time, and they'd already started working on a few over the past few days, but there was so much she wanted to cover. There was still one thing Draco had to do though, that had nothing to do with defensive magic. She nudged his side and switched her gaze to his mother, who sat completely oblivious to the pair of them. Draco shot her a look as if to say, 'Do I have to?'. She gave him a pointed stare and nodded her head towards Narcissa again. He sighed and set down the parchment he'd had in his lap. "Mum?" he said after clearing his throat.

Narcissa looked up from her book, and when she caught sight of the looks on both their faces, she frowned. "Is this when I find out the reason behind your meaningful glances for the past hour?" she said, sitting up straighter and snapping the book shut.

"Listen," he said seriously, ignoring her question. Hermione was a bit taken aback by his tone. "Some of the Order Members are going on a mission next week, and I'm going with them-"

"I beg your pardon?" Narcissa whispered, looking aghast. Hermione looked back and forth between mother and son; Narcissa's features riddled with shock and Draco's hard as stone.

"I'm going on a mission with the Order," he repeated, not breaking eye contact.

The elder witch turned to look at Hermione, her eyes bright and piercing and said, "Hermione, would you kindly give me a moment alone with my son?"

Hermione nodded fervently and stood up. "Yes," she murmured. "Yes, of course." She turned to Draco and gave one last supportive squeeze of his hand. "I'll, erm… I'll be upstairs." As quickly as she could, she left mother and son behind, with one last fleeting look as she disappeared from the archway. She could hear the murmuring of their voices as she slowed her walk, but she was barely twenty feet away when she could no longer hear them. Resigned to waiting for Draco to meet her upstairs, Hermione climbed the stairs slowly, hoping that she'd be able to hear something.

It was well over an hour when Draco returned to their bedroom. She looked up at him expectantly from their bed, setting aside the list of defensive spells she'd been writing down. He looked tired; shoulders slumped, hair tousled and eyes slightly bloodshot. She scooted forward toward the edge of the bed as Draco flopped down backwards onto the mattress, staring up at the ceiling. "That was horrible," he groaned, dragging his hands through his hair and down his face. "I don't know why she's putting up such a fuss about it."

Hermione bit her lip; after her conversation with Andromeda the other day, she'd thought a lot about what Narcissa must have gone through, and not just within the past few weeks. Aside from her conversation with Andromeda, she hadn't been oblivious to the awkward silences, the hours that Narcissa would spend in her room. "Oh Draco, isn't it obvious?" she said shrilly. He turned to look at her, eyebrow raised. She rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. Draco propped himself up on his elbows and gave her his full attention. "Well first there's the fact that her entire world has flipped upside down. Her son switched sides, she had to go into hiding, your dad chose not to come with her, and now she's living at her sister's house who she hasn't spoken to in Merlin knows how long! Add that on to the fact that her sister is married to a Muggle-born and now has to see the man daily. Not to mention her son is dating one..." her voice grew quiet at these words. "She's already trying to adapt. She's lived her life a certain way and...believed certain things, but she's trying to accept it all and now…" She looked at him with a sad smile and brushed his fringe out of his eyes. "She has to accept that she might lose you on this mission. She loves you a lot, you know. And I think...after everything that has been thrown her at these past few weeks, you were the only stable thing about her new life. At least she had you."

Draco attempted a scoff, but he didn't sound entirely convincing. He cleared his throat, staring unblinkingly at the ceiling. "She's being ridiculous," he muttered. "I'll come back, I'll-"

"There's no guarantee," she said flatly, surprised at the ruthlessness of her own tone. "Any of us could-"

"Don't say it," he snapped, turning his attention to her. His eyes narrowed at the sight of her, his lips twisted into a frown. "I know it's the truth," he said when she opened her mouth. "But just...don't say it, okay?"

She nodded. He sat up and looked at her curiously, like she was a riddle he was trying to solve. "You realize you're risking your life for Potter, right?" he said, his lips barely moving.

Hermione chuckled and rested her head against his shoulder. "Yes," she said. "And I don't think I have to tell you that I'd do for it him a hundred times if I had to." Draco pulled away from her, his eyes wide and his eyebrows nearly at his hairline. "Oh relax," she said with a sigh. "I'd to the same for you...and Ron, and my parents…"

"I get your point," he said, a smile breaking out on his lips. He looked at her and lifted a hand to cup her cheek. She leaned into his touch, closing her eyes. His fingers swept up to her hair, pushing it behind her ear. "Have I ever told you how amazing you are?"

She felt a heat rush to her cheeks. "Funnily enough, I don't think you ever have," she teased.

He licked his lips, and ran his thumb down her jawline. "Well if we could die any day apparently, then perhaps I should tell you more often."

"Perhaps you should," she said before leaning forward and pressed her lips against his.

Hermione had to admit, the backyard looked absolutely beautiful. Despite the fact that there were no guests other than the occupants of the house attending the wedding, the set-up was stunning. A white arch weaved with roses stood just behind Kingsley, Remus and Tonks. Kingsley stood between the couple, with Hermione, Andromeda and Narcissa standing behind Tonks all sporting white, summer dresses. Ted and Draco stood behind Remus, both in black dress robes. She saw Draco smile at her, peering around the other two men. She gave him a smile wave then nodded her head towards Kingsley, who was ready to begin.

Kingsley started his speech; Hermione watched a smile spread on Remus's face as he Tonks held hands. Tonks was practically bouncing on her toes. Hermione let out an airy laugh. Her gaze fell on Draco again as she heard Kingsley ask Tonks if she would take Remus as her husband. He too was watching the exchange before them, one corner of his lips quirked upwards, hands clasped in front of him as he stood tall. Andromeda sniffled in front of her, dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief.

Their vows were short and quick, and before Hermione knew it the ceremony was over. She watched, amazed, as Kingsley raised his wand above the new married couple and silver stars fell around them before winding their way around their joined hands.. The five of them cheered as Tonks and Remus kissed before pulling away from one another. Andromeda and Ted swarmed upon their daughter, offering their congratulations and kisses. The other three hung back as Kingsley stepped out of the way. Hermione turned around to see Narcissa wearing a watery smile. Draco appeared at her side a moment later and slipped his hand into hers. "Nice ceremony, wasn't it?" Hermione said, turning to smile at Narcissa.

Narcissa returned her smile as she dabbed her eyes and glanced over at the other four, still chatting excitedly. "It was lovely, yes." She noticed the look of apprehension that flickered over Narcissa's features every time she looked at Remus, but it never lasted long. Narcissa was quick to put her walls back up, she'd noticed. Before Draco or Hermione could say anything more about the wedding, they heard the sound of laughter and several voices growing louder. "Cissy!" she heard Andromeda call. The voices grew closer, and Andromeda, Ted, Remus and Tonks joined their circle. "I was telling Ted you had taken care of the decorations for us, being you have such an eye for that sort of thing."

"Everything was just beautiful," Ted said earnestly, lifting his head to look directly at Narcissa. "Truly, you did a spectacular job."

"You really did," Tonks chimed in, albeit somewhat begrudgingly. "I couldn't have asked for anything better, really. Simple, not too much…"

"It was my pleasure, really," Narcissa said, waving a hand dismissively. "No trouble at all."

Silence fell between them all, as they all stared around at one another for a moment. It was Andromeda who spoke first. "Right, well, we should start preparing for the celebration! Ted, would you, Remus and Draco set up the table? Hermione, Narcissa, join me in the kitchen please?"

"What do you want me to do, mum?" Tonks asked eagerly.

Andromeda turned to her and patted her cheek with her hand. "Nothing dear, you're the bride after all." Tonks looked slightly disappointed, and Hermione had a feeling Andromeda was sparing everyone else from having to cope with her daughter's clumsiness. Everyone separated, Tonks heading up to her mum's room to change and lay down for a bit. Hermione followed the older two witches into the kitchen, a ball of nervousness growing in her stomach. She hadn't been alone with the two sisters before now.

"Hermione dear, fetch me a large mixing bowl would you?" Andromeda asked as she rummaged through the cupboard. Narcissa was clearing the counters, making room for the three of them to work. It wasn't long before the three of them set to work, each concentrated on their task at hand. Hermione was in her own little world, chopping vegetables and preparing the salad. She hadn't heard Andromeda curse under her breath and bolt out of the kitchen, and she hadn't heard Narcissa calling her name. Her mind, now that the excitement for the day was over, was back on the fact that they were leaving in four days time to transport Harry. It wasn't until Narcissa tapped her on the shoulder that she was pulled from her reverie, and whirled around. She let out a small yelp and the knife fell to the counter with a small clatter.

"Sorry," Narcissa said apologetically. "But I need a word with you, before my sister returns." She peered around Hermione, no doubt to check if she could see Andromeda.

"Erm, alright," Hermione said nervously, leaning against the counter.

"Draco has made it quite clear that he is not to be dissuaded from this mission the two of you speak of," she said coolly, her features blank. "I have no way of stopping him. He is of age, he can make his own decisions. But do make sure he comes back here in one piece, preferably alive, will you?"

Hermione stammered wordlessly as she stared at the elder witch; her skin as pale as Draco's, the sharp lines of her face illuminated by the sunlight flooding the kitchen. She was breathtakingly beautiful, of course, but she was quite intimidating. Especially with the ferocity in her tone, and the fixed stare she refused to break. "I'll do what I can," she said, feeling her heart sink in her chest. "Everything I can," she amended.

She had no way of ensuring Draco's safety after they would leave Privet Drive, but she wasn't about to tell his mother this. What good would it do? Besides, she and Draco had been practicing hard ever since they found out about the mission. He'd picked up majority of the jinxes and hexes quickly, and she'd been impressed by the strength of his shield charm. He would be fine. They would both be fine. And they could return after it was all over; mother and son could be reunited once more. Everything is going to be fine, she told herself, giving Narcissa a convincing smile and returning to the half-chopped vegetables in front of her.