Sorry for the short chapter but I wanted to get it posted since it's been over two weeks since the last one.

Hope everyone's staying healthy in this crazy world we live in!

Anna had never seen her Uncle Arthur so angry. Over the years, the man had gotten upset with all of the Weasley children, herself included but never to the point of where he was now. Uncle Arthur's face was so red it looked purple and his eyes were bulging out of his head as he stared down at his daughter and niece.

Aunt Molly on the other hand, was sitting down in a chair, thumbnail in her mouth and she seemed to be going over everything that Anna had said thus far. The twins were nearby, listening but remaining quiet thankfully, while Draco and Blaise had stepped outside. Anna was grateful for that as she had a feeling his presence would only make things worse.

Anna glanced over at Ginny, who looked just as guilty as she felt. Neither one of them had been expecting this turn of events and it was clear that they had no idea how to go about it now.

"Can one of you please say something?" Ginny finally asked, frustrated.

"What it is that you want us to say, Ginny?" Arthur asked. "It's clear that you've both been lying to us for quite some time now."

Anna took a deep breath. "I'm sorry," she said, honestly. "I didn't want to lie but-"

"How long has this been going on?" Molly interrupted, looking at Anna again.

She kept her eyes down as she answered, knowing she would feel too much guilt if she looked at her aunt. "Since last year. When I was doing those tutoring sessions."

Molly's eyes went wide. "So…it was Draco you were tutoring?"

Anna nodded. "That's how it started."

Arthur huffed noisily. "This has been going on for a year and you never thought to tell us?" he turned to Ginny. "How long have you known?"

"A while. Before the summer," the redhead answered.

"But I made her swear not to tell," Anna piped up, defending her cousin in any way that she could. "Don't be angry with her."

"I'm angry with both of you. And for good reason," Arthur shook his head and looked back at Molly. "This is outrageous, am I right?"

Molly sighed. "I'm just as confused as you are, Arthur. But I think we need to let the girls explain a little more."

Arthur didn't look happy about it but he seemed to know better than to argue with his wife. Instead, he took a seat at the table next to Molly. Anna swallowed thickly as she stared at the only two parental figures she had left in her life. It hurt knowing that they were disappointed in her and she wanted to make it right again. All while keeping Draco in her life.

It wasn't going to be easy.

"How about you start from the beginning?" Aunt Molly suggested, her voice encouraging. "From when the tutoring starting."

Anna nodded and took another deep breath before launching into the story of how she'd fallen in love with Draco Malfoy. She spoke about the tutoring, how the late night sessions had taken their toll on her mentally and how her pride had slowly chipped away until she saw Draco in a new kind of light. She told her about their meetings in the Room of Requirement, how he had mended the Vanishing Cabinet without her ever knowing and then tried to keep her safe by making her promise not to leave her dormitory on that fateful night.

She told them about their secret rendezvous outside of school, how they had met up without anyone but Ginny knowing. About how he helped rescue Dennis Creevey and stood up to the Carrows for her. She told them how he'd been tortured by the Dark Lord and his father and how he'd finally changed his ways. Anna wanted them to know exactly what Draco meant to her and she to him. She wanted them to understand that he was something she could no longer go without. When she was finally done speaking it felt like it had taken ages. She was exhausted and she hadn't done anything but talk. Molly and Arthur were still mulling over everything. They'd asked some questions during her speech but not many. They mostly just listened, which was good, it meant that her words were sinking in as much as they could.

"So, who's idea was it to bring Malfoy and Zabini to the Burrow for Christmas?" Arthur asked, looking between them both.

"Mine," Ginny spoke up proudly. She'd been quiet too, only piping up if Anna really needed her to. "I thought it was finally time for Anna to come clean to everyone. Honestly, I'm surprised you hadn't heard about it sooner considering the entire school knows."

Arthur shook his head. "We haven't spoken to anyone from school but Minerva and she didn't mention anything."

"Perhaps she felt it wasn't her place to tell, Arthur," Molly said, placing a hand on his arm. "I for one, am glad to be hearing it from Anna and not somebody else."

Anna frowned. "You are?"

Molly nodded. "It means that you trust us. Yes, I would have liked it to have happened sooner and I'm still very disappointed that you've been lying to us for so long but I will admit that I'm glad you finally decided to put your faith in us."

Anna couldn't help but smile at her aunt. "Thanks, Aunt Molly." She turned to her uncle, who still looked angry but his face wasn't as red as before so she took that as a good sign. "Are you okay, Uncle Arthur?"

The man sighed heavily, scrubbing a hand over his face. "I don't know. I…I'm not sure how I'm feeling about any of this."

Ginny stood up then and walked over to her father. "I know it's a lot to process, Dad. It was a lot for me as well. But…if you give it time you'll see. Draco's different."

"How do you expect us to believe that?" came Fred's voice from where they'd been standing. "This is Malfoy we're talking about. He's been a git for as long as we can remember. How can somebody change that much?"

"I never said he wasn't a git anymore," said Ginny with a playful grin. "But he's a lot more tolerable now and he cares about Anna. A lot."

"How do we know that it's not all an act?" George asked. "How do we know he's not using Anna in order to gain information for You-Know-Who?"

"Because I'd rather die than betray Anna."

Draco's voice seemed to echo throughout the flat and all eyes turned to him. He was standing in front of the door, arms hanging down by his sides and his hands were curled into fists. He looked calm but Anna could tell by the look in his blue eyes that he was pissed, likely having heard every word they'd been saying since he stepped outside.

"Look," Draco went on, taking a few steps closer to the center of the room. "I understand that this is hard to accept. It took me a long time to come to terms with it as well and I had a lot of help." He looked at Anna knowingly and she glanced down, attempting to hide her blush as Draco kept going. "But the fact is that everything Anna said is completely true."

Arthur crossed his arms over his chest, staring Draco down. "How are we to believe you've had such a dramatic change of heart?"

Draco shrugged. "You're just going to have to trust me."

Fred scoffed. "Because that's normal."

"None of this is normal," Draco said, teeth gritted. "You think I'm comfortable right now, standing in a room full of people who hate me? Do you think it was easy for me to come here and do this, knowing full well that this was exactly the way you lot were going to react?"

The Weasley's all shared a look of guilt between one another and Anna couldn't stop herself from going to Draco's side. She slipped her hand into his palm, wrapping her fingers around his and holding on tightly. She was aware of her family watching them closely and she wasn't ashamed to show them how much she cared for the boy beside her.

"I'm here because Anna's right – it's time to stop hiding. I'm not saying that we all have to be best friends. I think we know that will likely never happen. But I'm willing to try."

There was a long pause of silence as the Weasley's took in his words. Anna held her breath as she waited for them to say something, anything. Her fingers squeezed Draco's and she had to stop herself from pressing a kiss to his lips. She was so proud of him and couldn't wait to tell him.

Aunt Molly was the first to stand up. She walked over to where Anna and Draco were standing and quickly wrapped her arms around her niece. Anna hugged her back effortlessly, taking comfort in the motherly sensation she got each time Molly treated her as such.

"We love you, Anna," she said when she pulled away. She looked over at Draco. "And if that's the only thing we can all agree on, then so be it. I say that it's enough."

Anna let out a breath of relief. "Thank you, Aunt Molly."

The older woman nodded and then her face turned serious. "There will be rules, though. You understand? You've broken our trust, Anna, and that comes with consequences."

The brunette nodded. "I understand."

"Good," said Molly before sighing heavily. She glanced at Draco and then back at her husband. "Now then, shall we get a move on? Supper isn't going to make itself, you know."

He'd never felt more out of place in his entire life.

As Draco walked through the cluttered first floor of the Weasley household, he was once again struck nearly silly by how cozy the place felt. A complete contrast to the spotlessly clean manor he grew up in, the Burrow was messy and welcoming all at the same time. He wasn't worried about accidentally tracking in a bit of dirt or knocking into one of the family portraits hanging on the walls.

Despite the fact that the majority of the Weasley children no longer lived at home, the Burrow still felt as if it had seven adolescents running around. Draco didn't have to live there to know that it was a place where people came to relax and regroup, where memories were made daily. It felt like the kind of place Draco could almost get used to, though he'd never admit it out loud.

"Anna, show Draco and Blaise up to Percy's room, would you?" Molly asked before heading off towards the kitchen.

"Come on," Anna said, starting up the rickety stairs that reminded him of the changing staircases at Hogwarts. Every step he took, the wood beneath his feet gave a loud shriek. How in the bloody hell had this place not come crumbling down yet? It had to be held up by some sort of magic, there was no other explanation. The house was as crooked as his father though Draco would have gladly stayed in the Burrow forever if it meant never seeing Lucius again.

On the second floor, Gilbert lead them into the first door on the left. The room was rather small, not even half the size of his own at Malfoy Manor and it looked as though a second bed had been crammed inside hastily, which was likely the case. But the blankets looked warm and the bed soft, what was there to complain about, really?

"Charming," Draco said, though there was no real insult behind his tone.

Blaise laughed shortly. "It beats sharing a room with Nott snoring like a lunatic."

Draco couldn't argue there.

"The loo is just above you on the next floor," Anna explained. "Mum and Dad are above that and then Ron's room is just below the attic."

"You know, I've always wondered how all you Weasley's fit in this place," Draco said, teasing.

Anna didn't seem to like the joke. "Now you know."

He smirked and closed the distance between them, slipping one hand around her waist. "And where's your room."

"First floor," she said and then rolled her eyes. "But don't get any ideas, there's no possible way of making it down the stairs without someone hearing you. Plus, I share with Ginny."

He didn't like that but he supposed he was already pushing his luck pretty far with the Weasley's. If he was smart, he wouldn't give her aunt and uncle any more reason to hate him.

Blaise dropped his trunk and flopped down onto one of the beds, tucking his arms behind his head. "I'm having a nap so you two better keep it down over there," he said, closing his eyes.

Anna smiled up at him. "I'm going to go unpack. I'll come get you both when tea's ready."

He nodded and she leaned up to kiss him. Just a small, lingering kiss. She didn't even open her mouth, which was a little disappointing but he let her pull away and head back downstairs.

Draco was getting better at controlling himself around her. There wasn't a constant urge to deepen every kiss or strengthen his hold. Of course, that didn't deter from the fact that he always wanted her, no matter where they were or what they were doing. But it was easier to control, to save it for another time. And Draco knew that now more than ever he would have to keep himself in check if he wanted to survive these next few weeks with the Weasley's.

"She's got you by the balls, mate," Blaise mumbled, eyes still closed.

Draco grabbed the pillow nearest to him and chucked it at his friend. It found its target perfectly. "Shut up," Draco said, though he had to admit that Blaise's words weren't completely untrue.

The fact that he was there, in the Weasley's house planning on staying there for nearly two weeks, was proof enough of that. He'd questioned his sanity many times before but this definitely was the last nail in the coffin. If his father ever found out…

Why was he thinking so much of Lucius? The man had barely crossed his mind in the last few months but now it seemed to be all Draco could think about. He wasn't supposed to care about what his father would think. Of course, he knew that Lucius would laugh in his face if he knew Draco was staying with the Weasley's. His relationship with Gilbert would become a joke, a topic to pick apart at the table as the rest of the Death Eaters lapped it up and boasted about how much better Purebloods are than any other race of human.

Perhaps years of seeking approval from a man that could only love himself was too ingrained into Draco's psyche. Maybe he would never be able to escape Lucius Malfoy, no matter how hard he tried. And that possibility absolutely terrified Draco.

Taking a page out of Blaise's book, Draco lay down on the empty bed and closed his eyes, hoping to get at least some form of rest for a bit. He had a feeling it was going to be a long holiday.

"Well, that could have gone better," said Ginny as they unpacked their trunks together a few minutes later.

Anna sighed heavily. "I still can't believe how angry your dad was. I've never seen him like that before."

"He hates the Malfoy's," Ginny said, folding up a pair of trousers. "How many times did Lucius try to have dad fired from the Ministry? Of course he's not going to trust his son."

"You're not exactly helping, Gin."

"I know, I'm sorry." Ginny stopped moving clothes from her trunk into her wardrobe and turned to face Anna. "But at least they're here, right? At least mum and dad have agreed to giving you and Draco a chance."

Anna nodded. "I guess so. I just wish it was easier."

Ginny laughed. "If you wanted easy you shouldn't have chosen someone other than Draco Malfoy."

Anna couldn't help but laugh too because it was true. Nothing about her relationship with Draco had been easy and it probably never would be. At least not while this war was going on.

Her cousin was silent for a while before finally speaking again, her voice quiet and curious. "Do you really think that when the time comes, Draco will fight on our side?"

Anna answered without hesitation. "Yes." Because there wasn't any other option. If he chose the other side, if he chose the Dark Lord and his father, then she would never be able to forgive him. And in Anna's mind, her world no longer existed without Draco in it.

"Girls!" they heard Aunt Molly call up the stairs. "Come here a minute please."

They both obeyed, leaving their open trunks in the room and going downstairs to find Molly in the kitchen. A large pot was on the stove with a wooden spoon charmed to continue stirring whatever was inside while vegetables were being chopped up on a cutting board by a floating knife. Aunt Molly was setting the table the Muggle way so to ensure none of the plates broke.

"I need you both to tidy up around here before tea is done," she said and it wasn't a request. Anna immediately walked over to the living room and began folding some of the blankets lying on the sofas and chairs while Ginny began sweeping the floor.

"Where's Dad?" Ginny asked, looking around.

"Went to see Remus. Won't be back until late tonight," Molly said.

Anna took a breath. "He's gone to tell Lupin about Draco, hasn't he?"

Molly kept her eyes focused on the plates. "What makes you say that?"

"Aunt Molly," Anna said and the woman stopped setting the table and looked up at her niece.

There was a pregnant pause before Aunt Molly let out a soft breath. "He felt it was best to let the others know-"

"How is that for the best?" Anna asked, feeling anger bubble inside of her. "Everyone is just going to assume the worst, like you all did. That Draco's only with me because he wants to relay information about the Order to the Dark Lord."

"Anna, you must have known this was going to happen when you brought him here," Molly said, sounding tired. "We agreed to give Draco a chance, granted it took a lot of convincing on my part and I'm still not sure that Arthur is one-hundred percent on board but he's agreed to be civil. His telling Remus is just a precaution. Plus, Tonx is Draco's cousin."

"He doesn't speak to her," Anna pointed out. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"He may not speak to her, but perhaps he would be open to the idea of it now. And speaking to a member of his family and reconciling with them will only benefit Draco at this point, don't you agree?"

Anna looked over at Ginny who shrugged. "It definitely can't hurt," the redhead said, agreeing with her mother.

Anna sighed heavily. She hated when the Weasley's ganged up against her. Those were the battles that she could never win, no matter how hard she tried.