A/N: Last week I received some awful news. I was tagged in a post on a forum. The poster said they are "almost twelve" reading "Unseen," and it literally made me sick. Children lurk on the internet. I know it is not my responsibility to assume underage people will read my work, but now I know my stories are being read by people who should not be reading them.

A/N: If you are under 16 and reading my work that is tagged as "Mature" or "Explicit," please don't. Please stop reading them. And if you do continue to read them against my wishes, do not tell me. I hurt so much knowing that someone who has no reason to be reading my work has been consuming this content. This story deals with trauma in a way a child can't understand. I feel so guilty, so disgusting.

A/N: I had to speak to my therapist about this. She suggested that I publish Chapter 57 and see how I feel afterward. If I was publishing a book, I have no control over who buys the book. Same principle applies here in theory, but in practice I feel awful. This chapter was originally planned to be three times as long as it is, but when I put pencil to paper the words wouldn't come. Every time I feel like I move forward there is something in this fandom that seems to smack me in the face. If I don't feel comfortable continuing to publish, then I will remove this fic and focus on other work. Publishing my therapy journal online was probably a bad idea, but I thought that maybe it would help someone. This has been well over a year of work and it's all tainted now.

Christmas Day was fine.

Draco had hoped it would be a spectacular event, a dramatic pulling back of the curtains to reveal to Hermione what life could be like for the two of them. Unfortunately, as he was wont to do, Weasley managed to stuff Hermione back into the darkest corner. She greeted Harry at the front door and the first words out of her mouth were,

"Where's Ron?"

Draco had to usher everyone inside and shut the door behind them. Potter revealed that Ron and Alicia made a last-minute decision to stay home with Rose on Christmas Day. Why? Harry had a confused look on his face.

"He didn't tell you?"

Alicia was four months pregnant with their second child. Draco wondered how, exactly, it could be such a last-minute decision when they'd known about the pregnancy for months. If they never intended to attend, why not decline up front? Draco had the sinking suspicion Ron Weasley had convinced his wife to come, only for her to pull the rug out from under him at the last minute.

Hermione just stared into the distance, eyes unfocused as she processed it all. Draco could guess what she was thinking. Harry had two children, Ron was about to have two children, and she could barely get herself out of bed in the morning. In her own eyes, she had failed. Hermione failed her parents' expectations, her own expectations, and probably felt she had let Draco down, too. Weasley's absence confirmed every doubt Hermione had in herself.

Draco did everything he could to salvage the day.

It was decent. The meal was great, the kids played on Quidditch brooms in the far corner of the ballroom, and they all exchanged gifts. Hermione did her best. Draco knew she was trying so hard, putting every ounce of effort she could into the festivities, but Weasley was a dark cloud hanging over everything.

Thank Merlin for James Mountcastle and Gabrielle. Inviting them was the best decision Draco could have made, since they kept everything light. James regaled them with stories from his career as a Curse-breaker. Gabrielle led the kids in a rousing, off-key rendition of "Jingle Bells." Scarlett and Sebastien had a contest to see who could eat the most biscuits. On the surface, it was a good day.

Harry cornered Draco before he left.

"The house looks completely different."

"Thank you."

"So ... Ron really didn't tell Hermione?"

"Not a goddamn word." Draco shook his head. "She is so fragile and he keeps deepening the cracks."

"I'll talk to him."

"As much as I can't stand him, I think we both know this decision didn't come from him."

Potter nodded.

"I told Ginny."

"Told her what?"

Potter widened his eyes and insisted, "You know."

"Oh!" Draco frowned. "Oh, what did she say?"

"She knew." Harry tossed his hands in the air. "She already knew. D'you know what her exact words were? She said, 'The Gryffindor Quidditch Team shared a dressing room and your eyes were equal opportunity employers.'"

Draco laughed.

"I like her."

"I'd been building all of that worry up for nothing!"

"It is perfectly normal to be cautious about it. If you're not, then you end up being labelled a whore and the papers track your sexual exploits like Dragon migration paths. I will never live down the things that were said about me, so do not blame yourself for taking your time."

"I have a question for you," Harry said, "and I don't want you to take it wrong. I appreciate what you have been doing for me, and I only want to make sure things don't get worse for Hermione."

Confused, Draco said, "Go on, then."

"Do you think Hermione will hurt you again?"

"No," Draco replied, resolute. "She's not capable of it. Watching her do things, it's like she is moving through water. Today has been ... better. I know she is giving it all she has, and she will be exhausted by the time you all leave."

"Is she taking well to her new surroundings?"

Draco nodded.

"Having her here has been wonderful. I never stopped loving her, and I will be here for her as long as she needs me. She needed a safe place, somewhere that would feel like home. And I hope I have made this home for her."

"It doesn't even feel like the same house."

"For all purposes, it isn't."

The best part of the day was, by far, when Blaise met James Mountcastle for the first time. He kept it together, but could barely hold in his laughter when he was with Bastien, Theo, and Draco.

"You know, Draco always said he wanted what I have with Dean. I didn't realize he actually went out and found himself an older, white Dean."

Draco chuckled.

"Isn't he great?"

"I love him." Bastien shrugged. "God, life would be so much more fun if I was into blokes." He paused then admitted, "I wouldn't have Padma, though, so a sacrifice I am happy to make."

Theo asked, "How's that going?"

"Unbelievable. I am so, so happy. Life hasn't changed much except now I live in a house and that house is clean. We have sex nearly every day, and Padma is beautiful with or without all the makeup. She's so considerate and loving and everything I could have ever wanted in a wife."

"Bastien Queensbury-Patil," Draco nudged his shoulder, "look at you all domestic."

"And happy," replied Bastien. "My life feels like it is in exactly the proper place."

"Speaking of being in the proper place," said Blaise, "I have been thinking about pulling back from the restaurants."

They all turned to look at Blaise like he'd grown another limb. Bastien sputtered,

"Sorry, what?"

"I want to spend more time with Dean. We have discussed it, and in a few years we will consider adopting a child."

"Really?" asked Theo. "That's amazing!"

"I know." Blaise grinned. "Dean would make such a good father. We are not certain it is what we want to do, though. Dean and I need to focus on our family, this family."

"I am beginning to see why Hermione and I are such a great match," grumbled Draco. "Look at all of you, moving on with your lives. Making these decisions. Hermione and I look so slow, so damaged by comparison."

"Why shouldn't you be?" Theo clapped Draco on the shoulder. "Just because we followed one timeline doesn't mean you have to do the same."

"I know."

"Plus, you and Hermione are like ... like ..." Bastien waved his hand around as he searched for the right word. "Phoenixes."

"Explain."

"Out of the ashes of all those failed relationships, something truly powerful will rise. Both of you will make a strong couple, and I don't think any of us will push back against the idea that you have always anchored this family. You're anchoring her, now, too."

.oOo.

Dean and Blaise were the last to leave. Hermione slowly trudged upstairs to their room and curled up on the bed. She pulled the ends of her sleeves over her fingers and crossed her legs.

"That was fun."

Draco shut the door.

"Was it?"

"I think it was as much fun as I am capable of having right now," replied Hermione.

Draco nodded and sat next to her on the bed, mimicking her posture.

"Are you ready to exchange gifts?"

"I have two gifts for you." Hermione handed Draco a box wrapped in purple and silver striped paper. "This is the first one. It's a bit of a joke, but I hope you consider it an addition to your desk now that you are going back to work."

Draco examined the box in his hands.

"Decent wrapping."

Hermione playfully whacked him with a pillow.

"I gave it my best effort."

"You are powerful and resilient, but I believe it best if you leave gift wrapping to me."

Draco ripped the paper off the box and tossed it onto the floor. He opened the gift to reveal custom stationery. He laughed.

"'From the desk of Mr. Hermione Granger.' This is, honestly, hilarious. I will smile each time I pull it out of my desk. Might send Weasley a quick note, just to rub his nose in how much I love you."

Hermione nodded.

"Brilliant idea."

Draco smiled.

"Unfortunately, your gift is not something I could wrap."

"Oh?" Hermione asked. "I am intrigued."

"When I first began running with Bastien, my body was in such disrepair that I fell apart before five kilometres. As I began eating food and taking care of myself, I could go faster. Then, instead of trying for time I pushed myself to go further. Five kilometres became six, then seven and so on. Sometimes I don't think we see our strength until it is tested."

Hermione teased, "I like that your gift requires exposition."

"You know me well enough by now to know I like to set a scene."

"Everything has more flare when you're involved, and I love that about you." Hermione leaned forward to kiss Draco's cheek. "I am never bored with you."

Draco felt himself blush.

"Well, I pushed myself and my body once I believed it was ready. Now I run fifteen kilometres, which is far more than I believed I was capable of. I needed so many people to help me move forward, and I want you to know that I am here for you, the way they were for me."

Hermione insisted, "I know."

"I wanted a more permanent way to show you."

"Okay ..." Hermione couldn't hold back a nervous chuckle. "That worries me a bit."

"When I was at my lowest, I was ..." Draco nodded his head then admitted, "Pathetic. I was running away from who I am, I'm sure you saw all the things in the papers—"

"I don't care about any of it."

"I know, but you still need to know what happened. Not all of what they printed was true, but much of it was. I sought out people who wanted to use me and my body for violence. The sex was secondary, I wanted them to hurt me because I felt it was what I deserved. Then my parents pushed me into Gabrielle, whom I adore. If they hadn't pushed so hard, perhaps we would have taken the time we needed for our relationship to work. Instead, I left before she could see too much of what was wrong with me." Draco added, "We never slept together. Our intimacy never came from that. She was like you in that way, always saw more than I wanted her to see."

Hermione gave Draco a gentle pat-pat on his knee. It was oddly reassuring.

"After Gabby, I fell into a very dark place and that was when the bulk of my sleeping around happened. I kept running away from who I was, unwilling to face all the pain of the past five-plus years. Then Blaise kissed me. It was different; he made me feel the way Gabrielle made me feel. So we gave it a go and I realized what it felt like to be loved."

"You never had that before?"

Draco shook his head.

"Later on, Theo set me up with Astoria and things were different. Blaise showed me what love could be and when I couldn't return that love, I assumed I was the problem. I didn't want physical violence anymore, I wanted to be changed. I let Astoria do what she did because it was what I believed I deserved. I did all of that, ruined a decade of my life because I was running away from what happened to me."

"How am I different?" asked Hermione. "I was violent with you."

"You made me see value in myself where I hadn't seen any before. You told me I was strong and I believed you. If there was ever a voice in my head that was telling me to go forward, it was yours. You said that I am the type of person you want to be, Hermione, and that is the best thing anyone has ever said to me. You saw strength where most everyone else saw nothing. That is what continues to make you different."

"I promise I won't hit you again." Hermione took Draco's hand in her own and repeated, "I promise. I don't want you to believe that is what you deserve from me. You deserve my best."

"Can you give me your best right now?"

Hermione dropped her hold on his hand. She looked down at the duvet, ashamed.

"No, Hermione, I am not saying that is a bad thing. What you did for me is exactly what I want to do for you. Because you, Hermione Granger, deserve nothing less than my best. And I can give it to you. When we are intimate with each other in any way, you always try to avoid the Mark. I know it makes you uncomfortable and I hate being reminded of the boy I used to be. So, as your Christmas gift ..."

Draco pulled up the left sleeve of his jumper and held out his left forearm. Hermione leaned forward and pulled him closer, examining the tattoo covering the underside of his arm where the Dark Mark had been. It was a large oak, the treetop grazing the crook of his elbow and roots dangling down to his wrist. The Mark was indiscernible, completely covered.

"There is a large tree that marks the end of my run route with Bastien. I stopped running and you were there for me when I did."

Hermione traced the outline with the tip of one finger.

"It's not black, is it?"

"No." Draco shook his head. "It's a dark purple. Nothing had worked before, but I thought if we used Henbane-based ink that the skin wouldn't reject it the way it refused everything else. I was right, and I wanted to cover it with something that reflects how much strength it took for me to get here."

"Ingenious."

"I have my moments."

"God, this is amazing, Draco." Hermione wiped some tears from her face. "I hated looking at it, but I never wanted to mention it because I knew you hated it, too."

"If there is a problem between us, Hermione, I will do everything in my power to fix it. I will always find a way to fix it."

"I believe you."

Draco wiped away one of her tears with his thumb.

"When you stop running, it will hurt. I will hold you through all of it. If you fall apart every day, I will put you back together every night. When I look at my future, I see you in every part of it."

Hermione placed both hands on Draco's face and kissed him. She pulled back and pressed her forehead to his. She said,

"I have never wanted anything as much as I want to spend my life with you."

"Do you know what I want?"

"What's that?"

"I want my second present."

"Yeah?" Hermione laughed. "You do?"

"I do."

"Well." She took a deep breath. "I am not quite as good at setting a scene as you are."

"We will consider gift wrapping and scene setting to be my areas."

"Fair." Hermione closed her eyes and placed her hands on her knees, palms-up. "I am a bit nervous, now."

"Unless you are about to Charm all your clothes off, I think I am about to be rather underwhelmed."

"Oh, stop." Hermione relaxed then said, "Expecto Patronum!"

Draco watched as a blueish-white mist formed between Hermione's hands. She continued to concentrate and the mist gradually formed into a baby dragon at her fingertips. Hermione opened her eyes and watched as it stretched its wings.

"It used to be an otter."

Draco's heart stopped. He loved Hermione with every part of himself, down to his soul. Seeing that love reflected back at him was more than he ever imagined. Hermione said,

"I promised that one day I would show you how I feel when you say all those wonderful things to me."

The Dragon stumbled for a moment, then managed to fly all the way up to Draco's shoulder, leaving a trail of white mist in its wake. He guessed it was a Hebridean Black by the shape of its tail. It nuzzled Draco's cheek and he smiled.

"It's so ... small."

"It will grow once I can feel happiness again." Hermione smiled over at them, content. "But I knew in my heart that you have changed me in ways I don't have words for."

"I know how powerful you are, but casting a Patronus Charm without a wand? That is Merlin-type shit, Hermione."

She shrugged.

"I mastered wandless magic years ago. The wand is mostly for optics; it frightens people if they know the extent of what I can do."

Draco watched the Patronus slowly fly around the room.

"Which memory did you use?"

"The first time you kissed me." Hermione closed her fists and the Patronus disappeared. "Happy Christmas, my gorgeous, incredible, kind-hearted boyfriend."

"I wish I could tell you what I am feeling right now. I ..." Draco opened his mouth but nothing came out. "I don't have words."

"My gorgeous, incredible, kind-hearted, speechless boyfriend."

"It's only that ..." Draco sniffled, trying to keep the tears back. "Nobody's ever chosen me before. Not like this."

"We are a team. You choose me and I choose you, every time."

Draco pressed a gentle kiss to Hermione's forehead and asked, "Now who's too good with words?"

Hermione pulled Draco into a hug and said, "Happy Christmas."

"Happy Christmas, Hermione."