Draco really wanted to get out of his house again. His parents were fighting yet again, and his father's voice was getting louder and louder. He was getting closer. The bedroom door opened with a massive bang, and Draco flinched away from the instrument that caused it.

It had been two months since he had met Hermione, and since then, they had exchanged letters almost every night. Hermione knew all about Quidditch, Hogwarts houses, the subjects taught, how they were sorted (an inside secret Draco had gotten ahold of), the currency, and the laws. Draco was now telling her what he knew of the war, and how Harry Potter had stopped it.

But that wasn't relevant to what his father was doing now. Lucuis had his wand pointed at Draco, and Narcissa was watching with a hand over her mouth. Apparently, she never thought Lucius followed through with his threats to harm Draco.

The curse was thrown, and Draco fell to the ground, writhing and screaming. It was something he felt quite often, and he just wanted it to "STOP! Please, please! Just stop!" He cried. His mother was sitting next to him on her knees, sobbing, hugging him to her. She was also crying for Lucius to stop, and he did, if only for a moment. When he started again, it was on both of them. Draco cried out, and the pain stopped before he expected it to.

Looking up, with tears in his eyes, he saw a familiar, bushy, brown head of hair. "Hermione!" He cried, in happiness this time. She looked shocked, but quickly grabbed him in a hug that he reciprocated. Once they released each other, Hermione asked what he was doing here.

"My father was cursing me and my mother again." As he said it, a slight tremor went through his body with the after effects of the vile curse. Hermione grabbed his hand and dragged him to her house.

"You're lucky it's a Saturday, that I don't have school. My parents are away at the office, and they won't be home until later. But we can at least put in the next Star Wars movie to help you forget for the next few hours!"

They both laughed, and Hermione went to go grab some snacks. Draco had learned after he sent the candy that her parents were dentists. When he asked what that meant, she replied with 'muggle doctors that work exclusively on teeth.' That led to questions on doctors, and when he understood that they were the Healers, it honestly all clicked for him. So when Hermione came back with a plate of crisps and vegetables, he could say he was surprised to see the crisps there. When she asked him for a moment and ran to her room, coming back with a pile of magical candies, Draco practically gasped.

"Little miss perfect has a rebellious streak, hiding candy from her parents!" They both fell into a fit of giggles, and Hermione put in the Empire Strikes Back. After getting a quick refresher of what had happened in the previous film, Draco excitedly sat down on the couch, ready for the movie. He jumped again, as the music sounded, but shook his head that he forgot about that part. The battle in the beginning was tense, and at the end, with that iconic line, "Luke, I am your father," Draco just sat there for a couple of minutes. Not believing what he had just heard, the boy sat there in silence. Hermione paused the movie so Draco could get his bearings, and when he did, he still couldn't believe it. Hermione played the movie again, until it finished.

"So, what do you think?"

"Was he telling the truth? Vader, I mean."

"Yes. The entire world couldn't believe it, when it first came out. It was quite a shock. Onto the next, or should we get lunch first?"

Draco was getting a little hungry, so he answered with lunch. They had really simple sandwiches, something very much unlike what Draco would have at home. He enjoyed the simple foods, and wished he could have things like it more often. Hearing a tapping on the window, Draco looked over to see Ares at the window. "Hermione, I think my father sent another Portkey. I really don't want to have to go. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Draco. You've told me about your homelife, and I believe you when you say you don't want to go. Just - just stay as safe as possible, yes?"

"I'll try, 'Mione. Really, I will." He gave her a nickname, and she looked at him in shock.

"'Mione?"

"Short for Hermione. Much easier to say, too." He wrapped her in a hug, and she squeezed him tightly, before remembering his words from last time. She hid in the sitting room, behind a couch. Draco carefully let Ares in, and took the letter from him again. Reading it, it was in much the same tone as last time.

Draconis Lucius Malfoy,

You left again. You are to take this portkey back to the edges of the wards where Dobby will be waiting to take you back to the property. Expect to walk all the way back.

The portkey will leave three seconds after you read this.

Father

Ah, his loving father. He tried to drop the note, but it seemed to have a temporary sticking charm on it this time. Draco sighed and was dragged away.

Back at Malfoy Manor, Misty was waiting at the edge of the wards for Draco. She led him to the entrance hall, where Draco's father stood waiting.

"Where were you?"

Draco just walked by. He was not going to take this crap from his father right now.

Hearing the shouts behind him, he paid it no mind. He just wanted to escape. Just to get away.

With a sudden pop, Draco reappeared across the street from Hermione's house. Surprised at himself, he knocked on the front door. When Hermione opened it, she seemed even more surprised to see him there that he was to be there.

"Didn't your father drag you away?"

"Yes, but I guess I got emotional enough to apparate away. I'm glad I'm back though, 'Mione. Really."

"Well, Dray, you were only away for half an hour. My parents will be home in about twenty minutes, if you want to try and play a game?"

"A muggle one, right?"

As he had been teaching Hemione about magical culture, she had been teaching him about muggle culture. After he finished Star Wars, he wanted to try a couple of different muggle games. Preferably the sports. Football sounded fun, and so did lacrosse. Luckily, Hermione had the stuff for football, and set it up quickly enough. Getting a couple of other neighborhood kids involved in the game as it went on, Draco had a ton of fun. There was a lot of running involved, and the entire group quickly lost track of time. By the time Draco realized exactly what time it was, the sun was almost set and almost all of the others had gone in to eat by now. Hermione's parents were sure to be home by now. Picking up the nets and the ball, the duo put it back in Hermione's backyard and ran inside, Hermione giving her parents a hug. They hugged her back, happy to see she was playing with the other kids, laughing with them. When they noticed Draco, they enthusiastically greeted him, but not with hugs. They understood that they are not close enough for that yet, and also that he wasn't much of a hugger.

After a delicious dinner, Draco asked Hermione if her family had any plans that night. Hopefully, his father would forget about him, and the letter/portkey would not be sent. He was out of sight when he apparated back, after all. His father better just think that Draco was in his room, sulking.

Hermione replied in the negative, and asked her parents if they could watch the last movie, for they had watched the other while her parents were at work. They said it would be fine if they did.

The two of them laughed their way to the couches, pushing each other playfully. It was strange to Hermione's parents to see Hermione so let back, so free. It was a good change. They were grateful to Draco for becoming her friend, even if they haven't seen him in two months.

Draco and Hermione were surprised themselves at how far their friendship had come, even just through letters. Perhaps it was the feeling that neither of them had anyone to talk to, and they could teach each other things that the other had never heard of. Be it Quidditch, football, magical transport or aeroplanes, they could talk about things and answer or ask questions, and their counterpart would be happy to teach about it.

Draco asked if he could try to put the movie in this time, and, with a little guidance, started it. The two ten year olds sat on the couch and watched the feature excitedly, Hermione to see his reaction to the family, and Draco to see the finale to the saga. Draco's mouth dropped in shock when he learned about Leia's relations, and was saddened to watch Master Yoda's death. It was to be expected at some point, though, for the Master was over nine hundred years old. "Not even wizards live that long, although Flamel might, with the way things were going." Draco said.

"How long do wizards live?"

"Most get to the age of one hundered and thirty, though some can live to two hundered years old. It all depends on how you take care of your magic."

When the movie ended, Draco was surprised to see that Vader had switched sides at literally the last minute, and saved his son, rather than serve his master. He was glad Luke had a celebration though, if a quiet one. The galaxy was free, much like the wizarding world was now.

"Well, Draco, what did you think?" Mrs Granger asked.

"I really enjoyed that, and I thank you for having me over to watch it. It is very different from what I see at home, that much can be said."

After saying pleasantries to the elder Grangers, Draco and Hermione went to her room. The first time Draco had been in here, he hadn't been paying the best attention.

Her walls had shelves floor to ceiling that were filled with books of all shapes and sizes. Most were fantasy novels but there were a couple of other genres in there too. The bed was a full sized bed, compared to Draco's king size. The sheets were a muted dark purple, with a tye-dye light and dark grey bedspread. The walls were a creamy white, and the curtains around the window were a gossamer grey. With a fuzzy grey beanbag in the corner, the room looked really nice. With Hermione plopping on her bed, Draco sat in the beanbag chair, never having sat in one before. It really was quite nice. Altogether, the room looked really good.

"So, what do you think you want to see or try next? Lots of muggle things to do around here!" she said with a smile.

"What if I sent over a book on magic? Then we can learn a bit together, and be ready for school in a few months. What subject intrigues you the most?"

"Transfiguration would be nice, and perhaps Charms too. Could you do magic without a wand?"

"Wandless magic? Not the easiest thing. Most wizards have trouble with it."

"What about witches?"

"Wizards is a term for all of the magical folk. It's like the word people, means both genders."

"Oh. Well, let's try to get it. Perhaps it's one of those things that you need to start earlier in life, and gets even easier with time."

"Alright. I'll get a Charms book sent over here as soon as possible. But I think I have to get home now, it's almost supper time. If I miss it, my father will know something is up. I'll try to come by again somehow, 'Mione." With a hug, Draco and Hermione broke their get together. Draco was shown out the door, for the first time, and thought about how he was going to get home. Walking a ways out of the neighborhood, he called the Knight Bus. The big, purple, triple decker bus flew into sight with an apparition-like bang. Climbing aboard, he asked the driver, Ernie, to take him to the Leaky Cauldron. Paying his eleven sickles (glad that he happened to always have a handful with him), he was dropped off a couple of minutes later. It was his least favorite way of travel, but the only one minors could do from anywhere.

Making his way into the Leaky Cauldron, Draco asked Tom for a pinch of Floo powder. Paying a knut for that (really Tom, a knut?), Draco called out "Malfoy Manor!" and said the password too, which had been 'power and fame' for the past month. Perhaps Lucius Malfoy was a bit big headed.

Spinning to a stop in the fireplace, Draco checked to make sure his father wasn't in the area before stepping out onto the pad that sucked the ash off of his clothes. Once clean, Draco ran up to his room and changed into cleaner clothes. The ones he had on were filled with sweat and perhaps a bit of dust from being pushed in good sportsmanship. Football was still fun though, one of the best things he had ever done. Between Quidditch and football, though, Draco would still pick Quidditch.

Putting on the clothes he was expected to wear to supper, Draco went right back down the steps. He could say he was honestly surprised when his mother and father were also down there, eating in their own respective spots at the heads of the table. Draco sat in his allotted spot, close to his father's own, and picked up the covering on the dish. After a meal filled with silence only broken by the clinking of cutlery on china, the Malfoy patriarch dabbed at his mouth with a corner of his napkin and stood, placing the napkin back on the table and leaving the room, most likely to the library for the next hour or so before he went back to his study. The matriarch did much the same, but made in the direction of the sitting room, where her needlework supplies were. Draco finished his meal alone and went to the library, where he went far enough not to be spotted by his father and looked through one of the magical catalogs of all the books they had in the library. Finding one under the name of 'Beginning Charms: the Guide to Basics', Draco found the area where it was, grabbing it and heading back to his room. After finding the spell for making light, Draco tried to do it without a wand.

"Lumos," He enunciated clearly.

To his surprise, a faint ball of light appeared hovering a meter in front of him. It faded away quickly, but Draco was emboldened with his success and tried again.

After a few more tries, he was able to hold the ball for close to three seconds, and it was at a nice brightness. Writing a quick letter to Hermione about his success, he also sent her the book. Afterwards, he looked for the time and noticed it was far later than he thought it was. He had been working on the spell for a long time.

Getting ready for bed, Draco crawled under the dark green sheets with the silver bedspread. His father decorated it a few years back. Whenever Draco tried to change it, the colors were magically changed back to what they were. Literally.

Thinking about what else he would want to get done before school started, Draco decided he wanted to get the levitation spell wandlessly at least once. Perhaps not master it, but be able to do it a couple of times.

Drifting off, Draco dreamt of starships, floating balls of light, and bushy, brown haired girls.