"Draco,

I can't tell you how relieved I am to finally be able to send you these few words. I've been waiting for months, even years, to finally contact you.

I truly hope that you are still fucking alive, that you are still among us and that these years spent in this hell didn't get the better of you, although I have little hope. I'll be here when you get out, I'll always be here, I promise. The same as six years ago.

I come with good news, man, very good news.

I finally made it. I had promised you that. I'm going to get you out of here. I've found a way and I swear, it's perfectly legal!

The Wizengamot has passed a law that will allow you to get out of prison next year, on the twenty-fifth of May to be exact. You'll be free, you'll never have to live in this hellhole again.

There are only a few conditions that will have to be filled, but I swear that they will be incomparable to the current ones you are undergoing. You will have to marry a muggleborn. I know you're not happy about this news. Not because you have anything against them, as you did in your youth, but because you will have no other choice of wife. But please, Draco, don't refuse for so little, think about it.

Granger agreed. After months and months of nagging. She's agreed to marry you. You'll have to move to France, to the Pyrenees, and you'll never be allowed back to Britain, but the surroundings are incredible. Believe me, I've been there several times.

No one will bother you there, not even Granger, whatever you may have imagined when you read this. Her residence is huge, you won't have to cross her if you don't want to, and neither will she. That's why she agreed, you know.

You'll be able to get a divorce in thirteen years. It's not ideal, but you'll deal with it.

She will also have to make an Unbreakable Vow to guarantee your good behaviour. Her life will depend on your actions, Draco. Keep that in mind. No matter what you think of her, no matter how you feel when you get out, remember that you owe her everything.

You'll have to wear the Trace for five years after your release, but that won't stop you from using magic. They will simply check that you are not using magic with bad intentions. So don't worry about that. However, you will not be allowed to use magic transports anymore.

You will have to pay a fine of 25,000 Galleons to the Ministry, but since they haven't taken away any of your family's possessions, you have more than enough to pay them back. Only your father's dark magic items were requisitioned after he was imprisoned.

You're going to be released, Draco. Can you believe it?

I don't know how you feel, if you're okay, if you're injured, if you're even in your right mind, and if you can even read that damn letter, but if you thought I was ever going to give up on my promise to you, you were wrong, Malfoy.

It was often said that Gryffindor's were pretty foolish when they gave their lives for each other, or gave everything they had to save each other, simply as an act of courage and bravery. Hell, man, if someone had told me that a Slytherin like me would do the same... Obviously, Slytherin loyalty is worth something, too.

See you soon, Malfoy. And you'd better be alive, damn it, you'd better be alive when I come to get you out of your damn cell. You better be so I can tell you about the life I've been leading for the past six years. I have so much to tell you, man.

Blaise."

The letter fell from Draco's shaking fingers and landed on the floor. His sobs echoed in his small cell.

oOo

Harry appeared in front of the distinctive Weasley family home: the Burrow. It looked exactly the same as it had the last time he had been there, two years earlier. The only difference was this time Molly was waiting for him at the door, looking anxious.

And he could understand her.

For two years he had politely declined her invitations to lunch, assuming she was simply trying to reconcile his relationship with her youngest son. He hadn't spoken to Ron since he appeared outside his apartment three years ago.

She must have been afraid he'd stand her up, not that he was the type. He almost felt bad for having delayed this meeting so many times. He had nothing against the Weasley couple, in fact, he had always considered them a second family. However, his disagreements with Ron, coupled with the time he spent at the Ministry advocating for Theo, had driven them apart.

His breakup with Ginny had particularly pained Molly, though their relationship had never been real. Of course, they had never told her, for fear of hurting her further. She had eventually gotten over it, but the accumulation of that announcement and her ever-present grief had kept her away from Harry more than he would have liked. Arthur had kept pace with his wife.

So after his last refusal, when Molly invited him to Ronald and Lavender's wedding, Harry realized he was hurting the couple by his feud with his former friend. He'd felt terrible about it and hadn't hesitated for a second before finally agreeing to the lunch.

"Harry," she smiled in a relieved tone, approaching him with open arms.

He didn't have to think twice before he hugged her back. He was stirred by it. The scent of her perfume wafted up to his nose and he realised how much he had missed the warmth of the Burrow, of this family and the love they had for him, much more than he had expected.

He sighed with satisfaction.

"I've missed you, darling," she told him, placing a hand on his cheek, a teary-eyed look on her face.

"You too, Mrs. Weasley. I'm terribly sorry I've been putting it off so much."

"Don't apologise, Harry dear. You had your reasons and I understand them perfectly. Let's go inside, Arthur is waiting for us to start eating."

How could he have gone without them for so long? Him and Ginny had kept in touch through letters as frequently as time allowed for it, but they were both busy. Wrapped up in their own lives. Molly and Arthur were the only other Weasleys who really considered him family. He had drifted from others in the Weasley clan simply because their paths had gone separate ways.

In the short time since he had arrived at the Burrow, he already felt comfortable, so well cared for, listened to and loved. He clenched his jaw to hold back his tears and followed the Weasley matriarch inside.

He promised himself that he would never turn down one of their invitations again. He wanted to keep them in his life at all costs.

oOo

"Gin'!" Astoria yelled as she abruptly walked into the bedroom.

Ginny, who was lying in their bed, concentrating on reading her mail, gasped when she heard her fiancée's voice. She left the letter from her mother and looked at Astoria.

The latter had just come out of the shower and was wearing only a simple bathrobe, her hair was still wet. She was smiling with all her teeth, looking more excited than ever.

"What's going on?" asked Ginny as she straightened up on her elbows, intrigued.

"Come with me," Astoria offered, holding out a hand, an enigmatic smile on her lips.

Ginny frowned, but couldn't help but smile back. She tossed the covers of the bed aside and joined her, grabbing her hand as she went. She didn't even take the time to put on her pyjama pants.

Astoria led her to their small living room which gave directly to the outside, thanks to two large picture windows. As soon as they arrived, Ginny's eyes widened with surprise and delight. She couldn't believe it. She opened her mouth in shock.

"I told you this trip to Iceland would be worth it," Astoria whispered proudly, putting an arm around her waist.

Ginny was at a loss for words. She was completely amazed.

So she just kissed Astoria with immense tenderness, while the northern lights reflected on their faces.

Ginny savoured this kind of warm and at the same time singular moments between her and Astoria. She felt at home in her company, even though they were constantly travelling. She felt good.

oOo

With a piece of parchment annotated with the address of a residence in his hand and his wand in the other, Harry looked up at the high black fence facing him.

"Manoir Nott de Dordogne" was inscribed on a gold plaque on the right side of the gate.

He tucked the parchment into his inner cloak pocket and raised his wand until it came into contact with the presumably icy metal of the gate. Immediately, the creak of an apparition was heard just behind him. He turned sharply, wand still drawn.

He was faced with a small, stunted house elf who had just bowed her head in greeting. Harry sighed with relief and allowed himself to lower his wand. He had thought he had been followed in some way.

"Satine, is it?" he asked.

Blaise had given him the name of the elf who looked after the residence after giving him the address of the manor. Actually, he'd had to look it up in confidential files that he shouldn't have had access to, but he'd been careful not to tell anyone, and so would Harry.

"Yes, sir," she replied, lifting her head. "Can Satine help you, sir?"

"I'm Harry Potter," he introduced himself then hesitantly added, "I'm the... I'm a friend of Theodore's. I came at his request to refurbish the manor. We are going to live here for the next year, him and I."

"Is Master Theodore going to come and live here?" she exclaimed, hope in her eyes.

Harry couldn't help but smile. He wasn't surprised for a galleon that the elf was excited about Theo coming to join her here. He had a big heart, always had, in fact. Harry wouldn't be surprised to learn that he'd been the kind of person who'd fought tooth and nail for the elves' cause, as Hermione had once done.

"In May, next year," he nodded with a faint smile. "We'll be coming to live here. Could you give me a tour of the manor, so I can decide what changes to make, so we can be comfortable here?"

Satine's gaze grew more puzzled, more concerned. She took a step back.

"Master Theodore never told Satine about Mr Potter," she said in her squeaky voice.

Harry should have expected this. She wasn't stupid, rather the opposite. She was suspicious, which reassured him somewhat. She wouldn't let just anyone in.

He sighed and pinched his nose. He was going to have to be clever.

"I know, and it's perfectly normal. You see, Theodore and I were supposed to be... enemies. But we're not. Look," he said, pulling his wallet from inside his cloak.

He opened it and handed the elf a small, icy picture. He'd taken it with Theo at a Muggle photo booth in King's Cross at the end of their sixth year. They'd had to be quick, but they'd managed to get the pictures before the Dursleys arrived.

In the picture, Theo had put an arm around Harry's shoulders and was smiling broadly. Harry had turned his head towards him, looking at him with loving eyes.

Harry liked this picture. He loved it, in fact. In his eyes, it was a perfect representation of their relationship. He kept it with him all the time, wherever he went.

When he handed it to Satine, he saw her eyes fill with tears of joy. She grabbed the picture with trembling hands and Harry smiled, moved. He had never imagined that she could be so close to Theo. Theo had never mentioned it to him.

"So... So Master Theo is really alive?" she sobbed, looking up at him.

Harry frowned. Had she thought that all those years of absence meant that Theo was dead? Hadn't anyone warned her that he was in Azkaban?

"Satine, when was the last time you saw anyone?" he asked as he knelt down in front of her.

"Satine doesn't know, Mr. Potter. Last time, Master Theo promised Satine that he would come back the next day and move in here."

Harry knew immediately what she was talking about. He remembered Theo's words that day. He had begged him to go to France with him, not to fight Voldemort, to run away and not risk anything.

Theo had stayed at Hogwarts during their seventh year and had hidden in the Room of Requirement with some of the DA. Neville Longbottom and Ginny had been the guarantors of his sincerity and good intentions, being the only ones who knew about his relationship with Harry. He was the only one who could go back and forth outside the school, as he wore the Dark Mark.

During that time, he had visited Satine several times to drop off stuff at the manor. He had even offered to hide some students in France, but they had all refused. They had wanted to fight.

When Theo had suggested that they leave, Harry had adamantly refused. An argument had broken out between them, probably the first in their lives.

Harry had been furious. He hadn't been able to understand how his boyfriend could even consider such a thing. Running away. It was unimaginable to him. He wanted to fight, he wanted to save his loved ones, to honour the lives that had been stolen from them by the Death Eaters.

But upon reflection, he understood. He understood that Theo's future would be compromised if they won. He had understood his desire to run away and take Harry with him. He had felt terrible about it.

However, before he could even find Theo to urge him to go alone, the battle had broken out. His boyfriend had been mixed up with the Death Eaters and there was nothing he could do. He had only seen him once since then, for his trial.

Tears welled up in his eyes.

"He's alive, I promise," he whispered, looking at Satine.

oOo

Pansy was facing her mirror critically admiring the curves of her face. She thought she looked fat. It was very slight of course, almost imperceptible. So much so that she was probably the only one who would notice it. Even her husband wouldn't see it.

But she could see it.

Her heartbeat quickened at this and she hurriedly removed her clothes one by one, before facing the mirror again. She was shaking.

Her eyes widened as she saw herself in her underwear in the mirror. She didn't need to think any further.

"Blaise!" she cried out at once.

She didn't have to wait long before her husband suddenly walked into their room. His face was distorted with worry.

"What's the matter?" he asked, rushing to her.

She threw herself into his arms and burst into tears.

"Pansy, what's wrong?" he worried, hugging her back.

"Blaise, I–I think I'm pregnant," she answered without stopping to cry.

She felt him freeze in her arms, which only made her cry harder. She was completely lost. She couldn't believe it. It couldn't be possible. She didn't want a child, she had never wanted one.

"What makes you think that?" he asked with a tightness in his throat, as he led her to their bed, where he made her sit down. "We've always protected each other…"

"I've gotten bigger– and– and I haven't had my period in over a month," she sobbed, unable to pull away from him.

She heard him swallow and felt him nod with difficulty.

"Did you cast the spell?" he asked hesitantly.

She shook her head. She hadn't even thought about it, too panicked at the thought of being pregnant.

"Do you want me to do it? So we can be sure?"

Pansy didn't know what to say. She was terrified. What if the test came back positive? What would she do? She didn't want children. What if Blaise did? She couldn't stop him from having them. What if he left her because she wanted an abortion? What if he–

"Honey, look at me," he whispered, bringing her out of her thoughts.

She looked up at him with tears streaming down her face.

"It's all right, we're together, you're not alone and whatever we decide, we'll support each other, okay?"

His gaze was so trusting and reassuring that Pansy felt some of her anxiety melt away. He gently caressed her cheek, a soft smile on his lips.

"Cast the spell," she whispered before closing her eyes, not daring to face the result.

She heard him pull out his wand, before he whispered the spell and a slight warmth spread through her lower abdomen. She squeezed her eyelids tightly and waited for the verdict.

"Negative," Blaise announced in a voice that sounded clearly relieved.

She couldn't help but sigh, too relieved. A great weight was lifted from her shoulders. She could hardly believe it. A second before, she had imagined herself having to take care of a child she didn't want.

She burst into tears again, but this time they were tears of joy, of relief. She had felt so bad, so oppressed and so anxious that the announcement of the result acted as a release of all her emotions.

Blaise stroked her back gently to comfort her, while silently kissing the top of her head.

She felt slightly annoyed at herself for showing so much relief, not knowing how her husband was taking things. Was he disappointed? Would he have wanted her to carry his child?

She shyly looked up at him and analysed the features of his face, although his eyes were closed.

He didn't seem disappointed or angry.

"Blaise?" she said shyly, when his crying had subsided.

He opened his eyes again and looked into hers.

"Are you disappointed?" she asked, pawing at the bottom of her husband's shirt.

"No," he replied, shaking his head gently. "Are you?"

"No," she admitted quietly.

He smiled and brought his hand to her cheek to caress it slowly.

"Good," he said, and kissed her on the forehead. "But, Pans', if you ever want to have children, promise to tell me. Whatever you think I want, okay?"

"I promise," she murmured, nodding. "I want you to tell me about it too."

"Okay," he replied, still stroking her cheek. "I promise."