A/N: First off, I want to apologize for the long time it has been since I updated last. Let me explain before you try to kill me. The first month or so was so not my fault. My beta had a lot of real life issues to deal with, and so I have had to find another one. Bless her, she has had some problems as well, but finally, it's here. (The last week or so has been entirely my fault. Bad author, bad author!!) Well, hope you enjoy it. Please review. Oh, and thanks to Kai Saloma, my beta. You're great!

Disclaimer: I wish.

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Ch. 5-Telling Tales

"Draco," Severus breathed, the first to break the stunned silence. He covered the ground between them with long strides.

"Severus," Draco replied. They clasped hands and Severus pulled Draco closer, carefully clapping his shoulder. He had known enough of Voldemort's and Lucius' punishments to understand that he would still be in pain. Hermione practically had question marks in her eyes. Draco resolved to explain everything to her later.

Minerva was the next to speak. "Hermione! Thank Merlin you're all right!" She hugged Hermione tightly and she tentatively returned the embrace, trying not to wince as her muscles protested.

When Minerva finally released her, Hermione stepped closer to Draco and scanned everyone's faces. Seeing her confusion, Dumbledore started talking. "We are all relieved to see that both of you are alive and well."

"We're not exactly well, sir," Hermione and Draco said at the same time with the same dry, slightly sarcastic tone.

"Of course not," Severus said. "I know from experience what Draco must have been through. From the amount of spells and the level of power that the Ministry recorded from your wand, Miss Granger, I can tell that you must be exhausted still." She blinked at him-had he just said something half-way nice? "Plus those exceptional wards you erected must have bottomed you out."

She knew her jaw must be on the ground and her eyes popping out of her sockets. That had definitely been a compliment. "And, Miss Granger, if you tell anyone what I just said, you will regret it immensely." *There, that was better* she thought. She had been beginning to think that she had slipped into some weird alter-universe or something.

Dumbledore was twinkling at her expression. He said, "We need to debrief you on what happened the other day."
"And get you to the safety of Hogwarts," Minerva added.

"We have to go to Hogwarts?!" the pair exclaimed. They didn't want to leave this place so soon, they were safe here and they could be alone together and get to know one another better, away from the prying eyes of their elders.

Minerva looked taken aback, but Dumbledore interrupted before she could say something that would further upset them. "No, you do not have to come to Hogwarts. We will ward the house and you may stay here." When Minerva looked about to speak in protest, he addressed her. "They need to learn to live with each other-they will be sharing a common room as Head Boy and Girl next year."

Minerva conceded with a nod. Draco and Hermione stared at each other in amazement before she squealed and flung her arms about him. He swung her around in a circle and laughed.

Dumbledore, Sprout, Flitwick and McGonagall looked on with astonishment while Severus looked amused and appraising.

Hermione turned to them with tears running down her face, but also a smile firmly in place. "I'm sorry," she told them. "It's just . . . after all that . . .and now . . ."

"No, we don't know, Hermione. Why don't you both tell us." Dumbledore's voice was the gentlest she had ever heard it. He led the way to her living room downstairs after the two of them had nodded their agreement.

Hermione and Draco sat on a couch and the professors conjured up chairs and settled in opposite them. Draco took a deep breath and spoke. "I think it all started with me, about a day before the mall. Lucius and the Dar-Voldemort confronted me with a young Muggle girl. Said to kill her and take the mark, and I would be a part of the inner circle.

"I couldn't do it." He looked at Severus desperately. The understanding he saw in his eyes gave Draco the strength to continue. "I refused, and they were furious. Lucius threatened and I didn't budge. His attack caught me by surprise, though. It was so fast. My wand was snapped before I could say Quidditch and I came to tied to a table. He . . . they . . ."

Here he faltered and looked at the floor. Silently Hermione reached over and intertwined her fingers with his. His eyes jumped to hers and she saw a sheen of tears glistening in them. She squeezed encouragingly and he seemed to take heart. Slowly he began speaking again, gripping her hand tightly enough to hurt, but she didn't indicate it. He spoke of the knives and the curses with minimal emotion in his voice.

As he described the torture, Hermione saw her Potions Professor grip his chair in anguish. She caught his eyes with her own tear-filled ones and saw fury and . . .compassion and sympathy there. With sudden insight, she realized that he had endured some of the same things. With that, her tears spilled over, but they were not only for Draco, but for him as well. And she knew that he saw that.

She gave him a small, respectful nod and turned back to Draco. He was saying, "I'm not really certain how I escaped-I think I did some sort of wandless magic. The next thing I clearly remember is dodging curses in the shopping complex. Some one shot some curses at my pursuers and grabbed my arm. It was Hermione here-she saved my life. The rest of the story I think is hers."

All eyes turned to her and she hastily wiped away her tears. "I . . . well, I'm never going shopping ever again. Ever ever." Everyone laughed nervously, though severus only gave a small smile. "I was bored, alone here while my parents are on a cruise. So I decided to go shopping." The word came out like an explicative. "It wasn't too bad. I was checking out of Harrod's with a sweater when I heard screams and the distinctive sound of an Avada Kedavra curse.

"I went and looked out of the door and took out my wand. I saw Draco running from the Death Eaters. He didn't have a wand, and was barely avoiding everything. I don't think I realized it at the time, but he was bleeding. The shirt he was wearing was soaked with blood. I attacked and gave Draco my other wand."

"You had two wands?" Flitwick asked, speaking for the first timesince they emerged.

"I bought another a week or so ago, in case of an attack like that one."

"Go on," Dumbledore urged when she paused.

"We hid. To get away, I . . . I . . ." her eyes flooded with tears again.

This time Draco squeezed her hand and told for her. "She stupefied Avery and he crashed into a wall. His skull cracked and he died."

Sprout gave a small "Oh!"

When Hermione still didn't continue, Draco stroked her hand softly. She closed her eyes brievly, taking in his touch. Clearing her throat, she finally continued. "We fought and ran for several hours, I think. Somehow, though, they managed to corner us. I gathered strenght and managed to Apparate us to my room. I warded it and then I don't remember."

"She fainted, and left me to put her on the bed," Draco said in a long-suffering voice. "Then I passed out next to her."

"What have you done in the last day and a half?" Sprout asked before Minerva could.

"It's been that long?" Hermione asked. "Well, we slept, and then woke up. I partially healed Draco with my wand and with my emergency potions kit." A look of approval came over her Potion Master's face. "We showered-separately, Professor McGonagall-and, well . . ." She looked at Draco and asked him with her eyes if he wanted her to go on. He nodded.

"I did some sort of magic on him. I followed a feeling I had. I rechristianed him, made him new. I'm not really sure exactly what I said or did, but I felt the magic."

"I remember what you said-every word. I don't think I'll ever forget," Draco interjected in a soft voice. "'A new life, not accountable for your past, You are a new person, ready to remake your life as you see fit. I rename thee Draco Kaden Lysander Malfoy.'" His head tilted up proudly. "And there was magic involved, somehow."

Dumbledore looked thoughtful. :It is not unheard of, though it is a very rare, ancient, powerful wandless magic."

Hermione collapsed back on the sofa, overwhelmed. Wrapping a protective arm around her, Draco said, "Enough. No more today."

"I agree." Dumbledore effectively ended any further questioning. "We will ward the house so only the two of you can let people in."

"We'll have Madam Pomphrey come tomorrow," Sprout added.

"Thank you," Hermione said, fast fading towards sleep.

Draco stood up and draped Hermione's arm over his shoulders, saying, "We'll leave you to it, then." He started to half walk, half drag Hermione towards the stairs they had descended earlier, wincing in pain as he did so.

"Here, I'll do it." Severus strode over and gently scooped Hermione into his arms.

Draco looked embarrassed at his weakness but thanked Severus anyway. "Relax," Severus told Hermione as she gave a token struggle. "I'm not going to eat you."

She ceased her movements and leaned her head wearily on his shoulder. In a fraction of the time it would have taken Draco, Severus was laying her on the bed. He took in the rumpled sheets and the two body prints side- by-side, but made no comment until he was on his way out. "Just be careful if you let anything happen," he told Draco. "Take care of each other. I'll be by tomorrow. I'll come to the back door."

Draco shook his hand in silent thanks. "Take care of yourself. Don't want anything to happen to my favorite godfather."

Severus gave him a faint smile and left to join the others in casting protective wards around the house.