...Want to thank all who have reviewed, sorry some of you didn't like it but that's life, can't please everyone. Anyway, things will start REALLY getting interesting from here. Also working on another fic with Lucius/OC and HPHG. Only one other reviewer knows what I'm thinking about, and you KNOW WHO YOU ARE! Plus, putting up my own stuff soon, working out the kinks on that. As for putting this in Draco/Hermione setting...uh no, because the emphasis is on Harry.But I did try put it under that too and for some reason, the server wouldn't let me...ah computer glitches. ;) ...

Chapter 32

The next day everyone came to see Azadeh and some of the new members of the rebellion. Harry couldn't believe the reaction that Azadeh got, everyone hugged her as if she were their own daughter or sister, there were tears of joy. He especially loved it when the children came up to her, she was very good with them, which again gave him thoughts of starting a family.

A great festival was going to be held now with butter beers, fire whiskey, and punch for the children. There was a knife throwing contest, boxing, a horse race that anyone could enter, the prizes varied from money to little things like silver jewelry. Shadey characters were there as well which really couldn't be helped because they were from the black market and did dealings with the rebellion. Some looked at Azadeh which caused Harry to practically growl at them.

Harry was suprised when Azadeh entered into the knife throwing contest, the prize was a beautiful silver hand-crafed protective amulet, which she was determined to win for Harry, but he didn't know that. He watched as she grabbed six daggers, there were ten contestants over all, and she was the only female. Draco had to watch this, Hermione winced, but she still cheered for her.

They lined up and the man said, "READY. GO!"

They threw the daggers, one at a time. The goal was to get as many daggers in the bull's eye as possible, the one with the most, won. Harry and Draco watched as the daggers all seemed to go at a rate their eyes couldn't keep up with. Finally, the whistle blew and the judge walked passed each of the targets. After he had looked at all of them, he held up Azadeh's hand as the winner, she had five out of the six in the bull's eye. Some of the men groaned and one said, "beaten by a GIRL, a tiny one at that!"

She was handed the necklace and at first Harry thought she would keep it or give it to Hermione, it was very nice, but when she handed it to him, he looked shocked. "I won it for you," she smiled. He put it on and cleared his throat, trying to get rid of the lump in it. "To protect my future..." Azadeh hugged him.

Draco leaned over to Hermione, "is it me, or do they just give everyone a cavity?" Hermione stiffled a laugh and then glared at Draco...she didn't like that he had said something that amused her. He only huffed at her.

The evening festival was even better. They had exotic food from all over the world since many of the rebellion were from other countries. Hermione and Azadeh loved the Sushi bar, while Harry wasn't sure about the 'raw fish deal'. He watched Azadeh as she expertly seem to pick up everything with her chopsticks, "I didn't know you can do that."

"There's a lot of things about me you don't know," she smiled.

"How come?"

"Well, I was always worried of stepping out of line. Not necessarily with you, just the situation, not really knowing what you'd be force to do.."

Harry looked down, "I'm sorry..."

"Don't be...it's alright now, everything will be alright. Wants some Saki?"

"Okay...but, don't you drink too much."

"Why, I'm fun when I'm drunk...?"

Harry arched an eyebrow, "exactly how MUCH...anyone else know how much fun you are?"

"Only my closest friends," Azadeh turned and found Hermione slightly quiet and her cheeks flushed. "Have too much Saki?"

Hermione nodded and wrinkled her nose, "just a tad."

Draco took this time to smile at her and start poking fun, "what do you know, the bookworm does have a wild streak."

"Don't you mean mudblood?"

Draco frowned, "you said it, not me...I'm trying to play nice."

"I bet."

"OKAY, you two," Harry shook his finger. "We're here to celebrate our freedom, especially Azadeh's and Hermione's...so behave."

Draco pointed at himself in an exaggerated motion, then threw his hands up in the air.

Azadeh handed Hermione some bread, "here, this will help absorb the alchohol." Hermione took it and ate it.

Harry turned back to Azadeh, "SO, what else don't I know about my wife?"

Azadeh crinkled her nose and one eye in thought, "mmmm...I drink green tea in the mornings, you didn't have any so... Then, I do meditations every day, do some wild stunts usually a couple times a month, I sometimes hog the covers and sleep sprawled out when I'm really comfortable some place, it'll be amazing I don't knock you out of bed. Oh...I'm really good at mechanics, fixing things. I also ride motorcycles, horses, and I, obviously, am an artist."

Hermione turned to her, "YOU RIDE MOTORCYCLES!"

"Yeah, loads of fun...unless you wipe out, then it hurts. We have a little mission coming up with them, I think we'll get a great deal of reaction."

Harry stood at attention, "LIKE WHAT?"

"Why do you need to know now, you have to stay here."

"WHY, YOU'RE GOING, AREN'T YOU?"

"Yes."

"No, you're not...I won't risk getting you captured," he said flatly, as if that was it.

"Harry, I've got news for you. I'm still your wife, but...you're no longer a Death Eater and you're not controlling what I do. We've planned this for a while... and if you could go I would take you with, you'd have fun. But, they don't want to risk you relapsing and turning on us, not to mention, I don't think you know how to ride a motorcycle. Besides, we've planned it where we won't get caught."

He glared at her, she was defying him and he wasn't used to it, "You're, YOU'RE DEFYING ME?"

Draco leaned on the booth, this was getting interesting. Though, he'd probably react the same way. Hermione sat back as well.

"I'M NOT DEFYING YOU, I'm doing my job...I told you what I did."

"THAT WAS BEFORE, WHEN YOU WEREN'T MINE, AND NOW YOU ARE! YOU'RE NOT GOING!"

Azadeh sat calmly, knowing he was used to his commands being followed, being used to her doing everything he said, "yes, I am. I have to...I love you, you know that and I won't risk getting myself hurt or captured, I promise." She finished eating the last of her sushi and walked off, Hermione close behind her. Harry didn't grab her, he didn't think to.

Draco stiffled a grin and watched as Harry's jaw dropped, "Did YOU...? SHE...She's not LISTENING TO ME!"

"I have a feeling she doesn't really listen to anyone," Draco drawled. "You're going to have to get used to it. The only difference is right now, is SHE'S the one going out and doing threatening things, not you."

"BUT...she's MY WIFE, SHE'S SUPPOSED TO LISTEN TO ME!"

"To an extent, but from what I know of the Native American culture, the WOMEN rule, they have the last say, not the men...interesting really."

"So you're OKAY WITH HER RISKING HER LIFE?" Harry was turning a shade of red Draco had never seen before.

"I didn't say that, I just basically said that you'd better get used to the woman she really is. As former Death Eaters, we're used to having control over everthing...our household, our women, our servants, even the people...but here it's different, everyone is equal. She's no longer the timid little Azadeh we knew, who was trying so hard to get you back. She's someone that already knows who she is and where she stands, something I think you love about her, but something you fear too. So, you have to decide...do you love her as she is, or are you expecting something she can't deliver?"

"I...I DO love her, so much I can barely breathe at times."

"Then, you've answered the question. If you love her, truly love her, except her as she is...even the things you don't agree with. Something tells me that she's the type that what you see is what you get, and if you don't like it...bugger off."

Harry nodded, but before he went to find Azadeh he turned to Draco, "Draco, did you and Azadeh get CLOSE when she spent the two days at your house."

"You could say that, but we've always had some type of bond, even when she was with my father."

"Do you...love her?"

Draco didn't answer the question, he took the last gulp of his saki and left.

"Guess that answers that," Harry mumbled to himself, but he knew Azadeh loved him and he took comfort in the fact that she was HIS wife and would never belong to anyone else.

"He really has changed, hasn't he?" Hermione asked quietly. "Her never used to be that possessive, not even over Ginny."

"I guess, I don't know what he was like with Ginny. Tell me about her," Azadeh smiled.

Hermione described her as a loving friend would, the humorous parts of how many guys she went through just to get Harry's attention, the time she sent him a valentine his second year and was exposed by Draco...that she made a complete full out of herself her first year.

"Wow, she really loved him, didn't she?" Azadeh said sadly.

"Yes...but don't feel badly, you never know how it might have turned out if she hadn't...you know," she couldn't bare to say it.

"I saw Mrs. Weasley, which you know...I think I'm going to go fetch her, ask her to join...most of the family is dead now except for Bill," Azadeh sniffed, she was slightly drunk and so was Hermione. After they had left Draco and Harry, they ran into some hispanic women offering tequila and had a few shots.

Hermione's eyes teared, "I didn't know.."

"Niether did I, we lost track of them after a while... I don't know why, things just happened I guess. She looks much thinner now...not eating enough." Azadeh shook her head as if to shake off this bad feeling, she didn't want to be sad AND drunk at the same time...it was too depressing. "By the Gods, everything came out such a mess, didn't it? We put so much pressure on you, Ron, and Harry...everyone expecting you do to it all. You know, Ginny came to me before she left with you guys. She told me that she wanted to go because she had this feeling that something bad was going to happen with Harry, that it was her duty to protect him, and then she said the strangest thing..."

"What?"

"She told me that if anything happened to her, to take care of him... I thought she was just over emotional or joking, something like that. I told her she'd be fine, but some how I knew that she wasn't coming back. I feel bad, you know?"

"Why, it wasn't your fault, she chose to step in front...she saved Harry, otherwise, I think we could have lost him for good."

"We did for a while..," Azadeh plopped on her back and looked at the stars. "It's so funny, the stars and the way they shine. Like no matter what is happening, they keep shining anyway. You know, there's this muggle song that has a line about seeing things from a distance, I think her name was Bette Midler or something...one line goes, 'from a distance, you look like my friend...even though we are at war.' And it just goes on saying about how God is watching us from a distance..."

Hermione looked at Azadeh, "I'm glad you're with him, you seem like a good match for him."

"Thanks, I hope so."

"I KNOW SO." Azadeh turned around to find Harry looking at her. "There you are, I've been looking all over for you."

"Sorry, we just got into a deep conversation."

Harry eyed her, "you're drunk aren't you?"

"A little...when I'm tipsy I start getting into deep conversations...THERE'S ANOTHER thing you now know about me," she pointed at him. Hermione started to giggle at the way she said it. "Sorry, we ran into some people who were giving away tequila shots and we had a few, so that and Saki..."

Harry sat behind her, "yes, that and Saki..."

Draco found them too, which made Harry tense but tried not to show it, "are our dear girls drunk?"

"Slightly."

"Oh, what fun... Well, for you at least, Harry."

Hermione gave a disgusted look at him, "why do you have to be so vulgar?"

Draco rolled his eyes, "is Azadeh the only one that's fun?"

"Draco, quit picking on her," Azadeh chastized.

"Oh, that's okay...I'm USED to it, ever since first year..."

"Can't a man change?"

Hermione put her guard up for many reasons. Seven years of taunts wasn't exactly going to be cured overnight, the fact that he was a Malfoy, and plus...he had gotten VERY attractive and really grew into himself, that pissed her off even more. "I don't know, can they?" she asked softly. Azadeh tilted her head, there was something there that Hermione wasn't saying.

Draco appearently missed it and rolled his eyes.

"I THINK it's time for you to come to bed," Harry smiled then pulled her up and started carrying her.

Draco stood up, "you too..." He looked down at Hermione.

"I'll go to bed when I feel like it," she snapped.

"Don't be stupid, a young woman drunk and out in the middle of nowhere..please," he threw her over his shoulder, she yelled at him.

"YOU PUT ME DOWN!"

"Go ahead and keep yelling, I'll just bounce up and down..," she started shaking her, causing her to feel quesy.

"FINE!" she huffed.

Azadeh was sure to drink a glass of water so she wouldn't get dehydrated in the morning. Harry was amazed, that even drunk she was aware of what she was doing. Most people lost control when they were intoxicated. But she did lose track of how to put her night clothes on, "help me...I'm stuck."

Harry laughed and help her put her night shirt on, moving all her hair out of the way. He looked into her eyes and kissed her cheeks and forehead. "Do you not want me when I'm drunk?" Azadeh looked at him sadly, which took him by suprise.

"Yes. Of course I want you...I'm sorry, I just didn't want to take advantage."

"You're my husband, of course you can take advantage," she purred and put her arms around his neck, standing on her toes.

"But I can't tell you not to go on a mission," he said, arching one eyebrow.

"Please don't be mad about that."

"I just don't want to lose you, that's all..."

"You won't."

Draco plopped Hermione unceremoniously on her bed, "sleep it off, my dear muggleborn."

"Don't you mean..."

He lept on top of her, not knowing exactly why, and got close to her face, "I wouldn't start that again, the ONLY one who has been saying it is YOU, or have you not noticed?"

She nodded, "I'm sorry...just I know you were a Death Eater, and being a Malfoy doesn't exactly give you any bonus points."

"I suppose you're right, but the key is, 'you were', I WAS a Death Eater...and I've most likely been disowned as a Malfoy, so don't worry your pretty little head about it anymore."

"But why...why did you leave?"

"I have my own reasons why, and they are MY reasons. I wasn't happy where I was and now I am here, good enough?"

Hermione nodded again and turned over on her side, Draco looked her up and down...she had gotten very pretty. He got up and left the room.