Draco sat on the edge of bed, feet tucked underneath with Kisa sitting in his lap. The toy was purring contentedly as Draco ran his fingers absently through her fur, thinking, regretting and questioning everything that had happened. He was grateful, certainly, that Severus was now his official guardian, but a part of Draco knew that he could never truly get away. No, Lucius would always be there; a silent, invisible threat that would control him forever…

Kisa looked up at her child and, instinctively sensing his unease nuzzled his fingers gently with her nose. Draco sighed and tickled Kisa's chin, which made him feel a little bit better.

"Draco, can I come in?" The blonde raised his head to see Hermione poking her head around the door. Draco nodded and moved over, making a space for her next to him. Hermione smiled, glad that he no longer was trying to hate her and took the seat offered,

"Professor Snape told me what they've done." She told him gently, "Are you okay? It must've come as a bit of a shock to you." Draco nodded,

"Yeah, a bit." He admitted, "I am glad though, to have got away, you know? But…" He hesitated and looked away,

"Yes?" Hermione persisted, "But, what?"

"But it makes it seem so final." Draco replied, "It makes me realise how bad it actually got, how serious. I-I guess I just never realised it before. I didn't think of it as wrong or as abuse, it was just how things were. But now, I know it's not right and I wonder why it was like that and…and…" He shook his head, "I don't know, I know everyone says that it's not my fault that Father was, is, like that. But surely I must've been partly to blame, or else he wouldn't have done it. Something must've set him off and if it wasn't me, why did I always get the blame? I don't understand!" Hermione watched her friend helplessly, she didn't know what to say or how to console him as, if Hermione were to be completely honest with herself, she didn't know herself.

"It's not your fault, Draco." She assured him, although she was uncertain why, "Some…Some people are just like that. They get angry and thy want to take it out on someone." Draco sniffed derisively,

"Then why me? Why not Mother or somebody else? Why is it always me?"

"Because he can. He's stronger than you, he can say that 'It's for your own good.' And nobody can contradict him that it's wrong because he's perfectly in his right to do that to you." Draco pounded the bed angrily with his fist, making Kisa jump up in alarm,

"Damn the law!" He yelled, "How can people make up such stupid things without knowing anything about it? What do they know happens to kids?" He snorted contemptuously, "I bet the only reason it's legal is because they do it to their own children. I hate adults! They don't understand what it's like! They don't care! They say they do, they say they understand and that they know what's best but they don't! They don't know anything and I hate them! All of them!"

"Even Professor Snape?" Hermione asked, slightly surprised by Draco's outburst, "You don't hate him, do you?" Draco took a deep breath and shook his head,

"No, he's different. The same…the same thing happened to him and he understands. I don't hate him, Granger, I could never hate him." Hermione nodded,

"That makes sense. At least you had someone you could rely on." Draco gave her a wry smile,

"Yeah, I'm lucky to have him. I know I am. It doesn't stop you from wishing that things were different though, does it?"

"No." The teenagers sat in silence for a while, both deep in their own thoughts. Then Draco arose, still silent and went over to his cupboard, out of which he found a long, thin box. He brought it over and resumed his place, handing the box to Hermione,

"My Christmas present to you." He told her. She looked down at the box that he'd pushed into her hands,

"I thought you'd forgotten." She murmured, "You said you hadn't got me anything."

"I wanted to give it to you privately, just in case you didn't like it." Draco explained, "Go on, open it!" Slowly, hesitantly, Hermione prised the lid open and could barely hide a gasp of joy and surprise.

Inside, lay a silver chain, fine and delicate, with a beautifully crafted dragon hung on it. In the top was a card, bearing the message; To Hermione, From her Dragon.

a/n: This chapter was going to be fluffy but for reasons i wish not to disclose, it wasn't as much as i'd have liked...ah well...big climax coming up soon, you people will probably kill me. Lol!

N-ee-way...chocolate 3D Dragons to...

LuciousLadyLucis, -addicted-2-hp-, pinkalarmclock, lindylulu, tennis pirate, Nikki's Evil Doppelganger, Zarroc, Hogaboom, grlkat, sahrious, lollenk, perfectpureblood, timemage0955, carmelita, natural-181, Martin Baker, blueeyedchibi, harry potter princess H, Dark Princesses, 909, 13blackangels, Sailor Hecate, GoldenAngel71.

Luv ya all (Mwha!) Lily xxxxxx