A/N: I really wanted to show a few conversations he had with the different characters in Grimmauld Place + the last scene. As you will notice, he will go back to school in the next chapter. It's normal if I don't describe more what he does in Grimmauld Place, it will probably be mentioned at some point but it's not that important. Also, for the Happy Bubble Box, well, I wasn't sure what it was when I looked it up on the Harry Potter wiki, so I just chose it would be used this way.

Now, as we all know, their fifth year means Umbridge's coming... I hope you guys are excited for what's coming! Have a good day/night!

In the hallway, and as he tried not to breathe too much of the rotting smell that was filling the place, Draco glanced at the portraits on the wall and he started up the staircase with Mrs. Weasley.

"You will sleep in the room above this one," she whispered as she pointed at a door on their right. In front of this one, and even if it was dark, Draco noticed Pavo, sitting calmly like he had been waiting for him. "You'll have to share with Fred and George," she added and Draco couldn't help but grimace. A chance it was dark, or Mrs. Weasley would have seen his expression. "It was the only one large enough to add a bed," she explained distractedly as she made them approach the door. Draco only nodded, not feeling like saying anything. He just wanted to see Hermione. "I presume they are in here for now."

Draco felt his heart beating faster. How would they all react, seeing him there? Because he was sure Potter was also in the room. Probably with the Weasel. What if the twins were there too? And Ginny? Ginny, he didn't exactly mind, but sharing a room with Fred and George... Well, he hadn't expected that. And it meant that he really wasn't going at Snape's place after all. Not that night, not another day. Snape had lied to his parents. Was he even going to learn how to make the Wolfsbane Potion? Or had it been just another excuse?

What were they doing there anyway? Snape was probably still a spy. And if he had to lie to his parents to take Draco there, they probably didn't know anything about it.

Draco took a deep breath as he let Mrs. Weasley push the door open. He stayed behind, at first, hearing her tell them that someone had arrived. Draco closed his eyes for a second before he took a step forwards, getting out of the darkness of the hallway to appear in the doorway, looking rather anxious. But he didn't even have the time to see the Weasleys and Potter's expressions because he heard a shriek and soon, he felt arms wrapped around him and all he could think about was how good Hermione was smelling. And so, he closed his eyes and passed his arms around his girlfriend as he tried to stuff his lungs with that scent.

"Draco! What are you doing here?" She asked as she finally broke the embrace, looking at him. He had grown up during the holidays, like Ron had, and he was now even more taller than Hermione. He smiled at her, he couldn't help it.

"Surprise?" He just said. He was glad to feel her hold his hands firmly because the others' presence in the room was making him really uncomfortable.

He felt Pavo walk past him, not without rubbing his snout against his leg first and from the corner of his eyes, he saw the animal jumping on one of the bed, next to a redhead girl. Ginny directly smiled, starting to pet him.

"How come you're here?" Harry asked as he stood up from his bed, more than surprised. Ron was also looking at Draco, clearly astonished, but they didn't seem to be angry to see him. As Harry approached a bit, Pavo got off the bed to go near the boy to sniff him curiously. Hermione had turned and she crouched, still holding one of Draco's hands and placing some of her hair behind her ear.

"I don't even know... Snape just dropped me off, he's downstairs, talking with everyone. He told my parents he would take me with him to... Well, I thought I was going at his place, that's what he said we were doing, and I ended up here." He glanced at Mrs. Weasley. Surely, she knew what was going on.

"I'm sure Severus or Remus will explain everything to you in due time. For now, stay here with them. I will call you all for dinner," she said before finally leaving the teenagers alone.

"It's Pavo, right? He is adorable..." Hermione said as she stretched out her hand, letting the dog sniff it. She couldn't stop smiling and she was already hoping she would have a few minutes alone with Draco to greet him properly.

"So that's why there's an extra bed in our room," Fred said as he glanced at George who smiled knowingly.

"Hey, you didn't say anything about that!" Ginny said, frowning a little. She then smiled at Draco. "Welcome," she told him and Draco couldn't help but smile back. It was a bit strained, compared to the smile he had given Hermione, but he was still feeling uncomfortable.

"What happened to his tail?" Harry asked as he crouched in front of the young dog, patting its head and looking curiously at him.

"What'd you mean, what happened?" Draco asked like the reason should have been obvious. Hermione pulled him towards the bed Ron was sitting on and they sat down. Draco let Hermione sit on Ron's side, he didn't really want to be so close to the Weasel. But he didn't let go of Hermione's hand.

"It's not a Jack Russell," Ron told Harry. He knew his friend had thought that it was a normal dog. "It's a Crup, right?" Ron asked as he glanced at Draco who just nodded. "It's a Beast, not a simple dog. That's why its tail's like this."

"Yeah, actually... We're supposed to cut it when they're six weeks old. But I didn't want to and my father said I could just keep him this way," Draco explained, looking at his dog who had got really excited. Pavo loved to have attention and he had a lot from Draco but meeting so many new people was probably something extraordinary, for him. He was moving his tail really fast, he was yapping and couldn't stay still. Ginny had got off the bed too in order to pet the dog again.

"Why should you have to cut it?" Harry asked.

"Because of the law," Draco said as he rolled his eyes. "Just in case he would be around Muggles, or they would know something's weird. But I'm not really going in Muggle towns during my free time, you know. Also, Crups are fine with wizards, but they tend to be... different, with Muggles," he added, not to use the word "ferocious". He watched Harry pet the dog for a moment as the others started to talk again. Soon, Pavo jumped on the other bed once again, yapping at Ginny who went to sit next to him.

"Did you see Lupin already?" Hermione asked, smiling at Draco. She felt him hold her hand a bit tighter as he smiled.

"Yeah, I did!" He was trying to stop himself from smiling too much, and he didn't want to sound too happy. Would he look ridiculous if he was acting in a silly way? He was just happy, that day. "But I didn't really have time to really talk to him, he said we would later, though."

.

They stayed in the room for half an hour, Draco was mainly listening to the explanation the others were giving him about the Order, about Snape apparently still working with them. He still didn't know what he was doing in this place, but he was certain Lupin would explain it to him. He was a bit disappointed that Snape hadn't told him anything about it, and that he was lying to his parents. Because it meant that he didn't know if Snape was caring about them at all. If he had the opportunity to denounce his father, would he do it?

"Come with me, I've got something to show you," Hermione said a bit more quietly as she stood up, pulling his arm a little. Draco glanced at the others. "Come on, you're going to like it," she said. Draco stood up, clearing his throat as he made his way towards the door with Hermione. Pavo directly left Ginny's lap to follow him closely. Draco followed Hermione towards the bedroom she was sharing with Ginny, staying as quiet as possible in the hallway.

Hermione closed the door behind them and glanced at Pavo who had already jumped on Ginny's bed, sniffing the covers.

"He seems to like Ginny a lot," Hermione whispered, leaning against the door, her hands behind her back. Draco approached the bed to pet his dog who seemed very happy to receive caresses from his owner.

"Yeah, I noticed," Draco only said, smiling at the animal. It took him a moment to turn his head to watch Hermione again. She wasn't moving, just staring at him, smiling a little. Draco straightened up and took a step towards her, tilting his head on the side. "What is it?"

"Nothing, I'm happy to see you," Hermione said with the same little smile on her lips. Draco chuckled, slowly walking towards her.

"Well, I missed you too, Granger. Time's not going so fast when you're not around," he just said. Hermione looked away, biting her lips as she felt her cheeks getting warmer. Draco loved doing that. He liked to see her flustered, to see that she was still so shy with him sometimes.

"I meant to write more but it was difficult, with everything that's going on," Hermione said more quietly. Draco waved his hand.

"I get it, I guess... I was just a bit bored. My father's working a lot, he's not there often. I don't have as many friends as before... I just like getting letters from you, it..."

"Makes you feel good?" Hermione asked as she saw Draco approach again. She stayed against the door but she stretched one of her arms in order to grab the sleeve of Draco's shirt, pulling him a bit closer. "It's the same for me," she whispered, meeting his eyes. Draco smiled again as he put his hands on Hermione's waist. She slowly passed her arms around his neck and their foreheads met. "I've got nothing to show you, I lied," she whispered.

"I figured," Draco said on the same tone. "But you were right, I like it," he added with a smirk and Hermione chuckled.

"I missed you so much."

Draco felt like he was discovering her lips again, because it had been so long since the last time he had kissed her. He soon released her waist to cup her face with his hands as they spent the next few minutes enjoying this time alone, enjoying their reunion.

.

"When do you have to leave?" Hermione asked quietly.

They were both sitting on her bed, their backs against the wall. Their legs were somehow intertwined, their feet going over the edge of the mattress and Draco had one of his arms around Hermione's waist as she was playing with the fingers of his free hand. She wasn't looking at him anymore, she was staring at his hand, like she wanted to hide her expression. But Draco was looking at her, still smiling a little, too happy to see her to let those thoughts get in the way of his mood.

"At the end of the month," Draco almost whispered, thinking about the cycle approaching. "I'm going to spend the night of the full moon at home... Fortunately, we will be in the train two days later," he said. It was the first time he was saying words like "full moon" somewhat casually. And it was the first time he was talking about it without looking away. It seemed like he was getting used to it, somehow. Or maybe Hermione was just making him feel more at ease with what he was. Because despite everything, she was accepting and loving him. He couldn't explain it, but they both noticed this change. Hermione finally looked up, meeting his eyes and staying silent for a few seconds.

"So... You'll be here for the next two weeks? Every day?" She asked on the same tone. Draco could see that she was about to smile, and that she would if he was answering affirmatively.

"I think so, I mean, there's a bed for me... Snape didn't say anything to me, but I guess I'm not going back home or to his place..."

"What were you supposed to do there? You didn't say when we were with the others." At the time, he had stopped abruptly in his explanation and he had never said why he was supposed to go at Snape's. Draco took a deep breath as he glanced at his dog, who was lying on Ginny's bed.

"It was to learn how to make my potion by myself, apparently... That's what he said, but it seemed a bit odd... He insisted for me to learn at his place and not at home, and that we had to start now, not once we would be back at Hogwarts... Besides, I thought I was too young to be able to make this kind of potions... It's too hard."

"So, your parents really have no idea you're here?" Draco only shook his head. At least, he didn't think so.

Why would they, if Snape was a spy? If he was constantly lying to them?

"How are they doing?" Hermione asked even more quietly as she kept looking at Draco. He was still staring at his dog and she examined his pale face. Being so close, she could see the dark rings under his eyes more clearly. She could see him swallow and now looking around the room because he was thinking of what he could talk about.

"They're..." He stopped, turning his head to look at Hermione for a few seconds before he looked in front of him again. Then, she was able to slowly see him looking down. "I heard my mother cry the other night..." He took another deep breath and closed his eyes for a second when he felt Hermione's hand on his chest. He smiled a little at her. "My mother... She's really strong, you know. She doesn't cry. But... My father just got back from... Well, I don't know where he was. I just wanted to see him, you know. I just wanted to talk to them a little... The door wasn't closed so I..." He frowned a little as he stopped talking.

"You couldn't resist..." Hermione said before she moved her hand from his chest to put it on his cheek, making him turn his head to look at her. "It's fine... I think everyone would have listened." Draco slightly shrugged as he looked down again.

"I just know he was comforting her... That... She didn't want him to get hurt like... before." Hermione understood that they had been talking about the first war and whatever Lucius had to do at the time. That he probably could have died a few times. That sometimes, he was probably coming back home with injuries and that Narcissa was taking care of him. And at the same time, she just couldn't imagine them being caring with each other. She couldn't imagine Draco's mother crying and Lucius comforting her. It was really hard, she didn't know if it was right to feel sorry for them. "I just left them alone. It's not the kind of things they'd share, you know... I can't take that away from them. Not after everything I already... Anyway, the next morning, it was like nothing had happened. My mother was smiling, asking me about... She wouldn't like to know I heard that."

"I think that... They just want you to feel good. As long as you're fine, they'll be," Hermione said as she gave Draco a little smile. It was really hard for her to think about Lucius and Narcissa this way. She knew they were more than despicable in some ways, but she also knew that all they wanted for Draco was for him to be happy, in good health and safe. "And you, how are you doing? You look tired."

"I am... I don't sleep that much, lately," he explained. "But I'm fine. Things are changing but... My father keeps that away from us most of the time, he usually meets with... them, away from the Manor. They're not around often, so it's less stressful than I thought it would be, even though it still is..." He didn't know if he was making any sense, talking like that, but he was understanding himself.

"It's easier to think about something else, I suppose," Hermione said and Draco smiled a little as he nodded.

"Yeah, it is."

"Were you... Hurt, last month?" She then asked as her hand went back on Draco's chest. He glanced at his dog.

"Something weird happened," he let out. Hermione raised her eyebrows. "Pavo was there..." Hermione blinked, glancing at the dog before she looked at Draco again.

"You mean-"

"Yeah, when I... When it happened..." He whispered. He then sighed heavily. "Don't be mistaken, I didn't take him with me, he came by himself... I couldn't make him leave, he didn't want to... It's- It's not really a door, you know, it's- Bars, anyway," Draco said quickly before he cleared his throat, not wanting to talk about the place he was going to turn when he was at the Manor. "I tried to make him go away but he could come back in if he wanted to... I thought he'd be scared anyway and that he would leave by himself, maybe that he wouldn't even approach me anymore, not even after, when I'd be... But... He didn't. And I didn't hurt him, nor myself."

"Do you remember what happened?" Hermione asked after a few seconds, still trying to realize what he was saying. She couldn't help but wonder where exactly he was locking himself for the cycles during the holidays. But if his dog had been there, was it happening inside the Manor? She glanced at Pavo, who was apparently asleep. "When it happened," she said to not make him uncomfortable, "How did he react?"

"He didn't move... I don't know if he knew already... You know what I mean? Maybe he smelled it, maybe he just felt it when I found him on the grounds last year... I don't... I'm not sure. But he just stayed there, waited, then..." He wasn't looking at Hermione anymore. He couldn't, not when he was going so far with the conversation. He spoke even more quietly. "He kind of... played with me..."

"He distracted you? He kept you from hurting yourself? Maybe he wanted to protect you..." Hermione said with a little smile, not sure about what she could say, what would annoy Draco or upset him. She was reassured when she heard him chuckle.

"He's stupid, it's not his fault..."

"I'm glad he is, then," Hermione said and Draco finally met her eyes.

How could she love someone like him? Draco was wondering that a lot. Sometimes, he wasn't thinking about it. Then, they were talking about it or he was seeing the way she was looking at him, like he was precious, and he couldn't understand why someone would look at him in such a way.

He leaned to kiss her again, feeling his heart beating fast, feeling his body becoming warmer. She had too much effect on him. Especially when she was kissing him back that way.

After a moment, they suddenly broke the kiss, startled by the door. They both looked at Ron, who was standing in the doorway, his hand still on the doorknob. Draco took a deep breath and tried not to sigh as he passed a finger on his lips, shooting an annoyed glance at Ron. Hermione was totally flustered, moving her lips without a sound leaving her mouth. The redhead was silent, staring, clearly aware that he had interrupted them. In the end, he just looked away.

"Dinner's ready," he said before he closed the door again to walk away. Draco waited for him to be gone to finally sigh and he looked at Hermione.

"Did he do that on purpose?"

"I'm sure he didn't..." Hermione said quietly.

"Or maybe knowing that we're in the same room, alone, was bothering him. He's still not fine with it, is he? Or not enough to learn how to knock," Draco said as he moved from the bed to stand up, not really waiting for an answer. Hermione was surprised to see Pavo stand up directly to join his owner. She had been sure he was asleep.

.

"Did you enjoy the food?" Lupin asked. Draco turned around, a bit surprised. He smiled at his former teacher. He had found the room some time after the dinner, as he had been about to go upstairs, and he hadn't been able to stop himself. The tapestry had caught his attention and he had to get closer to look at it. Now, Lupin was leaning in the doorway, his arms crossed and a kind smile on his face.

Draco had enjoyed the food, yes, especially since Molly had made sure he had rare meat, like Lupin. But he had been really silent that evening. Lupin had sat in front of him and Hermione next to him with Ginny. Even Fred and George, who had been sitting on his other side, had made a few jokes that had almost made him laugh out loud. But still, he had been uncomfortable, feeling like he didn't belong. Snape had left earlier, not even explaining the situation to him, and now he was around people that used to hate him. Or at least dislike him. And that were hating his family.

"Yeah. It's... different from the Manor but... it was good." He said.

"You should tell Molly you enjoyed it, then, she'll be delighted. She has to cook for a lot of people," Lupin said as he walked in the room. Draco turned again, repressing his urge to get closer to Lupin. Instead, he faced the tapestry again and he was glad when Lupin stopped almost next to him, staying just behind.

"Why is she so nice with me?" He then asked. Mrs. Weasley had been very welcoming, even though Draco had been really mean with her family, especially with Ron, and that her husband hated his father.

"Because she is a nice person," Remus said, glancing at the boy and still smiling.

"Yeah but... they hate my father. And I insulted her last year," Draco said, hiding his hands in his pockets, feeling uncomfortable again.

"What did you say?"

"There was this article about Arthur in the paper... I mocked him and I told Weasley his mother looked porky," he explained.

"Why did you do that?"

"Because I was mad at Weasley..." Silence followed this confession and Lupin only talked after a few seconds.

"Was it after the ball, or after the World Cup?"

"The World Cup..." Draco said quietly. Of course, in his letters, he had already explained the arguments he had had with Ron the year before. He had told Lupin the exact words Ron had thrown at him like a dagger.

"So you insulted his mother?" Lupin asked.

"I just wanted to... I don't know. Give him what he deserved in front of everyone."

"And that's when Harry did the same with yours, right? With Crouch turning you into-" Draco coughed, interrupting Lupin who slightly smiled. Then, Draco started to walk slowly in the room.

"Doesn't matter. I still don't get why she's so nice with me."

"I'm sure Ron didn't tell her about what happened. And even if he did, or if he does at some point, Molly would not change her behavior with you."

"Why not? Because she's pitying me?" Draco asked, stopping. He was facing the name of Bellatrix Lestrange and he soon found his parents' name.

"No, not really. She knows you're having a really hard time but that's not it. She's just like that. She has too much love to give."

"Is that why she decided to have seven kids? Because she wanted to give love?"

Remus chuckled, making Draco smile a little and he glanced at his friend. Then, his eyes stopped on his own name and he crossed his arms, tilting his head a little.

"Have you ever wanted a brother or a sister?" Lupin asked, looking at the tapestry too. That's when Draco noticed that he had followed him. That he was, again, close to him, almost next to him.

"I used to want one, when I was younger," Draco said quietly. "And I told my parents, I specifically asked for a little brother. I said that if it was a girl, it wouldn't count." Again, Lupin laughed quietly. "And I think they wanted another child too but... things didn't go as planned."

"Because you've got bitten?"

"Among other things..." Draco whispered. They both stayed silent for a moment that Lupin used to stare at Draco.

"And after it happened... You didn't want a brother anymore?"

"I thought that if they had one... they'd throw me out," he said as he approached the wall, looking at Andromeda's name. He slowly touched the burnt tapestry with the tip of his fingers. "Besides, I grew up, I met people. Pansy's like my sister, you know."

"I know," Lupin said quietly as he smiled. He knew what Draco was thinking of Pansy. How protective, how possessive, even, he was of this girl.

"Anyway," Draco sighed. "How are you doing?" He asked as he turned to face Lupin. He knew that he still didn't have a job, that he was struggling to live a quiet life, to eat every day.

"I am not the main concern, here, Draco, am I?" Lupin asked and Draco narrowed his eyes for a second before he sighed. Lupin knew that Draco didn't want them to talk about why he was there, and that he was trying to avoid the subject. Because he already knew all he had to know about Lupin.

Remus examined Draco for a few seconds, as the young man was looking around, clearly thinking. And he ended up by turning again, his back facing Lupin as he took a deep breath.

"Everyone here... They know about me, don't they?" He asked more quietly.

"Not just here," Lupin said on the same tone. "Everyone in the Order. There's more people." When he saw Draco turn his face a little, Lupin couldn't help but put his hand on his shoulder. "But your secret is safe."

"Because if they told anyone, I would be no use for them..." Draco felt Lupin's hand slowly leaving his shoulder. "They want me to be some sort of spy, like Snape, don't they?" He then asked even more quietly, Lupin barely heard him. He took a step forwards, getting even closer but he didn't touch the boy anymore.

"I don't want you to do that. But yes, some of them definitely think it might give us some help," he explained.

"Snape may be comfortable with lying to my parents but I am not. I can't even look at them in the eyes when I tell them the rumors about me and Hermione are false," Draco said as he shook his head. He wasn't much louder and he crossed his arms again as he thought about his situation.

He was such a disgrace for his family. And now this? Merlin, it was like he really wanted to be disowned. First, he became a werewolf, then he fell in love with Hermione, and now he was being asked to help the Order. The list of reasons why he was a poison for the family was getting bigger everyday, or so it seemed like. He clenched his jaw as he looked down.

"You wouldn't have to lie to them... Just to help us like you did last year. You gave information to Sirius, and he gave them to Dumbledore. And Dumbledore gave them to us," Lupin kept on going. He stayed silent for a few seconds before he sighed. He moved, placing himself in front of Draco.

When the boy turned his head to avoid him, Lupin put a hand on his cheek to force him to look at him.

"Listen to me, Draco, please," he said. He then let go of Draco's face to put his hands on his shoulders. "I had a long conversation with Dumbledore about you. I refused to include you into this but... I have no right to give this kind of opinion... I'm not your guardian, I don't have this kind of powers in the Order... It made me angry but in the end, I trust Dumbledore, I believe he knows what he's doing. Besides... Think about it. Maybe we will be able to help your parents."

"What do you mean?" Draco asked quickly when he heard the last sentence. Lupin could see some kind of distress in his eyes and he pursed his lips. He knew Draco was probably worrying sick about his family's safety.

"Draco, you do realize that if we fight against Voldemort, we fight against the Death Eaters, right? Against your father... I know that things changed the day you were bitten. I know that despite sharing these beliefs, your father didn't want for Voldemort to come back. He didn't want to work for him again, he actually never tried to bring him back. You told me everything and I believe everything you tell me. Even when there were signs, he ignored them... And I know that now, he has no choice. And so, nor does your mother, even if she is not a Death Eater. And we know that if he learns about you, you all might be in danger. But if we have you on our side, Dumbledore will help them no matter what."

"What if I don't want to be on your side? Or on his side? What if I just want to be left alone? This isn't my fight..." He whispered the last sentence as he slowly looked down. He had never asked to be a part of all of this. He just wanted to live a quiet life with his parents, with Hermione by his side. He didn't need those problems, he wasn't Potter, he wasn't a savior, slaying the darkness to bring happiness to the innocents. He was a monster. He deserved to be forgotten.

"You tell yourself that but you know the truth... You're a part of it, whatever you do. You have no choice. You never had any..." Lupin said as quietly as Draco. The boy met his eyes again and he looked like he was begging Lupin to help him. To make him choose, to tell him what he had to do.

"Do you... Do you want me to be a part of this, or not?"

"I don't. But there's a lot of things I don't want happening to you, Draco. If I had the power to change things, you'd be the happiest boy on earth..." Draco clenched his jaw as he blinked, looking away. He felt Lupin's hands on his cheeks and he looked up again as he clenched his fist to stop his hands from shaking. "But things don't work this way. I'm just asking you to think about all of this. There's no rush."

Draco didn't say anything, he just stared at Lupin, trying to see if something in his tired expression would be able to tell him what to do, to scream the answer he was supposed to give the man.

"Alright, Draco?" Lupin whispered. "Just think about it..."

"Yeah." Draco realized he had sounded a bit curt but he also didn't feel the need to apologize for that. He didn't feel like anything, really. He suddenly wanted to go in his bed and sleep for three days. And at the same time, he didn't want to leave Lupin's side, he wanted to talk to him more. About a lot of things. But he didn't have the energy that evening.

"Draco... Don't be mad at me," Lupin said quietly.

"I'm not. I'm not... I'm just..." He didn't know what he was. He put his hands on Lupin's wrists to remove his hands from his face as he shook his head. "It's fine. I'm fine." He didn't dare look at Lupin as he said those words, he didn't want to see his expression. Was he disappointed? Sorry? Draco wasn't sure he wanted to know. He let go of Lupin's wrist as he glanced at the tapestry again, his eyes stopping on his parents' names.

"You should go get some rest..." Lupin said. Something in his voice told Draco that he didn't want him to leave right away but after a short moment, Draco turned around to slowly walk away.

.

Draco left the bathroom after having stared at his reflection in the mirror for a few minutes. He had wondered if he would look like Lupin, when he would be around his fourties. If he would look older. If his hair would already be gray. If he would have more scars on his face, or on the rest of his body. If everyone would know about his condition because of all those signs. Would Hermione still be with him? Would she still love him? Would his parents finally have enough, would they stop talking to him? Maybe he wouldn't be alive anyway, with Voldemort being back.

He stopped in front of the bedroom door, unconsciously passing his hands on his arms. Thinking he was going to sleep at Snape's, he had only taken his usual pajamas. Even if he was still wearing his nice pajama pants, he was always wearing a t-shirt for reasons that only he knew. But his arms were exposed, and he wouldn't be alone in this room. Somehow, he was thinking that maybe the twins would already be asleep. But he knew that he was kidding himself. He took a deep breath before finally putting his hand on the handle, opening the door. Should he have knocked? The twins stopped talking, looking at the newcomer.

Draco looked hesitant as he appeared in the doorway.

"Well, come on in," George said directly.

"We're not gonna bite you," Fred laughed as he sat on his bed. Draco tried not to roll his eyes as he looked away, annoyed already. He sighed and walked in, closing the door behind him. Fred and George took the opportunity to look at him from head to toe, their eyes stopping on his arms for a second as Draco made his way towards his bed. His trunk was in front of it, closed.

"I thought I'd see you sleep in silk pajamas or something," Fred said before laughing and George chuckled.

"Come on, Fred, he's probably just adapting. He keeps the expensive pants because that's a part of him, but he wears a t-shirt because he's not with people as rich as him," George laughed.

"That's insulting," Draco said, still not looking at them. He sat on his bed, still covering his arms with his hands, clearly uncomfortable. Pavo left Fred's bed to walk towards his owner before rubbing his snout against one of his arms. Draco pursed his lips as he patted his dog's head, letting the animal lie on his lap.

"Come on, you deserve it, I mean, you've never been an angel with our family," Fred said, still smiling. Draco shrugged, staring at his dog.

"You know, it's alright," George said. "We're not going to say anything." Draco finally looked up to glance at the older boy. He saw George nod at his arms before meeting his eyes and Draco looked away once again.

"Actually, it's kind of epic," Fred added.

"I don't think it is, no," Draco said a bit more coldly as he glanced at Fred. Pavo then got on his paws and turned towards Fred. The twins could hear him growl. He wasn't very loud but they had noticed. Fred smirked.

"Your dog seem pretty protective, does he understand what we're saying?" He asked, curious. Draco looked down at his dog and slowly passed his hand on his flank to calm him down. During this time, George stood up and walked towards the wardrobe he was sharing with his brother.

"Not really," Draco just said, still caressing his dog. He was tense under his fingers, still staring at Fred. "It's more like... He feels..." Draco shook his head, looking away. "When my mood change. I don't know how, he just feels things..." He said more quietly, wondering if the brothers would find him weird.

"Does he feels you're a-"

"Don't push it," Draco said as he glanced at Fred, hearing his dog growl once more. Fred looked amused as he raised his hands for a second, glancing at the dog. Draco looked annoyed but he didn't have the time to say anything else when something George threw landed on him, covering half his dog.

"Take this," George said as he walked towards his brother's bed, sitting on it too. Draco frowned as he looked down. Pavo was sniffing the red sweater and Draco lifted it to look at it. A big yellow G was in the center of it and he glanced at George. "You can give it back to me when you'll have to leave," he added. That's when he noticed that they were both smiling kindly at him. Draco felt even more uncomfortable. Had someone asked them to act this way with him? Molly, maybe?

Draco couldn't even bring himself to thank the other boy. He just nodded before putting the sweater on. He didn't really like the smell of it, it wasn't the same as his usual clothes. And Pavo seemed to be sniffing the sweater a lot. Maybe because he wanted to get used to it.

At that point, Draco didn't even mind if it was too big for him, he was just glad to be able to hide his scars. The twins stopped staring at him to glance at each other, wondering if now, he would be more at ease. Fred pursed his lips before he stood up, walking towards one of the bedside tables to take a cup.

"Drink this," he said before he walked towards Draco, handing it to him. Draco narrowed his eyes, taking the cup and he glanced at the liquid that was in it.

"What's that?" He asked, sniffing it.

"Some tea," Fred said as he glanced at George who smiled. Draco looked at the twins again, raising an eyebrow. He glanced at the cup again, sighed and took a sip. "Hope it's not too hot."

Draco only shook his head, it was fine. But he wasn't able to speak right away. As he swallowed the tea, he felt a weird sensation in his body. He became more relaxed, he felt like his worries were slowly going away, and he couldn't help but let a little smile form on his lips.

"That's really good..." He said quietly before taking another and bigger sip. Fred chuckled as he sat down again.

"So it's working, huh?" George said to his brother who only nodded, taking a box that was on the bed next to him.

"What's working?" Draco asked before he drank the rest of the cup without being able to help it. He couldn't exactly fathom what was making him feel so... good. He was just feeling like everything was fine. Like he was happy.

"Our tea. We created it," Fred explained as he showed him a box.

"Happy Bubble Box?" Draco read, frowning a little but still smiling. He then glanced at his cup and stretched his arm. "I could use some more," he said. George smirked and shook his head.

"You shouldn't drink too much of it," he said. "You should go to sleep, now." Draco saw him wink and he glanced at Fred who just nodded. Draco stared at nothing for a moment, smiling like an idiot and he felt someone taking the cup away from his hands.

"Why did you create it?" He asked as he moved on the bed, going under the covers to lie on his back, Pavo moving to huddle against him. Draco barely realized that he was making his hand go up and down Pavo's back. He was staring at the ceiling, his mind slowly becoming empty of any annoying thought. Instead, he was thinking of a joke Hermione had told him once in the library. They had almost have to leave because he had laughed too loudly. He thought about Luna, painting in front of the castle. He thought about Pansy hitting his shoulder but still laughing at what he was saying. He even thought about Theo laughing with them. And he felt good.

"We create a lot of stuff," Draco heard one of the twins say. "We want to open a joke shop after we graduate."

"A joke shop, really?" Draco asked quietly as he closed his eyes. It wasn't exactly surprising, knowing the twins reputation. He took a deep breath as he barely listened to the answer. He was exhausted.

When he woke up the next morning, he couldn't remember having such a good night of sleep in years.

.

When Draco woke up, two weeks later, back in his Manor, he was surprised to discover his mother next to him. The only light in the cellar was provided by some candles and Draco wasn't sure to know what time of the day it was. Probably the evening, or he wouldn't possibly wake up by himself after the night he had spent there.

He felt Pavo lick his ribs and he slowly moved his hand to put it against the dog's snout and mouth only to feel him lick his fingers. Draco was still staring at his mother. She was sitting on the edge of the mattress, looking at him. She was pale, not that it was very surprising. She wasn't wearing her usual makeup and Draco blinked slowly before he really realized where he was. He straightened up a little, automatically moving his hand to push away the stuffed Dragon he had kept all those years. Of course, it was ripped, half the stuffing was out and he was just keeping it there because... he didn't know.

He cleared his throat.

"I already told you," he said, hoarse, "I hate when you come down here."

"I know," Narcissa said calmly as she looked at the mattress he had been sleeping on. The covers were covering half her son's body. He had a few pillows there, to make it more comfortable. One of them had probably been thrown across the room some time ago, maybe a year, maybe two, as it was in a corner of the huge cellar, half ripped and dirty. Her eyes stopped on the drawings on the wall behind her son. Some were his own, from when he was younger. Dates were on them. He had to find a way to occupy himself while waiting to turn. And some were her own drawings. One of them was missing a piece, it was on the floor.

She stopped looking when she noticed some marks on the wall. She didn't take the time to look at what was near the mattress. Instead, she met her son's eyes.

She took a deep breath as she ran her fingers through his hair. Then, her thumb slowly touched the scar on his forehead and Draco looked down, closing his eyes as he felt her hand slowly going down his cheek, his neck and his chest.

"Please, don't..." He muttered.

"Does it hurt?" She quietly asked, feeling her eyes sting. How could her boy's body be so damaged? How could her baby have been so hurt? He had so many scars... How could have she let that happen?

"Not anymore," Draco said quietly as he finally glanced at her, meeting her eyes again. He tried to smile, even though it was strained, and he could see that his mother was about to break down. So, he slowly moved one of his hand to take hers, removing it from his chest. And he held her hand for a moment.

She broke the contact by herself and he felt her hand behind his neck. Next thing he knew, he was in her arms. One of Narcissa's hand was in his hair, the other on his back, brushing the scars Lupin had left there a year ago. But this time, he didn't mind. Instead, he just wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly.

"Your father loves you, don't forget that," Narcissa whispered. Draco closed his eyes and took a deep breath when he felt his chin shake. He slowly moved, hiding his face against her neck.

"Yeah," he whimpered.

"Everything he does... It has nothing to do with you... He loves you so much... We love you so much..."

They didn't move for a while. He was comforted by her perfume, her caresses, Pavo's hot and soft body against his stomach when the dog made his way between them to get close to Draco again.

Draco didn't feel like moving. If anything, he felt like lying down again, but with his mother. He just wanted to stay in her arms for the rest of his life.

But they broke the embrace at some point. He didn't know when, he didn't know how long they had stayed there. He had a feeling of déjà vu when he opened his eyes. He hated that. He hated feeling like he had already fallen asleep in her arms while crying before.

Narcissa put her hand on her son's cheek as she gave him another smile.

"Why don't we go pack together? You're leaving soon..." She said quietly.