Author's Note: I really feel like plot is starting to roll along. I'm leaving Cuzco early in the morning for Lima and don't know what my internet connection in Lima will be like, so I'm updating now! If anyone wants to see pictures from my trip, I'll let you know when I've posted them to my blog, HiIMakeStuff which is on Blogspot. Thank you guys so much for all those reviews in the last couple days. Totally made me grin. I write because I enjoy it, but it helps so much knowing other people are enjoying it too, so your words of support really make such a difference to me.

Chapter 18: Sanctuary

Hermione stared at her friend, her mouth agape. After a moment, she managed to find the words her stunned mind was looking for and get them transferred over to her mouth. "Harry? What are you doing here?"

"I didn't want to wait until Christmas," he said, the last words ending in a bit of a squeak as Hermione rushed up to hug him, as if making sure it really was him.

"Oh Merlin, I've missed you," she said, not letting go.

"I'm sorry, I just…"

"I know."

"I missed you too," he said, kissing her on the cheek. "Can we go inside now There's a lady at the end of the hall giving me the evil eye."

"That's Ms. Gravis. She fusses whenever anyone is making too much noise in the hallway. Her idea of too much noise basically involves anyone breathing," she said quietly, fishing in her pocket for the keys and opening her door. "Come in, come in. I'll make a pot of tea." She got Harry settled into one of the chairs at the kitchen table and set about making something to drink. She noted that he was too skinny again and was determined to try and get him to eat something. Oh Merlin. She was turning into Mrs. Weasley. "So tell me things. How are you?"

"I'm…okay. You first."

She looked over her shoulder at him as she filled the kettle. "I'm here, exactly where I've been since the last time you saw me." She swallowed, her mind going back to July. Ron's murder. The aftermath. Draco's hearing was the last time she'd seen Harry. "I took my Potions NEWT. And lately I've been working a lot with George. The Ministry gave Draco the flat you were going to move into."

Harry chuckled, staring down at his knees.

She heated the kettle with her wand and brought a mug out to Harry, along with a selection of tea bags. She studied his face. "You aren't surprised."

"Why should I be? I suggested it."

She stared at him quite openly.

"Don't look at me like that. You said you were moving out of here. And I didn't want to move in. Not right now. I spoke to the Head of the Wizengammot about it before the hearing when I asked him to find some leniency for Malfoy and his mother. He confirmed my identity when Bellatrix had us, and she…she lied to Voldemort to keep me alive." He stared at his hands. "I hope she's doing okay…even after everything."

"She's fine, last I spoke to her," Hermione told him, pouring hot water into his mug and getting another one for herself. She chose chamomile. She needed something calming after the shock of seeing him. "She's in France and making the best of things, though she thinks it's cruel that she's not allowed to contact Draco. I've told her that he's doing okay. He's really managing surprisingly well."

It was Harry's turn to look surprised. He also looked pleased. "He is?"

"He is," she confirmed. She glanced at her door way and knew just another ten feet beyond it, Draco was in his own flat. "He has a Muggle job. He goes to work. He's learning to spend his money responsibly, and solve his own problems. He's even managed it with a minimum of whining and complaining."

"I wasn't really expecting you to have to take care of him when I offered the flat to the Ministry," Harry said, sipping his tea experimentally to see if it had steeped long enough.

"For the most part he's needed a lot less care taking and handholding than you would have expected. Beside, it was good to have a little company." The comment may have come out a little sharper than she meant it, because Harry winced. "Nothing changes the past, but I am willing to accept that the future is full of changes. If you hold onto the past, nothing gets better." She seated herself at the table with him. "So I'm here, and I'm living. And I'm trying to learn to live without Ron. It's been hard." She swallowed. "I haven't seen Molly yet, because I'm afraid I'll break all over again. It's hard enough seeing George most days."

Harry raked his fingers through his hair and let out a sigh. "I haven't been much help, have I?"

"Well, I didn't exactly come after you either. We both needed our space. What were you saying before about Christmas?"

He gave an awkward laugh and sipped his tea. "I didn't mean to keep to myself as long as I did. But the later it got, the harder it was to pull myself together. It got to the point where I was saying to myself, 'Christmas. I'll go back and see everyone at Christmas.' But I finally decided I wasn't going to wait that long to see you, and here I am."

"Here you are," she agreed, wondering what the rest of the story was. She'd known Harry could sulk and brood with the best of them. Something had lit a fire under him to get him here. "Have you been at headquarters all this time? Well, I suppose I shouldn't call it that anymore."

"Mostly. Kreacher and I aren't exactly great company for one another. He still thinks I'm a blood traitor. But when I offered to free him and let him go his own way, he said it would be dishonorable and make him worse than a blood traitor. He was tied to the house and family, and if I'm all that's left, he'd stay until the house fell down around him. I'm trying to get rid of some of the nastier ornaments, but it's slow going. Every time I start, Kreacher wails about how that troll tooth necklace was Mistress's favorite, and so on." He grimaced. "But I will finish clearing it out."

They talked a while longer, Harry mostly asking questions and dodging the ones Hermione asked him. She told him a little about the mirror project she and George were working on, and he offered to bring by one of the shards of Sirius's mirror in case it would be of any use.

"I'm sure George would love to see you."

"I know." He got up abruptly and went to make another pot of tea.

Hermione remained seated at the table, watching him. She recognized the tenseness in his shoulders. He was working up the nerve to tell her something. He could fight dragons and Dementors like it was anything, but try and get him to have a conversation… She sighed. It would do no good badgering. He was here. He was 9/10 of the way to telling her whatever it was. Let him come the last little bit in his own time. She started a little idle chatter to fill the void. "I've seen Neville not that long ago. He looks good. He's assisting Professor Sprout now."

"Is he?"

"Yes. He seems to be taking to it quite well from what I gather. And Ginny distributed samples of George and my product to the students, so the owl orders are just flying in." She chuckled at her unintended pun.

"Good." He brought the kettle out and poured them each a mug of hot water and got himself a tea bag from the table. He walked around the little flat, seeing Hermione's books tidily on the shelves, her potions ingredients.

Hermione's resolve to let Harry manage the last 1/10 of his revelation himself gave way and she asked, "What is it? You're wandering around like a caged cat. You didn't come all this way just to drink my tea and ask after me."

He looked at her, eyes narrowed fractionally in annoyance for a second and gave a hoarse bark of laughter and shook his head. "I never could keep anything from you, could I? Ron was willing to ignore whatever wasn't right in front of him, but you always did see everything."

She chuckled. "Well, I care about you. Even if it seems like having to pull teeth sometimes to find out what I want to know, you never have to go it alone. You should know that by now. I answered all of your questions. Now sit down and answer mine, or tell me what you came here to say. I can see that it's eating at you."

He stood leaning against the back of the sofa, keeping some distance from her at the table. "I don't know where to start."

"Start at the beginning. I haven't seen you in three and a half months," she pointed out.

And so Harry told her. Both before and after the hearing, Kingsley had told him there was a place for him in the Auror department. Kingsley had implied that it would do the wizarding community a world of good to see him take it. There was no need for him to go back and pass his exams or even do the standard Auror training, though of course fi he did want to go back and complete his last year at Hogwarts, no one would begrudge him it, and they would still hold a place for him. He shook his head. "I don't think I want to be an Auror. I don't really know what I want to do now, and maybe it makes me a terrible person, but I've been fighting dark wizards since I was 11. Voldemort is gone. It's the last thing I want to do right now. I mean, I know the job needs doing, and maybe some day, but not now. "

"I can't believe Kingsley had the gall to ask at a time like this," Hermione said, outraged.

"It's not the first time he brought it up and I doubt it'll be the last," he said sourly. "It's part of why I disappeared. If no one could find me, there couldn't be any demands. Any expectations."

"But still, three and a half months with only Kreacher for company? It sounds loathsome."

He swallowed. "I haven't been entirely alone, just mostly."

Hermione stared. Who had he seen? Ginny? Molly? McGonagall? Who would he go to other than her when he was hurting?

"Dudley. I know it's crazy, isn't it?" he scuffed his foot against the floor. "I went back to Privet Drive. I had to see it one more time. My aunt and uncle were the same as ever. They wanted to know if everything was done and things were going to be normal again. I told them that the new normal was going to be that they would never see me again. They could go back to pretending that magic didn't exist, and that the most important thing in the world was how many drills Vernon's company made. But Dudley surprised me. He followed me out of the house. He told me that he'd listened to the wireless with the member of the Order who'd been assigned them. He realized what I'd been doing. And how much of an asshole he'd been to me growing up. He actually apologized and asked if we could start over. He said I should have some family I could count on." He turned his head, looking at where Athena was drinking water on her perch. "I gave him my address and told him where to find me. He came out to visit for a couple of days in September, and again in October. I guess some people really do change."

"If people didn't change, there'd be no hope for any of us," Hermione pointed out. "We all change, every day."

He nodded. "I've had one other visitor. She turned up the other day and was very firm." He crossed the room back to the table and sat beside Hermione. "Andromeda Tonks came to see me. She sent a couple of letters over the last few months, and I never really responded. She showed up at the house in person yesterday. I was surprised she could find it, but I suppose she has been to it before, and it's not as if the Secret Keeper charm is still holding it. She appeared on the doorstep and rapped on the door sharply and demanded to be let in. Teddy was asleep on her shoulder, though I don't know how anything could have slept through that racket. He's so small."

"He must be getting on close to a year now, isn't he?"

"Nine months. That's still small."

Hermione made a noncommittal sound to that and sipped her tea. Teddy Lupin. She blinked her eyes and tried to keep them from stinging with thoughts of Tonks and Remus.

"I know." His voice sounded constricted, as though he were fighting the same emotions she was. "I'm his godfather. Andromeda invited me to come live with them. She's…an interesting woman. I see where Tonks got her force of personality, even if it was a very different personality. She looked me up and down and said that family needed to stick together, and that it was high time I got to know my godson. I have a godson." He shrugged a little helplessly. "I don't know anything about babies. But I want to try. She said whether or not I ever want to live there, she has a room at the house for me when I come to visit, and she expects Teddy to see me regularly."

"Do you want to?"

"Of course I do. It just doesn't seem fair. He's so small, and so alone."

"He has you. And he has Andromeda. And you both love him," Hermione said firmly. "And he can have an Aunt Hermione if he wants one."

"What if I'm not good at it?"

"Good at what?"

"Helping raise a child. What if I do it wrong? The Dursleys were a lousy example of parenting."

"Then don't do what they did. Harry, you're a caring person. I'm sure whatever impact you have on Teddy's life will be a good one. Besides, you have the Weasleys. I can't think of a better example to follow than theirs."

He nodded. Hermione noted that there wasn't a particularly happy expression on his face, but his shoulders had relaxed in a way that said he was feeling a lot better. "I probably should go. I've come in and wrecked your evening."

She snorted. "If this is a 'wrecked evening' I wish I had more of them. You know you're welcome here any time. Stay the night. I was just about to cook dinner when you got here."

He protested that he didn't want to be a bother and that he'd only stay for dinner if she was sure she didn't mind cooking for two, but after dinner they sat and talked for a very long time, and he fell asleep on the couch. She covered him with a blanket and went to bed herself. Slowly but surely, things would heal.

Hermione woke up to the smell of breakfast cooking and a pot of coffee brewing. She wandered out of her bedroom to find Harry at the stove with a pan of bacon, a pan of eggs, and toast coming out of the toaster.

"Morning," she said. "You didn't need to do this."

"Morning," he replied, sounding a good deal more cheerful than he had on arriving last night. "It's no problem. You cooked last night."

She fixed herself a cup of coffee and went about getting plates and silverware set out. In the midst of it all, there was a knock on the door and she went to answer it.

"Is breakfast ready? I've moved most of the furniture," Draco said, appearing in a set of robes.

"I told you to wear clothes you don't mind getting paint on," she said, looking him over critically.

"By the time I'm allowed to wear robes anywhere outside my flat, these robes will have gone entirely out of style. I may as well paint in them and be comfortable" he argued.

She raised her hands in a whatever motion. "Suit yourself. Harry, can you add a little more bacon and a couple more eggs to the pan? I forgot I promised Draco breakfast."

Draco and Harry eyed one another across the room and Harry reached out to crack a couple more eggs in the pan. "No problem," Harry said. As Hermione crossed back into the kitchen for a mug for Draco and to get another plate to set out on the table, Harry asked quietly, "What is this?"

Hermione responded equally quietly. "I told you we're friends. He's been about the only one I've had lately. I'm helping him paint his flat today." She took the things she'd gathered out to the table, where Draco was already seated. "Were you able to move everything?"

As they made smalltalk and discussed the day's task, Harry brought breakfast to the table for everyone and sat down, taking portions onto their plates.

"This is really delicious, Harry, thank you," Hermione said, looking from Harry to Draco. She felt the awkward tension of her current world and old world colliding.

"You're welcome," Harry said automatically.

"Yeah. Not bad, Potter. Thanks," Draco said, after a moment.

Another small silence settled over the table. To the surprise of both Hermione and Harry, Draco broke it this time, speaking without looking up. He knew he needed to say the words, no matter how hard they were. No matter how much he might have originally begrudged his current situation. "I know I have you to thank, Potter, that I'm here instead of in Azkaban." He raised his head, took a breath, and looked Harry Potter and said, "Thank you. You didn't have to do it."

Harry looked back awkwardly, but without the surprise he might have shown. Hermione supposed that after Dudley apologizing for decades of abuse, Draco apologizing wasn't exactly a surprise. "You didn't have to hold my name back from Bellatrix Lestrange. And…you're welcome." He tried to lighten the mood. "The last thing I need is for you to go to Azkaban and nurse hatred and resentment for 20 years and turn into the next Voldemort."

Draco's voice was vehement. "Not a chance of that. There are better ways to get what you want than torturing people."

Hermione did her best not to smile. Draco really had learned something. He wasn't the same boy he was at 11, when he thought the best way to get friendship, respect, anything he wanted was to torment other people. She didn't imagine he'd appreciate the sentiment, so she hid what was coming through of her smile behind her coffee cup. When she could trust her face again, she asked, "Harry, we're painting Draco's living room today. The work will go faster with another set of hands. Do you want to stay?"

He shook his head, and raked his fingers through his hair. "I can't. I'm supposed to go see Teddy. Andromeda said something yesterday about starting up her book club again if I'll start watching him on Sunday afternoons. I think she wants to see how I manage with a little supervision first though."

Draco frowned. Andromeda…hadn't…hadn't there been an Andromeda burned off the family tree? "That wouldn't be Andromeda Black, would it?"

"Andromeda Tonks actually. I think that would make Teddy your second cousin. Or he's yours. I can never remember which way the family tree swings," Harry said. "You've got family, Malfoy. If you want it."

Draco stared out the window for a moment. He'd always been fairly content to be an only child. He'd never really wanted for anything or mourned his lack of siblings or cousins. There was the one cousin he never saw—he vaguely recalled her being on the other side in the war. She hadn't made it through. Aunt Bellatrix he'd hardly seen growing up and good riddance to her. This Teddy must be the son of the cousin he'd never seen. And he apparently still had an aunt who might not be totally insane. He could have family, if he wanted. "We don't really get to pick our family."

"Sometimes we do," Hermione said, clasping Harry's hand. Her parents might be out of reach, but she still had Harry. And the Weasleys.

The breakfast broke up after that, with Draco taking the dishes to the sink and Hermione and Harry saying goodbye. He hoped she'd come over and meet Teddy and Andromeda soon and promised he'd do better about staying in touch. He was done retreating. After the dishes were in the sink, Draco extended his hand to Harry, and, unlike when they were eleven, Harry took it this time. They weren't necessarily going to be easy friends, but it was a start.

"Come on, let's go get you covered in paint," Hermione said, following Draco across the hall.

Author's Note: I may need you guys to fact check me on a couple of points. I haven't really had internet access, so I haven't been able to check myself. What is the name/address of Harry's/Sirius's place? Did Ted Tonks live through the war? Do we know the maiden name of Andromeda, Narcissa, and Bellatrix to be something else, or was it Black? If I've been wrong on any of these points, I'll try to adjust accordingly. As I said when I started this story, I've tried to more or less keep it cannon with book seven (something I usually resist fiercely), but my book seven memory is pretty fuzzy, so some things may be off.