A/N: Yes, I'm still alive. A lot of things happened, and I must confess I had some problems with finding what to do with the plot, but I'm not going to prolong my excuses here, so bear with me for a little longer, because I plan on finishing this story before the end of the year. Hope you like it!

Chapter XXX

After explaining to Ginny how Blaise and Nott got into the house, and having the satisfaction of seeing Nott's face when Potter dropped Teddy on his lap after the kid insisted on grabbing his hair, we ate and the majority of the people headed to their rooms. That ended with me, Balise and Nott alone just outside the front door, where the other two were preparing to disapparate.

-So I'm going now, I know that Blaise probably wants to speak alone with you Malfoy, and I get it when I am not wanted. Just do me a favor and send a letter to him sometimes before he drives me crazy and I have to end up murdering him to get some peace.

That said he nodded my way and disappeared. Blaise sighed and turned to me with a mixture of apprehension and worry. That's the thing with Zabini. The majority of the time he doesn't give a fuck about much, but he tends to be infuriatingly caring, to the point of annoyance, when you're someone he consider a friend.

-Draco, why do I have the feeling that this is going to turn bad sooner than we expect?

I frowned and looked up at the sky. It was a clear night, you could see all the stars, and the moon was full. It was peaceful, but at the same time gave you the feeling that something was going to happen. Something that, giving our story, probably would not be good.

-Blaise, how many times do I have to tell you that I prefer when you don't speak the obvious?

-So you feel it to?

I sighed and stopped looking up to gaze at his face. His head was turned back to the house, at one of the windows that were open and still had some light shining trough.

-Of course I do Zabini. But I noticed that the people here don't like to spend all their time swallowing in pity, or mourning about their problems. As infuriating as they are, with all their Gryffindor ways, sometimes it's not so bad. I tend to forget about all that is going on in the little moments were we joke around, even if it's for a short period. And it's kind of refreshing, in a way.

I was looking at the floor while speaking, and when I glanced at Blaise, he was giving me a look of mock shock.

-Why Malfoy, Potter turned you into one of them. I must say I'm disappointed; I had more faith in you.

-Why must people always give credit to Potter?

I was smirking too, and shaking my head.

-You must remember that Potter wouldn't be anything without Granger's brain.

He laughed for a moment before getting serious again.

-You know, I teased you at the beginning, but I must admit that I never actually believed that this would go on for so long, or that you would end up so smitten by Granger. But I'm happy for you Drake, really. Just try not to mess this one up, because I won't help when the Chosen One come trying to murder you, no hard feelings, I just don't want to get in trouble with the Aurors.

-As if, you love me too much. What would you do without me?

-Probably have fewer headaches and gain a couple years of life after getting spared of all this problems you keep getting yourself into.

-But then it would be so boring. Ah, and speaking of trouble, how are you and Lovegood doing?

His smirk was replaced for a small smile, but a real one nonetheless, and I was taken aback by the calm look and the feeling in his eyes. All the years I've know Blaise, never have I ever seen that type of serenity on him. As crazy as Lovegood might appear to be, it seems like she is doing something good to him, and as far as it goes, I'm happy for him.

-We're great. She still talks some nonsense here and there, but I find it kind of cute, in a totally strange way.

-Well, you're not so normal yourself, so I'm not that surprised by it.

He shook his head still smiling and walked ahead of me a little, then turned and gave me his best grin before disapparating. I stood there for a while, thinking about what Blaise said. As much as I would like to think that Crabble couldn't do any great damage with a brain like his, it's never so easy, and it seems that we always will have something to worry about.

A shiver ran down my spine, and I realized that we spend quite some time outside, and it was late and cold. Going back to the house I passed Potter and Ginger all snuggled on the couch, and I could hear the Weasel trying and failing to do something in the kitchen, as I heard glass breaking and curses.

When I got into Hermione's room, I found her sitting on her bed and looking at some photos. Her back was turned to me, and I tried to see from the side of her shoulder. They were photos, but something was wrong, none of them moved. It was strange, but I realized that they were the muggle kind.

She had one in her hands that showed a man, looking to be in his late forties, with brown hair and eyes, wearing some kind of white vest over his clothes. He looked familiar, but not in the sense that we actually met before, more like his features were familiar.

-My dad.

Well that explained why he was familiar. The eyes were very similar.

-He was a dentist; it's a professional that specializes in teeth. Both my parents were. They met in university, a school we go when we decide what we want to be. They were happy, and in love. Even after all these years, they managed to get trough, even with my problems with magic and everything. They never made me feel bad because of it, and always managed to cheer me up after I broke something, or the kids at school said something that made me feel like a freak.

I sat behind her, and she leaned on my chest. That was the kind of situation where I was useless. Even if I love mother dearly, my relationship with my parents was never so open about feelings. So I just holded her, and tried to think of something that could help.

-They loved you.

She chuckled half heartedly and glanced at me from the corner of her eyes.

-Yes, they did. And I love them with all my heart. And that made me remember something that my father used to tell me. It's a saying from a famous muggle. He told me that for the first time when I was seven, and grandma died. I was crying at the back of the house, and he came to me, and sat by my side. I can still remember how sad he was.

She paused for a moment, looking at the photo. But I could see that she was far away, as if visiting an old dream. A tear dropped from her right eye, I raised my thumb to get it, and she leaned on my hand.

-What did he say?

She kissed my wrist lightly, and turned to look me in the eyes.

-That it was best to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all.

-I can see where he was going with that.

She closed her eyes and got closer until our foreheads touched. That kind of moments with her, were we shared this kind of deep things were my favorites. I could feel as if I knew her better each time, and I realized that it made me fall in love with every new thing I learned that made her so unique. Maybe Blaise was right, I'm too far gone now.

-Draco?

-Hum.

-Kiss me.

She didn't have to ask twice.