Harry turned his eyes from Draco to the portrait of his parents just over the blonde's shoulder, focusing directly on his father, "So this is what all the 'just-give-Draco-a-chance' and 'try-to-put-the-past-behind-you' remarks were about."

James shrugged and smirked at his son. Lily, however, smiled warmly and replied, "Yes, this is what those remarks were about. We all agreed," Lily indicated the rest of the portraits, "To let you come to terms with Draco on your own, but your father," she shot an annoyed look at her husband, "just couldn't keep himself from butting into your business."

James dramatically feigned insult, placing his hand over his chest and retorting, "Ugh... I'm offended. That offends me, Lily. Honestly." Lily rolled her eyes and playfully smacked him in the arm.

All heads sharply turned as a familiar, gravelly voice rang out from across the room, "Oh sod off, mate. You know full well you'd have blurted out the whole truth the first night Harry visited us if Lily hadn't threatened to move to another frame for a month. Honestly, I'm surprised you didn't take that chance, seeing as how she couldn't have gone anywhere outside this room."

"Yeah, well, I couldn't rightly have her moving in with you, now could I, Sirius?" James shot back sarcastically.

"That's enough, boys," Lily reigned them back in. "As amusing as your bantering is, there's a real conversation that needs to take place, and our role is to fill in the blanks, not run it."

"Too right you are, Lily," Remus' soothing tone floated from the frame next to hers and James', "But may I just say how pleased I am that James' meddling paid off for once. Who knows how long it might have taken for Harry to soften towards Draco had his father not encouraged him to do so."

"Thank you, Moony." James drew himself up a bit taller, putting on an heir of pride.

Remus went on to add, "That's not to say I agree with you sticking your nose in his business," James shrunk back slightly, "But I'm glad it helped speed along the process."

"I second that." As thirteen gazes turned wide-eyed to him, Draco then scrambled to clarify, "The speeding up the process part. I have no opinion regarding you butting into Harry's business."

James gave Draco a small 'you're welcome' nod.

Harry finally seemed to find his voice again, "So all these years...all the insults…its all been an act?"

"Correct." Draco replied. "I've never actually disliked any of you. Okay, that's not entirely true, I highly disliked Ron when he made Hermione cry at the Yule Ball, and when he eventually got together with her," Draco's heart leapt upon seeing the sparkle in his girlfriend's eyes and the blush on her cheeks. "But those instances stemmed from my feelings for her, not from prejudices or hatred. From the first day I met you in Madam Malkin's I wanted nothing more than to be my true self around you... to be your friend... to tell you how sorry I was about what happened to you and your parents."

"I feel like I am in some sort of alternate reality right now." Harry confessed. "I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the words coming out of your mouth."

Draco and the two girls chuckled. "That's understandable. I'm sure I'd feel the same way if the roles were reversed."

Harry suddenly felt Ginny go tense beside him. He turned to find the color had drained from her face, but before he could ask what was wrong, she opened her mouth to speak. No one, not even the portraits were prepared for what came out. "The Dark Mark." Her voice was barely more than a whisper. "You were forced to become a death eater against your will." Her eyes locked with his, and the pain she found there was all the confirmation she needed.

The weight of her realization pressed in on the entire room. Harry looked from his fiance to the man sitting across from him, seeing, for the first time, a man whose life just might have been filled with an amount of suffering equal to his own. "Is that true?" Harry asked, already knowing the answer, but needing to hear it from Draco.

"Yes." Hermione pressed closer to him, reassuringly. "When my father failed to retrieve the prophecy for Voldemort, Lucius handed me over as a peace offering. I was branded with this," He pulled back his sleeve to reveal the coiling snake, "And made to take my father's place in the ranks of the Death Eaters. Of all the things I wish I could take back, having this permanent reminder of who I was forced to be is very near the top of that list."

The room was silent. Tears slid down Hermione and Ginny's cheeks and lumps settled into the men's throats. Hermione slid her arm from around him and rolled up her sleeve to reveal her own distinct scar. He cringed at the sight of what his aunt had done to her. She looked him in the eye and determinedly declared, "Neither of these," she held her arm next to his, "Define who we are, but they can serve as reminder of who we never want to be." She saw the tears swimming in his eyes and wrapped her arms tightly around him. He melted into her, desperately returning the embrace. He took several deep breaths in an attempt to compose himself before easing back, keeping one arm around her, allowing her to snuggle into his shoulder.

Harry's hand subconsciously rose to his forehead and his eyes dropped to the floor. "We've all been marked unfairly," His hand lingered a moment before returning to his lap. He brought his gaze up to meet Draco's, "But Hermione is right... the scars aren't who we are." Hermione grinned appreciatively at her best friend, a gesture he solemnly returned. "All my life, this scar has been a part of me. Before I learned the truth, I never thought much of it, but when I entered the wizarding world, it set me apart, even alienated me in some ways. This is going to sound odd and probably a bit selfish, but a part of me is glad I'm no longer the only one marked by evil."

Draco swallowed hard, "I don't think it is odd or selfish at all, Harry. To me, it makes perfect sense. I wouldn't have wished these marks upon any of us, but I appreciate that we are able to bear them together, as," Draco's eyes questioned Harry's, "Dare I say, friends who've walked through hell and come out alive."

"Friends." Harry repeated, extending his hand to Draco who shook it gratefully, no further words on the subject were needed.

As their handshake ended, Ginny broke the tension, "Well, now that all that seriousness is over... Can I just say - I, for one, couldn't be happier the truth about your relationship is finally out! Now we can spend more time together as couples... even double-date, maybe?" Ginny asked hopefully, raising her eyebrow at her best friend.

Hermione couldn't fault Ginny's enthusiasm, it would be nice to no longer hide from Harry, but she wasn't quite ready to share her relationship with the world and she could tell by his stiffening beside her that Draco wasn't either. "Let's start with some nights together here in the cottage. We can address the idea of going fully public later."

Ginny faked pouted, "Oh, alright. I guess I can settle for that."

The four of them spent the rest of the night lounging in common room. It was just the way he'd always pictured the Gryffindor common room would be during his many joyless nights in the dark dungeon common room of Slytherin house. Harry and Ginny had shared that they were engaged, and then spent an entire hour bickering over wedding details while he and Hermione simply watched in amusement. Occasionally, Ginny would seek back up, prompting nods and several, 'yes, of course's from Hermione. When it came time to leave for Astronomy, Harry and Ginny were embroiled in a heated debate about whether or not they'd have live music at the wedding, and thus didn't notice the departure of their audience.

Draco and Hermione walked hand-in-hand through the castle, confident they would not encounter other students along the way do to it being after curfew, so they both jumped when a voice behind them chimed, "I thought it would be a good night for a moonlit walk as well."

"Luna," Hermione placed her hand over her heart, "You startled us."

"A small start is good for the heart." Luna smiled brightly. "That's what my mom always used to say. She spooked easily. Anyway, it was good to see you...together." Before they had a chance to respond, Luna had already slid around the next corner and out of sight.

"Well, that was..." Hermione wasn't sure what word she'd use to describe their encounter with her Ravenclaw friend.

"That was just Luna." Draco declared.

"Yes, I guess it was." Hermione agreed. "Did you notice she said it was nice to see us...together? What do you think she meant by that? Do you think she saw us holding hands? Maybe I should try to catch her... explain..." Hermione took a step in the direction Luna had gone, but Draco grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to him.

"I don't think that will be necessary. I have a feeling Luna doesn't need an explanation." Draco smirked.

"But she said-" Hermione was cut short by Draco's lips pressing softly to hers. All her thoughts disappeared, as they always did when he kissed her off guard.

He pulled away too soon, leaving her on her tip toes, wanting more, but she reluctantly dropped back to the floor as he began speaking. "Listen... If Luna did see us holding hands and did have questions, she would have asked them. And if she didn't see us holding hands, then going after her will only raise questions. Let's just leave this be for now. One soul bearing is all I can handle tonight."

"Okay. I will let this go for now because, as much as it pains me to say this, I see the logic in your argument and must agree with you. But just be warned, the next time I see her, I plan to sort this out." Draco fought hard to keep a straight face, but simply could not...he found her adorable when she was trying to be stern. His grin only made her try harder to stay serious, which only made him grin wider. "Draco, I'm being serious..." She smacked him on the arm.

"I know," He said, unsuccessfully trying to hold back a chuckle, "And its adorable."

"I. Am. Not. Adorable." She was genuinely becoming agitated, making her even more irresistibly cute.

He nodded facetiously. "Of course you're not." His eyes sparkled in amusement.

"I'm not." She declared unconvincingly, and he knew he had won.

"Not at all." He breathed as his lips met hers once again.

Draco had been lying awake in bed, hands locked behind his head, for nearly an hour, unable to sleep after the night's events. He couldn't believe how well Harry handled the news that he and Hermione were together. He was even more shocked that their housemate had suspected it and never said anything. He was thinking about how much gratitude he owed James' portrait for planting the seeds of forgiveness and reconciliation in Harry's head, when he heard his bedroom door unlatch. A sliver of light appeared. It slowly widened, revealing an unmistakable bushy-haired silhouette.

"Draco?" She whispered tentatively.

He remained still, believing this vision would surely vanish with the slightest movement, just as it always did.

"Draco, are you still up?" She asked just a touch louder.

He pressed his luck and sat up. She was still there. His heart skipped a beat. This wasn't another of his fantasies. Hermione was actually in his room.

"I hope I didn't wake you." Her tone was apologetic, and he realized he hadn't acknowledged her yet.

"No... No, you didn't. I was awake." He tried to sound welcoming, but it came out as over eager. He quickly added, "Still processing everything that happened tonight."

She held up her wand and pointed it toward his fireplace. "Do you mind?"

He shook his head fervently, while propping himself up more properly. "No, of course not."

"Incendio." She shot at the mantle and bright flames danced before them. She latched the door behind her, crossed the room and settled cross-legged onto the foot of his bed. For the first time, she questioned her choice to go to his room in the middle of the night. He was shirtless, which she had expected, but, although he was covered from the waist down with bed clothes, she knew he had nothing but his undershorts (or less) on under the covers because his satin pants were laying on the bed next to her.

"Is something wrong?" He asked, sensing her apprehension.

She blushed and nervously ran her hand through her hair. "Um, no... no..." His eyes sparkled at her sending a shiver down her spine. "I just thought maybe we could talk."

"Sure. What's on your mind?" He leaned toward her, attentive to whatever she had to say.

"There are just a couple things I didn't want to ask in front of Harry and Ginny earlier." She looked at him curiously.

"Whatever you want to know, all you have to do is ask." Draco assured her.

"Well, first...you said you disliked Ron because he made me cry at the Yule Ball. That got me thinking...just how long have you been harboring feelings for me?" Color unavoidably rose to her cheeks.

"Of course," He thought. "She would ask the one question I can't be 100% honest about."

He determined to tell the truth, just not the whole truth. "From the moment I laid eyes on you."

Her blush deepened, but she felt emboldened by his honesty to share a secret of her own. "I had feelings for you too...back in first year."

"Oh, really?" He teased.

"Uh huh. I had it pretty bad, too. As a matter of fact, those feelings never fully went away. Even when you were..." Her voice grew quiet and a familiar pain flashed through his eyes. "Doing what you had to do...deep down I still had hope for you."

"That willingness to look for the good in people whether or not they deserve it and especially when they can't see it themselves is one of the reasons I fell so hard for you." His voice cracked with emotion.

She smiled at him genuinely, but couldn't pass up the opportunity to dish out a little teasing of her own. "You fell hard for me, huh?...Just how hard?"

"Let's just put it this way." He smirked playfully at her, "I could have told you I loved you everyday for the last seven years and meant it."

She gaped at him for a moment before finding her words. "So what took you so long to say it to me since we've been together, then?!"

He couldn't help laughing at her stunned reaction. "I didn't want to scare you away. After I kissed you our first morning here and you completely ignored me the rest of the day, I made a pact with myself to take things slow."

"I ignored you?!" She was full on yelling in frustration, causing Draco to place a finger on his lips and point toward the bathroom he shared with Harry. "MUFFLIATO!" She shouted, aiming her wand in the same direction he was pointing. "I distinctly remember shoving Ron and Harry out the door so we could be alone, and you didn't so much as look at me."

"That's not true! I couldn't stop looking at you, actually, and I have proof. I was just doing it discreetly." Just then a light bulb went off in his head. "Wait a second, what do you mean you shoved them out the door so we could be alone?"

Hermione turned a shade redder than a ripe tomato. "I... Well, I..." She floundered, before a part of her she'd buried long ago, the part that she had only felt comfortable showing to one other person, kicked in. "You know what, no. You don't get to do your freakishly handsome, flirt tease thing to me right now. Yes...I made them leave so we could be alone. I was hoping we could at least talk about that kiss. And I'm even gonna go a step further and put it all out there... I was even hoping you'd kiss me again. Boom." She threw her hands up in front of her.

Draco stared at her in disbelief and adoration. He hadn't seen this feisty side of her since before Hogwarts. It was a side he was elated to have back. And he was certain it was a side she'd never shown Ron or Harry.

"That's my girl." He thought, but he didn't say a word, preferring to enjoy her little performance while it lasted.

"What's this? Have I rendered the infamous Draco Malfoy speechless?" She leaned forward and teasingly poked him in the ribs. "Huh, did I...?"

He swiftly grabbed her wrist and pulled her dangerously close to him. His voice was low and seductive as he responded. "Not quite. As a matter of fact, I was just thinking that right now would be a good time to make up for that day's serious lack of judgement."

His lips were on hers before her next breath. For a moment, just as she'd been the first time he kissed her, she was too shocked to move, but once his tongue hit her lips requesting permission to enter, her body reacted at full speed. She pressed herself against his bare chest, wrapping her arms around him hungrily. Their tongues danced expertly with one another for several minutes. Then, just as suddenly as he'd started it, Draco pulled away, leaving Hermione breathless.

"Who's speechless now?" He taunted.

She pursed her lips in annoyance. "I'll get you back for that. Just you wait." Her threat lost all its punch however, when she snuggled herself in next to him. "Draco..." She said timidly. "There's one more thing I wanted to ask you about..."

"You can ask me anything." He prompted her to continue.

"The initiation into the Death Eaters..." She paused before finishing, "I've heard rumors."

He stiffened next to her, completely understanding what she was asking. As much as it pained him for her to know the truth, he couldn't have another lie hanging over his head. "The rumors are true. Its not something I am proud of, but it was the only way to prove my allegiance to him."

"Who was it?" Hermione asked. "Who did you have to torture?"

"He was a muggle historian who got too close to learning the truth about magic." Draco struggled to answer without breaking down. He could still hear the poor man's screams.

"Did he die?" Hermione whispered.

"The last I saw him, he was alive." His tone indicated that he had not killed the man, but left no room for hope that the man left Malfoy Manor with his life.

Hermione pressed herself into him. "I'm sorry." She comforted. "That had to be awful for you."

He tilted her head up to meet his eyes. "We've all endured awful things. They were unpleasant and unfortunate and terrible, but we came through them. I did what I had to do to survive living under the same roof as Voldemort for three years. I will never forget what happened there, but I also made the choice to not dwell on it. That's the only way I can live with what happened. If I hadn't maintained a forward focus and known exactly what I was fighting for, I never could lived that double-life."

"I just wish there was a way for you to have had someone to be there for you during that time. I hate knowing that you were isolated and alone all those years, suffering in silence with no one to turn to." Her eyes filled with tears.

"Will I had Severus..." Draco offered.

She smiled weakly at him, appreciating his attempt to comfort her. "I mean I wish you'd had me. I wish I could have been there for you. If you had, even once, asked me to, I would have been at your side. I could tell there was something going on under the facade you so expertly put on. There were so many days in the library I felt you watching me, and I always hoped you'd act on whatever it was that made you do so. I understand why you kept up appearances. Really, I do, but I can't help but wonder what would have happened if you'd let me in to be your ally in your secret fight, because I would have. I would have without a second thought."

Tears streamed down her cheeks and he wiped them away tenderly. "Hermione. You have no idea how much that means to me, and believe me, there is nothing I would have loved more than to have you as a friend, or more, all these years, but that was a risk I simply could NOT take. You were always far too important to me for me to put you in harm's way. In a perfect world, we wouldn't have had to fight Voldemort, we wouldn't have had to appear to be enemies for seven years, we wouldn't have had to hide our feelings for each other, but we both know this is no where near a perfect world. The only comfort I take from all those years of separation is that it kept you safe. I am able to have you in my arms right now because I stayed away from you when I needed to. My role in the war would not have been worth fighting if you weren't there at the end. The possibility that we would defeat Voldemort and you and I might have a chance once you knew the truth was the reason I was able to complete my mission. If I'd have had to worry about someone finding out we were secretly friends or in a relationship, I'd never have been able to get the job done."

"I know." She was sobbing now. "I mean I understand what you are saying, but it breaks my heart."

"Shhh..." Draco held her to him once again. "Its okay, now. All that is behind us. The only thing that matters is the here and now. And here and now... I get to tell you I love you and hear you say you love me."

"I do. I love you." Her crying had slowed to a weak sniffle.

He felt her relaxing into him, and knew it wouldn't be long before she succumbed to exhaustion. "Hermione...?"

"Hmm..." She purred.

"If you're going to stay, you should at least get under the covers." Draco whispered.

Without so much as a flinch of hesitation, Hermione slid herself in beside him. He re-positioned the pillows so they could lay flat and breathed, "I love you, Granger," into her hair.

"I love you, too, Malfoy."