Turning around, Hermione's mouthed dropped open at seeing Harry standing there with his wand out and with a flick of his wrist, he managed to separate the two dunderheads from pummeling each other to death.

Ron was pushed against the far wall, panting, with his lip split and bleeding, while his left eye looked to be swelling and would probably be sporting a lovely shiner come morning. Draco however, was wheezing, prone on the floor, his knuckles bloody, which matched his obviously broken nose. He also had some early signs of bruising on the left side of his face.

"Do I want to know what's going on?" Harry demanded, "Or how in the bloody hell you both ended up in my home, pummeling each other like a couple of plonker'd fourth years?"

Ron and Draco just stared mutinously at each other, while Hermione quickly averted her gaze, her cheeks coloring with reluctant embarrassment.

"Malfoy's a git." Ron spat out lowly, while Draco scoffed and murmured something equally unkind under his breath.

Harry turned fully to Hermione, who looked supremely uncomfortable, and he sighed, "Hermione?"

She bit her lip and shrugged, but couldn't or wouldn't verbally explain.

"Ron, mate? I think you should probably head back on to the Burrow and have your Mum heal you, yeah?"

The red-head's eyes narrowed accusingly at the blonde across the room, but decided it wasn't worth having his best mate angry at him, so he nodded and stood, gave Hermione a quick hug, and left.

Harry then walked over and knelt in front of Malfoy, murmured a soft, episky; trying very hard not to smirk when Malfoy hissed out a groaned, shite.

"Not the first broken nose you've had, eh?" Harry teased, earning an exaggerated eye roll, but Harry just forged on, "I seem to recall being on the receiving end of your foot, sixth year, on the train ride to Hogwarts."

Draco worked over his jaw slowly for a few moments, before he bit back with, "You always were using that infernal cloak to invite yourself into places you didn't belong, Potter."

"With good reason."

"Oh?" Draco placed a mocking hand on his chest, "Shall we take stock of who has done more damage to whom? Because the lovely scars on my chest out which one of us is the more vicious of the two."

Hermione sighed, and Harry realized quickly that Malfoy, when he was backed into a corner, used his snarky and caustic wit to deflect and defend himself. It was quite effective, if you didn't know what to look for.

Harry however, simply refused to rise to the bait.

"Neither one of you two has still told me what led to what I just walked in on?"

Slate eyes lifted to amber ones, and Draco could see the hurt and worry behind Granger's gaze and for a moment, it made him feel like a first class jerk. He however, went to gingerly stand, and was surprised when Potter helped him up, leading him to the same couch Hermione had just been sitting on with Weaselbee.

Harry then glanced back quickly at Hermione, but she didn't seem inclined to offer Malfoy any concern for his injuries.

And that more than anything, brought Harry up short.

"Did something happen while I was gone? Because it's pretty clear based on what I walked in on, that Ron seems to believe you've done something to hurt Hermione."

The thinly-veiled question was directed at Draco, but the blonde didn't seem any more inclined to speak up either for, or against, his own defense.

Sighing in frustration, Harry plopped down next to Malfoy and gestured for Hermione to take a seat in the armchair to his right, which after a brief moment of hesitation, she did.

"Look," Harry began, "I know this hasn't been easy for the three of us, to try and find common ground."

Hermione pursed her lips and looked away, while Draco scoffed, "What you mean to say, Potter—is that I don't make things easy, right?"

"Do you?" Harry inquired evenly, "Is this just a simple misunderstanding, or is it something else?"

Slate eyes drifted again towards Hermione, and Draco was quick to note she was now staring at him, her gaze not unkind, but not exactly warm either.

Sighing in defeat, Draco had to wonder if either one of the people sitting here in the room with him, even understood how hypocritical and judgemental they could be.

Not completely without reason, mind you…but it still rankled, nonetheless.

"Granger is upset with me, because she saw me walking out of a restaurant with Astoria earlier today. Based on the way in which she bolted, she feels I've betrayed her. Yet oddly enough, her first instinct was to run to Weasley, and I'm just supposed to be okay with that?"

"That's not what that was, Malfoy." She bit out, her voice strained.

"And yet it feels exactly the same thing." Draco pointed out the obvious. "Astoria has always been first and foremost, my friend. That isn't going to suddenly change just because we're betrothed. I met her in a public place, not alone somewhere. I wouldn't disrespect you in that way, but that's exactly what you thought I did! I could see it on your face. You didn't even give me a chance to explain."

Harry sat back and shook his head. "Did you even consider letting Hermione know ahead of time?"

"Do you check in with each other whenever you're meeting up another friend? Draco challenged back. "Does she need to let you know when she meets up with Weasley?"

"Of course not."

"And I'm not going to always do the same, either." Draco admitted frankly. "Was I happy to walk in here seeing you and Weasley together?" This he directed at Hermione. "No. But as much as the git annoys me, I know you two have a history."

Pondering Malfoy's words, Hermione had to concede quite reluctantly, he made an excellent point. They didn't have the same circle of friends, obviously. He was a Slytherin, and therefore it stood to reason, that he would want to spend time with those he held close. Just as she, Harry, and Ron had always done.

"I'm sorry." She offered softly. "It just caught me by surprise, is all."

"That's not how it looked, and I don't understand what I've done lately to make you surmise I was trying to hurt you purposefully. You're always going to think the worst of me, aren't you?"

"Malfoy," Harry interjected, "that's not exactly fair."

"No? How so? We've never gotten on, Potter—you know it's true. This here," Draco waved his hand lazily between the three of them, "is beyond awkward at times. While I won't deny feeling a measure of attraction for you both, it's not in my nature to forge bonds indiscriminately."

"And you have a bond with Astoria?"

"To some degree, yes." Draco admitted with a shrug. "I don't expect either one of you to comprehend what relationships are like in Slytherin. Loyalty is something we take very seriously. For myself, I tended to create a comfortable distance from those within my House. It was just easier, especially as the War loomed closer. I didn't want to drag anyone into my mess, but also, I knew what would happen to them if I did." He rubbed his hands down his face in anguish. "I still have nightmares about Crabbe. I pulled him along with me that night and it's my fault he's dead."

"That's not entirely true." Hermione stated firmly.

"I knew what a hothead Vince was. But I wasn't thinking rationally by that point. I just wanted my wand back."

"Did Astoria know about your mission from Voldemort during sixth year?"

Draco shook his head in the negative. "Not the specifics. She'd suspected I'd been marked, and given a task, but never asked me about it directly. She just offered me unconditional support in her own way, and provided comfort if I asked for it. She's never judged me for my mistakes."

Both Harry and Hermione eyed each other, silently coming to the same conclusion. Astoria Greengrass was the closest thing Draco Malfoy had to a legitimate best friend.

"Why did you meet with her?" Hermione inquired evenly.

"Daphne actually arranged it," Draco explained, "she was also there, but left about fifteen minutes before we did. Apparently Astoria visited their family healer a couple of days ago, and as we feared, she's starting to show signs of the maledictus curse."

Hermione inhaled a stunted breath, while Harry frowned heavily.

"How?" Hermione wondered aloud, "I thought the blood curse wouldn't show until she'd reached her seventeenth birthday in December?"

"They don't exactly know why it's happening. The Greengrass's are leaving France next week and heading to the States, to meet with a Healer in New York."

"So she was saying goodbye?" Harry inquired softly and Draco nodded.

"Daphne owled me and asked me to come, and there was no question I would. I needed to…" his voice fell away, and Hermione moved over quickly and wrapped Draco into her embrace, feeling his body stiffening before he melted into her arms, his head tilting into her neck as his breathing became somewhat stained.

Hermione whispered sorry, over and over again, while Harry watched with a heavy heart. Whatever his own feelings on the issue, it was clear that Malfoy needed their support. He didn't know if Hermione's research would work, or if it did, would she discover the panacea in time to help Astoria. In all likelihood, it could be years until the cure was found, and who knew how much time Astoria had before she succumbed to her family blood curse.

"What can we do?" Harry queried lowly. "I'm sure I can speak for Hermione in that we want to help, Malfoy."

Bright gray eyes lifted, and Harry was hard pressed to not feel moved by the deep sadness within. But Draco just shook his head, "You both have done more than I expected. I don't know what's going to happen with all of this, but I do know if there's any chance to save Astoria, as her friend, I owe it to her to try and find a way to help her."

Hermione sat back and gripped Draco's hand within her own, a sudden truth hitting her hard in the chest.

"If we hadn't been betrothed, and you'd still known about Astoria's illness…"

Draco slowly nodded as Hermione's words fell away, and it was in that singular moment, that both she and Harry finally saw the truth of who Draco Malfoy really was, deep down. A wizard who was deeply flawed, difficult and standoffish, but incredibly loyal and loving, if given the proper chance.

He just needed to feel safe in bestowing that part of himself before allowing it to flourish fully.

"We're going to save her, Draco." Harry stated with conviction.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because both you and Hermione are two of the smartest and most stubborn people I know, and if anyone can figure out how to create the panacea, it's you two."

Draco chuckled, while Hermione smiled lovingly at her best friend. She then placed a soft kiss on Draco's cheek and then cupped it, allowing her thumb to run gently over his sharp cheekbone tenderly.

"Harry's right." She stated with more conviction than she felt in that moment. "I couldn't have gotten this far without you, Draco. I would very much like us to figure this out together."

"Yeah?"

She nodded, and watched Draco's eyes light up with cautious hope. He then gently kissed her, and she allowed him to take and give from her what he needed to feel secure. After a moment, they broke apart, and a pleased smirk formed, while gray eyes softened almost lovingly.

"Thank you, Hermione."