A/N: yay! only 8 more reviews to reach a hundred, but do feel free to exceed the minimum! thank you everybody for reviewing. it really means a lot to me :)

anyway, here's the second part of chapter 19. i hope it was worth the wait.

you know the drill, i don't own anything...except the plot :)

Draco knew exactly where to go the night he disapparated away from Astoria. He had kept correspondence with Pansy even after he refused to run away with her. She had written to him after the war in hopes that he had survived. She told him stories of her new life; how she had changed her appearance and identity and how she loved the way she was living now without anybody breathing down her back. Draco in turn told her updates on Wizarding London, about his life and about their classmates that had survived and flourished after the war. In short, he told her everything, including his growing admiration for the bushy-haired Gryffindor. She was the only one he confided in, the only one he could talk to, the only one he knew he could trust. Secretly he was jealous of her. She had made a life for herself without her name and her fortune and she never looked back once.

Draco realized he also wanted a new life, a fresh start. That was what he got when he apparated to her little house in Clevendon, New Zealand. Of course they had to make that little back story about him losing his memory so as not to get people suspicious of his sudden appearance. He even stopped using magic and lived as a muggle just so they couldn't trace his wand signature. It was hard at first since he didn't know anything about muggles and the fact that he had never worked for anything before, but in the end it was really gratifying. And he had loved his life since then.

Draco was brought back to the present when he felt somebody sit next to him on the cold stone bench he frequented ever since he was a young boy.

"Mum, how did you know I was here?" She smiled lovingly at her son who she still regarded as her little boy.

"This place was—is your sanctuary. You always came here when you had a lot on your mind and you needed to think or when you're trying to escape your father after a beating." Narcissa had tears streaming down her face. Gone was the aristocratic haughtiness his mother wore. His father preferred her not to show too many emotions, even to her own son. He'd only seen her cry once and that was during the battle at Hogwarts.

"I'm sorry if I never did anything to ease your pain."

"Mum…"

"I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to protect you from your father."

"It's okay, mum. That was the past, what matters is now. And we're here and alive, aren't we?" Draco wiped away her tears and gave her a heartfelt hug. He truly did miss his mum.

"You're right, Draco…How did you grow up to be such a wonderful man?"

There was a comfortable silence between them as Narcissa surveyed the garden. Narcissa had always loved being in the garden, especially this garden. It was like a secret garden that was untouched by evil that so long possessed the manor. It was hidden within the maze behind the manor. She had tended to this garden personally; making sure every detail was perfect. She planted all sorts of flowers, but she had a fondness for roses and lilies. There was a weeping willow at the corner of the garden and a tea table for two under it; there were stone benches and Greek statues that decorated the already beautiful garden and an enormous fountain at the center of it all.

She had loved this garden, but this was the first time she had been in it in years. It seems the house elves took care of it in her absence. Ever since she found Draco hiding out in the secret garden when he was a young boy, she had stopped coming to give him his own haven, his own personal space where his father couldn't hurt him.

Narcissa moved to sit on the edge of the enormous tiered fountain and admired the water lilies floating about.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Narcissa had always been perceptive of her only son. She could always tell if something was bothering him, but Lucius always prevented her from mollifying him, telling her not to baby him too much and let him solve his own problems. But Draco had been a little boy then and she ached to just hold him in her arms and tell him that everything will be alright. She hadn't been a good mother to him, but maybe it was never too late to start.

"I'm scared."

"About getting married?"

"About a lot of things…I'm scared that I'm doomed to a life of loneliness much like you and father, scared that I'd exactly be like him as what others thought, but most of all, I'm scared that I'd disappoint both of you."

"Oh Draco…You could never disappoint me. I may never have said it before, but I'm so proud of you. I'm so proud of how you grew up to be a wonderful man despite your twisted childhood. You've done more for this family than you could ever imagine. You've brought honor back into our name after your father dragged us all into this madness. You were judged and criticized for being a Malfoy, but you proved to them your kind and generous heart. And since when did you care what other people thought? You may be the splitting image of your father, but you are your own person, Draco. And I'm sure that you would be an amazing father."

"Were you ever happy? With father, I mean."

"It may not seem like it, but your father and I were very much in love when we were married. We were also arranged to be married, but we fell in love before we even knew about the arrangement. He was a different man then, before he took the mark, but I still love him all the same…even though I am not certain if that love is still reciprocated anymore."

Draco nodded in understanding. He exactly knew what his mother was feeling. Loving someone who didn't love you back was like reaching for the stars. It made him feel hollow inside. Empty. Alone.

"You never told me what happened to that muggleborn girl you wrote to me about. I had wondered why you had changed your mind into marrying Astoria."

"She didn't love me back." There was a finality to his tone that told Narcissa that that was the end of discussion and that he didn't want to ever talk about it again. She relented, knowing that she could never get her son to talk about his feeling unless he freely offered.

"Well, it's getting kind of late. We should head back."

"I'd like to stay and think some more, if that's okay." Narcissa only nodded and turned to walk back into the maze when Draco called out to her.

"Mum…" She turned back and saw Draco walk toward her and envelope her in a warm hug.

"…I love you."

"I love you too, my son."

Narcissa walked away, leaving Draco to his thoughts. She felt somewhat sad. Draco had sacrificed his childhood for his father's beliefs and now he's sacrificing his happiness for old pureblood traditions. He has sacrificed enough of his life and she won't stand to let that happen any longer. She had to take matters into her own hands.

Narcissa Malfoy walked into her husband's study. He was, as usual at his original oak carved antique desk, looking after the business and making sure that the numbers were right. Draco had well taken care of the Malfoy Empire, their chain of companies when Lucius was in Azkaban and was impressed at how his son had managed to run it in tiptop shape. Draco was organized and meticulous in their business dealings much like when he was back in school and it made everything run smoothly. But when Draco disappeared, Lucius didn't trust anybody else to takeover. And since he didn't have any more Death Eater meetings to facilitate, he was free to do whatever else is there to keep him occupied.

Narcissa stood by the window behind him and looked at the vast estate that was visible to her sight. Lucius paid her no mind.

"Darling, don't you think that Draco has been a bit morose since he came back? Everyday he's been sitting in the garden and staring at nothing in particular."

"I'm sure he's just thinking about the future." Lucius said without looking up from his work. Narcissa moved up to his back and grabbed the quill from his hand, forcing him to look at her.

"Times are changing, Lucius. Must we keep to the old ways? Blood doesn't matter anymore."

"I know it doesn't mean much anymore, but Draco doesn't seem to mind to keeping the Malfoy bloodline pure."

"And that's why I'm telling you. Draco has given much of his life for you, for your approval. It doesn't hurt to tell him that you're proud of him once in a while."

Lucius remained silent, but he knew his wife was right. He was immensely proud of his son. He had seen greatness in Draco as he grew up. He was smart, cunning and fiercely loyal to those he loved. Draco had looked up to him, but he had never given his son the attention he craved. He was afraid to appear weak, to get too attached. He never showed Draco love or any other emotion, yet his son stayed loyal to him despite all the beatings he had given him as a boy. And for the first time, Lucius Malfoy thought of Draco as a son and not as a pawn he could control or some handler of the family business. He had felt regret for taking this precious gift for granted.

"He is unhappy, Lucius. It is time he lived his life for himself and not because he's trying to live up to your expectations. I know that the man i loved and married is still there deep inside…" Narcissa placed her hand atop Lucius heart. "The man that was once so happy when he met his son for the first time. I'm begging you, Lucius…for once, be his father. You don't want to lose him again, do you?"

With that, Narcissa walked out of the study, leaving him alone with his thoughts to ponder on.

Draco lay on his bed hours after dusk. He had spent the whole day in the garden again, but nothing always came out of it, just a few moments of peace, but at the end of the day he knew there was no escaping this wedding. He hadn't eaten the whole day and he was quite hungry, but just the thought of spending the rest of his life with Astoria was enough to make him lose his appetite.

Don't get him wrong, Astoria wasn't exactly bad to look at. In fact, she was actually beautiful with her long blonde hair and baby blue eyes and Draco wouldn't mind marrying her if he still believed in the pureblood superiority among others and if he hadn't already given his heart to someone else. Astoria wasn't his type at all, but they could have been friends if he only gave it a chance. At least she wasn't clingy like the other females he used to go out with.

She was actually a nice girl, if he remembered correctly. She tried to get his attention in a non-demanding way and she never once pushed him or invaded his personal space. She just wanted to get to know the man she was supposed to marry. But Draco was at a bad place that time. Not only was he frustrated over his feelings for Hermione, but also the fact that his father hadn't been out of prison that long and he was controlling Draco's life once again. He was just so mad that he had closed himself off from the world once again. Now he realized that Astoria was only trying to make it easier for them, trying to make it less awkward. She didn't love him any more than he did her, but at least she tried to be mature about the circumstances. He was the one at fault and he totally understood why she was being so bitchy now that he's back.

He was getting married tomorrow, yet he would give all the galleons in the world not to. He couldn't imagine what his life with Astoria would be. He'd give up his inheritance just to have Hermione instead. He knew he had decided that this was for the best, for him to just move on with his life and forget about her, but he was having second thoughts. He didn't want to marry Astoria. He'd rather be alone for the rest of his life than be married to someone who wasn't Hermione. But then, that's where his father comes in. He still wanted to make his father proud of him.

Draco sighed. He was getting married tomorrow, yet he felt like he was going to his execution instead.

A/N: well, was it what you expected? i just wanted draco to have that moment with his mum. i know most of my characters are uncharacteristically good/OOC especially the malfoys, astoria and even pansy, but i'm just the type of person who tries to see the good in everybody both in real life and in fiction. my friends say i'm naive that way.

anyway, please don't forget to review. let me know if you loved it or hated it. review! review! review!