I don't own Harry Potter, still. Omg.

AN: Holy fuck. 25 chapters in two weeks. I must be out of my bleeding mind. Also, sorry if that last AN actually scared any of you. I'm not abandoning the story, I promise. They were empty threats. Empty like Lucius' soul, empty. I was merely upset and so took it out on the faceless horde of the internet, as all well-balanced people do.

Also, I'm pretty sure my blood sugar was low.

Zabini stood on the small balcony and looked to the ground below where people passed by and flowers bloomed and fucking birds sang. He wondered if Ginny was ever going to return, and if he would live long enough after her return to find out what Malfoy had told her.

"No, you're doing it wrong- it's going to break-"

"I am not, shove over-"

"Draco! Look, there it goes, you're losing it-"

"Hermione, I am quite capable of flipping a damn omelet, thank you very-"

They both stared at the mess of egg, mushroom and cheese now lying on the floor.

"Five second rule?" Hermione asked and Draco looked at her like she was mental- well, she was, after all- before they both dove to the ground and began scraping the ruined omelet onto a plate.

"Perhaps we can feed it to my dad," Draco murmured, and Hermione gave a shocked giggle. Draco looked up at her to find both her hands clapped over her mouth, her eyes wide.

"He won't know?" she said tentatively, after lowering her hands. Draco raised an eyebrow and the corners of his mouth followed suit. Hermione bit her lip.

Ginny arrived back in the kitchen to find them in peals of laughter as Hermione showed Draco the proper way to safely flip an omelet without losing it. He was holding the pan with one hand, the spatula with the other, and Hermione's smaller hands were hovering over his, anxiously anticipating his every move.

"Ok, one, two, four!"

"Draco!"

"Three, I meant three!"

Ginny eyed the plate on the table with the remains of one attempt upon it. She somehow doubted the happy fates of the other omelets.

"What are you two giggling over?" she asked coolly and was about to reach down and pluck a bit of mushroom from the messy plate when Hermione looked back at her and shrieked.

"No!" she said and Ginny's hand froze. "That one, er, Draco made it…especially for his father. As a…token of, er…"

"My apologies, and to welcome him back to us," Draco said. "A sign of goodwill," he added with a grandiose flourish of the spatula.

Hermione hid her mouth behind her hand, but Ginny could hear her still sputtering with laughter. She frowned. She wasn't sure if she liked this situation more or less than the situation still sitting in the barn at that moment.

Draco winked at Hermione, who swatted his arm and started tutoring him in omelet flipping ways again.

More, Ginny decided. She liked it more. It still wasn't ideal, but what would have been ideal was if Ron was still with them. As he wasn't…she remembered Lucius' stinging words and decided she really, really hated that man. Even if he was sort of sad and pathetic. At least his son was trying to show Hermione some respect, rather than just digging into all her old wounds just so he could humiliate her.

Oh, she was certain Draco and Hermione had exchanged more than their fair share of harsh words already, but there was an element of camaraderie that she didn't see in Lucius' eyes. Not that one saw much of anything in those eyes.

Shaking her head, she took a seat and continued to watch the antics before her. Their steady bickering, mingled with laughter, reminded her of days from long ago. Days none of them could ever regain. Even the memories of those days were tinged bittersweet by the horrors that had come after. She smiled slightly and wasn't aware she'd made a sound until Hermione turned back around.

"Ginny?"

Ginny jerked her head. "Yeah?"

"Ginny, you're crying. What is it?" Hermione walked over to her and sat beside her. Draco judiciously turned back and around and continued to poke at the omelets.

Ginny waved a hand, "Oh, it's nothing. Sorry if I startled you. You know me. Weepy, weepy, all the time. Bloody hell, where is my-"

Hermione quickly pulled the tissue box over and shoved several sheets into her friend's hand.

"Thanks," Ginny said and proceeded to blow her nose. Draco glanced at her over his shoulder.

What in the hell? First Hermione, now Ginny? What the fuck was wrong with his father?

"Ginny," Hermione said slowly, "did something happen with Lucius?"

"Oh, Merlin. What didn't happen? You know, you're lucky I didn't hex him into oblivion."

"You can't anyway," Hermione said. "Wards."

"Oh, hell. That's right. Look, it doesn't matter anyway. I'm just moping after thinking about it all- and I told you Zabini pissed me off-"

"Ginny, it's ok."

Ginny looked at Hermione and shot a glance at Draco. Hermione followed her line of sight and narrowed her own eyes. She stood up.

"Draco, would you mind fetching your father for me?"

He tensed, but he dropped the spatula immediately, right after sliding the final omelet onto a waiting plate. He gave her a small smile.

"Not a problem."

Then he was gone, casually flicking the stove off before heading out the door. Hermione sat down again, all her attention on Ginny.

"What is it, Ginny? He didn't-"

"Of course not," Ginny said, laughing some. "Don't be ridiculous. He was just…rude about Ron. That's all. And watching you two here, cooking together, laughing…it made me feel-"

"I understand," Hermione said instantly. "Oh, Gin. I understand." She scooted forward in her chair and put her arms about her friend firmly.

"You know, a hundred little things remind me of him, day after day," she said quietly. "All someone has to do is say one word and I can think of ten memories I have of him saying it too, or laughing at someone else's joke, or…" She gave a small sigh. "I feel it too. How he's not really gone. That's what he meant to do, but it's as if, in…doing that, he only cemented his place in our lives. I can never be rid of him. But why would I want to be?"

Ginny cried a little harder and shook her head. "He was right, Hermione," she whispered.

"What? Who was right?"

"Lucius," Ginny choked. "He was right. He said Ron blamed you for his suicide, even if that's not what he really meant, it's what happened. That by saying he was taking his life for you, he placed the responsibility at your feet. And that wasn't right, or fair, either. It wasn't right."

Hermione felt tears spring to her own eyes and she shook her head, held Ginny tighter.

"That's nothing new, Ginny," she murmured. "I knew all that."

"What? But why- you never said-"

"I never said because I knew you'd act like you are right now. Being angry at Ron all over again for hurting me, when he couldn't help it. He couldn't endure it, Ginny. So he did what he had to and mistakenly pretended like I would be ok after that. He always was thick," she added and Ginny snorted and wiped at her eyes.

"I just feel so angry and hurt, thinking about it. Now, especially, after all this time."

Hermione smiled softly and sat up. She smoothed a hand over Ginny's hair.

"I feel that way every day," she said simply. "All of it. All the confusion, the guilt, the anger, the blame. I cycle through it several times a day, every day. Sometimes the feelings are mild and sometimes they're so strong I can't breathe and wish I were dead, too."

"Oh, Hermione."

Hermione swallowed hard. "The pills make more sense now?"

"I always thought it was the those nights," Ginny replied honestly. "I knew you were torn up over Ron, but I always assumed-"

"I know. Everyone did. It's ok. I think…I think I'm finally putting it past me, a little at a time. By accepting that it's never going to go away. I'll still have days where I can't breathe. But at least that's better than trying to pretend like someday it will all end, will magically disappear and I'll be whole again." She shook her head. "That's what Ron wanted, I know. And he didn't let himself live long enough to find another way of dealing with it. But I think," she said, and paused, her eyes far away from a country kitchen on a horse farm. She smiled ruefully. "I think he'd want me to find peace however I can."

"So being so upset earlier-"

"Just that. I can't control my bodily reactions to it all the time. It's getting better, but if there's one thing I've learned, it's that when I need to cry, I should let myself cry. But that's all I'm doing. Crying because I always will, when I think of him and what could have been. Grief like that never goes away," she said and turned to Ginny again, her eyes bright with tears, but determined. Ginny could see no danger in her face of Hermione's losing her mind again. She hugged her friend again suddenly, fiercely, and was rewarded as Hermione's arms encircled her in return.

Draco wondered if he should even bother fetching his dad, or just let him rot out in the barn.

Then he decided that rotting was probably what his father wanted to do, since he'd deliberately provoked all three of them that morning; and that he shouldn't give him what he wanted. Clearly, forcing him to come back to the house to eat and be sociable was the more worthy punishment.

He walked into the barn and found Lucius still sitting on the bench, staring ahead of himself, a strange expression on his face.

"Dad?" he asked and waved a hand. Lucius frowned and glanced up at him, then went back to staring at nothing. Draco rolled his eyes. "Your presence is requested."

"I suppose you think I ought to apologize to them both, and to you."

"Honestly? I don't care what you say to me. You're my father and I'm stuck with you. But Hermione and Ginny, yeah. They've had it worse than we ever did."

"Draco…"

Draco decided he'd had enough. He clenched his hands at his sides and took a deep breath.

"So Mum is dead, so what?" he said and his voice echoed in the quiet of the barn. Lucius jerked his head up to meet his son's gaze, an angry reply on his lips, but Draco cut him off. "You know how many other people lost their husbands and wives and parents? They built a bloody brand new orphanage after the war, so many people died. They had to remodel Mungo's, so many were injured." Draco leaned over his father's seated figure, not looking away, forcing his dad to see that he was just as hurt, and still surviving despite it all. "Mum is gone, Dad," he said, his voice softer. "Mum is gone and I miss her every day and I'll never get over my bloody part in what happened during the war- but we've got to take advantage of the time we have now, don't we?" He glared at his father. "Well? Don't we owe her that much?"

Lucius flinched, but didn't look away, and it was Draco who finally turned about and began to walk off. Away from his father, so determined to lash out at others; away from the anger he was feeling for fear that he'd let it take hold of him, as it had once upon a time. He was nearly at the door when a sound from behind stopped him.

"Wait, Draco," came his father's voice, hoarse with emotion. "Wait."

Draco stood still, turned his head some. Lucius made his way up the aisle to stand beside him, cane making that solid thumping noise they'd all had to get used to.

"Please, I do apologize, Draco. I-"

"Save it for Hermione, Dad," Draco replied. Then he left the barn and started back to the house. Lucius stared at after him, face over run by hurt and anger. But it was eventually replaced with speculation, and even grudging admiration. So, there was hope for his son, after all.

Perhaps that meant there was hope for himself, as well. As long as he hadn't bungled things too badly already.

Hermione and Ginny had nearly righted themselves when Draco walked back inside. He paused, watching as one washed her hands and the other gathered extra tissues and threw them in the garbage.

"Am I interrupting?" he asked quietly and Hermione looked up, gave him a grateful smile.

"No," she said. "We were just wondering when we could eat, if we should wait for you."

Draco looked embarrassed and gestured to the table. "Go ahead. I'm not sure how hungry Dad is-"

"I can stand to eat," Lucius interrupted, hobbling up beside him. Draco moved away, as if the combined force of Ginny's and Hermione's mild glares might cause combustion and he wasn't taking any chances.

"Please," Hermione managed to say after a moment of strained silence. She pointed to an empty chair- the one before the plate that held the original omelet, Draco noticed. He dared wink at her. She flushed ten shades of red and had a coughing fit.

Lucius watched this nervously before waving a hand. Draco had moved to his own place and the rest of them were already sitting when he caught their attention.

"Before we begin, I thought I might…that is, perhaps it's better if I apologize for my behavior this morning. It was cruel of me to take out my frustrations upon the three of you, simply because I have no better idea of how to manage my emotions."

"Right, and you're going to make a proper apology now?" Ginny asked and Lucius looked quite at a loss. Hermione and Draco just looked between them, waiting. Ginny waved a hand. "You know, a proper one. Say, 'I'm sorry I was an ass and a bloody wanker and I'll try to behave myself in the future instead of sending you off into fits whenever I'm having a bad day.'"

Lucius was silent as he tried to control his snarl of rage. He knew she was right and Ginny knew she was right, too. She watched him smugly.

"Go on," she said and Lucius had just about worked up the courage to open his mouth when Hermione finally interrupted them.

"It's ok," she said and Ginny frowned.

"It is not-"

"It is," Hermione said firmly and she looked to Lucius. "I understand. We were both…caught off guard. Just don't let it happen again. Now everybody, eat. There's plenty of food- and we can make more omelets if we need to- and after breakfast we'll have that talk."

The four of them exchanged more uncertain glances, but Lucius knew the two women would not let him off the hook any longer; and even Draco was watching him with a suspicious look that it genuinely hurt his heart to see. Still, he'd spent eight long years sitting on that information, unable to tell it, even if he'd wanted to. And now the perfect storm had conspired to bring them all here together, to this quiet farm in the English countryside; and the least he could do for Narcissa's memory was honor her by telling his story to witches who'd long deserved to hear it.

Hermione suddenly asked for the juice and Draco reached across to pass it to her. Then Ginny asked for the fruit and Draco poured Lucius some tea.

And like that, the spell was broken. They each dug in, while Ginny and Hermione made mild conversation; and Draco and Lucius exchanged timid looks of apology and acceptance; and Hermione and Draco watched with baited breath as Lucius ate most of his omelet.

It was only after breakfast was over, and Draco was washing dishes while Hermione cleared the table and Ginny took a smoke, that Lucius spoke once more. He caught Hermione's hand as it reached for his plate and she looked at him curiously.

She resisted the urge to pull away when he tugged on it some and then leaned forward; and she leaned forward as well, to meet his whisper.

"Miss Granger," he said softly, "I am sorry for…being an ass, as Miss Weasley so delicately put it."

Hermione pursed her lips and shook her hand free of his to gather more dishes.

"Apology accepted," she hissed in return. "But I don't ever want to hear that word from you again."

His face relaxed and he nodded. "I understand."

"I hope you do," she replied before straightening up and carrying the dishes to Draco.

Draco gave her a sidelong glance and then looked back over his shoulder quickly. His father looked sad, somehow. Draco turned his attention back to the dishes in his hands.

"Are you ok?" he asked Hermione softly.

She gave him a wry smile and handed him another empty plate. "Am I ever?"

"Yes," he replied simply and scrubbed at a fork. She gave him a surprised look. "None of us are really alright," he went on in a quiet tone, "but what's normal, these days? I think you're amazing," he said honestly, if a bit unexpectedly, even to himself; and he turned his full gaze on her. His grey eyes met her brown ones with a seriousness she definitely hadn't been expecting and she suddenly felt more than a little trapped. Then the moment passed as quickly as it had come and he took the last dish from her and traded it for a newly washed plate.

Hermione looked down at the dish in her hands as if wondering how it had gotten there.

Draco went back to scrubbing, although he continued to sneak glances at her.

From the table, Lucius watched the exchange with an expressionless face. From the doorway, Ginny watched it and then ground her cigarette beneath her heal with a rather vicious motion. But the couple at the sink continued in their shared activity, unaware of their companions' silent judgment.

AN: So, after this they will gather for their round table, of sorts, and everything will be laid out properly. Maybe. ;) Oh, and see? I didn't forget about Blaise. :D