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And a special thanks to Laura-Isabel for beta-reading! Thanks!

Chapter Twelve

Days stretched out into weeks. Weeks into months. Draco only knew that time was passing because he felt the change in the air. It was growing more and more cold. He didn't pack for this, but Hermione had had foresight enough to bring an extra jacket for him.

Things were still fairly tense between Hermione and Potter. He noticed that they didn't speak much to each other or to him, but it seemed as if they both spoke to him more than they did to each other.

It seemed as if they were just going through the motions. It was almost a routine for them now. They still had the locket, but they were no closer to figuring out how to destroy it. They still hadn´t found any other Horcruxes, nor were they closer to finding them.

They kept moving from place to place, refusing to stay in one spot longer than three nights or so, to stay safe from any Death Eaters or whoever else was trying to find them.

They'd effectively cut off all communication with the outside world. It almost seemed as if the Dark Lord did not exist. It almost seemed as if Potter and Hermione were the only two people in the world, other than himself.

And these were the two last people that Draco imagined being at the end of the world with, if that were to happen, of course.

But…the more Draco talked to them, the more he enjoyed it. He was quite surprised that he actually enjoyed it. Of course, the last few weeks had not been the most fun of talks, but he quite enjoyed it nonetheless.

Draco knew that Potter felt some sort of pull toward Godric's Hollow. But he also knew that Hermione had reservations to going there. She thought it was a trap. Draco also knew that Potter still believed a Horcrux was at Hogwarts. After being shot down so much by Hermione and previously, by Weasley, Potter had stopped bringing it up to Hermione, but it didn't stop him from talking about it with Draco. Draco believed that Godric's Hollow was a far more believable choice for them to go to rather than Hogwarts. It would be suicide to go back and surely the Dark Lord couldn't hide something there, not when Dumbledore had been Headmaster for what seems like forever.

"Hermione?" Draco said, tentatively. He took a step out of the tent and handed her the flagon of water. "Here, have some water."

Hermione looked up from her book. She was rereading The Tales of Beedle the Bard. She and Draco had started to read every book that Hermione brought along while Potter just sat and mostly thought to himself. "Oh, thanks, Draco."

He took a seat next to Hermione and pointed his wand at the flagon. A moment later, it was smoking. "It's cold out here," he said.

She smiled at him. "Thanks." She took a sip of the warm drink.

Draco shrugged. "No problem. When I snuck into the village earlier, I saw Christmas trees. So I reckon it must be Christmas. Or near to it." He shoved his hand in his pocket and hesitated a bit. "Um…um, well, I got this for you…" he said softly. He pulled out a necklace from his pocket with an unusual stone.

Hermione looked at him in confusion. "You got me something?" she said surprisingly. "Why?

"Well…it's um…it's nearly Christmas….or it already is….or it actually might have passed, but…" he trailed off. "And…you…you've made it a lot easier these past few weeks or months or however long we've been out here."

"I don't think I was such great company. Especially after…"

"No, you were. Helped me…helped me get my mind off of things."

She reached out and took the necklace from him. "Thank you. That's very kind of you." She looked down at it and saw sparks of red and gold in the stone. "Where did you get this from? Did you get it in the village? And if you did, did you leave money or did you pilfer this?" She gave him a stern look.

"My, my Hermione…you always think the worst of me." He smirked at her.

"Should I not?"

He gave her a wry smile. "While I was on watch earlier, I got bored and made a necklace out of twigs and rocks. Then I transfigured it. McGonagall should be happy that I learned something from her."

Hermione looked at him in embarrassment. "Draco, I'm sorry. It is actually quite beautiful, really. Where did you get the stone?"

"I saw a rock with some…with red and yellow markings. Made me think of you damn Gryffindors." He shot her another smile.

Hermione laughed. It was the first time she had laughed in weeks. And it sounded quite nice. "Well, thanks. I really do appreciate it." She pulled it over her hair and around her neck. "Unfortunately, I don't have anything for you…"

"Oh, that's all right. I wasn't really expecting anything this year anyway."

"You must get loads of presents every Christmas, anyway."

Draco shrugged. "I get my fair share. And maybe a little bit more. I am my mother's only child, you see," he added smugly, hoping his voice would cover up the homesickness he felt.

Hermione searched his gray eyes. She saw sadness and longing in them. "You miss her, don't you? Your mother?"

"Of course I do. Why would I want to spend my Christmas with you and Potter?"

"I'm sure she misses you, too. At least she remembers you."

Draco was silent for a bit. "What did you do with your parents? If they were still here, I would bet that they'd be near the top of the list to kill and torture for the Death Eaters. Especially since you seem to be Undesirable Number Two. Did they run away? Are they in hiding as well? Can you go visit them?"

A wave of tears overcame Hermione's eyes and Draco felt sorry and a bit uncomfortable again. He didn't mean to make her cry.

"I'm sorry—you don't have to—" he stammered.

"No, it's okay. It just…it makes me sad, I guess. But at least I know they're safe."

"Where are they?"

"Australia, I hope. I…when I knew I was leaving with Harry, when I packed all my things up, they were in the middle of watching TV and I…I Obliviated them. Made them forget they had a daughter. Made them think that it was their life's ambition to move to Australia." She started crying.

Draco didn't know what to say. He didn't know how to be comforting when he had spent most of his life ridiculing others. "I…I don't have anything nice or sympathetic to say, so can I interest you in a witty remark?"

Hermione started laughing. She wiped her tears away. "No, but thanks, Draco."

"Yeah, it was probably too mean, anyway." He smiled at her. "I didn't mean to—"

"No, it's okay. I just…I miss them, still."

"I miss my mother."

"And your father?"

Draco shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't quite decided yet. There's a part of me that still wants him to love me, to be proud of me, but…there's another part that just hates him."

"I'm sure your father loves you. He wouldn't push you so hard if he didn't."

"My father wants you dead, Hermione. He hates you. Simply because of your blood status. Why are you defending him?"

"He's still your father, Draco. I'm sure there's a part of him that still loves you. Just like there's a part of you that still loves him."

"I doubt it."

"If you see him again, what would you do?"

"I don't know. I can't very well—"

"Ask him right out if he loves you? No, I don't suppose you can."

"And then…I—" Draco looked uncertain and a bit sad.

"What?" Hermione asked. She had never seen this side of Draco and she never knew exactly how much he was suffering inside. She was glad that Draco seemed to be comfortable enough with her to talk about some of his problems and issues.

"I…I…I overheard Kingsley and Remus talking at the Weasley's dump."

Hermione raised an eyebrow and pursed her lips. "Sorry," Draco continued, "Kingsley said that my mother told him that my father performed the Cruciatus curse on me and Obliviated me afterward."

Hermione looked horrified.

"So, you, see…my father doesn't love me. What person does that to a child? To his child?"

The two of them fell silent. Hermione played with the necklace for a bit.

Draco looked around, trying to figure out something else to say that would draw the conversation away from his father. For some reason, he really did feel quite comfortable talking to the Muggle-born. She was almost like Kingsley, exuding a sense of calm in the midst of chaos. It was her that kept him and Potter sane in these days amongst the trees.

"Can I ask you a question, Draco?"

"I believe you just did, Hermione."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Do you still think of me as a Mudblood? You used to call me that before."

"It seems…I used to do a lot of things without thinking before." He started playing with a couple of twigs he saw on the ground and used his wand to levitate them a couple of inches.

"So do you? Do you still think of me as a Mudblood?"

"I would never be friends with a Mudblood," he said coldly. He immediately gave her a smile when her face fell, to show that he was merely joking.

"Good thing you're not one, then, eh?"

"But I have Muggle parents."

"And yet you are one of the greatest witches I know."

"Wow, a compliment from Draco Malfoy."

"Who said it was a compliment?"

Hermione gave him a playful shove. "Are we friends, Malfoy?"

"Oh, it's Malfoy now?"

She answered back with another shove.

"Well…I suppose we are," he answered. "There are a lot of things about you that I never knew before, Granger."

"Oh, it's Granger now?"

"Would you prefer a choice word before it, then?"

She laughed. "Of course not."

"Well, then. Granger it is."

"All right, Malfoy."

They laughed again. "Did you and Potter really become friends because of the troll in first year?"

Hermione nodded. She actually found that it was quite easy to talk to Draco as easy as he found it was talking to her. "They were absolutely horrible to me before that. And the troll somehow found its way into the girls' bathroom. They saved me from it."

"And everything else that Potter's done. The Chamber of Secrets, breaking Sirius Black out of Hogwarts, witnessing Diggory's murder. It's all true, isn't it?"

"Would you be here if it wasn't?"

Draco shook his head. He fell silent again as Hermione started playing with her necklace once more. They could hear Potter in the tent, moving around.

"Hey, Hermione—"

"Oh, back to Hermione, are we?"

"I just wanted to say," he continued as though he didn't hear her. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry. For all of those horrible things that I've done to you. Everything that I've said."

She looked taken aback at his apology. "I…guess…well, I guess I'm sorry for punching you in third year."

He laughed. "I can't believe you remember that!"

"Of course I remember it! It was my greatest moment!" She smiled at him and took his hand and squeezed it before dropping it. "But seriously though. I do accept your apology."

"Funny. I don't accept yours." He rubbed his jaw. "I remember it hurt quite a lot. I was prepared to turn you in!"

"And let it be known that you got punched by me!"

"Precisely why I didn't go to Snape." They laughed again. "I'm just kidding. You never had to apologize. I deserved it. And so much more." His expression turned somber. "I really do apologize, Hermione. I am sorry."

She gave him a small smile. "I accept it, Draco. And thank you. But…why…why the sudden change?"

"Well, you said it yourself: I'm changing. And I guess I am."

"Is it to stay protected from You-Know-Who? Or do you—"

"Do I still think that all Muggle-borns are Mudbloods and should be registered with the Ministry so they can be brutally tortured? No, I don't think that. Blood…it doesn't matter, does it? All that matters is that we have magic and what we do with it. You can take over the world or you can protect the ones that you love." He leaned into her. "I kind of prefer what you and Potter do with it."

"But it still must be difficult for you to forget all that you grew up with."

"I haven't forgotten any of it. Unless, of course, my father Obliviated it from me. But…Kingsley and Remus and Uncle Ted and Aunt Andromeda and even my own mother…they've shown me a different way, I suppose you would say. And of course, being stuck out here with you and Potter."

"So the mighty Draco Malfoy grows up."

"Never said I was mighty."

"What exactly were you trying to do last year? I mean, other than the whole killing Dumbledore thing…why?"

"I was…I dunno. I can remember receiving the Mark. Receiving my instructions, my commands. But I can't tell you what was going on in my head at the time."

"And what is going on in your head now?" Hermione leaned closer to Draco, eager to hear what he was going to say.

"Now?" he said in a whisper. He leaned closer to Hermione, so that their faces were only mere inches apart.

"Hermione?" Potter's voice rang through the air.

Draco pulled back, giving Hermione a small smile. His heart was beating out of his chest. "What was about to happen?" he thought.

"Hermione?" Potter said again.

"Yeah, Harry?"

Potter stepped out of the tent and took a seat between Draco and Hermione, squeezing himself in. "I know you keep saying we shouldn't, but I…I think we need to go to Godric's Hollow." He glanced at Draco for support. Draco nodded over Potter's shoulder at Hermione. He had long agreed with Potter, but knew that Hermione would not agree to it.

"Yes," she answered. "Yes, I've been wondering that too. I really think we have to."

Potter glanced at Draco in surprise. "Did she hear me right?"

"Yes, I heard you right. You want to go to Godric's Hollow. I agree, I think we should. I know you and Draco have been thinking that it's important to go there and I can't think of anywhere else to go. It'll be dangerous, but I do think it'll be there."

"What'll be there?" Harry looked dumbfounded.

"The sword, Harry! Dumbledore must have known you'd want to go back there."

"Hermione, I think Potter wanted to visit his parents there."

"Well, that too, but Dumbledore must've known that you'd go there. I mean, Godric's Hollow is Godric Gryffindor's birthplace—"

"Really?" Draco and Potter said in unison.

"Honestly! Did either of you ever open A History of Magic?"

"Of course not," replied Draco. "I wouldn't read rubbish like that."

Potter had an odd smile on his face. It was the first smile, Draco noticed, that Potter had in weeks. "Erm…I might've opened it, you know, when I first bought it."

Hermione glared at Draco. "It's not rubbish! Besides, you read this stuff." She gestured to the book in her hand and next to her.

"Because it might help with something!"

"So would learning about history!"

"How boring." Draco made a face at Potter who cracked a bigger smile.

"Hey, that symbol, what is it?" Potter said, noticing something that looked like a triangular eye with its pupil crossed with a vertical line. He pressed his finger to the symbol on Hermione's book.

"I don't know," Hermione answered. "It's not a rune and it's not in the syllabary, Draco said. I suppose I could look in it later."

"What, you don't believe me?"

"Don't keep her from reading more books, Malfoy, she actually enjoys it," Potter said, softly, but within Hermione's earshot. "She always threatened that she would never help us with our homework, but she always managed to check it over in the end."

"Ah, I was wondering why you passed all your classes."

Potter laughed for the first time in weeks. "Shut up, Malfoy. What's your excuse?"

"My excuse? Excuse me, if it wasn't for Granger here – yes, it's back to Granger – I would be top of the class!"

"Then good thing for Granger here." Potter nudged Hermione who looked like she was trying to decide whether to be cross or to laugh.

"Oh, come on, Hermione," Draco said. "Just laugh."

For some reason, these two words made the three of them laugh uncontrollably. It was as if someone had unleashed a number of Cheering Charms on them, though no one had.

By the time they had calmed down, it was growing dark and snow began to fall lightly.

"Hermione," Potter said, suddenly serious. "Where would the sword be at

Godric's Hollow? Where would we start to look for it?"

"I was thinking about that, too. But I read in A History of Magic that Godric Gryffindor was born there. So, Godric Gryffindor, Gryffindor's sword, Godric's Hollow. There must be some connection."

Potter was staring at the name on the front of the book. He had seen this name many times, but only now did it spark something in him. "Remember what Muriel said?"

"Who?" asked Draco and Hermione.

"Muriel. You know, Ginny's great-aunt. From the wedding," he told Draco. "She said Bathilda Bagshot still lives in Godric's Hollow."

Draco noticed that Potter rushed through the sentence to avoid any mention of another Weasley. He wondered how long the charade was going to last. It seemed as though Potter and Hermione were content to just pretend that Weasley never existed. They didn't mention him, but he was sure that the pair of them was constantly thinking of the ginger.

Hermione gasped. Draco and Potter pulled out their wands. "No—but Bathilda…Dumbledore must've given Bathilda Bagshot the sword!"

Potter looked unconvinced, but covered it up quickly. "Yeah," he said. "I'm sure Dumbledore's probably given Bathilda the sword. So, does that mean we're going to Godric's Hollow?"

"Yes, but we'll have to think through it carefully. We'll need to practice Disapparating together under the Invisibility Cloak for a start, the three of us. Perhaps the Disillusionment Charm may help and—"

"It's not easy," interjected Draco.

Hermione continued as if there was no interruption. "Maybe we should just use Polyjuice Potion. But then we'd have to pick hairs from people, which would probably be best. After all, the thicker our disguises are the better…" she headed into the tent, still murmuring to herself.

Draco noticed an elated look on Potter's face. "Happy to be going back home, Potter?"

"Well, it seems we have a lead to where the sword might be."

"And where your parents are, right?" Draco pointed at Potter. The two of them sat down. "I could see it in your face, the sword's not why you wish to go to Godric's Hollow."

"But it's the only way to get Hermione to see that we should go there."

"Hey, I don't blame you, but—"

"You know what my life would be if Godric's Hollow was truly my home? I had a family there. A mum and a dad. I probably would've had some younger siblings running around, too. I would've spent all my holidays from school at home, my mum would've made my birthday cakes…I…sorry Malfoy, I'm just rambling."

"No, it's quite all right. Touching, really." He smirked at Potter.

"Shut up, Malfoy," Potter said in return. "I think I liked it better when you were still afraid of us."

"Me? Afraid of you? Rubbish!" He laughed. "So, I was telling Hermione earlier that I saw Christmas trees when I was getting food. And I got her something for the holiday, so…here's something for you, as well." Draco pulled out a small package. "This one I did, in fact, pilfer from a store. But don't tell Hermione. I did leave money in front of the till. Your cloak works wonders."

Potter looked perplexed. "You got me something, Malfoy?"

"Happy Christmas, Potter."

Potter unwrapped the small brown package slowly, with a curious look in his eyes.

"Good thing it's not a race, Potter."

He rolled his eyes at Draco and pulled out a small red and gold pendant.

"You bought this in a store?"

"Erm…well, maybe it wasn't precisely for sale, but…I saw it and thought of you. So I took it. But I still left money near the till!"

Potter looked amused as he examined the pendant closely. "Why? Why did you think of me?"

"The sign said that it was supposed to help with bad dreams or whatever. So I thought it might help. You know, with the visions or something."

"You could tell I'm still having those nightmare/vision things?"

Draco nodded. "I don't know how it helps, but…anything that could help, right?"

Potter nodded. "Yeah. Anything that could help." He looked at the pendant and squeezed it in his hand. "Thank you, Malfoy. I really appreciate it."