Hey guys. It's been a while, I know. But I was out of town last week and haven't been feeling too well this week so I've had a bit trouble finishing this chapter. I hope you'll like it, and if anything is confusing – don't be afraid to ask. I am more than happy to explain.

Thanks to all readers, new and old and special thanks to all of you who've reviewed! Cheers! :)

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Chapter 39

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They landed at a stretched field that was all muddy from the summer rain. Alice looked around; at the far end was a house, hopefully the one Severus had spoken of. Draco stood right behind her, just staring blankly in the air. It was too early; the clock couldn't be more than two in the morning.

"Draco...?" Alice said and waved her hand in front of his face. He stared straight forward, just as blankly as before. She put a finger on his chest and pushed, it didn't take much to make him fall backwards and land on his bum in the mud. "Um, wait here", Alice said and made haste towards the house. It wasn't as far as it seemed. Alice stepped over the hedge, to an over-grown garden with a pound at one side full of frogs. She walked through the mix of plants and junk to a small door that had a window on its top half. Inside was a small, crowded and messy kitchen, most of the space was filled by a large table. A friendly looking, round woman sat by the table talking with a man, who Alice presumed was her husband sat next to her. They both had bright red hair and kind faces. Alice knocked carefully at the door – she was a bit afraid that it might fall in if she knocked too hard. The woman looked up and hurried to open the fragile door.

"I'm sorry, I usually don't do like this. But my friend and I are lost..."

"Alice, right?" The woman said and smiled. "Dumbledore said you would come", she continued.

"Mrs Weasley?" Alice guessed and the woman smiled even wider.

"Where is your friend?" Mrs Weasley asked and looked around her.

"Well, I left him in the field", Alice admitted. "He's in a bit of a shock and I can't really carry him by myself..."

"Arthur", Mrs Weasley said and her husband closed the paper. "This is... You know", she said. Mr Weasley stood up and walked over to them.

"Pleasure to meet you, sir", Alice said and held her hand out to him. He took it and smiled.

"So, where is this friend of yours?" Mr Weasley asked and looked around her, just like Mrs Weasley had done.

"I left him in the field", Alice said and pointed in the direction he was.

"Let's go get him then", Mrs Weasley said and smiled. The three of them started walking down the garden and out on the field.

"We need to get you out of these cold, wet clothes when we get in", Mrs Weasley said and started pulling in Alice's very wet dress. "And get you something to eat." Alice stopped; there he was, sitting just as she'd left him.

"Oh lord", Mr Weasley said when he saw Draco. "Isn't that...?" Alice walked up to him and waved a hand in front of his face, no reaction.

"Did Dumbledore mention this in his letter?" Mr Weasley whispered to his wife. Mrs Weasley shook her head. No, this was not something she was counting on.

"I don't mean to be rude, but why don't you just go... home?" Mr Weasley asked carefully. Alice, who was busy pinching Draco's cheeks, straightened up with an amused smile.

"And what?" She said. "Get tortured and killed?" They stood silent. "If we are a problem, just say so and we'll go elsewhere", Alice continued and looked down at Draco.

"Arthur, look at him. He won't do us any harm", Mrs Weasley said and pulled gently in Mr Weasleys jacket arm. Mr Weasley nodded and walked up to Draco and picked him up in his arms.

"What happened?" Mrs Weasley asked; she created some space between herself, Alice and the boys. Alice looked down at her hands, she was sad, but didn't know if she was ashamed or just scared.

"Dumbledore's dead", Alice said without meeting Mrs Weasley's eyes. She could hear the gasp and imagine the look of frighten on Mrs Weasley's face. Alice started walking faster, to catch up with the boys. Mr Weasley put down Draco by the kitchen table.

"Would you like something to eat?" Mrs Weasley asked with a soft smile.

"Oh, thank you, that'd be great." Alice sat down next to Draco, his gaze was still distant and his face without expression.

"I'll put some clean clothes out for you in your rooms", Mrs Weasley said with a gentle smile as she put down to plates of soup in front of them. Alice took a spoon and tasted the hot liquid carefully; it was a delicious potato and onion soup. Then she picked up the spoon in Draco's bowl and put it in front of his face. Not even his eyes were moving.

"Open up you", Alice tried. "It's potato and onion, you like that, remember?" Draco was just as still as before. For a moment Alice was worried he'd died. But no, he was breathing.

"Draco", she said, still no reaction. Feeling unable to eat herself she pulled Draco in to a standing position before pushing him through the house, in to the living room. The two adults looked at Alice in surprise, as she pushed her friend forward.

"Perhaps if we went to bed, he'll wake up to be himself in the morning", she said. Mrs Weasley showed them to a room upstairs. It wasn't big, cosy though, with a window towards the field they'd Apparated to.

"And I've made a bed for you too, in the room just one floor up... Arthur and I are going to Hogwarts; we'll be back before the morning though." The floors in this house weren't exactly as the big ones in Malfoy Manor. They were in a way much more home, even though Alice had come to like the big corridors and the abnormally large rooms in the Manor.

"Thank you", Alice said and Mrs Weasley closed the door on the way out. Alice unbuttoned Draco's shirt, placed it on a chair in the corner before she pulled of his pants and put on the pyjama pants that were on the bed. She tucked Draco in, his eyes still staring blankly in the space in front of him.

"Well, good night then. I'll see you in the morning", Alice said and placed a kiss on his cheek. She couldn't deny how worried she felt. What if it'd destroyed him? She felt a hand on hers just after she'd turned to leave. Alice turned around and met the gaze of her loved one.

"Stay", he said in a whisper. "Please stay." Alice let herself be pulled to the bed. She stepped out of the wet dress and slipped in between the covers, next to Draco. He put his arms around her, making her lay tightly next to him, the tip of their noses touching in the dark. Alice felt his lips against hers, in the lightest kiss before drifting off to sleep.

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Draco woke early the next morning, thinking it was all a dream. He was alone in the bed, but the room was different, he wasn't at Hogwarts anymore. Sitting up, he realised, he actually weren't in Hogwarts at all – in fact; he had no idea of where he might be. The smells were unfamiliar; the place was definitely unfamiliar; the only thing he recognized was the Gryffindor banner, hanging on the opposite wall. He looked to the end of the bed, and the corner in which Alice had put his clothes. They were gone, and replaced with a new pair. He frowned as he put on the too short and too wide jeans and the blue-checked shirt. The most wonderful smell came from downstairs – where he hoped to find Alice as well, and he quickly made his way to the ground floor. He recognized the elderly couple by the kitchen table all too well, but didn't speak anything. Nor did he find words when Alice glanced up from the paper and met his eyes. They were so bloody beautiful, the light blue with the dark circle around the edge. He felt lucky, to have her.

"Draco, you're up", Alice said with a big smile. Mr and Mrs Weasley looked up and starred intensely at him. Draco's gaze went from Alice, to the Weasley's and back again several times, with his mouth slightly open yet not speaking a word.

"Are you hungry dear?" Mrs Weasley asked with a soft smile. Draco could still not find the words to speak; he just looked at her in utter surprise. Unsure was the only word that could describe him at the moment. He was unsure of what to say, unsure of what to do, unsure of why he was there, simply unsure – and his posture told it. It wasn't until he felt Alice's hand pull him towards the table that he moved, took a breath even. A plate of egg and bacon was placed in front of him. Alice took his hand and placed it on top of the fork next to the plate. Draco still didn't move. His body wouldn't do what he asked of it. He couldn't move. Alice seemed to notice this as she took the fork herself and took a bit of bacon and held it out before his mouth. She took her other hand and bent his mouth open, showing the bacon in. Draco closed his mouth and glanced at Alice. He chewed and swallowed before he took the fork from her and took another piece of bacon. Both Mr and Mrs Weasley had worried expressions on their faces. Something had happened to the poor bay that had made him like this – something bad.

"I think we need to talk about last night's event", Mr Weasley said, finally breaking the awkward silence.

"Snape killed Dumbledore", Mrs Weasley said and tears welled up in her eyes. "But how did it happen? How did they get inside the castle?" She was referring to the Death Eaters.

"Did Snape let them in as well?" Mr Weasley asked.

"No." It was Draco that had spoken, and all of them looked at him in surprise. "I did", he continued and looked down on his finished plate. "It's all my fault." Alice stayed silent, she wanted to comfort him, but now wasn't the time.

"He said he'd kill me – kill everyone I love if I didn't do it", Draco's voice was weak and shaking, much like his hands. "I wish I hadn't. I'm of no use, whilst Dumbledore..." His confession was, the lest to say a chock for the three other persons in the room.

"He was going to die anyways, Draco", Alice finally said. "He had a curse, on his hand, and he wouldn't have survived much longer anyway." They now starred at Alice in chock instead. "He was going to die either way", Alice repeated. "It needed to look like Dumbledore was killed or He would not have been happy. He would have killed you."

"He's going to kill us anyway, Alice!" Draco snapped. "I was supposed to be back home where he'd be waiting for me to report Dumbledore's death. If he find us now Alice, he's going to kill us." After a moment of silence Alice took his hand and smiled softly.

"Do you really believe I'd just run away, risking the life of everyone we know?" She asked gently, Draco didn't meet her gaze. No of course he didn't, he had more faith in her then that. "No, I've told him I had some things I needed to do, and that I needed your assistance." Alice turned towards Mr and Mrs Weasley with a soft smile.

"Of course, we will do anything we can to help you." Mrs Weasley opened her mouth several times to say something, but it was her husband that came to words.

"How do we know you are to be trusted? He –"referring to Draco. "Is after all a Malfoy and you...?"

"The Dark Lord is laying low, waiting for you to make a move. After Dumbledore's death he expects you to perform some sort of vengeance – that you are to do something outrageous in your grief. He'll continue the recruiting of course, but he hasn't planned anything big yet..." Alice paused to let the information sink in. "I wouldn't expect the Ministry to stand firmly much longer though. He does everything he can to besiege it." The Weasleys looked like they had to decide whether she was speaking the truth or not.

"How is it that a young girl, like you, knows all of this?" Mr Weasley asked. Alice smiled softly.

"Don't you get it? He's my father, that's how I know all of this." Their eyes widened and both of they backed up, as if they expected her to draw her wand and blow them up.

"How come you trust us enough to tell all of this?"

"Dumbledore told me to", she replied to Mr Weasleys questions, as it'd been the most obvious in the world. A quick peak on the clock and Mr Weasley stood up and said goodbye before leaving for work. Mrs Weasley excused herself as well, saying she needed to go to the store and get some food. And with that they were left alone. Alice stood up, cleaned off the table and walked outside, in to the bright morning sun. She loved how the sun warmed her skin and for the warmth to break every now and then by a soft breeze. Maybe it was a stupid idea, just like Draco said. What if they actually got caught and he found out. Knowing her father, it was bound to happen eventually. Maybe they should just go home.

"Don't even think about it." Alice jerked around at the sound of the voice. Draco walked up beside her in the cluttered garden. "You were right. We have to do our part in this, and if helping the Order means I can be with you..." He paused and took her hand. "Then I'll do anything." Alice's heart fluttered at the confession of his deep love for her. He'd do anything to be with her – risking his own life with it.

"We just have to be strong", Alice said with a soft smile. "I'm glad you're starting to become yourself again. You had me really worried last night." Draco let go of her hand and placed his arms around her shoulder instead, before kissing her on the temple.

"I didn't really know how to react. It felt so strange, the things that'd happen. A part of me whished it was just a bad dream." A breeze swept over the field again, making the trees and the high grass on the field wave in it, making a cozy, rustling sound. Alice leaned in to his chest as they stood quietly, listening to the sound of nature. With a small motion, Draco had Alice spin around before catching her in a slow dance. Alice smiled; she remembered it all too well. The event of last summer, when he'd pulled her in to a dance in the sound of the rain. It was in that moment Alice had realized just what his touch meant to her. Draco made her spin around again.

"You look happy", he said when she stopped face to face with him.

"I am. Is there a reason for me to not be?" She smiled and he bent down to kiss her. Of course not, they were alive and together. Alice started laughing.

"Do you want to play a game?" She asked and bit her bottom lip in the smile she had.

"Alright", Draco said, a bit suspicious though.

"Catch me", said Alice and turned from him, running.

"What?"

"Catch me!" She turned and ran a few steps backwards, with a playful smile on her lips. Draco seemed a bit unsure at first, but then a similar smile placed itself on his face as he picked up the chase for his love. This was just how it was supposed to be, just how it used to be. Him being a bit stiff and her laughing, pulling him with her in her ideas and games. This was just why he'd fallen so uncontrollably and madly in love with her. She pulled out the side of him he wished he'd always have for other to see. Unfortunately, he rarely did. It just didn't strike him to act the way he acted around her, with his other mates. No, Alice understood something about people that they themselves didn't. Alice cried out in laughter when he caught her in the front lawn, putting his arms around her waist.

"Not fair!" She laughed before trying to look sad.

"You didn't tell me the rules, so nothing is unfair", he whispered and teased her by nibble her ear. Alice turned in his grip, stood on her toes and pressed her lips against his. He was stunned just by the emotion kissing her awaked in his body. But just as sudden as she'd turned to kiss him, she'd turned around again and ran away from him with a laugh and a 'Fooled you!'. Once again Draco put up the chase for Alice. Then he remembered, he didn't need to chase her – after all, he was a wizard. So he pulled out his wand and did a quick motion with his hand. Alice came shooting at him from around a tree and bumping in to him so that they both fell over.

"Hey!" Alice tried to stand up, which resulted in both of them falling over, again. After a serious amount of laughing they found themselves on their feet again. Draco bent down once more and kissed her softly.

"Aren't you awfully touchy of late?" She teased him, still with a big smile.

"I just can't get enough", he said, truthfully, and pulled her in for a second kiss. Mrs Weasley – who'd just entered her front yard couldn't help but notice the couple. She felt a bit shocked, seeing them in such a tight embrace. She tried not to make a sound when closing the gate, but unfortunately it was a bit old and rusty and made a horrible squeaking sound. Draco looked up at the old woman with a frown. He'd been startled, but the frown was quickly replaced with, almost, a smile.

"Let me help you with those", he said and took the bags of food from her arms. Mrs Weasley had doubted if the boy had a heart his whole life. And then he acts like helping out was the most normal thing in the world. She couldn't imagine him ever have to cook or do the laundry – he'd always been a brat. But there he was, a young man, helping a woman he'd learned to despite, like it was nothing. Mrs Weasley walked inside to find the two youngsters unpacking the bags and put everything in its place.

"Is there a bath or a shower we could borrow?" asked Alice as the woman stepped inside her house.

"Fourth floor, towels are in the wardrobe next to the shower", she said. Draco gave both a smile before disappearing upstairs. Alice returned to packing up the bags of food. Mrs Weasley had taken notice of how he'd been looking at Alice. Of course, she was the reason for the change in the boy.

"I didn't realise he was that kind of a friend", Mrs Weasley said with a smile and started helping the girl. Alice flushed – something that didn't go unnoticed. Neither did the quick glance down to her left hand.

"Merlin!" Mrs Weasley cried out and took Alice's hand to inspect the ring closer. It was a rather big, blue pearl, surrounded by a row of diamonds. "It's absolutely beautiful!"

"Thank you", said Alice and smiled.

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Dinnertime was coming up and Alice had volunteered to do the cooking, giving Mrs Weasley some well deserved time for herself – at least that's the way Alice had put it. Mr Weasley was home from work. So was the beautiful Fleur Delacour, Mr and Mrs Weasley's son's fiancé from France. Mr Weasley fled outside, right after he'd come home to 'work on something' in the garage, and to everyone's surprise, taken Draco with him. Draco stood silent just inside the door of the cluttered garage. He was stunned over how much that seemed to fit in to the small house.

"I've been trying to figure out the function of this... thing", Mr Weasley walked over to the boy and held out the muggle device for him to see. "I suppose you don't know either growing up under... special circumstances..." Mr Weasley hesitated at the two last words. To his surprise Draco had a smirk on his lips.

"This", Draco started and took the device from Mr Weasley's hands, "is an electric mixer." Mr Weasley looked shocked. "You use it to blend stuff, when you're cooking and baking and so." Draco took the hooks and placed them in the wholes.

"We need to plug it in, right?" Mr Weasley asked and held up the cord. "Lucky I installed this electric in the house then!" He disappeared in to the mess and returned a few seconds later with an extension cord. They plugged it in and pressed the 'on' button – nothing happened.

"I think it's broken", said Draco and examined the object in his hands. He pulled out his wand, placed the mixer on the table and tapped it with his wad. It opened, reviling the mechanism inside. Mr Weasley didn't say a word as Draco started to look on the complicated thing. After just a few minutes Draco straightened up with a smile.

"Found it", he said and reattached a cord that had fallen from its place. He used his wand to close it up again. They plugged it in again and pressed the 'on' button once more. To their delight the hooks started spinning. Both of them cheered in joy.

"Dinner's ready!" Mrs Weasley called from the house.

"That was brilliant!" Mr Weasley patted Draco's shoulder and smiled widely. "I'd never expect that from you." They entered the kitchen and sat down by the table.

"I guess I've always liked working with my hands. There's a dump in the muggle-village next to us at home. And since I couldn't use magic I went over there and helped fix stuff", Draco calmly replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Have you ever fixed cars?" Mr Weasley whispered, not wanting his wife to hear – which she unfortunately did.

"I hope you're not thinking of fixing that old car..." She said and raised an eyebrow at her husband.

"What?" Mr Weasley laughed. "No, not at all", he said before turning to Draco. "We'll have a look at it after dinner", he whispered and started pouring up the delicious food Alice had made.

"Dumbledore's funeral is held tomorrow morning at Hogwarts", Mrs Weasley said. The spirit in the room dampened quickly.

"Then we 'ave to go", Fleur said. "So I can visit Bill in the 'ospital too." Alice sought out Draco's gaze. She couldn't go, even if no one would take particular notice of her, she couldn't leave him all by himself.

"We can't go", said Alice and looked down on her plate. "It'd be too suspicious. I left on that night too." The others nodded in agreement. After that, the dinner continued in silence. Dumbledore was dead, they were starting to realise it now.

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Alice didn't stop reading when the door opened and her boyfriend stepped in. In fact, she didn't stop reading until he yanked the book out of her hands.

"I was reading that", Alice said and reached for the book again. Her movement was interrupted by Draco's lips against hers. Even though she couldn't help the wide smile on her lips, she tried to pull on a frown.

"You're really dirty", she said and eyed him from top to toe. He was covered in dirt.

"You like it", he teased and pulled, the very dirty shirt, over his head. His body was only a shadow of what it used to be. Although you couldn't exactly see his ribs any longer, it was nothing like it had been a year ago.

"How did it go?" Draco had been helping Mr Weasley fix his broken car. Apparently he had one a few years back, but what happened to it remained a question.

"Fine", he said and took the towel he'd used earlier that day. "It's really damaged though. We're continuing tomorrow after the..." Alice knew why he'd stopped speaking. He felt guilty, it read all over him. Draco left the room to hit the shower. The book that Alice had been reading was just beside her on the bed, she picked it up again and turned to page sixty-five. Then she went over to her bag and pulled out a small, round device. She opened the cap; it was an ordinary pocket watch. She read the instruction in the book several times. It didn't make any sense. Draco came back in. Alice would never stop being amazed of how quickly he could shower when he wanted to, nor how long it could take when he wanted to. He had put on the pyjamas pants hand was drying his hair with the towel.

"What are you doing?" He asked, bent over her making water from his hair drip down on her.

"Fixing this watch", she said, still focused on the watch, not wanting to be distracted by him again. He sat down behind her, and peaked over her shoulder.

"Give me my wand, will you?" Alice said and pointed at the bedside table. Draco smiled and reached to pick it up.

"Blimey", he said and quickly dropped the wand on the floor. "I brunt me", he said and held out his hand. The smell of burnt flesh and the red mark in Draco's hand showed it all. Alice reached for the wand, which had rolled away on the floor and picked it up. Nothing happened to her when she picked it up.

"Strange", she said and tapped on Draco's hand to make it heal itself. The wound immediately closed up and the pain he felt disappeared. Alice turned to the small clock again and mumbled a spell.

"Did it work?" Draco asked, still sitting behind her, looking over her shoulder. Alice turned the clock upside down and pressed a similar button to when you're setting the time. The hour and minute hand started spinning and then suddenly stopped, pointing right back at Alice.

"It do work", she said in relief and turned to Draco. When she did, all three indicators span half a turn and pointed in Draco's direction.

"It's sort of a compass", she explained. "You think really badly about something – like I'm thinking of you know – and it will point in the direction of it. The hour hand is the first to turn, that means the objects is rather far away. Then the minute hand will turn and last but not least the second indicator will turn. And if I do like this", she held it out so that it almost touched Draco's chest and all three indicators started spinning around. "It means that I am right by whatever I'm thinking of."

"Brilliant", said Draco. "You're brilliant." Alice flushed and leaned forward to kiss him.

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The sun was shining brightly the next day. Alice sat in a chair on the backyard, bathing in the sun whilst Draco stood by the car he and Mr Weasley had been working on the day before. Even though it was too hot to actually have clothes on, Draco still had his shirt buttoned and only with one sleeve rolled up. He was ashamed of the mark on his left arm, and probably always would be.

"You want something to drink, love?" Alice called over the sound of water splashing onto the car – Draco had for some reason, unknown to Alice, decided to wash the car.

"Yeah, sure", he said and held his hand over his hand to create a shadow over his face. "Thanks." Alice went inside to get some water. The other should've been back by now. The funeral had ended hours ago. Alice went back outside again and handed the glass of cold water to Draco.

"Alice Gaunt?" Alice turned around to face the long, red-haired beauty that stood in the doorway. "Oh by Merlin, what are you doing here?" They smiled and embraced one another.

"We decided it was time to join you", Alice said and they laughed in joy.

"And Draco too! How did you manage to get him here?" Ginny walked over to him and gave him a hug as well. Draco on the other hand looked as if someone was about to kill him.

"I can't believe you're actually here!" Ginny hugged Alice once more. "Mum said I should go look in the backyard, and I thought it had something to do with the wedding. I never expected to see you two..." Ginny was interrupted by none other than her older brother; Ronald Weasley.

"Why the bloody hell is he in our backyard?" Ron pulled out his wand and pointed it at Draco. Draco, who didn't have his wand with him, just stood there in shock.

"Get over yourself, Ronald!" Ginny was the one to speak. Mr Weasley came out from the house and walked up to the car, unknowing of the event that just had taken place.

"What's going on out here?" He asked when he saw his son, and Ron's pulled out wand.

"Why is the sodding Draco Malfoy in our house?" Ron said and looked with anger on his father. "And why are you standing with him?" Draco seemed to be the first one to actually understand the situation. He reached over the water hose to Mr Weasley without a word and walked passed Ron and in to the house.

"He's here because we invited him to be", was the last thing Alice heard as she ran after Draco in to the house. She found him in their room, changing out of his dirty clothes. He looked up at her when he heard the door click shut behind her.

"Have you ever known anyone who just hates you no matter what you do?" He said with a frown.

"Yeah", Alice said, thinking of Pansy Parkinson. "Don't mind him Draco. Of course he's going to be mad. You've been fighting for the last six years. Pretty much your whole lives actually." She put a comforting hand on his arm and smiled softly. "Maybe it's time for us to move ahead?"

"Yeah, you're right. I just really like it here", he said with a sigh. "Never thought I'd say those words though." Both of them smiled.

A few moments later, they'd packed their bags and headed downstairs to the kitchen. Mrs Weasley was the first ones to notice them. She had a smile on her face, but the worries in her eyes didn't go unnoticed.

"You're leaving already?" Ginny asked, and when Alice nodded she gave them a weak smile and hugged both of them goodbye.

"Thank you, for everything", Draco said – and all of them knew he meant more than just the food and shelter. Something had changed in him being here. It was like he'd come to realise something that had been a question mark before. He held out a hand towards Mrs Weasley, who instead, just like her daughter, gave him a big hug.

"Take care, son", Mr Weasley said and shook his hand. "I'm sorry we didn't get to finish the car." Alice hugged both of them goodbye and handed over a small gift before they took leave. Neither of them spoke as they walked across the front lawn and out the gates. It wasn't until they'd gotten far enough from the house to Apparate that Draco spoke.

"Where are we going?"

"We're going to my home", said Alice and they took each other's hands and disappeared with a bang.