December 2000

"Tell me about your father."

Draco looked up at the ceiling, he could still hardly believe that he had gone to a therapist.

"My father is a very proud man. He is prejudiced against muggleborns and as a child and teenager I admired his views and even agreed with him so when I joined the Death Eaters I wanted to make him proud. Now he is a shamed man who drinks heavily and rarely ventures out in public."

"Do you want to have a healthy relationship with your father?"

Draco shrugged, "I'm unsure. I want to have a happy relationship with someone and actually fall in love but I feel that for the crimes I've committed I don't deserve to be happy. Because of the person I was, the people I once called friends have turned against me or they resent me for the fact that my mother's decision to lie to the Dark Lord spared us from life imprisonment."

The therapist nodded as the quill she wrote with scratched on the parchment as she took notes. Draco continued to stare at the ceiling, feeling embarrassed that he had agreed to get professional help. Since his trip to Rome with Tori, she had been determined to help him in any way that she could. When she had suggested the therapist he was a little skeptical as to whether it would help but after having ten sessions already, he was beginning to feel slightly better. The dreams only happened a few times a week now and he was beginning to cut down how much firewhiskey he had during the day. Although he was making some progress, he knew it would take a while before he believed he deserved some happiness.

"Draco, in order to forgive yourself for your the crimes you were forced to commit you need to make amends to those you have wronged. If you wish to regain the friendships that you have lost, then you need to talk to those people you feel you have wronged. Many of my patients in similiar situations to yours have began to start afresh by righting all their wrongs."

He looked over at the clock on the wall and sat up, his session was over. The therapist scheduled their next session before Draco made his goodbyes and left the building. Although the sessions made him feel awkward for revealing his feelings, he did feel that they were easing the guilt he had put upon himself. His therapist was right, in order for him to be happy and regain his friendships he needed to talk to those he had once called his friends.

Deciding where to start first, he apparated to the Goyle house. Gregory had once been one of those he got to do most of his dirty work during their school years and although he hadn't treated Goyle as a friend, he had shown concern during the fire that Crabbe had set in the room of requirement. He had dragged his former friend to safety and grieved at the loss of Crabbe who had perished in the deadly fire.

He knocked on the door but was surprised to learn that nobody was home. Draco decided to write a letter to Gregory, to see if the latter would agree to an arranged meeting. He decided to do the same with Nott and Blaise instead of going to their houses right now, there would be a chance that they were out too.

Draco then apparated to the Greengrasses, on the off chance that Astoria was home. He was glad that when he had knocked the door with light tap of his knuckles that it was Daphne who answered and confirmed that her younger sister was in fact home.

"How've you been?" asked Daphne.

"Well and yourself?"

"Great thanks, I've got a date with Blaise."

"That's nice."

Daphne led Draco into the living room and he couldn't help but smile to see Astoria lounging on the sofa lazily with her feet up on the coffee table, her eyes focussing on the text of the book she was reading. Her brown hair that had been tied up into a bun was now messed up due to the fact she had been laying on it.

"Tori you've got a visitor." Daphne sang.

Astoria looked up over the book and instantly dropped it before scrambling to her feet as quickly as she could. Daphne smirked and left the room, making Astoria blush slightly; she hadn't been expecting Draco to visit.

"Sorry if now is inconvenient."

"Don't be silly, how was your session?"

"I think it's beginning to help but there's still a lot more work that needs to be done."

Astoria nodded and offered to make Draco a drink and the two went into the kitchen. They sat at the little table that occupied the corner of the kitchen and caught up, with Tori agreeing that writing to Blaise, Goyle and Nott would be a good idea.

"There's the Christmas party at the Ministry next week and I was wondering if you wanted to come with me?"

Tori smiled, "As your date?"

Draco shrugged, "It doesn't have to have a label but yes I would like you to come with me. I need to get out of the house more, spending all my time at the manor with my mother and father is driving me crazy."

After a few minutes of hesitation, Astoria nodded.

"I'd love to go with you, just pick me up before we go?"

Draco nodded and took a mouthful of the pumpkin juice that Tori handed to him, he was rather looking forward to the Christmas party now he had someone like Tori to go with.