A/N: I know, I'm sorry, I've been MIA for months. I promised more updates last time but I honestly had some major ailments, went to the hospital, and I'm currently recovering, along with some other personal issues and mental health problems, PLUS adding to that the worst writers block. I'm STILL not happy with this chapter because it's just not right, but I wanted to get something out there because I feel absolutely awful leaving everyone hanging. I promise I'm still going with this story. I know where the plot's going, although for some reason I'm adding more and more complicated things to my plotline, and I do see an end eventually, but for now, I'm giving you this chapter and not going to promise another soon because honestly I feel bad when I don't deliver. Please no flame about my tardiness, I already feel bad enough.

As always, reviews are appreciated. Thank you for your continued support and kind words... Love always xx

Song: I'm Alive – Next to Normal (Musical)
Lyrics: I'm alive, I'm alive, I am so alive/ And I feed on the fear that's behind your eyes/ And I need you to need me, it's no surprise/ I'm alive, so alive/ I'm alive.

Chapter Ten: Birthday

After the attack, students were welcome to return home for a week. Hermione had been in contact with George about the source of the Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder, but he had confirmed that after stocktaking with Ginny helping him, there was nothing missing from the Burrow and apologised again for his role in harming Draco, which Hermione promptly dismissed.

Draco had been admitted to the Hospital Wing for two weeks for monitoring and recovery. Hermione had all but demanded extra protection be placed upon him whenever she wasn't by his side (however rare) and McGonagall had taken strong words to Kingsley and Smyth regarding Draco's safety in the school. A new agreement had been reached where Draco was allowed his wand on his person at all times whilst at Hogwarts, but it was to be monitored, and only to be used in class and for self-defence. Every night, Hermione wrapped herself tightly around Draco in the uncomfortable Hospital Wing beds, unwilling to let him part from her again. They soothed each other of the new nightmares: lives without each other.

The very spare few times that Hermione was away from Draco, she had been convening with Harry and writing letters to Draco's friends and family. Hermione wanted to surprise Draco with a birthday party where he was surrounded by people who loved him. So far, her guest list was quite short, and predominantly ruled by Weasleys, but she was hesitant to reach out to former friends of Draco's without knowing who his attacker was. The person she was most nervous to contact, however, was Narcissa Malfoy. She had been pleasant enough in the past, however she wasn't sure how deeply blood purity was ingrained in her and she had not been in contact with the older witch since she and Draco had begun courting. She was also unsure whether she could invite Narcissa due to her own incarceration, keeping her and Draco apart. She decided early in the week to send Narcissa an owl.

Mrs Malfoy,

I hope this letter finds you in good health and high spirits. I understand we have had little to no correspondence, but I am sure you have been made aware of my relationship with your son, if not by Draco himself, then at least by the numerous gossip columns. For my lack of reaching out to you personally, I apologise. To be quite honest, I have been concerned that you will not be accepting of this relationship and nerves have overcome me on the scarce occasion that I have attempted to owl you.

To the main reason I have contacted you. As I am sure you of all people are aware, Draco's birthday is approaching rapidly and I am currently in the process of organising a party. I am unsure to what extent both of your sentencings are able to be manipulated and whether I will be able to have you there, but I know that it would mean a lot to Draco to have a small gathering with people who care about him. I have several ideas on whom to contact about arranging visitation for the evening, if not I have a multitude of other methods that I am currently planning with Harry in order for you to attend in a less physical manner, if this suits you. If it sways your decision in any way, I would also like to inform you that I have invited Andromeda Tonks and the entire Weasley family.

If there are any guests that I would not know about but should attend for any reason, please let me know.

Awaiting your reply,

Hermione Granger

Hermione felt her stomach swoop as she spotted a large and regal-looking black-banded owl land on the windowsill of her dormitory the next morning. Quickly unfurling the note from its leg, Hermione stroked the bird absently as she scanned the contents.

Miss Granger,

Please address me as Narcissa.

I am indeed aware of my son's courtship with you and I understand your reservations with contacting me, however contrary to what you may have believed, I am thrilled with the pairing. You have always been the girl he's longed for and I believe intellectually and socially, you will both be able to keep up with each other. I hope that this relationship lasts for many years to come – you have my blessing.

Regarding Draco's birthday, I am happy to hear that you are planning something small for him (and I take it a surprise as he has not mentioned it in his letters to me). As you are aware, I have been on house arrest since the trial and I don't believe there is any way around it, even with your considerable sway at the Ministry. I am intrigued to hear of these "other methods" you have to allow me to be present at my son's birthday party as I believe it will be the only way of being there at this point in time.

Thank you for informing me about the guest list however I have no qualms with anyone who you see fit to invite. Reaching out to Andromeda is something I have been meaning to do for many years now, but with our family's involvement in the war, I didn't want to risk my sister's life.

May I suggest contacting Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini. They may seem cold towards Draco at school, but both boys have been in frequent contact with me since my incarceration and have explained their situations. I believe they have Draco's best interests at heart and still count him as family.

Warm Regards,

Narcissa

P.S. The owl's name is Equinox, please allow him to rest a while in your quarters and send him back with your response.

Hermione breathed a long sigh as her eyes skimmed over the letter a second time. She was glad that Narcissa approved of their relationship, knowing how much Draco's mother meant to him. She penned a quick response detailing the plan she had to allow Narcissa to attend the party and attached the note to Equinox's leg, feeding him a treat and conjuring a bowl of water for the bird before hurrying back to the Hospital Wing.

Plan didn't work. Dragon still stuck in the mud. Will attempt to visit this week with an update.

Two weeks passed slowly, especially with classes resuming in the second week. Hermione would bring Draco his homework daily and tutor him on their shared classes whilst Luna would help him with Divination. Soon enough Draco was back on his feet, although he spent much of the time in the Hospital Wing complaining that he was fine all along. It seemed as though after the incident, students regarded him in a different light, whether they looked wearily around him for another attack or sometimes even concerned about his safety; regardless, Hermione felt more at ease knowing that there were now a hundred more sets of eyes looking out for the person she held as most precious to her. Their routine became familiar again, settling back into the comfort of their luxurious dormitory, taking tea from Pipsy nightly and studying for their N.E.W.T.s. Something, however, felt off to her, knowing that Draco was attacked likely by someone at Hogwarts, and the couple would make use of their secret portrait system much more frequently, barely being anywhere but the dormitory or classes. Hermione also noticed a dark tint in Draco's eye as he looked around his classes at his former Slytherin friends, as though he were bitter that they did not seem the least bit sympathetic to his situation. He was scared and curious about his attacker, just like she was, and every situation he was surrounded and outnumbered by his peers made him anxious and weary, but catching sight of the Slytherins always made him feel on edge.

"Draco?" Hermione asked one night as she absently brushed the feather of her quill along her jawline.

"Yes, love?" Draco responded.

"I was wondering…" Hermione trailed off and frowned. She unfurled herself from her position at the desk and stood, looking down at Draco and shaking her head.

"What's wrong? You can ask me anything." Draco placed his own work down, marking his page in a tome with a scrap of parchment and looking intently up at his girlfriend.

"It's about your friends. About your former friends – Blaise and Theo. I was wondering about your past relationship with them." Hermione's frown deepened as Draco's eyes grew dark and a bitter look settled on his face.

"I've known Theo since I was born, we were raised together, practically my mother's adopted second son. Blaise, I met here, at Hogwarts, but he always had an optimistic spin on life that kept me going through some of the tougher times. I thought they were my brothers. I was wrong. What brought this up?" Draco asked with little emotion.

"I saw you glancing over again today in Potions and I couldn't help but wonder if it would be better for you if…" Hermione trailed off once more and looked down to study her shoes.

"If it would be better for me if we weren't together. You're wondering if I could fit in with them again if I wasn't dating you?" It was Draco's turn to frown as Hermione nodded.

"Because I'm a mud-" Hermione started.

"Don't." Draco interrupted, "Don't say it. You're not… That."

Hermione slumped back into her chair.

"Hermione, look at me." Draco commanded and she did. He took her hands in his own and gazed deeply into her chocolate eyes, "There is no 'what if' about our situation. You have to understand, I would give up everything just to be with you, and I'm not just saying that. I would happily give away all of my worldly possessions just to spend my life with you. If that means losing some friends, they were never friends to begin with – I think you told me that one when we first became friends."

"But you miss them." Hermione whispered, tears forming in her large eyes.

"I miss them because they were my brothers. Everything that we've been through together, we've had each other's backs. They stood by my side when I took the Mark. They watched me scream and cry and break. They held me back when I was at the darkest depths of my life and I was ready to pitch myself from the Astronomy Tower. Theo and Blaise were my best friends and I thought that through this ordeal, they might reach out to me, there would be some kind of support from them." Draco slumped down in his chair and hung his head in his hands, massaging his temples.

Hermione brought a tentative hand to his shoulder when he abruptly stood, "I thought they cared!" Draco yelled, a broken sob escaping from his lips.

Hermione stood with him and wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him as close to her as possible as he wept into her hair. They stood like that, entwined for minutes until Draco pulled away from her, looking embarrassed at his breakdown. She reached up and cupped his cheek, smiling with as much understanding as she could muster as her own heart broke at his expression. She recalled Narcissa's letter to her and questioned her decision to invite the two boys, seeing Draco's disappointment at their lack of support for him through his trial, this year at Hogwarts, and the most recent attack.

"You said to me once that Slytherins are loyal. Maybe there's a reason that they can't be openly supportive of you. I know it's been a while, but I'm sure they still care about you, Draco. They wouldn't throw away everything you've been through together." Hermione soothed.

Draco heaved a large sigh, settling himself back into the chair and pulling his girlfriend with him. He didn't respond to her hopeful optimism, only drowning himself in the negativity his own mind could come up with. Hermione held him tightly and rested her forehead against his, willing her positivity to rub off on him. She took her hand and found her way through his button-down, placing it underneath his pendant and on his heart. She willed every ounce of happiness to flow from her fingertips into his heart, when she saw a bright golden light emanating from inside his shirt.

Draco looked up at her, his eyes clear pools to his soul, "Hermione, I can feel your happiness."

Tugging his shirt open further with one hand, he saw threads of gold magic streaming around Hermione's outstretched hand and flowing into his heart.

Draco's eyes widened and he fixed her with a peculiar smile, speaking slowly "I don't want to alarm you, love, but I think you might be an empath."

"An… empath?" Hermione repeated, an adorably clueless look on her face – one that didn't grace it often, mind you.

"A magical being with the ability to influence others' emotions, just as the way you are projecting your own happiness into me." Draco gingerly took her by the wrist and plied her hand away from his chest, with the magical cords straining and eventually disintegrating. "I am by no means an expert on empaths, but I'm certain that is what you are."

Hermione was speechless. A million questions ran through her mind while thousands of memories replayed themselves in her head. Her mouth opened to voice one of these questions when Draco placed a finger to her lips.

"We can go to the library tomorrow. For now, let our night take a less draining path." Draco suggested, watching Hermione's shoulders slump slightly in resignation. He summoned Pipsy for their tea and they settled by the fire to relax before bed.

Hermione spent the next three days buried in stacks of books that she had borrowed from the library all pertaining to empaths. She and Draco had been poring over them in the free time that they had between classes and N.E.W.T. study to create a fuller picture of what Hermione may be experiencing. From what they had gleaned so far, Hermione's empathetic nature was most predominant around Draco, as their magic was most compatible. It is why she could sense his emotions, even throughout their formative years of schooling, as well as her ease at healing him after his attack. Her own emotions influencing others would depend on the percentage compatibility with her own magic, where Draco's is a perfect 100%, she assumed someone like Ron's may have been closer to 5%. This percentage compatibility is how much she could influence others' emotions and how much others' emotions would influence her. However, the fact that her own magic compatibility with Draco's was so high, coupled with their love for one another, her influence over other people would diminish with time.

"Hermione, you have to read this." Draco's cautious voice came from behind a thick, leather-bound tome.

If an empath has found true love, their influence over others will lessen until it becomes nullified, with a bond forged between the two lovers, allowing each full access to their partner's emotions no matter the distance.

"Draco, this is all things we know already." Hermione frowned.

"Keep reading." Draco intoned, his brow creased in worry.

Empaths are generally hunted for the manipulative properties in their magic, as a non-traceable, subtle alternative to the Imperius Charm, used as a way to influence those in positions of power by black market dealers. During the 1600s, over 4,000 empaths across the global wizarding community were rounded up and imprisoned by leading government officials, claiming safety for the wizarding world at large. With very few survivors, it was difficult to paint a picture of what truly happened during this time, however there have been accounts of magic siphoning and extreme torture. It is unknown to this day what happened to the magic of those witches and wizards who had been successfully drained, however one can only hope that it made its way back into the Earth.

Hermione finished reading the passage, her face paling as she imagined her own magic being siphoned from her body; thousands of people screaming in agony at the torture they were being forced through.

"I think we need to talk to Professor McGonagall." Draco stated.

Hermione only nodded dumbly, the second time this week that she had been rendered unable to think clearly.

A short visit to the Headmistress's office later, Professor McGonagall's advice had been to keep this fact about Hermione as private as they could, preferably between the three parties present at the time. Without others knowing, Hermione should be relatively safe from the persecution her predecessors faced. McGonagall did, however, caution the couple, urging them to keep each other safe and watch each other's backs.

"If it isn't one thing, it's another." Hermione mumbled as she flung herself onto the couch in their common room once more. Her fingers rubbed slow circles into her temples as she sighed, propping her feet on an armrest.

Draco came behind her, lifting her body into a sitting position and massaging her neck. "We'll get through this, love."

"We have enough to worry about with whoever tried to kill you, Draco. I don't want us to have to worry about someone trying to drain my magic as well." Hermione cried. A bout of tears welled in her chest but she stifled them, grounding herself with Draco's emotions. He wrapped his arms around her torso and pulled her into his lap, embracing her and allowing her to relax. She concentrated harder, experimenting with what she could feel, distinguishing her own emotions from Draco's. He was calm, overall, with a tinge of worry. She herself was a wreck of nerves, drawing on Draco's calmness to ease her mind.

"I love you, Hermione." He whispered into her ear, humming a soft tune as he felt her body unwind.

June the 5th, 1999 was a warm, Summer's day – or as warm as it could get at the turn of the season in England. Hermione had taken Draco home after classes on the Friday night, and the pair spent a romantic evening celebrating his birthday, turning particularly sultry as the clock chimed midnight. On Saturday, Hermione took Draco out of the house, promising to do anything he wanted throughout the day, and secretly allowing Harry to begin preparations for his party later that evening.

The couple spent the day doing the most touristy things possible in London. They visited every muggle landmark, taking a million photos, had a small bite at a fish and chip shop for lunch, then toured Buckingham Palace gardens, where the pair accidentally got "lost" as they snogged behind a particularly tall manicured hedge under a glamour charm. By 4:30, they were taking the bus back to Hermione's house, a thirty-minute commute – perfect timing for them to get back for Draco's party.

"Thank you for a lovely day, Hermione." Draco smiled down at her, warmth coursing through their joined hands. "I never expected to spend a birthday with you, let alone have it be one of the most perfect days of my life."

"The day's not over yet, Draco!" Hermione teased with a glimmer in her eye, "I'm glad you've had such a wonderful time, you deserve the world."

The two chatted about the highlights of their day as the bus rolled to a stop around the corner of Hermione's house. They thanked the bus driver and walked slowly, allowing the wind to brush through their clothes and ruffle Hermione's mussed hair – definitely from the day's activities and not the snogging.

As they opened the door, Draco stepped inside, shrugging off his jacket and taking Hermione's, like his upbringing would see him do. They walked into the living room before Draco flicked the lights and a chorus of "Happy Birthday Draco" drowned his senses.

To say he was stunned speechless would have been an understatement, and Hermione was ready with the camera to snap his immediate reaction. His lips twitched into the biggest grin and he looked as though he were about to cry. Looking around the enlarged living room, he spotted the entire Weasley clan – sans Ron, his aunt Andromeda with Teddy, Harry standing in the kitchen preparing some kind of colourful bubbly drink, Luna and Neville, as well as Blaise and Theo, at whom his smile faltered slightly.

"I was in contact with your mum," Hermione stated quietly, sensing his change of mood, "It is under her advisement that I invited them. I believe you'll be able to reconcile. Don't worry, Draco, we're all here with you. Everyone who cares about you in some way or another."

Then she shoved him into the crowd, almost directly into a crushing hug from Molly Weasley, who gestured wildly at the food which she had prepared for their dinner and a large pile of presents waiting for him on a table in the corner of the room. Next, he was handed off to his aunt and he swept his cousin into the air, causing Teddy to laugh and his hair to jumble through a myriad of colours. He avoided Blaise and Theo, waiting to talk to them last, but sweeping around to greet the rest of his guests – guests he wouldn't have believed would care enough for him to attend and organise a surprise birthday party in his honour.

"Theo, Blaise." Draco greeted. It was a much cooler tone than he had spoken with his other guests, but it spoke volumes of his pureblooded upbringing. Being around so many Gryffindors forced Draco into an environment full of grand displays of emotion and wearing one's heart on his sleeve. Seeing his two housemates seemed to flick a switch in his demeanour, quelling the bear hugs and hair-ruffling.

"Draco," Theo stood awkwardly, unsure whether he was allowed to hug the man he considered a brother.

Draco considered him for a moment, ultimately mulling over Hermione's earlier words to him. He stepped forward and the two embraced as brothers, his girlfriend's forgiving nature rubbing off on him.

"I'm still wary of you two, but I'm going to at least give you both a chance to explain yourselves." Draco warned, although with significant warmth in his tone.

Blaise hugged him next, and wished him a happy birthday, motioning for the three of them to sit by the fire. Theo summoned a few of the drinks Harry had prepared and offered one to Draco.

Draco looked hesitantly at the couch, turning to glance at Hermione who was already watching him, giving him an encouraging nod and closing her eyes. Immediately he felt her optimism and hopefulness wash over him for a moment before she opened her eyes again and smiled at him. He turned back to his friends and accepted the drink, sitting himself where he could see the room and catch Hermione's attention if he needed.

"I'm not going to apologise for ignoring you all year." Blaise started bluntly. Theo shot him a warning look and Draco merely rolled his eyes. "No, seriously, we were doing it to protect you. Your father is an absolute lunatic."

"Lucius?" Draco questioned, a puzzled look flitting across his face as he turned to Theo for a rational explanation.

"From what we've deduced, Lucius seems to be in contact with at least some of the existing Slytherin students, whether by family or directly. We aren't particularly sure who, but we're trying to find out for you, and that entails gaining the trust of the Slytherins. Now, they all know that we've been raised practically as brothers; I don't think the three of us have gone anywhere without each other since we hit the Hogwarts Express that first year, and obviously people have noticed, because we're almost outcasts among the Slytherins." Theo explained.

"Of course he does. Lucius has eyes and ears everywhere." Draco muttered, "Any idea what he's after?"

Blaise shook his head, "We had to snub you from the get go." He continued, "Honestly, the amount of restraint it took for the two of us not to ask how you were at all, especially through your attack." The pair shuddered.

"So, you've been on my side the whole time?" Draco asked almost disbelieving.

"Of course!" Theo replied matter-of-factly. "Mate, we're not going anywhere. We've been through your worst, we're hoping to be here 'til the end."

Draco smiled a bit then, pushing down the threatening feeling of tears, although he wasn't sure why; these two boys had seen him in every state.

"You know, you're going to have to fill us in on everything that's happened. You and Granger are a thing, you and Potter are friends, it's like the world is turning upside down. There's only so much we can learn from your mother." Blaise said as he clapped Draco on the back, standing to retrieve another drink.

Just then, Molly called for everyone to move into the back garden to eat and Draco promised a better catch up before the night ended.

"Draco!" Hermione called as he headed towards the garden.

"Love, this night has been perfect. I can't believe you put all of this together for me, thank you so much." Draco stated, kissing the top of her head as he circled his arms around her.

"There's one more guest that I wanted to be here – your mother." Hermione smiled at Draco's attempt at protesting, "I know she couldn't physically be here, but I've been in contact with her and, well, it was the best that we could do."

"What-?" Draco's question was cut off as Harry wheeled out a floor to ceiling mirror. In it was a replica of his mother, smiling down at him just as he remembered.

"Mother?" Draco asked, walking towards the mirror.

"Draco, my darling son." Narcissa smiled a watery smile.

"How are you here?" Draco questioned, he himself on the verge of tears.

"Your amazing girlfriend." Narcissa motioned to Hermione, who blushed under the compliment.

"It was simple really, just a charmed two-way mirror. Although Molly sent over some of tonight's dinner so that it felt as though she really is here. I've charmed our mirror to move around so Narcissa can control it on her side and socialise in the party, not just be stuck in a dusty corner." Hermione explained.

"You're bloody brilliant!" Draco beamed, grasping her face in his hands and kissing her deeply for a moment. "I love you." He murmured against her lips.

"Draco, that's hardly appropriate in front of present company." Narcissa chided, although there was a smile in her voice, tugging at the corner of her lips.

"Sorry mother." Draco muttered, although he kissed Hermione once more for good measure.

Dinner was served and Draco had never felt so stuffed in his entire life. A Molly Weasley feast was something Draco had never been a part of before. After dinner there were many presents, another surprise Draco was not expecting, and then a large birthday cake, the sugar in which caused Teddy to bounce off the walls (almost literally).

The night wound down slowly, with many Weasleys bidding them farewell and trickling out together. Andromeda stayed as long as she could to talk with Narcissa, but ultimately Teddy needed to sleep and she also left. The party remained with Harry, Hermione, Luna, Neville, Blaise, Theo and Draco sitting around and sipping the rest of the cocktails. Narcissa was engaged in a conversation with Theo and Blaise about Lucius and his current incarceration, discussing possible plots that the cunning Malfoy could be hatching from behind bars. Neville and Draco were being regaled with tales of magical creatures by Luna, which was much more interesting whilst inebriated. Hermione was filling Harry in on her general wellbeing, along with her newfound empath abilities but swearing him to secrecy.

Narcissa decided a little later to leave the younger generation to continue their celebrations and bid them all goodnight, with the promise to contact each of the boys if she had any new information and vice versa. The rest settled into a night of drinking games, midnight snacks and movies, eventually passing out together in front of the TV, the most motley bunch of friends one had ever seen and Draco wouldn't have had it any other way.