Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. It and any characters from the franchise that may appear in this fanfiction are the intellectual property of J.K. Rowling. This story was written for entertainment purposes only and no profit is made from this story.

Author's note: Eternal thanks to my beta, GeekandProud (AO3) a.k.a. AnimeIsMyCrack (FF) who also made the cover image for this story.

- The Quidditch pitch, 9th of November 1991 –

The Quidditch match had played out almost exactly like it had the first time. Someone was messing with Harry's broom, again. Draco had forgotten about this event, and was angry at himself when he saw Harry starting to struggle, frustrated he'd somehow let it slip that someone had been trying to kill the Boy Who Lived. To be fair, someone was always trying to kill him. It was hard to keep track sometimes.

Draco flew over to the stands right to where Hermione, her dormmates, and Neville were sitting, seeing if they had caught onto something he'd missed. He couldn't expose himself and start casting a counter curse right now, so he was sincerely hoping at least one of the Professors had noticed that Harry had not simply lost control over his broom.

"Something's definitely wrong with Harry's broom," Hermione shouted, looking through her binoculars. "It seems like… Professor Snape is trying to save him, he's holding eye contact and chanting. But who is… Is that Professor Quirrell helping him?" She sounded almost amazed at their pathetic excuse for a D.A.D.A. teacher actually showing some skill.

Draco's head whipped around. Of course. That damned turban turd excuse of a teacher had been doing this all along. Why did he want Harry dead though? Wasn't Harry supposed to lead him to the Philosopher's Stone by the end of the school year?

What a joke that was by the way. Draco had snuck out and disillusioned himself one night, after figuring out what to do about that blasted three-headed dog they'd run into after their game of truth or dare. He'd made it all the way to an enormous chess board before he turned around, feeling like whatever traps were set up were way too easy to get through. Longbottom could probably get through half of them, if he had a proper wand at least.

"Keep an eye on Quirrell!" Draco yelled at Hermione, making her eyebrows rise in surprise. He'd have to explain his suspicions to her soon, but he was unsure if anyone, even she, would believe that their silly excuse for a teacher would actually have an evil bone in his body.

He then flew up to Harry, trusting Severus to save them if any of them fell. As Draco was hovering under Harry, he grabbed him by his legs, pulling him down onto his broom. Luckily, his friend landed right in front of him, the cursed broom finally going out of control and flying off far away from the Quidditch pitch.

"Bloody hell, thanks mate" Harry yelled. "My broom better not fly off to the Whomping Willow!" Harry took control of the broom then and steered both of them towards the ground to land safely. "I don't know what was up with my broom, it was almost as if it was possessed," he said.

Draco noticed that Harry seemed anxious, so he decided to joke around with him to distract him. "Sure Potty, you sure your nervousness wasn't just influencing your flying skills?" the blond snorted.

Harry was not as easily taunted and instead just smirked and winked at Draco before plunging the both of them into a Wronski feint, catching Draco off guard as he had to grab onto Harry's waist so as not to fall off of the broom.

"Bloody Merlin, Harry!" Draco shouted in his ear. "I was just kidding, you don't need to murder me!"

Harry laughed, trying to find a safe spot to land as the others were still playing Quidditch around them. The Slytherin seeker manoeuvred between the players, but then both boys suddenly saw the Gryffindor seeker coming straight at them, in pursuit of the snitch. Harry sped up and stretched out his arm and fucking jumped off the broom two meters above the ground.

Draco, definitely not expecting for Harry to do that, had to grab onto his broom quickly and start breaking before he would crash into the Gryffindor seeker. He twirled down, landing next to Harry to make sure he was alright.

A gasp went through the crowd. Fuck. What had that idiot done now? Was he alright?

As Harry crawled on all fours, trying to stand up while coughing his lungs out, Draco took him by his arm and dragged him up, smacking his back multiple times.

The whole crowd joined him in an exclamation of disgust as Harry puked out the golden snitch, catching it in his hands. No fucking way.

The announcer, Lee Jordan, quickly got his bearings however and announced Slytherin the winner.

Harry was holding the snitch proudly and leaned over to Draco, smirking. "You think they will call that move the Potter Pounce? Should I get it patented?"

Draco shook his head, chuckling. "No mate, that will forever be known as the Potter Puke Plonker."

As they walked off the field laughing, Draco took one glance at Hermione, looking at her questioningly. She was frowning at him and mouthed that they needed to talk. Professor Quirrell had just attempted to kill Harry, and they both knew it.

- The Hogwarts Express, 21st of December 1991 –

The silver trio and their friends were once again occupying a compartment on the Hogwarts Express, heading home for Yule. Hermione had pulled Draco into an empty classroom a few days after the Quidditch incident, wanting to confirm her suspicions about their D.A.D.A. Professor.

Not being able to lie to her, not even to keep her safe, Draco admitted that anyone who would have noticed Quirrell casting the spell, would have noticed that he'd been cursing it. Sadly for them, no one else had noticed, not even Snape, and the two first-years were unsure how to proceed. None of the Professor would believe their accusations unless they had proof.

Both friends had shook hands, swearing they would be following Harry and not let him out of their sight, just in case Quirrell would attempt to kill him again.

When Harry had casually mentioned that he'd been suffering headaches during their D.A.D.A. classes, Hermione had looked at Draco in a panic. Something was going on, and they had to figure out what.

It was more than a month later now, and they hadn't seen Quirrell act more strangely than usual. Draco had noticed that Hermione was glad to go home, finally getting a small reprieve from her worrying.

At some point during their trip on the Hogwarts Express, the Weasley twins and Lee Jordan showed up, talking excitedly about their Quidditch match with Harry, claiming only Gryffindor bravery would've made him jump off his broom like that.

Daphne and Hermione sat huddled around some muggle fiction that Draco remembered his Hermione reading quite often, and he smiled fondly at the memory, focusing his attention on the conversation with Fred and George again.

Right as the three Gryffindors were about to leave, Dobby apparated into their small compartment, bowing his head slightly. "Lady Malfoy will not be able to come to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, sirs," he said to Harry and Draco. "But Paddy Foot and Moony will be there to take you to Black Estate. Lady Malfoy will pick you up there."

"Did you just say," Fred began, "Moony? And Padfoot?" George finished, both twins eying Dobby with excited interest. "Are you saying that you know The Marauders, little elf?" they excitedly wondered out loud at the same time, Lee now hanging over his two best friends' shoulders.

Dobby turned to the three of them, ever so pleased with the attention. "Well yes, Paddy Foot and Moony are Dobby's great prankster friends," the elf nodded excitedly. His enthusiasm was enough to keep the Gryffindors hanging onto the house elf's every word, as well as Harry's and Draco's for the rest of the train ride.

Once they got off the train, the twins hurried to greet their mother, but made Harry promise he would not leave before Fred and George could meet their idols. Draco shook his head, remembering the pranks the twins had gotten up to over the years. He had often bought gifts and pranks at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, even if he'd sent one of his elves since he couldn't be seen wandering through the shop of a bunch of blood traitors. Once or twice, he had even transfigured himself during Voldemort's reign, just to go and visit the only happy place left in Diagon Alley. The only happy place left in the British wizarding world. He would do everything he could to make sure the twins were able to do the same thing this time around.

Sirius, Remus, and Harry all greeted each other with bear hugs, tears and heavy clapping on their backs. Draco stood beside them awkwardly as he was introduced to Remus and Sirius, before Lord Black pulled him into a hug as well, shocking him before making the blond Slytherin smile.

Thanks to the changes he'd made to the timeline so far, Harry had found his true family way sooner, and Draco had to admit he was glad to be included in that small circle.

Hermione and her parents soon joined them, and they politely shook hands with the Grangers who invited them all over for Christmas Eve at their house.

They said their goodbyes and were ready to leave when Sirius suddenly looked up, clearly confused. "Ehm, and you two gentlemen are?"

Draco turned his head, grinning at the twins as they said in unison: "We solemnly swear we are up to no good."

Sirius barked out a laugh while Remus just blinked at the twins. "Please don't tell me you found that damned map?" the more responsible Marauder asked.

"What map?" Harry wondered.

"The Marauder's Map, of course," Fred said. "The ideal Hogwarts companion for pranksters," George agreed.

Before Harry could even begin questioning his godfather and the twins about what that meant, Molly Weasley came over with Percy, Ron, and Ginny, greeting Sirius and Remus like old friends. "I'm Molly Weasley, dears", she said to Draco and Harry, shaking their hands. "And this here is my youngest, Ginny. She will be going to Hogwarts next year as well. You should all stop by at the burrow during the holidays. Play a match of Quidditch, perhaps?"

Harry nodded eagerly, and Sirius thanked her for her hospitality, telling her he would owl her to agree on a date where they could visit.

Draco noticed Ginny was blushing when she looked at Harry. Well, it seemed like Weaslette was still infatuated with her hero, just like last time.

Wanting to warn Harry to take it easy on the girl, knowing his friend didn't like any hero-worshipping, he was surprised to see his best friend looking back at Ginny once they walked to the portal to King's Cross. He was even waving at her and- Wait. Was he blushing?

When Sirius off-handedly commented that Harry's father James had also found the love of his life during first year, wondering if Harry was crushing on Hermione as much as James had been on Lily, Draco barked out a laugh.

"I think your godson is into redheads, just like his father," Draco smirked, earning an elbow in the ribs from Harry who was trying to shut him up.

- Malfoy Manor, 24th of December 1991 –

Draco had to do his best to smooth his features and not smirk, or even outright laugh, at his father as his mother hexed him in order to shut him up. Her eyes blazing in anger as she pulled no punches on her misinformed husband. Lucius Malfoy was so set in his ways that he was absolutely opposed to spending Yule in a muggle household. When Narcissa pointed out that technically they weren't muggles, and that they would be having dinner with members of the Black, Potter and Dagworth-Granger family; his father spat out,

"Blood traitors, the lot of them."

"You will hold your tongue or I will seal it for you." His mother hissed, her back ramrod straight as she looked down her nose at her husband, "You will not keep talking like that about my sister and my cousin," She spat, referring to the Tonks family who had also been invited when Hermione had met Nymphadora at Grimmauld Place just two days earlier. "And certainly not about Dr. Granger and her family. You would be surprised about how alike we are." She said, taking Draco by the hand, almost dragging him to the floo forcefully.

Tensions had been high between his parents since he returned from Hogwarts. Technically, they always had been. Lucius had been disappointed that Narcissa had only given him one heir, but he had loved his wife and stood by her, as she had stood by him. Though if this keeps up his parents might separate, which wouldn't be a terrible thing.

In the last timeline, most of their arguments were concerning Draco. Mainly about him being forced to follow in his father's and grandfather's footsteps by becoming a servant to the Dark Lord. Draco honestly had no fucking clue why he ever actually wanted to be a Death Eater. Merlin, he was glad that awful mark on his left arm was gone.

This time round, Narcissa had seen the change in her son and had reconnected with her sister Andromeda, her niece Nymphadora, and her cousin Sirius. Draco's parents' values were getting misaligned, and the blond wizard wondered if they would ever survive.

Well, his mother definitely would. Lord Black would reinstate her into the Black family and that would be that. If his father actually ended up following the Dark Lord once again, public opinion would be turned against him. His mother would be seen as the wife who left her death eater husband and no one but Voldemort's followers would blame her for that.

Deep down, however, Draco knew that his mother still loved the boy she fell in love with while at Hogwarts. She still believed there was enough left of Lucius for him to be saved. Draco sincerely hoped she was right and hoped his father could still be redeemed.

Once they arrived at the Granger's house with the floo, they were greeted by Hermione's father, hugging and kissing Narcissa's cheek as they greeted each other. She was offered a glass of champagne, while Draco got some juice as he led them to the dining room which was already filled with people. Andromeda, her husband Ted, and daughter Nymphadora were already seated and greeted the other two Black Descendants, no one commenting out loud on Lucius' absence.

"Draco, could you go and get Hermione?" Mrs. Granger asked as she offered him some snacks. "She was still packing some last-minute gifts in her room, but since almost everyone has arrived, she should have been down by now. It wouldn't surprise me if she accidentally got her head in a book," she chuckled.

Draco obliged, ready to go and look for his friend. Right as he entered the hallway, he ran into the brunette, who giggled and planted a kiss on his cheek, taking him aback.

"Mistletoe," Hermione laughed, pointing upwards with one hand, as she was holding some presents with the other. "Merry Christmas, Draco!"

As she ran past him to greet Harry, Sirius, and Remus who had just come through the floo, Draco touched his cheek in wonder. It had been so easy for her to give him a quick peck on the cheek. He hadn't really noticed how comfortable she felt around him and Harry, even if they spent so much of their time together. What caught him off guard the most, was realising that this Hermione didn't care what anyone else thought about the two of them being close. He'd definitely never experienced that the first time around with her. Back then, their lives had been on the line and even their friendship was coated in a blanket of secrecy.

"You are friends now," Deandra said, interrupting his inner musings. "She was always very outgoing and comfortable around Harry and Ron. Is it such a surprise that she would now feel the same with you?"

No, perhaps it wasn't, considering they had been friends for almost half a year. Yet, to him, it was a surprise. Not just because it was 'Mione, but because it was anyone really. Had he really been that lonely of a child the first time round that the simple gesture of a hug or a kiss by a friend felt so foreign to him?

Sirius, seeing the mistletoe above Draco's head, had pushed Harry towards him, interrupting his thoughts once more. Somehow, the Lord of House Black also had his camera ready, seemingly conjuring it out of his pocket.

Harry rolled his eyes at his godfather, bowed at Draco and took his hand, planting a kiss on it. Seems like someone had been taking wizarding etiquette lessons the past few days.

"Potter, please. I'm not a witch that needs to be wooed," Draco smirked.

"Oh no, that would be the lovely Miss Weasley," Sirius agreed, clicking away as Harry turned beet red. Sirius smiled triumphantly. "This one will be going in the family picture book. Or even better, on the family tapestry."

Harry grunted, following his godfather back to the dining room, leaving Remus and Hermione to lead Draco back to the others, chuckling at Sirius' antics.

Christmas was a pleasant affair. Nymphadora – no, Tonks – talked about auror training and was engaged in conversation with Remus Lupin on D.A.D.A. Draco sipped his orange juice and smiled. He hoped his cousin and Remus would find each other again, just like Hermione had told him had happened last time.

After more than a few glasses of wine, Sirius proudly admitted he'd been on one date with his old flame, Madam Bones, after the mind healer suggested he should go out and "live a little".

Harry and Hermione laughed and smiled through the whole night, saying this was the best Christmas they'd ever had, surrounded by so many friends and family.

Draco genuinely smiled at that, and he caught his mother casually wiping away a single tear.

"It's lovely, isn't it," Narcissa whispered to him as both of them observed the chaos and drunken laughter at the dinner table as the evening progressed. "Perhaps, I should start organising Yule Balls again in the future. The ballroom at the manor hasn't been used in five years," she mused.

Draco couldn't help but notice how both he and his mother were reminiscing, thinking of the times that were. Of the times that could be.

"You should, Mum," he whispered back. Narcissa seemed surprised at his slip-up of calling her "mum" instead of his usual "mother" but she said nothing, and smiled instead. "And don't worry about Father," Draco continued. "I'll always take your side. Just like you've always taken mine."

The youngest Black sister smiled at her son lovingly, putting her warm hand against his cheek, wiping away some whipped cream off of it as she did so.

As Draco continued eating his cake, looking at his friends and family all around him, he felt that perhaps he wasn't just saving Hermione. Perhaps, he was saving more than one life. More than one family. Perhaps, he was saving himself, even if it was just a little.

- The Burrow, 5th of January 1992 –

It was the last Sunday before they would all go back to Hogwarts, and true to her word, Mrs. Weasley had invited all of them over for Sunday brunch and a quidditch match in the Weasley's back garden.

Harry and Ginny had been stealing shy glances at each other, and Hermione had noticed from the moment they sat down at the table to eat. She nudged Draco's knee under the table and pointed at the two youngest children with mirth in her eyes.

Draco just winked back at her, knowing exactly what she meant.

"I think it's cute," she whispered as she buttered some toast. "Sirius told me that Harry's father started liking his mother during first year. Perhaps they will also fall in love when they get older. Wouldn't that be lovely?" she sighed.

"Trying to pair up Harrikins?" Fred asked from a few chairs over, overhearing the conversation.

Hermione blushed slightly and shrugged as she took a bite from her toast nonchalantly, acting as if they hadn't been overheard.

Draco had put eggs, bacon, toast, a chocolate brownie, and some hash browns onto his plate so far. He couldn't believe Mrs. Weasley's cooking skills. No wonder Ron was so excited about food and ate like a pig.

The oldest Weasley brother, Bill, came in during the middle of brunch, apologising for being so late.

Mrs. Weasley had hugged her eldest son as soon as he came in, and flicked his ear and commented on his leather outfit and new earring, mentioning he better not have gotten himself a tattoo.

Bill was seated on Hermione's other side and whispered to them conspiratorially that he'd not gotten himself a tattoo where his mum could see, making the twins laugh.

Draco could immediately see the blush creep up on Hermione's cheeks as she took in the oldest Weasley brother next to him. They started talking immediately, Bill pleasantly surprised that Hermione could keep up in conversations about theories of magic.

The blond chuckled as he realised after a while that his female best friend was having a small crush on the tall, red-haired young man with his fang earring and biker boots.

Hermione started asking the curse breaker about his job at Gringotts and about wards, wondering if they would be willing to put some wards on her house considering her parents weren't magical. Bill was surprised at first, but after Hermione explained that her parents were technically squibs and that Harry Potter was spending quite some time at her house during the holidays, she wanted to have all the protections possible. Bill said he would look into it as soon as possible, since he was busy with an important project at work.

Ever curious, Hermione asked what the project was about, and Bill grimaced. "I can't say much, but we are testing how to remove dark magic residues from living beings."

"Seems like Director Ragnok has been busy," Deandra noted, figuring Bill was talking about removing the Horcrux from Harry. No way the oldest Weasley knew who they would be removing it from, however. If any of the researchers let slip that the Boy Who Lived had a Horcrux stuck in his forehead, the wizarding world would go mental.

"Let's just hope they figure it out soon," Draco agreed. Life would be so much easier if another Horcrux was gone. Especially considering it was leeching at one his best friends' magical core.

A while later, they all finished brunch and ran out to play quidditch, Mrs. Weasley casting warming spells at all the children running past her through the back door, grumbling when Sirus had looked at her pleadingly to ask if she could also warm him up. Deandra's laughter rang in Draco's mind, the Spirit too enjoying herself as she was finally free to move outside the Manor's wall, seeing magic and joy prosper in the youngest generation of witches and wizards.

- Quidditch Pitch, 22nd of February 1992 –

"If Ginny becomes Gryffindor's seeker, which she probably will-" Harry was explaining as the boys were putting on their quidditch uniform, "then we both need to train a lot during the summer. Have you seen her fly, she-"

Draco shook his head and chuckled after he pulled his shirt on. Honestly, Harry's crush on Ginny was getting too obvious. Even Draco and Hermione's teasing couldn't get him to shut up about her.

"Let's just beat the Puffs today," Draco interrupted Harry, smacking him on the back. "Then you can go off as much as you want about how good of a player Ginny will be, next year."

Harry sheepishly nodded and the boys followed their teammates onto the pitch.

"I wonder why my godfather is a referee today," Draco mumbled as he saw Professor Snape walking towards Madam Hooch, seemingly having a discussion with her before he took her whistle.

"Professor Snape probably wants to keep an eye on everything after what happened last time," Harry shrugged. "You really think it was Quirrell that cursed my broom? I mean, yeah sitting through his class gives me headaches and his turban smells like weeks old burnt onion and garlic, but he isn't that bad."

Deandra and Draco had been discussing the enigma that was Quirinus Quirrell for months now. All they knew was that he wanted the Philosopher's Stone. But why? Immortality? The man was scared of his own damn shadow. Immortality wouldn't do him any good if he would get a heart attack every time he saw himself move in the mirror.

The match against Hufflepuff was tough, but Slytherin won and this time around Harry caught the snitch with ease, no need to do any broom jumping acrobatics. What surprised Draco the most as they landed was the fact that other houses had started to cheer for Slytherin. He stood in the middle of the pitch, his teammates hugging each other, in awe. He looked over at Harry as he was being lifted onto Miles Bletchley's shoulders, more and more people in the crowd cheering for the Boy Who Lived. Who knew that he could actually change the snakes' reputation?

So much else had changed already, compared to the first timeline that is. During the past few months, their Slytherin study group had slowly but surely expanded, Neville the first one brave enough to venture into the den the snakes had made at a table in the corner of the library. The boy was a fucking prodigy in herbology. If he was a little bit better at potions, he might even come up with some groundbreaking inventions. Alas, his fear of Professor Snape slowed him down, even if Harry was his loyal companion during every Potions class.

After Christmas, Hufflepuffs Susan Bones and her friend Hannah Abbott had also joined their group after they'd met the Slytherin first years at Grimmauld Place during the Yule break.

Even Weasley showed up from time to time, admittedly trying to leech off of other's homework, but he kept the laughter going and challenged multiple of them to a game of chess in the Great Hall. Draco knew he'd never bet against Ron to lose a match.

As they washed up after the game and were ready to leave, Draco saw his Godfather sneak off into the Forbidden Forest.

"What's he up to?" Harry wondered out loud, also noticing their Head of House going off in the dark while everyone else went to dinner.

"You go inside and get 'Mione if I don't come back," Draco said, not wanting Harry to face the dangers that lay in the forest just yet. He remembered now what had met them that night they all got detention with Hagrid. Something told him that whatever had been out there back then, was still lurking in the forest now.

"I'll be there in a second," the blond assured his best friend.

Harry was clearly contemplating following Draco, but instead nodded and went inside. Ready to get back-up in case the boy did not return.

When the coast was clear, no other students still in sight, Draco cast a disillusionment charm on himself and silenced his feet. His godfather would not be expecting anyone to follow him, but it was better to be safe than sorry. After about ten minutes of walking deeper into the forest, he finally saw why his godfather sneaked off. A unicorn's cadaver was on the forest floor, its blood seeping out, the silvery substance pooling around it, eerily reflecting what little moonlight managed to pierce the canopy. It almost seemed as if it had been bitten and someone had attempted to suck it dry before they were interrupted.

"There's only one monster who would steep so low as to do this," Deandra stated sadly as both the spirit and Draco silently watched his godfather analyse the scene of the crime.

A shiver went down Draco's spine. No. No fucking way that he was here already, no way that he was technically still here. He'd always assumed that Voldemort had returned at the end of their fourth year, but now that he knew of the existence of the Horcruxes… His soul had been latching onto something, or someone, surviving on unicorn blood.

Was this what the golden trio had been up against in their first year? Why Weasley and Potter had ended up in the hospital wing? Is this what lay at the end of the trapdoor in the Third Floor Corridor? An immortal life for Voldemort? Bollocks.