A/N: I'm back :) This fic will be a bit more angsty than "Unexpected Allies", at least in the beginning, but there will be a lot fluff and fun, too! I hope you won't be too disappointed that there will be less bashing. Harry and Ron are mostly good friends in this one, but there's someone else you definitely won't like ;)

I'll update once or twice a week.

Reviews and kudos still make my day :)

Thanks to my lovely beta reader Sue!


Draco

With a sigh, Draco Malfoy sat down on his bed. He had just finished packing for Hogwarts, but this time, he wasn't looking forward to going at all.

He had just gone through a war. The last time he had seen the school, it had been a battlefield. The last time he had seen the school, he had watched his fellow students tortured by Death Eaters disguised as teachers. When home, he had lived with Voldemort himself and his followers, witnessing torture, murder and the complete loss of control of his parents in their own home. There had not been a single moment to just breathe and he still couldn't shake the constant vigilance and fear. Since the War there hadn't been a full night's rest for him, unless he took Dreamless Sleep Potion, but that was addictive, if taken too often, and he didn't want to risk that. It was too tempting already. He just wished he wouldn't be so bloody tired all the time. But at least his mother and father were there when he woke up screaming here at home. They wouldn't be at Hogwarts. In fact, he wouldn't see them for a year, he would be surrounded by other students who hated him, with good reason, none of his friends would come back. Blaise and Theo already had their NEWTS, Daphne and Pansy would go to Beauxbatons to finish their education where they wouldn't have to live with the constant judgement, and Greg … well, Draco didn't really know what he would do. He hadn't been himself since Vincent's death. Not even Severus would be there, because his godfather was dead.

The only way he would be able to communicate with his parents was by letter and that wasn't enough, he didn't know how to get through that year. But he had no choice. The Wizengamot had been more merciful than Draco had expected, probably thanks to the facts that they had secretly provided the Order with information, that Draco had saved Olivander's life by smuggling him potions, that both Narcissa and on a lesser scale Draco had lied for Harry Potter, but most of all, that Lucius had helped Harry in his final fight against Voldemort. But they had chosen to be Death Eaters and there had to be punishment.

His mother and father would be under house arrest at the Manor for a year and Draco would have to attend Hogwarts. After that, they would be free. They didn't even have to surrender their wands, but the magic they did would be strictly monitored for the year to come. Objectively speaking, they had gotten away easily, but he wouldn't be allowed to leave the grounds of Hogwarts for a year, not even during the holidays. Lucius had tried to argue about that, the only thing he had tried to argue about. For almost an hour, he had tried to convince the Wizengamot that Draco needed his parents, he had never seen him so close to begging, but it had been for nothing and tomorrow he would have to leave. The thought made him physically sick.

And if it wasn't bad enough for all those reasons … there was something else. Something he had kept even from his parents so far. But he had to tell them, he didn't know what to do.

He got up and went to their sitting room, where they sat on the sofa in front of the fireplace, his father had an arm around his mother. They both looked worried. Draco hated to see them like that.

When they noticed him, they both looked up and their smiles looked almost real. "Come, sit with us," Narcissa said quietly and Draco sat down on the armchair next to the sofa. "Have you packed everything?"

He nodded quietly.

"You'll be fine, Draco," Lucius said in a calm voice, breaking the heavy silence, and Draco wanted to scream that he wouldn't be, that he wasn't, but he didn't, because he knew Lucius couldn't do anything and not being able to protect him again, was making his father feel bad enough already. He didn't want to make it worse on both of them. And yet, in a way he had to.

"I have to tell you something," he said quietly, looking at the flames instead of his parents. "Voldemort took me with him in the winter holidays, he wanted to see whether I was loyal to him." He took a deep breath. "We apparated into a house of a Muggle family. Three children and their parents. They were all asleep. He told me to use the Cruciatus on them." His voice was flat. He would have another panic attack, if he didn't stay calm, if he got too emotional now. His mother wanted to say something, but he interrupted her, it was hard enough to talk about it without stopping now. He wondered how they would react. Would they still love him? Deep down he knew they would, but there was this nagging doubt that wouldn't go away. "The youngest child was only two. I couldn't, I just … couldn't. I didn't even come up with an excuse, I just said no, like a complete moron." His hands were shaking now and he pressed them against his thigs. "He grabbed me and we apparated away again. To Greyback's lair. It was full moon and his punishment for me was a bite." His voice broke and then there was silence. After a moment he spoke again, still not looking at his parents, not daring to. "I treated the bite myself, the recipe for the ointment is in the same book as the Wolfsbane Potion. It healed well. I also made myself Wolfsbane Potion, I just spent the nights of the full moon in my room and when I was at Hogwarts … well, Blaise, Theo, Greg and Vincent knew." And Vincent had taken that knowledge to his grave. For a moment he vividly recalled the Fiendfyre as it had swallowed his friend. He pushed the thought aside. "Last time I told you I'd be fine that night because I'd take Dreamless Sleep? That was full moon. I did take Dreamless Sleep, but I also took Wolfsbane. I still have two vials. But just two. I don't know what to do at Hogwarts."

Finally, he looked up. His mother had tears in her eyes, his father sat perfectly still, like a statue. He couldn't read them. He didn't see repulsion, but that didn't mean that it wasn't there. Why didn't they say something? Irrationally, he was suddenly sure that they would decide that he wasn't their son anymore, that the future Lord Malfoy could not be a beast, a monster … that they wouldn't love him anymore and …

Lucius got up, walked over to the armchair and pulled him into a hug. "I'm so sorry." Draco couldn't hold back a sob as he clung to his father and buried his face in his shoulder.

"It's not your fault," he somehow managed to say.

"That's debatable. But you know that doesn't change anything, don't you? Your mother and I love you."

He nodded into his shoulder, even though he hadn't been quite so sure only a minute ago. He held onto him harder. "I don't know what to do. I won't be a danger with the potion, but I didn't have time after the trials to brew more and I only have enough for two months. And I don't know how to hide it in the dorms." He sobbed and for once he didn't care. Lucius' arms tightened around him. He didn't want this to be registered with the Ministry, he didn't want it to become public knowledge, on the top of everything else.

Now his mother was there, too, putting an arm around his shoulder. He didn't want to go. Why couldn't he just stay here? They could easily afford private tutors, so he could still finish his education before the house arrest was over. He had just started to feel somewhat comfortable in his own home again. His mother and the house elves had undone all of Voldemort's changes. While they had waited for the trials, Narcissa Malfoy had managed to renovate almost the entire Manor. Draco didn't go into the drawing room, maybe he never would again, but the rest felt like home again. However, the decision had been made and when Lucius let go of him, he made him sit down on the sofa with him and Narcissa.

"You need to talk to Headmistress McGonagall," his mother said now. "I'm sure she will help you make it work. And maybe your house teacher."

Professor Slughorn would be the potions master and Slytherin Head of House once again and he hated Draco, he knew that. He had even before he had known that Draco had taken the Dark Mark. But he didn't say that to his parents now, there was no use in making them more worried than they already were. "I'll talk to them," he said quietly and at least when it came to Slughorn, he had absolutely no intention to.

"Good. You can buy more potion when you need it. You will have enough on your plate without brewing something as complicated as Wolfsbane. I'm sure the Headmistress will get it for you from one of the potions shops," Lucius said. "I sent a letter to Gringotts already. When you need money for anything, they will send it to you.

Again, he nodded. He dreaded having to talk to her about something like that. She was a great teacher, he respected her, but he probably wasn't anyone's favourite student anymore, if he had ever been. Sure, he had been one of the two students who had always had top grades – Hermione Granger being the other and the only one who had ever surpassed him – but he had been a terrible prick, he knew that. Prejudicial, snobby, arrogant. He was sorry about that now that he knew what that mind set could lead to, but he hardly believed that would make any difference.

"We also want you to see a mind-healer." His mother again. "Tell the Headmistress that it doesn't matter what it costs to have one come to Hogwarts regularly."

Another nod.

"And write to us as often as you can. We want to know how you are."

"You'll write, too, won't you?"

Lucius scoffed. "All the time, you'll be annoyed."

"Your father will be bored out of his mind before the first month is over. Don't worry, he'll write. And I will, too."

Draco managed a small smile.

He didn't think it would be that easy, but he could tell, they didn't either, they just tried to be positive for his sake, because that was all they could do. Theoretically, no one would get into the Manor, if Lucius adjusted the wards accordingly, probably not even Curse Breakers, but then they would go to Azkaban the moment they set foot out. It was better to just surrender to the Wizengamot's ruling. One year, and they would be free. No matter how long that year would seem.

Draco was tired, but he couldn't remember the last time he hadn't been tired, so he ignored that feeling and sat with his parents until late at night.

xxx

Another night with very little sleep, another breakfast and lunch he just picked on, despite his mother's worried glances and his father repeatedly telling him to please eat something and then it was time. The floo would be open for five minutes, for just this one journey to Hogwarts at exactly 4 pm. Then the Manor would be disconnected again and no one would be allowed to come or go until the school year was over. Then the house arrest would end as well.

He focused on breathing as he stood before the fireplace with his luggage and the cage with his eagle owl Hermes.

Once more, he hugged his parents, once more they told him to write. "And I will not be disappointed, if your grades are not up to your usual standards," Lucius told him as he carried his son's suitcase the few the steps to the fireplace. "Don't worry too much about that. Focus on getting better."

Draco just nodded. What was he supposed to say? That it didn't feel like he would ever get better? He looked at the clock. He had to go.

"I'll write you tomorrow," he said before throwing floo powder into the flames. "Hogwarts, office Minerva McGonagall.

xxx

"Hello, Mr Malfoy," a familiar voice greeted him as he stepped out of the fireplace in Dumbledore's old office. It looked very different now, more orderly.

"Headmistress," he said quietly, putting his luggage down.

"Leave it there, the house elves will bring it to your dorm."

"Alright."

"Sit down, I want a word with you before the other students arrive." He had expected that, so he sat down, forcing himself to look directly at her. To his surprise, he saw worry in his old teacher's eyes, not disgust. "I understand that you have been through quite a lot. The Heads of House will arrange mind-healer sessions for those who need it. I suggest you make use of that."

Well, at least one topic he didn't have to bring up himself. He nodded. "I will. Thank you."

She nodded briskly. "Very good. There will be a few changes when it comes to the housing. That will not only concern you, therefore I will tell you the details with the others. However, I want you to know that I do not think it was right that you were punished at all, maybe not even your parents, considering what they did, but certainly not you. I don't think you had much of a choice." Draco felt a lump in his throat. Of everything he had expected, that had not been one of those things. "And don't think I haven't noticed that you tried to keep younger students out of trouble last year. I'm aware that you couldn't stand up for them openly without giving away anything, but I noticed and so have some of the other teachers." That was true, Draco and his friends had tried to keep younger students free from punishment, as much as that had been possible, but he hadn't thought the teachers had noticed. Thankfully, the Carrows hadn't been so observant.

"I tried," Draco said quietly. "My friends did, too. But there wasn't much we could do."

"No, but you tried. What I'm trying to say, Mr Malfoy, I'm not your prison guard, I'm your Headmistress. I will have to adhere to the Wizengamot ruling, so I cannot allow you to leave the grounds, but you will be treated as any other student and if any of the teachers do not treat you fairly, I want to hear about it. Is that understood?"

"Yes, thank you." And he was grateful. Still, there was another admission to be made. But the lack of hostility made it easier. "There's something you should know."

"Yes?"

"I was bitten by a werewolf." He lowered his eyes before she could react. "It was a punishment for not … for not doing something Voldemort wanted me to do. I have Wolfsbane potion for two months. But I have full access to the Malfoy vaults, so I can pay for more, if … there's a way to get it." 'Please, Headmistress, go shopping for me' didn't seem the right approach.

When she spoke after a moment, he could hear the shock in her voice. "The Ministry failed to mention that."

Finally, he looked up. Her entire face was pained, compassionate, but not revolted. Of course not, she had been the Head of House of another werewolf years ago and that werewolf had later become her colleague, at least for a year.

"They don't know. I didn't have it registered." He knew his voice was somewhat desperate now. "Please, there will be no situation in later life that will make it impossible for me to get to Wolfsbane Potion. I brewed it myself during the War. I'm not a danger. If the Ministry knows, the public will find out sooner or later. The Wizengamot will know." And with them, everyone who had any say in Wizarding Society. Right now, his family was still in good standing, people knew what they had done and some had even spoken up against the ruling, they would recover their reputation, but that would be ruined, if it came out that the Malfoy heir was a werewolf.

McGonagall was a smart woman, Draco didn't have to say more to make her understand why he had kept it to himself. "You're right. It is a shame that things are the way they are, but at the moment that can't be changed. I will keep it to myself and there's an easy way for you to do the same while you're here. I did not want to address the housing situation before the others are here, but I will briefly to put your mind at ease. Everyone who returns for this, as we teachers have come to call it, eighth year, will have a shared dorm and common room, regardless of their houses. The dorms will only be for two students and since you all have played a significant part in the War – yes, you too, Mr Malfoy – there will be more space and comfort than in the regular dorms. But there is an uneven number of students, so one will have to have a room of their own anyway. I will tell the others that the Ministry has decided that you are to room alone, so there won't be any competition for that single room." There probably wouldn't be anyway, no one would want to share a room with Draco, but he didn't object. "You will just have to leave the common room and stay in your room during the transformation. I will personally make sure that you have a supply of Wolfsbane Potion for the year and I will trust you to take it without reminder."

He nodded, relieved. "Thank you! Of course, I won't forget." He wasn't sure what to think about sharing a common room with the Golden Trio and their friends, but he could just go to his room and stay out of their way, which was good. It would be a lonely year, but more manageable than he had thought.

"Very good." She stood up. "Come now, the other students will soon arrive."

~tbc~