"I'm going to call Harry. Maybe Roberts did something?" Ron pulled out his phone and called Harry. He explained the situation and then hung up after a few minutes. "Draught of the Living Dead." Ron looked at Draco. "Roberts mixed it into an ointment that he applied to his hand before you entered his office. Apparently, it was meant for your dad and then he targeted you."

"He reached to shake my hand first but Amethyst intercepted." Draco said. "Couldn't have been very strong if it didn't take immediate effect."

"We'll need the Wiggenweld Potion." Ron said. "I'll run down to the Healer's shop and see if they have any. Otherwise, I'll pick up the ingredients for it." He headed out the door.

"…" Draco sighed and then ran a hand through his hair. He walked to the window which overlooked Diagon Alley. He watched the hustle and bustle of witches and wizards shopping. He saw Ron head into the Healer's shop. He hoped they had som; he couldn't remember how lone the Wiggenweld Potion too to brew. A few minutes later, Ron came out of the shop with a bottle in his hand. "Hello?" Draco's phone rang. He answered even though he didn't recognize the number. A woman's voice answered. "How did you get this number, Pansy?" He clenched his jaw when she said that his mother had given it to her. "Not a chance, Pansy. The past is done." He hung up before she had a chance to respond. He took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself before Ron returned. A few minutes later there was a knock on the door.

"Luckily Hannah was in the shop. She had just what we needed, otherwise we would have had to brew some." Ron said as Draco let him in. "Now, the story said that the prince applied the potion to his lips and then kissed the sleeping princess…" Ron raised an eyebrow at Draco.

"Let's see if she'll swallow some before we resort to that." Draco was not about to kiss Amethyst, especially in her current state. He would only if it was the only way. Ron handed him the bottle and he made his way to the bed. He lifted her head up and used the mouth of the bottle to separate her lips. He then tipped the bottle so some of the potion entered her mouth. He noticed her make a small swallowing motion. He placed the stopper back in the bottle and then set it on the bedside table.

"Hannah said it shouldn't take too long if the Draught was weak." Ron watched Draco and could see the emotions playing across his face. For the first time, he sympathized with Draco Malfoy.

"Mmm…" Amethyst began to stir. Her eyes opened slowly and she looked to Ron and Draco. "What happened?"

"Draught of the Living Dead." Ron explained what Harry had told him and then about the Wiggenweld Potion. "I should let Harry know you're okay."

"Tell him he needs to question Mark." Amethyst remembered what Roberts said about her father hiring two wizards. Ron nodded and stepped out to make the call.

"Anthony and Mark…" Draco looked at Amethyst as realization dawned on him. She nodded once and then looked out the window. Ron came back in a few minutes later.

"He made the same connection. He contacted one of the Aurors at Azkaban and Mark is being questioned as we speak. Harry said he'll reach out to you as soon as he hears anything." Ron explained. "I really need to get back to the joke shop, but if you need anything let me know." He squeezed Draco's shoulder and smiled.

"Thanks, Ron." Draco returned the smile. Ron left and Draco turned his attention to Amethyst. "Did you know?"

"Orion signaled that something wasn't right. I wasn't sure what, but Roberts seemed eager to make sure you shook his hand first." Amethyst was sitting, leaning against the headboard. Orion was sitting next to her. "If it had something to do with that, I figured it was better me than you."

"How did you figure that?" Draco said rather harshly.

"You have a wand." She replied in the same tone.

"Why do you keep protecting me?" He ran a hand through his hair.

"Because…" She looked away, color flushing her cheeks. He didn't understand her reaction.

"Because?" He asked, prodding her to continue. He lifted her chin to look at him and was surprised by the look in her violet eyes.

"I don't want to ruin our friendship, but it's because I…" She closed her eyes as a tear trickled down her cheek. She knew she could no longer hide her feelings. "I love you." She whispered; her eyes still closed as she didn't want to see his reaction. The silence that followed was palpable to say the least. She felt his hand fall away from her face.

"Amethyst, I'm not sure what to say." His voice was soft but strained. "I care about you a lot, but I don't…" She placed a finger on his lips to stop him.

"I didn't - don't - expect my feelings to be reciprocated. You asked why I protect you and there is no reason to lie about it. Deeper feelings aside, you are my friend. Hufflepuffs are loyal and fiercely protective of those we care about. There is a reason our mascot is the badger… unassuming, but ferocious when defending family and friends." Amethyst smiled weakly.

"Amethyst, I…" He started to say something but she shook her head.

"As long as we can still be friends, it's okay." She finished.

"I just need time. Of course we can still be friends." He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "We should get something to eat." He stood up.

"You go ahead. I want to write a letter to Hagrid first. I also need to reach out to my aunt in Godric's Hollow." Amethyst swung her feet over the side of the bed and made her way to the desk.

"I'll see you later then?" Draco wondered if things were really okay. She looked at him and nodded. He left and headed downstairs. He found a table in a quiet corner and ordered a butter beer and some fish and chips. He thought back to when they were students. He had been trying to impress her; obviously having not learned his lesson from Buckbeak's attack. He had approached another hippogriff and that one had reared up to strike him, but Amethyst had pushed Draco out of the way before he even knew what happened. She had gone to the hospital wing without him and from what he could tell, she never told the truth about what actually happened. His food came and his thoughts drifted to these past few weeks. He had found himself wanting to be around her. He knew Scorpius admired her and liked her both as a person and as a professor. Draco had often asked his son about the class and how he liked her. What Draco, now, couldn't figure out is why he felt so protective of her. At first, he had figured it was because she the only longtime friend who had been true. Now he wondered if it was because of something deeper. He found himself worrying about her when she wasn't around. How had he panicked when he'd seen her on the ground covered in blood yesterday? Why did his heart stop today when he saw the look in her eyes when Roberts had mentioned Anthony's name? These were questions he needed to figure out.

"Draco Malfoy." A dark haired woman sat across from him.

"Pansy." He replied curtly. She was the last person he wanted to see.

"You're a hard man to find." Pansy reached for his hand but he pulled it away. "I stopped by the Manor and bumped into your mother in the garden. She said that you've been spending a lot of time at Hogwarts. That's when she gave me your number. Of course, I knew when you answered, you couldn't be at the school. Cell phones wouldn't work there, would they?"

"What do you want?" He narrowed his eyes at her. He glanced behind her to catch a glimpse of Amethyst darting back up the stairs.

"We should catch up. What have you been up to?" Pansy tried to reach for him again.

"Got married. Had a son." He spotted Harry enter the pub. "I got to go." He stood up and headed towards the entrance before she could protest.

"Where's Amethyst?" Harry noticed Pansy watching them.

"In her room, I think. She was writing a couple of letters." Draco answered, wondering if Amethyst had come down to use the pub's owl or to meet him.

"Pretty sure she saw you with Pansy right as I walked in. She was sending something with the pub's owl. Don't think she saw me." Harry said as they headed upstairs.

"Pansy has been every where today." Draco sounded annoyed. "Wish she would leave me alone." They knocked on Amethyst's door.

"Didn't think you'd be here this early, Harry." Amethyst let them in and then closed the door.

"I came as soon as I received information from Azkaban." Harry said. He could sense something was off between the two and didn't think it was 100% because of Pansy. "Mark spilled everything."

"I feel like I should sit down for this." She sat on the foot of the bed. Draco sat next to her but there was a decent sized gap between them. Harry pulled the desk chair over and sat down.

"Mark said that your father approached them - him and Anthony - with a proposition. The brothers had a certain reputation within the muggle world. Your father was the first wizard to ever approach them about a hit job targeting a witch or wizard." Harry explained. "At first the plan was to earn your trust and then make your death look like an accident. Before they met you, your father changed the plan. He wanted them to hurt you but not kill. They took the job because they needed the money. Eventually, Anthony had a change of heart. He didn't want to go through with the plan. Mark said if that was all, he would have been okay with doing it himself. However, Anthony wanted to tell you everything - regardless of what it would do to your relationship."

"That's why Anthony was murdered? Because Mark didn't want him telling me?" Amethyst asked. Orion was curled up on her lap.

"Mark was also tired of living in his brother's shadow and his brother having everything - including you." Harry nodded and then continued. "Anthony wanting to confess just pushed him over the edge. Mark contacted a dark wizard he knew and cut him into the plan. He made Anthony believe that he was okay with everything.

"So they were wizard hit men in the muggle world? My whole relationship with Anthony was based on a lie…" She walked over to the window.

"I'm sorry." Harry looked at her and then at Draco.

"I just can't believe my father would have done all that just for money." She shook her head. "I figured he blamed me for my mother's death, but I didn't realize he hated me that much."

"I need to get back to the office and finish up some paperwork. Give me, or Ginny, a call if you need anything, okay?" Harry stood and made his way to the door.

"Thank you, Harry. For everything." Amethyst nodded. Harry nodded at Draco and then left.

"You heading to Godric's Hollow tomorrow?" Draco asked after a few moments of awkward silence.

"Yes. Members of the family may have some insight into my father. I also want to check the house. Not sure I fully trust Roberts." She answered while looking at the floor. "You don't have to come if you'd rather catch up with old friends."

"Pansy?" He asked, she nodded. "I would rather face a hundred acromantulas than be within a fifty kilometer radius of Pansy Parkinson." He practically growled.

"She's been obsessed with you since your first year at Hogwarts." Amethyst pointed out.

"People change, but it's quite clear that she hasn't. She's not the type of person I want to be around." Draco squared himself. "I certainly don't want someone like her around Scorpius. Having him around his grandparents is more than enough toxicity for him. My parents would love it if Pansy could convince me to go back to their way of thinking. I know enough now that I know I never want to be that person again." He looked her dead in the eyes. "But, if you would rather go alone, I won't force my presence on you."

"…" She flinched at his words. Tears stung her eyes but she forced them back. "I want my friend with me. Her voice broke, giving her emotions away. He, immediately, regretted his tone.

"Amethyst." He said her name softly. "If you want me there, I'm there." He closed the gap between them and pulled her into a hug. She tensed at first but then relaxed as the flood gate opened. As the sobs shook her body, Draco pulled her tighter against him as though he could ease her pain. After a while, she seemed to calm down.

"Oh… sorry." She said staring at his tear-soaked shirt.

"No worries." He smiled. "Are you hungry?" She nodded slightly. "Do you want to go downstairs or would you prefer to eat up here?"

"I'm okay with going downstairs, but only if Pansy isn't there…" Amethyst watched his reaction.

"Agreed." He said and then they headed downstairs. They picked a table in a quiet corner and ordered. "Do you want to check Ollivander's before we leave? It might be worth it."

"Yeah, I was thinking that. We could go in the morning. I want to stop by a few other shops as well. If we left after lunch, we'd arrive well before dinner time. Unfortunately, we shouldn't apparate. Unlike Hogsmeade, there are muggles living in Godric's Hollow so magic still has to be concealed. Going back to Hogwarts, we can probably disapparate if we find a secluded spot outside of town." She explained what she was thinking.

"Couldn't we disapparate from inside your house?" He asked curiously.

"We could, but that would really depend on how much time we spend outside in the village. Granted, I don't plan on much of that unless we have to. My aunt will meet us at the house. She's been taking care of it so it wouldn't be unusual for her to be seen there." Amethyst hadn't planned on spending anytime in the village.

"What will you do with the house?" He asked. "You pretty much live full time at Hogwarts, right?"

"Right. I have considered selling, but if I do I want would like to keep it in the family. Or at least in the wizarding world. The house has been in the Abbott family for generations; there's no telling what muggles might discover. I really don't want the hassle of cleansing it of any and all magic." She had considered selling for a while, but was never sure she was ready. "If the house really is safe, I will probably sell."

"Well, if no one in your family wants it, I'll buy it." He wasn't really sure why he said it. "Maybe Scorpius and I could make it a summer home."

"What about Malfoy Manor?" She almost choked on her butterbeer.

"We'll keep the Manor, but these past few months away have made me realize how gloomy and secluded it is." He really hadn't missed being at the manor. "There's another reason, but I can't say anything right now. Too many ears."

"Now you've peaked my curiosity, Malfoy." She teased. She glanced behind Draco and spotted someone glaring at them. "Ugh…" She groaned.

"What?" He turned around and saw the same thing. "Goyle. Looks like he hadn't changed much either." He sighed as he turned back to face Amethyst.

"He probably should have stayed in Azkaban." She shook her head. "You would think people would have learned by now, especially those who were there."

"You would think." He agreed. "Though there probably weren't many from Slytherin at the battle."

"True. Most left after Pansy tried to capture Harry." She said turning her attention back to Draco. "Do you need to go to the manor for anything?"

"I can't think of a reason." He answered honestly. "I guess there has been a deeper reason for staying at Hogwarts most of term so far. I think I have spent a total of one week at the Manor since term started. I haven't missed it."

"He probably won't admit it, but I think Scorpius is happy you've been at Hogwarts." They headed up the stairs to their room and stood in the hallway outside. "I see the way he glances up to the staff table at least once during meals. I see his chest swell with pride. He's proud of you, Drake. He's heard the stories; he knows what you were like back then. But he also knows what you've become; who you are now."

"You haven't called me that in a long time." Draco smiled at the nickname only she used. "Sometimes I worry that he'd prefer that I wasn't there, so thank you. And for what it's worth, I think you're his favorite professor." He watched color flush across her face; her pink cheeks making her violet eyes even brighter.

"I wasn't sure if taking the position was a good idea. The first time McGonagall asked, I turned it down." She looked at Draco. "If I make a difference in just one student; help feed their interests or passions then I will have done my job as a teacher.

"I haven't seen Scorpius as happy as he has been this term since before Astoria took a turn. We knew that childbirth would take a lot of her already draining strength. We prepared Scorpius as best we could when he was old enough to understand…"

"But it still hit him hard." It wasn't a question, but Draco nodded anyways.

"His third year was rough. And then his fourth year was scary. Altering timelines and erasing present day lives… and then almost losing him… I can't imagine…" Amethyst squeezed his arm. "It really opened my eyes to what Harry went through for seven years." Draco sighed. "But this year… Scorpius is smiling and laughing. Part of it is because of Albus and part of it is because of you."

"And part of it is because of you." She squeezed his arm again. "He really is proud of you." She reached for the doorknob of her room.

"About earlier…" He grabbed her hand. "I thought about what you said; about how things have been for me these past weeks." He looked down at her left hand and traced the scar on her palm with his finger tips.

"Draco, you don't have to…" She started to say but he shook his head to stop her.

"Just let me get this out." They heard movement on the stairs and decided to take the conversation into Draco's room. Once Orion was inside, Draco closed the door.

"Draco, you really don't have to say anything." She could see the expression in his eyes.

"Before I was rudely interrupted by Pansy earlier, I thought about what you said but also about how I've felt over the past few weeks… starting that night we rescued the baby hippogriffs. Without thinking, I went back for you. When I saw you on the ground yesterday, covered in blood, I was so afraid that I was too late." He held her face in his hand and stroked her cheek lightly with his thumb. "The last thing I want is to lead you on. That's why I said that I need time. I think that I do have those feelings for you, but there is a lot I need to figure out. Especially for Scorpius' sake, but also yours. I don't want to hurt either one of you, and I certainly don't want to give him cause to hate or resent you." She held her hand against his and nestled her face into his hand. When she opened her eyes, they glistened with unshed tears. Before he even knew what he was doing, he bent down and kissed her. He felt her breath hitch in surprise and then felt her relax into his arms. After what seemed like forever, he pulled away. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have do…" She kissed him lightly to keep him from finishing that sentence.

"Don't." She stepped away from him and turned her back to him to keep him from seeing the tears now overflowing. She hadn't expected him to kiss her. She knew he needed time to figure things out and she understood that. She wasn't going to let that kiss change that for him but she, also, didn't want to hear him say that it had been a mistake. She heard him take a step towards her and felt him turn her around to face him. She wanted to melt into his arms, but resisted. He needed time. She took a deep breath to steady herself before looking into his pale grey eyes. "If you're going to say that it was mistake, I don't want to hear it. I know you need time. I understand that."

"Amethyst, I…" He wasn't sure what to say. The kiss was a mistake though, wasn't it? He wasn't so sure. He hadn't meant to kiss her. That had been the last thing he wanted. But now he wasn't sure of that either. Now it seemed like the only thing he anted was to kiss her; to hold her in his arms and never let go. He needed time to figure things out. He thought about Astoria and Scorpius. Astoria wouldn't begrudge him if he found someone else, but would his son? Especially if it was his favorite professor. Would his son be okay with that? He knew his parents wouldn't be - but he didn't care about what they thought anymore. "It wasn't a mistake, but it has confused me even more. I know now that I do have those feelings for you, but I can't yet. It's not that I need his permission of his blessing, but I do want - need - to discuss things with Scorpius." Draco hesitated to use the word "love". He was pretty sure he was in love with the woman standing before him, and, looking back, he was pretty sure that had always been the case. There was so much understanding in Amethyst's eyes that he was almost annoyed with her. "We should probably get some sleep. Busy day tomorrow." He kissed her forehead and held her a little longer. He was finding it difficult to let go. "I'm right here if you need me."

"Okay." Her voice was soft but strained from holding back more tears. "Good night, Draco Malfoy." She headed through the door that adjoined the two rooms.

"Good night, Amethyst Abbot." He whispered after her. He suddenly felt very alone with his thoughts. He dressed for bed and laid on the bed. He stared at the darkened ceiling as his thoughts accosted him. They dredged up the past. Reminding him of all the horrible things he did and said - even to Amethyst. His thoughts told him that someone like her; someone should good and loyal deserved so much better than him. He had been a Death Eater. He had worked for Lord Voldemort; had agreed to kill Professor Dumbledore. Amethyst deserved someone better. That was the thought he fell asleep with.