Draco was completely ignored by Ginny, who ran past him with a squeal and threw herself at Hermione, and began yelling at her two seconds later.

"You're a bloody idiot!" she said, glaring at Hermione as she began pacing, "You left without telling us anything! You're supposed to be smart, you bimbo! What if something would have happened? Are you absolutely daft?"

"I missed you too, Ginny," Hermione said affectionately as she hung her head.

"Don't ever do that again or I will hex you so bad you'll regret being born," Ginny said threateningly before pulling Hermione into another bone crushing hug.

Draco had watched the exchange with mild apprehension. He wasn't going to be getting such a reprimanding from the redhead anytime soon, and for that he was glad. 

"Ginny," Harry said, and lifted his chin in Draco's direction. Ginny followed his gaze and her eyes landed on Draco.

"Malfoy," she said, narrowing her eyes and walking towards his chair. He slid back a fraction. But she only raised a hand for him to shake, "be guilty of anything, and I will personally hunt you down."

"I understand," he gulped, and shook her hand. He didn't dare give her a snappy retort like he had done for Harry.

Draco gave the redhead a tense smile before looking back to Hermione. She had tensed up, and held her shoulders back and sat with a firm, set face, looking over Draco's head. Draco turned, and that's when he caught sight of Ron.

In fact, the others only seemed to be taking notice of him then, as well. Ron shifted uncomfortably under their gazes, the tips of his ears turning red. Draco glared at him.

"Weasley," he gritted out.

Ron didn't answer him, instead he walked over to stand next to Harry. Harry only spared him a cold, fleeting glance.

"Tell me everything," Ginny said, sliding a chair out, "from the start."

Draco and Hermione took turns narrating the story again. Harry added bits and pieces in between. Ginny listened with rapt attention, swearing violently at times, but otherwise she was quiet.

"Podmore is a bitch!" Ginny said when they were done, "What a bloody idiot!"

Draco flinched at all her swearing. Not that he didn't swear, but the way she did just made it seem worse than it already was.

"We have to get Tibby first," Hermione said, purposely avoiding Ron's general direction, "then we can get the others."

"Right," Harry said, wiping his hands on his jeans, "we'll go now." 

Draco was taken aback by the brash decision. They had barely planned anything out, and Harry was ready to go barreling into the Manor brandishing his wand in the air and randomly shouting spells. Maybe it was a Gryffindor trait to be hotheaded and impulsive in decisions.

"We haven't even started planning yet," Draco pointed out, "you plan on just walking in?"

"Absolutely," Harry agreed.

Draco rolled his eyes in disbelief, but gave in. With their skill combined together, it should be easy work. 

"We'll meet in the living room in half an hour," Harry said, authority booming in his voice.

Everyone nodded and stood from their places. Hermione walked over to Draco, and they began heading to the stairs.

"Hermione."

Draco clenched his jaw as he turned around. Beside him, Hermione crossed her arms across her chest.

"What?" she asked, her voice cold and emotionless.

"I just wanted to talk," Ron said, and the effort he was putting in to not yelling was very visible.

"Fine, I give you two minutes," Hermione turned on her heel and exited the kitchen, Draco behind her. He heard Ron's footsteps behind him.

When they had reached the guest room, Hermione stopped at the door, so that Ron was outside. 

"Speak," she said.

"I wanted to apologise," Ron said after pulling in a deep breath, "like, actually apologise."

"Good," Hermione said, looking thoroughly disinterested, "and?"

Ron's eyes darkened, "Of course, none of this would have happened if you would have just told someone."

"I didn't know I had to appease you with what I do and don't do," Hermione leant against the doorframe.

"So, what, you're with Malfoy now?" Ron snarled, "Typical of you, just choose someone to be your emotional support. I'm sure you haven't had a good shag in-"

Draco lashed out without meaning to, but he was glad he did. In one fluid movement, Draco had shoved Ron to the opposite wall, with his arm pressed against his neck, just like Theodore had done to him mere hours before, "Say another word against her, I dare you."

Ron seemed positively surprised at his reaction. Draco glared at him, silently challenging him. When Ron said nothing, Draco sneered and let go of him. Ron massaged the sore part of his neck where Draco had made sure to bruise him. 

Ron glared at both of them, then turned and walked away. Draco entered the room, breathing heavily. He heard the door click close behind him.

"Why do you let him do that to you?" Draco asked, raising an arm and pointing to the door, "Why don't you fight back when he speaks rubbish?"

Hermione got over her initial surprise quickly, "For precisely that reason."

"What?" Draco was annoyed that he couldn't understand what she was saying. Why did women always have to be so puzzling?

"You said it was rubbish," Hermione clarified, "and when something is rubbish, you don't listen to it. Rather you throw it out."

Draco blinked at her, "I suppose that makes sense."

"Yes," she said, moving to stand right in front him, "but I- thank you. For standing up for me."

"Potter would have done it too," Draco tried to shrug it off.

"But he wasn't there right now, you were," Hermione poked a finger in his chest, "so thank you. Although next time, just ignore him."

"And let him berate you?" Draco asked heatedly.

"His opinion on me doesn't matter," Hermione said, smiling.

"Alright," Draco exhaled, "alright."

"You've changed," Hermione said softly.

"Good or bad?" Draco asked, gathering enough courage to tuck a stray curl behind her ear.

"I think it's good," Hermione said.

"That's all the approval I need," Draco said. 

He knew that it would be wrong to kiss her then. So, he pulled her to himself, wrapping her in a hug. He wasn't generally a hugger, but he didn't mind hugging her. In fact, he rather liked it. 

They stayed like that for a long time. He had begun absent-mindedly stroking her hair. 

"What do you think will be the outcome of today?" she asked into his chest.

"I don't know," he said.

"Well, let's not think about it now."

"Okay."

The sound of music drifted through the open window. It was soft and not too rushed, probably from the pub in the street.

Hermione began swaying to the beat, making Draco move as well. She held his hands, and began slowly turning around, humming the melody of the song. 

"For someone who's horrible at dancing, you seem enthusiastic," Draco teased her, placing a hand on her waist and the other on her shoulder.

"Shut up or I'll punch you again," she said, but he could tell she wasn't serious. She seemed to be thinking back to a memory. 

"Hermione?" Draco gulped, unsure of why he had said anything.

"Hm?"

"I…" like you very much. In fact it may even be love. You look nice, and I'm sorry about today morning. "I'm happy you're here."

She smiled at him, and when she faced him again after he had twirled her around, she said, "Likewise."

He swore in his head. He couldn't even bring up enough courage to tell her how he felt. Various feelings swirled and bubbled inside him, so many thoughts that he couldn't really comprehend anything.

They danced till the song gave out. They ended standing in the centre of the room, with their foreheads rested against each other, eyes closed. Her arms were around his neck, and at that moment, minutes before they would go into a fight, he felt at peace.

-------

"We apparate directly outside the gate," Harry said for the millionth time. The group stood in a large circle in the sitting room, each tightly gripping their wands. 

Draco's mind was racing. He was going back to his childhood home. The plethora of emotions made him feel like he needed to vomit, and he had developed a headache. What if his mother wouldn't speak to him? What would his father say? Was the estate still the same? Was the peacock still there? 

Hermione stood beside him, and when they all raised their wands, she flashed him a reassuring smile. He smiled back at her, then turned on the spot.

The twisting, floating sensation stopped as soon as it had begun, and they landed in front of large, wrought iron gates. 

Draco closed his eyes, and took several steadying breaths. He could do this. He could do this. His heart was thundering away, and if not for his grip on his wand, he would have thought he was falling. Slipping, dropping, down into darkness. Something warm came in contact with his wrist. His eyes flew open, and he saw light.

Hermione had placed a gentle, soothing hand on his wrist. He exhaled slowly, willing his heart to slow down.

The hedges were dead. Only brambles. No leaves. Lifeless. He imagined the rest of the garden would be much the same. 

Harry unlocked the gates and walked through, the others followed behind him. It seemed as though he was the undisputed leader. Nobody questioned him. 

Draco felt Hermione's breath hitch once, and all that she had been through in the same house came barrelling back to him. She probably wasn't feeling peachy either. After all, she'd been tortured here. Here, she had been marked.

The door opened by itself when they reached it. Harry looked over his shoulder warily once, but bore on. 

"To the left, Potter," Draco said, his voice came out a whisper. 

Harry nodded and turned to the left archway to the sitting room. He stopped at the threshold, lingering as his eyes roved over the room. 

Draco himself looked around. Stepping inside had brought a wave of nostalgia and memories, good and bad. They weighed down on him, and made it hard to walk. The curtains of the sitting room were drawn wide open, so that the last dwindling rays of sunshine of the day lit a part of the room up in a somewhat goldenish glow. Everything was clean, spotless even, in perfect condition. If a first timer were to visit, they would not be able to figure out that the same carpets that they were now walking on had been drenched in blood, how the same walls used to shake with screams of agony, and how the inhabitants had never really felt at home after all. He shuddered. Everyone was having flashbacks. Harry's eyes lingered on the same spot Hermione had been brutally tortured, and his eyes glistened. 

They heard footsteps in the hallway behind them. They hastily turned around, braced for the worst. Draco felt a hex burning on the tip of his tongue, but then his heart nearly stopped.

He barely had time to register what was happening. His heart, which had stopped just a split second ago, began beating with such ferocity that he felt dizzy. The blond woman who had appeared rushed forward, uncaring of the others in their presence, as she wrapped her arms around him.

"Oh, Draco!" she sobbed hysterically, pulling back and then embracing him again, before showering his face with kisses, "You horrible boy! The amount of fright you made me feel! I am absolutely livid and will not have any excuse for anything other than the proper explanation, do you understand? Have you any idea about how much of a tosser you've been?"

"I missed you too, mother," Draco said, laughing a little, as a few tears of pure joy slipped past his eyes. Narcissa sobbed again and pulled him in for another embrace. 

Draco melted into the arms of us mother, like how he had several times before. She sobbed and laughed and cried in his arms, blubbering gibberish, but he didn't mind. He was just happy to be back to her. After what seemed like an eternity but still didn't seem enough, she pulled back with a sniff to look at the others. 

Draco wiped at his eyes hurriedly with the back of his sleeve. Narcissa rushed forward to envelope Hermione in a similar embrace. 

"You had me so worried," she said, once she had let Hermione go.

"I'm awfully sorry," Hermione said, holding back her own tears. 

His teenage self would have cringed at so much emotion and so many tears in the same room. But now he couldn't find it in himself to be annoyed. 

"Good to see you, Harry and Ginny," Narcissa said warmly, offering each of them a warm pat on the back. She then turned to face Ron, who awkwardly cleared his throat.

"It's good to meet you, Mrs. Malfoy," he said.

"You too, Mister Weasley," Narcissa said, not coldly, but not warmly either. Draco assumed that she knew of him and what he had done. 

"Cissy?"

Draco couldn't believe the audacity of his heart to speed up yet again. 

Lucius Malfoy, tall and regal but not as much as before, appeared at the doorway, looking thoroughly taken aback. 

"Draco," he said, his eyes widening, "you came back."

Draco stood in stunned silence when Lucius came over and embraced him. He returned the embrace, unsurely, but he did. 

"Good lad," Lucius said, patting him on his shoulder, "good lad."

"How are you, father?" Draco managed to ask.

"I can say that I've been better," Lucius said, cracking a small smile. Draco realised that he was trying to joke. Lucius Malfoy never joked. Yet here he was.

"Mr. Malfoy," Harry said as way of greeting. Lucius inclined his head by a fraction. Ron and Ginny did the same, but Hermione stuck her hand out.

"It's good to formally meet you," she said, and Draco felt a surge of pride and protectiveness. She was trying so hard to forgive his parents, it touched him. 

"As I say to you, Miss Granger," Lucius shook her hand, "I must apologise for everything in the past."

Hermione nodded, "We will all start afresh."

Weasley didn't seem too inclined to the idea. Out of the motley group of Gryffindors, he seemed the least tolerant, and most aggressive. He only scowled at the scene in front of him. Harry and Ginny shook hands with Lucius by turn.

"I'd love to spend time talking," Harry said once the greetings were done with, "but where's your house elf?"

"What about her?" Narcissa furrowed her brows. 

"Let's all sit down," Lucius suggested, trying to be cordial. Draco was pleasantly surprised at his demeanor, but he wasn't complaining. 

Looks like Hermione was right. Everyone does deserve a second chance, atleast once, he thought.

They all seated themselves on the couches and chairs around the room. Draco quickly occupied the chair next to Hermine and slipped his hand into hers. Her pulse was much too fast to be normal, but it slowly calmed down. She was nervous, that much was obvious. He couldn't blame her. Several people were inclined to feel uncomfortable in the place they were nearly killed. She gave him a grateful smile. 

"Rena Podmore seeks revenge," Harry began, and all attention fell on him, "she's Imperiused people and has them working for her."

"Podmore?" Lucius asked, his face paled of the little color it had left.

"Yes," Harry confirmed, "and we think even the Bodes may be in on this."

"Francis Bode," Lucius said, staring blankly at the wall in front of him. Draco noticed Narcissa place a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"They've been using Polyjuice," Hermione said, and everyone turned to her, "it was she who attacked Gringotts two years back, not Draco."

"Oh," Narcissa raised her eyebrows, and Draco smirked at the annoyance on her face. Podmore had better hope that she wouldn't come within five feet of Narcissa, or it could be hazardous to her health. 

"I trust you saw the report about Pansy?" Harry asked, careful not to be indelicate.

"Yes,"  Narcissa answered solemnly, "I can't help but feel like I caused that fate."

"It wasn't your fault," Hermione said, reaching over to give Narcissa's hand a squeeze. Warmth bloomed around Draco's soul. 

"It was one of Podmore's people, if not herself," Draco said, looking at his mother, "there's one of them working at the Prophet, several at the Ministry. We suspect she even has Shacklebolt Imperiused."

"Your house elf has been helping them," Ginny said, and all eyes turned on her. It was like a quidditch match, with the focus shifting from one person to another, only slower.

"No," Narcissa said disbelievingly.

"It's crucial for us to ensure that she doesn't pass on anymore information," Harry said, "I'm afraid we'll have to bind her or - or something."

"I understand," Narcissa said, "shall I call her?"

"Please," Harry said, "wands at the ready, everyone."

Draco gripped onto his stolen wand tightly. Hermione raised her own, although he knew that she wouldn't do anything to hurt Tibby. It was just how Hermione was.

"Tibby!" Narcissa called, and with a crack, the house elf appeared in the centre of the circle. She whimpered and tried to escape, but Harry cast a binding curse on her, and ropes shot out of Ron's wand to wrap around her arms and legs.

"Not so harsh, Ron!" Hermione shouted at him, slapping his wand away. She loosened the bonds over Tibby, who was now sobbing noisily.

"No, Tibby did nothing! Tibby is innocent, please!"

"Listen, Tibby," Harry said, keeping his voice firm and level, "we only need you to answer our questions. And if you promise to answer them we'll release the binds."

"Tibby promises!" the elf squeaked, "Tibby will answer, Tibby will tell you everything."

"Good," Harry said. With a flick of his wand the ropes disappeared. Tibby immediately began bawling and rubbing furiously at her eyes with her long, bony fingers. 

"Tibby didn't want to do it," she sobbed, "but Tibby was threatened, they said they would kill Tibby if Tibby wouldn't do what they asked."

"Who?" Draco asked.

"Miss Podmore," Tibby wailed, "Miss Podmore, she called on Tibby and placed Tibby here. She wanted Tibby to help her - help her-"

Tibby broke off with loud sobs, scratching at the carpet. Hermione knelt down to comfort the disturbed elf. Draco remained standing. He had no pity for the double faced, be it whoever.

"What did they ask you to do?" Harry urged.

"They asked Tibby to get them hair, and clothing," Tibby said, wrapping her long, frail arms around her knees, "Miss Podmore turned into young Master Malfoy two years back, and again recently to k-kill Miss Parkinson."

Once again, she broke off. Her crying was high pitched, and Draco was developing a sharp headache. 

"Tibby was then asked to bring things of Miss Granger and Mister Weasley," Tibby continued, wiping her nose with her hand, "they went to Diagon Alley."

"Thank you, Tibby, that's enough," Harry said, and Tibby continued to sob and whimper on the floor. 

"Now we're sure," Draco said, "we have to act fast."

"Barging into their lair?" Harry asked, arching a brow.

"Yes," Draco said.

"Brilliant." Harry patted Draco on his back, a little harder than necessary. Draco coughed once, to get the air back into his lungs. 

"Tibby, just one last question," Ginny asked, "where exactly do they, you know, plot and stuff?" 

"Tibby doesn't know," she said apologetically, "Tibby always met them at Knockturn Alley."

"Then we can't barge into their lair," Harry said, crestfallen.

"First things first," Hermione said, "Narcissa and Mr. Malfoy have to be moved to safety."

"You're right, I'm sorry I got sidetracked," Harry said, "where can we-"

"We can go to the Zabini's," Narcissa spoke, "Andrea will be sure to accomodate us for the time being."

"Good," Harry nodded.

"Are you sure, mother?" Draco asked, concerned, "Maybe you can-"

"We'll be okay, Draco," Narcissa said.

Something moved outside, near one of the large windows. Draco's eyes flitted in that direction, and his stance tensed. Hermione sensed it.

"What's wrong?" she followed his gaze. 

He kept his eyes focused on the spot. In a split second, he saw a cloak flash by in the darkness. 

"Out," he said, "everyone out of this room, get out."