Draco Malfoy paced the halls in the Malfoy Manor. His plan clouded over his thoughts as he continued to map it out. He wondered how he was going to get to Granger if he couldn't even remain under the same roof as her for longer than five minutes. Just the reminder of her fingers digging into her scar caused Draco to shake his head as he tried to shake away the memories that came with the image. These memories were dark and cold just like his soul. He couldn't even think of the way Saint Potter was laughing with Weasley as if nothing had ever happened. Of course, why would Potter be upset? He had won after all.

Draco looked down at his covered arm before folding up his sleeve and gazing over the Death Eater mark, the same mark that reminded him of his service to the Dark Lord. Whether dead or alive, it felt as if Voldemort would come back and seek revenge on Malfoy if he didn't do something to Potter. It was this constant weight and nightmare that invaded his mind. These constant wild crazy ideas that drove him mad. He couldn't take it anymore, and he couldn't take how everyone labeled Potter as a hero. He wasn't a hero, he was just a baby that survived the death curse giving him instant fame. He wasn't anything more. Chosen one, my arse, Draco sneered under the dim moonlight before rolling his sleeve back down and continuing his walk through the halls.

From that moment on, Draco decided that he would no longer be a coward. Memories from the war or not, he wouldn't let anything stop him. He would get revenge on Potter, and he would kill Granger at the next opportunity he got.

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Hermione had no idea what she was doing as she stood at the front gates of the Malfoy Manor. Why did I agree to this? She wondered to herself. Her breath became ragged just looking at the large house in front of her. She hadn't been here since...

She shivered at the reminder, and her fingers instinctively gripped her arm as she finally realized how bad this idea was. There were things she had to overcome, things she told herself she could get through if she tried, but this — this — was not one of those things. She couldn't do it, and she knew deep down that this wouldn't help her get better. Instead, this would make her worse. Draco wasn't her favorite person, and if there was anyone out there to bring him back from the dark side, she knew she wasn't the person. He hated her. And people that hated one another couldn't help each other no matter how much pain could relate to.

Walking away from the dark gates, she apparated back to her flat and tried to forget the eerie feeling the Manor gave her.

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"Have any of you talked to 'Mione?" Ron asked Harry and Ginny as he sat across from them on the sofa, waiting for Hermione to arrive.

"Last I talked to her was at the Leaky Cauldron," Ginny replied before glancing over at Harry and wondering if he had heard anything of her whereabouts.

"I haven't talked to her since that night, either," Harry informed them. All three of them began to wonder if she would even show up to their little party. None of them had even seen her at work, and they began to suspect that she wasn't even going to work.

Ginny had planned to have a nice dinner to celebrate her and Harry's new flat, and she wanted Ron and Hermione to be there. She needed them to be there because it wouldn't be the same without Ron and her best friend. Ginny also knew that Hermione wouldn't just forget about something as special as this, so she assured the boys that Hermione would arrive at any moment. Best friends were always there for one another no matter what, and Ginny knew Hermione would be knocking on their door at any moment. She had faith, and that was enough for her.

"Did you notice the way she changed when she saw Malfoy?" Ron asked them. It had bothered him ever since it happened. "Didn't you think it was strange?"

Ginny knew where her brother was headed, and she wasn't in the mood. "Yes, Ronald, I did notice that. She probably acted strange, for Malfoy may have reminded her of the Malfoy Manor, and that's a memory she doesn't want to relive. Did you ever think of that?" Ginny was irritated with her brother, and Ron was ashamed for even suggesting anything. Needless to say, silence fell over the three. It was a rather awkward silence, and Ron wondered if he could go home if Hermione didn't show.

However, moments later there was a knock on the door, and Ginny immediately perked up before walking over and opening it. Although she was excited to see Hermione, Ginny gasped as she gazed over the person before her. It was indeed Hermione standing at the door, but it wasn't the Hermione Ginny was used to seeing. Ginny, Ron, and Harry all knew that Hermione needed extra time to heal — it seemed as if the war really did a number on her — but they also knew that she was healing. She was getting better, and lately, she seemed like the old Hermione apart from their night at the Leaky Cauldron. That was the first time they saw her inch back into her shell, for it was the first time Hermione showed any sign of true emotion since she gave up Firewhisky. That was also the first time she couldn't fake anything. Although she hated to show emotion, it felt nice for Hermione not to pretend and just be real.

However, as she stood in front of Ginny with red eyes, wild hair, and her body shaking horrifically — Hermione knew she couldn't pretend any longer. She felt broken, and she needed her friend.

"Hermione," Ginny whispered before pulling her best friend in for a hug causing Hermione to cry even harder.

"Ginny, who's th — Hermione," Harry whispered as he walked over and recognized the person Ginny was holding.

"Harry, go keep Ron occupied, please?" Ginny practically begged, for she knew that Hermione wouldn't want Ron to see her in such a state. Hell, she probably didn't want any of them to see her like that, but Ginny knew Hermione needed someone. And that someone was Ginny herself.

"Y — yeah, I'm on it," he told the girls before leaving them alone and attending to his best mate.

"'Mione, what happened?" Ginny asked as Hermione broke the hug to wipe away her tears.

"I — it's rather silly," she choked out a laugh even though she didn't find this situation humerous at all. "I — I made an agreement with Narcissa," she paused to wipe her eyes once again as her tears finally slowed down but showed no signs of stopping. 

"Narcissa Malfoy?" Ginny almost gasped as Hermione nodded. "What did she want?"

"She thinks I can bring Draco out of the dark," Hermione told her red-headed friend before rubbing her hands up and down her arms as she tried to keep herself warm. "She thinks he'll listen to me," Hermione scoffed. "As if he would even listen to me."

"What?" Ginny practically yelled. "As if you don't have enough to deal with! Why would she — of all people — ask you to do something like this? Malfoy and you don't even get along, how could you help him?"

"I know, I know," Hermione muttered in hopes Ginny would calm down. The last thing she needed was for Ron to overhear this conversation. He was jealous enough as it was without hearing her admit she promised Narcissa she would help Draco. "That's why I shouldn't have agreed," she whispered softly hoping Ginny didn't hear her. However, Ginny did in fact hear her.

"Hermione Jean Granger! What were you thinking?" Ginny exclaimed before dragging Hermione into her and Harry's bedroom, wanting to make sure no one was listening. "You just saw Malfoy the other day, and look how you reacted. How could you possibly think you could help him?"

"I didn't come over here," Hermione began as the tears slowly fell faster, "to be reprimanded about my choices. I came over here because I needed a friend."

Slumping her shoulders, Ginny immediately realized her mistake. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get so excited. But why, 'Mione? What do you owe them?" At this, Hermione looked into her best friend's eyes, and Ginny could almost feel Hermione's pain. What else happened to you, 'Mione? She wondered as she waited for Hermione to reply.

"I — I was going to say no, but I couldn't," Hermione replied softly. "Ginny, when I saw Malfoy sitting across from us the other night, I saw something in his eyes that I see in mine every day." Pausing to catch her breath, she wiped her eyes and continued. "I saw pain. I know that — that everyone has gone through something drastic because of the war, and I know that everyone is also trying to heal and make it better, but he looked exactly like he did that day." Hermione was having trouble breathing as her emotions took over her whole being, but she tried her best to continue. "The day he walked over to their side in defeat. That's what he looked like the other day. And how do I know this? Because three years later, Ginny, and I'm still trying to get over that day. Three years. But I have friends, and who does he have? His father?" Hermione stopped. She wasn't able to say anymore, and Ginny understood why Hermione agreed to help Draco. During the war there were enemies, but with the war over there were just witches and wizards — enemies was a term long used ago.

Holding Hermione while she cried, Ginny couldn't help but feel ashamed of herself. She reprimanded Hermione for agreeing to this when Hermione only agreed because she wanted to help someone. Someone who was once an enemy, a nuisance, a classmate. Someone who was just once a boy.

However, she just wanted to make sure Hermione was going to be okay if she did this. That was all Ginny cared about.

"Is that why you're so torn up?" Ginny asked. She wanted to know the real reason for Hermione's tears. Surely Hermione wasn't crying just because she felt bad for Draco or just because she saw the pain in his eyes. No, there was something more.

"I went there," Hermione replied, wiping her eyes furiously as she took a step back. "I went there, telling myself I could do this. Telling myself that I could walk into that manor and it wouldn't affect me. I was wrong, however. I stood there at the gates and — I couldn't," she let out a long breath, before pushing her hair away from her face as she tried to pull herself together. This day wasn't even supposed to be about her, it was supposed to be about Ginny and Harry, and Hermione began to feel extremely selfish with how she was acting.

"Oh, 'Mione," Ginny sighed, for she didn't know what else to say. Never in her wildest dreams would Ginny assume that Hermione would ever go back there, especially not of her own free will. It was then that Ginny realized how much Hermione really was trying to better herself, and despite Hermione's breakdown, Ginny was incredibly proud.

"I know," Hermione replied weakly. "I don't think I can do this. Any of this," she laughed weakly as she gestured around her.

"You've come so far, Hermione, don't let anything pull you back," Ginny encouraged. She hoped it was enough to convince Hermione not to give up now. "If you don't want to heal an old classmate, don't do it. There is nothing you owe the Malfoys. . .nothing at all."

"I know that," Hermione sniffled as her tears finally stopped. "It just feels wrong to say no. How can I turn down the opportunity to help someone? Especially when their mother comes to you? She was so desperate to come and seek help from me, Ginny, I almost thought it was someone pulling a bloody prank." Hermione forced a weak smile, and Ginny wanted to tell her that she didn't need to be happy all the time, that it was okay to be sad.

"There's no reason to pretend that this isn't a big deal or pretend that everything's okay. It's not a crime to show your feelings, Hermione, and it doesn't do you good to bottle it all inside." Ginny hoped this would make Hermione open up more — after all, this was the most Hermione ever spoke of the war and her feelings — for you can't help someone if you don't know the reason for their pain. Best friends or not.

"Yes, but there are so many others out there hurting far more than I am, Ginny."

"That might be so. But right now, you're the one that's hurting only as much as you can hurt, and that's enough to show me you deserve to let it out. It's a big deal to you, and it's a big deal to me. You're my best friend, 'Mione, I want to be here for you."

Hermione managed a weak smile and tried to make it as convincing as she could. She didn't want Ginny or Harry or Ron to worry about her, for in the end everything would eventually wear away and she really would be fine. Or so she kept telling herself despite her doubts.

"Enough of me," she blew out a long breath. "Tonight's supper is all about Harry and you."

"Hermione — "

"No, Ginny, I'm okay. I'll be okay. I just had memories and flashbacks and pain while standing at the gate," Hermione began as she looked down at her feet. "I just wasn't strong enough to stand there, so I needed a friend. I came here and got many things off of my chest, and now I'm ready to celebrate with you three."

Ginny gave her a quizzical look wondering if Hermione was just putting on a facade, or if she really was okay.

"All right," Ginny sighed after a moment.

"One more thing," Hermione spoke up. "Can we keep this between us? About my deal with Narcissa?"

"Of course," Ginny said immediately without any hesitation. "What are friends for?"

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Promised a double update so here it is :) please vote and comment!!