The wind whipped across the lake, the black waters churning and twisting in the grey light of that cloudy, early morning. Draco supposed that the weather was it's own form of foreshadowing. He would have been greatly comforted if the morning sun was brightly peaking out from behind clouds. Or perhaps if baby birds were chirping, signaling a new life for both them and Draco. That seemed much more symbolic and much safer than the storm brewing in the sky ahead. Draco snorted to himself. Such was his life.

The few students out on this stormy day had steered clear of Draco. He wasn't sure if it was because they knew he needed space, or because they thought he was repulsive. Either way, he found that he didn't mind much. He didn't mind being on his own. He had been that way for so long, hadn't he?

But now, he truly was alone. In one sense at least. For his father had disappeared into thin air, like the black clouds swirling above the lake.

He was gone.

No one knew where, or how, or why. But he was gone, that was for certain. They didn't know whether to feel relief or terror.

With Lucius being here, at least, Draco had comfort in the fact that he could always tell when Lucius's next move would come. Now instead, Draco felt like a caged animal, and Lucius had the ability to prod at him through the iron bars then duck away before Draco could bite him.

The medication Pomfrey had him on made him a bit metaphorical.

It seemed everyone was afraid there would be a repeat episode of the Astronomy Tower. When Snape had brought him back to Hogwarts, he had been placed in Snape's private chambers and administered a calming and sleeping draught. Until now, he had been under careful watch. Pomfrey, Snape, Dumbledore, and McGonagall kept a constant eye on him and continuously peppered him with questions. How are you feeling, Draco? Oh, quite alright, thank you, just brilliant. You didn't read the Prophet, did you Draco? No, he didn't want to know what everyone was saying about him. About his shame. Do you trust yourself, Draco? He wasn't sure what they were looking for with that question, but they seemed to find whatever it was when he told them he didn't think he would fall ever again. That answer satisfied them. And now, he was finally left alone with his emotions. Relief that Lucius was gone, fear for the unknown, confusion over who he cared for in his life, and who cared for him. Where did he stand, exactly, now that the trial was over? The Wizenmagot had ruled in Lucius's favor, did that make Draco a liar?

"Are you okay?"

Again with the questions. So many questions from so many people that Draco couldn't keep it straight. But he knew Blaise's voice anywhere, he didn't have to move his gaze from the lake to know that the other boy was behind him.

Blaise slid into Draco's field of vision, and in that moment Draco could see that Blaise was feeling every emotion that Draco was. Fear, confusion, relief, a sense of injustice. Seeing Blaise like that, so defeated and vulnerable and alone, just as Draco felt, made something click inside him.

"We're okay."

"That wasn't what I-" Blaise began, but cut off as he realized the implications of Draco's words. He sagged in relief, tension visibly leaving his shoulders and neck. "I'm sorry," he said roughly, falling to his knees on the sharp yet smooth rocks before Draco. His head bent and rested on Draco's shoulder, his frantic, heavy breaths chilling Draco's skin with each puff of air.

"We're okay," Draco whispered again, and slowly, he tilted his head to the side to rest on top of Blaise's for a brief moment. "Thank you."

Blaise's breathing halted for several seconds as he took in the brevity of those two little words. The words seemed to freeze both boys, and for one long hour they leaned against each other and stared out at the brewing storm ahead together.

"Are you ready to go back to classes?"

"No."

"That's alright. We only have a few days left of term anyways."

"Indeed."

"And I'm sure you're exempt from your exams, seeing as how…yeah."

"Yeah."

"I could be having a more animated conversation if I were talking to a wall, Draco. When will you look at me?"

Draco continued to play with the loose thread on the hem of his shirt. He stubbornly kept his eyes locked on the ground, his vision blurring in and out as he switched his focus on his fingers, then to the ground, then the thread, then the ground.

"How many times do I have to tell you I don't care about any of that?" Pansy said softly, her hands catching his gently and bringing them up against her chest, where her heart was. Her short glossy hair brushed against his knuckles, tickling him, but Draco steadfastly kept his gaze from hers. He couldn't bear to look at her, to see her love and confusion and begrudging acceptance of who he was. Of what he'd done. He didn't want to taint her with that horror and repulsion. She was too pure, too innocent, as gentle as her hold on his fingers.

Pansy was silent for a few moments, until she began wistfully, "Remember that time when we were younger, we were playing outside after it had rained? An area in the grass had pooled a bunch of murky water and we thought it was the greatest idea ever to go play in it," she laughed lightly, though Draco didn't make a sound. "We spent hours out in the mud, rolling all over the yard. We had such a fun time, we didn't even care that my parents were so mad at us for getting all filthy and getting mud everywhere. They sent us to clean up, and that's when I realized that my locket my mum had given me was gone. It meant a lot to me, you know. I think I started to cry, which really freaked you out, and you promised me we would go out and search for it."

"So we did. It was an impossible task from the start, really. We had been everywhere outside the house that day, the locket could have been anywhere. We searched through mud and dirt and puddles for hours until it got dark outside. I wanted to give up then. You know what you said to me?"

Draco remained silent, his head bowed quietly as his hand grew tense in her grip.

"You said you wouldn't stop trying, because there would never be a time when you would ever stop caring for me. And I you. And for that reason, you wouldn't give up," Pansy said softly. "We found it later that night, when it was dark out. The locket had caught the moonlight just right, and we had spotted it from my doorway. Even at night, when everything was so dark and the outlook so horrible, we had hope. And we found it," her voice fell to a gentle whisper as she once again tried to catch his gaze. Draco artfully dodged it. "You mentioned that your medical potions were making you metaphorical. So try this metaphor out for me. Will you help me find our locket?"

His gaze flickered up briefly to meet her eyes, wide and imploring. He looked away immediately again, but not fast enough to miss the smile that quirked her lips.

"That's all I needed to know," she smiled a small, sweet smile. Draco's eyes were stinging and his cheek felt strangely wet. He raised a hand to touch his cheek, unintentionally bringing her hands with it as well. Draco shakily brushed away a droplet of moisture which had traitorously trailed down his face.

"I think we already found it," he mumbled quietly. Pansy gasped in delight and threw her arms around Draco, who would have stumbled backwards if it weren't for Theo appearing behind him.

"Merlin, Pansy, you're going to make me tear up," Theo joked, and Draco jumped as the rumble of his laughter vibrated through Theo's chest to Draco's back.

"Don't act like you haven't already," Daphne quipped from the side, but she was smiling too. Cautioning a glance around, Draco noticed that Blaise, Theo, Daphne, and Greg had all been standing around them. He had failed to realize they were there before, huddled around him in the otherwise empty common room. He hadn't noticed that he wasn't alone.

Damn Pansy and her stupid metaphors or allegories or whatever literary term it was that Draco couldn't think of. Regardless, it made everyone around him smile, and it made Draco smile too. It was a smile that was different from many others he had given in the past, and that was because he truly meant it.

Out of all the interactions Draco had been dreading, this one was the one he had been tirelessly trying to avoid. Something about it was going to be different, he knew, than what had occurred with Blaise and Pansy. There was an existing comfort level between the old friends that made it easy to slip everything back into place. But with Hermione Granger, Draco had no idea where he stood.

Not attending classes made it easy to dodge the stubborn Gryffindor. It also made it easy to mope around all day and continue his pattern of self-loathing. Draco was perfectly comfortable with that, and he kept to himself for the majority of the week. Yet a small part of him wanted to be dragged out of that stasis he found himself in. It was a very, very small part of him, certainly, however it was strong and begged to be heard. Perhaps that was why Draco purposefully sat down in the library, in the back corner where he knew the girl always studied, and waited.

He didn't have to wait long, which was good or else Draco knew he would have talked himself out of waiting at all. His legs were jittering and his foot was tapping the ground, as if begging him to jump up and run for the nearest exit. He wrapped his arms securely around himself, believing that would keep him in place.

The door to the library creaked open and Draco's heart jumped in his throat. He sighed in both disappointment and relief when the door revealed a Ravenclaw, and not the girl he was looking for. Draco sunk further in his seat, gnawing on his lip in concern. What would he even say to her once she arrived? Hello, I know it's been a while since we've last caught up. Did you hear that I'm a disgusting pervert who seeks out his father for sexual release? Ah, you have? Smashing!

Oh gods, what was he thinking coming here? He should leave now before she-

The heavy oak door to the library swung open once more, and the familiar brunette curls came into his vision.

Oh gods, help him. Merlin almighty, Draco's palms were sweating and either the room was vibrating or he was shaking. He felt his stomach twist when he made eye contact with her from across the room. Shock was the first expression on her face, which melted off into pleasant surprise. Quickly she hurried over to Draco, eyes casting a quick left and right around the library to see if they were alone. With every step closer she got, Draco's heart thudded harder in his chest.

"Hi," she said, her voice bright yet surprised. Draco was surprised himself that she couldn't hear his heartbeat. "I didn't know I would see you here."

"I knew I'd see you here," Draco said, then immediately stuttered, "I mean, in a non-creepy way, I-I haven't just been waiting for you, except I have, I j-just-" his voice cut out and his face turned bright red. Would it be unsubtle if he were to go hide in the book stacks?

"You wanted to see me," Hermione said simply. Draco pressed his lips in a thin line.

"Yeah, I-I just…I can go. I should go," he said hastily, throwing himself to his feet unsteadily. In a second, Hermione was before him and gently pushing him back down in his seat.

"I wanted to see you, too," she smiled at him calmly, and Draco's heart beat surged before it slowed again. He was amazed he could hear her over the sound of his blood rushing through his head.

Hermione watched him quietly, fiddling with a stray curl. "How are you?"

That question could be answered in several unflattering ways, all of which would be true. Draco winced. "I'm…okay," he said slowly, taken aback to find that those words were genuine.

Well, mostly.

Hermione's mouth opened and closed slightly, and a worried look flashed across her face. "Draco, I wanted to talk to you about something-"

Dread seemed to replace his blood in his body, pulsing through every limb and almost physically paining him. He knew what she wanted to talk about. Why wouldn't she? "Don't-" he began, but now it was Hermione's turn to cut him off.

"I don't think you're any less of a man for what happened to you," she stated quietly yet firmly. Draco's mouth popped open with an audible, wet pop. Shock jolted through him, then disbelief and anger.

"Happened to me? I initiated it! I'm absolutely repulsive! What kind of man do you think I am?" he cried, completely affronted.

She appeared unaffected by his outburst. "The redeemable kind. You're a thousand times the man your father ever will be. Despite what he put you through, and the leverage he continues to try and hold over your life, you're still here, Draco. I don't think you realize the value in that. You've fought against unimaginable odds, and look at you! You've come out better on the other side for it! Did the fight suck? Yes. It was painful and hard and cruel and life-altering. But look at what you have, who you have become, because you persevered. No one can ever take that away from you. Not Lucius, not Snape, not Blaise, nobody."

Her words were heavy and loud in the silent library, with only the leather spines and the two teens to hear them. The mahogany chair frame was suddenly uncomfortable against Draco's back. It pressed into his skin and seemed to pierce through his core. Or was that strange, foreign feeling something other than the chair? It wasn't entirely unpleasant, just new and alien.

"I don't know what to do," he finally said brokenly.

A steely but not unkind look shined in the Gryffindor's eyes. "You're Draco Malfoy, one of the strongest people I know. So what everyone knows? Show them that you aren't the person they portray you as. Take the step towards forgiveness."

Draco frowned. "I've already told Blaise I forgave him, and Snape…well, I need time. He owes me that much." Draco wasn't entirely sure she knew the backstory with him and Snape, but he figured most of the Wizarding world was relatively aware of his life happenings by now. He tried to ignore the ugly feeling in his stomach at that thought.

Hermione shook her head, unaware of his internal thoughts. "I'm not just talking about Blaise and Snape, Draco. I'm talking about forgiving yourself."

All at once Draco felt distressed and nauseated. "What? I don't- I'm not-" he began to stutter, but his words faltered.

"You're upset that you haven't been able to accept what happened that night, on the astronomy tower," she said quietly, unsurprised when Draco's body stiffened. "You won't be truly happy with yourself until you accept every part of yourself, the good, the bad, and the parts you want to shove away into the dark corners of your mind." When Draco tried to interrupt, Hermione held up a hand. "I'm not saying do that right away, that will take time. But promise me that you'll think about it." Her hand touched his cheek, and once again he automatically leaned into the touch.

"There aren't…there aren't so many dark corners now" Draco told her hesitantly, his cheeks glowing red as in a moment of immense gratitude for the girl before him, his mouth began to blurt out the words he had never voiced aloud. "When I'm with you…things don't seem so bad anymore. It's not that I forget what's happened to me. Those memories will be burned into my mind forever. They're a part of who I am. So I don't forget when I'm with you. If anything, you help remind me of what has happened to me. But you make me feel stronger. You show me that I can prove the world wrong, that I can still be who I want to be even though they have their minds made up. My past, present and future can't be determined by other people. It's up to me. And when I'm with you, I feel like I can brave the world a thousand times over. As long as you're by my side."

Somewhere in the middle of Draco's spiel, Hermione's eyes had turned glossy and her cheeks a bit pink. Almost before the last words could leave Draco's mouth, Hermione had awkwardly lunged forward and grasped Draco's shirt collar, firmly pressing her lips against his own.

Gasping at the sudden movement and unsure what to do, Draco was stunned.

His eyes widened and his face mottled red as he froze on the spot. A part of him wanted to panic at the close contact, but another part was preening under the new sensation. A warmth spread through his middle and his mouth softened against her own. It was only a matter of seconds before Hermione blushed brightly. As she pulled back she stuttered, "Er, I hope that wasn't really poor timing, I've never been good with stuff like that," she fiddled nervously with the edge of her skirt, peering at him hesitantly with her large brown eyes.

Draco nearly snorted. "What, and I have?"

That made her crack a smile, and Hermione laughed. Draco decided it was a good sound. He also decided that he rather liked the feeling of her lips on his own. "Practice makes perfect," he mumbled in an embarrassingly shy way, but his pride soared when the girl laughed once more and leaned in again.

"I can't do this."

"No, you mean you can't do this alone. And you don't have to. We're right here with you," Pansy said firmly, her hand an anchor on his back as she propelled them towards the Great Hall. It was the last feast and Draco was digging his heels into the ground like a dog. Unfortunately, Pansy was stubborn, and she hauled him along with her at a quick pace. Theo pranced along in front of them, in a way Draco thought was all too cheerful for his current situation. Blaise trudged along beside him as well, hands shoved in his pockets and his face relatively blank. Draco wished he could replicate his posture, but every time he tried for nonchalance his face tightened into a grimace and his hands clenched in nervous fists at his sides.

It was the first time Draco would be facing the school since the trial. The first time his classmates would see the face that had been written about so appallingly in the Daily Prophet. Pansy had been careful to hide all editions from him, even going so far as to burn several copies in the fireplace in the common room, but Draco still caught glimpses of the headlines, flashes of pictures of his scared expression splashed across the front page, right next to his father's icy glare.

He didn't want to know what they were saying about him. Yet at the same time he did. The self-destructive, pitiful, shameful side of him was begging him to sneak a look at a spare copy. Madam Pomfrey was convinced that was a terrible idea for his mental health, and believed it would create a major setback. Everyone else seemed inclined to agree with her. It set Draco on edge. What terrible things could they possibly be saying that Pomfrey and the others feared for his state of mind if he were to see?

It was too late to turn back as Pansy practically strutted into the Great Hall with Draco on her arm. Many eyes set their gaze on the blond all at once, and Draco could practically feel their piercing stares tingling and prickling his skin like tiny needles.

"Oi, Malfoy!" a voice called. Everyone in the Great Hall stilled, conversations stopping dead in their tracks. Stiffening and catching his breath in his throat, Draco turned towards the Gryffindor table, where Ron Weasley had stood up. The red-head blinked as he realized all attention in the hall was on him. He cleared his throat awkwardly and extended out his hand. "Sit with us?"

Gasps echoed through the hall and Ron blushed and shuffled a bit. Beside him, Granger was beaming.

"That sounds like a pleasant idea, doesn't it, Draco?" Pansy said swimmingly, and when Draco failed to respond, she turned to Theo. "Theo?"

"If you say so," the boy grumbled, though after a well placed poke in the ribs from Pansy, he was more disposed to agree. The four Slytherins made there way to the Gryffindor table, very aware of all eyes resting on them. Hermione scooted over and not-so-gently pushed Harry to make room for the quartet. Pansy gave her a nod, then a sly wink as she pushed Draco into the seat beside Hermione. His face immediately turned red as he wondered just how much his perceptive friend knew.

Theo settled in beside a disgruntled Seamus Finnigan, and Blaise eased into a spot beside Weasley. No one quite seemed to know just what to say, resulting in a thick silence which was echoed around the hall.

Eventually Harry gathered himself enough to ask loudly, "Er, do you want some potatoes?" The rest of the hall got the clue and begrudgingly turned back to their meals. Draco mildly accepted the potatoes, though he wasn't very hungry and he doubted his stomach could keep down any food at the moment.

Light conversations began to fill the air, and everyone appeared to get along quite amiably in spite of their backgrounds. It wasn't long before Blaise and Weasley were head to head in an animate conversation about Quidditch, and Potter had even made a few light and teasing comments at Draco, which he tentatively returned. Pansy spent the dinner making suggestive remarks regarding Draco and Hermione, and both would flush in response. Soon, much too soon for Draco's liking, Theo caught on, and he whole-heartedly helped Pansy come up with creative and racy comments, complete with unseemly and enthusiastic eyebrow wiggling.

Draco would have been appalled and embarrassed, but he wasn't listening, for he was lost in his train of thought as he squinted his eyes briefly. The disorienting colors that had been dancing so confidently in his vision for the past month were fading away with the smiles and realization that things were different now. The random spurts of colors had no place anymore, and instead they blended together to create a beautiful picture full of pastels and life.

It was going to be okay.

The crowd would have overwhelmed him if it weren't for the petite brunette by his side.

Draco felt a pang in his chest as all around him students rejoiced at being reunited with their parents and families. Hugs were passed all around on the train platform before the Hogwarts Express, and excited chatter filled the air as children whooped in exhilaration at the end of a school year. He would never know that feeling, he had always known that, but it didn't make seeing that kind of love any less difficult for him.

Sensing his mood, Hermione nudged his side and inclined her head towards one family close to them. "Not all family is by blood, you know."

"It's difficult to start over and erase the past like that," he replied sullenly.

Hermione smiled, not convinced. "You make a new beginning for yourself. Where would you like to start?" she asked matter-of-factly.

"Right now, with you," he nearly startled himself with the truth rushing out of his mouth.

She smiled wordlessly and offered her hand.

He took it soundlessly.

Standing there on the platform, people bustled around them noisily, and strong fumes filled the air. Shoulders knocked against him repeatedly, whether they were purposeful and spiteful, Draco paid no mind. He could feel the weight of strangers' stares, pitying or hateful, questioning or confused. Yet he only had eyes for one girl. Her eyes were alight and her cheeks glowed pink. Her bottom lip was slightly torn from where she chewed on it in moments of great thought, and he hair frizzed out in every direction.

He squeezed her hand, and she squeezed his back.

It was the one simple action that spoke louder than a thousand words could have in that moment. And it was then he realized that if he had the power to change the world in any way, he would have made everything as it was and no different.

Fin.

Wow, when I started this as a one-shot, I had no idea that I would end up here! I owe a big thanks to you readers, because without you I never would have pursued this and made it an actual story. It was hard at times with the difficult/delicate subject matter, but I'm glad I followed through with it.

Thank you all so so much for all the support and encouragement you gave me throughout this story! I can't express my gratitude enough! I love hearing from you all!

-missmandymalfoy