Draco Malfoy was stretched comfortably on his couch, the perfect picture of ease. In all honesty though, the tension had stayed with him the entire evening and most of it was second hand nervousness, courtesy of his wife.

A/N : Double update! Well, almost! two updates in two days counts for something right?

Hermione had disconnected so entirely from her previous life that anything to do with it made her nervous. He could feel it in the stiffness of her muscles and rubbed at her arm as discreetly as he could.

Her only response of course was to press closer, her eyes still staying on their son who was talking animatedly to Neville. But she relaxed against him and it helped Draco breathe a little freely and transfer his attention to their guest.

Of course being on friendly terms with the Gryffindor did not come as much of a surprise to Draco. Personally, he had known this moment was inevitable since the first time Blaise started warming to the other man.

Still, he knew that they needed more than the brief minute they had shared at Hogwarts to set records straight and as much as his wife dreaded some conversations, Draco wanted to get them over with.

That would explain why he exerted effort into clearing his family out of the room within the next ten minutes, only Hermione lingering where Scorpius and his mother had easily obliged. Once he had subtly forced her out, he observed Neville for a moment.

"We need to talk" Draco informed bluntly. The statement seemed to startle the dark haired man but he did not seem worried in the slightest.

"About?" Neville questioned patiently.

"About whatever you need to get out of your chest. Blaise isn't going to offer himself up and Mione mostly isn't ready for it, which leaves you with me." Draco sighed, pulling off martyr airs and receiving a dry chuckle in response.

He saw the blatant appraisal in the other man's gaze as Neville sobered and straightened in his seat, but the warmth in his eyes remained and Draco assumed that meant this was going to be easier than he imagined.

"When you say she isn't ready for it -" Neville began after a brief spell of silence.

"For Potter or Weasley. For what going back means. For everything that comes with making a public return. Take your pick." Draco shrugged and when he noticed Neville remaining silent, he sighed "But you already knew that"

"I suppose" Neville agreed, meeting his gaze with a hundred more questions.

"And what you are really struggling with isn't Mione at all" Draco guessed.

"No, not really. I know Hermione will come back when she thinks it's time and -" The Gryffindor began, the statement sounding too rehearsed and almost like something the man repeated on a daily basis to himself. Which of course meant Draco had to correct him.

"Or she might not do that at all. I can handle the press and the scrutiny, Lyra and Scorp will be careful to keep low profiles and they will return home when they finish school. We might go back to the way things were and Hermione never has to return" He pointed out.

"But we both know that is not going to happen" Neville sounded horrified, obviously there was going to be more than that. She wouldn't stay underground forever.

"Do we?" Draco questioned, the challenge clear in his gaze "Believe me, I don't like that Potter and Weasley are getting away with what they did to her. I'll give a lot to watch them burn for it. But destroying my wife's life and happiness a second time is not an option"

Neville recoiled bodily from what was very clearly a warning and Draco was glad the man saw it for exactly what it was. He would not put his wife in any situation that made her uncomfortable and his family's happiness was his first priority.

"And what about yourself?" Neville demanded.

"I told you, there's nothing I'd love more than seeing the three of them paying for -" Draco began in a steely note when he saw Neville shake his head vehemently.

"No Draco, I meant, what about you?" Neville asked, taking the blond completely by surprise.

"What about me?" Draco asked, entirely bewildered.

"I wouldn't have said this a month ago even, but you are clearly a good man. Everything you have done here in these years is proof of that and you don't deserve the reputation you currently hold-" The Gryffindor began, stopping only when Draco burst into laughter.

"Blessed Salazar" Draco wheezed, barely managing to breathe while laughing.

"Shut it Malfoy" Neville mumbled, the colour staining his cheeks as he flushed.

"I'm - I'm sorry. Honest. It was just not a sentence I expected from anyone that wasn't married to me, least of all you" Draco apologised.

"Well, Mione doesn't lie, not for anyone." Neville shrugged, still trying to brush off the embarrassment.

"True. And speaking frankly? I have a clear conscience. I made mistakes, but like you said, i've more than made up for them in the years since the war. That is all that matters to me. What other people have to say of me is not my concern" Draco clarified and waited as Neville mulled that over.

"What they say of you is also what they say of your children" Came the rather late protest and that got Draco to sigh.

"Lyra and Scorp know the truth. They can take care of themselves and if they wish to share their family secret at any point, that is their choice as well. We won't deny them that." It was Draco's turn to repeat a sentence he told himself a hundred times over.

"You know I will never betray your trust of course" Neville assured, yanking Draco back from his broodings.

"Of course" He agreed readily "Which begs the question, what are you going to do?"

"Do? About what exactly?" Neville questioned, the apprehension he was feeling already evident.

"I know Blaise wants you to, in his words 'disassociate' with your other friends." Draco quoted, returning to the subject of the day.

"But you don't agree?" Neville asked, apprehension turning clearly into dread.

"It's not a bad idea, especially if we return, because I can promise, between the three of us, there won't be much left of any of them." Draco answered coolly, but the promise of destruction burned clearly in his eyes and he could see that Neville was worried for a moment.

"But we knew it's not as simple as that" He continued, his tone lightening further. It didn't seem to help Neville relax though, the man clearly lost in thought was only becoming more statue like as the seconds passed.

"How was dinner last night?" Draco questioned instead, attempting to pull the man back into the real world.

"How do you think?" Neville snapped before rubbing a tired hand over his face. "It was a disaster. I mentioned her, I just - I had to."

"If they didn't tell you in 19 years, I don't know why you expected anything else yesterday" Draco commented, his tone biting.

"I didn't. But I sat with them and mourned her. I've stood by their side as they spoke every year in the memorial. I -" Neville began but Draco's eyes flashed at the mention of the memorial.

"And you don't see how disgusting they are? Year after year, they stand up in front of the world, like heroes! They stand and talk about her like she is a friend, cry as if they mourn her and pretend they didn't destroy her." Draco ranted, his voice turning steadily icy "They talk about her every year like she is gone, knowing all too well that she isn't!"

"I know." Neville sighed miserably. "I know that's monstrous Draco. Do you think I don't? Now imagine years of calling those people friends and tell me how twisted you feel"

"I'm sorry." Draco apologised instantly, mentally chiding himself for losing his temper like that.

"Don't be. I'm just - I'm still trying to reconcile the idea of such people with those I called friends" Neville stated dully

"It's just, when he said he'd give anything to talk to her again, I almost believed him" The man continued, causing Draco to laugh humorlessly.

"Is that what he said?" He asked in a black voice that had Neville falling carefully silent.

"Do you think they ever tried to find her?" the taller man asked cautiously.

"And risk her wrath? I don't think they have what it takes for that. Besides, if they regretted anything at all, they would have stopped their little act and removed her from the list of dead." Draco answered before adding "Of course, if they had standards, they would also apologise in public and ask her to return"

"I'm not holding my breath" Hermione's voice distracted Draco from his anger and Neville seemed equally startled by her sudden entry.

"Love, do I even want to know how long you've been listening?" Draco asked, a defeated sigh already on his lips as his wife approached.

"No, you really don't" She smiled softly as she took her seat. "But i've been here long enough to know Neville is right"

"About what?" Neville questioned even as Draco raised an eyebrow.

"I don't want to go back, but we are going to have to" Hermione sounded strong and he didn't know if Neville was still attuned enough to pick up on the quiver beneath the surface.

"No. We don't 'have' to do anything" Draco protested instantly.

"We do. Hermione Granger died a hero. But the Malfoy name still needs to be cleared" Hermione answered stubbornly.

"It has been through worse. The family name always survives" he dismissed easily before asking "Where is this coming from?"

"Blaise has been pushing it forever Draco and -" She started when Draco cursed his best friend under his breath. "I love you. And I know you will never ask me to, but you were always right. I never really had a reason to hide. And neither do you"

"Mione -" Draco began, now extremely cautious when she slid her hand into his.

"Not now. Heaven knows I want Lyra and Scorp to finish school in peace without this mess." Hermione assured.

"Finish school?" Neville demanded, blatant disbelief written all over.

"My children are proud of their father Neville. They have no need for my name or glory" Hermione answered bluntly.

"Then lets just hope it stays that way" Draco mumbled emptily, averting his gaze from Neville's accepting nod and sincere smile, as he pulled his wife in closer and placed a kiss against her shoulder.

A/N : So, Harry, Ron And Ginny know Hermione is alive. WHO SAW THAT COMING? Please do leave reviews and tell me what you think of this! Pleeeeease?