Chapter Thirty-Six: Vows

Draco jolted awake after a couple of hours, suddenly alert and on guard. Something was off; he could feel it in his very bones. Living in the same place as the Dark Lord gave you a sort of sixth sense for casualties.

"Wha's happenin'?" Hermione asked him sleepily, rubbing her eyes in confusion.

"I don't know. Something's wrong." Draco frowned. He stood up, and began putting on a robe over his pajamas. There was definitely something amiss; he could hear the faint sounds of doors slamming and hurried footsteps two floors down.

Hermione sat up on the bed, hearing the noises as well. "What time is it? It can't be morning yet."

"It's half past three. I'm going downstairs to see what the commotion is, alright?" Draco replied, still looking worried.

"Hang on, I'm coming with you!" Hermione said, quickly wearing her robe as well.

The two hurried downstairs to the living room, where they were greeted by the Weasley children, Blaise and Harry. Everyone looked quite agitated, and some were even pacing around the room to calm their nerves.

"What's happened?" Hermione asked Harry frantically.

"No idea." he replied, looking somewhat perturbed. "Do you know?" he asked, turning to his best mate.

"I think there's been some sort of…emergency." Ron said, failing to stifle a yawn while responding.

"Mum, dad and Muriel flooed out of the house immediately after being contacted by an Order member." Fred put in helpfully.

"I heard Muriel muttering something about bringing some healing potions with her." said Ginny.

"Probably some Order member got injured." George commented.

There was a tense sort of energy around the room; no one was sitting down, worried about what kind of catastrophe had struck them again. It hadn't even been a day since they learned of Ted Tonks's death, surely they were not about to have another casualty on their hands?

Thankfully, Mr. Weasley flooed back around fifteen minutes later to explain what had happened. Apparently, the news of her father's death had sent Tonks into early labor, and Andromeda had sent for Molly and Muriel, asking for help to deliver the baby.

There was a collective sigh around the room as everyone relaxed slightly, thankful not to hear about another injury or death. But there was still a bit of tension, especially after Mr. Weasley explained how Tonks was in a precarious situation.

"She's not due for another month, so there's a higher risk of complications for both Tonks and the baby." he said gravely.

"Take her to St. Mungo's, then!" Ginny shouted in an outrage. Out of all the Weasley children, she was the one who was particularly close to Nymphadora Tonks. Tonks had always been around their house due to Order business, and the two had bonded quite a bit. In fact, Ginny often regarded her as the sister she never had.

"You know why we can't do that, Gin." Arthur sighed tiredly. "The Death Eaters are sure to have a few of their spies in there, waiting for a member of the resistance to show up."

"So you're just going to let her die, then?" the furious redhead said as Harry immediately tried to calm her down.

"No one's going to die, Gin. Especially not Tonks, she's a fighter." the boy who lived whispered comfortingly to her as Mr. Weasley smiled in agreement.

"Molly says it'll take a while for the baby to be born, probably a couple more hours in the very least, so you lot best makes yourselves comfortable." the Weasley patriarch added as he left to retire to his room.

But no one else left for their rooms. They simply lay down on the comfortable couches instead: Harry and Ginny occupied a long couch, while Fred and George sat on the other. Blaise took the one seater, while Ron simply lay on the floor, resting his head against one of the sofas.

"Would you rather go up?" Draco asked Hermione, even though he knew what her answer would be.

She shook her head. "I'd rather stay here in case there's an emergency." she replied as she sat on the last remaining sofa, while Draco followed suit. No one was talking much, obviously still worried about Tonks's situation.

"Can you believe it though, a baby?" Hermione whispered quietly to Draco in wonder.

He made a noncommittal grunt, unsure of how to respond. He thought about how horrible the baby's timing was, and how unlucky it was to be born right in the middle of a war.

"Do you…do you ever think about having kids?" Hermione asked hesitatingly.

Draco raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You mean you and me having kids?"

"No!" she responded quickly. "I mean, generally. Would you ever want to have children?" she clarified, blushing slightly.

Draco frowned. "I don't know. I guess I never really thought about it." he answered truthfully. "Probably not."

"Really? Not at all?" she asked him, looking a bit put out.

"I'd be a terrible father, considering the example I've had." he replied, cringing slightly as he remembered how cruelly Lucius had treated him when he was a young child.

"I don't think you'd be a terrible father. After all, I saw how excellent you were with Eloise."

Draco smiled sadly, remembering the spirited young blonde back in Deepwater Inn. He hoped that the wards he cast on the place would hold, and that no harm had befallen his adopted family.

"What's with the question anyways? You aren't pregnant, are you?" he asked, suddenly alarmed.

"Of course not, silly!" Hermione laughed. "I was just…wondering."

Draco planted a soft kiss on her head. "Okay then." he replied, and the two fell silent once more.

Slowly, everyone began dozing off. Everyone except Draco, that is. As he lay on the couch, holding a sleeping Hermione in his arms, he began to think about her question. He never really thought about the prospect of being a father; somehow the idea of becoming one seemed as foreign to him as a kind and caring Lucius. His childhood had been a great stretch of one punishment after another; the only moments of light between them were the times he spent over at Deepwater Inn.

But things were different now, with Hermione by his side. Smiling slightly, he tried to imagine having a family with her. He pictured a small, bushy-haired little girl, with gray eyes like his. He imagined himself giving her flying lessons on a toy broomstick, and laughed softly when he pictured a hysterical Hermione yelling at both of them to stay safe.

"Why are you laughing?" Hermione whispered, her bleary eyes opening slowly.

"Nothing, Hermione, go back to sleep." Draco replied, kissing her as she snuggled closer to him.

Too sleepy to argue, she simply nodded her head. "Mmkay then. Sweet dreams, Draco."

Molly woke them up around breakfast, looking extremely exhausted but pleased.

"Wake up everyone, Tonks finally had her baby!" she said, waking the sleepy children up.

Everyone woke up immediately, and excitement quickly filled the room.

"Is it a boy or a girl?"

"Can we go see them, mum?"

"Is Tonks okay?"

"Blimey, you look terrible, mum."

The last comment had been from Fred, who earned a light whack on the head from his mother. "Only kidding, you look fantastic dear old mum." he rectified immediately.

Molly simply rolled her eyes, although a smile did play across her lips. "The baby's a sweet little boy, and we were able to get Tonks to deliver him safely. She's exhausted, but she told me that she'd like to see a couple of you."

"Who?" asked a puzzled Fred.

"Harry, Ginny, Hermione and Draco. If you will, please." she said, handing them a pot of floo powder.

Draco furrowed his brows, confused. "Why would she want to see me?" he asked the older witch.

Mrs. Weasley shrugged. "I didn't ask dear, it's none of my business." she smiled kindly.

Harry and Ginny quickly stepped into the fireplace and disappeared along with a burst of green flames. Hermione stepped in next, looking questioningly at Draco when she noticed that he hadn't followed her.

"Aren't you coming?" she asked him.

Draco hesitated. "Are you sure she asked for me?" he asked Mrs. Weasley.

"Of course I'm sure. Go on, she's not going to eat you!" she replied, chuckling at her own joke.

Wondering why on earth Tonks wanted to see him, he stepped into the fireplace. Making sure both his and Hermione's elbows were stuck close to their bodies, he spoke: "Tonks Residence!"

They vanished with a burst of emerald green flames, and landed neatly on a plush gray carpet. Both Harry and Ginny seemed to have waited for them. "Took you long enough. Come on, let's go and see the baby!" the redhead said excitedly.

Not knowing where to go, Draco simply followed the three Gryffindors, while still wondering why in the world he was asked to come with them. He glanced around the house, taking note of his surroundings. While the house seemed a bit small, it had a relaxed and welcoming air about it. He looked at the pictures that hung on the hallways, clearly depicting a clumsy and vivacious young Nymphadora Tonks. Her father was with her in most of her pictures, doting on her and laughing with her. With a pang he realized how dull his childhood seemed, and how cold and distant his parents were compared to hers.

The last photo was a small one, a black and white photo that could have easily been overlooked. It was a photo of the three sisters; Bellatrix, Andromeda and Narcissa. Draco was stunned to see how beautiful and regal all three of them were, and couldn't miss how astonishingly similar Bellatrix and Andromeda looked. They were nearly carbon copies of one another, which was ironic considering the different paths each of them took.

"Hurry up, Malfoy!" Ginny called out to him. The three were already at the end of the hallway, standing outside what Draco assumed to be Tonks's room.

Ginny flew to Tonks's side as soon as they entered the room. "Tonks, congratulations! How are you? Is the baby alright? Can I see him?" she said breathlessly.

"Merlin, Gin, give her some time to breathe." Harry chuckled, but he too offered his congratulations.

"Sorry." Ginny said apologetically.

Tonks gave a loud laugh, glowing as a new mother should. "It's fine, honestly. My mum was worse, believe me. She went nearly hysterical while I was in labor."

"Well excuse me for being worried about my only daughter." the older witch by her side grumbled as her daughter shot her an amused look.

Draco lost track of the conversation for a while as he turned his gaze away from the floor to the witch sitting by Tonks's bedside. It was the first time he had ever seen his aunt in person, and he realized that there was a startling difference between him and his other aunt, Bellatrix. If in youth they had been nearly carbon copies of one another, that had changed over time. While Bellatrix always had a proud stature and a menacing look in her eyes, Andromeda was the exact opposite. Her demeanor was much more welcoming; she smiled easily, and her eyes were softer and kinder than her eldest sister's arrogant and heavily-lidded stare.

Their gazes locked on one another's. Andromeda seemed mildly surprised, as though she hadn't known that Tonks had asked him to come over. She stared at him warily, as though sizing him up. Draco felt wildly out of place and unsure of what to do, so he merely lifted his chin up and stood his ground.

"So much like Cissy, you are." he heard Andromeda mutter curiously.

By then, the others had noticed the silent confrontation that the two were having, and conversation ceased as tension swept into the room. Thankfully, a loud cry came from the crib, which quickly diffused the awkward situation. Andromeda stood up to appease her newly born grandson, while Hermione and Ginny both rushed over to get their first glance at him.

"Oh, he's adorable!" Ginny cooed, reaching out to stroke the baby's face.

Hermione stood by, beaming at the sight of the baby. "Have you decided on what you're naming him?" she asked Tonks.

"Yup. We're naming him Ted, after my dad." Tonks said proudly. Andromeda's eyes glistened with tears as she remembered her late husband, but she managed to keep her composure.

"So I imagine you're all wondering why I asked you lot to come." the new mother remarked.

"A bit, yeah." Harry responded cheekily.

"Well I suppose that my son's godfather ought to get a good look at him, yeah?" Tonks said, smirking.

Harry nearly sputtered in astonishment. "G-godfather? Me?"

Tonks laughed. "Yes, you! Remus and I both agree, as long as you're up to it, of course."

The boy who lived looked quite stupefied. "I- yeah, blimey…" he stammered.

Tonks nodded in delight, then turned to Ginny. "You'll be his godmother, then?" she asked her.

Ginny grinned in delight, tears quickly rushing to her eyes. "Of course I will, Tonks! I'd be completely honored to be his g-godmother." she said, sobbing with happiness as she went over to give Tonks a bone-crashing hug.

"Where's Remus?" asked Hermione, noticing his absence.

"He's out telling everyone in the Order about the birth of his son." Tonks chuckled. "The man's completely dazed by his own happiness." she added fondly.

Everyone laughed, and Andromeda handed Teddy Lupin over to his newly appointed godparents. Harry looked pleased with himself as he carried his godson, and looked at him as though nothing in the world were more precious. Ginny exclaimed with delight when he handed the baby over to her, and sighed in exhilaration when he first opened his eyes.

"Look at him, he knows his godmum." she cooed and smiled at the baby.

Hermione moved closer to Draco, entwining her fingers with his as she leaned her head on his shoulder. News of the baby seemed to have taken them out of themselves and removed them from their current state of mourning; tidings of new life were especially welcome in the state of war they were in.

"Draco, come and meet your cousin." Tonks smiled warmly at him as Ginny handed over the baby to her.

Draco jolted in surprise at the use of his first name. Not many people called him by it, but he supposed that the name Malfoy wasn't exactly the most welcome name in this house. He walked over rather awkwardly, with Hermione by his side, and took his first look of the baby.

Teddy Lupin was the very picture of innocence, his eyes opened wide as he stared back at him while happily gurgling. Happiness washed over Draco, catching him off guard. He never expected himself to be so affected by a tiny infant.

"Do you want to hold him?" Tonks asked him gently.

"You're not serious." Draco looked at her dubiously. Seeing his cousin was one thing, holding him in his arms was another. He felt unworthy…unfit to hold such a pure and innocent thing in his tainted arms.

"Why not? I want him to know his cousin, not be estranged from him. You're family, after all." she smiled warmly.

Not knowing what possessed him to do so, Draco slowly stretched out his arms. Tonks handed Teddy to him, who, thankfully, didn't cry out at his touch. Draco let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He looked at Teddy, warmth creeping into his chest. He hadn't seen anything more pure in his life, untouched by the atrocities and pureblood mania that had plagued his other side of the family.

Teddy cooed and looked into his eyes, his hair changing into a platinum blonde shade at the same time, mimicking Draco's hair. Tonks laughed.

"Guess he likes his cousin." she said.

Draco smiled slightly. "Yeah, I guess so." he whispered.

Hermione stared at Draco, taking note of his affectionate expression towards his cousin. She smiled, knowing how much Tonks's gesture meant to him. How it symbolized their mutual acceptance and forgiveness of each other's pasts. How Teddy was the link to two sides of the family who have been estranged for years, bringing them together at long last.

"I'm glad you chose this side, Draco. I'm so proud of you." Andromeda said, staring at her nephew with pride in her eyes.

It was a monumental moment, and everyone in the room knew it. They all held their breaths as Draco held Teddy Lupin, standing next to his previously estranged cousin's bed as the aunt whom he had never met before placed a hand on his shoulder as a symbol of acceptance.

"Never thought I'd see Malfoy get all moony-eyed over a kid." Ginny nudged her, smirking.

Hermione acknowledged her statement with a smile, her eyes glistening with tears.

"He'll make a great father, you know." the redhead grinned mischievously at her.

"Oh hush, Ginny." Hermione rolled her eyes at her friend good-naturedly, but secretly agreed with her. Draco would be nothing like Lucius, that was for sure.

After a while, Tonks declared that she was getting a bit tired, and after a few goodbyes, Andromeda led them out of the room. Draco was the last one out, as he had offered his congratulations to his cousin and gratitude that she saw fit to acknowledge him as family. It was a bit awkward, but Draco felt lighter than he had in a few days. Being part of the Order was one thing; being accepted into his aunt's family was another. At least now he knew that there would be a family who would be willing to welcome him after Lucius disowned him for his treachery.

By the time he got to the fireplace, Hermione, Ginny and Harry had already flooed back, leaving him with his Aunt Andromeda. He nodded goodbye to her and was about to step into the floo network, when-

"Draco, wait!" his aunt called.

Draco lowered his hand full of floo powder and stepped out. "What is it?" he asked his aunt.

"I really am glad that you've chosen to fight for the right side, you know. I was wary at first, when they told me that you'd supposedly switched sides, but I can see that you're sincere with your actions. Especially with Hermione Granger. I have to be honest with you, I never imagined you of all people to follow my lead and fall for a muggle-born." she chuckled.

"In all honestly, I'm just lucky she fell for me as well." Draco replied with a small smile.

"I can only imagine how Lucius and Narcissa would react when they find out."

"Let's hope they don't." Draco said grimly, especially afraid of what Lucius would do.

"How is Cissy?" Andromeda asked suddenly, her concern for her younger sister blatantly obvious.

"Don't worry about her, Aunt Andromeda, she's fine." As long as I keep my Vow, he added silently to himself.

Andromeda sighed. "I do wish she'd see reason and come over to the other side like you did."

"I hope so too." Draco murmured. "But she did help save Hermione's life, you know, although she didn't exactly like it."

"How so?" his aunt asked curiously.

"Well, Aunt Bellatrix tortured Hermione with a dagger laced with the old Malfoy poison, and mother helped find the antidote for it, knowing completely well that it was Hermione's life she was risking hers for." he explained. But we were caught by that crazy sister of yours, therefore I'm bound by this stupid Vow to infiltrate the Order of the Phoenix and turn spy for the Dark Side in order to save my mother's life, he added silently to himself once more.

"Hmm…perhaps there's hope for her yet." Andromeda remarked softly to herself. "I apologize, I didn't intend to keep you long. I'm sure that the others would be looking for you by now. Stay safe, Draco."

Draco nodded, and stepped back into the fireplace, giving his aunt a small smile before returning to their safe house.

"Where were you? You were gone for nearly ten minutes!" Hermione said as soon as he appeared back into Muriel's living room.

"I'm sorry, Andromeda wanted to talk to me." Draco explained.

Hermione tilted her head curiously. "About what?"

"She asked how mother was doing."

"Oh." Hermione said. She knew that the two sisters haven't been in contact since Andromeda was disowned, but she supposed that siblings never stopped caring for one another no matter what.

"Have you seen Potter? I've got to tell him something." he asked her.

"I think he's in his room, but why-" Hermione never even got to finish her sentence, as Draco left the room immediately to talk to Harry.

He had to tell him that he was agreeing to their plan and would go with them to break into Gringotts, mainly because he would never be able to live with himself if he allowed Hermione to risk her life and go without him. The short visit to see his newborn cousin also added to his zeal to agree to the dangerous plan. After seeing how pure and innocent his cousin was, Draco vowed to do all that he could to make sure that the world Teddy would grow up in was completely different to the one they lived in now. He felt that he owed him that much.

"Potter!" he said, catching up with the boy who lived as he was about to enter his room.

"Malfoy." he acknowledged. "What's wrong?"

"I'm going with you to break into Gringotts."

Harry broke into a smile. "I knew you'd see reason." he said.

"Yeah well I doubt you and the Weasel would be able to keep Hermione out of harm's way better than I can." Draco said somewhat haughtily.

"Hermione's always been able to take care of herself, you know. You don't have to be so protective of her." Harry raised one eyebrow.

"Like you wouldn't be protective of the Weaselette." Draco countered.

"Fair enough." Harry grinned. "No backing out, yeah?"

"You have my word, Potter." Draco promised, and held out his hand to seal the deal.

As soon as the two shook hands, Draco felt an invisible force knock into him, causing him to stagger sideways.

"Are you okay?" Harry asked him worriedly.

Draco hung on to the wall for support, while pain shot throughout his body, nearly overwhelming him. "I'm f-fine. Just a bit woozy from the lack of sleep, I suppose." he managed to say through clenched teeth.

"Perhaps you should go lie down." he said, still looking at Draco with unease in his eyes.

"Yeah, I'll go d-do that." Draco ground out, and tried to walk as normally as he could. After a couple of steps, however, he fell to the ground, clutching his stomach in agony.

"Shit. Should I go and get Muriel?" Harry said, now completely alarmed by Draco's condition.

"No!" Draco almost shouted. The pain was excruciating, and his eyes began to water as he tried to keep himself from shouting. "Just help me to my room, would you?" he said to Harry.

Harry looked as though he were going to oppose his wishes, but chose to comply instead. He helped Draco up, and placed one arm across his shoulder and another one on his waist as he slowly guided him to his room.

It was a slow journey, as Draco grew weaker and weaker by the second, but they finally managed to get to the room without alerting anyone else of Draco's strange condition. Harry helped Draco onto the bed, where the latter collapsed after doubling over in pain.

"Should I get Hermione?" the black haired boy asked weakly.

"No!" Draco said vehemently. "Whatever you do, Potter, do not tell Hermione. Keep her downstairs for as long as possible."

"What in Salazar's name is wrong, Malfoy? You look like you're bloody dying, and you won't let anyone help you." Harry burst out in anger at Draco's refusal to alert anyone of his predicament.

"Potter, don't tell anyone. I can handle this on my own, don't worry."

"But-"

"Please. Promise me."

Harry sighed. He had never heard the blonde Slytherin beg before, and he knew that the latter would never be reduced to begging unless he was truly desperate. "Alright then. Just…call me if you need anything, alright?" he said, before leaving the room.

Draco waited a couple minutes before letting out a loud howl in pain. The pain was everywhere and nowhere at the same time, Draco felt as though he would expire from it. He was no stranger to pain, having been exposed to the Cruciatus Curse countless times, but this was a different kind of pain altogether. It was hard to fight the urge; it felt as if every nerve in his body were itching to Apparate out of this house, while his tongue tingled as though it were forcing him to blab about the Golden Trio's plans to infiltrate Gringotts and rob the Lestrange vault. It was almost as bad as the Cruciatus Curse and the Imperius Curse. It was as though someone had robbed him of the control he had over his body.

He supposed this was one of the effects of the Unbreakable Vow. The urge to apparate back to the Malfoy Manor and inform Bellatrix of the Order's plan was overwhelming, it was all he could do to keep himself from shouting out loud. It seemed as though his handshake with Potter was the catalyst, a nonverbal binding of his agreement to go through with the plan of robbing Gringotts. It was a formal declaration of a plan against the Dark Side and Voldemort himself, which must have triggered his Unbreakable Vow and made him want to inform Bellatrix of their plans.

Draco tried to fight it. He clenched his teeth and closed his eyes, willing the feeling to go away, but the urge to Apparate back into the Manor was too much for him to bear. He even tried Occlumency, clearing his mind out of all thoughts, but it was useless. The Vow was too strong for him to even fight.

As a last resort, he tried to think of Hermione. He thought of every moment they had spent together, of all the good times they had shared. He pictured her smile, which he adored so much…the feel of her soft hands as he entwined it with his…her big brown eyes with stared at him adoringly. He thought of how much he had changed because of her, how she was his salvation and hope that he could change for the better.

He tried to fight it, Merlin knows he did, but in the end the pain completely consumed him. Draco was at the point of blacking out, and he knew that if he tried to fight the urge any longer, he would be knocked out and would never wake again.

"I'm so sorry Hermione." he whispered, and gave into the urge. All pain immediately left him as soon as he arrived back into the Malfoy Manor. His head now clear from the paralyzing and devastating pain, he knew in a flash that he had made a terrible mistake. He turned back to Apparate, but it was too late. A figure had moved in the shadows, cackling with madness as she said:

"Well, if it isn't Draco Malfoy, my dear beloved nephew."

Yay, I'm so glad I finally finished this chapter! I know the first part might seem a little dull, but I really wanted to show the difference between Andromeda and Bellatrix, and of the Tonks family compared to the Malfoy family. I think it's pretty important to see how the ones who defected had real happiness, as compared to those who chose to stick to the wrong side.

My ramblings aside, I'm glad that you guys are still sticking to this story. I really hope it's not too long and boring for you, though.

Lastly, thanks for all those who leave such lovely reviews. You guys are the reason why I continue to write this story. 3