Supercollide

History

"Were you not aware that these new details were from your mother?"

Draco's eyes flash as he watches Sirius, a look of respect mixed with something else I can't put my finger on. I see Hermione's hand squeeze her husband's in encouragement. "No. I had an inkling, but a part of me was afraid to hope."

The men watch each other, and I notice Severus drop his gaze out of the corner of my eye. If I didn't know any better, I could've swore tears were rimming his eyes. "Who was providing information before this?" Sirius finally glances around the room, his eyebrows drawing together as Astoria clears her throat.

"Pansy Parkinson," her voice trembles just slightly.

"I'm guessing this person means something to you?"

I interrupt, trying to save Astoria from the awkwardness quickly descending into the atmosphere of the kitchen. "Sirius, Pansy has saved our arses with information many times. She means something to all of us." I glance at my friend, giving her a small smile, "Astoria was her best friend at Hogwarts. So were Draco and Theo. There's history there."

"History indeed," he hums before turning back to Draco. "I'd like to hear why you switched sides, if you'd be willing. All of you."

Dean opens his mouth to say something, but Draco cuts him off with a shake of his head, "He's right to be curious. Sirius isn't being malevolent. Although, the answer isn't as altruistic as you're probably hoping. I'm man enough to admit that." He glances at where his and Hermione's hands are joined before elaborating, "At around the same time that my mother was saving Harry's life in the clearing, Hermione was saving mine in the castle."

Practically everyone in the room sucks in a whoosh of air, excluding the pair and Sirius who just raises his brows. None of the Order knew the real reason why Draco jumped ship from the Death Eaters. Only that he did, and others followed, leading to the last push we needed to succeed at the battle.

"Blimey, it's just as well that Ron isn't here now," Harry mutters, earning a laugh from his wife and a glare from his mother in law. Arthur stifles his own smile.

"We'd danced around each other for years up until that point, and everything came to fruition during the battle. Hermione came across me and Fenrir on the way back from the Chamber of Secrets, where she destroyed a horcrux. He'd decided to use the battle as an excuse to get some hits on me, because I'd always been protected. By the time she stumbled upon us, I'd been crucified.. What, three times?" He glances at his wife who's watching him with thinly veiled awe.

"Five." The room is so silent you could hear a pin drop.

Draco shudders, his eyes finding mine. "Well, five times. I'm not sure if any of you really know what that's like-"

"I do. It's unimaginable, I'm sorry that you had to go through that pain," Sirius' admittance is like a bomb detonating in the silence. McGonagall squeezes my shoulder as I choke on a gasp.

As if the atmosphere can't get any worse, Draco disproves the theory with his next statement, "Hermione hit him with a killing curse so strong, it slammed him into the wall thirty feet away."

She admonishes him when she catches the love and approval in his gaze as he looks at her. Arthur lets out a string of curses, Molly almost faints but rights herself when Harry catches her elbow. The entire room explodes into chaos and disbelief. Kingsley is yelling, whilst Severus and Sirius grumble at him to stop. Draco is trying not to laugh, a hint of insanity sparkling in his silver eyes. Hermione is warding off comments being flung at her from both Ginny and Tonks. Remus looks like he might be sick and McGonagall is handing him a glass of water. Theo is outright snickering, Astoria and Dean trying to get him to behave.