Draco knew that his mother loved him unconditionally, that much he never questioned. Still, it had been unbelievably difficult for her to accept that Draco loved Hermione Granger, a muggle-born. Narcissa had excommunicated her sister for the very same reason. It was betrayal of the highest order for a pureblood to marry and love a muggle-born.
Perhaps, her disdain for muggle-borns was lessened by her need to lean on Ted Tonks. Narcissa and Draco were completely dependent on the Tonks' kindness for their survival. It was that knowledge that changed everything. Narcissa was forced to see for herself the love her sister held for a muggle-born, she finally saw there was no difference between purebloods and muggle-borns. And maybe, Draco wondered to himself, his mother hoped his fascination with Hermione would evaporate when the war was over.
Draco could have told her that was not the case. Hermione had taken his heart and he could not imagine ever giving it to anyone else. Granger had ruined every other woman for him.
They were distracted from thinking about it too much by the arrival of the unexpected wedding between Nymphadora Tonks and Remus Lupin. It was a small ceremony held at the Tonks' home. Only family had been invited, even the Weasleys were not there, which surprised Draco, as he knew how close Tonks and Remus were to the Weasley family.
Draco tried to learn as much as he could about the whole thing. Apparently, Tonks had told Lupin she wanted to get married and the old professor just agreed. After all of the fuss he had put up in order to distance himself from her, Draco found it hard to believe that Lupin just agreed to marry Tonks. Either way, Draco was happy for them. They both deserved a lifetime of happiness.
Draco was also privy to the numerous Order meetings that took place during that summer. The majority of their conversations rested in how they were going to move Harry from the Dursleys to the Burrow. Apparently, their plans included an enormous amount of Polyjuice Potion. Draco shuddered at the thought of looking like Harry Potter, even if it was to save the git's life.
After a few weeks at the Tonks' house, Draco decided to go to the Burrow, knowing Ron and Hermione would need help packing for their inevitable trip, a trip he had alluded to when speaking with his mother, but never outrightly stated. How could he explain that they were looking for items they did not know and he could not tell her what they were looking for in the first place.
In the end, he told her he was helping his friends hide from the Dark Lord.
She might not understand the implications of this, but it was the only explanation he could give.
Draco was surprised to find Hermione already at the Burrow when he arrived. He was glad. He hated the idea of Hermione being alone in her parents' home. She smiled like a ray of light when she saw him walking towards the house. Her hair was tied into a braid behind her back, taming the glorious mane Draco had grown to love. Her face was smeared with dirt, causing Draco to wonder what she had been doing all day.
But a part of him was certain this was a sight, a memory that would last him forever.
She threw her arms around him, hiding him close to her. Draco spun her arm around, grateful she was here, that she was back in his arms. He recalled Andromeda and her husband briefly. "Was it worth it?" he had asked her over their weeks together. "Was it worth it giving up your whole family for a muggle-born?"
"Yes," she answered without hesitation. "Though, I wish they had seen what I did. I wish they understood."
His family might not have understood, but Draco did.
He leaned down and kissed Hermione, showing her just how much he had missed her. When he pulled away, he brushed the dirt from her face. "What on earth have you been doing?" he inquired, amusement in his voice.
YOU ARE READING
The Brave at Heart
Fanfiction"He could only imagine what his father was going to say when he heard. Oh, he had really done it this time. His father had once told him he was a disgrace to the Malfoy name and now he really was. It wasn't supposed to have gone this way. He was sup...
