Unless You Tell Them to Everyone

Draco and Harry walked briskly towards the Dark Forest, passing the once standing Quidditch pitch, and the rubble that used to be Hagrid's hut.

They didn't speak to one another, they both knew what was about to happen, and there was no reason to talk about it. As they walked, the temperature dropped, and both boys shivered involuntarily.

"He's close," Harry said suddenly, and both boys slowed to a stop. Harry reached in to his pocket, and pulled out his snitch.

"Really Potter? Going to bring up Quidditch records now?" Draco joked, trying unsuccessfuly to lighten the mood. Harry ignored him, just raised the snitch to his lips.

"What are you- oh, that's right. Snitches have flesh memories. And you practically swallowed that one."

Again, Harry ignored him, rolling his eyes and realizing why Draco and Hermione liked each other so much- they were both good at pointing out obvious, and sometimes pointless, facts.

Draco leaned over Harry's shoulder. "I open at the close," he whispered. "What does that mean?"

"I think it means it's about to open," Harry said quietly. And then, louder and stronger, he said, "I am ready to die."

Without warning, the snitch popped open, and Draco's mouth fell open when he saw what was inside it. "The Resurrection Stone..." Draco murmured.

Harry didn't respond, but began turning it over in his palms. Soon, shimmering images began to appear around them, two of which Draco recognized as having to be Harry's parents. Realizing that it was probably going to be an emotional moment that he shouldn't intrude on, Draco gave Harry a quick nod, then walked away, towards the clearing where he knew the Dark Lord was waiting.

Draco took a deep breath, let Hermione's smiling face fill his mind, then walked in to the clearing, immediately coming face to face with a group of death eaters, and the Dark Lord himself.

"Ah, Draco. How good of you to join us," Voldemort said happily. Draco didn't say anything, and so Voldemort turned to Narcissa Malfoy and beckoned her forward.

Draco's breath caught in his throat and his heart ached seeing his mother so frail and sickly looking. "You were wondering who killed your beloved Lucius... He stands before you now."

Narcissa didn't get angry, or begin throwing curses at Draco. Instead, she simply walked up to him, and stared in to his eyes.

She must have seen the striking resemblance between not only Lucius and Draco, but herself as well. Her eyes narrowed in curiosity.

"Who are you?" she breathed, making sure no one else could hear her. Draco looked her in the eyes, and a look of recognition crossed her face.

"Draco... Draco Malfoy," Draco whispered, hanging his head.

Narcissa's face turned to one of utter and complete shock, but she hid it well as she turned back to the Dark Lord. "My Lord? I'd like to request a favor."

Voldemort scowled slightly, and Draco gulped. "A favor?"

If Narcissa was scared, she didn't show it. "Yes, my lord. I want to avenge my husband properly. I would like to take this boy deeper in to the forest, and destroy him. I want to watch the light leave his eyes by my hand the way he did to my darling Lucius."

Voldemort pondered for a moment. Narcissa was extraordinarily convincing, Draco only hoped she was acting. "I suppose I see no problem with that," Voldemort said slowly. "Alright Narcissa, you have proved yourself faithful, even through your hardships. I suppose it's only fair that you are the one to kill the boy who has caused those hardships. Go. Have fun." Voldemort gave a sick attempt at a smile as he said the last two words.

Narcissa nodded. "Thank you, my lord," she said, grabbing Draco roughly by the arm and dragging him out in to a darker, denser part of the forest.

Once they were out of earshot of the clearing, Narcissa pushed Draco up against a tree, let go of his arm, and pointed her wand at his throat.

"Lucius and his family are the only Malfoys in the Wizarding World. Why would you feed me such an idiotic lie?" she asked angrily.

"I didn't lie," Draco said quickly, putting his hands up. "It's... It's kind of a long story."

"Condense it," Narcissa snarled, and Draco shuttered: his mother had never spoken like that to him- or to anyone for that matter- before.

Narcissa grabbed him again, holding him even tighter, and whispered dangerously, "You have thirty seconds to explain yourself before I truly avenge my husband's death the way I should have the moment I saw you."

"I was your son. I...am your son. I fell in love with a mud- with a muggle born. Father- I mean, Lucius, was furious, and tried to kill her. Dumbledore erased his and your memories of me so that we wouldn't be in danger. I'm so sorry... I never meant for him to die... It was all so fast, and I... I'm so, so sorry." Draco broke down crying as he realized just how much he missed having parents, especially his mother.

By this time, Narcissa had dropped her wand and was staring at Draco with glassy eyes. "That's impossible... I've never had a child."

Draco shook his head sadly. "Well, you did... you just don't remember."

Narcissa stared at Draco for what seemed like an eternity. "Maybe it's the resemblance, maybe I'm just crazy, God only knows... but I believe you." She pulled Draco in to a hug, holding him tightly.

Finally, she let go, and he saw that her face was streaked with tears. "Go. Go back to the castle, and fight. If we're both..." she swallowed. "... alive after this... I want you to come home."

Draco gave her another tight hug, waved slightly, and then apparated to what remained of the Great Hall with a small "pop".

He stared at the devastation around him, ignoring it all until his eyes landed on the thing he loved most in the world.

Hermione saw him at the same time he saw her, and within moments she was in his arms, and everything else in the world was forgotten.

It was Draco and Hermione, and that was all that they needed.