I sleep in my room that night. Aaron's ex-girlfriend comes to pick up the baby. They hide me in the house while she is here, because Aaron obviously told her I am dead. I explain to them that I am going to be trying to find Draco, and I imagine that wherever I end up, I won't be able to come back here. Da throws another fit, and Mum cries some more. Alfred and Aaron seem to understand.

"It's enough to know that you're alive," Aaron says.

"They'll get it eventually," Alfred agrees. "Da's always had a hard time with wizard stuff, and Mum misses you."

"Also, I'm glad you're leaving," Aaron laughs. "That way, no one can encroach on my title of best uncle to Danny."

"I'm not an uncle," I say.

"You know what I mean you dick," Aaron jokes.

"Yeah. I mean, it's obvious that Danny likes me more, so I will get out of your way," I tell Aaron.

He tackles me to the ground. You would never guess that his thirtieth birthday is coming up from the way he behaves.

So, I crawl back upstairs, and I get in my room. It hasn't been touched since I went into hiding, I'm guessing. The clothing looks dressier than I had expected it to look. There are so many muggle books in here, but there are also wizarding books and all sorts of different trinkets from my time at Hogwarts and my years beforehand. Some devices that I don't know the name of. I lie on my bed. My pillow is hard.

Underneath it are the letters. There are dozens. All of them are from Draco. They aren't detailed, and they don't say his name, but I recognize the way he uses phrases. Some are from summer holidays, others Christmas. Occasionally, he is discussing meeting up with me somewhere that neither of our families can find us. They are mostly practical, up until the ones shortly before I would have gone into hiding. In them, he is apologizing to me for lying about being a Death Eater. He tries to explain that he had no choice besides death. He tells me that even knowing that he would die, he wasn't brave enough to kill Dumbledore. It was Snape, whoever that is. At least I know things weren't even perfect back then. They never will be.

In the morning, we eat breakfast together and play a few games. Da is tense, but Mum acts like I've never been gone. My brothers roll with it. If this were what England had for me, it might be hard to go with Draco. There is a family here that loves me, even if half of my people hate me. The wizarding world is harsh and cruel. This is simple. This is easy, and in that ease it is wonderful. We stay together until shortly after lunch, when both Alfred and Aaron decide to go back to their homes. I would call it quits too, but the train won't run until tomorrow. Truly, I was lucky in ran yesterday.

Most of the evening I spend with my Mum and Da. We catch up as well. They are doing fine. Da mostly grunts along to whatever Mum is saying. She's excited though to see me.

"So, your brothers say that you are seeing the wizard we met," she says. "Draco, right?"

I nod my head, "yeah, suppose so."

"He seems lovely," she says. "He wanted to take care of us you know, just for you."

I wonder what she would think if she knew he was a war criminal.

That evening, Aaron stops by with Alfred. They insist on taking me out for a drive. We do go out, and we drive around the town. Aaron says that Alfred couldn't bear to let me go without having some private time together. Alfred shakes his head and doesn't deny it, but we all know that it is Aaron who actually misses me.

After an hour of driving around and teasing each other about our flaws, we wind up in our backyard. We curl up in blankets out on the porch swing. Apparently, we did this all the time. We barely fit together, especially with all the blankets. I cast a spell that will help keep us warm. Aaron is amazed and Alfred only rolls his eyes.

"So, Danny's Mum is out of the picture," I say, looking over at Alfred. "Chased her away with your good looks and charm, did you?"

"Alfred only dates crazy women," Aaron shakes his head.

"Didn't your ex-girlfriend hold me hostage, Aaron?" I ask.

"Your memory was altered, you aren't supposed to remember," Aaron spits. "Anyway, Alfred's girl. She was barely even pregnant when they split. Reckon he could've put up with crazy for at least the first year of Danny's life."

"You idiot," Alfred takes a sip of his beer and reaches behind me to try to shove Aaron. I manage to keep the swing from toppling as they almost go at each other. "You know we split because I was depressed after Marty died, and I couldn't tell Jessica about the details."

"We had to tell everyone that you died in a drowning accident while at that boarding school," Aaron clarifies. "It was the only way we could think of quickly, since your body was gone and we needed a funeral."

"What are we going to do about the tombstone?" Alfred asks, looking over.

Aaron laughs, "maybe that's what's got Da's knickers in a twist. He's mad about the money we spent on the funeral! It was a pretty penny."

"Just tell people I got fucking amnesia and washed up a few miles away," I shrug. "It's truer than saying I'm dead, anyway."

"Well, once you fuck off with that bloke you're shagging, it's not going to matter much," Aaron starts to chug his beer, knowing Alfred won't hit him in case he chokes.

"Da is going to go bloody mental if you say one more thing about your baby sister shagging a guy," Alfred crosses his arm. "He'll have your head in."

"Draco went through a lot to make sure I was safe," it's sometimes impossible to get a word in with them edgewise and I kind of love it.

"Yeah, well last we heard before your death, you didn't even want to see him. Then, he shows up, and overnight you disappear forever, and we find out you were killed in that wizard conflict thing," Aaron shrugs. "I guess that you don't remember what he did to piss you off?"

"Murder, I reckon," I say. I down the rest of my beer.

"Yeah, well, he said it was a war and all that," Aaron says.

Alfred shoves him now, "why are you coming to his defence? The killer who's shagging your sister?"

"Hey, knock it off," Aaron imitates Da. "You shouldn't talk about your sister like that."

The rest of the night we keep drinking. I hold my liquor just as well as them, if not better, and they've both got nearly a foot of height on me and lots of muscle. Alfred says it's because they are getting old. Maybe they are getting old, but I think it's because I'm so used to magical liquor.

Eventually, it is time to call it a night, and they are drunk enough that they have to stay. In the morning, Aaron offers to give me a ride back to London. Alfred tags along as well. They want to do some shopping for Boxing Day, so it works out well for all of us. I bid my Mum and Da goodbye. Mum says she will see me soon.

I know a goodbye when I hear one.

After two hours thanks to traffic, we are in London. I give both of them hugs goodbye and ask for their emails. With their emails in my pocket, I head off into the hotel. Maybe I won't see them again, but at least I can send them an email, and that's something.

Once I'm in our rooms, Pansy pretends not to acknowledge me. She got me a gift for Christmas though. It's another outfit, but it's a muggle one. She ridicules me for liking muggle clothes while I open it.

"I'd rather look like a muggle than a fairy tale villain," I laugh.

She laughs too.

We spend the day mostly to ourselves. I manage to get a copy of the Witch Weekly that was released the day before I was interrogated, and so the day before the Parkinson estate was targeted in an explosion. Pansy spends a lot of her time out and about, investigating, since none of the aurors really seem to care about what happens to her and by extent, her estate. While I was gone, she apparently spent the afternoon fielding her mother's wrath, who has returned from their home in France.

That night, I'm sober, and it doesn't bother me at all.

Then, in the morning, Auror Dawlish comes to the hotel. All I feel is dread. I would rather not be interrogated once more. Instead, he has come to collect me, since Blaise is ready to begin restoring my memories. The plan is for me to be housed within the Department of Magical Law Enforcement until the end of day December 30, at which point, all of my memories will be returned. Three aurors will be watching Blaise, including Auror Dawlish, Harry and Ron. Auror Robards, the head of the department, will be subbing in for them periodically, as will two other aurors who I do not know. Unfortunately, I won't be consciously aware for the magical procedure, which will help keep my sanity from cracking. I'm going to go in the ministry, and I will wake up with my memories, a different person.

Pansy waves me off, pretending not to pay attention. She calls me a whore on the way out and I shoot her the finger. Surprisingly, I'm going to miss her. I do have a habit of liking bad people. I fall for mean men, and the women I like are just as nasty towards me. I suppose the only reason I don't enjoy Ginny's company is because she is ruder to Draco than to me.

Auror Dawlish and I walk to a telephone booth which we use to enter the ministry. There are cameras all over the lobby trying to take pictures of me. I keep my head high.

I should reread The Scarlet Letter. Honestly, it feels more applicable to my life than the other books that I recommended for Draco.

Then, I greet Ron and Harry. Ron isn't a good actor, and I bet anyone who is watching can tell that he's only pretending to meet me for the first time. Auror Dawlish is too preoccupied talking to Blaise Zabini's solicitor to notice. After a brief conversation, I am guided into the room. I sit across from Blaise, my head turned to look at Ron. It was always Ron who was honest with me. Harry was there for Draco, which I always appreciated, but Ron had my back whenever he could, even at Draco's expense, and even at his own.

Ron gives me a curt but reassuring nod. I'll be okay.

"This potion will put you to sleep," Auror Dawlish passes me a cup. "It tastes fine. We will wake you up when you are ready."

So, I nod, and then I down the potion.

I'm out like a light.

~~~~~

I'm going to cry! Only one chapter left in all of this. It feels kind of emotional, but I'll survive. Let me know what you think in the comments. Will Marty wake up? If she does, will she find Draco? All will be revealed, I promise.