There was an unearthly silence, which was rather unusual for Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Draco had just apparated with Emma to the grounds of the school, like he said he would. Now that they were back here, Emma could see that they really had been gone for a fair while, but not as long as it felt like. 

Emma looked at Draco, who met her eyes instantly. 

"Good to go?" she said, collected, although on the inside she was bursting with anticipation, wanted nothing more than to run to the castle. Her hands began to shake. 

Draco still looked suspicious, squinting and glaring up at the castle. He took Emma by the hand. "Wands out. Alright... let's get going."

And so they began to walk. 

Emma bit her lip, glancing at Draco. "I did something..."

She felt Draco's stare on her, and her heart began to pick up it's pace at the fact there was no backing out of this conversation now. 

"What's that?" he asked. 

"I... I had to kill someone," Emma said, her voice shaky and her eyes staring hard at her feet as she walked. "I used the killing curse on her. I didn't want to but, she gave me no choice. In that moment, it was her or me and... I really don't like this feeling."

"Hey," Draco said, grabbing Emma by the shoulders and turning her to face him. She did so reluctantly. "You did what you had to. It was self defence. A lot of people have killed tonight, many for the first time, so you aren't alone. Everyone did what they had to. And like you said... it was her or you."

Emma swallowed thickly and nodded up at him. He quickly pulled her into a hug and held her around the shoulders, Emma wrapped her arms around his back, hugging him. She felt his lips press softly against the top of her head, before Draco pulled away and grabbed onto her hand again.

The pair walked up the grounds and through the Entrance, where they were met with dust and clutter of broken concrete and walls, but no people. As they neared the Great Hall, they were met with the sound of soft chatter, but what made Emma smile warmly was the sound of soft laughter. It didn't sound totally evil.

Emma looked at Draco again, still smiling, to see that he was already looking at her. His lips twitched in response to how happy she looked, but his eyes still showed guilt. Emma squeezed his hand, and pulled him towards the Great Hall. 

Many people were okay. She could see Seamus, Dean and Aberforth Dumbledore by one corner chatting and making jokes, she could see some of the teachers including Madam Pomfrey, Professor McGonagall and Professor Sprout by where the teachers' table would normally be. There were House Elves walking around offering food and drink, some of them were injured and being patched up. Mr and Mrs Weasley, George, Ginny, Bill and Fleur were by a window; they looked so, so exhausted, yet so relieved that, even though they lost Fred, nobody else was lost with him. George looked miserable and distant, staring hard at nothing as his mother talked with her family quietly. Emma's heart hurt seeing this... 

And, surprisingly, Mr and Mrs Malfoy were there... sitting by a far corner, away from everybody. Mrs Malfoy looked frantic as her eyes darted rapidly around the room, her hand on her chest. Mr Malfoy stood with her, a hand on her shoulder, and his eyes staring hard at the stone floor, as though there were too many things crossing his mind at once.

"Emma! There you are!" a voice cried. 

Emma spun around at the sound of her name, only to be crushed in a hug. She knew it was Harry's hug, so very familiar. Hermione and Ron were behind him, smiling and... holding hands. 

Harry pulled away. "I'm so glad you're okay."

Emma frowned. "What happened? Where is...he?"

"There's no need for anyone to worry about him anymore. He's gone," Harry said, sighing with relief. He looked and sounded like there was a massive weight lifted off his shoulders. 

Emma was crazy happy to hear this. Harry hadn't had the best home life, had half a decent school life, considering insane things always seemed to happen to him and the fact that there was a dark wizard who sought to kill him for his entire life, but now he could just breathe.

"You did it?" Emma asked quietly, her mouth lifting into a small smile. 

Harry nodded, trying not to come off as proud. "Yeah," he said, disbelief in his eyes. He chuckled lightly. "I did."

Harry's eyes looked over her shoulder, and Emma followed them to find Draco standing there, his hands in his pockets and his eyes set downcast. He looked up, as though he felt Emma and Harry looking at him, and he shifted slightly. Emma was surprised to see Harry slowly approach Draco, and when they were less than even a metre away, after almost a minute, Harry stuck his hand out. Draco was probably incredibly shocked, but he looked very calm and collected on the outside, and he reached up and gripped Harry's hand, and they shook, firmly. Hermione and Ron didn't seem to expect this either, as they watched with their mouths agape. 

Harry nodded and gave Draco one pat on the side of his upper arm before he turned and walked away. Even though they didn't exchange words with each other, anyone watching could sense that years of tension had just been lifted into the air. Emma smiled when Draco looked at her, and she slowly turned and made her way over to the Weasley family to offer her condolences. 

Draco stared at the back of Emma's head as she walked away across the hall. And just to think, that if he hadn't done what he did, take Emma out of there even if it was against her will, she might not have been walking across the hall at this moment to greet the Weasley family. 

His mother had finally spotted him, and she called out for him. He quickly reached her and they met halfway, and he prepared himself for a bone-crushing hug. His mother did just that, while his father reached out and gripped Draco by the shoulder. That was as much affection as Draco was going to get out of his father, and he was okay with that. 

"Where were you?" asked Mrs Malfoy, terror in her voice though she tried to hide it. "Draco, where did you go? And why with--?"

"It doesn't matter," Draco interrupted. Mr Malfoy opened his mouth, probably to argue with his son about disrespect, but Draco continued. "I had to get Emma and myself out. Mostly her... I care more about her than I do about me."

Mrs Malfoy stammered and looked over at Emma Baranov who was trying to cheer up George. She managed to get a small smile out of the Weasley. Everything seemed to click for Draco's mother.

"You knew," she stated, breathing out. She didn't look mad, or frustrated. But Draco, instead, could tell that she looked understanding. "You knew exactly who... Do you realise you could have gotten yourself killed, Draco? He found out."

"Like I said," Draco spoke, still calmly, "I care more about her than I care about me. I didn't ask for the lifestyle my parents chose."

"Draco--" Mr Malfoy started to snap, stern, a sudden anger in his eyes. Draco didn't flinch at this, but Mrs Malfoy held her hand up and shot her husband a certain look. 

Draco knew his parents, or mostly his mother, were trying to hold in a certain lecture. A scolding about how Draco should have said something, that he should have given Emma up from the start -- probably mostly just to keep himself safe -- but a scolding wouldn't be needed if his father had just... not gone down the path that he had. It shouldn't have been needed because Emma was a human being, who was loved by so many people, who brought joy to everyone around her. 

Draco looked across the hall at Emma instinctively. He was surprised to see she was already looking his way, as she conversed back and forth with Mr and Mrs Weasley, who were also looking his way. Emma nodded at them and she began to approach Draco and his parents. His heart began to beat quickly... what if this didn't go down so well? What if his father was cruel to her?

But Emma wasn't looking at Draco's father -- she wasn't even looking at Draco. Instead, Emma approached Mrs Malfoy, and when she stopped in front of her, a warm smile spread across Emma's face and she wrapped her arms around the older woman. Draco's mother looked uncomfortable at first, and very, very dumbfounded. Draco couldn't blame his mother -- he was quite confused by this himself. 

Emma pulled away after a minute, a bright smile still across her face as she stared at Mrs Malfoy. 

"Thank you so much for saving him, Mrs Malfoy," Emma beamed. 

Draco blinked, bewildered. Mr Malfoy slowly opened his mouth to ask questions.

"What?" asked Draco.

Emma looked at him. "Your mother is so incredibly brave, Draco. She saved Harry in the forest when Voldemort 'killed' him. Harry was alive, but your mother checked on him, and instead of telling the truth, she announced that he was dead. There's a big chance none of this -- none of these people -- would be here, if it wasn't for you, Mrs Malfoy. Thank you."

Narcissa Malfoy clearly hadn't been expecting to be thanked like this, and she offered Emma a small smile of her own and nodded. 

"This--?" started Lucius Malfoy, pointing a finger at Emma. "This really is--?"

Draco went to tell his father to back off, but Emma had just took off running. Draco watched as Emma ran into the embrace of her own father, and he lifted her off the ground and squeezed her as he laughed with relief. 

"You're okay!" Emma screeched. Her father put her down and held her by the shoulder, guiding her away from people so they could talk. "Where have you been? What's been going on? Have you been here long?"

"I arrived last night during all the fighting," Samson breathed. He was sweating, and there were heavy bags under his eyes and he had cuts across his face and arms. "I didn't see you at all -- I thought, perhaps, if you were okay, that you'd be here at Hogwarts. Once I got word of what was going on, I arrived, but I couldn't just look for you. I was out mostly in the forest, fighting. Almost died a couple times...

"I tried searching for you. I'd run into so many snatchers and Death Eaters out there that I... it was almost impossible for me. Couldn't do anything too risky like send you an owl. I can no longer produce a Patronus... not since your mother... But I am so, so happy to see that you're safe."

"Did you hear about --?"

"Yes," Samson said gravely, his eyes looking away from Emma. "Harry was telling me outside that we almost lost you. Merlin's beard, Emma."

He pulled Emma into another hug and held her there, as they listened to each other recount all of what had happened since they were separated.