A/N: I'm gonna start with dedications now. My first one goes to my sister hooliganbaby because she's always there for me and encouraging me to write.

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They had agreed that Mrs and Mr Weasley would bring Draco´s issue into the Order. The boy was a bit anxious. He especially feared the reaction of his godfather. After all, he would have to find out about Draco´s situation from the Order instead of Draco himself.

When Bill, Mr and Mrs Weasley came back from the meeting in the evening, everyone was gathered at the dinner table as they told them about the results.

“Draco will stay with us over the Christmas holidays, but no one is allowed to find out. The only ones knowing are us and the Order.” Mr Weasley said.

“They will also put more wards and protective charms around the house.” Mrs Weasley added. “Is that okay for you, Draco?”

Draco´s cheeks were tinted pink as he looked around the table for an answer. Bill, Ginny, Fred and George were smiling at him encouragingly. Fleur just looked curious and Ron and Harry glared at him. Draco grinned widely at the two before he turned back to Mr and Mrs Weasley. “I would love to stay. If it´s no burden, of course. I have a bit money on me. I can give-”

“No.” Mrs Weasley said firmly. “We don´t want money. It´s fine. We´ll just make ourselves a nice Christmas. And New Years.”

Draco made a mental note to sneak them some galleons when they were not looking. He still felt a weird living under their rickety roof and eating their farmers food without giving anything. But at least most people appreciated his presence. And he loved getting under Potter´s skin, even though he had to be subtle if he did not want to whole Weasley house turning against him.

“And after the break,” Mr Weasley said, “You can all return to Hogwarts. Albus assured us that you will be perfectly safe there. You too, Draco. They will not let Lucius or any other Death Eaters near the school.”

“But they have plans of invading the school.” Draco said without thinking. The room went completely silent, everyone was staring at him. He let out a nervous laugh, “I mean, I-I...”

“How do you know that?” Mr Weasley said. “That´s insider information. We knew that, of course, but...” He trailed off.

Draco looked down at his food, clutching his left forearm tightly. “Umm... They sometimes have the meeting at our home.” Draco said, telling half the truth. “I hear things.” He did not dare to look up. He did not want to see the scared or disgusted expressions on their faces.

“Draco...” He looked up at the unexpectedly gentle tone. “It´s okay.” Ginny said, and the others agreed with nods and sympathetic smiles. Except for Ron and Potter, who just looked thoughtful.

“You´re safe here.” Mrs Weasley agreed. “Just one Patronus to the ministry and we´ll have a whole Auror team here. Besides, I don´t think they would expect you here of all places.” Draco sent her a small grateful smile.

“Oh, I almost forgot.” Mr Weasley said. “Severus wants to see you, Draco. He´s busy today, but he´s coming tomorrow for dinner.”

“Oh.” Draco´s face fell. “What, umm... What did he say?”

“Not much.” Mr Weasley shrugged. “He had his usual mask on that doesn´t show anything.”

“Oh.” Draco just said. This could mean anything. His godfather wore this mask of callousness often. Draco had found out that at times, the reason for the lack of visible emotions on Uncle Sev's face was because there was so much going on in his head that he had no idea what to settle on. Of course, it was also a way of self-preservation, but if there was no danger, it was mostly his indecisiveness. Draco hoped he was not too mad.

“Remus also wants to come.” Mr Weasley laughed. “Probably to protect Harry from Severus.” Draco saw Potter´s face light up with a grin at the prospect of seeing Lupin.

Mrs Weasley sighed, looking a bit stressed. “We will all have to move closer for them. Bill, you will have to sleep with Fred and George. I guess that leaves Draco with Ron and Harry.”

“What?!” Potter and Ron exclaimed, looking appalled.

Draco was thinking the same thing, but he did not show it. Instead, he smirked over at them. “Scared, Potter?”

The raven haired boy glared, but Draco could detect the smallest hint of pink on his cheeks. “You wish, Malfoy.”

“Boys.” Mrs Weasley rubbed her temples. “Please behave.”

“Naturally, Mrs Weasley.” Draco said. “I apologize.”

Potter rolled his eyes at him but mumbled his own, “Sorry.”

After dinner, everyone helped cleaning up, even Draco. They scattered around the living room, everyone finding their way of spending the evening. Mrs Weasley grabbed a book and escaped into the bedroom and Mr Weasley went into his office. Somehow, almost everyone ended up gathering in front of the fireplace, except for Potter and Ron, who glared at their family members in betrayal. Draco smirked at them, waving his hand delicately. Potter hardened his glare before following Ron up the stairs. But Draco had seen Potter's cheeks tinting pink.

“Interesting.” Bill said. “Really interesting how you can get under Harry´s skin.”

Draco did not get who Bill was talking to until everyone stared at him. “What, me? Oh.” Draco said before letting a lazy smirk take over his face. “It´s easy. But it´s so fun.” Bill did not answer, just stared at him thoughtfully.

“It´s really not that hard if you´re Malfoy.” Ginny said. “You should see him in school. He´s infuriating.”

“Yeah, but...” Bill trailed off, looking lost in thought. Everyone waited for him to continue, but he snapped out of it. Clapping his hands abruptly, he asked, “Anyways, exploding snap?”

“Umm... I don´t have my wand.” Draco said.

“Oh, right.” Bill said. “A card game, then?”

Everyone agreed and Bill summoned the cards. Draco looked around, watching the Weasleys and Fleur, one after another. “There are two missing, right?”

Everyone was already focused on the game so Fred just asked absentmindedly, “What´s missing?”

“Two Weasleys. Aren´t you seven children?” Draco clarified. He had never really noticed before since the house was already full enough. Now though, he found it weird. The Weasleys seemed like such a loyal family. Which family members would not come home for Christmas?

Everyone stopped the game and stared at him. “Well, noticed that early, didn´t you?” Ginny said. Draco just shrugged.

“Charlie is in Romania.” Bill said. “Couldn´t come.”

“And Percy is a prat.” Fred said. “Couldn´t come.”

“A prat?” Draco wondered how that was a reason not to come.

The twins rolled their eyes, clearly mad at their brother. “He was one of the people who ridiculed Harry last year about You Know Who returning.” George said. “Still can´t admit that he was wrong. Prat.”

“Whatever.” Fred said. “We don´t care. Prat.”

“Oh.” Draco said.

“Let´s play, shall we?” Bill said, looking back into his cards.

A few rounds later, Mrs Weasley came back into the room and told them to go to bed. They all sighed in disappointment but did not protest. The mother was stressed enough already.

Draco was brushing his teeth in one of the two bathrooms in the burrow, when he saw Potter and Ron passing without noticing him. They were walking down the stairs with determined expressions on their faces. Draco quickly spit out the toothpaste and followed them quietly.

He stopped outside the living room, from where he could hear them clearly. “Mum.” Ron said. “We want to talk to you.”

“What is it?” Mrs Weasley said, sounding tired. “Is it about Draco sharing a room with you tomorrow? If you have another room I don´t know about we could talk about changing it. But now...”

“Draco could sleep with Snape in Bills room.” Ron said.

“And Remus?” Mrs Weasley said.

“With... us?” Ron said.

“Not under my roof.” Mrs Weasley said. “He´s a grown man and a guest. So is Severus.”

“Then Bill sleeps in our room-”

“We both know the attic is too small for you two and Bill.” Mrs Weasley said.

“But it´s big enough for us and Malfoy?” Ron argued.

Mrs Weasley sighed. “You´re all tall but thin. Bill, Fred and George are more... Sturdy. Besides, you know how much Bill moves during his sleep. If this is all-” Mrs Weasley went to dismiss, but Potter cut in.

“Actually, Mrs Weasley. We wanted to know why Malfoy is staying here at all.”

“What do you mean?” Mrs Weasley said. “We told you. To protect him and so he has a roof over his head-”

“No, I mean,” Potter interrupted. “The whole Order wants to help him, right? So why is he staying here? There are already enough people in this house. Can´t he stay with someone else? What about Snape? He´s his godfather after all, isn´t he?”

Mrs Weasley sighed and Draco heard a sofa creak. It seemed like the tired woman had sat down again. “Well, there are several reasons. One is that he seems to warm up to us. Another is, that his family or Death Eaters would not expect him here of all places. But they would probably suspect him at Severus´ place.”

“What about Lupin?” Potter asked. “Or, I don´t know, Tonks. Or Tonk´s parents. Or even Fletcher.”

“Well,” Mrs Weasley said. “He could have gone there. But he´s kind of grown on me. And I´d like to help him.”

“He´s grown on you?” Potter sounded incredulous. “After a day? Don´t you remember the horrible things he said about-”

“Yes, yes. Of course I remember.” Mrs Weasley waved off. “But he just acted after the role model his father was. Or is. And that doesn´t excuse everything, but the fact that he did not stay and do what his father says shows that he has started building up a mind of his own.”

Draco would have liked to scoff loudly at that. He had always had a mind of his own. How dare this woman to question his ability to think for himself. But Mrs Weasley continued talking and Draco did not want to interrupt the interesting conversation.

“This is also a reason we want him here. Maybe if he spends a Christmas in a family with a completely different way of thinking maybe he will think over what he´s learned. Maybe he will see that there are more important things than money and self-preservation. And maybe we can bring him to stay loyal to our side. To see how wrong this pureblood policy is. I think it will be really good for him to stay in a family that is such a huge contrast to his own. It will show him that there are other ways.”

There were a few beats of silence. Then, Ron said, “But someone else from the Order could also show him-”

“Enough.” Mrs Weasley said tiredly, but with finality in her tone. Draco heard steps and he was quick to leave the door and run up to the room he was sharing with Bill.

He carefully climbed over the oldest Weasley child, who already appeared to be asleep. But Draco´s mind was racing too much for him to sleep yet. It did not bother him that Potter and Weasley, well Ron, wanted him gone. It was not a surprise. What bothered him was that they had questioned his reason to stay more critically then he had. He could have asked the same questions. He could have questioned why he was staying with the Weasleys of all people, but he did not. He did not think about the other possibilities at all. Maybe because he liked it here more than he would like to admit.

And then there was everything that Mrs Weasley had said. 'It will show him that there are other ways.', 'Maybe he will think over what he´s learned.'

What was wrong with the way Draco had lived before? Of course, the whole Dark Lord thing was a completely wrong way, but his reasons were not wrong. Well, Mrs Weasley also said something about 'how wrong this pureblood policy is', but what did she know. She was a blood traitor.

But... She was one of the nicest people Draco had ever met. And his father, who followed all the pureblood rules, was one of the most heartless persons he knew. But that did not mean Mrs Weasley had better ideologies than his father did, right?