My Dove

Father

(Disclaimer: The plot is mine but the rest is JK Rowling's.)

Hermione POV

"Pizza's ready!" We all sat down at the table. and put our plates up. My dad puts slices of the pizza on each plate, I noticed that Draco got the piece with the most pineapple. He grimaced, then smiled at me and my parents. "Problem?" Dad asked, to which Draco replied:

"No, sir." We then ate. The tension in the air was thick, you could cut it with a knife. My mother tried to make small talk.

"So, what is it that you do again?"

"Well, I'm planning on creating a service, where magical kids can go if they are in an abusive home."

"Draco, I didn't know that." I said softly.

"Well, the thing is, many kids don't know that their parents are abusive. So if this service can actually educate people, then I can save the children from years and years of pain. I'm also going to try and work with the ministry, so I can put the parents in Azkaban." his voice was calm, yet passionate. I looked to his hands. They were in fists and his knuckles were white.

I then realised something. Back when he said he didn't want to help his father in Azkaban, he wouldn't tell me why. The way he talked about this service, his knuckles. His father had hurt him, abused him as a child. Now, he was going to help others and stop this kind of thing from happening from other kids. He really wasn't the arrogant immature boy I once knew. I felt a stirring feeling in my stomach, but I didn't know what it was.

"That is very noble of you." Mum told him. I felt a small sense of pride. From there, dinner went very quickly. Then, it was that time of night where it is too late for us all to still be together out here, but none of us would really go to sleep.

"Well, let's crash, Hermione, you can go to the room on the right. There's the couch, but it folds into a bed." I noticed how both of my parents refused to call Draco by his name. I mean, it's not like I don't understand, but I, I don't know.

"Night!" I called out to everyone and went into the room they pointed out. I changed into my pyjamas. I then got into the bed and tried to sleep. I tossed and turned. I let out my hair, combing the length of it with my fingers. I walked out to the kitchen, maybe a glass of water would help.

"Couldn't sleep either?" Draco was leaning against the kitchen bench, the night light making his hair look silver.

I laughed. "Nope," I paused, suddenly serious. "Draco, I'm sorry, about your father."

"Why do you have to be sorry?"

"I know. He, abused you as a child, right?"

Draco inhaled sharply and let out a laugh, the kind of laugh that starts as soon as it stops. "You always were bright. I should've known that you would figure that out."

"I'm sorry for just thinking that you were a jerk for no good reason." I whispered.

"No, you were right," he paused. "From what I can gather, Harry Potter was mentally abused. Many children are abused and they aren't jerks. I made the easy choice, I was a jerk for no good reason. I may have had motivations, yes, but they don't excuse my behaviour." he looked at me, eyes so intense, that I was drawn to them. A light turned on, I could hear footsteps. I forgot about the water and ran back to my room. I slid into the sheets and closed my eyes. I heard light breathing, then it went away. I opened the my eyes and saw darkness.

I realised, that it wasn't other people that had to forgive Draco, it was himself. His past, it would have been awful, but it would be okay, he's going to be happy one day. He's going to find someone that loves him, like me and, um, Ron. Yes, like Ron and I.

I tried to close my eyes and soon became fatigue's victim.