Empty Spaces

Chapter 40

"Sorry, but we've only met once–" Draco still couldn't quite wrap his head around why anyone would bother standing up for someone like him, let alone stick around to make sure he was okay afterwards...

"That was enough for me," Yamamoto shrugged.

"She's right, and that's coming from me," Granger supplied pointedly, "Did any of us stop and ask why you were doing the things you did, acting the way you were? No. We just assumed things about you in the same way you assumed things about us. Prejudice goes in both directions, it's what I keep telling Harry here... It's not like there's 'good' prejudice and 'bad' prejudice."

"I know, I know..." Harry said, sounding mildly exasperated. "And Draco, I know that look, stop beating yourself up. But really, if you need proof that you're worth it, just look around. We're all here because we all care about you."

"Speaking of, you should eat something," Yamamoto spoke up, sliding over a plate of biscuits. "Harry, make sure you feed this one well... I don't like the look of those cheeks."

"You don't want Harry to feed anyone anything, trust me," Granger said with a bit of a cheeky smile in Harry's direction, "But he'll take care of Draco. We all will... Not that you need it, we all know you're perfectly self-sufficient on your own, but it's okay to need help every once in a while, you know," she added when she saw Draco open his mouth to argue.

"What about you, Harry, got any plans for next year?" Yamamoto asked, changing the subject and looking satisfied that Draco was nibbling at something.

"Me? What? Not... not sure yet," Harry fumbled, and Draco had the distinct feeling that Harry wasn't being entirely forthright. "No plans to become a healer, though, sorry Sachi."

"I couldn't really picture you being a healer anyway," she mused, picking at her bread, "I could see you being a good teacher, though. Caring, passionate, going with the flow of things..."

"What about you? Did you always know you would become a healer?" Hermione asked.

"Me? I guess so. My parents always wanted me to become a doctor, you know, the classic story of the immigrant's kid. But then I got my Hogwarts letter at eleven, and everything changed. So I went off and became a healer instead and at least now my parents can tell their friends and family that their daughter became a doctor at the country's most elite hospital," Yamamoto shrugged with a grin. "But it was a struggle, let me tell you... just like you, Hermione, I had the grades but not the background. McGonagall eventually stepped in and wrote a letter of recommendation that even the stuffy higher-ups at the hospital couldn't dismiss. It helped that St Mungo's is always in need of new trainees, too. So when you uproot the system, I'll be cheering for you, sister."

"Wait, so... did you want to become a healer or not...?" Harry asked while Draco kicked his boyfriend's foot under the table at Harry's lack of tact. "Ow... what...?"

"Both? Western culture is different I think," Yamamoto shrugged, smiling, "But this is what my parents wanted for me, so it's what I wanted too, I guess. Family is forever after all. My poor parents, though, their eldest daughter turned out to be a witch and their younger daughter– my sister Sayu, she's a Muggle and about your age– she was more rebellious than me and went off to art school. But they've made peace with it. Neither of their children grew up to be exactly what they'd wanted, but they're mostly just happy that we're happy... Draco, hey, everything okay?"

Draco fixed his face, but he knew Yamamoto saw through it. He'd grown up hearing the exact same phrase, how many times had Lucius said those words to him... Family is forever... and yet, somehow, it held an entirely different meaning coming from someone else.

"Just... tired," Draco said. It wasn't a lie.

"I think we all are," Yamamoto replied. "Let's do it again sometime soon, maybe under slightly happier circumstances?"

There were murmurs of general agreement as the unusual party began to break itself up and soon enough, Draco found himself back in his shared room with Harry, wondering what the hell just happened and how on earth he was going to go on from here.

"You okay?" Harry asked in the privacy of their bedroom.

"No," Draco admitted. He might have escaped his father, but could he escape the world? Was he cursed to live out his days like this, under constant scrutiny and accusation, paying the price for his family's crimes? Family is forever, after all.

And yet...

Draco thought he'd known what unconditional love was– it was family love, the love you held for someone regardless of the conditions... but... what if it turned out to be something else entirely? What if it meant loving someone without any conditions?

It was somehow both extremely encouraging and downright terrifying all at once.