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And so Lily made up with Ron and Hermione, deciding that it was best if she would just tell them everything that was eating at her soul.

After they forbid Neville, Seamus and Dean from their dormitory, Lily sat with Hermione and Ron on his bed and she let out all of it, crying her heart out into Hermione's hands. It was hard mostly for Ron to listen to her rambling about his brother, but he knew that because he managed to move on, so would his best friend.

'Lily Potter, it is not your fault!' Hermione cried out for the hundredth time while Lily took a moment to catch her breath. The bushy haired girl had too burst into tears because of her best friend. 'You should not blame yourself for them, they all fought into the war with open eyes and they died like heroes, it's not your fault-'

'If we had managed to find all of the-'

'Lils-' Ron's voice echoed through her ears and she let out a quiet sob before she looked at him. He sighed and pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly.

'There is no time for any ifs right now, everything is in the past and we have to live with what happened because now we are free, now we are safe and leaving with the guilt of something that wasn't your fault will only be the death of you,' he spoke softly while he was patting her back. 'And you are family, Lils, you know that me and the twins will skin you alive if you would hurt yourself, you are our sister after all.'

Lily sobbed loudly into his chest, but Ron felt the smile that formed on her lips. 'Thank you, brother.'

Hermione sighed in relief and put a hand on Lily's shoulder, causing the redhead to look up at her.

'I've told you once and I'll tell you again, Lils, we are in this together as family, always.'

'Of course,' Lily smiled brightly at both of them and pulled the bushy haired girl closer to her and Ron so that the redheaded boy could wrap his arms around his girlfriend also.

Family.

The word seemed even sweeter as she thought about it.

Family.

It was a wonderful feeling, something she didn't feel since Sirius' death.

Family.

Family doesn't have to be related by blood to have it.

'Thanks for being my family,' she quietly spoke and looked from Ron to Hermione with a soft smile on her lips.

'Thank you for bringing this family together and you know, when we go back for Christmas I have to warn you. If you call mom mom she might end up crying her eyes out,' Ron chuckled and grinned widely.

'Noted.'

Hermione then decided it was time for all of them to go to bed and as Lily was dragged along by the bushy haired girl to the girl's dorm wing, she couldn't help but notice him on one of the sofas, reading away.

She smiled to herself and muttered under her breath a 'thank you, Draco Malfoy' as the girls disappeared on the corridor that lead to their dorm.

In the next weeks that lead to the beginning of a rather cold October coming up, Lily didn't have a chance to speak with the blonde, due to the pressure the professors put on them.

Sure thing, both of the were confused. Neither Lily, nor Draco would lose the chance to look at each other during classes, a habit that Hermione and Ron had caught on, but clearly didn't surprise them. They've lived a war, they certainly could live with the fact that Lily was slowly becoming obsessed with her arch enemy.

But it wasn't an obsession as her friends thought, it was just a foreign feeling towards him that Lily wished she could scare away from the pit of her stomach. She didn't even feel like that when Will was around; maybe is was mostly guilt as Lily's nightmares still hadn't passed, despite her confessing to the most important people to her she still woke up with cold tears streaming down her cheeks.

One thing was certain; Lily Potter was slowly and dangerously falling in love with Draco Malfoy, something she hadn't acknowledged yet.

It was weird that Lily fell asleep while the last person on her mind was Draco and it was weirder when she woke up with the thought of him being hurt.

Because he began showing up in her nightmares too; only brief moments in which he was always in pain.

'It's really weird, Hermione,' Lily's rambling slightly came to a stop when the girls were just a corridor away from the hospital wing, on their way to transfiguration. 'I think I should get some Dreamless Sleep from Madam Pomfrey, it might help me forget...'

Hermione chuckled from beside her and pushed her slightly in the direction of the Hospital Wing. 'You go now, Ron and I will tell McGonagall you've gone to the Hospital Wing if you're late, she'll understand.'

Lily nodded and Hermione took of to the right while she walked the corridor on her left until she reached the massive doors of the Hospital Wing.

The room was always magnificent despite the fact that it was uses to tread people. Its high ceiling was supported by tall white pillars and the rays of the October sun were peering through the large windows, hugging the room with their pure light.

Lily made her way through to the beds to one that was occupied and she cleared her throat behind Madam Pomfrey that made her turn around.

'Oh, Potter, do you need anything?' Madam Pomfrey was carefully using her words as she had to deal with another generation of the Potter family, waiting patiently to hear what troubles Lily had gotten herself into again.

'Just some Dreamless sleep potion, you know it would help me a lot.'

A smile of understanding made its way on Pomfrey's face and she nodded, turning around to her patient. 'Malfoy you are free to go and don't think that you are excused from class because of this.'

With that the healer turned on her heels and walked to her office to bring Lily some potion, leaving the redhead to stare at the patient she was recently tending to, Draco Malfoy.

'Happy to see me, Potter?' the blonde smirked as he stood up, showing Lily just the height difference that was between them; her nose barely reached his lips and it was infuriating for her to look up at him. However she soon wasn't bothered by it one bit. She took in his appearance; his green with silver stripes tie was tied perfectly around his neck, no button of his white shirt out of its place. And Lily realized that green really was his color, as his robes were fitting him perfectly.

Lily could say she was the messiest person on the planet while Draco had perhaps a perfect appearance, except his hair that was annoyingly messy.

'Certainly not, Malfoy,' her grin matched his. She expected him to leave but was surprised when the blonde stayed, quietly waiting at her side. 'Aren't you leaving?'

'Well I expect you'll also go to class after you get your potion so I think walking with you will be better than going alone,' Draco said quietly, managing a smile.

'Who would of thought that you would want to walk with me to Transfiguration. Are you sure this is Draco Malfoy that is speaking with me?'

'Positive,' the blonde let out a chuckle and the redhead laughed just as Madam Pomfrey emerged from her office with a bottle of the potion.

'Make sure to take the right amount that's written on the back, Potter,' she handed Lily the bottle with a smile and she quickly frowned when she saw that Draco was still there. 'Malfoy why didn't you leave?'

'I've waited for-'

'Alright, alright. You two now go to class,' she demanded, pushing them through the doors of the Hospital Wing and closing them after the two had left.

'That was fun,' Lily mumbled while she tried to put the bottle of potion into her bag, only to have Draco help her. 'Thanks.'

'No problem,' he replied, but slightly curious, he continued. 'Do you still have nightmares?'

'Oh yeah,' Lily replied absently as they were turning a corner. 'But why were you in there?'

Lily watched as Draco rolled the sleeve of his right arm, revealing a bruised forearm.

'This happened in Herbology a few days ago and I thought it was nothing, but it got infected.'

'I see.'

'How are you holding up? With classes and homework and your nightmares?' Draco asked as they approached the door of the Transfiguration classroom.

'Certainly better,' Lily stoped with her hand in the air, attempting to knock, but also wanting to finish her conversation with Draco. 'I actually took your advice and told Ron and Hermione about it, helped me much, but the nightmares are still there.'

'Oh, well I'm happy that you're better and I'm sure the nightmares will die down in no time,' he muttered under his breath just as Lily knocked two times and opened the oak door, revealing the transfiguration classroom.

They both walked in, unsure of what to do as everyone's gaze fell on them, making them both blush slightly.

'Potter and Malfoy, late I see,' McGonagall's voice reached Lily's ears, making her cheeks turn crimson.

'I'm sorry professor I-' Lily started, but McGonagall cut her off with a wave of her hand.

'I know about your situation, Potter, Miss Granger told me, but no one mentioned anything about you Malfoy.'

'I- I was also in the Hospital Wing, Madam Pomfrey tended to an infection I got in Herbology, you c-could ask her-' Draco's voice was slightly shaky and Lily was certain he was as scarlet as she was.

'Alright, Malfoy, I believe you, now you both may take a seat, and make sure to get your notes from someone,' she said, pointing to one of the only empty desks somewhere towards the middle.

Lily and Draco obeyed and sat down next to each other, the redhead turning her head slightly to find Ron and Hermione looking at her with amused expressions.

They both had seen Lily and Draco turn red and that was the reason Ron sent his fellow redhead a wink who turned her attention to McGonagall, scoffing.

'Do you ever think of getting new friends?' she muttered under her breath, but Draco who had heard her as he was searching for his wand in his bag, chocked on nothing but air.

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