Chapter One
A tall, lanky blond boy stood outside what seemed to be the most structurally unstable home he'd ever seen. He was covered in blood, drenched in sweat, and shaking from the amount of abuse he'd gone through that night. A tall, bat-like figure stood next to the boy with an arm around his waist for support. Just as the man raised a hand to knock, the door was wrenched open by a very tired looking man with soft brown and gray hair. The man's obvious exhaustion did not tamper his vigilance, however. He raised his arm to point a wand at the two men.
"When was the first time we saw one another after the death of James and Lily?" The large man sighed heavily, hoping the man would have chosen a less emotion-ridden question.
"We saw each other at your trial. You were accused of having thoughts of attacking children and were subject to be put to death. After the case was dropped, you received some threatening letters from the Ministry so Dumbledore employed you, to keep you out of the public eye for a bit."
"Alright, bring him inside." Remus Lupin said, pushing the door open wider to fit the two men. Severus dragged a nearly unconscious Draco Malfoy onto the couch in a strangely empty living room. Draco collapsed onto the couch, chest moving shakily with his uneven breath.
"Rennervate." The two men jumped slightly as Molly Weasley entered the room with a tray of potions and soup. "Why didn't someone come and get me? The poor boy looks like he's been to hell and back, quite a few times." Draco tried weakly to sit up before being pushed gently, but firmly back into a laying position. Remus lead Severus to the crowded dining room, where it quieted almost instantly.
The room was packed with people and Severus noticed a cake in the shape of a snitch with the number seventeen on it. Harry Potter sat at the middle of the table, face unreadable as he stared at Snape. Remus cleared his throat and all faces turned to him.
"Now, in these times of war, we must choose our battles carefully. We don't want to lose any of our own. Tonight, Severus Snape has brought another soul to the light side. Please explain, Severus." Severus sighed heavily.
"Tonight, there was a gathering of Voldemort's closest twenty Death Eaters and their families. We were discussing an attack that is to take place of the Hogwarts Express to search for Harry. The conversation then turned to a member of the ranks who had yet to kill: Draco Malfoy. All of the other teenagers had killed, tortured, and even raped Muggles and muggle-borns alike, except him." The room was dead silent. Molly Weasley had entered the room again and stood at the back wall, eyes shut, dreading the next part of the story. "Voldemort summoned a house elf and ordered Draco to kill it. When he refused, things got really ugly. The Dark Lord raised his wand and attacked the boy. At first, he tried to fight back. Then, Bellatrix cast incarcerous so it wouldn't be so hard. The Death Eaters all each got to curse the boy for his disobedience. When Narcissa got to him, she refused to curse her child. Voldemort killed her on the spot."
A gasp came from the small, bushy haired girl in the corner and she ran from the room. Ginny Weasley stood and followed her. Severus sighed heavily.
"The Dark Lord then decided to be merciful," he spat the word with sarcasm and hatred, "and released Draco to my care. I brought him here. He has no place among those foul people, never has. I brought him here for him to take refuge until this war is over. I implore you, if he returns, we will both be killed. His Occlumency is not proficient enough for him to become a spy."
A throat cleared and Arthur Weasley stepped forward. "We will discuss more of this after supper." Severus nodded and turned to go sit with Draco. The noise slowly increased in the dining room again. Hermione returned to the table. Fred and George Weasley took it among themselves to raise the spirits of the dinner once more. They put some sort of charm on all of Harry's gifts so that they lined up and began to sing Happy Birthday in frighteningly high-pitched voices.
Severus sat next to Draco's sleeping body and saw, for the first time in what seemed like years, a peaceful look on his face. Almost as if he knew things were changing for him. Severus sat on one of the armchairs and stared into the fire, contemplating what he would tell the Dark Lord when he returned to him the next day. The truth would not work, neither would claiming he abandoned them. Suddenly, an idea formed in his summoned a piece of parchment and began to write detailed notes on his idea.
Draco Malfoy will be sent to a safe house in America for a short time before school starts, where he will live with a member of the Order. I will tell the Dark Lord that I have decided he needs a more hands-off approach. When school resumes, he will be stationed in my own rooms and will not be permitted to leave, with the exception of class time. He is not to engage with other Death Eaters and all the while, I will be improving his Occlumency.
Remus entered the room, interrupting the man's thoughts. He sat on the chair opposite him and Severus reluctantly met his eyes. He sighed heavily and for the first time, Severus realized how tired the other man was. He saw the crippling pain and exhaustion taking over his features. Severus then realized that he wasn't the only one who was struggling. This war was slowly consuming the people of the Wizarding World. The light side tread on very thin ice wherever they went and it was getting harder for them to recruit.
Molly Weasley popped her head into the room. "Severus, you need to get to the table and eat! You look nearly as famished as poor Draco." Severus started to shake his head but stopped when he saw an eyebrow raise threateningly. The man allowed himself to be ushered back into the now empty dining room where he finished eating. By the time he finished, it seemed the festivities had died down outside. The Order members all filed into the dining room to discuss how they would proceed. Remus brought in the piece of parchment listing Snape's plan. Kingsley stood at the back wall, motioning for Severus to begin. He read his plan quickly. Kingsley was the first to respond.
"That sounds pretty simple. But in order for that to work, we'll need to acquire a place for Draco to stay and we'll have to choose someone to accompany him to the States. And we'll have to be able to access the house easily without the Death Eaters finding out." Severus nodded. Ronald Weasley was in the back of the room, scowling.
"There is also the small fact that Malfoy may not want to be here! Just because he isn't a killer, doesn't mean he's a hero! He's still a selfish, arrogant, snobby, bigot! How do we know he won't try to kill us?" The entire room stared at Ron before Molly stalked over to him and dragged him from the room by his ear. A door slammed from upstairs and everyone looked down at the floorboards because Molly hadn't put up a Silencing Charm before she began screaming at the youngest Weasley boy. Hermione cleared her throat before speaking again.
"I think we need to be more logical before making this decision. Malfoy doesn't like to be seen as weak. He will think or this as running away and probably lash out. It would be wise to postpone any action until we're sure he trusts us. I mean, the people he was closest to just tortured him and killed his mother." It was quiet again, everyone nodded and went back to their thoughts.
Molly walked back into the room, face still quite red. Ron didn't return. "I think that's enough depressing topics for tonight. Severus, will you be staying the night?"
Severus allowed a small smile. "No, thank you, Molly. I need to return home and begin researching a few things. Remus, could I speak to you for a few moments?" Remus nodded and followed Snape to the backyard.
"I need you to keep a watchful eye on Draco. He is prone to self-harm. I also need you to begin him in Occlumency training. Nothing too vigorous, just enough for him to be ready to master it completely when term begins." Remus nodded thoughtfully as Severus exhaled noisily. "I'll be back tomorrow evening to tell you how my meeting with the Dark Lord went and how we'll proceed from there." Severus began to walk away before turning back to Remus. "And can you keep an eye on young Mr. Weasley. I'd hate for something to happen to the poor boy." Remus smirked and nodded again, turning back to the house and closing the door as a soft pop sounded through the air.