A/N: this is a one shot that came to me while at work. but, if I have some of you that wish to know the back story or want more. let me know and I will give you all that your little hearts desire.
I own none of these characters. the amazing J.K. Rowling is the creator of this world we call Hogwarts
"If it was for your protec-"
Hermione's sentence was cut off by thunderous knocking coming from Harry's front door. Harry looked at Hermione with an unspoken plea. She nodded and walked towards the door that now threatened to break under the continuous pounding. Harry was mentally and emotionally exhausted. He did not have the energy to fight with Severus. Not tonight.
As Hermione unlocked the door and disabled the wards, a furious Draco Malfoy pushed his way through the door knocking Hermione to the ground with a slight thud, and rushing towards Harry. Ron and Harry stood ready for a fight. They did not know what the blonde was so worked up about but, it must be something if he could knock his fiancé to the floor and not notice.
"Oh by all means please come in Draco." Harry said through gritted teeth.
Harry didn't have time to react to the first punch Draco had thrown; it landed on his left cheek. The attack knocked Harry back several steps and sent his glasses flying. Harry couldn't even see the second punch that hit him squarely on the nose, knocking him on his ass. He could taste the blood from his broken nose as it flowed over his swollen lips. He squinted up at his friend; he saw a blurred hand reach down and grab the front of his shirt and yanked him up right. Draco squeezed Harry's shirt with every ounce of strength he had. Harry was now face to face with the Slytherin, he could see the red in Draco's soft grey eyes from the rage he was unleashing. The Malfoy Heir pulled his right arm back again to strike Harry once more. Hermione had managed to pull herself up from the floor and was now standing between Harry and Draco pushing Harry away towards Ron who handed Harry his glasses.
"Get out of the way" commanded Draco.
"No" Hermione hissed back.
"I do not want to hurt you!" Draco now yelled pushing his forehead to Hermione's.
"You touch her and I will kill you" Ron's hand was on his wand as he spoke.
"He would not hurt me, not on purpose. He is out of control and does not want me caught in the middle of his anger" Hermione hissed at Ron.
"What makes you think I would not hurt you on purpose?" Barked Draco; he moved around Hermione and stepped towards Harry.
"What the bloody hell is wrong with you?" Ron had stepped between Draco and Harry acting as a human shield.
"Move weasel! This does not involve you!" The raw anger in Draco's voice was enough to frighten Voldemort to do as he said.
"Like hell it doesn't!" The red headed Gryffindor spited back.
Harry stepped towards Draco, his palms aching from his finger nails digging into them.
"What the Fuck did I do for you to come into my home and attack me?" Harry's voice was quivering from the strain of trying not to yell at Draco.
The question was rewarded with a left hook from Draco that caught Harry in the ribs, causing him to double over.
"You know damn well what you did Potter!"
Ron was rushing towards Draco when, Harry caught his arm and pulled him away.
"This is between us. Stay out! You will make it worse!
Harry looked at Draco as he wiped his sleeve over his mouth to try and get the blood off his lips.
"Three years Draco. I believed and mourned his death for three years. How was I supposed to act when he showed up expecting me to understand?" Harry's voice cracked as tears burned his swollen eyes.
"Letting him explain and not walking away would have been a nice start! Yelling that you hate his living presence, hate the mere fact that you fell in love with him was basically like you stomping on his heart. How could you look him in the eyes and tell him that you would rather die by Voldemort's hand than ever trust or love him again? Surly the punch to the face was also unnecessary!" The red was flashing in Draco's eyes again.
Hermione whirled on the spot looking at Harry.
"Did you say those things to him Harry James Potter? Did you say those hurtful things to a man who gave up everything for you so you could live? Did you not think how hard it was on Severus to stay hidden away? Did you not think of his pain and suffering that he had to endure in faking his death and letting you, the only thing in his life he truly cares about, believe he was gone? No, you didn't. You didn't let him explain." Hermione cried as she asked these things of a man, no, not a man, a boy who she thought she knew well.
"How long have you known he was alive?" It was not a question that Harry was asking but, a demand.
"We have known from the beginning." Hermione said sheepishly.
"Three years! You knew he was alive and you lied to me, let me drink myself nearly to death, and you knew?" Harry was now screaming at the top of his lungs.
"You broke him Potter. You fucking broke him." Draco's hand had found its way to Harry's neck as he pinned him to the wall. "I stopped by his place when I got off from work today. I don't normally, but I did. You know what I found, My Godfather standing on a chair with a rope around his neck; getting ready to take his life. Because of you Saint Potter, you gave him a reason to end his life, because without you he has no life." Draco was shaking uncontrollably now.
Harry couldn't help the pain that ripped through his body as the image of Severus standing in a dark room with a rope around his neck burned it's self into his mind and heart. Tears spilled out over his swollen face. He clawed and scratched at Draco's hand around his throat; desperately trying to get away. He needed to fix this. He needed to see Severus.
"Draco please, is he alive? Where is he? Is he ok? I need, I need to fix this. I was wrong. I can't let him think that he is worthless to me." Harry was sobbing uncontrollably. How could he push the man he loved so deeply away? How could he let himself walk away from him?
Draco's hand squeezed harder around Harry's throat. "Are you fucking kidding me Potter? You expect me to tell you anything about him? Now you care. Funny what guilt can do to a person when they are responsible for the death of their lover, you lost the right to know anything about him when you told him you would rather die than love him again."
Harry let out a scream, a heart breaking, blood cursing scream that surprised everyone in the room. It surprised Draco so much that he jumped back and released Harry from his death grip. Harry sunk to the floor hitting his knees with a sickening crack. His lover was dead, had he heard Draco right?
Hermione pushed Draco away from Harry and took her lovers face in her hands.
"Where is he Draco? He is alive isn't he? I know him well enough that he would not do such acts in front of you." Hermione searched Draco's eyes for a sign that Severus was ok.
Draco nodded and with a feeble breathe began to cry. He crumbled to the ground in his fiancés arms. "He's at Hogwarts. Dumbledore came and got him. He's alive."
It was Harry who now flung at Draco pining him to the ground, fist raised ready to connect with its target. Harry stopped; the ferret didn't deserve a punch, if anything Harry deserved several more. He knew Draco was trying to protect the man that had become his only living family.
"That was cruel Draco. But I know why you said he was dead, to protect him from me."
He accio'd his cloak and looked back at Draco. "I need to tell him. He has every right to tell me off, refuse to see me, even hate me. Put I need to try to apologize."
"Harry? If you hurt him again, I will kill you. It is not a threat but a promise. He is all I have left of family." Draco was sobbing now.
"I have to fix this. I was a fool to think he had lied about his death because he didn't care about me. I will not need your assistance in my death if I hurt him again Draco. I can manage that myself." Harry disappeared with a pop.
Hermione held Draco as his emotions were finally being released after years of trying to stay strong, He was crying for reasons he did not even know.