Draco stared at the boy kneeling on the floor, lying there helplessly, blood pouring from his nose and tears spilling down his cheeks. He watched the boy crawl in his own blood, struggle to get away. He watched his own pale hand raise, his wand pointed, a glare on his face. His icy cold eyes locked with the back of the boys head, and the curse came to his pale lips once again. "Curcio!" The boy stumbled and yelled and squirmed and wiggled onto his back, seering with pain as his eyes met Draco's. Draco wondered what it felt like to hurt. He wondered what it felt like to be loved, to be missed, to not be hated. His wand lowered half an inch, the spell faltered, and then anger. Anger and jealousy at the boy for having a loving family, good friends, anger at the boy for having a girlfriend and good grades and no stress.

The spell came from his lips again, and the boy screamed, a vein pronouncing itself on the boys neck. He loved it. He loved torturing... He loved her.

*******8 years later*********

Draco glanced up from the concrete flooring under him. He was dressed in a pair of black slacks and a very nice cloak, velvet, something he hadn't felt in years. He slowly glanced around his small cell before looking at the iron gate doors. A dementor slowly glided towards him, a man followed after it. The man, Draco knew him, vaguely. But not very well. Draco pushed himself to his feet. 8 years of being in Azkaban and he wasn't crazy. He hadn't died. He hadn't starved himself. He thought. He thought and thought and relished and grimaced. He cried and yelled and threw things and broke his knuckles on the concrete wall. He fell to the floor and kicked the wall and stood by the gates and begged for mercy.

...But he did not go crazy. He watched as the iron doors opened and the Dementor floated aside, letting the man into the room. The man was taller, with graying hair and wrinkles on his face. His piercing eyes looked over at Draco, who stiffened under his gaze. A name with a face, a name for the man. Lupin. Third year. It seemed so long ago. Draco couldn't talk, he hadn't been able to for a while. He hadn't bothered trying.

Who was there to talk to besides the air? Go crazy was something he had promised himself he wouldn't do. He watched as Lupin took a slow step towards him and he blinked. Had he said something? Did he not hear it? He tried to focus as Lupin's lips moved. His hand rested on Draco's shoulder and Draco, not knowing what was going on, not understanding, was led out of his cell and into the hallway. The hallway was warmer then the cell, but the men in the other cells were enough to make Draco shiver. He never looked at them, afraid of them really. They were images of what he could be.

Sometimes, if he felt like he was about to go crazy, he forced himself to look at them, forced himself to see that if he didn't hold it together, he'd end up like them. Draco walked down the hall, Lupin following close behind him as they approached a door that led, to what Draco thought, was the outside world. In reality, it was only another room, but it was more of the world then Draco had seen in 8 years. Draco looked at Lupin, his strong jaw clenching and his eyes squinting against the new bright light. Lupin gave a small smile and squeezed Draco's shoulder. He said something, Draco wasn't listening, he didn't bother trying.

Another door opened at the end of the room and Draco followed the new piercing noise of people shouting and yelling, and cameras flashing this way and that. His hair, normally combed and presentable, was wild and crazy, his skin paler, his face with sharper features. The 25 year old said nothing as Lupin started down the stairs, keeping a hand on Draco's shoulder as reporters flocked to talk to him. Draco closed his eyes and trusted Lupin to guide him, putting one foot in front of the other and refusing to look at anybody. They pushed their way through the crowd and soon arrived at the cobblestone road. Draco slowly opened his eyes and glanced around the area. There were two new buildings that Draco didn't recognize upon his arrival.

With a frown his eyes landed on the black box on four wheels waiting for him, the door opened and cushioned seats waiting inside. He glanced at Lupin, who nodded, before he slowly got into the car. He closed his eyes and sunk into the soft seats, closing his eyes and relishing in the heat of the sun coming in through the windows, the little vent blowing hot air out at him from the front of the box, the sounds. Lupin sat beside him as the door closed and the noise dimmed. The box started moving and Draco stiffened, but he refused to open his eyes, exhaustion taking over as he slowly leaned his head back and fell asleep.

*******2 hours later******

Draco was shaken awake by Lupin, who was forcefully moving his shoulder. He blinked as Lupin said something. clearer this time. "Come on Son." It was dark outside the windows, and the air coming in through the open door was cold and chilly. Draco frowned, he didn't want to leave the soft of the seats, before he followed Lupin silently out of the car. His hand came down on Draco's shoulder again as he approached the small house as the black box pulled out of the short driveway.

Lupin entered the house and beckoned Draco to follow him. Draco stepped inside the warm inviting house and glanced around. The door closed and yell came from the living room. Draco watched as Lupin removed his shoes and a small boy, maybe 5, ran into the hallway and towards Draco and Lupin. Draco stiffened as the boy squeezed past him and lept into Lupin's arms. Lupin picked the boy up and said, "Teddy, this is Draco. He's going to be staying with us for a while. Can you say hi?" Teddy looked at Draco and waved enthusiatically before he turned to Lupin. "Daddy, daddy guess what? I lost a tooth, see!" He showed Lupin the gap in his mouth and Lupin chuckled.

"Come on Son." Lupin said again, to Draco, as he started down the hall. Draco slowly slipped off his shoes and hesitantly started down the deserted hall and towards the door Lupin had disappeared into. He stopped in the doorway when he came a crossed a Living Room, and a woman sitting on the couch holding a new born baby. Draco hesitated as he watched Lupin set the boy, Teddy, down and kissed the baby. "Where are the girls?" Lupin asked. The woman, very familiar, smiled and said while rocking the baby. "They went out, should be back soon."

Lupin nodded before he turned to Draco and said. "Come, I'll show you your room." Draco nodded without a word, his eyes glued to the baby as he slowly followed Lupin up the small flight of stairs to the last door down the hall. It was a small room with a bed and a dresser, one window and a desk. "It's not much, but it'll work" It was a statement and Draco nodded, still confused. Lupin sighed and put a hand on Draco's shoulder before he said. "I know you must be confused, but you look tired. I'll explain things in the morning, alright? When everyones home." There were more of them?

Draco nodded as Lupin patted his shoulder, bid him good night, and left. Draco sighed as he walked over, fell onto the bed ignoring the pajamas laid on the sheets, and fell to sleep once again instantaniously.

******************

"Lupin I don't know about this." Tonks said as she washed the dishes, the baby asleep in her crib in the living room and Teddy asleep in his room upstairs, two doors from Draco's. Lupin sighed and said, hugging Tonks from behind, "I know hun. But he needed a place to be. He's lost. He's scared-" Tonks dropped her dish and turned in his arms to look at him. "He's crazy..." She interuppted. "He killed someone Lupin!" "He doesn't know he did" Lupin retorted. "And you have proof of this?" Lupin sighed and said slowly, "He'll be fine, WE'LL be fine." Tonks frowned and said, "And if he tries to harm one of us?" Lupin smirked and said with a shrug, "We have Hermione for protection."