A/N: Thanks for reading my story (:

This scene is one immediately following Dumbledore's death and the battle that followed. My own version of Harry, Ron, Hermione and Draco's 7th year at Hogwarts. Hope you guys like it!

Draco

Crack.

Many miles away from the catastrophe that had just taken place at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, there lay a dirty river whose over-grown banks were so strewn with rubbish it'd probably give one conjunctivitis if stared at for a long period of time. Not far away, a dusty, sign read in fading letters, 'Spinner's End'. The chilling wind around wasn't needed to send one's hair standing on end; the creepy atmosphere was more than enough for that. There was no living thing – except for weeds - around and anyone there would have gone insane by the deafening silence surrounding this spooky place. The only hint of civilization here was a large, but dilapidated looking house.

It looked quite horrible, and let me tell you, I'd seen a lot of horrible things in the past few hours … or in the past one year, really.

This was where Snape and I had Apparated after the havoc we'd created back at Hogwarts. The Crack which our apparition had made now caused a long ringing echo in the midst of the scary silence which made it further scary to hear.

I wondered what we'd have looked like to an outsider: two people who looked scared and in a rush; a fully grown man, wearing black, blood-stained robes, pushing his greasy hair out of his sweaty face with a grubby, shaking hand; and a tall, thin boy in his mid-teens with his tangled, blond hair hid his pale, sweaty and tearful face, yet making no attempt to evade the irritation in his face owing to the fact that he was clutching a large wound in his thigh.

"Draco!" hissed Snape, "Follow me quickly!" he said, hurriedly making his way to the house ahead. "We must not be seen!"

Easy for him to say; he did not have a gash the size of a Bludger in his thigh.

"I'm trying, you oaf!" I cried, staggering under the pain of my wound, "But I, unlike you am injured! ... Where are we anyway? ... Don't you dare try to do anything funny to me!"

"There is less time for small talk at the moment, Draco! Just follow me! If you were wise, you would realize what a fickle and unsafe situation this is."

So I'm wounded and stupid, now? Whatever.

Finally, we made our way to the house, and on reaching, Snape drew his wand out of his robes and pointed it directly to the key-hole of the main door which immediately opened with a soft creak. Then he roughly steered me in and slammed the door shut.

OW.

On getting in, I yelped and yanked my hand right out of his grasp.

"What was that for?" I said angrily.

"For having to save your neck from the Death Eaters" he snarled back.

Alright. Fine. I gave him that. I had chickened out and he'd done the deed, thereby saving me from the Dark Lord's (and his followers') wrath. Still, I, unlike him, am sixteen. Sixteen for the sake of Slytherin, ok? Did anyone honestly expect me to murder Dumbledore? Dumbledore? And it wasn't like Dumbledore was making it any harder. He didn't even try to put up a fight. What the hell? Bloody masochistic withered fool. A kick or a punch or a curse would have been so much easier to live with compared to the emotional bull he was giving me.

I calmed down a bit. "Right … er … thanks, I guess." I said to Snape.

"And as for your previous insolence," Snape retorted, "You will not address me as a 'goon', I will heal your wound. We are at my house and this area is called 'Spinner's End'. And no, I am not going to do anything 'funny' to you."

Whatever. He can't blame me. I just got someone killed. And turned Hogwarts into a living warfare. All the planning and labour that I had done for the past one year had been a waste. And I had an injury. I've had my fair share of injuries, but this one hurt like a *BEEP*. Don't say you wouldn't be bitter after that.

"Right." I said apologetically.

Don't laugh. And don't look at me like that, either. Draco Malfoy does know how to apologise. If I see fit, that is.

Snape slowly approached me and traced his wand over my wound, which instantly healed and magically had bandages wound around them, just in case. Snape started towards his back door after this.

My injury felt so much better, I could have gone and given him a gut-wrenching hug. Except, you know, that he was Snape, and I had standards to maintain as a Malfoy. Ok, who was I kidding, anyway? The Malfoy name was in dirt, now. And, frankly, I had started to hate it, as of late.

"Where are you going, Professor?" I called, startled by his sudden exit.

"Call me Snape." He said. "Or Severus. Or whatever."

Whatever? Now this ought to be good.

"Er … I'm going to send a message to your mother … and the Dark Lord." He continued, "I- I think you better come too."

Any iota of good humour that has been within me vanished and I swore in my head.

His face was white. And, feeling the blood drain from my face, I knew I'd gone the same way. I followed nonetheless.

Once we were out into the back porch, I noticed the place properly for the first time; it dark, dreary, bleak, and the grass and flowers were all unkempt, most of the plants were dead and more than half the greenery consisted of weeds. Like I said, horrible.

Snape raised his wand, closed his eyes and made an expression like he was concentrating hard on something. His face suddenly broke into a wide grin (Let me tell you that this was not the most pleasant of visions). He muttered something and a silvery, glowing, transparent panther issued from the wand, and then went soaring across the sky. He then repeated the same procedure, and soon we saw another Patronus streaking across the night sky.

When Snape turned, he saw me surveying him with what was probably a strange expression.

Well, you can't blame me. I'd just seen Snape (SNAPE) smile. I'd seen kindness on his face. And, however disconcerting that had been, it struck me for the first time that Snape was, well, human. Also, most of Slytherin, or maybe even the student body of Hogwarts, had made bets about Snape's Patronus being something slimy and disgusting, like a snake or a lizard. Or a newt. Or maybe a spider. But a panther was as normal as Patronuses went.

"Are you staring at me because of some sort of a fault in my face or under mere whim?" Snape asked irritated.

Ha! He wishes I stare at him because of a 'whim'. A lot of girls at school do. Some guys, too, but that's a whole other story.

"Oh!" I jumped having suddenly realised what I'd been doing. "Er… well … I thought I just saw … never mind."

"Next time, either justify yourself or keep your imagination to yourself." he said steering me back into the house.

Ok, what was with him being so … touchy all the time? I can steer myself into the house, thanks very much. And why in the name of Slytherin's teeth did he have to be so grouchy all the time? Granted, he'd just killed a man. And communicated with the Dark Lord. And escaped a battle. Ok, whatever. I'm just saying. Maybe he needs a girlfriend.

Did I just think that?

Er, YUCK. What woman would want Snape? Gag.

On getting in, I asked Snape what he'd told them via his Patronuses.

"The first Patronus," Snape replied, "Will tell your mother that you are safe with me over here, and not to come. And if Ministry officials or members of the Order call upon her, she will pretend she does not know your whereabouts and she'll be worried that you are missing."

"Ah. And the second one?" I asked delicately.

"That one was to the Dark Lord explaining that I had done the job, and why. I also ensured him of my return to the circle as soon as possible. I said that I couldn't promise anything because Floo, Portkey, and Apparition networks are obviously under strict monitoring, and there is a high probability of owls being intercepted."

Oh. So that was why he'd used Patronus.

" … I think you ought to rest now, you must be tired. Or do you want to eat something first?"

But his voice was coming from very far away. I was probably half asleep already.

Oh, God, my life sucks.