A/N: My first published HP story! Yay! I am a diehard Snape fan, so... yeah. And I think he and Draco need more family-esque moments, so I thought I'd fill this one in. I think it may take place near the end of 6th year, before things really go in the toilet for Draco. Just a thought though; I'm not really sure.
Disclaimer; Don't own, yada yada yada...
A soft knock at his office door roused Severus from where he had been half-dozing at his desk, while supposed to be grading student papers. The previous night had been long and hard, and the Dark Lord was in a considerably worse mood than normal, which always resulted in much longer under the Cruciatus for everyone. "One would think he would have learned from Bella's mistake…" Snape muttered, before calling in his visitor.
"Professor," Draco began, a bit nervously, as he closed the door, "I wanted to-" a beat as he took in Snape's worn appearance, "Severus! What happened?"
"Draco, listen to me, and listen closely; no matter what your father says, you must never take the Dark Mark. Do you understand?"
"He did this? Hasn't he learned anything from Bella?" Severus chuckled.
"He does not learn. He experiments. Anyway, what was it you wanted?"
"Never mind, it's… It's nothing."
Snape raised a skeptical brow. "If it was nothing, Draco, you would not have come to me. What can I do to help you?"
"It's… It's silly, Severus, just forget about it. You have enough to worry about without me." The boy turned to leave.
Severus jumped to his feet, and strode around the desk, despite the ache in his limbs. "Wait, Draco, come here." The boy turned back to face his godfather, and walked up to stand before the elder. "You know that the work I do is very important, but you must never believe that it outweighs your importance. I care very much for you. You are never a bother to me, much as I may gripe."
Draco watched Snape's chest, unable to meet his eyes, and nodded. "Yes sir."
A long, elegant hand settled over Draco's shoulder. "What did you want to see me about?"
The blonde sighed. "I wanted to know… What you thought of Luna Lovegood."
Severus, briefly taken aback, quickly regained his composure. "I think you two would be impossible to miss in the hall, with the hair on you both."
Draco barked a laugh. "I mean, do you think she's nice?"
"'Nice?' Indeed I think she's a very goodhearted girl. But I wonder if that is what you need in a friend."
"I have Crabbe and Goyle, and they're not good for much besides being cruel. I almost wish sometimes I hadn't always been so awful to Granger."
"May I offer a bit of advice?" Snape asked. The boy nodded. "Do not make friends out of necessity. It does not lead to happiness. However, if you really think you need someone kind in your life, I would suggest Longbottom. He's none too bright, but his heart is in the right place, and he's very loyal, once you have earned his trust. Also, it wouldn't be bad for the Slytherin Prince to come down a few pegs."
"Longbottom, sir?"
Snape grimaced. "I know."
A/N: REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW... aw, you get it. Also, if anyone has story requests, PM me, because I'm in sore need of a project.