Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling, therefore: I don't own Harry Potter. I write for fun, and I am not making any profit out of it.
A/N1: okay every one, you might be interested to know that I edited the last two chapters so please go back and re-read them if you don't wish to miss anything. The 2nd chapter espichially since it is the one that is heavily edited, I think it is safe to say that the chapter in currently twice the size of the original one.
A/N2: I've got a review, I've got a review! (Jumps around while hugging the laptop!:D).
Thank you ever so much JilyHinnyRomione15! This chapter is dedicated to you; I hope you are a pro- Slytherin, seeing as there is a lot of them here.
Chapter Two
The Malfoy Heir.
Draco Malfoy, son and heir to the Malfoy's ancient and noble house, sat in his godfather's quarters in Hogwarts wondering how his life turned out to be like this. Five years ago, he was on his way to become the perfect heir to his family's name. He was a proper pure blood with proper thoughts and expectations. Then he came to school and was sorted into Slytherin among his own social circle and expected everything to carry on like it was supposed to be.
Then his dorm mates started talking about the dark lord and his ideas. For the first two years, he was intrigued if not a little put out with his father. He couldn't understand why his father had publicly renounced the dark lord and claimed to be under the Imperius Curse.
Then before his 3rd school year, his father took him aside and explained that it was in the family's best interest not to be associated with the dark lord at the time; A Malfoy always look for his and his family's best interest first and foremost. But he made it clear that the Malfoy family was and will always support the dark lord's ideas since, after all, the dark lord and the pure bloods share the same ideas.
That year, Draco openly announced to his friends and dorm mate his full support to the dark lord's case and proudly proclaimed to his dorm mates that he would've joined the dark lord's death eaters if he had a chance. In his mind, it didn't really matter since the dark lord was no more, no matter what his father though, the man was gone. It wasn't before the beginning of the summer that Draco started to feel he was way over his head.
It started when his father announced that it was about time that Draco makes acquaintance with the old crowd and gets to know how everything was in their glory days. At first Draco didn't understand what it meant; all he knew was that at the night of the quidditch world cup he would get a glimpse into how life was when the dark lord was around and that made him excited.
But when the night finally came it was nothing like he ever imagined. There was chaos, screaming and people were running everywhere. He couldn't understand what was so appealing in this madness, and then things only got worse when he cast the Cruciatus Curse three different times with no apparent effect at all.
His father was livid; he kept shouting at him and saying that he wasn't trying hard enough. His father kept saying that if Draco really believed the pure blood case he should be able to master enough hatred for the curse to take effect.
The fact that most, if not all, the other death eaters' kids were able to use the blasted curse at least once effectively drove his father insane. It appeared that Draco was the only one who was embarrassing his family like that. For a moment, Draco really thought that his father was going to curse him were he stood, until…
Until the dark mark rose high into the sky. In a moment, it wasn't only muggles and muggle lovers who were running every which way in panic. The death eaters where more panicked than the lot of them. It was the first time in Draco's whole life that he seen his father in a less than his normally composed state of mind. When they were finally behind the safety of the manors ward, his father's panic turned to anger and he started demanding to know who was stupid enough to cast the dark mark.
When his father finally calmed down enough he took him aside and told him in no nonsense way to get a grip and start to live to the family's name or else. Draco really didn't want to know what will happen if he failed to live up to the family name, especially, after he saw that mad glint in his father's eyes that night he couldn't cast the Cruciatus.
To say the truth, Draco was truly glad when he finally reached the school. He already knew about the Yule Ball and knew that he won't be going home for Christmas, which gave him the whole school year to sort out his family dilemma.
What he wasn't counting on was his father poping in the school every couple of weeks. As one of the school governors he had the right to check that everything was running smoothly, especially, with an event of the magnitude of the Triwizard Champion running in the school this year and with the two guest schools taking residence in the castle.
In every check that his father made for the castle he always demanded to have a word in privet with him and Severus, as his godfather as well as his head of house, almost always obliged. He didn't blame Severus at all, because he was rather sure that the man didn't know the nature of those visits at the time. Every time he thought about those 'visits' he shuddered involuntary.
*Flashback*
He was sitting on his bed, he did that a lot lately, he no longer liked sitting among his peers in the common room. At the moment, he was reading a book about the unforgivable curses; his father gave him that book before school started. Back then, he thought that he had the whole year to read and re-read the book, but now they were just two months in the school year and he had seen his father more that 3 times.
In the first two times, his father merely talked with him, asked about the book and re-freshed his memory with the same threats that were promised before school year started. Then at the third time, he was shocked to see a young Gryffindor boy following his father into Snape's office. At first he sneered at the boy and was about to order him out but then he noticed how the boy's eyes were glassy and unfocused. He was under the Imperius Curse.
It wasn't until his father ordered him to start practicing on the boy that he figured out the extent of his shitty situation. After over ten tries, he was as unsuccessful as ever. They boy didn't so much as whimpered under his curses. Needless to say, his father was furious. He got even more so when nothing changed in his next visit except for the victim, a second year Hufflepuff this time.
He tried to push all thoughts of his father's visits out of his mind and turned his focus back to the book. He needed to finish this chapter before any of his dorm mates came back; it won't do for them to know how deeply he had shamed his family with his failure.
When he was at the last paragraph of the chapter, someone knocked on the door startling him out of his wits so badly that the book nearly flowed out of his hands. Fortunately, he recovered just in time to push the book hastily under his pillow before the door opened.
"What do you want?" he snarled at the frightened first year that stood shaking at the door frame.
"Professor Snape requests your presence in his office urgently." The young boy squeaked they harried back to the common room.
In less than ten minutes, Draco was knocking on his godfather's office door.
"Come in" barked Snape's voice, "Oh, Draco, you are here" his godfather continued in a calmer voice once he saw him.
"Professor" Draco replied with a nod, "You wanted to see me?"
"Yes" Snape said in a tired voice leaning back into his chair and rubbing his eyes with his left hand while he moved his wand with his right hand sending the parchments that he was grading to land neatly at the corner of his disk.
"Is something the matter?" asked Draco in apparent concern. Snape almost never lower his guards and act human in front of anyone, not even his godson.
"No, not at all. I think that is it for me tonight." He answered as he stood up, "I just wanted to inform you that your father is in the castle, he wishes to sees you again" Snape carried on as he made his way toward the door.
Draco felt all color draining from his face.
"Make yourself comfortable" He said pointing to the chair in front of the fire, "I'll be turning in now, make sure to lock the door when you leave."
"Okay" Draco rasped.
Finally, Snape looked up at him, "Draco," He said sounding alarmed, "Are you alright?"
Draco was sure that he looked just like a croups now, for he is usually paler than most of his peers.
"Yes" He choked out then cleared his voice. He wasn't really looking forward to his father visit and his practice.
"Are you sure?" came the professor's voice.
"Yes I'm sure" Draco almost snapped back drawing himself to his full height.
"Indeed" his professor sneered sounding more like himself then he lift the room.
It was a whole 15 minute before his father finally joined him. He used the time to try and prepare himself for the inevitable task ahead of him. But when his father came he was alone, there was no young student for him to torture.
In his relief, Draco didn't see the look of utter loathing on his father's face nor did he see his father's wand turned on him.
"Crucio" his father snared at him and he was instantly engulfed in agony.
Two hours later, a shaking and sweat drenched Draco was making his was back to the Slytherin dormitory. It was well past curfew, so he wasn't worried about being seen. The only one who patrols the dungeons is professor Snape and he should be asleep at the moment.
When he finally made it to his bed, he threw himself on it fully clothed and pulled the curtain shut. After an effective privacy charm, he curled on himself and sobbed himself sleep.
*End of Flashback*
Draco pulled himself out of his thoughts; he didn't want to remember those visits. They became more frequent, almost weekly, and nothing changed in them since the 5th visit.
He would be summoned into his godfather's office, endure two long and painful hours with his father, then crawl back to his bed shaking and sweating where he would cry himself to sleep.
The tortures weren't limited to the Cruciatus, sometimes when his father would get bored he would throw the occasional stinging hex here and there. Draco wasn't stranger to the cutting curse either, for he usually received a couple of them before the night was over. It took every once of dignity that Draco had in him not to end in the infirmity by the end of every torture session begging for relive.
He embarrassed himself and his family enough already, he wasn't about to humiliate himself further. He was adamant that he would suffer his punishments in silence.
Then came the day where everything turned upside down, the day of the last task. He could remember that day clearly, for he had his last torture session on it. His father decided that since they had no idea when the task will end, it would be better to have his private visit with Draco before the task.
He was so glade that his father left him and went to join the audience after their visit was over. He was sure that his he would receive further punishment if his father saw how pathetic he was. After he stopped shaking he adjusted his cloth and cast a couple of refreshing charms then made his way to the Quidditch stands alone.
It was the first time that he had to face his peers right after his punishment and he was panicked that they might see through his mask of indifference. But he needn't worry; they were so exited with the event that they didn't even notice him when he reached the Slytherin's part in the stand.
He remembered passing his head of house on his way to the stand, he looked at him with unwavering eyes but after a long moment the older man looked away without saying anything. Draco merely sneered and carried on to his seat.
He remembered everyone's Ohhhs and Ahhhs for Merlin knows what, but he doesn't remember a thing from the task itself, he was pretty preoccupied with how much pain he was in. What he remembered clearly was the panic and chaos that started the moment Potter and Diggory disappeared.
Teachers and ministry people alike were running around like headless chickens. He remembered the headmaster ordering the students to stay where they were and remembered –to his horror- feeling grateful toward the old man. He was sure that the only way for him to reach the dungeons at that moment would have been through crawling on his hands and knees.
He doesn't know why had done it, but he found himself searching for his father in the stands. At first he couldn't see him but after a quick glance around he finally found him; he was leaving the Quidditch pitch with long strides. When he looked back he was startled to notice that he wasn't the only one watching his father's retreating back. Snape was also watching him with a thoughtful look on his face.
After what felt like hours but couldn't really be that long, a light flashed in the middle of the clearing that stood in front of the maze and two figures metalized there. Teachers, students and ministry people rushed as one to attend to the new arrivals. Then a scream pierced the night, it was horrible and in a flash it was joined by other screams and shouts.
By then, Draco had totally forgotten about his pain and was joining the panicked students in an effort to find out what was going on. He couldn't reach the two figures; the crowd was increasing by the second around them. But he could hear murmurs and shouts. Someone to his right kept saying "He is DEAD, he is DEAD."
Several hours later found Draco crouching in a hidden corner next to the hospital wing. He was in a state of shock; he couldn't believe what he had heard. The Dark Lord was back, he killed a student already, and Potter had dueled him and escaped. Shock turned to confusion and confusion to anger and then denial.
NO! This can't be true. The Dark Lord can't be back. If he is back then Draco is dead already. His father will kill him; he'll make sure that Draco's short coming won't affect the family's name.
Draco shook his head and stared at the fireplace in Severus' quarter as he remembered the days that followed. Everything went in a flash, and before he knew it, he was home. His mother was the one to meet him at the station. She looked pale and rigid. After she apperated them to the manors front gate, she looked at Draco for a long moment then informed him in a tense voice that they had guests staying at the house for the unforeseen future.
He didn't see anyone on his way to his room but he could hear voices behind the Drawing room's closed door, a lot of voice actually. Apparently they had a lot of guests at the moment. Draco shuddered momentary when he finally figured what the implication of this new information meant; the manor was the Dark Lord's current Headquarter.
This meant that Draco will have to come face to face with the man whether he liked it or not.
That night, his father entered Draco's room with a sneer on his face. Draco was just readying himself for the usual torture session when he saw his godfather joining them. He looked at them in confusion and his silent questions where answered when his father told him to re-pack his school trunk and his godfather followed up by informing Draco that he will be joining him in his school quarter for a while.
When Draco didn't move, his father snarled at him and said that if his school progress weren't as disgraceful as there were he wouldn't need the extra tutoring. Draco still couldn't understand what all of this was about since his grades were in the top five but he wasn't going to complain if it meant leaving the manor and its current frightening inhabitants.
Which explain why he is residing in his professor's quarter in the middle of the summer vacation.
When they first came back to school, Severus explained curtly that he approached his father and that they talked about Draco. He said that they had reached the decision that it wasn't in Draco's best interest for the Dark Lord to take notice of him right now.
He didn't really understand but that didn't mean that he disagreed. In fact, he thought it isn't in his best interest for the Dark Lord to take notice of him, ever.
The days went on and Draco discovered that Severus wasn't a bad company. The dark potion master wasn't a sociable bee but he wasn't bad either. Draco came to learn of and respect his private nature. He also became accustomed to his frequent and sudden disappearances.
He remembered his father once commenting about Severus' efforts to the Dark Lord case and how he was their eyes and ears into the light's side. Since the Dark Lord in back then Severus must have resumed his spying role for him.
Draco was pulled out of his thoughts as the flames turned green announcing a new arrival. For a minute, Draco felt his shoulders stiffening in anticipation before the figure finally stepped out of the flame.
"Draco" Remus Lupin acknowledged with a nod of his head.
"Lupin" he sneered back.
The werewolf looked around before asking "Is Severus here?"
Draco studied him for a minute before gesturing toward the potion's lap. After he was left on his own he started to ponder. The usually kind and easy going man seemed distracted and in a hurry. He wondered what was going on for a moment before he ventured near the open door of the potion lap hoping to catch a word of what is going on.
"Pomfrey in doing all she can, and Molly is helping her out but we are running out of options and our potion supply is running short." The wolf was saying.
There was the unmistakable sound of clicking vials and Draco knew that Severus was going through his pre-prepared potions.
"Indeed" came the potion master reply. "Here, those are the potion that she wrote for."
"Thank you, Severus." The wolf replied in gratitude "I'm indebt for you."
"Nothing new" the potion master said sarcastically "what did the mutt do now? If I may ask"
"Those are not for Sirius" Draco could hear the edge in his former professor's voice; he sounded wary and almost defensive.
"I don't think any of the other order members would need most of the potions that you need" Severus voice answered sounder annoyed and tired. "There are potions for malnutrition and high fever, the last time I was asked for those two, the headmaster was providing them to the mutt to help him recover from Azkaban"
"I said they aren't for him" Lupin said as he turned to leave.
Draco was about to retreat to his room to avoid being discovered eavesdropping. But Severus spook up again stopping Lupin in his track.
"There are also potions for internal bleeding and severely broken bones" Snape spook evenly "she didn't ask for anything that is caused with a specific spell damage, it is almost like the injuries were inflicted in a muggle fight, I can't see any of the order members being that stupid, carless or barbaric."
It appears that Lupin's patience finally ran out, he turned to glare at his ex-colleague. "For the last time, it was not Sirius." He exhaled deeply and ran his hand in his hair "It is Harry, alright?"
"Potter" both Snape and Draco spat it at the same time. Then Draco had to shut himself up before they could hear him. Of course, Saint Potter felt like being the hero again and ran around fist fighting who knows who, and now they are running for Severus and asking him for help to patch the Hero up. He almost whished Severus would deny them the potions.
"What did he do now?" the potion master sneered at the wolf.
"I don't really have time to get into this fight, Severus" Lupin answered tiredly "if you really wanted to know, you'll have to come to Headquarters, the truth is: we don't know what happened. We found him half dead in his relative's house and there was no one around to ask. We will only know what happened when he wakes up and talks to us but I believe the situation is pretty clear." Draco cowered away from the door when the last sentence was spoken, the man almost growled it.
Draco retreated to the shadows just in time for the two to emerge from the potion lap. Lupin took long strides toward the fireplace and was gone in a blink of an eye, but Severus stood in the door way with a peculiar look in his face.
Finally, Draco approached him "Sev."
Severus shook his head briefly before he looked to Draco "I have to check something out, I'll be back shortly" he said curtly before he stride to the fireplace and disappear in the flames.
Draco pondered slightly over the matter but then he shook his head violently and went back to the couch scowling at himself. He would not allow Potter to screw his vacation, as if he didn't have enough to think about.
But then something occurred to Draco, he was tense when the fireplace lighted up because he feared his father would step out of it, and he relaxed –he freaking relaxed- when a werewolf stepped out of it instead of his father. Hell really froze over.
XOXOXOXOX
When Severus Snape stepped through number 12 Grimmauld Place's fireplace for the second time in so many hours he was rather surprised to find the house so empty and quite. The number of the house inhabitants alone would make this an impossible feat.
Snape turned sharply when he heard a sudden movement over the other side of the room, but it turned out to be the resident house elf. The elf scowled at him and then seemed to be fighting with every word as he bowed to Severus and spoke angrily "What can Kreatcher do for the unworthy half-blood guest?"
Severus chose to ignore the insult, for now, and settled on sneering as he looked down at the old elf "where is Lupin?"
"Upstairs, but Kreatcher is not allowed there. Oh no, Kreatcher had to watch the filthy mudbloods and half beasts walking…" Severus ignored the mumbling elf once more and left the room heading for the stairs.
When he finally reached the first floor he could hear a commotion at the end of the hallway. Upon reaching the open doored room he could see four hospital beds but only one of them was occupied. He recognized Poppy and Molly as they fussed over the figure lying on the bed. He also recognized the back of the mangy mutt, Sirius Black. He looked around searching for Lupin and found him bowing over a small table shifting through the potions that Severus had just given him.
"Found it" Lupin announced as he approach the bed with what looked like a bone mending potion.
"Wait… why are you restraining him?" Sirius asked with a hint of panic in his voice.
"We can't risk him moving around as his bones mend. It will be quite painful to say the least" the mid-witch answered with a grimace. "Actually you might need to hold him down even with the restrains, just mind his injuries as you do so."
Severus didn't know what came upon him but he felt himself moving forward and toward the bed, feeling almost compelled to see the still figure on the bed. He reached the bed just in time to see Poppy retracting the empty vial away from the unconscious boy's mouth. Molly started to wipe the boy's lips as she gently lowered his head back onto the pillow.
It took the potion 10 seconds to start working; Severus could see its effects on the boys face. Frown eyebrows, eyes squeezed shut, mouth thin as a line and, of course, the general muscle tensing that told the observers just how painful the effects of the potion were. As the pain increased, the boy started to tremble slightly but in no time at all the battled and bruised form of the young Gryffindor was trashing violently against his restrain while he screamed his head out.
"Hold him down, Black!" hissed the mid-witch as she was waving her hands over the trashing boy. "You too Remus."
"No, no don't hold his wrist, it's broken." Molly told Black.
"Watch out for his head… no, no hold him gently… mind his rips!" Poppy kept scolding the two men in every move they made.
"I don't know where to hold him. I can't find an injury free inch on him." Black snapped back.
Snape have had enough, he turned on his heels and left the room without saying a word. As he made his was back to the fireplace he was starting to get angry, on who exactly, he didn't know. On himself, for almost believing what Lupin was hinting at? On Lupin, for trying to instill such a thing? Or on the boy hero himself, for daring to consume everyone's time and effort?
Surely what the order thought happened is not true, right? This is everyone's Golden Boy after all. He is an arrogant, spoiled and pampered brat, just like his father. Of course his family, even if they were muggles, is treating him just the same as everyone if not even more; they must be indulging him and fussing over his every need.
It is very obvious that the boy had snuck out –in spite of yesterday's scare- and landed himself in a muggle's fight. Unfortunately, his relatives were not around to tend for the boy and the order members are now stuck with playing nursemaid for the arrogant fool.
Severus mentally shook himself as he stepped out of his quarter's fireplace. Draco was nowhere in sight so he crossed the room until he reached the door of his guest room, that was Draco's for the time been, and knocked on the door twice. When he didn't receive an answer either times, he eased the door open and sought his godson. Seeing that his ward was fast asleep, Snape shut the door and with a sigh he decided to call it a night.
As he settled in bed, his thoughts turned to his godson once more. No, he most definitely won't be concerning himself with Potter. Draco should be his main concern for the time been. He could not forgive himself for failing to see the signs. First, Draco's withdrawal. Then, his tense –almost stiff- attitude the days after Lucius' visits, and the look of almost panic in the boy's eyes whenever he was informed of his father's presence in the castle. Finally, and the thing that made Snape actually aware of what was going on, was the night of the third task, when Draco joined his peers in the stand with the clear signs of the Cruciatus after effect.
Snape felt the anger boil in him then and there, but he had to stomp on his rage for the time been because Lucius was there as were the whole school. He didn't want to do anything rush in front of either of them.
He didn't want to give Lucius any reasons to be angry, that would only serve to enrage the man even more in his future dealings with his son. And of course, he didn't want to do anything that would embarrass the young Slytherin in front of the whole school. Handling abused children was a delicate matter, after all, and who would know what to do better than a formally abused person.
Severus remembers spending most of the last task trying to figure out how to handle the situation. He was pulled out of his musing by the chaos that followed Diggory and Potter's disappearing. Then, of course, he had to abandon his planning to tend for the frightened crowed, specially his Slytherin.
But then the whole world felt cold as pain flared in his left forearm. No! This can't be true… He can't be back! Not yet. That was all he could think as the pain continued. Of course, he knew deep down that the Dark Lord would be back and soon judging by the dark mark's gradual reappearance, but he wasn't ready for it right this instance.
His felt his stomach drop as he raised his head and noticed the elder Malfoy's retreating back. Judging by his quick and brisk steps the man had felt the summon and was eager enough to join the Dark Lord's ranks once more.
He remembered making his way out of his first Death Eater's meeting in thirteen years mere hours after the Hogwarts Express left Hogsmeade's station. He could see his fellow Death Eaters socializing after the meeting ended. When he saw Narcissa Malfoy approaching him he could feel his fears for Draco returning, but it was not like he could warn her about what her husband was doing at the moment. Right now, there was much worse things that could happen to Draco, namingly the current house guest of the Malfoys.
Narcissa greeted him politely albeit indifferently, he was actually impressed, she looked for the whole world as if having a megalomaniac as a house guest was the most natural thing in the world. But Severus knew. He knew that deep inside Narcissa was truly terrified. She was terrified for herself but more importantly she was terrified for her son's life. Because now that he is home, there was no doubted that he will have to come face to face with said megalomaniac sooner or later.
As they walked side by side through the manor's hallways they kept the conversation light. Trivial like the weather and Draco's grades kept popping up, but then Narcissa tripped. It was so very un-Narcissa that Severus was reaching out to help her before he could help it.
"Get him out!" the witch's hiss was so quite that Snape almost didn't hear her.
And then she was standing up right, fixing her hair as if nothing had happened.
"Oh my, how embarrassing." She said in her normal indifferent voice. "Please forgive my clumsiness Severus." And then she was gone in long strides with her head held high.
Before he even thought about it, Severus found himself turning on his heel and heading toward the assembled Death Eaters. He didn't slow his pace until he saw Lucius, even though the elder Malfoy was speaking with two masked Death Eater, Severus merely wore his most famous sneer as he approached them. He was very satisfied as he saw the two unidentified Death Eaters scurry from him.
Although he didn't really know what he was going to say, he found himself talking as if he had planned the whole conversation ahead of time. He quietly informed Lucius that it wasn't for the Malfoys' best interest that the Dark Lord take notice of Draco right now. He wove some nonsense about Draco's inability to uphold the family's name at the moment and proposed to take the boy back with him to school under the false pretence that he needed additional potion tutoring. He even nodded his head in acceptance as Lucius asked him to use this time in preparing Draco to his ultimate meeting with the Dark Lord.
Severus closed his eyes in an effort to erase the look of utter terror that crossed the boy's eyes as he and Lucius entered the boy's room to inform him.
The boy is safe now. He told himself. Well, he is safe for the moment.
And with that thought, the potion master drifted to sleep.
A/N: okay, so, what do you think? So far so good? I hope you enjoyed reading it.
And of course, leave me a review. Constructive criticism is highly acceptable and encouraged. =)