A/N: I'm back! Sorry for the delay in posting this new chapter. :)

Thank you to all my reviewers, as always! I love hearing your thoughts about this story. Thank you especially for all the well wishes about graduate school! My first semester went great and I'm nearly through with the second. Practically only my dissertation is left, and I'll be done in August! Trying not to think too much about that, as it means I'll have to get a real job...

Anyways, I truly appreciate the support from my readers. Hope you enjoy the latest chapter!

Recap: It's fifth year and the students have just returned to Hogwarts for another term. After a two-month coma, Draco came back to Hogwarts unaware of the arrival of his childhood friend, Henry Selwyn, as well as his guardian, Delores Umbridge, who has a major grudge against Draco.

After his disownment and subsequent adoption in to the Black family, Draco's Sight has gone haywire, intensifying his headaches to a dangerous point. The students of Hogwarts are torn between disbelief and hero-worship at Draco's role in the Triwizard Tournament, blown far out of proportion by Rita Skeeter in the Daily Prophet. Dumbledore and the members of the fledgling Order of the Phoenix continue to attempt to recruit Draco, despite his vehement refusal. Charlie has returned as the Care of Magical Creatures professor, and Firenze the centaur as the Divination professor.

On the first night after the students return to Hogwarts, Draco heads to his bed, only to lose consciousness abruptly and painfully. Meanwhile, the Golden Trio quizzes Charlie about Draco, and Harry decides to find him a present in order to apologize.

A hoarse scream startled the entire fifth-year Slytherin dormitory awake. Blaise, whose bed was right next to Draco's, practically leapt from his bed in alarm. Bleary-eyed and disoriented, it took him a few moments to notice the eerie light painting the curtains and walls, as well as the source of the light. He bolted over to Draco's bed and tried not to stare in horror.

Blood-red light encircled Draco's limbs and torso like writhing chains. The blonde Slytherin was limp, pale, and twitching. The other boys in the room crowded around, looking frightened and mussed from sleep.

Voice sharp, Blaise snapped at Greg, "Find Professor Snape immediately!" The larger boy flung the door open and hurried out, ignoring the crowd gathering in the Common Room. Pansy shoved her way inside, slamming the door shut behind her and keeping the incident away from the nosy housemates outside. "What the hell is going on?" She demanded, taking in Draco and the creepy magic constricting him to the bed, which lit up the room in diabolical crimson color.

"I don't know, but don't touch it! It looks…evil." Blaise's brow was furrowed in worry. "I've never heard of anything like this before." He lowered his voice. "I am certain Umbridge is behind this, somehow." Vincent had switched dormitories this year, clearly intending to separate himself cleanly from Draco and his friends, and Adrian Pucey had taken his place. Unsure if they could trust Pucey, Blaise made sure to keep up appearances.

Theo tried to hide his worry, attempting to do the same. "Is this a disease? Is he contagious?"

Adrian scoffed. "Don't be a dumbass, clearly someone left a curse for him." He seemed faintly worried as well. "Black isn't exactly Mr. Popular right now."

Pansy rounded on the boy. "What is that supposed to mean? Did you do this?" Her expression was dark and far scarier than it had any right to be.

Adrian held up his hands in defence. "Whoa, hold on! Nothing like that. Draco's a smart chap, I'd be foolish to go up against him. Despite what Crabbe says, I have confidence that a former Malfoy can pick the winning side. Why do you think I switched dormitories? I was planning to have chat later and offer my assistance."

Blaise wasn't buying it. "You have to admit its suspicious, but we can deal with this later. I have no doubt that if it was you, it wasn't only you." The door burst open again, and Snape swept inside, following closely by Greg.

Severus took one look and scowled even more deeply than usual. "No student is capable of this without a great deal of instruction." He muttered angrily. Whirling on the Slytherins, he demanded. "Out, all of you! I have work to do. Parkinson, fetch the Headmaster, and Zabini, you go alert Madame Pomfrey. I will do my best to unravel this in the meantime."

Theo and Greg looked mutinous but obeyed their Head of House reluctantly. Outside, there was a buzz as the students who had been awakened milled about, trying to gather information about the happenings. When the rest of the students emerged, whispers circled the room. It was obvious to all but the first-years who was still inside, and thus the one at the center of the trouble.

Inside the room, Snape worked quickly to cast the counter-curse for what he identified as a Constrigas hex, a spell that used chains of blood magic to slowly constrict the affected wizard. It was highly illegal, but not particularly subtle. At the least, Severus could feel a miniscule shred of relief in that the hex clearly wasn't intended to kill, only cause intense pain. It wasn't swift enough to cause death before it was detected in the middle of a Hogwarts dormitory. "Cresco." Snape murmured, waving his wand over Draco's prone form.

A high-pitched whine filled the air as the magic coalesced over Draco's chest and then expelled. The Seer's flailing limbs dropped to the bed like a puppet with its strings cut, face pale and unmoving.

Face taut with something like worry, Severus swooped in and lifted Draco from the bed, doing his best to be as gentle as possible. "Nott, get the door." He barked from the inside. Inwardly his worry level shot up as he realized just how lightweight his godson truly was. Lifting Draco took barely any effort, and Severus had never been one for sport.

Immediately, the door swung open, and Severus strode through. The hubbub within the room rose to a fever pitch as students took in Draco's unconscious state, but at Snape's thunderous scowl they moved back and allowed the Potions professor to exit the Common Room. Over his shoulder, Snape added, "Pucey, Nott, Goyle, come along. The rest of you, return to your dormitories immediately."

Not allowing for any protest, Severus ducked through the portrait, Draco's three roommates right behind him. They all grimly made their way to the Hospital Wing, where Madame Pomfrey and the Headmaster were waiting. Pansy and Blaise hovered worriedly to the side of the room as well.

Snape carefully slid Draco into one of the beds, again doing his best not to jostle the blonde. Taking in the four persistent roommates and Pansy Parkinson, Snape's scowl deepened. "Sit to the side and stay out of the way. We will get to the bottom of this after we make sure Draco's no longer in any danger. I don't want to hear a word from any of you."

The Slytherins obeyed immediately, clearly not wanting to test Severus Snape in a crabby mood. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he watched the scene, but his expression turned more serious when he turned to regard Draco.

"What exactly happened, Severus?" Pomfrey questioned, moving to Draco's still form and performing a few diagnostic spells. "Goodness, he is covered in bruises." True to her words, bruises crisscrossed Draco's skin like winding vines, dark and painful-looking. After another scan, she tsked. "There's something odd about his magic, too. It almost seems…tainted? What sort of spell caused this?"

Severus looked livid. "It was a Constrigas hex. He was probably under it for about three minutes before I cast the counter-curse, Cresco."

Pomfrey frowned, scurrying over to several tomes spread across a desk. She flipped through one for a moment before seemingly finding what she was searching for. She began to read the pages thoroughly.

Dumbledore looked solemn. "The Constrigas hex is Dark Magic, a particularly nasty form of blood magic. It is highly illegal, and no ordinary student would know of this hex. I doubt one could cast it without training." He did not seem pleased by this realization at all.

"How could this have happened in the middle of the dormitories?" Pomfrey sighed, returning to Draco's side. "It appears that the curse has a nasty side effect, a sort of magic purge. It is not fatal or painful, but it is very destabilizing. It might be best for Mr. Black to refrain from casting any spells for a few days, maybe even as long as a week. The results of the purge are highly unpredictable, and can cause random fluctuations of magic, almost reminiscent of the flare-ups that happen when young, untrained wizards become upset. For the first day or two, it might be best for Draco to stay away from people entirely. It seems each case reacts differently to the curse, depending on their magical strengths."

Dumbledore stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Young Draco is skilled at Charms, is he not?" he asked, turning to Snape.

Severus snorted. "It is one of his many skills, yes. I do not think we can count upon the consequences of this curse being as harmless as clothes smoothing charms, however. Poppy's suggestion is probably wise, but I think it would be best to have at least one person watching over Draco at all times." He frowned. "I'm afraid I cannot volunteer for the job, however." He lowered his voice so that none of the Slytherins could possibly overhear. "I believe my absence would be noted and passed along to the Death Eaters attempting to regroup."

Dumbledore nodded. "That is wise, Severus. Poppy likely can alleviate some of the burden, but it would be best to have a rotation of sorts. Perhaps Sirius Black and Remus Lupin could offer their assistance?"

Snape sneered. "This is not an opportunity to inundate Draco with Order members, Headmaster." The Potions professor reminded him. "Draco would be most displeased. Perhaps Black, if we must, but the werewolf should be kept out of this. I suggest the Weasley instead. Draco seems to trust him."

Dumbledore didn't seem too displeased by that recommendation. "Yes, yes. Perhaps Poppy can handle watching over young Draco in the mornings, Sirius in the afternoons, and Charles after his courses in the evenings?"

That seemed acceptable to the three Hogwarts staff present, contingent upon Sirius Black's agreement.

Poppy still hovered at Draco's bedside. "He is probably in pain, but I would like to wait for him to wake up before I give him any Potions. Perhaps a pain reliever, and a calming draught…It is unfortunate that Mr. Black is so resistant to healing potions. I don't think I can give him enough to be effective on top of all the mess his magical core must be going through."

Severus would swear that, were Dumbledore a dog, his ears would have perked up. "A resistance to healing potions? How peculiar. How did you come to realize this, Poppy?"

The Mediwitch didn't face the Headmaster, but continued bustling about, fetching potions and leaving them on Draco's bedside table. "Draco was a frequent visitor last term, always coming in with some small injury or another. Every time I gave him a potion, they were less effective. The first time, I believe it took three to heal a small burn. Now it is closer to six or seven."

Dumbledore opened his mouth to say something more but was interrupted when Draco shot upright on the bed and groaned at the painful motion, quickly slumping back. As he did so, the charmed lamps on the wall nearby exploded, causing the light in the room to dim considerably.

The Slytherin students all jumped from the other corner, heads swinging toward the loud noise. Glimpsing that Draco was awake, Greg and Pansy immediately stood and moved toward their ailing friend.

Severus moved in front of them to cut off their path, while Dumbledore quickly cast a barrier spell, sketching several runes into the air with his wand. A rectangular box, glowing yellow and vaguely resembling force barriers from the Muggle film Star Wars, surrounded Draco's bed.

At the unexpected magic, Draco seemed to tense up even more, which caused his own magic to react accordingly. A crackle of magic that sounded just like electricity sparked against the barrier, causing it to flicker.

Making sure that the two students didn't move any closer, Severus turned around. "Draco, calm down! You were cursed, and the aftereffects are causing your magic to lash out. The calmer you remain, the better."

Draco scoffed. "Perhaps that explanation should have come before the barrier spell? I can hardly be blamed for reacting negatively when I was just caged in with no explanation." Despite the obvious venom in his voice, it lacked strength. He looked haggard, and still painfully thin.

Dumbledore only smiled in return. "My apologies, Mr. Black! But it is as Severus has said: I'm afraid that we don't know quite what to expect, so I reacted perhaps rather startlingly. Don't be afraid, the barrier spell is harmless. Anyone can pass through it, it merely blocks magic."

The blonde Slytherin resisted the urge to bare his teeth at Dumbledore, but only barely. Pomfrey scooped up the nearby potions and began urging Draco to drink them. Once that was taken care of, she turned to Pansy and Greg, who were slowly inching closer, and gestured that they could now come closer.

"Best to remain outside the barrier." Snape reminded them dryly. He turned to the other students, who were also moving closer. The exception was Theodore Nott, who kept up his disinterested front. "Nott, go fetch a meal from the kitchens and bring it back here."

Theo obeyed, smirking at Snape. "Sure thing, Professor." He disappeared out the door.

Draco rolled his eyes at his friends. "No need to look as if the world is ending." He snarked.

Pansy was not amused. "I told you, you shouldn't have come back this term! It is only the first day, and already something like this happened!" She was nearly in tears, she was so distraught.

Blaise wrapped an arm around her shoulders, squeezing slightly to comfort her. "She's right." He agreed. "You look like death warmed over. And it's been ages since I remember you actually being healthy, or even injury-free. This can't continue."

Draco's temper snapped, and it showed in the intensity of his gaze. There was another surge of magic against the barrier, bigger than before. Furthermore, he tried not to growl at Dumbledore, who reinforced the flickering barrier with stronger runes. "Do you really think there is anyone in this school who would have expected that spell? It's practically unknown for a reason. I am starting to get sick of all of you trying to mother me. Besides, it wasn't my choice to stay here. I was forced." He gave the Headmaster a sharp look. "Perhaps now you understand why I insisted on taking a term away." There was a bite to his words that bordered on disrespectful.

Severus pursed his lips together in disapproval. "Headmaster, if you would, please see what you can find out from Draco's roommates about how this curse was placed in the dormitory. I would like to speak to Draco in private." He paused, stare swinging briefly to Pomfrey. "That is, if Draco is no longer in any pain?"

The Mediwitch nodded in confirmation. "It might take a few moments before the potions take effect, but yes, I have given him what I can for the physical injuries. The calming draught should help with the fluctuations, as well." She drifted over to Dumbledore, wanting to hear what the students had to say about the night's happenings.

Snape ensured they were out of earshot before he began to speak. "I hope you realize these happenings cannot continue. I don't know how much more your body, or your magical core, can take of this without weakening beyond functionality. You're frightfully underweight, paler than a ghost, and starting to accumulate injuries faster than they can heal. I'm worried, Draco."

Draco was prepared to retort back until that last sentence, but Severus's blunt statement gave him pause. He deflated and sighed deeply. "You think I'm unaware of this? I'm backed into a corner, Sev, with enemies on all sides. I can't leave Hogwarts. Believe me, I've tried. There are just so many things that need my attention, and my magic…" he cut off abruptly.

Severus was instantly suspicious. "Your magic…what?" He demanded.

Draco wavered. He knew by now that he could trust Severus with anything, and the Dark Lord was weakened now, weakened enough that Severus didn't need to be so cautious. When there was a professor out to get him, along with disgruntled factions from both sides not too pleased with him, could he really afford to keep Severus in the dark forever?

Also, Draco couldn't stop worrying about the new Divination professor. Centaurs were well-known to be proficient in the field, so it was inevitable that Draco's abilities would be noticed to some degree by Firenze. He was sure he could hide the more unusual aspects, the most suspicious parts, but not everything.

Snape could sense his hesitation. "I think it's time to tell me what's really going on, Draco. I didn't push you before when you came forward with information that should have been impossible for you to know. I assume that's what this is about. Whatever that information source is, it's clearly putting you in more danger than you're capable of handling alone." He went straight in for the kill.

Draco knew, knew, that he was right. But old habits were hard to break. When only five other people in the world knew about this, and none of them his housemates, he had a degree of safety. "If I told you, I'd be trusting you with something a lot more dangerous than my life." He warned.

The enigmatic statement threw Severus. "What do you mean by that?" the Head of House questioned, eyeing Draco dubiously. Glancing back at the other occupant of the room, Severus made a decision. When Draco failed to respond, Snape stepped inside the barrier and cast a muffling spell. It would be impossible for anyone else to overhear the conversation, even Dumbledore. "It doesn't matter what you mean, I suppose. Trust me, Draco. I can help you." He met Draco's stone-grey eyes steadily, urging his godson to explain.

Draco's remaining resolve collapsed like wet sand. "I'm a Seer." He admitted, working to keep his voice from wavering. "A really, really powerful Seer."

Snape's eyes widened in surprise. That was nowhere near what he had been expecting. "A Seer?" he repeated in shock, blinking. "I know that it is fairly common in the Black line to have hints of the Sight, but it has been centuries since we had a legitimate Seer."

Draco looked miserable. "That's not nearly all." He exhaled, focusing intensely on remaining calm. He didn't want his magic to hurt Severus. "Since I was young, the Sight was small things. Flashes of memories, or perhaps seconds-long glimpses of future events, when I touched someone skin to skin. I could read personalities. People's voices have color, to me." He tried to smile. "Yours is unique, a blend of yellow and grey."

Severus could tell he was working himself up to the more difficult aspects. "Go on." He urged, resisting the urge to put a hand on Draco's shoulder or something equally Hufflepuff.

"I always had dreams, but they were blurry, vague. I didn't remember anything specific when I woke up until last year, before the Triwizard Tournament. I had a dream and Charlie was in it. I didn't know who he was at the time, but I recognized him from my dream when I met him. In the dream, I was Charlie, working with dragons. I felt what he felt and did what he did. He got burned. The dream showed events that happened a few days before he came to Hogwarts." Draco swallowed, avoiding Snape's eyes. "When I woke up, I had the same burn across my arm."

Severus sucked in a breath. That was insanely dangerous. His mind immediately began to fly through terrible scenarios, putting together the pieces of some of the injuries Draco had come to him with over the last year. "So, the Tournament…you saw it all in a dream?"

Draco nodded, expression tight. "Multiple versions, depending on choices I made within the dream. Who I told, what I did. It nearly always ended badly. It's why I chose the way I did, why I had to trust Charlie."

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to manage the stress. "And so? What changed? Are you having horrific visions of something now?"

Draco snorted. "Oh, I wish that was all it was, believe me. No, I think it was because of the disownment. When I connected to the Black magic, it all got ten times worse, twenty times stronger. The Blacks have a stronger history of Seers than the Malfoys, and it must have boosted my Sight. I had things handled to a certain degree before that shitstorm, but the new magic left my control in shambles. I started getting blinding headaches. From what I know, they can be deadly if not curtailed. They occur when my abilities outmatch my control." Severus started to interject, but Draco held up a hand. "Let me finish, and I'll answer all your questions after."

Severus raised his eyebrows but acquiesced with a nod.

Draco continued, "Based upon my research, I decided to enter deep meditation and try to determine what was wrong, or at least a way to stop the headaches. Clearly, that didn't work. I woke up and nearly two months had passed. Hence why I look like a corpse. So, slowly dying from my own magic and with no solutions in mind, I came back only to realize that Henry Selwyn had decided to grace Hogwarts with his presence. If that wasn't bad enough, he brought along the pink toad, who probably hates me even more than Henry does. I suspect she was behind this fiasco." He gestured to the dark bruising starkly visible on his forearms. "Now, we have an actual Divination professor who can likely recognize my abilities to some extent, the Death Eaters and my own father want to murder me, and Dumbledore and his merry band of do-gooders want to recruit me and all hold each other's hands." Realizing that was probably to Snape, a member of the Order, he winced. "No offense. You're a special case." Clearing his throat, he added, "I also had a vision last year about possibly being chained up in a dungeon and experimented on, so there's that."

Severus would have been amused by Draco's disorderly rambling had the circumstances been less dire. "You've certainly dug your own grave." He agreed morbidly. "I appreciate the courage it took to tell me. I know firsthand how Slytherins feel about revealing personal information. I will do my best to find a solution to your headaches. Being an Order member, despite its numerous headaches, does have distinct advantages as well. I am certain Dumbledore will need to take action now that you've been attacked directly. As for the rest, I will speak with the centaur if need be. I am sure he can understand the need for discretion, particularly if he is as good at Divination as you seem to think."

Draco straightened, teeth clenched with the effort. His breathing was harsher after the slight movement. "He seems to be in Dumbledore's camp, though." He protested.

Snape sighed. "As do I. It means little. There are a variety of reasons why a person might align themselves with Dumbledore. I suspect Firenze simply wants to dissociate himself from the other centaurs who might be enticed to help the Death Eaters. They support magical purity, after all, and magical creatures' interests align well with those of the Dark Lord's followers."

"I hope you're right." Draco muttered, turning to look at the other group talking in the corner. "I'm certain Pucey wasn't involved, if that makes things easier. He is terrible at Defense Against the Dark Arts, always has been. Also, he can't duel worth shit. There is no way he would be able to perform that spell." He paused, suddenly realizing for once he didn't actually need to hide his source of information. "I've seen enough of his memories to know that his parents are very opposed to Death Eater ideals, as well. His older brother married a Muggle."

Snape nodded. "I suspected as much. I am convinced this is either Umbridge's doing or your father's. No one else interested in causing you pain has the resources to go after you so aggressively and intelligently. You're very fortunate that Umbridge despises Lucius even more than she hates you. The prospect of their combined efforts to harm you would be alarming."

Draco hummed in agreement. His face turned contemplative, and Snape watched him closely. After a few minutes of silence, Draco spoke softly. "You know, after my father's actions toward the Selwyns, my mother was so angry. She left the Manor for two weeks to stay with the Parkinsons, but it felt like months." Memories flashed through Draco's head, remembering times where he sat at the massive dining table in an empty home, knees drawn into his chest as the house elves fretted and offered him food. He remembered the sharp ache of loneliness, waiting for his mother to comeback, to remember he existed. The loneliness of a child is different from that of an adult. It is laced with fear, and the inability to understand the events that had caused it. Always, the child questioned. What was it that I did? Why don't they love me? That empty loneliness, like he had experienced as a child, ate holes in a person that never really went away. It was impossible for Draco to pretend he hadn't glimpse his father's true feelings about his son after the Selywn fiasco. It didn't take any effort to recall the feeling, knowing for certain that his father could care less about Draco's happiness. When Henry left the Manor began to feel more like a mausoleum than a home. Narcissa may have returned eventually, but from then on, the relations between the Malfoys always retained that distant, hollow feeling. Shaking himself away from the raw thoughts, Draco murmured, "Umbridge may hate me and call me an enemy, but I can't say that I see much difference between her actions and those of Lucius Malfoy."

The young blonde did his best to keep the pain from thinking of his former family out of his voice, but the echoes of neglect were still discernable to Snape. Severus was absolutely certain that, had Draco not been injured and drugged on medication, he would never be voicing these internal musings. "You should sleep." Severus could think of nothing more to say, and perhaps there was no comfort to offer. Draco gave him a wan smile in return, seeming to understand.

Severus waved his wand, removing the muffling spell, and stepped outside the barrier once more. He strode over to join the Slytherins, Pomfrey, and the Headmaster. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled at Snape's approach. "I believe it is time that you return to your dormitories, children. It is late." Frowning but unable to argue with the Headmaster, the Slytherin students left.

Snape was grateful he didn't have any classes to teach in the morning. Rubbing his brow, he told Dumbledore, "Draco is under a great deal of strain, and something needs to be done to ensure that nothing like this happens again. It would be wise for someone to tutor him in diagnostic spells so he can detect any future attempts. At the very least, a private room will be necessary. Clearly the dormitories are unsafe for him."

Dumbledore hmmed. "Yes, yes, I suppose you are right, Severus. But I do not think it would be wise to leave him alone, either. Perhaps a roommate, or someone staying next door?"

The Potions Master considered it. "Might I suggest Charlie Weasley? A student would never be able to counter a curse as sophisticated as the one we saw today, and I have no doubt that other professors would make Draco less cooperative."

Dumbledore stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Yes, I believe that would be a prudent choice. I will speak with Mr. Weasley in the morning and see what he thinks of the matter. I do believe he has a guest bedroom in his current accommodations. As for the matter of tutoring, perhaps Mr. Lupin could be of assistance, as our current Defense professor wouldn't be the best option."

Snape quirked an eyebrow, keeping his sarcastic thoughts to himself. He was certain that Charlie would be more than happy to comply, given how much of a mother hen the Dragon Tamer seemed to be. Draco likely wouldn't be too happy at Dumbledore's manipulations via Lupin, but he would accept the benefits the spying would outweigh. "That seems acceptable." He agreed. He opened his mouth to ask if they were through when the Headmaster cut him off.

"What should be done with regards to Mr. Black's resistance to healing potions?" The question took Severus by surprise.

The Slytherin Head of House frowned. "I wasn't aware that anything could be done, Albus. Do you have an idea on the matter?"

Dumbledore looked pensive. "There is something tugging a memory, but I don't quite recall where I have heard of a situation like this before. I am certain I have, but I can't place the source." He rose from his seated position, deep in thought. "I must do some reading to see if I can't jog my recollection."

Pomfrey, who had been hovering over an exhausted Draco, looked up. "I'm afraid I will have to kick you out for the evening. It is late, and you're keeping my patient awake."

Severus inwardly berated himself for assuming that Draco would listen to him and actually sleep, rather than eavesdropping. He gave Draco a sharp look but let it slide when he saw how woozy Draco looked. "Of course. I will return tomorrow to show Draco to his new sleeping quarters, once everything is arranged."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "You should remain here tomorrow, Mr. Black. Rest and recover, and don't worry about going to class. I will inform the other professors that you are ill."

Draco narrowed his eyes, discontent but knowing better than to argue. Despite his exhaustion, he was determined not to fall asleep until he was alone. As the Headmaster and Professor Snape exited the hospital wing, Pomfrey began speaking to him. "Mr. Black—Draco," she amended, clearly trying to evoke a more personal conversation, "I haven't asked before, but in light of what has happened this evening, I feel I must. Are the other students giving you trouble? You've had so many injuries, so many scars. And your back—"

Draco interrupted as soon as he knew where this was going. "I can handle it myself. Don't make assumptions." He brushed off her attempts to be helpful effortlessly. He had never trusted the staff at Hogwarts, except for the recent exception of Severus. They had all ignored the warning signs that Draco was in an emotionally abusive home, content to vilify him and turn up their noses at the scion of the "evil" family which was the Malfoys. For Merlin's sake, even the Golden Boy himself was abused by his Muggle relatives every summer. If they allowed that to happen to the favorite, he could only imagine how low on the totem pole his problems were for the staff of Hogwarts.

Draco was beginning to think that the wizarding world had a system-wide issue with protecting and safeguarding children's safety and healthy development. The fact that Hogwarts and its staff pretended the school was a safe, nurturing environment made Draco want to vomit whenever he thought about it. At least schools like Durmstrang were honest about their (many) shortcomings rather than spouting self-righteous bullshit.

Pomfrey tried again. "Draco, I know that you were always told that asking for help was weak, but—"

Draco gritted his teeth. "We are done here." He said tersely. His magic sparked, causing Pomfrey to quickly step outside the barrier. Draco wanted to turn away, but he was unwilling to put his back to her because he didn't trust the Medi-Witch.

Pursing her lips, Pomfrey moved away from the bed. "Please knock on my door if you need me for anything. I'm sorry this happened to you, Mr. Black."

As soon as the door closed behind her, Draco slumped back against the bed, limbs trembling from exhaustion. Despite the potions, his whole body ached and his head was swimming. Turning carefully onto his side, the young Slytherin closed his eyes and allowed himself to succumb to sleep.

When he awoke, light streamed through the curtains, indicating that it was late in the day. If anything, Draco felt worse than he had before sleeping. Lifting an arm in front of his face, Draco saw that the bruising all across his skin was darker and very noticeable. The precision of the winding, snake-like bruises almost looked like tattoos on his pale skin.

Heaving himself into a sitting position with a wince, Draco glanced around the room. Pomfrey was nowhere in sight, but a small pile of books had been left by his bedside. Thank Merlin for small miracles, because he would have gotten bored very quickly if he was only to sit in a bed for hours.

Flipping through the titles, Draco nearly rolled his eyes at the content. Detecting Dark Curses, Magical Traps and Runes, Diagnostic Spells for Beginners…clearly the Headmaster's doing. Nonetheless, Draco was never one to turn down learning opportunities, so he began flipping through the diagnostic spell book.

It was probably some time later, judging by the light from the window, when a visitor entered the wing. Glancing up, Draco met the startlingly green eyes of Theodore Nott. Smiling the slightest bit, Draco greeted his friend. "Hey, Theo."

Theo quirked a grin back at the blonde. "Hey, Drake. You're looking cozy, skipping class and curled up with a book." While Draco voiced his usual complaint at the nickname, Theo came closer and seated himself onto the bed, hip nudging Draco's leg. "I've been asking around the dormitories, trying to figure out how the hex got on your bed." He paused, meeting Draco's flint-colored eyes. "Vincent had a hand in it."

A flash of something crossed Draco's face, but it was too quick for Theo to categorize. "I see."

The Ice Prince of Slytherin is back, Theo thought humorlessly. "Probably not what you wanted to hear, I know. You're right in thinking that Umbridge was behind this, but there isn't any proof. Sorry, couldn't be your knight in shining armor this time." He winked at Draco.

Draco could only sigh in return. While he couldn't deny that he had been suspicious of Crabbe, he was saddened to hear that his old acquaintance had indeed been involved. "I appreciate it, Theo." He nudged his friend's hip with his knee. "Did any of those tossers from last term give you trouble so far?"

Theo grimaced at the question. "Give me a break, Draco. I've been much more careful since then. As long as I'm cautious, I can always outsmart them." With a twist of a grin, he added, "Obviously since they're so homophobic, they can't be that intelligent."

While Draco agreed, he was way more protective of Theo than his other friends because Theo stood up for himself less. "If you say so." The blonde Slytherin responded slowly. His clear eyes met Theo's emerald orbs. "Apparently, they're moving me to my own room, away from the dormitories. Probably with Charlie. And teaching me diagnostic spells to detect curses." Draco snorted. "A little late now, Umbridge isn't dumb enough to try the same thing twice."

Theo smirked. "Ooh, living with a professor? How scandalous."

Draco rolled his eyes at Theo's joke. "I don't understand this school's obsession with Charlie and me."

While Theo knew that Draco meant what he said, he also knew that Draco was emotionally unavailable and very stupid when it came to feelings. "In a few years when you're married to the Weasley, I will smirk and say, 'I told you so.' I guarantee it. Whether you're asexual or not remains to be seen, but you two have obvious chemistry."

Draco just huffed in annoyance and didn't respond to that. Theo patted his leg consolingly. "You'll figure it out eventually. Anyways, I need to get out of here before anyone notices I'm missing. Hopefully the Headmaster will take your safety more seriously now. I'll let you know if I hear anything else in the way of plots." His eyes narrowed. "I should have caught wind of the first one. It won't happen again from anyone in our house, I can guarantee it."

Draco absolutely believed him. Theo was brilliant and nothing if not effective at gathering information. "Thanks for coming by. Saved me from the boredom for at least little while." He snarked, moving Theo's mind away from the perceived failure.

Theo nodded and left the room with a wave, disappearing as silently as he'd arrived. The boy really would make a great spy. Raising his book again, Draco continued reading. He made it through a few more chapters before the door swung open again, this time admitting an expected trio: Dumbledore, Charlie, and Remus Lupin.

Carefully slipping a sheet of paper into the book to hold his place, Draco's long fingers put the book aside, turning his attention to the older men.

Dumbledore beamed at the sight of Draco reading the book, but didn't comment on it. Instead, he announced cheerfully, "Remus has found a charm to balance out your magic. There should be no need for the barrier spell after it is cast on you."

Draco's eyes shifted sideways to Charlie, who nodded in affirmation. Knowing the spell was legitimate and not some manipulation, Draco verbalized his agreement. "Proceed." He told Lupin tonelessly.

The werewolf gave Draco a small, reassuring smile and cast the charm. Immediately Draco could sense the difference; his magic no longer crawled uncomfortably under his skin. Dumbledore removed the barrier spell, and a bit of tension released from Draco's posture.

Lupin pushed his wand back into his robes. "That okay? No numbness or fluctuations?"

Draco shook his head. "It worked." He said simply. "Am I free to leave now?" he wanted to know.

Dumbledore was the one who answered. "Yes, Charlie here will take you to where you will be staying for now. Since you didn't protest last night, I assume you are not opposed to these arrangements?"

Draco resisted the urge to give a smart remark and just nodded in response.

Charlie finally spoke up. "Good. I'm sure you're bored stiff, so let's get you out of here." He moved toward Draco and reached an arm around the younger blonde's back, attempting to help him stand.

Draco winced slightly as the muscled arm pressed against the bruises but didn't complain. As the two maneuvered Draco upright, Dumbledore spoke to them. "Tomorrow you should return to your classes as normal if possible, but after dinner for the next few weeks I would like you to meet with Remus for some tutoring on detecting hexes and magical traps, as Severus mentioned last night. And Mr. Black, please come visit my office if you have any further difficulties or attacks against your person."

Draco resisted the urge to sneer and instead nodded insincerely. Having said his peace, Dumbledore whisked himself out the door, humming an out-of-tune song as he went.

Lupin, however, moved to Draco's other side and offered his assistance.

"I'm not an invalid," Draco protested halfheartedly, but he didn't jerk away from the werewolf.

Relieved of some of the burden, Charlie leaned over Draco's shoulder to inspect the bruising visible on his arm. "Shit, this looks nasty. Must've hurt." He peered into Draco's eyes, curious.

"Obviously." Draco bit out, a little grumpy from the pain moving caused throughout his limbs. "Dark curses are typically designed to hurt someone."

Ignoring the vitriol, the two former Gryffindors half-carried Draco out of the wing and toward where Charlie apparently was living. Draco focused less on the path they were talking and more on breathing, trying to shut out the pain as much as possible. He'd been bruised and banged up pretty severely before, but this was bone-deep bruising everywhere from collarbone to hips, and the rest of his body was sore from tensing and twitching during the seizure-like movements the spell had triggered. It wasn't the worst pain he had suffered, but it did hurt considerably to move.

The Seer was sweating noticeably by the time they arrived at Charlie's rooms. Unlocking the door with a whispered spell, Remus and Charlie ushered Draco inside and onto the sofa. "Thanks for your help, Remus." Charlie smiled at the werewolf.

The easygoing man smiled back. "Happy to help. I hope you feel better soon, Draco. I suppose I'll see you tomorrow evening. I will meet you here, if Charlie doesn't mind." The amber gaze switched over to the redhead questioningly.

Charlie gestured obligingly with his hands. "Feel free." He responded cheerfully. The werewolf bade them both goodbye and exited the room, leaving Draco and Charlie on their own.

"Make yourself at home and let me know if you need anything. I'll get you a glass of water, hold on." The Dragon Tamer disappeared into what appeared to be a small kitchenette, returning moments later with the water and handing it over to Draco.

Taking a small sip, Draco folded his hands around the cup and sunk back into the cushions scattered about the sofa. "Thanks for this."

Charlie knew he was talking about more than the water, but only responded, "You're welcome. Pleased to be of service." Dropping onto the other side of the couch, he faced Draco. "The guest room is over there, and the house elves should be delivering your trunk soon. You're welcome to use the kitchen, just clean up after yourself. Please let me know if you want to have your friends over or something." He sounded uncertain, which was a bit endearing.

Draco chuckled. "You sound nervous. I promise I'm not that high maintenance."

Charlie waved his hands, flustered. "Sorry, it's just been a really long time since I've shared my space with someone, other than when I go back to my parents for holidays. At the reserve the accommodations are small, but remote and private. Any ground rules, things I need to know?"

Draco smirked. "Not that you would, but if you messed with my trunk, you'd get a nasty surprise. It's heavily warded. I would recommend not touching it, even to move it. Hopefully the house elves don't do anything but teleport it over." He tapped his chin thoughtfully, trying to bring to mind anything else Charlie might need to know. "You probably want to put a silencing spell up at night. I'm a restless sleeper to begin with and my visions can get pretty loud, depending on the content. Don't be surprised if you hear me out here in the middle of the night wandering about, either. I'm a bit of an insomniac." Shrugging, he added, "Just continue things how you normally do, and don't me overmuch. I'm afraid I can't handle this level of hovering forever." The Slytherin gave Charlie a meaningful look.

Chuckling, Charlie nodded. "Point taken. I promise I'll give you your space." He regarded Draco for a few moments. "Are you okay? Besides the obvious, I mean. You were attacked in a place you should feel safe, after all."

Draco snorted. "It didn't surprise me. I would say I should've been more careful, but I doubt I would have detected the spell even if I did check before I laid down. At least these rooms are more warded from intrusion." With a sigh, Draco finally spoke again. "I hate to ask, but Blaise is always nagging me to eat, and, well…" he trailed off significantly.

Charlie understood without the spoken words. "It's nearly evening, and you slept the day away, right? I'll have a house elf bring something." He walked into the kitchen and rang a little bell, causing a house elf to pop into the room. After requesting food for two, he returned to the living space.

Draco quirked a brow. "Professors get special treatment, I see." He teased the redhead.

Charlie grinned. "Well, the pay is shit so the job better have some perks." He agreed. "Not that being a Dragon Tamer is any better." He added, amused.

"For being mass produced, the food at Hogwarts is strangely tolerable." Draco affirmed absently. A twinge of a headache hit him, and he rubbed his temples.

Charlie didn't miss the action, but he refrained from commenting. Instead, he brought up an unexpected topic. "Hey, Draco. We've talked before about how you knew that you had to do something to stop the Death Eaters from killing Cedric, but you never really mentioned why you felt like you had to."

Draco blinked in surprise. "What do you mean?" he asked, wanting a bit more clarification.

Charlie intertwined his fingers and leaned forward onto his clasped hands, elbows resting on his knees. "Cedric wasn't a friend of yours. You had nothing to do with the Death Eaters, and there would was no way it was your fault if Cedric had actually died. I know you said that your visions showed consequences for the wizarding world if you didn't help, but was there any doubt in your mind? Did you consider doing nothing?"

Draco frowned. "Of course I did. It was bred into me to think of myself first, and to choose the option that was most beneficial for my family name." He gave the redhead a bitter smirk. "Behavioral conditioning, quasi-Imperio and all." Glaring at the ceiling, he finally said softly, "It…I don't know, it's a bit barmy really. It's just…I really hate the way that things are. I always felt powerless, and this was a chance to at least change something, to have control over some small aspect of my life." He shrugged. "Diggory was always a decent enough bloke, definitely more open-minded than most. It would've be a shame for him to die young." His voice lowered. "Most of all, probably, I just couldn't keep giving my family chances to screw me over. Self-preservation kicked in. There's only so many times you can have hope, when it gets crushed over and over." Draco gave his friend a self-deprecating smile.

Charlie took a deep breath. "I don't think people give you enough credit for being a stable and decent human being. The more I learn about your childhood, well, the more I want to hurt your parents."

Draco's heart gave a twinge of something painful. "My feelings fluctuate. One moment I'm incensed about the shit they put me through, the next I'm just a kid again, wanting for them to be proud of me, to show they care for once." He sighed. "I think some part of me will be waiting forever, despite how stupid it is."

Charlie shook his head in fond exasperation. "It's definitely not stupid to want your parents to care about you, Draco. You just have shit luck and a twisted family." They met each other's eyes, gave each other small smiles.

"Enough of this, though. Why don't you tell me some of the embarrassing teenage adventures of Charlie Weasley." Draco yawned and stretched out slowly, as painful as it was.

He let the sound of Charlie's voice lull him to sleep.