Waking up was painful. There was a rock in his back and a bird in his ear a rather annoying one at that. With a pained groan, mercury coloured eyes slowly open only to close again with a hiss of air expelled

through perfectly formed pearl white teeth, at the sunlight in his face. Had the spell worked? He could vaguely hear voice in the background. Oh look hands touching him and pulling him up, oh and now his head

hurt. "Anyone catch the colour of that hippogriff?" He slurs out. A startled cry meets his poor abused ear and he feels himself tipping backwards towards the ground again but only for a moment. "Merlin, Draco am

I ever glad I found you. What are you wearing?" A voice asks him, sounding like a fog horn in his ear. "Not so loud." He begs softly. A shout from somewhere ahead and to the left of him fills the area "HARRY!"

moaning lowly in pain he tries to raise his arms to protect himself. The air escapes him as he is unceremonially dropped. Felling the rock dig into his back he gasps and rolls to the right. "Owie." He mutters and

then for the second time that morning he slowly drags his eyes open, to behold a sight that has him sitting upright in shock. "ELVES?!" He shouts in distress, the small clearing falls silent. "Who are you human?

That you look like Draco?" One of the elves questions him. He blinks stunned at him and then slowly looks around the clearing seeing an older version of himself, as well as Harry Potter and two elves that look to

be twins. "My name is Valerius, and I look like Draco because we are from the same family." He states slowly and calmly whilst dragging his battered self to stand upright. "Thank you, Mr. Potter for dropping me. I

really appreciated it." You could hear the sarcasm spewing from his angel softly baby pink lips while dusting his dark gray robes off. The party before him stares in awe and amazement as he straightens up

tossing his braid behind him, a coil of platinum blonde hair that reaches his knees. "You're a Malfoy?" Harry asks the younger version of Draco stunned. Draco eyes the younger man critically picking out the small

differences between them that only a Malfoy would ever notice. "He's a Malfoy, Harry. Valerius who are you parents?" Draco questions curiously only to be surprised at the flash of pain he catches in eyes so like

his own. "I don't want to talk about that." He says voice tight with emotion, "I think I need to sit down." He adds as an after thought as he slowly starts to sink to the ground. Draco leaps forwards agilely and

catches hold of the younger Malfoy slowly lowering him to sit down. "Valerius what happened? How did you arrive here?" Valerius slowly lifts his head and stares at the older man for a moment before nearly

collapsing onto the ground the rest of the way in laughter.

"Draco… We need to leave now." One of the twins states suddenly on alert and scanning the area. "Bring the boy." Draco nods and carefully picking up Valerius they all then proceed to cautiously move out of the

clearing and lop slowly through the forest.

Valerius had stopped laughing some time ago and was simply in awe as he looked up from the shelter of his older brother's arms to his face. The small party quickly made their way back into the city of Imlardis.

Valerius' ear slowly started ringing at the sound of cathedral bells splitting the air with their brassy resonance. Warrior elves seemingly armed to the teeth suddenly surrounded them as they entered the city.

Valerius could only watch and listen on in shock as they were ushered inside and down hallways that could resemble some of the beautiful and beloved home that he had left behind. Tears momentarily touched

his eyes as he remembers the last time he'd seen it and his father.

Finding himself being lowered down onto a bed and having several dark haired elves bustling around him saying words that sounded vaguely like "elfling" and "Draco" assaulted his ears before blessed darkness

closed around him shutting out the obnoxious and claptrap sounds of the environment around him.