Chapter Three: Fear

Summary: Harry lived a life of pain till he was found by the most unlikely of people. The Malfoy's. Will he choose darkness or the light? Most of all will he be forgiving? (A/N: This summary may change)

Authors Note: Here is the next chapter. I want to give thanks to those who favorited/followed this story and me. I would also like to give a special thanks to the following for their reviews that spurs me on to continue writing: leyu02o.O wait leviathan02 too; MirrorFlower and DarkWind; I.C.2014; cassy1994; AnimeMerodi; and a guest Crystal Bruner. Thank you for your reviews. On with the chapter remember R&R please.

Draco turned his startled to his parents as the young raven disappeared around the corner of the street, worry only reflecting back at him. 'What is happening?' the young blond asked himself as he walked slowly back to his parents. Taking the larger hand he felt the pull of apparation, closing his eyes as the nausea threatened to overtake him as the images flashed by him. The Malfoy family landed in the entrance hall once again slightly shaken from the turn of events that afternoon.

Looking up at his father, Draco asked in a small voice "Is Harry going to be okay, dad?" Lucius looked down at his too mature son and kneeled before him placing his hands on his thin shoulders.

"I sure hope so, my Dragon." He said in a whisper, only the two closest to him could hear the worry staining his voice as they came together for an embrace. To the public they were cold, selfish, purists that sneered at everyone that they considered below them, but inside their home, Malfoy Manor, or alone with very close friends were they the most caring, loving, and devoted family possible. They loved each other very much even if not many knew. Lucius loved his wife and she loved him and they both loved their son. Only those closest to them could see the little things they did in public to show their feelings. Those that they deemed trustworthy enough to be let into their family fold were protected to the best of their abilities. Families were close, but Slytherin families were even closer, with or without blood.

Lady Malfoy watched her two men as they held each other with a soft smile. Lucius was one that had a hard time showing his true emotions behind his well constructed mask, his father was to blame for that. She was so glad that after all these years of being together he was slowly putting himself back together and most of it was contributed to their son, Draco. When Cissa told Lord Malfoy he was to be a father his first reaction was stunned silence and a blank mask, but then a huge grin broke out across his face and, believe it or not, he cried tears of joy while holding her tightly and stroking her still flat stomach. It was one of the happiest days only second by Draco's birth. She was so glad that her little dragon would not be like how Lucius used to be.

As they drew apart they turned to face her, she smiled down at them. "Come you two we must go wait in the floor room, we have a guest tonight for dinner." With that being said Draco's face lit up like a Christmas tree, a smile stretched across his pale features.

"Uncle Sev is coming tonight, mum?" He inquired excitedly. He loved when his godfather came over, even if he was a bit cold and distant at times. He always brought something with him pertaining to his masters, potions. His uncle said he would do well in Hogwarts at the rate he was burning through all the books and potions ingredients he was given. He couldn't help that potions was like breathing air for him.

With his mother's nod he all but bounced off to freshen up before the typical time for the potions master to show up. As he left Narcissa turned amused to look at her husband as he stood from his crouched position taking her smaller hand in his as they walked in a much more sedated pace to the travel room.

"What do you think is going to happen to young Harry, darling?" Lucius asked as he ran his thumb over her smooth knuckles. He felt her tense beside him thoughts obviously heading for the worst.

"He was obviously stricken with fear beyond belief if he did not even have a chance to say goodbye. I fear the worst for the little raven." She tightened her grip on his pale hand as they came to the room, he let her hand go opening the door just as their guest arrived.

Severus Snape, the youngest potions master and professor of potions at Hogwarts, stepped through the green flames of the floo network struggling not to cough from the ash on his body, but before his feet landed on the pristine marble floors of Malfoy manor he waved his hand and the ash was gone from him. He looked around the large traveling room and spied two of his best friends just walking through the tall oak doors. He stood before the now orange flames of the fire place and gave each a small smile that they each returned.

The two Malfoy's took a seat on the small, emerald green davenport in front of the mantle while the dark haired man sat on the armchair facing them. He watched them carefully as Lucius ordered tea for them and Draco when he arrived. He had known the Malfoy lord even before he went to school with him, they had been friends since early childhood, their parents also being friends. He often visited the manor during his childhood and through his years at school both as a student and now as an adult and teacher.

He had known Lucius and Narcissa for all of their lives and he could read through the masks they held in public, but now that they were alone in the manor they had them put away and that only magnified the look of utter worry and desperation. He lifted an eyebrow in question as the elf arrived with tea for four.

"What's wrong Lucius?" The potions masters asked as he made his tea. He watched as friend gave an uncharacteristic sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose in clear acts of frustration. He brought the warm cup up to his lips as he watched the blonde prepare himself to answer.

"Well I saw young Harry Potter today. He was, to say the least, very unwell." Lucius watched over his china cup as his friend's shoulders tensed, his eyes turning to onyx stones. He knew Severus enough to see the slight panic in his dark almost black eyes. He didn't want to worry his friend even more than he already was, but they had to do something to save the young sick raven.

Just as Severus opened his mouth the Malfoy heir walked, more like glided, into the room giving his Uncle an enthusiastic hug. When he released him he saw the look on everyone's face and more than felt the tension in the air around him, it was positively crackling. He looked curiously at the older Malfoy's.

"Did I interrupt something?" He looked back at the dark haired man.

"No, son, you didn't. We were just about to leave for the dining room for dinner." Narcissa said as she put her cup down, a house elf taking it and vanishing with the set. Standing she walked over to Draco putting a hand on his shoulder directing him to the open door. They all sat for the delicious meal the elves were sure to construct. They ate in relative silence until a loud clatter of silverware hitting a china plate broke the peace that had settled over the room. Three heads snapped up to stare at Lucius who by now was standing rigid at the head of the table, fear flashing through his silver eyes.

"Honey what is it?" His wife said in a rush now standing beside him. He turned to look at his long time friend.

"Lucius what is wrong?" Slowly worry and desperation crept up the spines of others as they watched the most stoic of them storm out of the room.

Yelling over his shoulder as he walked/ran out of the room, "We have to leave now Severus, Harry is in trouble!" All Severus heard was "Harry" and "trouble" as he ran behind his friend in full sprint to catch up to him. Draco walked over to his mother as his godfather and father ran from the room, fear decorating his pale features, Cissa hugged his shoulders praying to any being listening Harry was going to be okay. They left at a slower pace to wait anxiously in the sitting room.

Two older males arrived by apparation at the park the two younger children liked to play at daily. They had barely landed before they were off in a dignified sprint, the darker one following the blonde. They rounded the corner, Lucius following the pull from the small boy that was in obvious pain if the strength of the pull was anything to go by, it was almost suffocating. They arrived at the door of number four, not pausing at the obstacle the door seemed pose, only to a muggle, Severus throwing a blasting curse, knocking the flimsy door out of his way. As they entered the cookie-cutter house they could hear nothing but their own frantic heart beats.

They listened for anything that could give away the younger's position and that's when they heard the almost inaudible whimper from upstairs. Severus, thanking his years of spying, reacted quicker than his friend, running for the stairs and opened the first door he came upon. He looked in and found nothing but a large bed and toys everywhere, obviously the room of a spoilt child. Slamming the door closed he moved to the next one where he found a larger bed that was obviously the master room. Growling at the empty room he slammed it closed with much more force than necessary. He turned to the last room in the hall, 'please Hecate let him be here and safe'. He walked slowly to the door and listened, there he heard the slap that seemed to echo even down the hall. He threw open the door just as Lucius came up behind him. There he was stunned into place at the scene playing before him; a huge ofe over a smaller body of the boy.

Without thinking the potions master raised his wand and stunned the oversized whale in the back, whose body collapsed on the boy's legs. He levitated the monster off the boy, catching the eyes of the dark haired child. Severus' breath held in his throat, those bright Avada Kedavra green eyes were so painfully familiar, it brought back long, hopefully, forgotten pain. Thin, almost transparent, lids closed over them throwing the small one in a world of darkness. He turned after a minute to look at Luc, motioning for him to take the whale like man from him. The dark figure moved forward cautiously to take the small, frail body from the small, rickety bed. Dark eyes widened in shock, narrowing in rage, as he picked up the feather light boy.

He turned back to Malfoy and followed him out of the room and down the stairs, millions of thoughts running through his mind, most centered around the slight weight in his arms. He could not believe that this young boy could weigh so little. What could they have been doing to him, obviously starving him, but what else? He observed him as they continued through the house. Harry looked to be no more than three years old, but Severus knew he was indeed almost six years old. His hair was a deep brown almost black that lay lank around his head, skin so pale it could definately not be healthy. His eyes trailed down where he could see every bone that lay below the youth's skin and his fingers could feel no fat on his body. His brow wrinkled as he watched the labored rise and fall of the thin boy's chest, he had to get him help and soon. His pace sped up making their way outside the house and past the wards. Once they reached the outskirts of the oppressing wards they apparated back to the majestic Malfoy manor.

As they landed in the entrance hall Lucius turned to the dungeons with their capture while Severus took the young Potter up the stairs to a room not far from his guest room in the family wing of the home. He climbed the stairs slowly trying not to jostle the boy without reason. Once he reached the floor and the room he wandlessly opened the door before him, placing the small body on the silk sheets taking out his wand to cast quick diagnostic spells.

"Dobby!" He called for his elf as he continued to cast watching the readouts from the spell. He growled as he saw the extent of damage he received from the muggle, almost not hearing the pop of the elf behind him.

"Yes master, what can I dos for you?" The small house elf squeaked out. He could see his master working on something, but he couldn't see clearly from his vantage point not only because he was short himself but whoever the person was was deeply seated in the soft bed.

"Yes I need my medic bag from home and be quick about it. Then, fetch Narcissa for me. That will be all thank you." He ordered urgently as he started setting the broken ribs and healing the hole that a rib had made in his lungs. He continued healing Harry as much as he could without his bag of medical potions he kept just in case. He stepped back and ran another spell writing down everything that was still wrong with the small boy just as Dobby reappeared with his bag and the blonde he asked for.

"Narcissa, please get out a pain potion, dreamless sleep, and skele-gro and give them to Harry. He has at least three broken ribs, a broken ankle, a fractured skull, numerous bruises and cuts, and severe malnourishment not to mention all the improperly set bones from previous breaks. Those will have to be re-broken and set correctly." As Severus ran over the list of to do's Cissa did as told and spelled all the potions into his body.

She tried not to shake as she performed her tasks. She wanted to kill those bastards that dare to harm such a sweet child. She had never seen anything as bad as this, and that was including her few years in the first war. Not even the Dark Lord harmed children during his reign of power. She held back tears that threatened to fall as she watched and helped Severus with his patient.

They continued working for hours on in to just stabilize the dark haired child. Finally, early in the morning they could take a breathe as Harry's heart rate, blood pressure, and brain activity stabilized into normal ranges as he slept on, the exhausted potions master put the small boy in a healing coma to make sure he would be fully healed before he could wake up. As they left neither of them noticed another small boy that was standing in the dark corner of the room.

Draco watched as his mother and godfather moved frantically to save the life of his new but dearest friend. He didn't make a noise from his corner as the tears rolled silently down his cheeks making it hard to see the raven struggling. He could not believe that these supposed muggle relatives of his could do something like this to their own flesh and blood. What had sweet Harry done to deserve this, he didn't know and couldn't for the life of him figure it out.

Silver eyes watched as the adults left the small raven behind on the bed. He slowly tiptoed to the bed to make sure they weren't leaving a corpse behind. As he reached the edge of the bed all he could see was the tuft of black hair laying on the pillows, the bed almost swallowing the small, frail body of the younger boy. He sighed in relief as he saw the steady rise and fall of the thick duvet where his chest was. His critical gaze trailed up seeing the still healing bruise on the pale face of Harry he glared as his eyes followed a small cut on the high cheekbone, those muggles were evil. He hoped that his friend would never have to go back to those horrible people ever again, or he would just have to throw a fit.

He turned to leave, content in the knowledge that Harry was at least alive and recovering, but froze on the spot a few steps away as he heard a small whimper escape the raven, softly calling him back to his bedside. He touched the small, skeletal like hand and watched as he seemed to relax further into the majestic emerald bed. Shedding his outer robes to just his trousers and pale blue silk shirt, he sat on the edge of the soft bed, his back against the dark oak board. He watched his friend for an hour, his fingers wrapped around the smaller boy's. He continued to watch until his eyes slowly slid shut, exhaustion finally overtaking his still young body.

{The Private Sitting Room}

Severus slumped down in his favorite worn winged back chair in front of the roaring fireplace in the Malfoy's private sitting room, not far from where Harry was currently resting. Potion stained fingers pinched the bridge of his nose in exhaustion. It took almost everything he and Narcissa had to heal the most severe damage the still fragile boy had. They had an abundance of physical things still to heal. He wished he could have continued, but Harry's body couldn't take anymore strain and neither could they.

Severus growled as he slammed his clenched fists into the arms of the chair at the thought of those so called humans, Petunia and Vernon Dursley. He almost could not believe they were capable of doing such a thing to a five year old. Almost being the operative word.

He knew the horse faced woman from his childhood before Hogwarts. Severus met the vile woman when he took a ventured to the park behind his house. He watched as she slapped a magically blossomed daisy from the hand of the younger girl in front of her. He heard the red haired girl's name, Lily, what a pretty name for a pretty girl. He then heard Petunia scream "freak" at the girl's face. He stepped from his hidden spot to defend her, but as he did the mouse haired girl turned and stormed off. From then on he and Lily had been inseparable. He sighed remembering how Lily had always complained about her sister, but still had loved her regardless. She would be devastated to find that her sister held such a deep seated hatred for not only her, but he sweet boy too.

He was startled out of his torturous thoughts by a crystal tumbler filled with an amber liquid appearing in front of his face. He followed the pale hand holding the glass up to the grim looking Malfoy lord before taking it from him. He was tempted to down it all in one go, but he had to keep sane for the younger raven's health.

"How is he, Severus?" The blonde patriarch asked before taking a hearty sip of his drink. Following his friend's example he felt the familiar burn of firewhiskey warm his body. He reached into his stained black robes he still wore, too tired to take them off, retrieving a thick scroll. He threw it to Lucius, who raised his eyebrow in silent question.

"That is the history of injuries Harry received since he was placed in their... loving care." You could practically feel the sarcasm that dripped from his words. He took a few more sips as he watched the pale face turn to stone as he skimmed the parchment. "From what I read he received the first broken bone at the age of three... Three, Lucius! Not to mention the magnitude of bruises, cuts, fractures, and what have you before then." The dark man stood as he ranted, pacing between the two dark chairs. He threw back the rest of the whiskey grimacing at the intense burning that followed.

"I see that Severus. What are you going to do now that he's here?" Lucius asked watching his best friend pace like an angry mother lion in front of the fire. He had never seen his friend so worked, except for maybe a few years ago on the worst night of their lives. The blonde man almost felt sorry for the wrath they would suffer under Severus' hand, if he wasn't to be a part of it.

The potions master turned and faced the Malfoy lord, looking him straight in the eyes, something he never does. If Lucius was a lesser man he would flinched at the burning passion in those dark eyes.

"I have my son now. No one, and I mean no one, will stand in my way of protecting him."

I was actually going to go on, but I thought it was nice to end it here for now. I'm sorry for taking so long to update. I have been going through a lot during this summer and school is about to start up again. I will try to post again soon, please be patient with me. I closed the poll for the pairing of this story and it has been decided on DMHP, hope no one is upset about it. Thank you for reading. Til next time.

Pure-blood Reject