First and foremost, let me apologize. I've had this chapter up on my blog for quite some time, but just never updated it on . All chapters are showcased on my blog first, if this wasn't an indication of it. If you want to check my new stories, ideas, and chapters before they appear online here at then go here -- http / www . mellonin .net / create -- that is my fanfiction blog, where all my unedited (and later edited) stories will go. I am able to update them from anywhere on the web, and I do all my editing there, as well. So chapters may go through several reincarnations before they are finished. But, I've already had one person make a comment who apparently reads it here on -- thanks so much for the comment you left acr! -- so I thought y'all might be interested in reading some over there, as well.

But, enough with my random babblings! On with the story! And enjoy!

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Lucius Malfoy had been his first true friend.

Severus could remember, getting off the train on that first day at Hogwarts, and staring enviously at the people around him, at the childeren he had sat down with at the Slytherin table. Most of them had ignored him, a few of them had thrown insults. But Lucius had merely smiled, and later t hat night had walked beside him to the common room, pointing out some of the finer parts of the wizarding world.

His father had told him of Severus, about his mother who had married a muggle man, Lucius had said. And from that moment on, they had been joined at the hip, sometimes even retaliating against the pranks that Potter and his friends would play against Severus. At times, it had seemed like an all-out prank war between the two groups. Sometimes …. sometimes it had even been fun.

It killed him, now, to deceive Lucius like this, to take from him this beautiful baby boy that Lucius and Narcissa doted on so happily. If he was ever loyal to anyone in his life, it should have been them, not some red-headed mudlood like Lily Evans-Potter.

So he drank himself into forgetting — forgetting his promise, his vow, his part in this tangled affair of love, loyalty and betrayal.

He'd stopped drinking after a couple of months, but the pain in his heart had never lessened, even as he had watched the boy growing into a young man, the very image of his adoptive father.

But there were hints of James Potter mixed in there, as well. The way he moved and talked, sometimes, would simply scream of Potter, and Severus would find it so amazing that nobody else ever suspected.

But they had all taken it in stride, claiming that it was only Draco trying to be his own individual. Childeren liked to do that, they said.

They were all idiots.

Severus leaned back in his chair, staring at Draco Malfoy over the rim of his tea cup. Did Lucius even know that he was gone, yet? Did he even care?

He almost had recognised the boy, when he'd come tumbling out of the fireplace in his private Potions lab. He'd just been lucky that Severus was at Hogwarts, and not as home as he usually was during the summer holidays.

Draco hadn't said much since he'd first arrived, only accepted the cup of tea with trembling hands and collapsing into a chair facing the fireplace.

"Is it true?" Spoken so softly, Severus wasn't sure he'd heard right, at first. When d?raco raised red-rimmed green eyes to his face, however, Severus couldn't help the small sigh that escaped his lips.

"Yes. It's true. Lucius came by earlier, asking the same." Severus noted the slight wince Draco gave at that name, and couldn't help the loo of pity that flashed across his face — something that Draco picked up on almost immediately.

The blonde grit his teeth in irritation, turning his head away from the Potion's Master a he stared at the fire once again.

"Draco …." Severus sighed heavily, glancing away from the teen to stare into the crackling fire. "Lucius still cares for you. You just have to give him time."

"Blood is important." Draco said bitterly after a few moments of tense silence. "Blood is thicker than water. That's what Father always said to me. Blood is more important than contracts, vows, allegiences, and even magic itself. I'm not his blood, anymore. I never was. D'you know what that means, Sev'rus? It means that I'm nothing to him."

Severus closed his eyes at that, lips pressed tightly togeather as he fought against the feelings welling up in his chest. "Blood isn't everything, Draco." He whispered, knowing full well that the blond wouldn't hear him.

They sat in a now companionable silence for the next few minutes, before Draco suddenly set his cup aside. "I'm not going back." He announced, turning to stare at Severus.

Severus sighed in irritation, idly wondering just when he had started sighing so much, and whether he should blame the Potters or the Malfoys for it. "Draco, where do you think your going to stay? They are your only family." Severus levelled his gaze on his younger companion, raising one dark brow in question.

Draco was looking at him now, a funny look on his face, and Severus couldn't help the look of surprise that crossed his face as he realised just what that look meant.

"Draco …." Draco looked away again, instead focusing on the fire as unwanted tears welled up in his eyes. "I reall don't have anywhere to go, do I?"

Severus reached over, brushing a few wayward strands of platinum blonde hair out of his eyes, but this time Draco pulled away, shying away from the touch.