They were almost to the Castle doors when McGonagall came running over, in a bit of a panic, "Is he alright?"

Dumbledore smiled and said, "You know who the Waylon child is?"

McGonagall let out a small sigh of relief at seeing the smile on the headmaster's face, surely the Waylon would be okay if the headmaster was smiling like that. McGonagall sagged and said, "I'm afraid that I do, but it's not good news."

Dumbledore's smile slipped away as he frowned in concern and Ron asked, "How can it not be good news if you know who the Waylon is?"

Hermione grabbed the red heads arm and admonished, "Ron! That's no way to talk to a professor."

Harry asked, "Who is it?"

McGonagall frowned and said, "Perhaps we should all head up to the headmaster's office. We can all sit down and talk in private. Severus is up there now, I'm afraid I may have insisted he have a seat and calm down after he gave me the news."

Ron looked like he was going to say something but Hermione put her hand over his mouth and said, "That's a splendid idea, we'll follow you Professor."

McGonagall gave a small nod and she and Dumbledore quickly led the way up to the headmaster's office. They were all a bit surprised when they discover Snape sitting in the corner, his head in his hands, it was the first time the Golden Trio had ever seen Snape anything less than the straight back, up-tight and proper Potions Master. He looked more human than he ever had. Dumbledore quickly went to his side and asked, "Severus, are you alright?" when that seemed to elect no response, Dumbledore asked, "What can you tell me about the Waylon Severus?"

Snape, forced himself to sit up straight with a small and steadying breath, he glanced at the other before his eyes locked with Dumbledore and said, "I'm afraid this might be partially my fault Albus, I never should have left him alone."

Dumbledore sighed and as he sat behind his desk he said, "Severus, I'm sure this is in no way your fault, you couldn't have known he was a Waylon."

Severus suddenly sagged once more, like he had a weight to heavy to lift on his shoulders and said in a quiet voice, "I shouldn't have left him alone."

Dumbledore sighed and giving up on Severus as a lost cause for information, he turned to Professor McGonagall and said, "I take it the Waylon is a Slytherin."

McGonagall ushered the Golden Trio into the chairs littering the office, before taking one herself and saying, "Yes Albus, and it couldn't be a worse situation. I'm afraid we might have to hush this whole thing up."

Dumbledore frowned and said, "Why so?"

McGonagall glanced at her three students and pierced her lips before asking, "Albus, are you sure it's wise they be involved. It's not that I do not trust my students, they are the some of the most courageous and kind I've ever had, but… this Waylon, he's a Slytherin, and considering their history and intense inter-house rivalry, I don't know if it's wise."

Hermione sat forward and said, "Professor, if I may speak?" She paused only long enough to receive a nod from Dumbledore then turned to Professor McGonagall and said, "I don't know who the Waylon is but I do know he's all alone. Even if his parents died long before he ever knew them and he has adjusted to being alone, right now it's going to be fresh, like it just happened yesterday. I've read everything there is to read about Waylon and they are creatures of affection, and no matter who it is I promised to at the very least be there for him when he wakes up. He just went through a very painful transition, and even if I don't like him personally, or if I don't agree with his point of views, I can't just go back to the Gryffindor Common room and pretend like I don't care, that this never happened. I won't just sit back and leave a creature who right now is practically defenseless and hurting, to die all on his own, because that is what will happen if the three of us just leave him. We bonded, and even if it is only a bond of friendship, that is the only bond this newly awakened Waylon has right now, it would be like leaving an infant out all alone in the middle of a forest right before a snow storm."

McGonagall gave Hermione a small smile and said, "Very heartfelt speech, Ms. Granger, please remember it. I'm sure you, at the very least, will be understanding about this."

Ron let out an outraged cry and said, "I'm not that much of a git, that I'd leave a defenseless Waylon after just bonding with them, even if you told me it was bloody Snape under those feathers. The bond was a promise of friendship, Dumbledore told us that before we went into the forest. I don't go back on my promises, no matter how much I might want to."

McGonagall Gave Ron a small smile and said, "Noble sentiments Mr. Weasley, remember them."

Harry said, "We're not the type to go running away from something, even if it seems unpleasant, it's not in our nature."

McGonagall let out a small sigh of relief and said, "I'm glad, because Mr. Malfoy could use all the friends he can get right now."

Ron let out a horrified, and slightly indignant, "M…Malfoy?"

Harry let out a disbelieving, "That was Draco under all those feathers?"

Ron looked at his best mate and asked, "Since when is Malfoy, Draco?"

Harry rolled his eyes and said, "Draco helped me pass potions class this year. I told you at the beginning of the year we were assigned as partners, and he hasn't intentionally botched a potion or called Hermione a Mudblood all year."

Ron's indignation seemed to dim a bit at that and he seemed to think for a moment before saying, "Now that you mention it, he hasn't insulted me or my family in months. Hell I haven't even seen the git outside of class in over a month."

Hermione and Harry frowned at that, they too had not realized that outside of class Draco had been practically invisible. Severus suddenly said, "That's because Draco couldn't risk a fight breaking out."

Dumbledore frowned and asked, "What do you mean Severus? Draco is an exemplary student, a valued member of the quiditch team, and a perfect. He's on my list for a potential Head Boy. He has had a few scrapes in the past but he's never even been on probation."

Severus looked up and said, "The only reason he wasn't put on probation after those last few fights broke out between him and Potter was because his Father was a member of the board. His Father's was sent to Azkbane, tried and convicted of being a Death Eater and was hospitalized after a fight broke out between inmates. His father isn't in a position that he can even write a letter to his son, let alone get him out of trouble for a petty school yard fight."

Dumbledore frowned and said, "But surely Narcissa would not allow Draco to be put at risk."

Severus looked down and said, "Narcissa killed herself."

There was a moment of shocked silence, that was finally ended when Dumbledore said, "I didn't know, when did this happen?"

Severus slouched further, and his voice was strangely rough and almost brittle as he said, "I'm not sure exactly when it happened, but I do know Draco was the one to find her."

McGonagall let out a small gasp, and Dumbledore asked, "When was this?"

Severus seemed to take a moment before he said in a voice that sounded almost broken, "Draco's birthday, he begged me to let him use my flow to go home and have tea with her."

Dumbledore had completely lost the twinkle in his eye, and he asked in a softer voice, "Why did you let him use your personal flow? I thought you told me you never allowed students access?"

Severus ran a hand through his hair and said, "Draco was a bit upset that morning, said that he walked in on Pansy and Blaise and just didn't want to deal with all the gossip in the Snake Pit. He said I owed him for forgetting his birthday last year and that he just wanted to pop in and see his mother for an hour and that no one would be the wiser."

They all stared at Severus in shock, as the Potions Master began to shake faintly. Dumbledore seemed to take pity on the poor man and said, "Perhaps you should go down to the infirmary and get some rest Severus, I'm sure when Draco wakes up he'll want to see you composed."

Severus shook his head and said, "I'm fine." Then he shuttered and said, "Merlin that's what he said. He said he was fine, and I believed him. He just lost the only person he can call family, and I left him."

Dumbledore sighed and said, "Severus, Draco is a very good actor, I'm certain he put on quite a show to make you believe that."

There was a long awkward silence that seemed to stretch on for far to long as they all contemplated these new facts. Finally the silence was broken when Hermione asked, "How can he be a Waylon? I don't mean to be rude, but I don't see how it's possible, unless one of his parents concealed being a magical creature, which I highly doubt."

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