Disclaimer: HP and Co. Belong to J.K. Rowling, not myself. Adrian, however, is mine.

A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait, here's a new chapter. Hope you all enjoy!

R/R!

Chapter 10: Unidentifiable Feelings

Adrian sighed, slumping his way into the Slytherin Common Room, closely followed by his glowering brother. The night had gone rather well, or so he thought, at least until he was forcibly shepherded away from Harry Potter under the guise of needing his rest. Shooting his twin a furious glare, the blond teen stalked into his dormitory, wishing he could slam the door dramatically or something, though the effect was lost in the whole dormitory system, not to mention he didn't want the entire house to know he was throwing a temper tantrum. The night with Harry had gone surprisingly well and the pair had danced way more the one dance, sitting at a shared table and sipping drinks at regular intervals. It had been odd for Adrian, hanging out with someone like Harry Potter, however the other teen was surprisingly attentive and kind, not at all teasing or nasty like he had been lead to believe by other students and a certain blond family member. The odd feeling in his stomach had increased with his proximity to Harry and he was beginning to realize he was seriously developing feelings for the raven-haired Gryffindor, something he had not at all expected.

Growling in annoyance, he positioned himself in front of the mirror, emotions could be dealt with after he rid himself of these awful cat additions and skimpy clothing Pansy had forced him into. Brandishing his wand, he pointed the tip at himself, muttering the spells to rid him off his extra furry appendages. Once they were gone (thankfully), he hastily shed the dragon-hide pants and boots, shimmying out of the tight fabric and tossing off the loose top with unsurpassed glee. The entire outfit was black and he couldn't wait to ceremoniously burn it, though he figured he'd never actually get away with that. Sighing, he pulled on a pair of black silk sleep pants and a loose t-shirt that had once belonged to Draco and clambered onto his bed. He could still hear the thrum of music from the Great Hall as the party began to wind down. Yawning, he draw his hangings and curled up into his bed, pointedly ignoring the other Slytherins as the came trouping in and going so far as to fake sleep when Draco came to try and talk to him. As much as he appreciated his older brother and the things he did for him, Draco really needed to remember that he wasn't a child and was perfectly capable of taking care of himself, especially in a school sanctioned dance with teachers everywhere. Stifling an annoyed groan, the blond rolled over taking deep, steady breaths in order to lull himself to sleep. He'd have words with his twin in the morning, but he was far to angry right now to have a decent conversation which didn't result in a shouting match.

HP/AM

Draco sighed as he flopped onto the leather couch, attempting to ignore Pansy's scathing glare.

"What?" He finally whined at the brunette, though he kept his distance from her sharp, dagger-like nails. Those things could be lethal, he had been on the receiving end enough to know that.

"I can't believe you" The girl hissed, keeping her voice down though it was obvious she very much wanted to start shouting at the blond. "You couldn't have let him stay and just have the frigging evening with Potter? No, the minute I go off to get punch you go over and drag him back to the dorm. He's sixteen years old Draco, I know you worry about him, hell we all do, but he was fine tonight. He was relaxing, having a good time and actually being flirted with, granted it was Potter, but you can't even comment on that because you're dating a Weasley" She ranted, hands waving in the air as she spoke. "You couldn't let him have one night could you? Are you so immature and jealous that you have to break up a good thing for him?" She demanded, continuing on her rant before Draco could even squeak a response. "He's going to resent you if you don't back off" She added, "He was in no danger tonight, there were teachers everywhere as well as prefects, even Severus was there. You should have just let him be and enjoyed the party" She snapped. Draco sucked in a breath, deliberately ignoring the logical side of his friend's argument in favour of remaining all bullheaded.

"He needs to rest Pansy" The blond snapped, still wary of her dangerous nails. "He doesn't have the same stamina as the rest of us and he certainly wasn't going to rest with Potter around. He was dancing almost every dance! That's far to much exertion for him" He said, nodding his head firmly, completely ignoring the dangerous gleam Pansy's brown eyes took on.

"You. Are. A. Complete. ARSE!" She finally exploded, cutting of Draco mid tirade. The blond gaped at her, he had been on the receiving end of Pansy's screeches before, but this was different, she was really and truly pissed off. "Adrian was fine" She snarled, "He was enjoying himself, he was resting between dances and he was behaving like a normal teenager for a change. You just couldn't stand that he was having fun with someone that wasn't you. Well I have words for you Draco Malfoy. Grow Up" She snapped. "Adrian is your brother yes, he loved you and cares for you and looks up to you. But if you don't stop with this complete idiocy, you're going to lose him. He was not overexerting himself tonight, in fact, this is the most fun I've seen him have in awhile and you damn well know that. You're just being immature and worried because you think you're 'little' brother doesn't need you anymore. Well he does need you, he needs you to care for him and protect him, but also to support him. He's never going to be able to function if you don't back off and let him have some fun, explore the boundaries. He is perfectly aware of his limitations, probably more so then you are and you need to accept that" She hissed, eyes narrowed.

"Mr. Malfoy, Miss. Parkinson what is the meaning of this?" Severus' silky voice drawled from behind the pair. Both students whirled around, staring at their clearly pissed off house head with wide eyes. "Well?" Severus asked, arching an eyebrow.

"We were just discussing Draco's unseemly behaviour this evening when it came to Adrian" Pansy said through gritted teeth.

"Ah yes, I saw that" Severus murmured, shooting Draco a look that clearly said 'you and I are going to have a little talk later'. "However, it is late and you're scaring some of the younger students. I suggest you get off to bed and leave such a volatile discussion until morning" He said, looking pointedly at all the students, signifying that they should all go to bed.

"Yes Professor" Draco said, shooting Pansy a glare before following his friends to the dormitory that Adrian was already in.

Entering the room, Draco immediately noticed the hangings pulled shut on his twin's bed and sighed. Perhaps he had been a bit hasty in his actions this evening. Adrian hadn't really done anything wrong, in fact he had been taking things remarkably well, and Draco had ruined them. Mentally cursing Pansy for being correct, he headed over to his brother's bed, whispering Adrian's name to see if he was awake. Hearing a huff, he prepared for the scathing comments his brother would send his way, only to be disappointed when none came and all that could be heard was a slight rustling of blankets and sheets as a body rolled over, presumably so his back was facing his brother. Sighing miserably, Draco headed into the washroom, ignoring Blaise's growl at having called the next use (after Theo) and beginning his slightly tedious night time routine.

HP/AM

Morning came all to quickly for Adrian Malfoy. Sighing, the blond teen carefully made his way out of his dorm, not wanting to wake any of his still slumbering dorm mates. He was still incredibly annoyed with his brother for last night, so much so that he had no wish to be around him for the first time in awhile. The last time he had given Draco the silent treatment was when they were eleven and his twin was leaving for Hogwarts for the first time. He had been extremely angry and jealous of his twin, angry for leaving him behind and jealous because he got to go to the much exalted school while he had been stuck at home. It had taken him nearly a month to forgive his twin and that was only when, in a fit of desperation, Draco had snuck into Severus' quarters and flooed his family. Adrian had caved, but only because he had seen how upset his twin was that he hadn't been answering any of his long-winded (slightly desperate) letters. Now however he had no idea when he'd forgive his twin, it would take some groveling on Draco's part, that was for sure. Making sure he had his book bag filled with different potions, Adrian slipped out of the quiet Common Room and towards Sev's quarters, wanting to spend some time with the man as well as some time out of the Common Room and away from the general Hogwarts population. Knocking quietly on the portrait which guarded the man's private quarters, Adrian was soon rushed inside and being fed a complete breakfast since Severus had no desire to have breakfast with a bunch of hungover dunderheads. Everyone knew that the older years smuggled alcohol in and that Gryffindor house would have thrown an after party in their Common Room which would have left most of the fifth year students and up rather hung over.

"I saw what your brother did last night" Severus said once they had began to eat. Adrian snorted, rolling his eyes to show his opinion on the matter. "It was uncalled for, even if you were dancing with the Potter brat" Severus added, which surprised Adrian since he thought his godfather would have approved of Dray's actions. "So, how long are you going to ignore him this time?" Severus asked, seeing the same stubborn expression on Adrian's face then he had seen when he had been eleven.

"Dunno, I hate that he treats me like such a child" The blond griped, viciously stabbing a potato with his fork.

"I know" Sev soothed, "He just gets all anxious and overprotective, much like your father actually"

"It's embarrassing" Adrian grumbled, "I'm the same age as him, I can understand the worry what with my being sick and all, but I was fine last night. He didn't have to drag me away, not when I was having a good time" He said, shaking his head in annoyance and taking a sip of his juice.

"I agree, his actions last evening were uncalled for. I will be discussing it with him when I have a chance" Severus murmured, sipping his coffee (black) in relief.

"Really? Thanks Uncle Sev" Adrian murmured, he knew despite his best attempts, Draco wouldn't listen to him fully, he'd say placating things and apologize, but he'd repeat the actions again in a second if he felt it was necessary (which he always did). Adrian hoped a talk from their godfather would help his twin understand that Adrian was feeling smothered and annoyed and needed a little bit of space.

"Of course, he listens to me" Sev said with an air of mock superiority. Adrian laughed, feeling the tension from the previous evening leaving him as he and his godfather laughed and joked.

"So, you and Mr. Potter were fairly close? Are you going to follow in your errant twin's footsteps and shock the Wizarding world by dating a Gryffindor?" Sev asked, his tone light and teasing. Adrian's cheeks flushed a light pink colour at the question.

"I dunno" Adrian murmured lightly, "I never really thought about dating before, I've always been more focused on my illness and stuff. But, I do like Harry, he's a nice guy" He said with a slight shrug, ignoring his Uncle's pained face at the comment of Potter being 'nice'.

"Well" Sev said, looking miserable as he stated the next part of his statement, "If you do like him and he returns your affections it wouldn't be awful if you dated. Don't let your illness control your life Adrian, you're capable of balancing love and other things, enjoy being young. You may have to be more cautious due to your health, but caution doesn't mean stop. Don't hold yourself back from life's experiences" Severus murmured lightly.

"Thanks Uncle Sev" Adrian said, flashing the man a brilliant smile, it was nice being supported and what not, instead of told 'no' something was unsafe for him.

"Anytime" Severus murmured, glancing at Adrian's empty plate with a grin.

The two spent a few more hours in Severus' quarters, talking about all sorts of different things until finally lunch time rolled around.

"I have to supervise lunch in the Great Hall, are you coming?" Severus asked reluctantly, he really hated having to go to the Great Hall for most meals. Occasionally he (and other staff) could get away with eating in their own quarters, like he had that morning with Adrian, but normally they were expected to remain in the Hall to supervise meals.

"I suppose I must" Adrian said, dragging himself up from his chair and snagging his bag before following his Uncle out of the man's comfortable quarters and towards the hall.

Walking into the noisy hall, Adrian made a bee-line for his House's table while Severus went towards his familiar seat at the long staff table. Draco was already seated in his customary spot and his eyes lit up as he saw his twin. From the anxious expression on his face, it was clear to Adrian his twin had been worried about him. Resisting the urge to glare at the other blond, Adrian slid himself onto the bench next to a rather surprised Lukas Vaisey, a chaser for the Quidditch team. Ignoring the looks that his twin was sending him, Adrian carefully loaded his plate, focusing mainly on veggies and a bit of chicken, since he had had a rather large breakfast.

HP/AM

Stomach filled and content, Adrian headed outside, despite it being November and Scotland, the weather was remarkably nice and the young Malfoy really wanted to get away from everyones inquisitive, and in Draco's case hurt, looks. Pulling his fur-lined cloak about him, Adrain headed for a nearby bench, banishing what little snow had fallen on it and casting both warming and drying charms on the structure. Adding a cushioning charm as an afterthought, the teen settled on the bench, immediately getting comfortable and pulling a potions' text Sev had lent him from his bag. Sure lying outside in the cold was a bit unorthodox and would probably get him in loads of trouble once his family found out, but the warming charms and cushioning charms made him rather comfortable and no one would think to look for him out here.

"Oi Ferret Junior" A familiar annoying voice cut through Adrian's reading. Well no one except Weasley would look for him out here. Frowning, Adrian stowed his book and double checked that he had easy access to his wand.

"What do you want?" He asked, narrowing his eyes at the red-headed menace.

"You got me in loads of trouble with McGonagall" The red-head growled. "She believed your little sob story and I got a detention for it" He hissed, "So now, I'm going to make you really suffer"

"Bugger off Weasley" Adrian snapped, his temper already frayed from his issues the previous evening.

"Shut up" Ron hissed, "You got me in trouble and I think you deserve to suffer for that. I can't believe McGonagall would believe death eater scum like you over me. I bet you cursed her" He said, brandishing his own wand. Adrain sighed in annoyance, though he was a bit freaked out. Weasley had a volatile temper at the best of times and his erratic mood swings made him a dangerous person.

"I did not curse her" He growled, his own temper getting the best of him. "I just told her the truth now leave me alone" He said resisting the temptation to try and shove Ron away from him.

"Liar" Ron hissed, stepping closer to Adrian and using his height to tower over him. "Death eater scum like you never tell the truth" He said, his wand sparking in response to his temper. Adrain prepared to cast a shield charm, just in case Ron decided to curse him or something. Prepared for a spell, Adrian was not prepared for the sudden punch thrust in his direction, catching him in the midsection and sending him flying back into the bench. He winced, trying to regulate his breathing and thanked whatever gods were listening that he had cast cushioning charms. Rubbing his midsection and caught up in his thoughts, he didn't see the punch coming for his face until he was bowled over again, clutching his now broken jaw.

"RON!" A voice shouted, causing Adrian and Ron to both glance up, only to see one Harry Potter running towards them full-tilt.

"Stupefy" Harry shouted once he was closer, and Adrian watched in shock as the red-head was sent flying, his body now lying stunned on the ground. As if Harry's spell had woken the blond, the teen started to shake, his body going ridged before he collapsed in a heap, the vicious vibrations of the seizure overtaking him. His eyes rolled back into his head and his teeth snapped down viciously on his tongue. Distantly he could hear Harry calling for him and feel cushioning spells being cast around him before darkness claimed him and he blacked out.

HP/AM

"Is he going to be alright?" Harry hesitantly asked Professor Dumbledore as the man stepped out of the hospital wing. As soon as Adrian seizure had stopped, Harry had run for help, getting the nearest Professor and the two of them had gotten Ron and Adrian to the hospital wing. Harry had then report everything he had seen to Dumbledore, Snape and McGonagall, shocked by the events. He couldn't believe his best friend had attacked Adrian like that, he had suspected Ron's involvement in the Quidditch Cup incident, but seeing Ron go after the Malfoy teen like that had been startling and eye-opening.

"He'll be fine Harry" Dumbledore murmured, "His parents are coming along with his Healers from St. Mungos to see if the seizure caused any damage, though Madame Pomfrey doubts it did. He'll have to stay in the hospital for the rest of the weekend and perhaps Monday, but barring any more incidents he'll be back in class in no time" Dumbledore took a deep breath.

"I want to thank you Harry, Adrian is a rather delicate young man and your actions today may have saved him further injury and hardship" He said, before heading towards his office to greet the Malfoy parents.

Harry nodded numbly, turning and heading towards his own Common Room, as much as he wanted to stay by Adrian he knew his presence wouldn't be appreciated by the other Malfoys at the moment and he had to fill Hermione in on what happened. What was going to happen to Ron was still up in the air, McGonagall had taken the now awake red-head straight to her office for a conference with his parents on their options. He knew expulsion was now on the table, but he figured the other teen would be suspended first.

Giving the password, Harry headed inside the gold and red room to talk to his best friend and get some perspective.

HP/AM

Draco sat numbly by his twin's bed, carefully grasping Adrian's hand. As soon as his parents had arrived, Severus had come to collect him from the Common Room. Filled in on the events of that afternoon, Draco was disgusted with himself. He should have been there to protect Adrian, instead he had been playing chess with Blaise. He shot a guilty look at his parents who were talking with Adrian's healers and Madame Pomfrey, his mother offered him a reassuring smile, neither parent blamed him, nor did Uncle Sev, all the blame was placed squarely on Weasley's shoulders, but Draco couldn't help feeling guilty. If he hadn't upset Adrian the previous evening, none of this would have happened. Instead, he had been a prat and pissed off his brother and look where that had landed him! He glanced at the sleeping form, Adrian had woken up briefly, only to be fed a dreamless sleep and an anti-seizure potions and had almost immediately fallen back to sleep.

"I'm so sorry" He mumbled, squeezing his twin's hand gently, "I promise to give you more space in the future, just get better" He knew there was nothing seriously wrong with Adrian, but just seeing his twin back in a hospital bed was highly distressing for the Malfoy heir and he would do anything to prevent it happening again, even let his twin date Potter. Speaking of Potter, he'd have to thank the raven-haired Gryffindor, from what Severus had said the teen had stopped Weasley and prevented further injury to Adrian. Of course his brother was still sporting a bruised stomach, a broken jaw (now healed) and a badly lacerated tongue, but all in all it could have been a lot worse.

Sighing, Draco let his head fall to the blankets, still holding Adrian's hand tightly, and let himself just lie there, relishing the quiet sound of his twin breathing deeply and the whispers of his parents and the other adults.

HP/AM

Adrian woke slowly, his head was pounding and his mouth ached. Carefully he opened his eyes, only to find himself staring at the all too familiar white ceiling of the hospital wing. Resisting the urge to groan, Adrian carefully looked around, only mildly surprised to see both his parents as well as godfather and twin all sitting around him.

"Hey baby" Narcissa murmured, carefully brushing his bangs back from his eyes. She looked worried, though not nearly as much as she had when he had been hurt at the cup. He opened his mouth to speak only to be hushed by one of the healers.

"Don't speak, we fed you a potion to heal your tongue and its still healing, not to mention your jaw was badly broken and the skele-gro only just finished working" She cautioned. Adrian nodded carefully, his entire body ached, an aftermath of the seizure he had suffered thanks to Weasley. He dimly remembered Harry rescuing him, but that was it. Sighing, he looked around, his father and uncle both grinned at him in reassuring manners, and Draco just looked pained. Adrian sighed, carefully reaching over, he grasped his twin's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze, offering his forgiveness. Yes, he was pissed off at his twin about his behaviour but he wasn't going to draw this out, not with this latest incident.

"I'm sorry" Draco murmured, moving to carefully sit on the bed and pull Adrian into his arms. "I'll let you date Potter, hell I'll let you date Granger, just don't get hurt again"

Adrian nodded, letting his twin hug him protectively as he buried his face in the crook of Draco's shoulder and neck. He could tell how upset his twin was so he wasn't going to punish him, also it seemed Draco had realized his mistake and was willing to give Adrian a bit more freedom. He'd still talk to Draco about things, he wasn't going to just let everything go, but he was willing to let things lie for now and just bask in his family's care and love. Seizures always shook him, he hated the loss of control and the fear that came with them, and he was extremely happy to have not just Severus and Draco with him in the hospital wing, but his parents as well.

"You have to stay until Monday" Lucius murmured, "The Healer said beyond the mentioned injuries and some residual soreness, there's nothing wrong with you, but they want to be sure and they want to make sure nothing triggers an attack right now" He explained, seeing his son's inquisitive look. Adrian nodded, looking pleadingly at his twin as soon as it was mentioned he'd be stuck in here till at least Monday.

"I'll stay and keep you company until Madame Pomfrey kicks me out" Draco murmured, "As soon as Mother and Father leave I'll get my chess board and some cards" He added. He knew Adrian would be worn out, but it was always best to be prepared with a few relaxing things for his twin to do when stuck in bed. "And your books and homework" He said quickly, seeing Severus' pointed look. Adrian groaned, but nodded his agreement before settling back against the pillows and beginning to drift off.

"Love you" Narcissa murmured, pressing a kiss to his forehead before Lucius did the same.

"We have to go Dragon" Narcissa murmured to her oldest son, "We'll see you at Yule, only two months off" She grinned, kissing her son's blond hair while Lucius clapped him on the shoulder. "Bye" Draco murmured, watching Severus follow them out of the Hospital wing in order to escort them to the floo.

"Why don't you go grab those things now Mr. Malfoy" Madame Pomfrey suggested, returning to the main part of the hospital having been in her office seeing the Mungos healers off (they had used her private floo which was connected directly to the Wizarding hospital).

"Good idea. If he wakes up tell him I'll be right back" Draco instructed the motherly medi-witch before slipping out of the hospital wing once he had Poppy's reassurances that she would. Smiling, the witch headed into her office, after casting a charm to alert her if Adrian woke up or was in any form of distress. She was relieved that the young man hadn't suffered any major injuries or suffered anymore brain damage after Ronald Weasley's attack. Adrian Malfoy had wormed his way into her heart and she had grown to care deeply for the young wizard, surprised by his maturity and calmness, especially in comparison to his rather hot-tempered twin.