Severus Snape walked down Gray's Inn Road just a few blocks from number twelve Grimmauld Place, looking for the florist shop where Narcissa worked. It had been a long afternoon and he would much rather be back at Hogwarts relaxing in his quarters with Siri and maybe even Harry and Draco, but things were never easy for his family.

He had been pulled from his seventh year class when Madame Pomfrey sent word that Draco had been injured and his presence was needed in the Infirmary. Dismissing his students, he had rushed to the Infirmary on the fourth floor.

Severus hurried into the Infirmary, stopping short when Poppy gave him a stern look. "What's wrong with my son?" he asked her.

"Moody!" she hissed. "As if teaching them the Unforgiveables wasn't bad enough…now this!"

"What did he do, Poppy?"

"He transfigured Draco into a white ferret, not unlike the boy's familiar. Moody then proceeded to levitate him and bounce him rather roughly against some of the stones in the courtyard."

Severus cursed, turning and pacing away from her. Raking his fingers through his hair, he took a moment to calm down, knowing that he would do no good to his son in this state. After a few minutes he walked back to the nurse. "How is he?"

"I've reversed the transfiguration," she told him. "But I'm having some trouble healing the injuries because of the form that he was in when he sustained them. It's been nearly an hour and the Bruise Balm and Skele-gro aren't working at all."

He sighed deeply. "What are his injuries?"

"Mostly cuts and bruises, but he does have half a dozen bruised or broken ribs and a sprained ankle and wrist."

"Have you given him a pain reliever?"

"Yes, but it's not working fully."

He nodded. "Where is he?"

"I put him in one of the quarantine rooms. Harry's with him…he's the one that brought Draco to me."

"Thank you," he replied, squeezing her hand and moving down the hallway to find his son.

He had thought that nothing could shock him, but what he had seen in that room had. More than he wanted to admit. Draco lay on the bed, his eyes glazed and distant. His body was shaking but a warming charm told him that it wasn't from being cold. Nothing Severus had done had gotten a response from his son. When he had used Legilimency on him, he had found the boy's usual shield guarded by his dragon patronus. He was hesitant to do anything because he didn't want to hurt his son even more. Not even Harry or Siri could get a response from him. That was why Severus was now in London. He just hoped that Narcissa could help.

She looked up when he stepped into the small florist shop where she worked. "Severus," she said with a smile. "What are you doing here?"

"There's been an incident at Hogwarts," he told her. "I need you to come."

Her face paled. "Draco?"

He nodded. "He's retreated behind his Occlumency shield and it's guarded by his patronus. I can't get a response out of him. No one can."

"Give me just a minute," she said, hurrying into the back of the shop. She returned a moment later. "I can leave and she gave me the rest of the week off as well."

"Good," he replied. As they hurried back to Grimmauld Place he told her what had happened to Draco and Madame Pomfrey's diagnosis.


Narcissa found herself at the entrance to the large hedge garden that had once graced the back lawn at Malfoy Manor. Lucius had burned it down in a fit of rage just after Draco received his Hogwarts letter. The hedge had never grown higher than Lucius' shoulders, but they had towered over young Draco. "Draco," she called, walking into the maze. "Where are you, my son?"

There had been several times that Draco had hidden from Lucius in the maze and it made sense that he would use it as his shield. As she neared the center of the maze, she saw Draco's dragon patronus. "Draco," she called again.

The only response was a small sniffle coming from the other side of the patronus.

"It's safe to come out now, dragon," she said softly.

"S'not," he replied quietly. "That mean man hurt me."

She knelt on the ground. "I know, sweetheart. But Severus won't let him hurt you again."

There was a moment of silence before Draco responded. "Father's gone and Severus is my Pop now."

"That's right, baby. And he's very worried about you. Won't you please come out?"

"Yes ma'am," he said as the patronus disappeared. After another moment a little boy poked his head around the corner of the hedge.

Smiling, Narcissa stood and offered the boy her hand. "Let's go find Severus," she said, leading him back through the maze.


Narcissa pulled out of Draco's mind and turned to smile at the other three occupants of the room. "He's coming back to us."

"Thank you," Severus said, stepping up behind her and resting his hands on her shoulders. He bent down and kissed the top of her head as they waited for Draco to wake up.

Harry couldn't help but grin at them. He knew they liked each other and he hoped that maybe one day they would get married. Then he'd have a mother. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but part of him really wanted a mother...and he knew that Siri needed one. Moony said so. Well, he said that all three boys needed a mother. He smirked. Maybe they could get a little sister out of the bargain.

"Mother..." came a quiet voice.

"I'm here, dragon," Narcissa replied, leaning forward and brushing the hair from his brow. She knew that if he had been fully coherent he never would have called her 'mother'.

"What happened?" he asked, not even opening his eyes.

"You were injured," she told him, still stroking his hair. She'd keep doing so as long as he would allow.

"Everything still hurts..."

"The potions weren't working, darling. We'll try again in a few hours. Just rest."

He nodded. "Where's Pop?"

"Here, son," the Potions Master replied. "Rest, dragon."

Once Draco was asleep the three adults left the room, leaving Harry to watch over his brother. "I think the problm with the potions was Draco's accidental magic," Narcissa told Poppy with a sigh. "When he was about five, Draco got Dragon Pox right after Abraxas died. He had seen Abraxas and I think having the pox scared him..."

"His accidental magic turned the potions I gave him into pure water," Severus finished for her. "I had forgotten about that. We ended up spelling the potions directly into him."

Poppy nodded. "That does put things into perspective. I'd still like to wait at least another hour before attempting to give him the potions again. I don't want to risk an overdose." She looked at her former students and gave them both a fond smile. "Why don't you two go take a walk...I'll send for you when Draco wakes again."

"Thank you, Poppy," Severus replied, leading Narcissa from the Infirmary.


"What would make Moody do something like that to Draco?" Narcissa asked Severus a short while later as they walked around the lake.

Severus sighed. "I don't even pretend to understand what goes on in that man's mind. And I do need to speak to him about what he did to my son...but I know enough to calm down first so that I don't do something I might regret later or that will send me to Azkaban. Every instinct is telling me to go do something now, but I've been trying to teach the boys to think before they act, so I have to set a good example for them." He sighed again. "Being a parent is such a hard job sometimes."

"You're doing a wonderful job with them, love."

"I've had a lot of help," he said, taking her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. "I wouldn't have been able to make it this far without help."

She stepped closer to him and tucked her hand in the crook of his arm. "Did Harry tell you what happened?"

He sighed and nodded. "Yes. He said that he and Draco were arguing about something. Harry wouldn't tell me what it was, but he did say that it was a rather stupid argument. He said that he turned to leave and then he heard Moody yell something to Draco about pulling his wand on someone whose back was turned."

"Did Draco pull his wand?"

"No. Harry said that it was still in his pocket when Poppy changed Draco back."

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know, but I don't trust Albus to do anything about it."


After a long nap and a round of potions, Madame Pomfrey released Draco on the condition that he spend the night in his father's quarters. So now he was settled on one of the sofas with his ferret draped around his shoulders. Harry sat on the floor beside him reading out loud an assignment from one of their textbooks while Siri tried to get Harry's cat, Lazy, to play with him. Severus and Narcissa were playing a quiet game of cards at the table in the corner.

Draco watched the two adults, not really paying attention to what Harry was reading. They looked happy and he did want his father to be happy, but part of him wasn't sure that he was ready to trust Narcissa again yet. Though she had shown him in so many ways that she was not the same woman that he had known growing up. He had been rather surprised when he woke the second time to find Narcissa there with his father and brother.

'He looks different, doesn't he?' Harry asked through their bond.

'He's happy,' Draco replied. 'Moony looks at Aunt Audrey the same way.'

'Do you think he's going to marry her?'

Draco sighed quietly. 'I think he might want to...'

'But he's worried about us,' Harry finished for him.

'I think it's really me he's worried about,' Draco replied.

'Why?'

'Because I've been so vocal about not wanting anything to do with her.'

Harry glanced up at his brother. 'Because she didn't stop Lucius?'

'Yeah. She would just leave me with him.'

Harry didn't reply, instead turning his gaze back to the two adults who only had eyes for each other.

'Just give me some time to get used to the idea, Jamie. If it's really what he wants, who am I to stop him? He's done so much for us...'

'He won't do anything without talking to us first, Ri. You know that.'

'Yeah...I do.'

Across the room Severus stood and walked over to his sons. "Bedtime, boys," he said, lifting Siri into his arms.

Draco glanced at the clock over the mantle. "For Siri, right? It's still early for us."

"It's been a long day for all of us and you will all feel better after a long night's sleep," the Potions Master told his middle son.

"But I spent most of the day sleeping..."

Severus gave him a look. "No arguing, Draco. Do as you are told."

Sighing deeply, Draco stood and went to the room he shared with Harry, shutting the door a little harder than necessary.

Harry pushed himself to his feet and hugged his father and youngest brother. "Goodnight, Pop. Night, Siri." He hesitated a moment before crossing the room and kissing Narcissa's cheek. He whispered a quick good night before disappearing into the room with his brother.

Severus smirked at her before taking Siri to his own room to help him get ready for bed.