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Chapter Twenty-One

That's what Best Friends are For

Hermione could tell something was bothering Draco; he had hardly said two words to her the entire train ride back to Hogwarts. When she asked him if he wanted to talk about it, he just shrugged and said there was nothing to talk about. So, for the meantime, Hermione decided to let it go, figuring he would either work through it on his own or that he would come to her eventually and she would do her best to help her best friend with whatever was bothering him.

XXX

Draco was still not talking to Severus, not that he was really angry with him anymore, but simply because he had no idea what to say to him. He had seen the man snogging his mother…his married mother…what do you say to a person after seeing something like that, even if they are your Godfather. For the meantime, Draco planned to continue to keep his distance from the Potions Master, at least until he could figure out how to approach him.

He needed to talk to Hermione too, she had been giving him off looks lately; not that this really surprised him; he had been a bit distant with her. He had a lot on his mind, and although part of him, a large part, wished he could confide his concerns and feelings with his best friend, he knew it impossible. What would he say to her, really? 'Hermione, I've somehow been pulled back into the past and have made the decision to help Harry defeat the Dark Lord. Oh and by the way Harry has a piece of Voldemort's soul in his head and the only way for him to get rid of it is for him to temporarily die.' Yeah, that wasn't a conversation he was going to have.

"Draco, mate, you coming?" The young-in-bodied Slytherin was pulled from his thoughts at the sound of Goyle's voice.

"Huh?"

"It's time for Potions."

"Oh, right, sorry." Draco gathered up his sketchbook and placed it in his bag before standing from the sofa he had been sitting on. He had gone down to the common room, which had been empty at the time, hoping that drawing would help clear his mind…it didn't.

He walked in silence to class, as his friends, who were standing on either side of him, chatted back and forth. When they reached the classroom, Crabbe and Goyle found a seat at the back of the room and Draco moved to his usual table and sat down besides Hermione who had already arrived.

She gave him a smile; he gave a half hearted one in return.

"Draco," Hermione placed her hand gently atop her friends, her brown eyes suddenly filled with concern, "what's wrong?"

"Nothing," he said evenly, taking his hand and sliding it into his own lap.

"I really wish you would stop staying that because you and I both know it's a lie. Ever since we came back for the holidays you've been melancholy." After a long deep breath she added, "Did something happen at home…did your father…hurt you?"

Draco shook his head as his eyes moved to meet hers. "No, it doesn't really involve my father, at least not directly. I…its complicated."

"Okay," she nodded, "I can understand that, but I think that's all the more reason you should talk about it. It's obvious that whatever is going on is really bothering you, keeping all those emotions to yourself isn't healthy."

Draco nodded, he knew she was right, and if he was going to confront the problem with Severus and his mother with anyone Hermione would be the best choice. Crabbe and Goyle were great mates, but they weren't exactly the sharpest tack in the box and he couldn't a hundred percent count on them not let something accidently slip.

It was just seconds later that Professor Snape entered the classroom, his robes billowing behind him as he made his way to the front of the room. Spinning on the heel of his boots he turned to face the class; his dark eyes, narrowed slightly as he glared over the room of second years Gryffindors and Slytherins.

"Today we will be preparing a hair re-growth potion, open your books to page 37 and get started. Now!"

XXX

When the bell rang and class had finally ended, the students wasted no time in heading for the exit. Draco, however, didn't make it to the exit before the deep voice of his Professor called for him.

"Mr. Malfoy, if you could stay behind, please?"

Sighing, he nodded, "Yes, sir."

"Do you want me to wait?" Hermione asked.

"No, I don't want to make you late for your next class. He'll probably write me a note if what he has to say makes me tardy."

"Okay," Hermione gave her friend a quick hug before heading off to Herbology.

Draco looked back towards his Godfather who motioned him into his office. Once inside the Professor closed the door and put up a silencing charm. Crossing his arms over his chest, he moved closer to his Godson.

"You are still angry with me over disagreeing with your friendship with Potter, I take it."

Draco just shrugged, he wasn't really, he knew why Severus didn't like Harry, and found little chance of changing the stubborn mans mind. He'd really rather just agree to disagree on the subject.

"I know that your mother expressed her concerns to you as well."

Draco gave a snorted laugh, yeah, I bet she told you all about it, he thought.

"I understand that your…reservations are mostly out of concern for my safety, but I'm not just going to kick Harry to the curb. He needs real friends, Severus, people he can trust and confide in.

Severus gave a snorted laugh as he moved to sit on the corner of his desk, "Draco, Potter has tons of friends, or should I say fans."

"That's exactly right; he has admirers, people who know him as nothing more than the Boy-Who-Lived, not Harry James Potter, just another twelve year old kid with a burden no one his age should have to carry."

Severus forced himself not to roll his eyes, was his Godson truly this blind, he was a smart boy after all, how could he not see through this. Didn't he know Potter was just using him?

"Draco, you have to understand-"

"No!" He yelled, his fists clenching in anger, once again Severus was going to dismiss Harry as nothing more than a clone of his father. "You have to understand. Harry is not a spoiled brat who grew up have his every whim catered to, as you so often put it. His relatives are Muggles, Severus. They don't care about his status in the wizarding world, hell they don't care if the boy eats every day."

Severus face suddenly grew hard, "Is that what he's telling you," he hissed through gritted teeth, "is he feeding you some hard luck story, poor orphaned Potter, his family not truly understand how important he really is? Is that it? And you've bought into it! I must say Draco I thought better of you."

"Urg!" Draco screamed, pulling at his hair in frustration, "Why in the bloody hell do you have to be so god dammed hard-headed?"

"Draco Lucius Malfoy, I have half a mind to scourgify your mouth."

Draco closed his eyes, forcing himself to talk a long, deep, calming breath, "Harry didn't tell me anything," he said slowly opening his eyes. "Dobby paid him a visit over the summer, wanting to meet the Boy-Who-Lived," he stated, it wasn't a total lie, but it wasn't exactly the whole truth either. "And when he came home, he started wailing about how Harry Potter was being locked in his room, that his relatives had put bars on his windows and that they only let him out twice a day to use the loo."

Severus was slightly taken aback by Draco's words, but that didn't mean he believed them. "Draco you can't possibly believe-"

"I went to see for myself. I had Dobby take me. Severus…his family…they were keeping his mail from him," another lie, but a necessary one. "It took some prying but he admitted that he had done some accidental magic and that his family was so angry that they had flat out refused to let him go back to Hogwarts. I know it's hard to believe, and I didn't want to believe it either, but I saw it with my own eyes. His family truly hates him. They hate him for the simple fact that he is a wizard and they are not."

There was a long pause of silence, Draco could tell by the look in Severus' eyes that he was contemplating, most likely trying to decide whether to truly believe the information he had just been given or not. After what seemed like minutes, he spoke, "Are you sure?"

Draco nodded, "Positive."

Severus shook his head slightly, as he moved to sit in one of the chairs in front of his desk, Draco moved to sit beside him.

"Why did you not tell me before or, better yet, why didn't Potter mention anything?"

Draco shrugged, "I honestly don't know. He actually asked me not to tell anyone. I suppose he's embarrassed." Draco knew there was more to it than that, but as he didn't know what exactly and he wasn't going to make assumptions.

"If his relatives were attempting to keep him from Hogwarts," Severus began, "how did he…escape?"

Draco blushed slightly, "I sort of…helped him."

Severus sighed, running his thumb and forefinger down the bridge of his nose, "How?"

"I had Dobby apparate him out. As far as I know he stayed at the Leaky Cauldron until he met up with the Weasleys in Diagon Alley. Severus…please… don't say anything. I promised him I wouldn't."

Draco began to worry. He knew his Godfather could easily use this to ruin his friendship with Harry. He had made a promise, and he did have every intention of keeping it, but…he had felt backed into a corner. Plus he thought that perhaps if Severus learned the truth of Harry's home life he may more readily accept his friendship with him, or at least stop openly insulting him.

"Do not worry Draco I will not…reveal where I obtained this information." Draco took a deep sigh of relief.

"Do you plan to do something about it? Harry's home life, that is."

Severus sighed, "I don't know how much I can do, however…I will…think on what you have told me."

"Thank you."

Professor Snape simply nodded as he rose from the chair, making his way around to the other side of his desk; he pulled open a top drawer and took out a piece of paper. "I will write you a tardy slip, you are already later for your next class."

"Thank you, professor."

As Draco headed to Herbology, he still didn't know if he had done the right thing or not by revealing Harry's situation to Severus or not, but he hoped at least some good would come out of it. What he really wondered was why no one had done anything about his home life in his first life. There had been rumors of his hateful Muggles family, but most didn't believe them, thinking Harry was making it all up for attention, or at least that was the Slytherin consensus. But what about the Weasley's or Dumbledore, surely they would have known the truth, so why had nothing been done? There simply had to be a reason. But what was it? What could possibly make light-sided witches and wizards ignore the Boy-Who-Live being emotionally and most likely physically abused at the hands of spiteful Muggles?

XXX

It was later that evening and Draco was in the library working on an Essay for Transfiguration with Hermione, or at least he was trying to. His thoughts were still incredibly distracted.

"Draco," The blonde raised his eyes, which had been staring at a blank piece of parchment, slowly moved to meet his friend, "what's wrong?"

Draco could tell she was worried, not that he could blame her; he hadn't exactly been acting himself since returning from the Christmas Holidays.

"I just…have a lot on my mind."

She nodded in understanding, "Do you want to talk about it?"

With a long deep exhale of breath, Draco gave a soft, "Yes, but not here."

"Okay."

So they packed up their books and headed out of the library and in the directions of the greenhouses, eventually settling on a stone bench that sat at the edge of a gravel pathway between Greenhouse 2 and 3.

"So," She gave a small smile, as she reached over and patted her friend's hand which rested on his leg, "what happened during Christmas that has you bothered?" Hermione had her brow raised; a curious tint filled her brown eyes as she waited for an answer.

Draco rubbed his eyes then running then down the edge of his nose, "I saw something…I wasn't supposed to."

Hermione's eyes suddenly grew large, "What?" She asked in a whisper, her curiosity peaked. She wondered if perhaps he had stumbled upon something of his father's, something dark.

Draco groaned, part of him could hardly believe he was about to reveal this, but another part was relieved to have someone to confide in.

"It was late, past midnight; all of the guests from the ball had left. I knew my father had already gone to bed, but I wanted to say good night to my mother and Severus before I went up to my room. I ran into Dobby who was cleaning a spot on the rug, he told me they were in the parlor."

Draco took a long, deep calming breath before finally revealing witnessing his mother's infidelity. "When I walked into the room, I saw my mother and Severus…standing under a sprig of mistletoe…kissing."

Hermione's eyes doubled in size as a loud gasp escaped her, "No-way!"

"Oh yes."Draco shook his head, desperately trying to push away the vision that had just reentered the forefront of his mind. "It was…a disturbing sight to say the least."

"Oh Draco, I'm so sorry. To not only find out your mother is having an affair, but to catch her in the act…I can only imagine how difficult that must have been for you to witness."

She had taken his hand squeezing it gently, he smiled at her touch, it was always so…warm.

"I'll admit I was more than a little shocked but…well, you know how I feel about my father and…I've always thought of Severus as a parental figure, so…"

"So…you don't have a problem with your mum seeing Professor Snape?" She asked carefully.

Draco shrugged, "I don't know. I mean, they truly looked happy together, and I have always thought of Severus as a father-figure…maybe it's not such a bad thing."

Hermione gave her friend a small smile, "well no matter what, I'm here for you."

"I know, and I really appreciate all your support."

"That's what best friends are for, Draco." And then she leaned over, pulling him into a warm hug.