Harry Potter Junior Level: Year Three

Ch. 26

Clash of Wills

A/N: Severus Snape is not a perfect parent. He makes some errors in judgment as he tries to figure out what Draco's problem might be. Remember, he's tried to talk with his son, only to get nowhere. He's a little frustrated with the boy.

"Drake, let me go with you. I don't trust pipsqueak to come alone. What if he has his two henchmen with him? I could come for backup."

"No, this is between Pippen and me. You don't need to back me up. I can handle myself and him too. Besides, I don't want you to risk being caught. Stay away, Harry. I mean it. I'll be seriously upset if you don't listen."

"Fine! Have it your way then. I don't want to hear any moaning when you get detention. I could be the lookout and distract anyone who came near. Your way, you are asking for trouble. Remember to keep calm and not pull your wand on him. Using magic on him would be a serious mistake so remember."

"I'm already in detention with Dad for not paying attention to my brewing, so it won't matter. Enjoy your Quidditch practice and show them all how great you are at flying. I don't think some of those kids realize who they are dealing with. I've seen you fly and you are much better than you show at these practices. Why are you not showing your best?"

"I just don't want to be talked about any more than I already am. The Chosen One and all that nonsense. I don't like people talking about me which they would if I showed more than I do. I already outfly and catch the snitch more than any of the others, Drake."

"Yes, but you could do it much better! I know how well you play Quidditch as I've had to play it with you!"

"Well, thanks for telling me you don't like playing it with me! I'll stop asking to play when we get together at my house." Harry answers, somewhat miffed.

"I'm only joking, don't get your pants in a wad. I'm going now and you are not. I'll talk to you later."

Opening the door to the loo, Draco is a little surprised to find only Jeremy waiting.

"So Malfoy, you came alone as well? I was sure you'd have your sidekick Potter along."

"My name is no longer Malfoy. I've told you this repeatedly Professor Snape adopted me but you are too slow to understand it. My cousin's name is BLACK or Potter-Black. Professor Black is his adoptive dad and also Godfather. He wanted to come but I wouldn't let him. What I came for is to hear you apologize for talking as you did about my Dad and Hermione. My Dad never acts as you implied. Hermione is a friend who doesn't need to be ridiculed as you did. You don't call my friends' names such as Mudblood or insult my Dad by implying he entertains girls. Now I want to hear a sincere apology for your words."

"You aren't Lord of the Malfoy estate now. Since you told me you are no longer a Malfoy. I don't have to listen to you order me about in that lofty tone you just used. 'Now I want to hear a sincere apology for your words.' You are just about the same pedigree as one of the Weasel clan, in other words... nothing. Your adoption makes you nothing. How do you even know what your evil adoptive dad does when you aren't there? He probably has five girls in his bedroom at a time. Granger being top of the class means she gets special favors and I know what those favors are!"

"TAKE THAT BACK!" Draco yells as his eyes blur with unshed tears of anger.

"MAKE ME! C'MON, I DARE YOU TO!" Jeremy calls while dancing around the other boy whispering "Professor Snape's a little girl lover".

"PIPPEN! I'm warning you. STOP." Draco calls out as he fights the urge to strike back with more than words.

"GIRRRLLL LOVVVER"

Drawing his wand from his sleeve, remembering the spell Harry mentioned, Draco whispers "Flipendo Incarcerus" combining two spells into one.

Outside in the hallway, Harry has been standing patiently shooing students away from the door. "It's occupied. Go somewhere else." he's just finished saying once more when Remus appears.

"Well, hello there. What are you doing up here, Harry? I thought you were having Quidditch practice at this time."

"I do but I needed to come up here instead." Harry replies loudly trying to block out the argument he can hear inside the lav."

"What are you really doing up here? Who is in there and why are you helping them?" Remus asks reaching for the door.

"No, Uncle Remus, don't go in ..." is as far as Harry gets before the door is shoved open.

Jeremy is flipped backward feet first while ropes wrap around his body. Just as Draco spoke with his wand pointed at the other boy, the door to the lavatory opened.

"WHAT IS GOING ON, HERE?" Draco hears behind him.

"Professor Lupin... It's not what it seems... I was just..." Draco tries before the condemning look he's receiving dries up his protests.

"I'm waiting, Draco. What reason do you have for casting spells as you just did?"

"I lost my temper."

"HE HEXED ME! I WAS HERE IN THE LOO AND HE USED MAGIC ON ME. HE COULD HAVE KILLED ME! I COULD HAVE STRUCK MY HEAD!" Jeremy screams as he rolls around trying to undo the ropes.

"So I see. Mr. Pippen do stop thrashing about and calm yourself. You only make the ropes tighter with all that rolling you are doing. Do stop yelling as well. I'll reverse the spell tying you up."

"Finite Incantum" Remus intones with his wand casually pointed at Jeremy.

"Now, what is all this about? Mr. Pippen, explain please."

"He came in here demanding I apologize to his friend for speaking to her. He got angry and cast spells when I wouldn't do as he said. Casting spells on each other is forbidden. Doing magic without supervision is also forbidden. You can check MY wand. I haven't cast a single spell since we did one in Charms. We worked on moving chairs with "mobilarbus" in class." Jeremy replies as he hands his wand to his Head of House.

"Jeremy is telling the truth about the wand, Draco. He hasn't used any spells or charms other than what he just said."

"You are free to go, Jeremy. Go to your dorm and stay there. I may have more to ask you later. Draco, you are coming with me." Remus instructs with a stern look to his nephew.

"Uncle Remus! Professor! Please. He's not telling the whole story." Draco protests as he finds himself being held by the arm and taken out of the loo. Thankful his uncle waited until Jeremy left to treat him as a small child, Draco doesn't resist.

"Harry, follow us please as I wish to speak to you as well. Draco, you can tell your side of the story to your father."

"No Please. Please don't take me to Dad. I'll do anything you say, any punishment."

"It's either your dad or we'll refer this to Headmaster Dumbledore. I believe you know the penalty for using unsupervised magic against a fellow student. Which do you prefer?" Remus asks having stopped walking to look at the child.

"If you take me to the Headmaster, he'll call my dad so I'm sunk either way. Might as well leave the Headmaster alone."

"Very well, let's go discuss this with Severus."

"Uncle Remus, Harry wasn't involved. I didn't even know he was out there. He was supposed to be in Quidditch practice. It was all my doing not his." Draco informs the man briskly leading him along.

"Is this true, Harry? You were not asked to help?"

"He told me to stay away but I wanted to be there in case he needed me. I knew he and Pipsqu..uhh..Pippen were meeting there so I followed. Jeremy has been just horrible to us both."

"I know about the rivalry between you and Mr. Pippen. However, all I see is Draco performing magic against another student. This is serious, boys. Harry, go to your dorm. I imagine your teammates would like to know why you skipped practice by now."

"I can fly well and know the moves they were practicing. I didn't miss much. Besides, I have to scale back on my skills to work with some of them."

"Don't get used to skipping practices, Harry. You are part of a team and teams work together. Instead of scaling back as you said, you need to show them your best. The team needs to work together as a unit and you aren't helping by not doing your best. You especially aren't helping when you don't bother to go to practice. Did it occur to you that others might need to practice with you to adapt to your skills?"

"No, sir. I didn't think of it that way, Uncle Remus."

"Think of it that way from now on. NO more skipping practice unless Sirius authorizes it, understand? If I remember, he was not thrilled with you being on this team at your age. You had to talk him into it. If you don't attend practice or put your best effort into this, I am positive Sirius will pull you off the team. Is that what you want?"

"No, sir. Please don't mention this to Dad. I won't hold back anymore or skip practice either. I'll do as you say."

"Very good. Go on now, go to your room and think about all I said. You stay up there until time to eat tonight and I'll consider the matter closed. Draco will see you later." Remus tells the boy as he turns him towards Gryffindor tower.

"Uncle Remus?"

"Yes, Draco?"

"If someone is defending someone else's honor, isn't that a good thing?"

"It depends on how someone defends someone's honor. Did Mr. Pippen say something against someone and you were defending? Is that what you were implying?"

"He called Hermione a Mudblood. I couldn't let him get by with it. I will accept my punishment. But I'd rather you punished me though. You can assign a thousand lines if you want to, or an essay, or detention with you. Just don't take me to Dad."

"Thank you for your permission to assign those punishments." Remus remarks dryly while looking down at the pleading boy. "I've already given you your only choice. You chose to go to your father. No more discussion."

After Remus has explained what he witnessed between Draco and Jeremy, he leaves Severus to deal with his now scowling child.

"What is going on with you, Draco? Using unsupervised magic, using magic to attack in a fight and not paying attention during your classes as well. I not only witnessed your lack of caring plus inattention during the last potions class, I have reports from two of your other Professors as well. Professor McGonagall informs me you have lacked participation, have one essay overdue, and have made a score of Poor just in the last week. Professor Flitwick has informed me of much the same as well as having been generally uncooperative in class. I understand you have served detention for each of them and your behavior remained unchanged. I need an explanation young man. I have tried being patient with you since we met your Mother at Snape Manor. That weekend should have resulted in you having a sore bum after your pranks and disrespect. I bowed to your Mum's request. My patience with your attitude, defiant behavior and disrespect is now at an end. Tell me what it is that is causing you to act this way. This is not the Draco I know."

"Maybe I've changed! Maybe I'm not the same person everyone thinks I am! This is the new me and everyone can just get used to it!" Draco responds angrily.

"Draconis, you do not raise your voice to me! I see you have not listened to what I am telling you. As I said, my patience has reached an end. Follow me." Severus says after giving the boy his best glare.

Not having much choice, Draco follows his Father's sweeping robes as he walks briskly from the Potions Lab heading towards their quarters. Midway there, he wonders if one of Harry's practice snitches is in his midsection. At least that's what he feels with the flipping going on down there.

"Dad, I ..." Draco begins as soon as they enter their quarters and the door is closed behind him.

"No. The time for talking is over. I asked you for an explanation, I gave you many opportunities over the last weeks to talk, you did not choose to do so. Trying to discuss this behavior is getting nowhere as you continue to be disrespectful. We will try again afterward."

"Afterward?" Draco asks, a little concerned by the tone and facial expression he's witnessing.

"After your punishment. Go fetch my hairbrush. It's on the counter in the lavatory."

"Hairbrush?"

"Have you suddenly become a parrot to mimic what I say? You will fetch the hairbrush or I will transfigure a book into the paddle. As it stands now, you are losing your trousers, do you wish to stall and lose your pants as well? You are in danger of receiving the paddle on your bare bum!"

At the boy's blushing headshake, he continues "You have one minute. Get the hairbrush."

"I don't like doing this, Draco. You know I try very hard to find other ways to discipline you. You, my child, have pushed yourself past all boundaries with this behavior. I will not tolerate blatant disobedience. You know well what my expectations for your schoolwork and behavior are. You chose to disregard them and are now suffering the consequences of your decision. When you calm down and are ready, we will talk about what it is that has you in such a state." Severus informs the now sobbing mess of boy over his lap.

"You may get up. You are confined to your room for the rest of the night and grounded for a week. You will attend classes but except for lunch, meals will be here. You will return here after class ends each day, beginning tomorrow, for one week. Weekends will be spent studying or working on your homework."

"NO! Daaad! The Gryffindor vs Slytherin Quidditch match is Saturday! I need to be there to support Harry! I want to watch him beat the Slytherin's ars... err bums! I already had a paddling with that horrid brush and I can be grounded all the other days but not Saturday. I'm going to that game and you can't stop me!"

"Draconis Tobias Snape! You'd best watch what you declare young man. You do not dictate what punishment you receive or how it is administered. You are now grounded for two weeks, beginning tomorrow. GO TO YOUR ROOM! I'm warning you... one more complaint and I will conjure that paddle! GO!"

Flinging himself face first on his bed, kicking off the trousers he just pulled back up over his stinging bum, Draco begins to sob out his frustrations and hurt feelings into his pillow. After what seems to him to be hours he feels himself falling asleep.

Two hours later, Severus opens the boy's door to find him sound asleep. Not wanting to delay what needs to occur, he gently shakes the child's shoulder.

"Draco, wake up now. We need to finish our discussion. It's also nearly time for dinner. Wake up, please."

"I don't wanna eat. I wanna sleep." Draco mumbles into the pillow.

"Well, we are going to talk and then you will eat. You may sleep all you like after we talk and eat. I won't have you skipping meals. Now show me the courtesy of sitting up when I speak to you. I understand you are angry but we are not finished with our discussion."

Rolling over on his side to face his father, Draco says "I'm still sore and I don't want to sit. It still stings when I move. You left me stinging for hours! I don't want to talk to you at all! I told you, I want to sleep!"

Trying to ignore his son's rude behavior, Severus says calmly "It's only been two hours and I do believe you are exaggerating."

"Just go away and let me be. I don't want to talk to you." Draco snaps back.

"Once more I will tell you to be courteous and sit up when I talk to you. I'm tired of repeating myself and you know very well how I feel about this rudeness you are showing. If you don't, we'll just have to set your bum to burn once again. Is this what you want?"

At that stern reply, Draco quickly moves his legs off the bed to sit up with the blanket wrapped around his shoulders.

"I'm up! I'm up! Don't accio the hairbrush! I'll talk. I apologize for my rudeness as well."

"Thank you, son. Why did you use magic on Jeremy Pippen? I know you and he do not get along. I also know you are well aware of our school rules to never use magic on a fellow student to harm. What made you suddenly decide to break this rule? You have been at the school since you were nine so there is no excuse of not knowing the rules. What made you lose control?"

"He called Hermione something ugly and said ugly things about her. I got mad."

"This isn't the first time he's made you angry so why was this different? I don't believe it is the first time he's called someone names either. What specifically did he say?"

"He called her "mudblood".

"Exact words, Draco."

"Dad, I ... it's about you as well. I don't want to say it."

"I can take it, son. I need to hear it. I know it must be something horrendous for you to lose control the way you did. Tell me, son."

Inhaling and letting it out, Draco says "Yes, Madam Mudblood. I am sure you know all about where he might be. Do you come into his quarters at night as well? Dungeon bats like young ones."

"You were defending Hermione and myself as well, correct?"

"Yes, sir. He was talking so uglily about both of you. He was saying Hermione and you.. well... I'm not quite sure I know exactly what he meant but it was nasty. Just the way he said it I know it was. Are you going to punish him? He needs his bum walloped too."

"I will let Remus know the details of what happened to cause the altercation. It will be up to him as Mr. Pippen's head of house to assign discipline. Draco, I am proud that you want to stand up for people you care about, I truly am. You need to find a way to do that without breaking school or family rules. One thing you could have done is, come to me. This is the reason you couldn't concentrate during brewing as well, isn't it? You were angry at Mr. Pippen. I'm assuming this took place before I entered the classroom. Am I correct on this?"

"You were a little late and he was saying all of these rude comments about maybe you were eaten by something and Hermione said he was being ridiculous. He jumped on her and then when I stood up for her, he said all that about you. I was ready to hex him or punch him in the mouth when you opened the door. I couldn't do anything but think of the words he said."

Nodding, Severus then asks "What is it about your Mother's return that has you upset. It's time to talk about that as well. Get it all out in the open so we can deal with it."

"I don't want to talk about it. Can't I just go to sleep?"

"No, Draco, you have kept these feelings inside long enough. I have been patient and tried to let you work through this without demanding answers. Now it's not only affecting your behavior but your schoolwork as well. Tell me."

"She left me! She went away and left me all alone! What kind of parent does that to a ten-year-old kid? I wouldn't have had anywhere to go if you hadn't taken me. Then she comes back almost two years later and wants to be my Mummy! NO. I don't want a Mum. Let her be Alex's Mum and tell her to leave me alone! She had a chance to be my Mum and she left!" Draco says loudly before tears begin to pour out of his eyes.

Swiping angrily at the hated tears, he continues "She never loved me. Not the way you do. She let Lucius do those horrible things like beating me with a cane and she didn't do anything to stop it. It wasn't because I was misbehaving either. He beat me for not living up to being a Malfoy Heir. She knew how he treated me and didn't stop him! That's not the kind of Mother I want. I don't want her around at all. I wish she had never come back!"

"Come here, Draco." Severus says from the chair he's sitting on.

"Nooooo, don't spank me. I won't say it again. I didn't mean it when I said I didn't want her around and wished she'd never come back! She can stay, I'll be nice, I'll pretend to like her... don't spank me again... I'm sorry." Draco says dropping his face into his hands.

Feeling his dad's arms around him, he buries his face in the soft shirtfront and lets the hurt he's bottled up for weeks drain out. The tears soaking into the fabric beneath his face, he hears "Sssshhhhh, it's all right to be angry. It's all right to feel hurt as well. Let out your anger, son." and feels a soft hand stroking his hair. "I wasn't going to spank you for sharing your feelings about Narcissa. I was offering comfort, my lap as it was."

"I don't like your lap today and besides, I am too big to hold in your lap. Why did Mummy leave me? Doesn't she love me? Did she not want me? Maybe she just wanted to be rid of anything Malfoy even me."

"This is more Narcissa's story to tell more than mine. I can say when she lived in Malfoy Manor, she was also mistreated. Lucius wasn't kind to her either. She had no control over what happened with you, son. She had very little control over anything during the years you were with her. I do know she's always loved you. When you were seven and came to stay with me during the summer, that first time, she came as well. Narcissa stayed a week and told me much of what went on in the Manor. I offered to take you both in to live with me at that time. I didn't have much but I could have let you have a home. Narcissa insisted it would be too dangerous. Lucius was very powerful in the dark side of life and it wouldn't have helped to hide you both. We discussed sending you to a different country but she couldn't bear the idea of losing you forever. I know it seems to you that your ideas of what went on are correct, your Mum abandoned you. She didn't. She knew you were safe with me and needed to come to terms with who she was now."

Having listened quietly, still sniffling some, Draco asks "Did you know where she was even when I first moved in with you? Did you talk to her?'

Conjuring a handkerchief, Severus hands it over with the declaration "blow and stop that sniffling. No, I did not know where Narcissa was. I didn't know if she'd been ..." (rethinking what he was about to say and that he was talking with a boy not quite twelve who shouldn't hear his father might have killed his mother, he changes his words.) "I didn't know where she might have gone and I had no contact with her at all until Sirius and I visited a few months ago. She contacted Sirius. The fact that he is head of the Black family and she was a Black until marriage, is why she sought him out. Do you understand a little more of why she left?"

"I think so. Dad?"

"Yes?" Severus asks, mentally bracing for tough questions.

"Can I get some dinner now? I'm hungry. What are we having?"

"How about we order something from the kitchens. What would you like?" Severus asks breathing easier now that the topic seemed closed.

"I would like chipped beef on toast with white gravy and pumpkin juice. Am I allowed pudding?"

"Are you usually allowed pudding when you are grounded?"

"No, sir." Draco answers mouth going down in disappointment.

"Choose something tonight but that will be the end of dessert for the rest of the two weeks."

"About the two weeks, don't you think that's excessive? I already had my bum busted and grounded one week is enough when I have to miss the first Quidditch match of the season on top of that. Please?"

"TWO weeks, young man. Arguing or complaining will only increase the punishment."

"I should ask Mum what she thinks about your cruel and unusual punishment ideas. If I asked her to let me go to the match, I'd bet she'd let me go. I wouldn't get grounded either."

"Draco, let me inform you of something you really should know. If at any time in the future you try to play the 'I will go to Mum over Dad or Dad over Mum' game when it comes to our decisions, you will find sitting down extremely uncomfortable for the immediate future. There will be no playing one parent against the other. Our decisions on you as our child are final. Any questions?"

"With Harry's parents, Uncle Sirius is the one with the final say. You're telling me I have to obey what Mum says as well? That she can make punishments too? I have two people who are going to make my life miserable? Harry only has to obey Sirius and he has three parents!"

"That is true, you will be made miserable by both of your parents. Your Mum has just as much say in your life as I do. Now, as to Harry, he does have three parents but with two being portraits and unable to interact, Sirius has the final say. All three do discuss situations, just so you know it isn't all fun with two parents being portraits."

"I don't like this new two parent thing one little bit. I want to go back in time to where we only have each other."

"No time turners for you, I have noted. We will survive, you also can think of Alexandra as a little sister now. You're gaining family as we move forward. You've gained grandparents, a cousin, uncles and now a sister in two years. I would say that is pretty nice for someone who grew up his first ten years having no family but two disengaged parents and a crotchety strange uncle figure."

"Yes, that crotchety strange uncle figure morphed into a mean crotchety Dad/Professor." Draco answers before jumping off the bed and running for the kitchen where the bell just sounded. The bell signaling dinner has arrived.

Up Next : Professor Greystone (Herbology) continues to cause problems for Draco and Harry.