Chapter 15 - Part 2

**********

The walls of Snape's office were lined with shelves full of jars of Merlin only knew what. It was not a place that many students would have felt comfortable. There had even been wild rumours that he kept the pickled head of a student in one of those jars. No doubt a story made up by a Slytherin seventh year to terrify the first years. As Draco stared idly at what looked like a Kappa embryo floating silently in its jar, Draco couldn't help but see why it was all so widely believed. Who in their right mind kept a floating Kappa embryo in their office?

He had skipped his Transfiguration lesson, pleading that he was far too distraught about the poor Weasel's dreadful accident and of course McGonagall had believed him. She seemed so upset herself about it that Draco was sure she would have made it a national day of mourning if she could…and the selfish git wasn't even dead! Draco figured that he was so far advanced of most people in Transfiguration that he could afford to skip the class. Draco also knew that Snape had that period free – and for some ridiculous reason, he felt like talking to Snape.

He turned from the jars and wandered aimlessly for a moment, well, as aimlessly as one could wander in a circular room. After a while the cold began to irritate him, so he lit the fire and slumped into a chair near by to wait for the Potions Master to finish his class and return to his office.

It didn't take long. Severus Snape was usually keen to escape a class full of first years and he slammed his way into his office in such a temper that Draco almost regretted coming. Upon seeing Draco he did not look entirely pleased, but he stopped himself from muttering under his breath and seemed to calm down considerably.

"To what do I owe the honour Draco? Aren't you supposed to be in your Transfiguration class?"

"Did you hear about Weasel?" Draco asked, not getting up from his place in front of the fire.

"If you are referring to Mr. Weasley, yes, news of his unfortunate…accident has reached me."

"And?"

Snape glared, "and what? Am I supposed to feel some particular emotion about it?"

"No!" Said Draco, and then under his breath, "exactly…" He looked up at Snape and to Snape's great dismay, he looked distressed. "Harry and I had a fight about it."

Snape swallowed hard. Oh dear god, he's come to me for relationship advice. Snape made a non committal sound in his throat.

"And Harry stormed out."

Snape wondered how he could extract himself from the conversation…and then wondered what Lucius would say.

"He said I knew nothing about pain or loss…and that if I died tomorrow no one would miss me." Draco chewed his thumb, then continued, "he said I was a coward because I hid during the war…I guess he's right."

Snape sat opposite Draco and steepled his fingers. He knew of course exactly what Lucius would do in this situation. Set off after Potter, where he would hex him to death for having the audacity to say such things to his precious spoiled brat of a son.

But Draco was not a precious spoiled brat, not any more. Draco was also alarmingly like his father, a veneer as hard as a diamond that covered a vulnerability that was truly pathetic to behold.

Then again, Snape had spent his morning having his name associated with various forms of the word 'Snuggles', so who was the pathetic one? He cleared his throat and addressed Draco in the most fatherly manner that he could muster.

"I would suggest that perhaps Potter did not know what he was saying."

"Harry knew what he was saying." Draco folded his arms across his chest and slumped still further in his chair.

"Potter has a habit of not thinking about more than one crisis at a time," Snape smiled, "although I have to say; you must have really pissed him off to make him say that. But, what is that old Muggle saying? Each man hurts the thing he loves?"

"I think it's 'kills'."

"Well, let's hope he doesn't go that far."

"Besides, I don't think Harry loves me any more."

Oh good grief, someone just kill me now. Snape pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to find a happy thought. "Don't be ridiculous Draco." He sighed, "I am not in the habit of counselling students on their love lives."

"But I'm not just your student…am I?"

"No, you're not." He stared at Draco a little awkwardly, and suddenly realised that he just wasn't any good at this sort of thing. Had Draco gone to Flitwick or Sinistra he'd have enough sentimental advice to fill volumes. But instead Draco had come to him and he was lost for words. Finally he decided that telling the truth was probably the best thing he could do. "I personally find Mr Potter abhorrent, however, I am certain of one thing, Potter, little hero that he is, is in love with you. Don't doubt it, don't think about it and for pity's sake, don't bring it up with me again. Just accept it as fact and get on with it."

Not bad Severus, you're getting good at this sentimental drivel.

Draco was fairly gaping. He worked his jaw a few times before frowning at his godfather. "You worked with him fairly closely during the war didn't you?"

"Unfortunately."

"And there really isn't anything at all that you like about him?"

"Not particularly, no."

"But you saved him a few times, he told me you did. Why did you do that if you didn't see something in him that you liked?"

"I had a duty to protect him, and he was a necessary weapon."

Draco frowned harder. A weapon. Harry had referred to himself as such, usually when he was tired and depressed or feeling vulnerable. "A weapon was all he was?"

"Basically."

"Were you one of the people who wanted to destroy him after the war?"

Snape looked into Draco's grey eyes and wondered just how a Malfoy could have fallen so hard for the Gryffindor hero. There was also the fact that Potter knew about the plan to 'dismantle' him. "So he knows about that? He's more perceptive than I gave him credit for."

"Were you one of them?" Draco insisted.

Snape pinched the bridge of his nose again. He would have dearly loved to say that yes he was, but he was telling the truth now and he saw no reason to stop. "No," he said, "I wasn't. I spent enough time and effort ensuring he survived the war, and I thought it would have been a waste to see him killed by his own side."

"And every time you look into his eyes you see his mother. He has his mother's eyes doesn't he?"

Damn you Lucius, was nothing ever sacred with you. Of course he knew the answer to that. Lucius thought the sun rose and fell with Draco; he told him everything. "Everyone has secrets Draco, don't push me."

"Why did people want to kill him? He saved their arses, so why would they want him dead?"

"People are afraid of power Draco." Snape began to pace, "Dumbledore made sure that Potter was extremely powerful, more powerful than even he knows and people were afraid of it. They feared that once he had grown, that he would grow to like the power…and become another Dark Lord. Let's face it, who wouldn't flock to Harry Potter's banner? He'd amass an army in no time and bring our world to it's knees if he wanted to."

"But he wouldn't do that!"

"Well, I know that, and you know that, but it took Albus Dumbledore a good long time to convince the Ministry of that." Snape hesitated and then added, "of course, his connection with you is not really helping that cause, but I am fairly certain that they'll leave him alone."

Draco reclined back into the chair and looked up at the dusty ceiling. "He deserves better than that." Draco set his jaw hard and sneered, "the whole fucking Wizarding World can just fuck off. When school is finished I'm taking him with me and he is going to lead a long and happy life without all this bullshit."

"And what about your father?"

Draco fell still and bowed his head. "My father wants me to be happy."

Snape looked surprised. "Then am I to assume that we should stop this search for the potion?"

Draco closed his eyes and felt the first traces of a stress head ache start at the back of his skull. "No…I can't leave him like that."

"Then you plan on telling Potter everything?

Draco looked decidedly uncomfortable. "I don't know what I am going to do."

"Then perhaps you have some things to think about. In the meantime might I suggest that we need to keep an eye on Archibald Semeuse. We need to know what is going on in that Museum…and we need to know that Lucius is safe."

"How safe can he be?" Draco asked bitterly, "apparently he's being raped by some lecherous old shit."

"I'm working on that."

"So what are you suggesting for now?"

"A spy."

Draco considered this and, feeling a little foolish, asked; "what kind of spy?"

"One that watches what is going on and reports back to us Draco," Snape snorted impatiently, "what other kind of spy is there?"

"Who?"

"Well, that I don't know. I'll think of something."

"And what about Regina Vermoral?" Draco asked, not really certain if he wanted to know the answer.

"All being well, we should meet Miss Vermoral on Saturday."

**********

Hermione returned to the castle during the lunch break, planning to pack a few things into an over night bag and leave a quick note for Severus. As an after thought she also packed several textbooks. She figured that she would probably get little to no sleep that night, and if she was going to be sitting in the waiting room as she had all morning, she may as well be productive. She had a report due on Memory Charms due the next week and she could probably get a good start on it.

After locating everything she needed, and packing a few magazines for the others to read, (the ones at the hospital all seemed to date back to before she was born) she looked at her watch and was dismayed to find that the lunch break was almost over. She had actually hoped to see Severus and not just leave him a note, but she would have to find him first and by the time she did he would probably have to head back to class. She sighed and realised that she would only just have time to stammer out a goodbye and that would be it.

She found some parchment and quickly and sat down to write a note.

"How are you?"

She almost leapt out of her skin in shock and then her shock turned into a smile of delight. Severus slipped into the room and closed the door behind him.

"Minerva said that she'd seen you come back, and that you are returning to the hospital. I didn't think you'd have time to find me."

She smiled with pleasure. "I thought I should stay. I don't want to be the last to know if anything happens, and they all need some support at the moment." She stopped and bowed her head and when she looked back up at him. She looked troubled. "I just can't understand what happened. I mean, I know he's been a bit…odd…lately, but I had no idea. I've known Ron for so long now and he always seemed ok, you know, stable. I know this sounds awful, but if it was Harry I would have understood it more, because he gets these fits of melancholy. Harry can get so incredibly depressed…but Ron…" Hermione shook her head. "Ron was always so normal, like he could face anything…"

"Sometimes people hide things so deep inside that no one can see the truth."

"But we should have seen it coming. Harry and I should have seen it." Hermione looked away. She hated to admit it, but since the day that Ron had accused her of being with Draco, Hermione hadn't spoken two words to him. She hadn't even tried. Her head had been full of Severus and Krum and Harry and Draco. With Ron acting so nastily, she hadn't even given him a second thought. "I should have been paying more attention," she finished miserably.

Snape sat beside her and drew her close. "Hermione, you can't blame yourself for someone else's actions. From what Minerva told me, Weasley set his own path to self destruction."

"Yes…but he may have had some help with his actions." She told Severus about the mystery drug and about Angelina, a fact of which Snape was already well aware. Minerva had filled him on every detail.

"Hermione, you can't play mother to them forever. You can't be everywhere. You are not all seeing and all knowing," he smiled thinly, "no matter how much you would like to be."

She turned her face and kissed his pale cheek. "I know…but I can't help it, they've always been there for me."

He kissed her, lightly at first, just a gentle brush across her lips and then the kiss deepened as she melted into his warmth, desperate for comfort and consolation. Hermione pulled away from him and smiled, and then laid back, pulling him to the bed with her, knowing that there was no time for this, but just wanting to feel the comfort of his weight on top of her. He went willingly, finding her mouth again and sliding his hands down the length of her body, caressing her jean clad thighs.

"You had to be wearing jeans didn't you?" He murmured into her mouth and Hermione surprised herself by laughing quietly.

"It's cold outside." She kissed him again, "and you have a class to teach, so it wouldn't do to get you all excited."

It was too late for that and they both knew it. His cock pressed hard into her groin, making them both ache for it and he was kissing her again, harder now and desperate, making her dizzy.

The door opened suddenly and Hermione shrieked. Lavender gaped from the doorway, not knowing what to look at first when it came to the tangle of arms, limbs, hair and Snape that was piled onto Hermione's bed.

"I…I am so sorry!" Lavender ducked back out the door and slammed it shut, but not before they heard a snigger and then a snort of embarrassed laughter.

Severus scrambled off Hermione, straightening his robes and his hair, checking to see if everything was…tucked away neatly.

"It's alright," Hermione sat up on the bed, laughing at the expression of pure panic on his face, "Lavender knows."

"She what?"

"She knows. Who do you think gets me so dressed up to go out with you?"

This was all too much for Snape to take in. Not only had he just been caught rolling around like a naughty student, it now appeared that half the student populous knew exactly what he was doing with the schools star pupil.

Not that Lavender Brown was half the student populous, but he didn't know if she was a gossip or not.

"I should go, I've got classes."

"Are you pissed off with me?"

"No, of course not." He leaned down to kiss her goodbye, "you'll be back tomorrow?"

"I should be, and when I am, I'll give you some good 'lovin'."

Snape chuckled softly and opened the door, checking outside for students he found only Miss Brown sitting near the fire sniggering to herself. He turned back to Hermione. "I might just hold you to that."

"I was counting on it," Hermione winked, "Snuggles."

Snape blanched and then closed the door behind him.

*********

Classes had dragged that day. Without Harry to distract him, Draco found himself bored and listless. He knew most of what he needed to know to actually pass his NEWTS; the long day seemed nothing more than revision. By the end of it, he found himself wishing that he had taken Dumbledore up on his offer and missed all of them and not just Transfiguration. He could have happily taken a sleeping draught and spent the whole day in bed. But anger had propelled him from his room and down into the main school. Anger that had, admittedly, died as the day dragged on.

Without Harry, people seemed to suddenly grow backbones. The whispers and stares in the Great Hall became more prominent. Enough of what happened that morning with Weasley had been kept quiet, so aside from the idea that he had taken ill during the night, it wasn't a talking point. The fact that Draco was walking around without Harry was.

"So, did Potter finally come to his senses and dump you?"

"Fuck off Creevy."

"So the Malfoy arse not all it's cracked up to be?"

"Eat shit and die Goldstein."

Draco found himself walking a fine line, aching to hex anyone in his path and not being able to do it. He and Harry had not parted on the best of terms, and it would probably only cause more arguments if Harry returned to news that Draco had knobbled half the school. Draco wasn't a fool and his main interest at that moment was to preserve what he held dear, what he truly wanted.

Unfortunately what he held dear and truly wanted at that moment contradicted each other in the worst possible way. Harry and Lucius. His father and Harry. Which ever way he looked at it, the combination was just not compatible.

But he had to make it work…somehow.

As classes came to an end Draco returned to his room, debating with himself on whether he should go down to dinner (no doubt Lavender would keep him company) or just go to bed. He was tired, his head was throbbing and he just wanted to lie down and forget that today had ever happened.

He lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling. A feeling akin to a thousand butterflies fluttered in his stomach and he found himself chewing his lip. He and Harry always argued, and this time was no different. But Harry had been more pissed off than Draco had seen him in a long time.

And now he was with the Weasley's, who could possibly be pointing out the various evils in his choice of Draco as a partner. And if Draco knew Fred Weasley at all (and he was fairly certain that he did) the man would be all over Harry like some kind of insidious rash. He closed his eyes and tried not to think about it.

He did not hear the fire roar to life, he was too busy creatively subjecting Fred Weasley to a particularly nasty level of Hell.

"You look pretty tempting like that."

Draco sat up with a yelp and found himself staring straight at Harry. Well, not all of Harry, just Harry's head, sitting just above the flames.

"Hi baby," Draco rubbed his eyes a little, "how's Wease….Ron?"

"He's asleep," said Harry quietly, "but he's out of danger."

"Well…that's good then."

"Yeah." Harry was looking bone tired. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to stay in London tonight."

Draco frowned, "At the hospital?"

"No, at my house. It's close to the hospital, so the whole family can stay there and get some sleep."

"Oh." For some reason Draco felt the butterflies in his stomach increase. He had never been to Harry's house, he didn't even know where it was and he knew that he'd never find it, even if he did go looking; Harry had a Secret Keeper. Yet the Weasley's were all welcome to stay. He could only guess that perhaps it still wasn't prudent to let a Malfoy know about it. "When will you come back?"

"Tomorrow, I'll come back early, I promise."

Draco nodded sullenly and asked, "What time are you leaving the hospital?"

"I don't know, late I guess. Why?"

"I thought I might go to the hospital."

"Why?"

"Why not?"

"There is nothing for you here, they aren't your family, you don't even like them."

Draco swallowed and looked down at his hands, fidgeting in his lap. "I was coming to see you, not them."

"Well, if you want to…" Harry sounded a little reluctant.

"Don't worry, forget I mentioned it. I'll see you tomorrow anyway, right?"

"Yeah, I'll come early."

Draco forced a smile, "okay, well, I'll see you then."

"Bye, sleep well."

And then Harry was gone. Draco sat staring at the fire for a few seconds before bringing his knees up to his chin and rocking back and forth, wondering how he was supposed to get through a night without him.

**********

Harry returned to the small waiting room that had been set aside for the Weasley's. Bill had gone home, with promises of returning later. Fleur was close to full term so she couldn't travel and Bill was anxious to get back in case the baby decided to come. George was curled in the corner, his hair a mess, gnawing at his thumbnail. He looked dazed and confused, as if he was unable to comprehend the fact that this was truly happening. Ginny was asleep with her head on Fred's lap and Hermione had her nose shoved into her Potions text book.

Fred watched Harry as he came back into the room and slumped into one of the old armchairs that had been placed around the walls.

"Did the walk do you any good?" Fred asked, breaking the silence for the first time in what seemed like hours.

"Huh?" Harry looked at him in surprise, "oh, um, yeah…I went to the lobby to contact Draco…to tell him I was staying in London."

Fred almost laughed at this and under his breath his muttered, "Draco Malfoy" with a note of incredulous disbelief. Harry's face hardened a little, but he said nothing. Fred was reluctant to drop the topic however and continued on. "So why didn't you tell us that you were gay?"

Harry blushed and shrugged as all eyes turned to him. It was a legitimate question, they were, after all, his friends and he had kept it from all of them for a good long while, even before Draco came along. "I guess I wasn't sure if I was," he said at last.

"You could have talked to me about it," said Fred, he was smiling strangely, "you didn't have to wonder about it alone."

"I…I know, I just, I guess I…didn't want…to be."

"And Draco Malfoy?"

Harry blushed again. "Draco…Draco was…always…I always…"

Fred smiled again and put him out of his misery, "well, congratulations, he's fucking gorgeous. So, you fucked him yet?"

"Fred!" Ginny sat up and glared at him.

"Ok, sorry, personal question. Besides, I know you sucked his cock at that New Year's party, I think Ron told anyone who would listen."

Harry looked anywhere but at Fred, wondering if he could just get up and walk out without it looking as though he was trying to escape.

"Is it a serious thing? I figure it must be if you felt you had to let him know you were staying out."

"I…" Harry wondered for a moment why he was so embarrassed about this, he frowned at himself and said, "Yes, it's serious."

"You sleep together?"

Harry actually laughed now. Was nothing beyond Fred's range of interest? Then he realised that he was probably just trying to take his mind off his brother. "Yes," Harry laughed, "we sleep together…we practically live together!"

Fred's eyebrows shot up into his hair line, "and Dumbledore has no problem with that?"

"No…" Harry stopped, "well, not that I know of. We didn't really have much of a choice, Ron kicked me out of the room after Christmas…" he bit his lip, he shouldn't have gone down that path. "Ron was sick though, I guess."

"So it would seem," Fred looked at his feet.

"It was Angelina."

They all looked at George, who had stopped gnawing at his thumb for the first time in hours.

"She made that drug, it had to be her." George looked at them, "you heard what the healer said, that only someone who worked here would be able to do it, someone who had access to all the Muggle drugs that went into it."

"We don't know that," said Hermione plainly, "why would she give him a drug that would hurt him? What would be the point?"

"She doesn't need a point! She's fucking mental!" He began to chew at his thumb again and Harry noticed that it was raw now and bloody. "You just wait. When they can get enough of it to analyse you'll see, she made it."

Harry and Hermione exchanged glances.

"You don't know her…she has this vindictive streak…" George closed his eyes and fought back tears. He wondered why he hadn't thought about that when he was beating his brother to a pulp the day before.

Because he slept with her and because she left me…because he knew we were having trouble and he still slept with her.

Fred reached over and rubbed the back of George's neck. "Hey, it's alright. He's alive and they will find out what was in the drug. They'll find out and then he'll be fine."

"Will he?" George asked wildly, "he hurt himself Fred! He wanted to die and I beat the living shit out of him!"

"The healer said that most of the bruises on him were old; you didn't do all that damage."

"Then who did? Someone has been hitting him and he's covered in track marks! Why didn't we see that? Why didn't any of us see it and do something? You don't just do something like this and bounce back the next day all happy because you survived…go out into the fucking wards Fred, go and have a look at the people out there! Some of them have been here for years because they keep trying it over and over again!"

"Ron won't."

"How can you say that? You don't know!"

"Because we love him…and we won't let him!"

"Maybe that won't be enough Fred." George said quietly, "maybe I should have remembered that yesterday."

They fell into silence again, each staring at the floor, lost in their own thoughts of guilt. After a while Arthur came into the room to let them know what was happening. He looked older than Harry had ever seen him, as though he had aged ten years in a day.

"Dumbledore has agreed to get Severus Snape to go through Ron's room to see if he can find any remnants of this drug. He's going to ask him to analyse it. They have decided that it would be better for an outsider to do it."

"So they still think that someone here made it?" Hermione asked.

Arthur sighed, "Yes, there is more to it. They think it was made by…"

"Angelina," finished George.

Arthur looked surprised, "Well, yes."

"Has Ron woken up?" Ginny asked softly. She didn't want to get onto the topic of Angelina again, until they knew what had happened, Angelina could simply disappear and Ginny couldn't care less.

"They are going to try and wake him up soon, but they are waiting for the Navitas Serum to take effect first."

Harry lifted his head and frowned, "Navitas Serum? " he asked quickly, "what…what is Navitas Serum?"

"It's a pain killer," Hermione answered, pleased to be of some use at last, "but it also regulates heartbeat I think." She turned to Arthur, "wouldn't they normally use that on people who have long term problems? It's supposed to prevent pain and keep the heart steady…and the person has to be really healthy for it to work properly…"

"A large, concentrated dose will stop him from panicking when he wakes up. When he was Enervated this morning he…well, Harry was there." He looked back through the doorway and sighed heavily. "I should go back now. I want to be there when they wake him up…and if I'm not in there Molly keeps trying to pick him up and no one can work on him if she won't let him go."

Harry watched him go and turned back to Hermione, "this Serum, why would someone take it every day?"

"Well," Hermione started flipping through her Potions book, "there are certain things that can happen to a Witch or Wizard that can do them permanent injury. Hang on, here it is." She handed the book to Harry and he began to read.

"'Navitas Serum was developed in 1947 after Healers were faced with the complications of Grindelwald's Madragora acid. Navitas Serum eradicates the feeling of burning and pain that the victims suffers as well as calming the heart palpitations and fevers that many victims experience. Without the continued use of the serum, victims of a Madragora attack would succumb to their injuries.

In recent times Navitas Serum has been used in increased doses as a calmative by healers the world over.'"

Harry looked at Hermione who was returning his shocked expression. He stood up and made for the door.

"Harry!"

"I have to speak to Draco."

"Severus, no doubt you have heard about this sad business with Mr Weasley."

"I could hardly escape it Headmaster," he caught Dumbledore's look and corrected himself, "Albus."

"What you might not know is that Poppy and the Healers at St Mungo's have detected a drug in his body, something that they cannot account for and one that may be impeding the boy's healing. Arthur and Molly have requested our assistance. They are hoping that Ron left some of this drug in his room, something that could perhaps be analysed."

'So what does that have to do with me?' Snape questioned to himself, but did not speak.

"I was hoping that you could go and have a look for it. I would ask Mr Filch, but I would prefer you go," Dumbledore smiled, "as you have a knack for finding things that others miss," he said delicately.

Snape didn't bite, and he thought about it for the moment before he replied, "certainly Albus, and what should I do with this drug if I find it?"

"Ah, well, actually, we are hoping that you might analyse it. The Healers at St Mungo's have a sneaking suspicion that the drug was manufactured there, using their resources. They believe that a third party should undertake to look at it, so that the results cannot be corrupted."

Snape pursed his lips, so now he was analysing drugs for St Mungo's. He decided that he should ask for a raise, but bit the thought back. Besides, working out what was harming the Weasley boy would make Hermione happy, and making Hermione happy had become something of a priority in his life at present.

"I will search his room after dinner Albus."

"Good, "Dumbledore smiled and reached into his desk draw, "Thank you Severus." He offered a large bag of sweets to Snape, "Sherbet Lemon?"

"Err, no, thank you."

Albus shrugged and his eyes twinkled, "I think there are some Fizzing Wizzbees in there somewhere."

Snape looked at the bag with a little more interest. He was always a sucker for a Fizzing Wizzbee.

*********

Draco decided, after an hour of pacing the length of his chambers, that he really needed a walk. It was far too cold to go outside, and it was reasonably late, so he wrapped himself in his warmest robes and descended to the familiar corridors of the dungeons. He could never understand why he found the dungeons so comforting. Perhaps because he had grown up in Slytherin and that the Slytherin Common Room was down here.

For some reason he felt close to his father there. Lucius had walked these same corridors once. It was almost as though Draco could sense him, imprinted somewhere in time.

The dungeons were also quiet. Peeves usually stayed away because the Bloody Baron considered the dungeons his domain, and so Draco was free to wander, lost in his own thoughts. He was free to think.

So, Harry was staying in London with his friends. Staying with the Weasley's. More importantly, staying with Fred Weasley. Fred had a certain reputation amongst the club crowd of Diagon Ally of just loving to jump anything that was cute, male and moved. Harry fitted into all three categories…plus he knew Harry very well, so there was half the seduction done.

But of course, Harry wouldn't be interested and if any advances were made Harry would turn him down in no uncertain terms. Of course he would. It was useless to dwell on any other possibilities. Draco had absolutely no question about Harry's love and devotion to him.

But Harry didn't believe that Draco knew anything about pain and suffering or what he went through with the war, and Fred Weasley, who had been there right along side Harry, could well sympathise with that.

And Harry had been…abrupt…when he had contacted Draco. He hadn't wanted Draco to go to the hospital, and he hadn't wanted to see him.

Draco frowned and changed direction.

Why hadn't Harry wanted to see him? Why did he want to keep him away from the hospital?

And the Weasley twins could be charming…and they were both good looking.

Well, reasonably good looking, but hey, they were no Draco Malfoy. Draco was no fool. He was well aware of what he looked like, well aware of how truly blessed his family line had been. There had been a time when such a thought, that a lover would dare to cheat on him, would never have entered his head. But still, several hours with Alistair Moody had changed a lot of things – and Draco Malfoy was nowhere near as appealing as he used to be.

There were scars and then there were scars. Harry's lightening shaped scar was both fascinating and sexy, Draco's scars mutilated his back and bit deep into the flesh, changing him so that he looked unfinished and raw. He could hardly blame Harry if he wanted to touch something smooth and unblemished. Something beautiful.

For fucks sake, they are at the Weasel's bedside. They are probably all in shock, and they are hardly going to take time out for a quick shag!

Then again, Harry did have a habit of getting horny at the most inappropriate of times.

Draco stopped again and stared unseeing at the wall in front of him. This really was stupid. This was Harry. His Harry. Harry whom he trusted beyond measure. Harry who was not going to jump and shag the first gay man he met. Harry wouldn't hurt him…even if he hurt Harry.

"You're pacing?"

Draco didn't even flinch. It was the dungeons after all, and it made sense for Snape to be prowling around. "I wasn't pacing, I was wandering aimlessly."

"Are you concerned about finding a spy? I told you I would deal with it."

And then there was the whole spy thing…and he hadn't even thought about that properly yet.

"You say that you will deal with it, but who are you going to get? You? No offence, but I think your spying days are done."

"I was hardly planning on going myself Draco."

It struck Draco in that moment that perhaps Snape was as nervous about this whole hospital thing as he was. Hadn't Hermione gone out with the Weasel once? Was she staying in London too? Perhaps they should discuss the spy, for both their sakes.

"Alright then," Draco said, knowing when to soften his tone, "what do you have in mind?"

"I haven't had time to think about it just yet, I…"

They were interrupted by the appearance of a first year who had obviously taken a wrong turn in his search for the Slytherin Common Room. The boy stopped in his tracks and stared at his Head of House with an unmistakable look of terror. Draco almost grinned.

"Lost again Bains?" Snape asked impatiently.

"Y-y-yes, P-p-professor…Sir…I-I-I-I…" Bains flushed hopelessly.

"But for the purity of blood Bains, you would have been a Hufflepuff," Snape murmured disdainfully. "Now turn around and retrace your steps."

Bains turned around quickly, keen to remove himself from Snape's glare.

"Oh and Bains?"

Bains jumped and squeaked, "Yes Professor?"

"You had best ensure that you are in your dormitory before curfew. I do hate to take points from my own house, and I would rather put you on the train home."

Bains nodded obediently and scuttled away. Snape turned back to Draco and suggested that perhaps they should not be discussing such delicate matters in the corridor. Draco found himself in Snape's chambers soon after.

Non was busy dusting the bookshelf. Draco stopped, raised and eyebrow and smirked. Snape on the other hand, looked as though he had reached the end of his tether.

"I thought I told you to stay in the cupboard?"

"Non was bored in the cupboard, Sir."

Clearly, Non did not consider Snape his Master and chose to act accordingly. His Master had told him to stay where he was, which was the only reason he hadn't returned to the Manor, but just because he was staying put, did not mean that he liked it.

"Weren't you going to put him to work in the kitchens?" Draco asked, watching the less than happy Elf continue with the dusting.

"I did," Snape replied bitterly, "but it seems that one of the House Elves took one look at him and had some kind of panic attack. Stupid little thing, with a tea cosy on it's head…the one Potter freed, what's his name?"

"Dobby," Draco and Non replied in unison.

"Yes, well, that one."

"Non is a bit of a tyrant at the Manor," Draco conceded proudly. "You're the eldest aren't you Non?"

Non stopped his dusting as if to consider what he already knew to be true. "Non is the oldest Master Draco."

"How old are you anyway?"

"Non is 87 Master Draco."

Draco's eyebrows shot up in surprise. The bloody Elf was ancient!

"Non was born in the same year as Master Alexius," Non continued, warming to the subject, "Non's ancestors have served the Malfoy family for centuries."

Draco was still shuddering at the mention of his Grandfather. Draco's memories of the old man had been of a bully who had died just before Draco started at Hogwarts. From what he could tell, not many people liked the man. Draco's mother certainly despised him, and Lucius had set up his little family unit in an opposite wing in the house to his parents, and avoided them when he could. He could remember one incident, when Grandfather Alexius had caught Draco eating biscuits on the old mans favourite chair. He'd put him in a full Body Bind for three hours as a punishment, until Lucius got home and found Narcissa screaming the house down, trying to convince her father-in-law to release her son.

Alexius Malfoy had died soon after and no one had shed a tear. Draco had wondered for years after if Lucius had killed him. In his heart he still believed that to be the case. Even Non had said his name with dislike in his tone, and Non was as faithful to the family as they came.

Non even seemed happy at the Manor, certainly not scared as most of the other House Elves were. Draco had no idea why the little Elf was so content, and Non had certainly received his fair share of kicks in the arse and was given no real preferential treatment. It was true that Draco had a strange sort of affection for him, but he supposed that it came from years of carrying the Elf around like a teddy bear.

But Lucius was fond of the ugly little thing as well, and Non…well, Non was devoted to Lucius.

Devoted.

Utterly devoted.

"Non?" Draco asked suddenly, "if you were freed, what would you do?"

"Freed? Master Draco Sir?" Non looked as though Draco had just suggested a beheading. "Master Draco must not free Non. Non has done nothing to cause Master Draco to free him!"

"But if you were free, what would you do?"

Non looked horrified and at a total loss.

"Would you come and work for us, even though you were free?"

Non looked hopeful, "Non would beg Master Draco and Master Lucius to let him come back!"

"Would you do anything to come back?"

"Non would do anything Master Lucius told him to do."

Draco smiled as he crouched in front of the Elf. "Would you do anything for him?"

"For Master Lucius?"

"Yes, for Master Lucius."

A strange colour infused the Elf and Draco realised with some shock that he was blushing. "Non would do anything for Master Lucius. Non loves Master Lucius."

Draco stared, confused for a moment as the Elf looked nervously at his feet. Then the full implication hit him hard and he stood up and backed away. "You love my father? As in, you are in love with my father?"

"N-n-n-not in the w-w-w-way that you think!" Non stammered, "Non loves him, Non would do anything for him, Non would die for him!"

"Does he know this?"

"No!" The strange colour deepened. "Well, perhaps…Master Lucius has never said anything to Non about it."

Oh this was just too weird!

But still…

"Non, I have a very special task for you…and you can help father if you do it well."

Non looked up, hopeful and eager.

"There is just one catch to the whole thing."

Non looked confused. "Catch, Master Draco?"

Draco removed his school tie and crouched back down in front of his most trusted Elf. "It is a big catch, but I think you will find that it is necessary to make this work."

"Master Draco?"

Draco gently wrapped the tie around Non's scrawny neck. "You're free Non."

Non paled, he swayed on his feet, as though he would faint. Draco turned to Snape, who had watched the proceedings in silence.

"I think we have ourselves a spy Uncle Severus."

********
Semeuse returned to his chambers late, and angry after a meeting with the Minister of Magic who had decided to cancel the touring exhibition and return it to its permanent home at the museum. Fudge expected Lucius to be back on display and nothing that Semeuse could say about the dangers would sway the man.

He slammed the door and stormed into the room, muttering about the idiocy of the man and feeling his stomach knot at the prospect of putting what Semeuse considered sacred to him, back on public display.

Lucius was sitting in his chair on the small balcony, overlooking the dark London sky line. It had been raining down hard on him and Semeuse took one look and panicked, rushing to pull him back inside.

"Who put you out there?" Semeuse demanded, vowing to kill whichever fool Elf had left his Angel out of doors.

"I did."

"How? How did you get out there? Why did you want to be outside in the rain."

"I asked a House Elf. It wasn't raining when I went out and when it started he wasn't here to take me back in again."

Semeuse swore and unwrapped the heavy cloak the Elf had wrapped around Lucius, it was soaked through with water and Lucius was almost frozen, but didn't seem overly concerned.

"Why did you want to go outside?"

"Because I haven't been outside for a long time."

Semeuse was going to kill that damned Elf. What if his Angel got sick? He quickly stripped Lucius naked and dried him off. He lifted the Angel out of the chair and carried him to the bed, placing him gently amongst the pillows.

"If you want to go outside in the future, you will ask me."

"You weren't here to ask," Lucius drawled.

The Curator fanned the multitude of hair out over the pillows and looked into the Angel's pale eyes. "Do not push me Lucius, I have not had a good day."

"That is hardly my fault now is it?"

Semeuse almost slapped him, but he had been praying for Lucius to be able to speak, and now that he could, the Angel seemed intent on infuriating him. "I think it may be time to discover how seriously you are going to take our agreement."

He was met with silence.

"Nothing to say Lucius?"

"Now?" Lucius asked dubiously

"As I said, I've had a very bad day, and I think you can help fix that." Semeuse unbuttoned his robes and discarded them carelessly. He lay beside Lucius and began to stroke his pale body gently. "Can you move your legs?"

"Not really, not in the way you want me to."

"And your arms?"

"I really don't know," Lucius replied, sounding a little bored.

Semeuse did hit him this time, slapped him hard and heard a small yelp in his head. "You proposed this bargain Lucius, and I for one expect you to keep to your end of it." He stopped and smiled nastily, "Or what say you Lucius? A quick Imperius and I'd say young Draco would have his little arse in the air most willingly."

"If you position my limbs I will try to hang on."

"Very good Lucius, you learn so quickly." He parted his Angel's legs and crawled between them, kissing the length of Lucius' torso as he went. Gently he moved Lucius' arms so that the Angle's hands were on his shoulders and he felt a slight pressure as Lucius started to hold on. Semeuse lifted the Angel's legs himself, hooking them over his elbows and pushing them back so that Lucius was lifted quite high off the bed.

He entered Lucius with one sharp thrust and grinned as he felt the fingers dig sharply into his shoulders.

"I want to hear you Lucius, I want to hear you while I am moving in you."

And the Curator's head was suddenly filled with panting, and the erotic sounds of a lover gasping and moaning.

"Good boy, good boy my Angel…." Semeuse thrust harder and the appreciative moans became harder to maintain, giving way to harsh rasping sobs and Archibald smiled, relishing the true effect of his love making. He pushed harder, moving faster within Lucius, riding him, hurting him.

"Am I hurting you Lucius? Does it hurt?"

"Y-yes…"

"Tell me again…say it for me…"

"Yes."

"Again!"

"Yes…"

Lucius' fingernails were digging so hard into the Curator's back that they drew blood. His face remained as impassive as ever, but he was sobbing hard, and obviously aching all over. Then the invisible hands began to push at Semeuse and he almost came for the joy of it. So there were things that Lucius could not control, delightful things over which Lucius had no command.

"I love you," Semeuse was sobbing, panting, pushing harder, deeper, feeling his body peaking, his orgasm only a matter of moments away. "I love you my beautiful one, I love you…I love you…"

He could not hold his orgasm off and he fucked Lucius hard, taking his pleasure on the glorious body beneath him. "Tell me my darling…I love you…tell me…"

Lucius sobbed and gasped and finally, as though wrenched unwillingly from his being, the Curator heard the voice in his head; "I love you too."

********

Draco felt a little foolish, wandering the corridors of St. Mungo's when he knew that he wasn't wanted there. Harry had told him not to come, but if he could see Harry, and talk to him for just a few minutes perhaps, Draco might well be able to go back to the castle and sleep. Dumbledore had allowed him to go, and had even given him a Portkey to get back. He only hoped that Harry was still there.

The nurse at the reception desk had told him where Weasel was, and Draco knew the ward well enough. Pansy Parkinson was one of the wards residents and after a brief holiday with her uncle, she had been sent back. The ward was separate from most of the hospital, kept aside for patients who suffer from various forms of melancholia and were a danger to themselves.

Someone had decided to paint the walls of the ward with incredibly bright colours, as though colourful surroundings would lift the inmate's spirits. Draco decided within a minute of being there that if he had to stay he'd probably be suicidal too.

It didn't take long to find the waiting room. It was one of the few that didn't have a watcher stationed outside. It was very quiet, and Draco feared that they had already left. He looked through the doorway and spotted Hermione half asleep with a book open on her lap. Ginny Weasley was sitting on the floor with who Draco could only consider to be George. Harry was sitting on a lounge with Fred. He had tried to find Draco again, to talk to him about this Serum, but Draco could not be found and no one in the Tower seemed to know where he had gone. Harry had returned to the waiting room depressed and exhausted. This day had taken away his energy and his piece of mind. He wanted it all to end, for Ron to live and for Draco not to be hiding some illness from him. By the time Draco arrived, Harry was almost asleep, his head resting against the wall. Fred Weasley was looking off into nothing with his hand on Harry's thigh, and his thumb absently stroking back and forth.

Draco felt his lip twitch and anger, hot and fast, surged through him. Calm down, he's just had a shock, his brother nearly died, he's just comforting himself.

Comfort my arse!

Draco cleared his throat, and it seemed unnaturally loud in the stillness. Hermione looked up and immediately set aside her book and came forward to hug Draco as though relieved that someone who wasn't involved in the whole ordeal was here to take her back to reality. Draco hugged her back and he felt her sag a little against him. She needed to sleep, but she wasn't going anywhere.

Harry roused himself from his light sleep and blinked a couple of times before his face split into a grin he couldn't quite help. He had tried to contact Draco and hadn't been able to find him, and now he only felt relieved that he was standing there. He pushed himself up from the lounge and all but threw himself into Draco's arms. Draco hugged him tightly, burying his face in Harry's messy hair and inhaling. He lost himself in the feel of Harry's arms and the familiar plains of Harry's body pressed against him.

"How's Ron?" Draco whispered, more from the knowledge that he had to ask than from any desire to know.

"He's ok, and he woke up for a little bit, but they put him back to sleep so that his body can recuperate."

"Are you still staying in London tonight?" Draco murmured, willing Harry to say no, willing Harry to come back to Hogwarts with him.

"Yeah, the whole family is." Harry fought back the urge to kiss him. No one would have cared, but if he had kissed him, Harry knew he wouldn't have stopped, and he didn't want to show them everything, not now, not yet. "Why don't you come? You could stay with me, and you could see my house."

Draco smiled wistfully, "I can't, I promised Dumbledore that I'd be back soon, and he wouldn't have let me come otherwise."

"But Dumbledore knows that Grimmauld Place is safe. I'll speak to him."

Draco looked around the room. All of the Weasley's were all staring at him with some interest. The last time any of them had spoken to him he had been Draco Malfoy, all round arse hole and son of a Death Eater who got everything he deserved. Now he was Draco Malfoy, possibly still an all round arse hole, still the son of a convicted Death Eater who got all he deserved and, amazingly, the lover of Harry Potter – one of their best friends.

"I think you should be with your friends," Draco said, "and I'm not so sure that my staying would be such a good thing." He leaned in and whispered softly in Harry's ear, "can we go somewhere quiet?"

Harry smiled and glanced around, as though the rush of sexual excitement that had just coursed through him would be evident to the whole room. He took Draco's hand and led him silently from the room.

As it was, somewhere quiet was reasonably easy to find, somewhere private however, proved to be a problem. Almost every room on the floor had a watcher stationed outside and it was three floors down that they finally found a secluded corridor and a dark corner.

Draco kissed Harry desperately, pushing him into the darkness and fast becoming hungry with passion. This was no passion born of desire, although he certainly desired Harry well enough. This was passion born of his jealous heart and it was a passion he never thought he would feel. He wanted to stake his claim, to mark Harry with something indelibly his. He could still see Fred Weasley's hand on Harry's thigh, his thumb stroking that place that Draco considered his and his alone. The thought of anyone touching Harry sickened him, and the thought of Harry being with anyone else tormented him.

Draco's hand slid down the front of Harry's old cargo pants, fumbled with the top buttons and delved inside to cup Harry's balls through his briefs.

Harry moaned softly and pulled away a little. "Are you okay?" he panted.

"Yeah," Draco gasped in return, pushing his body hard against Harry's, "I just missed you today, that's all."

Harry suspected that Draco could be a little jealous, but he said nothing. Draco's long fingers infiltrating his underwear felt too good to bother with speculating on just what was driving Draco at that moment.

"I love you," Harry whispered and he felt Draco relax a little, felt his kisses melt until they became languid and wet.

"I love you" Harry murmured again as the kisses trailed along his jaw and down his throat. He felt his pants being pushed down and then Draco's fingers had tangled around the sides of Harry's briefs and were tugging gently, drawing them down until Harry's cock was free and standing to attention.

"I love you," Harry gasped as Draco sank to his knees and slid his lips down the length of Harry's shaft. "Oh…oh that's nice baby, you can keep doing that."

Draco obeyed, drawing a twisted line up the underside of Harry's cock with his tongue, then teasing the blood infused head before sinking back down the length again.

Oh sweet fuck…

Harry could never understand how it was that Draco made him so mind numb to anything but pure sensation. He supposed that anyone could touch him or even give him a blow job, but he doubted that anyone would make him feel quite like Draco did. He snagged his fingers in Draco's hair and yanked him towards his body. Draco let out a muffled yelp as Harry thrust hard into his mouth, pushing his cock deep into Draco's throat, knowing that Draco could take it. Draco's fingers dug into the smooth flesh of Harry's arse and he swallowed Harry deep. Harry cried out, his voice echoing down the corridor.

"Fuck Draco," he hissed, "Oh…oh…fuck…"

Draco looked up at him, and through the gloom Harry could see the wide pale eyes staring at him and Harry lost all control. He came in a rush of heat into Draco's mouth, relishing the intensity of it, the way Draco swallowed his seed. The way he still sucked as the last shreds of Harry's orgasm died away.

Harry pulled out of Draco's mouth and sunk to his knees, pulling Draco close, hugging him tight.

"That was pretty incredible," Harry whispered.

"I know, I think I'm pretty incredible myself," Draco replied with more confidence than he felt. He hesitated, still unable to shake the possessive feeling that was coursing through him, "Sweetheart?"

"Mmm?" Harry traced Draco's lips with the tip of his tongue.

"At your house, do you have your own bedroom?"

Harry pulled back and grinned, "yeah, of course I do…It's my house!"

"So you won't have to share with anyone?" Draco asked, "You wouldn't have to buddy up with someone like, say, Fred Weasley?"

Harry's eyes widened. "Oh my God, you are fucking jealous!"

Draco said nothing, he just looked at Harry for a moment and looked away.

"Why are you jealous?"

"I'm not…" Draco blushed, "promise me that you'll stay away from him."

"He's like my brother Draco!"

"And Hermione is like your sister but you…"

"Sucked her fingers and that is all," Harry sighed and sat back on his heels, "I'm not interested in Fred in that way. I'm not going to do anything with him."

"Then promise me."

"Fuck Draco! I don't need to promise you, nothing is going to happen!"

"Then why won't you promise?"

"Draco!"

Draco got to his feet and started to walk away. Harry stood, wrenched his pants up and went after him, grabbing him by the elbow and spinning him around to face him.

"Draco! What the fuck is the matter?"

"Just promise me!"

"Alright, I promise you. Does that make you feel any better?"

"No, not really." Draco swallowed and hardened his jaw, then blinked and realised that he was going to cry – which was ridiculous, as there really was no need for tears.

"Look, I found my best friend half dead this morning and I have spent the rest of today finding out how he fucked himself up so badly that no one knows if he'll ever get through it. I don't need you having a jealous fit on top of it all. Can't you just hold off and have your tantrum some other time?"

A muscle worked in Draco's cheek, and he blinked again and backed away. "I'm sorry," he said, trying to keep his voice even, "I'll try and have my tantrums at times that fit better into your schedule."

"Oh fucking hell," Harry pushed past him and made to leave him there, then he turned and stormed back. "Why don't you just come to Grimmauld place with me then? You can sit up and watch me all fucking night then."

Draco backed further into the shadows; "I'm going back to Hogwarts," he said softly.

"What, you don't want to arrange a chastity belt before you go?"

"Bye."

Harry couldn't see Draco's face, he was hidden from him in the dark corner, but he heard his voice catch and sob break the word, and then Harry heard him fumbling with the portkey that would take him away.

"Draco?" Harry moved towards the corner and Draco slid down the wall, curling himself up into a tight ball, his tears causing his body to rock. Harry stared and looked at what he had reduced his lover to. A few short hours ago Harry had been desperately looking for him, wanting to find out about why he needed the medicine he had read about, and then the moment he saw Draco, any thought of it had left his mind. Once again he had been preoccupied, this time defending the Weasley's and himself, not thinking about what effect it would have on Draco to suddenly be left behind.

And he had said things to Draco this morning, this he didn't mean. Harry sat beside him, sliding an arm around his shoulders and holding him. "Don't do this baby, you have nothing to be jealous of. I love you, Draco. I don't love anybody else. I promise you, Draco, that's the truth."

"You…you said that I didn't lose anything," Draco lifted his head to look at Harry through bloodshot eyes, "you said that I didn't know anything about pain and loss…but I do…I…I lost my family, I lost my friends, I lost most of my back…I lost things too."

"I know, I'm sorry…I was being a fucking idiot…I was so worried about Ron and I took it out on you. I shouldn't have, I love you, you should know that." Harry drew him close and decided that he had to say something now. "Does your back still hurt? Is that why you take the Navitas Serum?"

"I wondered how long it would be before you figured that out." Draco sniffled and pulled an almost clean handkerchief out of Harry's pocket to blow his nose on.

"Is it true that you would die if you stopped taking it?"

"They don't know for certain…and…I don't plan on finding out." He buried his face in the crook of Harry's shoulder and closed his eyes. Harry's fingers gently tangled through his hair.

"Why are you afraid of Fred?"

"He's…" Draco seemed to push himself a little closer to Harry and Harry held him tight, "he's perfect."

"Perfect?" Harry couldn't help but laugh, "Fred?"

"He's…whole."

Harry frowned, "What? Whole? You're whole!"

"No, I'm not, I'm…I'm damaged."

"You're perfect, and you're everything I ever wanted…I don't care about those scars, they aren't you…" He felt hot tears against his neck and Harry stroked Draco gently, "don't cry baby, it's alright, everything is alright."

"I'm sorry, I've been stupid…"

"No you haven't, don't worry." Harry struggled to his feet, pulling Draco up with him, "you're coming home with me tonight, we can go back to school in the morning."

"I can't…I promis…"

"You can and you will. I will speak to Dumbledore. You should be with me, he'll understand that." Harry rummaged around in his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. He murmured "Lumos" and gave the paper to Draco.

"Mr Harry Potter can be found at 12 Grimmauld Place, London." Draco smiled, well, at least he now knew he would be able to get there.

"I'll go back to Hogwarts," Draco said quietly. "I'm tired and I feel like shit…I don't have anything with me anyway."

Harry stared at him, "We'll get some Navitas Serum from the apocthecary downstairs, and you don't need anything else. We'll go back to school early so that we can get changed there." He slid his arms around Draco and when the blond opened his mouth the protest Harry shut him up quickly by saying, "don't argue with me Draco. I'll let the others know that we're going home. I'd say Hermione wants to get some sleep and the others know how to get there."

They wandered slowly down the corridor, each glad to be together for the night and each suddenly desperate for sleep.

********

Weasley's room stank of blood and sweat and brought to Snape's mind the idea of a charnel house. It was almost overpowering and Snape forced back a gag. He'd smelt such things before. The scent of death and decay. But there was something else here. Some other smell.

Snape lit the room and surveyed the bed in front of him. He allowed himself one small moment of pity before sinking into disgust. He drew a sharp breath, as it had been a long time since he had seen that much blood. The bed had been soaked in the Weasley boy's blood, and it glistened a dark red, clotted, cracked and rank. For as much as Weasley had been a pain in the arse for all these years, Snape was glad he hadn't been there when the boy had been found. He'd seen enough to last him two lifetimes.

On the floor lay a blood soaked teddy bear. Snape picked it up. It was heavy and wet, Weasley must have bled through it. Snape cautiously sniffed the bear and detected Opium and Ashwinder eggs instantly. An opiate and a love potion ingredient. He wondered what else he would find when he found the drug. He pulled a crystal phial from his pocket and opened it, then he pointed his wand at the bear and the blood suddenly began to stream out of the toy, arching in the air and pouring into the bottle. Snape stoppered the phial and returned it to his pocket, then placed the freshly cleaned bear on the bedside table.

Now, the drugs. Where would the boy keep his stash? If it had been Snape it would be somewhere discreet and undetectable. Some hidden place, out of the way of prying eyes. He turned, trying to think of a place or a way the Weasley could have possibly hidden it in this room and his eye fell on the other bed in the room.

Or you could just leave it lying on the bed. He picked up a tiny vial and opened it. The smell was distinctive and unmistakably what he was looking for. He pocketed the drug and moved things around on the bed, looking to ensure that there was no more of the stuff lying around that could fall into the wrong hands. He moved a long piece of parchment out of the way and it rolled open – and something caught his eye. Hermione's name, and a rather full looking rose bush beside it.

He picked up the parchment and rolled it out fully.

Mr Harry Potter.

Miss Hermione Granger.

Mr Ronald Weasley.

Each name had a rose bush beside it (well, Potter had four).

"This contract, made between the above mentioned, hereby known as the Crusaders, under the agreement that: From 25th August 1998, the crusaders shall have one full school year (ending 30th June 1999) to lose their respective virginities, under pain of a life time covered in postulating boils"

Boils? What made them think of boils? Snape sank to the bed and read lower.

"Upon the loss of said virginity and each sexual act performed by said party, a rose will appear on the rose bush corresponding the individual Crusaders name."

There were almost 100 clauses and conditions to the contract and Snape read through them, his face becoming harder as he progressed through the list.

"Clause no. 79: If success looks uncertain, the Crusader must do anything required to fulfil the terms of the contract, even if this means something vile, such as performing sexual acts with a Hag, a banshee or even Professor Severus Snape. Anyone who does not fulfil the contract and is found to have not explored every option will not only be afflicted with pustulating boils; the boils will sting, smell and be giant in size."

Snape lay the contract down on his lap and stared blankly at the wall. "I see," he muttered and his cheek twitched.

She had lied. She had tricked him. She had declared her love for him when all along he was a last resort, in the same category with Hags and Banshees. No doubt the three of them were having a right royal laugh at his expense.

He folded the contract and stuffed it into his robes. It was time for that particular game to end.
************************************************************