Dreaming through Hogwarts
by Healer Pomfrey
Please refer to the disclaimer and warnings in chapter 1!
"Draco," Severus said in surprise, rising from the sofa. "What happened?"
"Uncle Sev," Draco blurted out, sniffling, "may I stay with Harry? My father threw me out."
"Come on Draco, sit here and tell us everything," Lily spoke up in a soothing voice, pointing to the chair next to her. "Of course you may stay here."
"Thank you Professor," Draco replied, gratefully, as he accepted the offered seat. Seeing that Harry and Severus sat down as well, he slowly began to speak. "During the last week, I overheard my father talking to some of his so-called friends. He doesn't know that I listened, thank Merlin, otherwise he'd have kicked me out even earlier. Anyway, he believes that the Dark Lord is still alive, and he has several dark artefacts that are supposed to help the Dark Lord. I didn't understand everything he explained to them, but I think they can help him get his own body again. I'm not sure about that though. He told them he's going to bring some of these artefacts into Hogwarts by the beginning of the new school year."
Lily and Severus exchanged a concerned look. "And? What happened then?" Severus queried, quirking an eyebrow at the boy.
Draco let out a long sigh. "Tonight, he called me into his office for a talk. He said that he's extremely disappointed in me, because I left Slytherin, but that he's going to give me one last chance to prove that I'm a Malfoy. He ordered me to stop being friends with Harry. I should feign being his friend but in fact spy on him and give all the information to Father."
"But that's what you already suspected before the holidays, isn't it?" Harry threw in, giving his friend an encouraging smile.
"Yes, but not that it would be as bad," Draco admitted. "Anyway, I told him that Harry is my best friend and that I'm not going to change that. I also said that I don't want to support the Dark Lord. And that drove him over the edge. He threatened to disown me and kick me out if I don't comply and do what he wants, but I told him that I would never support a mass murderer, especially not such a ridiculous one who was defeated by Harry as a baby."
"Oh I can imagine that he didn't like this," Severus threw in, smirking.
"Not exactly," Draco agreed, looking slightly consoled by the Snape's friendliness. "He began to shout and cast curses at me, shouting that I should never set a foot into Malfoy Manor again."
"Draco, are you hurt?" Lily asked, worriedly, giving him a sharp look.
"No Professor, I dodged the first spell and then I was out of the door before he could cast anything else," Draco replied, grinning at his Head of House, before his expression turned stern again. "I was so scared, and the first option that came into my mind was to take the Floo here. I'm sorry for intruding."
"Draco, you don't have to be sorry, and you may come here at any time," Severus said firmly. He remained thoughtful for a moment, before he spoke up again. "This leaves us with two possibilities. I could go to Malfoy Manor with you and speak with your parents; however, I'm afraid that I'm not in your father's good books, since it became clear that Harry is my son..."
"Yes Uncle Sev, he told me as much," Draco interrupted him, shaking his head. "You can't go there. And I'm not going to go back there any time. I'd love to see Mother again, but not at the Manor. Maybe she can come and meet me in Hogsmeade."
"The other way would be to inform the Aurors about what you heard him tell his friends. If they searched his cellar, I'm certain that he'd end up in prison," Severus said, thoughtfully.
"I don't care," Draco replied firmly. "Then I could go back to Malfoy Manor and live together with Mother."
"I suggest that you sleep over it, and we'll decide what we're going to do tomorrow morning," Severus advised the boy, and Draco immediately agreed.
"May I call Dobby, my house-elf, and ask him to bring me some clothes?" he then asked and, when the Snapes agreed, called "Dobby."
An instant later, a small elf popped up with a loud crack and bowed deeply.
"Master Draco, what cans Dobby does for you? Oh Dobby sees Master Draco is together with the great Harry Snape, the saviour of the wizarding world. Dobby is very happy that Master Draco is with Harry Snape..."
"Dobby," Draco impatiently interrupted the elf's tirade, "don't tell Father where I am and that you know where I am, is that clear?"
"Yes sir, Dobby wills not tells, Dobby not knows where is Master Draco," the elf replied, excitedly.
"Fine Dobby, fetch me my clothes and my school books," Draco ordered the elf, who popped away immediately.
"What a funny elf," Harry blurted out, chuckling.
"Very well then, Draco, do you want to take the guest room or a second bed in Harry's room?" Severus asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Harry's room," Draco decided, "if Harry doesn't mind."
Harry smiled at his friend. "Of course I don't mind. Together we're going to have much fun."
"Oh Merlin, and I was hoping for quiet holidays," Severus joked, as he followed his wife into Harry's room.
An instant later, Lily had conjured a second bed, a second wardrobe as well as another desk and chair. "How's that?" she asked, smiling.
"Awesome Professor, " Draco reassured her, just when Dobby returned with his belongings.
While Severus went to shut off his fireplace from the external Floo network to make sure that Malfoy Senior would not be able to pay him a surprise visit, Draco and Harry began to make plans for their holiday together.
HP
By the morning, Draco's opinion had still not changed, and Severus took his godson to the Headmaster's office. After Dumbledore had heard the whole story, he turned to Draco. "Congratulations my boy for making a very wise decision. I will now contact Messrs. Moody and Shacklebolt, two Aurors, whom I know well. I'm sure that they'll appreciate what you have to tell them."
"Thank you sir," Draco replied in a firm voice. "Excuse me, sir, but what's going to happen then? In case my father is going to get a trial, will I have to be a witness? I'd rather not want him to know that it was me who informed the Aurors, as he'd surely try to kill me."
"We'll ask the Aurors, but I believe that they'll find enough evidence in your father's House to give him a one-way ticket to Azkaban," Dumbledore said calmingly, thoughtfully stroking his long beard.
HP
"Uncle Sev, can we go flying, or do you think it's too dangerous? Can Father enter the Hogwarts grounds?" Draco asked, when they were back in the Snapes' quarters.
Severus looked at the boy in surprise. "Of course he can enter the grounds, as they're not specifically warded against him. It's not safe for you to go flying."
"We could use the wish room and make it a room for flying," Harry suggested, and Draco happily agreed.
"You can go through my office," Lily offered. "Be careful though, and come back in time for lunch."
The two boys grabbed their brooms and Draco's Snitch and headed through the connecting door in Lily's office to Arete House.
"Maybe we shouldn't wish for a new room but just exchange the pool with a Quidditch pitch," Draco suggested, "so we'll still have the column with the painting."
tbc...
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