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Beta by Kristine Thorne
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Chapter Summary - Severus is making no progress with Draco but when Harry gets sent in things start to get more complicated. Severus finally gets Draco to explain himself and he and Harry head down to the Shrieking Shack to recover something important that Draco has left down there.
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Chapter Twenty Seven - A Prized Possession
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The last day of Draco's immobilisation came far too fast and they had made no more progress. Draco woke to eat and take his potions and slept the rest of the time, despite the fact that the rejuvenation potions and nutrition that he had been receiving had improved his health enough for him to be much more active.
Severus worked at his potions for most of the morning and Harry took a morning off to play chess with Ron, all three of them knowing that in the morning Meg would come and remove the immobilisation and they would have a prisoner rather than a patient.
Lunchtime was approaching when Severus called Harry through to his potions room. Harry entered cautiously, even he was still nervous of interrupting Severus when he was in the middle of a complicated potion. As Harry entered he found a Severus deep in concentration over a bubbling and pungently smelling cauldron.
"Glad to see that Ron is helping you so efficiently," Harry commented with a wrinkled nose as defence against the smell.
"I am reaching a critical part of the brewing process and Draco needs his lunch," Severus told Harry without looking up.
"What do you want me to do about it? I thought we weren't allowed in."
Severus sighed and looked up for a moment, "I know," He replied, "But if I leave this now the whole thing will be ruined, I shouldn't have started it."
"I'll do it, I just didn't want it to upset things."
"I don't think that you can make things worse, it's not as if I've been succeeding with him at all, I keep talking to him and I know that he is listening."
"But he still hasn't said anything? Just give me the food."
"It will have appeared in the fireplace about five minutes ago, now don't worry, he hardly even bothers to open his eyes when I go to give him food, all he wants to do is sleep and he has never spoken to me, you won't get any trouble from him and he might not even realise that it isn't me since you are dressed similarly and he only ever glances briefly." Severus tried to reassure Harry.
Harry left Severus to his potion and entered the bedroom, he looked over to where Draco lay and found that his former adversary's eyes were open although he was looking up at the ceiling. Harry picked up the bowl on the hearth and slowly crossing the room, he sat on the chair by the bed. He took up the spoon in his hand and scooped some of the food onto it. Harry was about to say something to catch Draco's attention when he turned his head and looked right at him.
Harry jumped at the surprise of it after Severus' reassurances. Draco kept on looking; Harry found it hard to judge what he thought of the encounter. Not knowing how else to respond Harry held out the spoon and hoped that Draco would take the hint and just eat.
"Potter!" Draco said with a husky dry and disused voice in a similar way to how he used to say the name when they were at school together.
"Yes," Harry agreed still holding out the spoon, "Eat."
"What are you doing here?" Draco demanded.
"Severus asked me to give you your lunch, he is busy with a potion."
"Changed sides have you?" Draco demanded.
Severus had said that Draco wouldn't speak and he had, and of all things had called him 'Potter', Harry didn't feel at all comfortable with the situation and he didn't know what Draco was talking about regarding what side he was on, "No, of course not," Harry replied still offering the food.
"Then why are you here with Professor Snape?" Draco asked.
It was a simple enough question but the answer was long and had many appendices, Harry struggled to say something, which was the truth without giving Draco ammunition to try to ridicule him, he also needed to keep him talking, "I live here."
"Perhaps it would only be right to warn you, Severus Snape is as faithful a Death Eater now as I ever saw." Draco informed Harry in a hushed tone.
Harry couldn't help feeling a cold dread at the news even though he knew it to be untrue, "That's a lie," Harry insisted.
Draco looked unmoved, "Fine, don't say I didn't warn you, before I left home my father and Professor Snape had some very unpleasant plans for you and a few expectations of me too, the reason why I left while I still could, not that it did that much good in the end, as you see. I imagine they will fulfil all their plans now that they have us both."
Harry breathed a welcome sigh of relief, he now knew what had happened, Draco had been away a long time and the last Snape that he had seen would have been Dumbledore in disguise, he had no clue as to what the truth was, it was the breakthrough that they had been waiting for, "After graduation Dumbledore went undercover as Snape, as a Death Eater, he used a very long lasting Polyjuice potion. The real Severus Snape was with me, he met me off the Hogwarts train and we left Kings Cross Station together, he helped me train to kill the Dark Lord. The real Severus Snape did not go back to them," Harry explained, leaving out the complicated bits.
Draco looked genuinely surprised and relieved, "If what you say is true then the Dark Lord is defeated?" He thought about it for a while, "They never found a single thing they were looking for," Draco admitted, "Not the things that had been in Dumbledore's possession anyway. For two highly powerful Death Eaters they were rather prone to failure. I suppose that what you say could make sense."
"We have defeated the Dark Lord and Severus and I have returned to Hogwarts, Severus has taken over as Headmaster and we will be opening again in September. The Death Eater's attack on the castle failed."
"When I woke up and I saw Professor Snape standing over me I thought that they had won and they had caught up with me at last."
"But Severus didn't kill you, he gave you pain potion and made you comfortable."
Draco smiled grimly, "It was never their intention to kill me, no, it was far worse than that."
"Like what? What can be worse than that?"
"I don't want to talk about it, it doesn't matter now anyway, not if the evil Snape was Dumbledore after all."
Harry smiled, "No I don't suppose it does."
"So where is Dumbledore?" Draco asked.
"Dead," Harry answered.
"Oh."
"He faked Death Eater Snape's death by killing himself." Harry explained.
"I suppose his ineptness might have become suspicious after a while. Are you going to let me have that before it gets cold?" Draco demanded.
Harry didn't mind, Draco was only turning Harry into his slave by commanding him, to give himself some dignity in a situation where there was little. Harry fed Draco a few mouthfuls of food.
"So why are you dressed like THAT?" Draco asked with his mouth still half full of food.
It took Harry a few seconds to know what Draco meant, "Erm, new school uniform," He said as an excuse once he had.
"I might have known that you would have to repeat your final year, Potter, no wonder Snape looks grumpy enough to be evil," Draco commented, "I feel sorry for him now."
Harry made Draco finish the whole bowlful in part punishment for calling him 'Potter' and then returned triumphantly to Severus.
Severus had almost finished the potion that he was working on and looked up when he heard Harry enter.
"How did it go?" Severus asked.
"He ate it all," Harry replied.
"Why are you grinning?"
"He talked to me!" Harry beamed.
"This really is a week of wonders, you were never that impressed with young Draco's company before."
"Stop it Sev, I know what has been going on, why he wouldn't talk to you."
Severus' interest was peaked, "Yes?"
"He went home for the summer and he was at his father's house when Death Eater Snape rejoined the Dark Lord and was working with Lucius, he says that he left because of a plan that his father had for him. When he saw you he thought that he had been caught again and that you and his father were going to do whatever it was that they had been planning to do."
"Which was what?"
"He wouldn't say,"
"Hmm, I shall have to have a word with that young man now, good work Harry."
"He might tell you everything else now."
"How much did you tell him?" Severus asked.
"That the Dark Lord was gone, that you are Headmaster and that I live here. He assumed that I was repeating my final year and I didn't enlighten him."
"How amusing, I see young Draco is in there after all, ever the wit when it comes to taunting you."
Harry smiled and shrugged, "Let him, it'll be funny."
Severus stood up and came over to Harry, he turned the heat off his cauldron and the potion was now cooling. He wrapped his arms around Harry and Harry laid his head on Severus' chest and let himself be hugged.
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Severus went to Draco as soon as he had got his potion safely dispensed into phials. When he entered the bedroom he found that Draco had remained awake after his lunch, he approached the bed and sat down in the armchair alongside it.
"So, are you going to tell me now?" Severus asked.
"Yes," Draco replied looking decidedly nervous.
"You have no reason to fear me, I assure you," Severus said to the young man.
"I lied, I'm not one of them, I thought that you were, I thought it was what I had to say." Draco began.
"Harry explained that much," Severus replied noting that Draco wasn't as cocky and seemingly sure of himself in front of him as it appeared that he had been in front of Harry, "Did you join with the Death Eaters and did you make any kills?"
"It was expected," Draco admitted, "I went on some missions but I kept to the back and I didn't kill anyone, not even any Muggles, I don't think my father noticed or he would have been annoyed."
"It is all right to admit to it, I myself killed as a Death Eater once," Severus reassured.
"I didn't," Draco still insisted.
"Harry told me that your father had plans for you and that you left, start from that point," Severus instructed, he quickly transfigured the empty lunch bowl into a large glass of chilled water and gave some to Draco before he began to speak.
Draco understood that Severus wanted everything and began to explain himself, "I packed my things after seemingly agreeing to their 'suggestions' for my future, I didn't take much, I stole some potions from the stores and on the way out there was this thing."
"What kind of thing?" Severus asked.
"A box, I don't know what was inside it, it wouldn't open, my father was very pleased to have it, he had returned only a few days earlier with it and both Snape and my father had got drunk together to celebrate. When I saw it lying on the desk as I left I felt compelled to pick it up, so I took it," Draco explained, "You have to go and get it, it's hidden in the shrieking shack."
"I am sure we will, however, a few more hours will not make any difference, continue."
"I just walked out of the house and kept on going, I headed for London. No knight bus, no wand use, nothing, I just started walking. I used one of the potions to turn myself into Oliver Wood, who knows why my father had that, still, he never got to use it."
"When was this?" Severus asked as he was giving Draco another sip of water.
"October, Snape had revealed himself as a true and loyal Death Eater to my father but he was still maintaining the deception at Hogwarts, or so I thought," Draco said feeling decidedly strange about talking about Snape as if he were a different person.
"Indeed, what happened next?" Severus prompted.
"I got to London and tried to live as a Muggle, it was the only way, I had to hide from them. I tried to get a job but the Muggles all wanted a permanent address and certificates, even to work in a shop, Muggles are obsessed with paperwork and documentation, completely obsessed."
"Did you find work?" Severus asked to keep Draco on the correct subject.
"I was offered work eventually, as a 'rent boy', no paperwork needed for that and I was hungry enough and cold enough not to ask too much, I didn't understand what it meant," Draco grimaced at the memory before he continued, "I left London after that, I had some potions left and I used them to help me travel, I headed for Hogsmeade but I was beginning at the other end of the country."
"What then?"
"I made slow progress, the potions ran out, I couldn't use my wand, it was very cold, eventually I reached Hogsmeade and the shrieking shack. I had to try and find out who was at Hogwarts so that I could go there if it was safe, I knew that the Death Eaters had planned to attack. I was tired and hungry and I rested for a while. Only one day I fell down the stairs and that was the end of everything. I don't know how much time had passed but I heard the Dementors flying overhead and I knew that they had come for me and there was nothing that I could do. Then I woke up in this bed with you glowering down at me."
"We will go down to Hogsmeade to retrieve this object of yours if you tell us where to find it," Severus offered, "After the mediwitch has seen you tomorrow you may join us in the living room."
"Thank you," Draco replied, "Can you tell me what has been going on here?"
"Certainly, though I believe that Harry explained a lot of it. I must say however that Harry has joined us as Professor of Defence Against The Dark Arts and does not need to study his final year again as you so charitably suggested," Severus replied standing up, "Now sleep for a while."
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Harry sat in the potions room listening to every word through the magic he had intended to use to listen to their babies; he smiled to himself at Severus' parting words. He smiled even more when Severus came through to join him.
"Well that solves that little mystery," Severus said as he approached his Kin.
"That was what I was going to do, blend in as a Muggle in London," Harry admitted, "Before Dumbledore told me that I had to go with you."
Severus wrapped his arms round Harry who had stood up for the purpose, "See, it didn't turn out all that bad did it?"
"Poor Draco," Harry sympathised, "We have to let him stay here."
"I know," Severus agreed, "We'll gradually introduce him into Hogwarts life and see how it goes, we can always turn him back into Oliver Wood if need be. First of all we have to get this box from the shrieking shack, if Lucius wanted it so bad it must be worth having."
"We'll have to get there and back completely undetected," Harry observed, "Sounds like a job for the invisibility cloak."
"I always wondered what it would be like to be a Gryffindor, now I know," Severus teased Harry.
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Severus and Harry made their way down to Hogsmeade under the cover of the invisibility cloak once they had got the whereabouts of the box from Draco and night had come.
"Well this has every feature of a trap," Harry commented as they neared the shrieking shack.
"It certainly does," Severus agreed, "Not that it matters, be ready."
"Already there," Harry said with his hand on his sword and the other helping to hold the cloak around Severus and himself, "Bloody Sybil Trelawney!" He muttered.
"Hmm?"
"All she said on the matter was that an acquaintance with long dark hair would visit and we have not always been friends, right lot of bloody use she is," Harry grumbled.
"She was correct," Severus pointed out.
"And she was vague and misleading and no help whatsoever."
"This is also true, but we knew this before."
"And because it is summer we have had to wait till after half past eleven for it to be dark enough to come down here." Harry continued.
"You're not happy are you," Severus observed.
Harry smiled, "No I'm not, well yes I am, I'm just tired that's all."
Severus gave his Kin a quick hug and a few minutes later they had reached their destination.
Severus remembered the state that Draco had been in when he came to them and used his wand to cast a cleaning charm on the shrieking shack before they entered. Inside it was pretty much as he remembered it. They cautiously passed through the front door and up the stairs then checked out each room for surprise occupants, there was nobody there. In the room where Harry had first met Sirius Black they found Draco's things strewn about the floor where they had been left immediately before his fall down the stairs. Harry collected the possessions together while Severus prised up the loose floorboard under the tatty rug in order to find the box that Draco had told them about.
The box was constructed from carved walnut and wouldn't open when Severus tried to see what was inside. He then shook it but it didn't rattle either, he shrugged.
"Well this is it, no reason to stay," Severus announced, "Did you find his wand amongst that lot?"
"Yes, I have it, should make interesting reading for you," Harry replied, "I was expecting there to be more to it than this though."
"Be thankful that there is not, I will however, be making every effort to find out what is in this box, but for now we will return to the comfort of our home."
Severus and Harry then donned the invisibility cloak and returned to the castle.
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When Harry and Severus returned to their rooms they found Ron sat on the sofa where they had left him. He had been left to watch over Draco while the Kin had been out but he wasn't needed over night anymore. Harry noted however that his friend made no move to go despite the fact that it was very late. Harry didn't bother mentioning it and just threw him the duvet instead.
"Did you find it?" Ron asked once they all had a hot mug of milky cocoa each.
"Yes, it's in the bedside cabinet on Harry's side of the bed if either of you have any bright ideas about what it is." Severus said.
"Nah, not a clue," Ron replied.
"Me neither, I think we should just try to enjoy our last night of peace, Meg is coming up in the morning and Severus has promised Draco that he can leave the bedroom," Harry added, "Do you have any ideas about what it might be Sev?"
"No, and I am too tired to think about it now, let's just go to bed and get some rest before our ordeal in the morning."
"It might not be too bad," Ron stated generously.
"No? He wasn't speaking at all till he saw an opportunity to have a go at me," Harry pointed out.
Ron smiled, "Well we both know he won't last long if he tries it again."
"Would you like me to have words with him?" Severus offered.
"No, it's OK Sev," Harry replied patting his Kin on the knee, "It's not as if it matters really, he can't do any harm."
"Maybe he has matured through his experience and you can all be friends now," Severus suggested.
"Just like you and Sirius did," Ron reminded him.
"That was hardly the same," Severus grizzled.
Harry laughed and hugged his Kin.
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Ron didn't need to go in to see Draco, although he would still be weak and need potions for a while longer, he was fit enough now to be left to sleep over night. He wasn't going to be getting any more pain potion either, since his bones were mended and Meg was coming in the morning. Despite this Ron found himself edging the door open quietly anyway to check on him.
Draco was asleep and although Ron went to stand by the bed he didn't risk reaching out a hand to him, the last thing he wanted was to have to explain why he was there. Instead he just stood and looked down at the young man and watched as he breathed in and out, looking more at peace than he had at any point since the aurors had brought him up from the shrieking shack. He truly believed that Draco was on their side after all.
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Coming Soon - Chapter Twenty Eight - Lucius's Curse - Harry and Sev are left with another problem when Meg lifts the spells on Draco. Something is very wrong with Draco and events lead to Harry having to avenge Severus' death.
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A/N: Another evil summary, all of the above will happen just not in the most obvious way. For a clue think through the events of P of A and what Harry's job now is in this story.
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Beta by Kristine Thorne
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Chapter Summary - Severus is making no progress with Draco but when Harry gets sent in things start to get more complicated. Severus finally gets Draco to explain himself and he and Harry head down to the Shrieking Shack to recover something important that Draco has left down there.
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Chapter Twenty Seven - A Prized Possession
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The last day of Draco's immobilisation came far too fast and they had made no more progress. Draco woke to eat and take his potions and slept the rest of the time, despite the fact that the rejuvenation potions and nutrition that he had been receiving had improved his health enough for him to be much more active.
Severus worked at his potions for most of the morning and Harry took a morning off to play chess with Ron, all three of them knowing that in the morning Meg would come and remove the immobilisation and they would have a prisoner rather than a patient.
Lunchtime was approaching when Severus called Harry through to his potions room. Harry entered cautiously, even he was still nervous of interrupting Severus when he was in the middle of a complicated potion. As Harry entered he found a Severus deep in concentration over a bubbling and pungently smelling cauldron.
"Glad to see that Ron is helping you so efficiently," Harry commented with a wrinkled nose as defence against the smell.
"I am reaching a critical part of the brewing process and Draco needs his lunch," Severus told Harry without looking up.
"What do you want me to do about it? I thought we weren't allowed in."
Severus sighed and looked up for a moment, "I know," He replied, "But if I leave this now the whole thing will be ruined, I shouldn't have started it."
"I'll do it, I just didn't want it to upset things."
"I don't think that you can make things worse, it's not as if I've been succeeding with him at all, I keep talking to him and I know that he is listening."
"But he still hasn't said anything? Just give me the food."
"It will have appeared in the fireplace about five minutes ago, now don't worry, he hardly even bothers to open his eyes when I go to give him food, all he wants to do is sleep and he has never spoken to me, you won't get any trouble from him and he might not even realise that it isn't me since you are dressed similarly and he only ever glances briefly." Severus tried to reassure Harry.
Harry left Severus to his potion and entered the bedroom, he looked over to where Draco lay and found that his former adversary's eyes were open although he was looking up at the ceiling. Harry picked up the bowl on the hearth and slowly crossing the room, he sat on the chair by the bed. He took up the spoon in his hand and scooped some of the food onto it. Harry was about to say something to catch Draco's attention when he turned his head and looked right at him.
Harry jumped at the surprise of it after Severus' reassurances. Draco kept on looking; Harry found it hard to judge what he thought of the encounter. Not knowing how else to respond Harry held out the spoon and hoped that Draco would take the hint and just eat.
"Potter!" Draco said with a husky dry and disused voice in a similar way to how he used to say the name when they were at school together.
"Yes," Harry agreed still holding out the spoon, "Eat."
"What are you doing here?" Draco demanded.
"Severus asked me to give you your lunch, he is busy with a potion."
"Changed sides have you?" Draco demanded.
Severus had said that Draco wouldn't speak and he had, and of all things had called him 'Potter', Harry didn't feel at all comfortable with the situation and he didn't know what Draco was talking about regarding what side he was on, "No, of course not," Harry replied still offering the food.
"Then why are you here with Professor Snape?" Draco asked.
It was a simple enough question but the answer was long and had many appendices, Harry struggled to say something, which was the truth without giving Draco ammunition to try to ridicule him, he also needed to keep him talking, "I live here."
"Perhaps it would only be right to warn you, Severus Snape is as faithful a Death Eater now as I ever saw." Draco informed Harry in a hushed tone.
Harry couldn't help feeling a cold dread at the news even though he knew it to be untrue, "That's a lie," Harry insisted.
Draco looked unmoved, "Fine, don't say I didn't warn you, before I left home my father and Professor Snape had some very unpleasant plans for you and a few expectations of me too, the reason why I left while I still could, not that it did that much good in the end, as you see. I imagine they will fulfil all their plans now that they have us both."
Harry breathed a welcome sigh of relief, he now knew what had happened, Draco had been away a long time and the last Snape that he had seen would have been Dumbledore in disguise, he had no clue as to what the truth was, it was the breakthrough that they had been waiting for, "After graduation Dumbledore went undercover as Snape, as a Death Eater, he used a very long lasting Polyjuice potion. The real Severus Snape was with me, he met me off the Hogwarts train and we left Kings Cross Station together, he helped me train to kill the Dark Lord. The real Severus Snape did not go back to them," Harry explained, leaving out the complicated bits.
Draco looked genuinely surprised and relieved, "If what you say is true then the Dark Lord is defeated?" He thought about it for a while, "They never found a single thing they were looking for," Draco admitted, "Not the things that had been in Dumbledore's possession anyway. For two highly powerful Death Eaters they were rather prone to failure. I suppose that what you say could make sense."
"We have defeated the Dark Lord and Severus and I have returned to Hogwarts, Severus has taken over as Headmaster and we will be opening again in September. The Death Eater's attack on the castle failed."
"When I woke up and I saw Professor Snape standing over me I thought that they had won and they had caught up with me at last."
"But Severus didn't kill you, he gave you pain potion and made you comfortable."
Draco smiled grimly, "It was never their intention to kill me, no, it was far worse than that."
"Like what? What can be worse than that?"
"I don't want to talk about it, it doesn't matter now anyway, not if the evil Snape was Dumbledore after all."
Harry smiled, "No I don't suppose it does."
"So where is Dumbledore?" Draco asked.
"Dead," Harry answered.
"Oh."
"He faked Death Eater Snape's death by killing himself." Harry explained.
"I suppose his ineptness might have become suspicious after a while. Are you going to let me have that before it gets cold?" Draco demanded.
Harry didn't mind, Draco was only turning Harry into his slave by commanding him, to give himself some dignity in a situation where there was little. Harry fed Draco a few mouthfuls of food.
"So why are you dressed like THAT?" Draco asked with his mouth still half full of food.
It took Harry a few seconds to know what Draco meant, "Erm, new school uniform," He said as an excuse once he had.
"I might have known that you would have to repeat your final year, Potter, no wonder Snape looks grumpy enough to be evil," Draco commented, "I feel sorry for him now."
Harry made Draco finish the whole bowlful in part punishment for calling him 'Potter' and then returned triumphantly to Severus.
Severus had almost finished the potion that he was working on and looked up when he heard Harry enter.
"How did it go?" Severus asked.
"He ate it all," Harry replied.
"Why are you grinning?"
"He talked to me!" Harry beamed.
"This really is a week of wonders, you were never that impressed with young Draco's company before."
"Stop it Sev, I know what has been going on, why he wouldn't talk to you."
Severus' interest was peaked, "Yes?"
"He went home for the summer and he was at his father's house when Death Eater Snape rejoined the Dark Lord and was working with Lucius, he says that he left because of a plan that his father had for him. When he saw you he thought that he had been caught again and that you and his father were going to do whatever it was that they had been planning to do."
"Which was what?"
"He wouldn't say,"
"Hmm, I shall have to have a word with that young man now, good work Harry."
"He might tell you everything else now."
"How much did you tell him?" Severus asked.
"That the Dark Lord was gone, that you are Headmaster and that I live here. He assumed that I was repeating my final year and I didn't enlighten him."
"How amusing, I see young Draco is in there after all, ever the wit when it comes to taunting you."
Harry smiled and shrugged, "Let him, it'll be funny."
Severus stood up and came over to Harry, he turned the heat off his cauldron and the potion was now cooling. He wrapped his arms around Harry and Harry laid his head on Severus' chest and let himself be hugged.
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Severus went to Draco as soon as he had got his potion safely dispensed into phials. When he entered the bedroom he found that Draco had remained awake after his lunch, he approached the bed and sat down in the armchair alongside it.
"So, are you going to tell me now?" Severus asked.
"Yes," Draco replied looking decidedly nervous.
"You have no reason to fear me, I assure you," Severus said to the young man.
"I lied, I'm not one of them, I thought that you were, I thought it was what I had to say." Draco began.
"Harry explained that much," Severus replied noting that Draco wasn't as cocky and seemingly sure of himself in front of him as it appeared that he had been in front of Harry, "Did you join with the Death Eaters and did you make any kills?"
"It was expected," Draco admitted, "I went on some missions but I kept to the back and I didn't kill anyone, not even any Muggles, I don't think my father noticed or he would have been annoyed."
"It is all right to admit to it, I myself killed as a Death Eater once," Severus reassured.
"I didn't," Draco still insisted.
"Harry told me that your father had plans for you and that you left, start from that point," Severus instructed, he quickly transfigured the empty lunch bowl into a large glass of chilled water and gave some to Draco before he began to speak.
Draco understood that Severus wanted everything and began to explain himself, "I packed my things after seemingly agreeing to their 'suggestions' for my future, I didn't take much, I stole some potions from the stores and on the way out there was this thing."
"What kind of thing?" Severus asked.
"A box, I don't know what was inside it, it wouldn't open, my father was very pleased to have it, he had returned only a few days earlier with it and both Snape and my father had got drunk together to celebrate. When I saw it lying on the desk as I left I felt compelled to pick it up, so I took it," Draco explained, "You have to go and get it, it's hidden in the shrieking shack."
"I am sure we will, however, a few more hours will not make any difference, continue."
"I just walked out of the house and kept on going, I headed for London. No knight bus, no wand use, nothing, I just started walking. I used one of the potions to turn myself into Oliver Wood, who knows why my father had that, still, he never got to use it."
"When was this?" Severus asked as he was giving Draco another sip of water.
"October, Snape had revealed himself as a true and loyal Death Eater to my father but he was still maintaining the deception at Hogwarts, or so I thought," Draco said feeling decidedly strange about talking about Snape as if he were a different person.
"Indeed, what happened next?" Severus prompted.
"I got to London and tried to live as a Muggle, it was the only way, I had to hide from them. I tried to get a job but the Muggles all wanted a permanent address and certificates, even to work in a shop, Muggles are obsessed with paperwork and documentation, completely obsessed."
"Did you find work?" Severus asked to keep Draco on the correct subject.
"I was offered work eventually, as a 'rent boy', no paperwork needed for that and I was hungry enough and cold enough not to ask too much, I didn't understand what it meant," Draco grimaced at the memory before he continued, "I left London after that, I had some potions left and I used them to help me travel, I headed for Hogsmeade but I was beginning at the other end of the country."
"What then?"
"I made slow progress, the potions ran out, I couldn't use my wand, it was very cold, eventually I reached Hogsmeade and the shrieking shack. I had to try and find out who was at Hogwarts so that I could go there if it was safe, I knew that the Death Eaters had planned to attack. I was tired and hungry and I rested for a while. Only one day I fell down the stairs and that was the end of everything. I don't know how much time had passed but I heard the Dementors flying overhead and I knew that they had come for me and there was nothing that I could do. Then I woke up in this bed with you glowering down at me."
"We will go down to Hogsmeade to retrieve this object of yours if you tell us where to find it," Severus offered, "After the mediwitch has seen you tomorrow you may join us in the living room."
"Thank you," Draco replied, "Can you tell me what has been going on here?"
"Certainly, though I believe that Harry explained a lot of it. I must say however that Harry has joined us as Professor of Defence Against The Dark Arts and does not need to study his final year again as you so charitably suggested," Severus replied standing up, "Now sleep for a while."
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Harry sat in the potions room listening to every word through the magic he had intended to use to listen to their babies; he smiled to himself at Severus' parting words. He smiled even more when Severus came through to join him.
"Well that solves that little mystery," Severus said as he approached his Kin.
"That was what I was going to do, blend in as a Muggle in London," Harry admitted, "Before Dumbledore told me that I had to go with you."
Severus wrapped his arms round Harry who had stood up for the purpose, "See, it didn't turn out all that bad did it?"
"Poor Draco," Harry sympathised, "We have to let him stay here."
"I know," Severus agreed, "We'll gradually introduce him into Hogwarts life and see how it goes, we can always turn him back into Oliver Wood if need be. First of all we have to get this box from the shrieking shack, if Lucius wanted it so bad it must be worth having."
"We'll have to get there and back completely undetected," Harry observed, "Sounds like a job for the invisibility cloak."
"I always wondered what it would be like to be a Gryffindor, now I know," Severus teased Harry.
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Severus and Harry made their way down to Hogsmeade under the cover of the invisibility cloak once they had got the whereabouts of the box from Draco and night had come.
"Well this has every feature of a trap," Harry commented as they neared the shrieking shack.
"It certainly does," Severus agreed, "Not that it matters, be ready."
"Already there," Harry said with his hand on his sword and the other helping to hold the cloak around Severus and himself, "Bloody Sybil Trelawney!" He muttered.
"Hmm?"
"All she said on the matter was that an acquaintance with long dark hair would visit and we have not always been friends, right lot of bloody use she is," Harry grumbled.
"She was correct," Severus pointed out.
"And she was vague and misleading and no help whatsoever."
"This is also true, but we knew this before."
"And because it is summer we have had to wait till after half past eleven for it to be dark enough to come down here." Harry continued.
"You're not happy are you," Severus observed.
Harry smiled, "No I'm not, well yes I am, I'm just tired that's all."
Severus gave his Kin a quick hug and a few minutes later they had reached their destination.
Severus remembered the state that Draco had been in when he came to them and used his wand to cast a cleaning charm on the shrieking shack before they entered. Inside it was pretty much as he remembered it. They cautiously passed through the front door and up the stairs then checked out each room for surprise occupants, there was nobody there. In the room where Harry had first met Sirius Black they found Draco's things strewn about the floor where they had been left immediately before his fall down the stairs. Harry collected the possessions together while Severus prised up the loose floorboard under the tatty rug in order to find the box that Draco had told them about.
The box was constructed from carved walnut and wouldn't open when Severus tried to see what was inside. He then shook it but it didn't rattle either, he shrugged.
"Well this is it, no reason to stay," Severus announced, "Did you find his wand amongst that lot?"
"Yes, I have it, should make interesting reading for you," Harry replied, "I was expecting there to be more to it than this though."
"Be thankful that there is not, I will however, be making every effort to find out what is in this box, but for now we will return to the comfort of our home."
Severus and Harry then donned the invisibility cloak and returned to the castle.
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When Harry and Severus returned to their rooms they found Ron sat on the sofa where they had left him. He had been left to watch over Draco while the Kin had been out but he wasn't needed over night anymore. Harry noted however that his friend made no move to go despite the fact that it was very late. Harry didn't bother mentioning it and just threw him the duvet instead.
"Did you find it?" Ron asked once they all had a hot mug of milky cocoa each.
"Yes, it's in the bedside cabinet on Harry's side of the bed if either of you have any bright ideas about what it is." Severus said.
"Nah, not a clue," Ron replied.
"Me neither, I think we should just try to enjoy our last night of peace, Meg is coming up in the morning and Severus has promised Draco that he can leave the bedroom," Harry added, "Do you have any ideas about what it might be Sev?"
"No, and I am too tired to think about it now, let's just go to bed and get some rest before our ordeal in the morning."
"It might not be too bad," Ron stated generously.
"No? He wasn't speaking at all till he saw an opportunity to have a go at me," Harry pointed out.
Ron smiled, "Well we both know he won't last long if he tries it again."
"Would you like me to have words with him?" Severus offered.
"No, it's OK Sev," Harry replied patting his Kin on the knee, "It's not as if it matters really, he can't do any harm."
"Maybe he has matured through his experience and you can all be friends now," Severus suggested.
"Just like you and Sirius did," Ron reminded him.
"That was hardly the same," Severus grizzled.
Harry laughed and hugged his Kin.
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Ron didn't need to go in to see Draco, although he would still be weak and need potions for a while longer, he was fit enough now to be left to sleep over night. He wasn't going to be getting any more pain potion either, since his bones were mended and Meg was coming in the morning. Despite this Ron found himself edging the door open quietly anyway to check on him.
Draco was asleep and although Ron went to stand by the bed he didn't risk reaching out a hand to him, the last thing he wanted was to have to explain why he was there. Instead he just stood and looked down at the young man and watched as he breathed in and out, looking more at peace than he had at any point since the aurors had brought him up from the shrieking shack. He truly believed that Draco was on their side after all.
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Coming Soon - Chapter Twenty Eight - Lucius's Curse - Harry and Sev are left with another problem when Meg lifts the spells on Draco. Something is very wrong with Draco and events lead to Harry having to avenge Severus' death.
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A/N: Another evil summary, all of the above will happen just not in the most obvious way. For a clue think through the events of P of A and what Harry's job now is in this story.