Disclaimer: Harry Potter and everything related is the property of J.K. Rowling and anyone else who has claim to a piece of Harry's fame
Disclaimer 2: I own the plot, Saerry Snape, Aeyr's, and the Snapes being Slytherin's Heirs. Nothing more, nothing less.
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Chapter 63 **Where to Now? (Draco's POV)**
I woke up in the hospital wing at Hogwarts. To my right I could hear the voice of Harry and Professor Snape. Rolling onto my side, I closed my eyes, not wanting to hear them.
After a while the voices died away and there was silence again. I praised it yet loathed it at the same time. It reminded me of the time I had been forced to stay in Voldemort's dungeon keep. There was so much silence there I had nearly went mad. But as my father had been controlling me I could not. It had been very frustrating.
Sighing, I opened my eyes and looked around. The curtains were drawn around my bed, shielding me from prying eyes. Sitting up I looked down and saw that horrible symbol burned into my arm. The skull seemed to glower at me as I looked at it and the serpent leered.
I looked in horror at the Dark Mark for a few more moments then threw myself back down onto the bed, pulling the covers over my head and curling up under them.
I used to do this when I was little. A nightmare, childish nightmare of childish times, would creep up and scare me half to death. I never cried out. My father had beaten me before when I had cried out from a nightmare. His words always were "Malfoy's do not cry. So hush your tears boy or I will give you a lesson you will never forget."
Always it was the lesson, the beating. Always horrible, sometimes worse. My father reveled in causing me pain, me, his son, his own flesh and blood. I think he went insane under Voldemort's harsh hand. Though he may have been insane from the beginning. One can never be sure with insanity.
I rolled onto my side and curled into a ball, soundless sobs wracking my form. They couldn't be stopped. But they were the tears of a child.
And I am not a child anymore.
The curtains suddenly opened and a voice, a voice I knew well, said, "Draco, you cannot hide forever."
I rolled over, stifling my silent sobs and brushing ever-so-slight tears from my eyes. Turning the blanket down I looked up into the face of my Head of House. My ex-Head of House. Professor Snape.
"Draco, come. You cannot hide forever." Professor Snape's voice fell and he softly added, "I should know."
I tried to tell him, I really did. I tried to tell him that I couldn't leave. I couldn't! Who would forgive me? Potter? That was a laugh. Dumbledore might, though then again he favored Gryffindors above others. Why would he care about a lowly Slytherin like me?
"Draco."
The voice was soft, gentle, quite different from the voice I normally heard Professor Snape speak in. Perhaps being around Potter – no, Harry, it was Harry now – being around Harry had changed him.
I turned away from the voice, from the figure that stood at my bedside.
I expected him to go away.
He didn't.
What he did do I would not have suspected in a million years.
Two thin but strong arms wrapped around me and hauled me out of the bed, blanket and all. They spun me around and sat me on the floor, which was cold and made me yelp involuntarily. As two hands fell on my shoulders I tried to jerk away but the grip was strong. I had lost.
So I looked up into Professor Snape's face.
"Draco, no one is going to blame you."
"Po – Harry does. Everyone else probably does too. How can I face them when they're all against me?"
Professor Snape sighed.
"Draco, Harry doesn't blame you. I've talked to him myself. He is thankful you tried to save him, even if the attempt failed. Your heart was in the right place, Draco. If you try to turn away, try to hide from the world, your heart will die. It will rot away and all that will be left . . ." He paused then continued. "And all that will be left will be something like me."
I blinked.
"Like you, sir?"
"Yes. Like me. Do you know why I was the way I was before?"
"I presumed because of your service to Voldemort."
"Partly, only partly. Or not even that much. Two things made me the way I was; Death Eaters, my so-called comrades, burning Snape Manor to the ground with my parents and, so I thought at the time, my sister inside."
"What was the second, sir?"
"Lily – Harry's mother dying."
I blinked again.
"You – you loved her."
"I would have given my life for her."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Do you have someone you would give your life for, Draco? Someone you would kill to protect and even die yourself to see live on?"
I nodded numbly, thinking of the one person that I would do that for. Not a Slytherin. No, never a Slytherin. It had to be one of my so-called enemies siblings. A sprite of a girl with flaming red hair that I mocked outwardly yet longed to touch on the inside.
Ginny Weasley.
I sighed. There was no chance I would ever have Ginny's love. Ron wouldn't permit it. And she probably would never love him. Him, a slimy Slytherin.
"Draco."
I looked up into Professor Snape's eyes and muttered, "Ginny."
"Weasley's sister?"
"Yes."
"You love her."
"Yes."
"Then hold to that. Don't slip into the dark. It is tempting yet very deadly in the end. And very hard to crawl out of."
"How can I? She hates me."
"How do you know that?"
"I just do."
"Have you asked her?"
"No."
"Then ask. Confess. Or don't. But find something to hold onto. You're already too far into the dark as is, Draco."
I nodded numbly and leaned against the bed. There was silence between us until Professor Snape spoke again.
"Albus is willing to let you back into Hogwarts. If you are willing. If not, you will be escorted to a room in the staff quarters. You will stay there for the remainder of the school year and not return home when the other students do at year-end. I'm sure you understand why?"
"Yes, professor. But how can I get back into Hogwarts? I don't have a wand."
"If you decide to return I and Professor Lupin will escort you to Diagon Alley to buy a new wand. The situation has already been explained to Mr. Ollivander, who has agreed to try you for another wand."
I sighed and lay my head back against the bed. Did I really want to return to school? Did I?
Yes said a little voice inside.
That made up my mind quickly enough.
"When will we go?"
"Tomorrow, early. Before the Quidditch match, which you are excused from."
"Slytherin will lose."
"Be that as it may, you may get to see why Slytherin continually loses to Gryffindor."
I frowned.
"Maybe."
Professor Snape sighed.
"Until tomorrow then. Rest now, Draco. And if the Mark burns, come to me immediately."
"Yes, professor."
Professor Snape nodded and gently patted my shoulder before walking off, closing the curtains behind him. I just leaned against the bed and listened to the sound of the door close behind him. He never made any noise.
After a moment I climbed back into the bed, curling up under the blanket and staring blankly into space, thinking over what Professor Snape had said. Suddenly Ginny's image popped into my head and a smile curved my lips. I slowly climbed out of the dark hole and stood on lighted ground, the image of Ginny dancing in my mind. She was the person I could cling to, who could keep me, as Professor Snape had said, from falling into the dark.
Ginny danced through my thoughts over and over, her laughter ringing in my head. I eventually fell asleep, a silly smile plastered on my face.
A/N: I don't know where this came from but I was taking a shower and suddenly it popped up. Now that I've finished it I like it very much. Muchos gracias. ^^ What do you guys think? Think I captured Draco well?