I Pushed You Far Away
Lily stared off into space.
"What's wrong, Lil?"
She turned to hug her friend close. "I'm worried about him, Siri. Harry had friends… family… My so… Draco's all alone."
Sirius smiled into Lily's hair. Leave it to her to feel an obligation toward the Slytherin boy. "He'll be fine. Snape will bring him back here. I may hate him, but I will say that he cares about the Malfoy boy."
"I just wish Lucius and I had known about Severus."
"But then," Remus' response came. "You wouldn't be here. You'd be locked away in Malfoy Manor. We'd never know you were alive. And your research would be gone forever."
Lily pulled away from Sirius' arms. She took great comfort in her husband's friends. "I know. I just worry about Draco. He's so innocent and fragile." She ignored Sirius' snort of disbelief. "Things could have been different."
"Not likely." Sirius answered. "Lucius couldn't have done much more without Voldemort finding out about his loyalties. He did all he could."
"I agree." Remus added. "But I don't understand why he would endanger Draco by revealing his deceit to Voldemort in such a public way."
"He had his reasons."
Lily turned and gasped as she looked at the young blond boy she remembered as her son. "Draco?"
"Aunt Lily." Draco replied coldly. "How are you this evening?"
Lily tried to hide the pain she felt at the way he addressed her. "I'm better. Where have you been?"
"Home. Going through my parents' things."
Remus grabbed Sirius' arm and pulled him away from the two. He could tell that Lily was upset about how Draco seemed to be acting. He also knew that Draco wouldn't feel at home unless he was alone with Lily. "Come on, Padfoot." He whispered.
Sirius nodded carefully and followed his friend. He wanted to see Harry anyway. The boy had seemed oddly detached since his mother's return. The two men left the balcony of the North Tower and continued on their way.
Lily sighed and leaned against the balcony railing. "You're angry with me, my dragon."
Draco snarled, "Don't call me that! I'm not yours!"
Lily shrank back and felt tears begin to flow down her cheeks. "I… Draco, I don't know what to do. Help me."
"You can leave me alone, Aunt Lily. I don't need you or anyone. Besides, you have your son back now. What do I matter? I'm just some run- of-the-mill relative who means nothing."
Lily rushed forward as Draco tried to leave the balcony through the doors. "Don't you ever say that again to me!" She grabbed his arm. "I am your mother!"
"No. You're not."
Both Lily and Draco looked up to find Harry standing in the balcony doorway.
"Harry, I…"
"I never agreed to this!"
Harry frowned. "Mum, let him be. He's angry that I stole you away." He stepped closer to Draco. "Aren't you?"
"Why would I care what you do, Potty?"
"I don't know, Draco. I honestly don't."
Lily stood back and watched her two sons circle each other. Draco, while not her biological son, was the child she had raised and loved for fifteen years. Harry was the child she had been forced to abandon fifteen years ago. If either child had the right to feel lost and alone, it was Harry not Draco.
"What would you say if I told you, Draco, that I don't know if she'll stay with me?" Harry stared at the blond boy. "She could leave me in a heartbeat and take you home."
Lily interrupted, "Harry, I wouldn't do that."
Draco seized the opportunity that Lily had left him. "See? She wants you not me! Why the hell would she want me! Can you tell me that, Potter! Why would my aunt want me?"
"Is that what you really think? That I wouldn't want you? Draco, that's not true."
Draco's eyes widened. "You'd really leave Potter?"
Lily shook her head. "No. But I won't leave you either. You're both my sons. I'd fight to keep you both."
Draco's back slumped. "I won't let you choose."
Harry frowned, "Why not?"
"Because she won't choose me."
Lily stared off into space.
"What's wrong, Lil?"
She turned to hug her friend close. "I'm worried about him, Siri. Harry had friends… family… My so… Draco's all alone."
Sirius smiled into Lily's hair. Leave it to her to feel an obligation toward the Slytherin boy. "He'll be fine. Snape will bring him back here. I may hate him, but I will say that he cares about the Malfoy boy."
"I just wish Lucius and I had known about Severus."
"But then," Remus' response came. "You wouldn't be here. You'd be locked away in Malfoy Manor. We'd never know you were alive. And your research would be gone forever."
Lily pulled away from Sirius' arms. She took great comfort in her husband's friends. "I know. I just worry about Draco. He's so innocent and fragile." She ignored Sirius' snort of disbelief. "Things could have been different."
"Not likely." Sirius answered. "Lucius couldn't have done much more without Voldemort finding out about his loyalties. He did all he could."
"I agree." Remus added. "But I don't understand why he would endanger Draco by revealing his deceit to Voldemort in such a public way."
"He had his reasons."
Lily turned and gasped as she looked at the young blond boy she remembered as her son. "Draco?"
"Aunt Lily." Draco replied coldly. "How are you this evening?"
Lily tried to hide the pain she felt at the way he addressed her. "I'm better. Where have you been?"
"Home. Going through my parents' things."
Remus grabbed Sirius' arm and pulled him away from the two. He could tell that Lily was upset about how Draco seemed to be acting. He also knew that Draco wouldn't feel at home unless he was alone with Lily. "Come on, Padfoot." He whispered.
Sirius nodded carefully and followed his friend. He wanted to see Harry anyway. The boy had seemed oddly detached since his mother's return. The two men left the balcony of the North Tower and continued on their way.
Lily sighed and leaned against the balcony railing. "You're angry with me, my dragon."
Draco snarled, "Don't call me that! I'm not yours!"
Lily shrank back and felt tears begin to flow down her cheeks. "I… Draco, I don't know what to do. Help me."
"You can leave me alone, Aunt Lily. I don't need you or anyone. Besides, you have your son back now. What do I matter? I'm just some run- of-the-mill relative who means nothing."
Lily rushed forward as Draco tried to leave the balcony through the doors. "Don't you ever say that again to me!" She grabbed his arm. "I am your mother!"
"No. You're not."
Both Lily and Draco looked up to find Harry standing in the balcony doorway.
"Harry, I…"
"I never agreed to this!"
Harry frowned. "Mum, let him be. He's angry that I stole you away." He stepped closer to Draco. "Aren't you?"
"Why would I care what you do, Potty?"
"I don't know, Draco. I honestly don't."
Lily stood back and watched her two sons circle each other. Draco, while not her biological son, was the child she had raised and loved for fifteen years. Harry was the child she had been forced to abandon fifteen years ago. If either child had the right to feel lost and alone, it was Harry not Draco.
"What would you say if I told you, Draco, that I don't know if she'll stay with me?" Harry stared at the blond boy. "She could leave me in a heartbeat and take you home."
Lily interrupted, "Harry, I wouldn't do that."
Draco seized the opportunity that Lily had left him. "See? She wants you not me! Why the hell would she want me! Can you tell me that, Potter! Why would my aunt want me?"
"Is that what you really think? That I wouldn't want you? Draco, that's not true."
Draco's eyes widened. "You'd really leave Potter?"
Lily shook her head. "No. But I won't leave you either. You're both my sons. I'd fight to keep you both."
Draco's back slumped. "I won't let you choose."
Harry frowned, "Why not?"
"Because she won't choose me."
