A/N: It's been a few days since I posted. Sorry. It got rather hectic around Christmas, and my sleeping patterns have become severely messed up, meaning that I've been sleeping during the time that I usually write. Don't ask me why I like to write at a certain time, I just do. On another note, The Two Towers premiered here on the 26th. I've seen it twice already. Brilliant. Those who haven't seen it, should. But anyway, here's the next part.

Thankyou to SirusBlackRules, Aeryn Alexander, Angelika, Quicksilver Fallen, Jessica, gagmewithasp0rkx and Me for their reviews.

Disclaimer: Don't own it, don't sue (please?).

Jeans.

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Sacrifices

Part Eleven - The Missing Piece

When Professor Snape left to get Madame Pomfrey, Draco was, for a moment at least, relieved. He hated the position he was in. But he decided to deny, deny, deny. Snape would get angry. More than angry. He'd probably be livid. But it'd go away. So long as he pleaded ignorance. He'd been stupid to say that Madam Pomfrey had treated his arm. He hadn't thought that Snape would have asked her about it. But now, thinking about it, he chastined himself. He'd been stupid. But still, deny deny deny and everything would die down. Snape's attention couldn't stay focused on him for long when there were so many other things to do, afterall. Draco repeated this mantra to himself till Snape returned with Pomfrey in toe.

Snape stood near the back of the room while Madam Pomfrey took Malfoy's hands and examined them. She then bustled over to her medicine cabinet and rummaged around for a moment, taking out a vile, shaking her head in an impatient manner, then returning it. Snape walked beside her and peered in.

"Need any help, Poppy?"

Madam Pomfrey didn't answer immediately. She moved down to a lower shelf and removed a bottle.

"Ahh, here it is. Bruise-be-Gone. On the wrong shelf. Haven't a clue how it got there"

Draco's muscles tightened involuntarily. Yet another stupid mistake. He couldn't even manage to return the potion to the right shelf. Granted, he was very, very tired at the time, but it was no excuse. He should have been paying more attention. He wondered how many mistakes were yet to be discovered. And how many it would take before someone would be able to put the pieces together. Madame Pomfrey was still looking at the vile with close scrutiny.

"Not as much left as I thought there would be"

Snape turned his gaze to Malfoy, and Draco concentrated on metting his gaze. He couldn't give anything away. That would be it. Snape held his gaze for what seemed like hours, though it was only a few seconds. Madam Pomfrey had poured the potion into a spoon and was holding it out to Draco.

"Now, take this. It's primarily made for bruises, but it'll help with cuts and scrapes as well. It probably won't heal it all, but it'll get rid of the nastier bits, and then I'll use a light healing balm for whatever's left."

Draco took the medicine, but cringed before he had actually tasted it. He remembered from last time how horrid the stuff tasted. It didn't taste any better going down the second time. If anything the unplesant expectations made it worse. Madam Pomfrey rolled her eyes and walked briskly back to the cupboard, replacing the potion, and removing a tube of some sort.

"Now Malfoy" she began, "Hold out your hands for me". He did as she requested and she looked over them. Malfoy saw that although most of the grazes had disapeared, his hands were still rather red and raw. Madam Pomfrey moved as if to squeeze some of the balm onto her fingers, but Snape put a hand apon her wrist.

"I'm sure you have a lot to do, Poppy, I can handle this" he said, and Draco cringed. As much as he disliked having Madam Pomfrey fussing like the old bat she was, it was a positively pleasant experience compared to dealing with Snape's questions. Madame Pomfrey hesitated, before relenting. Handing the tube to Snape, she gave one last look at Malfoy, then bustled out of the room. When the doors shut behind her, Snape squeezed some of the balm onto his fingertips.

"Your hands, Malfoy" he growled, without looking up.

Draco obediently held out his hands, and Snape began applying the gel to the red, angry areas. Draco tried not to cringe, but it was difficult. It still rather hurt. He waited with resignation for the questions to start, but they didn't. Snape was perfectly silent as he applied the healing balm. He was also (and this Draco was particularly thankful for) uncharacteristically gentle. Draco found himself relaxing.

Severus Snape, meanwhile, was certain that he had put another piece of the puzzle together. Rather than satisfying his innate curiosity, however, it put him in an awkward, and possibly dangerous situation. When Madam Pomfrey had remarked that the bruise-be-gone was in the wrong position, his mind clicked and he instantly suspected that Malfoy had put it there. When it was revealed that there was less of the potion than there should have been, he was almost sure. When the boy had cringed before he'd actually tasted it, he knew. He wasn't quite sure how, exactly, he could be so sure. Malfoy certainly wasn't the only patient in the hospital wing within the last few days. But he did know. And it made perfect sense. It was the missing piece that made the rest of the puzzle make sense. The missing piece that had been plaguing his thoughts. That was the reason the Revelio potion hadn't revealed anything wrong with his arm. He had already taken the healing potion. For something visible. But what?

He kept his focus on applying the balm, massaging it into Malfoy's hands. He looked up briefly to find that the boy was trying to hide his discomfort. And doing quite a good job of it. He frowned. That was another thing. He'd had a sore arm, and no one had been able to tell. If that fool Goyle hadn't mentioned it, then he wouldn't have even known... Snape paused.

"Professor?"

Snape resumed massaging his hands for a few moments. Then, deciding he'd done as much as he could, he walked over to the water basin on the other side of the room and washed his hands. He placed the healing balm back in the cupboard, then walked back and looked at Malfoy. The boy was eyeing him with obvious confusion.

"You'll stay here for the night. Your hands should be healed fully by morning. I'll expect to see you at potions class tomorrow"

Draco nodded.

"Good. I have somewhere I need to be. Til tomorrow, then"

Draco nodded again. Snape bowed his head slightly, then left the room, with all his usual dramatic flair.

Severus Snape strode down the corridors, heading for the Slytherin dorms. He guessed that perhaps Goyle may already be asleep. Too bad. He'd just have to get up. The puzzle was finally going to be complete.

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There we go. Not very long, but this was supposed to be part of the last chapter before I ran out of time. Hopefully I won't take as long to post the next part. Sorry if I seem to be dragging out the whole Snape-finding-out thing, but I really do not think that Draco would tell. I know that I certainly wouldn't if I was him. Not only in spite of the respect for Snape, but because of it.

For those of you who want Lucius to come into the story as promised, well, sorry it's taking so long. But I'm not gonna just drag him in for the sake of it. It will happen, though.

Next chapter? Snape's talk with Goyle, and Snape dealing with the consequences of the revelation. It's not a simple matter afterall, especially when he's supposed to be a deatheater.