Unexpected Heritage

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            "It is an emergency, Severus. Draco Malfoy is missing."

            The sated, happy expressions that had been on their faces immediately dropped. Severus looked torn apart. The Slytherin shot out of the bed, grabbed his robes, and bolted to the Headmaster's office. Harry sat on the bed staring at Dumbledore's face in the fire. There was no smile on his face nor was there any hint of a twinkle in his eyes.

            "If you'd like, you may join us in my office, Harry. I'm sure that Severus could use the support. The password is Minty Minis if you wish to join us."

            "Thank you, sir. I need to think for a few minutes, but I will most likely be there soon."

            Dumbledore nodded and blinked out of the fireplace. Harry quickly got up, pulling on a pair of dark blue pajama pants. He tossed a pinch of floo powder into the fireplace. A few weeks ago, the Headmaster allowed Harry's fireplace to be connected to the Head Girl's rooms so that Hermione could get in touch with Harry or vice versa.

            "Head Girl's rooms!"

            Hermione was sitting on the couch reading when Harry's head appeared in the fireplace.

            "Hermione!"

            She turned quickly to look at the fireplace, running to the grate when she saw Harry.

            "What's the matter? Are you alright?"

            "Draco's gone. Disappeared. No one knows where he is. I'm going to see Dumbledore right now. Sev is already up there. I just wanted you to know what's going on."

            "Thanks, Harry. Will you let me know what's going on when you get back?"

            "Sure. If it's too late, I'll talk to you in the morning. Bye."

            "Good bye."

            Harry disappeared from the fireplace. Hermione, much like she always did when she needed a solution, ran to the library before it closed. She checked out a number of books on missing persons. Harry threw on a t-shirt and trainers before running up to the Headmaster's office. He shouted the password to the gargoyle and took the stairs two at a time. Once he got inside the door, he saw something he never expected to see: Lucius Malfoy in the arms of Severus Snape. Lucius opened one eye at the sound of the door. The elder Malfoy whispered something in Severus' ear. Severus, completely shocked, let go of Lucius and spun around to look at Harry.

            "Harry, love, it's not—"

            Harry took a couple steps closer to the Potions Master and took his hand.

            "It doesn't matter. Draco matters right now."

            "Please, everyone, have a seat. Now, when I asked Mr. Zabini if he had any idea how long young Mister Malfoy had been gone, he could only say that he had seen him at breakfast. Did you see him after that, Harry?"

            "Yes, sir, we had lunch him at the Three Broomsticks, then, at around one thirty, he left to go get something that he needed for his costume. Draco left alone."

            "Alright, so we know that Draco can be accounted for until one thirty. We can ask around in Hogsmeade to find out if any of the shopkeepers had seen him after that and if they saw anything out-of-place. Other than that, I am very sad to say that the only thing we can really do is wait."

            "There has to be something we can do, Albus. I can't just sit idly by and wait for word about my son."

            "I know that this is difficult, Lucius. But we don't even know if he was abducted of if he ran away." Dumbledore tried to calm the frightened and furious father.

            "He wouldn't have run away, Headmaster. Maybe at the very beginning of the year he would have, but he had friends now. Draco wasn't as withdrawn and depressed as he was."

            "No he wasn't, sir. Just a few days ago, Draco came to talk to me, as he always does. He told me about how happy he was to have friends that actually liked him. He looked forward to classes because he knew that Miss Granger would be there to willingly partner with him. I see no reason that he would have had to run away."

            When he finished speaking, Harry turned to look at Lucius. He could see the concern etched harshly on the blonde's face. The Gryffindor also took note of how Severus interacted with the elder Malfoy. They shared something that Harry couldn't quite put his finger on. It seemed to be more than housemates, even a little more than best friends. It was almost like…

            ~Gods, I think they were lovers! Or at least they had to have dated at some point in time. It doesn't matter right now; we have to find Draco.~

            "Now, Mr. Malfoy, you are more than welcome to stay in one of the guest suites in the castle, of you would like."

            "He can stay with me, Albus." Severus quickly interjected. "Umm…that is if you'd like to, Lucius."

            "I think that I will take Severus up on his offer. Thank you for contacting me so quickly, Albus, and I will see you in the morning."

            With that, Lucius got up and left the office. Severus also got up; he took Harry's hand, pulling the Gryffindor up. Harry dropped the Slytherin's hand as soon as he was standing. Seeing this, along with a rather wary look in the Boy-Who-Lived's eyes, Dumbledore stood up, eyes twinkling just a tiny bit.

            "I think that there might be something you two would want some privacy in discussing. I'll leave you alone. I hope to see you at breakfast."

            And with that, the Headmaster left the room. Harry turned so that he was facing slightly away from the Slytherin.

            "What were you thinking when you invited Lucius to stay in your rooms?"

            "I figured that he could have my bed because hopefully I would be sharing a bed with you tonight. We were planning on spending the night together anyway. I didn't think you'd mind. But, I could ask Lucius to stay in the guest suite in the dungeon."

            A bright pink blush crept over the Gryffindor's cheeks. He looked at the floor, more than a little ashamed.

            "I'm sorry I thought you were being anything other than a good friend. It's just that, well you know, this relationship is still new and I got a little suspicious. I don't know that much of your past, but I really don't want to risk you sharing rooms with a former lover."

            Severus paled, if that was actually possible. Harry's eyes widened when he saw his soul-mate's reaction.

            "Was Lucius your lover?"

            "I won't lie to you, Harry. Lucius and I had a relationship for quite some time. It even continued for a month or two after he was married. After that, I started having more and more work from the Order, but we would get together every once in a very long while to talk, just talk. He is my best friend and I am his. I don't know about him, but I will admit that I still have feelings for him. He was the first person I fell in love with; he kept me from wanting to kill myself so often when we were spying. He became a spy after he found out that Narcissa was a whore to Voldemort. He would fire-call me in the middle of the night after she would do something awful to Draco, trying to teach him to be a mini Death Eater."

            "You mean that it wasn't Lucius that made him so nasty?"

            "Not at all. If he was free to raise Draco as he wanted, I doubt that he would be the person he is now. He still would have fought for the Order in the war. Lucius tried everything he could to make his son a good person, someone who…who wouldn't jump to conclusions and hate everyone that wasn't like him. But it was difficult. Especially since he still had to play the role of loyal Death Eater. Draco had such an internal conflict as a child; he wanted the love of both his parents, but they were asking him to do completely opposite things to earn their love. Essentially, he had to decide which parent he loved more. Thankfully, he finally decided that he wanted to be more like his father than like his mother. He decided, on his own, that he didn't want to be the pawn of some evil overlord. I have to make sure that the wards let Lucius in my rooms. If you'd like to join me for the walk down to the dungeons?"

            "We have to go make sure that Mr. Malfoy is alright. We'll play things about tonight by ear. Alright?"

            A mixed look of happiness and relief brightened the Slytherin's face. Harry smiled, placed a quick kiss on Severus' lips, and then strolled out of the office. Severus had to rush to catch up with him. Much to their surprise, Lucius was waiting for them next to one of the suits of armor. The blonde stepped out into the light, effectively stopping the pair in their tracks. Harry nudged Severus rather conspicuously in the ribs.

            "You can talk to him, Sev."

            "Sorry that we kept you waiting."

            Severus started walking, but stopped at what Lucius said next.

            "I was actually waiting for Mr. Potter, but you're more than welcome to join us for the walk to the dungeons."

            "I think I will let the two of you talk. Harry, please let Luc into my rooms when you're finished talking, alright?"

            "Sure"

            Harry smiled and Severus walked quickly down the hall, stopped at a fork in the corridor, and decided to go to the kitchens. He was hungry and he was almost positive that Lucius was too. Harry was always hungry, so he had nothing to worry about there. After ordering some sandwiches and tea, the Head of Slytherin took a secret passage back to his rooms to wait for two of the people he cared about most in his life.

            Outside the Headmaster's office, Lucius Malfoy was about to start a conversation with Harry Potter. Anyone that passed by the two of them would think themselves crazy.

            "So, what can I do for you, Mr. Malfoy?"

            "Please, call me Lucius. May I call you Harry?"

            "Of course."

            "I know that you and Severus are soul-mates. From what Draco's told me, the two of you are getting on quite well. I will be frank with you, Harry. Severus is the only person other than my son that I ever loved. Narcissa was an arranged marriage and there was no spark at all between us. Lying is not my forte, so must tell you that I still love him. Now that you know this, I suspect that you would like me to find other accommodations for the night and I totally understand. I only wanted you to know so that things were perfectly clear. Good night."

            "Lucius, wait. Severus still has feelings for you, too. I can't say that it doesn't make me uncomfortable…and it's more than a little confusing. He loves the both of us; we both love him. The two of you love Draco like there's no tomorrow and I'm happy to call him a friend. There has to be some way that everyone can be happy. I might just be going crazy, but I'm willing to try to figure something out if you are."

            "Are you suggesting that we share Severus?"

            "Not exactly. The both of us love him. That's one thing we have in common. There's bound to be more we have in common than just that. I'd like to get to know you, spend some time with you. The three of us could spend time together. If we got along with each other, I know that it would make Severus happy. I want him to be happy."

            The corner of Lucius' mouth curled upwards. It was a hint of a smile, Harry noted, not a sneer. They both stopped walking and faced each other. Lucius extended his hand in a sign of peace.

            "For Severus, then?"

            Harry smiled brightly and took the Slytherin's hand. They shook on the deal and continued peacefully towards Severus' rooms in the dungeon. They talked the whole way there, mostly about their favorite literature. Harry argued for Muggle literature, while Lucius was adamant that no Muggle could possibly string together enough sentences to write a book.

            "Alright, I'll give it to you that most of the Muggle stuff is trash, especially the new stuff. But the classics of Muggle literature, like Shakespeare, Tolkein, and Dickens are great. The Lord of the Rings trilogy by Tolkein is so amazing that you'd nearly swear that he was a wizard."

            "If I read this Lord of the Rings, what will you do in return? As long as I'm subjecting myself to read some Muggle drabble, I had better get something in return."

            "I'll let you decide after you finish reading the trilogy."

            Lucius raised one eyebrow, and then smiled knowingly. Harry smiled back.

            "It's a deal then. I have the books; you can borrow them if you'd like."

            "Thank you, Harry. Now I believe that Severus is waiting for us. If you'd let us in…"

            "Aimez mon ennemi"

            They entered the Slytherin's suite and found him sitting in the living room reading an issue of Ars Alchemist. There was a tray of sandwiches, a pot of tea, and a plate of biscuits on the coffee table waiting for them. Lucius and Harry sat on either side of Severus, snapping him back into reality.

            "Hi. Did the two of you have a nice conversation on the way down here?"

            "Absolutely lovely, Severus. Harry is a wonderful debater."

            "Yeah…Lucius isn't as bad as I thought. Can I have a sandwich?"

            "Of course. I knew you'd be hungry. Would you like a sandwich, Luc…or a cup of tea?"

            "Thank you, I think I will have a sandwich. I missed dinner at the Manor."

            They all grabbed sandwiches and cups of tea. The conversation was light as no one wanted to mention the one thing that was on their minds: Draco. They talked about Quidditch and Harry's classes, even the weather before Severus decided to fake a yawn.

            "I am going to turn in now. Luc, you're free to borrow my pajamas and I hope you remember how to work the television if you want to watch it. Harry, I'll be on your couch. Please try not to make too much noise when you come in. Good night"

            Severus slipped through the door to Harry's rooms. Lucius nudged Harry gently with his elbow.

            "That bit about 'I'll be on the couch' meant that he wants you to follow him and give him a reason not to stay on the couch. He would try to pull that act all the time when I had him stay at the Manor."

            "But I don't want to leave you alone if you've got nothing to do."

            "Trust me, Harry, these are Severus' rooms. I can find something to do. Now go and be with him. It's what he wants."

            Harry smiled and went to shake Lucius' hand. But the blonde Slytherin pulled the Gryffindor into a hug before practically shoving him into his rooms. Lucius stared sullenly into the flames for a while, thinking about where in the world his son could be. After a little while, the elder Malfoy grew weary and nodded off on the couch in front of the flickering fire.

            Harry stepped into his sitting room and, sure enough, Severus was lying on the couch reading something about potions in Latin. The Slytherin looked up from the book when he heard Harry enter.

            "Going to bed, love?"

            "Only if you're not joining me. Don't sleep on the couch; come to bed. I don't want to sleep alone, not tonight."

            "I don't know, Harry. What if Lucius needs something in the middle of the night?"

            "He's not a child, Sev, and he knows his way around the castle. Plus, he's expecting to find you in my bed. Please?"

            Severus got up off the couch and followed Harry into the bedroom. The Gryffindor closed the door softly and then hugged the Slytherin. Severus rested his head on the younger man's shoulder. Harry gently ran his fingers through his mate's silky hair.

            "Sickle for your thoughts, Sev."

            "I'm just worried about Draco. He was just starting to come out of his shell and now we don't even know if he's still alive."

            "I have a feeling that he's still alive. And if it was Death Eaters, there would have been a big production by now. We were just starting to be friends. I feel absolutely horrible for Lucius, though. Draco means everything in the world to him."

            "I know. Luc would give his life a thousand times for him. Would you mind if we went to sleep now?"

            "Not at all. Hopefully we'll know more in the morning."

            Severus nodded and wearily took off his robes. He hadn't put a shirt on when he ran to Dumbledore's office and so he was just in his pants. Kicking off his shoes, the Slytherin slid off his pants and curled up under the covers. Harry stripped down to his boxers, got into bed, and pulled Severus into his arms. The Potions Master leaned into Harry's embrace, relaxing and eventually falling asleep. Harry watched his love sleeping peacefully. ~I have to find Draco…and I have to find him alive. It will totally crush Luc and Sev if he dies. Merlin! Why does something have to happen every school year? I'll find him. I HAVE to.~ The emerald-eyed young man closed his eyes and drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

            Early the next morning, Harry heard his wards going off letting him know that there was someone in his sitting room. Shortly after the wards went off, there was someone pounding on his bedroom door. He knew immediately that it was Lucius.

            "Severus! Harry! I need you now!"

            Harry slipped out from under Severus, who was still sleeping. The Gryffindor opened the door and quieted the frantic blonde. They sat on the couch; Lucius thrust a piece of paper into Harry's hands.

            "An owl was sitting on my knee when I woke up. It was carrying this."

            Harry could see the tears clinging to the Slytherin's eyelashes as he read the note.