A/N:  Woo!  Quick update… Though it's kinda short…

Chapter Eighteen

An Attack and 'They Knew Each Other and Didn't Tell Us!'

Apparently what happened, the night of Harry's birthday party, that started me making out with everyone was Hermione got drunk and kept saying: "Ron… you skank."  Then he got macho and decided on the 'I'll-live-up-to-it-then' mode and I was very drunk.  He kissed me and then it went on from there spiralling into insanity.  Harry said I even tried to kiss Sirius as he carried me upstairs to bed! 

That was a little embarrassing as he relayed this information to me in front of Remus and Sirius.  But it was all laughed off, with a lot of blushing on my part.  

*        *         *

I still remember that day, exactly what I was doing.  We were watching Remus and Sirius play chess.  Harry and I were on the couch and all of us were talking.  Nothing really special.  Just talk, but then the phone rang and I almost could hear the urgency in it.

"Checkmate.  I'll get it," Remus said as he placed his chess piece and left the room.  Sirius swore as Remus said 'checkmate'.  I listened to what Remus was saying.  "Black/Potter/Lupin residence, Remus speaking.  Mhmm.  Oh, Merlin, when?  Last night?  Really.  Yes, I'll tell him.  Where?  He's still alive though, right?  That's a relief.  Ok.  We'll be there.  Five minutes, tops.  See you in a minute, Albus."

I heard him put the receiver down, sigh and come back into the room.  He looked different.  I don't know how to describe it.  Just different.

"Who was it?" Sirius asked.

"Albus," Remus answered him absently, he turned to me but couldn't meet my gaze.  "Draco," he said quietly, looking at his hands. "There's been an attack."

My heart froze.  Tears sprang to my eyes, I knew who the attack was on.  I couldn't believe it.  I started to hyper ventilate and had to put my head between my knees to calm down.   No… no… no… it can't be him, I thought desperately.  I wouldn't let myself believe it even though I knew it to be true.  Why would Remus lie?  I sound all over the place but that's how upset I was getting.

"Is he alive?" I asked as my tears ran down my flushed face. 

"Yes, he's just unconscious," Remus said gently.

"Please, I have to go see him," I said standing up quickly.

"Let's go then," Harry stood up, grabbed my hand then Sirius's and we all apparated into Hogsmeade. 

We ran up toward the castle and I was in the lead.  I burst through the doors and ran down the hall to the hospital wing.  I believe they brought father to Hogwarts because St. Mungo's would have been an easy target. 

"Where is he?" I demanded of Madam Pomfrey as I threw open the doors of the wing.

"Follow me," she said gently.  She took me to the back of the wing behind some curtains and there, upon the hospital bed, laid my father. 

Harry, Remus and Sirius were not far behind me.  Harry put his arm around me but I tried to move away.

"Please, leave me," I pleaded in a whisper.  He kissed my forehead and then let go of me.

"I'll be outside if you need me," he whispered and left me.

I stood unmoving like a stone statue, until I heard the door click shut.  I moved closer to the bed, unable to really look at my father.  I could hear him breathing and it sounded slightly laboured.  I knelt beside the bed and put my head in my hands.  I took a deep breath and looked at my father. 

His light hair was spread out on the pillow and his face looked so peaceful.  He was paler than usual too. 

I desperately wished that he would open his eyes and say everything was all right.  I was looking at him, tears pouring down my face, thinking that he was never going to wake up again, breathing or not.  I took one of his slender hands, shaped by playing the piano, in both of mine and kissed it gently.  Tears splashed on the pale skin as I did so. 

"Please don't leave me," I whispered against his hand.  "You can't leave me.  I need you here.  Where am I going to go for fatherly advice if you're gone?  I've already lost a mother; I cannot lose a father as well.  Please, if I get nothing else for the rest of my life, I'll be happy because you'll be alive.  You cannot make me go through this again…  If you love your son, you'll wake up… Please…"

I continued in vain like that for a while, then I just cried until I was so tired and my eyes were so dry, I couldn't carry on.  Soon, I was reduced to sobs and finally I fell asleep with his hand in mine.

All the while, Severus was searching for something to wake my dad.  They hadn't the slightest idea which spell was cast upon him or how long it would last or if it was even permanent. 

*        *         *

Two weeks passed and he still hadn't woken up.  Remus and Sirius had left to get our school things.  Dumbledore had given us our letters personally and we needed a whole score of new books. 

During those two weeks I had barely left my father's side and Harry had barely left mine.  We sat there day after day, watching him for any sign of movement.  After a while we began to play cards as we waited.  Harry always won because I really didn't pay attention. 

*        *         *

I had fallen asleep at my father's side; face down in the blankets at his side.  It was two days before term started and I was so desperate for him to wake up.  It was just he and I in the room.  I guess Harry had gone to get breakfast for us.

I was startled to consciousness by a hand stroking my hair and figured it was Harry.  I moved my head to the side and opened my eyes.  No Harry.  I sat bolt upright and looked at my propped up father.  He was smiling weakly at me.  I looked at him disbelieving for a moment before I hugged him.  I held onto him as if I let him go he would be gone. 

"You're awake," I cried into his chest.  "You're alive."

"I am," he said, his voice was scratchy from not being used in two weeks.   

"Mr. Malfoy!" Harry said from the door.

"Hello Harry," Father croaked. 

"Oh, I'm so glad you're all right," Harry said as he sat down in the chair beside me.  I still hadn't released him from my hug.  I clung onto him like a two year old but I didn't care how foolish I looked (if that's even possible), I had my father back. 

"Thanks," Father said quietly.  "I wouldn't leave you two, now would I?"

"I guess not," Harry smiled. 

"Luc!" Sirius and Remus said surprised from the door.   I spell it 'Luc' but they pronounced it 'Luke'.  Father blinked at them for a moment.

"You still feel the need to call me 'Luke'?" He asked in mock-iciness.  They both laughed. 

"How could we not?  It fits you so well!" Sirius said as they sat on the other side of him. 

"Right," Father rolled his eyes.  I was looking between the three of them.  Then Harry asked the question I was about to.    

"You know each other?"

"I haven't seen either of them in a million years but yes we know each other," Father said simply. 

"How?" I asked.

"We were two years ahead of your dad, but he was a Malfoy.  How could we not know who he was?" Remus said kindly.

"Yeah, he came to school and began walking around as if he owned the place," Sirius said in fond remembrance.

"Indeed," Father snorted. 

"So, we knocked him off of his high horse," Remus giggled. 

"By calling him Luke… He always was proud of his name…" Sirius finished Remus' sentence.  "Not that we didn't play any pranks on him."

"I lost count after 60," Father laughed. 

"They were pretty great.  You and Snape had the best reactions to them," Sirius laughed. 

"Well when you go to bed with blonde hair and wake up with hot pink, you get the tiniest bit freaked out," Father pointed out.  We laughed at that remark. 

Disclaimer:  Are these even necessary after eighteen chapters?  I'm sure you know J.K. Rowling Owns everything you have recognised… I own anything else…

A/N: So, how was that?  I know it took a sudden twist at the end.   But I hope you liked.