A/N: Hey! Well, sorry for the long delay in updating. I've just been in a bit of a funk lately. I also had some severe writer's block and just couldn't seem to get this chapter written. Well, at long last here it is and I hope you guys like it. I must apologize at not showing more of drunken Draco, but I felt that I really needed to get past the drunk episode and move forward. I need to bring Narcissa back for some more hilarious stuff. Poor Draco is going to be disgusted at the way his parents now won't stop flirting with each other. Come on, nothing is worse than seeing your parents all googily eyed with each other.

Well, all that and more coming up. There will be a 'Bring-Your-Child-to-Work-Day' as well as a father/son picnic. Poor Draco; he's in for a lot of father/son bonding.

Chapter Nineteen: Confession

Draco groaned; if it was possible his head hurt worse than it had before. Instead of a hard thumping the pain was now a sharp pulsating sensation. He slowly opened his eyes and looked at his surroundings. Somehow he was back in his room lying upon his own bed. Had everything that happened that morning just been a dream? The last thing he remembered was feeling sick in the Ministry; now he was back in his bed, feeling worse than he had before.

"I see you've finally decided to wake up."

Draco jumped at the unexpected voice beside him. He turned his head ever so slightly and peered with blurry eyes at the figure of his father who sat in a chair next to the bed. Lucius set down the book he was reading and looked at his son with an expression of mock concern.

"How are you feeling, Draco?"

Draco gave a groan as his reply.

"You really had me worried when you fainted right on the floor of the Ministry."

Draco went a little pink at the mention of his fainting. He was embarrassed at the idea of so many people seeing him pass out like a little pansy boy. The absurdity of the idea of his father being 'worried' about him didn't even cross his mind as he was plagued with thoughts of what his friends will say once they hear of it, which they undoubtedly would.

"So, it wasn't a dream." Draco said bitterly.

"Afraid not, son."

"Did...did you summon a doctor?" Draco asked apprehensively, knowing full well that his father must have and that he'd know now exactly why Draco wasn't feeling well.

"Yes, I did. He says that you have a virus."

Draco looked at his father with a mix of surprise and confusion.

"He... he says that I have a virus?"

"Yes, and he says that in order to get well again you need to drink plenty of fluids and to eat as well."

Draco gave an almost comical grimace at the sound of food. Lucius had to suppress a smile.

"Father, I'd rather not..." Draco began.

"Nonsense.' Lucius interrupted. "We must follow the doctor's orders. Dinny!!!!"

"Ow!" Draco moaned as his father's voice echoed off the walls and rang in his ears, causing the pain in his head to intensify. He threw his arms over his face so that his ears and eyes were covered.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Draco, was that too loud?"

In a flash Dinny the house elf had appeared within the room carrying a very heavily laden tray. Dinny struggled to keep the tray from toppling over as she swayed dangerously to and fro. After a few close calls, Dinny finally made it to the side of Draco's bed and stopped. She looked apprehensively up at her master. Lucius gave her a short nod of his head. Dinny turned her face to look sadly at the stricken form of her young master and then back to look imploringly up at Lucius. Lucius glared at her sternly and mouthed a silent, "now".

Dinny heaved a heavy sigh, scrunched her eyes tightly shut, and threw the entire tray upon the floor causing an immensely deafening sound which reverberated throughout the room and caused Draco to howl in pain. He rolled over onto to his stomach and crawled so that his head was buried under a small mound of pillows. Lucius could hear several muffled curses emanating from underneath the pile of fluff. He had to quickly stifle the silent laughter so that his voice would sound believingly stern.

"Dinny! You clumsy, stupid elf! Clean that mess up and bring in another tray at once! Then afterwards you may punish yourself."

"Yes, sir. Right away, sir." Dinny squeaked.

A couple of minutes later Dinny reappeared with a second tray. This time, however, she did not drop it upon the floor but instead placed it upon the small table which sat next to Draco's bed.

"Now, come out of there, Draco, you need to eat something like the doctor ordered."

"No."

"Draco, you must at least drink something."

"Noooo."

"Draco!" Lucius said more sternly, "You will do as I say; now come out from underneath those pillows."

Draco slowly and very reluctantly began to extricate himself from his feathery comfort. He almost immediately reburied his head as the smell of the food reached his nose. Any other day he would have been delighted at the sight of chocolate chip pancakes, waffles with whipped cream and strawberries, French toast drowned in syrup, fried eggs, and greasy rashers. However, today he couldn't even handle the thought.

"Oh my God!" Draco groaned as he fell back into his pillows.

Lucius gave a satisfied smile at just how green Draco looked at that moment. His plan was working; Draco wouldn't be able to stand it much longer and would have to confess.

"Come now, Draco, this will make you feel so much better."

"No it won't." came the whimper.

"Yes, it will."

Draco was about to contradict his father again when that all-too-familiar feeling churned within his stomach again.

"Oh, God!" Draco was out of his bed in a flash and just made it to the toilet in time. A few minutes, and groans, later Draco returned, looking worse than he ever had. He crawled shakily back into bed and wrapped himself in the blankets.

"Father, didn't the doctor give you something to help me?" he asked weakly. "Something besides 'food'." Draco said the last word as if it the worst thing on earth.

"No, I'm afraid he didn't."

"Then can't you just Avada Kedavra me or something? Just please put me out of my misery!"

"Now that you mention it; there is one thing that always helps me when I am feeling ill. Dinny!!!"

"Must you do that?" Draco muttered.

"Yes, master?" Dinny asked as she appeared, her hands now bandaged as it appeared that her choice of punishment hand been to burn her hands.

"Bring me a bottle of brandy." Lucius said in a voice too low for Draco to hear clearly.

In a moment Dinny had returned with a bottle of brandy and a glass.

"Ah, now sit up, Draco, and drink this."

Draco obediently pushed himself up into a sitting position and took the glass from his father's hand.

"What is it?" Draco asked. He then saw the bottle sitting upon the table. "Father! This isn't..." he sniffed the glass, "Arghh, I can't drink this!" He held the glass back to his father who did not reach out and take it.

"Why not? Brandy is good for you. Go on...have some."

"No, Father, I can't even stand the smell of it right now; please take it."

"Come now, Draco, be a man and drink it. What would your friends say? Do you want to be a...oh what is the word they use...ah, a wimp?"

Draco looked intently at his Father. "You know, don't you?" Draco said in almost a whisper.

"Know what?" Lucius asked innocently.

"About last night."

"What the devil are you going on about?" Lucius said in mock naiveté.

Draco scowled at his father. "Look, I'll confess if you please just get rid of this and all of that food!"

"Very well." Lucius motioned for Dinny to take the glass of Brandy and the tray. He then settled himself down in the chair next to Draco's bed and watched as his son began to fidget nervously.

"I...well you see," Draco faltered. He began to chew on his lower lip and looked anywhere but at his father. He took a deep, calming breath and began again. "Last night I snuck out of the house against your wishes and went out with some of my friends."

"And where did you go with these friends?"

"Um, to a couple of small pubs and a club or two."

"And what did you do there?"

"Drank." The answer was barely audible.

"I see. How much did you drink to get you so inebriated?"

"I had a couple of beers and some fire whiskey. I don't really remember if I had anything else or how much. Most of last night is a blank." Draco risked a timid glance at his father. "Are you really angry at me, Father?"

Lucius heaved a deep sigh. "No, Draco I am not really angry. I am mostly disappointed in you."

Draco's shoulders slumped further at this.

"I just can't believe that my son would leave the house when I specifically told him not to, and then go and get himself completely intoxicated and then lie to me about it."

"I didn't lie; I just didn't tell you." Draco muttered solemly.

"How many times have you done this, Draco? I want a straight answer."

"Never." Draco quickly replied. "I've never snuck out before and last night was the first time I ever drank I swear."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Why did you do it? I can understand about the sneaking out, but I don't understand about the drinking. If you had never done it before then why did you do it last night?"

Draco looked away from his father again and back down at his knees. "I guess I was just angry."

"At me." Lucius stated it as more of a fact than a question.

"No..." Draco shook his head slightly and tried to remember why he had been angry last night. He knew it wasn't entirely towards his father; then he remembered. "We had a bit of a run in with that stupid git Harry Potter and some friends of his."

Lucius gave a nod of understanding. "I see. But that is still no excuse."

"I know. I'm...sorry."

Lucius rose out of his chair and looked down at his son with a slight smile. "Well, I suppose there was no real harm done; as long as you didn't wind up with some tattoo or odd piercing."

"Not that I know of."

"Good."

"What is my punishment going to be?"

"I hadn't really thought on it. Don't fret though, it will be mild." Draco turned his head up to look at his father with a surprised expression upon his face. "I think that all of the suffering you have done today will be considered part of your punishment." Draco nodded his head. "However," Lucius said in a severe tone, "should some young lady come around here saying that you got her pregnant in your drunken state then your punishment will be great and painful."

Draco gulped but was then stunned when his father let his features contort into a smile and he winked mischievously at him. Lucius then turned and headed towards the door. Before he shut the door he called back over his shoulder, "I will send in a servant with something to take care of that nasty hangover of yours."

Draco didn't even hear what his father had said. He was too stunned by the fact that his father had made a joke. Cold, hard Lucius Malfoy had made a joke. Had hell indeed frozen over?