Snape was taken aback for a moment by the intensity of the sobs but quickly gathered himself and moved closer to the boy to hug him. "No! Go away! Don't touch me."

"Draco, come on now."

"No!"

"Draco, I know you're having a hard time but being so disobedient and disrespectful is only going to add to your troubles."

"First you won't leave me alone and if I express my displeasure at that, you hit me. Just great. So fair." Draco hicupped between sobs.

"You're supposed to be in class right now, you know."

"You know what hit me how much ever you want for everything you think I have done wrong. Anyway right now it won't make me feel any worse than I already am. And then leave me alone."

Snape sighed. It wasn't the time or place to justify that he had never hit the boy. Only meted out fair, considered discipline.

"Can we move to my quarters?"

"When I asked you to stay there for today, you wouldn't let me!"

"I'm still not."

"Then what difference will it make?" Snape conceded the point and didn't say anything.

He accioed a glass of water, handed it to the boy and said, "Calm down. You will go back to class. I will go back to mine. I'll give you a note excusing you for your tardiness. But I will be checking with all your teachers. Defence is your last class. You may skip it and go back to my quarters at that time."

"I don't want to go to your dumb quarters."

"And for that, instead of doing whatever you wished, you will be standing in the corner for that duration."

"Not doing it."

"Draco, what has gotten into you? I have spanked you twice in the last 24 hours. Why are you pushing so hard for the third one?"

"I am not. You are just being a " Draco stopped himself before he said the word.

Severus rubbed his temples wearily. "Ready to go back to class?"

Draco was quiet for a moment then looked at Severus and with the most pitiable face said, "May I please have the day off? I just don't feel good, uncle Sev, please?"

Snape considered him for almost a minute then said, "No, I cannot reward your behaviour, nor can I condone avoiding things that make you uncomfortable."

Draco looked at him with so much hurt and betrayal that Severus mentally winced.

Eventually Draco got up and walked away without looking back, the half eaten muffin remaining where it was.

Severus considered letting the brat go hungry for the morning but couldn't make himself do it and spelled the muffins into Draco's book bag.

The morning passed uneventfully. At lunch, Snape was keeping an eye out for Draco. He saw the boy's classmates and his friends but couldn't spot his godson. He decided to give the boy ten more minutes before he would go looking for him and remind him oh his views on skippin meals. After 10 minutes, when Draco had still not made an appearance, Snape cleared his plate and made his excuses. As he was leaving, Albus called out to him, "Severus, some of Lucius' personal artifacts have arrived from the ministry. Could you hand them over to Draco? I believe the exchange will need to be handled delicately and you're the best person for the job."

"Yes, Albus." Severus said as he took over the package, dreading that interaction.

He looked around all of Draco's favourite places but didn't find him anywhere. His class was about to start soon. He decided to send a message to Pomona whose class Draco had next to send the boy his way after class. But she responded saying that Draco had not shown up for class. Severus released his class ten minutes early to check in his quarters if the boy had the gall to go there but didn't find him. Now Severus was starting to get worried. He finished the rest of his classes for the day. When Draco had still not turned up, out of worry, he sent a message to all the hogwarts staff, letting them to know to keep an eye out for the boy. Madam Pomfrey immediately responded letting him know that Draco was in the hospital wing and had been all afternoon. Snape decided to go over and have a direct conversation instead of talking through patronuses.

As he walked into the hospital wing, he spotted Draco feigning sleep. He had been a spy for most of his life and Draco was cunning but not particularly adept at lying.

"Stop pretending."

"I'm sorry?"

"Stop pretending to be asleep."

"I'm not. I'm just trying to sleep, sir. Madam Pomfrey asked me to."

"Sit up."

"But sir, Madam Pomfrey."

"Do as I say." Draco sat up on the bed.

Snape stood next to him, towering over him.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were in the hospital wing?" snape started his interrogation.

"Slipped my mind. I wasn't feeling well."

"Right. And what happened? why did you come here in the first place?"

"Wasn't feeling well."

"I got that. I'm asking for the specifics."

"I was feeling anxious" Draco mumbled.

"What? Speak up."

"I was feeling anxious sir" Draco said.

"About what?"

"Nothing. I don't know."

"And it needed medical attention?"

"I thought so, sir."

"Right."

Snape closed his eyes for a moment.

"Get up. Into the corner with you. I'm going to talk to Madam Pomfrey before I decide what I'm going to do about this."

"But I needed help and came to the hospital wing. They literally tell us to do this during orientation. And I let Professor Binns know about this too." Right, he had told the ghost who didn't have lunch in the great hall. Smart move.

"Do as I say before I swat you."

Tears sprang to Draco's eyes but he started walking towards the corner, sniffling as he walked.

Snape walked out to the mediwitch's office and cast a silencio.

"What's going on with Draco?"

"He was distressed when he showed up. Accelerated heart rate, sweating. He was quite close to crying too. He went through a lot. This is a common trauma response."

"And letting him sleep here all afternoon and skip classes will heal him from the trauma, how?"

"He got some sleep. The diagnostic I ran indicated that he had barely slept for six hours in the last two days and he hadn't eaten even one proper meal. What do you have to say about that?"

"I will fix it. I was looking for him to discuss his skipping meals."

"He needs to talk to somebody, Severus."

Severus sighed, "I know. But he's a cunning, manipulative Slytherin. I can't let him grow up getting away with schemes. So need to figure out what is really going on. He is very capable of doing all this just to get some pity and leniency from me."

"Will it be such a bad thing to give it to him?"

"Yes." Snape paused, "Poppy, I know you have good intentions but I know Slytherins and I know my godson. He needs consistent discipline. He needs to know someone will stop him when he messes up. That will make him feel safe. You trust me to know what's best for him right?"

"Yes, Severus, I do. Please be careful though."

"I will."

Severus peeked into the room Draco was in and said, "follow me to my quarters." He didn't wait to check if Draco had obeyed and started walking. Draco followed behind.

Once they entered, Snape said, "You will eat a snack, do the classwork you missed, do your homework, eat dinner and go to bed. You clearly seem to need the rest. You will sit at the dining table and work and so will I. No dawdling. And against my better judgment, you may choose what you want for a snack."

"I'm not hungry, I'll get started with the school work."

"Draco, I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt for now. Don't stretch it too much."

"Since when is not being hungry a crime?"

"What's the rule about skipping meals?"

"So I'm supposed to just stuff food in when my body doesn't want it and is rejecting it?"

"Madam Pompfrey said nothing was physically wrong."

"But the thought of food makes me want to throw up."

"That's why I'm letting you pick your snack."

After a staring contest of a minute, Draco said, "Fine. Chocolate ice cream, please."

Snape sighed, called his house elf and said, "Please bring us a tuna sandwich and a chocolate milk."

"That's not what I asked for."

"That's what you're getting. And mind your tone."

Draco was about to respond but the food popped on the table.

Snape said, "Sit down and eat."

Draco looked at him for a moment and then sat down.

He stared at the food.

Snape prompted, "eat."

Draco tore a small piece of the bread, took it closer to his mouth, put it in and started chewing, and crying.

Severus looked at his antics and sent a prayer for patience and insight to deal with whatever was going on.