DISCLAIMER: All characters, settings, and magical occurrences were all conceived and created in the brilliant mind of J.K. Rowling. Nothing except the glorious plot is property of mine. No profits are being made from my writing.

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Chapter 14

Lucius reread the letter from the Headmaster again. Despite it's rather simple message, Lucius was sure there was something more too it. He knew what the old man was capable of. Did he suspect Draco? He reasoned that his strong willed son might have given him reason to but he wasn't that dense. He'd have figured something out. No, there was something more and he wanted to get to the bottom of it.

So he did what any parent who was concerned with their child's schooling would do. He sat down and wrote out two owls. One to Dumbledore giving his permission for such extended learning and one to Draco explaining. Well only explaining to an extent. For in the back of his mind, he was playing out scenarios and was slowly beginning to question where his loyalties were actually lying in all of this.

"Lucius?" The soft voice of his wife jolted him from his thoughts and he focused his attentions upon her. "When will Draco be arriving?"

"He's not. He's been invited to stay and go over some extensive Animagi training." The tone in his voice was enough for Narcissa to catch on that he didn't believe it for one second.

Narcissa was very good at playing the loyal mother and wife in public. Sticking near to her husband's side, not letting others catch on to what she really thought. She prided herself on reading people. In the silence, it was much easier to accomplish. And she could read her son. She knew. She'd known since he'd been initiated that it wasn't the life he wanted. He tried hard to hide it of course but if you really paid attention, you'd see it. In fact, she'd never expected him to be home again, what with his schooling ending soon.

"Well I'm glad to see for once he's putting a little more into his education. It's a useful skill to say the least." She spoke softly, her mask having been applied for the afternoon. It was better if Lucius figured she had no idea what was going on around her.

"Yes, well I'm sure it'll prove to be helpful. In one thing or another." He was brief with her. He often was. Their marriage over the past seven years had begun to disintegrate to what it had become lately. At one time, the pair had been in love, as foolish as it may have seemed. Draco had been what had held them together. Especially because Voldemort had been gone and his name cleared. With his return, things had gotten harder again and much worse when Narcissa found out that Draco had taken the mark.

"I'm certain. Are you staying for dinner this evening?"

"I believe so. Unless something comes up." She gave a curt nod before leaving the study, shutting the doors behind herself. She was getting accustomed to the silence that found her at dinner. Though it was doing nothing to make her feel any better about the life she led.

Lucius stood from his desk and began pacing. Something certainly wasn't right about this. And if his son wouldn't give him any answers, then it'd be up to him. He'd have to get to the bottom of this and he truly hoped he wasn't being deceived. That wouldn't be good for any of the parties involved.

.-.

Draco sat frustrated in the common room. He'd finally stopped pacing after several students had voiced their complaints. He'd thought of hexing them, but decided against it. He doubted the Dark Lord would accept the excuse that he'd been in detention. So he'd resigned himself to a chair by the fire.

"Something on your mind, Draco?" The voice startled him. After his outburst at them earlier before sinking into the chair, no one had dared speak a word to him. Let alone Blaise. It had been a while since they had spoken in general.

"Many things actually. Though I doubt it'd be something you really want to hear about." His silver eyes sat locked upon the flames in the fireplace. As Blaise studied them, they were hard and blank. Nearly unreadable. A sure sign that things were a lot worse than he let on.

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't." He pried some more. Blaise had spent the past few days watching the inner turmoil inside of Draco, no one knowing exactly how to help. And when you tried, well, he would just snap and stop anyone else from trying.

"Trust me, you don't want to know." He was trying his damndest to push Blaise in the exact opposite direction. He certainly didn't want to sit down for touchy feely time. If that wasn't awkward, he didn't know what was.

"Try me!" Blaise wasn't going to let him get out of it that easy. This whole act was getting tiring enough.

"It has to do with Lupin." Blaise was starting to realize that perhaps he didn't want to know. It had been hard enough hearing about it to begin with. Details certainly weren't needed. But he'd gotten himself this far. He'd have to hear this out if he was willing to offer.

"What about him?"

"Oh I don't know." He stood from the chair moving towards the fireplace. He raised a hand to rub his eyes. "I know that he's got feelings for me as well, but he just keeps pushing it all away. I don't know what to do."

"The Great Draco Malfoy being turned down for a shag. What is the world coming to?" He rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. Why was he not entirely surprised?

"It isn't exactly like that though I never heard complaints from you." There was a small smile playing upon his lips at that statement.

"Certainly not, though his will power seems to be greater than mine. What's the reasoning?"

"The entire student professor thing. Though in all honesty, how much longer will I actually be a student. It's a rather flimsy excuse in my opinion." Draco said as a matter of a factly.

"You never were known for your patience were you. Perhaps he's just going to require a little time to get used to the idea." He hated giving advice on the matter. Frankly, it found it to be a stupid decision on his part. Everyone knew about werewolves, and just because this one happened to be a shoulder to lean on for him, it didn't make him any different.

"How much more time does he bloody need? I'm continuously being jerked back and forth. It's bloody frustrating." Draco complained sitting back down again. It was then that the pain struck. A burning pain in his left arm. He winced slightly, reaching for it with his other hand. Any joking tone that might have remained between the two of them diminished in that moment. "I have to go."

"I know. Be careful." Blaise said softly as he stood to go. He gave a thoughtful back to him as he exited the common room. Blaise met Pansy's gaze and gave a short nod. She understood. Her sudden mood drop was enough for him to know that.

"Did he?" She asked meekly. Blaise stood from his seat he'd taken by the fire and joined her on the couch.

"Yeah. He did." He said simply. She nodded her head a few times. "Are you still worried?"

"More than ever. I know what he's trying to do with Lupin. Sometimes I feel like he's lost his mind." She shut the book she'd be engulfed in. Or at least trying to show some interest in. "But I'm sure I'm not the only one who has seen a change in him." The last bit was added very softly. Blaise wished he could've protested but it seemed that perhaps this clandestine affair Draco was pursuing, was doing some good after all.

.-.

There was a slight limp to his step as he muttered the password. His normal knocking abandoned at the thought of lying down. His vision he knew was slightly blurry but he knew well enough that the form that was sleeping upon the couch he usually occupied wasn't that of Remus. In fact, he didn't need another guess as to who was sleeping there.

The sounds of the muffled password had jolted his attentions again and Remus had immediately gotten up to check. He sighed deeply at the sight the blonde was in. It had been a while now since a meeting had gone so terribly. Draco looked up at his entrance but he couldn't be certain he was really seeing him too well. One hand was gripping the side of the couch for balance. He was certainly in a state of disarray.

"Come on. I doubt you want to wake Harry." He said in a soft voice, offering an arm in help to lead them back into the bedroom. It seemed he was up for another night spent in that armchair beside his bed.

"I did something terrible. I didn't have anything else and I couldn't take it anymore…" Draco began muttering as Remus helped him down onto the bed. "I told him about Potter's dreams and how much they were bothering. He's going to find a way to use all of that against him. I know he is. I just couldn't take it anymore…" Remus shushed him, searching out his wand and remembering any healing spell he might have ever known.

"It's ok. We'll figure something out about Harry but right now, we need to take care of you." His worried eyes fell upon the weakened form. He pushed some of the blonde hair away from his eyes, a deep sigh escaping. He went to work rather quickly, administering any spell he could think of.

He finally had been satisfied with what had been done and settled back into the chair. His wand was placed back atop the night stand, eyes upon the small form in his bed. He wasn't sure how much longer he could even handle doing this. It was slowly tearing him up with each meeting and as things slowly got worse.

"Remus…" Draco rolled over from his back to face him. "Will you stay with me for a bit?" His voice was small and almost might have sounded scared. It was surprising to Remus especially coming from the source. He rewarded the blonde with a smile and nod. Draco's lips turned upward a little, moving over towards the other side of the bed. Remus wore a questioning, unsure look until he uttered a simple please.

He knew that he might regret his decision in the morning. But what was one more morning. It was happening more often than not lately. He was angry with himself for denying such feelings but then also for indulging in such feelings.

He sighed lightly, pushing the blankets back again and slipping into the bed beside the worn out blonde. There was another muffled call of thanks as he settled against the pillows and bed itself. He pulled the blankets up again over both of them.

He spent a while that evening, watching of the sleeping form beside him. Scared, uncertain, nervous, and so many other things about the whole situation. Finally, he pressed a light kiss against Draco's forehead, and settled down to drift into a much needed sleep. Dreading the morning ever so much.

.-.

Harry woke rather early that morning and had planned to leave though he at least wanted to let Remus know. He stood shakily up and made the trek the bedroom. He gave a short knock on the door, before opening. He figured very much that his friend would still be asleep anyway. If that were the case, there'd be no point in waking him.

He wasn't surprised to see he'd been right, but what surprised him the most was that he wasn't alone. Not alone in the least bit. For curled up rather close beside him, arm slung across his chest was another form he was familiar with. That of Draco Malfoy.

Harry quickly shut the door, as quietly as he'd opened it. He didn't even want to think about what this really meant. Surely Remus had no clue what he could be getting himself into like this. If he did there was no way he'd be doing it. Right?

Then another part of Harry's brain made him realize another point. He hadn't seen him very happy in a while. Almost since before Sirius…well since before they lost Sirius. Even if it was with someone like Malfoy. All of the indecision floating around in his head. He recalled a statement he'd made to Hermione a while before. She'd asked if there was something more. At least now he had his answer.

.-.

Remus awoke later than morning than normal. The most disturbing fact of all was that he was alone. Now it wasn't uncommon for Draco to have left before he woke up but with certain circumstances. Well he didn't know what he'd expected. He didn't seem to know much of anything anymore.

As custom of most mornings, he showered and dressed quickly. He had to stop to see Dumbledore before breakfast that morning. Though unlike most mornings, there was much more weighing on his mind than normal.

Quite exhausted he began his walk to the Headmaster's office. His mind replaying the night's events over and over. Pondering what he really should tell the Headmaster. He could probably have lost his job. He just couldn't do that. Hogwarts had been one of the few things in his life that he cherished above all. To lose that would be his undoing.

Though as he was muttering the password to the staircase, it opened before him and his inner turmoil returned as Draco descended the stairs. He didn't look that much better than he had the night before to be completely honest.

"Morning." He greeted quietly. Remus saw something very different in him that morning. He seemed almost unsure of himself and what he was doing. For the past seven years at least, Draco Malfoy had no problem being up front or blunt about anything. Though that moment, he seemed almost vulnerable.

"Good morning. Sorry I missed you this morning. I didn't think you'd leave so early." Remus pushed the conversation along as it seemed it wouldn't have much help.

"I just thought that maybe it'd be a good idea if I weren't there, is all." Draco chose his words carefully enough though they still seemed to come out terribly.

"It was fine. I wished you had stayed." His voice was low, so no one might have overheard them. That would be the end of a lot of things. But it was decision time for Remus. He needed to make up his mind about this. Because as much as it was confusing him, it was getting to Draco now as well. And for once, he needed to make his decision and suffer the consequences later. He was allowed to be happy, right?

"I'd just assumed that with everything lately…"

"I'm sorry if I've been confusing things lately. I've just been rather unsure. But I've come to a very important conclusion."

"About bloody time." Draco muttered lightly but enough so that he heard him. He got a stern look in return though. It soon faded away to an unsure smile.

"I don't want to be alone anymore. And I realized that I don't have to be and that was a very nice feeling." He paused for a moment, Draco not exactly certain what he meant. He didn't want to read too much into any of it. "Basically, I'm glad last night happened. I'm glad this all has happened." It was a rather sudden omission, even to Remus. To be fair, it was everything he'd had inside that he'd been telling himself he couldn't say. All of the things he never felt were appropriate. He knew that they still probably weren't but there was only a limited amount of time anyway. He could be happy. He was allowed to be.

Draco watched him in disbelief a moment. He'd nearly resigned himself to the belief that this may never work. As much as he pushed the werewolf to accept this, he'd pushed back even more strongly in opposition. He'd been making things hard for himself. There wasn't anyone else stopping them but him. His confession meant much more than Draco might have ever let on.

"Then I doubt you'd mind very much if I came over this evening to study?" He questioned, a slight smile perking up the corners of his mouth.

"I'd actually rather like that."

"Not to be repetitive but it's about bloody time." His smile grew as he gave Remus a meaningful look before clearing the stairway and moved down the corridor. He still had breakfast that morning, however nice he may have felt. And for the first morning in a long while, Remus found himself smiling. It seemed a good sign that the building hadn't come crashing down on him for even suggesting anything more than friendship.

.-.

A/N: I've added a little to the end of this chapter to help it flow into the next a little better. It actually became the longest of all of the chapters. For now at least. Though the next chapter is a lot less angsty if I do say so myself. Though I can't give away too much at all. Lucius will be back very soon I think as well as some appearances by everyone's favorite Gryffindors and Slytherins. So I'd appreciate it greatly if you'd leave a review. And for those of you who left kind words from the chapter before…

Betsytheripper: Biggest apologies if I may have missed your review. It could be there but with Fanfiction updating the week that I updated, I didn't get the e-mail. So if I did miss, I am indeed very sorry. Thanks as always for the encouragement to continue. I've been feeling a lot better lately thankfully. Probably mostly because break is coming up so quickly and our own exam schedule has been revised to our advantage. So thanks as always and I hope you get to feeling better and exams go well.

Dreamer's Wasteland: Ok so there wasn't any official snogging in this chapter either but well we're getting there. Slowly I guess considering there are only about four chapters left in the entire story. Oh well, I do hope that it all will be worth the huge wait. Thanks bunches for the review and kind words.

Empath89: I feel that way so often I can relate. Logging in seems to be a chore sometimes. Anywho though, I do hope you enjoyed the Zabini part. There is more Slytherin fun to be had later on. I know, I know. So much frustration. Though I think this chapter may have a little bit of a better ending than the less. That is if you're fluff obsessed as I am. Ok, so it isn't really fluffy, ok never mind. I'm rambling now. Thanks bunches!