Disclaimer: See chapter 01 for full disclaimer.

Thanks to Alice and Whit, my betas. And to everyone who review, I love you all.

Chap. 45 – Lost and Found

Draco refused to let his father into Harry's house. Harry would never forgive him for letting Lucius step foot into his sacred home. So disregarding Severus' advice to stay put, Draco sent a message to his father telling him he was coming to the Manor. Then he went to the station, bought a ticket to Wiltshire, southwest England, and boarded the train. He was determined to let his father know once and for all that Draco wouldn't let him ruin his life more than he had already done it.

By the time he arrived at the Manor, his head had cooled down a bit. His whole body stiffened as he entered the house, but at least he wasn't trembling like a leaf anymore.

He found Lucius waiting for him in his office, seated behind his desk with a cigar elegantly settled between his fingers. Their eyes met in muted challenge. Lucius smirked and made sure to send the message that he wouldn't make things easy for Draco, not as long as he was still breathing.

"Were you afraid that I'd stain your precious lover's home?" Lucius asked with a sneer.

Draco returned the sneer. "What happened to: 'Hello, dear son. To what do I own the pleasure of your visit?' Going straight to the point will make me think that you are not happy to see me, father."

"Of course I am," Lucius smirked. "It's always a pleasure to have my son visiting his old man. I wasn't looking forward to going to Potter's anyway. You've spared me the trouble." Lucius put the cigar away after sending blue circles of smoke towards Draco. Draco did his best not to cough. "And how are you this morning?"

"Wonderful," Draco answered.

"How did you like this morning newspaper? Quite a funny read, wasn't it? I suppose you were relieved that I put down two of your enemies for you. Smear wasn't so difficult to handle. Your aunt was a problem, though. Such a wild spirit. It was such a shame to have to get rid of her. I shall miss her deeply. Your mother was devastated, but she understood that it was for the best. She loves you so much that she's even capable of murdering her own sister. Aren't you grateful, Draco? You have such loving parents. How many children can say that?"

Draco felt his stomach turn, and he had to hold himself not to vomit right then and there. He couldn't help the thought that had he vomited his father would have scolded him for dirtying his expensive tapestry.

"So you're confessing. I should arrest you," Draco said coldly.

Lucius smiled wryly. "Aren't you an ungrateful brat? Why do you always have to bite the hand that feeds you, Draco? Oh, never mind answering that. I suppose it's in your blood. You are a Malfoy after all."

Draco took out his wand from his waistband and pointed at his father, hoping to keep his grip firm.

"You're under arrest. And so is mother."

Lucius' sharp blue eyes pierced through him. Draco gripped his wand harder.

"Stop being foolish. I know you're good," Lucius stated. "I know you can handle me easily now. I'm not as strong as before. Old age and jail have diminished my magical powers."

Draco wasn't fooled by his speech. He had noticed Lucius' hand fondling the top of his cane. That was where he kept his wand.

"But the question is," Lucius went on, "are you brave enough to face me? Are you brave enough to kill me if you must?"

Draco's eyes flickered, but his hand and his voice did not waver when he answered, "Yes."

Lucius seemed to be quite amused. "Really? That's interesting! It makes the desire to possess your soul even stronger. Keep struggling, Draco! I like that! There isn't anything in the world that gives me more pleasure than the thought of submitting you to my will."

Lucius got up from his chair and walked towards Draco slowly, stopping just a few feet away. Draco didn't lower his wand, and its tip pressed against the rich fabric of Lucius' robe. His father didn't falter at his son's audacity. He kept a perverse smile curled on his lips. Draco felt chills down his spine. Lucius stretched out his hand and touched Draco's wrist. That sudden movement startled him. His father then caressed his wrist smoothly and muttered three words in Latin. Draco widened his eyes and tried to get away, but by then it was too late.

Draco's wand was easily taken away from him. He felt his body grow weaker, and his eyes fluttered as if he was about to pass out. He had forgotten that Lucius had that kind of power over him. Lucius had cast that submission spell on Draco the first time his son had dared defy him when he was eight. It was Lucius' triumph over Draco. There wasn't anything Draco could do now. He was paralysed and unable to defend himself.

Lucius held his son close to him and stroked Draco's face with the palm of his hand tenderly. He smiled victoriously and amusedly by his son's forced surrender. Draco wanted to scream, but his lips seemed to be sealed.

"You're my doll, Draco," Lucius whispered against Draco's lips. "You're so perfect… Had you stayed by my side, I'd have tolerated your taste in men. I'm not that heartless. Your mother might not understand the needs of the flesh, but I do. I'm a man as well. We are driven by desire. I know it's hard to resist a man's seduction and beauty. It's hard to resist beauty in any way. It's even harder to resist toying said beauty."

Lucius pressed his thumb on Draco's lower lip and caressed it. Silently, Draco cursed himself for letting his father get near him enough to cast his vicious spell. He needed to fight it.

"It'd have been our little secret," continued Lucius in a whisper, eyes on Draco's mute desperation. He smiled in satisfaction. "I would have even tolerated you playing with Harry Potter. Playing, Draco, not loving him. I can't allow you to love Potter. I'm sorry, but that's too much to ask of my kindness. You must love your parents only. I even tolerated you sleeping with a Weasley, knowing it wouldn't last. How could it? They aren't worth of us. But I cannot tolerate Potter. I won't let you belong to him, because you belong only to me.

"I'm sure you read Charles Hagen's article. Isn't he adorably vicious? I just had to pay him a little and he was more than willingly to destroy your name and reputation. He surprised me with the quality of his work. I didn't expect all of those amusing pictures of you and Potter together. I certainly didn't expect that St Mungo's picture. He's good! And he'll keep writing vicious things about you until you realise your place, Draco. I don't even mind dirtying the Malfoy name as long as you come back to me.

"Give up Harry Potter. Give him up or I won't just destroy you, I'll destroy him as well. See, Draco, Harry Potter is an annoying brat, but I understand that he's just a pathetic human being worth nothing at all. I've heard of his depression and disgust with life in general. As long as he stays that way, I won't trouble myself with him. But it bothers me that you're with him, loving him, letting him put his dirty hands on you." Lucius squeezed Draco's cheeks and brought their lips closer. "That's my offer to you. You leave Potter and come back to me, and I leave Potter alone. As a bonus, I'll even make Charles Haggen disappear. I'll leave you to think about it."

Lucius finally let go of Draco, and the moment their connection was broken, the spell also wore off. Draco slid to the floor dizzily. Had he made a terrible mistake by thinking that he was up to confronting his father? Wasn't he stronger now? He bit his lower lip hard until he tasted blood. He didn't dare look at Lucius. He knew he would find a disgusting grin of victory adorning his face.

"Trinity!" Lucius shouted. The tiny house-elf appeared in the room trembling all over.

"Yes, sir?"

"Call your mistress," he ordered. "Tell her to come down to my office. Now!"

The house-elf dashed off. Meanwhile, Draco considered his options. He needed to gather his strength in order to deter his father from doing him any farther harm. He needed to fight back. He wasn't a weakling. He was an Auror, one of the best in his field. He had faced worse situations.

He was distracted by the arrival of his mother. He noticed that she looked paler than usual. Draco could tell that the episode with her sister had affected her. Narcissa and Bellatrix had been very close to each other. Did his mother really have the courage to kill her own flesh and blood? Was she that inhumane?

The whole thing disgusted Draco. He couldn't conceive the idea of Narcissa killing someone. She had an awful pride, she was vain and arrogant, and she liked to show her superiority to those she considered inferior to her. But a murderer? No, Draco couldn't believe that. Lucius had probably lied about it just to shock him.

"Narcissa, darling, I have some wonderful news. Draco has decided to stay with us for a while," he informed her with pleasure. She glanced at Draco expressionlessly. "Please, make sure his room is tidy. We want only the best for our dear child."

"I'm not staying," Draco said firmly.

"Nonsense Draco. You can't even walk, can you?"

Draco tried to raise himself from the floor but found that he couldn't move his legs yet. He sighed almost in despair. He wondered if Severus would come looking for him.

"Besides, haven't you come to your senses yet? Don't you care about Potter?"

Draco smiled humourlessly. "You have no idea what I care about. You never did. You only care about yourself and your own interests. And because I've dared to defy you, to fall in love, you want to punish me."

"Nonsense. I don't want to punish you. But I will if you fail to obey me. I can tolerate your homosexuality. I cannot, however, accept the fact that you love Potter. Don't you realise how absurd this is? The idea alone is…"

"Disgusting!" completed Narcissa, finally speaking up. "You're father is more understanding than I can ever be. Be grateful to have him as a father, Draco, for I'll never accept your disease."

"I stopped caring about what you think a long time ago, mother," said Draco bitterly. "So whatever you do or say, I won't let it bother me anymore. As for my father's understanding manners…" he sniggered, "indeed, he's so kind as to paralyse his son, threaten his lover and ruin his life. I'm very grateful to you. Thank you, father, for making my life a living hell!"

"That's what parents are for, Draco," Lucius sneered.

"You're both lunatics!" Draco cried, finally fed up with everything. "Use Harry against me, Father. Use him as much as you like. He's Harry Potter! He defeated Voldemort. Do you really think he'll be afraid of you? If you have a dying wish, then please, do go after him. Pester him as much as you like. But have in mind that he is ten times stronger than you." Draco smiled as he saw his father's confident expression fade away. "I won't give up on him. Destroy me if you wish. I don't care. For giving up my love for him is what would really kill me."

Lucius seemed about to explode in a fit of anger, but he controlled himself.

"I wouldn't be so stupid as to defy Harry Potter in a duel. This is the 21st Century after all. Things are done differently. I don't need to kill him. All I have to do is destroy his goody-goody reputation. The press is much more deadly than any curse. And people will believe in any newspaper rubbish. This is something we picked up from the Muggles. I guess they aren't so bad after all," Lucius smirked as he saw his son's smile wither.

"Why, father? Why do you hate me so much? Why can't you just let me be?"

"Why?" Lucius raised an eyebrow. "Do you dare ask me why? You know why, Draco. You're my only son! I had great expectations for you. But you threw it all away. You left me in jail. You made your mother put up with our family shame all alone. You went further as to become an Auror, have an affair with a Weasley and then, as a final blow, fall for Potter. I think these are reasons enough." Lucius pulled out his wand from his cane. Draco held his breath. "Let's end this. I'm tired already. Narcissa, the room!"

His wife left after a small nod. Lucius pointed his wand at Draco and smiled evilly.

"Now, Draco, don't get scared. I won't harm you. You know that, don't you?" Lucius knelt down in front of him and caressed Draco's face with the tip of his wand. "If your dear Potter comes for you, I might even reconsider my decision. As long as the bargain is worth it, I'll let him have you. See how kind I can be? How much do you think he's willing to pay to have you back?"

The sudden realisation of his father's words struck Draco, and he widened his eyes.

"You son of a bitch!" Draco exclaimed. "Is this your true intention? Luring Harry here? You're a sick bastard! He won't come! He won't negotiate with a bastard like you!"

"You're then telling me that his love for you isn't that great. How interesting! If that's the case, you can stay here with those who truly love you without having to worry about a thing anymore. Right?" Lucius smirked. "Oh, Draco… I thought I'd raised you better. You shouldn't have come here alone... You know I'm no good. I thought you knew how my mind worked."

"What do you want from him? You told me you don't care about him! You told me he's pathetic! He isn't in your way! Then why do you want him?" Draco asked, quickly becoming desperate for not knowing what his father's true motives were.

"I thought you said he can take care of himself. Why do you worry about him?"

"Father! Please! Don't do this! Leave him alone! It's me you want!"

"Indeed." Lucius looked more and more pleased by Draco's extreme anxiety.

"I'll do whatever you want! But please, leave him alone!"

Draco had lost. He knew it. His father had finally succeeded in driving him into a corner. But he couldn't bear the thought of his father blackmailing Harry for whatever dirty reason of his own. If it were in his power to spare Harry from being the object of Lucius' madness, he would do anything to protect his lover.

Lucius kissed Draco softly on the lips before getting up. Draco felt sick.

"Finally, Draco! I was getting tired of finding reasons to convince you. But since you are my son, and I know your disposition very well… Please, don't take what I'm about to do personally. Remember I love you."

"…"

"Stupefy!" cried Lucius.

-----------------------

He was making progress, or so he thought. How many days had it been already? One? Seven? A month? Harry didn't know. He had been in a muddle for quite some time, trapped in a very dark place, reliving his worst memories one by one, fighting them like a lion as they strode along. He had lost count of how many times he had battled Voldemort. So far he had always won, which was good. But he still couldn't get out of that awful place. Was there more to come? He was tired. He didn't want to stay there anymore. He had a place to return to. There was a pair of blue eyes constantly calling out to him. But he just couldn't find his way home.

What else should he do? He was feeling restless already. Perhaps that was it. Perhaps his last task was to tame his anxiety, learn how to control his hot temper.

Sirius hadn't learned any of that, though. His godfather was still block-headed and wild. He still couldn't get along well with Snape, even though they had married. If Sirius had returned retaining his untamed nature, then why couldn't Harry? It wasn't fair. Harry wanted to rush back to Draco's arms. It was where he belonged. He knew that now.

Then why couldn't he go back? What was holding him? He sat down on the dry soil, hid his face in his hands and cried like a baby. He didn't know how it happened, nor did he know how to stop. He just kept sobbing for a very long time, calling himself stupid and useless aloud. He wanted to give up. He was so exhausted. The only thing that gave him strength to wipe his tears away and regain his self-control was the image of Draco. He took a deep breath and picked himself up. There was a way out somewhere, and he would find it no matter what.

A light descended upon him, blinding him for a moment. He blinked, gulped, and once his vision settled, he felt like crying again. Standing just a few feet away from him was Remus. Next to him were his parents. Around them were many people who had died in the war. Harry barely knew most of them, but he felt responsible for their deaths even so. They had died because he had failed to protect them all. Or so he thought.

"Harry!" exclaimed a beautiful red-haired woman, coming forth and opening her arms welcoming.

Harry's eyes shone brightly at the sight of his mother, and he didn't think twice before hugging her.

"Mum!" he grinned broadly.

"We're so proud of you, honey," she spoke softly in his ear, running her hand down his head. "You've accomplished so much!"

Finding himself with a loss for words, Harry only nodded.

"Son," said his father, hugging him also. "We've always been watching over you. Always. You're so brave! We really are proud of you."

Harry stared at both of his parents with tears in his eyes. "This is a dream, right?"

"Even if it is, isn't it better to dream with us than to dream with Voldemort?" James joked.

"Totally!" Harry exclaimed. "I'm… I don't even know what to say. Even Remus is here! Remus!"

Remus stepped forward and hugged him for a moment. "Harry! I'm glad to see you. I was really worried about you."

"Remus… Remus… I miss you! I have so much to say to you," Harry began emotionally. "The way we parted that day… I feel so guilty! I didn't even say goodbye to you. I was so stupid. I…"

"It's okay, Harry. You don't have to feel this way. It wasn't your fault. You were hurt. You didn't know what was going to happen."

"But if I had asked you to stay…"

"I wouldn't have listened to you anyway," said Remus. "What do you feel guilty for? I told you many times that what happened to Sirius wasn't your fault. What happened to me wasn't your fault either. If someone is to blame for everything, that person is Voldemort. Now that we're finally free from him, we can rest in peace. We all deserve some rest, and that includes you."

"Give yourself a break, son," said James. "You don't need to worry about Voldemort anymore. He's nothing but a memory now. It's time to move on."

"Indeed!" Lily enlaced her hand in his and squeezed it. "You should take your time to live and to fall in love properly. There's a certain someone who needs you desperately."

Harry blushed. "You know about…"

Lily and James nodded.

"And you don't mind? I mean… it isn't… a girl…" Harry stuttered.

"You love him, don't you?" asked Lily.

"Yes, I do! As crazy as that sounds, I do love him," Harry answered with a smile.

"And he loves you. That's more than enough for us," said Lily.

"Besides, he helped you," pointed out James. "He made you learn how to appreciate life again."

"Yes. So now it's time to go back, Harry. It's time that you help him."

"Help him? What do you mean?" Harry asked worriedly.

Lily smiled feebly. "He needs you back now. And when you come face to face with him, think of all the good things that have happened between you two before hasting a decision."

"But…"

"We love you, son. Don't worry about a thing anymore. Just go after your own happiness. You deserve it," said his father. "Goodbye."

Lily, James and Remus waved at him as their bodies slowly faded into a cloudy mist.

"No! Wait! That's not fair!" Harry complained, watching them go. "I have a lot to talk about! I haven't even said goodbye to you properly! Dammit! Mum! Dad! Remus! Don't leave now! What the f…"

Harry was pulled out of dreamland abruptly, and as he opened his eyes he saw Tei Pei smiling at him. Harry felt disoriented at first, but when he finally regained his senses, he felt like going for Tei Pei's thin throat.

"You! I was with them and you pulled me out! Why?" he asked the little man. "You're the devil! Wasn't it part of my recovery to make peace with myself and my dead relatives?"

"You've accomplished enough, I think," answered Tei Pei with his usual low, soft voice. "If you want, we can go further. You can make contact with your beloved ones again. But I don't recommend it. I don't think you need it."

"I thought you said I was fucked up when I got here!"

Tei Pei's calm expression remained unaltered when he said, "I never use the 'F' word, Harry Potter. What I did tell you was that you were letting your fears get in the way of your life. The war caused you too much pain to bear alone, but still you decided to deal with everything your own way. And look what happened to you. You became bitter and cold. But how do you feel now?"

"Apart from being very pissed off?"

"Yes, apart from that."

Harry raised an eyebrow as he pondered about his present state of mind, and was surprised to realise that was feeling invigorated. He could suddenly feel every cell of his body, every beat of his heart.

"I feel… great!" he answered with a big smile. "Oh, my god! I feel wonderful!"

It had been such a long time since he had felt like he could conquer the world that he felt thrilled and amazed by the energy his body had just gained.

"I thought I would wake up feeling like shit! How long have I been out?"

"Oh, just one day."

"ONE DAY? Impossible!" Harry exclaimed, astonished. "It felt like forever in there!"

"It usually does. Sirius' case was much more difficult. I guess… your soul wasn't as damaged as I thought. And you are quite a strong wizard after all. Besides, you should also thank your lover. It seems that he helped you heal your heart."

Harry smiled. "He did, didn't he? That's really amazing. It'd have been nice if you had let me stay with my parents and Remus a little longer, but… I guess it's time for me to go home, right? Go home… to him." And then he remembered what his parents had told him about Draco, and he worried. "Tei Pei, my parents told me that Draco needs my help. Is he in trouble?"

Tei Pei shrugged. "How should I know? I'm not a Seer."

Harry made a face. "You could have fooled me… Seriously, is there something wrong with him?"

"That is something you'll have to check out for yourself. My job here is over. You've conquered your fears and you're finally free from most of the worries that weighted your heart. I suppose that, had we have more time, we could have done something to ease your wild spirit and hot-temper. But I guess you're like your godfather in that matter, and he was a lost case from the start… Don't be too stubborn, though. I'm sure you'll learn how to control your temper over the years. Life will be your teacher if you prove yourself to be a hard-working student. And you are, Harry Potter. You are. Your healing process was amazingly fast. I'm impressed! My advice to you now is: open yourself to the new and to forgiveness. If you learn how to do this, you'll live happily ever after," finished Tei Pei with a broad and gentle smile.

"So I'm free to go?" Harry asked anxiously.

"Yes, Mr Potter. You're free to go, unless you want to enjoy the pleasure of my company and the beautiful landscape around us for a little longer… But I sense that your mind is already somewhere else." Tei Pei grinned. "So go calm down your restless heart with the person you love."

"I will. Thank you," Harry said, emotionally.

Harry ran to tell Sirius the good news. Two hours later, they had packed and were ready to leave. Harry thanked Tei Pei profusely while Sirius promised the little man he would come back later in the future to work on his temper. Harry gave that beautiful land one last look, thinking how much he would miss it. It was a mystical place indeed, and he would never forget it.

Now that he finally felt free from his past, he was ready to accept Draco in his life unreservedly. He couldn't wait to see Draco. Would he notice something different in Harry? Later on, when he and Sirius were properly seated in a train to London, he asked him the same question.

"Yeah, I think you are different," said Sirius with a smile. "You look more at ease. But Harry… How should I say this?"

"Say what?"

"Well…" Sirius stared at his Godson. "I know by personal experience what your feelings are right now. But… Just because you could solve one problem, it doesn't mean all of the others will go away."

Harry frowned. "Meaning?"

"Meaning…" Sirius looked away as if he was hiding something from Harry. "That you'll only know for sure if you've learned your lesson well when facing another problem."

"Don't damp my spirits!" Harry exclaimed. "You're jealous because you took a year to recover while my staying took less than two months!"

Sirius gave Harry a weak smile. "I hope you're fully recovered, Harry, from the bottom of my heart."

Harry felt as if there was something behind that smile, and he knew for sure something was wrong when Sirius kept averting his eyes.

"What? What's the matter?" he asked with suspicion.

"Nothing."

"Sirius! You're lying! What's wrong?" Harry gripped his Godfather's arm firmly. "Is it something to do with Draco?" Sirius looked at him with surprise, and Harry's heart skipped a beat. "Jesus, Sirius! What? Have you talked to Snape?"

Sirius slowly nodded his head. "Yes. I talked to him this morning. I wanted to let him know we were coming back. He's at Grimmauld Place."

"And?" Harry pressured him anxiously.

Sirius bit his lower lip. "I was planning to wait until we got there to tell you this…"

"TELL ME WHAT?"

"Your nightmare, Harry… It was real," Sirius blurted. "Draco was attacked and his apartment was destroyed. Nothing serious happened to him; as you well know. After all, you talked to him that day. But… It seems things got more complicated. You see… Lucius is out of jail."

Harry closed his eyes. Suddenly, the world seemed out of focus. "Please, tell me Draco is okay."

"That's the thing. I don't know. Severus doesn't know either. Lucius has been tormenting Draco ever since he got put under house arrest. And yesterday Draco left to talk to his father and… so far he's failed to return to Grimmauld Place."

TBC…

A/N: Yeah, yeah. Evil cliffhanger. I know. I wish I had finished the next chapter already. It's almost done, but not quite. You see, a lot of bad things happened. My group was deleted twice. My old e-mail box was hacked and now I'm unable to enter… I lost many things because of this. Somebody is out there to make my life a living hell, and I don't know why. So I hope you can forgive me for the delay. And I hope you can forgive me for not updating this story faster. Since I'm feeling so depressed, please review and make me happy!