Warnings: spoilers for books 1-5 just to be safe. Also there will be NO spoilers for book 6. Eventual non-con. OOC for most characters as I'm not too good at writing Snape or Dumbledore to well.

AN: Thanks to Artificer for beta'ing all 7 chapters at once!

Silver and Cold

Chapter 6

Draco looked at the tiny man that burst from the fireplace and refrained from making a scathing comment.

"Mr. Malfoy, unless you can explain why your magical signature is all over a muggle house, you'll be taken into custody and given a life sentence in Azkaban for murdering two muggles and making an orphan of another," The man spoke coldly.

Draco looked at the man and sneered. "Those filthy muggles are lucky they died so quickly. I could have tortured them for days," Draco spat, reminding all the adults in the room just whose child he was.

Severus smirked at the Ministry worker's intake of breath. "Explain quickly Mr. Malfoy or you will be taken in by Aurors."

Draco glared at the tiny man as he growled, "I don't have to explain anything to you. You're nothing but a deplorable servant from that crackpot Ministry who relied on a child to do their job. Potter's mine! You lot had your chance and look how that turned out. Left him with those nasty muggles-"

"Mr. Potter has an obligation to the Wizarding world-" Dumbledore started to say, but Draco cut him off with a growl.

"Potter is my mate! The only obligation he has is to me! Those disgusting muggles almost killed my life-mate; he was beaten within an inch of his life. Even with magic, he has not fully healed. They're lucky that all I did was burn down their house," Draco sneered viciously.

The tiny man frowned. "I see; do you have proof that it was the muggles who abused your mate?"

Draco roared as he attempted to leap towards the man to rip him limp from limp, but his godfather prevented him.

"They locked him in a bloody cupboard under the stairs, you bastard! They beat him and locked him away! You and the Ministry better stay the fuck away from my mate!" Draco screeched in rage, his Veela heritage once again making itself known as his beak formed. Wings sprouted, ripping his clothes to shreds. Draco gave another loud cry in anger.

"I suggest, Mr. Periwinkle that you leave, post-haste. You've obviously been misinformed about the situation," Professor Snape told the man as he continued to hold his godson back.

"Of course. The Ministry will be informed of Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Potter's new status. Good day," The man said quickly and was gone.

Professor Snape looked to his godson. "Draco, calm down. He's gone now," he spoke gently as he pulled newly transfigured robes over his godson's bare skin.

Draco turned to look at the Headmaster. He gave another angry screech.

Professor Snape looked to his colleague. "I told you not to interfere. I'm sure I know who misinformed the Ministry about what really happened to Potter. This is your second and last warning, 'Headmaster.' I will not hold Draco back the next time when you push him into a Veela Rage," he stated angrily.

Draco gave a screech to agree with his godfather.

"Make no mistake, Headmaster. You no longer have control over Potter. Any further attempt in trying to regain that control will be on your head," Professor Snape sneered as he steered Draco out of the office.

Severus watched his godson idly as they made their way to Draco's sleeping quarters. "You need to calm down Draco, before you go back to Potter. I'm sure he doesn't need to stress of seeing you in this condition," Severus remarked.

Draco ignored his godfather and continued to make his way back to his mate. He needed to see his mate. He needed to know that his mate was safe and unharmed. He wouldn't calm down until he had his mate.

It was dark and silent when Harry opened his eyes. He looked around, trying to sort out where he was. He remembered Malfoy and knew he had been brought to Hogwarts, but where exactly in Hogwarts, he didn't know.

He blinked and then his hand was touching a stone wall. He could not remember getting up nor walking, but he must have. Harry scanned the darkness, hoping for another clue to his location. Touching the stone could tell him nothing else.

The Infirmary, maybe? Harry thought.

It had to be, it was the only logical place. It was always where he woke up and he couldn't remember what had happened that he was in Madam Pomfrey's ward. Harry made his way towards the door, using the wall as a crutch as well as a guide.

In those few steps Harry frowned; he couldn't remember the infirmary ever being so dark or so quiet. If anything, one could always hear Madam Pomfrey puttering about. It was a bit unnerving to be in the ward and feel as if there was no one around.

After accessing the door, Harry made his way into the hall. Again he frowned at the darkness that seemed to surround everything. It was eerily quiet in the hall. All he could hear was the echoing sound of his bare feet slapping on the stone floor. It was by memory alone that Harry was able to make his way to the grand staircase.

Harry was starting to feel really uneasy. He could only see far enough in front of his face to take a few steps, but never anymore than that through the darkness. He had encountered no one so far; no students running to the nurse for a hex gone astray, not even Peeves who always manages to waylay Harry no matter where he was in the castle.

"Hello?" Harry called out at the stairs hoping someone would answer. It was too dark to see if anyone else was on the stairs or not.

"ello... ello... ello..."

No one answered, but for his echo. He sighed and made his way down the stairs carefully. He had to get to the Great Hall; someone was bound to be there. The castle couldn't be completely empty. It was a long trek down the stairs; having to maneuver them through darkness proved difficult.

Harry stepped off the last stair as he reached the bottom and stood in the Entrance Hall. Through the strange dark mist that seemed to surround everything, he spotted Ron and headed over to his friend.

"Ron, thank Merlin I found you. It's really strange, but there doesn't seem to be anyone else in the castle. Do you know what's going on?"

Ron didn't answer, only turned to stare at Harry.

"Ron?"

Ron glared at him in disgust. "Freak! Stay away from me. You're not good enough to be here," Ron spoke coldly.

Harry frowned in confusion. "What? Ron, what's going on?" He asked, afraid to know the answer.

To Harry's surprise Ron began to blur than fade away to nothing. "Ron! Wait! What's happening?"

Harry walked further, heading, he hoped, towards the Great Hall. There had to be some one else in the castle, even if he had to search in the dark. He spotted familiar bushy brown hair and sighed in relief. He could get the truth from Hermione. She always knew everything.


"Hermione! Everything's all weird. Do you know what's going on? Ron said the oddest things to me."

Hermione looked at Harry haughtily. "Did you really think we wouldn't find out Harry? Everyone knows. The only thing you were good for was getting rid of You-Know-Who. You're nothing but an abnormal freak. You might as well give up being a wizard and go home. You'll never be a proper wizard."

Harry's eyes filled with tears. "Please Hermione. I don't know why. I don't mean to be. You can help me. Like you always do. I can be a wizard like everyone else. I'll be good. I will," Harry begged.

Hermione turned her face away, disappearing in the same fashion that Ron had.

Harry tried to follow her, but stopped when he didn't know which way to go. He couldn't stop the tears. No matter how hard Harry tried to hide the truth, his secret was exposed. The reality was that he was a freak; after having spent his childhood with his relatives beating the idea into him, he couldn't deny it any longer.

"Just what do you think you're doing, boy? We've told you from the beginning what you are. Now everyone knows the truth. You're nothing but a freak!"

Harry flinched at the sound of Uncle Vernon's voice. He turned and gasped when he saw his Uncle towering before him. Harry sunk to the ground and curled into a ball to prepare for the blows and kicks that inevitably came his way. His Uncle had found him. There was no escape now. If his Uncle could find him at Hogwarts, then he could find Harry anywhere. There was nowhere to hide. He would never be safe.

Harry cried out at the first kick. He had been expecting it, but it still hurt.

"Freak! You think you can escape? That those freaky things will save you? They won't. Even they don't want you. You're nothing but an ungrateful, nasty, freaky bastard! You should have died with your freaky parents! Save the world the trouble of having to deal with you!"

Another kick and Harry screamed out in pain. He couldn't stop himself from sobbing, from begging for mercy.


"Please! Uncle Vernon! Stop. I'll do whatever you say. I won't talk back…please…stop…please… "

"…Potter? Potter! Wake up!" Severus said as he shook Harry awake.

Severus and Draco had entered the suite and heard Harry's crying and pleading. Severus wasted no time in rushing into the boy's bedroom, as Draco was in no state to handle Harry. Draco rushed in just after his godfather and saw his mate struggling through what had to be a rather vivid nightmare.

It only added fuel to his rage. His mate was suffering because he had been abandoned to muggles who mistreated him. The Ministry had had the duty of protecting him and they had failed. It was all he could do to keep himself from storming the Ministry of Magic and burning it to the ground as well.

Draco watched as his godfather calmed his mate down by giving him a sedative potion and putting him back to sleep. He looked into his Severus's eyes and waited.

Severus sighed before saying gently, "There's psychological and emotional damage, as is common with abused children, Draco. He's bound to have nightmares after suffering such a traumatic event. Eventually, he will heal. It all depends on Potter. You need to remain calm around him. There's really nothing more you can do besides ensuring you don't agitate him. Leave him be for now."

Draco looked between his mate and his godfather, torn. He didn't want to leave his mate, but he knew Severus was right. Draco knew he needed to go calm himself so that his wings, and beak regressed. Resigned, Draco made his way to his own bedroom. He trusted his godfather to look after his mate.

Edited Jan. 06, 2006