"Izzy?" Draco trudged through the darkened halls of the house, calling and calling for his Aengel, "Izzy! Where are you?" But when she didn't answer, when she didn't come to him, his heart began to race and a horrible sick feeling rose up into his throat.

What if she had disappeared again?

What if, suddenly, she had decided that she didn't like him anymore and decided to leave? The boy gave a dry sob and leant heavily against the wall, a feeling of incredible weakness suddenly overcoming him.

Why did everyone want to leave him? Even the people who he thought he could trust and rely on, above all others, were abandoning him. Perhaps his papa really was right, perhaps he was bad an' ungrateful an' that's why nobody liked him…

"Draco? Poppet, what's wrong?" Draco turned his tear-stained face up to her, a painful relief creeping into every inch of his small body,

"Please…" He whispered, "Please don't ever go away. Please don't leave me!" She held him close and kissed him lightly on the forehead,

"Of course I won't." Izzy murmured, stroking his hair gently, "What's brought all this on, hey?" Draco leant against her, devouring all the love and comfort he so badly needed with a fierce desperation,

"He's goin' back to th-the big school." Draco told her sullenly, "He says they needs him there. But…but I need him here!" He hesitated before adding, "And you need him too, don't you, Izzy?" Draco looked up as he got no reply, "You need him too, don't you?" He repeated. Izzy frowned and looked down at him, as though awakening from a trance,

"Yes, Poppet." She said, very slowly, "Yes. I need him too."

"I'm going out." Lucius stated, picking up his gloves,

"Have a nice time dear." His wife replied, not looking up from his book,

"Don't wait up for me."

"I won't." Narcissa assured him earnestly, turning the page,

"And you're not to touch the coffee or cigarettes."

"Wouldn't dream of it, Darling."

"Well?" Lucius demanded, feeling slightly put out by Narcissa's lack of argument, "Aren't you even going to ask where I'm going?"

"I'm sure, if you wanted me to know, you'd have told me by now." She said morosely, still not taking her eyes off the page,

"Quite right too." He suddenly had a strange feeling of triumph and absolutely no idea why.

Curious…

"Sev?"

"Yes?"

"Draco's very upset that you're leaving."

"I know."

"I'm upset that you're leaving."

"I know."

"Why do you have to go?"

"I have a job. It's my responsibility."

"Draco's your responsibility too."

"Yes. But he's got you. You'll look after him. As will the others."

"He thinks you're abandoning him…just like his mother did. He thinks you don't like him anymore."

"I am not Narcissa. If I could stay, I would."

"I know."

"I have to go now."

"Sev?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

"I know. I love you too."

A/N: Greetings one and all! Sorry that this chappie was so short, but...yeah it is. Lol:-)

Ho hum n-ee-way... chocolate dragon hugs to the following…

Ellie, Hogaboom, lollenk, LuciousLadyLucius, Dark Princesses, Anime girl23, Sailor Hecate, Nikki's Evil Doppelganger, MyStErIoSaNgEl101, -addicted-2-hp-, lilmissgullable, TimeMage0955, Hayes, blueeyedChibi, the look of lve, perfectpureblood, 13BlackAngels, libster59, Tamika DanarDraco.

All my love and lots 'o kisses, Lilyxxxxx