A/N: I want to thank all the people who reviewed the original version of chapter ten giving me ideas of things I could add. I took those ideas and amazingly I managed to write a rough outline and even more amazingly I've been following it. And it led to this. The second longest ifnot longest chapter in the story. I hope it's just fluffy and saddening enough. Thank you again!

Harry nodded to Draco. He saw the merit in sitting on the couch for what promised to be a lengthy conversation, but he also saw the problem with keeping Severus in the room. While Severus had gone through the marking ritual already in the poor little boys mind it was less than prudent to discuss something that was bound to be disturbing in front of a five-year-old. "Sev?" Severus didn't look up but continued to play with the laces on his shoes. "Sev?" Harry tried again. Severus stood up and crossed the room keeping his back to the confused seventh year as if he hadn't heard a word. "Come on Sev, look at me."

When the little boy still didn't reply in any form, verbally or physically Harry began to worry. He crawled across the room, ignoring Draco's comment about his backside and forcefully turned the black haired boy towards him. Severus was staring over Harry's shoulder, a look of absolute horror plastered on his face and tears pouring down hot and heavy.

Harry drew the little boy to him not sure what memory he was lost in but fairly certain he'd find out shortly enough.

"Let go of me Potter you bastard!" Angry tears continued to track down his cheeks. "You knew, you knew and you almost let me…that thing almost! Potter you are so dead! I'm going to tell Dumbledore about this." There was a pause where the little boys expression went from undisguised horror to anger to malicious glee. "I'll bet he'll expel you and Black!"

Harry let go of Severus in shock. But Severus wasn't done yet, crowing in absolute delight, "Oh yes, and I'll be rewarded greatly. Just you wait Potter. I wonder if I can get your wolf expelled as well."

"Oh Merlin Sev," he said sadly, holding the struggling boy to him, already preparing for the confusion that always followed, "don't you have at least one happy memory?"

"Harwy what's goin on?" Severus asked, tilting his head all the way back so he could see Harry's face.

Harry pressed a kiss to his forehead, "Draco and I are having a conversation."

"Drayco?" Severus squealed, bouncing out of Harry's arms and into the blonde's. Draco smiled affectionately, settling the black haired boy into his lap. The five year old snuggled up against him contentedly. Draco ran his fingers through the fine raven-hair with a bemused expression.

He looked like he wanted to say something but thought better of it. Harry was glad.

"You want me to come back later?" he asked after a few minutes of silence. Severus was staring at Harry oddly. Harry didn't know what to make of it. The look he was receiving was something between fear and complete curiosity. The fear was what confused him the most. What was the little boy afraid of? It wasn't a vision that he was certain of. Severus' thumb was back in his mouth. A habit, Harry realized, he might have to break before he ruined his teeth permanently. He was burrowed into Draco's side looking like the world was out to get him. Harry did not understand it all.

"Sure, I'm sorry you came down here for nothing," Harry apologized. "I do want to talk later. Tonight maybe?"

"Eight sound good?"

"Will it give you enough time before curfew?"

Draco looked at him suspiciously, "When did you start worrying about curfew?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "I don't, but you being head boy should."

"I'm above the law," he said haughtily. "And it's my night to patrol," he added with a small grin.

Harry nodded, smiling. "I'll see you then?"

"Yes," he answered, trying to stand up. Severus wouldn't let go of the blonde. He clung to the boy like he was his mother. Harry was flummoxed and he wasn't the only one.

"Don' go," Severus whimpered fearfully. "Please?"

Draco pulled the boy onto his lap and rocked him back and forth. "I'll only be gone for a little while, Sev. Harry's here, nothings going to hurt you."

Severus looked up at him eyes wide. "You means it?"

Draco tapped him on the nose. "You bet."

Severus nodded slowly sliding off the blondes lap. "Promise?"

"I promise," Draco laughed, ruffling the black hair. "I'll be back squirt you can count on it."

Severus hugged Draco tightly, before leaping off the couch and running over to Harry. "Harry, I wanna…oh."

Draco titled his head goodbye as he exited the room leaving a rather amused Harry to deal with a suddenly hyperactive five-year-old. Harry stood up and picked Severus up off the ground. The child wrapped his arms around Harry's neck burying his head against his shoulder. Harry couldn't quite figure him out. One minute he was desolate the next he was bouncing off the walls. Harry wondered idly if all five-year-olds were like this when he felt a tongue go up the side of his neck followed by the sound of muffled giggles. Harry wrinkled his nose in disgust causing the boy to laugh even harder. Harry chuckled wanting to wipe his neck but not wanting to look angry. Severus was happy for once, and despite the fact that that was all Harry really wanted he couldn't help but worry about the five year olds frame of mind. Two traumatic memories in a span of thirty minutes and the boy was all smiles. Harry knew Severus remembered them. Now he had to get him to talk about it. This was going to be like pulling teeth.

"I wanna go outside," Severus announced, sliding out of Harry's arms to the floor. "I wanna go outside!"

"All right, we'll go outside on one condition."

Severus looked up at him curiously. "Whas that?"

"You eat a sandwich before we do."

Severus grinned, nodding enthusiastically. He happily clambered up onto one of the wooden chairs that surrounded the table and reached across to the plate that had sandwiches on them. Peanut butter and Jelly, it had become a staple in Harry's day he realized grabbing a half of one for himself. He was hungrier than he had thought. He picked up the other half and ate that as well. Severus was munching away rapidly on half of a sandwich. The peanut butter and jelly oozed out the back and plopped down on the wooden table. Harry would worry about that mess later.

"Slow down, Sev" Harry instructed waiting until Severus complied. The little boy pulled the sandwich away from his mouth revealing the peanut butter and jelly that was smeared around his mouth. Harry finished off his sandwich and licked his fingers heading over to the sink. He turned on the tap and let the water run a bit until it was warm. He then took a washrag and wet it.

Severus in the mean time had finished off his sandwich and was bouncing impatiently in his seat. He really wanted to go outside, but Harry had to wait till Severus washed his face and hands first. He pulled a chair up to the sink. Severus climbed up onto it and took the damp rag from Harry and haphazardly washed his face and hands. Harry sighed, taking the rag back and properly cleaning the onyx-eyed boy's face. Severus tried to duck the washcloth futilely.

"Can we go out now," he whined, sitting down on the chair then sliding off it. "Please Harry you promised."

"I did," Harry conceded. "But first we have to get your coat on."

"'Kay." He scampered off to the bedroom. Harry followed at a leisurely pace and waited just inside the doorway. Severus was flying around the room throwing open drawers and flinging open the closet searching for his coat. He finally found it folded on top of the closet far too high up to reach. Harry walked up behind him, lifting him up off the floor so Severus could get it himself. The little boy stretched his arms out to get the black button up jacket and smiled in triumph when he finally got it. Harry set him back down on the ground and helped Severus put the jacket on over the bulky deep blue sweater and then deftly buttoned it up. Harry then reached up on the shelf of the closet and pulled down a dark gray hat with a pompom on top and flaps that covered up the ears, forest green mittens, and a Slytherin scarf. Harry smiled bemusedly at the scarf wondering how he had missed that before. Severus scowled when he saw the objects and stuffed his hands in his pocket.

"Don' wanna," he whined, stomping his foot "Don' wanna, don' wanna, don' WANNA! "

Harry groaned. "Sev please put them on," he beseeched, attempting to get the hat on Severus' head. The little boy flailed wildly preventing Harry from getting near enough. Harry tried again and almost managed to get it on when the hat went sailing across the room, sliding under the bed. "We're not going out without these on."

"You're not wearing 'em," Severus' pointed out, pouting petulantly. "You don' wear 'em I don' wear em."

Harry exhaled noisily, "So, you'll wear the hat and mittens if I do?"

Severus nodded, biting his bottom lip, swaying back and forth. Harry turned and went to the trunk at the foot of his bed, making a big show of opening it up and digging around. He found them right away. The gloves, hat and scarf were all laid out on top of his clothing, where the house elves must have left them after they had been cleaned.

"Ah HA!" He exclaimed, noting that in Severus' infallible curiosity, the five-year-old had drifted forward until he was right behind him. Harry swung around, grabbing the little boy up in his arms, continuing the loop. Severus giggled wildly, even as Harry placed him back down on the ground. Severus looked up at him cheeks flushed and hair tousled. Harry found it amusing and ruffled Severus' hair even more. He was rather surprised when the black haired boy didn't bat his hands away like normal.

Severus was bouncing up and down impatiently on the balls of his feet. His onyx eyes alight with excitement and eagerness. Harry couldn't say no to the ear-splitting smile he was receiving. He pulled out his hat, scarf and gloves and laid them on the bed before going back to the closet again and grabbing his jacket. He figured that the winter cloaks he owned weren't really appropriate play clothes for early spring. That was also his reasoning for taking Severus' rubber rain boots out the closet as well. He placed the boots down in front of Severus with a pointed look.

"Do I halfta?" Severus asked already slipping the bright yellow boots on over his bright blue socks. Harry snorted, putting on his own black shoes. He then shrugged on his own dark blue jacket and draped the scarf over his neck. Severus looked at him for a moment before putting on the green and silver scarf as well. The scarf hung down to his ankles. Harry kneeled down in front of him and wrapped the object loosely around Severus' neck so that it only hung down to his stomach. Severus tugged at the ends of the scarf bored again, "Can we go out now?"

Harry grinned and nodded. Severus let out a shout of joy and ran out of the bedroom in a flash.

"Come on Harry, I wanna go outside!" He cried excitedly.

"Hang on, I'm coming." Harry crawled over to the bed and reached under it for the hat that had disappeared underneath.

"Hang on, I'm coming." Harry crawled over to the bed and reached under it for the hat that had disappeared underneath. He grabbed it and his and Severus' gloves before he left them room. He saw Severus glaring at him impatiently from the door. He picked his wand up from the side table and pocketed it. "All right I'm ready."

It was amazing how empty the school was on a Hogsmeade weekend. Mud squelched under their shoes as Harry chased Severus across the grassy terrain. The grounds were thawing again. Small buds were shooting out of the ground, few of which were already in bloom. They had only been out for a few minutes and already the little boy's hat and mittens had come off and were currently residing in Harry's jacket pockets. Severus stumbled and fell face first into a puddle of mud, getting covered in the sludge. Harry ran forward, skidding to a halt and knelt beside him, ignoring the wetness that seeped through the denim of his jeans against his knees from the damp grass. He soothingly helped the little boy sit up and wiped some mud off the pale face with his thumb. He was caked in it. From head to toe, the child was shaking like a leaf in the breeze. The muck dripped from the long locks of raven hair into the five-year-old's face.

"You're all right," Harry calmed, gently heaving Severus out of the mud and onto his lap. He yanked down on his sleeve and began to gently dab at the mud that still covered all of Severus' face. Severus buried his face into Harry's jacket, hot tears mixing with the mud. The shaking intensified, as the sobs grew louder. Harry ran a gloved hand over the small boy's back.

"Daddy's not gonna be happy," Severus whispered, digging his fingers securely into the jacket. "He doesn' likes mud bought inside. He says it isn' prowoper for a lil' boy to be so dirty."

Harry hugged Severus closer, and tenderly kissed the crown of his head. "Sev, is your father here?"

Severus pulled back a little ways so he could see Harry's face. "No."

Harry placed two fingers under the little boys chin keeping it tilted up. He leaned forward, resting his forehead carefully against the mud smeared five-year-old's. "Then how's he going to know?"

Severus gazed at him nervously, his eye's darting around looking for someone. "You won' tell him? Everyone one else tell'd him."

"Well, I'm not everyone else am I?" Harry smirked, kissing Sev's nose before pushing him off his lap. Severus looked up at him in bewilderment. "I thought you wanted to play?" Harry said innocently.

"I do!" cried Severus in indignation. He hopped up, clapping his hands together. Harry unfolded his legs, standing up stiffly. "I wanna play Harry!"

"Good," Harry said, clasped Severus' hand so the black-haired boy couldn't run off. "Now let's go see if we can't find someone else to join us."

"'Kay." Severus smiled up at him shyly. Harry ran a hand through his thick black hair once, before pulling out his wand. He cast a quick cleansing charm on Severus, hoping to remove at least a smidge of the mud. It worked, sort of, at least now all Harry could see the boy's true skin color. The prospect of having to give Severus a bath tonight was daunting. He hadn't forgot the violent reaction to the bath he had tried to give the boy a week ago.

Harry had been allowing Severus to stop and examine every new flower bud they happened across. Even with the enthusiasm Sev had been showing to each and every single new showing of life, Harry was getting tired of it. He thought it was adorable, but it was becoming annoying quickly. Harry stood behind Severus with as much patience as possible as the little boy babbled on about all the possible ways one could use a green shoot in potions. Harry shook his head, and rubbed his forehead in exasperation. This was too unbelievably like a potions class and while it meant some of Severus' knowledge of his art was coming back it also meant that soon more memories of Harry from Severus' adult opinion would come back as well. The first time Severus had told him he thought he hated him he had longed to erase the years of animosity that had existed between them. Take back all the hateful spiteful things he had said to the man. He wistfully ran his fingers through Severus' fine black hair. He knew he only had a few days left with the boy but he secretly wished that the boy would stay a boy just a little longer.

"Harry, Severus!"

Harry turned around with a smile on his face. "Hey guys," he greeted, keeping one hand on the back of Severus' head. He did not want to have to go search for him if he lost sight of the boy on the grounds. "How was Hogsmeade?"

Ron chuckled, "Not as eventful as your afternoon seems to have been?" He looked them over, "What have you two been doing? Mud bathing?"

"Might as well have been," Harry admitted.

Severus tugged on his hand vying for attention. "Harry HARRY!"

Harry looked down at Severus, who was currently examining a tiny green plant. "Yes, Sev?"

"Do you tink this will work good in a potion?" He looked up at Harry in interest.

Harry didn't know how to answer that. He wasn't any good at potions so he couldn't say yes but he also couldn't say no either in good conscience. Severus obviously valued his opinion, but Harry didn't want to give the young boy the wrong answer. So instead he smiled and asked in return, "Do you think it will?"

Severus appeared to be pondering this as he looked over the sprout again. He nodded decisively. "It will."

"All right then."

Hermione smiled warmly when Severus asked her if she thought he was correct. She nodded. "It's wonderful, a perfect ingredient for a potion," she complimented. "You have an amazing eye for this."

Severus smiled ear to ear at the compliment. "I thought sos too."

Harry rubbed his forehead over his scar unthinkingly. It took all of five seconds after the action for him to realize his scar had been itching for sometime. He picked Severus up off the ground despite the protests. He knew it was only a matter of time before the pain exploded. They needed to get indoors.

"What's wrong, mate?" Ron asked inspecting Harry's pale face closely. "You look a bit peaky."

"It's nothing," he reassured, cringing as he felt pain slam into his stomach. He stumbled foreward before dropping to his knees. Severus called out in alarm as he began to cry. He clutched Harry tightly. Burying his tear streaked face against Harry's neck. Both boys cried out again as another wall of agony slammed into them. Harry's forehead was on fire. He grabbed at his scar willing the pain away distraughtly. He wanted it gone. Wanted Voldemort to go away and leave them alone. It hadn't been that long since the last calling. What could the bastard want now? Harry could no longer think as he screamed out in horror.

"Wormtail," Voldemort hissed, "what have you dissscovered?"

"There is a traitor in our midst," the nervous man squeaked, quivering in fear.

"Bring him to me."

"Y-yes ma-master," the man stuttered, scurrying out of the room.

Dark laughter issued from Voldemort's mouth. "Soooo, Malfoy, you thought you could betray me."

"No my lord," Lucius said coolly. "I would never-"

"SILENCE." Voldemort hissed, "You shall pay for your disobedience. CRUCIO!"

"They haven't stopped screaming!" Hermione hollered over the hoarse screaming as it raised another octave. "Harry just grabbed Severus and collapsed!"

Madame Pomfrey nodded casting a silencing charm on the two. Hermione looked flabbergasted at this action. She made to protest, but Madame Pomfrey cut her off. "It's for their own good and ours." She leaned in close her eyes flickered towards the door before meeting Hermione's concerned brown ones. "We don't want the wrong sort of people to know just how much pain they are in."

Hermione's eyes widened and she nodded. "Ma'am," she said hesitantly. "Perhaps someone should contact Malfoy."

"Why ever would we want to do that?" The matronly lady demanded.

Hermione chewed on her bottom lip, "Well, right after Harry collapsed, he shouted out the name Malfoy."

Madame Pomfrey quirked an eyebrow at the girls remark, "And you didn't tell me this sooner?"

"I didn't think it was that important," she said, and quickly added, "ma'am."

The healer huffed in annoyance, "Miss Granger, next time tell me these things. That indicates that the pain didn't start from Severus it started with Harry."

"What?" Hermione blinked owlishly trying to comprehend what the healer was telling her. She stared down at the two boys puzzled. Last time she knew for certain the pain had started from Severus and she only thought Harry was having a vision and nothing more. Now, she frowned looking between Harry and Severus, Harry was the trigger and Severus felt the pain second. "Harry's vision's don't affect other people."

"That is true Miss Granger, normally."

Hermione sighed. She could feel a headache forming just behind her temples. "And this is not normally?" she asked.

Madame Pomfrey leveled a glare at the brunette and in clipped tones replied, "No, Dumbledore placed a spell to transfer pain from one to the other, knowing that Voldemort would be displeased with Severus."

"Harry never said anything," Hermione said, shaking her head in amazement.

Madame Pomfrey patted her awkwardly on the shoulder. "He wouldn't have."

Hermione had been sitting on the same wooden chair for an hour, just waiting. About a half an hour ago she had leaned forward so her elbows were resting on the bed. The comfortable postion allowed her to see both the door and the two boys lying on the bed Her head was currently resting on her arms. Neither Harry nor Severus had shown any signs of waking yet and Draco still hadn't shown up. Hermione didn't know what to think about this. She was certain Madame Pomfrey would have told him straight away. She sighed for the thousandth time. It worried her that Harry hadn't come around yet. She had seen the aftereffects of his visions before but none had kept him unconscious this long. He normally woke right out of them in considerable mental and physical pain. This was too long. Something was very, very wrong.

"Mina?" A small voice rasped questioningly. Hermione's head shot up in surprise. Severus was looking at her with pain filled eyes. "Mina? Luc'us isn't wakin up."

Hermione uncrossed her arms, pulling Severus to her. The little boy curled up against her chest, gazing up at her in confusion. "Why's he not wakin up?"

"Oh sweetie," she murmured realizing the severity of what had happened. Lucius was dead from the way Severus made it sound, unless he was unconscious. She had no way of knowing until Harry awoke, or get Severus to tell her what he had seen. Hermione did not want to hurt the little boy more by making him relive whatever it was that he saw, but one look at Harry's still body told her she didn't have much of a choice. "Tell Mina what happened?" she coaxed gently. She hated that she had to do this.

"It was no good Mina," Severus whispered. "Dark Lord saided Lu'cus betrayed him. He…he cast cruke…cris…crus…he hurted him badly."

"Crucio," Hermione muttered under her breathe more to herself than to the little boy snuggled up against her. "Then what happened?"

Severus eyes went wide, "Avada k-k-k."

"The killing curse," she breathed, feeling sorry for Draco even though she wasn't all that upset about it. She had never liked the elder Malfoy for obvious reasons but she never wished he would die.

"He's dead," a hollow voice echoed through the wing. Hermione looked up meeting placid silver.

"Draco," she said sadly, her heart aching for the lost blonde. "Will you be all right?"

Draco nodded, sinking down onto one of the beds. "My fathers dead."

"Luc'us is dead?" Severus squeaked horrified. "Dead? He's my fwiend he can' be dead."

Hermione pressed a firm kiss to the boys head. "Why don't you try to wake Harry up Sev."

Severus nodded dismally and crawled back across the bed and sat in front of Harry's face. "Harry," he said, jabbing a finger at the boy's sternum. "Wake up. Harry." He pushed at Harry with both hands. "Wake up."

Harry groaned, rousing slowly. His green eyes flickered between the three sad faces. "You know?" he croaked.

Draco nodded curtly. He repeatedly ran his hand through his blonde hair. Harry was too sore to move. He wanted to talk to the blonde. Explain better than any five-year-old could. He wanted to comfort his good friend and he was rather trapped in bed. He was angry for Draco. The other boy didn't even know his father was shifting towards the light side. Harry had been informed months ago. He had assumed Dumbledore would have talked to Draco by now. He felt every bit the idiot. He should have known better than to trust Dumbledore when it came to Draco. Every step of the way Dumbledore had tried to get him to cut ties with the boy and Harry had stood firmly at the blonde's side. Harry's insane amount of trust in the blonde gave the two a close tie that neither shared with anyone else. All Lucius had been trying to do was protect his son. Now his brain was working overtime as he thought of as many ways as possible to side-step Dumbledore and keep Voldemort at bay. Now, however, he didn't have any distinct ideas but he had vague notions of what he could do. First things first though, shelter Draco. The blonde was parentless now. Narcissa had been killed when the Ministry had raided Malfoy Manor a few months back. The boy was an orphan. Harry refused to believe there was nothing he could do to help.

Severus pressed his glasses in his hand. Harry smiled at the boy, planting a smacking kiss on his cheek. Severus blushed, before returning the gesture and scooting off the bed. He stood in front of Draco, arms outstretched in a plea to be picked up. The beds were still too high for him to get up on by himself. Draco lifted the five-year-old up and settled him on his lap. Severus wrapped his arms around Draco's waist giving him a tight hug.

"What am I going to do?" Draco moaned, rubbing his face furiously. He looked miserable, lost, and afraid. Severus had yet to let giving the blonde comfort even if he didn't know why. Harry wanted to get up and pull the blonde into a hug as well but his limbs refused to cooperate with his brain.

Harry now knew it was up to him to grow up and take responsibility. While he knew it wasn't his fault Lucius had died, he had kept the fact that Lucius had been spying for the light alongside Severus for the last few months. "You're going to be kept safe. Easter break is this weekend. Some students will leave and so will you."

Draco stared at him, "I thought Dumbledore wasn't allowing you to hide me."

"On any of the properties he knows exists yes," he replied, turning as much as his body would allow. "But the list is only of the ones I happened to know I was going to want. Not all the ones I own. He can't prevent you from leaving if he doesn't know where you are going. And who's going to tell him Lucius is dead."

Draco looked mildly impressed, but his eyes were stricken with anguish. "You kept them hidden from Dumbledore?"

Hermione snickered earning odd looks from all three boys. "Dumbledore isn't infallible. He can't know everything. He's just very good at reading people."

"Harry, I'm tiwerd," Severus yawned, cuddling against Draco. His eye's drooping in exhaustion. "Spleepy," he mumbled, sticking his thumb in his mouth. Draco carried Severus over to Harry and laid the little boy next to him. Harry ran his hand through Severus' wayward hair with a sigh. Harry knew they were in for a long night. He glanced at Hermione who was smiling affectionately at them, then at Draco who was still looking depressed, but a little hopeful as well. Harry only hoped he could live up to their expectations. Severus was out. His breathing had evened out the moment he had been placed next to Harry.

Harry hoped he got through one night without being reawaken by terrified screams or angry sneers. Hermione kissed him on the forehead. Harry smiled, grabbing her hand. He squeezed it once then released it letting her go.

"Draco, if you want you can stay," he offered shyly.

Draco smiled in thanks but shook his head, "I'll be back in the morning one more night in the snake pit won't hurt."

Harry nodded in understanding. He returned the hug the blonde gave him to the best of his abilities. Draco whispered goodnight as he exited the hospital wing, leaving Harry and Severus alone.

Harry's back and arms were still incredibly sore. He didn't even want to test out his legs. It had been a long time since he had been forced to witness a death like that. It bothered him more that Voldemort had known to show him it. He had been very aware of Harry being in his mind. Harry shuddered remembering the way Voldemort had taunted Lucius with the knowledge that Harry could see what was happening. That by his subsequent betrayal Harry would be witnessing his death in his sleep. Harry yawned wildly, turning on his side, trapping the five-year-old in his arms. He only vaguely noted that both of them were clean.

A/N: So... was it worth the four month wait? I hope you feel it was and too everyone who reviewed with the original chapter tenI took your reviews and just resubmitted them.

Please Review!