Author's note- Hey all! I'm back! I have only written a few chapters of this story and I'm currently editing those, so please be patient with me. I want this to be right and enjoyable for y'all. Especially since it's taken me SO LONG to get here. Anyway, without further ado, please enjoy!- Much love, Sarah

Chapter One

Thursday December 25, 1997

12:04 AM

He couldn't move.

He was sinking.

Sinking deeper and deeper into a fathomless dark abyss.

Hermione's gone.

Sinking.

Gone.

Drowning.

Smack!

"DRACO!"

It was as if someone had removed cotton from his ears. Sound came rushing back to him with a resounding POP. He blinked and found himself staring into the black flecked sapphire eyes of his best friend. He blinked again. "Blaise?"

"Yeah, it's me, mate."

"Hermione's gone."

Blaise sniffed and wiped his nose on his sleeve. "I know, mate. I know."

Draco furrowed his brow. "She was taken… By Death Eaters… Why would they do that?"

Blaise watched him as he slipped back into his dazed stupor. He had never seen Draco like this before. Sure had seen him upset, angry, even sad, but this? This was something altogether different. He was just… broken. He wanted to do something, but he was clueless as to what.

He didn't get a chance to think on it anyway because at that moment, a series of pops sounded off around them and their wands flew into the air. He didn't have to be a genius to know that the five witches and wizards surrounding them were Aurors from the Ministry of Magic. He had seen more Aurors than he cared to admit in his seventeen years because of his father.

"Coercere," said an Auror from behind them.

Blaise winced slightly as both he and Draco had their hands magically wrenched behind their backs. Rope slithered around their wrists. Keeping still, he looked into the face of the man that cautiously approached them.

He was a stout man, slightly big around the middle, with a head of thinning brown hair. He placed his wand in the holster on his hip. His round eyes were sharp, but unassuming. "Gibbons, check the rest of the house," he ordered one of the female Aurors.

As she passed him, she handed him three wands. He slipped them into his inside robe pocket and put his attention back on the boys. "I'm Auror Hawk from the Ministry of Magic," he said, taking a small notepad and a quill from another pocket.

"Sir, I've got two muggles down here," called Auror Gibbons. "One male, one female, both injured."

"Dewell, go help Gibbons with the Muggles. Heatherton, Jones, start looking for evidence," Auror Hawk stated.

"Will the Grangers be all right?" Blaise asked.

Auror Hawk narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Draco for a brief moment. "Don't you worry about them. They'll be well cared for," he remarked, looking back at Blaise. "Now, you want to tell me your names?"

Blaise met his stare head on. "I'll answer all of your questions when I know the Grangers are all right."

The Auror snorted in slight disapproval, but he looked over his shoulder and called out, "Gibbons, Dewell, how are the Mugg-"

"Grangers," Blaise growled. "Tom and Jane."

"Grangers," Auror Hawk corrected, "doing?"

"We've healed and stablized them, but I'd feel better if a Medi or a Healer took a look at them just to be safe," Dewell answered.

Auror Hawk gave the order for him to send for a Healer and gave Blaise an expectant look. "Now you know they're fine, what are your names?"

Blaise met his stare head on as he answered, "Blaise Zabini and Draco Malfoy."

"Zabini… Malfoy… I know those names," Auror Hawk stated. "You're the sons of Lucius Malfoy and Pietro Zabini. Now why would the sons of two well known death eaters be in a Muggle home?"

While the question wasn't unexpected, it still rankled. Huffing indignantly, Blaise said, "My sister wanted to visit the people that raised her and she asked Draco and I to come along."

"Your sister, ay?" Auror Hawk questioned, making some notes on his little pad. "What's her name?"

"Hermione Zabini, but you might know her better as Hermione Granger."

Recognition flitted across Auror Hawk's face. "Hermione Gra… Good heavens! Yes, I remember reading the article in the Evening Prophet. And where is she? I'll need to talk to her."

"She's been taken. Right from this room," Blaise told him. "That's why it looks like this."

Auror Hawk looked around the room. "Looks like quite a struggle took place. Can you tell me what happened?"

Blaise nodded. "The three of us, Hermione, Draco, and I, came to spend Christmas Eve with the Grangers. We ate dinner, watched some Muggle television, Draco and Hermione were washing up and then, I guess Hermione went up to bed because the next thing I know, there's a loud bang and Hermione was screaming."

Auror Hawk nodded and made some more notes. "What happened after Hermione screamed?"

"We all ran up the stairs. Draco got up here first, then me. The Grangers were a little behind me," Blaise informed him. He then went on to explain how despite trying after Draco had entered the room, he had been unable due to some kind of barrier that had been there at the time. "That's how the Grangers got hurt. When I was blown back, I knocked into them and we went rolling down the stairs."

He took a deep breath and shifted uncomfortably against his bindings. "After I checked to make sure they were both still breathing, I came back up here and the room was filled with Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder. I cleared it and," he looked around the room, "this is what I saw."

The Auror in charge took in the scene again. All the broken glass, the various items that had been knocked over or pulled from their spot, and the blood near the window seemed to match with the boy's recollection of events. "Did you see the person, or persons, that took her?"

Blaise shook his head. "No, but just before you got here, Draco said something about Death Eaters."

"Are they an enemy of Miss Zabini's?"

The second the words were out of his mouth, Auror Hawk knew how idiotic he sounded. "I'm sorry, that was moronic," he said sheepishly. "Ahem… Can you think of a reason, other than the obvious, why Hermione would be taken?"

"No, Sir."

"Sir, Mrs. Granger is coming around," called Dewell.

"All right, I'll be there in just a moment." He turned to one of the other Aurors in the room. "Heatherton, remove their bindings and send an alert to Malfoy Manor and Zabini Mansion."

"Yes, Sir," Heatherton replied.

As Heatherton removed Blaise's bindings, Auror Hawk turned and headed for the door. A second later he stopped and came back. "You can have these back," he said, reaching into the inside pocket of his robes and withdrawing Blaise's, Draco's, and Hermione's wands.

Blaise stood, rubbing his wrists, and took them from him. "Thank you, Auror Hawk."

The Auror placed a heavy hand on the lad's shoulder and gave him a quick nod before heading out of the room to interview Mrs. Granger. "Let's have a look at those cuts," Auror Heatherton said, coming around to the front of him after untying Draco.

Heatherton was a kind looking woman with blonde hair tied into a neat bun at the top of her head. "That's really not neces-"

"Blaise… May I call you Blaise?" Blaise nodded. "Blaise, you need to let my fellows here look after you. You may not feel it right now because of the adrenaline of everything, but you've got a gash in your forehead and your shoulder has got some large splinters in it."

"I'm fine, really. I'm more worried about Hermione and this one here," he said, jerking his thumb toward Draco.

Heatheron knelt down in front of Draco, examining him with her observant eyes. "Yes, I can see why. He's her fiancé, yeah?"

Blaise nodded. "Yeah."

At that moment the sound of sirens drawing closer became evident to everyone. ""Oh for the love of Merlin!" Auror Hawk exclaimed from downstairs. "You lot keep working. Has anyone from the Muggle Liaison Office arrived?"

"Yes, Sir, just a moment ago," Dewell answered.

"Ah, good. Who is it?"

Heatherton got to her feet. "This is beyond my skill," she told him, motioning toward Draco. "I'll go see if the Healer is still here."

Since he wasn't needed at the moment, Blaise tuned out the Ministry Wizards' conversation and turned his attention back to the despondent white-blonde beside him. He knelt and put his hand on Draco's hard shoulder, hoping for a bit of a startled response, but nothing happened. He called his name a few times. Still nothing.

Now he was getting angry. He pushed his wand up his sleeve and pocketed Hermione's and Draco's. If he kept them in his hands, he was pretty sure he would shoot a Stunning Spell at the bastard without a second thought. As it was, he was just about to knock him out of his… whatever it was.

It was lucky that his attention was diverted by his name being called. He looked toward the hole that used to be Hermione's bedroom door and breathed a sigh of relief. "Mum!" he exclaimed, shifting to face her.

Mrs. Zabini fell to her knees in front of him and hugged him tightly. "Oh, my darling boy, I'm so glad you boys are all right."

Before he could compose himself, tears began filling his eyes. "Mum, Hermione was taken! I'm so sorry!" he cried. "We tried to get to her, but… but we… we were too late."

Holding his head to her shoulder, Mrs. Zabini smoothed his hair and shushed him. "Don't worry about that just now, Sweetheart," she soothed. "I know you've done everything you could to help Hermione."

Blaise sat back and wiped his nose on his sleeve. "But…"

"Blaise Dominic Zabini, don't you dare put this on yourself," Mrs. Zabini scolded gently. "You did everything you could and we will get her back, do you hear me?"

"Yes, Mum."

Mrs. Zabini nodded in approval and drew her wand. "Now, let's see what we can do about your injuries."

Blaise hissed as she cleaned and healed his cuts and scrapes. "Bloody hell!" he exclaimed as she removed the smaller splinters in his shoulder which was quickly followed by an oath no mother wants to hear out of their child as the largest splinter was dislodged.

That earned him a smack on the head. "Ow! Sorry, but that more than smarted," he complained.

A tall man came into the room then. "I'm Healer West," he introduced himself, kneeling beside them. "How are we doing over here?"

He watched as Mrs. Zabini finished healing Blaise's shoulder. "That's a right good job, Mrs. Are you a Healer?"

Mrs. Zabini smiled in thanks. "No, I married right out of Hogwarts, but had I gone the career route, I certainly would have been."

"How are the Grangers?" Blaise inquired while Healer West began checking Draco for injuries.

"They've both been healed and are resting comfortably in their sitting room."

For the first time since Hermione had been taken, Blaise smiled. It wasn't much more than a small upturn of his lips, but it was a smile nonetheless. "Good," he sighed with relief. "Can we see them?"

"I think they'd like that. Seem a bit frightened, them."

Blaise got to his feet and looked at Draco for a moment, torned between going to check on his sister's adoptive parents and staying with his best mate. He felt a small hand squeeze his arm and turned to his mother. "Go," she told him. "I'll stay with Draco."

Glancing at Draco one last time, Blaise made his way out of Hermione's room, down the stairs, and into the sitting room. Mr. Granger was laying on the sofa while Mrs. Granger sat near him in the cushy armchair. Her eyes locked on Blaise as he entered the room and she reached out a hand for him.

"Blaise, are you all right?" she asked, looking him over as he squeezed her hand gently and knelt between the chair and the sofa.

"I should be asking you that," he replied. "The two of you took a harder fall than me. I swear I heard bones crunch."

Mrs. Granger patted his cheek. "Don't you worry yourself about us. Those nice people from your Ministry and that magical doctor sorted us out just fine."

"Do you know what happened?" Mr. Granger asked softly.

Blaise looked at them both apologetically. "I'm afraid all I know is that Hermione was taken," he confessed. "Draco knows more, but he's in no fit state to tell us anything."

The parental concern on their faces strengthened his like for them. "Is he all right?" Mrs. Granger inquired. "Was he injured?"

"Physically he's fine," he assured her.

"But…?"

"I'm just wor-"

His words were cut off when the pop of someone Apparating into the room startled them all. Blaise was on his feet, facing the intruder in a matter of seconds, wand drawn. His stance of attack relaxed a second later when he was yanked into a hug by Narcissa Malfoy.

Blaise looked over her shoulder as she fussed over him, and met his father's eyes as he walked past them to greet the Grangers. His heart sank to his stomach at the expression on his father's face. It wasn't one that he often saw directed at himself, but it certainly carried a heavy weight.

Disappointment.

Downhearted, he turned his attention back to Narcissa who was ranting about something, or other. He hadn't really been paying attention. "I'm sorry, what?"

A soft smile pulled the corners of her mouth up as she raised up on her toes and kissed his forehead. "Nothing, sweet boy," she said, patting his scruffy cheek. "I should go see to Draco."

Blaise nodded and offered to go with her. Thankfully she allowed it because, otherwise, he was pretty certain he and his father would be having words. With a quick glance back at his father, he ushered Narcissa out of the sitting room and up the stairs.

3:26 AM

This night had shaped up to be anything but what he had expected. Of course, who expects their sister to be abducted? He certainly hadn't. He hadn't expected his father to blame him as much as he did, either. He sighed as he removed his coat and slung it over his desk chair. He then flopped down on his bed, kicking his shoes off as he made himself comfortable. He was tired and his head ached.

From the moment his father had set foot in the Grangers' home, the blame coming off him nearly took Blaise down to the floor. It had been rolling around the room like tidal waves. Typhoon, more like.

There was a soft knock at his bedroom door followed by his mother's gentle voice. "Blaise?"

"Yeah, Mum, come in."

The door opened and Mrs. Zabini entered his bedroom. "I wasn't sure, but considering the events of the night, I didn't think you'd taken your potion."

His eyes went to the small bottle she was holding. Blaise sat up and held out his hand. "No, I haven't," he said as his fingers clasped the bottle. "Thanks, Mum."

She ran her fingers through his hair and kissed his forehead. Feeling a sudden need for comfort, Blaise took her hand before she could walk away. "Um, I know I'm much too old for this, but…" he looked at her sheepishly, "... would you mind staying with me until I fall asleep like you used to do when I was little?"

A pleasantly surprised expression crossed her face before she smiled softly. "Of course, Darling, whatever you need."

After setting the bottle of potion on his nightstand, Blaise got off the bed and headed into his bathroom. When he came out a few minutes later, his mother was sitting on the bed, leaning her back against the headboard. She had turned down the covers for him and had settled herself as close to the edge as possible, "So as not to disturb you once you've fallen asleep." That's what she had always told him whenever she would soothe him after a nightmare when he was a child.

The nightmares were the reason he had to take the potion every night. He had taken it for as long as he could remember, perhaps even longer. Of course, this potion didn't stop him from dreaming completely, as a draught of Dreamless Sleep would, but it did keep him from having so many.

He picked up the little bottle of deep violet liquid and pulled out the cork. No scent came from the bottle, but the second the potion passed his lips, the taste of raspberries instantly sent a sense of calm through him. It was nice, familiar, and that was something he needed in that moment.

He set the empty bottle back on his nightstand and climbed into bed. He laid down, resting his head in his mother's lap, and sighed as her fingers began stroking his hair. "Sleep, my sweet boy," she whispered.

8:18 AM

Shivering against the winter chill, Blaise pulled his cloak tighter around him as he and his mother strode quickly through the busy streets of London. His mother had received an owl from Mrs. Malfoy nearly thirty minutes ago stating that Draco had been taken to St. Mungo's. There hadn't been much else in the way of information, except that she wished them to come. Of course, they hadn't wasted any time. They had quickly dressed and left the house.

The lack of information and Mrs. Malfoy's plea for them to come didn't do much to quell the feeling of dread that crept through his mind. Why had Draco been taken to St. Mungo's? Was he injured? He had been looked at by Healer West before being allowed to leave the Granger home and he had been fine. Had something been missed? No, something had to have happened between then and the time he was taken to St. Mungo's, Blaise told himself, realizing that the Healers of St. Mungo's were the best anyone could hope to have on hand.

"Blaise."

His mother's voice seemed far away. He turned to look at her but she wasn't next to him. Stopping, he looked behind him and found her standing in front of an old red brick department store. He had been so in his head with worry that he had walked right past the entrance to the hospital.

He backtracked and joined his mother in front of Purge and Dowse Ltd. The shabby display window was littered with chipped dummies that had wigs that looked as though they had just been through a windstorm and didn't sit properly on their heads. He knew very little about Muggle clothes, but he knew enough to know that the clothes on the dummies were far out of style.

Feeling his mother's eyes on him, he looked at her. "All right, Blaise, darling?" she questioned, her eyes filled with concern.

Blaise nodded. "Just worried about Draco," he confessed. "I mean; he was fine… physically fine… when we were cleared to leave the Granger's. What could've happened to land him here?"

"That's what we're going to find out," she told him as she leaned toward a one-eyed female dummy with falling false eyelashes and wearing a green nylon pinafore dress. Her breath fogged up the glass as she whispered, "Hello, we're here to see Draco Malfoy."

The dummy gave the tiniest of nods and crooked her jointed finger at them, beckoning them forward. More out of the need for comfort than anything else, Mrs. Zabini clasped her hand in Blaise's as they stepped through the display window. There was a brief feeling of walking through a sheet of water followed immediately by warmth.

Blaise let go of his mother's hand as he looked around the reception area. He had never been to St. Mungo's before, he hadn't even been born in the magical hospital, so he wanted to take it all in.

Witches and wizards in lime-green robes etched with an emblem of a crossed wand and bone walked through rows of rickety chairs, questioning waiting patients. Moving portraits of famous witches and wizards that had been important in the magical medical world hung on the walls. He recognized a few as former Headmasters and Headmistresses of Hogwarts.

He followed his mother to a queue that was formed in front of a desk that was labeled INQUIRIES. "Quite a place, this, isn't it?" he asked her as they joined the queue.

"Yes," Mrs. Zabini agreed.

Blaise chewed on his bottom lip for a moment as he continued to look around. "And… the Healers? They're good, right?"

Mrs. Zabini turned her attention to her son and her heart swelled at the brow, furrowed in concern, and the uncertainty in his question. She put a hand on his cheek and smiled up at him in reassurance. "They're the best."

Holding her hand to his face for a moment, Blaise closed his eyes and nodded. A sense of relief flooded through him as her words reiterated his earlier thoughts. "Good," he stated, opening his eyes and squeezing his mother's hand as he lowered it. "Good."

After a few visitors and patients made their inquiries at the desk, some taking longer than others, it was finally their turn. The plump blonde witch at the desk hardly glanced up as they stepped up to her. "Can you tell us which floor Draco Malfoy is on, please?" Mrs. Zabini requested.

The witch flicked her wand over a clipboard, muttering, "Malfoy, Draco." A moment later, she put the clipboard down. "Fourth floor, Janus Thickey Ward. Private room at the end of the hall."

They followed the direction of the receptionist's pointing finger to a set of doors marked STAIRS. As they headed towards the doors, Blaise shared a worried look with his mother. "I don't like the sound of that," he said as they pushed through the doors and began climbing a rickety looking staircase. "I mean; Narcissa's letter was bad enough, but the Janus Thickey Ward? Isn't that where all the people who've gone round the bend end up?"

Mrs. Zabini gave her son a mildly scolding look. "I know I taught you better than to speak of ill people that way," she chided. "The Janus Thickey Ward is for people that have irreparable spell damage."

"Which makes them go round the bend."

"Act like you were raised with some manners," Mrs. Zabini hissed at him as they passed a Healer on the landing for the second floor.

"Manners? What are those?"

Mrs. Zabini scowled, fighting back a smile at her son's playfulness. "Oh, you!"

Blaise leaned away from her as she swatted at his arm. He laughed and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to him. "I love you, Mum," he told her, kissing the top of her head. "I don't say it enough and I just want you to know. You know, just in case."

Her arm slid around his waist and she squeezed him to her for a moment. She knew he was proclaiming his love because of the uncertainty of Hermione's situation. "I've never doubted your love, Blaise," she replied, looking up at him. "Not once."

They continued on in silence, coming to the door that led to the fourth floor just moments later. Entering the ward, they walked the length of the hall to where they spotted Narcissa Malfoy sitting alone outside a closed door. "Marjorie! Blaise!" Mrs. Malfoy breathed, standing and hugging them both when they reached her. "Oh, I'm so glad you've come!"

"Of course!" Mrs. Zabini replied, gently guiding her friend back to her chair and sitting beside her. "How is he?"

Mrs. Malfoy pulled her handkerchief from her sleeve and dabbed at her eyes. "He's…" she sniffed and shook her head, lost. "I don't even know what he is, apart from broken."

Mrs. Zabini put an arm around her comfortingly as she began to cry. "There now, it's going to be all right," she soothed. "Draco is going to be all right."

Blaise drew his brow down in confusion. "Narcissa, I don't understand," he said gently. "I thought Draco hadn't been injured."

Mrs. Malfoy sniffled and shook her head. "He wasn't."

"Then how did this happen? How did he end up here?" He gestured at their surroundings.

Dabbing at her eyes, Mrs. Malfoy sniffled and took a shaky breath. "Well, you know everything that happened at the Grangers'," she voiced. "So, I suppose I should begin at the point when we arrived back at the Manor."

Home at last.

It had only been a few hours since she and Mr. Malfoy had gotten word about Hermione's abduction and she had walked out the front door to be with her son, but the hours had felt like an eternity. She had been so worried, not only for her own son, but for Blaise and Hermione, as well. She knew Marjorie felt the same.

The worry had not ebbed at seeing the boys only superficially harmed. In fact, upon seeing Draco, Her worry had only intensified. She looked at him now and felt her heart breaking for the hundredth time that night. He hadn't moved without her urging since the Grangers' home.

Healer West had told her that Draco was suffering from a case of, what the Muggles called, shock. "He should be fine after a good night's sleep," he had told her. "Just keep an eye on him and if he doesn't come out of this, send for me and we'll reassess."

Mrs. Malfoy swept her cloak from her shoulders and tossed it over the stair banister. "Draco? Darling?" she said softly, not wanting to startle him. "Let's get your cloak off, yeah? Come on, there's a good lad."

He looked at her, but he didn't see her, as she reached up and unfastened the engraved silver clasp at his neck. She put his cloak with hers and took him by the arm. "Come. You've had a trying night," she stated, leading him up the stairs.

When they reached Draco's room, she opened the door for him. "Can you manage getting yourself ready for bed? Or do you nee-"

"Mother?" His voice was so soft that she almost missed that he had spoken.

Mrs. Malfoy looked up at her only child. "Yes?"

He didn't look at her as he said, "I just want to be alone."

Trying not to be hurt by this, she released her hold on him. "Right, yes, of course. Ahem, I'll just be off to bed, then."

Draco nodded absently as she raised onto her toes and kissed his cheek. She looked him over and kissed his cheek one last time before turning and heading down the hall, leaving him at his door.

A little while later, after she had changed into a nightgown, washed her face, and brushed her hair and teeth, Mrs. Malfoy was ready for bed. She sighed with relief as she slipped beneath the covers of the bed she shared with her husband and relaxed into the mattress. Now, this is just what I need, she thought, closing her eyes.

"STOP LYING!"

She sat up with a jolt at the yell.

"YOU WILL NOT SPEAK TO ME LIKE THAT!"

Oh, good merciful heaven, she thought, throwing the covers off and climbing out of the bed. I swear, those two will kill each other one of these days!

Putting on her robe, Mrs. Malfoy ran from the room as quickly as her feet could carry her. The yelling continued, growing louder and louder the closer she got to her husband's study. The sound of glass breaking echoed through the hall. And now they're breaking things!

This caused her some worry. Though they seemed to constantly be at loggerheads, they had never done more than exchanged heated words. She moved faster, finally coming to the study. Throwing the door open, she screamed at the sight before her.

Practically every breakable object in the study had been broken in some way. Books had been knocked from the bookcase. Her husband's desk, usually tidy and organized to a fault, was littered with spilled quills and ink and various other items. That was not what had drawn the scream from her lungs. These things could easily be repaired, or cleaned. No, what had made her scream was the sight of her darling son against the wall, feet almost off the floor, with her husband's hand gripping his throat.

Shock was replaced by anger as she raised her wand, which she had luckily remembered to pick up, and shouted, "PROTEGO!"

The elder Malfoy man looked shocked as he flew backward through the air, colliding with his bookcase. Draco fell to the floor, coughing and gasping for breath. Mrs. Malfoy went to him and knelt, rubbing his back.

"You dare raise your wand to me?" Mr. Malfoy snarled, getting to his feet. "ME?! Your HUSBAND."

Mrs. Malfoy looked up at him, her angry eyes practically shooting fire. Slowly, she rose to her full height. "And I'll do it again if you lay hands on my son ever again."

He grabbed her arm and yanked her forward. "He is my son, Narcissa."

She did not falter as she continued staring at him. "Is that why you came with me to check on him after Hermione was abducted? Because he's your son?" she questioned hotly, wrenching her arm from his tight grip.

"Narcissa, I am a very busy man. I don't have time to waste on the disappearance of a seventeen year-old girl."

"That's not why he's not bothered, Mother," Draco said, hoarsely, slowly getting to his feet. "Isn't that right, Father?"

Mrs. Malfoy went to her son and helped him steady himself. "What do you mean, Draco?"

"He's involved," Draco spat.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," her husband replied.

Draco stepped away from his mother and got in his face. "Lie all you want, Father, but I saw the people that took Hermione! They were Death Eaters!"

Mrs. Malfoy gasped. "Lucius, is this true?"

Mr. Malfoy scoffed. "Of course it's not," he replied. "This accusation is ridiculous."

Mrs. Malfoy screamed as Draco lunged forward, hitting his father in the nose with his fist so hard they both went tumbling to the floor. Landing on top, Draco took hold of the collar of his father's robes and hit him again. "WHERE IS SHE?" he shouted.

"Draco! Draco, stop!" Mrs. Malfoy shrieked.

He went rigid. Mrs. Malfoy took a step forward, feeling that something was wrong. "Draco?"

He fell to the side, his back arched, his face screwed up in pain. "Draco!" Mrs. Malfoy cried.

Mr. Malfoy got to his feet, panting, face dripping blood, and grabbed her arm before she could reach him. "Leave him, Narcissa," he said. "He's being taught a lesson."

Mrs. Malfoy's anger was so great that her wand began to spark. Unluckily for Mr. Malfoy, the tip was near his knee. He immediately released both his wife and son and limped over to his desk, seething. "How dare y-"

He went silent and slumped forward, hitting the floor with a thud. Mrs. Malfoy lowered her wand and ran to her son. She knelt beside him and took his face in her hands. "Draco. Draco, please wake up!"

Mrs. Zabini brought her hand to her mouth as she gasped. "Lucius used an Unforgivable Curse?" she questioned in a shocked whisper. "On Draco?"

"Oh, come on, Mum," Blaise said while Mrs. Malfoy nodded and dabbed away tears. "Don't pretend this is the first time Lucius has used an Unforgivable Curse."

He folded his arms across his chest and narrowed his eyes on Mrs. Malfoy. "Did you heal him? Clean up the study?"

"Blaise, mind your tongue!" Mrs. Zabini scolded.

Mrs. Malfoy, on the other hand, had the decency to look ashamed. "Yes," she confessed softly.

Mrs. Zabini looked at her friend with wide eyes. "Narcissa!"

"Well, I couldn't very well let a Medi-Team into the Manor to tend to Draco with the room the way it was," Mrs. Malfoy explained. "They would have asked questions, sent for the Aurors."

Blaise shoved away from the wall he had been leaning against with a growl. "And well they should have! Lucius should've been chucked in Azkaban a long time ago."

Mrs. Zabini squeezed her friend's hand before getting up and going to her son. She put her hands on Blaise's cheeks to hold his attention and spoke softly. "Blaise, Darling, I know you're upset…" At his expression she sighed. "Angry, then. I know you're angry, but remember why we're here."

Blaise closed his eyes and took a breath. His mother was right. He knew that. Despite his anger at Mr. Malfoy for hurting Draco, and Mrs. Malfoy for covering it up, he needed to remember that he was here for Draco. He gently removed his mother's hands from his face and kissed her knuckles.

As Mrs, Zabini retook her seat, Blaise went to Mrs. Malfoy. "Forgive my rudeness, Narcissa," he said, leaning down and kissing her cheek.

She smiled and took his hand. "There's nothing to forgive," she told him. "We're all on edge after… after everything."

Nodding, Blaise kissed both women on the cheek. "I'm going to look in on Draco." He didn't wait for a response, he just pushed open the door and slipped into the private room.

It was quiet. Almost eerily so.

Despite the warmth of the room, Blaise shivered. The bleakness surrounding him was overwhelming. He shivered again as he looked around the room. The furniture was sparse, only a desk with a lamp, a chair, and a bed. Speaking of the bed, Blaise's eyes lingered on the blonde figure, neatly tucked into the uncomfortable looking thing.

Draco was paler than usual and appeared to be sleeping peacefully. Blaise hoped that was the case. He had heard far too many stories of people who had been subjected to the Cruciatus Curse. Few had survived and those who had, were generally not of sound mind. That was not how he wanted his best friend to end up.

"Oh! Hello."

Blaise nearly jumped out of his boots at the sudden sound of someone speaking. He turned slightly toward the door and was greeted by a friendly faced Medi-Witch whose name badge read: Hargreeves. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," she told him kindly, smiling as she made her way over to her patient. "I've just got to check Mister Malfoy's vitals."

Hearing him called "Mister Malfoy" rankled Blaise a bit, but he held back from commenting. After all, their professors at Hogwarts referred to all the male students as "Mister." He moved closer to the bed. "Draco was brought in hours ago. Why hasn't he woken up?"

Medi-Witch Hargreeves glanced at him as she ran her wand over Draco's body. "He's been sedated for better healing and prevention of harm to himself, or others," she answered. "Healer West will lift the sedation slowly over the next twelve hours, or so."

Blaise clenched his hands into fists. "Is he going to be all right?" he asked, trying his best to keep his anger at bay.

"He's going to be just fine," she assured him. "Just needs a good long rest."

"So, he's not going to have any… lasting damage?"

She stowed her wand and looked at him curiously. "Now why would you ask such a thing?" she wondered.

"He's my best mate, practically a brother to me," he said simply. "I just want to know that he's going to be all right."

As she made for the door, Medi-Witch Hargreeves patted his arm comfortingly. "Don't you fret, young man."

"Blaise. My name is Blaise."

She smiled brightly as though she'd made a new friend. "Blaise," she repeated with a nod. "I'm Mindy."

"Pleasure to meet you, though not the nicest of circumstances."

"Your friend is strong," Mindy assured him. "I'm sure he'll be back home in no time."

That's what I'm afraid of, Blaise thought. He thanked Mindy for her kind words and wondered if he might just sit with Draco for a bit. With a nod of consent, the Medi-Witch breezed out of the room to look after her other patients, leaving him in virtual solitude.

Blaise moved the chair nearer to the bed and sat, resting his forearms on his knees. He said a silent prayer for his friend, hoping that he would come out of this unscathed as Mindy had said he would. Seeing Draco lying there, hurt, because of something his own father had done made Blaise want to throttle something, or someone. Lucius would do nicely, he thought.

Author's note- Hey, so what did you think? Please tell me in that handy little review box! Also, if you're looking to be kept up to date on my progress while I write this, feel free to find my author page on facebook... JustAGirlThatLovesToWrite