Thanks to everyone for the reviews! I wasn't expecting such a response and I will definitely continue this story!

Chapter Two

Azkaban

Two weeks had passed, and the picture of Draco Malfoy leaving the Wizengamot room in handcuffs could still be seen plastered in some of the shop windows in Diagon Alley.

Everyone was celebrating the fact that the murderer of three innocents was already locked up in Azkaban, but Harry felt a knot in his stomach every time he saw that photograph. Draco looking down and walking away without fighting for himself made no sense.

He was innocent of at least one of the crimes, as far as Harry knew, but he had pleaded guilty all the same.

Why?

Harry sighed and raised his wand, touching the large metal gate that surrounded Malfoy Manor. No one had seen Narcissa since her son's trial and he couldn't help but worry about her. After all, he owed her his life and if he could help her, he would.

There was a rustling sound and a small elf appeared behind the gate, eyeing Harry suspiciously.

"My mistress doesn't want visitors," he muttered, twisting one of his ears nervously.

"Tell her that Harry Potter has come to see her."

The elf's brown eyes widened in surprise.

"Harry Potter? Dobby's friend?"

Harry nodded and the elf disappeared. A few seconds later the gates opened, allowing him to pass through.

With a sigh, he walked down the stone path that led to the front door of the manor. It was a place that brought back very bad memories but he needed to know how Narcissa was doing to be able to sleep peacefully again.

The woman was waiting for him by the door. Her blonde hair was tied back in a bun, there were dark circles under her blue eyes and she was much paler than the last time he had seen her.

"To what do I owe this unexpected visit?" she asked quietly, not meeting his gaze.

Harry walked up the stairs to her side and placed a hand on her shoulder. Her body shuddered and a tear slipped down her cheek.

"I've come to see if I can help you in any way."

Narcissa looked up, her eyes shining with hope.

"Would you do me a favour?"

"Anything," Harry replied with a nod.

He barely knew her, but Harry knew Narcissa wasn't a bad person and she wouldn't ask for the impossible.

"Come in. Let's talk," she said, squeezing his hand and walking away.

The front door closed behind him and Harry suppressed a shiver, following Narcissa down a dark corridor. The portraits on the wall followed him with their eyes but none of them said anything.

As he passed one of the rooms, he saw that the floor was covered in ash and the walls were pitch black.

"What happened here?" Harry asked, his voice worried.

"Oh, there was a small fire. I started it myself a few days ago, do not worry."

He could still smell the smoke. Harry took a better look at the room and saw a shattered chandelier on the white marble floor. He gasped, recognising the place. It was where Ron, Hermione and he had been when Bellatrix had interrogated them, and where Hermione had been tortured while the two of them were locked in the dungeons, listening to her screams and unable to help their friend.

Narcissa stopped a few metres away, opening a white wooden door. Stepping in behind her, Harry saw that she had sat in a red armchair. The elf was setting a tray full of tea and cakes on a small mahogany table.

He sat down in the armchair opposite her and accepted the cup offered by the creature, smiling when he noticed the bow tie he was wearing.

The Malfoy family had free elves now. Hermione was going to be pleased to hear that.

Narcissa cleared her throat and Harry fixed his green eyes on her.

"Come with me to Azkaban when I go to visit Draco."

He frowned, setting the teacup down on the table.

"Why?"

"Maybe you can help me talk some sense into him."

His eyes narrowed.

"Why did he lie? It was like he wanted to go to prison. I can't understand him, no matter how hard I try."

"You know he lied?" Narcissa asked in a surprised voice.

Harry nodded.

"I was there the night Dumbledore died and I know he didn't do it. He was lowering his wand when... Well, it doesn't matter anymore. But it wasn't him, it was Severus Snape."

Narcissa sighed, taking a sip of her tea.

"Severus was under an Unbreakable Vow because I asked him to. He promised to help Draco by killing Albus himself."

"And Dumbledore knew all about it. In fact, he asked Snape to end his life so that Draco wouldn't have to do it."

The cup trembled in her hands, but Narcissa managed to hold it.

"How do you know that?"

"I saw some memories of Snape before... before the battle," Harry explained quietly.

Narcissa nodded and, setting her cup down next to Harry's, stood up. She grabbed both of his hands and crouched down, looking up at him with pleading eyes.

"Will you come with me? I can't go alone, I..."

"Please, stand up," Harry said, feeling very uncomfortable with the woman almost kneeling in front of him.

He got to his feet, helped Narcissa up, and hugged her when he noticed that she was crying again.

"I'll go with you, Narcissa," Harry whispered.

She leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed.

"Thank you, Harry."

The two had started calling each other by name when he managed to get her out of the Wizengamot cells without having to face trial.

Harry had never visited Azkaban before and he never wanted to be there again, though he probably couldn't avoid it.

It had been six weeks since he had begun his Auror training and it was likely that, once he was an Auror, he would have to take more than one criminal to the magical prison.

The sinister building was isolated in the middle of the ocean and could only be accessed by the Floo Network. As soon as Harry arrived, he felt the cold seeping into every pore of his skin. The Dementors were kept outside but their influence was everywhere. There were overly bright lights on the ceilings of every corridor and the guards were dressed in black.

One of them met them as soon as they emerged through the fireplace, checking their wands before letting them in. Narcissa held onto his right arm and Harry glanced sideways at her, sensing how nervous she was. The woman nodded and the two of them walked towards the gate behind which were the cells in the east wing, where the Death Eaters prisoners were.

They didn't make it inside. Another guard led them to a metal door and stood by it.

"The prisoner is waiting for you inside. You have half an hour," he informed them, stepping aside and opening the door.

Harry swallowed and Narcissa clung tighter to him before stepping through.

It was a square room with two candles on each wall. A small metal table was right in the middle and Draco Malfoy was sitting behind it. His hands were resting on the table and Harry noticed that he had red marks on his wrists. He had been wearing handcuffs for a long time.

Directly in front of him were two other chairs, waiting to be occupied.

But, as much as Harry and Narcissa had imagined that moment, they were not prepared to see Draco.

He had lost a lot of weight and his skin was almost translucent, veins visible on his face and hands. His eyes were sunken, dull and framed by deep dark circles, and his lips were badly chapped. His hair appeared to be white rather than platinum blond. It was slightly longer and fell over his forehead, messy and dirty. But the worst thing was his gaze, focused on his hands and completely vacant. Draco was twisting his fingers and mumbling something under his breath as if he hadn't realised he wasn't alone.

Narcissa gasped and broke away from Harry, rushing over to the table and holding Draco's hands carefully in hers.

"Draco?"

At the sound of her voice, he looked up and scanned her face with his grey eyes, lingering on her frown and red lips. She was still as beautiful as ever, though she looked sad.

"Mother," he whispered, turning away to cough.

Narcissa tried to hold back a sob and rounded the table, catching Draco in an embrace. It took him a while, but he wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head on her chest, sighing deeply.

Harry swallowed hard and ran his hands through his hair, tugging at some of his black locks in frustration. Draco Malfoy had been a bastard at school and had done horrible things but he didn't deserve to be like that.

He seemed to have barely any strength left.

Slowly, Harry walked over to the table and sat down in one of the chairs, folding his arms and watching the two Malfoys silently.

When Narcissa calmed down she broke away from Draco, kissing his forehead. He opened his eyes again and saw a figure out of the corner of his eye. Draco turned his head and was surprised to see that they were not alone.

"Potter?"

Harry nodded, twisting his lips. Draco held his mother's arms, pulling them away from his body, and looked into her eyes.

"Why did you come with Potter?"

Narcissa sighed and raised a hand to caress his cheek but he pulled away again as if her touch burned him.

"Why? This is probably the last time we see each other... Why is he here?" he asked huskily, frowning and narrowing his eyes as he glared at Harry.

"Your mother didn't want to come alone, so she asked me to be here," Harry said, trying to defend himself.

"You wanted to see me? If you're going to laugh, go ahead. Enjoy your moment."

Harry pinched the bridge of his nose, huffing.

"I'm not here for that."

"I see... You know she's going to lose her son very soon and you want to replace me, don't you, Potter? You'd love to have a mother for the first time in your life."

"Draco! Enough!" Narcissa shouted, banging on the table.

The metallic noise startled both of them. Draco snarled, looking up at the ceiling and crossing his arms over his chest. Narcissa gave him one last warning look and sat down next to Harry, resting her elbows on the table.

"Are you eating anything?"

A sad smirk curved his lips.

"As if that matters, Mother. You know I'm going to die soon, whether I eat or not."

"Why did you lie, Malfoy?" Harry asked, his eyes boring into him.

Draco clicked his tongue.

"It's none of your business."

"Draco, you can't do this. You have to tell her, I'm sure she'll give you a chance."

Draco narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips, looking at his mother coldly.

"I don't want to talk about it, especially not in front of Potter."

"What's going on? What are you two talking about?" Harry murmured, feeling confused.

"Just tell him, son," Narcissa pleaded softly, reaching out an arm until she could touch one of his.

He was silent for a moment, glancing at his old enemy and wondering if it was worth wasting his breath to explain what was happening to him.

"I guess it doesn't matter anymore," he wrinkled his nose, shaking his head. "The Malfoy family has a Veela ancestor, Potter. My great-great-grandfather's father was a Veela, a secret few people know. My father and I have Veela blood, though we can live normal human lives. Our blood only reacts when we find our mate or when we sense danger, so we can control it and not transform."

Harry blinked several times, trying to comprehend what he was hearing.

"And what does that have to do with you being in such a bad way?"

"My Veela blood woke up a few weeks ago, on my birthday."

"He's dying, Harry," Narcissa whispered, sobbing.

"Yes, I don't think I have many days left," Draco confirmed with a shrug.

"What? But why? I know being in Azkaban is hard but a lot of people have been locked up here for years and, as far as I know, no one has died for a long time. The Ministry sees to it that prisoners are treated fairly," Harry said, shuddering as he felt another shiver because of the Dementors' presence.

Draco snorted, arching an eyebrow.

"The treatment is deplorable, Potter, and the food is fucking crap. But yes, I suppose a normal human can survive here. Not me, though."

"Would you care to explain why?" Harry insisted with a frown.

Draco clenched his jaw and looked away. Yes, he did care, and he didn't want to.

"He's found his mate and being away from her is killing him. Veelas need their mates to survive. If they are rejected or too far away, they fall ill and die within weeks," Narcissa explained softly, gently squeezing Draco's hand that was trapped between hers.

"Your mate? When did you find her?"

Draco was silent, so his mother answered for him.

"The day of his trial."

Harry's eyes widened in surprise and he stared at Narcissa.

"Who is it?"

"It doesn't matter. If she knew this she'd turn me down, so I'm doomed anyway. At least it will be over soon, or so I hope, because I feel like shit," Draco said, returning his gaze to them.

Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Who?"

"Your friend," Narcissa whispered.

"Mother!" Draco roared, jumping to his feet.

He was so weak that he lost balance. Harry was soon at his side, holding him by his shoulders.

"Hermione?" he asked in a low voice, his face turning pale as he helped him back to his seat.

Narcissa nodded and Draco shook himself, forcing Harry to let him go. He started to pace around the small room, trying to calm himself.

"Relax, Potter. She'll never know about this," Draco muttered under his breath, covering his face with his hands.

"Is that why you lied during your trial? Just to be sent here and stay away from her?" Harry asked, turning to face him.

His silence was like a positive answer. Harry retraced his steps and clenched his fists, glaring down at Draco.

"A Mudblood is not good enough to be your mate, Malfoy?" he breathed, slurring his words in anger.

Draco narrowed his eyes but said nothing, and Narcissa shook her head.

"Harry, dear, you're making a mistake. My son hasn't cared about the whole blood thing for a long time... ever since he realised that the Dark Lord wasn't what he expected."

"And when was that?" Harry said, returning to Narcissa's side.

"When I had to accept his mark and he made me do and see things I wouldn't wish on anyone, not even you," Draco mumbled, lifting the sleeve of his grey and white striped shirt so Harry could see his Dark Mark.

The skull and snake were still on his forearm, almost as black as the first day. Harry grimaced and sat back down next to Narcissa, letting out a sigh.

"So?"

Draco rolled his eyes and covered his arm again.

"You know perfectly well that Granger hates me as much as I hated her. She'll never forgive me for everything I did to her and, even if she could, I don't deserve it. The best thing I can do for her is to leave her alone, and that's what I intend to do."

A rather important detail didn't escape Harry's attention.

"Hated her? You don't hate her now?"

Draco shook his head, averting his gaze.

"She's an insufferable know-it-all but I stopped hating her almost two years ago. I don't think Muggleborns are a threat to the wizarding world anymore, though that doesn't mean I like them now. Do you understand, Potter? Will you shut up already?"

Harry pursed his lips, biting his tongue to keep from answering. He couldn't have expected kinder words than that from Draco Malfoy, and he was very surprised by what he was hearing.

"Hermione works in the Department of Magical Creatures at the Ministry of Magic. She's not going back to Hogwarts in September to finish her studies either."

Draco nodded, arching an eyebrow, not understanding what Harry was getting at.

"I'm sure she knows quite a bit about Veelas and, if she finds out about this, she'll want to help you. Even if you've been a complete prat for years, she's forgiving. We could try and work something out so that you can survive. Maybe you two don't need to be together as a... as a couple," Harry commented in a shaky voice, feeling very uncomfortable.

"No, Potter. Thanks for the offer, though," Draco replied sarcastically.

"But you must have felt something special seeing her again... Don't you want her as your mate? Or even talk to her?"

Draco's gaze darkened.

"No."

The three of them heard two knocks on the only door in the room, signalling that their visiting time was over. Harry stood up and offered an arm to Narcissa, who couldn't stop crying as she looked at her son.

Someone grabbed his left wrist and Harry turned around, finding Draco's haggard face inches from his own.

"I need you to promise me two things, Potter. I want you to look after my mother for me, don't leave her alone. She has no one now."

Harry nodded, touched by his words. Draco narrowed his eyes before speaking again.

"And you can't say a word about all of this to Granger."

"But..."

"Not a word, Potter. Promise me," Draco insisted, squeezing his wrist.

Harry heard a sob from Narcissa and closed his eyes, sighing in defeat.

"Okay, Malfoy."

Draco nodded and released him, wrapping his arms around his mother and kissing her on the cheek.

"Don't let yourself be sad, Mother. Live for me, for us. Father will survive if you keep visiting him every week and, hopefully, you'll be together again in a few years."

Narcissa put both hands to her face, hiding her tears, and Draco pulled her tighter into his arms.

"I will always love you," he whispered so that only she could hear him.

"I love you, Draco. You're the best son a mother could wish for, and I'm sorry you have to pay for our mistakes," she replied quietly.

Harry watched them silently. He needed to find a book about the Veelas as soon as possible that helped him understand Draco's behaviour. It probably wasn't normal for a Veela not to even try to talk to his mate.

The door opened and they pulled away.

"Time to return to your cell, Malfoy," one of the guards commented, walking over to them.

The man waved his wand, conjuring handcuffs around Draco's wrists, and he gasped as he felt his wounds opening up again. Holding him by one arm, the guard walked towards the exit without looking at the other two people standing there.

Draco turned his head and looked at his mother one last time, giving her a small smile. As soon as he was gone, another guard entered the room to lead Harry and Narcissa out.

As they walked down the stone corridor towards the only fireplace in the place, listening to Narcissa's small sobs, Harry thought about the two promises he had made to Draco Malfoy.

He only intended to keep one.