"Mr Malfoy."
Draco looked up from the chess board before him to see Severus standing there.
"Yes, sir?" Draco asked with a frown.
"A moment of your time?" Severus requested and Draco nodded.
"Sorry," Draco offered to Blaise on the other side of the table.
The other boy just gave him a nod and a look of sympathy. His fellow Slytherins didn't quite understand the fact that Severus was his godfather. Draco fell into step with the taller man as they weaved through the common room and out into the hallway.
"We can't find Potter," Severus explained, once they are alone. "He hasn't been seen since breakfast yesterday and Weasley said that he didn't use his bed last night. Albus knows that he's still in the castle but every spell that we have used, so far, has failed."
Draco felt his gut clench at that.
"Sounds like he doesn't want to be found," Draco remarked, his mind already thinking of the spots Potter like to hide. "What do you need me for?"
"You know him," Severus sighed. "Probably better than his friends at the moment."
"You want me to find, Potter?" Draco asked in disbelief.
"That is what we are down to," Severus drawled.
"And if he doesn't want to be found?"
"Or he could have been attacked again," Severus countered with a glint in his eyes. "We still don't know who was responsible for that."
That shut Draco up and he nodded sharply. His godfather knew what cards to play to get what he wanted.
"Fine," Draco consented. "But you owe me."
Severus gave him a glare and Draco pulled back at that expression.
"Start looking," Severus hissed. "Report back to me before curfew."
"Yes, sir." Draco muttered and walked off.
He felt Severus's eyes on his back until he turned a corner and pulled his wand. He flicked it as he cast a spell and followed the direction that it was pulling him. That was where the others had failed. When Potter wanted to be alone, he wasn't always alone. Draco frowned as the spell took him to the seventh floor of the castle then to the west wing. He could tell that this part of the castle hadn't been used in a very long time as his feet kicked up dust. He looked down but couldn't see any other footsteps besides his own.
When he heard the muffled sounds of a guitar, he knew that he was on the right track. He slipped his wand away and crept closer to where he could hear the music coming from. He placed his hand on the door and could feel the locking charm. He knocked loudly and waited. The music cut off and Draco knocked again.
"Just wait a moment!" Potter yelled from the other side and Draco quirked a smile.
Draco heard a bang followed by cursing and his smile turned into a smirk before the door was ripped open. Potter stood there with a glare and a smudge of dust over his cheek. He sighed when he saw him and pushed the door open. Draco stepped through and closed the door behind him.
"Nice place you have here," Draco remarked as he took in the piles of stuff. "Hoarders would envy this."
"What would you know," Potter grumbled under his breath as he weaved through the junk.
Draco smiled as he followed the other boy, Potter had made a little space for himself near one of the windows. He had a blanket and his bag and looked like he was set up for a while. He wasn't sure what had sent Potter to hide but it looked like he'd planned on an extended stay.
"My godfather informed me that you have decided to camp out here," Draco mentioned mildly. "From the look of it, he was right."
Draco noticed the way that Potter froze at the word 'godfather' and stayed turned away from him.
"Your godfather?" Potter questioned as he took a seat on the blanket.
"Snape," Draco replied and Potter looked up sharply.
"Snape is your godfather?" Potter asked and Draco nodded. "And he sent you to find me?"
"You could say that," Draco answered and looked around. "Care to share that blanket?"
Potter waved his hand and Draco settled down next to him.
"I thought my life was screwed up," Potter remarked as he picked up his guitar and plucked away on the strings.
"He's a good man," Draco said in his godfather's defence. "And can scare the shit out of you at the same time."
Potter laughed at that and started to play. Draco leaned back on a desk behind him and just listened as he took in the image that Potter made. He could tell that the music calmed the other man as he moved from song to song with the odd bit of singing. Draco could feel his own kind of calm come over him. He could tell that Potter didn't want to talk about what had driven him away from everyone as he played.
"I've been working on something new," Potter remarked when he paused.
Draco nodded and Potter plucked out a couple of notes before moving into a slow song. He didn't sing as he let the notes speak for themselves as his fingers danced along the strings. Draco had been forced to play the piano and knew the kind of skill that Potter was displaying as he took in the look of concentration on his face.
"Have you seen a piano in your travels through these junk rooms?" Draco questioned when Potter stopped.
"There are a few," Potter responded. "I don't think any of them are playable. Do you play?"
"Not well," Draco answered. "But I can carry a tune and you don't seem to know wizarding music."
Potter paused and looked at him with an eyebrow raised.
"Are you offering to play?" Potter drawled and Draco's face flushed.
"Possibly," Draco muttered. "Are you done brooding in back rooms?"
Potter looked him over before giving him a small smile and a sharp nod.
"I suppose," Potter said slowly. "There is one piano on the second floor that is probably better than the others."
Potter placed the guitar on the blanket and Draco reached for it. When Potter didn't stop him, he picked it up and looked it over. He didn't know much about the instrument but it looked like it was high quality.
"I stole it from my cousin," Potter remarked as he sat back against the wall, under the window. "Had to get it fixed up but it's a good brand. A waste on him, my uncle wasn't impressed when Dudley just shoved it in the back room."
Draco plucked away at a few strings and Potter gave him a smirk. He glanced around at the stuff laid out.
"How long were you planning on hiding in here?" Draco questioned and Potter's eyes grew guarded.
"I doubt I would have been able to hide for long," Potter replied. "How did you find me?"
Draco held up the guitar and Potter frowned.
"Tracking charm," Draco explained. "How did you hide yourself from the Headmaster and Severus?"
Potter gave him a grin that had his stomach flipping.
"Potter secret," Potter remarked with a wink. "Well, I better pack up. Now that I've been found. I'll have to face the music and the detentions."
"Have you had a night without a detention?" Draco asked in interest.
"Maybe one," Potter admitted, dryly. "Snape has already commented that I'm heading towards the Weasley twin's record. I'm sure that Fred and George won't be happy with that news."
"Why?" Draco asked.
"Well, they take pride in their record-"
"No, Potter." Draco cut in. "Why do you keep fighting and getting detentions. Disappearing and you won't even talk about what happened at the end of the Christmas break!"
Draco paused when he realised that he was on his feet and shouting at the seated wizard. Potter just looked at him mildly. He was sure that Potter had found himself in his situation more than once since school started.
"For it's the only thing that I have control over," Potter said, flatly.
Draco slumped down to his knees before the other boy at those words. Potter looked him over in amusement.
"What did happen when you were attacked?" Draco pressed.
"I don't think that has anything to do with you," Potter said coldly and Draco pulled back at those words.
The other boy had closed himself off completely as he sat there and Draco just stared.
"I think you should leave," Potter said with steel in his voice.
"Fine," Draco snapped and jumped to his feet. "Have it your way, Potter!"
Draco stormed out of the room, not even glancing back. Draco had cooled down by the time that he arrived outside of Severus's rooms. He knocked on the door loudly before tapping his foot as he waited. Severus opened the door and looked him over before pushing the door further open.
"You found him," Severus stated, once Draco had closed the door.
"Yes," Draco answered. "He was camped out on the seventh floor, west wing."
"Did you talk to him?" Severus asked in interest as he walked into the kitchen.
"Yes," Draco replied. "He was his annoying self. Said something about beating the Weasley twin's record of detentions."
Severus snorted as he poured a glass of juice and pushed it towards Draco before filling another glass.
"It's not like we can send a letter to his guardians," Severus remarked. "Perhaps we should send it to Molly Weasley instead. Might be the only way to get through to the boy."
Draco chuckled and Severus gave him a look of amusement.
"He does have guardians?" Draco questioned.
Severus waved him to the lounge in front of the fire and they settled in.
xXx
Draco picked up the rock off the ground and threw it as hard as he could at the mirror. He watched in satisfaction as it shattered as the rock impacted it. He picked up the next rock and threw it at the next mirror with the same result. Every time, he saw his father's face, moments before the mirror shattered. He felt gratified as he destroyed each panel of glass until he was surrounded broken shards. He panted in breaths as he felt tears on his face but he didn't care.
Slow clapping had him whipping his head around to see Potter leaning back against the closed door to the ruined bathroom. Draco picked up another rock and Potter paused but Draco just hurled it at the last mirror with a yell. Glass shattered everywhere as Draco stared at the bare wall behind it. The few pieces of mirror, still before him, reflected back his image and he felt anger run through him. He wished that he didn't look as much like his father as he panted harshly.
"Was there a reason for this destruction?" Potter asked into the silence. "Or are you looking at my record of detentions?"
Draco turned to the other boy as rage flooded through him then he noticed the smile on his lips. Potter was teasing him and Draco tried to control his temper.
"Go away," Draco snapped.
"No," Potter stated and stepped forward, glass crunching under his shoes. "Something has upset you."
"I am not a child!" Draco yelled and stalked towards him.
"The mess of glass around me, says different." Potter said mildly.
"Shut it!" Draco shouted as rage ran through him and he got in Potter's face. "You know nothing!"
Potter stepped back and Draco froze at that move. It was unlike Potter to back down.
"Fine," Potter said and turned.
Draco grabbed his arm and tugged him back, he then grunted as Potter snapped his elbow out and into his stomach. Draco staggered back from the blow and looked at Potter in shock. He stood straight with a fire to his eyes and Draco felt his breath catch at that look.
"What is going on here," Minerva McGonagall exclaimed from the doorway and both boys froze. "Well?"
Potter turned his back on Draco and faced McGonagall.
"I got bored," Potter said, casually.
McGonagall's lips thinned as her eyes looked over her glasses at Potter.
"Then you will be kept busy cleaning this mess up." McGonagall stated, tensely. "Without magic, Mr Potter. You are not to leave until you have picked up every piece of glass!"
"But-" Draco grunted as Potter's elbow slammed into his stomach.
"And detention for the next month and two hundred points from Gryffindor," McGonagall added. "What are you doing here, Mr Malfoy? Were you responsible for this as well?"
"No," Potter stated before Draco could open his month. "He just heard the noise."
McGonagall looked at Draco sternly and Draco could tell that she didn't believe Potter.
"Very well," McGonagall stated. "You can leave Mr Malfoy. Mr Potter, you can start cleaning up now. If you think that you can keep up this level of self-destruction, you are mistaken. Your guardians will hear of this, as well as the Headmaster. You are heading towards expulsion with this behaviour."
"Of course, Professor." Potter replied mildly. "I'm sure that my guardians will be concerned to hear about my behaviour."
McGonagall's lips thinned even more at that answer before she looked at Draco.
"You are dismissed, Mr Malfoy," McGonagall snapped.
"Yes, Professor," Draco answered.
Draco looked at Potter but he wasn't looking at him and Draco had no choice but to leave the room. Leave the mess that he'd made for Potter to clean up.
xXx
"Mr Malfoy," Severus called with a hard look in his eyes. "My office, now!"
Draco's shoulders slumped and he walked over to the potion master and out into the hallway. He could feel the rage rolling off the older man and he knew that this wasn't going to go well. Severus held his office door open and Draco slinked past him and into the room.
"Sit," Severus ordered, sharply.
Draco sat without question and looked down at the floor.
"I don't know if I should yell at you or congratulated you," Severus drawled and Draco looked up. "I'm not sure how you got Potter to take the blame for your mistake."
"I didn't," Draco whispered.
"Explain," Severus snapped.
"He came across me in the bathroom and when McGonagall caught us. He took the blame," Draco admitted. "He even elbowed me when I was going to confess."
Severus snorted and shook his head.
"He probably saved you from being expelled," Severus told him.
"And he knew that he can't be expelled."
Severus nodded sharply.
"Albus is at the end of his rope with the boy," Severus commented and Draco felt his stomach clench. "And once Albus is goneā¦"
"His shield is gone," Draco finished.
"He's stopped caring about everything," Severus remarked as he rubbed his chin. "He doesn't care about his friends, school work or the rules. Everything, except what he did for you."
"What?" Draco uttered.
"Taking the blame for you was the first sign that we have seen that he cares about something," Severus told him. "We thought that he would make a connection with Robert Hellsing but he hasn't."
"I think that he just likes being beat up," Draco grumbled.
"Sometimes you have to feel physical pain to deal with emotional pain," Severus responded.
"What happened at the end of the last school year?" Draco questioned. "What sent him to the edge?"
"Sirius Black," Severus replied, reluctantly. "His godfather was killed."
"Wasn't he out to kill him?" Draco questioned in confusion.
Severus sighed and looked Draco over.
"Life isn't that simple, Draco." Severus drawled.
