Chapter 21- My Father's Mercy

Hermione awoke to a pounding head and a mouth that tasted as bitter as poison. What happened? She wondered still barely alert.

"Lay still," the gentle voice of Andromeda instructed, "you've used rather more of your magic than is wise." She informed Hermione.

"What happened?" Hermione managed to voice the question.

"We're not entirely sure but you performed some very powerful magic."

"Draco!" Hermione shot up rather too suddenly.

"Hermione you must rest," she was told forcefully, "as far as we are aware he is still alive, if he has survived the first few hours that has to be a good sign.

"Why?" Hermione asked.

Andromeda stared at her for a moment, why what? She considered, why did Draco leave? Why did she collapse? In truth she couldn't answer either question

"I don't know," Andromeda admitted.

Draco went to speak to his Father with a greater dread than he had anything in his life. It was the fear that this encounter would prove once and for all whether his own Father loved him that troubled him most. He knocked gently on his Father's study door.

"Entry," came the immediate, imperious response. Draco took a deep calming breath and opened the door. His Father stood before the window, a large glass of fire whiskey in his right hand. Draco couldn't help put noticed that hand trembled slightly. Lucius drew his wand to quickly perform some locking and silencing charms.

"In truth Draco," his father began wearily, "I do not know if I should be proud of you or disgusted," he paused. Draco said nothing. "Proud that you are brave enough to return, brave enough to take what you want from life or disgusted that you would disregard a millennium's worth of breeding to marry a mud…muggleborn."

"I cannot tell you what to think Father," Draco finally said keeping his tone neutral.

"No!" his father scoffed, "but you have certainly placed yourself in a position that forces my hand."

Lucius sighed again, clearly rehearsing what he needed to say.

"I will help you and by extension your little wife and her friends but they must keep your mother safe. I want her out of here before we make any moves."

Draco nodded praying that he had not overstepped the mark in agreeing to this. Lucius bowed his head before curtly indicating to Draco to sit.

"What do you know of the blood magic you have initiated?" Lucius demanded.

"Only what I have already told mother and what she in turn told me," Draco admitted truthfully.

"This is very, very powerful magic Draco," his father warned, "not ever to be used lightly. That little exhibition from your distraught wife is but a fraction of what it could do- but power like that comes at a great cost."

"What do you mean," Draco asked suddenly concerned for Hermione's wellbeing.

"It can burnout your magical core, Draco; never use it unless you are in dire need, NEVER."

Draco nodded in understanding knowing that he must let Hermione know as soon as he could.

"Alright, now that you are here we need to keep you alive, the Dark Lord must not know about this magical bond between you and Hermione. He already suspects something; you must shield your mind at all cost even if he tries to break you. The bond allows you to find each other no matter where you might be. The Dark Lord could therefore find your wife and by extension, as they are rarely far apart, Potter. I'm sure I need not explain the danger that bond puts us all in." Lucius concluded a note of warning in his tone.

"I understand Father," Draco told the older man solemnly.

"Do you Draco?" Lucius asked with a long suffering sigh, "Because if you cannot do this it will cost us all our lives."

Remus had supplied Draco with a protean charm, it looked for the entire world like any other galleon but it enabled Draco to pass on what he had discussed with his Father. Thankfully the Order agreed to Lucius' terms. They would get Narcissa out as soon as they could. Now all that Draco could do was wait it out and try to survive Voldemort's moods and tantrums.

Out of all that had happened since his return home only one thing had surprised him, his father. Lucius, it seemed, was after all prepared to protect him. Draco had begun to doubt his father every loved him but perhaps Draco had been wrong. He had placed himself at his Father's mercy and his Father had not betrayed him-at least not yet.

"Welcome back, Draco," a slightly amused voice rang out from the shadows, "where have you been might I ask?"

"None of your business Nott," Draco snarled.

"Oh come on Drake, we are all in this together I meant no harm, I just thought you might want to talk." Theo Nott told him.

Draco merely scoffed considering whether it might be worth seeking to use Nott as an ally of sorts. He knew he dare not fully trust the other young man but he might have his uses and it was perhaps best not to alienate his peer.

Taking Draco's lack of response as encouragement Theo continued;

"So did you get past first base with Granger?" Nott as in a loquacious tone, Draco saw red, before he could think and school his features into his usual calm, he rounded on the other young wizard pinning him against the wall.

"Don't ever speak of her to me again!" Draco snarled.

"Wow," Theo said hands up in surrender as he tried to calm the situation. "Ok, no offense intended."

Draco nodded curtly finally getting a grip on his emotions and chastising himself for his foolish reaction.

"Sorry mate," Draco conceded, "I just don't want to think about what I had to go through."

"I understand," Theo reassured, "sorry I brought it up."

Draco walked away hoping he had got away with his unreasonable reaction.

Theo Nott watched his friend walk away, Theo knew something was off about Draco's reaction but he would not betray Draco, not without cause, and he didn't wish the pretty mud-blood any harm really. If the war had allowed Draco a moment of madness with the curly haired witch-well, Theo thought, good for him. Theo was happy to let sleeping dragons lie.