Author's Note:

I would like to thank my new Beta for her hard work in editing this chapter and hopefully all chapters from now on — SilverStarwolfe — thank you very much! I have a few interesting things happening now so I hope you enjoy my little hints here and there.

Thank you! I think this chapter has had the MOST reviews so far! Thank you very much!

Reviews and Comments: To Shamelessnweird: Thanks for laughing like a maniac! I'm glad you enjoyed it. To scrappy8: Thank you! To Guest: I don't think so, no, but maybe it was in my Beginning Series? To KateKof: Thank you for saying my story is funny and sweet and that my take on the characters is amazing! Thank you! To Millie072: Picturing Alan Rickman's voice coming out of Marilyn Monroe's body is pretty spot on to what I was imagining LOL. When will Sirius start involving himself in the Wizengamot… soon. He is not going to stand for this werewolf stuff. I love that you said Umbitch's bills! Thank you! To Steelcode: You fell out of bed laughing? LOL, thanks! Sirius is definitely a scary genius! To AntiCreator: Thank you! Perfect and proper Marauder style was exactly what I was going for. Snape had it coming for sure. Thanks! To alix33: No, I am not dyslexic or blind, it's called editing without help and no one is perfect. Thankfully, starting this chapter I have found a Beta.

To LeglessFishOnRollerskates: Thank you for saying I am doing very well with editing when there is no beta. I appreciate that! I have been trying my best, but as I said, no one is perfect and sometimes glaring mistakes we write ourselves we just continue to skip over them when we reread. To Obscure-Reference-Girl: Thank you for saying this is possibly the best fan fiction you've ever read! Feel free to tell me your many thoughts, even if it takes ages! Thank you! To turnthepage21: Thank you! To Alyson3il: Thank you for saying this chapter had you in tears! I loved having Neville stand up for himself and I loved writing Sirius being proud of him. Then the pranks on Sirius were merely the icing on the cake! Thank you! To Tai Shiryuki: Thanks for reading since chapter 30 was posted and thank you for taking the time to finally leave a review, I really appreciate them! Thanks for saying it is one of the best works you've ever read and the longest. I am trying my best with editing and I don't mind people pointing out mistakes, but I am only one person and trying my best. Thank you so much for your kind thoughts!

To Lauraf68: Thank you for saying chapter 120 was fantastic! To Matt9917: Thank you! I'm glad I could have you in tears over he pranks. Harry and Ginny are still a ways off yet. To Julie: Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying Zee and Lady G (not Mrs G) and the family Harry has. Happy holidays to you as well! To coloredwords: I think Snape knows not to retaliate against Sirius — he did go to school with the Marauders after all LOL. Yes, the start of Umbitch. Thank you! To Lost: Sorry you feel this story is becoming too hard to follow, there's a lot more to come. To Walker110477: Thank you very much! To teachergirl: Ginny is not the cause of the problem and she took some of the money to pay for her schooling and donated the rest to charity. Having Ginny pay the victims herself is unacceptable as Ginny was a victim herself. I don't understand why you're reading this story if you hate Ginny so much. To samjordon08: Thank you very much for saying this story has lots of depth and that you're looking forward to the next chapter!

To sketchtheunicorn: Thanks for catching up! I think hearing if JKR wrote Harry Potter for adults, this would be it, is an amazing description of ASC so thank you! To storp930: Thanks for catching up. To speedsONEandONLY: Thank you for saying being caught up is bittersweet and that you love everything. Lady G is an underrated character, but we'll see more of her. No, it wasn't the locket in the box. Hinny is definitely the best and feel free to beat up those who give us Hinny lovers crap LOL. I'm glad you thought that was the best prank ever. I'm glad I got you on a Beatles kick with my story (you're welcome). No, it will not be a Scorlily as if it does go on that long (and that's a really big IF) it would be Scorbus. Thank you! To HPforLife: Thank you!

Thank you very much for reading and please, please review!

Your reviews give me life! They give me inspiration! And they make me want to keep writing for more than just myself! Thank you!

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-ONE:

The One Where Draco and Theo Make Bad Detectives

As November breezed into December, the snow started to coat the castle and everyone began to anticipate going home for the holiday. Harry was looking forward to it more than usual. He was tired of the fog and of the constant depressive state that the Dementors left him feeling. He had started having nightmares again about Voldemort, about the Horcruxes, and about Voldemort killing him or killing Sirius and Remus and he'd wake up, tears streaming down his face and his heart pounding in his chest.

He just wanted his own room.

He wanted Marauder.

And he wanted Sirius.

He just wanted to go home.

He hadn't told any of his friends about his talk with his fathers, about the prophecy, about the Horcruxes, or about Voldemort. He didn't know what to say to them or how to say it. He filled pages upon pages of his journal and felt better for it, but it didn't help him sleep. He stared at his mirror, clutching it tightly in his hands, but he wouldn't use it. He didn't want Sirius to know how much this was keeping him up. He didn't want to worry him. And part of him was still slightly angry at his fathers for having known the entire summer and hadn't said anything to him about it. He ignored the nagging voice in the back of his head that told him that he was better off not knowing at all.

He could see that his friends were starting to worry about him as well, but he pushed them away; insisting that he was just ready to go home for the holiday and that it was the Dementors, but he wasn't sure if they believed him.

He'd been reading up on the Patronus Charm in his spare time as well. It sounded interesting to him the way that every person had their own unique shape for the Patronus to take form in. The hard part about casting the charm was the ability to hold onto a truly happy memory while doing it as the memory had to be powerful enough to overcome the sadness and the depression that the Dementors pushed forward. He was very interested in attempting it and he wondered what form his charm would take.

He fell asleep in the common room, his face buried in his History of Magic notes that night and woke up with parchment stuck to the side of his face and ink on his chin, the embers of the fire dying out. The clock told him that it was just a little after one and he yawned, rubbing his face. The last thing he remembered was telling Ron that he was just going to finish up his last paragraph. He yawned again and grimaced, which he still hadn't done.

He packed up his books and notes, stuffing them into his book bag and telling himself that he would finish the paragraph in the morning as he made his way upstairs. He stopped by his bed, listening for a moment as he had thought he heard voices, but when he was assured that it was only one of his roommates talking in their sleep, he changed into his pyjamas and fell face first into his four poster, putting his glasses on his night table, asleep before his head even hit the pillow.

Dean let out a slow breath as he turned to look at Seamus who was lying next to him in his own four poster. "I told you that we're going to get caught!"

Seamus grinned and continued his ministrations, making Dean's breath hitch as Seamus' hand gripped him tighter. "No one is going to catch us, Dean, relax — enjoy."

Dean stuttered as Seamus pumped him faster, pulling his pyjama pants down to give his friend better access. "We have to-to-to stop this, you-you have a girl-girlfriend."

Seamus used his other hand to fondle Dean's balls, rubbing and rolling them between his fingers, stroking the underside of his thick length and squeezing lightly as his other hand pumped him. Dean shoved his fist into his mouth as he came, spurting all over Seamus' hands and onto his belly.

Seamus sighed, cleaning them both up before he leaned back against the pillows. "Lavender let me kiss her tits today."

Dean grinned at him, his breath heavy. "Yeah? Are they as brilliant as I imagined?"

"Rosy pink peaks and they tasted like strawberries. She even touched me through my pants."

Dean smirked. "Did you come?"

"Almost. I think after the holiday, I'll see if she'll touch my cock."

Dean stretched a bit, pulling his own pants back up. "If she ever finds out how much time you spend playing with my cock, she definitely won't touch yours."

He chuckled and licked his lips. "I'm just helping out my single friend. Once you work up the courage to ask out Parvati you won't need me and my hands anymore. I'm preparing you for when a girl touches you so, you won't embarrass yourself and come too early, you know?"

"Right," he said, smirking slightly.

Seamus turned into him, his hard length pressing against Dean's thigh. "I'll be quick. I just need…"

He only nodded as his friend began to grind against him. The feel of his friend's hard length, still in his pyjama bottoms grinding against his thigh, made him shiver. He found himself staring at Seamus' slightly parted lips as he panted. Minutes later he felt the warmness against his leg as Seamus finished, sighing in relief.

"Better?"

Seamus grinned. "Much. You still coming to stay with me over Christmas break?"

Dean nodded, watching as Seamus used his wand to clean both of them up. "Of course. Mum is going to stay with my auntie M in Berlin anyway."

He tied his pyjama bottoms back up and carefully slipped out of Dean's bed. "Good. And Dean?"

"Yeah, Seam?"

"Nothing. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Seamus," he said as Seamus hurried back off into his own bed.

Dean rolled over, exhaustion taking over him and he drifted off to sleep.

~ ASC ~

Remus bolted upright, his heart beating wildly, sweat on his brow. He felt Tonks shift next to him as he ran his hands over his face and climbed out of bed. The nightmares were getting more intense the longer the Dementors were near the castle. He was remembering the moment of Greyback attacking him and the pain of his early transformations; those moments of horror as his bones split and cracked and shifted, and he could feel the pain in his body as if he had truly just transformed.

He hurried into the bathroom, splashing cold water on his face; more relieved than he wanted to admit to see his face and not the face of the wolf in the mirror. He took a few deep calming breaths, trying to settle his racing heart and to convince his body that it had been psychological; that he didn't actually have physical pain. He splashed his face again, closing his eyes.

Tonks arms slipped around his waist from behind and her lips pressed against the centre of his back. "Breathe, baby," she whispered, kissing his spine. "Just breathe."

He knew that she could feel how erratic his heartbeat was between her breasts so he took slow deep breaths. Her hands slid over his abs, gently rubbing in a calming fashion, her cheek pressed against his back. Remus closed his eyes, breathing slowly and he felt himself calm down, inch by inch.

He turned around, his arms wrapped around her and he kissed her forehead. "I don't know what I would do without you."

Tonks smiled, sliding her hand down his bum to squeeze his naked cheeks. "Be miserable."

He smirked, eyebrow rising when her fingertip slid into him. "Naughty," he hissed, kissing her nose.

Tonks kissed his neck, his collarbone, his chest, her lips tracing every one of his scars tenderly. "It's been ages since we've been together. The Dementors don't exactly make us interested in that."

Remus smiled, sighing as her hand moved between his legs to fondle him. "It's been a week, Dora, does that qualify as ages?"

She smirked at him and squeezed lightly. "Ages," she said, rolling him in her hand.

Remus picked her up and carried her back into the bedroom, dropping her down onto the bed as she laughed, bending to take her nipple into his mouth, sucking through the cotton of the tee shirt she wore.

"You've missed me," he said, tugging her knickers down with his hands and finding her ready for him.

She whimpered when his finger found her and he smiled, bent his head, and pleased her.

Tonks gripped his hair tightly, pushing his head closer as she cried out his name. Remus just held her thighs, his tongue lapping at her as he hummed happily and when she came, he kissed her thoroughly, lifting his head long enough to roll her over and then he slipped into her. She cried out, holding his hips as he rode her, sobbing in pleasure when she came again and he came with her, kissing the back of her neck as he did.

She moved to snuggle with him, both of them sweaty and happy. "I love you, Remus," she whispered, kissing him softly.

Remus smiled and kissed her back. "I love you too."

When he woke up in the morning, the bed next to him was cold and he stretched lazily, glancing at the clock. It was Sunday and he had nowhere pressing to be. He stood up, stretched again and took a quick shower before putting on sweatpants and a warm jumper. His little suite was empty and he frowned, wondering where Tonks had disappeared too.

He made himself a cup of tea and a bowl of oatmeal, which he ate standing up at the breakfast nook and then he took a seat on the sofa and pulled out the crossword. He had only written four words down when Tonks stepped out of the fire, dusting herself off.

She used a quick cleansing charm on herself and then curled up on the sofa next to him. "Hi, Professor."

Remus kissed her softly. "Where did you disappear to this morning?"

"I didn't have any clean clothes."

He smirked and kissed her again. "I like you naked."

She chuckled. "It's December, I need clothes."

Remus only shrugged. "Then I'm doing something wrong."

She grinned and crawled into his lap to straddle him, rocking against him. "Nothing wrong that I can see."

He grinned and held her hips in place. "I wanted to talk to you about this place anyway."

"Oh?"

He kneaded her hips gently as he spoke. "As a professor, this little suite is mine so that I can stay at Hogwarts to be closer to my students." When she nodded, he smiled. "But… I mean, with the Dementors here… it's been harder to stay here."

"I know, baby," she said, running her fingers through the soft golden brown hair at his temples. "The dreams have been bad and I'm sorry."

Remus shook his head, burying his face in her neck for a moment, inhaling her scent and taking comfort in the smell of her skin; the smell of his mate. "Commuting every day is not exactly a struggle. I would just have to Apparate into Hogsmeade every morning, a few stops in between sure, but it's completely doable or I'm sure Minerva might even let me connect my Floo here and… I miss my cottage, Dora."

"What are you saying, Rem?"

"I want to move back into my place in Wrexham. I don't want to stay here all year long."

She smiled and kissed him softly. "I like your place in Wales. We still have a few surfaces left to christen there."

He blushed as he remembered how he'd taken her against almost every wall in his house that summer, embarrassing Marauder, who had run off to hide. "Move in with me."

Tonks stared at him, her eyes wide in surprise. "What?"

He slipped his fingers into her short hair, smiling. "I love you and I want you to move in with me. You hardly ever stay at your flat anyway, paying rent on it is a waste. I'll let you have full control over everything, you can redecorate to your heart's content, just… be with me. Please."

Tonks smiled and kissed him deeply. "I like my little flat."

He frowned. "Well, you should keep it then for yourself. I mean, maybe you could stay there during the full moon but… at least move some of your stuff over. I have the room. The cottage is quaint, but decent sized, and it has a big garden in the back. I want you to move in with me, Nymphadora."

She lifted the enchanted heartbeat from between her breasts and held it in her hand. "One condition, Remus."

He kissed her nose. "Anything."

She kissed him softly. "If I move in with you, I'm with you for all of it." His brow furrowed and she shook her head. "No more making me leave during the full moon. I will be there for you the entire time, in every way possible."

Remus shook his head. "Not when I've changed. I've told you, I don't want you seeing me like that. I could hurt you."

Tonks framed his face in her hands. "You would never hurt me." She kissed him deeply. "The next moon is just after Christmas, I'm going to be there," she held a finger to his lips when he made to protest. "I will be there and then afterwards, you can ask me again."

Remus wrapped his arms tightly around her and hugged her close. "I don't like this, Nymphadora."

She smiled and licked his ear. "I'm yours, Remus, and you are mine. It's time you realize that means that all of you is mine." Her fingers danced along the nape of his neck, down his chest as she spoke. "Every," she said softly, fingers slipping beneath the waistband of his sweats — "last" — her hand slid inside, wrapping around him — "inch of you."

Remus hissed slightly as she tugged on him. "I'll think about it."

Tonks kissed his lips and smiled. "That's all that I ask."

And then she tugged his lips back to hers.

~ ASC ~

When Harry came home for Christmas, he was so relieved to walk into his own home that he could literally feel his body sighing in relief. He hugged Marauder tightly, feeling lighter already as he left the presence of the Dementors. Sirius had pulled out all of the Christmas decorations and was waiting rather impatiently to decorate, which made him laugh, but also pleased him. He loved that his father waited for him each year before decorating for Christmas.

They spent almost three hours decorating the house as Sirius blared The Beatles, ACDC, Queen, and surprisingly Abba through the record player and it felt like old times. He looked up when Zee stepped into the house, her arms full of baking tins.

"Hi, sorry to interrupt your decorating, but I wanted to drop these off before I left."

"You're not interrupting, Zee," Harry told her with a smile, hurrying over to accept the tins. "What did you bake?"

She shrugged. "A bit of this and a bit of that. They are full of biscuits and danishes and tarts and fudge."

"Thanks," Harry said, taking the tins to carry into the kitchen.

Sirius pulled Zee into his arms and kissed her. "You're really going away for two whole weeks?"

She smiled against his chest. "Yes. You and Harry are both welcome to come, you know."

"To Moscow with your family?"

Zee smiled and kissed him softly. "My parents want to see more of you and I know that they'd love to meet Harry."

Harry came out of the kitchen then and smiled at her. "Your parents want to meet me?"

"They do and I think my father wants to interrogate Sirius some more."

Sirius grimaced at that. "Hard pass."

Harry chuckled and slipped his hands into his jeans. "You could always invite them over to Andy's house. She loves people coming over for Christmas."

Zee smiled. "A little far to travel I'm afraid. This year we're spending Christmas in Russia."

Harry nodded. He had just assumed that Zee would be spending Christmas with them and he was surprised to feel disappointed that she wouldn't be. "Oh."

She glanced at the clock and smiled. "I have to go catch my portkey. But you boys have an amazing Christmas." She jolted in surprise when Harry hugged her and she reached up to kiss his cheek. "You take care of your father for me."

Harry grinned. "I will."

He watched as Sirius tugged her up against him and kissed her deeply, lingering on her lips. "You'll be back for New Years?"

She nodded. "A few days before, I promise." He kissed her again and she sighed into him, licking her lips when she pulled away. "Happy Christmas, my loves."

Sirius closed the front door behind her and sighed, slapping his hands together. "All right, let's go find a tree."

Harry only stared at his godfather. "I thought that she was going to spend Christmas with us."

"She has her own family and some of them live all the way in Russia. We'll see her on New Year's, probably a few days before."

Harry put his coat on, grabbed a toque and carefully adjusted his Gryffindor scarf around his neck against the bite of the cold. "I think I'd like to see her dad interrogate you."

Sirius draped an arm over Harry's shoulders. "Her parents loved me."

"Will I get to meet them one day?"

He looked down and smiled at Harry. "Definitely."

They went out to search for a Christmas tree, working in companionable silence. It was only as Harry used the saw to cut the tree down, watching it fall to the ground with an echoing bang that Sirius finally spoke.

"You've been kind of quiet since you came home."

Harry shrugged as he watched Sirius use his wand to tie and secure the tree before floating it ahead of them. "I'm just glad to be home."

"You haven't called me when you've had a bad dream."

Harry sighed and shrugged again as they approached the house. "I've been using the journal."

Sirius nodded, floating the tree into the house and quickly putting it into place by the front window in the living room. Harry took over the task of cleaning the tree and the surrounding floor before they started decorating in silence. Almost ten minutes had passed before Sirius spoke up again.

"Ginny really likes Na'eemah, eh?"

"Yeah, she does," Harry said. "She says that talking to her has really helped her."

"Is that something that you'd want to do, Harry?"

Harry turned, his wand in his hand to stare at his father in surprise. "What?"

Sirius swallowed carefully, putting his wand in the holster of his pants and sighing as he stared at his son. "Thea told me that I should take you to see a Mind Healer years ago when I first brought you home from the arseholes who had you and I refused; I insisted that I was enough for you but… with everything that Uncle Remus and I have told you this past year, with the Chamber of Secrets, with Ginny, with Voldemort, with Pete's trial, and now the Horcruxes and the prophecy and… would you… would you maybe want to speak to a Mind Healer? I can find you one that you would be comfortable with? Maybe they can help you with your nightmares. If I'm not enough anymore I can —"

Harry flung himself around Sirius, surprising him and cutting him off. "I have you. I don't need anyone else."

Sirius smiled, kissing the top of his head. "You do have me and I'm always here to listen but… is it enough, Prongslet?"

Harry nodded, hugging him tightly. "You're more than enough, Uncle Siri. I know you're always here to listen, but sometimes I just need to deal with my dreams on my own. I don't want you to worry."

"Worrying is my job," Sirius insisted, smiling now. "And I know that you're growing up and I know that you don't want me to sing you goodnight and check for monsters under the bed and tell me about every single thing you dream about and that's okay," he said, gently brushing his son's cheek with his thumb. "But I want you to know that if you do want that or even just need to talk for a second, it's what I'm here for."

Harry grinned up at him. "I know."

Sirius smiled, his eyes sad for a moment. "Sometimes, I look at you, and I wonder if I did enough. If I gave you the home that you deserved."

"Sometimes, even when I'm upset or annoyed with you, I still know that you're the best dad in the world."

Sirius grinned and kissed his forehead. "You and I, we're a team, Prongslet. Always."

Harry hugged him tight, the happiness of being home, of being away from the Dementors, and of being with his father taking away his worries and his fears — even if only for a moment.

He wouldn't change it for the world.

~ ASC ~

Draco was watching his parents closely when he returned home to Wiltshire Manor for the holiday. His mother seemed to be making an effort to pretend like everything was perfectly fine, but he could see that it wasn't. His father looked tense and would only relax when Narcissa touched him or wrapped an arm around him and then he would simply look at her, love in his gaze. He said as much to Theo, who had come home with him for Christmas in his attempt to avoid his own father.

"They're trying to pretend like everything is okay and I know perfectly well it isn't."

Theo sighed and smiled at his friend from where he was stretched out on Draco's bed. "You acting like a prat isn't going to make them tell you any time sooner. I told you, you should make nice with Potter. He probably knows more about the situation."

"What makes you think he knows?"

Theo rolled his eyes. "He's been way too calm. Plus, the whole thing with his biggest fear being Dementors? Blaise and I both agree that's like beyond anything. He's the bloody Boy Who Lived, how is he not more afraid of You Know Who? That tells me that he's more than aware of something that is going on and that they are watching out for it. After all, you said your mum went to Lord Black as soon as she realized that your grandfather was behind the break-out."

Draco nodded, moving to sit at the end of his bed. "That's probably true." He made a disgusted face. "I don't want to befriend Potter. He's such a… Gryffindor."

"Ooh, the horror," Theo teased with a smirk. "And like you're such a saint yourself. Besides, you have said more than once that Monroe is totally lush and she's a Gryffindor."

Draco smirked and shrugged. "Well, she is lush, but she's not Potter."

Theo smirked at him. "You know, if I didn't know you were straight, I might start to question if you fancied him for as much as you rant about him."

Draco glared at him. "I don't fucking fancy Potter, you prat!"

Theo grinned. "Aw, come on, Draco, you have to admit he's grown into quite the bloke this year. He shot up a few centimetres, has to be close to one hundred and seventy-five centimetres. That black messy hair, those killer green eyes, and as someone who most definitely has been looking, he has a smashing arse that I'd love to just bite, I mean, have you seen him in his Quidditch uniform?"

Draco looked green. "I might vomit on you."

He laughed. "Well, it's pretty obvious the bloke has the hots for Chang anyway. The back of his neck turns a lovely shade of pink whenever she's nearby."

He glowered at his friend. "Can we stop talking about Potter and how not attractive he is or I'll make you go home for Christmas!"

Theo smirked. "No, you won't. You love having me around too much," he said cheekily, stretching his arms out behind his head. "Besides, having me here with you means that you won't have to brood alone as you try to figure out what your grandfather is planning."

"What are you thinking, Theo?"

He simply grinned. "Do you remember that secret room of your grandfather's we found when we were ten? The one hidden past the dungeons?"

Draco's slow grin slid across his face. "Theo, I could kiss you!"

"Mate, I already told you — I'm not interested in your pale Adonis arse, but I know I am pretty brilliant. So, after your parents turn in tonight, let's go down there and see what we can find."

"Even if it turns up nothing, I'd feel better if we just looked. I bet Grandfather left something down there that we're not supposed to know about," Draco said with a wide grin.

Theo grinned. "The dark, dirty secrets of Abraxas Malfoy — can't wait."

~ ASC ~

Draco and Theo snuck downstairs into the hidden room behind the dungeons that night after Lucius and Narcissa had gone to bed. Draco crept past the warding, easily slipping through by murmuring his grandfather's name and the portrait slid open to reveal the dusty room.

Theo whistled when he stepped in behind him. "It looks exactly the same. Are you sure that your grandfather has even been in here since we last snuck in?"

Draco glared at him. "Trust me, Theo, he was down here this summer. He had the rat locked in a cage on his desk."

Theo nodded and moved to the filing cabinet. "What are we looking for?"

Draco shrugged. "I don't know. Anything that can tell us where he is hiding the prisoners, what he's up to, and maybe why my mother is so scared of him?"

Theo nodded and turned back to the cabinet as he searched through the papers. Neither of them spoke as they searched. Almost fifteen minutes had passed before Draco swore, making Theo turn to look at him.

"What?"

He shook his head as he held up the journal. "Listen to this: The Dark Lord has claimed that his trophies must be safeguarded against all. Only a few of us have been rewarded with knowing of the trophies and no one knows the location of them except those the Dark Lord trusted with them. But I would bet my fortune that Bella hid hers in her Gringotts vault. She doesn't have any other safe place to hide it. And as for Selwyn, he went on a secret mission with the Dark Lord to hide one of them after the loss of Regulus Black. The foolish boy disappeared somewhere. The Dark Lord claims he's dead, and he would know, since he can trace all of us. The Dark Lord mentioned that the best place to hide anything is inside of Hogwarts, whatever that means. He went on to tell me that I need to bring my son to heel, that Lucius is too busy shagging his young wife to focus on what's important, to follow the mission."

"What mission?" Theo asked.

Draco shrugged. "I don't know. The rest of the pages have been torn out."

"Maybe they were torn out so that two teenage boys snooping around didn't find something that they weren't supposed to see."

Both boys whirled around, eyes wide to see Lucius Malfoy standing there, arms crossed in front of him.

"Father! We were just —"

"Just what, Draco? I am dying to hear what excuse you have for being in your grandfather's office in the middle of the night without permission?"

"What was your mission, Father?"

Lucius let out a huff of annoyance. "What I do with my time is not your business. Theo, what do you think Thaddeus will say when I tell him that you were snooping?"

"Please, Uncle Lucius, don't tell him. I'm sorry for snooping."

Draco only stared his father down. "Father, is it true? Are you in service to You Know Who? Is that what your tattoo means? Uncle Thad has the same one and I saw the same tattoo on Aunt Bella's arm."

Lucius sighed, letting out a slow breath. "Times were very different a decade ago, Draco, and the choices I made... you don't need to know about them. You should not be trying to figure out what your grandfather is up to."

"He broke two prisoners out of Azkaban! He's a criminal. I deserve to know what that means!"

"Draco, it's not that simple."

Draco only crossed his arms in front of his chest. "It is that simple. Mother is scared and I want to know why! Is You Know Who back?"

"Draco, some things were set into motion many years ago and we always knew that one day the Dark Lord would return. But what you need to know about it is nothing until I deem it time to inform you."

"I'm not a child! What is going on?"

"A child you may not be, but a man wouldn't snoop around in another's man's things without permission," Lucius said, sternly, making Draco flush under his disappointment. "You will not come snooping around again, am I understood?"

"But Father —"

" — Am I understood?" Lucius repeated, his voice cold and stern.

Draco nodded, swallowing slowly. "Yes, Sir."

"Good. Both of you, back to your rooms. I don't want to hear anything else on the subject."

Draco and Theo both nodded before they hurried back up the stairs to the main floor then up the grand staircase and back to Draco's room. When they closed the bedroom door behind them, Theo turned to look at his friend.

"I'm sorry. It was stupid of me to suggest we go down there."

Draco shook his head, moving to sit on his large bed. "No, you were right to want to go down there. Father didn't deny it. He is a Death Eater."

Theo shrugged. "My father doesn't hide it. He still makes a point to explain his pride in it. Always pointed to his tattoo and told me about how much better the world would be if the Dark Lord had won the war."

"My father doesn't talk about it. He just says that sometimes our ideals lead us down the wrong path," he said before he he sighed. "Do you think the Dark Lord was really that great? I mean… the rest of the world seems to think that he was pretty bad and they celebrate his downfall? But our fathers… my grandfather… sometimes I don't know what to think."

"I don't know," Theo said, honestly, moving to lie on the bed next to his friend. "He killed a lot of people, Draco. Father always says that only the purebloods are worthy to rule, to practice magic, and to make the laws to govern those who are lesser. What is it that Potter said to you last year, about the blood?"

"'We all bleed red,'" Draco said softly. "Do you think that's true, honestly? Would a Muggleborn's blood truly be red and not mud coloured like Grandfather says?"

Theo was quiet for a long moment and when he spoke, it was almost a whisper. "I think bad things are coming, Draco, and I think your father is trying his best to protect you from them. Maybe it's better if we really don't know what is going on."

He just nodded. He had a terrible feeling that his friend was right and he wasn't sure he liked the thought of it.