War Torn

Author's Note: Wooh! Second chapter, thanks for all the support! Hope you guys like. When I first started this fic I wanted a real sassy, bratty, but cute Draco. He hasn't really turn out that way so I don't know, maybe it'll develop later? Hope you guys like it, please review and offer some helpful criticism or just general encouragement, it really helps!

Chapter Two

Previous: "Malfoy?" came a familiar and very confused voice. Oh Merlin, he knew that voice. Harry bleeding Potter.

"Yes, Potter, now are you going to gape like a fish or are you going to help me up?" Draco snapped, quite irritated Severus hadn't told him who exactly he would be sharing the safe house with. Now of course it was obvious. The only person who was wanted by the Dark Lord so badly that he needed his own safe house. The Boy-Who-Wouldn't-Bloody-Die.

Harry of course just kept staring because it's not everyday your school rival burst through your fireplace and landed at your feet with a scowling Potions professor behind him. Draco huffed as he got himself up from the floor, brushing the dust of himself, all the while glaring at Harry. "Thanks," Draco snarled sarcastically.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Harry finally asked, gaining his voice and now his anger. He wasn't going to be pushed around in his own house by Malfoy.

"Mr. Potter, control yourself," Snape snapped. "Fetch Lupin, now," he ordered without directing the command to one person. Harry stayed glued to the spot so Hermione rushed to complete her teacher's task. Even if they weren't at Hogwarts Hermione believed a Professor deserved respect and for their orders to be followed. Minutes later they came rumbling down the stairs, Lupin rushing into the room.

"Severus, what is it?" Lupin asked obviously worried.

"Draco needs protection from the Dark Lord," Severus answered bluntly looking down at the young blonde. All the while Harry's eyes hadn't strayed from the blonde. His skin looked paler then usually. Harry noted as he was standing his legs seemed to be shaking a little and his hands were trembling slightly but Harry couldn't tell what it was from. Malfoy didn't look scared or nervous, he look exhausted though. He had dark bruises around his eyes like he hadn't slept for a whole month. He looked disheveled too.

In all the years Harry had known Malfoy he had seen the blonde boy always looking perfect. Hair just the way he wanted, perfect fashion sense. Never rumpled or disheveled looking like other boys might look, even in the morning. But right now, he looked shaken. His clothes weren't perfect, his boots were muddy. He just didn't look like himself. This confused Harry.

"What happened?" Remus asked urgently looking down at the blonde teenager who looked on the brink of collapsing. "Draco, please, sit. Would you like some tea?" Remus asked politely, shepherding them all over to the kitchen table.

"No, thank you," Draco breathed out with a sigh sitting down at the table slowly, grimacing slightly at some unknown pain.

Remus looked at the boy again. "Are you sure? Hermione makes a very soothing tea," he offered again making it clear he thought Draco would need the soothing tea.

Draco opened his mouth to decline again, this time with more of a bite when he saw the genuine concern in the man's eyes. This touched him slightly, he barely knew the man. Sure, he had been his professor but Draco hadn't been friendly to him in the least, sneering at his worn clothes.

"Alright, thank you," he agreed, resting his palms flat out on the table feeling the scratches beneath his finger that the table had acquired through years of use.

"Potter, Granger, surely there's somewhere else where you are needed," Snape sneered at the two teenagers like they were unwelcome, which of course they were to the bat like man.

Harry glared back defiantly. "This is my house, sir," he added the 'sir' with a biting tone. "I should know why I'm supposed to offer Malfoy protection under my own roof, don't you think?" he added with a bit more cheek.

"Watch it Potter," Snape snarled, eyes flashing dangerously. He looked like he was about to protest again turning to Hermione when Draco intervened.

"It's fine Sev, I don't mind. I'm sure they'll bound to find out eventually. Like Potter said, it is his house," he reasoned tiredly as he was handed a cup of tea from Remus. "Alright, story time, gather around kiddies," he muttered sarcastically obviously struggling to figure out how he wanted to start. Snape obviously noticing his godson's discomfort and indecision on how to start decided to help him out.

"Start with your inheritance," he ordered with a soft tone.

"Went through my inheritance when I turned sixteen. Great stuff, didn't sleep all night. Came out a Veela." Draco announced, not meeting anyone's eyes as he stared at the old table rubbing his finger over a well worn scratch.

"A Veela! Male veelas are very rare! They're supposed to be super powerful, I read once-" Hermione started to ramble but was cut off by a harsh glance from Snape. "Sorry," she squeaked meekly.

"Yeah, snake face thought so too," Draco muttered darkly gripping his cup of tea, relishing in the warmth brought.

"He was interested in your inheritance?" Remus asked with a thoughtful expression.

Draco nodded. "My parents told him I was coming into my inheritance soon. They were hoping I would turn into something useful so they could get back in his good graces. They lucked out. The next day he summoned me," Draco explained still staring down at the old table.

"Where did he summon you?" Remus asked.

Draco winced. "His quarters, in Malfoy Manor. He had been residing in our home, since his return," he admitted not sure how this would go over with everyone, except Severus of course who already knew. Remus nodded knowingly but Potter looked outraged.

"You knew where he was and you didn't say anything?" he demanded in a self righteous way.

Draco sneered up at Potter. "What would I have said Potter. Hey, You-Know-Who's bunking with me, what do I do? Aurors would have come and raided our manor. My parents would be sentenced to life in Azkaban and for what? He would have just gotten away, and killed a bunch of aurors in the process. What good would that have done?" Draco's voice rose throughout his speech, glaring daggers at Potter, his nails digging into the old wood of the table.

Potter frowned and looked away, seeming to except this as truth but that didn't mean he have to like it.

"It's okay Draco, we understand," Remus told Draco softly, looking down at the young blonde teen who's shoulders had tightened with tension. "Go on," he encouraged.

Draco exhaled slowly, clutching the now cooling mug of tea and took a sip. "He summoned me. He wanted to know what I was and what it entailed. He told me to demonstrate my powers. I had no idea how. It was the morning after my inheritance, I hadn't even researched Veela powers before. There was such a small chance I would inherit the ancient Veela blood from my family line. I thought I would know, before, that I was going to change like this. I didn't expect-" Draco cut off his tangent becoming more and more frustrated. He hadn't wanted this, he was just fine with who he was before. Now he was some creature with these unbelievable powers, the object of a mad man's desire. He took a breath and went on.

"So, anyway, he got a little ticked when I just stared at him like 'what you want me to grow wings and fly about the room?' So he gave me a little incentive, started with the Cruciatus until I could do something interesting. Didn't turn out in his favor though," Draco looked up for the first time to see anger burning in his godfather's eyes. Anger at the Dark Lord for torturing him or anger at his parents for putting him in that situation? Draco didn't know. Maybe both.

He took a chance and looked at the others. Potter looked mildly uncomfortable. Draco had heard he had too been a victim of the Dark Lord's Cruciatus curse in their fourth year when he returned. It wasn't the most pleasant feeling. Granger looked horrified and Draco smirked. If only she knew how familiar Draco was to the Cruciatus by know. Especially since Bellatrix had returned from her stint in Azkaban. Not to mention in the past when dear Auntie Bellatrix taught him Occlumency and had used the Cruciatus as a teaching method. Draco wasn't a stranger to pain.

"What happened?" Remus asked curious. Draco had said the Cruciatus hadn't turned in Voldemort's favor.

"My powers," Draco smiled grimly. "They emerged and attacked him. He was ecstatic about the amount of the power, but not so pleased it was directed at him," Draco retold wincing slightly at the memory. He was leaving out the more gory details. Voldemort had tortured him for hours after that stunt. The Cruciatus was bad, but there was a vast array of Dark curses that cause pain in many different ways and Draco had been introduced to most of them for the better part of a day. He had woke up on the ground the next day in a pool of his own blood, but not a scratch on his body. His new found powers had healed every single wound and not a scar left to tell of that terrible day.

"What were your powers?" Severus asked, his voice hoarse.

Draco grimaced. "I'm not exactly sure. I passed out, I don't even remember attacking Him. He didn't look good though and the room was burnt looking. I can do all magic without a wand and without a spell. I just have to want it. I can do things with fire, earth, water, and air. He called it elemental magic. I didn't really understand it, I still don't. I just found out I can sort of control people..." he trailed off looking uncomfortable. "I don't know what happened. I just looked at this Death Eater and I told him I was leaving and he just nodded. It was weird, but I knew I was using my powers. I could feel it and I think so could he because he looked scared, he looked terrified," Draco recalled remembering the look of pure terror in that man's eyes as Draco told him he was leaving the Manor and never returning.

"I'm stronger now, He tested my physical strength, I guess I'm faster. I can heal myself, my skin just knits itself back together in seconds. That's pretty much all I know," Draco finished feeling emotionally drained. Explaining all this drudged up all the memories of the past month.

"Do you know exactly what You-Know-Who wanted from you?" Remus asked a bit hesitantly, he didn't want to push the boy too far.

Draco looked back with a haunted feeling. "A weapon. He wanted me as weapon to win the war for him. He wanted me to kill Potter and Dumbeldore in the next school year," Draco looked directly at Harry in a calm sort of way but underneath he was shaking with nerves. This was the make or break of this situation. Would Potter throw him out now that he knew for the last month he was being trained and expected to kill Potter and his beloved Dumbeldore?

Silence rang through the kitchen and it hung down on Draco like a heavy blanket. He just wanted someone to say something, anything. Finally the werewolf broke the silence.

"Well, you're here now. That's all that matters. But, Draco, where exactly do you stand now, in the war that is," Remus asked delicately, trying to understand the blonde boy better. Was he friend or a foe? For the Order or against? Did he still hold true to all the beliefs that came with the Malfoy's or had he forsaken those?

Draco thought carefully about his words. He had been raised in a very specific way. He had been raised and told he was better then everyone else. He thought it was true and came into the world with that attitude, which of course turned many people off from him. Throughout his years at Hogwarts and out of his parents careful ministrations he understood things better. He wasn't better then everyone else, he had been told he was. Just because someone told you that you were better then everyone else didn't make it true. Draco understood that. He understood that people fabricated beliefs like that. Whether they truly believed it or they wanted everyone else to believe it depended on them.

He had been raised and taught that muggles were slime on the bottom of his shoe. Ants on a sidewalk. They were nothing and they were dangerous. If they ever learned of his world they would take it for their greedy selves, corrupt it, and eventually ruin it. That's when he had been exposed to the hatred of mudbloods. He had always been taught that kids that were magical but had no magical parents were mudbloods who were unclean, impure, and would destroy their world and everything they had all worked for. He hadn't even know other people called them something different, something less vulgar. He figured mudblood was the term that everyone used to describe these anomalies.

Only through his first detention using the word in front of a teacher did he realize it was a curse word in standards by most people and not to be used in public. Though he had been taught something completely different. Who to believe, strangers or his parents?

He couldn't remember the first time he heard of the Dark Lord. He had always remembered going to bed hearing of the great Dark Lord who was going to save the wizarding race and purge the bad blood that threatened their great society. His first image of the Dark Lord had been a heroic savoir who was the warrior of the purebloods.

Older, wiser, and jaded Draco now knew the Dark Lord was nothing of the sort. He's a psychotic man with a dream that may have once been for a noble cause but has morphed into something unrecognizable by even his most loyal followers. He's a sadist with a serious kink for pain. He's a madman with blood red eyes, the color of his twisted soul.

Hate twisted in Draco's gut, bubbling there and rising up his throat as Draco remembered every horrible memory of the past month. Every memory he wanted to forget, some more than others. Draco shuddered, pushing those memories into the back of his mind. There would be time to deal with them later. Not here, and not now though.

"I hate him. I want him gone. I want him dead," Draco answered finally looking up at his old professor and he saw sympathy and an equal load of pity that Draco hadn't asked for.

"Even if it means sacrificing everything. Turning your back on your...beliefs," Remus said slightly uncomfortable, not sure how to handle this particular situation. Everyone was watching Draco closely.

Again he searched for his answer. He didn't want the right answer, he wanted the honest answer. "I haven't believed what my father told me since I was thirteen. My beliefs are not affiliated with my parents," Draco answered looking at Remus and saw acceptance there, a slight smile turned up the werewolf's lips. "I'll do whatever it takes to see Him gone," he added looking around at the others, maybe for the same acceptance he saw in Remus.

Severus of course gave him a small proud smile, a huge thing for a Slytherin like Sev who doesn't tend to show emotions, especially in front of others. Granger looked understanding, maybe not accepting, but understanding. Draco met Potter's eyes last and for good reasons too. He was met with a storm of emotions in those killing curse green eyes that he could barely decipher.

There was some understanding, like Granger's, but only a fraction. There was confusion, surprise, and of course shock. Then there was mistrust, of course that had should have been obvious considering their past. Draco had not been the friendliest of boys to Potter, but Merlin the raven haired boy just annoyed him. He got under his skin and the next thing you know Draco was in his face insulting him.

Remus yawned tiredly. "Alright, I think that's enough for tonight. Draco you can stay here but understand you'll have to follow our rules and be respectful," Remus pinned him with gaze and Draco winced glancing at Granger who looked a little smug. Not that she didn't deserve it of course.

"I will," Draco promised solemnly.

Remus grinned. "Good, good. It's late, we could all use some sleep. Severus, I assume you'll return back to Spinners End," Remus questioned raising an eyebrow at the Potions master. Snape shot a glance at Draco as if asking if he was going to be alright to stay here. Although that look was only really clear to Draco and Remus as they shared a past with the seemingly stoic man and could tell in his seemingly blank expressions that emotions hovered beneath.

"Draco will be safe, thank you for bringing him here Severus. I will protect your godson, no harm will come to him on my watch," Remus promised reassuring the potions professor. With a curt nod and sweep of his billowing robes he stepped into the fireplace and flooed back to Spinners End.

Remus turned back to the three teenagers all of who were regarding each other with wary glances. "Alright, so bad news. There are only three rooms ready. One for me, one for Hermione, and one for Harry. Obviously you can't be rooming with Hermione as that would inappropriate so the only other option is Harry." Remus held up his hands before the onslaught of protests began.

"I know you two aren't exactly friends, actually you're pretty far from that I hear. Minerva has recounted the tales of your epic fights and the detentions that have resulted," Remus told them with a little smile. "But your both in this together now, pitted against a common enemy. Let's all try to get along, yeah?"

Silence was met with Remus's speech. He sighed and rolled his eyes. "Fine, rip each others hair out, just don't get blood all over the house. Draco, I presume you haven't brought a trunk or anything along with you due to your escape?" Remus questioned.

Draco nodded, his escape had been a spur of moment snap decision and he had left all his clothes and worldly possessions back at the Manor. Who knows what would become of them now?

"Harry will lend you some clothes for the meanwhile. We can go shopping later," Remus announced and clapped his hands together. "Alright off to bed," he shooed them upstairs and with that the three teenagers headed upstairs in an awkward silence. Draco wondered how he had possibly gotten here. Yesterday he was at the Manor, albeit he wasn't exactly happy, being tortured by a madman, and now he was here with Potter and Granger about to go sleep in the same room as Potter. What else did Fate have in store for him?