A/N: I'm so sorry I've been gone for so long. A ton has happened since I posted last. My parents practically disowned me, I moved to a new city, and I've realized that I'm never going to get what I want from the person I moved here for. I haven't really felt like writing for a long time, so don't expect this chapter to be as stellar as the rest. I've lost my inspiration but I fully intend to finish what I've started here. Please bear with me as I try to get through the rest of this year.

CHAPTER 2 ~ Too Much

"Where Mama?" Draco flinched as Alex asked for the third time in a week about his mother.

"Mama had to go away, but she'll be back soon," I hope he thought as he reassured his child.

"Miss Mama."

"I miss her too son."

"She's hurt right?" another voice asked from the doorway.

"Why would you think that Love?" asked Draco

"Because you're only ever sad when one of us gets hurt," Anna came to sit by her father and brother.

"You are far too clever for your own good Anna." Draco said shaking his head.

"I think she's going to wake up soon. Can we go see her?" she asked.

"We'll see her tomorrow then. Bedtime now," Draco stood finalizing his command.

"But I'm not tired," Anna yawned as she headed to her room.

Draco tucked his children into their beds and went to the spare room that held his other love. He sighed as he unlocked the door. Rachel was in the same place she'd been a week ago. She'd been unconscious for a week with little change, but Anna had said she would wake up so Draco was hopeful. He crossed the room to the chair by Rachel's bed and took her hand like every other night. "Come back to me, love. I'm so so sorry," he whispered. Then he kissed her forehead and watched her breath. She seemed to be getting stronger but he wouldn't know for sure the damage he'd done with the curse until she woke up.

The Dark Lord had not called another meeting since that night. He too seemed worried about his daughter. She was, after all, the heir to the empire since Alex was nowhere near ready to rule. Draco was left with his thoughts throughout the night, but they kept circling around one idea. Was keeping the muggles at bay really worth the lunacy the Dark Lord was bringing to the world? It was getting to be too much.

Draco decided that night that his children would not be brought up in a world where the people they loved were tortured in front of their very eyes. They deserved better. When Rachel was well enough, Draco would take the family far away from the life they knew. He'd need help, though it pained him to admit. He was going to have to contact his childhood enemy. He needed the help of the Order of the Phoenix to make things right. He needed the help of the person he loathed and envied. He needed the help of one, Harry Potter.

The question remained in many Death Eaters' minds: Where had Potter gone? And for that matter, what was the Order planning? The best place to start for Draco would be Hogwarts. Perhaps one of the elves there could relay a message to set up a meeting. He would need to work quickly. Anna's feelings were almost as accurate as her visions. Rachel needed to get better, but not so much that her father would start requiring their presence again. With his mind firmly made up, Draco stood. He would go to Hogwarts tonight and plead his case to his former house elf Dobby.

Though this would be a hit to his pride, the elf was in Potter's good graces and thought very highly of Albus Dumbledore. Draco was nearly certain that the elves at Hogwarts were reporting the happenings to the Order. Voldemort, himself, had discontinued meetings there after a dozen or so foiled missions. Draco walked back to the master bedroom to find his broom. He needed to fly so that his magic was not easily traced. His journey would take most of the night. By morning, he hoped, he would have a solid plan or at least a meeting with the Golden Boy.

Hogwarts had been mostly rebuilt after the Death Eater takeover. Many of the secret passageways had been blocked during the rebuild to prevent unwanted visitors. Draco was grateful that the passage from Hogsmeade had not been discovered. He himself discovered it in his second year, but told none of his classmates. It was always good, he reasoned, to have an escape plan if things went badly.

He slipped into the castle undetected and made his way to the entrance without incident. He looked around once more before tickling the pear to gain access. Once inside he looked around for his target. Once the elves would bend over backwards to greet their guests. Now they merely regarded Draco with extreme caution. Finally he spotted the freed elf. "Oi, Dobby, could I please have a word?" he asked trying not to sound harsh.

Dobby turned at the sound of his name and his big eyes became even larger when he saw how was calling him out. "Dobby will not say anything! Harry Potter is Dobby's friend!" It was clear that Dobby had been questioned endlessly in the beginning before the Death Eaters got comfortable with the new rule.

"I don't want you to tell me about Potter. I'm asking if you will give him a message for me. Don't tell me you don't know where he is. If you do this for me, Dobby, I'll give you my socks," Draco hated the pleading sound in his voice, but he knew that Dobby was the best chance he had at finding any member of the Order- especially Harry Potter.

The elf regarded his former master for a minute before saying, "What kind of message?"

"Just tell him that the Dark Lord has crossed a line that even I do not like. I want to get my children away from his madness. I can help the Order of the Phoenix. I was part of the inner circle. I know nearly all of the plans. Please will you ask him to meet me? Tell him I'll go anywhere he chooses," Draco had taken the first step, now all he could do was hope that the little elf before him would decide to help.

It is a little known fact that house elves are extremely compassionate, especially when it comes to children. Dobby had seen the girl the Death Eaters referred to as Little Lady and her father, his former master, was standing in front of him pleading for a better life for her and the Riddle/Malfoy heir. They were only children. If the father was willing to change, then maybe the Darkness would end with the current tyrant. "Dobby will give Young Master's message to Harry Potter."