*note: I've been getting this a lot and I thought I clarified it but, Harry and Draco are 16. yuppy yup. Don't like it, oh well.

Chapter 10

Stepping silently into the large common room, the Gryffindors stood, casting their eyes around the luxuriously decorated room, their eyes falling on to the site of Lucius Malfoy, his blonde hair standing out against the darkness, his silvery eyes attentive and fixed on theirs.

Lucius looked at them, his eyes dark, his position on the chaise relaxed and arrogant, his cane settled on the floor by the large couch. His robes lay loosely about his body, draping him in elegance and giving him an air of lazy aristocracy. His chest was bared, showing the slight muscle definition in his pectorals and abdomen, the Malfoy crest in the form of a necklace lay against his chest, along with another, smaller silver chain, which held a dragon pendant, peering at him with emerald eyes.

Severus sat gracefully on the blonde's right, watching sliently as the three stood, their eyes unsure of the Slytherins actions.

"Please, sit," said Lucius, motioning for them to seat themselves across from himself."Would you like some tea? Wine?" asked the aristocrat.

"Some tea would be lovely, thank you." said Remus, settling himself on one side of Harry, placing a comforting arm around the teen's shoulders.

Harry shivered against the air, snuggling closer to Remus. Looking at the blonde, Harry noticed the glass of white wine,elegantly settled within the grasp of the older man. His eyes scanned over the blond, his burrows furrowing as he looked at the silver chain that dangled from the neck of the Malfoy patriarch. Allowing his eyes to follow that necklace up the pale smooth neck of the older man, Harry was startled by the piercing silver eyes that met his.

"Are you quite done with your little viewing, Potter?" asked the older man, arching an aristocratic brow at the now flustered teen.

Harry stuttered, trying to come with a good retort to his blunder, but his mind turned to mush at the thought of the older Malfoy staring him down. Blushing brightly, he nodded his head, turning his gaze to the cold stone walls of the common room.

"Excellent. Now on to more pressing matters." said the blond, shifting slightly, bringing his feet under his body, stretching his body, his actions reminiscence of a content cat."My son hurts, which means some else must hurt, with the equivalent or over that of my heir. Now, under the circumstances, that seems to be you, Mr. Potter."

Sirius stood, that expensive chair falling out from under his form, as the animagus moved, his anger evident in the way he moved toward the seated blond, his hand clenched into a fist, ready to meet the soft skin of the blond. But, his hand never made contact.

Falling backwards, toward his small family, the darker man looked up into the dark eyes of Severus Snape, looming above him, anger and a cold malice dancing in the black bottomless eyes of the potions master.

"I dare you to try it again." the dark man said, his voice steelly,cold.

Sirius looked at the object that he tortured as a child, for the first time seeing something that had had to have been there for years. He saw the eyes of man that had something more that himself to loose in this war. He saw the eyes the eyes of a lover protecting that which he loved, he saw the eyes of a father protecting the family he had helped create, he saw in those eyes the look of a man betrayed. And in those eyes, he saw the anger of retribution shinning with the heat the should have only existed in the depths of hell.

"Severus really," said the blond, standing elegantly to his feet, for the first time bearing his bare to those around him. "He honestly wanted to protect what he thinks is innocent from something he's not, it's a typical response to a situation that can't have a good out come."

Sirius growled from his place on the floor, his eyes flashing with anger at the accusations placed upon his godson."What do you want, if you 've already confirmed it's Harry's? Or did you call us all the way down to throw insults into our faces?" asked the animagus.

"We want to prove that, , though involved is not solely to blame for what has transpired." explained Lucius, placing one well manicured hand around the waist of the potionsmaster, allowing it to snake up his body to his chest, peering over at the Gryfinddors astonished faces.

"What..what do you mean?" asked Remus, looking past the act of affection, into the eyes of the slightly older man.

"We know for a fact, that Mr. Potter does not have the courage necessary to carry out the rape, at least not on his own, or of his own accord." stated Severus, placing a hand over the one Lucius had placed on his chest, only seconds before.

"How...how would you know that?" asked Harry, his eyes wide in astonishment.

Lucius smirked, purring into Severus's ear, though loudly enough for them to hear."It reeks of Dumbledores stench."