Chapter 11

Sirius sat back, his shoulders shaking, his head bowed as though in thought. Remus could feel the tears building up, feel the pressure and uncertainty build behind his blue eyes. Remus sat slowly, steadying himself on the couch they had initially seated themselves on when they had walked into the Slytherin common room.

"Are you certain?" Sirius asked hoarsely, taking a deep breath in.

"Would you lie about this if it were your own child?" asked Lucius, leaning against Severus's strong body.

Sirius shook his head, harshly rubbing his eyes before lifting his head to look into the eyes of Lucius. The Malfoy clan leader stared back at him, his eyes icy cold and darkened with thought. Sirius sighed, standing to his feet, his eyes downcast.

"Can you prove it?" asked the animagus.

"I just did." said Lucius, his dark grey eyes staring into the grey-blue of Sirius.

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Draco looked out from behind the wall, staring into the room, his eyes heavy lidded. "Daddy?" he whispered, trying to wake himself from the potion induced slumber. "Papa? Where are you?"

Stumbling around the halls, Draco walked, his pajamas nearly falling off of his small frame as he looked about the dungeons. Fear gripped his heart as he continued to search for his parents, causing him to run faster, adrenaline pumpping through his body in an effort to wake up. "Daddy?!?" he yelled, his bare feet pounding the cold stone floor as he frantically searched, his heart constricting in his chest, choking him of strength. Falling to the ground, the boy curled into a ball, sobs choking him, strangling him of air, as he cried out, trying to summon the strength to stand.

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Lucius turned toward the voice, his eyes searching out the cry. He turned toward Severus, catching his eye, before he left the room, his bare feet softly padding against the ground.

Lucius listened to the sobs, his heart wrenching in his chest, as he came upon the heaving shoulders of his baby. Kneeling on the ground, Lucius placed his arm around the tiny body, gently pulling him into his lap, shushing him quietly."Hush my darling, your safe now. Daddy's here now, nothing will happen to you, not while I'm here." he whispered fiercely.

Draco clung to him, his body heaving with sobs, as he cried. Snuggling closer, the smaller blonde looked up at him, his grey eyes large and glistening with tears, nodding silently up at him."I'm so tired Daddy." Draco said, wiping his tears on his bearer's robe.

Lucius nodded, gently petting his baby's hair, placing a gently kiss onto his son's pale cheek, tenderly wipping the offending tears away. Carefully lefting his son, he carried him back to Severus's room, placing him on the bed. Draco looked at his bearer, his eyes staring into a twin pair.

"Daddy?" Draco said, his eyes unsure.

"Yes, my darling." said Lucius, seating himself onto the bed, gently brushing his son's blonde hair from his eyes.

"Will you stay with me..just for a few minutes?" Draco requested, his eyes searching out anything but his father's piercing gaze.

Lucius smiled, placing a kiss onto this son's pale brow. "Of course, my darling. I'll stay until you fall asleep." he said, laying down next to his small son.

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Severus sat, allowing a house elf to pour him a shot of port, his dark eyes boring into the eyes of his 'guest'. They looked back at him, trying to muster the same intensity as he used on them.

Remus just sat there, sighing, his eyes looking around the room, taking in the dark atmosphere.

"How long have you and Lucius been together?" asked Remus, running his hand through his amber blonde hair.

Severus snorted, crossing his arms over his chest, his dark eyes revealing nothing. "Why care now, Lupin?"

"I'm just curious, Severus, no need to get defensive." said the werewolf.

" In all honesty, maybe twenty-two years, though it doesn't feel that long." came Lucius's voice, from the doorway. They all turned to look at the blonde, his position and dress similiar to that of his son's only days before. The blonde stood against the door frame, his body leaning against the stone, his arms folded against his chest.

Sirius furrowed his brow, confusion playing across his eyes like blinking lights in the night. "That would put Severus in our 4th year, and you Lucius in...in.."

"I was twenty years old." Lucius finished, walking into the room to lay on the chaise.

"Cradle robber." Sirius said, "He was practically still a child."

"Like you care," stated Lucius, "do I need to remind you of your unending cruelty? Sending a 'child' in to a werewolf? The torment that you and your little gang thought was fun? It's worse than anything I could do?"

Sirius growled, moving to stand, but found he could not. Looking to his side, he looked into his mate's eyes, saw them flashing in warning. "Remus?!?"

Remus sighed, gently holding his mate and husband, his free hand gently brushing the dark haired man's stubbly chin."Not now, Sirius. We are not here for this, we're here to sort something out. Not get into a fight over who was wrong or right, that can be for another day, in a different setting, at a different day, not today." explained the werewolf, gently caressing the darker man's hair.

Sirius sighed, his head falling to his chest as he thought, before nodding.

"Excellent. Now on to other matters. We need to extract Potter's memories." said Lucius, taking a sip of wine, looking over at his dark haired lover.

Harry sat up straight, his dark eyes widening in fear at the prospect of someone, maybe even Lucius Malfoy digging into his mind, looking through his memories, some of the things he had done to Draco, the things he didn't even remember.

"Don't look so scared, Potter, Severus here is going to extract the memories that we need, and nothing to get your knickers in a bunch about." said Lucius, a smirk curving his lips, as he looked over his wine glass at him.

Harry looked at him, before nodding his head, his face the picture of submission.

"If you keep that up, Draco will tear you apart when he comes to his senses." stated Lucius.

Harry looked at him, a look of disbelief written across his face. "What do you mean when he comes to his senses?" asked Harry, confusion lighting his dark emerald eyes.

Lucius smirked, taking another sip of his wine. "Trust me Potter, his fear won't stay for long, especially after the anger sets in." explained the elder Malfoy, his eyes sparkling with mischief, very reminiscent of the Chesire cat.