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Water Under the Bridge

"He's refusing to leave Tom's bedside," Draco reported that night at dinner. "We should bring him food."

"Agreed," Hermione murmured.

"Poor Tom," Luna sighed deeply, looking into the distance dreamily. "The dust failed to warn me of this. I'm sorry."

"It's fine," Draco assured, trying not to think about the fact he'd known but was unable to do anything because Time was a bastard.

Draco was seated at the Ravenclaw table. He'd spent most of the day sitting outside the Hospital Wing with Harry waiting for Madam Pomfrey to let him in to see Tom. It wasn't till dinner time that she finally relented and allowed Harry to sit next to Tom's bed while the boy slept off the effects of being poisoned.

"You sure it was Nott who put it in the drink?" Hermione asked as everyone else in the hall merrily went on with their lives. Tom Riddle being poisoned while visiting Slughorn hadn't hit the Hogwarts rumor mill yet— or no one cared.

"Sure of it," Draco said. "Snape tested the mead and it came out positive. Also, I did that last time. Poisoned it then had Rosemerta send it to Slughorn when he ordered it for Dumbledore."

"Clearly, he did not know Slughorn at all," Hermione commented. "Something that tasty, he'd keep for himself."

"Yes, well, I didn't know and I doubt Nott did either," Draco said, looking at Nott who was pushing food around on his plate and not paying attention to anything going on around him.

"How is Tom?"

"Asleep," Draco replied. "He's really very boring in his recovery."

Hermione gave Draco a chiding look. "Harry loves him."

"Sure."

"He does in his own way," Hermione said. "What would you do if that had been me?"

Draco frowned, not wanting to think about that.

"See, you'd refuse to leave my bedside, I hope."

"Correct," Draco stiffly agreed. "So, how was the lesson?"

"No one managed to Apparate."

"Tragic."

"Nargles," Luna randomly added, then drifted off out of the Great Hall.

Before heading to the Tower for the night, both Hermione and Draco stopped by the Hospital Wing to pick up Harry for the evening. Seeing as Tom wasn't likely to wake up, Harry went without much argument.

By Monday, the news that Tom Riddle had been poisoned had spread, but it did not cause the sensation that the attack on Katie had caused. Tom had few fans, so many figured that someone who disliked him had slipped him poison as a joke, while others figured it was an accident given he was in a Potion Master's office at the time and had been given an antidote immediately. No harm, no foul as far as the student body was concerned.]

Tom remained in hospital for over a week, so he missed the Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. Draco felt he really missed out on a great match, as Luna Lovegood was the commentator and Gryffindor won. Having no idea how the match had gone the first time, Draco happily took this version of events and joined Harry after the match to visit Tom, who was awake and lucid.

And cranky.

"I am tired of being here. I do not understand why I must remain," Tom complained loudly.

"You've not recovered all of your lung function as of yet," Lupin said for what sounded like the hundredth time as Harry and Draco pulled up chairs to sit on the other side. Lupin smiled at them but turned his attention back to Tom. "Once you can take a deep breath and not pass out, then you can leave."

Tom scowled, folding his arms across his chest, which made him start coughing. Lupin rolled his eyes.

"Great match today, Harry," he said, smiling softly.

"Thanks," Harry said.

"You too, Draco. Not that I saw much of it, but I did hear the lovely commentary," Lupin smiled. "Draco, care to join me for some hot chocolate in the kitchens before I leave?"

Lupin rose gracefully.

"Sure. Night, Tom."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Tom. I bet you'll be able to leave come Monday morning. I'll drop by tomorrow."

"Fine," Tom grumbled. "Night, Dad."

Lupin gave Tom a sad smile, ruffled his hair, and nodded at Harry. Draco felt confused but followed the older man out.

"Is there a joke I missed?" Draco asked once they were on their way to the kitchens.

"No. I seem to be a parent at heart. I simply am unable to not parent children," Lupin sighed. "I think he likes it, though he'll never admit to the fact he needs a father as he believes he's a thirty-year-old man."

"He's really not," Draco agreed. "And I doubt it's due to the fact he's a teenager biologically."

Lupin smiled fondly at Draco and nodded. "Yes. He wasn't given a chance to be a child ever and he grew up too fast. And then he was stuck alone in a flat for fifteen odd years. And, I believe everyone needs a parent ever now and then."

Draco nodded.

"Did Addy ever accept Regulus' proposal?" Draco asked as they walked down the stairs for the basement. "I've not heard from her, nor has Sirius mentioned it to Harry during their mirror chats. Nor has Mother said a thing."

"I believe they are keeping it to themselves," Lupin said, stuffing his hands into the pocket of his robes as they walked into the colder corridor that led to the kitchens. "I believe once Regulus has finished whatever his mission for the Order is, they'll announce it formally. She is still rather upset with him, though."

"Does he still have a tail?"

"No. Just very vividly pink hair," Lupin laughed as they reached the painting of fruit that was the doorway to the kitchens. "And very purple eyes."

Draco choked on a laugh as he entered the kitchens behind Lupin. There was a breakout of chatter and exclamation upon Lupin entering (House Elves loved him). Lupin asked for the hot chocolate and inquired about a happy meal (whatever that was). The House Elves looked thrilled.

"What's a happy meal? Lots of chocolate?"

"No. It's a Muggle meal of a hamburger, chips, and a drink. American Muggle fast food."

Draco gave the man a blank look.

"Addy told them how to make it when she was a student here. She loves them. I'm going to bring it back for her. The chain restaurants here don't do them right she claims."

"Ah," Draco said nodding as he sat at the table and was served the hot chocolate.

"How is Tom doing, really?" Lupin asked. "He's never very forthcoming when I ask."

"He's the only sixth year who can Apparate."

"Can't you?"

"Yes. But, I can't let them know that yet."

Lupin chuckled, taking a sip of his hot chocolate. "Is he making friends?"

"No."

"Figures."

"Really?"

"No. I didn't think he would make any friends. How is the Dueling Club?"

"It's going well. I wish we could meet more. Even after separating out a group of us, it's still not going to be enough I fear."

"Sirius said Tom met with Severus," Lupin causally said. "When you started term. He requested Severus persuade Lord Voldemort to come here. Is that really the plan?"

Draco knitted his eyebrows together. "I wasn't aware it was, but it's a good idea. Get it all over with early if we can."

"Better to avoid your seventh year. It was rather horrid, correct?"

Draco shuddered. "Did Addy tell you?"

"What she learned through letters, yes. She didn't live it."

Draco shook his head in the negative. "No. She didn't visit the summer before seventh year, I don't believe. She didn't attend the wedding the Death Eaters crashed the second they got control of the Ministry."

"What wedding?"

"The Weasley wedding," Draco answered. "She wasn't on the guest list the Death Eaters found."

Lupin made a face.

"Yeah."

"What was seventh year like for you?"

"Long. Dark. Painful."

"Even though you were a pureblood Slytherin?"

Draco tilted his head to the side. "I'd failed. I think Snape tried to protect us, but at the same time there was only so much he could do."

"Do you believe he was still a double agent? Even after killing Dumbledore?" Lupin quietly asked, staring into the depth of his drink.

Draco stared at the top of Lupin's head, not really seeing the light brown and gray hairs. He thought about his seventh year, trying to look at it from the outside. He tried to remember what Snape did throughout the school year.

"I think he was," he breathed. "In his own way, he tried to protect us from the wrath of the Carrows." Lupin shuddered. "The younger students…he wouldn't let them punish them as they punished us older students. And…somehow he exchanged the Sword of Gryffindor for a fake. A really good fake because somehow Potter got the real one."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I'm sure he had the real one," Draco insisted. "That goblin lied to my aunt when she demanded to know if it was real. And this was before they broke into her vault."

"Is that how you knew a Horcrux was there?"

"Yes. She reacted too strongly to the sword being out of the vault for it to be due to the sword. After they broke into Gringotts…that's when the Dark Lord got very mad."

Draco rubbed his left arm, phantom pains shooting through it even though there was no mark there to blemish the skin. Lupin reached out and placed his hand over Draco's.

"It was later that night the Battle of Hogwarts began," Draco whispered.

The pair sat in silence for a minute.

"Addy arrived for the Battle?"

Draco nodded.

"How did she know?"

"I've no idea. I never thought about how she'd have known," Draco realized. "I didn't think much of it when I saw her, either. I kind of knew she'd show up, get messed up in a battle that wasn't hers, to begin with."

"She made it hers."

"Yes, she did. I've not heard from her, what's she up to?"

"She's trying to get enough business together to open a shop," Lupin remarked. "She said it's a great time to move as rents on Diagon Alley are low, due to so many shopkeepers closing up. She and Tom always wanted a shop to call their office and meet clients, but she wasn't unable before because Voldemort was after her and Tom wasn't human."

"I don't know of any Spellsmiths who have shops," Draco realized.

"Spellsmiths usually do not have shops. They work from home," Lupin said, turning his mug in his hands. "She wishes to open a shop, allow people to come in and…I'm not sure actually. I think she mostly wants to have an office away from home, as so many people live in her flat now."

Draco chuckled. "She's not doing any work for the Order?"

"Just the usual wards," Lupin said. "Whatever Regulus is doing, he refuses to let her help, which of course only makes her mad, but Dumbledore is in support of her remaining away from Death Eater activities."

"Shouldn't he want Regulus to remain away as well?"

"Regulus was in the paper after the Christmas party they held after he returned to the land of the living," Lupin remarked. "Severus assured us that while Voldemort doesn't realize this Regulus was one of his, he is aware of his existence and what he looks like. Addy, though, there's been no photographs of her in the papers, just a blurb with her new name, which isn't her actual name."

"Ah."

"I'll let her know you asked after her and tell her to write."

"Oh, she doesn't have to…"

"I'll let her know, Draco."

"Okay."

"It's been lovely to catch up with you. You are really older than you appear," Lupin remarked, smiling.

"Well, we've never really been close. And most of my life I have a feeling you didn't like me."

"I did not. But, I do now. You've grown into a fine young man."

Draco colored.

"Sorry. I won't further embarrass you. I believe my Happy Meal is done."

A House Elf appeared with a paper sack that was a lurid red color. Lupin thanked the Elves and went on his way home. Draco went to bed.