Disclaimer : All things Harry Potter belong to the wondrous mind of J.K.Rowling. I am simply borrowing them.

A/N: Hello all, here is Chapter Two. More action will be picking up soon. Warning; very small Draco/OC slash scene near the end of the chapter.

Harry Potter and the Shards of Voldemort's Soul

Chapter 2: Fugitives

The Poisoned Dagger was not an establishment known for the excellent quality of its drinks and fine foods, which most of the patrons could attest to. Nor could it be said that it was a comfortable place to rest for the night. The grungy, dank, run-down pub located deep within the bowels of Knockturn Alley was however a haven for the crooked and the deranged.

Many dangerous wizards had frequented this place; some seeking an escape from the harsh realities of what they believed to be a strictly moral society; others were seeking connections of the illegal persuasion. It was well known that the customers here turned a blind eye to the law and secretly conducted business transactions in one nefarious crime or another. Tonight, it was a place of refuge for two wizards on the run from the Ministry.

Huddled in a dark corner at a cracked wooden table that seemed to be caked with dust, two figures sat together in muted conversation. If not for the light of the roaring fire in the nearby stone hearth, the place would have been completely shrouded in darkness. The firelight did little but barely illuminate the room's interior and cast monstrous shapes of shadow on the dirty and cracked brick walls. Both figures were cloaked in black robes which flickered orange from the fire light, their faces shadowed within the deep cowls of their hoods; between them rested two shots of Fire Whisky which remained untouched in their dirty, spotted glasses.

Although the wizards were dressed the same, both were very different from the other, but both could clearly be defined as men from their shape within their robes. One of the men was clearly the shorter of the two and the slight tips of his hands that protruded from his robes betrayed pale skin and slender fingers that had obviously never touched a hard days worth of work. Every so often, he would glance nervously at the door as if expecting someone to burst through at any moment which made it quite clear that he was on the run from someone or something.

The other man was taller and more at ease then his nervous partner, but he was silent and began to grow weary of the younger man's frantic anxiety. He needed to time to think of a way out of their current predicament. This man appeared to be the leader of the two, but nothing more could be said about him as he left no hint to his appearance at all. His hands were kept well back within the folds of his robes and his face was concealed deeply within his hood so that none could recognize him. If anyone could overhear their conversation however, none would fail to recognize the unmistakable whining voice of Draco Malfoy and the cold sneering tones of Severus Snape. Both were on the run from the Ministry having just been a contributor to a most dreadful crime; the murder of Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Wizardry, the most famous wizard in their world and considered to be Voldemort's most hated enemy next to Harry Potter himself.

Severus sneered at the thought of that hated boy; the Boy-Who-Lived; the famous Chosen One, the one rumored to be the key to destroying the Dark Lord and most of all, the son of his boyhood enemy James Potter. Yes, Severus Snape hated Harry Potter with his entire being, but unfortunately for him, the dreadful boy was the only one that could defeat Voldemort and as such, was the most important person in this war and therefore had to survive at all costs.

Over the years, Severus had spent much time looking after Potter's life and the lives of his friends, saving the ignorant fool from one threat after another. The arrogance of him never seemed at an end; willingly throwing himself into danger knowing that his presence was the only thing holding back Voldemort and his forces. There had been so many situations in the past few years where the boy had been inches from death and Severus had been there to snatch his life back from the brink of oblivion, not that Potter would have ever realized it or even thanked him if he had known.

The way Dumbledore had doted on him utterly disgusted him and the way that he insisted that the boy never be punished for his obvious transgressions was clearly in Severus' mind a blatant show of favoritism. Oh how he had hoped that one day Potter and his miscreant friends would be expelled from Hogwarts and he would be rid of them for good, but Dumbledore's instructions were very explicit and he could never go against Dumbledore's orders. Even the night of his death, the night that He, Severus Snape, the most trusted advisor to Dumbledore and member of the Order of the Phoenix had killed his long-time friend and mentor, had been following the old man's orders. The order was unmistakably clear and he knew what he had to do, he regretted that he had to do it, but there was just no choice, the risks were too great. The price to be paid however was equally great.

Albus Dumbledore, the purist and most kind-hearted wizard that he had ever met now lay dead. It was like the light had gone out in his soul. This man had befriended him during a time in his life he most wanted to forget, a time when the paths he had trod were dark and fraught with peril. During those times, Severus was lost in a world of power and destruction, fueled by a never-ending hatred and thirst for revenge. So many sins he had committed, so many deaths he had wrought, so much blood on his hands that he was shocked they were not permanently stained red.
Severus thought that he could never escape and redeem himself, yet, Dumbledore had stood as a beacon against that night and brought him back from the brink of absolute damnation. It had been a long struggle and Albus had almost lost Severus to the darkness forever if not for the unexpected sacrifice of a young woman.

Severus blinked and shook those thoughts away. No time for regrets. He had to move forward, think to the future. But try as he might, his mind kept drifting back to that tragic night. Coward, Potter had called him. They would probably never know the truth of it, that he was no coward, no traitor. They would probably kill him on first sight it they could. He snorted; Potter himself would be leading the charge to have his head. Maybe he would mount it with the heads of the House Elf servants that adorned the House of Black. Yes, Potter would definitely try to kill him if he could. He had already tried, chased him down to the edge of the Forbidden Forest before he was forced to do battle with his enraged student. Of course, there was no way that Potter could have won, even armed with his own spells, the ones he had devised when he was foolishly calling himself the Half-Blood Prince.

He had to admit that the boy was an excellent dueler, but he was inexperienced and in the heat of battle, the boy let his emotions rule his thinking, something that he had tried to remind him of during their duel, but he doubted that Potter had listened. Despite everything, should he get himself some decent instruction, Potter would be a force to be reckoned with and even Snape himself would be hard pressed to defeat him. What a sheer twist of fate that would be, Harry Potter himself, son of his rival James Potter would be the one to bring the great Severus Snape down. What disgusting irony.

A sudden crash broke him from his thoughts and he turned sharply to observe the disruption, fingering his wand deftly beneath the sleeves of his robes in preparation for a fight. He sighed inwardly as it was only a drunkard who had fallen off of his stool. He looked back to his charge Draco and sneered at the obvious sign of fright in the boy.

No, Draco could never have killed Dumbledore; he didn't have the strength or the cold demeanor to do it. Just like he thought, Draco was no Death Eater, no heir to his father's position at the Dark Lord's side. Long had he suspected that Draco's dark tendencies stemmed from the influence of his father and now that Lucius was a prisoner in Azkaban; Draco had had the opportunity to experience life without his father's personal grooming and had come to the realization that there may be another way of thinking that did not lead him down the path of the Dark Lord.

At the end, Draco could not commit the act of cold-blooded murder, could not bring himself to complete his task. He had been seduced by the lure of power and seen the potential opportunity for vengeance; just as Severus himself had those many years ago. He had hoped that at the end, Dumbledore would be able to turn his young protégé back to the side of good, but due to fate if nothing else, they were not granted the liberty to try. Draco could not finish the job and the other Death Eaters had witnessed it. Bellatrix herself would be the first in line to hand her nephew over to the Dark Lord, for it meant that she would rise up in his favor. Draco's life was indeed forfeit and now because of this damned Unbreakable Vow he had made with Narcissa, so was his. Damn Bella for her distrust, Severus cursed inwardly.

For months, she had been whispering words of his possible betrayal in Voldemort's ear and the continuing failure of the Dark Lord's plans had started to give her continual ministrations some credence. She had forced his back against the wall and he had no choice but to accept Narcissa's request to undergo the Vow that would kill him should he fail in his promise.

Now, they were on the run, wanted for Albus' murder and the Dark Lord had not called for them. He had no idea what kind of response Voldermort would give them upon their return. He was sure of the fact that Draco would soon be killed, but for himself, he could only guess. Albus Dumbledore was dead, the Dark Lord's most hated opponent and a key figure for the defense of the light had fallen. He was sure that Voldemort would be pleased, but he could not be certain that he himself wouldn't be punished for acting on his own against the Dark Lord's wishes. Not only that, the Vow with Narcissa had bound Severus to continue to provide aid to her son and help keep him safe, at least until the death of Narcissa or even himself; but there was the remote possibility that Narcissa could release him from the magical bond, but that was most unlikely as without his help, they would both be unlikely to survive. Yes, they were in quite the predicament.

He was sure that the Ministry would now be using tracking spells to try and search for their magical signature. Despite the low precision rate of these types of spells, it did help to pin point their general location. They would need to leave soon and find some way of making it back to Spinner's End. Only a few knew of that location and it was a defensible position due to the wards that he had placed upon them. His options were very limited. There was only one man that could help them change their magical signatures that would loose the Ministry's Aurors that were on their trail, but there would be a huge price to pay. This man was not cheap and he was definitely one to be wary of, but he knew that they had no other choice.

"Come, Draco," Severus whispered as he silently rose from his stool. "We must be going". Draco looked up startled and again shifted his head to check the door.

"Go? Where? We don't have anywhere to go to?" Draco replied, his voice raising an octave which drew a glance from a few of the occupants.

"Quiet boy, do you want people to hear you?" Snape hissed sharply. "Even here, you will find those who would be willing to sell us out to the Ministry for a tidy sum of Galleons. Now, follow me and say nothing".

With that Severus walked out of the pub, Draco following close behind him, dogging his heals. As soon as they were out of the pub, Severus looked around quickly to ensure that there was no threat nearby and then snaked sharply to the left leading a quick pace. Draco hurried to catch up, looking behind him nervously to see if anyone was following them.

"Stop that," Severus hissed back to the boy. "Do you want to attract attention?" Draco looked back at Severus sharply, his pale face now etched with annoyance.

"I'm just ensuring that we are not being followed," Malfoy snarled back, his face now taking on a shade of angry red.

"I will do that, you just keep silent. Follow behind me and do nothing," Snape ordered dismissively, now beginning to show his weariness with Draco's antics. Severus continued to lead the young boy through several twists and turns within Knockturn Alley which was much larger then it first appeared. The dregs of the Wizarding society were large indeed and Knockturn Alley was equally just as large if not larger then Diagon Alley, just not as open and friendly.

Draco became lost through their meandering and at each intersection; Severus paused to glance behind to ensure that they were not being followed. Draco thought he could detect a frown in the man's expression at their last halt which made Draco suddenly nervous and he absently began to finger his wand from within the sleeves of his robes. How he wished now to never have been involved with the Dark Lord and he silently cursed his horrid family's ties to Voldemort. If it wasn't for his father he may not even be in this predicament in the first place. He could be enjoying what now would be his final summer before his last year at Hogwarts lounging with his friends and enjoying the if slightly ugly, but enjoyable ministrations of Pansy Parkinson. Briefly, he shuddered at the thought. How he loathed the thought of being with that vile hag, but she had served his purposes for the time being.

But, none of that would happen now. His life as it had been was over now and nothing would ever be the same. He had conspired to murder Albus Dumbledore for the Dark Lord and he had failed in his task. Now he was exiled from both worlds and he had nowhere else to turn. He had completely botched up his life and now there was nothing left to live for. He sniffed absently and walked right in to Severus whom he had not noticed had stopped.

"What in Merlin's?" Draco started to curse, but Severus hushed him in to silence and saw that Severus had pulled out his wand.

"What's going on?" Draco whispered softly, but Snape merely ignored him as he peered behind them. Suddenly Draco felt himself being pulled and was flung forcefully in to a walled dark corner between two buildings.

"Keep quiet now, we're being followed," Snape hissed to him and Draco pulled out of his wand in fear. They waited there in the darkness for a few minutes which seemed to Draco like hours, before two men in drab and torn clothing appeared. They were dressed very grubbily and were quite filthy, but looked extremely built and well muscled. Draco thought he recognized one of them as a patron from the pub they had just frequented. Damn, they must have heard them and followed after they had left.

One of the men, the one Draco recognized, held his wand out openly and looked around as if ready to fire a spell at the first sight of them. He was the one who spoke first.

"I know they went down this way Garett, we must hurry if we're going to catch them." His voice was deep sounding and his speech seemed slurred indicating that he had imbibed too much liquor to think straight; otherwise he wouldn't have been endeavoring on what was clearly a stupid idea.

"Nath, I'm not so sure about this. They off'd the old man at Hogwarts, what makes you think that we can take them by surprise?" his companion replied back a little more surely then his drunken friend, obviously the smarter of the two.

"Come on Garett, Grow some balls will ya. These two are on the run from the Aurors and are bound to make some mistakes eh. Ya worry too much like an old maid," Nath slurred back to Garett. Garett pulled out his wand now and began to move off searching the streets once more.

Just as the two moved off in front of them, Severus stepped out from the shadows, his wand brandished before them. Without a sound, two spheres of red light burst forth from his wand towards both men. Having heard a shuffle or just by some quirk of fate, the clear-headed Garett looked over in time to see the spells careening towards them and dodged out of the way, but the drunken Nath was clueless and was hit by both Stunners which dropped to the ground in a crumpled heap. Garett flashed his wand back towards Severus and cried out,"REDUCTOR." A jet of light shot out from the man's wand which Severus casually side-stepped but to Draco's horror permitted the spell a clear path towards his hiding spot. He dropped to the

ground hard just in time to miss the spell colliding in to the stone wall above him blasting apart a chunk of the wall showering him with shards of stone and brick which painful tore through his robes and embedded themselves in to his skin. He ground his teeth together against the pain, but held himself from crying out to prevent yet even more attention to them.

Severus flicked his wand again at the man and this time a sphere of dark purple was emitted silently from his wand to strike at the man. Severus had moved too quickly that Garett had no time to bring up a shield to protect him from the spell and it struck him forcefully to the ground knocking the air out of his lungs. Garett tried to suck in a lungful of air, but found that he couldn't breathe. He clutched at his constricted throat, but he couldn't seem to take in any air. He looked up helplessly at the man Severus that now stood above him staring down at him with menacingly cold eyes. Garett fumbled with his wand and brandished it at the man, but he couldn't gasp out any sound to cast a spell. Garett recalled that Severus had fired two spells at them without a sound and remembered hearing about that technique years ago in school, too bad he had dropped out then for a life of crime. His vision clouded over and he was loosing sense of his surroundings. He looked up again and saw to his horror a wand pointed directly in his face. This was it, he thought. The end of the road and he cursed his foolish choice at following Nath's idiocy. Well go on, he thought, get it over with.

But the moment never came. Severus moved away quickly and flicked his wand at the man lying beneath his feet and released the spell. The man sucked in a huge lungful of air and was breathing heavily. Garett scrambled to his feet to see Severus head to a dark corner and help another man to his feet. This man was shorter then the other and obviously had to be Draco Malfoy, Garett thought. He was brushing off dirt and stone shards from his robes and could see Draco's expression wince painfully as some of the shards were extracted from his skin. Garett was confused, why hadn't they finished him off?

"Why?" Garett asked simply. The man Severus looked over at him with an expression that betrayed nothing, Draco was watching the exchange obviously curious as well.

"Because I am not a killer," Severus said simply which seemed to confuse Garett even more.
"I don't understand" Garett said but he never got an answer.

"OBLIVIATE!" The man Garett stood staring at an empty wall, wondering as to why he was there in the first place.

Draco followed quickly behind Snape not trusting himself to say anything now that they were well away from the two men they had left behind. He was confused and now had questions that he knew that Snape would not be willing to answer at this moment. Snape continued to lead them deeper within Knockturn Alley and soon Draco become lost again within the twisting corridors and dark storefronts. After another fifteen minutes of turns within turns, Severus finally stopped to what appeared to be the end of the street with only a single store in front of them.

Draco looked at the dilapidated building with disdain and walked to stand in front of the darkened windows which masked the store's interior. Draco looked around and could find no visible sign either. Snape walked up to the door which was also darkened as well and knocked twice, paused and then knocked twice again. The dark screen in front of the window on the door shimmered for a moment before a small eye popped opened in the center. The eye darted about looking at the two figures, blinking quite rapidly. There was another shimmer of light and a small mouth appeared in the surface of the window beneath the eye.

"Who are you and what do you want?" the mouth demanded in a raspy voice.

Snape stepped forward and pulled back the sleeve of his robes before the eye to reveal the pulsating black Dark Mark. At the sight of the mark, the eye widened, but then narrowed as it glared at Snape. Seconds later, both the eye and the mouth disappeared. There was a click and the door creaked open unaided. Rolling back the sleeve of his robe, Snape entered the store; tentatively, Draco followed him inside.

The store was lightly illuminated by a half dozen candles that were scattered across the room, held by ornate bronze holders with small patches of rust dotting the surface and covered completely with thick cobwebs. Off to the left there was a set of wooden stairs leading up to what Draco believed to be the man's bed chamber and an archway covered by dusty crimson curtains which was blocking the entrance to Merlin knows what lay beyond. Close to the back wall was a large oak wooden worktable that was also cracked, but surprisingly untouched with dust, where several beakers and potions bottles with various colored liquids within. A few were held within polished silver holders with a lit candle beneath to heat the contents within.

Behind the worktable were two large fireplaces each both containing a large black cauldron, wooden spoons were stirring slowly, charmed to stir its bubbling contents in a timed fashion. Wooden shelves held potion bottles and jars filled with a strange assortment of what were obviously potion ingredients, but some contained very grotesque looking objects which Draco hurriedly looked away from. The room was musty and filled with a strong pungent odor that caused Draco to cough spasmodically.

The curtains parted revealing a thin man wearing brown trousers that were dirty and ripped. His white shirt was equally dirty, but was not ripped and had faded silver embroidery on it. But what drew Draco's attention were the large jagged scars across the front of the man's face. They were red and swollen as if they were freshly made. It looked as if the man had been raked across the face by a savage beast. Looking at the two wizards, he grinned maliciously.

"Well, it has been a long time Severus," answered the man in the same raspy voice they heard from the charmed mouth on the door. Snape pulled back his hood revealing his weary face.

"Yes, it has been many years Scarra," answered Severus. "You know why I have come. I need to see him immediately".

"Now Severus, the Pale One is quite busy of late and has no time for the Dark Lord's pathetic servants who can't seem to keep the Ministry's stooges off their backs," Scarra responded smoothly, turning his back on Snape to retreat back beyond the curtain. Severus was now clearly getting annoyed.

"Scarra, you cannot refuse me. Balthazar is in my debt as you well know and as he is your master, you must grant me entry. If you do not move, I will kill you very slowly and you know exactly what I can accomplish from our last encounter". Scarra stopped and absently touched the scars on his face. Turning back with a snarl, he glared at Severus. Draco watched in shock as he realized that Snape had been responsible for those scars on the man's face.

"One day Severus, I will have my revenge. When I am transformed, I will come for you in the night while you sleep. I will drink my fill of your blood and leave your rotting corpse for the worms," Scarra said vehemently before licking his lips maliciously.

Draco was stunned at this sudden announcement and began to realize just exactly who they dealing with. Snape stood his ground waiting. Turning angrily, Scarra pulled back the curtains permitting them entry to the room beyond and walked without a word up the stairs.

The room beyond was a stark contrast to the dusty workroom behind them. They entered a stone interior lit by many antique silver and gold candelabras, each polished and sparkling clean, not a speck of dust or dirt on any and each holding four brightly burning candles. A narrow red carpet with gold fringe had been laid leading to a raised stone dais at the far end of the room. Upon this platform rested a polished black coffin that glimmered in the candle light. Off to the side was a huge hearth with the embers of a fire that had burned out long ago. In front of the hearth stood a large plush sofa that was looking extremely inviting just now and a small ornately carved wooden side table with a few ancient looking books with cracked black bindings. Draco couldn't really make out the title as the silver leaf lettering adorning the covers were now faded and worn.

Draco's eyes were then drawn to the walls which were sparsely dotted with large magical paintings. Many were of a beautiful young maid with flowing brown hair that swayed in an unseen wind. Her skin was the color of cream and her lips were moistened with the tiniest hint of red. Her eyes were cloy and mysterious and if you caught them just right, they were sparkling blue. As the newcomers approached, she tossed her hair and gave a seductive laugh as if tempting them to join her.

"Beautiful isn't she," said a soft velvety voice that seemed to echo everywhere around them. Startled, Draco looked around frantically for the source of the voice. Knowing what to expect, Severus simply stood his position and waited, ignoring Draco's antics.

"My beloved Elizabetha, so young and so full of life," continued the voice. Draco looked around once again, trying to find the source of the disembodied voice.

"We are all like that at one time; young and free and ever so innocent."

Draco turned around as the voice had sounded like it was whispered directly in his ear, but again, there was no one there. Beads of sweat began to trickle down his face as cold fear filled him. In a sudden twist of his wrist, his wand was deftly in his hands and brandished it before him.

"Draco," Snape's voice rang out sharply. "Calm down and put your wand away".

The velvety voice started to laugh, a rich cackling laugh that made Draco's skin prickle with goose bumps and again Draco started to feel fear. Slowly, he started to back away towards the entrance, still holding his wand before him.

"Going somewhere young Malfoy?" the voice echoed in his ear and Draco felt a frigid sting grip his shoulder.

He turned around sharply grabbing his shoulder and stumbled hard to the floor as he saw a shadowy shape materialize before him as if the shadows themselves had concealed him. He was dressed in red robes which were adorned with a silky black hooded cloak that framed him snugly. But what had astonished Draco was the fact that the stinging sharpness he felt had came from where the man's hand had touched his shoulder; it was as if he had touched the coldest ice.

Pulling back his hood, the man revealed his face and Draco gasped. His skin was pallid white and it was tightly pulled over his face, giving him an almost gaunt appearance. But what truly startled him was the man's eyes, they were black as night. Draco nervously thrust his wand forwards at the man, but again he laughed at the gesture.

"Your powers are useless on me boy. You are at my mercy," he said in that sickeningly velvet voice. Snape stepped between them glaring at the newcomer confidently.

"That is enough Balthazar. I believe that you have caused him significant amount of fright now leave him alone," Snape said quickly staring down the man. Balthazar pulled his mouth into another wide grin and licked his lips salaciously.

"But Severus," he whined. "His fear is so delicious and you never let me taste yours anymore". Snape smirked at the man named Balthazar.

"Well you have yourself to blame for that. After all, you yourself trained me to protect my mind and my emotions so why should you be surprised that I now use your own tricks," Severus remarked. Balthazar nodded appraisingly.

"Yes, you always were my best student. I have never seen anyone take to the mind arts as easily as you did. Yet, you still shun the other aspects of our proud heritage. In that you will always be a huge disappointment to me," Balthazar replied turning away from them walking towards the stone hearth.

Snape frowned and coughed uncomfortably stealing a quick glance at Draco who sat there, still open-mouthed in astonishment.

"Balthazar, you know why I have come," Severus said trying to change the subject. Balthazar turned back to look at them with his menacing looking grin.

"Of course, you seek my help to evade the Ministry, if not many others. You and the son of Lucius have certainly made a name for yourselves, haven't you? The killers of Albus Dumbledore," said Balthazar.

"Yes, finally the old codger is gone and the Dark Lord will be victorious," replied Severus with no hint of emotion. Inwardly, he was screaming at the transgression he had committed.

"You can not deceive me Severus," Balthazar spat, his mouth curling in to a sneer that rivaled Snape's. "I may not be able to see into your thoughts, but I do know the path that you have trod. This death above all others pains you deeply, doesn't it?"

"Balthazar, will you help us?" Snape pleaded ignoring the question. It was uncharacteristic for the man and Draco was beginning to see his mentor in a new light.

"Very well, I will help you Severus, you are after all my kin. The boy however is a different matter. You know the price for my assistance; will you agree for him?" Snape paused for a moment of thought looking over at Draco in speculation.

"That is actually a complicated question. I am magically bound by the boy's mother to try and keep him safe from all harm. However, I believe that the Unbreakable Vow that binds me will permit this as it serves to protect him as well. Yes, Draco will concede to your price." Severus replied turning back to Balthazar ignoring the look that Draco shot him, whose eyes were now blazing in anger.

"Now wait just a," Draco stared, but Snape gave him a look that quelled him. Reaching down, Severus pulled Draco hastily to this feet and gave him a look warranted no objection.

"Draco, you have no other option if you wish to evade our pursuers, otherwise you face a lifetime in Azkaban. Make your choice," explained Snape simply.

Draco nodded quickly and turned back to Balthazar. Stepping forward, he bowed low before the man.

"I am Draco Malfoy, heir of the Malfoy family. I apologize for my earlier outburst, but it has been a rather trying couple of days. Please accept my apologies. You have my thanks for your assistance," said Draco eloquently, citing his tutelage that taught him to be polite, yet not appearing to be over gracious. As he extended his hand out, Balthazar smiled and shook his hand firmly. Again, as Draco felt Balthazar's hand touch his, the ice cold sting shot up his arm, but Draco just gritted his teeth against it and absorbed the pain.

"Draco Malfoy," Balthazar clucked. "I can read your thoughts like a book; so young and spirited and full of so much pride. I don't want your thanks, Draco Malfoy. I want so much more."

With that, he started squeezing his hand harder and Draco started to wince with the pain. Struggling, he finally was able to pull out from the ice-clad grip that Balthazar held him in and backed away, rubbing his sore hand felt icy to the touch.

"What I want Draco Malfoy, is much more personal. To put it simply, I want to taste you". Draco stared at the man in horror. "I want to sample your life's essence, your blood". Balthazar started to circle Draco slowly and he could feel his fear start to rise once more. Draco turned to Snape for help.

"Draco, you must do this. This is the only way to enlist his support". Draco's eyes started pleading. Those eyes, pleading eyes, the same as Dumbledore's pleading eyes.

"Draco," Snape said softly, reassuringly. "Do not worry, I will not let harm come to you". Draco nodded and turned back to Balthazar who had edged himself closer.

"Listen to me Draco," Balthazar said soothingly while looking directly in to his eyes. "Hear my words and be calmed by them". Draco couldn't tear his gaze away from the coal pits of blackness that were burrowing their way in to his mind, his soul. "Hear my thoughts and be soothed by them," said the soft velvety voice that was inches from his face.

Draco started swaying weakly on his feet, still unable to stop staring in to the man's dark eyes. He began to loose focus; he was almost swimming in those swirling voids of blackness. He felt a cold hand tilt his neck upwards and another on his back supporting him, yet pulling him closer to that soft seductive voice.

"Be in me," the voice echoed in his mind.

Draco seemed to plunge headfirst in to those midnight eyes, loosing all sense of his surroundings. There was a cold piercing pain in his neck, but somehow he couldn't bring himself to care. Draco started to sway and felt his life's blood seeping out of him. He could hear a small gulping sound echo in his ears and the touch of a mouth suckling his throat. He felt a sense of wrongness and tried to resist, but found that he had no strength to push the man off of him. He felt cold hands holding him, caressing him, strong arms supporting him.

It was both horrifying and erotically arousing at the same time. His knees began to loose strength; however he did not fall, but was lowered gently to the stone floor; those hands still holding him in place, arms surrounding him and still that cold presence on his neck, lapping at his draining blood. He no longer resisted but felt faint and flushed, his weakening body strangely enjoying the touch of the man's arms around him. Draco had never felt this way before and was ashamedly turned on.

Time seemed to stop and his breath became ragged as he churned against Balthazar's body, his pleasure mounting, all the while the man continued to drain him. Suddenly, he gasped out in release and collapsed weakly to the floor, his eyes loosing focus and glazing over, having no more strength. It was over. He felt himself being raised to a seated position. A warm liquid burned down his throat and he sputtered at the taste.

"Don't worry Draco," Snape's voice soothed softly. "It's a Blood Replenisher mixed with a Strengthening Solution. Drink, it will restore your strength."

Draco drank it all and felt his vision's focus start to return, along with his strength. Severus pulled the young man to his feet and helped to steady him as Draco wobbled on his feet. After a few minutes to smooth out his robes and settle himself; Draco looked up at Balthazar who was licking his lips.

"That was absolutely divine, Draco. Hmm, you taste like strawberries," Balthazar almost purred. Draco turned his head in disgust at the memory of the man's hands on his body, shuddering at his own twisted enjoyment of it. Severus cleared his throat loudly bringing everyone's attention back to him.

"Alright Balthazar, he has paid your price. Now, please help us as promised," Snape demanded. Balthazar smiled.

"Yes Severus, Draco has indeed paid my price. Now for my aid; in order to evade the prying eyes of magical tracers, you must understand how they work. Tracer spells cannot operate by themselves; they are actually merged with magical devices that are keyed to your magical signature."

"Every student who has ever attended a magical school always takes a Medical examination by the resident healer. One of these tests is to take a sample of your magical essence which gives them a means to track your signature. Do I have you so far?" Both Draco and Severus nodded and bade Balthazar to continue.

"The energy used to power each of your spells has a certain signature that is unique to you, like your finger print. However, when you die, your magical essence passes along with your soul. For those like me, the living dead, we have no more magical signature. We are reanimated by raw magical power and thus we have no unique way to identify us."

"What I will attempt to do is merge my essence with yours so that your magical signatures are masked. I will need to channel the raw power of my being in to you. Make no mistake, this will be extremely painful and could quite possibly kill you". Both Snape and Draco looked at each other. Grimacing, Severus turned back to Balthazar, his face a mask devoid of emotion.

"Proceed," he said sternly.

"We shall proceed with Draco first, he will need your skillful ministrations afterwards," Balthazar said while seeming to glide towards them.

Draco took a hesitant step back, but Snape gripped his arm and held him still. Balthazar seemed to loom above them and Draco shrank under his gaze; those horrible yet seductive black eyes. Draco's skin began to tingle as he felt Balthazar's power; it was a palpable force that seemed to radiate from him in waves.

Balthazar reached out and touched the palm of his hand on Draco's chest, directly above the heart. Draco screamed. An excruciating unbearable agony coursed through him, like tiny knives were slicing in to every part of his body. He felt pain like never before and wondered if this would be what it felt like to die. His throat constricted and he gasped, unable to breath. His vision blurred and for the second time that day, his legs gave out causing him to collapse hard to the floor. His vision began to darken as he continued to struggle for air, then blackness.

He was choking. Draco awoke sputtering, a cool, sweet-tasting liquid being forced down his throat. The liquid soothed his strangely parched throat and he found himself able to take a breath. His body felt terribly cold and he visible began to shake. Snape handed him another vial of an orange looking potion that released steam when uncorked. He downed the concoction and felt his body warm significantly. Slowly, he began to stand unsteadily on his weak legs and he had to grip Severus for support.

"My magic feels different. Does that mean it worked?" he asked his mentor.

"Yes, the magic in you has mingled with mine and now you are masked from prying eyes; you are dead to the Ministry's spells," Balthazar responded. He turned to Severus.

"It is your turn Severus". Snape nodded and pulled out two potion vials from a hidden pocket inside his robes and handed them to Draco.

"Give these to me when I am done. First the blue, then the orange, understand?" Draco nodded silently.

For what seemed like hours, Draco watched as Balthazar performed the same procedure on Snape. He was horrified at the agony that his mentor went through and marveled at the fact that he himself had even survived. When it was down, Severus fell to the floor with a thump gasping for air. Draco rushed to his side, raising his head to drink the blue liquid that he had been given. Immediately, Snape's breathing returned to normal and he started shaking uncontrollably. Draco plied him with the second potion and his shaking ceased. In a few minutes, Snape was back on his feet brushing the dust and dirt from his robes.

Turning to Balthazar, Severus bowed his head before the man. "I am in your debt. Call on me whenever you need to," Snape replied reverently. Balthazar smiled.

"Severus, you are after all …the only family I truly have left. Before you go, I will give you a piece of advice. Severus, I know your heart. You are standing at a crossroad and death unfortunately awaits you on both ends. Remember my teachings; I have taught you to do naught else but the task in front of you. Do not let yourself be distracted; you know what you must do". Severus nodded wordlessly and turned to Draco.

"Come Draco, we are leaving," Snape announced. Without a second glance, Draco followed Snape out of the store back to the cobbled streets of Knockturn Alley. It was dark, with only a nearby lamp providing the only light in this quiet corner. Snape looked around to ensure that they weren't being watched, then grabbed Draco's arm Disapperating with a pop.

A/N: The end of the second chapter. Let me know you're thoughts and ideas. Thanks. Third Chapter will be out soon.