The response to this story has actually been quite promising, so here's another chapter for y'all. Three chapters in two days … wow. I feel productive  But, I digress. As always, the more reviews I get, the ore likely I am to update. So keep 'em coming!

Lucius Malfoy glanced up in surprise as his son came barreling into his office, frowning in concern at the look in his eyes. "Dragon? What's wrong?"

He stood up from behind his desk, quickly rounding it until he stood in front of his son when Draco didn't respond, placing his hands on his son's slight shoulders.

Draco was sobbing too harshly, though, and he could see that he wasn't going to get anything out of his son. Drawing the teenager the rest of the way in to the room, Lucius close the door quietly behind them, leading his son to one of the over-stuffed armchairs that faced the fireplace, kneeling down beside him.

As his son's breathing calmed somewhat, Lucius ran his fingers through platinum blonde locks, shh-ing softly in an attempt to calm him down.

A letter was clasped tightly in Draco's hand, and now he offered it to his father, his upper lip beginning to tremble slightly as a fresh wave of tears threatened to overspill. Lucius accepted the letter cautiously, flipping it over and frowning at the neat handwriting, eyes traveling down to the signature at the bottom.

Potter? They had been dead for over a decade and a half – what reason could they possibly have to send his son a letter, obviously times for this day?

It wasn't an odd practice, for wizaring parents to leave behind a letter or other memento to be delivered on a specific date to their children or other close relatives. But Draco had never even met the Potters, and had been not even a year old when they died. So why would they send a letter to his son.

Draco took large gulps of air, hands curling around the arm rest as he stared at his father's blonde head, realizing that the older Malfoy had yet to actually read the letter. "R-read it, Father."

Lucius glanced up at that, brow furrowed in confusion, before dropping his gaze once again to the letter in his hand. Why was Draco so adamant that he read this? It piqued his curiosity, to be sure, but it was only a letter.

Perhaps this was another ruse of Dumbledore's, to get his son to join the Light. It wouldn't be the first time the old codger had tried it, and it certainly wouldn't be the last.

But none of the old man's tricks or long-winded speeches had ever affected Draco like this. Usually, he just laughed it off and returned to whatever he had been doing before the interruption.

Settling himself into a nearby chair, Lucius gave his one more confused glance, before beginning to read the letter before him.

By the time he finished reading, the last of Draco's tears had dried on his cheeks, and the color had drained almost completely from Lucius' cheeks. His hands tightened on the edges of the paper as he re-read the last few lines, his lips thinning in anger.

"I need to talk to Severus." Was all he said, before rising from the table and walking briskly from the room, hands still clenched tightly in anger. Draco merely watched him go, curling up tightly in his chair and wrapping his arms around his middle, watching his father go with worried green eyes.

Eyes that had been storm grey earlier that morning.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Lucius walked through the hall toward the sitting room, teeth clenched tightly together as he made a bee line for the fire place. Severus could clear this all up, and put his mind at rest.

And then he could have a long chat with Dumbledore. The man had gone too far this time.

However, had he rounded the corner to enter into the sitting room, he found his childhood friend already there, just stepping out of the fire, and brushing soot off his robes.

Severus Snape glanced up, chocolate brown eyes clouded with sadness, and Lucius knew.

"No…." He whispered taking a hesitant step back, fighting the urge to flee the room. Severus merely smiled sadly, nodding his head in affirmation reaching out a hesitant hand to his friend.

"Please, Lucius, let me explain."

"Explain? What could you possibly have to say that could justify this, Severus? You … you helped her! You helped her kidnap my son, helped her replace him with another … I raised him! And you acted as though nothing was out of the ordinary, even when Narcissa mentioned …. Even when she said he was acting so different all of a sudden. You knew what was happening. How could you?" Lucius couldn't seem to stop the words from pouring out of his mouth, and that lack of control scared him perhaps, more than anything else.

"Lucius, your son is safe. Your son has always been safe. I made sure of it. You know me – didn't you ever wonder at the irrational hatred I showed for Potter? You know that James and I became civil, at the very least, after he married Lily. You know how close Lily and I were. Didn't you ever stop to think?"

Lucius merely turned his head away, refusing to look his friend in the eye. "Get out of my house, Severs. Get out before I lose control."

Severus merely nodded, internally grateful that Lucius had retained enough control to offer him that warning, that chance.

"I don't know if they sent a letter to him, Lucius. I don't know if he knows the truth or not. Just … be gentle. He has your temper." Severus smiled sadly at his friend, before turning back toward the fireplace with a sigh of resignation.

Whatever happened now, it was out of his hands. He'd kept his part of the bargain.

Lucius stared at the empty fireplace for a few moments after his friend had left, fighting back the tears that threatened to overspill.