"Bye, Hagrid! Thanks! See you soon!" Harry took off running toward the castle. He really wanted to catch up with Draco. Draco wasn't the only little boy who noticed how upset Sirius was about the whole thing. Harry may have even felt a bit guilty that he got off with only docked points when he'd bet a galleon that Draco got his bum smacked.

He was breathless by the time he caught sight of Draco. "Malfoy!" He gasped out. "Malfoy! Draco!" He saw Draco stop so he slowed down to a trot, but then Draco kept going. He groaned. "Oy! Draco, PLEASE hold up!" Well, fine. Harry started running again. "MALFOY!" They were already in the dungeons. If Draco entered Slytherin, Harry would get stuck outside.

Draco hoped Harry would give up when he didn't turn around, but, clearly, the kid was thick. Not to mention he was embarrassing him. "What?" He hissed on turning around to face his red-faced, panting classmate.

"You could have stopped," Harry said between gasps.

Draco crossed his arms over his chest. "What do you want, Potter? Another go at me?"

Harry slumped against the wall. "No! Listen, Draco, I really didn't think it would turn into all this. I mean we were in class. I didn't think the hippogriff would do something like that. Special training or something." It sounded rather stupid even to his own ears when he said it out loud. It was Hagrid's class, after all. "I just thought he would growl or maybe thrash at you a bit. I didn't want him to try and bite you." Harry wouldn't soon forget the hippogriff's angry charge, Draco's terrified scream, or Hagrid scooping Draco up just as the animal clawed at his arm. "I am sorry, yeah? Ron said to tell you sorry too."

Draco knew he was supposed to accept the apology. Uncle Sirius would have been giving him that pointed look of his if he was there. Well, Sirius wasn't there so too bad.

"Draco," Harry pleaded, "We lost points! See?"

"You did?" Draco couldn't help asking.

Harry nodded. "Yeah! Uncle Sirius told us off and took points from Gryffindor for..." He tried to remember his godfather's words. "Goading you."

Well, it wasn't a spanking, but Draco did feel better knowing that his uncle punished Harry and his friends a bit. "Yeah, well, he is still more mad at me."

Harry didn't know what to call Draco. They weren't exactly mates, but Sirius refused to allow them to be rivals either. It was also sort of odd that they shared the same uncle, but couldn't really claim each other as family either. Still, Harry could empathize with what Draco went through with Sirius. "You know how he is," Harry reminded him. "He gets really mad when we put ourselves in danger."

"You said it yourself. He did worse at Hogwarts." Sure, Draco envied Harry, but it was nice talking to someone who might understand his annoyance.

"Yeahhhh," Harry agreed slowly, "But my dad says Uncle Sirius gets so crazy because he did something really bad that nearly got a bunch of people hurt. He won't tell me anything more though."

Draco frowned. "Uncle Sirius would never hurt anyone on purpose." He couldn't help defending the man.

Harry shook his head. "Dad says it was a prank, but, I don't know, he gets funny about it. Uncle Sirius gets that really awful look on his face if you ask him about it so don't," he warned.

"Do you boys plan to spend the rest of the afternoon blocking the entrance?"

Both boys jumped at the familiar drawl. "No, Professor." Harry and Draco quickly scrambled away from the door. "Sorry, Professor Snape," Harry added.

Severus barely spared Potter a glance. "Very well." He turned to look at Draco. "Are you coming, Mr. Malfoy?"

Draco knew it was a command even if it was phrased as a question. He really wanted to ask Harry more questions about what he said about Sirius, but he guessed he'd have to wait. "Yes, sir. Bye, Harry. And, er, thanks." He thought he saw Harry open his mouth, but Severus slammed the entryway shut before Draco could hear what he had to say.

"How are you feeling?" Severus asked when he was behind closed doors with Draco. He had gone to visit his godson in the hospital wing the moment he heard what happened, but once Black knew Draco was fine, he dragged the boy out, which royally ticked Severus off. The Potter boy was Sirius' godson, but Sirius insisted on interfering in Draco's life instead of Harry's.

"I'm fine," Draco replied. "I am really sorry about what I did, Godfather." He was always careful to only call Severus that when away from his classmates. "And I am sorry about the points."

Severus steered Draco into his office. "I am glad to hear you taking responsibility, child. I trust you will not bring any more commotion to our House?"

"No, sir, I won't." His godfather's piercing gaze made him uncomfortable.

Seeing that Draco was upset, Severus softened ever so slightly. "That is my little snake," he praised. "I suppose your uncle punished you?"

Draco forced himself not to cower under Snape's stare. "He smacked my bum," Draco whispered. "And I had to apologize to Hagrid."

Severus nodded. "Very well. Then I don't see any reason for me to further reprimand you." He laid a hand over one of Draco's cheeks. "I have no choice other than to write your parents, but I will make sure they know you were adequately corrected."

Draco recognized that expression. He felt safe immediately. Severus wouldn't let Lucius bring up the incident again. "Thank you!" His whole body staggered in relief. Then, in a move only little Draco Malfoy could get away with, he threw himself against Snape's chest. He took for granted that his godfather would catch him.

Severus did catch him. The war had taken a toll on the former Death Eater and, for a while, he thought seeing Lily saved was worth whatever demons he needed to fight inside himself, but as Draco grew from a trying infant into a curious toddler, Severus knew his purpose far exceeded his former friend. Lily may have broken his heart, but Draco filled a gaping hole. He only hated having to share him with Black.

"Godfather? Did you hear what Harry said? Do you know what prank he was talking about? He said that is why Uncle Sirius gets so mad about safety things." Draco looked put out. "He never punished me so hard before, but I guess that is why."

Severus pulled the boy back into his arms, but only because he needed to hide the thunderous look he couldn't keep from his face. Oh, yes, he had a hunch what prank Harry alluded to. "Your uncle and his mates were infamous for getting into trouble, Draco. I wouldn't worry too much if I was you. Simply stay out of trouble." When he was sure he could keep his face in a neutral mask again, he tilted Draco's face upward. "He didn't hurt you, did he?" He'd risk Azkaban if that man bloody harmed his godchild.

"For a few minutes," Draco said matter-of-factually. "But spankings always hurt, Godfather, you know that." He looked at Severus quizzically.

Severus did know that. He knew beatings hurt worse, but he still couldn't bring himself to lay a harsh hand on his little snake even in discipline. "I suppose so," he said. "But it is done now. We don't need to speak on it again." He gave Draco one last pat on the back. "Go on now. You have assignments to tend to."