It was habit for Harry to search out Draco in the Great Hall. He knew it made his godfather happy when he said hello to the boy so he always did even though Draco never sought him first. It made him a bit sad if he thought too much on it. He wondered if Draco was still sore about what happened in Care of Magical Creatures. He hoped not. That was at least two weeks ago!
"Harry?" Hermione frowned at her friend's confused face. "What is it?"
"Draco was in class," Harry said, "But he is still not here and dinner is nearly done." He glanced toward where Sirius sat with the other professors.
Her eyes automatically swept over the Slytherin table. "Perhaps he is not feeling well."
"Snape is not here either." Harry gestured toward the professors' table.
"So?" Ron finally turned his attention away from Dean and Seamus as he caught wind of what Harry was saying. "If they're both gone, mate, they're probably together. What's the big deal?"
Students and professors didn't just randomly miss meals. That was the big deal. Harry chewed his bottom lip. But Uncle Sirius didn't seem worried. "I'll be right back," he announced.
"You are going to the dungeons." Hermione pushed the last of her food away. "I'll come."
"Me too," Ron agreed immediately.
Harry snickered. "It is not like I am going into the Forbidden Forrest," he told them. "I am going to look around for Draco near his House. Oy, I'll be fine." He had a hunch he'd have a better shot of talking to Draco without Hermione and Ron around too. Seeing his friends looked unconvinced, he rolled his eyes. "Thanks, mates, really, I'll see you later." He jumped to his feet and dashed off before either could protest.
"Should we follow him?" Ron asked as he watched his friend's retreating back.
"In a bit," Hermione suggested. "I think he wants to talk to Draco alone."
"If Malfoy is in trouble with Snape, Harry better think twice about barging in," Ron commented, but he dug back into his food anyway. He'd listen to Hermione for at least five minutes.
Harry kept his eyes peeled as he hurried through the halls. He even stopped by the library. He only went there when Hermione forced him, but he noticed Draco was usually there too. Not today. He didn't know why, but he had a bad feeling that something big was keeping Draco and Snape away.
He knew it was likely a suicide mission, but he took the trip to the dungeons anyway. He then proceeded to make as much noise using a variety of innocuous spells and tricks as he could. "Mr. Potter! What is the meaning of this spectacle?" His Potions Professor finally darkened the entrance to Slytherin House.
"I am sorry, Sn-er, Professor! Honest, but I just wanted to check on Draco. He is not at dinner." Harry drew to his full height although his eleven year old self obviously didn't come close to matching Snape's.
"Mr. Malfoy does not feel well," Severus curtly replied. Draco's welfare was none of this brat's business.
Harry regarded the man suspiciously. Sirius told him that smelly old Snape was Draco's god-dad, but that didn't mean Harry trusted he didn't hurt Draco. "I'll get Uncle Sirius."
Severus gave the child that cold little smile of his. "Professor Black knows what ails Draco."
Harry accepted Snape's challenge. "Then why isn't he here? I saw him back at the Great Hall!"
Oh, the imp. If Harry wasn't Potter's son, he wouldn't believe the child's gall. "Your beloved Uncle Sirius isn't here because he is the source of Draco's troubles, Mr. Potter." Harry's confused look delighted the man.
That couldn't be true. Sirius wouldn't sit at dinner if he hurt Draco. Wait, what was Harry thinking? He'd never hurt Draco! Snape was lying.
"Go on, Mr. Potter. I have another student to attend to." He slammed the door in Harry's face.
Once Harry realized there was no way to sneak inside Slytherin, he hightailed it to his uncle's room at the castle. Dinner was over so he hoped Sirius made it back already. "Uncle Sirius!" He called frantically while banging on the door. "Uncle Sirius! Uncle - ooomph!" Harry tumbled forward when Sirius abruptly yanked the door open.
"Whoa, kiddo." Sirius managed to grab the boy as he stumbled over his own feet. "What's wrong? You startled me."
"Snape has done something to Draco! You have to help him!" He grabbed Sirius' hand, but scowled when Sirius didn't budge. "Didn't you hear, Uncle Sirius?"
"I heard," Sirius responded quietly. "What makes you think Professor Snape has done something to Draco?"
"They weren't at dinner! Didn't you notice?" Harry couldn't believe Sirius would miss something like that. "When I went to Slytherin, Snape said Draco was ill and it was your fault! He is a lying git!"
"Watch your language, young man." Sirius uttered the reprimand, but it bore no bite. He didn't have it in him just then.
"Uncle Sirius," Harry pleaded. He couldn't understand why Sirius wasn't running to the dungeons already.
"Harry," Sirius gently removed the little hand that was gripping his wrist. "Draco is fine." His chest swelled. "No, he is not fine," Sirius corrected, "But he is not hurt. Professor Snape wouldn't harm his godson in any way."
"But he blamed you!"
Of course he did. It was his fault. "We need to talk, Harry." He smiled when Harry's eyes widened. "No, no, you are not in trouble, but I'll tell you a bit about what is going on with Draco." He ruffled Harry's hair as the boy slipped by him. Despite everything, it did Sirius good to know that Harry was so worried about Draco.
"Snape is right." Oh, it pained Sirius to say old Snivellus was right about anything. "I am not Draco's favorite person right now."
Harry snuggled into Sirius' side. For the first time, he realized how subdued Sirius looked and sounded. Something was wrong. Very wrong. "Did he get in trouble?"
"No, my boy, he is not the one in trouble. I am." Sirius soaked up his godson's comfort by pulling him into his lap. Harry didn't even bother protesting that he was too old. "Draco's mum and dad are mad at me. They don't want Draco talking to me right now." Or ever. His name was already nothing more than a burned mark on the Black tapestry.
Harry gasped. His parents never told him he couldn't talk to his aunts or uncles. "But Draco loves you."
Sirius smiled at Harry's innocence. "I know, Harry, but it is complicated. I don't want him in trouble with his parents." Specifically, Lucius. "There are people here who might tell on him if he seeks me out."
It was official. Harry hated Draco's parents. They were making his godfather sad and being mean to their own son. "I won't tell." Harry's lips quivered. "I would HATE it if I couldn't talk to you or Uncle Remus or Aunt Mary or..." His list was caught off as Sirius engulfed him into a huge embrace.
Sirius wouldn't cry in front of Harry. He couldn't. He was the adult. Still, his voice was thick with emotion when he spoke. "I'll find a way to make this right," he promised. Everything had happened so fast. One minute he was voting against the new restrictions the Ministry wanted to place on muggle-borns and the next he was being blasted off that damn tree. Draco was the major concern, but Sirius didn't make it back to the boy before Lucius did. He would never forget that scene. How could that bloody bastard threaten to disown his eleven year old child for talking to family? Intervening did little good. Lucius assured Sirius he had eyes and ears all over Hogwarts and if he cared so much about Draco, he'd stay the hell away. It took all of Sirius' restraint not to hex the git when the elder Malfoy pushed Draco out of the room like some piece of garbage.
But it was Draco's face that haunted Sirius. That look of betrayal. The vote wasn't worth seeing that look on his nephew's face. Sirius had been such a fool to think he could have Draco at Hogwarts.
"How?" Harry's trembling voice interrupted his thoughts.
Well, that was the burning question, wasn't it?