I know it's been five months since I last posted. I'm a horrible fan, I know. I had such intense writer's block though. I'm back, though! I promise.
Chapter 12: A Special Case
Draco slowly walked down the corridor to speak to Snape. He cherished every moment that he spent alone, so the trip took longer than usual. He used this time to clear his thoughts. The incident with the others, and Hermione especially replayed in his mind. Draco was astounded that he could have ever even tricked himself into thinking that being "Malfoy" was any better than being his new and improved self. During this stroll, one thing became clear to him. He had Blaise, Pansy, Hermione, Ron, Severus and of course, Harry at his side. He didn't need anybody else. He cursed at himself for ever thinking otherwise.
Without even knocking, Draco opened the door to Snape's living quarters. Snape was practically his father, so knocking on his door would be like knocking before entering his own home. Severus turned around, startled.
"Sorry, Sev. I didn't mean to scare you." Draco said, feeling badly about bursting in.
"Don't think on it, Draco. Come, sit down." Snape gestured to the old, worn out couch that was probably older than Dumbledore, and put away his cauldron and potion supplies. He had clearly been brewing something before Draco's arrival. "I thought I told you to get more sleep. Those rings around your eyes might just engulf your entire face by Thursday if you don't take care of yourself. Your eyes are far from the silver that I used to see as well. Gray is simply not as nice of a color as silver, you know."
"Good. Maybe he won't want me anymore if I grow increasingly repulsive."
Severus, automatically associating "he" with Harry, became quite interested. "Trouble in paradise?"
"You call that paradise? No offense, Sev, but that was probably the worst sympathy joke ever told."
"What went wrong?"
Draco snorted. "Can you stop? Please? I don't even want to think about him until I have to see him again. Have you received word of when that might be?"
"Well, Draco… I would assume that would be during my class tomorrow, if you don't want to see him before…"
"WHAT?"
Snape jumped at the cry from his godson. "What is going on with you?" Then it clicked, and he felt increasingly stupid as he looked at Draco's alarmed face. "Oh, Draco, I thought you were talking about Harry!"
A breath that was obviously being held for a very long time escaped Draco's lips. "Any word about when I have to see the other he, then? And don't tell me I have to see him during your class tomorrow, too."
"Trust me, Draco, if I had any idea, I would have told you about it straight away." Snape took a deep breath. "I'm not sending you home anymore, Draco. You can count on that."
Draco looked up from picking at his fingernails in surprise. He raised an eyebrow, and for a moment, Severus saw the old Draco staring back at him incredulously. He couldn't help but smirk back. "How are you going to manage that, Sev?"
"Trust me, Draco. We'll find a way. And as for where you'll stay instead… I was thinking you could either stay with me on holidays… or perhaps you would prefer to spend them with Harry and Company with frequent visits from your favorite person in the world." With this, he pointed with both index fingers at himself and Draco let out a half laugh, half sigh.
"I don't think my father will ever really go for that." Snape shuddered as the word "father" escaped Draco's lips. Lucius Malfoy didn't deserve that title, for Draco or any other child.
"Lucius won't have any choice in the matter if I have anything to do with it. Trust me, Draco. I'm going to keep you safe from now on, no matter where you stay. Where would you like to spend your holidays?"
Draco shifted as he thought about his answer to this. "I don't know. Both options seem really great. I don't want to intrude on anybody…"
"I've already asked permission for you to stay with Harry at his godfather's house. You are quite welcome there, and Hermione and Ron will be joining you there quite soon after you arrive."
"I don't know, Sev. I would love to stay with you, too…"
"To be honest, Harry's house is safer than mine, with all of the charms surrounding it so it can't be seen. However, we both know that I would die saving you if I had to…"
Draco shuddered at that thought.
"…so you would be quite safe at either place. Here's a deal for you to consider. Would you like to spend some time with me, and some time with your friends, like Hermione does?"
Draco's expression quickly brightened. "That sounds great."
Snape smirked at his godson. "Now onto more depressing matters, Draco. Are you still being treated badly by Nott and Flint? Or by the rest of your house at all?"
Draco's jaw clenched. Somebody tipped Snape off about what had happened. "Who told you?"
"Nobody told me anything. I just assumed…"
"Who told you?"
"That's beside the point Draco. I'm asking you…"
"WHO TOLD YOU?"
Snape stared into his godson's fiery eyes with surprise tearing at his facial features.
"Was it Harry?"
"No. No it was not Harry, Draco."
"Hermione?"
Snape shook his head.
"Blaise and Pansy?"
Snape just stared at him.
"I'll kill them. I will…"
They came to me the day it happened Draco. They told me about how they found you. They did the right thing by coming to me. Why didn't you want me to know?"
"Because he'll be punished and my house will hate me even more!" Tears quickly welled up in Draco's eyes, and Severus could tell he was fighting a losing battle against them.
Silence filled the room as Severus held himself back from rushing to Draco's side and holding him.
"You are right about one thing. He WILL be punished. But nobody will do anything else to harm you."
"I have to SLEEP with these people, Sev! How are you going to prevent them from getting back at me?!"
"By giving you your own room."
Draco simply stared at his godfather. "They never do that."
"For certain circumstances, they do. Professor Dumbledore has already agreed to it. We have to get you out of there, Draco."
"Will I still be a Slytherin?"
"Of course. Where you sleep doesn't change that. We won't make up a whole new house for you. Sorry. You may be a special kid, but nobody's THAT special."
Snape was relieved to hear Draco laugh at this. After a few moments of silence, Draco's eyes met Snape's, and Severus could have sworn that his eyes flickered silver. Before he could do a double-take, however, the silver was engulfed by gray once more.
"Okay. I'll do that."
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And by the way, who is totally PUMPED for the new movie? I'm going to see it with a bunch of friends at midnight tomorrow. I'm so stoked! Then the new book just 10 days later? Talk about the best 10 days of my life! haha.
