Disclaimer – Isn't mine

Chapter 5 – Faith and Strength

Snape enervated the Slytherin allowing him barely a moment's peace before dragging him swiftly through the dungeons corridors and propelling him into his office and slamming the door behind them. He threw up several locking and silencing charms before stalking over to the desk and throwing himself gracefully into his chair.

'Speak now.' He commanded quietly.

Malfoy shrugged. 'So, he's alive. What the hell does that have to do with me? His little speech was nice. Very brave I'm sure, but it doesn't change anything.'

Snape pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a hiss of frustration. He glared at his godson who sat slouched in the chair, idly fiddling with the hem on his robes. He glanced up at the portrait above the shelves and sighed. 'So you still believe what you did was right.' He stated ominously.

Malfoy barely gave him a glance but he did hesitate before replying. 'Yes.'

Snape cast an obscuring charm over the figure in the painting and stood, moving to loom over the boy. 'Stand up, Draco.' He said harshly. Malfoy rolled his eyes but stood obligingly and Snape immediately moved behind him, pinning his hands behind his back and bending over to whisper in the Slytherin's ear.

'How does it feel, Draco?' He hissed dangerously.

Draco snorted. 'What are you doing, Severus.' He laughed.

Snape growled, lifting the boy's elbows until he knew it was hurting. 'Do you think this is a game Draco?' he went on, leaning around the boy, grasping his chin and yanking his head until he could kiss him roughly.

Draco whimpered as Snape's hold in his arms got tighter. A whispered word bound the boy's arms and Snape pushed him towards the floor, the potions master towering over him, a malicious sneer on his face the Malfoy had never seen directed at him.

'How do you feel now, Draco?' Snape snarled, bending down and placing his hand around the boy's throat. He kissed him roughly once again, biting his bottom lip and fisting his hands in his godson's hair. He looked in the terrified grey eyes and his stomach turned but he knew he couldn't stop now.

Draco whimpered again as Snape slowly applied pressure with his hand. 'Do you think this makes me feel powerful Draco, Do you think this makes me feel good?'

'Stop please.' Malfoy gasped. Snape saw the boy's pupils dilate in fear and let him go, throwing him down on the floor and standing up.

He waved his wand, releasing the boy's hands and allowing him to grab at his throat as he gasped for breath. Another wave removed any sign of what had occurred.

Snape glanced down at his godson. 'Isn't much fun on the receiving end, is it?' he said quietly. Malfoy looked up at him, tears streaming down his cheeks. 'That is only a minute amount of what Potter had to go through over the last four months. Could you have lasted as he did, Draco, or would you have broken? Could you have sat still, jaw clenched, not uttering a sound as they smashed the bones in your hand over and over again? Could you have stood for hours, arms chained above your head as they carved things into your body with daggers soaked in pain inducing potions? Could you have knelt hour after hour without so much as a whimper as you were force fed those same potions and they burned their way through your body? Could you have even moved after more than twenty men raped you, one after another, every day for more than four months? And could you have even have stood the mere thought of having one of your attackers in the same room, let alone their actual presence, as you as you tried to save their life.' Snape was snarling by the time he finished.

'Stop.' Malfoy cried.

'Could you, Draco?' Snape yelled.

'I'm sorry.' Malfoy whispered. 'I'm sorry.'

'I'm not the one you should be apologising to.' The older man snapped.

Malfoy hung his head. 'I know.'

The postions master sighed heavily. 'Look at me, Draco.' He said, gently grasping the boy's arm and helping him to stand. Lost grey eyes looked up and found his. 'Potter is right. You have to choose. The war is here and there will be only one winner.'

'Potter meant what he said, didn't he?' Malfoy whispered.

Snape nodded, lifting a hand to gently wipe the tears off his godson's face. 'Yes. He will go through you if he has to Draco if you decide to stand against him, you can be assured of that. And he will defeat the Dark Lord, of that I have no doubt. Now more than ever.'

Malfoy looked at him quizzically. 'But I thought you wanted our Lord to win. You're a death eater.'

Snape shook his head. 'I'm entrusting you with a secret, Draco; one that could cost me my life should you choose to reveal it.'

'I wouldn't Severus.' Malfoy said firmly.

'I work for the light and I know it will defeat the darkness because I have seen just how strong Potter can be. You saw that yourself this morning.'

Malfoy stared at his godfather. 'You're a spy.' He breathed incredulously.

Snape nodded. 'I have been for quite some time.'

'But you're a pureblood. You should agree with what the Dark Lord says.'

'And I might do if he wasn't such a hypocrite.'

'Hypocrite?'

'Didn't you listen to Potter?' Snape arched an elegant eyebrow.

Malfoy's eyes became distant as he cast his mind back over the conversation. 'Choose between your half-bloods.' He whispered.

Snape gave him a wry grimace. 'That's right, Draco. Tom Riddle, the man who espouses most adamantly about the purity of magical blood is nothing but a half blood with a muggle for a father. He may be powerful but that doesn't make him any less of a hypocrite. Besides, I do not agree with some of his methods as you now know.'

'I…I…'

'Did you think I enjoyed what I did to you, Draco? Honestly?'

Malfoy's grey eyes dimmed. 'No.' he said softly.

'Did you think it gave me some power over you? Did it give me more power than I had before? Or some extra knowledge I didn't possess?'

The Slytherin shook his head. 'No. You hated it. I could see.'

Snape sighed pinching the bridge of his nose. 'There is a muggle saying I heard once. It said to be careful of who you tread on on your way up, as you may need them to catch you on the way down. It is good advice, Draco. You may need Potter one day.'

Malfoy sighed and moved to sit down. 'It's too late, he would never forgive me.' He said softly.

'Probably not.' Snape agreed. 'But the blame is not all yours.'

Malfoy hung his head. 'Isn't it?' he muttered.

Snape frowned. 'What are you talking about? You aren't to blame for the actions of your father, Draco? You didn't do this alone.'

Malfoy's expression became pained. 'I…I…' he trailed off.

'Draco, what is it?' Snape's voice was gentle as he knelt in front of his godson and cupped his chin as Malfoy tried to look away. 'You know you can tell me.'

'I let them in.' Malfoy whispered, his eyes squeezed tightly shut as if scared to see his godfather's face.

Snape froze. 'What?'

Malfoy squirmed and finally opened his eyes. 'I let them in. My father, and the others. That night. I placed the ward stone in Gryffindor tower while everyone was a dinner and I opened the statue for them.'

The potions master didn't move; couldn't move. 'You?' he breathed. There was no way he could keep this from Albus.

Malfoy nodded. 'I didn't know. I didn't realise.' He insisted.

'How can you not have known?' Snape bellowed, standing abruptly; horror, frustration and disbelief written all over his face. 'You've grown up with these people; you can't not have known what would happen.'

Malfoy shrank back in his chair and withered under the glare his godfather was bestowing on him. The potions master clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles creaked and when he lowered his voice to an ominous whisper Draco knew his life hung in the balance one way or the other.

'Choose Draco, because I can do nothing more for you. I have done my best to look after you since you were a baby and I hope that means something to you. If not, hopefully you will at least do me the courtesy of a warning before I am summoned.'

'I would never tell.' Malfoy whispered.

Snape pinned him; black eyes piercing to his very soul. 'I'm afraid I will have to take your word on that, Draco. For now, I believe you have quite enough to be going on with. You are excused from classes for the day. I will see you at dinner.'

Malfoy walked towards the door before stopping and turning back. 'Will you still love me? No matter what I choose.' Malfoy asked meekly. Snape leant his elbows on his desk and placed his head in his hands.

'I will always love you, Draco, but if you choose the dark, I can no longer help you. Your father will see to that.'

The potions master's head remained bowed and Malfoy realised it was his cue to leave. 'Thank you, Severus.' He whispered before disabling the wards and leaving the room.

Malfoy went to the library. He went straight to the small room off the main wing and began looking up the name Tom Riddle. He knew the Dark Lord was older than his father, but not by that much. Ten years at most. It took many hours of painstaking research, not even stopping for lunch until he had, spread out on copious amounts of parchment around him, the details of the life of Lord Voldemort.

And it was true.

His godfather hadn't lied to him; and neither had Potter.

If he hadn't been so shocked, he would have laughed that, in the middle of a war over the supposed purity of magical blood, two of the most powerful wizards of the age were half-bloods. If anything Potter's blood was even purer that Riddle's; both his parents had been magical after all. The irony of it was certainly not lost and he appreciated it.

And his godfather was right. No matter how much Malfoy wished he could deny it. Potter was powerful. Not only magically but in himself. It was one of the reasons Malfoy had baited him constantly over the years. He made you feel alive. It didn't matter how much you hated him. Being near him, feeding off his aura, was exhilarating. He drew people to him like moths to a flame. If he wasn't so inherently good he would certainly be the next Dark Lord, no doubt about it. Instead he would most likely end up as Minister for Magic no matter how much he protested.

That single thought made Malfoy stop and think. Slowly a smile began to break over his face. His mind spun with images and thoughts and as they settled into a single coherent plan the smile became decidedly smug. A Malfoy was nothing if not adaptable after all.

Potter would win. He would defeat the Dark Lord and Malfoy would be by his side because afterwards Potter's coat tails would ride him all the way to London. The Gryffindor may shun the limelight but Malfoy knew the wizarding public would want their hero and, as always, their hero would not disappoint. And what was better than manipulating a puppet in a position of power. It was manipulating a puppet in a legal and very influential position of power.

Now, the first thing to do was to get around that muggle loving old coot and talk to Potter again. Maybe a heartfelt letter to Potter and a masterful performance for the old man.

Malfoy grinned and pulled out a blank sheet of parchment and began.

Harry was still standing by the mock window when Albus returned both at lunchtime and after dinner. The headmaster glanced at Dobby who was standing in the corner nervously wringing his hands and looking sadly between Harry and the two untouched meals sitting on the table. Albus nodded and Dobby disappeared with a soft crack.

'Harry?' Albus said tentatively, stepping further into the room. Harry turned, giving the headmaster a small smile.

'Good evening, Albus.' He whispered. Albus' smile was warm but inside his heart was aching. He hated seeing the young man like this. Harry had this way of standing, or sitting for that matter, that couldn't help but illuminate how skinny his was. Legs locked tight together and arms wrapped tightly around his waist that only served to promote his skeletal condition.

'Harry, I wish you would eat something.' Albus sighed.

'I'm sorry. I just wasn't hungry.'

The headmaster stepped forward and held out his hand, waiting until Harry's was clasped in it before gently tugging the boy over to sit down by the fireplace, Harry's arms immediately returning to his waist.

'What is it, dear boy? Something is troubling you.'

Harry sighed and untucked one hand, running it through his hair in defeat. 'I don't think it worked.' He said quietly.

'Don't think what worked, dear boy?' Albus asked politely.

Harry rolled his eyes and smiled softly. 'You know very well what I'm talking about and don't deny it.'

Albus chuckled. 'That I do.' He agreed. 'But I want to hear you say it.'

The small smile on Harry's face dimmed. 'Do you think I will have to kill him?' he asked softly, startling Dumbledore slightly with the blunt manner in which the question was asked. Harry stood again and moved once more to the window. 'Will we stand on opposite sides of a battlefield? Will he raise his wand against me and will I have to strike him down?'

Albus' heart dropped.

'I don't want to have to kill anyone else.' Harry keened softly before leaning against the wall and sliding to the floor. The little ball he had so painstakingly spent the last week unrolling coming back in full force.

Albus moved quickly but carefully until he was sitting beside the boy, gently reaching out to take his hand and rubbing the back of it soothingly. 'Harry, it will be okay, I promise. We will all be there with you. You won't be alone.'

'No, you won't.' came a gentle voice from a few steps inside the door. Both heads whipped up, neither having heard the stealthy footsteps of the potions master.

'Severus.' Albus said as Harry automatically shifted closer to the headmaster.

'We will be there, Mr Potter.' Snape said again. 'And I will make you this promise right now. If Draco decides to face you, against you, I will kill him myself.' There was something in the potions master's tone that spoke of resolve and Harry, trembling quite violently, stood and walked tentatively towards the other man. Snape could see the boy struggling not to panic and slowly dropped to one knee so he was smaller than the other and placed his wand at his feet.

Harry stopped just before him, his green eyes wide as he licked his lips. 'Thank you, Professor.' he said hoarsely, reaching out a hand.

Snape could see the hand shaking and gently and slowly took it in his own, allowing the boy to pull back whenever he wanted. 'Well done, Mr Potter.' he said evenly. Harry gave him a small smile and took a deep breath before turning and walking swiftly back to the headmaster, although not before Snape saw the tense set of his shoulders and knowing the boy was almost expecting to be struck down. It was a significant show of both strength and trust that left the potions master practically speechless.

Harry's eyes widened as he turned again to see the older man still kneeling on the floor having made no move to pick up his wand. The headmaster beamed at Snape causing the potions master to roll his eyes but all three knew it was in jest. Slowly Snape stood, leaving his wand where it was and pulled a vial of blue Dreamless sleep out of his pocket.

'I thought you might need this.' He said quietly moving further into the room. Harry froze. 'Would you like me to take some first?' Snape offered, knowing the boy had only taken potions from the headmaster and gesturing to hand the vial to the elderly wizard.

Harry glanced between the two before shaking his head. 'That won't be necessary, Sir.' he said; his voice barely more than a whisper before reaching out to take the vial himself. Snape arched a brow as Harry, albeit very reluctantly, plucked the vial out of his hand before quickly moving to sit on the bed, his eyes pinned to the small piece of glass in his hand. Albus could see the boy struggling and sat beside him, gently taking his free hand once more.

'You know there's nothing bad in that potion don't you? Severus would never intentionally hurt you like that.'

Harry nodded and his eyes squeezed tightly shut. 'I know.' he stammered before uncorking the vial and emptying it quickly. It only took several moments before the empty vial fell from his hand and he slumped backwards on the bed. Albus sighed and ignoring the boy's flinch, lifted him and placed him properly under the covers.

He was sitting on the edge, gently stroking the hair off Harry's face when he felt the younger man come and stand beside him.

'You do know that was for your benefit?' he said quietly.

Snape nodded but as Albus couldn't see felt he should answer. 'Yes. I'm not exactly sure why, but yes, I know it was for my benefit.'

'He was displaying his faith in you because you showed your faith in him. You took away a concern that would have burdened him considerably and put his wellbeing above the life of your own godson.' Albus explained softly, smiling as the frown on Harry's face lessened and the boy sighed in his sleep.

'How did you get in?' Albus asked suddenly.

'Fawkes.' Snape explained. 'Bird obviously thought there was something I had to see.'

Albus smiled. 'Quite.'

Snape sighed and sat down in the chair beside the bed, pulling out a parchment envelope with a wax seal on the back that couldn't have been anything other than the Malfoy crest.

'What is that?'

Snape turned it over in his hands. 'An apology, apparently.' he said quietly.

'Dare I ask which one?'

'Draco.' Something in the potion master's tone caused the headmaster to look up.

'What is it, Severus?' he asked calmly.

Snape wondered just how calm the old wizard would be when he spoke of the morning's revelation. He knew he couldn't keep it from the elderly wizard. He just hoped his godson would survive the revelation. 'He let them in.' he said softly. 'Lucius and the others. That night. It was Draco.' Snape hung his head, missing the flash of anger that lit the blue eyes.

'Oh, did he now?' Albus ground out.

Snape winced. 'What are you going to do?' he asked hesitantly.

Albus glanced back at Harry before replying. 'Something that requires quite a considerable amount of forethought, Severus. Quite considerable indeed.'

Snape held the letter out. 'Are you going to let Potter read this?'

Albus took the offered missive. 'Not on his own, and not until I've read it and spoken to Mr Malfoy first.' he said firmly. 'I'll not have Harry bothered with trivialities and false platitudes. The boy is regaining his strength at an amazing rate and until I feel he could handle something such as this I don't feel it would be in Harry's best interest to give it to him. He will never be a normal boy, but hopefully he can come back from this. His will is strong, to be sure.'

Snape made a noise of agreement. 'He certainly is his mother's son, isn't he?'

Dumbledore snorted softly. 'It certainly has taken you a rather substantial amount of time to work that out, Severus.'

Snape glared at the headmaster but there was no strength behind it. Finally he caved. 'Quite right, Headmaster.' he said agreeably unable to help adding. 'But if I hear you telling anyone I will deny it most vehemently.'

Dumbledore chuckled. 'I would expect nothing less, dear boy. Nothing less.'

They exchanged a smile before sitting back in companionable silence and watching their greatest, and only, hope of victory sleep peacefully. Tomorrow would bring many more questions and probably very little in the way of decisive answers, but as Snape saw the older wizard cradling one of the boy's hands in his own and softly carding his fingers through the messy black hair he hoped to Merlin that his godson was being honest about his intentions regarding the Boy-Who-Lived. Watching them together he knew that the headmaster would stop at nothing to protect his charge and woe betide any who caused the boy anymore heartache.