Thank you to everyone who voted in my "Should Draco be allowed to keep his memory" poll =P

I bet he'll be happy about that ^_^

Haha

There was one vote for modifying his memory but all the others were to let him keep that lovely scene in his head so... the poor boy will just have to live with it xD

You evil people! ;)

Again a huge thank you to the reviewers but - what with all the votes - there are too many to name but you know who you are x]

So...this chapter may not be how you pictured it =/ but don't worry, I'm hoping the next chapter will have something to do with Hogwarts *HAZZAH!*

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Chapter Twenty Six

Harry's POV

Harry froze. He couldn't have moved if he tried; Draco's stare was holding him in place.

There was a long, deathly silence where Draco stared at Harry, who was staring at Lucius, who was staring at Draco. The broken china plate went unnoticed.

"Wh... I don't..." the young blonde stuttered.

Lucius cleared his throat; Harry had never seen Lucius looking more scared or nervous.

"Draco, I –"

"What the hell?!" Draco screeched, finally finding his voice. The phrase sounded odd coming from such a well-spoken mouth.

Lucius made to move towards his son but Draco backed off and hit the wall.

"Stay away from me!" he said, his voice unnaturally high pitched. "What are you?"

"You don't understand–"

"You're right, I don't and I don't want to!"

"If you'd just listen–"

"No!" Draco bellowed with his hands over his ears making him look quite deranged.

It was obvious that Lucius wasn't going to get a word in edgeways so Harry tried.

"Malfoy, it's complicated," he began apprehensively. "There's a connection that draws us together and it's helping your dad to change–"

"So it's your fault!" Draco shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Harry. "You're the one who changed him! You made him this...this...freak! You took my dad from me!"

The break in Draco's voice and the way he said 'dad' instead of father made Harry feel even worse.

"Draco, it was not Potter's fault–"

"And stop calling him 'Potter'! I bet you have some sick...petname or something!"

"Ask Snape and he will tell you how strange this condition is!" Harry shouted; he was getting annoyed too now. That last comment was ridiculous.

"And– Wait, Snape knew?" Draco asked, his voice slightly softer.

"We had to tell him, he was the only person who would have a solution to this situation," Lucius said calmly – he looked a little more relaxed now that Draco wasn't shouting and interrupting.

"But...Father... Why him?" Draco asked, and Harry noticed his eyes had glassed over.

"According to your Godfather it is because of the opposite attraction," Lucius said taking slow steps towards Draco. He held his son's shoulders and Harry saw the reluctance Draco had of looking his father in the eye. "You have no idea how much I miss having a life without the Dark Lord and Harry brings back the feeling of when I was young to me."

Draco shook his head and closed his eyes; he looked like he was trying to wake himself up from some sort of nightmare.

"But Draco, I beg you; don't say a word to anyone or I will have to modify their memories as well as yours."

"I... I don't think I could try and tell someone even if I wanted to – it's too ghastly," Draco said; he looked disgusted.

Suddenly Snape entered the room looking very uncomfortable.

Draco turned round to the doorway at the sound of footsteps.

"I can't believe you knew!" he growled in the man's face. "You knew and you kept it from me!"

"And how exactly would I have told you?" Snape asked in his quiet yet deadly voice. "How could you expect me to describe what has happened?"

"I... you could have..." Draco seemed lost for an excuse. "I don't know but this was not the way I wanted to find out! Heck, thinking about it now I didn't even want to find out!" He stormed out the room and up the stairs.

"You couldn't have picked a more private place?" Snape asked infuriated.

"You don't plan these moments, Severus!" Lucius snapped.

"Well at least hold back while your son is staying here!"

Harry thought Snape was acting more like Lucius' father than a friend.

"Give me a moment," Lucius said tiredly. "I need to speak with my son."

He walked out the room; his stride was slow and unsteady.

"I hope you're happy," hissed Snape to Harry.

Harry said nothing but slid down from the surface he was sitting on.

"You really do have a habit of ruining people's lives, don't you, Potter?" Snape said in his face. "Just like your father."

"Yeah, I guess I do," Harry said quietly, and he made his way towards the door.

However, Snape stepped in front of it, blocking the exit.

"Excuse me, sir," Harry mumbled, but Snape didn't move.

"Draco is my Godson and I care for him as though he were my own flesh and blood," the greasy-haired man said, looking at Harry with his usual grimace. "I am keeping this a secret for Lucius and Lucius only, and I'm sure that's why Draco won't tell anyone either." Here Snape paused; he looked at Harry for a moment. "I don't see what Lucius sees in you." And with that he stalked out the room leaving Harry alone with his tears.

Lucius' POV

Lucius strode into his son's room which was two doors away from the guest room – Harry's room.

Draco was sat cross-legged on his bed picking at the duvet cover threats.

"Leave me alone," he said to his hands.

"Draco, I appreciate how infuriated you are with me but it's vital you understand why this has happened," Lucius begged.

"Okay then," he said looking up. "Why?"

"It is a very long story but if I show you one thing it may clear things up," Lucius said.

"What?" asked Draco suspiciously.

Slowly, Lucius rolled up his silken shirt sleeve on his left arm to reveal a very faded Dark Mark.

Draco stood up and walked over to his father and looked down upon the pale, muscular forearm.

His head snapped up and he looked at Lucius.

"Explain."

Lucius raised his eyebrows at being ordered to do something by his son but ignored it.

"You may think this cliché but it is Harry's light side changing me and helping me escape from the Dark Lords hold."

Draco didn't seem to be able to think of anything to say so he just looked at his father with those grey orbs of his full of confusion.

"I'm not asking you to befriend Harry or forgive me but at least try to accept it," Lucius said. "I care for you and I don't want us to become any more separate than we are now."

Lucius thought he saw a smile flicker on the side of Draco's mouth but it disappeared as soon as it came.

"Whatever," he muttered.

"I'll leave you to yourself then," Lucius said awkwardly. "There are only three more days left until you go back to school so please make the most of it."

"Mmhm."

That was the best Lucius could hope for so he left it at that.

As he made his way down the hall towards the stairs he noticed that the door to Harry's room was open lightly; it had been shut on the way up.

He pushed it open and found Harry with his trunk on the bed placing his clothes in there.

"What's going on?" demanded Lucius loudly.

He saw Harry flinch slightly but the boy didn't turn round.

"I'm going to stay somewhere else for the next three days," he said hoarsely.

"We've been over this," Lucius said striding towards Harry. "You're staying here no matter what."

Suddenly Harry turned round and Lucius didn't like the ferocious yet heart-broken expression on Harry's beautiful face.

"No, Lucius," he said shaking his head. "I'm staying at Ron's house and that's my final decision. I don't want to stay in a house where I'm making things awkward."

"For goodness sake-!"

"Look, this isn't me being noble and selfless!" Harry shouted. "I'm being selfish if anything because I don't want to stay here!"

Lucius felt a pang of hurt in his heart.

"I want you to," he said raising his hand to hold Harry's cheek but Harry batted it away.

"I know, but I think you and Draco need to sort out whatever problems you've had or have," Harry said turning back to his trunk. He then whispered, "Family's more important."

"Fine," Lucius said. "I understand. Though I must warn you that we'll be making up for lost time when you're back at school."

Lucius heard Harry give a weak laugh and before Lucius could do anything, Harry had turned round and wrapped his arms around Lucius' waist.

"I'll miss you," Harry said, his voice muffled in Lucius' silk shirt.

"I'll miss you more," Lucius murmured. "You have no idea how much more."

"I've sent a letter to Ron saying I'll be arriving by Floo again in about half an hour," the boy said pulling away.

"Ah, but who's going to stop you from falling out the fireplace?" he asked with a smirk.

Harry smiled but Lucius noticed it didn't reach the green eyes.

"I'll leave you to pack," Lucius said, and he backed out the room.

He felt angry, sad, frustrated, confused... What each emotion belonged to he didn't know.

As he reached the stairs he saw Draco and Severus talking quietly to each other but he didn't join them. He moved past the stairs and walked further down the corridor to his room and waited for thirty minutes.

* * *.

"Take care," Lucius said after a long, drawn-out kiss with Harry.

"You too," the boy breathed. "I'll see you in three days anyway."

"But it will feel like three years to me," Lucius murmured pushing Harry's fringe off his forehead.

"You'll manage," Potter said with a grin. "I'd better go."

Lucius watched the ebony-haired boy step into the green flames with his trunk.

He gave a small smile before saying, "The Burrow."

Lucius lifted his hand to wave and Harry did the same before he was whipped away into the fire.

This was sooo hard to write... I think I got Draco all wrong and Lucius went majorly OOC... Ah well, one step closer to Hogwarts... yumm teacher/student...

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