Lucius will have words with Draco.. I'm just waiting for the perfect moment =]

This chapter gets slightly grotesque towards Lucius' POV and for that I apologise!

=]

Thank you all so much for the continuous reviews. I still squeal a little when I get an email notification of one! xD

So..yeah, that's all from me ;)

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Chapter Thirty One

Harry's POV

It wasn't until Harry had run out of Lucius' office did he finally notice the agonising pain in his arse. It felt like it was burning! In fact it felt as though it was bleeding...

He stopped in a corridor, leaning on the wall and wincing as the pain presented itself even more blatantly now he wasn't moving.

"Stupid 'punishment'," he hissed under his breath.

Bracing himself, he made his way to the dungeons where Snape was surely waiting to deduct points.

When Harry reached the dank, dark dungeons he stood outside Snape's office wondering what his excuse would be.

He could just say that Lucius kept him behind, but now that Snape knew about him and the man, he felt embarrassed for saying it. And Draco! They were with the Slytherins today! This could only end badly for Harry. But what else could he say?

Taking a deep breath, he walked into the classroom as quietly as he could.

Seeing Snape facing the animated chalk drawing on the blackboard, Harry snuck over to his desk and sat next to Ron, gasping when his bum touched the hard, wooden chair. This was going to be a doubly uncomfortable lesson.

"...thus the form of an Inferi takes place," Snape was saying. "Now who would like to tell me how to decipher the difference between Inferi and ghosts, and also as to why Mr Potter was late?"

Harry gaped at the man still facing the blackboard. No one spoke and Snape turned round to question Harry about his whereabouts.

"So, Mr Potter," he began, already looking thrilled that he could taunt Harry in front of the Slytherins. "Do you deem yourself important enough to arrive late to my classes? Can't arrive on time like everyone else?"

Harry glared, hoping Snape would see what Harry was seeing in his mind (Snape being gobbled down by Voldemort in a tasty-looking chicken sandwich).

"So what is your excuse?"

"I was held behind in my last class," he stated.

"Now there's a surprise," the man said sneering while the Slytherins sniggered. "What did you do this time?"

"I refused to participate in a rather pointless activity because I'm too good for that," Harry said shrugging, earning cheers from the Gryffindors and a snort from Ron.

Snape looked ready to kill.

"Tell me the name of your teacher so I can follow up on your lateness, Potter."

Damn. This was what he was hoping to avoid.

"Professor Malfoy," he mumbled.

"Speak up, boy," Snape snapped.

"Professor Malfoy!" he said as quickly as he could, hoping it would have less severe consequences.

Looking up into the onyx coloured eyes Harry saw disgust in them, and to his right he heard a low growl which was then disguised to be a cough; Draco.

"Very well, I shall follow it up," the man said with a sniff. "Twenty points from Gryffindor."

"Now there's a surprise," Harry said in a mock imitation of Snape's scorning voice.

Again there were the soft chuckles of Harry's appreciative Gryffindor friends; Harry and Snape's rivalry was always a good form of entertainment.

"Another ten deducted for your insolence," Snape spat. "Now then, class, before Potter graced us with his presence, we were talking about Inferi and how they differ from ghosts..."

Harry stopped listening and began doodling on the desk, scratching out dead little Snapes whilst trying to ignore the excruciating pain in his anus.

Finally Snape seemed to stop talking and the class was getting up to prepare for their potions.

Harry looked around helplessly. "Erm, so what...?"

"The Draught of Living Death, Harry," Hermione whispered in his ear as she moved towards the store cupboard to collect her ingredients.

Harry looked at Ron who looked just as clueless as he was.

"I think we need help," Ron said smirking.

"Just a bit," Harry said grinning.

As they stood up from their desk, Harry cried out attracting the attention of several students nearby.

"Harry? You alright, mate?" Ron asked, peering at Harry who was leaning on the desk.

"Yeah...scar..." he said, and rubbed his forehead for good measure, though it was the muscle tissue in his arse that was hurting. No, hurting was an understatement – it was stinging, burning, tearing... Even his stomach was aching and his back was stiff...

He hadn't even realised how rough Lucius was being, but then the man hadn't used lubricant and he'd hurried the stretching... What if he'd been damaged?

"Are you sure?" Ron asked.

"Potter! Weasley! Stop wasting time and get to work!" Snape growled from his desk.

"I-I should be alright," Harry said panting. Then a wave of pain shot through his spine and his belly; this time he couldn't disguise the pain in his stomach and gave a yelp, holding it and gasping for breath.

"Sir! Harry's been hurt!" Ron said loudly so the whole class could hear.

"Ron, shut up!" he hissed, but already the Gryffindors around him were asking if he was okay while the Slytherin students were muttering things like, "attention-seeker," and, "liar."

"I'm fine!" he insisted, but at that minute a wave of pain spread through his arse, up his back and round his stomach, making him convulse and his breath hitch.

"Out of my way," he heard Snape say as he fell to the floor with a grunt.

The last thing he saw was Snape's sallow, sunken face in front of his before his world was darkness.

Lucius' POV

After Harry ran off, Lucius had a free period in which he whiled away half the time purely reminiscing about his last meeting with Harry. The other half he tried to decide what he would say to Draco; he'd had enough of that boy acting as though he can get whatever he wants. I'll make a visit to him at lunch, Lucius thought purposefully.

However, his thoughts and plans were interrupted when there was a knock at his office door.

"Enter," he said reasonably coldly.

The door opened and the youngest Weasley boy stumbled in.

"Sorry, sir, but Professor Snape needs to see you; it's urgent," he panted.

"I thought he had a class now?" Lucius said remembering what Harry had told him.

"He did but Harry Potter collapsed and he said you might be able to tell us the reason why because of your previous experiences with the Dark Arts," the boy seemingly recited.

Lucius didn't know what to think – his thoughts were all jumbled up. Harry collapsed? His Harry was ill?

"Where is he?" Lucius asked shooting up from his seat.

"Harry or Snape?"

"Both! Where does Professor Snape want me to go?" he snapped.

"Oh, the hospital wing –"

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Lucius had barged past him and was speed-walking his way to the hospital wing.

When he reached it he found Snape talking to the nurse standing next to a bed with the curtains closed.

"...assure you I'll be able to take care of this; poisons are my area, Poppy," Lucius heard Snape arguing.

"Very well," Poppy said nervously, and she walked over to what Lucius supposed was her office.

"Severus," Lucius growled walking over to him. "Where is he?"

Snape pointed to the drawn curtains. Lucius yanked them open and looked down at a pale, dark-haired boy lying very still on the bed.

"Explain," he said bluntly.

"No, Lucius," the man said smoothly. "I think it is you that needs to do the explaining."

"Wha-?"

"Potter arrives late from a detention from you; he collapses holding his stomach; he winces when he hits the ground." Snape sighed. "I know all too well what relationship you two have but I need to know exactly what happened in your detention."

"But you just told Poppy Harry was poisoned!" Lucius stated confused.

"That was a cover up, for you," Severus said.

"So, he's not poisoned?"

"Not from what I saw and, furthermore, I don't see what could have poisoned him in the first place seeing as he hadn't started on his potion, the lazy b-"

"What's wrong with him then?" Lucius asked impatiently.

"That is why I asked you what happened in his detention."

Lucius looked at the man with a knowing expression.

"I thought as much," the man sneered. "But you need to tell me, is there any reason why Potter would suffer from his...detention?"

Lucius coughed and thought back to when he had rushed Harry's preparation.

"I...I didn't use lu-"

"Okay," Severus said quickly. "That may be the reason he is like this. Of course I won't be able to tell without an... an inspection."

"Inspection?" Lucius didn't like the sound of that. "But you already know what's wrong!"

"He may need healing." Severus stared at Lucius looking extremely wearisome and angry. "This wouldn't be needed if you would just let him go! You're endangering two reputations!"

"Severus you don't understand, this boy has everything to do with my life now! I know it's hard on Draco but do I not have the chance to be selfish? To think of what I want or what Harry wants?"

Although Lucius and Severus weren't raising their voices in case Madam Pomfrey were to hear, no one could have mistaken the fury in Lucius' tone.

"You're missing the bigger picture still," Snape said softly. "You're a teacher and hold responsibility over the brats in this school, Potter being one of them!"

Lucius said nothing but turned to face the unconscious boy on the metal-framed bed. He took a seat in the chair next to Harry and held a small, fragile hand.

"I love him, Severus," Lucius whispered. "I don't care what it takes but I wouldn't give him up for the world." He raised the pale hand to his mouth where he pressed a deep kiss onto it. He closed his eyes and held the cold hand to his cheek.

"L...Luc..." came a small voice.

Lucius' head snapped up to stare at Harry who still looked asleep.

"Is he waking up?" he asked Severus, though not turning his gaze away from the boy who'd tried to say his name.

Snape moved to Harry's other side where he lifted an eyelid exposing an unseeing green eye.

"He's still comatose, Lucius," Severus said, dropping the eyelid. "He's merely sleep talking."

"He said my name," Lucius breathed. "He knows I'm here."

"I still can't get over this," Severus said with a sigh. "I never thought you of all people would take an interest in men, let alone one Harry Potter."

Snape said nothing more on the matter when he realised Lucius hadn't been listening.

Lucius ran his fingers through Harry's soft, silken hair and pressed a kiss to Harry's forehead and said, ever so softly, "I'm so sorry."

Before he faced Snape he dried his eyes.

"Do you have to do an examination?" Lucius questioned, not able to keep the whine out of his voice. He felt thoroughly embarrassed for Harry who wouldn't know what was happening.

"What else can I do?" Severus asked.

"I don't know... I just hate the idea of having to put him through this," Lucius said holding his head in his hands. "This is all my fault."

"You're right; it is," Severus said unfeelingly. "I suppose I could let you examine him..."

"How?"

"I'll give you a number of spells to try out for different conditions," Snape said. "I'd like to save both of us the embarrassment." He indicated to himself and Harry.

"So, what am I looking for?" Lucius asked nervously.

"The most likely problem will be that he has severely torn tissue, in which case you should use, Vigoratus Maximus, which will repair all of the broken tissue. In another case you may find internal bleeding; here you should use, Replenshio, which shall replenish the blood loss. Both spells do not require wand movements; merely point it at the damaged area. If there are any other factors let me know. If there is then it could be worse than I thought."

Lucius nodded, taking in every wise word his old friend was saying.

"Thank you," he said sincerely. "Thank you ever so much. Now, excuse me while I attempt this..."

"Of course," Snape said, but Lucius didn't miss the grimace.

He drew the curtains and knelt at the foot of Harry's bed.

"This is not going to be easy," he muttered to himself.

I decided to leave it there =]

It was going to be worse but I decided we didn't need to have the examiniation described =P

Ty again!

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