AN: Very important!

For those of you, who are wondering if Harry's scar won't give his identity away, please remember that Marge's dog scratched his forehead adding new deep wounds to his scar… so for a while now nobody will know he is TBWL.

Dedication:

This chappie is dedicated to Blackmusasabi, who made the first review.

And You Didn't Even Know My Name

Ch. 2. We Call Them Stone, Who Have To Face This World Alone

"What-?"But whatever he said faded as another thunder roared.

"Please excuse my rudeness, Severus! I know better than to come to you without telling you first. However, this is an emergency! So if you were kind enough to let me in…" he said unperturbed, as if discussing the weather.

Severus Snape looked his old friend up and down while allowing him in. Lucius wore his formal velvet black robes, his hair tied back by a pitch black ribbon. Nothing unusual so far. That if he didn't count the small, bleeding body in his arms. What the hell was going on? From what he knew, Lucius had stopped muggle-hunting years ago and even in the wildest of his days he had never hunted children. Why start now? And why on Earth bring his victims to him?

What Severus didn't sense however was that the shock had left his occlumency shields down.

"My, my, Severus! Is it that low how you think of me, my old friend? Supposing the worst without giving me a chance to explain myself first? I am very disappointed in you!"

Severus shook his head and immediately reinforced his occlumency shields.

"But of course not, Lucius! Do excuse my silence, but you must understand. It is not everyday that circumstances such as these happen to me. Feel free to enlighten me on what is going on, I am all ears." And he tried to smirk, but it was hard considering the fact that the small body in Lucius' arms whimpered softly. This seemed to awaken the blonde wizard.

"Enough of the small talk! I brought this child to you because he needs immediate help and yes, you are more suitable than a healer, given the circumstances."

"What circumstances are you talking about, Lucius?" Snape asked narrowing his eyes. "What happened?"

"It matters not right now! He needs help." The elder wizard was starting to get frustrated with his friend's lack of cooperation. This was not how he had pictured the situation.

"For the last time, Lucius? You come to my house out of the blue, caring a bleeding child and ask me to treat him. Why not go to St. Mungo's? You could buy all the healers you wish. What is this all about?"

Damn you, Severus Snape. Why do you have to make things so complicated? But of course he wasn't going to say that out loud unless he wanted to lose any chances of Snape helping him. Instead, grinding his teeth, he answered:

"This is about a child who needs help. I… umm… rescued him."

"You rescued him? Do try to fool someone else, Lucius, will you? I wasn't born yesterday to buy your stories." Snape shook his head in annoyance, then he sighed.

"Look, I do not wish to be a part of whatever you have done, Lucius. Now go and I will forget you even came here."

Lucius looked at him in awe. He had been so sure that, with the right persuasion, Severus would cooperate. He had not been expecting this.

"All right, I shall go." He said defeated, his eyes landing on the hurting boy in his arms. "But before that, please give me the necessary potions for stopping a bleeding, closing wounds, a Pain-Reliever and some Skelet-Grow so that I will not lose anymore time buying them. Can you provide at least that kind of help for this child? I give you my word no one will ever find out!"

"Very well. Though I still cannot see why are you so interested in healing this child?" Severus asked while heading for his lab. Hardly had he gathered the necessary potions in a box when he heard Lucius swearing loudly. On instinct he went back to see what could have caused that. Still, upon reentering the living room he stopped dead in his tracks. Lucius Malfoy was down on his knees, the small boy from his arms now on the floor. The child was trashing horribly while Lucius tried in vain to hold him still, knowing full well that he could worsen his injuries.

"Hush, little one! Calm down, no one is going to hurt you, child." Severus could hear him say.

Then, all of a sudden, the boy stopped his trashing, but he stopped breathing as well.

"DAMN IT!" Lucius swore again. He shook the small body lightly. "Come on, little one! I didn't take you from there so you can die in my arms!"

It was then when Severus came back to his senses and hurried to the boy's side. He checked his pulse and let go of a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"He's comatose, but he's still alive. Put him on the couch."

Lucius executed the order while Severus ran to his lab. He quickly grabbed a vial of oxygen supply and hurried back into the room. Lucius looked at him questioningly.

"Hold his head. Good. Now open his mouth. Hold him still." He instructed then opened the vial and poured its contents down the unconscious boy's mouth, while rubbing his neck to help him swallow. The boy choked a little but recovered his breathing.

Lucius' lips twisted upwards in relief. He raised his eyes to meet Severus'.

"Thank you. I shall take him now." And he made to take the box of potions forgotten on the floor when Snape stopped his hand.

"His state is far too delicate to make his removal safe. It may even cause another attack and I will not be held responsible for the death of a child when I could prevent it." Severus said in a low drawl.

"So you will help me after all?" Lucius smirked.

"It would seem I have no other choice." Severus snapped. "But you will explain to me when I finish and you will help me."

"Yes, sir and yes." Lucius replied evenly, his eyes full of mirth.

Severus shook his head. Live it to Lucius Malfoy to find a bright side in a delicate situation. When he finished his scan he stared at the child for a few minutes. It looked like he was seeing the small pale boy for the first time and for a moment he hated himself even more. How could he have denied this boy help?

"What is the result of the scan?"

Lucius' voice brought him out of his dark thoughts.

"Several broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder, a bitten leg, several deep wounds on his forehead, bruises from beating and wiping. He's underweight and probably also too short for his age." He answered mechanically. "What the hell has happened to this child?"

"I shall show you once he is out of the danger line."

And with that said they proceeded to heal the child the best they could.

"Bring me a box of bandages and a bottle of disinfecting solution. My lab, second drawer of the chest of drawers and third bottle on the bottom shelf on the right wall."

Lucius couldn't help but smile. His friend's memory never ceased to amaze him. Meanwhile, Severus took the boy's cloths off, leaving him only in his underwear. The sight of his small beaten body was far from a pleasant one. Severus was briefly remembered of another small boy who had suffered similar injuries a long time ago and for a very short moment he hated Lucius for bringing this child to him and he hated the child for reminding him of things he had thought long buried in the darkest depts of his mind.

"Here you are."

Lucius handed him the bottle and the box.

"Right. His bleeding leg and forehead are our priority. I will disinfect his wounds there and bandage him. You apply the healing salve on his other bruises and then on his back. Lastly, I'll mix some Sleeping Draught in the Skelet-Grow and we'll make him swallow. That should do for now."

"No Pain-Reliever?"

"Only when he wakes up."

Ssssssssssssssssssssssssss

A good two hours later two tired men were sitting in the living room one on a couch, another in an armchair. They both held a glass of Firewhiskey each. Upstairs, in Severus' bedroom from when he was a child, a small boy was resting peacefully under warm covers. Outside the storm seemed to have reduced its forces into a mild rain.

"Well, are you going to tell me what happened to that child?"

"No." Lucius said and stopped Severus' protests with a lazy wave of his hand. "But I will show you." He raised his wand to his temple and withdrew a silver memory out.

"Bring your pensive."

Severus did as told and soon he was watching Lucius' memory. The moment he got out he was shaking. It wasn't as if he hadn't seen worst things as a Dearth Eater, but these hit a bit too close to home for his comfort. Lucius seemed to have understood because he said nothing. He just poured another glass of Firewhiskey and gave it to his friend. The Potions Master drank it in one large gulp, then he composed himself and asked in a calm voice:

"I take it those filthy muggles also got what they deserved."

"Not at all." Lucius replied in an equally calm voice. "And I'm afraid they won't for a long while. I am no fool Severus. To punish them would alert the Ministry in a couple of seconds. There were very strong wards on the house and considering they were defenseless muggles, it is quite understandable that the Magical Child Protection thought of defending them that way. Harm them and the child's disappearance will be noticed almost immediately."

Severus let out a bitter laugh.

"You kidnapped the child, Lucius. That must have set the wards off and they are probably already looking for him."

Lucius Malfoy smirked.

"That of a poor wizard do you think I am? All kind of wards, blood wards included, are based on will. Should the protected person not feel safe within them and wish to go or be somewhere else, they would not alert anyone of the disappearance."

Severus thought back at the question Lucius made the child answer before taking him.

Flashback

"Put it this way. I am here to take you with me if you will. I can give you almost everything: a room, cloths, food, toys… anything you wish for. All I want from you is to come with me. Now, will you do that, little one? Do you want to come with me?"

End Flashback

"I must congratulate you, Lucius. Luring the child like that! However, I still have one question. Why are you so interested in him anyway?"

Lucius laughed.

"Forever the one looking for reasons, Severus? But the answer is so obvious this time. The child is very powerful. It would be stupid of me to leave such a gifted wizard in the Ministry's fool care." And with the right guidance, he could be great and I will be around when that happens. But he didn't voice the last part.

"So what now? Are you going to adopt the boy? I doubt Narcissa is going to be very pleased by that decision."

"Nonsense, my friend! Narcissa loves children. But it was not exactly me whom I had in mind."

Severus stared at him in disbelief.

"So you brought him here not only because you wanted me to heal him, but also because you hoped I would take the child in! Are you out of you already insane mind? Sweet Merlin, I am no parent material and you know it!" He shouted furiously.

"And why not, Severus? You and the little one upstairs have a lot in common. It is crystal clear that you are the most suitable guardian."

"I will take no child in. Do you understand?"

Lucius smirked.

"I would take him myself, but I am too famous - or infamous if you will. Such sudden adoption will lead to suspicions and I do not want the Ministry to somehow get notion of the fact that I took the child from their care. Plus, you are the only one who will truly understand what he is going through. Did you not tell me once that you will let no one go through what you went if it was in your power to stop it? Well you have the chance to do so, Severus!"

Seeing as Severus was not going to argue that, Lucius knew he had touched a sensitive spot. He went to the door and, hand on door handle, he told Severus in a tired voice:

"I will not force him on you. Tomorrow morning I shall come back and take the child with me should you still not want him. But think this well! And promise me you will let no one know of this until then."

"You have my word." He answered as Lucius Malfoy walked into the soft rain and Disappeared.

He stood still for a while, then he remembered the sleeping child upstairs. He walked to his room and went in. The boy was whimpering so softly that it would have been almost impossible to hear him had you not had Severus' fine hearing. Years of spying had seen to that.

The Potions Master set on the edge of the bed and checked the boy's cheeks for any signs of fever, seeing as his forehead was bandaged. The child tensed at first then he simply leaned into the touch. It shocked Severus because nobody seemed to have welcomed his touch so far, not even his Slytherins. He remembered the boy in Lucius' memory and the unfair punishment. The unwiped tears, the unheard sobs, the unseen pain… all were far too familiar to Severus Snape.

He had faced the world alone - just like this child - and he had become a hard man, harder then stone, some would say. But did that also make him strong, strong enough to face his demons, to finally deal with his fears?

"Damn you, Lucius Malfoy!" he whispered thinking of the man who had turned his life upside down in a matter of hours. He was just about to leave the room when he turned to make sure the boy was properly covered. He saw tears rolling down his cheeks.

The small boy cried silently in his sleep but for the first time in years there was a warm trembling hand drying away his tears.

And Severus Snape wasn't so sure anymore if he really wanted that child out of his life.

Outside it was still cloudy, but it had stopped raining.

AN:

That's all for now: Your turn again, folks! Don't let me down:)