AN: So this chapter is not very exciting, but it was necessary to write. Warning, it's fairly sad and about how Draco feels about what just happened. Like I said, not many actual events happen in this chapter, but it was necessary so you know how Draco is feeling. Things should pick up again next chapter.
Thank you to E.Backer, Guest, and standasawitness for reviewing.
Draco floated in and out of consciousness several times before soft voices coaxed his eyes open. At first he was completely disoriented, and then he realized he was laying in a crisp, white bed in a row of crisp, white beds. He turned to see his godfather sitting on the bed next to Draco's, the headmaster standing at the end of that same bed.
"Draco, how is your head feeling?" Snape's voice was very soft, which puzzled Draco.
"It hurts a little," he told his godfather. "Where am I?"
Snape glanced at Dumbledore, who nodded encouragingly. Snape spoke again.
"You're at Hogwarts, remember? You came to stay here for several days. Do you not remember that?"
Slowly, memories began trickling back to Draco, who shut his eyes in the effort to remember. Suddenly, a forest swam into his mind, and then a feeling of deep unease clenched his heart.
"Professor Snape," Draco addressed the man as Herculen had always told him to. "Where's my brother?"
Snape's face showed nothing, however he swallowed slowly in his silence.
"Your brother," Dumbledore stepped forward. "Is currently unavailable. I'm so sorry, Draco, but you'll have to stay here. You need rest, Draco. We'll discuss him later. For now, eat this candy. I heard it's your favorite flavor."
Draco felt the tiniest bit better after the headmaster attempted to comfort him, however a strange memory of his brother in the forest kept haunting him.
"Please let me see my brother! Why is he unavailable? Isn't he here, still? Did mother and father already arrive?"
Draco almost stood from the bed, however Snape reached out quickly and helped him lay down again.
"You mother and father have returned from their trip, yes; however they are not yet prepared to bring you home. I believe your mother will be bringing you home tomorrow morning, perhaps. Or I might bring you home myself," Snape told Draco calmly.
"What about Herculen? Is he at home with them already?"
Snape's eyes flicked to Dumbledore, his face uncharacteristically uneasy.
"He is not here, nor is he there," Dumbledore told Draco.
"Where is he then?" Draco begged, his eyes flying between the two men. "Where is he if he's not at Hogwarts or at home?"
"We'll discuss this later," Snape stood up. "Stay right here, Draco, don't move. I'll be right back."
Draco suddenly gasped, horrible awful memories assaulting him. He squeezed his eyes shut as suddenly he remembered the forest, and his brother, and the vampire.
Draco's eyes flew open suddenly with a cry, and his gaze flew to Snape, tears in his eyes.
"Snape, Profess... Professor S.. Snape, my brother, the vampire! He.. Where is he? Is he okay? Where is my brother? What happened? Uncle Snape please tell me!"
Snape froze, swallowing around a lump in his throat. He turned to stare at Draco as the boy again whimpered.
"Uncle Snape, what happened? Why can't I see my brother? Please tell me what happened!"
Tears were now hanging on the ends of Draco's lashes, and Snape came back, hesitantly sitting on the edge of Draco's bed.
"Draco, stop, you'll make yourself unwell," Snape began to speak, but then he trailed off as a sob almost poured out of his godson.
"Where is he?" Draco fairly shouted.
"He's... He's... He's missing," Snape finally spat out as if the words were poison. "He's missing."
"Missing?" Draco cried.
"Yes," Snape's nod was shallow and uneasy. "He's missing and... Well they can't know for sure, but he might be gone."
"Gone?" Draco cried.
"Forever," Snape continued, his face paling when Draco almost looked sick to his stomach at the news. "They can't know for sure, Draco. He's just missing!"
Draco shook his head, tears pooling in his eyes, yet some stalwart part of him had been trained not to let them fall, especially in front of family; not that Snape was family. Draco knew Snape wasn't family, father had said so, and yet Draco tried to keep his face dry. It was a losing battle.
"It's alright," Snape choked out. "To... To be sad and to...Your father isn't here."
Draco couldn't hold back any longer. Suddenly Snape found that his robes were growing damp, and he awkwardly patted Draco's back, unsure what to do.
"It's... It'll be... I'm here, Draco," Snape spoke haltingly.
Part of Snape wanted to leave right then, he didn't know what to do or how to help, and yet he sat there fairly silently. From his shoulder, where Draco had his head buried, Snape heard the word Herculen. For several moments, Snape had an urge to get away from the sobbing child, but then he heard something he hadn't heard since Draco was very small.
"I'm scared, Uncle Severus," Draco whimpered, and Snape swallowed again.
"Don't be, you're the Malfoy dragon, remember," Snape choked out. "You can be brave. You can be alright."
Snape noticed that he and his godchild were alone, and Draco had his head hidden as Snape's robes slowly became soggy, and so the man allowed a single tear to drift from his eye just as he told Draco yet again that he was there; he wouldn't leave.
"How is the boy?" Dumbledore glanced up when Snape entered the headmaster's room.
"He's not taking this well at all. This is wrong, what he's making me do!"
"He's the boy's father; he must have the final word on the matter, Severus."
"But it's still wrong! Draco has experienced something very traumatic, and at this rate this will make him crumble. He's only eleven years old!"
"You cannot go back on his father's decision."
Snape nodded in agreement, silent for a moment, before his face became contemplative.
"Perhaps I can help him to dull some of the pain, if he's still this way by the time school is going into session next year."
"Severus, that spell can be dangerous, you know that. It numbs the pain, but it numbs something else as well."
"Good, I'm sure that's what his father would want," Snape's voice was like acid.
"Wait until next year, it would be better to not use that spell, you know that."
Snape hesitated for a moment before nodding slowly.
"I think his parents will be waiting for me. I suppose I'd best go."
"A strong front, Severus. This is no different than when you were aiding me. A strong front is what they will expect of you."
"Of course," Snape's voice was now as drawling and silky as it generally was, but Dumbledore could see behind his stalwart expression that his mask wasn't quite up to par.
Dumbledore then watched as Snape used the headmaster's private floo. For a moment Dumbledore considered checking on the boy, but he reconsidered because perhaps the blonde would prefer some time alone, considering his roots. Instead, Dumbledore sat at his desk, debating how to handle the new situation should Herculen remain missing.
Draco had fallen asleep, however his eyes fluttered open when he heard a noise beside his bed. He glanced up to see Snape standing there, and Draco shook his head in hopes of clearing it, but instead it just made him wince.
"I'm to bring you home," Snape told Draco. "We're leaving now."
Snape helped Draco stand and he lead him through the castle. For some time Draco was silent, but finally he asked in a quiet voice where they were going.
"We're going to a currently operating floo."
Snape lead Draco toward an odd staircase which twisted up into a large room. Draco saw little of the room, however, because he was quickly ussured over to the floo.
"Go home, I'll be right behind you," Snape promised.
Draco took some floo powder and softly said his manor's name. When he arrived, he stepped out of the floo and was enveloped in his mother's arms.
"Draco," her voice was soft as she clutched her son. After a moment she stood from her crouched position, however she placed a hand on his shoulder and looked into his eyes as she asked how he was. In return she only got a shrug.
"Oh Draco," her voice was soft again and once again she pulled her son into a hug. "It'll be alright, Draco. It'll be alright."
"Where's father?" Draco asked, glancing around the room.
"He's not here at the moment," Narcissa looked away uneasily. "He may be home soon."
Snape stepped out of the floo a few moments later and greeted Narcissa gently. She nodded at him.
"Thank you," she told him. "Thank you for, well…"
Snape nodded silently.
"Draco," Narcissa turned back to her son. "I'm so glad you're alright. Are you hungry? Would you like to eat?"
"Not really," Draco swallowed. "May I go to my room?"
"Draco, I think you should eat something. Dobby could bring something to your room?"
"Okay," Draco shrugged. Then, without another word, he retreated upstairs.
"How do I handle this, Severus?" Draco heard his mother asking his godfather before Draco ran into his room and shut his door quickly. For a moment Draco simply stood there. Then his eye was drawn to his wizard's chess set which he'd left carelessly sitting at the end of his bed. For a moment his lip trembled, then he slid down his door, sitting with his head resting on his knees, tears dripping down his cheeks.
He sat like that for a very long time, only interrupted once when Dobby popped into his room to deliver food. Finally he heard footsteps in the hall outside his door. Then he heard his father's voice.
"He's probably asleep by now anyway," his father was saying, however Draco stood quickly. Maybe his father could make him feel better!
After quickly wiping his cheeks and eyes, and smoothing his rumpled clothing and hair, Draco pulled his door open.
"Hello father," Draco blinked up at his father who was standing just across the hall.
Lucius observed Draco for a moment, something akin to disgust on his face, before he turned and marched down the hall toward his study. Draco stared after him with mounting grief, however Narcissa hurried over to her son and told him to go to sleep.
"Why did father…"
"He's upset right now, Draco. Have you eaten your dinner? No? Well it's probably cold by now; where is it?" Narcissa stepped over to the food and cast a warming spell. "Now, please eat it Draco. Uncle Snape told me you hadn't eaten in a while at Hogwarts. You need food, my little dragon."
Draco glanced at the food, and though he supposed that his stomach was rumbling a bit, he just didn't feel like eating. In fact, the very thought made his stomach roll.
"Just eat the bread? It's your favorite, parmesan french bread!"
Draco nibbled at the bread, and Narcissa smiled at her son.
"I'd better go see to your father; will you be alright here, eating?"
Draco shrugged, which made Narcissa hesitate before she hurried out of the room and toward Lucius's study.
"Dobby," Draco called the house elf, and a few moments later Dobby appeared. "You hungry? You can eat my food."
"Dobby mustn't eat Master Draco's food!" Dobby shook his head, his ears flapping about, however Draco set his look into a pleading expression.
"Please Dobby?" Draco begged. "Eat the food!"
Dobby hesitated before he began chewing on a chicken leg.
"Is Master Draco alright?" Dobby asked, and in return the house elf got a firm shake of Draco's head.
"Herculen is missing!" Draco wailed. "How could I be alright? He's probably gone, forever!"
Dobby nodded sadly, his eyes down fallen, however after a moment the house elf steeled his expression and looked Draco in the eye.
"Dobby doesn't know very much about what happened to Master Herculen, but Dobby does know that Master Herculen wouldn't want Master Draco to be sad all the time. Master Herculen would want his brother to take care of himself and be getting ready for his first year at Hogwarts. Dobby will help Master Draco no matter what, that's what Dobby is here for."
Draco glanced at Dobby hopefully, and then the smallest of smiles lit up Draco's face.
"Thank you Dobby," Draco murmured. "Maybe I'll eat tomorrow."
Dobby hesitantly finished the food, and then he recommended Master Draco go to bed.
Draco obliged, slipping between his sheets with a sigh. His eyes suddenly fell on a moving photograph with him and his brother which sat beside his bed, and he had to close his eyes tightly to keep moisture from soaking his pillow.
AN: Please review! What do you think Snape and Dumbledore were talking about? How do you think Naricssa and Lucius are taking this? Tell me what you think of the chapter!