Chapter Seven: Look You Arm Yourself

The first sound that Lucius registered upon waking was that of raised voices. He sat up quickly, thinking that maybe the Order had been found by death eaters, but upon listening further he realized that the Order members were fighting with each other.

'Oh great,' He thought, 'I go from a crazed lunatic to a bunch of squabbling children. Can I please go back to sleep?' He heard no answer from his mates, but knew they might be cross with him if he returned so soon after they had told him he was needed in the waking world.

"You may NOT keep them here, Harry!" Lucius wondered who was telling their 'savior' off.

"And who are you to tell me what I can and can't do in MY HOUSE! It's best if they stay here where we can keep and eye on them!" Lucius snorted. Where else would he and his son go?

"They're death eaters!" that was definitely Molly Weasley.

"Think of what Draco did!... FINE correction, TRIED TO DO!" And her youngest boy, if Lucius was correct.

"Look, I'm not saying I trust them! I'm just saying that they need to be watched, there are plenty of people to do that here, AND with this war going on we need all the help we can get!"

"The only help we'll get out of those two is a helping hand into an early grave!" Lucius was almost surprised by the sarcasm that laced the angry words. He stood and headed to the adjoining bedroom. He needed to see if his son was awake, and if so, how he was faring with the words being yelled about them.

Lucius found his son sitting up in bed staring intently at the door. He could tell that Draco desperately wanted to defend himself, but knew better than to charge downstairs. He sat next to his son, and waited.

"And what about Lucius?! He escaped from PRISON!….WITH DRACO'S HELP!!! What if they find Lucius here?"

"Who's willing to tell the ministry where MY HOME and OUR HEADQUATERS are? I have only one secret keeper, and if word got out as to where I live, I'd know who it was. We'll feed a story about Lucius being taken by death eaters. Voldemort isn't going to deny the claim, and it'll buy us some time. Maybe we can even say that after he was attacked he came to us for protection because he knew that if they could pull him out of Azkaban once then they could do it again. We could say that we are holding him, and that he is willing to give us names or something…battle tactics. I'm pretty sure he could give us those anyway."

"What about Draco?" Lucius felt his son tense, and pulled him into a one armed embrace. If the Order didn't think of something, he would. He refused to let the Dark Lord have any kind of sway over his son ever again!

"He'll come back to school. No one really knows of his involvement at the end of last year, and we can just give him his own room saying we're protecting him from the death eaters that took his father. Surely Voldemort would take Lucius' family to hurt Lucius, and everyone knows how much he treasures his only heir." There was some mumbling, and then everyone went quiet.

"Are we agreed? I'll even room with him.."

"Harry no!"

"Yes, I'll stay with him, and see where his loyalties really lie. Are we agreed?"

Silence.

"Are we agreed?!"

A unanimous "YES" and things went still. Lucius decided it was safe to travel downstairs, and went to change for the day.

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As soon as Lucius opened the door to his room, Harry felt the wards surrounding it shift. He had a pretty good feeling that Lucius had heard most of the argument, and from the look on Snape's face it seemed that the other man knew as well. He gave Lucius no time to school his features before he strode to the bottom of the stairs.

"I know you heard, and I feel that now I want to know were you stand on my decisions. I don't trust you, but this is you life as well as mine."

"I agree to stay here, and I'll give you any information you need. I also agree to stick by your death eater story, and am willing to stand a trial where I will denounce the Dark Lord, and even show some scars if you feel it necessary." The thought of Lucius having scars unsettled Harry for some reason.

"What about Draco?" Harry felt the wards shift again as Draco joined his father at the top of the stairs.

"I also agree to your story. It's probably a good idea to keep me away from most of the other Slytherins anyway once I openly denounce the Dark Lord." Harry seemed pleased for a moment, before his face went serious again.

"Call him Voldemort. Saying "The Dark Lord" makes it sound like you still follow him." When Harry saw them flinch at the name he said, "I guess you could say 'He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named', but I really do hate that. It's almost like giving him power, showing him we're afraid."

"But we are." Draco said. Harry started. And then thought about what Voldemort did to deserters.

"Yes, I guess you would be."

"Aren't you?" My, Draco was being very open.

Harry paused to think it over.

"No. I've faced him too many times, and seen too much of what he can do to feel anything but anger and injustice." Lucius realized then how much Harry had grown. The young man was way too old for his seventeen years. He didn't know why, but that thought hurt. "We're leaving for Hogwarts soon. I suggest you be ready." To Lucius he said, "Anything that will help your case, or us, I suggest you start making a list of now. You both know you will be watched at all times, so don't make me regret my decision. Snape will also be living here for the same reasons. He was under an Oath by Dumbledore to do what he did, and we are going to present that in court. I warn you now that if the three of you are working together for Voldemort, I'll kill you one by one. Good day." And with that Harry strode off to another part of the house.

The Malfoys looked at each other, not knowing what to think, but knowing that they were definitely going to have to prove that their intentions were true. They both prayed that they would be accepted, for their safety as well as their sanity. After all, Lucius needed his mates…and Draco could definitely use some true friends for once in his life.