Author Note: I am so sorry this took so long guys, but I have started my university course now so chapters are going to slow down in rate they come but don't worry, I have every intention of finishing Fathers Son even if I don't post for a while.

Chapter 43

"Gentleman, if you would go ahead, I will join you in the headmaster's office in just a moment," said Lucius as the words finally formed in his throat. It felt as if they had been gathering in his throat forever. He was unable to take in what he had just seen. His vision had to be wrong didn't it? His son would never...

They nodded, knowing how awkward he felt, shuffled off leaving the children and Lucius alone.

"I do not believe I have yet had the pleasure of meeting you...Miss..." said Lucius smoothly as he surveyed the young girl. It was in his eyes that he did not think she was worthy of his son and he was furious that they had been caught together. He knew what she was before he had been told. This imperious was intimidating to her eyes.

"Granger sir." She whispered feeling her friends upset. Draco looked devastated.

"Granger?" whispered Lucius as he gave his son a furious knowingly look.

"Dad, I am so sorry." Said Draco instantly. Suddenly every lie he had told his father that year came back to haunt and hurt him. He could hear what he had said to him over Christmas and he had to face facts that none of it had been true. He wished it had been then. He wished he had stayed away from Hermione – and by association, Ron and Harry. He didntn want to fight with his dad.

"Sorry for what?" Lucius asked with a raised eyebrow before sweeping off leaving the two alone. Draco looked forlorn.

"He doesn't approve of me does he?" Hermione asked.

"No." He admitted. "I am really sorry Hermione. I just didn't want you to know he was like that. I didn't want to hurt you." He muttered as he run off in the direction his father had gone. It was the first time that he had said it loud. No matter how much he loved his father, he was ashamed of his dads beliefs, which to the young boy seemed so foolish and out dated. "Dad, dad please wait up!" he cried as he followed hot on Lucius heals. He was so desperate for his father just yell at him. Anger would be so much better than painful silence of feigned ignorance.

Soon he had him back in his sights and his father turned at the sound of his voice. The two of them were alone. The feeling Draco had in his stomach was not unlike the one he had had after the cauldron incident. The little animal had returned. Lucius looked at him questioningly.

"Dad, let me explain-" begun the out of breathe young man.

"That I just caught you in an embrace with a mudblood? She is a mudblood is she not?" he checked his suspicions.

"She is muggle born father, yes," he admitted. His voice had been quiet and small – just like how he felt. But he had to say it. And he had to change his view on the world. He had promised Andromeda!

"Muggle born?" sighed Lucius and almost laughed. He recalled how he had felt at the end of Christmas that he had been left on the platform. Had he been too soft on him? Not at all... had he been far too lenient. He had indulged him no end, he thought to himself. And this was the results. Had his mother been then, this never would have happened. This was the result...

"I did not mean to disobey you."

"Yet you did so deliberately, knowing that I would not approve?" Lucius told his son angrily, his voice dropped to a deadly whisper. He could see Draco had tears in his eyes but he had no time for them. He had to get to the meeting and then he had to get back to Eliza. He was in no mood to pander to him son's emotions. Especially after everything he had seen that day... and to think he had though Draco would be the bright spot in his day... "Or were you actually foolish enough to believe that I would not mind you keeping such company? If that was the case then young man, I have to tell you, you were very much mistaken. We will talk about this when you return home."

"Dad, please..." Draco struggled as he tried to gain enough of his dad's attention so that he might make clear that she had been had only been helping a friend. Somehow though he did not think that explanation was going to help matters though.

"I do not have enough time for this today." Lucius cut off his son as he turned and strolled off leaving his son feeling distressed and crushed at the rejection he had just been given. His father had never discarded him in such a manner before.

-

"Did you know what he was doing, did you know what was going on?" said Lucius as he went into the potions laboratory. Severus had been marking when he had heard the furious voice enter the room. He looked up to see Lucius there and he was alarmed by the expression he wore. The anger was written on his face there was also a distinct look of despair. It was as if all the hopes he had had for the future had fallen down in front of him. In some ways, they had.

"Lucius what is it?"

"Severus, if you respect me at all you will not insult me further by playing the fool. Did you know?" he growled at the man who he had thought had been his greatest friend.

"I honestly don't know what has happened my friend. Brother, explain to me." Said the bewildered Potions Master.

"Brother?" asked Lucius with a look of confusion on his face which suggested he had never heard the word before. "You call me brother and yet you allow the very apple of my eye.... to be with them ... that sort of person..."

A look of despair now crossed Severus face as he realised what had happened. He did not have time to shield the look from the glare of the distraught father. "So you did know that my son was being corrupted and you did nothing to stop such an occurrence. Tell me did you ever care the boy? Did you ever love him?"

"Don't you DARE!" said Severus as he rose from where he had been sat behind his desk. There was a lot he would take from Lucius but he would never allow him to question the loyalty he had for the family they had created for themselves. As far as he was concerned, that was beyond the pale which he could take. "You know how much I adore that boy..." he growled. Memories flowed through him of the three of them when they lad had been growing up...

"And yet you would still allow him to be friends with people such as that Granger girl when he is in your care, when he is under your eye?"

"HE IS GROWING UP! We can't protect him forever. We must allow him to make his own mistakes. He is at school." Severus insisted. He had made the same 'mistake' and it had been the best thing that had ever happened to him.

"Not that one," growled Lucius. In the history of their long and noble family, no Malfoy had ever made that mistake and he was determined that his son would not either. He paused for a minute as he gathered his thoughts, his heart shattered somewhere at the bottom of his chest once more. Had everything he had ever believed been a lie? "As far as I am concerned our friendship is at an end, Severus. Do not bother coming to the manor this summer. You will not be granted entrance. Never again will you be allowed on my property."

-

"In days... Not one letter." Mourned Draco as he and Nymph sat at the breakfast table. She had always been aware of her uncle's philosophies but she had never dreamed he would put them before his beloved son before. Even she knew that this was out of character for hum.

"He is only angry. I am sure he is going to come round." She tried to soother her cousin. It upset her to see him so sad.

"No, he isn't. I knew how strongly he felt over whole I associated with and he was right: I totally went against him." the first year said.

"Don't say that. You used your own judgement and I still think you used it wisely." She comforted him or tried to at least. The fact was he was inconsolable over the fight he had had with his father. When he had come to school, he had the right idea and she could not let him lose sight of it because her uncle was throwing his Quaffles out of the box.

"No, I didn't. I went against what he said when I knew I was disobeying him." he said miserably as he looked into his breakfast.

"Don't be sad sweetie," she said as she put her hand on the back of his neck. She could not stand to see him so distressed. It was unbearable.

"How can I not be? Why are you trying to tell me it is ok?" he said furiously. Gettingup he walked out of the Great Hall, sick of the comfort he was being offered, for he wanted none if it did not come from his father.

The look he had seen in his father's eyes when he had seen him with Hermione was all that Draco saw before his eyes and it broke his heart. If he could go back and change that moment in time then he would. In fact, if there was a way that he could change his actions over the course of the whole last year then he would. There was no friendship worth the loss of his father's love.

In his heart, he felt now he had been a fool. And he questioned everything he had begun to believe. The one thing he did know was that his father would never lie to him and he had only ever had his best interests at heart.

Surely that was still true?

He was soon out by the lake. He did not want to go to any one for help as he was sick of being told that he had been in the right. The only person who those words would mean anything from did not want to say them to him.

-

"What is it?"

"Nothing... shh you need to rest."

"I know when you are lying to me my darling."

Lucius looked at the hand he held in his own. The breathless old women had taken a turn for the worse while he had been out clearly. He wished he had not insisted that she stay in bed. During the time since she had the fall something had happened to his dear Eliza and it was as if she had lost the will to keep going. Suddenly she had become tired, in more ways than one.

He kissed her hand as he held on to it.

"Please don't worry... relax," he tried to soothe her but he was so alarmed that she struggled too. His agitation was visible on his usually confident body.

"Talk to me."

"Not now. I swear I will tell you everything... but only when you're better. You must get better." He could not help the feeling she was the only one he was able to trust during that moment. He had been betrayed Severus. His son was not who thought he had raised him to be. Eliza seemed to be the only one who had not changed in the last twenty four hours. To lose her would be to lose the last person he knew he could trust.

"Just sleep and I swear to you, everything will be ok." But whether he was saying that to her or himself he was not entirely sure.

She regarded him before she shut her eyes, but she was worried about him. She rarely had to see her precious boy in the state that he was. She could only hope nothing terrible had happened. If it had then surely he would tell her.

"Dragon is well is he not?" she checked. There was a flicker in Lucius eyes which she had rarely seen when they had talked about Draco before. It was a madness she had not seen in his eyes for quite some time. She had seen it before he had had time to disguise it.

"Oh yes, he is quite well." He said with a slight hint of venom in his voice. He was so angry with his son that he could not cover it up.

Deciding she wished to know no more, she shut her eyes.

Please God... let my boys be ok...

-

"Can I come and sit with you on the way home?" said Draco to Theodore as they walked down to the Hogwarts Express.

"Of course," said Ted as they walked down from the castle together. It was rare that he saw the Malfoy heir as vulnerable as Draco clearly felt. "Is something the matter?"

If there was one thing that Draco was grateful for was that what had happened between him, his father and Hermione was that it had been kept quiet. No real scandal had been caused by it and only the trio and Dora knew. His roommates were aware something must have happened to him as he had been so down since the event, but other than that it had been hushed up. The Slytherin's didn't know. Theodore didn't know.

"Eliza has been unwell of late. I am worried over her health that is all." He said to him. It was both a legitimate and truthful explanation for his behaviour. He was desperate to get back to see her, as well as his father.

"Come on then." Said Theodore. The others were soon with them and as they got in the carriage it was like old times for a while. In Vinnie's, Greg's and Blaise's company, Draco found he was able to forget what had had happened, even if it was just for a while.

From the castle, Severus watched the boys go. He had come to say good bye to him and Draco had begged him to visit over the summer. But for the first time he found he had been unable to promise to do so. The fact was he did not think he was going to be welcomed by Lucius.

Their friendship was at an end.

He had to say he felt as if his right arm had been cut off. He had had a brother in Lucius. He had had a family in the Malfoys. Something he had never thought he was going to have when he had lost Lily and he knew he was going to be utterly lost without them, more so than he had been when she had first gone. They were his family. They were such a big part of his life he did not wish to consider it without them. But he had too.

His heart, or as much of it as the ghost of his darling would allow, resided with the blonde family he did love so much. He had a fraternity there. It was a house of men where he felt so comfortable. Only Jane and Eliza to influence them with there femininity. Due to the fact neither was a threat to Lily's memory he had found he was able to take them into his heart in a fashion too. And now Eliza was sick... and he had had no chance of getting into see her.

Yet, even to see one of them at that moment would have served as some sort of small comfort to the concerned Potions Master. If only there was some way he could ensure that he could see the young boy who was so beloved by him over the summer months.

Jane indeed was perhaps his easiest way back into the Malfoy manor, he thought to himself.

-

"Isn't he even going to say goodbye?" Asked Ron as he saw the two Malfoy's walk off together. Ever since his father had caught him and Hermione together, Draco had hardly so much as looked at the trio of Gryffindor's who he had previously been building a solid friendship with.

"Doesn't look like it," Harry observed.

Quite without warning, Hermione burst into tears.

-

Silence still bound the two of them as they walked into the manor. After a fairly pleasant train ride with the boys, Draco had found that his father had come to met him. That was a good sign surely, but he had hardly said two words to him. He was so obviously still angry. The little he had said to him was cutting.

"Have you said goodbye to your friends?"- The reference was clearly to the Gryffindor's.

Draco tried to block out how cutting he had sounded. It hurt him. The two of them having a divide between them was so rare. It felt alien and he loathed it. They were best friends normally. He just wanted his dad, the man he had always known.

"I want you to be quiet this holiday Draco… your nana is unwell and I am not going to have her disturbed, do you hear me?" said Lucius to his son, none too gently as he took off his cloak, not looking at Draco once.

"Can I go up to her room and see her?" Draco asked in a small voice.

"If you are quiet."

Anything was better than the stony silence he had to endure with his father at that moment and yet Draco could not walk away from him without giving him one last beseeching look for forgiveness.

"Dad – Father, can we not talk together?"

"Go and see your nana. She is anxious to see you. And we will talk. Later...later..."

In no mood to argue and upset his sire further, he begun to climb the stairs and head up to see Eliza as he had been told too. What he would not do if only his beloved Jane was there with them... She would know what to do and how he would be able to please his father once more.

For the first time in his short life, Draco got the feeling he was in for a miserable summer.

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