Disclaimer: The Harry Potter Universe belongs to JKR and anyone she legally lets use them. Not me.

A/N: I'm falling behind in my 1 ch/wk thing so here's another for you guys :) I've been dithering about, trying to decide if I should post this yet or not. x.x It's kinda a make or break chapter. Well, you'll see. But, finally, a chapter with some answers xD Hope it meets expectations! (AND it's the longest chapter yet!) Thank you everyone for the reviews (and pushing me to publish this chapter xD) and the faves and alerts!

Enjoy!

Previously: Striding in from the parlor, a green envelope in hand, was none other than Lucius Malfoy.

Chapter 8

Back at Grimmauld Place

"Father?"

"Lucius?"

The other two Slytherins gaped in shock at the sight of Lucius Malfoy walking into Grimmauld Place, freely, as if he did it every day.

Lucius smirked, Oh, how he loved a good surprise. Turning to Pansy, he said, "Thank you Miss Parkinson for that lovely dressing down." Lucius turned, a disapproving, icy look on his face. "It seems my son and my best friend have been living under a rock for the past six years."

Severus scowled, "What is going on Lucius?"

Lucius glided into a chair, placed the envelope on the table, and folded his hands. "The two of you ran from Britain the second you were allowed to. You did not even stay to learn how you gained your freedom."

Draco scowled, "Why are you calling Potter by his first name?"

Lucius raised an eyebrow. "Because he requested I do so."

Draco pursed his lips, "When?"

Lucius smirked, "Over lunch."

Flashback

Lucius strode into the Auror department, scowling. Somebody had named Potter the Deputy Department Head and now he was forced to have lunch with the sniveling brat.

Lucius strode to the office and stopped in surprise. Sitting at the secretary's desk was a Slytherin. Pansy Parkinson.

"Miss Parkinson?"

Pansy looked up from where she was shifting papers from files. "Mr. Malfoy. Auror Potter will be right with you. He is in a meeting with Head Auror Shacklebolt and Minister Demens currently."

Lucius nodded, a mask blanking his face, even as his mind reeled out questions. Potter had a Slytherin secretary? Most Gryffindors would never trust a Slytherin with their personal affairs.

Potter, Shacklebolt and Demens stepped out of the Deputy's office and he watched as Potter smiled and shook their hands. The other two disappeared down the corridor and Potter turned to Pansy, "Is Mr. Malfoy here?"

Pansy nodded and looked behind Potter. Potter turned and gave Lucius a polite smile. "Mr. Malfoy."

"Auror Potter," Lucius drawled.

Potter nodded and motioned for Lucius to walk down the corridor leading out of the Ministry.

"I hope you do not mind Mr. Malfoy, but I made a reservation for us at Buongustaio. Italian is okay yes?"

Lucius nodded, surprised that Potter even knew how to make a reservation at an elegant restaurant.

They Apparated to the restaurant and were quickly seated.

Lucius cleared his throat, "Auror Potter. As the new Deputy Head of the Auror Department, I am your assigned liaison with the Department of Wizarding Law Affairs."

Potter nodded and then sighed. "Mr. Malfoy. We are professionals, are we not?"

Lucius nodded, not knowing where Potter was going with this.

"We will have to work together. Frankly, I'd rather know that the person I am working with trusts me and that I can trust them. I do not need Daily Prophet scandals."

Lucius' gaze sharpend, his eyes icy. Was Potter going to go to the department and ask for a reassignment? The blow to his reputation would not sit well; he was already on thin ice.

"Therefore, I propose that we forget what has happened in our pasts. It is true that it will color our interaction, but as the Ministry dictates things around here, I would prefer for you to have my best at heart and vice versa."

Lucius stared blankly at Potter. While he had been absolved of his crimes during the war, this open acceptance was new to him. From the Boy Who Lived, it was almost unbelievable.

Potter cleared his throat, "Call me Harry."

Lucius blinked and nodded. He was a Slytherin and knew when to take advantage of the situation. If the Savior of the Wizarding World wanted to be…friendly…who was he to decline? "Of course Harry. You may call me…Lucius."

Potter looked at him in surprise and then, throwing his head back, burst out laughing. Lucius raised an eyebrow.

Potter chuckled and turned to the menu, "Was that really difficult for you?"

Lucius sniffed, "Of course."

End Flashback.

Lucius smirked at the memory. How odd that that one lunch had eventually led to others that had formed a tentative friendship between the Slytherin and Gryffindor. Even more so that Potter had other Slytherin friends. And of course he had somehow charmed Narcissa as well.

Damned Gryffindor charisma. And there was a time when I had told Severus and everyone else that would listen that Potter wasn't worth speaking to.

Draco gaped at his Father. Pansy took pity on the blonde and said, "Lucius is the Law Department liaison to the Aurors, specifically Harry's liaison."

Draco stared blankly at the two other Slytherins. His world was about to tilt completely. Nothing he thought he knew to be true was true anymore. His father was friends with Potter?

Lucius reached into his robe to remove a package wrapped in brown paper. "Inside you will find all the information you need. However, I shall give you a summary. Harry convinced the Ministry to let you both free. They had a price however. He became a permanent consultant to the Minsitry, they are allowed to call upon him at any time for an assignment, event, anything."

Draco and Severus looked at Lucius questioningly.

Lucius picked up the green envelope that Draco recognized as one from St. Mungo's. Images flashed in his mind and he remembered it fluttering to the ground last night.

"That's from the hospital."

Lucius nodded and passed it to Draco. "After I heard what assignment they was given to Harry now, and what happened recently, I thought it prudent to inform you of what Harry has had to do these past six years. You two have been in France, comfortably away from Britain and its news. Your mother and I chose not to inform you. However, I believe it's time you knew."

Draco looked at his father in confusion before opening the envelope. A small manila folder fell out.

"Enlarge it."

Draco did what his father said and the manila file grew and grew until it was a medical file nearly two inches thick.

"That is Harry Potter's medical history. For the past six months."

Draco gaped at his father.

"Draco?" Severus asked in confusion

Draco swallowed deeply. "A normal 25 year-old has a file usually no more than an inch thick. An Auror's is about an inch and half after 6 years of service."

Severus' eyes widened.

Pansy's mouth turned down into a deep frown. "Harry has been in the hospital 17 times in the past six months alone."

Severus and Draco whipped their heads up to look at Pansy. Eyes sliding over to Lucius for confirmation, their stomachs clenched at the slow nod.

Severus muttered under his breath, "Does the boy have a death wish?"

Lucius and Pansy exchanged a look before Pansy stepped out of the kitchen.

Severus and Draco looked at Lucius in confusion.

Lucius sighed and folded his fingers again. "Pansy only knows some of this. I am only aware of most of this because I interrogated Mrs. Granger-Weasley. To my knowledge, Auror Ronald Weasley and she are the only ones who know."

Severus and Draco leaned forward.

"You may call this…an intervention so to speak. Those who care for Harry have become worried about his behavior." Lucius sighed. "When I first heard that Harry had married Severus I was shocked, considering that I knew Severus was with you Draco. At first I was angry. Miss Parkinson, thankfully, set me straight before I was able to change my attitude towards Harry.

After the marriage, we all noticed a change in Harry. He was more morose, if possible, his confidence depleted, his humor waning. I became concerned with this abrupt change in attitude. In the past six months, Harry has begun taking an increasing number of assignments, even though he is now Deputy Head and is not required to have that full of an assignment load. Auror Weasley says that Harry has always taken a great number of cases but he became concerned when the number increased even more. The number of hospital visits has also become worrisome."

Severus and Draco stared blankly at the elder Malfoy.

"Due to his childhood, Mrs. Granger Weasley informs me that Harry is quick to feel that he is a burden upon others. After you two moved in Harry wished to allow you your privacy and took these assignments so that he wouldn't be home. It was better, she believes he thought, than having to create the aura of a happy fake marriage and suffer Draco's wrath." Lucius gave his son a knowing look. Draco looked away quickly, not wanting to acknowledge his faults.

"Harry's flaw is that he is always ready to sacrifice himself for others. He does not consider his own self worth, and Mrs. Granger-Weasley and Auror Weasley fear that Harry does not…believe he has anything left beyond this job. He chooses to remain at a distance from his friends, so as to not to be a burden. He has not had a relationship in years due to a string of…associations where the person in question cared only for his fame or his wealth. Now that he is legally married, he is incapable of having any sort of relationship."

Draco opened his mouth to make a nasty comment but his father cut him off. "Harry is far too Gryffindor to allow others to believe that he is the type to cheat on is husband."

Lucius rose and looked out the window. "You did not see his condition when he returned from this past mission. They were not sure he would survive." Draco and Severus were surprised at the concern that was visible on the elder Malfoy's face. Had Lucius really come to care for Potter that much? What did Potter do to completely change Lucius' attitude towards him like this?

Lucius turned and looked at Draco, "And they could not contact the foremost expert on trauma and the Dark Arts."

Draco looked away again.

Lucius sighed, "My research has led me to learn that Harry Potter had other aspirations for after the war. He wished to run an orphanage, to teach, to have children, and such. He is good at what he does as an Auror but does not enjoy it. He is, after all, forced into the career. Harry's attitude towards his job began to concern me more the longer I knew him. He was efficient, organized, driven. But there was never any amusement, any enjoyment, in the way he conducted himself. The other Aurors are free with their boasting and their emotions. Harry reminded me…of a Slytherin, keeping his emotions tight against his chest."

Severus looked at his friend for a moment before saying, "Lucius, why are you telling us this?"

Lucius looked at Severus calculatingly before saying, "The happenings of this past week have been…disturbing."

Severus growled under his breath, "Lucius."

Lucius glared at his best friend before continuing. "At any point in the past week, did the two of you have an argument regarding Potter?"

Draco blinked blankly for a second at the surprise change in subject. "Yes. Wednesday night."

Lucius pursed his lips. "At around nine pm yes? And it was an incredibly heated argument?"

Draco and Severus' eyebrows rose at the surprisingly accurate speculation. "Yes, how did you know" asked Severus, a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Lucius sighed. "At nine pm on Wednesday night, Harry was tracking his target and was to meet with an important contact. However, before he could make his position secure with the contact he was overrun by a wave of pain, described as worse than the Cruciatus. He stumbled over his words, made the contact suspicious, which led to him becoming severely cursed and beaten before he could manage to get out of the situation while enduring the previous pain."

Severus' hands tightened around the brown package he had been holding. "Potter somehow felt our argument?" he asked, skeptical.

Lucius frowned at his friend, "Severus, I would have expected you at least to enter this contract marriage with Potter with caution and having actually done some research. But to the contrary, you entered it in strikingly Gryffindor fashion. Including this grudge you have against him, rather than taking it to be a Slytherin opportunity to build connections. Harry is, after all, the Saviour of the Wizarding World."

Lucius took a deep breath, as if fortifying himself, and returned his eyes to gazing out of the window. "After Harry was brought into the hospital, I decided to do a little research and found the contract under which you and he are operating Severus. There is indeed no fidelity clause, which allows you to be with Draco. That is true. However, the magic of the contract is old and binding. The anger you feel towards Harry, the continued bitterness, the grudge and hatred you hold against him, weighs heavily on him, even though he is unaware of it. It does not help that he has always valued your opinion of him. As you have no tender feeling for him, all he receives from the marriage is anger. According to what Mrs. Granger-Weasely and I have found, the contract binds your opinions of each other together and forms a sort of formal magical bond. It was, after all, designed to help keep the Snapes and Potters in good social standing. Couples had to keep each other happy in some way. You flourish because he respects you, but he is failing because you hate him."

Lucius turned back to the other two Slytherins. "That is not to say that his change in behavior is completely due to the bond. There is something else, however he refuses to speak of it to anyone. The new assignment he has been given is going to exacerbate the situation. I fear, as do the others, that this new assignment may lead to Harry's death. The vengeance that he has entered this assignment is disturbing, to say the least. Between this marriage, that bond, being forced to be an Auror, and living with the people whose fault it is technically, he is not equipped, emotionally, physically, or mentally at the moment to adequately complete the assignment. He will not let us help him. You two, however, live with him. I had hoped...that you would have noticed something. However, regardless, I am asking, on behalf of all those that care for Harry, that you put aside whatever things you hold against Harry. If you cannot at least come to…care for him, at least put aside the hatred so that you can allow him to live his life. He has endured this much because he chose to help you, it is the least you can do."

Severus eyes rose to lock with Lucius', and he asked, softly, "Lucius, what is Potter's assignment?"

Lucius looked at the two sadly, "To track down and capture Vela Lestrange. Bellatrix's daughter."

A/N: SOOOOO? Review please!

And, vote! Mpreg should exist in the Wizarding World or no?