Chapter 13

Letters flew between Hogwarts. Answers sprung up without questions being asked and suddenly questions often went unanswered.

Yet, by the end of the week after he was announced a champion of the tri wizard tournament, Harry Potter and his friends still had no idea how his name had got into the Goblet of Fire and had no idea how they were meant to find it out. And of course, the number of friends he had were reducing – to him, it seemed, by the day.

It was Ron who was really getting to him though. Asides from Draco, who he had met at Diagon Alley, Ron had been the first person he had met at Hogwarts on the train. His first friend... one of the first people to make him feel accepted in their world.

And now he found himself without him – it was as if their friendship had been nothing. He was so angry with his so called jealous idiot of a best mate.

That was why he knew he had to be kind too Draco and Hermione – the two who had so far been unfailingly loyal to him. And yet he felt so much pent up frustration at the world – and the two of them were the only ones there to take it out on.

"You know it is not helping, having a go at her," said Draco as the two of them watched Hermione storm out of the library.

The three of them had gone in there to try and get there first bits of home work done. Even with the Tri Wizard Tournament going on, Hermione was trying to impress of Harry how important it was that they all kept up to date – it was the only way they were going to be able to aid him and get through the year successfully.

Yet, she had said just the right thing to set him off – the funny thing was, now two minutes had passed, Harry could barely remember what it was.

"I know – it is not as if I want to have a go at her," he said as he put his quill down.

"Then I am going to say something else you are not going to like – get a grip, Harry. She is trying to help you out, as am I. And I am not having a go – well not intentionally. I know you have it the hardest, but you are not the only one under pressure here, Harry – let us share the load. You are going to have much more of a chance if you do."

For a moment, Draco thought that maybe he had been a little harsh – that had not been his intention. He had only meant to reinforce what he knew Harry already understood. He knew that Harry might then go off at him too now; but it had had to be said.

But as the Gryffindor raised his head he could see the remorse that was in his eyes already.

"I know – you don't have to tell me, buddy. I just – I feel as if the lot of us are trying to sail up a creak without a paddle."

"I know you do – we are fourth years trying to get you through a competition which was meant for seventh years. But we are going to get there – as long as we work together." The two of them shared a smile, and Draco begun to get his books together.

"Where are you going?" asked Harry.

"You make sure that Hermione is alright," he said with a shrug and before Harry could say anything else to him, he turned from Harry, exited the library and headed down to the lake, following his gut instinct of where she would have gone.

His gut was right.

But apparently he had not been the only one to see her go off, for by the time that he got there, Hermione was already receiving the comfort which he had wanted to give to her - from Viktor Krum of all people.

"Nice one, Harry," he muttered under his breath as he turned back to the castle. Unable to leave without one last glance though, he turned to see her wiping her eyes and allowing him to put his arm around her.

His arm – about her! The idiot! As if he knew enough to keep her interested for very long. He had sports, but that was not going to keep her mentally stimulated for long, was it?

The only time she even went to Quidditch was when either Harry or himself were playing – and that was only because they were friends...

But if it was world class Quidditch...

"Well, that isn't going to last," he heard a voice by his side and he was glad of it.

"No, it it's not," Draco agreed with Ron.

The two of them looked at one another. The silence spoke volumes. "I have got no argument with you, Draco," said Ron with an unapologetic shrug.

"The four of us have been mates for so long now – you know as well as I do that Harry never put his name in the goblet."

"How much do you think we can really know him? When you think of all that went on before we met him. We all have secrets, Draco – and as long as we don't know his, then we have no idea what he really world do."

"You are trying to make him into a villain that he is not at the moment, Ron. We know just what happened to him before he joined our world. He had a rubbish time with his family!" Draco shrugged but he knew as long as the red head was in this mood, then there was going to be no changing his mind. If he thought Harry was hard to read, then Draco knew Ron was not.

On the way to the dorm that evening, he reflected on the afternoon's events. He had nearly come to blows with Harry; he had seen Hermione with another guy when he wanted to – well, be Krum at that moment and he had had another unsuccessful attempt at making Ron see he was being an idiot.

Even by his stands, that was a rough day.

He passed the Ravenclaw's with a respectful nod sand then went to his room.

As soon as he got there, he pulled out a piece of parchment.

Dad,

It is days such as these that make me long for home more than ever. I told you in my last letter that Ron has been less than supportive of Harry since his name came out the goblet. Now Harry is upsetting Hermione and she is going of...

He paused, trying to decide what was the best way to put the things he wanted to on paper – to decide whether to alter the facts slightly.

It was probably for the best.

...on her own.

I feel – I feel like I am stuck in the middle dad – I can't clean up their mess until they start being civil to one another and quite frankly they are testing my patience.

Today, I told Harry he had to be careful over the way that he treats his friends over the next few days – I think that is going to go for me as well.

I can't wait to come home once more – though with the tournament going on I do not know if I am going to make it back for Christmas. I might be needed here – though I hope that won't be the case.

Dad, can you come to Severus' room soon?

I miss you,

Your loving son, Draco.

As he put his pen down, he sighed, knowing he sounded both pompous and child like in his letter. He could only imagine the reaction is father was going to have to it, though he was sure it was going to amuse him as the problems of children do amuse adults.

But they were adult problems really.

There was a very real chance Harry could die in the tournament, Dumbledore had made that clear.

Too tired to even try and rewrite the letter that night, Draco decided just to take it off to the owlery. The sooner that his father got the letter, the sooner he was going to be able to reply, hopefully giving him a date which they were going to be able to see one another as well as some comfort.

Later that night a letter arrived; however it was not from his father, but his cousin.

The frustration Sirius felt at not been able to be there to help his godson reeked off the page.

And yet there was something else there the Malfoy heir had not expected to find. There was an excitement and a joy at what was going on – Sirius found Harry's predicament exciting and as much as he wanted to be there to help them out, Draco felt just as sure that he also wanted to be there to cheer Harry on to victory.

While his own father had not always been responsible, when he was on form, he always tried to be.

Draco didn't know why, but Sirius reaction to the Tri Wizard Tournament troubled him. It was not what he had thought it would be; there was not enough fatherly concern within it.

Draco decided that since all of his and his friend's problems were most certainly not going to go anywhere any time soon, he might as well get enough sleep to fell as if he could deal with them.

He promptly changed for bed and went right into a fairly dreamless sleep.

XXX

"Good morning," said Jane as she came down the stairs, her hair for once immaculate and her clothes spotless, Max at her side. She was going to turn over a new leaf and she was going to – well, be better.

If she stayed the way that she was then she was never going to grow. And she had to grow or she was going to let the fear she felt for her family dominate her. She had to be strong.

"Morning Jane," said Lucius as she slipped into the seat next to him. He looked at her over the top of Draco's rather desperate letter. "Is it tonight that you have got your first class with Severus?"

"It is indeed – I'm rather nervous to be honest, which is silly."

"Yes, it is," he nodded. "I know you are going to do wonderfully."

"I was hardly the brightest spark when I was at school was I?" she said with an arched eye brow.

"No, but you are older now and you want to learn," he said encouragingly and she appreciated it. "Anyway, I am going to come with you. Not to hold your hand but to see prince. He is getting himself all wound up."

"Well, he did seem very up tight when I saw him up at the castle – and he was always going to what with Harry being as champion."

He nodded. It was all such a horrible business. When he had heard what was to go on he had been so excited for his son. He thought whatever came after; at least he was going to be able to enjoy one last relatively relaxed year of school.

And a fun year too – but it was beginning to seem as if he had got that wrong.

"An way I am going to try and put his mind at rest – though I do not know how much I am going to be able too."

"You will do it just by being there," she said to him sweetly.

"Perhaps once upon a time – but that was before I got into the spying game. Read the letter," said Lucius as he handed it over to her and watched her as she did so.

"Poor lamb," she muttered. "I know I am being over optimistic... but perhaps – oh I don't know. It can't be as bad as he thinks it is," she shrugged.

"It is – and then a little more!"

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean that this is not the letter of a son who hates his father. Anyone who incepted it would know that – they would then know said father sanctions the friendship with the Boy Who lived."

"I see your point."

XXX

Jane and Lucius made it to the castle in good time that night. A flew call from Lucius to Severus earlier that day had confirmed what the two of them had already known really – that he was going to have no problem with the father and son having a moment together that evening while he began teaching.

As the two of them stepped out of the fire place though, they found put that Draco had got there in even better time.

Seeing as they were just among their family circle, Draco had no problems that day about rushing into his fathers' arms as soon as he saw him.

"Dad, thank you," he said as he greeted him.

As Lucius took his son not his arms, he could feel the tension going through him. He had known he was upset by what had gone on of late – but Lucius had not thought to find him so agitated.

"The two of us will with draw to the options laboratory," said Severus as he nodded to Jane. They both knew the two of them would not mind conducting their interview in front of the two of them, but the fact that Draco had wanted to speak to his father seemed to imply the need for privacy.

Besides, as much as she loved him, Draco was not the reason Jane had come to Hogwarts that day.

"Take your time," said Lucius to them two of them, knowing he and his son were going to wait there for the others to return.

Perhaps the four of them might have supper together as they had done with Eliza when Draco was a young boy. He missed those days more than he could say right, then as he held on to his son, wishing he could stop time.

XXX

"How has he been since the last time I was here? I saw him as I made my way out of the castle and he did not seem entirely happy then – and that was before we knew Harry was a champion," said Jane as they got to the laboratory she had not been in for over a decade.

"You are the last person in the world I have to explain Draco's nature too. He is nervous – and he is worried. And he wants everyone to band together and get along."

"I wish for his sake that could happen."

"As do I – but we both know that is a dream for a perfect world and we do not live in one of those. The existence of Ron Weasley proves that."

"Yes – Draco mentioned in his letter home he was being an awkward about everything."

"Indeed he is! Acting as if Potter could have done this acting alone. Weasley saw what happened to the underage wizards who tried to put their names into that goblet – a number which include his own brothers."

"Have you got any ideas yourself?" she probed him, eager to know what was going on herself so she might be more useful.

"I have my own suspicions, but for now that is all they are. Now we had best get down to work, Jane," he said as he turned to her. "I trust you read the notes I sent over earlier this week."

"Yes I did," she said as she got them out of her bag. He was thrilled to see that she had scribbles all over them in her own quill. They were not as neat as they had been when they had been set to her originally, but it showed she had prepared herself for class and she was as eager to learn as he thought she was.

"There are a couple of bits I need to query with you – is it ok if we do that before we get into the actual class?" she said, and he noted that there was a hint of nervousness in her voice. Even if the two of them were friends his reputation as a professor preceded him.

"By all means Jane."

XXX

"There was another time that the two of us sat here like this," said Lucius as he held his son.

"No, last time you were here to scold me. Now you are here to help me," said Draco as he recalled back to his first year. It seemed a long time ago. He wondered if part of him should regret what he had done when he shoved the cauldron off the desk. He had certainly regretted it at the time when his dad had turned up.

But over all, he didn't think he did. Not even then.

"Well, that is true enough," said Lucius as a deep laugh came from with him. The years had given him a rather humorous perspective on the incident. "Now, are you going to tell me everything prince?"

And so he did – or he tried to. He told him all about Ron and Harry, he told him how he had been suspected of helping Harry.

But there was so much he found himself unable to tell his father – firstly about his crush on Hermione... and then there was Sirius. It was not that he thought he'd reject him – god only knew his father had sacrificed nearly everything to show him how much he loved him, including his principles, no matter how misguided they had been.

But he just couldn't...

"I know there is not a lot you can do about any of this dad – but it was good to have a rant."

"You know it is healthy thing to do as well," his father sighed.

"It's good to know you're only a letter away dad," Draco sighed but he was a unhappy as he saw a shadow cross his father's face.

"Dad what it is?"

Lucius looked up at him with a guilty look on his face. When his son so obviously needed him to be in close contact and to give him all the support he could, it was too hard to say the words he knew he must. And yet if they were discovered...

If the letters were seen by eyes who they were not meant to be.

It could put everything he and Severus had been trying to do in danger. And as much as he did love Draco, there was no way on earth he could let that happen.

"From now on Draco, if you are going to write me a letter of an emotional nature I think it would be better if you were to give it to Severus to hand to me in person."

He looked at him and he saw his son try to take in what he had said. Maybe the blow was not as bad as her had thought it was going to be for it was not as if he was saying to his son that he could not write to him if he needed to - he was just limiting the way that the letters could get to him.

He knew Draco understood for he could see it in his face – but that did not mean it didn't upset him a little to think there contact was in a way restrict.

"Sorry – dad, I didn't even think that night – I was so tired and wound up."

"Draco, do not even think on it, its fine. Just pass them to Severus from now on – I am sure he will see I get them safely."

"Still, I should have thought."

"Don't beat yourself up – I think perhaps I was at fault for not thinking sooner," he said to him and the two of them just look at one another.

"Everything is going to change, isn't it?"

"It already has son," Lucius nodded as he put a hand on the back of Draco's neck.

For a moment it seemed as if his son was going to relax not him for a while to try and find what little rest he could, but sods law declared the return of Jane and Severus.

Draco jumped up with a forced smile for the two of them. "So how did it go?"

"Not too bad for a beginner," said Severus who for once looked genuinely impressed. "You never know, I may make a healer out of our Jane yet."

Jane beamed.

XXX

Despite the fact he did not think he had got quite what he had wanted out of seeing his dad, Draco felt calmer the next day.

He could not say he was thrilled that he was going to have to start sending his letter to the manor through his uncle. But it was a practical solution, and it was the best way he had to get messages to his father.

The contact he had with him in term time was precious. He couldn't give it up completely.

The time they had had the night before had been precious. His father had seemed the way he had when he had been a young boy. Calm and self assured, despite the difficulties and his embrace made him feel things were going to be ok, just because he was there. When Jane and Severus had returned, the four of them had had some supper together. His family really were quite a tonic for his worries. He reminded himself, things could be a lot worse.

At least he had them.

Walking down the corridor, he had on his way to class when he heard his name being called.

"Hey, what's up?" he said as he turned to face Hermione.

"You got five minutes?" she asked.

"Not really, I'm on my way to transfiguration," he shrugged but her expression meant he knew he could not go anywhere until he knew what was going on with her. "Hermione, what is it? What's wrong?"

"Do you want the good or the bad news?"

"The good."

"We know what the first task is going to be!"

"And the bad?"

"Its dragons."

Draco used some rather colourful language as he realised things had just got worse.

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