If Severus was surprised to see them there, he didn't show it. In fact, the Head of Slytherin merely nodded a greeting to Lucius and turned a harsh, and perhaps unnecessary, glare on the two Gryffindors. Potter simply glared right back and Granger ignored the both of them in favor of the tattooed man.

"Papa Odie," she greeted. "This is Lucius Malfoy and Fenrir Greyback."

"I know," he said and slipped a pair of black rimmed sunglasses over his yellow eyes. "I've heard stories about the two of you."

Lucius wasn't sure what to say in reply. There was very little chance that what Papa Odie had heard was good so Lucius didn't bother to reply to him. He simply turned back to Severus.

"What are you doing here?" he asked him. Severus was a Death Eater. No matter how sketchy his allegiance may seem, he had no business being there. And neither did Lucius or Fenrir but they didn't really have much of a choice.

"I live here," was the curt and slightly annoyed reply. Lucius raised his eyebrows at him. He had been to Severus's home on several occasions. Had he only been going to that house for appearances sake? How long had he been spending his time in a ramshackle motel with a man who thought he was Merlin?

"Since when?" Fenrir asked, just as curious.

"Since his mama dropped him off and disappeared," Papa Odie cut in, taking a long drag on whatever it was he was smoking. Lucius could tell by the smell of the smoke that whatever it was wasn't tobacco. "What are you doing here? That's the better question."

"They tried to kidnap me," Potter replied. "They failed." He smiled, perfectly content with himself, and wholly unaware of the five piercing gazes directed at his person.

"And now they need protection," Granger continued when it appeared that the boy wasn't going to actually finish the story. The Gryffindor girl launched into the full timeline of events since she'd arrived at the Dursley home to their arrival at the train station. Papa Odie and Severus both listened without comment and without so much as a facial expression. The only movement either man made was when Papa Odie would raise the cigarette to his lips and pull the odd smelling smoke into his lungs. And even though the sun was starting to set, he left the dark lenses over his eyes.

"That's quite the story," the tattooed man said when the bushy haired girl finally stopped talking. "Harry, take them upstairs. Get them a room."

"Yes, sir," the boy said, surprisingly compliant. He motioned for the two Death Eaters to follow him and they did. Granger elected to stay behind.

00000

"So this is where you'll be staying," Potter said as he opened a door on the second floor. Room 206. It was as dilapidated as the rest of the motel but the windows were clean enough to see through, the two full sized beds were made up, and, judging by the constant drip from the sink, there was running water. It wasn't Malfoy Manor but it was better than sleeping in the woods.

"Potter are you sure Papa Odie is really Merlin?" Fenrir suddenly asked. Lucius could appreciate his complete lack of control when it came to his curiosity. Normally Fenrir was nightmare to have around but with Gryffindor teenagers he was appropriately direct.

"Of course," Potter replied happily. "He's a little weird but you have to remember he's also kind of ancient. Mostly everything bores him. He's seen it all, done it all, and really just doesn't care anymore. Expect when it comes to the Slytherin family. He hates those people."

"Why?" Fenrir asked and Lucius nodded in agreement. That was an interesting tidbit. Why did Papa Odie hate the Slytherins?

"I don't really know," Potter told them with a shrug. "Something about Salazar Slytherin, a strange tasting bottle of mead, and a mermaid. He doesn't like to talk about it."

The answer, in typical Potter fashion, brought up more questions than it answered but the boy didn't stick around long enough for even Fenrir to continue inquiring.

"Well, see you guys later! Dinner's in about an hour!" And with that he was out the door, slamming it closed behind him, and leaving them in a musty half-light.

The two refugees looked at each before Fenrir shrugged.

"I still think this was all a bad idea," Lucius said as he sat on the bed.

"Better than watching the Dark Lord behead my werewolves," Fenrir replied adamantly. "Besides, you were the one so worried about the kid."

"Draco," Lucius emphasized, "does not want or need the life of a Death Eater."

"Sure," Fenrir said offhandedly as he opened the closet door to see if anything was inside. The closet was stocked with clothes and Lucius joined him to see if there was anything they could change into. He could feel the hum of Magic and knew immediately that the motel was not what it appeared to be.

The Pureblood found a decent pair of slacks, a short sleeved button up, and an old pair of dragonhide boots. The clothes were all old and secondhand but they were clean, there was no suspicious rips or stains, and considering the circumstances he couldn't ask for much more. Fenrir procured himself a pair of blue jeans, t-shirt, and trainers. He looked like an overgrown teenager in Lucius's opinion but he didn't bother to comment.

"This place feels weird," Fenrir said, peering out the window to the parking lot.

"What do you mean?" Lucius asked. He'd long ago learned to trust the instincts of a werewolf when it came to sensing something 'weird'.

"I've never smelled Magic like this," the alpha told him quietly, concentrating on whatever it was he was sensing. "There's something...something rooted."

"Rooted?"

"Yes, something rooted. Like it doesn't want to let go. Like it can't let go."

"You can smell that type of stuff?" Lucius asked, quite amazed despite himself. He'd known for decades that werewolves could sense things humans couldn't. Things about the nature of Magic, a person's intent, and even things pertaining to the spirit world. It took time and practice to have a nose like Fenrir's but Lucius had never thought he could sense what he was describing.

"Yes," the werewolf told him. "It's usually always too faint to sense but here it's obvious. It's weird."

Lucius didn't have a reply. What could someone say to that? Was there something weird, Magical, and unknown in this place? It was very likely. The structure in the clearing just beyond the parking lot was proof of that.

If Potter and Granger were right and this place really was some sort of safe haven for Muggleborns there was little wonder that it would feel off. What kind of Magic did Papa Odie practice? Potter had said it was the Old Magics. Was that was Fenrir was sensing? He didn't know. And quite frankly he wasn't sure he wanted to.

00000

When the two of them went back to the fire pit they found that extra chairs had been pulled out and someone had lit the coals. The sun had set and Lucius smelled the undeniable smell of cabbage. Lucius procured the chair immediately to Severus's right and felt the flimsy, wooden thing sink a bit. He wondered if he would find himself on the concrete by the end to night. Fenrir sat next to him in some sort of folding cloth chair and seemed perfectly content.

There were two plastic bowls sitting on the fire pit and Severus nodded at them to indicate the two men could take them. Lucius grabbed the nearest one and dug in without regard to manners. Nobody paid it any mind.

Potter and Granger were engaged in a deep conversation with Papa Odie about animagi and shapeshifters and how to tell the difference. Lucius caught something about silver but didn't bother to tune in.

"Is what Potter said true?" Severus asked him in a low tone and both refugees turned towards him. Lucius swallowed before answering, his good breeding not entirely absent.

"Yes," Lucius replied. "We've left the Dark Lord. Is that why you are here?"

"No," Severus replied. "Like I said, I live here."

"Potter said Papa Odie didn't like Death Eaters," Fenrir chimed in, his voice just as low. This wasn't entirely a conversation for Gryffindor ears.

"I am an exception," Severus replied with a frustrating smirk. Lucius rolled his eyes.

"Severus, really," Lucius admonished. Severus smirked even deeper and pulled down the sleeves of his black pullover, hiding the Dark Mark.

"My mother brought me here when I was thirteen to protect me from my father," Severus told him and Lucius recalled the other man telling him something about his father being an alcoholic. "I never saw her again."

"So you've been living here ever since?" Fenrir asked, intrigued. Severus nodded.

"Papa Odie took me in permanently when it became clear she wasn't coming back for me," he said. "He kicked me out when I joined the Death Eaters."

"And now?" Fenrir pressed seemingly oblivious to the fact that he was asking deeply personal questions. Severus didn't seem to care though. In fact, he seemed perfectly at ease in his lawn chair with his bowl of cabbage and pork.

"After Potter destroyed the Dark Lord, I convinced Papa to take me back," Severus said. "I've been here ever since."

"Are you still loyal?" Lucius asked. It was the only question of any relevance in his mind.

"Not to the Dark Lord," Severus replied, stonily.

They were interrupted by loud laughs from the other people at the fire pit and Severus took it as an opportunity to divert his attention.

"Severus," Papa Odie asked, smiling widely. Lucius saw his teeth for the first time and found his eyes glued to the diamonds embedded in the man's bottom teeth. "What was the Potion called again? The one that makes you see purple?" Potter giggled at whatever that was supposed to mean and Lucius felt out of his depth yet again.

"The Yert Potion, Papa," Severus responded. "I'm not making it for you again."

Lucius wondered what that story entailed. It sounded rather interesting but the subject changed right after that.

00000

Despite the cloying exhaustion weighing down on him, Lucius could not fall asleep. He stared up at the ceiling and listened to Fenrir snore four feet away. He wondered if all the other rooms were uninhabitable. He could really have used some privacy at that moment.

Dinner had ended on a rather tense note when Potter and Severus had exchanged thinly veiled threats and insults, both glaring and angry. He had no idea what had sparked the sudden flame of animosity if anything. Regardless, the atmosphere had quickly become awkward and everyone parted ways. Except for Papa Odie that is. He'd remained in his chair, smoking another strange smelling cigarette, and staring off into the forest as if waiting for more people to make their way to his motel.

When Fenrir gave a particularly loud snore Lucius gave up. This insomnia was becoming rather bothersome but he sat up, pulled on his boots, and shirt and without bothering to button it up, he left the room. The cool night air was pleasant on his skin and he breathed in deeply, savoring the freshness and the smell of trees. He leaned his arms on the railing and stared at the sky above the forest. The stars were highly visible in this part of the country and the moon was nearly full. Fenrir would be shifting within a day or two.

It was beautiful and pleasant. It made him miss home. He wondered if Narcissa was worried. There was a good chance she wasn't. That was just the type of wife he had. He sighed and tried to clear to his mind. It was all this thinking that was making sleep difficult to come by.

He closed his eyes and focused on the soft sounds of wildlife. But as he waited for sleepiness to come he heard a loud barking sound. His eyes sprang open just in time to hear a door bang open beneath him and in seconds he saw Papa Odie sprinting across the parking lot, his dreadlocks flying behind him and a fire poker in his hand. Lucius thought it an odd sight and followed.

There was no one else about and Lucius ran down the stairs and across the pavement to where Papa Odie had disappeared in the trees. He heard the other man crashing ahead of him through the foliage and followed the sound trying to make as little noise as possible. He soon found himself in the clearing they'd passed earlier that day and felt the sudden pressure of Magic. It felt like it was coming from the wooden pole and he again wondered about its purpose.

For the moment, he ignored it and pushed on. The barking continued and Lucius was positive that Papa Odie was trying to find the dog making the loud and ferocious noises. He could no longer hear the other man but he continued towards the sound of the dog and he eventually came across a creek.

The water couldn't have been more than two feet deep but the creek was wide and fast. This must have been where the stones surrounding the wooden pole had come from. The second Lucius had made it to the edge of the water the barking had ceased. But the growling continued and Lucius found himself face to face with a large black dog.

A flash of teeth told him that the dog was angry. Lucius's heart pounded and he slowly pulled out his wand from where he'd stashed it in his back pocket. The animal looked absolutely feral. His hackles were raised, his eyes were glinting dangerously, and he was pawing at the ground as if ready to charge. With only a shallow creek separating him from the animal, Lucius felt utterly exposed.

But the vicious creature never charged. Lucius wondered why but never had a chance to arrive at a conclusion. Papa Odie took that moment to spring from the trees at a dead run. The fire poker launched through the air and sailed over the water in perfect arch, imbedding itself in the bank just between the animal's front paws.

The dog made a sound between a bark and a whimper, backing up slightly.

"You aren't welcome here!" Papa Odie shouted. "Now stop that noise, you flea ridden mutt!"

The dog barked several times, as if delivering its own insult. With a couple of swishes of its tail it turned and trotted back into the trees. Lucius's heart still pounded.

"What was that?" he asked knowing instantly that what he had just faced was no ordinary dog, feral or otherwise.

"Well, it wasn't the Grim," Papa Odie sneered. "What are you doing out here? These woods are dangerous this close to the full moon."

"I heard the dog," Lucius responded lamely, feeling like a child caught out of bed. Papa Odie eyed him and Lucius could hardly stand the piercing yellow gaze.

"That was no dog," Papa Odie said. "That was an animagus."

"Who is he?" he asked following the tattooed man back into the trees.

"Just some Pureblood," Papa Odie said. "Thinks he has a right to be here when he doesn't."

"What did he want?"

"Doesn't matter," Papa Odie told him and Lucius knew immediately that the matter was dismissed. "He can't get in anyway. I barred him from the wards a long time ago."

Lucius wished to question further but Papa Odie changed the subject.

"You know, we don't normally let Purebloods into the motel," he said. "Especially when they're Malfoys. Have a bit of bad blood between me and your family."

"Really?" Lucius asked, interested to the point of forgetting about the animagus completely.

"Yes, a great-granddaddy of yours once tried to kill me with a well placed asp," Papa Odie said and he sounded deeply amused. "It failed, of course, and I removed his testicles. I haven't spoken to a Malfoy since."

He had no idea what to do with this information. He'd never heard of this before and he was starting to understand just how off Papa Odie really was. Potter had called him eccentric and weird. Lucius was inclined to say insane. They walked in silence until Lucius felt the crunch of broken gravel beneath his feet. And suddenly the words poured out of him quicker than a Hufflepuff first year.

"Fenrir is convinced that there's something weird about this place," he broached. Papa Odie actually stopped, which made Lucius stop as well wondering if he'd just signed his own death certificate.

"What has Harry told you about this motel?"

"Nothing," Lucius replied. "He only told us a few things about Merlin."

"I am Merlin," the other man said, his eyes narrowing dangerously. Lucius knew Papa Odie wasn't someone to bait or contradict, but for some unsightly reason he did anyway.

"I'm not so certain," Lucius told him coldly. It was the honest truth. He still wasn't sure who this man was.

Papa Odie didn't deign to answer.

"This motel," he said and pointed to the ground, "feels weird to the werewolf because of its history."

"History?"

"Fifty years ago a group of hunters came when this was just a field and burned a Muggleborn witch. When the original owner of this land built the motel it became a safe haven for hunters. They would come here between jobs, compare notes, and whatnot."

"What happened?" Lucius asked, recalling the caved in roof.

"I came for them," Papa Odie told him coldly. "They never stood a chance."

"Is that what Fenrir is feeling?"

"Yes," Papa Odie sighed and seemed genuinely sad. "He's feeling the echo of that night. When a place is exposed to that type of violence, it doesn't just go away. It lingers. When you start mixing Magic into that you can amp up the echo to a level even a mortal can feel. When you have a place like Hogwarts, you get actual ghosts. Here there's just an echo."

"Do Potter and Granger know about that?" he asked. Knowing what he did of the two of them, he could hardly see them granting their approval of Papa Odie's story. In fact, Granger would be inclined to do something about it. He may not know her well, but he knew her well enough to know that.

"Of course they do," Papa Odie snapped. "Everyone knows that story. It's hardly a secret. What are you doing here anyway? With the two of them?"

"Potter brought us here because he thought you could help us," Lucius said honestly. "Can you?"

"It's not a matter of whether I can help you," Papa Odie said. "It's a matter of whether I want to. You're a Death Eater. You're going to have to work hard to prove yourself worthy of any kind of protection from me or any of my children."

"Your children?"

"I'm two thousand years old," Papa Odie said incredulously. "I've had quite a few families in that time."

"How big is your family?"

"Big enough to be the difference between your life and your death," he bragged. "Death Eaters have a tendency to fall back to Tom even after they've sworn their independence. I don't expect much different from a Pureblood like you."

"I'm not doing this for me," Lucius insisted. "This is about my son. My family has done enough. I've done enough." He wasn't entirely sure what he meant by that but he was surprised at how deeply he'd begun to change in these few days. But in all honesty, he was deeply tired. Tired of running, fighting, killing. He didn't want this life for Draco. He wouldn't wish this life on anyone. There was no more moral cause in any of this. It was now about revenge and Lucius wasn't willing to sacrifice everything for another man's vendetta.

"Fine," Papa Odie snapped. "Potter wouldn't vouch for you but Hermione seemed to think I should take a chance on you. Now, I understand the deep satisfaction it would bring to finally prove her wrong at something but don't, or I will kill you. Understand?"

"Yes."

"Good. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to smoke and go to bed." The man pushed past him and walked alone to the motel, disappearing into what had been the office.

Lucius briefly wondered what kind of twisted satisfaction the immortal got from living at the site of a massacre he caused. It reminded him of the Dark Lord.

And that disturbed him on a level he didn't want to think about.

He didn't want to run from the clutches of one psychopath and straight into the tattooed claws of another.