Snape yawned and picked at the sleep in the corners of his eyes. He withdrew the pocket watch from his robes and inspected it only to discover it was two in the morning. He looked to the bed where Lucius was still staring at the wall. They had spoken little since Draco had left the room a number of hours before. Lucius seemed cold and he shivered often, but he made no moves to put on warmer robes or to pull the bedclothes up over himself. Snape wondered why he had stayed so long, as he had thought perhaps that Lucius might want to talk, but the silence in the room had settled over them like a tomb.

"I think I'll get going then," Snape said and he stifled another yawn. Hermione would be getting worried, that was if she was still awake. She slept soundly at the moment. She was over four months pregnant now and while she appeared to have gotten over her morning sickness problems, she could now sleep for hours on end.

"You're leaving?" Lucius asked. He turned his face to Snape for the first time in hours.

"It's late, Lucius, I have classes in the morning."

"You never used to need sleep," Lucius murmured and then he frowned and looked at the wall again.

"I was a lot younger then."

"You didn't have a woman then."

Snape frowned at the accusation in Lucius Malfoy's voice. It was as though he thought his only friend was leaving him. Perhaps he was right. At that moment Snape wanted nothing more than to get out of that room.

"Will you look after Draco?" Lucius asked, echoing the words he had said long ago after that final battle.

Snape felt a sigh deep within him. He had not done such a good job of looking after his godson so far, and yet Lucius did not seem to blame him. "I will try, but Draco is very wilful."

"I know." Lucius smiled sadly, "he's a lot like his father in that respect."

"He'll regret it, you know."

"Regret what?" Lucius asked.

"Everything he said to you."

This troubled Lucius and he looked helplessly at his faithful wall. "I don't want him to regret it. I want him to get over this…if he has to hate me to do that then that is fine."

"But he will regret it and you know he will. One day he will wake up and it will hit him and he'll regret it."

"You can't let him regret it."

"I can't control the way he thinks…"

"Not legally."

"I am not going to medicate him any further than already has been."

"How was Azkaban?" Lucius asked, changing the subject and forcing a tone of amusement into his voice.

"I wasn't there long enough for it to make an impression." It was a lie and they both knew it, but Severus Snape was an excellent liar and he looked at Lucius evenly as he said it. Azkaban had of course made a great impression on him. He had relived every bad deed and every sin of his life. Every humiliation and torture had been brought to the surface. Potter had endured much the same experience; Dumbledore had confided that Potter had relived his mother dying over and over again. His mother amongst others.

"Are you going to marry your girl?"

Snape had the impression that Lucius was trying to make conversation to stop him from going. "Yes, I'm going to marry her."

"Why?"

Snape shifted uncomfortably. He did not want to have any kind of emotional discussion with Lucius at this moment. Once upon a time he'd have no trouble confiding in him, but a lot of water had passed under that particular bridge.

"She's a Mud…"

"Don't say it."

"She's very young."

"I don't care." It sounded as though he was arguing, as though he were a foolish adolescent once again, but he truly did not care about Hermione's age, just as he was getting sick of sneaking her into his chambers each night. They were engaged, she was going to have his child. He could scarce wait for this month to end so that they could be more open about their relationship.

"Well, she seems very clever. From the fact that she beat Draco at almost every subject would suggest that she is intelligent and from what I saw of her when I was brought here she appears to be very mature. She doesn't come out with illogical sentences that will drive you to distraction and she likes you in spite of your ill temper and unfortunate appearance. So perhaps you should marry her before she comes to her senses and heads for the hills."

Snape scowled and pushed himself out of his chair by the window. "I think that is my cue to leave."

"What do you think my chances are?" Lucius asked when Snape had reached the door.

"Chances of what?"

"Surviving exile?" Lucius turned an apologetic look to him. "If Fudge has got someone like Moody being my keeper, what do you think my chances are?"

Snape decided not to lie now, he scanned Lucius' face and knew that he was hoping for some words of comfort, but Snape knew he also liked to go into things with his eyes open. "I don't know," he admitted. "Weasley is looking to bring a lot of Fudge's Aurors into court for war crimes. I am assuming that if you get someone like Moody…"

"Or Moody himself," Lucius prompted.

"Or Moody himself," Snape conceded, "Weasley will look to indite them. So, if you can get through a week, I think your chances are good…that is if Fudge tells Weasley where he sent you…"

"Thank you for those words of confidence," Lucius drawled.

"I don't think Moody would kill you, if that's any consolation."

"Oh yes, he'll just beat me daily for the next ten years. Either that or he'll do Crucio until I run mad."

"I didn't think death would scare you," Snape said bluntly, "you never seemed that type."

"Death doesn't scare me," Lucius replied defensively, "but I am sick of pain…and I don't want to lose my mind. Why don't they just kill me and get it over with?"

Snape demurred, he looked away feeling distressed. If he looked at Lucius now he would see the same young man who had made his childhood bearable, he hated to think of him as being afraid.

"Do you hate me?" Lucius asked.

"No."

"Would you kill me? If I asked you to, would you kill me?"

"No."

Lucius nodded sadly and began to gnaw his thumb.

Snape knew he should say something, offer some words of comfort, but he couldn't. He wanted to go and sleep beside the woman who would be his wife soon enough. "Goodbye, Lucius."

"Goodbye Severus…will you come back? Before I go?"

"Yes, I'll come back before they take you."

"Then I'll see you soon," Lucius offered up a dazzling smile and Snape felt a smile of his own tug at the corner of his mouth.

"Good night, Lucius, get some sleep."

********

By the time Harry realised that it was too late to attempt any more sleep or revision the sun had risen over Hogwarts and he could hear other students making their way down to breakfast. Revision was useless anyway. The teachers had stopped teaching actual lessons two weeks before and had been going over any topic that they thought might come up in the exams over and over again. Harry had managed to study whilst he had waited outside Draco's hospital room over the last month, and when he couldn't sleep after his early morning encounter, he had taken out his Herbology text book and had made a brave attempt at cramming a little more into his already aching brain.

He didn't know if any of it would do any good. Dumbledore had approved a number of previous years exams to be admitted for use as preparation materials for the exams, but anything that he may have learned had fast run through Harry's brain like a sieve. He was surprised however when he saw Hermione sitting at breakfast happily eating toast. When he thought back to the jittering mess she had been before OWLS he could only think that this was just not the same person. Either being pregnant agreed with her immensely or she had completely lost her mind.

If it was the pregnancy then Harry was beginning to wish he could reach the same state. The thought had reached him at some ungodly hour of the night that he could well stuff these exams up completely (in much the same way he had managed to stuff everything up recently) and then he would not get into Auror school and then he would end up an unqualified nothing who lived in the front room of Grimmauld Place reliving his glory days over and over again to any poor soul who happened upon him.

He began to sweat.

Lavender too was sweating on exams, but only because her father had told her that he wouldn't help her financially with her shop if she didn't get at least three NEWTS. She had decided that Herbology, Divination and Charms were the three she did best at and had put all of her energies into studying for them, but now that Herbology was actually here she was having a quiet panic attack.

Harry didn't notice Lavender's panicked state and so thought that he was the only person that Monday morning who had found themselves in a state of blind panic. He was glad he only had the one exam, Hermione had Ancient Runes in the afternoon and Harry figured that Draco would have the same exam considering he shared the majority of Hermione's classes (History of Magic being the one he had decided not to bother with).

Harry wondered if Draco was prepared for the work ahead. He had lost a month of revision and if he was taking all of the potions he had shown Harry, it was possible that he was not well enough to complete many of the practicals.

Breakfast itself was a quiet affair. Lavender's lips kept moving as she silently recited the method of grafting a meat eating Lion Tuber to a fire breathing Dragon flower. Hermione's Ancient Runes textbook was propped up against the milk jug and she was so intent on reading that she actually missed her mouth and shoved toast up her nose. Harry was managing to eat with gusto until Draco came down and took the only space left at the table, beside Lavender. His appetite vanished and he looked anxiously at Draco's pale features. It did not look as though he had slept and Harry figured that if the sleeping draught made him vomit it was probable that he hadn't taken it.

"Hi," Hermione said not bothering to mask her surprise at seeing him. Harry had said nothing about Draco staying for exams, and neither had Severus. She thought that he had simply come to see his father and left again. "How are you? Do you feel well?"

Draco looked at her with a face that twisted into a sneer. "Are you talking to me?"

"Of course I'm talking to you."

"Then please refrain. Keep your filthy mudblood concerns to yourself."

Hermione's mouth fell open, as did Lavender and Harry's, but Hermione recovered herself faster than either.

"I don't care what problems you have with Harry and I am sorry for what happened to you, but don't you ever take it out on me!" she said fiercely. "I've done nothing but help you, I even helped your father even though I find the man abhorrent, you should be thanking me!"

Draco flushed and a hot red patch blazed on his cheek. For a moment he looked as though he would add to his insult and pick a fight with her. Instead he demurred and apologised. "I'm sorry," he said softly, "I'm not feeling myself at the moment." He then bowed his head so that his face was hidden behind the messy fringe of blond hair, and he ate in silence.

Harry watched him eat, taking note of everything he took in and despite his shock at Draco's behaviour, he was somehow pleased to see that he was eating more than usual.

"Don't be angry at him," Harry murmured to Hermione, "it's my fault."

"I'm not angry with him," Hermione said firmly, "and it is not your fault. Just drop it; you need to concentrate on your exams."

At the High Table Dumbledore was enjoying his breakfast with old Griselda Marchbanks who (to Harry's secret astonishment) was still alive and kicking. She was laughing loudly at something the Headmaster had said and Harry thought that she had probably been a real flirt in her younger days. Beside her Minerva was surreptitiously trying to block her ear closest to the older woman and Snape was hiding what Harry would have once thought of as a malicious smile but he now recognised as a sign of the mans wry amusement.

Once breakfast was finished and everyone filtered out of the Great Hall, the fifth, seventh and eighth years all milled around outside in the entrance hall for a while until Professor Flintwick came and shooed them outside into the sunshine.

Harry, Hermione and Lavender settled under the beech tree at the edge of the lake, each a little too nervous to enjoy the beautiful summer morning.

"I hate this," Lavender said and she pulled a few blades of grass out of the ground as though hoping they might offer her some answers for the impending exams. "I hate how we're all made to feel as though these exams are the most important things that we will ever do, when in fact for most of us they will have no effect on the outcomes of our lives!"

Hermione glared at her with self righteous indignance. "How can you say that? Our NEWTS are important!" She shook her head, unable to believe that anyone could think otherwise. "They help you take the next step in your life. I mean, what if you want to be a teacher, or a healer…" she looked at Harry, "or an Auror? If you fail these exams you wouldn't be able to do any of those things!"

"Calm down, Hermione, you'll do yourself damage." Lavender rolled her eyes. "All I'm saying is that most of the students who sit NEWTS don't really need to do them. I want to open a shop; I don't need NEWTS to do that. The only subject I really needed to do was Potions and I didn't take it."

"Why didn't you take Potions?" Harry asked, "I know he's awful, but I gritted my teeth and did it."

Lavender ignored Hermione's look at Harry's comment. "You were allowed in, Harry. I wasn't."

"Snape didn't let you take the class?"

"I didn't get an Outstanding OWL for Potions, so no, he didn't let me in. Bastard. I can almost see the smile on his face when he said no to my elective." She looked at Hermione who was now looking at her with the scowl she had previously given to Harry. "Sorry, 'Mione."

Hermione's face softened. She could imagine the smile he had on his face too. She looked over to where Draco was sitting near the ancient stone wall. He was picking at what looked like sliced apple. She nodded towards him; "Severus told me that Draco really let fly at his father last night. He told Mr. Malfoy to hurry up and die."

This unsettled Harry more than any other piece of news could have. The one person Draco had never given up on was his father, and yet now when everything was finally coming together Draco had seemingly given up on Lucius. "Why?" Harry asked quietly, "Why would he say that to his father?"

"I'm not sure," Hermione replied, "Severus said that Draco blamed Mr. Malfoy for everything that happened to him, he said it was his father's fault."

"Archibald Semeuse was Lucius' fault?"

"Well, Draco seems to think that if his father hadn't followed Voldemort then he wouldn't have been interrogated and then he wouldn't have been given the kiss so he wouldn't have ended up in the Museum and the Curator would never have heard of Draco."

Harry couldn't deny the logic of Draco's thought pattern, but he could also see the stupidity of it. In the entire time that Harry and Draco were together, Draco had never once condemned Lucius for anything; in fact he had always been the first to jump to the former Death Eater's defence. Even when Moody had scarred Draco for life he had stood by his father, but then again, what Archibald Semeuse had done was something else entirely. Perhaps this was the final straw and Draco couldn't take any more.

"He's just lashing out," Hermione said philosophically, "he's upset and he doesn't know who to blame."

"Can you blame him?" Harry said hotly, "he can lash out as much as he wants, I don't care. I wish he would just hit me or something, I wish he would beat me to a pulp. I wish he would just take it out on me."

"It's okay, Harry," Hermione said, trying to soothe him, "he'll come through this. It's really good that he's here, it's a good step. He's not hiding."

Harry wanted to tell her to shut up. He wanted to scream because all he could do now was look at Draco and he couldn't hold him or calm him or soothe him. Someone had hurt him, someone had hurt his baby and had used him and torn into him and caused him to scream and cry and bleed. And Harry had been too late to stop it, too late to stop the one person he needed to stop.

Hermione rubbed her belly and was rewarded with a small kick from inside – or at least it could be a kick, she wasn't sure. She imagined that inside her ever expanding womb her little one was doing laps.

"You're getting bigger," Harry said, trying to draw his attention away from staring at Draco.

"You think? I haven't noticed so much." Hermione looked down at her little rounded belly with pride.

"Have you thought of any names?" Lavender asked, deciding that naming the baby would have to be far more entertaining than fretting over exams or Draco. It would certainly make her feel a little better.

"Lots of names," Hermione said, "and Severus hates every one of them. I like Gabrielle, Garnet and Rosie. He likes Belladonna, Ravenna and Magdalene."

"Belladonna?" Lavender asked, wrinkling her nose. "As in Deadly Nightshade?"

Hermione shook her head; "don't even get me started on that."

"So it's a girl then?" Harry asked confused.

"We don't know what it is. If we went to a Muggle hospital they could use one of those ultrasound things and find out what sex the baby is, but we aren't going to a Muggle hospital, we have a mediwitch for a midwife…" she stopped and smiled.

"Mediwitches are very good," Lavender said, "they have been delivering Wizards and Witches for centuries."

"I know, I'd just like to know what we're having."

"Alright then. What about boys names then?" Lavender smiled.

"I like Oscar, Rowan and William. He likes Lucien, Mordred and Aurelius."

"Oh Gods, they're all awful!" Harry cried, "How could you torture your child with any of them?"

Hermione looked disgruntled and rubbed her belly again.

Minerva and Professor Sprout suddenly appeared and began calling them in for the Herbology exam.

It proved more difficult than any of them had anticipated. Lavender was grateful that she had anticipated grafting of dangerous plants as being important; she figured that it had saved her at least two fingers, but Seamus Finnegan had not been so lucky and was on his way to St Mungo's to have emergency limb growth. Harry had been more fortunate; he only needed the help of Madam Pomfrey for the large chunk that his Flesh Eating Fangor had taken out of him. Hermione had felt her stomach turn for the first time in weeks when she was confronted by dragon manure fertilizer on such a large scale and as soon as the exam was over she was running to the bathroom to thoroughly bathe.

When she came out of the bathroom she found Draco waiting for her, leaning his back lazily against the wall and she guessed he had been there for a while.

"I just wanted to say sorry…again," he said.

"It's okay," Hermione replied and she gave him a smile that she knew was sickeningly sympathetic. "I just wanted to know that you were alright."

Draco looked uncomfortable for a moment; he looked at the floor and kicked at the wall idly. "I'm fine," he said, "I'm just fine."

"Harry misses you," she blurted out and grimaced, not really knowing if Harry wanted her to take up his cause.

"Yeah," Draco said gruffly, "well he should have thought of that…"

"He went to Azkaban…so did Severus…did you know that?"

Draco didn't know. No one had told him that detail and he tried unsuccessfully to not look surprised.

"He knocked out two Aurors when they wouldn't let him into the Museum. Then he and Severus were accused of trashing the exhibition and killing the Curator…and taking your father."

"But they got off," Draco bit out, "so it all ended well for them, didn't it?"

"I know you're angry at him Draco, but he didn't want this to happen, he didn't know anything like this could ever happen. He loves you, he went to find you…"

"I don't want to talk about this," Draco said shaking his head.

"But he loves you, Draco, and your father loves you, you can't just walk away from them!"

Possibly not, but Draco could very well walk away from her at that moment, and he did. Hermione watched him go and wondered if she should have kept her mouth shut. She wondered if Harry would start screaming when he found out. She wondered if she really cared what Harry thought right then. It was Draco who was hurting, she was only trying to help him.

She managed to avoid Harry for the rest of the afternoon, sitting her Ancient Runes exam and then heading straight to the Dungeons. She wanted to remove herself from the whole twisted scenario for a while at least, and curling up on the bed to revise for charms tomorrow seemed just what she needed.

Severus' dungeon chambers were in an unusual state of clutter. He had packed them up over the weekend and they now appeared to be little more than sparse living arrangements amidst piles of wooden packing crates. Once school was finished for the year they would be moving to the Fenn and so he did not need all of his personal belongings to be here anymore. The only things that remained unpacked were the clothes he required for day to day living and basic tools for marking papers should he feel the need to work down in the room.

Hermione's books were piled on the little table beside the bed, but as she entered the room she noticed two things; first that the shower was running and second, that she was horribly tired. She was always tired at the moment.

A look at the clock revealed that it was only three thirty and far too early for Severus to be here. She frowned and wondered if somehow she had left the shower running that morning or if someone was fooling around playing a prank. She ventured to the bathroom and poked her head around the door. Severus was standing in the shower, scrubbing himself with the same vigour Hermione had used when she was desperate to get manure off her.

"Severus? What happened?"

He jumped, yelped, and spun around to face her. "You scared the shit out of me!"

She couldn't hold the smile in, she loved it when the calm and collected façade dropped for a moment, and it was usually when he was taken by surprise. "I'm sorry," she said, but a giggle had made its way into her voice, "I just didn't expect you to be here."

"We can thank Roberto Dawkins," he explained, "he is my latest Longbottom and his peace potion just boiled over and exploded all over me."

"But you don't heat a peace potion."

"I know that, everyone else in the classroom knew that, Dawkins did not know that."

"So, do you feel peaceful?" She asked, the amusement still rich inside her.

"Not particularly."

"Did you call him a dunderhead?" she wheedled playfully.

"Amongst other things," he murmured.

"You are very sexy when you're caustic."

"Hmm," he arched an eyebrow. "I seem to recall I made you cry…"

She waved her hands vaguely as though it was all untrue. "You look very sexy in there."

"You treat me as little more than an object, Miss Granger," he said, affecting a miffed tone.

"Oh dear, I'm sorry Professor. How can I make it up to you?"

He grinned an evil grin. "Well, you can start with getting in here with me."

Hermione sighed dramatically. There was always time for study and sleep later.

******

In the morning Draco was looking more pale and drawn than he had the day before and Harry was sporting a heavy bandage around his arm and more stubble on his chin. Neither looked as though they had slept particularly well. When Lavender asked Harry if he was planning on showering and shaving that day he had barked out an insult of a reply to her and guzzled his morning coffee down. Draco was pushing his food around his plate listlessly and resting his cheek on his fist.

Theory of Charms went well for everyone. Even Harry, who was not particularly good at the theory of anything, actually felt as though he had done the subject justice. He always relied on making up for his shortcomings in the practical exams and like his mother he had a gift for charms.

After lunch they once again found themselves sitting under the beech tree waiting to be called in for exams and Harry watched as one by one they were all called into the Great Hall to sit their practical. Soon Harry was the only one sitting under the beech tree and his thoughts began to wander. He had tried to talk to Draco the previous night and had been hexed for his trouble. For a moment he had been tempted to retaliate and Draco looked very much as though he wanted him to. But Harry had turned away.

He watched Draco disappear into the castle as his name was called, and Harry was called several minutes later. Draco was still sitting at the little table doing his exams, and he wasn't looking happy about his progress. Charms had never been a strong point, but it looked as though the exam was not going well. As Harry sat down there was an explosion of glass and a few people yelped in surprise.

Harry swung around to see Draco blushing hot and apologising for the mishap. The old Professor who was testing him looked on sympathetically.

"Don't worry young man, I understand that you have not been well recently?"

"Um, well, no…I haven't been well…"

"You're taking Auxidium aren't you?"

"Yes, Professor, twice a day."

"Well then, you have done very well considering. Perhaps we should stop for today then?"

Draco nodded and stood up shame faced. His eye caught Harry's as he turned to leave and Harry recognised the glassy look. Draco fled before he lost his composure completely.

The following day Draco came down to breakfast looking positively awful. He looked horribly sick and both Harry and Hermione wanted to force him back to bed. He ignored Harry completely and he was only marginally more cordial in the face of Hermione's concern. The reason surfaced that afternoon when Harry sat down in front of Professor Tofty for his Transfigurations practical. Draco had Professor Marchbanks enthralled by his prowess and Harry knew then that he had not taken his medicines that morning. He might be sick, but he could at least do magic, and there was no way Draco Malfoy was going to allow himself to fail Transfigurations.

"You can't do that," Harry said later after he had run after Draco, catching him just before he reached the library.

"Do what, Potter?" Draco spat nastily.

"You can't just not take your medicine, you need them to get better."

"Don't tell me what I can and cannot do. I take various medicines under the advisement of the professional Healers at St Mungo's, not Harry Potter – professional nothing at the moment."

"I can't see the Healers at St Mungo's agreeing with you just stopping them so that you can pass an exam."

"Then I will take it up with them," Draco said with an overly polite tone, "now if you will excuse me I have study to do."

But on the Thursday Draco was looking better, a product of the fact that he had no major exams until the following week and he was no doubt taking his medicines again. Harry and Draco both had Thursday off and while Draco closed himself in his room, Harry took the opportunity of getting some sleep. He had the luxury of four full days to prepare for the following week. Hermione had History of Magic on Thursday and then Arithmancy with Draco on Friday; Harry had nothing until Astronomy on Monday.

He needed sleep and he had no doubt that Draco needed sleep too, but he couldn't talk to Draco because every time he did Draco either hexed him, swore at him or affected his overly polite tone which was worse than any of them.

Hermione, on the other hand, was getting more sleep than she had ever needed in her life. She found it hard to keep her eyes open, and the more important her day was, the more tired she found himself. Her body had become a slave to her ever changing hormones. She would sleep like a log all night long and then wake craving sex. It seemed that the moment her morning sickness stopped, her libido kicked in and she was insatiable. Severus was almost staggering to teach his classes in the morning and was contemplating brewing various performance enhancing potions to keep to keep her satisfied at night. He had even yawned in front of his fourth years that week.

Having been unusually lazy in her approach to her Advanced History of Magic exam, Hermione found that she wasn't concerned with how well she did at all. This was a little troubling to her. She had never been so unconcerned with her academic success, it felt unnatural to her and was somehow more frightening than anything that was to come. She was pregnant, she hadn't told her parents and she was running off to marry her Potions Master – and it was her unconcern about her History of Magic exam that worried her. Maybe Harry was right, maybe she was losing her mind.

They all spent the weekend revising for the following week. On Saturday morning Lavender received a piece of news that made her giddy and more agitated about her prospects of passing. Her father had found a shop in Diagon Ally that would be good for her perfume and toiletries store, and although he doubted that his daughter's venture would get her anywhere, he had made a promise and an arrangement for her to go to see the shop space on Thursday morning. Lavender's final exam was on Wednesday and she knew that her father was taking a leap of faith in assuming she was going to pass. She could scarce wait for the next week to go by and she could get herself to London.

But until that time there were other exams to be completed. Hermione yawned her way through Astronomy on Monday night while Harry did extremely well, partially due to the seven cups of strong coffee he had consumed that evening. Much to Hermione's dismay, he had chosen not to shave or change his clothes since before exams had started, and with the strange insomniac eyes and the caffeine jitters, he was looking a lot like one of the homeless people that Hermione had seen the last time she went to London. Draco did less than well with the exam. He had not slept a full hour at once since he had arrived back at the castle and was convinced he had seen a shooting star – which he wrote on his parchment – and it turned out to be an express owl delivering a letter.

He did not fare much better in his Defence Against the Dark Arts practical. Knowing full well how bad he'd felt when doing his Transfigurations exams, he was not game to try and duel without taking his potions. Of course, if he did take his potions his magic was affected and he couldn't perform properly anyway. And so he was forced to sit on the side and watch, along with Hermione who had been excused by Minerva. They were both to receive a standard pass based on their performance over the year – and neither was particularly happy with the outcome. Hermione bemoaned the unfairness of the situation to Severus later that night, while Draco took out his rage by practicing his hexes on unsuspecting first years as they left the library.

They were glad when Wednesday arrived and they both had a free day. Harry had gone down to his Care of Magical Creatures exams and Hermione found herself loitering around the common room in hope of finding Draco so that she could ask him to quiz her for potions the following day.

He was there, enjoying silence and the fact that Harry wasn't there and he could sit in the common room without having Harry stare at him. Hermione approached him and he almost groaned as she made her request.

"You're fucking the Potions Master," he drawled, "and you want me to quiz you?"

"Well Severus could do it," she admitted, "but he is teaching today and by the time he finishes he is sick to death of talking about Potions."

"I think he'd make an exception for your exam."

"Well that's true too…" Hermione sat down and shoved him over. "But I'm always tired by that time…either that or I want to have sex and that's not really conductive to revision."

Draco's eyes widened. "Horney eh?"

"Incredibly, I can't seem to get enough of it."

"I didn't know being pregnant would make you horney."

"I didn't either, but Madam Mimsby says it is quite common…poor Severus is exhausted."

"Well, he spent years not getting any and now he can't keep up, we should all have his problem." Draco picked up 'Alchemical Potions and their Magical Workings' and sought out a question to ask her.

"Harry misses you," she said for the fiftieth time since he'd gotten back.

From behind the book she heard him sigh. "Look, Hermione, I know you mean well, but I just don't care. He can miss me forever and I don't care. He was an arsehole to me for months and now he misses me and I'm supposed to be jumping up and down for joy for it? I'm not going to. I don't care."

"I think you do," she said, "I think you care a lot."

"Stop it, please, I can't stand this."

"He understands, he doesn't want to push you and if he could get a time turner and go back and change it all he would, but he can't, Draco. Don't you understand that you're punishing him, but you're punishing yourself too! It's like cutting your nose off to spite your face. You love him, you're just so pissed off you can't bring yourself to admit it."

"Just stop it, Hermione; please just let me deal with this. School will be over soon and I just want to go h…"

She pulled him to her and hugged him tight. He didn't resist and she thought he might melt a little and sink into the embrace. He didn't. He stiffened and after a short time he pushed himself back and picked up his book again.

"Do you want me to test you?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied. He hadn't run away and he was still talking to her. She wanted him to open up and confide in her, but in lieu of that she would accept a potions quiz. It was a start.

********

Draco lay in bed and wondered if being a prick had always been such hard work. He'd never noticed it before and so he assumed not. He had quizzed Hermione and then taken his troubled magic back to the library. First years were such easy targets, and hexes – even if they weren't working particularly well – were always effective on them. For the first time in his life however he'd had an attack of conscience over his actions.

He must have spent too long with Hermione that afternoon. He wouldn't mind it so much, except that she insisted on talking to him about Harry and his feelings and if he truly wanted to discuss his feelings about Harry he would just take it up with Harry.

Well, he probably wouldn't, but he liked the self righteous thought.

It was night now and he thoroughly expected that he would not be disturbed until morning, which was a shame, because he couldn't sleep and someone – no matter how unwelcome – would at least offer some kind of distraction from the fact that he could not sleep.

He hadn't slept for so long now that he had almost forgotten what true sleep was like. He could doze, but even that did not last long. He could take the sleeping draught but he just threw it back up and it was ineffective. He simply could not sleep.

It was not a problem he had expected. It had come just as he had thought he was doing well. He had closed his eyes on his first night here, closed them to sleep and he had seen it. There, at the foot of his bed he had seen it. Fingers first, long and bony and diseased with liver spots they would curl over the dark wood footer. Then the arms would come, elbows rising up sharply and bringing in their wake the shoulders and then the face would emerge and the old man would leer at him in the darkness. He had been hiding there all along. Hiding and waiting for Draco to close his eyes. Soon the body would follow the face, pale and skinny, skin flaccid and hanging off the bones and he would crawl up the bed, like a giant spider made of flesh.

And Draco couldn't move. He could never move and he could never talk and he could never resist. He would always wake then, just as the face reached his and he would always scream and begin to frantically search his room to find the intruder who was always hiding, just out of view.

It was better to never close his eyes. It was better to become ashen faced and hollowed out than to close his eyes and have that beast come for him over and over again.

Yet he had been able to sleep at home. He had thought it through. Would he feel safer there? Would he be able to sleep as soon as he got back there? He doubted it. The answer was closer than that. Snape had been there. His godfather had been there to watch over him. Draco had fallen asleep in his bed and Snape had sat in a chair and watched over him all night. It would be humiliating though, to go down to the dungeons and ask if he could sleep there. Hermione would be there and she would look at him with that same sickening sympathy she had reserved for him in the last two weeks. They would let him stay though. And if he could stay then he could sleep and he might feel better.

He was desperate for sleep.

He was desperate for somewhere that he could feel safe. It had crossed his mind that he could go to his father, and one night he had actually grabbed his pillow and his cat and decided to go – but then it struck him; Lucius had no powers now. Lucius had not been able to stop the beast before and he had less of a chance now. Lucius couldn't protect him, he never could!

Which left Harry.

Harry; who he would never go to. Harry; who would let him in and take care of him and he knew it. Harry; about who his resolve was starting to falter every night he lay in his bed awake.

He yawned and stared at the ceiling, feeling his eyelids grow heavy. He let them close and his body began to relax.

And there it was. Fingers first; curling over the end of the bed.

Draco Malfoy's eyes snapped open, his heart beating fast. He could have cried, he felt so sick. He needed sleep. He needed it.

He swung his legs out of bed. "It doesn't mean anything," he told himself, "it's just so I can get some sleep."

He grabbed his pillow, his navitas and Miss Kitty and sighed as he decided that he was desperate enough to pay Harry a visit.

*******

Harry had been in bed an hour and he couldn't sleep. He'd tossed and he'd turned and then he'd made a half arsed attempt at masturbating and finally he just lay in the dark and wished for sleep.

Tomorrow was the last exam. Potions; what a way to finish. He felt that he had done well so far, in spite of all the crap he was doing well. Potions was the exam he was dreading, mostly because it was the one exam that he could not make up for in the practical aspect. He was a terrible potions maker. He was terrible at potions in general. He had no idea why he thought he could pass it.

Hermione had promised faithfully to give him a last minute review, go through formulas that could possibly come up. He would be doing this instead of having lunch, and then they would go to the pub to celebrate after. Not that he felt like celebrating anything, there wasn't much to celebrate.

God he hoped he didn't fall asleep in the exam.

He closed his eyes and tried again. That was his problem, he kept trying to sleep. He was so busy trying to sleep that he was waking himself up. Sleeping should not be hard work.

There was a knock at his door. It was soft and had he actually been asleep he would have missed it entirely. He contemplated ignoring it. It was no doubt Neville having an anxiety attack because his Gran kept sending him owls telling him he was a failure, something everyone agreed was pretty harsh considering he hadn't even received his results. Harry just didn't understand why Neville had decided that Harry was the best person to confide in. Knowing Neville he probably thought that he was taking Harry's mind off his own troubles.

The knock came again, more insistent this time, but still soft. Harry silently reasoned that had it been urgent the knocking would have been louder.

But as he wasn't sleeping anyway Harry figured he could talk to Neville for an hour or so. He lit the room and opened the door. And then he froze.

Draco tried for a few seconds to look defiant, but he was clutching his pillow and his cat and he couldn't look defiant while was doing that. The look faltered and then he just looked distressed.

"Draco…" Harry had to take a breath, "Are you okay?"

"I can't sleep," Draco said, utterly defeated, "I need to sleep."

"I haven't been sleeping either," Harry offered, but Draco continued.

"When I close my eyes I see him. I think he's there and he's waiting for me to fall asleep. I need to sleep."

Harry reached out to him, his fingers brushed Draco's pale cheek and Draco didn't pull away. He seemed to sway in the doorway.

"Are you alright? You look ill, can I get you something?"

"No," Draco swayed again, "I'm fine, I just need to sleep."

He didn't look fine. He sounded confused, as though he would break down.

"Draco, truly, you look sick. Can I get Madam Pomfrey?"

"No…I want to sleep," Draco screwed up his eyes, as though he had a headache. "I can't stop thinking…I keep closing my eyes and he keeps coming for me. I haven't slept for a week and I need to sleep."

Harry reached for Draco's pillow and tossed it onto his bed, then took his hand and pulled him gently into the room. "Do you want Ron's bed?"

"No, Weasley tried to kill himself in it." Draco dropped Miss Kitty onto Harry's bed and then he climbed into it without hesitation.

Harry almost jumped for joy. His mind burst into delighted shouts, his face split into his first real smile in weeks. But then he had to wonder – was he supposed to sleep in Ron's bed?

"Hurry up and come to bed," Draco mumbled into his pillow. He had rolled onto his side and had moved against the wall to make room for Harry.

Harry slipped in behind him and spooned around him instinctively.

"You're not going to leave me alone…"

"No," Harry whispered, "I'll stay with you all night." He hesitantly put his arm over Draco; "Is this okay?"

Draco nodded into his pillow.

Harry inhaled the scent of Draco's hair and closed his eyes. He pressed a soft kiss into the back of Draco's neck and Draco shivered.

"I'm sorry," Harry whispered, "I'm sorry I kissed you."

"You need to shave," Draco murmured. He yawned and his eyes closed slowly. "Hold on tight," he said so quietly that Harry almost didn't hear him. Almost.

Harry whispered for darkness and held Draco a little tighter. He would keep Draco safe for as long as Draco needed him to. He would love him forever and he would hold on to him that night.

******

Hermione was banging on Harry's door and was finding herself getting more than a little distressed when he refused to answer. The tower was essentially empty, everyone having gone down to breakfast already. Harry was supposed to have been up long ago to revise potions theory before the exam started in two hours time, now he would be lucky to finish breakfast…and hopefully have a shower.

"Harry!" she yelled and banged louder, "Harry, wake up! I got out of bed for this!"

But there was still no reply. She really didn't want to go into his room, Harry was smelling pretty awful lately. Then again, she and Lavender had lived in filth for a while. She lifted the latch and pushed the door open.

"Harry!" She went to the bed where Harry was a largish lump under the summer blanket. She saw a slender wrist that became a pale hand clutching at one of the pillows. That was not Harry's hand. She pulled the blanket back a little and saw blond hair and then Draco's face in profile. He was asleep, looking so peaceful that she ached at the prospect of having to wake him. Harry's face was pressed into Draco's shoulder and Hermione sighed sadly as she gently shook him.

Harry jumped and blinked and involuntarily squeezed Draco too tightly.

"I'm sorry," Hermione grimaced and chewed her lip, "It's late, Harry, you have to get up."

Harry blinked again and struggled to sit up. "What time is it?"

"Eight."

"Fuck."

"Yep."

"I need to have a shower." He looked at Draco still sleeping. "I can't leave him."

"You don't have to," Hermione said uneasily, "he has to wake up too."

"I'm awake," Draco mumbled and then a shudder ran through him. He sat up suddenly, as though realising that he had actually had some sleep.

"It's alright," Harry said, trying to soothe him, "you're safe."

Draco reached across Harry for his bottle of Navitas on the nightstand and swigged a mouthful straight from the bottle, Hermione gagged just watching it.

"God that's foul," Draco rasped under his breath. He stoppered the bottle and put it back on the table and then he looked at Harry a little sheepishly. "Thank you," he said hesitantly, "for sleeping with me."

"You know I always will…whenever you want me to."

Draco nodded but couldn't look Harry in the eye just yet.

"I'm…" Hermione shuffled from foot to foot, "I'm going to go down to breakfast. I'll see you both there?"

"Yeah, we'll be down soon," Harry told her and then after she was gone he turned back to Draco. "How do you feel?" he asked.

"Better," Draco said quietly, "a lot better."

"Good."

They both bowed their heads.

Draco sighed and murmured "shit" under his breath. He rocked back against the wall and ran a hand through his hair. "Harry…"

Harry looked at him hopefully.

"This is so stupid," Draco said almost to himself.

"I'm so sorry."

"Stop saying that."

"I…"

"I know that you're sorry. I know you didn't want any of this to happen and I know you didn't mean to kiss Fred Weasley, I know all of it…but apologising for it over and over again isn't helping."

"I just want you to know," Harry said helplessly, "I want you to know that I tried to get to you in time. I hate myself for this…"

"Fuck, Harry, just stop it!" Draco scrambled out of the bed and began collecting his belongings.

"I love you so much, Draco."

Draco looked at him exasperated. "I'm going to get dressed, I'll see you at breakfast."

"Draco…"

"I'll see you at breakfast," Draco repeated, but it was softer this time. He looked at Harry meaningfully. "Everything is fine, Harry. Have a shower and I will see you downstairs."

*******

"Wow, I thought you weren't coming down," Lavender said as Hermione sat down at the table beside her. "It's really late."

"I know, I was trying to wake Harry up." She reached for what was left of the porridge. "Anyway, I thought you'd be the one sleeping in. Exams are finished, I didn't expect to see you surface until midday."

"Are you joking?" Lavender grinned, "I am going to Diagon Ally to see my shop this morning, and then I'm going to look at some new robes and have lunch, eat ice cream and generally enjoy a full day of shopping." She sipped her tea, looking markedly more relaxed than she had in two weeks.

"I wish I could come," Hermione said wistfully, "I haven't done any decent shopping for ages."

"You'll have to do some soon," Lavender pointed out, "you'll need maternity robes soon."

Hermione looked down at herself. It was true that the only robes she actually possessed were her school robes and the set of formal robes she had purchased for going to dinner with Viktor last year – they were still torn from where Severus had thrown her down in the forest. She smiled at the sudden memory and began to squirm, perhaps she could catch him before classes started – surely there was time for a quickie.

"That is a wicked grin," Lavender said, "you cannot be thinking about anything good."

"I was just remembering something. I guess I do need some new robes though. I'll have to wait until we go home though, I don't want to catch the Knight Bus just to go shopping."

"I can pick you up something nice to wear on the train home if you like, I don't think you're going to fit into your jeans."

Hermione doubted it too, now that her belly had started to grow she was starting to show. She was glad that school was ending because questions would have become inevitable. "That would be nice if you could. Just something plain, I'll give you some money before you leave."

To Lavender the idea of buying something plain was laughable, but she nodded anyway.

"Can I sit here?"

Hermione smiled up at Draco, "of course you can. Did you get some sleep?"

"Yes," Draco said and he sounded relieved as he dropped himself down on the bench, "good sleep too." He looked over the table, "is there anything decent left to eat?"

"You mostly eat fruit and stuff don't you?" Lavender asked, knowing the answer but just voicing the question, "there's plenty of that, but I don't think you'll get any toast or bacon or that kind of thing."

Draco attempted a basic accio to bring the fruit salad to him and found that the bowl only managed to rock a little. He sighed. He could scarce wait until he could stop taking the potions that were robbing him of his magic. Hermione drew the bowl up to them and asked what else he wanted. "Yogurt, please…is that Porridge you have there?"

"Yep."

"Some of that too please." He shook his head. "I don't understand how this potion affects me. I can't do basic charms, I can't Apparate and I have problems with Transfiguring, but I can still do things like hexes."

"I think it might have something to do with the control required," Hermione said thoughtfully. "With charms you are often trying to bring things to you or hold them in a pattern, but hexes are just a thrown spell, you're just tossing them out, there's less skill involved."

Draco shrugged and seemed impressed by the answer. She was probably right. He served himself portions of the food. He had to admit that eating so much early in the day was not his favourite thing to do, but he had to keep himself healthy or else all the potions he was taking would be rendered useless. For the first time he was determined to take care of himself.

They ate in companionable silence for a while, listening to the occasional burst of excited chatter from Lavender. Draco asked her to get him some sweets while she was in London and even offered her the use of his carriage. She declined, preferring the speed of Apparating from place to place. Draco privately thought her a philistine, but shrugged and smiled and said nothing.

It was close to nine by the time Harry arrived and the only people still left eating breakfast were students who had exams that day and teachers who were finishing up and getting ready to leave and head off to classes.

Lavender took one look at him when he walked in and could help but cry out across the hall "My God, he's clean!"

Showered and shaved, Harry blushed and pulled a face at Lavender who was chortling at her own humour. He approached the table and stood awkwardly for a moment until Draco shuffled Hermione across to make room. Harry sat down beside him and found that he was breathing a sigh of relief.

Draco was looking at him in a perturbed way and while Hermione and Lavender discreetly turned to each other to have a quiet discussion about clothing he cleared his throat.

"I was thinking," Draco said softly, "that I might not feel…safe…at home either."

"Oh?" Harry felt a tiny light of hope start to burn in his stomach.

"I thought that if you wanted to…then maybe you could…you could come with me…when school finishes…if you want to."

"I could do that," Harry agreed, "I'd like to do that."

"I was going to leave tonight," Draco bowed his head, feeling more than a little self conscious, "but I know the leaving feast is on Sunday and you would want to stay for that?"

"We were going to get the train home on Monday morning," Harry said, "Hermione doesn't want to get the bus and it's the last time we'll be able to catch it…why don't you stay and come to London on the train with us?"

"I…" Draco began to chew at his lip in the same way that Hermione would do when she was nervous, "I don't really want to go to London…it's too close…"

"I'll look after you," Harry whispered. "Snape is going to meet us there and he's going to drive Hermione to Wilshire…I'm sure he'll have room for two more." Harry hesitated, "I don't know what kind of a driver he is."

"He's a good driver," Draco assured him, "I've been in a car with him before."

"So will you come on the train? Send Non home and come on the train?"

Draco nodded silently and under the table his hand found Harry's and he twined their fingers together. "There's only healthy food left," he said referring to the breakfast selection, "you'll have to starve."

Harry didn't think so, he felt he could probably live on the feeling that was rushing through him at that moment for a good solid year.

"Are you sure you want to come to the Manor? I know how much you like your house."

"It's not really my house. I mean I own it, but I've barely lived in it and I think Ron and Pansy want to knock the back wall out and put a conservatory in."

"Eww, the bane of Muggle England."

Harry laughed. "Well, it is pretty dark in there. But it's Ron's house…he has better decorating taste than I do and he's the one who is making it a home."

Draco untangled their fingers and poured tea for them both. "You should eat something," he said, repeating Harry's usual advice to him, "you'll need your strength to get through this exam." He looked at Harry and a smile finally reached his lips. "You can bring anything you want with you," he said, "you know that I want you there…not just to watch over me."

"I was hoping."

"So you can bring whatever you need, whatever you want to have there."

"Buckbeak."

Draco almost dropped the teapot. He placed it down so quickly that it clattered against the plates. "P…Pardon?"

"Buckbeak, the Hippogriff, you remember him?"

"Err…yes…he…he stomped me!"

"Well, only because you aggravated him – and you have to admit that you were pretty good at aggravating everyone back then. He's been living in the attic at Grimmauld Place for years now…"

"Well good, he's used to enclosed places."

"But it would be better for him to be outside. He could live in the stables. I saw them at Christmas, they aren't close to the house and he'd have a great time down there."

Draco's mouth was gaping open.

"Well?"

"I...I don't…"

Harry looked at him as though he would beg.

"He'll be right down the back of the garden?"

"Absolutely, and I'll take care of him, you won't even know he's there."

Draco didn't believe that, but he didn't want to ruin this so soon. "I guess we could…"

But he was interrupted by the sound of boots marching across the flagstones and through the huge doorway of the Great Hall.

"What the hell?" Harry craned his neck around and his eyes widened.

Cornelius Fudge had just marched ten Aurors into the Great Hall.

"What is he doing here?" Hermione hissed, "You'd think he would be busy putting his office in order before he leaves next week."

Fudge had a strange smile on his face. He was managing to look smug and malicious at the same time and he marched himself between the tables towards the High Table, almost whistling jovially as he did so.

"I think he is putting his office in order," Harry said nervously, "and he has some kind of business here."

"Ah Dumbledore," Fudge said loudly and with a distinct tone of amusement in his voice, "glad to see you're all still at breakfast."

"Only just Cornelius I can assure you," Dumbledore replied pleasantly, "I believe we were about to vacate the room."

"Well, not to worry. This will only take a moment of your time."

"I see," Dumbledore's eyes were not twinkling behind his glasses, and Harry was fairly certain that the Head Master was wondering just what mischief Fudge was seeking out here. "And to what do we owe this pleasure, Cornelius?"

"I'm afraid I am not pleasure bent today, Dumbledore." He did not sound as though it wasn't a pleasure, in fact he sounded very pleased indeed. "I'm afraid we have received news of the most alarming nature about one of your Professors, Dumbledore, and we have been forced to act."

The same thought immediately rushed through Minerva, Snape and Harry's brains. Krum! But how could they have found out? Who could have seen?

"I'm not quite following you," Dumbledore said with muted concern, there was no point showing Cornelius Fudge just how worried he was.

Fudge held out a scroll of paper and gave a quick glance to the curious students who were still in the Hall. That same smug smile was back on his face. "This is an order of suspension, Dumbledore, ordered by the Ministry and signed by the guardians of the school. I daresay that you are thinking that once your good friend Weasley becomes Minister you will be able to have it reversed, but I don't think that will be possible this time."

"So, you have finally devised a way to get me out at last, Cornelius?"

"Oh, not you, Dumbledore." Fudge was positively enjoying this. "No no." He took a step back and cleared his throat before announcing, loud and clear. "This is for Professor Severus Snape."

Beside Harry, Hermione made a violent movement and he stilled her with a firm hand. "Don't," he whispered sharply, "don't make it worse."

Fudge was taking a moment to gloat, noting that several students were grinning in amazement – Snape was evidently not well liked. "Professor Severus Snape, you are hereby relieved of your position of Potions Master and Head of Slytherin House, effective immediately. It seems that the good professor here thinks that conducting relationships of a sexual nature with his students is appropriate behaviour. The board of Governors does not agree however, and the Ministry cannot condone such behaviour – no matter who is in charge."

Snape, Minerva and Harry let out simultaneous breaths of relief. Hermione could not understand why Severus was looking so relieved – he'd just lost his job and Fudge was making him out to be a pervert! It would take her another two hours to realise that it could have been a great deal worse.

A rush of conversation filled the hall. Some students were openly gaping while many of the fifth years, most of whom would be returning the following year and had expected to have Snape as a Professor, were gossiping with abandon. How could this have happened? Who would be fool enough to sleep with Snape? Had he forced them? Was it rape?

"And our own investigations have revealed that the girl is pregnant!"

"Oh dear God," Hermione whimpered.

"My Aurors will assist you in clearing out your chambers, Professor, and then you will be required to leave the premises." Fudge was positively beaming now, having finally removed at least one of Dumbledore's most trusted. He had searched high and low for something on Minerva McGonagall but had found nothing. When the letter from the now dead Museum Curator was passed on to him the previous day, he had almost danced for joy. It had not taken much to search the Ministries records and discover that Snape had recently been registered at St Mungo's as the father of the young Miss Granger's unborn child. They had also given notice of intention to marry, but he saw no reason to bother with that information. Snape was out and he could count his blessings on that score.

Severus stood up, tall and willowy and looking very much as though he would like to hex Fudge into oblivion. A smile barely touched his lips and his black eyes flicked over the wondering faces staring back at him.

"Cornelius…" Dumbledore began, but Severus stopped him.

"Your Aurors will not be necessary, Minister, My chambers are essentially empty. I will be gone within the hour."

Hermione shot up out of her place at the table, unable to sit still any longer. Harry tried in vain to grab for her, but only succeeded in grasping a fist full of useless robes. He sighed and stood up too.

"This…this isn't fair!" Hermione blurted out, her bottom lip started to tremble, "you vindictive old…"

"Miss Granger," Minerva entered the fray now with a warning tone, "sit down."

"Oh yes, Miss Granger," Fudge said maliciously, "we would hate anything terrible to happen to your baby. "

"Is that a threat?" Harry demanded.

"Not at all, Mr. Potter. I am merely showing concern for Miss Granger's health…and the health of her child."

Hermione looked rebellious and Harry feared that she might suddenly draw her wand. Instead she looked to Severus who responded by giving her a pleading look to be calm. Hermione then did something she never did, she burst into tears.

Severus sighed and realised that he was going to need to do something about it. He gave Minerva's hand a squeeze and stepped down from behind the High Table. He went to Hermione and gently grasped her shoulders.

"It's going to be alright," he said, "now go and get ready for your exam and I will meet you in Hogsmeade once you're finished."

"But, Severus, what about…"

"Don't worry about anything. Everything is fine, we are fine. I will go down to Hogsmeade, I have no doubt that Minerva will come with me, and I will meet you there later. Don't worry about this. It is not the end of the world."

She couldn't believe how calm he was. She wanted to shake him and scream at him to panic. He had lost his job. Everyone was staring at them. He was being humiliated! And then it struck her – he was not humiliated by being with her and he had to be calm, for her sake.

"Go and finish your exams," he said again.

And then Severus Snape walked quietly out of the Great Hall.

*****
Please go to part 3