"Draco, this is the third time I'm telling you to go to bed. Next time I'm getting up and you won't like the consequences," Severus called out from where he was perched on his comfortable armchair with a fascinating potions book. Draco was lying on the couch reading a quidditch magazine. "Fine, you could just directly say that you don't want me around," Draco huffed, threw the magazine to the floor and had almost reached his room when he heard 'freeze'.

"Front and center."

Draco struggled to make himself obey. They had had such a good day why did he have to go and ruin it. He was still berating himself when he felt his godfather's finger on his chin making him look up. His head moved up but his eyes stayed down. A single tear leaked out of his eye.

Severus sighed, "I take it, today was a particularly tiring day and your mouth just ran of its own?"

Draco looked up with puppy dog eyes and nodded. Severus sighed again and said, "pick up the magazine and bring it here. I'm confiscating it for two days. You must learn to take care of your things better. Are you ready to go to bed?"

Draco was annoyed now he was in the middle of an article and now he wouldn't be able to read it for two days, that was so unfair! "But uncle sev it's mine I bought it with my own allowance!"

"Which also I can take away, please remember that before you go inviting trouble."

"You just punish me all the time!"

"Draco, it's my job to teach you right from wrong."

"Okay I'm completely wrong, I'm a mess and unlovable, got it."

"Draco, I'm the head of Slytherin. Your poor attempts at manipulating sympathy aren't going to work on me."

"Yes sir."

"Please do as I said."

"May I finish the article I was reading?"

"If you had just asked me permission to stay up a bit in bed and finish reading the first time I asked you to go to bed, I would have."

"So that's a yes?"

"No. You've lost the book for two days."

"But that is so unfair."

"I'm getting tired of that word."

"I'm getting tired of the treatment!" Draco yelled.

"I really didn't want to do this," Severus said as he pulled Draco to lie over his knees. The spanking was one of the lightest that the potion master had delivered but Draco seemed to be exhausted and started crying. When Snape finished and reached out to cuddle him, Draco pushed him away. He picked up the magazine and slammed it on the table next to Snape saying ,"you can keep it!" and ran to his room. Severus closed his own magazine and rubbed his temples. He wondered for the millionth time what he was thinking, signing up to take on guardianship of a ten year old.

After fifteen minutes he went into the boy's room. The boy was lying on his stomach, his comforter haphazardly around him and even though he was pretending to be asleep, his moving shoulders and the slight sound of sniffles gave him away.

Snape sat down on the bed and Draco moved away. But the bed wasn't that big and Snape was able to easily reach his back and start rubbing circles.

"Don't." Snape kept rubbing circles.

"Please let me sleep." Snape didn't acknowledge him.

"Leave me alone!" Snape gave a light smack on the boy's bottom and then went back to rubbing circles.

"Are you ready to talk to me?"

"Can I skip school tomorrow?"

"No." He paused. "To do what?"

"Read my magazine."

"You aren't getting it for two days, remember?"

"Then I'll read your magazine."

"Why?"

"I want to."

"You may borrow and read it in your free time."

"But I want to stay home and read it tomorrow."

"Draco, what's going on?"

"Nothing. You're mean. If you won't help, can you just let me sleep?"

"I am trying to help you sleep."

"You are just making me angry and sad." Snape stopped but didn't pull his hand away.

"Can we have a direct conversation?"

"Will you let me stay home tomorrow?"

"I can't answer that till I know why."

"No, I need you to promise first."

"Draco just tell me. Maybe we'll find a solution that doesn't involve you skipping school."

Draco didn't respond. Snape rubbed his back for a few minutes. He could tell the boy was awake from the tension in his shoulders but he was pretending to sleep so Severus decided to let it go for now.

Severus woke up and did his morning routine which ended with a few hours of work on his writing for potions journals. He used to do it in his lab but when Draco stays with him, he had started doing it on the kitchen table so that he could be around as the boy woke up and started his day.

Draco came into the kitchen wearing his pajamas instead of his school robes. Snape raised an eye at him, "Has the Hogwarts school uniform changed overnight?"

"I'm not going."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

"Draco I don't know what has gotten into you but unless you want to make this bad day that you're trying to avoid even worse by having to sit on an extremely sore bottom, it stops now. Go back to your room and change into your uniform. You have five minutes."

"You really are a git."

Draco had turned and was walking but he was stopped mid-stride by and arm on his upper arm and a hand connected with his backside, hard, ten times. This was much harder than what Snape had given him the previous night and brought tears of pain to his eyes.

"Do I need to continue?"

"No sir, sorry sir."

Snape let go of his arm with a "you know what to do."

Draco changed into his uniform and walked towards the door. Snape decided to try to pre-empt some trouble, "You may walk alone but I expect you to be in the great hall when I get there in fifteen minutes. Do not test me on this. Am I clear?"

"Yes sir." Draco sighed and walked out. He really didn't want to go to the great hall or be around people. He found a statue in a nook such that he could sit there and be hidden from view but he could see his godfather come in. He rested his head on his pulled up knees.

When he saw Severus walk in, he followed. Severus saw him with a puzzled expression and before he could say anything, Draco left. Snape was confused but walked on to the teachers table. As he was making quick work of his food, Lupin sat down next to him and said, "Severus I want to discuss with you about my class today. I'm planning to cover the dark mark, voldemort and ways of tackling him." SUddenly Severus knew what was wrong. "Did you tell the students already?" "Just the few whose parents have been punished as Death Eaters. I'm planning to let them go to the library during the class. Will that be okay?"

"Yes." But Snape's brain was trying to piece together his godson's behaviour and feelings. He knew that the boy hadn't eaten and he also knew he would be in the astronomy tower, one of his favourite places to go when he was sad. He picked up a couple of chocolate muffins from the table and started walking there.

He sat down next to the boy and placed the muffins in front of him. He knew that Draco loved sweets and like any ten year old boy was always hungry. Draco took one muffin and bit into it. "Remus told me." Draco let out a sigh like he had been holding his breath.

"I will excuse you from your DADA class but not the whole school day." Draco gave him an angry look.

"And you need to discuss the material of the class with me."

"No."

"Excuse me?"

"No."

"Draco, I have been very patient but it's never going to be acceptable for you to say no to me. You must be respectful and obedient."

"I'm not a dog."

"But you are my godson and my student."

"Fine."

"Fine what?"

"I'll be a good dog."

"Do you really need another spanking already?" And with that Draco started crying hysterically.