Author Note: Okay, first you guys are amazing as always. Loved the new reviews, they made my day! Welcome to all the new followers. So happy you found the story. I do want to apologize that this chapter took slightly longer than normal. Life has been so crazy. However, we are back to it! I have the next chapter started and I think I have the rest of the story pretty well planned out now. Alright well that's all from me. Hope you enjoy the chapter. Leave me a review and let me know what you think.

Song inspirations- Way down we go -KALEO, We Don't Want War Anymore- Tallulah Rendall

Chapter 46

Life at Malfoy Manor

Draco stomped up the grand staircase from the ground floor. His fists were clenched tight at his sides and a small trickle of blood ran from the corner of his mouth. He continued up two more flights of stairs, paying no mind to the glares he received from sneering, black clad figures that lurked in the halls.

Throwing open the door to his bedroom, Draco threw a withering glare at a wizard near his door. He slammed the door shut before casting several locking spells at it.

"Fuck." Draco cursed under his breath bringing his hand to his split lip.

He had spent the last week desperately attempting to come up with a plan to get out of this house. There were too many people to simply walk out. Especially with the Dark Lords order's that he not be allowed to leave. He hadn't even been allowed to take his broom to the pitch.

Draco marched to his bathroom and glared at his reflection. He looked horrid. His hair was shaggy and greasy. It hung limply against his head, seemingly accentuating his grey pallor and the darkness around his eyes. His lip was swollen and bruised. A small split in it allowed a trail of blood to run down his chin.

Alecto had slapped him for trying to walk out the front doors of the manor with his broom. He had hoped to go for a fly, and maybe just fly away from this hellhole. She had spat at him telling him he knew better. He had pulled his bratty school mask in place and insisted she step aside. The next moment a hand connected with his face, and he was laid out on the marble floor of the entrance hall.

Alecto was another of the Dark Lord's frequent conquests. Draco wanted to scream every time he heard the floorboards above his bed squeak. He seemed to have a new follower in his bed every night. The women would scream, or cry and the monster would just laugh.

Draco was thankful that he had yet to hear his mother up there. He suspected it was only a matter of time. The thought made him sick.

Would his father do anything to stop it?

At any other point it wouldn't have been a question, but now he was unsure.

His father had always been a proud man. Cold yet charismatic to the outside world and loving and protective of his family in private. However, the man that had returned from Azkaban was broken and afraid. He hadn't spent long there but it had obviously done its damage.

Draco knew that his father was still going to work at the ministry every day. He wondered what his mother did all day. Normally she would be out in the garden or reading or hosting little parties. Parties usually meant his friends would be here.

Draco sneered at himself in the mirror. If his friends could see him now, they would be shocked. Pansy would be working herself into fits, insisting on a makeover this minute.

Draco thought he could likely pass as an underfed vampire right now.

He turned from the mirror, stripped off his shirt, and tossed it in the hamper. Quickly he divested himself of the rest of his clothing. He turned on the tap and stepped into the shower.

Merlin, he missed school! A thought that surprised him.

Summers had always been filled with friends and trips abroad. Time spent with his parents and seeing exotic places.

He dearly missed his friends. People that he didn't have to wear a mask for.

He missed his parents too. They seemed to be avoiding him. He would see them at dinners. However, meals were held in silence when they weren't forced to listen to the Dark Lord monolog. Then his parents would rush away from the room and lock themselves in their bedroom.

Draco ran his hands into his hair and tried to distract his thoughts from everything that was happening. He added a little soap to his hair and began massaging it into his scalp. He thought about being at school. He wondered if Blaise would be doing this for him if they were still there. They'd had a bit of a fling this year.

No one in Slytherin ever got into serious relationships. Most of them were purebloods and their families would arrange who they married. Draco had heard of some being able to persuade their families, but most marriages were for wealth and status. Combining old pureblood families. His parents' marriage had been that way, as had his grandparents on both sides. Despite that knowledge they were still hormonal teens and a few years of getting to mess around didn't hurt anyone.

Blaise had been fun. He was very touch starved because of his messy home life. His mother was always off to the next man, leaving Blaise to mostly be raised by house elves and nanny's.

Draco wouldn't call him emotionally clingy but he was definitely physically clingy. He often climbed into Draco's bed and snuggled him or joined him in the shower. Draco hadn't minded but they had started to drift apart in the last days of school, knowing that they wouldn't see each other over the summer.

Blaise was headed to Italy for the holiday break. His mother was getting married again.

Draco suspected that Blaise had heard the news of the Dark Lord and was pushing Draco away. It was okay though. He thought Blaise might have been sneaking around with a seventh year as well. Still, it had been fun while it lasted.

Draco turned in the shower and let the water cascade down his body. He wished Blaise was here. He felt a little touch starved himself. He slowly lathered his body and thought about it being Blaise's hands on him instead of his own.

A soft moan left his mouth as he worked his way down his body.

Glass smashing in the hall brought his short-lived fantasy to a quick end.

Draco sighed.

He quickly finished washing and wrapped a towel around himself before he got out of the shower.

When he was dressed in night clothes he flopped ungracefully onto his bed.

He needed to find a way out of this house. With a groan he rolled onto his stomach and retrieved his journal from under his pillow. With a wave of his wand and a muttered spell he flipped it open.

He had been journaling every day this summer. Since Professor Burbage's death there had been raids nearly every day. Some made the news, and some didn't. When the raids happened, they always brought back some muggle that would be tortured and killed. Draco was told to participate. He would wave his wand but couldn't bring himself to cast a single curse. Even if Muggles were beneath them this was sick.

Draco couldn't imagine torturing an animal just for sport, but that was how the Death Eaters saw what they were doing. There had only been one raid that hadn't resulted in torture of muggles after. The members involved had come back wounded and empty handed. He had heard whispers that some muggleborn school children had fought back. Draco thought it was unlikely. Which of his classmates could stand up to five Death Eaters? The Dark Lord had tortured the Death Eaters and they had been left in a bleeding heap in the dining room.

Draco swallowed down bile at the memory. Another Death Eater had come back wounded early in the summer, but Draco had never heard more about it. He wasn't sure if the man had died or what had caused the injury.

He held his quill over the pages of his journal. What was there to say? Everything was the same shit day in and day out.

I think I've come up with a way out.

I need to be prepared to leave at a moment's notice though. I intend to pack tonight. The next time there is a raid, I will slip out of the dining room. I think that if they are sufficiently distracted, I will be able to escape. They are all too blood thirsty to pay me much mind. I think I can make it to the woods. I'm still not sure what to do from there. Walk, I guess.

If I am caught, I fear I will be killed. It's a risk I have accepted. I no longer believe that I can wait the remaining weeks to return to school. The Death Eaters have become increasingly hostile and violent towards me. I was struck today and after the curse I was hit with yesterday, I don't think it will be long before I'm dragged to the middle of the circle and face the same fate as the people I have watched die.

The Dark Lord may have a task for me, but I fear he will hand it off to one of my classmates if I am seen as too much trouble.

Mother and Father continue to walk about the manor as if they are blind to the pain I am in. I cannot rely on them to free me from this madness. I don't know if they are lost to the insanity that seems to live here, or if they have been imperiused, but I am clearly not a priority to them as I once was.

My options of places to flee are limited. Nearly all of my friends' parents are Death Eaters. I see them frequently in the manor. Blaise's mother is neutral, but they are in Italy for the summer. I miss him. I miss my friends. I miss Severus.

If I make it out of the manor I will attempt to make it to London. There i will use the Floo at the Leaky cauldron to Floo to Severus quarters at Hogwarts. Surely, he will be there. Perhaps he will hide me.

I worry the man I have known my whole life isn't who I always thought he was. That he will sneer and turn me away.

Draco sighed before he closed and locked his journal. His thoughts continued to race around his mind. With a Deep breath he set about packing up. He needed to be ready at any time.

He opened a drawer in his desk and retrieved his shrunken trunk. He had been optimistic when he had put his things away weeks ago, that despite his father's imprisonment this summer would be okay. His mother and aunt Bella had both reassured him that his father would be free soon. He had been given a new set of robes from his aunt and his mother had given him a pocket watch inscribed with the family crest.

Draco set the trunk on the floor and waved his wand to resize it. He tapped the top with his wand and pulled it open. He hadn't bothered unpacking much this year. He looked around his room with a critical eye. He knew that if he left, he might never return. A terrifying thought, if he was being honest.

He worked around his room collecting items. Photo albums, letters, special trinkets, clothing, books, toiletries, and as much money as he could find. He had a small bag in his trunk that held his school year allowance, and he had a small stash of money in a hidden book on the shelf, but he wasn't sure how long it would last him.

He stared at his Nimbus. He desperately wanted to hide it in his trunk.

It would be even better if he could shrink his trunk and fly out the window, far away from this place. Unfortunately, the windows had all been spelled shut. His best bet would be to blow a hole in the wall and hope he could get away before killing curses were shot at him. They didn't often come to his room, but they did just enough, and he didn't want someone to notice his broom gone.

With a sigh he turned away from it. He closed his trunk before shrinking it and placing it under his pillow with his journal. He would start carrying both in case he was given an opportunity to escape.

Exhausted, he slumped back onto his bed and stared at the ceiling. He wondered if his father would think him a coward. He wondered if his mother would stop loving him if he turned his back on the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters. He wondered what Severus would think of him. What about his friends?

Draco felt traitorous tears well up in his eyes. He wished he were braver. Brave enough to endure this longer. He wished he could stay for his parents even if he didn't believe in the cause. He wished that none of this had happened.

He wasn't brave though. He was terrified and sickened by what he had seen. He knew he couldn't continue to stay here and there would be no turning back once he left.

He honestly didn't know what to do after. He hoped Severus still cared. Hoped that the man he had known wasn't a lie.

Would Severus want him to still fight in this war? Could he do that if it was the price of getting away? Could he fight his parents? His friends?

He didn't know. He felt so betrayed and lied to right now. The Death Eaters were not what he had expected, nor was the Dark Lord. His father and godfather had spoken of a handsome and charismatic man who wanted to see the end of Wixen having to hide from the world. A man who wanted to see change for the Wixen world.

Instead, Draco had discovered the man to be monstrous inside and out. His views were not to improve Wixen standing but to tear everyone else down. His followers were as fanatical as he was. The man was truly insane. How anyone could see something worthwhile in him was also insane.

Draco had found himself in a house of horrors. His whole life pulled apart at the seams by a man who seemed detached from reality. He wondered how much more of his beliefs were lies.

Anger boiled in his chest at all the parts of his life that seemed to be tangled in this mess. He hadn't realized how deeply intrenched he would be in this war.

His mind wondered how his friends were holding up this summer. Was Teddy black and blue? Was Blaise alone? Were Crabbe and Goyle being trained to be good little soldiers for the Dark Lord? Too naive to know better. Was Pansy having to fight off her handsy uncle? Was Millicent even home? Or had she been shipped off to her Grandparents again because her parents were too busy. What about Daphne and Astoria? Were they afraid? Their family was neutral. Were they being locked away to keep them safe?

Draco sighed. He hadn't heard from any of them. There were mail wards up around the property to keep someone from tracking an owl here. Every morning a Death Eater returned with the Daily Prophet and the Dark Lord would explain everything they were getting wrong in the news. His long-winded tirades were mostly ignored, at least by Draco.

Draco's thoughts drifted to his other classmates. He wondered what their holidays were like.

He sneered thinking of Weasley's Happily enjoying a vacation. Thoughts of Longbottom happily playing in the dirt as he planted. Granger and her muggle parents doing whatever it was muggles did in the summer.

Draco's jaw clenched as he thought about Potter.

"Stupid Potter." Draco seethed.

Draco was sure Potter was content to do whatever he wanted this summer. Probably being waited on hand and foot by his family or his adoring fans. Perhaps he was out for a fly with Weasley or snogging with Weasley's sister.

Draco's jaw clenched at the unfairness of it all. How did they deserve to have a peaceful break while he was stuck here being ordered around in his own home.

Draco dragged a hand over his face and sighed. It didn't matter. The Gryffindors could have there summer. War was coming and if they were too stupid not to see it than they'd be in for one hell of a wake-up call.

Draco closed his eyes and hoped for a quiet night. One without screaming, crying, or bleeding. Perhaps for once this summer he could get a full night's sleep and wake up rested.

Draco Startled awake to loud pounding on his door.

He stared through the darkness at the door. He hadn't taken down the locking spells, he realized groggily. Perhaps he should have been doing that from the start of the summer. They had been barging in every other night to drag him out of bed.

His heart pounded and his breath quickened as he climbed out of bed and approached the door. With a sigh he waved his wand and took down the spells. The door flew open and three people stormed into his room. Draco took a step back and held up his wand.

"Lower your wand kid. You don't want to start something." A gruff voice said.

Draco couldn't make out their faces in the dark, but suspected it was Mr. Nott who had spoken. Teddy's father was a cruel man. Vicious in his words and his wand. He cared little for anything but his own power in any situation. He had seen the way Teddy came back to school every year. It broke Draco to see his friend that way.

With a sigh Draco realized he was unprepared for a fight and lowered his wand.

"Get dressed." Another voice said. This one sounded lighter and more feminine, but Draco couldn't place it.

The three dark figures exited his room and didn't even have the decency to close his door all the way. He knew they would be waiting for him on the other side.

There must have been another raid.

Draco forced his shaking legs to move. He crossed his room to the wardrobe and pulled out the robes he had been instructed to wear. He quickly stripped out of his sleeping wear and dressed in a pair of black pants and a black button down. He shoved his feet into shoes and with a sigh he pulled on the robes. He would burn them the moment he got away from here.

His eyes flicked to his pillow. Perhaps he could make his escape tonight. He took a deep breath and walked to his bed. He retrieved his trunk and journal and tucked them deep in his pants pocket.

He quickly looked around his room and assessed that there wasn't anything else he needed. He quickly pocketed his watch from his mother and slid his wand into his wrist holster. Holding his head high he exited his room.

When they reached the formal dining room, Draco was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. He glanced over his shoulder in confusion.

"You will wait here until you're called." Mr. Nott growled before stepping around Draco.

He furrowed his brows as all three of the Death Eaters stepped around him and entered the dining room before closing the doors.

What was happening? Perhaps this was finally it. The Dark Lord had decided he was too much trouble. Perhaps tonight was the night he'd be dragged before the inner circle and tortured into insanity. Death would be too kind to hope for at this point.

He felt his breath come in short pants as his mind raced. He looked behind him towards the front doors and groaned when he saw a rugged looking man standing leaned against the wall. How the hell was he going to get out of here?

The other windows had been warded just like his own. He could go out through the kitchen, but it was all blind corners to get there. The likelihood that he'd make it without running into trouble was low.

The large double doors before him flew open and his head snapped back around. The set up in the room was different than normal. Instead of the normal circle of members they were lined up on both sides of the door, all the way across the room. The Dark Lord stood at the end with a hideous smile.

Draco was startled when someone brushed past him on his left. He saw the man from the front door join the line of people in the room. Draco swallowed. This was not good. Whatever the hell this was.

"Come Draco." The Dark Lord called.

Draco stepped slowly into the room. His eyes darted to each face he passed. He recognized most of them from before this summer. Family friends, work associates of his father's, and other purebloods he had met at parties over the years. All of them had mostly blank faces but each held a joy in their eyes. It was rather disturbing.

Draco came to a stop in front of the Dark Lord. He fell to one knee and bowed his head low like he had been taught. His panic felt like it was choking him. His parents weren't here. Where were they? Why had they left him to face this alone?

"It has been brought to my attention that the task I have assigned you is more fitting for a marked Death Eater." The Dark Lord spoke loudly.

Draco kept himself still, kneeled in front of the man. He hoped that meant he was passing the task off to someone else. The man was truly nuts if he thought Draco could do it.

"I agree. Tonight, you will be marked and officially become one of us." The Dark Lord announced.

Draco felt like his heart had stopped. He briefly closed his eyes wishing this to be a horrible nightmare.

"Rise Draco and prepare."

Draco's body shook as he stood. His eyes darted to both sides where he saw his aunt and Mr. Nott. Bella Smiled at him and Mr. Nott nodded with a proud gleam in his eye. Draco felt like he was going to be sick. His only hope of escape was that he had yet to be marked. It wouldn't matter if he ran after words. The mark was a sign of ownership. He would never truly be able to escape.

"Narcissa, Lucius, if you would." The Dark Lord called.

Draco looked around and noticed that his parents were standing stiffly in a corner.

He watched as they made there way to his side. Neither looked him in the eye. They didn't even seem to acknowledge that he was there.

He wanted to scream at them to stop this. That he didn't want to do this.

Draco pulled up his mental shields. He was as good as dead if the Dark Lord saw those thoughts in his mind.

He refused to look the man in the eye but raised his head enough so that he was looking over the man's left shoulder.

With a nod from the Dark Lord his parents stepped closer. His mother pushed up his left sleeve and held a gentle hand on his upper arm. His father gripped his wrist tightly. Draco looked pleadingly to his father. He was shocked by the look on his face. Regret, fear and sorrow were clear as day. Draco swallowed hard and glanced at his mother. She looked ill.

Draco nodded. His parents still loved him. They were just as frightened as he was. He was sure now that this was not what they wanted for him.

Draco flinched as he felt a pair a beefy hands land on his shoulders. He looked back to find Mr. Goyle behind him. His blank face so like his son.

The hands tightened on his shoulders. This was going to hurt. He was sure. He had never asked about the mark or how they got it. However, given he was being held down by three fully grown adults, he was sure this was going to be agonizing.

Draco took a deep breath and steadied himself. He would not cry out. He would not scream. He knew that showing signs of weakness were just likely to get him cursed.

The Dark Lord stepped closer and pulled his wand out.

"From this day forth you will hold loyalty to me above all." The Dark Lord stated loudly to the room.

Then the point of the man's wand pressed firmly in the middle of his forearm.

Draco clenched his jaw and tensed his muscles.

The man began to hiss in parseltongue. Nothing happened for a moment. Draco kept himself from relaxing prematurely. Then it happened. Like molten metal being poured into his veins. Black lines like spider webs began to spread out on his skin. Draco panted but kept himself from making a single sound. His knees shook as the pain continued.

The Dark Lord continued to hiss and seemed to be digging his wand into Draco's arm, as if the spell wasn't painful enough.

Draco stared in shock as the dark mark began to take form on is arm. Every nerve in his body felt like it was on fire. It was like being held under crucio in slow motion. His whole body shook slightly and the hands on his body tightened. He was sure he was going to vomit if the pain didn't stop soon.

To his alarm the pain increased, and he made a high pitch keening sound. The burning sensation continued for another moment then seemed to finally lessen. The wand on his arm was pulled away and the Dark Lord gave him a grotesque approximation of a smile.

"Well done, Draco." The man cooed. The Dark Lords hand came up and caressed his cheek before a dirty finger dragged over his lips.

Draco felt revolted and wanted all of the hands off of his body. His skin felt like it was burned. His muscles screamed and his forearm felt like he had just been branded like cattle.

With one last leering look, The Dark Lord stepped away, then his parents and Mr. Goyle did as well.

"I believe it's now time to celebrate." The Dark Lord announced waving his hand.

Draco turned and saw that in the back corner of the room there were people cowering. Draco clenched his jaw. He was not a killer. He wouldn't kill anyone; he swore to himself.

The woman was dragged to the middle of the room. She had mousy brown hair that was already matted with blood from a slash on her forehead. Her big brown eyes darted around the group.

"Please. Please just let us go." She cried.

Draco wished he could do anything for her. It didn't matter that she was a muggle. She was human.

"Go on Draco." The Dark Lord instructed.

The woman's fearful eyes shot to him. Pleading for mercy.

Draco hesitated for a moment. He knew the moment he cast, the rest of them would descend on her. He'd watched it happen over and over again. He cast a low-level stinging hex at the woman's arm, and she hissed in pain before the others rained curses on her.

Draco twisted his wand and incanted a deep slumber charm he had learned from his healing books. This woman would die. There was nothing he could do to stop that. He could keep her from feeling the pain though and put her out of her misery sooner.

The woman screamed and then slumped lifelessly to the ground. The other's continued to cast but when the woman failed to react, one of them cast the killing curse. Her body was dragged from the circle.

A man with short blond hair and blue eyes was dragged in next. His face was bloodied and bruised already. His hands tied behind his back.

"You sick fucks. You killed my wife. What's wrong with you!" The man screamed.

"Take me, but please leave my boy alone!" The man pleaded.

Draco was not the first to cast this time. Someone shot what sounded like a bone breaking curse at the man's leg. The sickening crunch turned Draco's stomach. The man howled in pain. Draco slipped his sleeping charm in amongst the other spells being shot at him. When he refused to cry any longer, Mr. Nott stood over him and kicked him hard in the head.

"Pathetic." Mr. Nott spat.

"Avada Kedavra"

The green light was blinding for a moment. Draco felt numb seeing yet another murder. A life snapped out of existence.

His hands shook as he stared at the limp body. The gathering's cruel cheers rang in his ears. There animated celebration belied the atrocity they had just committed.

Death Eaters kicked and spat on the body as it was dragged away.

The man was dumped unceremoniously next to his wife. Draco could feel tears threatening to fall down his face at the sight. This family had been destroyed for no other reason than they had been born muggles.

Draco's head snapped back when he heard crying. A boy with dark hair was struggling against two men who were dragging him into the middle. The boy was thrown to the floor and gasped as he landed hard on his side.

The boy raised his head and his eyes met Draco's. His breath caught at the sight. The boy was a Hogwarts student. Draco didn't know his name. He was a first year Hufflepuff, he thought. His blue eyes looked accusingly at Draco.

Draco felt his legs move of their own accord. He walked until he was standing with the boy at his feet. He plastered a sneer on his face. It was easy to draw the disgust forward. How could they kill a magical child.

Draco raised his wand.

"Do it Draco." Bellatrix hissed.

Draco took a deep breath and nodded. The fear in the boy's eyes was painful.

"Incendio." Draco cast as he spun and set the robes of many of the Death Eaters on fire.

Draco's hand shot down and grabbed the boy's arm.

"Run." Draco ordered, dragging the boy through the room.

"Confringo." Draco shouted, waving his wand at the door.

The wall exploded and rained fiery debris down around them.

Draco ran, dragging the boy through the house. They dodged spells being shot over their heads. He heard his mother scream and faltered for a moment before continuing on. He could do nothing for her now. He could only hope they could protect themselves. They were both powerful Wixen. Hopefully, they would fight back and be able to escape on their own.

"Bombardo." Draco shouted and the front entrance blew apart.

They stumbled down the front steps and onto the gravel walkway.

"Run." Draco repeated at the panicked boy.

Spells exploded around them, and Draco focused on the edge of the property. They had to make it out of the wards. His father had taught him the basics of apparating, though he had never attempted it. He would just have to hope it worked. There was no other way for them to get away.

The boy next to him let out a blood curdling scream and tripped, yanking Draco's arm in the process. Draco clutched the smaller hand in his as he saw the boy writhe on the ground. He knew he was being held under the Cruciatus.

Draco looked behind him and spotted someone laughing as they held their wand out towards them.

"Expelliarmus. Incarcerous." Draco shouted, with a couple quick flicks of his wand.

The man's wand flew into the bushes, and he collapsed as the ropes bound him.

Draco could see more people coming. The boy was shaking and sobbing. He looked towards the woods. He could make it, the boy couldn't though. There was no way he could even stand.

"Fuck." Draco cursed under his breath.

He holstered his wand and bent down scooping the boy into his arms.

The boy was heavy, and Draco quickly maneuvered him so that his legs were wrapped around his waist and his head was on his shoulder. He took off as fast as he could move with the awkward weight in his arms. The boy wasn't crying anymore. Draco suspected he had passed out from the pain.

Suddenly his side lit up in pain. He felt his ribs crunch and knew he'd been hit with a bone breaker. Draco faltered and swore as he forced himself to continue forward. They needed to get away, right now. A green jet of light shot over his head and Draco forced his legs to move faster. His vision blurred from the pain in his body. He stumbled slightly on a branch and quickly darted behind a tree. They weren't safe but he thought he had a second.

He took a few stumbling steps into the woods.

He sighed in relief, feeling the wash of magic as they made it past the wards.

He shifted the boy higher on his hips and turned to look back in the direction they had come from.

Suddenly a body pressed against his back. Just as Draco went to scream, a hand covered his mouth. A second later an arm wrapped around him and the boy. Draco thrashed for a moment before he felt the pull at his navel and the familiar squeezing sensation of apparition.

Draco fell to the ground with the boy still clutched to his chest. The ground under them was rough gravel but the smell was what caught his senses the most. The familiar smell of lake water and pine from the forbidden forest.

Draco raised his head and saw the gates of Hogwarts and the castle in the distance. He wanted to cry at the sight.

They had gotten out!

How? How was he here?

Gravel crunching to his left reminded him that he wasn't alone. Someone had taken them away.

Panic replaced the relief as he turned slowly. Black robes caught his eye, and he looked up to see the tall figure of his godfather standing over him. Concern etched deep in his face.

"Sev." Draco cried.

Draco released the boy and laid him gently on the ground. He pushed himself to standing and swayed unsteadily. His broken ribs throbbed painfully, and his recently marked arm burned. He went to take a step towards Severus and coughed. His hand came up to wipe his mouth. When he pulled it away, he saw his hand was covered in blood.

He looked pleadingly at Severus before his vision faded to black.