Hello everyone. I apologize for the long wait for the next chapter. Life has been just a bit hectic since my last update. Along with school I also ended up quiting one job and starting a new (hopefully better) job. But hopefully (fingers crossed) that everything is finally mostly sorted back out so I can get back to my normal update schedule.

I DO NOT OWN THE HARRY POTTER ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!

Thank you for your patience. I hope you enjoy and remember I always read every review and I do attempt to respond to all questions/comments.

Chapter 19

Yule Holiday Disasters

Harry was silent in the owlery of Malfoy Manor, managing to hide from his 'family' since he'd seemed to get up before everyone else. He sat up in one of the higher windows, his legs pulled close to his body as he rested his cheek against his knee. He absently ran his fingers along the back of Hedwig's neck as he stared out at the grounds. Everything was perfectly in place, meticulously cared for by the house elves and with magic. Everything about the manor made him feel out of place, constantly reminding him that he didn't belong in their extravagant life.

"Breakfast is ready if you would like to join us?" Narcissa suddenly questioned, catching his attention. The witch looked up at him with an unimpressed look on her face at his current location. He looked back at Hedwig for a moment before he looked back down at her, nodding. Narcissa crossed her arms, having to stop herself from flinching when he simply jumped down from the window like it was nothing.

"How did you know where I was?" he questioned as he walked beside her towards the family dining room. He'd learned during the first few days of the Yule break that they all ate breakfast together in a smaller dining hall, the main one only being used during fancy dinner parties or large gatherings.

"Believe it or not, when he isn't hiding in his office, Lucius comes to the Owlery to think when he's got a lot of things he needs to work out." Narcissa explained as they walked through the manor. Harry didn't bother trying to hide the surprised expression that crossed his face at the thought of someone like Lucius Malfoy spending any long periods of time around any animal that wasn't his precious peacocks. Harry didn't get a chance to response before they arrived at the dining room, his steps faltering when he stepped inside and spotted Severus once again sitting between Lucius and Draco. His potion's professor spared him his normal disgusted look before returning to his conversation. Draco frowned as he glanced between his godfather and brother, remaining silent as to not turn his godfather's frustration to him. Harry bit his tongue to refrain from making a hateful remark, sitting between Tonks and Remus. Both of them offered him a good morning. He barely acknowledged them as he took a small scoop of eggs and a couple slices of toast.

"Harry do you have any plans today? I was hoping you would be willing to help me in the gardens?" Narcissa questioned, watching her youngest with a concerned expression on her face.

"I have a few homework assignments I wanted to get started on but…those can wait until later this afternoon." Harry offered. He glanced at Severus for a brief moment when the potions master released a noise, clearly giving his unvocal opinion of him 'slacking off'. Narcissa spared her friend a look for a moment before looking back at her son, hoping he wouldn't change his mind on spending time outside of his bedroom.

"I…If you'll excuse me please. I should actually probably get that finished before I do anything else. I can meet you outside later once it's finished." he muttered, pushing away from the table. Tonks opened her mouth to object, stopping when Remus squeezed her hand to stop her from voicing her objection. She didn't miss the look on his face as he practically ran from the room. She glared at Severus for a moment before returning to her breakfast.

After breakfast she excused herself to go search for Harry, intending to talk to him about whether or not he wanted to spend the rest of the holiday at Malfoy Manor. It irritated her how much disrespect the Potions Master had showing her young cousin since they'd arrived at the manor after the Yule Ball, not failing to notice how little any of them had actually seen Harry since that first night.

"Izzy?" Tonks called, glancing around the empty hallway. A pop echoed through the hallway as the small house elf popped into view. She crossed her arms, wearing an annoyed expression on her face.

"Master Harry be in his rooms. Potion Master upset him again." Izzy stated. Tonks sighed, nodding before she turned to head in the direction of his room. She carefully knocked on the door, pushing it open just enough to glance around in search of him. Harry was lying across his bed, his arm thrown across Padfoot's back, seeming to hold the black dog close.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she questioned softly, walking over to the bed. Harry released a small groan, burying his face further into the pillows. Padfoot released a low whine, pushing his nose against the back of his godson's neck, attempting to gain his attention. Tonks sat on the edge of the bed, patting his ankle.

"Just ignore that old sod. He's always been annoyed at anything that breathes." She stated. Harry released a noise, shoving his head further under his pillows.

"Do you want to return to Potter Manor for Yule? Neither Remus nor I are going to blame you for wanting to leave after only a week of being here." She questioned. She was only met with silence, leaning back as she waited for an answer.

"I…I don't know. I don't know. I enjoy spending time with Narcissa...but…Draco has been avoiding me since the night we got here. And Lucius is always with Snape and Merlin knows he never has anything good to say around me." Harry finally mumbled, shifting his head enough to look at her. His green-silver eyes shined with tears as he looked at her. It always seemed to feel like he was constantly taking one step forward and two steps back.

"Personally Harry, I think going back to Potter Manor and just returning for the Yule Ball would be a good idea. Give you time away from the Tournament and the Malfoys to sort through everything over the last few months." Remus suggested, leaning against the doorway. He crossed his arms at the sight of his best friend's son curled up, looking so lost. He'd sworn when Harry was just a baby that he would protect him, and he'd done a pretty shot job of that in the last 14 years.

"Can I think about it? Right now I really just want to be left alone." He whispered, burying his head back underneath his pillows. Tonks simply nodded, patting his ankle again before following Remus from the room. Padfoot released a small whine as he laid his head back against Harry's back, watching the doorway.

Remus watched as Tonks walked in the direction of the gardens, figuring she was going to talk with Narcissa about Harry leaving. He took a deep breath before turning and heading for Lucius' office, figuring that's where he would find the Malfoy Lord.

Lucius sat at his desk, reading over letters from the Ministry. Severus sat in one of the chairs closest to the fireplace, reading one of his newest potions books, the normal sour look settled on his face. Both wizards glanced up when there was a knock on the door.

"Enter." Lucius called, raising an eyebrow when Remus opened the door and stepped inside.

"Is there something I can help you with, Mr. Lupin? I assumed after you and Miss Tonks excused yourselves from breakfast that you would be having lessons with Harry for most of the day." Lucius commented, turning his attention back to the paperwork in his hands. Remus couldn't help frowning at the clear disinterest for whatever he had to say.

"And why would you assume that? Severus is here, yet Draco isn't stuck in extra lessons. Why should Harry have to spend his break having them?" the werewolf questioned, clear irritation in his voice.

"The boy probably needs those lessons. Merlin knows he was horrible in my class." Severus snidely remarked without looking up from his books. Remus eyes flashed amber for a brief moment before he took a deep breath, calming the wolf that raged inside.

"Maybe because you never gave him the chance to succeed in your class Severus. Don't think I didn't hear all about how you treated him in your class while I was a professor there last year." He commented. Severus slammed his book shut, glaring at his old classmate. Lucius glanced at the godfather to his sons, not missing the furious gaze in his eyes.

"Harry has done nothing but push himself since leaving Hogwarts. He deserves a break just as much as Draco does." Remus added, returning the glare. He shook his head, turning back to Lucius.

"I didn't come in here to cause an argument. Severus has done plenty of that with Harry over the last week for all of us. I came to let you know we will be returning to Potter Manor for the rest of the Yule Holidays. If Harry wants to come to the Ball he will, however, we will not force him to attend." He firmly stated. Lucius quickly stood up, slamming his hand down on the desk.

"Now see here Lupin! You have no right taking my son!" He objected, his grey eyes seeming to dark as his magic flared for a brief moment.

"I don't have to have any rights. That decision is completely up to Harry as he is considered an emancipated adult, and you cannot force him to stay. Now I will take my leave and allow you to return to your work since clearly you're very busy." Remus stated before he turned and stalked out of the room without giving either of them a chance to respond. Lucius stood there with his mouth opened slightly, his thoughts reeling at the knowledge that once again he had managed to chase his youngest son away from his ancestorial home.

"Spoilt brat. Always has to cause some kind of problem, doesn't he?" Severus muttered in annoyance as he opened his book. Lucius glared at his best friend for a moment, opening his mouth to say something when Narcissa suddenly stormed into his office without knocking. He looked at his wife, heart breaking at the clear look of grief on her face. He correctly assumed that Nymphadora had spoken to her about Harry leaving the manor and not spending Yule with them.

"He is not a spoiled child! It would do you good to learn to keep your thoughts to yourself and to show your godson some kind of respect before I charm you silent!" she snapped, finally losing her temper. She held her wand tight in her hand as she glared between the two wizards, daring either of them to say something in objection. Both males wisely remained silent, neither wanting to turn her ire even further on them.

"I don't know what has caused such a rift in the short span of a week after everything was finally going so well but you both need to fix it! Before Harry leaves!" she snapped. She gave them both one final glare before leaving in search of her other child, intending to give him a piece of her mind as well. Lucius sighed as he sat back down in his seat, resting his head against his hand. The tapping on one of the windows caused irritation to flow through his thoughts for a moment before he raised his wand, flicking it to open the window. Severus watched as the solid black owl flew in, landing on Lucius desk without any mind of the papers scattered all over the service. It stood in silence, simply holding out it's leg, waiting for Lucius to relieve it of its letter.

"Thank you Titan. Does he require an immediate response?" Lord Malfoy sighed. When the owl simply took flight, leaving the manor, he released another deep breath.

"You knew the owl's name so I'm going to assume that is from one of the other lords?" Severus questioned, standing up from his chair to walk across the office to his desk.

"Actually it's from Marvolo. I sent him a letter asking a few questions." Lucius explained. He held the unopened letter from his own godfather, his thoughts chasing the memories of growing up, playing with the man that had been like a second father to him. It broke his heart that he'd lost time with him because of Dumbledore's actions, actions that had cost so much time with his son that he would never get back.

"Are you sure that is wise with Potter currently residing in the Manor? Merlin knows what kind of charms that letter could hold." Severus commented, glancing at his long time friend.

"Marvolo has always held the Godfather oath with the highest amount of respect, not unlike yourself with Draco. He wouldn't do anything that would harm me. Even if at this current time it's simply so there isn't any type of backlash from his magic." The older Slytherin explained. He used the gold snake letter opener to peel back the wax seal.

Severus sat in silence as he watched the Malfoy lord read the letter, his mind slipping to thinking about how he had been treating Harry. It did cause him a small amount of concern since he had not only considered Lily his friend, but once it had been discovered that Harry was in fact Hadrian that should have filled him with a small amount of joy, but instead it had filled him with fury. Narcissa's words echoed in his mind, causing him to wonder just why he had treated Harry so horribly. His mind wandered to the multiple meetings over the span of the new school year that the teachers had been having with Dumbledore over Harry's failure to attend Hogwarts than how he had handled the first task, thinking about how insistent the headmaster had been about having the young Gryffindor back under his control.

"It seems he is currently staying in the old house on the very edge of the Slytherin grounds with the groundskeeper that still resides that. He is hoping to have a new...body by the end of the school year for Hogwarts." Lucius stated, regaining his friend's attention. The blonde-haired wizard couldn't help the frown that crossed his features for a moment as he thought about the Triwizard Tournament that his youngest had been forced into, finding himself wondering for a brief moment if the Dark Lord had had anything to do with his entry. Unknown to him, similar thoughts were going through Severus' mind as he sat back in the chair.

"Has Dumbledore discovered anything else pertaining to how Harry was entered into the tournament? Have any of the remaining Death Eaters shown themselves around the castle?" Lucius questioned, folding the letter back up. He slipped it back into the crispy envelope before stashing it into one of the drawers on his desk that had been charmed to always appear empty to anyone that didn't have permission to open it.

"I haven't heard anything since the tournament started. But Dumbledore seems more worried about getting control of Harry than actually trying to find out how or who entered him into the tournament." Severus stated. Lucius simply nodded before he stood up, intending to speak with his youngest before he left the manor. The walk through the hallway was silent, the older wizard lost in his thoughts as he ventured towards his son's rooms. As he raised his hand to knock on the door, he faltered hearing a voice talking inside the room that sounded like Draco.

"You can't leave. This was supposed to be your first Yule with your family. You and Uncle Severus have never gotten along. Why are you letting it affect you so much now?" Draco questioned, standing in front of his twin. Harry gave him an unimpressed look as he laid on his bed, his trunk open on the floor beside him. He'd been attempting to pack everything before his family barged in, not wanting to have any further confrontations with them.

"Because it isn't just a matter of we don't get along Draco. Snape hates me because of who he thought my father was. That's not going to change just because we learned that James was just my adopted father. Snape has always had it in his mind that I'm just as bad as James was and he doesn't want to even take the chance to get to know who I am as me. So why should I stay in the same house as him if he's going to berate me for everything I do?" Harry questioned. Padfoot released a low whine at the depression that radiated from his godson. Harry stood up and slammed the trunk lid shut, attempting to slip around his brother. Draco reached out, roughly grabbing his arm to jerk him to a stop.

"Draco if you don't want to get punched again I would suggest you release my arm." Harry muttered, lowering his head to let his bangs fall in his eyes. Lucius chose that moment to step into the room, hoping to stop any form of fight to break out between his sons. Harry released a groan at the sight of his father, reaching up to jerk his fingers through his hair, pulling on it in frustration.

"Why can't you all just leave me alone? Why can't you just get that I don't want you in my life!" Harry suddenly yelled, his sudden anger managing to catch all of them off guard. His eyes flashed an odd red for a brief moment as his magic flared out. Draco jerked around at the sound of glass shattered echoed through the room.

"Harry? Harry we aren't going to hurt you. Just talk to us." Another voice suddenly said, recatching both Malfoys attentions. Sirius now stood in front of his godson, both of his hands resting on his shoulders in an attempt to ground him. Harry closed his eyes as tears dripped down his chin. He didn't understand the sudden anger that went through him, causing his magic to flare out.

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I am currently working on the next chapter and am actually aiming for having it posted before Thanksgiving.

"Somebody told me I'm a failure. I'll prove them wrong." ~ Naruto Uzumaki (Naruto)

Thank you all so much once again for your patience as I reorganize my crazy life.

As always stay safe, stay warm/cool and dream big

Until Next Chapter,

Snowbeam12