Draco rubbed absently at his arm, stomach twisting as he stared at the spot where Harry had left. It was gutting that he couldn't trust Draco, but not wholly unexpected. In the weeks since he had last seen Harry, Draco had naively hoped they could fall back into where they left off but recognised the position he'd put himself in after killing Dumbledore. He would have loved to have kissed Harry again, but after that encounter, Draco wasn't sure if it would ever happen.

"Draco, check the mark," Regulus said urgently.

He jolted, realising that he had started mindlessly rubbing at his left forearm because it did feel hotter than normal. He pulled back his sleeve back and cursed. The skull resting there was pitch black.

"You Liar!" Andromeda yelled and Draco hastily covered the mark again. Ted had been distracting her with an update on Hagrid and Draco hadn't been thinking. Something in her eyes changed that made her look more than ever like Bella as she accused, "You were trying to capture him weren't you?"

Deciding quickly he wouldn't be able to convince her otherwise, Draco ran for the front of the house as a stunner was fired at him. The sparks barely grazed his right arm, causing it to go numb, and he stumbled slightly but kept his feet. Ted Tonks yelled something else as Draco burst through the yard and past the wards. He dared a glance back, but blessedly they weren't trying to follow.

Not thinking too much, Draco apparated back to the manor. Others were still gathering on the grounds, and Draco was relieved that the Dark Lord hadn't called some time ago, catching Draco unaware because of his defunct mark.

"Draco," someone snapped. He turned to see his father peeling away from a group of Death Eaters. "Did you sneak away from your mother?"

"Yes," Draco said a little breathless as he fell into line next to his father. There was no point in lying. His father gave an approving nod and they entered the manor silently.

In their meeting room, the Dark Lord was already positioned at the head. Bella stood nearby with her hair frazzled and she was vibrating. Both looked furious. His mother was off to the side, wisely keeping her distance, but she ran forward when she saw him. She gave him a crushing hug that he returned with his good arm, hoping she didn't notice how little the other moved. The night still held a lot of uncertainty and he was already emotionally exhausted. He took the short-lived comfort when he could.

The Dark Lord's fury was icy, unlike the burning frenzy he'd shown last time Harry got away. Breathing too loud would snap whatever tension had formed in the room. Draco took his seat quietly along with his parents.

"Once again, Potter slips through my grasp and someone needs to take the blame," the Dark Lord said voice eerily calm. "Severus."

"My Lord," Snape rose out of his chair, but the Dark Lord interrupted his bow.

"Crucio." Unlike previous times using the curse, this wasn't passionate. The Dark Lord didn't screech or yell the curse, it was cold justice for failing to achieve an outcome. Draco only felt that more on edge for it. If the Dark Lord figured out where he had been, he'd be dead in seconds. There would be no mercy tonight.

The Dark Lord raised his wand. "You lied to me Severus, there were more people tonight than you said there would be."

"I told all that I knew," Snape said surprisingly composed.

"Crucio."

Draco stared pointedly at the table throughout all of it. At a brief pause, the Dark Lord said to Snape as he struggled to right himself. "Don't worry, Severus, I still see the value you have. I won't kill you."

He was true to his word. Severus was alive by the time it was over, but he wasn't doing well. He was shaking, smears of blood stained the floor where he had thrashed against it. Draco tried to convince himself that he was happy this was going on. Snape had been responsible for the close call Harry had tonight, but he couldn't help but remember when it had been him at the Dark Lord's feet. It was more brutal than Snape deserved.

When the Dark Lord finished he commanded that it was time to take down the ministry and he requested that several followers join him before leaving with a flourish. Bella, pissed at getting left behind, was yelling at Snape and firing off curses even though the Dark Lord had already served his punishment. His mother walked swiftly to her.

"Bella, stop," she said firmly grabbing her arm.

"He messed up, Cissy!"

"And he already received his due."

Bella pulled out of her grip and stormed off with an unintelligible shriek. His mother, in a surprising show of tenderness, knelt and whispered something to Snape.

"Leave him, Narcissa," His father ordered approaching.

"He is a guest in our house," she responded, still checking Snape over.

"The Dark Lord won't be pleased."

"He helped Draco," she said coldly and continued her efforts.

His father tensed. He hadn't been there to help when Draco had been at the Dark Lord's mercy. Instead of protesting further, he ushered the remaining people out of the manor. Draco subconsciously took a step forward.

"Severus, do you have any stores?" His mother asked.

"At my house," he gasped. His mother nodded helping get an arm under him.

"You shouldn't travel, I'll give you a room."

Snape didn't protest and that set of alarm bells in Draco's head. He has never seen Snape so compromised.

"I can go, mother."

"No, you need to stay here."

"I know what potions to grab." Or he hoped he did. He would just grab whatever Snape had given him before.

Snape swayed and gasped in pain, and that seemed to force her decision. "Fine, but be quick."

He went straight to the nearest fireplace and took the floo. He didn't know where Snape kept his stores, but he vaguely remembered what direction he went when he brought Draco to his house earlier that summer. Sure enough, there was a downstairs cellar containing what they were seeking.

Regulus whistled, "I knew he liked his potions, but not this much."

Draco had to agree. His stores were almost as large as the ones in the dungeons and it was extravagant for personal stores. It took him longer than he hoped, but he eventually found vials of Nerve Soother and Dreamless Sleep. Regulus spotted one with the label, "For Cruciartus" that Draco also nabbed.

When he returned upstairs, he paused before going to the fireplace looking longingly at the books. The last time he'd been here he hadn't gotten a chance to finish the one he started reading and he remembered that Regulus had pointed out several as rare.

"Might as well take some," Regulus said following Draco's gaze. "Figure it's only fair for helping him out." Draco wasn't going to argue that.

"Do you remember which were interesting?"

"Of course."

As Regulus pointed him towards which were useful, Draco scanned the books and found most were about dark magic. Regulus was focusing on the horcruxes.

"And where are the ones that will help you get out of the ring? He's bound to have some on runes."

Regulus sighed. "There isn't a point."

"There is."Draco stubbornly started looking through the shelves himself.

"You need to get back." Draco ignored him, Harry didn't trust him, and he wasn't going to give up on Regulus. He needed at least one of them. "Fine, on your left."

He returned to the manor to find his mother and Snape in a guest room. Snape was shivering, he offered the potions to his mother and refused to stay longer. It brought up too many bad memories from when he had been the one bedridden.

Finally having a moment to himself, he grabbed his parchment that was now tied to one in Harry's possession. A thrill shot through him as he realised the power he had. He said the secret phrase, but nothing appeared. That was fine. Harry was probably waiting for him to message first.

Harry, let me know that you have seen this. The ministry is going to fall. You need to get to a safe place where you can't be tracked. Somewhere off the floo network. Let me know that you are safe, please.

He wondered if the please was too much, but Harry knew how he hated it. Maybe it would make him take his words more seriously.

"You've done what you can, relax," Regulus said. Draco, despite his void of adrenaline compared to the previous hours, could not.

The next day there was no word from Harry and things at the manor only got worse. After the meeting, the Dark Lord had apparently taken the group of Death Eaters and kidnapped the wand maker, Ollivander, and decided he needed to be kept in the depths of the manor. Neither Draco nor his parents could protest any of it, but Regulus was worried about the precedent. The Dark Lord would bring whatever or whoever he wanted to their house.

Time passed and it only affirmed that Harry was an idiot. Draco checked the parchment multiple times a day, even multiple times per hour, and Harry never responded. It was looking like he never even looked at the parchment, because whenever Draco revealed what was written, it was just his own handwriting mocking him. Regulus insisted that he just had to wait a little, but Draco didn't have patience. He finally had a way to talk to Harry and he was being ignored. He had to keep trying, willing Harry to see.

THE MINISTRY IS GOING TO FALL! Get somewhere safe.

I know you don't think you can trust me, but look at this damned parchment, so I can save your bloody life, you don't even have to respond. Just look.

Please

You absolute twat, don't ignore me

He regretted that as soon as he wrote it knowing that wasn't going to gain him any trust, so he quickly amended it with -

Happy Birthday

Regulus found the messages amusing and kept repeating that Harry would come to his senses eventually. Draco doubted that Harry would live long enough to come to his senses.

Almost worse than that, between ensuring that the ministry would fall and his guest in the cellars, the Dark Lord was becoming an even more frequent presence at the manor. Draco debated taking off the rings because of the risk, but Regulus encouraged him to just have his hand poised to remove them at any moment if there was even an indication the Dark Lord might try to read his mind.

The day before the ministry was to be taken over, the Dark Lord took his father's wand. While Draco was unsure why the Dark Lord decided to kidnap Ollivander, Draco and Regulus knew there had to be a connection. When no one else had volunteered their wand, the Dark Lord had decided on his father's and there was nothing anyone could do about it. It was humiliating for their family, and Draco guiltily thought he was glad his father lost his wand and not him.

On the day the ministry finally fell into chaos, Draco sat with his parents at his mother's insistence, thinking he might try to sneak off again. His father was in a terrible mood knowing he was practically useless now without his wand and all of his efforts to get back into politics were thrown into chaos right alongside the rest of the ministry.

"This could be your chance, Draco," his father said suddenly and Draco looked at him. "Everything is changing, you can make a name for yourself."

"I've already proved myself."

His father shook his head. "You set high expectations on yourself. You have to be better than everyone else."

"I did the impossible," Draco said. What more could anyone want from him?

"And you can do it again. Think of what would happen if you bring Potter to the Dark Lord. You'd make this family untouchable."

"Lucius stop," his mother stepped in. Draco held his breath. His mother rarely challenged his father, but he was relieved that she had.

"Why? I have already lost my wand, my life could be next." He turned back to Draco. "You can save this family."

Draco stiffened. His father was earnest and hopeful. At this moment he truly believed in Draco, something he had been wanting from his father as long as he could remember. His father was weak right now and he needed Draco to stand up. He didn't know how to say no to that, it was ingrained in his core to please his father despite the recent developments.

His mother was looking at his father with so much fury it was almost threatening. He couldn't turn in Harry, but he could find another way to please his father and the Dark Lord.

"I'll make you proud."

His father smiled broadly as Regulus rubbed his face and sighed, "Oh, Draco."

He tried not to dwell on either reaction. He tried not to think about the pressure that was now on him from his father, or how Regulus's messy relationship with his father was a warning of what might come.

That night the Dark Lord held a meeting with only a chosen few in attendance. Yaxley reported on the ministry and the Dark Lord looked almost pleased with the progress.

"Any leads on where Potter could be?"

"We think Dolohav and Rowle had him." The Dark Lord listened intently as Mulciber described how they found the two injured and obliviated after following a lead. Harry and his friends had gotten away with no one knowing where they had gone. Draco repressed a smile.

"I am repetitively disappointed." He scanned the members in the room, red eyes falling on Draco. "Except for you. You managed to kill my greatest enemy."

Draco tilted his head downward, subservient, hoping to disappear. Any happiness he had about Harry escaping was gone instantly.

"And yet, you sit here doing nothing for me. I had high hopes." He trailed off spinning his father's wand. Draco wasn't sure what to say, so he stayed frozen.

"My Lord," his father began and Regulus cursed next to him. "Let Draco prove himself again. Give him the task to bring you Harry Potter."

The Dark Lord hummed, "Is that what you want, Draco?"

Draco's heart stopped, words caught in his throat. He couldn't betray Harry.

"Speak up." Draco couldn't. "Crucio."

It lasted only a second, but it made Draco's mind go blank again. He was lost to it. He couldn't breathe. He was going to die.

Regulus was yelling at him. "Say yes, just say that you want it! Draco, snap out of it, say yes."

He was slumped in his chair, and he scrambled against it, straightening his neck so he could get in a proper breath.

"Yes, I want to serve you," he gasped.

"You sound reluctant."

Draco's head stopped spinning as much and he forced himself to look at the Dark Lord.

"Let me bring you Harry Potter."

The Dark Lord smiled and his red eyes gleamed. "Very well, bring me Harry Potter and you will be my right hand. Failure to do so and I will halt the Malfoy family line entirely."

From the corner of his vision, he saw his parents tense. He pushed everything out of his mind and focused only on saying what would prevent another curse from getting fired at him. "Of course, My Lord. I will not let you down."

Draco was in a daze the next day and Regulus seemed to know. He spoke softly and distracted Draco with the books he had stolen from Snape.

Midday, he looked at the parchment, expecting to find his angry notes to Harry, but instead, there was just a simple line.

I guess you really did mean what you said about trying to help me. How did you know the ministry was going to fall?

Draco could've cried the scribbles. Regulus looked relieved too.

Are you safe? I didn't know if you had seen my warnings in time. I heard Dolohov and Rowle found you. The Dark Lord has been planning this for months, the night he failed to get you as you escaped from your aunt and uncle he gave the final order. It was only a matter of days before everything happened.

He waited. It took almost an hour for a response to form, but now they were both in front of the parchments they flowed quickly.

Yes, I am safe. Hermione, Ron and I all escaped. I didn't see your warnings. I figured you might be trying to trick me, so I didn't look.

I wasn't trying to fool you.

I know that now

Do you trust me now?

Honestly? No. You killed Dumbledore. I can't forgive that.
But if you answer my questions, I'll keep responding against my better judgment.

Draco swallowed. There was no way Harry was ready to hear that he was a horcrux or that Draco's life was on the line if he failed to give him to the Dark Lord.

Deal.

What is Ravenclaw's horcrux?

It's Rowena Ravenclaw's lost diadem. It's at Hogwarts.

Where at Hogwarts?

The Room of Requirement.

Are you telling me that I spent the better part of the year right next to it and didn't know?

Yes

Where is the locket Regulus found?

Kreacher has it.

Why did you take off the rings the night you killed Dumbledore?

I wanted to. The Felix Felisis made me think it was the right thing.

You drank the Felix Felisis? The outcome was horrible that night.

I got out alive and you were safe.

Draco parroted the response he'd been repeating in his brain hoping Harry wouldn't question it further. It took longer for him to write again.

Why didn't you tell me about Regulus and my father?

Draco choked. It hadn't been what he'd expected. He didn't even know how Harry had figured it out.

I figured you didn't want to know.

It was my father. You and Regulus had no right to keep that from me.

I'm sorry, it was a secret. Regulus didn't tell me for over a year.

Did my father ever wear Regulus's ring?

I don't think so. Why?

Lupin recognised it when you were wearing it. He said my father wore the ring constantly. He thinks you stole it from me.

That made no sense. Regulus had always had possession of the ring.

"Did James Potter ever have your ring?" Draco asked out loud before responding to Harry.

Regulus frowned. "No, why?"

"Harry says that Lupin said that James always wore this ring."

Regulus's face went white. "What do you mean he always wore it?"

"I don't know." Draco was about to respond to Harry, but Regulus looked almost scared, and it freaked him out. "Why do you look like that?"

Regulus opened and closed his mouth. Draco continued, "There wasn't a second ring was there?"

Regulus's wide-eyed silence was answer enough. Draco vaguely remembered Regulus talking about how he had made a ring for James when they broke up, but he assumed it was some gushy 'remember me' ring, not a powerful, 'I love you so much I am not going to let you die ring'. Regulus should have told him if that was the case.

"Did you make James the same damn ring that he made you?"

A beat. "Yes."

"Why the fuck wouldn't you tell me that? Oh, Merlin's beard, that's the only reason you knew so much about the ring, isn't it? You made one!"

Regulus was recovering himself. "Calm down, it doesn't matter. That's why I didn't tell you."

"What are you talking about? Of course, it bloody matters."

"It doesn't."

Draco stared dumbfounded. Was Regulus this oblivious? "His soul could be in that ring."

"It's not," Regulus said. "He probably wasn't wearing the ring when he died. And even if he was, who's to say that it would work against the killing curse? It's darker magic than what killed me. And I fumbled my way through making it. It probably never worked."

Draco could hardly believe what he was hearing. "Are you serious? You don't want him back?"

"Of course I do, but it's complicated."

Why was he so resistant? If James's soul was hanging around somewhere, it was the key to getting Regulus in his body again.

"I thought you loved each other."

"It was never meant to work out. We ended things. We gave up on each other."

"Well, I haven't given up on you."

And Draco ripped Regulus's ring off his finger.