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slytherin--king-blog · 8 years ago

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Lucius’ Letter (Scar Tissue - Chapter 25)

Summary: (AU) A few years ago, Draco’s life changed for the worst. Still, he could live with it, he could adapt. But when another werewolf comes in Hogwarts to teach the students, it starts to get dangerous.

Their absences and behavior towards each other raise some eyebrows and Draco is afraid that a curious mind might even end up seeing right through him.

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6 - Part 7 - Part 8 - Part 9 - Part 10 - Part 11 - Part 12 - Part 13 - Part 14 - Part 15 - Part 16 - Part 17 - Part 18 - Part 19 - Part 20 - Part 21 - Part 22 - Part 23 - Part 24 | playlist | FF.net | AO3

Pairing: Draco MalfoyxHermione Granger, Lucius MalfoyxNarcissa Black Malfoy

Characters: (it’ll be updated every time a new character appears) Werewolf!Draco Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa Malfoy, Dobby, unknown werewolf, the man Lucius is meeting (so much information wow), Severus Snape, Remus Lupin, Minerva McGonagall, Hermione Granger, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Albus Dumbeldore, Rubeus Hagrid (mentioned), Pansy Parkinson, Buckbeak (mentioned), Madam Pince, Gregory Goyle (mentioned), Vincent Crabbe (mentioned), Neville Longbottom (mentioned), Madam Pomfrey (mentioned), Dolores Umbridge (mentioned), Fred and George Weasley (mentioned), Sirius Black (mentioned), Luna Lovegood, Sybill Trelawney (mentioned), Ginny Weasley,Percy Weasley, Cornelius Fudge, Alastor Moody (mentioned), Blaise Zabini (mentioned), Theodore Nott, Peter Pettigrew (mentioned), James Potter (mentioned), Andromeda Tonks (mentioned), Regulus Black (mentioned), Cygnus Black III (mentioned), Walburga Black (mentioned), Bellatrix Lestrange (mentioned), Rodolphus Lestrange (mentioned), Ted Tonks (mentioned), Druella Black (mentioned), Abraxas Malfoy (mentionned), Abraxas’ wife (mentioned), Gilderoy Lockhart (mentioned), Viktor Krum, Fleur Delacour (mentioned), Karkaroff (mentioned), Cedric Diggory (mentioned), Cho Chang (mentioned), Barty Crouch (mentioned).

Word Count: 11,492

Warnings:

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

A/N: Shit's getting serious and this whole very important conversation (you'll see) will have some impact on what will happen in OotP.

The Werewolves Squad: @prayfordream @carry-on-you-wayward-winchesters @shit-happens-bitchachos @oceanblue-and-forestgreen @chelsea072498 @dracosmanor @lauralikenoone @mad–chill @wolfstar0scorbus @browntown630 @newtismyspiritanimal @havingmusicismylifeandworld @dreymain @sonyamd34 @teamfreewill-girl @hearted-words @hei924 @broitswinchester @sarahkate1116 @directionerpjab @criticalstardust @06132001pg @claclm @somethingabouttheway @yandere-rat @morettigrg @grangermalfoylovechild @woundedtoaster

"Have you seen Harry?" Hermione asked Draco as she hurried towards him. She had been looking for Harry all morning, not knowing he was fast asleep in the library. "The task will begin soon," she said, worried.

"Why would I know where he is when even you don't?" Draco asked as he frowned, opening his eyes to look at Hermione. He was lying on a bench in an almost empty corridor, Pansy sitting next to his head with Theo. Hermione had come in a hurry for the third time.

"I don't understand, I don't even know if he found a way to do the task!" She exclaimed. Pansy and Theo were looking at them, they had no clue what the task was about. Draco had had his fun, telling them he knew exactly what it was, but not wanting to reveal the secret to them. He had let Hermione help Potter as much as she could, he had even tried to find something one day in the library when Hermione had been harassing him to give her some help instead of making out. But that day, he wasn't very excited about the task. He was too sleepy, exhausted by the cycle that was approaching. He wasn't in such a good mood, Hermione had woken him up two times already and his head was hurting. His senses were heightened and he would have given anything to be somewhere else. In the hospital, in a comfortable bed, or in the Shrieking Shack, even. Did it matter if it was cold there? He just wanted to be in a silent place. He straightened up on the bench as he let out a loud yawn and Hermione sat between Draco and Pansy, passing her hands on her face.

"Stop worrying so much, he's going to fail, so what?" Draco asked. Hermione frowned as she looked at him and, behind her, Draco noticed Pansy shaking her head to tell him to shut up. He looked at Hermione and gave her a little smile. "I mean... He's going to be fine..." Again, he tried to smile and Hermione shook her head.

"We've got to head to the lake, it's too late... I can't even find Ron," she said as she stood up.

"I thought he was avoiding you?" Pansy asked.

Hermione and her weren't talking a lot, it was still very awkward between them. But it was happening, sometimes. Hermione had to say, Theo was more pleasant with her. She could understand Pansy, in a way. She had noticed that her girl friends weren't staying with her anymore, that they were talking behind her back. Draco had noticed too, he had told Hermione. He had told how Pansy had snapped at him once when he had mentioned them. And still, apparently, Pansy was making some efforts to be... something else than mean with Hermione. They had had a few small talks but that was about it.

"He does," Hermione mumbled as the others stood up too and Draco grabbed her hand, starting to walk without really listening. "But I thought that he would be with Harry. The thing is, I asked Ginny and she doesn't have a clue where either of them are."

"Maybe they've worked something out, maybe that's why they're nowhere to be found," Theo said, hands in his pockets.

"Maybe..." Hermione said, still not reassured. She glanced at Draco, who seemed to be very grumpy that day.

"They're probably there already, stop worrying," she heard him say and she just tightened her grip on his hand, not saying anything else.

Potter hadn't turned up yet, great. Everyone was talking about it, whispering, wondering if he had been too afraid to show up. Hermione was sitting in front of Draco, next to Ginny, and he was more or less certain that they were talking about it too. If only the people around would shut up, he would be able to focus on what the two girls were saying.

"Come on, get that expression off your face, Draco," Pansy said as she elbowed him. His gaze slowly drifted towards her. "You should have stayed in your bed if it was to be so moody."

"Didn't want to miss Potter drowning," he said as he shrugged. "And he's not even there for his own death... Quite annoying, really..." He said as he slipped his hands in his pockets. In one of them, his fingers grabbed the piece of parchment he had folded and he gritted his teeth. Something was off.

A few days before the task, he had read a letter from his father saying that things were about to change, that something was going to happen, that it was burning again. Draco didn't like the sound of it. He hated it. He wasn't just in a bad mood because of the cycle, it was actually mainly because of this letter. He felt the urge of reading it again but knew better and he just waited for the task to begin.

Potter showed up just before the beginning of the task, panting and alone. The Weasel wasn't with him and he wasn't with the other students either... Was it weird? Draco didn't know because he didn't really care.

Harry had just removed his shoes and his socks when he started to walk in the lake. Draco grimaced. The water was probably extremely cold. Then, Harry just stopped. What the hell was he doing? Draco glanced at Pansy and exchanged a little smile with her without being able to help it. Maybe he really hadn't found a way to complete the task, maybe he didn't know what to do. Actually, a big part of the crowd was laughing. When Draco looked at Hermione, she just looked very worried for him. Next thing they all knew, Harry was under the water and didn't seem to come back at the surface. They had no clue how he had done it.

This task was a bit less exciting for the crowd, they couldn't see anything that was going on. They only saw Cedric coming out of the water with Cho Chang after quite some time and after Fleur had failed. And then, it was Krum's turn with his own hostage. Draco tapped Hermione's shoulder to get her attention. She was still looking worried. Draco leaned, still looking at the lake.

"So what, is Weasley down there?"

"I think so..." She said as she crossed her arms, staring at Draco's face. He wasn't looking at her but at the water, he was looking annoyed and she didn't exactly know why. She figured it was just because of the cycle. "I'm mainly worried for Harry, I don't think Ron is in any danger."

The time limit was passed when Harry got out of the water with not only Ron, but also a little girl. And just after, at least twenty merpeople showed up around them and accompanied them as Harry, Ron and the girl swam slowly to get out of the lake. Soon, Hermione was hurrying towards her friend to make sure he was ok and Draco waited for her with Pansy and Theo. Ginny didn't come back with Hermione, not that Draco exactly cared. He had talked to her a few times but their relationship was the same as Hermione and Pansy's.

That evening, he left the common room to go to Snape's office in order to take his potion. He approached the cauldron as Snape filled the cup before he gave it to Draco. The student drank the disgusting potion, glancing at his godfather. Snape was staring but not saying anything. Actually, he wasn't talking a lot with Draco lately. Draco had figured that Snape knew he had to be careful because of everything that had happened, that Draco didn't exactly want to talk a lot with him.

Sometimes, when Draco was feeling helpless, he was feeling the urge to run to Snape's office to talk to him, talk about the way he was feeling, share things with him. And then, he was always remembering the burn of this betrayal and he was keeping everything for himself again. And Snape could understand. So, he was letting Draco come back to him the way he was the more comfortable with; slowly. Because that day in his office, after Draco had been turned into a ferret, the boy had talked a lot for the first time since their argument. And then, nothing. He had decided to back out again. He had always been quite indecisive.

And because Snape knew it, he wasn't talking to Draco about his relationship with Hermione, it didn't matter how curious he was. He couldn't make Draco upset again. That's why he was surprised when Draco opened his mouth.

"Why aren't you telling me anything about Granger? Is it because you don't want to upset me again?" He asked quietly as he handed Snape the cup back. After all, it had been two months since the ball. His teacher didn't stop to look at him, not even when he took the cup between his hands. He decided to be upfront.

"Would it upset you if I was talking about it?"

"No." There was a moment of silence before Draco walked away from Snape. He sat in front of the desk before he stared at the seat on the other side of it. Then, he glanced at his godfather. Their eyes met during a few seconds before Snape finally moved to sit in front of Draco. "Do you think it's a mistake?"

"And you, do you think it is?" Snape asked, still not answering Draco's question. Before saying anything, he wanted Draco's opinion on the subject.

"No. Of course I don't. It's been a long time since I... I've felt this good. Since I've not been afraid of being... myself with somebody else. How could it be a mistake?" Draco asked, not looking at Snape anymore. It was hard to talk to him again, to open up. So hard. He didn't want to be hurt again. Not as much as he had been the year before. He wouldn't be able to handle the pain once more. But was he still feeling the same way for his godfather?

After all, hadn't Snape's mistake changed the way he was seeing their relationship? Was Snape still so important to him?

Yes, he was. That was killing Draco. He had been extremely hurt and if the feeling wasn't going away, it was because he was still too attached. He couldn't change that, even if he wanted to.

Snape stared at Draco. He had noticed some changes in Draco's attitude, of course. Even more since he had chosen to show everyone who he was dating. Snape could understand. He could understand how easy it was, how tricky it was, to fall for someone like Hermione, for a Muggle-born. But he would have never imagined a Malfoy falling for someone like her. Even Draco, even as a werewolf, it wasn't something he could have thought about before. Especially with Hermione Granger.

Snape looked away and Draco leaned on his seat, noticing something in his godfather's expression. He couldn't tell what it was, he had never seen that. Still, after a moment, Snape got out of his reverie.

"I don't believe..." He began before he finally met Draco's eyes again. "Letting people know was wise. Despite Minerva's faith in your relationship and your change of behavior, I don't believe all your classmates are thinking the way she does either." Draco frowned.

"I don't care about them. I don't need them to be fine with what I do." Snape considered Draco for a moment.

"Still, keeping all of this secret would have made everything much more simple."

"Since when life's simple? When has mine ever been?" Draco asked directly, like he had been ready to hear something like that.

"Your relationship and your affliction are two different things, Draco."

"Not so much, when you think about it." They were both bringing him hate. If he had revealed he was a werewolf, it would have been even worse than his relationship with Hermione. At least, now, he knew who his real friends were, even if it hadn't been such a surprise. And he was able to stay in the school, it wasn't like he was hated by everyone. A few students were even surprised but pleased by this change. Because it was showing that everyone could make mistakes, that everyone could realize how bad their behavior had been. And that some other people could forgive. Of course, they had no idea about his condition, but it was making it better, in a way. They were really thinking that even a Malfoy had been able to change. He liked to think it was giving hope to some people. As weird as it was, he liked to think that. To think that he hadn't totally screwed up everything in his life.

After another minute of pure silence, Snape looked at his desk as he opened one of the drawers, taking something from it. He let the burnt notebook fall on the desk, right between him and Draco.

"Do not tell me your life is better since the ball." Draco tried not to look away but he had to clench his jaw and take a deep breath before being able to answer.

"It's not as bad as it would have been if they knew the whole truth about me."

"It's not because a situation is better than another that it is good for you," Snape said calmly. He wasn't reproaching anything to Draco, he wasn't saying anything about his relationship. He was only worried for him. Theodore had brought this notebook to Snape himself and had asked if it was possible for Snape not to tell he had been the one bringing it into the office. He was afraid it would upset Draco and Snape was pretty sure it would. He could see that Draco had tried to repair the damages without much success. He wouldn't be able to.

"You know what would have made the situation better? Still having Lupin here. But we all have to make decisions, right?" Draco said rather calmly, with an ironic smile, before he glanced at the notebook, clenching his jaw again. "Why don't you just, for once, let it go? Why not be happy for me? Because Granger's sure making me happy. I don't believe you ever did."

Draco knew where to aim in order to hurt. He knew it way too well. Snape turned his head, looking away. Draco looked down. That had been harsh but at least, he had told him something hurting him. Something that would hurt him for just a short minute. While the wound created by Lupin's departure was still burning like Hell for Draco.

"You wanted my opinion, Draco. I didn't say you should put an end to this relationship. I didn't say she was or would make you unhappy. I just said that your actions have consequences."

"I can take it. It's nothing compared to what happened in the past. It's nothing compared to the way she makes me feel. It makes everything easy. It makes everything worth it. It makes me forget... everything."

Snape looked at Draco again. His student was looking in his direction but was clearly deep in his own thoughts, thinking about Hermione turning to face him, smiling. About her laughing at his silly jokes.

"She makes me feel human," He finally whispered, now really looking at Snape again. "I know it probably sounds stupid. I know. You don't need to tell me. But... It's been quite some time since I've felt this way."

Finally, after another moment of silence, Draco stood up, a bit embarrassed by what he had just said. He took the notebook from the desk, looking at it for a moment. He finally turned around and walked towards the door. Right before he opened it, he heard Snape again.

"I do not think it is stupid."

Draco didn't look at him again, he opened the door and walked out of the office, holding the notebook tightly between his fingers.

The next day, Hermione thought about talking to Draco more seriously. The main reason was what had happened during the potion lesson the same day. Karkaroff had burst in the classroom and Harry had heard a very interesting conversation between him and Snape at the end of the lesson. The others hadn't noticed, Hermione was at Pansy's table and Ron had to sit with someone else while Harry was right in front of Snape's desk and the two men had waited for the students to leave before talking. Harry had found a way to stay in the classroom, hidden and of course, he had told his friends right away about the conversation, even though he had to do it separately. He had tried to talk to both of them at the same time but they hadn't wanted to.

For a split second, Harry had thought Ron had been about to say yes, he even looked like he was about to smile when he thought about talking to Hermione. But he said no. He was too stubborn, of course. Even though he had seen Hermione and Draco together, even though he knew that it was real, that they seemed to be happy. They were always smiling around each other, close when talking, holding hands, laughing together.

Except lately, Draco seemed to be a bit gloomy. Harry thought it was because of the cycle, like Hermione had thought in the beginning. After all, she was still spending her time with him, they were clearly not arguing. But he just seemed in a worse mood than usual. And Hermione wasn't sure about the reason of this anymore.

She had seen him with this letter, she knew he was taking it everywhere with him, she had seen him read it more than once. There was something more than the moon. And Hermione couldn't help but think that it might be connected to what was going on with Snape and Karkaroff.

"Can I talk to you?" Hermione asked. She had been waiting from Draco to come out of the dungeons, sitting on the stairs. He hadn't shown up at lunch and she hadn't understood. Draco blinked. She sounded serious, she wasn't smiling at him. Why would she? He hadn't been smiling either lately. He had been a pain in the ass, actually. But still, she took his hand and he relaxed a little as he nodded. He followed her outside of the castle and they just walked for a moment. Draco had his free hand in his pocket, the other still holding Hermione's.

"Are you going to dump me?" He asked after a long minute of silence and hesitation.

"What?" Hermione asked as she stopped abruptly, almost laughing.

"Nothing," Draco said quietly, embarrassed, and he looked away.

"I'm not, Draco, why would I do that?" Draco shrugged, still looking away.

"Because I've been an ass, lately."

"So?" Hermione asked, not denying. Draco shrugged again, carefully avoiding her eyes. "Draco!" Hermione laughed, putting her free hand on his arm. "You don't break up with someone because they're in a bad mood! If it was working like that, I think I would have left you some time ago." Draco frowned a little, looking down before finally meeting her eyes.

"So we're good?"

"We're good, I promise," she said, her grip on his arm tightening a little. Draco took a deep breath before he gave her a little smile. It had been quite some time since the last time she had seen even the shadow of a smile on his face. It made her grin. "It happens. And that's what I want to talk to you about. If something's wrong, you can tell me, but you knew that already, right? I just don't want you to keep it to yourself if it makes you feel bad. And if it makes you act this way with me and your friends afterwards." Draco looked away again.

"Pansy told you..."

"Yes, she did. She's worried about you and so am I." After all, Draco was rarely snapping at Pansy just because she was sitting next to him. He was too anxious, he couldn't control his emotions anymore.

"I can't..." He almost whispered.

"You don't want to talk about it, it's different," Hermione said, tilting her head and smiling a little to show him that it was fine, that she wasn't upset or anything. She was annoyed, but not angry. He briefly met her eyes before turning his head, looking at the castle.

"I kind of want to... I just know better."

"Are you sure?" Hermione asked. Draco shrugged again. That was helping. "Look. I'm going to be honest, alright? I know what it's about." Draco quickly looked at her again, frowning a little. "I thought about it and I came to the conclusion that... It's about your father, isn't it?"

Draco clenched his jaw but this time, he kept staring right at her. Hermione took a deep breath before she let her fingers go down Draco's arm. She softly gripped his wrist and got his hand out of his pocket. His fingers were clenched around a piece of parchment and by the look of it, it seemed like he had been doing this a lot. The parchment was damaged, a bit ripped and folded. Draco didn't open his fist, he just kept looking at Hermione.

"What did he tell you, Draco? To make you act this way, something must have happened..."

"Something will. Probably."

They stayed silent for a moment, still staring at each other.

"Draco, I need to know... Is it about You-Know-Who?" She asked quietly. Draco gritted his teeth and buried his hand in his pocket again, looking away. She had come to this conclusion knowing that Karkaroff and Snape were close to Lucius Malfoy. And Lucius was a Death Eater. And after all, they were sure that if Harry was a part of the Tournament, it was probably because someone wanted to kill him. They were sure You-Know-Who was trying to come back again.

"I don't know, alright? He's just saying something's not right!" He snapped. Hermione let go of his other hand and Draco glanced at her. He closed his eyes for a second, taking a deep breath. "Look, I'm sorry, I just... It's... I didn't mean to snap at you, I-I really don't know. He doesn't know either and I don't believe he's exactly trying to find out."

Hermione frowned a little.

"What do you mean?"

"We're doing good, Hermione, don't you see? We're doing so good since he's gone," Draco said, meeting her eyes again. "If he had to... come back..." He said lower, visibly disturbed by the thought. "You don't even imagine what would happen..."

"But Draco, talk to me about it!" Hermione said. "I need to know, Harry has the right to know if-"

"What I'm saying here is not concerning Potter because I don't know what's going on, you need to believe me!" Draco said. They looked at each other for a second before Hermione whispered.

"I believe you, I really do... But I'm worried for you..." Draco took a deep breath and looked around.

"Tomorrow... I... I have to go to the Shrieking Shack..."

"I know."

"Come with me."

"What?" Hermione asked, surprised.

"No-! No, I mean... Before. Way before. With Potter if you must, he's probably going to want to hear this... The Weasel is more than welcome to stay here. Use that bloody cloak you guys had last year, no one will see you. You can use it, right?" Hermione was still taken aback, she didn't know what to say. She opened her mouth for a moment before closing it. She took a deep breath.

"I-I guess, yeah. Are you sure about this?"

"I think... I don't know. But... It's important, you're right. And no one can hear us, no one. So..."

"When exactly are you going there?" Hermione asked more quietly. Draco looked away, visibly disturbed.

"I have to take my Potion and... Snape will walk me there. He'll do it after the last class, I believe. I'll stay in my dorm during the day."

"Alright. We'll come after the last class, then. If we want to get back in time for the feast, it's better. Or they will notice we're not there..."

Draco was still looking at everything but Hermione and they heard the bell ring.

"We need to go, come," she said as she took his hand again, giving him a reassuring smile. As she was starting to walk, Draco pulled her towards him again, surprising her a little.

"You'll be careful, alright? If you think... It'll be too late, you do not come. Promise me you won't take any risk." He said as he finally met her eyes. She stared at him for a few seconds, still taken aback, before she finally talked quietly.

"I promise, Draco. Don't worry, it's going to be fine."

So, the next day, at the end of the very last class, Hermione was waiting for Harry in the common room. She was a bit surprised when she saw him come from the dorms with Ron. She stood up from the armchair, glancing at the redhead. She shook her head. They couldn't just talk about it in front of everyone. She quickly walked towards the portrait hole and waited for them to be in the hallway.

"Hermione, I asked him to come with us," Harry said directly. Ron hid his hands deep in his pockets as he glanced at Hermione too.

"I didn't ask him to come. He has nothing to do with this," she said, staring now at Harry. Ron felt even more embarrassed, hearing them talk like he wasn't even there. "Believe it or not, Draco is not going to want him there."

"Hermione, I'm the one who asked to come," Ron said as he took a step forwards. Hermione turned suddenly and Ron stopped, looking away.

"You're not coming," she said coldly before looking at Harry. "And if you insist for him to come, you don't either. I'll go alone."

"I'm sorry, Hermione," Ron said more quietly.

"Sorry, I didn't catch that," she said, crossing her arms, still looking at Harry. "So. Harry?"

"I have the cloak, Hermione, how do you want to go there by yourself without being seen?" Harry asked. He had thought about the whole thing, hadn't he? As soon as she had told him about the meeting, he had planned it, she was sure of it. She narrowed her eyes.

Oh, Harry knew she could do whatever she wanted to him and leave alone with the cloak. But he also knew her friend. He knew she wouldn't. At least, he was hoping she wouldn't.

"I don't need him to be upset. And even less if he's getting angry at me," Hermione added, still staring at Harry.

"I'll leave if he doesn't want me there," Ron said quietly. Finally, Hermione turned to face him.

"Then why would you come at all? Sounds a bit useless, doesn't it?"

"Hermione," Harry said. "He has the right to know what's going on, it's always been like this!" He said.

"You can tell him everything after, then! He doesn't need to come."

"Hermione, we're losing time," Harry said, showing her the cloak. She clenched her jaw.

"It's fine, I'll stay here," Ron said as he crossed his arms, visibly embarrassed. Hermione didn't know why she somehow felt bad for him. He didn't deserve for her to feel this way. She just narrowed her eyes when he glanced at her again and he turned his head, looking at the portraits on the wall.

"No, you're not going to stay here," Harry said. He smiled at Hermione. "Come on, and I'll let you come with us at Hogsmeade to talk to Snuffles next week. Like that, I'm not going to have to tell you everything later either," he said. Hermione glared at him. Yes, he had planned everything. She shook her head.

"Fine. He's coming. I don't have any more time to waste arguing about this." She crossed her arms, looking at Ron again. "If he throws you out the window, I'm not going to care. I might even help him," she added before she turned around, starting to walk quickly down the stairs. Harry and Ron exchanged a look. Harry ended up smiling and they both quickly joined Hermione. They all stayed silent, though. It was actually very awkward. They put the cloak above them in a deserted hallway and once in the Entrance Hall, they saw Snape walking towards the dungeons.

"He's going to give him his Potion, I think," Hermione said, more to Harry than to Ron and not sure if Draco had already left the dungeons to go to the Shrieking Shack. She was pretty certain he hadn't, though. Snape was coming from the Great Hall, not from outside, and she knew he was walking Draco to the tree. They would probably be there a few minutes before him.

They left the castle and walked towards the Whomping Willow, checking that no one was around before Hermione removed the cloak from herself, taking care of the knot. She was careful to put the long stick where it had been placed before or Snape would probably notice it had been moved. Then, one after the other, every time checking they were not visible, they went in the passage. They started to walk in silence, Hermione in front of the boys, still mad at them.

"It seems even smaller than last year," Ron said, looking around him. It was dark and they were very careful not to trip.

"Probably because last time we had to carry you," Harry said with a little laugh. He was in a good mood. Not only because they were maybe to have more information on the whole situation but because his friends might start talking to each other again. Well, obviously, it wasn't going to happen so easily, Hermione was way too angry at Ron. But after a short talk with his best friend to know if he wanted to come in the Shrieking Shack with them, he had been able to make Ron say what he was thinking. Of course he was missing Hermione. It wasn't surprising Harry.

"Probably because you both grew up during the holidays," Hermione said shortly, still walking ahead. Harry and Ron stopped talking, looking at her. Ron was feeling bad again and wondered if it was too late to turn around. Probably. He would run into Draco if he was doing that. And he wouldn't have the cloak. There was no going back.

They finally walked in the Shrieking Shack after quite some time. If the size of the passage had seemed smaller for Ron, the time they took to walk all the way to the house had seemed to be way longer. The fact that Hermione was so cold with them was probably making the time slower for both the boys. They climbed the stairs to walk in the room they had all been in the year before. It hadn't changed much. A few things were either more damaged, or just not at the same place as before. It was weird. Hermione looked around. It was cold, too. She glanced at the broken glass of the window and pursed her lips. She didn't like to imagine that Draco was staying there during the cycles.

She had stopped near the door of the room and Harry and Ron walked in, looking around too. Ron approached the mattress, looking at what was next to it. A chocolate bar wrapper, a little rock with some colors on it, from what he could tell it was a night sky with a moon, there were letters, some Knuts and Sickles, a S.P.E.W badge, a Potter Stinks badge, a damaged shirt with some stains on it... He looked at the dirty mattress itself and saw the old cover on it, some traces of blood, not only there but on the floor too. And he knew that some of it was his own, actually. When he looked up again, he saw Hermione's eyes on him. He took a step towards her.

"Hermione, listen, I-"

"I'm not sure I want to hear it, Ron," she said.

"But I want to apologize," he said more quietly. He wasn't planning on saying anything bad, this time.

"I know, and that's the problem." Ron and Harry exchanged a glance again as Hermione finally walked in the room, crossing her arms again. "You can't just say all those things to me and say sorry months after. What do you think I'm going to do, give you a hug?" She asked, looking away. Ron did too. He couldn't understand. After everything Draco had told her, she had started to go out with him. Couldn't she understand that he could regret his actions as well?

He knew she was probably understanding. She knew how he was acting.

"I've wanted to talk to you again for so long, I just..."

"Can't face that you were wrong? That I was right?"

"You're always right," she heard Harry say from his side of the room. Hermione shook her head in disbelief and rolled her eyes, staring at Ron again.

"How was I supposed to react, Hermione?" Ron asked. Hermione had known that he was going to react like that, of course. She had known way before it had happened. And she had told herself that it was fine, because she knew. But it had never been fine. It had still hurt her very badly.

"All I know is that he still hasn't dumped me. That he still doesn't talk to me about Harry. That in fact, he even said Harry could come tonight to talk about the situation because he knows how important it is. That every thing you said was wrong because you don't know anything about what's going on."

"You're right, I don't. I don't know anything. But I want to. I realized that I want to. That I miss sharing things with you, and that I miss having you sharing things with us... I tried to talk to Ginny about it but she sent me away," Ron explained.

"Because she knows better. She knows I wouldn't want you to use her to talk to me. If you're not capable of facing the situation yourself, then your apology isn't worth anything."

"That's why I'm here today!" Ron said, taking a step towards her. "Because I wanted to apologize directly, because you deserve me to tell you I'm sorry by myself..."

"I deserve much more than that, Ron," Hermione said. And before either of them had time to open their mouths again, they heard the wooden floor creak in the doorway.

"Am I interrupting something?" Draco asked shortly, staring at Ron. This one clenched his jaw and his fists but didn't say anything. He was aware of how red his cheeks were, of how frustrated he was probably looking because he was interrupted. But he didn't say anything. He had to try to keep his mouth shut. Harry approached his friend, facing Draco too. Hermione had still her arms crossed and Draco approached her, still standing behind her. "I don't remember asking you to come, Weasley," he added, still staring at him.

"He can leave if you want him to," Hermione said, still coldly, not about to let Ron walk all over her.

"Do we really have the time to talk about all of this?" Harry asked, glancing at Draco. He didn't really want to make Ron wait for them in the passage, even if he knew his best friend would do it if he had to. And he also knew that they didn't have so much time in their hands. They all heard Draco sigh and he finally slowly looked at Harry.

The boys noticed his red eyes, his pale face, his tired expression. He seemed to be exhausted. His tie was loosened, the two first buttons of his shirt were unbuttoned and he was just looking like he needed to sit down. He walked next to Hermione, hiding one of his hands in his pocket as he put the other on her arm. She finally turned to face him and the boys saw her approach Draco a bit more, putting one of her hands on his arm as she whispered something. Draco only nodded before he slightly turned his head to look at them again. He didn't exactly want to talk to them. They would just witness it. If they were trying to talk, he knew he was allowed to make them leave.

He got the letter out of his pocket, handing it to Hermione as he stared at her. She glanced at it, took the parchment between the tip of her fingers before meeting his eyes. They stared at each other for a few seconds before Draco finally let go of the his father's letter.

When Hermione looked at the letter again, she discovered Lucius' cursive handwriting that was definitely contrasting with the damaged paper. She read it quickly, seeing that Lucius was talking about something burning, changing, that something was probably going to happen. That things were going to change. That it was very serious.

She then glanced at Draco.

"It's his arm, isn't it...?" She asked quietly. Draco, who had been staring at her the whole time, considered her for a few seconds, frowning a little.

"How do you know what it is?" He asked almost in a whisper. She slightly shook her head.

"I don't really know what it is... I just know that there's something on their arms, well I'm sure of it now... It's all the Death Eaters, isn't it?"

"Why don't you just tell me how come you know about this?" Draco asked, narrowing his eyes a little. Hermione pursed her lips. If Snape was indeed connected to the Death Eaters, like Ron and Harry couldn't stop saying, and that Karkaroff was turning to him for help... If he was showing him his arm, saying that it was clearer than ever and that Draco's father had the same thing...

She quickly explained what had happened with Snape and Karkaroff, the conversation Harry had heard the day before, the fact that Karkaroff had shown his arm to Snape.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" He asked. Harry and Ron weren't even sure it had been a good idea to tell him about the conversation. What if he was talking about it with Snape? They were trusting Hermione for this conversation, of course, because she knew him way better than they would ever know him. But still.

"You weren't exactly looking like you wanted to talk to anyone," Hermione said. Draco let his gaze drift next to Hermione as he thought about it.

"So you'd rather discuss my godfather with Potter and Weasley..." They both blinked, realizing what Draco had just said. His godfather? Snape was his godfather? They glanced at each other and Ron hid his hands deep in his pockets again, uncomfortable, while Harry was thinking about it. He wondered what kind of childhood Draco had. Had he been around Death Eaters all his life? And what was Snape like with him? After all, they all knew he was his favorite student. They could understand why, now. It wasn't just because of the potion.

"Draco, don't act like that, don't try to change the subject." He was looking quite depressed. Hermione pursed her lips. "I've actually been defending Snape. Dumbledore trusts him, so I don't know why I would accuse him of anything. But Karkaroff... It's the same as your father, so, what is it?" She asked more firmly, wanting an answer. Draco moved as if he was going to walk away but he didn't. He didn't look at Hermione either.

"He... The Death Eaters... They've got a Mark on their left arm, alright?" Draco said, not knowing if telling them this was a good idea. "It's the Dark Mark, it's his mark." Hermione turned her head, looking away for a moment. She swallowed and glanced at Draco again, who was still staring at the wall. "I don't know much about it. I just know what it looks like. I mean... What it looks like on their arm... It's... I don't remember how it was when I was one, but I've grown up, and from what I can say, it's just a faint mark now that he's gone."

"So if it's changing, it means..." Hermione whispered.

"I don't know, alright?" Draco repeated like he wanted to make sure Hermione was understanding that very point. It was like they were alone in the room. Harry and Ron were totally silent, away from them, just listening, not wanting to upset him, to make him stop talking just by opening their mouth. He couldn't even hear them breathe. "I don't. I- I have no idea what it means and I'm not sure I want to know either... But my father... He- I think he knows, deep down, but I'm not sure he wants to believe it." Hermione frowned a little.

"But Draco... I'm sorry, I really don't want to talk about what I don't know but... at the World Cup, your father... I mean, he's still loyal to him, isn't he? So why wouldn't he want-" Draco chuckled before he muttered.

"Yeah, maybe you shouldn't talk about what you don't know..." Hermione looked away again for a moment, her eyes stopping on Ron and Harry. They were looking concerned. Maybe because of what Draco had just said, because of the way he had said those words. But Hermione didn't care. She only glanced at Draco again when she felt his eyes on her. "Yeah, he had... Well, he had his fun at the World Cup. He was with his... friends. And they drank. And they thought... I don't know. I don't- Look." He sighed as he looked up for a second before meeting her eyes again, licking his dry lips. "When You-Know-Who disappeared, my father did everything he could to protect my mother and I."

"He lied to escape being sentenced to Azkaban," Hermione said, not looking away once this time.

"What do you think would have happened, Hermione? We were... I was one. I was one and my mother would have been all alone. My aunt was being sentenced for sure, half of my family friends were going to be sentenced, we were surrounded by people like them... What do you think people would have done to my mother, wife of a Death Eater?"

With that, Hermione had received an answer she had wanted to have for a while. Despite sharing the same beliefs as her husband, Narcissa wasn't a Death Eater.

"He didn't... He chose to lie, yes. And he chose to collaborate with Aurors, to... He started working with the Ministry, making huge donations, he... He wanted to be with us, he wanted to raise me, he wanted to protect us. And we wanted him with us. It's not like he hadn't been punished at all after that, look at the son he's got."

"Draco, it's not the sa-"

"People were angry, Hermione!" Draco said louder as he turned around and walked away, surprising her. He wanted to let his anger out, he was so frustrated.

So frustrated from keeping everything inside, so angry because he had this rage growing inside of him as the moon was approaching. He wanted to throw stuff across the room, to punch the wall, he wanted to let it out. But he didn't want to argue with her and he didn't want to scare her. So, he just clenched his fists, hard. Hermione had never seen him like that and for once, she didn't understand what he had meant. He stopped near the mattress, all eyes on him. He closed his eyes, swallowing his spit.

"I've never told you how it happened, you don't know anything about our situation..." He said more quietly. "I don't..."

God, he hated having to talk about it, he had never told anyone all of this. It was scary. He didn't want her to reject him because his father was a Death Eater. He didn't want her to finally have enough. And he didn't exactly want to talk about it in front of Potter and Weasley, even if he was forgetting they were there every other second. He turned around again, only looking at Hermione.

"It was planned," he whispered. He wondered if she had heard him for a second. But seeing her expression, and their expression, they had heard him alright. He wasn't much louder when he spoke again. "They attacked me, they planned the whole thing... Because they were... Because my father had worked with..." Hermione slowly lifted her hand to put it on her mouth. "Even eight years later, they still wanted to get back at him so... Did it matter if I was innocent? People changed during the war, during his time... It's not because you're not on the bad guys's side that you're universally good. It changed them, they just wanted people to pay, no matter how."

Hermione knew what he meant. She could understand. She just had to think about Crouch and what he had done during his time. How he had allowed Aurors to kill and everything else he had done.

"There was this guy," Draco began, turning around as he walked in the room again, approaching one window, the broken one. He could feel the fresh air getting through the broken glass. He didn't want to look at Hermione while saying this, he didn't want to see the expression on her face as she would imagine the scene, he didn't want them to see the expression on his face. "His brother was a werewolf so... I don't know the details, I never asked for them, I just know because... They've been punished but... We were at their place... My father had to meet one of them. And..."

"You don't have to tell us..." Hermione said quietly, knowing how hard it must be for Draco not only to tell what had happened but also just to think about it. And it wasn't like he was just alone with her either. But he shook his head curtly as he turned. She had to know. She would know one day anyway. He met her eyes and took another deep breath.

"He made my father go in his office to talk... I don't know, probably about Ministry stuff... And the moon was up, I could see it... I could see it so clearly outside. And he came in the room... I was waiting for my father... I was waiting to go home and play piano with my mother..." He slightly and sadly smiled for a second. "We were always playing at the end of the day, you know... And he came in. And he almost killed me," he just said, feeling his hands shaking, his heart beating fast and his eyes stinging. "They got back at him because of his affiliation with You-Know-Who... So, tell me... What do you think they would have done to my mother if he had been in jail? We'd both be dead for all I know." He stopped for a moment and his expression became colder, his tone became more firm. "But he showed them. He had them... They were punished. They killed the... The Ministry, they killed the... They sent the guy in Azkaban..." He looked away for a second, right between Hermione and her friends, frowning a little as he slightly narrowed his eyes. His lips moved without making any sound and then, he let out the end, still staring at the wall. "They killed the werewolf in front of me," he finished in a whisper.

He looked down as he passed a hand on his face, trying to catch his breath, trying to find the right words. He looked at Hermione again.

"My father has always been so sure You-Know-Who was dead. And now this? All the signs? He doesn't believe it's a coincidence but... He's hoping it's not true. He was so sure we would never have problems again... We were still... An important part of the community. We still are. We have a great life most of the time, we have the best situation we could have dreamed of! He did something really stupid during the World Cup, yeah, probably. But he didn't conjure You-Know-Who's mark. He would never have. We don't know who did, he didn't understand. He would never... He left as soon as he saw it, like the others. It wasn't one of them. Trust me when I'm telling you this. They would have never gone that far."

"They don't have morals, Draco..."

"They have rules. Think what you want but they know what they do. And it wasn't their doing." He was rather cold and Hermione didn't like seeing this expression on his face. It was definitely too hard for him. She took a step towards him, speaking quietly.

"Don't protect those people..."

"I'm not! I'm telling the truth! It wasn't them! Talk about loyalty all you want, they're not loyal! Not enough! My father's not been loyal since he heard about his fall! If he had been so loyal, he would have looked after him, he would have- tried to find a way to... Bring him back! Or he would have accepted his sentence! But he's only loyal to his family, to what really matters! Everyone know what happened with Quirrell in the school, he knows about it, I told him about it myself! He didn't try to do anything after that, he didn't try to find him, to bring him back, trust me, we're fine with him out of the picture! If he comes back... If he... We're as good as dead, I'm sure. At least... I am." He turned around again, looking outside. "Or... Or we're bound to join him... Or he'll kill us... I don't want to think about it, I don't want to believe it'll happen... I don't want to..."

It was a bit hard to take it all in. The trio didn't even know how to react exactly. But Hermione was keeping her cool as she approached Draco a bit more.

"I'm sure we can help. I'm sure Dumbledore can help them and-"

"No! I can't betray them!"

"You're not going to betray them, Draco! If You-Know-Who's really trying to come back... If you want them to be safe..."

"You can't hide from him," Draco said as he himself approached Hermione, stopping in front of her. "If he comes back and that we try... We're as good as dead. No, you're not going to tell anyone about this, you understand me?"

And finally, Harry took a step forwards. He and Ron had been silent until then, but they could see how panicky Draco was at that point, that with his fatigue, he looked like he was about to have a nervous breakdown. And they didn't have much time left before having to leave.

"Malfoy, please, listen." Draco kept staring at Hermione, clenching his jaw. "If Voldemort comes back," they all flinched as Harry said his name, "And that you're doing nothing against him... You'll be fighting with him. Do you want to fight by his side?" He asked before he swallowed when Draco glared at him.

"It's not so easy, Potter, I can't do as I want, I can't-"

"One day, you'll have to choose," Harry interrupted him. Draco looked a bit surprised but it lasted only for a moment. "Either you will have to fight with us, with Hermione and us, or you'll have to fight with him, against us, with the Death Eaters."

Draco kept staring at him for a moment before he slowly turned his head to look at Hermione, letting those words out being more than difficult when she was standing right in front of him.

"Whatever happens, Potter, I'll always choose my parents."

They all stared at him for a moment before he felt Hermione's fingers on his hand.

"I know it's scary, Draco, that He is scary. That you're afraid for your family... But it's ok to be afraid. Helping us does not mean that you're betraying your parents if you're doing it to save them."

"I'm not afraid!" Draco said directly, getting his hand back, looking offended and gritting his teeth. He finally looked away. "I can't abandon them." He said already more quietly.

"Does You-Know-Who know what you are?" Ron suddenly asked, not even realizing that it was rude. They all looked at him, surprised.

"One word, Weasley, and you-"

"Probably not, since he was... gone," Ron said the last word more quietly, glancing at Harry. He looked at Draco again. "But if he comes back... He'll know, won't he? And he'll kill you. He'll kill you and kill your parents if he learns that you're not pure. That you're a part-human. That they kept you around despite that fact." Draco swallowed as he looked down.

"Ron..."

"I'm sorry, Hermione, but it's the truth and you know it. If he stays with them, he's going to be killed. If he fights with us... He has better chances to save them if he fights with us."

"What are you thinking about?" Harry asked, curious. During this time, Draco glanced at Ron, narrowing his eyes a little. Why was he saying this anyway? It's not like he really wanted him by their side, did he? Was he doing this just because of Hermione?

"They'd be safe if you were with us. I-" Ron stopped himself, not believing that he was actually thinking and saying this stuff. Maybe it was mainly because he wanted to show Hermione that he had been honest when he had apologized. That he was willing to do something about the situation, even if it would be hard, even if it would take time, even if he didn't want to hang out with Draco Malfoy. "If you help us discover what's going on, if you help us against... Anyway, if you help us, he might think that's because your parents disowned you after... He might think they wanted to stay pure, to avoid what you might bring them. So he will spare them, and you'll be safe with us."

Draco looked away again and Hermione pursed her lips. Harry glanced at Draco to see his reaction.

"Ron-"

"I know! I know what you're thinking," he said as he looked at Hermione. "But it's the truth. No matter how I say this, it's how it works, isn't it?" He asked as he looked at Draco again. "That's why you guys think it's fine to abandon your own family, isn't it?" Draco didn't say anything, he kept staring at the wooden wall, feeling a bit dizzy. Ron knew he was harsh, but it was the only way he had to make them realize what he wanted to say. "But if he believes they did the right thing by throwing you out, they'll be safe, won't they? And you... You'll be safe too. You'll be with us, you'll be with Dumbledore."

"I don't think it's that easy," Hermione said quietly, glancing at Draco.

"No, it's not." Draco had been cold as he looked at Ron again. Actually, a part of him wanted to believe in this plan. But he knew that it would never be that easy. "What if he uses Legilimency? What if he sees that it never happened? What if he learns they're lying and kill them for that?" He asked. Harry had raised an eyebrow, not knowing what Legilimency was. But Ron seemed to know.

"Right..." He just said. "I thought that..." He looked away, shaking his head a bit as he crossed his arms. Draco sighed.

"He's just trying to help," Hermione said, carefully touching Draco's arm. He looked at his girlfriend for a few seconds. She gave him a little and strained smile and he looked down.

"I know," he let out and Ron looked at Draco again, a bit surprised. He didn't sound cold anymore. He knew why Draco was so aggressive with him, of course. He probably deserved it. But there had been something like desperation in his voice at that moment. Ron narrowed his eyes and he saw Draco glancing at him. "There's a chance it'd work. But I'd rather not play with probabilities. That's not how I work. And it's not like I've already been very lucky, huh?" There was no response and Draco turned around again, getting away from Hermione's grip as he walked towards the wall, his arms crossed. "You should leave, now."

"Draco, will you think about all of this? It's important..." Hermione said, not trying to approach him anymore. She knew how he was because of the moon, and she had actually never interacted with him during the very day of the full moon. And the conversation had made it worse, in a way. Seeing the way he had been talking, even to her, she knew he was unpredictable.

"Look," Draco said shortly as he turned a bit his head. "I allowed you to come here tonight because I accepted to talk to you about all of this. Not because I wanted to make this kind of decisions. What if nothing happens anyway? Maybe we're all just too... paranoid."

He knew they weren't. Still, Harry and Ron didn't say anything else. Hermione opened her mouth but Draco heard her and he didn't want to talk about it anymore. He was tired and they really had to leave.

"Just- Go. Now. It's getting late."

A few seconds after this, he felt Hermione's fingers on his hand again, pressing it softly before he felt her lips on his cheek. She could feel how hard his jaw was clenched. Draco turned his head to look at her and they just stared for a few seconds.

"I'm sorry," she whispered and she gave him another little smile. "I'll come and see you tomorrow in the hospital, can I?"

"Of course you can," Draco whispered back after a moment, looking down. He knew the way he was acting, he knew how cold he was, but he couldn't help it. He wasn't feeling good at all and this discussion had made the matter worse. He leaned just a bit, pressing softly his lips against Hermione's before he turned his head, not looking at her anymore. He felt the pressure on his hand becoming tighter and finally, Hermione left with her friends.

Draco took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes with his left hand before he pinched the bridge of his nose. Of course, he was afraid.

"We're not leaving you alone, I promise... We're staying right here. We're staying right here with you." Lucius was holding his son's hands through the bars closing the cellar. Draco was on the verge of tears, afraid. He didn't want them to leave. It was so terrifying. He looked behind him. He was never going down there, he wasn't courageous enough. He never really liked the cellar, mainly because it looked like a prison.

But it was very huge and when he had come downstairs in his father's arms, he had seen the big mattress in one corner of the room. There were pillows, a big and thick blanket, and his favorite stuffed dragon. Every time he had a nightmare, even before his attack, he was sleeping in his parents' bed with this dragon, between his parents.

Narcissa hadn't been able to stay too far away from him, she couldn't stop kissing him, running her fingers through his hair and looking at her little boy. Snape had stayed in the stairs, not wanting to disturb what was going on, just staring from afar. Then, the tree of them had come back at the entrance of the cellar and Lucius had put his son on his feet again. That's when Draco decided that he didn't want to let go. He had grabbed his father's arms and pulled them, not wanting to be on his own.

Maybe it would only happen if they were making it happen; if they were locking him there. Maybe... if he was staying in his father's arms, maybe he would be safe? He had asked his father to hold him again and his father had done so, of course. He had taken his son in his arms again, kissed his cheek and explained once again how it was going to happen. Narcissa was holding Draco's hands, smiling to him, trying to reassure him as well and trying not to cry.

Lucius had explained for the third time that he had to stay there but that it didn't mean they were going anywhere. They didn't want to leave him alone. But they didn't want him to suffer either.

During the week, they had watched Draco drink the Potion for the first time and he had actually thrown up. He really didn't like the taste of it. Snape himself had said that it was apparently disgusting but that they couldn't do anything to change it or it wouldn't have any effect. It was important for him to drink it this way and they both found him really brave when he had accepted to drink it again, tears rolling down his cheeks. Then, and like the rest of the week, he had slept in his parents bed with them holding him. The last three days, he hadn't even left the bed once, too tired. They had spent all their time with him, they had even been able to make him laugh a little despite him being really moody.

But at that moment, it was too much pressure, he couldn't take it anymore and it was even worse when Lucius had to close the gate. He and Narcissa were crouching in front of their son, on the other side of the bars, and they were each holding one of his hands. They heard a sob escaping his mouth and he lowered his head as his body shook a little. When he looked at his father again, they could see the tears slowly going down his face.

"I'm sorry for being afraid..." He said before he sobbed again. Lucius frowned a little and let go of his hand to put his own on Draco's waist, pulling him a bit closer to the bars. Draco used the opportunity to use his hand to wipe his cheek before he rubbed his eye with his fist, sobbing again.

"Draco, why would you say such a thing?" Lucius asked softly, his hand still on his son's waist. Narcissa used her free hand to take both Draco's, removing his hand from his face. She let go of it for a second to dry his cheek like he had wanted to do before holding it again. His hand was wet with his tears and she held it tight. Draco swallowed and looked at his mother.

"Vincent's father told him that... those who are afraid are weak. I don't want to be weak... I want to be strong..." He mumbled, his voice sounding a bit strangled. He looked at his father again. "I want to be like you..." Narcissa glanced at her husband.

"But, Draco... You shouldn't listen to Crabbe, and even less think this way. You are strong, look at you," she said as she smiled. Her son was way stronger than he thought he was. So much stronger than they all thought he was a month before.

"You are so much stronger than I will ever be..." Lucius then almost whispered, staring at his son. Draco looked down and clenched his jaw, not believing his father. He felt that another sob was about to get out of his throat but he tried to stop it, not really succeeding. He coughed.

"B-But... Have you ever been afraid of something?" He asked shyly, glancing at his father again. This one smiled softly to his son, his fingers slowly moving on his side.

"Loads of time." Draco shook his head.

"You don't need to lie to make me feel better..." He said weakly and he looked at his mother's hands that were still holding his.

"I'm not lying, Draco. I would never lie to you. Saying I've never been afraid would be a lie." Draco clenched his jaw again and looked up, his eyes stopping on Snape. He stared at him for a few seconds. His godfather wasn't showing anything, he had the same cold expression he always had on his face.

"What were you afraid of?" He then asked, turning his head to look at his father again.

"I used to be afraid of a lot of things when I was your age... Lot of stupid things, too. But you know what I've been most afraid of in my life?" He asked. Draco slightly shook his head, meeting his father's eyes. Lucius softly smiled again as he moved his hand from Draco's waist. "Of loosing you," he finally let out in a whisper, his fingers softly and slowly tapping Draco's bare chest before resting against it, feeling his son's heart beating in his chest. "In my life, I have never been as afraid as I was when..." His fingers slowly went down on Draco's body, reaching the bite as he looked at it before meeting his son's eyes again. "It's ok to be afraid."

An acute pain in his stomach made Draco get out of his memories and he soon fell on the floor of the Shrieking Shack, moaning because of the sensations taking over his body.

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