Disclaimer – Nothing but the plot is mine.

Thank you all for your patience. I am dreadfully sorry for the long wait. Please know that I will never abandon a story...it might take me a bit longer but they will be finished eventually.

Chapter 9 – He Won’t Listen To You

‘How is he?’ Severus asked Draco as the two sat in the parlour of Malfoy Manor late Friday evening.

Draco glanced down at the sleeping Draconian whose head was in his lap and gently ran his fingers through the long black and red hair. Harry had finally consented to take a sleeping draught after three days at the manor and the arrival of his father who he knew would keep an eye on Draco.

They’d left Hogwarts that very night and while Harry had managed to relax somewhat inside the safe walls of the manor it was the breakthrough of that very morning that had Draco far less concerned than he had been previously.

He glanced back up at Snape who was watching him patiently. ‘He’s a bit better.’ Draco admitted, running his fingers down the scale covered cheek. ‘He feels far safer here. The nightmare last night didn’t seem to be as violent as the ones before.’

‘Has he spoken of them yet?’

Draco shook his head before glancing over at a bowl sitting innocently on the desk. ‘No, but I did manage to get him to put the memories of them into the pensieve…it seems to take the edge off them.’

Severus’ eyes widened. ‘How on earth did you get him to agree to that?’

Draco gave the penseive another glance before looking back at the potions master. ‘I promised him I wouldn’t look at them.’ Draco replied pointedly.

‘How would that...’ Severus trailed off as what Draco was trying not to say became clear to him. The young Slytherin nodded as he saw that the potions master realised what he was trying to say. The older man stood and walked over to the pensieve sitting innocently on the side board. He hesitated a moment before apprehensively placing his wand in the silver mixture and tipping forward, hoping to Merlin he was ready for what he was about to see.

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Draco continued gently running his fingers through Harry’s hair as he waited for the Draconian’s father to return. It had taken all of his will power not to remove himself from under Harry’s head while the other boy was sleeping under the influence of the potion and follow the older man into the penseive. Two things stopped him. Firstly there was the fact that he wasn’t sure he could ever look Harry in the eye after such a breach of his trust, and the second was that he didn’t really think he wanted to see what was in there anyway, not going by the expressions that had been on Harry’s face when he’d woken during them.

The wait seemed to drag on until well after midnight a noise alerted Draco to the potions master’s return moments before he was spat out of the pensieve. Draco’s eyes widened as Snape landed and staggered sideways, clutching the back of a nearby chair until his knuckles were white. He could hear the older man take slow, deep breaths until he had control of himself before he looked up at Draco with a haunted expression.

‘Trust me, you don’t want to know.’ He whispered and Draco slowly shook his head.

‘No.’ He murmured glancing down at Harry, who was still fast asleep. Severus crossed the room and knelt beside the Boy-Who-Lived , gently running his fingers over the scaled cheek.

‘He’s not wrong in being concerned, Draco.’ He said softly. ‘Those nightmares are horrific. I will try and find some sort of potion that will aid his sleep but you will have to be patient with him. Stay close to him, allay his fears of something is going to happen by continually telling him you will be there with him always. Nothing else will help at this point.’

Draco’s eyes were still wide as the potions master stood up and headed towards the door. It was only as Severus grasped the handle and pulled it open that Draco finally spoke. ‘Is that what they’re about? Me leaving him? I wouldn’t ever do that.’ He added firmly.

Snape stared at him, his black eyes piercing right through him. ‘Not of your own volition, Draco…but you cannot be protected all of the time.’ He murmured softly before disappearing through the door.

I took Draco several seconds to process what the older wizard meant but when he did his face screwed up as if in pain and he lifted the sleeping figure in his arms. ‘I love you, Harry. No one is going to take me from you.’ He whispered as a tear trickled down his cheek. ‘No one.’

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Severus watched as Harry grinned wickedly at Draco as the Slytherin once again tried to master the art of cooking. Four pieces of particularly black looking toast sat on a plate in the middle of the table and some extremely running looking eggs swirled around his plate.

Over the past twenty four hours Harry had settled down further. Severus had spent most of the previous day and night on a potion he hoped would take the edge of his son’s nightmares. Harry laughed as Draco finally put a plate of almost raw bacon on the table and folded his arms over his chest in a huff.

‘Ha ha, yes, it’s just so funny isn’t it? It’s bloody hard.’ Draco scowled at the Gryffindor.

Harry just laughed harder and shook his head, tugging the Slytherin into his lap and wrapping his arms tightly around him. ‘It’s wonderful, Dray. Really…see?’ Harry picked up on of the pieces of bacon and bit into it.

Severus swallowed a snort at the look that flashed in Harry’s eyes even as the smile remained on his face.

Draco stared at Harry intently for several more moments as he chewed slowly and swallowed, before breaking out into snickers. ‘Liar.’ He chortled and Snape couldn’t help but join him.

Harry placed the rest of the bacon down on the plate with a wry grin and took a swallow of pumpkin juice. ‘I have no idea how you can be so good at potions and yet so appalling at cooking…they’re essentially the same thing.’ He drawled.

‘I can’t see how you can cook so well, Harry and yet be so appalling at the subtle art of potions making.’ Severus countered on his godson’s behalf causing said godson to dissolve into fits of giggles once again.

Harry gave his father a mock glare before waving his hand and banishing the food on the plates. ‘Now, how about we try this again.’ He suggested, lifting Draco to his feet as he stood.

Severus watched as Harry guided Draco back to the stove and quickly broke six eggs into the still warm pan. ‘Now just keep stirring like that.’ Harry told him grasping Draco’s hand and placing a fork in it.

The potions master’s mouth quirked as Draco let out a whine of frustration moments later and Harry took the fork out of his hands, letting the Slytherin move slight away from the stove to lean on the fridge as he looked the Draconian up and down, a slight smile touching his lips.

Snape then shook his head as Harry looked up at the grey eyes, a smile of his own crossing his face. ‘Sneaky Slytherin.’ He muttered fondly before returning his attention to the stove.

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Draco lay curled to Harry’s side, head pillowed on the strong, scale covered chest as he idly traced circles on the Draconians’ stomach. He knew the other boy was asleep, after several months of sleeping together he knew almost all there was to know about the other. He smiled as he remembered the events of the days before. Snape had returned to Hogwarts for the week of teaching with promises to return once again at the weekend. Harry had taken the two days of privacy for what they were and Draco could still feel the slight burn in his lower back from all the …exercise…that had resulted.

The potion Severus had come up with on Saturday had taken the edge of Harry’s nightmares, allowing him to sleep deeply and he felt so much better for it. He still saw those same images but they seemed detached, as if it wasn’t Draco and himself they were seeing. Draco had been ecstatic. Not that Harry had said anything, but he’d given his father a heartfelt hug of gratitude when the potions master had come to leave on Monday morning…and they’d barely gotten out of bed since. By Tuesday afternoon Draco wondered if Harry would ever grow tired of him. With another small smile he kissed the skin under his cheek. ‘I doubt it.’ He muttered before pulling slightly away and climbing silently out of the bed.

He had a pressing need to use the bathroom and he padded softly through the room, glancing at the clothes all over the floor with a wry smirk. Yes, they’d certainly had a busy couple of days. He sighed in relief as his bladder emptied and he stretched his arms over his head, revelling in the soreness of his muscles that had nothing to do with Quidditch. Suddenly he swayed where he stood, a feeling of complete lethargy washing over him. He lowered his arms and grasped the edge of the bench to steady himself but another wave washed over him and Draco felt himself sinking to the floor, unable to call out as blackness crept into his vision and he knew no more.

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‘How is he?’ Dumbledore asked as the rest of the staff filed out of his office after their usually Tuesday afternoon staff meeting. It was the first chance the Severus had had to speak with the Headmaster since his return the day before.

‘He is better.’ Snape conceded. ‘I adapted the Dreamless Sleep for him. It pulls him from the worst of it. And it seems to help.’

‘Do you think they will return?’ Albus asked as the two men headed towards the door and down the revolving staircase.

Snape made a non committal noise. ‘Too early to tell. He is still very concerned for Draco’s safety…and having seen the nightmares he’s having first hand, I’m not surprised.’

Dumbledore’s eyes widened in the light of the sconces in the hallway. ‘He let you see them?’

‘He doesn’t know.’ Severus admitted grimly, his mouth a thin line.

The walk down the next few hallways was made in silence. ‘Draco I gather.’ Dumbledore said softly.

Snape nodded. ‘He convinced Harry to put the nightmares in a penseive. He promised he wouldn’t look at them.’

The headmaster snorted softly. ‘A true Slytherin that one.’ He chuckled and Snape could help but agree with a snort of his own as they entered the hall.

The chatter of children immediately assaulted them and Snape sighed as he followed the headmaster up to the head table and took his seat. He could see the remaining two thirds of the Golden Trio eyeing him and he knew they were wondering how their friend was, equally knowing Snape would have seen him this past weekend. The seventh years had potions the next morning but Snape gave them a nod of recognition anyway and he watched as a smile spread over Hermione’s face and the two went back to their dinner.

Snape raised an eyebrow and turned back to his dinner with a shake of his head. ‘Gryffindors’ He muttered, helping himself to some roast beef.

He had managed to eat most of his meal, enjoying a discussion on the medicinal uses of dragonwort with Poppy before, with an enormous crack that had students clapping their hands over their ears, Harry appepared at the front of the hall, Draco held tightly in his arms. He was scarcely dressed; feet bare, a pair of jeans sitting low on his hips and a white button down shirt hanging open and displaying the glistening scales down his chest.

Harry seemed oblivious to the mouths hanging open around the room as he sought out his father and shifted his unconscious, albeit robe covered, Paladin in his arms. Zeroing in on glittering black eyes with his own he let out a plaintive cry.

‘Father, please.’

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‘Just tell me what happened.’ Severus said calmly, one arm around Harry’s shoulders as the Draconian stared unblinking at the sight of Draco motionless on the bed with Poppy casting several diagnostic spells at the blonde with Dumbledore assisting nearby.

‘We were sleeping.’ Harry whispered, wringing his hands in concern. ‘I woke up and Dray wasn’t there so I went looking for him. I found him in the bathroom. I tried to wake him but it wouldn’t work. My magic wouldn’t work on him. I tried everything but he wouldn’t wake…so I bought him here. Please, father…y…you have to help him.’ He stammered.

‘Shhh, it’s okay’ Snape murmured. ‘He’ll be alright. Poppy will fix him.’

‘But how, her magic doesn’t work on him either.’ Harry insisted. ‘Father, do something. Please.’ Harry’s usually soft baritone rose higher and higher as he pleaded with his father.

‘Harry.’ Draco’s voice was barely a whisper but Harry immediately turned back to him.

‘Dray?’ He breathed, pulling away from his father and crossing to Draco’s bedside. ‘What happened? Are you alright? Does anything hurt?’

Draco lifted a shaking hand and clasped Harry’s in an effort to get him to stop clenching his own. ‘I’m okay, really. I just fainted that’s all.’

‘But why? What’s wrong?’

Draco moved his eyes to look at the medi-witch who was hovering nearby. Poppy gave them a grim smile. ‘It seems as if your mentor was correct, Mr Potter.’ She said softly. ‘The extra magic explains why yours won’t work on Mr Malfoy at the moment at any rate.’

Harry frowned in confusion but both Draco and Snape gasped as it dawned on them. ‘I’m pregnant?’ Draco squeaked.

Harry’s eyes widened so far it was comical. ‘What?’ He breathed, the scales on his chest lightening till they were almost white as he stood and backed slowly away from the bed. ‘No, not now. Not yet. No.’

‘Harry!’ Severus’ voice was firm but soft all at once.

‘No, he can’t be. You can’t be.’ Harry directed this comment to Draco, whose eyes filled.

‘Harry, please.’ Draco pleaded, lifting a hand in Harry’s direction.

Harry was shaking his head from side to side in denial. ‘No, not yet. It’s too soon. Not with Tom still here. No.’

Severus and Draco watched as all of Harry’s nightmares seemed to come alive right in front of him. The potions master grabbed his son’s shoulders as the Boy-Who-Lived took several steps backwards, turning him away from his Paladin and catching the panicked green eyes with his own. ‘Nothing will happen to Draco, Harry.’ He said calmly. ‘Hogwarts will protect him. Lucius is gone and the Dark Lord has no way of reaching you or Draco here. You know this…deep down you know this.’

Harry studied his father’s face, his green eyes flicking over the man’s own, searching for something. Moment’s later he struck out, shoving his father away from him as he turned to Draco, his eyes filled with betrayal. ‘How could you do that?’ He burst out. ‘I trusted you and you let him see. He wasn’t supposed to see. No one was supposed to see.’ Another loud crack sounded and suddenly Harry was gone.

‘Harry?’ Draco breathed as he felt a sharp pain in his chest and pushed himself up off the bed, swaying where he stood.

‘Mr Malfoy, get back into that bed this instant.’ Poppy demanded.

Draco ignored her, pulling the robe tightly around himself as he staggered slightly towards his godfather. ‘We have to find him, Sev.’ He insisted, his breath coming in gasps as Snape took hold of his hands to steady him. ‘We have to find him now.’

‘Calm down, Draco.’ Severus gestured for Poppy to step away.

‘He’ll go after Him if we don’t find him right now!’ Draco yelled suddenly, trying to pull his hands from his godfather’s and reach the fireplace.

‘You can’t know that, young Draco.’ Dumbledore insisted.

Draco gave a final yank of his hands and stumbled across the room glaring at the Headmaster and Snape both. ‘Those nightmares started the night he found out I could get pregnant. I remember what you said Severus and I can guess on my own just what they involve. Knowing Harry as you do, do you honestly think he would just wait for the Dark Lord to come to him with me in this state?’ He finished in a growl.

‘Draco, wait!’ Snape called out as the Slytherin grabbed a handful of floo powder. ‘Stay here, I will find him and stop him.’

Draco shook his head. ‘He won’t listen to you.’ He said softly, wrapping a hand around his waist and throwing the floo powder into the fire and disappearing in a whirl of green flame.

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‘Please don’t do this.’ Draco whispered plaintively from the doorway to the bedroom as Harry stepped out of the walk in closet in full battle robes.

Green eyes flew up and an anguished expression crossed Harry’s face as he stopped some distance away from the blonde as if it would pain him to get too close. ‘I have to, Dray…It’s too dangerous. I won’t let him lay a finger on you.’

Draco swallowed, his eyes full as he slowly crossed the room to stand only inches from the now rather intimidating looking Draconian. ‘You can’t go looking for him. Please, Harry. Not on your own. You know what will happen.’

Several images flashed in front of Harry’s eyes. The same ones he’d seen months before when he’d told Draco of the prophecy and Harry closed his eyes and sucked in an enormous breath.

‘You can’t leave me.’ Draco pleaded, tears spilling unchecked down his cheeks.

Harry lifted a hand towards the Slytherin but dropped it just before he touched him. ‘I can’t let this go, Draco.’ He said quietly. ‘I can’t let him get to you. I have to try and destroy him and I have to do it now.’

‘And what about our child!’ Draco suddenly shouted. ‘Are you planning on having them grow up without a father? Because that is what will happen if you insist on hunting Him down on your own like this.’

Harry’s eyes widened as Draco spun away from Harry and buried his face in his hands...He longed to reach out and grasp his Paladin’s shoulders and draw him close but he knew it would make this even harder. He sighed softly and stepped around the blond towards the door.

‘I don’t understand.’ Draco whispered. ‘I don’t understand why you have to do this.’

Harry stopped again, his jaw clenched tightly. He hesitated a few moments more before he spun on his heel and reached out, grasping Draco’s wrist and pulling him close before cupping his cheeks and staring deep into the tear filled grey eyes. ‘Legelimans.’ He breathed, flooding Draco’s mind with the images from his earlier nightmares even as he forced magic to surround Draco and their baby. He could feel the tiny thing growing in Draco’s stomach and focused his energy and power on that spot, willing his magic to protect and love and grow…and to keep it safe for him…keep them both safe for him. He felt the blond shudder in his arms and kissed him soundly before pulling away, his own harsh breathing echoing Draco’s. ‘I love you.’ He breathed before loosening Draco completely from his hold and disappearing out the door as the Slytherin sank slowly to the floor, burying his head in his hands once again as sobs wracked his small frame.

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‘Sweet Merlin, Draco.’ Severus gasped as the young man tumbled out of the fireplace in his room, still trembling and looking like he’d just been kicked hard in the stomach. It was obvious by the state of him that he’d found the Draconian and even further obvious by the fact that he was alone that even he had been unable to stop him from leaving.

‘Sev.’ Draco whispered and the potions master hurriedly grasped his shoulders and lifted him to his feet, guiding him into the room he and Harry shared.

‘He’ll be okay, Draco. He’ll come back to you. I know he will.’

Draco just shook his head and lay down on the bed, turning onto his side and curling up with Harry’s pillow held tightly to his chest as tears continued to flow unchecked down his cheeks.

Severus stared down at the forlorn looking figure. ‘I’ll find him.’ He said firmly before spinning on his heel and stalking back out of the room towards the headmaster’s office.

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Harry moved silently along the edge of the embankment, glancing down at the water and the house in the distance. This was his third stop since he had left Draco at Malfoy Manor at lunchtime the previous day and the strain was beginning to show. The sun was just peaking over the horizon illuminating his blood shot eyes as he stopped at the edge of the lake and watched.

He saw three cloaked figures exit the house, walk down the overgrown path to the gate, steeping through it before apparating away. He waited for almost and hour to see if any further figures emerged but as the sun climbed slowly upwards into the sky there was no further movement in the house.

It had taken all of his energy to find the house and the graveyard next door…and all of his courage to apparate there alone after the events at the end of his fourth year. Only the image of Draco and their son, both dripping in blood with eyes staring kept him on this path and stopped him from returning to his Paladin and begging the other man’s forgiveness.

Harry moved back up off the embankment and further back into the trees where he couldn’t be seen. He needed to concentrate on the wards surrounding the property, they would take adjusting before he could slip in unnoticed and that would take time. Sure, he could move through most wards including Hogwarts ones without issue…but these wards were different…they were blood wards…and unlike when he’d changed the wards on Malfoy Manor, he had none of Riddle’s blood in him even though the Dark Lord has some of his.

He found a relatively clear area that was well shielded from most lines of sight and sat down, crossing his legs, resting his palms flat on the ground in front of him and closing his eyes. He though about casting a protection ward but didn’t know just how sensitive the wards already were and if that might alert the occupants of the house to his presence. Instead he just closed his eyes and began unravelling a small section of the wards he hoped might allow him entrance.

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Harry’s head was pounding so hard he couldn’t even open his eyes. He could smell wet stone under his nose and feel something cutting into his skin all over his body. He tried to push his senses out as Lineal had shown him but his magic would barely move past his skin and an agonising burn broke out all from his head to his toes that had him stifling a groan.

‘I wouldn’t do that if I were you.’ A sibilant voice called from nearby and Harry froze, his eyes the only thing moving as the lids flew back and he let out an involuntary screech as light assaulted his pupils and sent tears streaming down his face. He immediately began struggling, realising that some sort of net covered him, tying him to a stone table and cutting into his skin as he tried to move.

‘I wouldn’t do that either, Harry.’

Harry ignored the other wizard and closed his eyes forcing his magic out trying to break the net but it was no use. The entire exercise left him gasping for air as pain scorched across him and he finally felt the darkness come and take him.

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‘Severus, it’s been almost two weeks…if Mr Potter doesn’t return soon I’m not sure Mr Malfoy can carry this pregnancy to full term.’ The medi-witch glanced across the hospital wing to the bed where Draco lay on his side, curled protectively around his growing stomach as a mild dose of Dreamless Sleep did its work.

The potions master scowled shaking off the comforting hand Dumbledore had placed on his arm. ‘I know that Poppy. What in Merlin’s name do you think I’ve been doing for the last two weeks? Sitting around making parchment aeroplanes? There is no sign of him…anywhere.’

‘Is there anything we can do, Poppy?’ Dumbledore asked softly.

The medi-witch looked back towards the occupied bed and shook her bed. ‘The pregnancy is progressing at an alarming rate. The foetus is surrounded by Draconian magic and nothing I try will get past it. Harry’s will to protect and help the baby grow up safely must have been incredibly strong when he cast it as it has the baby growing at three times the normal rate. Whether we like it or not, the baby will be here in just over six weeks but only assuming that Mr Malfoy’s body actually survives the strain.’

‘And you have heard nothing from any of your...associates, Severus?’ Albus questioned.

Snape shook his head. ‘I no longer have the ability to find out what the Dark Lord is doing. Without Lucius and with my cover broken I cannot find out what is going on. I don’t know if that bastard has him for sure, but I would bet all the gold in Gringotts that he does. Harry could not have disappeared so completely otherwise.’

‘I can help.’

The soft voice from the entrance to the hospital wing startled the three adults and they turned to find Blaise, Millicent, Crabbe and Goyle standing in the doorway. The three boys were all staring intently at Draco but Millicent looked to Snape and began walking across the room towards him.

The potions master looked down at the dark haired teenager and raised an eyebrow. ‘Miss Bulstrode?’ He questioned before sucking in a breath as the girl lifted her left arm to display the Dark Mark burning brightly.

‘Mother of Merlin.’ Poppy gasped.

‘The Dark Lord has Potter.’ Millicent told her Head of House, completely ignoring the two other adults standing with them. ‘He has him tied down to some sort of altar with the weirdest net I’ve ever seen. There are runes on each corner of the altar and they seem to be tied to the net. Potter can barely move.’

Severus swallowed heavily. ‘Is he...is...’ The normally stoic man trailed off and his eyes returned to Draco as Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle joined them.

‘He’s still alive, Professor, at least when I left.’

The headmaster grasped the seventh year’s shoulder and turned her attention from the dark haired man as Snape moved away and crossed the room to stand and stare down at Draco, his arms folded stiffly over his chest and an expressionless mask on his face.

‘Miss Bulstrode, I don’t care why or how at the moment. Only know that you have sanctuary at Hogwarts should you need it. What I do need to know is everything you remember about that net, the runes and the location where they are keeping Harry.’

The girl nodded and gave Blaise a smile a wan smile as the dark skinned boy put an arm around her shoulders.

‘Perhaps my office would be more comfortable, Albus.’ Poppy suggested and the Headmaster nodded; the two adults and four teenagers moving through the hospital wing and leaving Snape still staring down at Draco as if the blonde held all the answers.

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Thanks again for your patience. RL is more reasonable now so hopefully it won’t take so long for the next chapter.

A word from the now wiser...do not try doing 3 uni/college subjects while also working full time and expect to have any spare time...whatsoever!

Regards,

Mione