Harry had almost made it to the fireplace when Narcissa grabbed him by his wrist and sent him to his knees screaming in pain.

"Just where do you think you are going young man?"

Harry gritted his teeth, standing though the room spun as he did. "I hate you! I am leaving here and you can't stop me!"

Narcissa's face grew beet red in anger and she wrenched Harry back around, bringing him face to face with her. She was so close now Harry could smell the liquor on her breath, could see her bloodshot eyes glaring at him, and those eyes promised him one thing, pain.

"What do you mean I can't stop you, I am your mother!"

Harry pulled his arm, trying to free himself from her grasp. "You are not my mother, she is dead, and I hate you. Do you hear me I hate you, and I hated Lucius! He was nothing but a Death Eater who killed people for no reason, and I am glad he is dead!"

Harry felt the slap to his face before he realized another was on its way. Narcissa was now screaming at him, but Harry couldn't seem to bring her into focus. His glasses had flown of his face after the second blow, and now all he could see was a blurry vision in front of him. Twisting through the pain he scrambled away from Narcissa long enough to grab his glasses and place them back on, and that is when he saw her coming towards him, her wand raised.

Harry wanted to run but his legs would not cooperate, and he stood frozen in horror as the first curse hit him. Instantly he was thrown to the floor, his head throbbing as it was as if a thousand hammers were pounding into his brain. The only thing he could hear was Narcissa as she screamed. Something had finally snapped in her, and Harry knew it.

"I have tried Draco. I gave you time to grieve, and yet you still have all of the same arrogance that your father had. What did it get him? All it got him was death! You disappoint me Draco and if I have to teach you a lesson so you will learn respect then that is what I will do."

Over and over the curses were thrown. None of them Unforgivables, but at this point they might as well have been. Harry's wrist no longer hurt as all feeling to his arm was gone. His legs jerked with each and every spasm of pain.

Meanwhile ...

What in Merlin's name is going on here?" Severus said, rounding the table, and walking toward Draco. "Where is Harry, and what are you doing here?"

Draco gulped down the vomit threatening to come up, but he could not force himself to speak.

"I said what are you doing here Draco?"

Draco dared to look up and he saw not anger, but fear in Severus' eyes. "I placed a glamour on him. He is at Malfoy Manor."

"Why! For the love of Merlin why would you do such a thing?"

Draco's pride was hurt now and he shouted out, "I did it because I wanted to live here with you! Harry has you, but I don't have anyone!"

"You have your mother Draco," Severus said, while putting on his shoes.

"My mother! Ha! She is just as bad as my father, only she hides her lies a bit better. She is without any morals, she has hurt me more times than my father ever dared to hurt me, and all in the name of love. If that is love I don't want any part of it."

Severus' face paled, as he grabbed Draco by the arm and pushed him towards the fireplace.

Harry felt as if his whole body was broken. He had begged for her to stop, but he refused to call her Mother, and she continued hexing him. Just as he didn't think he could stay conscious any longer he heard the whoosh of the fireplace, and out of it stepped his father.

Severus had his wand drawn, as he stepped through, aimed at Narcissa Malfoy and what appeared to all eyes as Draco on the floor.

"You will release my son at once Narcissa!" he demanded.

"This," Narcissa said, pulling Harry up by his hair. "This is my son Severus and I will deal with him anyway I see fit."

Draco tried to hide behind the black robes of Severus, but Severus snatched him forward. "This is your son Narcissa, that is Harry you are holding, and you will let him go this instant!"

Narcissa stared from Draco to Harry who looked like Draco. Back and forth she stared never releasing her grip on Harry. "You are lying! This is some trick isn't it!"

Harry tried to wrench free from her hand, but he didn't have the strength, and all that he managed was a pitiful whimper when she tightened her grip. This enraged Severus for his son was in pain and with a wave of his wand, the glamour ended and the boy half standing, half kneeling at Narcissa's side looked right at him.

"Dad, help me," Harry pleaded, his hands looking ten times smaller from where Severus stood.

Severus was now pointing his wand at Narcissa, " I said release him Narcissa. I do not want to have to hurt you."

"Hurt me? You have already hurt me Severus Snape. You killed my husband, and it seems you have taken my son as well. He doesn't want to be near me. Look at him, he hides behind you, cowering from his own mother like I am some kind of monster. Well, Severus I shall take from you what you took from me. Blood spilled for blood spilled is a fair trade off wouldn't you say?"

Severus inched closer, all the while keeping his wand pointed at the now insane looking Narcissa. "Don't do anything you will regret. If you kill him, then you in turn will be killed, you must know this."

Severus watched as Narcissa grabbed Harry by his throat, pulling him from the floor." I will regret nothing Severus. All that I have loved is either gone, or looks at me with hatred. Look at my son, he neither loves me nor wants to be anywhere near me. You have turned him against me!"

Draco stepped from behind Severus then, tears streaming down his face. "He didn't turn me against you. It was you! All I ever wanted from you was love, but you couldn't give that to me. You stayed gone for days at a time leaving me here with Father. You left me to be beaten, to be ridiculed for the slightest thing, and why. Wait, don't tell me because I know. You left me because the liquor was more important than I was, always has been hasn't it Mother?"

Harry was now gasping for air, his hands trying to pry Narcissa's fingers from his throat. He turned his head slightly and Severus saw those emerald eyes staring back at him. The same eyes that were so full of happiness, that they had glittered before, now were begging him to help.

"I do not want to do this Narcissa but you leave me no other choice."

Severus raised his wand to stun Narcissa but she dropped Harry suddenly and turned her own wand on Harry.

"I will kill him, you know this don't you Severus? You have seen me take a muggle child and wrench its neck until we heard the snap of it. You will stand back, or you will see him die here and now."

Severus knew Narcissa would kill Harry regardless, it was only a matter of time. He lowered his wand for a second, and watched the sly smile come over her face.

"Lucius always said you were without the guts to be a true servant to the Dark Lord. He said you would fall for those who were lesser beings, like that Lily Potter. She was the filth of the wizarding world and yet you took up for her. See now what a true servant can do. See how I will kill this child with no remorse for my actions."

Narcissa raised her wand, "Avada ..." but that was all she said as her eyes no longer saw, no longer could she hurt anyone for Severus Snape had ended her life.

The second Narcissa fell dead Severus rushed to Harry's side. The boy was bruised, his wrist hanging at an odd angle, and his skin white as a ghost. As carefully as he could manage he gathered Harry up in his arms, and started walking towards the fireplace. Halfway there though he stopped and turned to see Draco still standing there, staring at his mother, but not shedding even a tear in the midst of her death. "Come Draco," he said, waiting for the child to follow. Once Draco stepped into the floo, Severus called out Snape Manor, and with a burst of green flame they were gone.

Severus rushed out of the fireplace, and laid Harry on the couch. His wounds were extensive and he had no idea what all had been done to the boy. He had thought of taking him to Pomfrey but knew if Harry woke up in a strange place after all that had happened he would be traumatized.

Gently Severus picked up his wrist and Harry cried out from the pain. Severus transfigured a sling from one of the couch cushions and placed the wrist in it, and then looked Harry over. He found numerous bruises on his abdomen, and a couple of welts along his back.

"Merlin did she beat you?"

Harry didn't answer, but Draco who had been sitting in the chair spoke up. "She is not one to hold back when punishing. She will hit you with whatever is within her grasp at the time, no matter what it is."

Severus shook his head, "Lucy!" he called and suddenly the house elf was at his side. "I am going to my labs to get some potions for Harry. You will stay here with him and call me if he needs anything at all."

"Lucy is a good elf, and will be doing as Master Snape asks, but Lucy is wanting to know about the other one, the bad one," she said, pointing to Draco.

"You shall watch him as well. Call me if either of them need anything."

Lucy nodded and Severus knew Harry was in good hands for the few minutes he would be gone.

For the next few minutes Severus prepared a potion for mending bones, and for cuts and bruises, but his mind kept drifting away. Not only to Harry, but to why Draco would do such a thing. Deep down he knew, and each time he looked into the haunted blue eyes he saw even more clearly. Draco had never been shown love, a gentle hand, or given praise for anything short of treachery. He envied Harry, and took what he wanted in the only way he was ever taught, by force. Severus knew he would have to speak with Draco about everything, and there was the matter of where he would be staying as well, but none of that mattered now.

Severus took the stairs two at a time heading back up to the sitting room.

"Lucy is watching them, but they is falling asleep."

"Thank you Lucy. Could you go and make me a cup of tea?" With a pop Lucy was gone, and Severus sat down on the couch next to Harry. Harry was fighting the sleep. He seemed scared even, so Severus soothed him by rubbing his back until the shivers stopped. Only then did Severus give him the potion, laying him back down, as his eyes drifted closed.

After rubbing healing ointment on the bruises he pulled the blanket up to cover Harry, and lit a fire in the fireplace. It was then he chanced a look over at Draco. He too had fallen asleep, curled up in the chair, and suddenly he was nothing more than the nine year old he was.

Lucy appeared with the tea, and Severus sipped at it while watching over both boys. Afraid to wake either of them he levitated both of them to Harry's room. After transfiguring a bed for Draco he put Harry in his. Severus couldn't bear to leave Harry's side so he pulled up a chair to the edge of the bed and sat down. He stared first to Draco and then to Harry. Here were two little boys in pain, one physical, one mental. Placing one arm across Harry Severus let his eyes close in sleep.