“Fate dislikes me,” Severus grumbled as he rubbed a healing potion on Draco’s ankle while the boy was sleeping.

“Why do you say that?” Narcissa asked curiously, changing the dressing on Hermione’s head while Pomfrey got some rest.

“Otherwise I would not be stuck with three difficult children,” he said it harshly but she noticed the softness in his eyes as he gazed on Harry.

“Severus, all children are difficult.” She replied amused at him and asked, “Don’t you remember us as children, especially when Slughorn didn’t praise you for getting your potion done first, fast and perfect?”

“I’d blow up mine just to spite that old codger.”

“No,” Narcissa rebutted gently, smiling. “You did it to impress Lily sitting beside you, who had known that your potion was perfect. How else could she so quickly put up a shielding charm?”

Severus smiled but his smile faded as his eyes landed on Hermione, “That girl was injured from her association with my son. Has this entire school turned to into Ministry Inquisitors?”

“So much prejudice, so much hate, far worse than when we attended here,” Narcissa whispered, and began cleaning rubbing antibiotic potion into the girl’s cuts and scrapes.

“And all of this over a bloody cat!” He whispered harshly, and Aella sensing Severus’ distress with her, hissed at him and buried her scratched face into Hermione’s bedcovers, with her splinted leg up in the air.

Silence permeated the room before Severus walked over to Harry’s bed, caressing his hair and face, “Why does he do this, this outburst of magic? No child should have this much power.”

“Even I cannot see the answer to that.” Narcissa responded sadly. “It could be the paternity potion. The Dark Lord could have related some of his powers,” Severus shivered at this, “Or it could be Lily protecting her son the only way she knows how…”

Suddenly, a groan came from Hermione. Severus turned to look at her while Narcissa talked quietly to the girl. “Hermione, love, are you in there?”

It took a few moments but Hermione’s eyes fluttered open. “It’s blurry,” she mumbled squinting

“It’s the potions for your head injury. It’s best if you keep them closed for another few hours.”

Hermione complied and turned her face in the direction of Narcissa’s voice. “Where am I?”

“You’re in the Hospital Wing, dear.” Narcissa brushed her cheek. “Do you not remember what happened?”

“We were arguing. They found out about Harry and Draco because I was too stupid.” Severus raised a brow at Narcissa who raised a hand to him with a stern look. “Then, I was thrown into a table. It hurt and… I remember flying in the air…Something shattered. I felt a pain in my head…” The girl turned silent.

Severus and Narcissa waited with bated breath but the girl had no more to say. Narcissa touched Hermione’s face, whispering, “Do you remember anything else?”

“Just Aella’s mewing–” A stricken look appeared on Hermione’s face. “Is she… okay?”

Recognizing her name, Aella meowed at her. Hermione smiled and her face lit up as Severus placed the cat in her arms, watching with a small smile as Hermione scratched Aella behind the ears, the feline purring in happiness.

“Aella, Harry couldn’t make it without you,” the girl whispered.

Narcissa looked sadly at the child and placed three fingers on her freckled and scratched cheek. “Harry couldn’t make it without you either, Hermione, or my son.”

The child let out a soft snort. “Draco thinks I’m annoying, bossy, and ignorant. He makes fun of my hair. He–”

“–has true friends now. He told me what you told him the day after you found him in that classroom. You told him he was Slytherin’s prince and his so-called friends were servants.” Narcissa sat on the bed gently and took the girl’s hand. “Hermione, you opened his eyes. He realized he was becoming his father. For Draco, that’s the worst fate imaginable.”

“The friends he thought he had did not come to his aid as he would have thought,” Severus said lowly. “In fact, Mr. Zabini and Mr. Nott were amused at Draco’s pain. You cried for him. You and Harry helped him, protected him while the others watched.”

“And you can’t say that you don’t worry over Draco’s health,” Narcissa butted in. “If it hadn’t been for the medicine you took from Severus’ cabinet, Draco could have died in the Forbidden Forest.”

He caught eyes with Narcissa and turned back to the two boys sleeping on beds opposite of Hermione’s. Looking at his son’s face he wondered if this would never end.

***

“Cornelius, you can’t say this nothing.”

“I agree, Albus that it is horrifying, but you must remember that the girl was in goods with Potter–” The Minister flustered. “Or what he calls himself these days.”

“So you will not prosecute the perpetrators?”

“They are minors.”

“And you have prosecuted minors before!” McGonagall screamed, standing quickly from her chair. “Hagrid–”

“With good reason!”

“Judicious Flint!”

“Not enough evidence!”

“Deana Greengrass!”

“Who was found innocent!” He rubbed the bridge of his nose before saying, “Professor we can go all day with this. The fact remains is that Miss Granger will be released from the Hospital Wing in a week’s time. After that she will be placed back into Gryffindor House as soon as possible.”

“So they could kill her next! These so-called minors were fully aware of what they were doing to that girl!”

“Minerva,” called Dumbledore’s calm voice in order to placate them. McGonagall grew still and sunk back into her chair.

The Minister huffed and faced the Headmaster where he stood. “It has reached the papers and the Ministry has sent a letter to her parents.” He stopped as resolve returned on his face. “The girl’s accident is the result of an unstable boy who is under investigation–”

McGonagall made to open her mouth in rage but Dumbledore put up a hand to her. She glared at them and crossed her arms, glaring deadly at Fudge.

“Harry was no where near the accident. It occurred in the Gryffindor girl’s bathroom.”

“I am aware of where it occurred, Dumbledore! But, perhaps, this will be a wake up call for the girl – seeing what comes with being a supporter of Harry Potter! Especially a muggleborn!”

McGonagall stood up, glaring heatedly at Fudge. She opened her mouth but when no words came. She looked at Dumbledore and said, “Severus will need to be warned of this.”

Then she stormed out of the Headmaster’s office, Fudge not realizing she had changed his shoes into pig-like slippers.

Minerva McGonagall rehearsed the thought of transfiguring Cornelius Fudge into a pig with a bowler hat – something not to be done directly in the presence of Fudge but an interesting idea to keep at hand.

***

“It was my idea, Severus,” Draco whispered sitting side by side with Harry, who looked down at his feet, struggling not to cry.

“I don’t care whose bloody idea it was. What were you doing on the third floor?!” Severus screamed causing both boys to startle. Two tears fell from Harry’s eyes.

“Well?” Severus asked sternly, standing up.

Draco glanced at Harry and started lowly. “I-We-or maybe just me- thought that–”

“We were looking for the Mirror of Erised,” Harry blurted staring up and straight into his father’s eyes.

Severus seemed to relax more as Draco tried not to look suspicious and give them away. Potter’s really getting a backbone now… But what is the mirror of… whatever he said. He heard Granger’s voice in his head and scowled, Mercy, Draco, do you read?

He sent a short glare at a surprised, half-asleep Hermione when Severus finally spoke, “How do you know what that is?”

Harry looked a little nervous but seemed to be holding his own in Draco’s eyes. “I found it… last year before Christmas Break in a room in the dungeons. Then after I got the invisibility cloak, I went there every night.” Harry bit his lip before mumbling. “I just wanted to see Mum, sir, but Professor Dumbledore found me… He-he told me not to dwell on dreams…. The next night it was gone.” His voice was barely holding as he finished.

Severus gritted his teeth, trying to control his temper, looking at the shiny silver material sitting beside the boys. “And just how did you get a hold of that?”

“It was a Christmas present. There was only a card, short…it wasn’t signed.”

“What did it say, Harry?” Severus asked softly as he noticed more tears falling down Harry’s face.

Harry sniffed and then muttered, “Use it well.”

Severus straightened up, and looked at Narcissa before whispering, “I will kill that meddling old coot if it is the last thing I do.”

Looking back at the boys, he saw how nervous they were at waiting for what their punishments were going to be. However, they sentence was delayed by McGonagall walking into the Hospital Wing. Her face was angered, a small vein popping out on her forehead. She cast a pitying look at each of the children.

“Severus, I came from Albus’ office in a meeting with Fudge,” Severus’ eyes narrowed, afraid of what she would say next. “Then, I flooed to the Daily Prophet office and asked for an early printing of tomorrow’s paper.”

With great sadness and sympathy in her eyes, she handed it to him. Bright bold and swaying was the number one headline. HOGWART’S SECOND VICTIM!!!

Feeling anger bubble up in him, he read the first few lines of the article. Harry Potter, Heir of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named – “So they are calling him an heir now,” Severus said bitterly. – has now injured his second student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Hermione Granger, 12, muggleborn, was attacked with a Bone-crushing curse – “She has no broken bones, not even her skull.” – issued by Potter. No doubt the Heir is following his predecessor’s hatred for muggleborns – “Fester was a pureblood, you inane baboons!” – Head Auror Darby admitted to this reporter that a case is underway to convict Potter. However, this case has not gone through the Wizengamot, but if convicted, Potter will surely face the Dementor’s Kiss...”

Severus screamed, throwing the paper across the room. He grabbed his hair and screamed at the top of his lungs. Everyone in the room stood startled at this outburst. He finally stopped, sucking in air. Rushing over, he grabbed Harry off the bed and into his arms, kneeling on the floor with him.

“Dad…” whispered Harry, concerned. Severus stared quiet and just held her son, tightly. Harry didn’t say anymore only gripped his father back as tightly as he could.

Narcissa gently picked up the paper, looking at it with wide eyes. “The world’s gone mad,” she whispered.

***

Lying in their beds later that night, the boys watched the light creeping under the gap in their door. Taking a deep breath, Harry looked across the room at Draco, whispering, “Do you know what is in that paper?”

Draco looked at Harry in pity – not that the other boy saw it – and asked, “Do you really want to know?”

Harry was silent for a long time before he answered back, “My mother was Gryffindor.”

Draco smiled into the dark but his smile faded as he thought on what he should tell the other boy. He sighed before answering, “They are blaming you for Granger’s accident.”

“What…?” Draco could hear the fear in his voice.

“They are saying you hurt Granger. They say it was you who attacked her – nonetheless how wrong they are, insecure babies that they are - and they say you will be convicted.” Draco conveniently left out the part of the Dementors. Potter did not need to know about them now. Two years till knowing was much too soon in Draco’s eyes either.

“What can we do?” Harry asked and Draco knew he was crying. “I finally have a family, Draco…I don’t lose it.”

“You won’t, Draco said forcefully, “Not if everything goes to my plan.”

“What?”

“Next Saturday, we go down the trapdoor.”

“Why? What about the dog?”

“We’ll drop some hints to Hagrid when he comes to visit Granger and when Granger is better, we find the Stone.” Somehow he could sense Harry’s anxiety about it. “Just trust me, Potter. Next Saturday, we find it.”

***

Severus sat in his chair, staring into the fire. Narcissa sighed and walked over to kneel by his chair. The Potions Master’s face was like stone, not even acknowledging her presence. She placed a hand on his bare arm, cold as ice and looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

“Severus…”

But the man was unresponsive and her tears spilled over.

“Severus, talk to me… please?”

Silence once more and sobbing she laid her head on his icy arm. After awhile the fingers began to play absently with her hair. Looking up, she caught his gaze. “I don’t want to lose him,” he stated heavily, as if trying to keep tears at bay. “He’s all I have of Lily. He’s all I have of anything.”

She rose up and placed a hand on his stubbly cheek. “Severus, time has not been written yet.”

“Have you seen something?”

“Small bits, not enough to know really…” He clenched his eyes shut as if in great pain. Narcissa knew what pain – the pain of losing a child, or even thinking it possible.

“Is there anything you can tell me, Cissy?”

She waited until he looked her in the eye. “Never give up hope. Don’t give in.” Two tears spilled over her cheeks. “And there is nothing wrong with crying behind closed doors.”

Suddenly a rough sob broke through him and Narcissa pulled him gently into the floor. She held his head on her shoulder and rocked him – her heart breaking with him, tears of her own flowing.

Running her fingers through his hair, she whispered quietly – so quietly she wondered if he heard it. “Never let anyone tell you that you are a bad father, Severus. A bad father would not be in this great of pain if their child was in peril.”

Then, Narcissa looked up at the ceiling, imaging she could see the night sky through the thick stone. Lily, wherever you may be, in heaven or protecting your son, or kicking Potter’s arse through Hades even, could you watch over the rest of us. Especially Harry, of course Harry, and Draco and Hermione too… Draco knows they have to find the stone, he just doesn’t know why.

I’ve probably told him enough for me to be sentenced by now. Everyone knows I don’t play by the rules.

Draco doesn’t know that the Dark Lord disembodied spirit goes every night into the passages that seal the stone, not able to get the stone from the mirror before daybreak. Harry has to find it and fight of the Dark Lord if his life can ever be free from persecution or at least, a little bit of freedom and happiness.

Lily, I love your son and Severus is my brother. I’m doing the best I can but I know that it’s only a little compared to what you could do.

Narcissa laid her head on top of Severus’ own. Maybe, hopefully, my little will be enough.