For just a second Harry wondered if he were dreaming. He simply could not believe that even Draco Malfoy would have the nerve to show up in his bedroom, after all that had happened. But there he was...every strand of his white-blond hair in place, his silver eyes unreadable, dressed in a striped shirt, a light blue jumper, and khaki trousers.

"Get out," Harry said between gritted teeth.

For an instant Draco's expression became defensive, but then that faded and he just seemed uncertain. "I just came to see what you wanted me to do."

"I want you to get out of my room and stay out of my sight," Harry told him in a low dangerous voice. He could feel months of pain and despair and rage bubbling up inside him, threatening to break through his veneer of control at any second. And it just might, if he had to look at Draco Malfoy's pale pointy face much longer.

"But I have to serve you! If I don't, they'll send me to Azkaban and..." the blond boy began desperately.

But Harry was beyond listening.

"GET OUT!" He screamed. And then his wand was in his hand, pointed at Draco.

The other boy took a swift step backwards, holding his hands up before him. "All right, I'm going. But you have to tell Severus that I tried to..."

"I DON'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING, YOU DAMNED...!"

"What's going on in here?" Severus' sharp voice cut through Harry's tirade. He stepped through the doorway, took everything in at a glance, and ordered, "Draco, leave. Return to your room now."

Draco looked at him and started to speak, but then abruptly stopped and gave a crisp nod. He spun on his heel and walked out of the room, leaving father and son alone.

"It's all right, Harry. Put your wand down and tell me what happened," Severus said quietly as he moved to his son's side.

Harry laid his wand on his night table with a shaking hand, but his emotions were so tumultuous and overwhelming that they demanded some release. Harry abruptly snatched up the lamp that also stood on the night table and flung it at the mirror on the far wall. There was a satisfying shatter as hundreds of glass shards fell to the floor. Expecting his father to reprimand him, Harry lifted his chin defiantly. He was not sorry. But then his face crumpled and he began to sob. He sank down on the edge of his bed, suddenly feeling weak in the knees, wrapped his arms around himself, and sobbed and sobbed.

Then Severus was sitting beside him and his arms were around Harry, holding him close. He didn't say anything but just held him and let him cry. Harry turned to him, pressed his face to his father's shoulder and grabbed onto Severus' shirt. Harry didn't know how much time had passed before he finally grew still and leaned against his father, feeling limp and worn out. He only knew he felt as if he had cried for hours and that he just wanted to crawl back into bed and stay there.

Severus' hand lightly stroked through his hair. "What happened, child?"

Harry sighed. Even talking seemed to take a lot of effort. "I was in the bathroom, getting dressed and all, and when I came out he was here. I guess I sort of lost it."

"Yes, I would say so," Severus agreed, his voice a dry rumble. "But I cannot blame you."

He pressed a kiss to the top of Harry's head and Harry relaxed against him even more, listening to his father's steady heartbeat through his soft black undershirt. He glanced at his father, realizing that Severus had not yet put on his robes, that he was wearing only a shirt and trousers. And bedroom slippers, Harry noted as his gaze slipped down to the floor.

"I'm sorry for bothering you," he apologized.

His father gave him a gentle shake. "You know you do not have to apologize. We're well beyond that point, aren't we, Harry?"

Harry smiled a little in spite of himself. "Yeah," he whispered. He took a deep breath and added, "Thanks, Dad, for coming and...everything."

"You do not have to thank me either, foolish child," Severus scolded lightly.

"Hmm, okay, so I don't thank you then," Harry replied with a ghost of a smile.

Severus just rolled his eyes. They were quiet for a few minutes and then Harry looked up at him and asked, "Why did he come in here, Dad? All along I've said that I didn't want to see him and then he comes barging in here, without even asking. Why can't he just leave me alone? That's all I want. If he can't even do that, maybe we should send him away."

"We can certainly send Draco away, if that's what you wish," Severus said. "But to answer your question, I do think it's likely that he did not know that you had specifically stated that you did not want him around you."

He sighed. "I intended to tell Draco to stay away from you last night. I was going to go over our rules and give him some assignments to complete, but when I went to his room he was already sleeping and I decided to speak with him this morning instead. But apparently I was not quick enough."

Harry thought it over in silence. He supposed that if Severus had not warned Draco, and Dumbledore probably hadn't either, then the other boy wouldn't have known that he was supposed to keep away from Harry. Unless he could have figured it out for himself. It shouldn't have taken a genius to know that Harry would not welcome him.

But when Harry mentioned this to his father, Severus shrugged and said, "I imagine Draco was thinking that you would relish the opportunity to order him about. He would, if your positions were reversed...at least in the beginning."

"What do you mean, in the beginning?" Harry asked.

"Draco is not a monster. In some ways, he's been spoiled, and in others, abused and neglected. He was taught to value all the wrong things in life and raised by parents who were not fit to have a pet, much less a child," Severus replied slowly. "Sixteen years of that upbringing has damaged him, definitely, but Draco is not completely heartless. I tried, as much as I was able, to instill some morals in him, and at times I've seen flashes of compassion and generosity in him."

He glanced down at Harry's disbelieving face and gave a small grimace. "You have not seen any of that, I know, and Draco's behavior towards you has been particularly deplorable. You certainly have every right to be angry and to dislike him."

"I am angry and I can't stand him," Harry said firmly.

"Well, you do not have see him again," Severus assured him. "We can send Draco away this morning, if that is your wish."

Harry considered. But he was calmer now and thought that if Draco truly had not been told to stay out of Harry's sight that perhaps he had been trying to fulfill his duty by coming to Harry's room. Hadn't Draco even said something like that? Harry had been much too upset at the sight of the blond boy standing in his bedroom to pay any attention earlier, but he did think he recalled Draco trying to say something like that.

"Tell him to stay out of my room and away from me. If he comes near me again, I am going to send him away," Harry told his father.

Severus nodded. "I will."

He gave Harry a last squeeze and then stood, pointing his wand to the pile of glass fragments on the floor. "Reparo! Now, why don't you wash your face while I fetch my robes, and we'll go down for breakfast?"

***

After a meal of eggs and ham croissants Harry turned to his father and asked, "Can we fly again, like we did yesterday?"

Severus nodded, "Yes, but I need to speak with Draco first. Go fetch the brooms and I'll be out soon."

"All right." And Harry hurried upstairs.

Severus followed, climbing the extra stairs to the top floor and went on to Draco's small room at the end of the far corridor. Once again he did not bother to knock but simply opened the door and strode in. Draco was sitting on the bed, looking down as his fingers nervously plucked at a loose thread on the bedcovers.

He jumped when Severus walked in. "Severus, I only went to see what he wanted me to do, I swear it!"

"From now on, you are to stay away from Harry unless he specifically tells you otherwise," Severus commanded.

A look of relief passed over Draco's face quickly before he managed to hide it. "Yes, sir."

"In the mornings, you are to report to the kitchen by 6:30. You will eat breakfast, as well as your other meals, there with Norie and Zan," Severus continued.

Draco's mouth dropped open. "With house elves?"

Severus' lips thinned. "Yes, and you will remember that Norie and Zan are free elves and I consider them part of my family."

Draco could not quite hide his incredulous disgust, but he only said, "Yes, sir."

Severus gave him a hard stare before going on. "After you eat, Norie and Zan will give you your assignments for the day. You are to give your best effort. I will not tolerate any slacking or half-hearted work. You should be busy completing your chores in the mornings. After lunch I will check your work to be certain that it is satisfactory and then I will tutor you in your studies until tea time, at which point you will continue working on your chores. After dinner you will help Norie and Zan clean the kitchen. Then you will return here and study until your bedtime at ten o'clock."

"But we don't have to go to bed til eleven at Hogwarts," Draco protested.

Severus arched an eyebrow. "I think you'll be glad enough to go to bed at ten, after a day of hard work. You do have another option if these rules are unsatisfactory."

Draco quickly shook his head. "No...no, it's fine."

"Am I correct in assuming that you have not yet had your breakfast this morning?" Severus asked.

"Yes, sir. I mean, I haven't eaten," the boy stammered.

"Then I will take you to the kitchen and Norie will show you how to cook your breakfast. After you've eaten, Zan will show you about the house and grounds so you will be able to find your way around. As this is Sunday, we will not be studying. You will spend the rest of the day working in the gardens. New mulch needs to be put down in the flower beds."

"But I don't have my wand," Draco told him. "The headmaster took it."

"I have your wand and I will allow you to use it during lessons if it is necessary," Severus replied evenly. "You will not need it today."

"But..." Draco began, a look of horrified revulsion crossing his face.

Severus cut him off simply by turning and starting for the door. He glanced over his shoulder. "I will wait in the hall if you wish to change into work clothes."

"But I don't have any work clothes!"

"Then I suppose we'd better go over clothes cleaning charms in your lessons tomorrow," Severus said dryly.

***

Harry and Severus spent part of the day flying and, as always, Harry felt better after a few hours zooming around on his Firebolt. At some point in the mid-morning, while they were racing after the snitch and it had led them around to the back of the manor, he did notice Zan and Draco walking out to the gardens, the blond boy pushing a Muggle-style wheelbarrow loaded down with several heavy bags.

Hmm, Harry had never noticed a wheelbarrow or any other Muggle tools about Prince Hall, but he supposed that it would be simple enough for Zan to conjure one up, if he wanted.

Harry felt a small jolt of pain at the sight but it was not as sharp as usual, and when a flash of gold darted by, tantalizingly close to his fingertips, he dismissed thoughts of Draco and turned his attention back to chasing the snitch.

Later that day he and his father settled down in the library to read. From his armchair, Harry could look up and see the gardens from the windows. Now and again he would catch a glimpse of Draco, on his knees and using a spade to spread mulch around the withered rosebushes, or pushing the wheelbarrow over to another spot. The blond boy was too far away for Harry to see his face clearly, but he was obviously becoming more and more disheveled and dirty. Even from a distance, there were obvious mud and grass stains on the once-fine jumper and trousers.

At first Harry couldn't help but feel a smug sense of justification, but as the afternoon wore on, memories began to flash through his mind, memories of himself toiling for hours in his aunt and uncle's yard, having nothing to wear but dirty, stained castoffs. As much as he despised Draco Malfoy...and he did, no mistake about that...he began to feel guilty about the way he and his father were relaxing and enjoying themselves while someone else worked so hard. He couldn't help it. It was too much like the way the Dursleys had lounged about while Harry frantically tried to complete his endless list of chores.

"Harry? Is something wrong?" His father's voice cut through his thoughts.

"What?" Harry realized that he was staring blankly into space and quickly turned. Severus was seated in a nearby armchair, studying him in concern.

"Oh, no, not really." Harry shrugged. "It's just that I was thinking about the Dursleys...." His voice trailed off.

Severus' lips twisted in a sour grimace, as if the mere mention of the Dursleys left a bad taste in his mouth. "They can never hurt you again."

Harry nodded. "I know, but I was just thinking about how I used to have to work for them all the time, and how Draco is working for us, and I don't know...I just feel kind of bad." He shrugged again.

Severus set his book down on a side table and leaned forward, studying his son intently. "Harry, it's not the same thing at all. You never did anything to deserve the treatment you received from the Dursleys. They abused you, not because of anything that you did, but because they fear and despise magic and you embodied that to them. But you never, never deserved to be punished or mistreated in any way simply because you were born a wizard. The Dursleys abused you because they are fearful, bigoted people. It was not your fault and you did not deserve it. Do you understand that?"

Harry was quiet for a while, his eyes dropped downwards. Severus remained silent, waiting for him to answer. Finally Harry looked up at him again.

"I know it in my head," he said in a small voice. "But sometimes I still feel like it was my fault. I must have done something, to make my own family hate me."

Severus reached across the short distance between them to take his hand.

"I'm your family, child, and I love you with all my heart," he said softly.

Harry's eyes grew bright and he sniffed before he was able to give Severus a shaky smile. "I love you with all my heart, too, Dad."

Severus squeezed his hand before letting go and continuing. "But Harry, you are not alone, remember. My blood relatives hated and abused me as well. I'm afraid that I was not as loving and generous as you are, and for a time in my life I embraced darkness. But the hate and abuse began when I was only a small child, and I did not deserve it then either."

"Of course you didn't! You were just a little kid," Harry exclaimed indignantly.

Severus' dark eyes gleamed as he nodded. "That's exactly my point, Harry. You went to live at Privet Drive when you were only a baby. You've told me that your earliest memories are of being locked in that dark cupboard under the stairs, that you were cooking meals, cleaning the house, and working in the yard by the time you were in primary school. You were only a small child too, and there is nothing that you could have done to deserve that kind of treatment."

Harry hesitated. "I suppose so."

"Absolutely so," Severus said firmly. "Harry, what if all that had not happened to you? What if it had happened to some other child? What if I were telling you about another child, a mere baby not yet two years old, whose parents died and was sent to live with an aunt and uncle? What if I told you that those relatives forced the toddler to live in a cupboard, that they denied him food and proper clothing while showering their own child with gifts? What if I told you that that little boy was forced to work long hours keeping their house and yard, as soon as he was able to clutch a cleaning rag? What if I told you that the aunt and uncle slapped and pushed the little boy, and allowed their own son to beat him? Would you think that the child deserved it? Would you think that he should spend the rest of his life blaming himself because his aunt and uncle were cruel idiots?"

Harry closed his eyes and shook his head in a silent ‘no'.

"And so you should not blame yourself. None of it was your fault. I promise you that," Severus finished quietly.

Harry opened his eyes. "Thank you, Dad."

They were quiet for a little while. Then Severus cleared his throat.

"As to comparing your past with Draco's situation, there is another point besides the fact that you were completely innocent while Draco actually has done things to deserve punishment. The Dursleys' expectations from you were deliberately unrealistic. They assigned far too many chores for you to possibly complete because they wanted an excuse to berate and further punish you. I'm certain that Draco is feeling quite overwhelmed and abused right now, too, but that is only because he's never had to do any physical labor. I assigned him enough work to keep him busy each day, but it is not an impossible list to complete, and so long as he is working hard and putting in an effort, I will not punish him if he does not complete everything. And of course, he will receive three meals a day and have adequate time to sleep at night."

"I do not think you need to feel any guilt, Harry, but if you do, you could always offer to help Draco," Severus finished.

In spite of himself, Harry laughed and shook his head. "I don't feel that guilty."

"Good." Severus smiled and they turned back to their books.