Narcissa walked up the marble staircase leading towards her bedroom. She was tired, though you couldn't see it on her unblemished face. She still looked radiant. It had been four months since she had been home. It had been a year and a half since she seen her only child. She's missed Draco so much. She couldn't wait to get him alone and hold him like she genuinely wanted to. When Lady Malfoy made it to the top of the landing, a house elf popped in front of her.

“Lady mistress,” the elf bowed, ears touching the floor. “I's miss you so much.”

“Sandy,” Narcissa said, stepping past the elf and continuing on to her destination. “Where is everyone? Where's my Dragon?”

“Lady mistress, I's so sorry. Sandy hates to be the one to tell you.”

“What's going on?”

“Master Dragon's been arrested.”

___0000_____00000_____00000

Harry woke up. The first thing he noticed was that he was alone. He was back in the middle of the bed. The covers were pulled up to his chin. A small smile curved his mouth at the warm feeling that encased him. His smile quickly vanished as he realized that there was a need that needed to be taken care of. For the past few days, he'd been burdening the Professor with this. Even though Snape said that he doesn't mind coming in and helping him, Harry still felt like he was burdening Snape. During his time lying in bed, he had been moving his arms, trying to build up the strength in them. That day Snape helped him to the bathroom to take a bath, it seemed like such a long walk, but Harry was determined to walk there on his own. Though his need for the restroom wasn't that urgent, Harry figured he would try and bend his knees to his chest so that he could stretch the muscle.

Still laying on his back, Harry brought his knees up until his feet were flat on the bed. The back of his knees was a little stiff, and his ankles felt tender, he kept his feet planted on the bed. He started moving his knees closer towards his chest, which was difficult with the blanket still over him. When he got his knees to his chest, the weight of the cover over him quickly brought him into a flashback. Tears immediately pooled in his eyes. In his mind, he was no longer in the comfy bed safe with his professor. No, he was back in that horror room. The weight on his chest made it hard for him to breathe. He could no longer feel the softness of the bed or the warmth of the covers. He was shivering, as much as he could with that bastard laying over him. He could feel the blood and other bodily fluids on him. Tears streamed from his eyes and wet his temples and his hair. He was completely frozen.

____0000____0000______0000

Severus was sitting at his desk reading the Daily Prophet. He had been up most of the night. After Harry fell asleep, he held him for about an hour and then laid the child on the bed. That one thought kept repeating over and over in his head. “Why do you trust me?” Why does the child trust him so much? Why? After everything that he's been through he still wants my company. He still looks to me for comfort. Severus lowered the paper as he read the headline three times and hadn't gone any further. Looking over at the clock, Severus realized that it was almost time that Harry usually woke up. Getting up, he headed for the kitchen to prepare breakfast for the child. He was in the middle of plating up the eggs and kippers when the alarm went off. He had cast a monitoring charm on Harry in case he was caught up in another flashback. He had just happened to be coming to Harry's room last night when the child was in the midst of a flashback, and he didn't want to have Harry endure another one and Severus not know about it.

When the alarm sounded in his ear, the platter of breakfast items was quickly forgotten as Severus rushed out of the kitchen and ran upstairs.

When he got to Harry's room, he was momentarily stunned by what he was seeing. Having looked into that bastard's mind, Severus knew what all he did to the child. Seeing the child in the state he was in, Severus could almost see that fat bastard laying on the child, holding him down.

The Potions Master quickly came out of his stupor and rushed to Harry's side. He first tried to move the covers and was shocked that they wouldn't move. It seemed like Harry's magic was working against him. Severus tried several times to remove the blanket, but it would not budge. He gave up on the cover and figured that the only way to get Harry out of this horrific flashback, he was going to have to talk him out of it.

Leaning down on the bed so that he was near the only part of Harry that wasn't under the cover, Harry's head, Severus began speaking.

“Harry. Harry. Listen to my voice. You are not there. You are safe. I got you out of there. He is dead. Whatever you are hearing, whatever you are seeing, it is a lie. I am here. You are safe. Listen to my voice.”

Severus continued speaking those words over and over, hoping to pierce into the flashback Harry was enduring and bring him back.

____0000___0000____000___000

“Oh, my beautiful,” the bastard grunted.

Tears streamed down Harry's face. He hated being called that.

“You will feel so much pleasure. I will hear those beautiful sounds again.”

“Harry.”

Harry didn't like what he was feeling. He was a growing boy, and he knew what that bastard was forcing him to do. He didn't want to. He didn't want to. Oh God, please! I don't want to. No! No! Please no, I don't want to. Stop!

Harry felt his body shake, convulse. When the wave left, Harry felt ashamed, dirty, disgusted.

“You're not there.”

“That's it, my beautiful,” praised the bastard. “You really are beautiful. I told you, you would feel amazing. Let's see how you taste.”

Harry screamed.

“I got you out.”

The bastard leaned down and put his mouth on the child. Once he released Harry, he smiled down at the boy.

“Let's have some fun.”

___0000____0000____0000

Severus wasn't getting anywhere with Harry. The child was too caught up in the memory. Almost at his wits-end, Severus did something he hadn't done. He changed his soothing tones to harsh ones that he spoke to Harry the first five years of Harry's time in Hogwarts.

“Listen to me, Potter. I am tired of your theatrics.” Severus hated saying that. Even though he didn't think that Harry should trust him, he didn't want to help his claim any further along being evil to the child. But it seemed that not even that would get through the child's panicked state.

“Control your emotions. Discipline your mind.”

A small gasp came from the child.

“Control your emotions,” Severus commanded. “That's it, Harry,” he whispered when he saw the first signs of Harry fighting to get out of the memory. “Discipline your mind.”

Severus grabbed the edge of the blanket and noticed that it was starting to move.

“Very good, child,” Severus praised again. “Come back to me.”

Tears still flowing from behind Harry's closed eyelids, but his brow started furrowing. His nose scrunched up on his face as if he was trying to detect which smell was real.

“Control your emotions,” Severus said softer this time. “Discipline your mind.”

Harry opened his eyes and noticed two things instantly. One, he wasn't in that horrific room, and two, when his legs fell back against the bed, he felt the mess he just made. He just made a burden of himself.

“Harry,” Severus softly called out.

“I'm sorry, Professor,” Harry said. His voice was coming out in nothing louder than a whisper.

Severus, unsure of what Harry was apologizing for, sat up on the bed and leaned over so that he could be in the boy's view.

“There is nothing for you to apologize for.”

Severus stood up and grab hold of the blanket.

“NO!” Harry protested.

“What's the matter?”

“I don't want you to see me like this.”

“Alright,” Severus said, lowering the blanket again. “Shall I call Madam Pomphrey and have her help you? Or Mrs. Weasley?”

“No. No,” Harry cried, shaking his head. “I don't want anyone to see.”

“See what, Harry? I promise you; it's alright.”

“I didn't want it.”

“Harry?”

“He made me do it. I didn't want to. I tried to stop it, but he wouldn't stop.”

“What did he make you do?” Severus asked, sitting back down on the side of the bed.

“He wouldn't stop. He just kept going and going. I screamed for him to stop. I tried to move, but he had me pinned. I couldn't help it. It just happened. I feel so dirty, disgusting.”

Severus wanted to soothe the boy's distress. He didn't understand what Harry was talking about, so he did what he could to calm the child down. Combing his fingers through the child's mane and softly rubbing his scalp, Severus soothingly spoke words of comfort to the child in the hopes of calming the tears.

“Sir,” Harry whispered after a long moment of silence.

“Yes, Harry.”

“I made a mess in the bed.”

Severus knew. He could smell it, but there was no way he was going to mention it.

“How about we get you cleaned up?” Severus asked, grabbing hold of the edge of the blanket.

Tear-washed emerald eyes looked up at his professor, who was looking down at him. Harry didn't see any hatred in the onyx eyes looking down on him only compassion and understanding. With a slight dip of his head, Harry nodded his consent for Severus to lower the blanket covering his biggest shame. Severus did not remark on the state the child was in nor the mess that he made. He just cast a featherweight charm on the child and carefully picked the boy, cradling him to his chest. Severus could feel Harry's shoulders shake as he silently cried, his face buried on Severus' shoulder.

Severus said nothing as he walked into the bathroom and got everything ready to clean the child.

______0000_______0000_____00000

Lucius walked into his home, sighing. It had been a long day. Having to deal with his disappointment of a son, he just wanted to have a stiff drink and relax. He walked straight to the decanter and poured himself a finger length of firewhiskey. The aroma of the amber liquid was almost calming. He knew he would have to figure out another way for his plan to work, but right now, he didn't want to think about anything but relaxing. But his plan of relaxing disappeared when he turned around.

The glass exploded in his hand. He was not able to get his wand out of his cane before he was knocked off his feet and on to the chair behind him. It took a second for him to get his barrings. The sudden jolt of his body made his vision swim for a moment. When his vision stopped twirling, he looked up to see what attacked him and he was looking down at the business end of a wand.

“What have you done?”

“Cissa, dear,” Lucius pleaded from where he was still stuck on the chair. “What's wrong?”

“Don't play coy with me,” Narcissa barked. “What have you done?”

“Me? Nothing.”

“Draco was arrested. And is still behind bars these last three days.”

“When did you get back?” Lucius tried to keep his voice even.

“Why is my son not here?” Narcissa yelled.

“Cissa, love,” Lucius spoke softly. “Please calm yourself. Why don't you ask his godfather why he was arrested.”

“Severus,” Narcissa said, slightly lowering her arm. “What does Severus have to do with this? I'm asking you. Draco has been locked up for three days.”

___000_____0000_____0000_____0000

Severus left Harry to soak in the tub while he went back into the bedroom to clean up the bed. He acted like he didn't know what Harry was talking about when he spoke of not wanting to. Severus knew very well what it was Harry was forced to do. Seeing into that vile man's mind, he knew exactly what Harry was talking about. As Severus pulled the sheets off of the bed, he cast a scourgify spell on the mattress. As he was getting new linen to cover the bed, he heard his floo flaring. Severus wasn't worried that just anyone could step through because he had it blocked.

The Potions master walked to the bathroom and peeked in. He saw that Harry was leaning against the back of the tub with his eyes closed, soaking. Quietly closing the door, he decided to let Harry sit in the warm water a little while longer. He headed downstairs to see who was calling.

As he got closer to the sitting room, he heard someone call his name. Hearing the voice made him stop in his tracks.

“Severus.”

It was a feminine voice, but it wasn't Poppy or Molly. Severus knew exactly whose voice it was. The problem was; he was told that she was dead.

Kneeling down in the hearth, “Narcissa?”

“Severus, I need to talk to you. May I please come through?”

Severus waved his hand over the fire, and Narcissa's head appeared in the green flames.

“Where have you been?” Severus asked.

“Severus, please. I really need to talk to you.”

Severus waved his hand over the flames and stood up. Moments later Narcissa walked into the sitting room, looking around the room.

“Wait here,” Severus ordered, walking out of the room.

No door closed off the sitting room; he didn't want Lady Malfoy snooping around and finding out who was in his house. So he cast a silencing charm on the landing and a protective charm so that only he could get to the bedrooms. Walking into the bathroom, he saw that Harry was trying to sit up in the tub.

“Harry.”

“Sir,”

“Are you ready to get back into bed?” waking over the sink and grabbing the thick, plush towel laying on the counter.

“Yes, sir.”

With practiced ease, Severus was able to help Harry out of the tub and dried off with minimal discomfort to Harry. Sitting on the closed toilet, Harry had two towels wrapped around him while Severus left to get him some more clothes to put on. Once he came back and helped Harry get dressed, Severus reached under Harry's knees to pick him up when the child tensed.

“Sir, please,” Harry begged.

Severus straightened up and looked at him. “What's wrong?”

“I want to start walking again. I don't want to be a burden to you. I need to get better.”

Severus didn't like what Harry was implying, but he didn't have time to address it. Harry needed to get back into bed so that he could be more comfortable and Severus needed to find out why there was someone downstairs claiming to be the late Lady Malfoy.

Kneeling down until he could look Harry in the eye, Severus spoke, “Listen to me, I will not hear of you referring to yourself as a burden. You are recovering from a horrendous event that has left you in a weakened state. It will take time for you to build up your strength.” Harry turned his head away from Severus, but he gently gripped the child's chin and turned his head so that he was looking into Severus' eyes. “You are not a burden. I will help you walk back to bed. Tomorrow we will start some physical exercises to strengthen your limbs. But listen to me Harry, I do not want you to try and start without me. Do you understand?”

Harry nodded as best he could while his chin was still in Severus' grasp.

“Use your words,” Severus instructed.

“I understand.”

“You are not a burden.”

Harry tried to turn away, but the grip Severus had on his chin was unwavering.

“Say it.”

Tears were pooling in those red-rimmed emerald eyes.

“Say it, Harry.”

“I'm not a burden,” Harry whispered as a tear escape.

“No, you're not,” Severus confirmed, letting go of Harry's chin.

Standing up, Severus reached out to help Harry stand up. With most of his weight leaning on Severus, they made it back to the bedroom and to the bed where fresh linens were on the bed. Severus waved his hand wandlessly casting a warming charm on the sheets so that it would be more comfortable for Harry. Once Harry was in the bed, he was exhausted. Severus covered him with a thin sheet with a warming charm over it.

“Try and get some rest, child,” Severus said, combing his fingers through Harry's hair. “I'll be back to check on you later.”

Harry didn't respond as he was already dozing going deeper into unconsciousness. When Severus was sure that Harry was asleep, he left warding the door to take extra precautions. Taking out his wand and walking into the sitting room, he saw the woman who looked like Narcissa sitting on the sofa.

“All right,” Severus said, bringing her out of her own thoughts. “Who are you? Because I was told that Narcissa Malfoy was dead.”