Meandering Minds was a very large, very old book found in the restricted section of Hogwarts’ library. With a Point-Me spell, the tome was found quite easily amongst all of the other questionable and possibly dangerous books. The pages had been recently cleared of dust; evidence of Hermione’s research. It was one of the milder restricted books, but in the wrong hands, it was a very useful weapon.

Severus lugged the heavy book over to a table, where Harry sat with a quite hefty stack of parchment; Hermione’s notes. He was reading through them with a bemused expression on his face, amazed once again by his best friend’s intelligence.

“Find anything useful?”

Harry sighed as he looked up from the stack of parchments and shook his head. “I...I don’t know, it’s all so...complicated. I don’t think I’m going to be very much help, sir; this is all beyond me.”

Severus took the seat across from Harry and cracked open the ancient book. A little puff of dust rose, even though it had been opened recently. “It is not beyond you, Harry; you just have to think a little deeper. It is important for you to understand, especially as you’ll be the one entering Draco’s mind if we try this. I can help you through it; just give me some time to figure it out myself. In the meantime, try to continue making sense of Ms. Granger’s notes. I’m sure those will make more sense to you than this archaic book will.”

“I’m not so sure myself...” Harry muttered as he continued to read through Hermione’s extremely detailed and complicated notes. He was starting to get really frustrated, not understanding in the least what any of this meant. Just as he was about to blow up and start ranting about his failings in magical theory, Remus walked up to their table. Snape’s quill paused abruptly in its scribbling.

“I ran into Hermione on the way to breakfast; she said she may have had a breakthrough with Draco’s condition?” Remus said as he took the seat beside Severus, noticing how the man stiffened.

“She may have, yes. Harry and I are looking through it now. Perhaps you could help Harry try to understand this; he’s about ready to throw a massive temper tantrum.”

“I am not!” Harry lied, glaring at the Potions Master as he shuffled through Hermione’s notes at random. He looked up to see Remus’ sympathetic gaze and groaned. “Alright, I need help. Please?”

Remus moved to sit in the seat beside Harry instead, pulling the large stack of notes towards him so he could read through them. After about fifteen minutes of reading through the first couple of pages, he was starting to understand what this was all about, and he didn’t like it one bit.

“Severus, this is extremely dangerous! What if it doesn’t work, what if you become trapped in his mind as well?” he said, trying to keep the hysteria out of his voice, if only for Harry’s sake.

Severus looked up at the werewolf, sharing a glance with Harry, who looked slightly bewildered. “Not me, Lupin. Harry has to do this.”

“He certainly does not have to do this! Are you out of your mind? Harry is not nearly skilled enough to pull something like this off! He’ll lose his mind!” Remus hissed in a sharp whisper, not wanting to garner Madam Pince’s attention by shouting like he so wanted to.

Harry bristled slightly at Remus’ comment, but he was cut off by Snape, who sent him a warning glare.

“Harry’s Legilimency skills are quite good, actually. He’s a natural at it, he has no boundaries. I would not have him do this if there were any other options, Remus. The only memory I have seen that qualifies for this spell has been removed and is currently being stored in a memory vial. Harry is the only other person who fits the requirements. Do you think that I haven’t considered the risks, that I want to put him in that kind of danger?” Severus snapped, his sneer more potent than it had been in a long time.

“Frankly, I don’t think you give a flying fuck whether Harry comes out of this intact; as long as you have Draco back.”

Severus’ chair scrapped back loudly as he rose quickly to his feet, glaring daggers at the werewolf. “How dare you?!”

Remus stood up too, sending some of Hermione’s notes cascading to the floor. He looked like he was ready to pull his wand, cueing Harry’s intervention.

“Stop it! Both of you, just stop! Look Remus, I’ve agreed to do this, it was my own decision; Severus isn’t forcing me to do anything. I know you’re both concerned about Draco and me, but please don’t take it out on each other. This is hard enough as it is,” Harry pleaded. He looked between the two men and could feel the contempt rolling off of both of them; something that had been absent for a long time now, and Harry was not glad to see it back.

Remus looked away first, using his wand to restore Hermione’s notes to the clean stack on the table. He stowed his wand away, avoiding eye contact with both Harry and Snape. “I need some air, excuse me.” He walked away quickly, feeling like he would suffocate from the pressure of Severus’ glare.

Severus slowly sat back down, moving the chair closer to the table, intending to continue on reading as if he’d not been interrupted in the first place.

Harry sat back down too, frowning at the stack of notes he still didn’t understand, and was frankly afraid to understand now. “I think you should apologize to him,” he said abruptly, bringing Snape’s glare back onto him.

“I have nothing to apologize for, Potter. He lost his head, not me,” Severus snapped indignantly. Remus was in the wrong here, not him. He no more wanted to put Harry at risk than the werewolf did, and to claim he was willing to sacrifice Harry for Draco...that was just way out of line.

“No, not when it comes to this current fight, but...avoiding him for nearly two months – that you should probably apologize for,” Harry said quietly, keeping his eyes trained carefully on Hermione’s notes. He’d noticed the not-quite-strictly-platonic relationship early on, and he’d also noticed how the Potions Professor had started to push Remus away.

Severus’ jaw dropped, feeling the blood rush simultaneously from his face and to his cheeks in a rare blush. He quickly schooled his features, though he knew it was too late. “I...You’ve no idea what you’re talking about, Potter,” he spat, trying to keep his slight panic at being found out from his tone. He was only partially successful.

Harry looked up at Snape, frowning sympathetically. “I’m not blind or stupid, Professor...and neither is Remus.”

Severus looked away from the intuitive Gryffindor, cursing the day he allowed this boy’s opinion to affect him in any way. He clenched and unclenched his fist around his quill, trying to decide whether or not to confirm Harry’s suspicions, or ignore it altogether. With a heavy sigh, he scooted his chair back and stood up, frowning at Harry, who smirked knowingly.

“Shut up, Potter. Stay here and continue going through Ms. Granger’s notes. I have a pissed off werewolf to attend to.” He groaned and squeezed his eyes closed as Harry let out a chuckle and nodded.

“Good luck, Severus.”

“Insolent little brat...”

S~S~S~S

The air outside was cold and dry, though the clouds looked like they were threatening snow. Early November was always Remus’ favourite time of year; it was cold and dreary, kind of like how he felt most of the time. There was a time when he was always warm, wrapped safely in Sirius’ arms. Even the cold of early November couldn’t penetrate that safe-haven. But that was all gone now, and Remus felt he would never truly be warm again.

He heard the door of the Astronomy tower open and close, and the muffled footsteps that grew closer and closer. He continued to look out over the deserted grounds of Hogwarts, feeling the biting coldness nip at his exposed flesh like salt in a wound.

“You’ll catch your death out here,” Severus said quietly, coming to stand beside the werewolf looking out over the ramparts of the castle. It was a long way down from there.

“What do you care if I die?” Remus muttered, knowing how awfully dramatic that sounded, but not really caring.

Severus snorted as he shook his head slowly. “What is it with you Gryffindors and your melodrama? Why can’t you just be straightforward without all the bells and whistles for once?”

Remus turned to look at Severus, a hard gleam in his usually warm amber eyes. “You want straightforward, Severus? Fine, I can be perfectly straightforward. You’ve been avoiding me, making up stupid excuses for your reluctance to spend any time with me. I know you’re a busy man, Severus, but I’m not as blind as you think I am! If you’ve had enough, tell me. If you don’t want this anymore, than please just let me go, because I can’t handle being strung along like some foolish, love-sick teenager anymore! Just let me go...” Remus trailed off as his voice broke, turning away from the Potions Master. It had been building up for awhile now, and he just couldn’t hold it back any longer. He was so stupid to let himself fall into this.

Severus closed his eyes and took a deep breath, which didn’t help him feel any less like he was drowning in mixed emotions. It was true, he had been avoiding Remus; hell, even Harry had seen it. It was stupid really, the reasons he had for why. He didn’t know how to explain, nor did he really want to. However, he wasn’t quite ready to let the man go like he so desperately begged to be.

“I’m sorry, Remus. You’re right, I have been avoiding you, and it’s stupid. You’ll think me a fool for my reasons, and I don’t blame you, but please hear me out,” Severus said quietly, wanting to reach out to the man, but resisting the urge in case it made matters worse. He’d be surprised if he didn’t leave without Remus getting a good punch in first.

Remus furrowed his brow, not expecting Severus to try to explain himself. He was fully prepared to be dumped right then and there, but he never expected this. “Go on, then,” he said, turning back towards Severus slowly. He felt his chest constrict at the contrite expression on the man’s face.

Severus took a deep breath, trying to prepare himself for this. He stepped off the precipice, hoping Remus would catch him at the end. “I’ve never been in love. I thought I had been, a few times, but it was always ever lust or mistaken feelings. When you came on to me this summer, I figured it was another case of lust, on both our parts. You were lonely and grieving, and I was lonely and desperate, as bad as that sounds. But you got too close, you saw too much of me, and I panicked. I was starting to fall, and I panicked.”

Severus looked away from the werewolf, who was wearing an unidentifiable expression, but could be described at shocked speechless if you looked carefully enough. The clouds overhead were getting darker and more menacing, promising a drizzle, if not snow.

“I warned you that we couldn’t do this when it first began; I still have two teenage boys who are depending on me, and I need to focus on them. I...enjoy your company, Remus, I do, and I don’t want to hurt you...” Severus paused, unsure if he should go on, or simply cling to the werewolf and never let go.

“But?” Remus supplied, knowing that dreaded word was hanging there, even if Severus had not had the heart to say it. He knew this was going to happen, but that didn’t make it hurt any less. Did he love Severus, is that why it felt like he was suffocating? Oh well, too late to explore that now...

Before Severus could reply the door to the Astronomy Tower burst open, making both men jump quite violently. They turned simultaneously to glare at the intruder, but froze when they saw the look of horror on Harry’s face.

“It’s Professor Dumbledore! I think he’s dying,” Harry choked out, his chest heaving after running all the way up to the Tower. He had no idea how he knew Snape and Remus would be up here. He came up here to think when he needed to be alone, so he followed his instincts, and sure enough, here they were. It was obvious he was interrupting an important conversation, but this was beyond talks of relationships.

Severus and Remus exchanged a glance before following Harry off of the Astronomy Tower, hot on his heels as they questioned him.

“What’s happening, where is Professor Dumbledore?”

“Why do you think he’s dying, Harry?”

“He’s in his office. Fawkes showed up in the library, crying and flying around hysterically. When I went to comfort him, he somehow Apparated me to Dumbledore’s office, I dunno how. I found him slumped over in his chair, and he kept asking for you, Severus. He seemed confused and really weak. I ran as fast as I could; I don’t know what happened,” Harry explained as they finally stepped off the dizzying spiral staircase leading to the Astronomy Tower.

Severus quickened his pace, surpassing Harry, who was losing steam after running for so long. Remus was right on Severus’ heels, grasping Harry’s arm reassuringly as he hurried the Gryffindor on towards the Headmaster’s office.

Once there, the stone gargoyle guards simply leapt aside for the entourage, a sign that worried Severus further. The only time to gargoyles did away with the password was in the case of an emergency such as this one. The two men and one teen ran up the ever-spiralling stairs to the Headmaster’s office, Severus bursting through the door first.

Albus Dumbledore was slumped sideways in his high-backed, winged armchair behind his ornate oak desk. His long, white hair and beard were frazzled and his elderly face looked pained and distressed. Sharp blue eyes opened slowly, spotting Severus immediately.

“Severus...please...” he croaked, making the Potions Master’s throat clenched as he hurried forward and kneeled in front of his mentor and friend.

“Albus, what happened, what’s wrong?” he asked, quickly pulling his wand out so he could run a diagnostic spell on the old wizard.

Dumbledore struggled to sit up, and was able to once Remus and Harry came to his aid, helping him balance. “My hand, dear boy...a curse, horrible curse...”

Severus immediately grabbed for both of the Headmaster’s hands, immediately seeing the problem when he gripped the man’s right wrist. “Sweet Merlin, your hand is dead, Albus, and it’s spreading. What curse, what did you touch?”

“Ring...”

Severus spotted the old and hastily made golden ring on Dumbledore’s ring finger. Using his wand to avoid being cursed himself, Severus spelled the ring off and hovered it to sit on the oak desk. He cast his mind around for different types of dark curses that would cause this reaction, but only one counter-curse came to mind that would likely stop the curse, no matter what it was. He lifted his wand, aiming is directly at the dead and blackened hand.

“Terminus is poena, subsisto emanio, rememdium peius, videlicet detrimentum...” Severus muttered the Latin phrase over and over, moving his wand up and down Dumbledore’s arm, and around the blackened hand. Once a faint blue glow started to wrap around the affected appendage, Severus stopped reciting the spell. “Somnus penetranter.”

Remus was able to catch the Headmaster just in time as he slumped forward, affected by Severus’ sleeping spell. Moving slowly and carefully, Remus and Severus lifted the Headmaster and carried him to his quarters off to the side of his office.

Harry was standing in the centre of the office, Fawkes sitting heavily on his shoulder. The phoenix was making low, cooing noises as he preened his beautiful plumage. The teen looked quite pale, and a green tinge started to seep into his face.

“Harry?” Remus asked quickly as he moved towards the Gryffindor. He placed a hand on his shoulder, noticing for the first time that he was trembling. “Are you alright?”

Harry only had time to shake his head before he doubled over, sending Fawkes flying off to his perch beside the Headmaster’s desk. Snape quickly conjured a bucket and pushed it forward to catch Harry’s case of weak stomach, while Remus rubbed circles on his back comfortingly.

“He’s going to be ok, Harry, there’s no need to panic,” said Remus, looking up at Snape as if asking for help.

Severus, however, was too busy studying the golden ring that caused the panic. He used his wand to make it levitate before him as he walked around it in a wide circle, examining the badly made jewellery. “Goblin made, I’d say around the twelfth or thirteenth century. The stone is not a precious one, and it’s been cracked right down the centre. That’s a curious design etched on there...It reminds me of something, no idea what,” Severus continued to make observations about the ring, trying to gain as much knowledge from the thing as possible.

Remus moved forward and took a good look at the ring as well, shooting worried glances over at Harry, who was keeping a good distance away from the cursed object still. “Where did it come from, and why on earth did Albus foolishly put on a cursed ring? Surely the man was intelligent enough to check for curses?”

“Perhaps not, if there was a Confundus charm set near it. The charm would either make the victim forget to check, or else give them the impression that they already had and it came back clear for curses. It’s quite common in families hoping to hide and protect ancient family heirlooms. That may indeed be what this is, but I’ve never seen that crest before. Merlin only knows where Dumbledore got it from; the man’s been disappearing quite often with no word to anyone where he’s going. We’ll have to ask him when he awakens. For now, I think this ought to be locked up.”

Severus directed the ring to the second drawer in Dumbledore’s desk, carefully closing and setting many complicated locking and warding spells that only he could undo. “Foolish old man...” he muttered as he turned back to Remus and Harry.

Harry was avoiding the gazes of both adults, still feeling quite queasy. He just wanted to get back to the library and figure things out for Draco. He desperately needed someone to talk to. Hermione was great and all, but there were just some things that Harry couldn’t tell the brilliant witch; she was much too analytical to just sit and listen, and that’s what Harry needed.

“Can we please go back to the library? I want to learn this, I need to learn this...” he asked quietly, still not looking up at either Professor.

Severus frowned as he moved forward and lifted Harry’s chin, forcing him to meet his eyes. “We will help you with this, Harry, I promise, but it will take time to figure out. I’m just as anxious to get it done as well, but rushing will only increase the chances of failure. Be patient and diligent; it will pay off in the end.”

Harry gulped as he nodded, his chin still resting lightly on Snape’s hand. His eyes stung with unshed tears, but he would not allow himself to break down now. He’d cried enough, now was the time to pull it together and focus. Perhaps when Draco was back to consciousness, Harry would put more effort into fulfilling the destiny the Prophecy set out for him, though he didn’t know exactly what that was at the moment with the memory removed. Perhaps then Harry could take some of the burden off of Dumbledore, who had come much too close to death for Harry’s comfort tonight.

“Come, we’ve got research to do,” said Severus as he led the way out of the Headmaster’s office. He looked back at Remus, who was frowning deeply. Severus knew if he walked away from the conversation he’d been having with Remus before this latest drama developed, he might never be able to salvage the relationship. But when he looked at Harry, and thought about his pale, unconscious godson, his mind set them as priorities above all others. He turned back and walked on, feeling the bridge burn as he did so.

S~S~S~S

It took another three torturous, exhausting, frustrating weeks to research and learn the method of Legilimency Harry needed to help awaken Draco. What with the Oath to keep Draco’s sensitive memory to himself, Harry had to do much of it on his own so that no one else saw or found out about the horrible memory.

Harry was beyond nervous. His palms were sweating, his heart thudded painfully in his chest, and his hair was standing on end from running his hands through it so many times. Remus’ hand on his shoulder was making him more anxious than not, but when he pulled away and saw the flash of hurt in the werewolf’s eyes, he felt instantly guilty. He groaned audibly as he scrubbed at his face.

“Relax, Harry. You know entering Draco’s mind in a state like this can make him retreat further into the recesses of his mind. Occlude, put the worry and fear behind you. Imagine that forest clearing and let it take you over. Once you enter his mind, you must cling onto the sensitive memory immediately, or you could be lost in his mind as well. He will likely panic at first due to the distress of the memory, whatever it may be, but you must persuade him to leave his self-imposed prison. You can do this, Harry. I have every faith in your ability to succeed,” Severus said in a quiet, soothing voice.

He could feel the tension rolling off the boy, and it was starting to affect him as well. They’d gone over this plan so many times, he was sure Harry knew it quite well, but it didn’t hurt to repeat it once more before they began.

Harry had his eyes closed for a good fifteen minutes before his breathing evened and his body relaxed. If it wasn’t for his standing position, it would have looked like Harry had fallen asleep himself. He slowly opened his eyes, keeping the forest scene in the back of his mind as he moved towards Draco’s bed and the chair beside it.

“Healer Smithson, I’m ready,” said Harry as he took the seat and sat forward, keeping his mind as clear as possible. This was it, he had to do this right, or else he could kill both Draco and himself in the attempt.

Abigail handed a potion to Harry, while Poppy tipped the same potion into Draco’s mouth, helping him swallow with a spell. It was a mild muscle relaxer, to make sure neither boy was injured in case a physical struggle ensued. Using her wand, Abigail carefully strapped Draco down to the hospital bed, and prepared the needed potions for when – if – Draco was awoken.

“Dim the lights,” Harry instructed as he moved forward and turned Draco’s unresisting face towards him. He place a hand on either temple, closing his eyes as he made sure his mind was completely clear. Once he saw the lights dim through his closed eyelids, Harry pulled together his magical strength, preparing for wandless magic.

“Legilimens Sensilis!”

The sensation of falling into one’s mind was like a mix between travelling by Apparation and Portkey; not pleasant in the slightest. Harry landed in a dark, dank area of Draco’s mind, casting for the memory of Draco’s abuse immediately. A few memories began to flash before him, making him feel ill. So the one he’d witnessed was not the only one. He quickly indentified the one he had seen – he would never, ever forget it – and latched on, pulling himself into the memory. Though he didn’t want to see what happened at all, he could not allow for hesitancy, lest the attempt fail due to lack of will.

Harry’s stomach churned as he heard Draco cry out, his eyes closed tight against the visual scene at least.

“Please...please, I’ll give you anything you want....just stop, it hurts!”

A harsh laugh filled the air, accompanied by heavy breathing and whimpers of pain. “Oh, but you are what I want. You’re so tight and perfect; what more could I ask for?”

A sob was muffled by a hand being slapped over Draco’s mouth. Any further pleading was cut off as the teen whimpered and cried, feeling like he was being burned alive from the inside out with each thrust.

“Harry, what the fuck are you doing here?” a familiar voice shouted from very close behind Harry. He whipped around and felt his heart jump at the sight of Draco – whole, alive, and very much awake.

“Draco! Thank Merlin, I didn’t know if this would work or not. You’ve been in a coma for nearly three months, Draco. The only way we’ve found so far to pull you out of it is just so; to literally pull you out of it, through your mind. There’s not enough time to explain it all now, but I promise I will when you wake up, alright?” Harry said gently, hardly noticing when the horrible memory that he’d latched on to faded away.

Draco was shaking and looking around nervously, as if there were other people there, watching him. “I can’t...I’ve tried, but I don’t know how to get out. We’re probably both stuck now...” he rasped, his voice full of emotion. “Every night you came and talked to me, I’d try so hard to get out, but it never worked. I wanted to so bad...”

Harry felt the tears stinging in his eyes and let them fall free, taking a step towards the Slytherin. “You could hear me? The whole time, you heard everything?” he asked hopefully. He wasn’t embarrassed by his visits to Draco, quite the contrary; Harry had hoped Draco could hear him.

“Everything,” said Draco with a slow nod as he took a step towards Harry. With a shuddering breath he took the last few steps at a run and threw himself into Harry’s arms, hugging the Gryffindor with nearly bruising force. “I’d have gone mad without you.”

Harry allowed the hug to go on for at least a minute or two, hugging back just as fiercely. He knew they were running out of time, so he pulled away, however reluctantly. “I need you to clear your mind completely except for us. Do you trust me?”

Draco only hesitated for a millisecond before nodding vigorously. “Yes, I trust you.”

“Then take my hand, and whatever you do, don’t let go. There’s no saying what could happen after this...it might even hurt a bit, and I’m sorry for that. It could hurt me too. Make sure your mind is completely clear before giving me a signal so I know to continue. Ready?”

Draco closed his eyes as he grasped Harry’s hand tightly in his own, making sure his mind was clear of everything besides himself and Harry. He pushed his fear and anxiety back, completely putting his trust in Harry’s hands. With a deep breath, he gave a sharp nod. Then the world went black.

S~S~S~S

“...Severus, please calm down, you will only distress the boy’s themselves if they see you in this state.”

“Why aren’t they awake yet, Poppy? The book said three to four hours, not eight! Something’s wrong, I need to go in and check.”

“Absolutely not! It clearly says that using Legilimency during the recuperation stage could reverse everything that’s been achieved!”

“How the hell do you know anything has been achieved if you won’t let me check?”

“So help me Severus Snape, I will hex you where you stand if you do not sit down and shut up this instant!”

Silence.

“Thank you, Remus. Why he listens to you and not me, I’ll never know....”

“I have my ways of persuasion...”

“Shut it, Lupin.”

Harry let out a quiet groan as the faint light poked at his sensitive eyes. “Both of you shut it; I’m trying to sleep here...”

The mumbling was punctuated by at least five gasps as Harry felt people crowd around his...hospital bed, he assumed? What had he broken this time? He slowly opened his eyes and was immediately assaulted with Snape hovering mere inches above his face. He gasped and tried to crawl away.

“Look what you’ve done, you’ve frightened him,” said an amused voice from the other side of the bed. Harry looked over. Ah, Remus.

“Remus John Lupin, I swear to Merlin I will hex off your – ”

“Severus, watch your language!” Madam Pomfrey admonished as she used her wand to shine a bright and unwelcome light into each of Harry’s eyes. He squinted against the pain as she moved away and performed a diagnostic spell over him. When she moved away from the bed, his eyes fell upon Draco, still pale as ever, and it all came rushing back. He sat up so quickly the world spun around him dizzyingly.

“Did it work; is Draco still in a coma?” He asked quickly even as he clutched at his spinning head.

Severus moved forward and pushed Harry gently back down into a laying position as he glanced over at the bed containing his godson. “We don’t know yet, Harry. You were the first to wake, and even then it’s been much longer than anticipated.”

“Is he awake? Mum’s going ballistic at Headquarters; someone needs to go give her a Calming Draught.”

Harry looked over towards the familiar voice, smiling at the second eldest Weasley brother. “Hey Charlie. Yeah, I’m awake; tell Molly to stop fretting for my sake.”

Charlie chuckled as he moved forward and ruffled Harry’s already messy hair affectionately. “If only it were that easy to get Mum to stop worrying. Glad you’re doing well, then.”

“Wotcher, Harry. You gave us a bit of a fright,” said Tonks from the foot of Harry’s bed. She winked at him as he sent her a tired smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Severus! He’s responding,” Abigail exclaimed as she waved her wand slowly over Draco, his vitals increasing very slightly.

Everyone in the infirmary immediately turned towards Draco’s bed, where a shuttering of eyelids made the entire room hold their breath. Harry’s heart was beating so fast he was surprised no one else could hear it.

“Mum...?”

Draco’s scratchy voice sent the room into hysterics. Harry leaped out of bed and made it to Draco’s bedside at the same time as Snape. Remus was close behind, and Abigail was running diagnostic after diagnostic over Draco. Poppy was trying to drag Harry back to his bed, but was rather unsuccessful.

“I’m supposed to inform Dumbledore if he wakes up. I’ll be back,” Tonks said as she ran quickly from the infirmary, Charlie close on her heels.

“Mum’s going to freak. I’ll head off the entourage waiting for Harry to awake.”

“Draco, can you hear me?” Severus asked as he leaned forward over his godson. He wasn’t aware of when he began to smooth Draco’s white-blonde hair down, but he was aware of the hand squeezing his shoulder from behind; Remus.

Draco tried to speak again but his voice cracked from disuse. He accepted the glass of water that was pressed to his lips, allowing Severus to lift his head slightly so he could drink without spilling it. He drank down nearly the entire glass before he pushed it away, looking around at the people by his bedside with a rather bemused look on his face.

“Where’s my mother and father, where am I? Can someone please tell me what is going on?” Draco asked, his voice sounding much too small and innocent.

Harry felt his heart drop, sensing the same panic from Snape beside him. “I...you – you don’t remember?” he asked in a quiet, pain filled voice. He had just talked to Draco when he’d entered his mind, and that Draco had heard everything Harry had poured out to him during the past three months. What went wrong, where did he mess up?

Draco looked towards Snape, hoping this man would be able to tell him what was happening. “What’s going on?”

Severus sighed deeply as he looked pleadingly over at Abigail, who shook her head with a frown. Life was just determined to deal him a shite hand when it came to his charges.

“Draco...You’ve been asleep for quite a while now, nearly three months, actually. There was an accident this summer. We only just found a way to awake you. What’s the very last thing you can remember?” asked Severus, knowing Draco’s amnesia could just be partial, or the boy could have no idea who he was.

Draco’s brow scrunched in apparent concentration. He shook his head a few times, almost as if he was having trouble remembering much of anything. “I...I don’t remember...My mum and dad, at the Chateau on the Continent. I can’t...you keep calling me Draco. Is that my name?”

Severus felt his stomach drop, feeling suddenly ill. How was he supposed to fix this; how do you tell somebody who they are? “Yes, your name is Draco Malfoy, and you’re sixteen years old.”

Draco’s eyebrow rose slowly, his expression clearly stating that he thought Severus had gone insane. He shook his head once more, than looked up at Severus as if in recognition. “I’m only eight, Sev.”

Everyone stiffened and quieted once more, making the silence rise up like an ominous chorus of dread. Abigail moved forward towards Draco, her expression extremely sad. “Draco, this will be your sixth year at Hogwarts. You’ve lost quite a bit of your memory, it seems.”

“You remember who I am though, Draco?” Severus asked, catching on to the boy using his name when nobody else seemed to have noticed.

“Yes, of course, but...I....” Draco paled considerably, even with his nearly iridescent skin to begin with. Obviously, something was not right. He turned wide, frightened eyes back to Severus. “What’s happening, Sev?”

Severus took a deep breath and shook his head, feeling Harry shaking beside him. “I wish I knew, Draco...”

S~S~S~S

The door closed with a quiet snap, bringing Harry out of his reverie. He looked up at the Potions Master, his expression one of pleading and hope. However, Snape looked quite as lost as he had only a few hours before.

Taking a seat in his usual armchair by the fire, Severus let out a deep sigh as he rubbed his hands over his tired eyes. He was so exhausted, but he didn’t have time to be. He had classes to teach, lessons to plan, teenage boys to fret over, and a tentative relationship with a hurt werewolf to figure out. He jumped when he felt a hand rest on his shoulder.

“What did Professor Dumbledore say, sir?” Harry asked, hoping that he wasn’t being too forward. Snape was obviously distressed and worn out; Harry just wanted to help him.

Severus looked up at the Gryffindor, his face blank but his eyes full of pain. “There’s no need to call me sir when we’re down here, Harry. Please sit down.” He waited until Harry had retaken his seat on the sofa opposite his armchair before continuing.

“Dumbledore is under the impression that Draco has sudden onset amnesia. There’s no telling whether it was the curses that hit him before, or the method used to wake him up. There were risks involved, we knew that. However, Albus is convinced there is a way to bring his memories back. The problem is finding the way to do so.”

Harry nodded slowly, the knot of guilt and dread in his chest loosening only very slightly. “So...I could have done this to him, then?” he asked, hating how small his voice sounded.

Severus closed his eyes for a second, but nodded slowly. “Yes, it could have been the Legilimency, but there is no way to tell. Do not blame yourself for this, Harry. We knew there were risks involved, and we were willing to take those risks. Draco is alive and conscious, that is what’s important. There is every chance that Draco will get his full memory back, all in due time. Do not beat yourself up over this,” said Severus, his tone stern, even though he completely understood Harry’s guilt; he felt it too.

Harry swallowed hard, blinking back the tears that threatened to fall. He couldn’t let this get to him. He had helped Draco, things would get better – at least that was what he kept trying to tell himself. “What are Albus’ ideas for getting Draco’s memory back?” he asked. He would try to do everything he could to help bring Draco’s memories back.

“Dumbledore knows a special kind of Legilimency that is less invasive than normal Legilimency. It requires a willing participant, so someone will need to convince Draco that Dumbledore is trying to help him to get him to agree. If it works, Albus may be able to uncover the lost memories himself, or at the least find out why they’re being suppressed. Another idea of his was to slowly incorporate memories from those who know him to try and trigger a release, but that may not be suitable, as not very many people would be willing to offer memories – ”

“I will. I’ll give every single memory I have of him, good and bad. I want to help,” Harry interrupted Snape, earning himself a half-hearted glare.

“Yes, I figured you’d be one of the few willing to give the memories. I’m sure the staff and a few other students would be willing as well, but it would need to be a gradual thing. Bombarding him with memories of a past that he can’t remember may do more harm than good. We will try Albus’ original idea first, and then see about doing the memory incorporation if that fails.”

Harry sat forward, his face drawn and tired. He had escaped Poppy’s clutches only because Snape convinced her to release him from the hospital wing. He wasn’t injured, just tired and emotionally drained. He couldn’t stand being near Draco and not being able to talk to him. Besides, Snape knew that if Harry stayed with Draco in the infirmary, Harry might grow frustrated with Draco’s memory loss and end up saying the wrong thing.

“He’s going to be ok, right? We’ll figure this out?” Harry asked tentatively, feeling extremely vulnerable. He didn’t know when he had gone from seeing Draco as an acquaintance, to feeling like he’d be lost without the Slytherin. Something had changed, and it worried him slightly, but he would push those feelings away for now. Now was the time to focus on getting Draco’s memories back.

“We will try everything we can, Harry. It will take some time, but things will work out eventually. I think it’s time we both got some sleep. There are classes tomorrow,” Severus said as he stood up from his armchair. He waved his wand and doused the fire in the hearth, plaguing the sitting room in darkness.

Harry moved towards the hall, heading to his own room. He was stopped by a hand on his shoulder, turning him around to face Snape.

“Thank you, Harry, for what you did for Draco. Without you he’d still be comatose, amnesia or not. I’m sure in time he’ll come to appreciate your help just as much as I do.”

Harry couldn’t stop the few tears that leaked out, but he quickly wiped them away, nodding quickly at the Potions Professor. “Goodnight, Severus.”

Severus gave Harry’s shoulder one last squeeze before releasing him. He knew the boy still blamed himself, but there would be time to cure the Gryffindor of his guilt later. As for the boy’s obviously growing affection for Draco, well...that would have to wait till morning as well. “Goodnight, Harry.”