Harry's cries slowed down to where there was only whimpering coming from him, but he refused to be removed from the darkest confines of Severus' robes, nor was Severus even attempting to remove him.

"Now, Mr. Malfoy," Moody's voice was almost cheerful. "Come here."

Draco instinctively took a step back towards Severus and Harry. Whatever Moody was going to do, he did not want to be the first one. Draco shuddered.

"Do not make me call you over here again," Moody said, starting to loose his cheerful voice.

Draco and Severus looked at each other. Draco did not want to walk over there and Severus knew it. Draco moved closer to his Professor, when he felt a weird, disembodied sensation across his waist. His brow creased as he looked at his teacher with fear in them. He didn't know what was happening. Severus was about to reach out for Draco, when Draco began to involuntarily slide towards Moody. Draco yelped at the sudden movement. He was able to turn his body just in time to come face to face with the enemy, Alistair Moody. Draco was so scared that his breath got caught in his throat.

"I don't understand," Moody said grabbing hold of the front of Draco's shirt. "I've heard you say that you want to die. Well, I'm trying to make that possible. I tell you what. You're so eager to make deals. Let's make a deal."

"Draco," Severus called out, but Moody waved his wand and cast a silencing charm around them so that they wouldn't be disturbed again.

Severus watched as they talked. How he wish he could hear what was being said.

"You want to die, yes?" Moody asked.

"Yes, sir," Draco said. His eyes are on his shoes.

"Look at me," Moody said. "You want to make a deal like a man. Well, a man looks in to the eyes of his enemy to see if there are truth or lies in his words. Now, chin up."

Draco lifted his chin and looked at Moody.

"Now, you want to die?" Moody asked again.

"You're going to have me killed, so why not? Just please, make it quick."

Moody smirked.

"Did Harry tell you about these?" Moody asked changing the subject.

"No," Draco shook his head.

"Well," Moody said reaching out and putting one collar around Draco's neck, "you're about to get a crash course."

Draco gasped and gagged at how fast and hard the metal collar came around his neck. It wasn't so hard to breath, once he made his throat muscles relax, but it felt like something was almost trying to strangle him.

After Moody closed the collar around Draco's neck, he canceled the charm.

"Okay, gentlemen," Moody said, walking away from Draco, who was trying to pull the collar away from his skin, but he couldn't get his fingers under the smooth metal band.

"Wait, what do I get out of this deal?" Draco asked, still trying to pull at the collar. "Let Harry and Professor Snape go!"

"Who said we had a deal, Mr. Malfoy?" Moody growled. A look of horror crossed Draco's face. "You obviously can't tell when I'm lying, and have proved your childish immaturity on the matter of deal making."

"I thought you were supposed to be one of the 'good guys!'" Draco screamed, still clawing at his collar, growing more frantic by the minute. "You're supposed to be better than the Death Eaters!" Draco fell to his knees, as weakness and despair overcame him.

"This is a war," Moody said loftily. "There are no 'good guys' in a war." Draco wailed softly, unable to dislodge the collar. Moody stepped close to Draco again, but Draco only flinched slightly. Moody reached out and grabbed Draco by the roots of his hair and lifted him to his feet. Draco cried out, but didn't fight.

"Yes, sir?" Draco whimpered. Moody thrust the other two collars into Draco's hands.

"Put these on the other two," Moody instructed gruffly.

"Oh, God, no," Draco paled.

"No?" Moody echoed. He flicked his wand, and Draco screamed like he had never screamed before, even under the Cruciatus. Draco collapsed to the ground, in so much pain that he couldn't even move properly.

Severus, despite his years as a Death Eater, had never seen torture quite like this. Death Eaters had satisfied themselves with the Unforgivables, but judging by Draco's reaction, Severus concluded that this was quite unlike anything he had seen or felt. A Cruciatus was the worst pain any spell could inflict. But even that must have its limitations, Severus reasoned, because there was no physical contact between the caster and the victim. While a Cruciatus felt like real pain, which basically made it real pain, it was imagined, thus the insanity connected with it, because of the blurring of reality. If there were some physical contact between the torturer and the victim, Severus wondered if a higher level of pain - God forbid - could be reached. Draco's stillness combined with the agony of his screams did little to ease Severus' mind.

Severus knew he would have rushed to Draco's side if Potter hadn't been still clinging to him. As if in pain himself, Potter was moaning softly as he shivered. Severus hadn't let Potter go since the boy had decided to latch on to him, and Severus concluded it was because of the stress of the situation. He must have simply forgotten to let go, but Severus still didn't make a move to dislodge the unwelcome child from his person.

It wasn't even a full minute, and Moody let up on Draco's torture. Draco screamed several more times - another thing to add evidence to Severus' theory of real, physical pain - though they began to become less frantic as the seconds passed.

Draco was shaking uncontrollably as he tried to rise to his feet. Tears flowed freely, because that had hurt worse than any Cruciatus he had ever been subjected to, and he had been subjected to many. Was it any wonder Harry had full on panicked and begged Snape to kill him?

"Put. The. Collars. On. Them," Moody emphasized. Draco realized he still had the other two in his hands. A look of horror settled on his face as he slowly turned to meet Snape's gaze, looking for guidance.

Severus nodded once. Draco glanced back at Moody, who looked impassive. Draco forced his feet to work as he stepped towards Snape and Harry. Draco reached up towards Snape with on of the collars, but he only moved a few inches.

Severus released Potter, but didn't push him away, not yet. Severus waited expectantly for Draco to put the collar on him. Then Draco hesitated.

"No, no," he whispered tearfully. "I can't hurt you, Professor, I can't." More tears spilled over, and Draco began to shake, out of fear, pain, and shame.

"It's fine, Draco," Severus said softly, taking Draco's wrists in his hands. "Do what you must." Wordlessly, he guided them to his throat and behind his neck, where he clasped the collar himself.

Draco continued to sob a soft mantra of "No's" but he didn't fight Snape. As much as it made him sick to think what he was doing to the only adult that cared about him, he couldn't face Moody's punishments again, not if he could avoid it. He was too much of a coward. He just admired Harry's fortitude all the more.

Harry. He had been ordered to put the collar on Harry. He groaned when he realized what that meant. Harry would be a much less willing victim than Snape, Draco knew, and he couldn't blame Harry in the slightest. Once again, Draco glanced at Snape for guidance.

"Do it," Snape instructed gently, though his expression was unreadable. "It's more dangerous to provoke an enemy whose strength you don't know than to do what he wants." Draco nodded, but didn't trust his voice to reply. Harry was still trying to block out reality, and Severus gently pushed him away from the confines of his robes. Draco looked at Harry, who was staring wide-eyed with shock at him.

"Harry, I'm sorry," Draco blurted out, as he took a step towards Harry.

"No!" Harry screamed, when he saw Draco's intent. "Get away from me! Don't touch me! Don't touch me with that thing!" Harry tried bolting away to a far corner of the room, but Severus was faster, guessing Harry's next move, and caught him by the wrist. Harry let out another scream at the unexpected force.

"Potter," Severus said, his voice still soothingly gentle, "I'm sorry as well. When all three of us are out of here, you'll understand why we had to."

"Let me go! LET ME GO!" Harry screamed as he wiggled and squirmed to get away from Severus. Instead, Severus pulled Potter close and held the boy's back to his chest. Severus began to feel slightly sick when he thought about what he was doing, cooperating in torturing a child.

"LET - ME - GO!" Harry protested again. He kicked and clawed at Severus, who, together with Potter, sank to to floor. Severus wrapped his legs around Harry's, immobilizing them, then held both of Harry's thin wrists in one of his hands. The other hand held Harry's head back, exposing his neck. Harry was unable to move at all, and entirely at their mercy - or lack thereof. Severus felt guilty about what he was doing.

"I hate you! I hate you both!" Harry screamed madly when he found himself unable to fight any longer. "I hate you, Draco!" Draco shook his head sadly, but didn't argue. It wasn't unlike what he told himself every day anyway. "Is this why you wouldn't kill me, Professor?" Harry continued ranting. "You want to see this, don't you? Stop holding me down, please! I hate you, Professor, I hate you!"

"Draco!" Severus snapped over Harry's tirade. "I can't hold him here forever." Draco woke from the reverie of self-loathing Harry's rant had brought on, and before he could hesitate again, he stepped forward to put the collar around Harry's neck.

"It's alright, Harry," Draco whispered softly in his ear. "I hate me too."

Harry looked up at Draco, his green eyes swimming in tears as he watched him come closer with that blasted collar.

"Put the collar on him, or both of you will be punished," was said from behind the small bit of chaos on the floor.

Draco put his head down then looked at his friend.

"I'm so sorry," Draco said as he closed the collar around Harry's neck.

Harry lost the fight in him. He just went limp in their Professor's arms. For a moment, Severus worried that the stress had killed Harry.

"I'm sorry, Draco," Harry deadpanned out. "I'm sorry, Professor. This is all my fault."

"Right you are, Harry," Moody said walking towards them. "And for that."

A wave of his arm and Harry was screaming, still in Severus' arms, screaming and withering in pain.

Severus couldn't believe what he was seeing, so he did the only thing he could, which was just to hold Harry.

"You know the rules, Harry," Moody said lifting his wand stopping the pain. "Now, I think it's time to fill in the Death Eaters."