Chapter 3

Severus had had a long day and even a longer night. He had spent the past three days at St. Mungo's working with the Healers and Medi-witches on Minerva. Now that it was the end of the school year, he knew that Poppy was on her way. Normally Severus wouldn't be this anxious, but he had two teenage boys who he had to pick up from Kings Cross in a couple of hours. He hated that he couldn't talk to Draco and Harry before the end of term, but with the unexpected emergency with Minerva, he just didn't have the chance. Now, he was preparing himself for the biggest argument ever, having to tell them that they both were going to be with him.

Severus knew that since he wasn't going to be at the feast and St. Mungo's was close to King's Cross station, he would have Draco and Potter wait for him at the station. Poppy already owled him, telling him that she would be a little late coming, since a student decided it would be fun to see if the bat boogie hex could be modified, so on the last day she was dealing with that.

Severus waited and waited. He knew what time the train usually came to Kings Cross and that time came and went and Poppy still wasn't there. The longer Severus had to wait, the more annoyed he got.

Finally, Poppy rushed into the room.

“Oh, Severus, I'm so sorry. I just couldn't get away.”

Severus didn't feel like talking. He was already an half an hour late picking up the boys, and the last thing he wanted to hear was some excuse. He just nodded and walked out of the room. Once he was outside, Severus apparated to the station and headed towards the luggage gate.

Walking towards the gate, he recognized his godson by his blonde hair. A small smirk graced the dour potion master's lips as he continued his trek, but that smile didn't last, as he didn't see a messy black haired boy over there.

“Dragon,” Severus called out.

Draco turned and walked towards his godfather.

“Where's Potter?”

“Potter? Why would you be looking for him?” Severus didn't miss the hint of disgust in Draco's tone.

“He's staying with us per the Headmaster's orders. I sent you both a note to be here.”

Draco's face stayed the same but inside he was fuming. They were supposed to house Scar-head. This was suppose to be his time with his godfather. Well, one thing crossed his mind, he really didn't have much to worry about now that Potter was gone.

Severus looked at his godson, narrowing his eyes. He could see the boy had something on his mind, but didn't know what. He expected his godson to start fussing when he found out that Potter was staying with them the summer, but he didn't show any emotion.

Severus walked around the luggage gate, seeing if there was any trace of Potter. After being annoyed at St. Mungo's and now not seeing Potter, his patience was at an end.

“Did you see Potter at all?” Severus asked, walking back over to his godson.

“I saw him leave with his friends,” Draco responded. “Maybe he just ignored the note.”

Draco knew his godfather wasn't on speaking terms with the blood traitors or the mudblood's family, so he didn't think that he would follow up on it.

“That blasted boy,” Severus fumed. “Fine, if he wants to stay with his friends, then so be it. Let's go.”

Severus walked out of the station, Draco walking behind him, a small smile on the blonde-head boy's face.

Severus held out his arm, and Draco grabbed hold without being order to, and just like that the two Slytherins were gone.

________0000________0000__________

Harry woke up, laying on a thin mattress. His head felt heavy and his neck was stiff. Out of habit, he tried to reach up towards his face, but found that his hands were tied across his chest to the opposite post at the head of the mattress. It was an uncomfortable way to lay. Along with the stiffness of his neck, his shoulders were aching in this position. He looked around the room he was in, but because he didn't have his glasses on he really couldn't make out much of the room. He heard the door open. His breath caught in his throat as the footsteps were coming closer towards him. He could see a blurry figure. This person coming towards him was just as big as his Uncle Vernon.

“I see you're awake, Beautiful.”

Harry recognized the voice as the same one that held him when he was taken. He felt a dip in the mattress when the man sat down. Harry tried to move as far away from his captor as he could. Those movements were not much since he was tied up.

“You know,” the gravelly voiced man said, carding his fingers through Harry's hair. “You could bring in some pretty good money.”

Harry tried to move his head so that the man wasn't touching him, but he couldn't move much.

“But I think I'll just keep you for myself.”

“Le'v m' 'lone,” Harry slurred, trying to move his head away from the man's touch. “Don' t'ch m'.”

“Well, aren't you feisty,” the man laughed. “Oh yeah, you're going to be so much fun.”

“No! Stay 'way from me.” Harry struggling increased more as the drugs were leaving his system.

“Shh sh,” he shushed, soothingly, wiping the stray tears that were leaving Harry's fearful eyes, with his thumb.

Harry's heart was beating so fast and hard, he thought it would come from his chest. He didn't like the way this man talked to him or what he called him. He was uncomfortably close to Harry and he didn't like that the man kept touching him. As much as Harry wished that he was away from the Dursleys and even the thought of spending the summer with his Potions Professor would be a whole lot better than where he was now.

Later that night, the large man walked out of the room, fixing his clothes, shutting the door behind him, closing out and silencing the sobs of the small broken teen inside.

________00000___________0000________

It had been two weeks since the train dropped off the children at Kings Cross station. Draco and Severus had worked themselves into a routine. They would get up and have breakfast together. Severus insisted that one should be dressed and presentable at breakfast. After their morning meal, Severus would either go to his lab and brew potions, or go to his study and work. Draco would work on his summer homework or take a morning walk. Draco would have lunch alone in his room, as Severus usually didn't eat lunch most of the time, since he would often be at a crucial part of his brewing and couldn't leave. At dinner, it was pretty much the same as breakfast. They would dine together and then have tea in his study while they either read or played a game of chess. This was working out to be a wonderful summer, Draco thought. No Potter. No Potter. No Potter.

Severus and Draco were sitting in the study. They had just finished their dinner and were playing chess, when the floo flared.

“Who on earth could that be?” Severus pondered, as he walked to his office to see who was calling.

“Severus, oh, please, be there.” Molly's panicked voice came through the flames.

“Molly,” Severus said, kneeling down in the hearth. “What's wrong?”

“Where's Harry?”

“Potter?! I haven't seen Potter all summer.”

Molly's head vanished from the flames, crying. Severus didn't like this. Something was wrong. If Molly was wondering where Potter was, something is definitely wrong. Severus stood up, through some powder in the flames and called out, “Weasley residence.”

Severus vanished in the flames and stepped through to the Weasley's living room. What he saw, he couldn't believe. Molly was sitting on the small couch sobbing into her apron. Granger and the youngest Weasley were sitting on the bottom of the steps holding each other. Arthur was pacing back a forth. Severus walked over to Arthur.

“What is going on?”

“Harry's missing.”

“What? What do you mean, missing? He left the station with you.”

“No, he didn't.” Arthur shook his head, looking at the Potion Master, confused. “When we left, he was still at the station.”

“Oh, Harry,” Molly sobbed. “We should've stayed, Arthur. We should have stayed with him.”

Arthur walked over to the sofa, sat down and wrapped his arms around his wife as she sobbed on his shoulder.

“Why did you contact me?” Severus asked.

“Albus told us to,” Arthur said, slightly rocking back in forth trying to comfort his weeping wife. “He told us this evening that Harry was supposed to be with you.”

“He wasn't at the station when I arrived. I left him a note saying where to wait for me. When I didn't see him, I thought he was with you.”

“You were sure he was with us? Why?” Arthur asked.

Severus blinked, then without another word, he headed straight for the floo, threw down some powder and called out, “Prince Manor.”

Severus walked out of his office and towards the study. He saw that it was empty and headed towards his godson's room.

“Dragon,” Severus called out.

Draco came out of his room and looked at his godfather.

“So who was calling this late at night?”

“You saw Harry leave the train station?”

“Yes, Uncle Sev,” Draco shrugged. “I saw him with the blood traitors and the mudblood.”

“Draco Lucius Malfoy,” Severus rebuked. “You know I don't allow that kind of talk in my house.”

“Sorry, Godfather.” Draco's voice was void of any emotion. “But that's what I saw. When they left, Harry was gone.”

Draco turned and walked away. Severus narrowed his eyes, looking at his godson's receding back. One thing that years of spying has shown Severus, he knew when he was being lied to. And as long as he's known his godson, he had never lied to him. He'd lied to his parents, his teachers, his caretakers, but never to Severus, until tonight.

________0000___________0000______

Two weeks. Harry had been locked in that room for two weeks. He would get fed once a day. But that wasn't the only thing that happened when he came in the room. Harry tried fighting it, but the results would always be the same.

“Fighting makes it more enjoyable for me,” the gravely man chuckled while holding Harry's legs down on the bed.

He didn't like it. No matter how many times it happened it hurt every time. As the days passed, he started to wonder if anyone would notice that he was missing. Would anyone care that he wasn't around? As the days continued, the answer he was starting to come up with was a resounding no. No one cared. No one was looking. Harry was all alone.

On this day, like all the others, Harry woke up in pain. He tried to stretch through the searing pain that was in his shoulders and lower back. With his arms now tied above his head, it made his position very painful when left for a long period of time. Harry had no idea what time it was, let alone what day it was. But he did know that it was too early for the bastard (something Harry started calling him in his head) to come in the room. He lay there on the ratty mattress, trying to block out the pain. He'd been practicing meditating since that first horrific night. He remembered his Professor's instructions as well as his remark about his emotions.

They will not win. He will not win, thought Harry through shuttered breathing.

“Control your emotions. Discipline your mind.”

Professor's voice came through clear as day in his mind. And he remembered one of the lessons he had.

“Now Harry,” Severus said as soon as Harry walked into the classroom. “Today I will attempt to teach you that Occlumency doesn't have to be just about blocking someone out. It can also be effective in keeping something in. You, Potter, have the uncanny ability to show your feelings on your face. You are very easy to read. To be a true Occlumens you must change that. Never let your enemy know what you are thinking.”

“Yes, sir,” Harry said.

“Now, last week we discussed and demonstrated the ability of the wall in your mind. Have you been practicing?”

Harry nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“Very good.”

Harry looked at his Professor while he talked. These lessons were so much better than before. He felt he was actually learning something. Severus continued to lecture and demonstrate to show Harry how to hide his emotions.

Harry remembered that lesson and started apply those rules and applications that Professor Snape showed him in his lessons. So after that first night, Harry began working on his emotional barrier.

“Control your emotions. Discipline your mind.”

The first couple of nights were very difficult. Being raped every night made it all the more harder, but Harry was determined to survive this no matter what. By the end of the first week, Harry pulled all his emotions behind his mental wall.

“Control your emotions. Discipline your mind.”

All his hurt. All his pain. Everything was placed it behind the wall in his mind. The only voice he could hear. The only voice that mattered to Harry Potter was the voice of his Potions Professor.

“Control your emotions. Discipline your mind.”

That bastard could do whatever he wanted to Harry, but it would not show on Harry's face.

________00000__________00000____________

Severus returned back to the Burrow. Molly calmed down to where she wasn't crying, but she was still distraught. She was leaning on her husband's shoulder. Severus walked over to Arthur.

“Come with me,” Severus ordered.

“Where are we going?” he asked, looking up at Severus.

“King's Cross Station. It's the last place Potter was. We'll start there.”

Arthur nodded, kissed his wife on the cheek and walked out the house with Severus right behind him. The two men apparated to the train station and went to the luggage gate. The two men searched and searched.

“Severus, what are we looking for?” Arthur asked after a few minutes.

“Anything out of place,” Severus answered.

Looking around the luggage corral, something caught the spy's keen eye. He knelt down and reached under the small shelf and pulled out the slender stick made of holly. Potter's wand.

“Found something.”

Arthur walked over to Severus as he stood. Severus turned around with the object in his hand.

“Something's really wrong,” Arthur declared, when he looked at the familiar wand in Severus' hand. Severus just looked at the wand.

What is really going on here? Severus thought.