Whatever It Takes by SanctuaryAngel

Tensions ran high in the Grimmauld Place household the moment Draco Malfoy entered the fold.

Harry's Hogwarts rival was currently occupying the single bedroom upstairs being attended to by Severus Snape amidst the teenager's injuries. In Order of the Phoenix headquarters. In Sirius Black's old residence. In his home. He clearly had mixed feelings about it and had already discussed that previously with Hermione. Although he could never set aside his differences with the Slytherin, he never wanted to wish ill upon him. In a way, he did feel a twinge of sympathy for him. Draco appeared to be in a state of isolation from the rest of the wizarding world due to his current social troubles. No one else had heard from him since the Battle of Hogwarts and it was a mystery to Harry what had become of him after their last meeting.

Now, he knew.

Harry didn't trust the Slytherin, but if they were going to ask for his help, this was the only opportunity he could get. If Draco really did wholeheartedly switch sides, then it was a risk worth taking.

Since Severus had rescued the Malfoy from his home, the older Slytherin had been tinkering away in the potions laboratory in the basement stocking up on medicinal potions for both Draco and himself. Harry had gone down to check on the man occasionally, but Severus still sent him away determined to deal with it himself. He figured he'd allow the man to further cool off given his earlier outburst. Meanwhile, Draco had remained asleep without further disturbances, and still not a sound from him as it approached late that night.

Harry asked for the others to stay, merely on the grounds that he didn't trust himself with Draco in their midst and vice versa. Ron was predictably reluctant, but agreed to stay, along with Hermione and Ginny. It was an odd arrangement at headquarters, as it now became more of a halfway home for the injured, sick, and targeted witches and wizards with nowhere else to go. Which, Harry did suggest initially when they decided to reclaim Grimmauld Place when he agreed to it being a safe house. But now with Severus and the addition of Draco, Harry felt a little uneasy about the idea.

Severus, surprisingly and over time, was not the terrible company that Harry had expected. At first, it took much getting used to. Hogwarts gave him the luxury of limited interaction with the then-Professor, and back then, even those interactions were more than enough to tolerate. Although the brooding Slytherin did prefer time alone, Harry actually did enjoy the conversations that they often shared now. That is if they weren't being absolute hotheads and snapping at each other with snarky remarks on occasion, but it seemed to be less malicious and more habitual antagonistic behavior.

However, after seven years, Harry could finally pick his brain to a tolerable degree and it gave him a measure of relief that he could finally find answers to questions he had been seeking for so long. Questions that no one else could answer, but him. Especially since Dumbledore kept so much from him, he had no one else to confront. Harry had become so used to Severus' company, that it seemed like a normal affair to sit in front of the fireplace, engaging in strangely civil conversation over tea, or assisting him with potions without being asked, which was far from how they used to be back at Hogwarts. They couldn't stand the sight of each other before…everything. Severus no longer treated Harry like an insolent child and inferior to him, but instead, like an equal. An adult. It was obvious that he now had trust in Harry. That alone, and coming from Severus, was sincere and meant a great deal to him. More than even Severus could understand himself.

Harry had to wonder if this was all real, and not just his imagination and mind playing tricks on him. Well, it wasn't the first time. Both were bound to similar fates and he couldn't help but be grateful for the new, unforeseen connection they both shared. If Harry had trusted Severus years ago when Dumbledore told him to, could this have been possible earlier? Trust did walk a fine line, even regarding Severus' life-long animosity with James. Could they have at least developed some kind of truce? Harry was mad at himself for being so stubborn and not listening to him earlier. Or even Dumbledore for that matter. If only those Occlumency lessons did not strengthen the already vehement rift between them, then perhaps they would have been able to forge a better camaraderie. If only Harry could take back the horrible things he said about him over the years and his unfair retaliation against him, he definitely would have.

But neither were meant to work together in that way and Harry was never meant to know about Severus' loyalties until it was too late. Severus never wanted him to know his true motivations out of personal shame and diminished pride.

And given Severus' new revelation about being apologetic to Harry about his punishment for his father's actions, he was almost positive he would have wanted to take that all back as well. Harry was always a forgiving type of person, sometimes infuriatingly so. But Severus? The Snape he grew up hating with a burning passion? He never even dreamed that forgiveness was ever a part of his personal repertoire. That was more of a shock to Harry to ponder.

They both felt rather foolish and equally as guilty as each other. That much was obvious.

Perhaps they really weren't that different after all.

Snape just seemed like an old past version of him, now. Severus was the man he proudly came to know.
+ + + + +

It was not until two days later that Draco finally awoke late in the evening. Severus had been in the laboratory with Ron and Harry slicing and powdering ingredients for their slowly growing potion supplies when the Slytherin's black wand emitted a single blue spark as it rested on the wooden bench. Severus immediately placed a stasis charm on the Pepperup potion he was brewing, when he picked up his wand and bounded out of the basement without a word, with the two Gryffindors at his heel. Severus had placed an alarm charm on Draco's bed to let him know when it detected a shift. Harry had wondered if Madam Pomfrey had taught him that spell, given the number of rebellious students who ended up in the Hospital Wing and refused to listen to her advice to stay put.

Given the blue spark, it seemed like the younger Slytherin was finally awake.

Hermione and Ginny had been in the sitting room chatting away when the other three ran up the stairs led by Severus to the third-floor bedroom that Draco was occupying.

"WHERE THE HELL AM I?! WHERE THE BLOODY HELL IS MY WAND?!"

…He's definitely awake.

Before Harry and Ron could reach them, Severus immediately threw up his palm to silently halt the Gryffindors in their position and hurriedly told them to back away out of view. Ron curled his fists into a ball with a look of malice upon his face, with Harry gently nudging him back away from the view of the door. Harry really didn't know how to feel about this, either. His mixed feelings all came down to how Draco was going to react and given the furious younger Slytherin locked in his room like a caged animal, it was only going to plummet from there. Hermione and Ginny waited on the stairwell below in silence anticipating the fresh hell that was about to arise.

A twist in his gut told Harry that this was a terrible idea.

The four Gryffindors watched with bated breath as Severus waved his wand to unlock the door and slipped inside, closing the door gently behind him. Harry and his friends exchanged worried glances, all except Ron who still looked furious, cheeks flushed red. It was silent amongst them for a few minutes as Harry's anxiety began to increase. They could hear the muffled voices within the room, but it was only when their voices started to rise, could they make out what was being said.

"You cannot be serious!"

"I assure you, Draco, that there was no alternative."

"How the hell did this even happen? YOU said we were safe!"

"You were. Until it was compromised."

"You're a liar! I don't trust a word you say. Who else is here?"

There was a hushed whisper and a sudden shattering of broken glass, which Harry could only presume was one of the healing potions Severus attempted to give him. He winced when he realised, he did the same thing not long ago when Harry awoke from one of his nightmares. He could only wonder when Severus would eventually lose any shred of patience he had left with them all. In a tiny flicker of nostalgia, he understood briefly why Severus' was always so frustrated with his students during class.

"I want my wand!"

"That will not happen until I can further trust you with it. If you do not cooperate, then it will remain in my possession until I see fit to hand it back."

"You can't do that!"

"As your Godfather, I most certainly can."

There was a dangerous pause, "Fine! Now let me out of this bloody room before I lose my mind."

"You need to rest and give your bones a chance to mend. You have serious burns and a sprained ankle. Have some common sense."

"I REFUSE TO BE STUCK IN THE SAME HOUSE AS POTTER!"

Harry crossed his arms over his chest looking over at his friends with the same uneasy look they all shared. Well, at least Severus had the sense to take his wand off him. Although if Harry himself didn't control his own frustrations, he was worried the adult Slytherin would do the same to him.

There was a small silence as Severus exited the room, looking absolutely fed up already. He stared at the Gryffindors with a steely gaze, "Enjoying the eavesdrop, are we?" The teenagers shook their heads, not wanting to verbally respond. He took two strides towards the Gryffindors and glared at each one individually before continuing with the softest voice he could muster, which was even more unnerving when he was clearly angry, "I have left his door unlocked. If I hear further nonsense or arguments from either of you when he emerges, Merlin help me, I will not be able to contain my anger. I have informed him of the same."

Harry nodded. Sounds reasonable.

Severus crossed his arms over his chest, "I will not tolerate any petty childish antics from either of you. Understood?"

"But Snape – " Ron started to protest.

Severus eyed the Weasley dangerously, " - I said understood?"

There was a collective nod, except for Ron who continued to arch his lip in a slight sneer.

"Now, I want all four of you to wait in the sitting room. We will be joining you shortly. Draco has agreed to cooperate much to his displeasure, and join you downstairs, " Severus sighed, "We will be having an important chat, whether you agree to it or not. There is much to discuss."

Harry nodded on behalf of them, as they turned to slowly descend the stairs and wait in the sitting room as requested, leaving Severus Snape to stand by Draco's door.

Well, this was what Harry had plans to do upon approaching Draco, but on his terms. Not on Severus'. He wanted some measure of control and now regarding the assault on Malfoy Manor, he had no other choice but to try and reason with his rival upon Severus' presence. He honestly didn't anticipate how this was going to pan out. Was it a mistake making Draco aware of the location of Headquarters? Would Severus treat Harry with disdain in the presence of the younger Slytherin? Would Draco agree to help them? Maybe they might all be surprised, but it was clear Severus did not want to be dealing with further grudges from any of the teenagers within his vicinity.

Frankly, Harry could agree he didn't want to be dealing with it either.

When Harry saw Draco last in the few days following the aftermath of the Battle of Hogwarts, he told the Slytherin that he was tired of fighting. There were clearly more important things happening and he could only hope Draco didn't forget that conversation. Harry didn't have the energy to fight him then and still didn't even now. They had all suffered enough. Harry had lost. Draco had lost. Both did recognise that. But that was over a month ago – Did Draco still feel the same?

Harry sat down gingerly in the sitting room, steepling his fingers in nervous anticipation with Ginny by his side. Ron's face seemed to still be hot with anger as he sat beside Hermione on the opposite couch. Hermione's eyes shifted worryingly from each person in the room, leaving them all in silence. Waiting.

What seemed like twenty minutes later, they finally heard two sets of footsteps descend the stairs and soon enough both Draco and Severus entered the room. The four pairs of eyes already present were glaring at the extra Slytherin as he walked in. The tension was so heavy, you could carve it with a knife. Draco's pale face was twisted in what looked like a permanent sneer and it was clear that he did not want to be here, as much as Harry wanted him there. Either way, they were about to test their limits. Severus was nudging Draco forward with his hand on his shoulder, but Draco roughly tore himself away from his Godfather in annoyance. Severus bared his teeth and pointed wordlessly to the empty single chair for Draco to sit, who did so gingerly, not tearing his gaze away from Harry. Severus lowered himself into the opposite sofa, shifting his observant gaze between Harry and Draco. Harry could have sworn the older Slytherin had rolled his eyes.

"Now, if you are done glaring holes into each other's pupils, I must enforce that we are in discussion only. No magic, no physical violence…Just clarification, " Severus spoke firmly as he surely had many conversations previously within this manner, "As much as to the disapproval of the Gryffindors, I had no other choice but to bring Draco to Order headquarters."

There was a murmur from Draco, who eyed Severus with venomous disdain.

Severus shot an angry side glance at his Godson, "Did you prefer I leave you at St. Mungo's instead, so you could be potentially attacked in your slumber?"

"Might have spared me from having to be in the same room as these self-righteous – "

"- Hold your tongue, Draco," Severus narrowed his eyes, "Now, for the rest of you – Draco is going to enlighten us regarding what he knows. If any."

"Why on earth should I tell them?" Draco spat, "It's none of their bloody business."

The older Slytherin curled his lips in contempt, "Because as much as you detest it, we all have the same common goal. It is our business because we are collectively hunting down our deranged Death Eater cohorts and stop them from harming anyone else within their twisted retaliation efforts. They are planning more than just petty attacks and gruesome parlor tricks."

Draco tapped his fingers against the armrest, "Still not a good enough reason."

Ron inhaled sharply, looking mad, "Malfoy, you lunatic. Be bloody thankful Snape saved your backside! We don't like you here anymore than you do."

"Since when do you support Snape, you pathetic – "

"That'll do Mr. Weasley. Draco, " Severus' voice boomed, as he redirected his vision to Draco, "Now, I need you to explain what happened at the Manor. I believe your mother is missing, correct?"

Draco paused, looking uncomfortable. His left arm was currently in a sling. His pointed pale face had multiple cuts etched into his skin. From what Harry could see, the younger Slytherin had some small burns on his arms, now mostly healed since Severus had brought him in a few days ago. But the teenager looked defeated. The usual air of arrogance on the boy was, although still there, seemingly dimmed by the flicker of fear behind his dulled steel-grey blue eyes. There was a haunting loneliness within him that Harry could see, and perhaps it was due to being isolated within the last month, escaping the desperate grasp of his colleagues now turned into enemies. His friends had seemingly abandoned him, and his family was gone. Like Harry and Severus, he and his mother had been targeted by those Death Eaters scrambling to make their last mark known. Desperate to take down both the Boy Who Lived, the Half-Blood traitor, and Lucius' prodigal son in a last-ditch effort to finish what their tyrant Master had started.

Harry bit his lip, "We'll help you find her. We have missing, too. But you have to tell us what you know, so we can work on getting them back safely. We can only do this by working together."

Draco's eyes narrowed at Harry, feeling out of his league and outnumbered. He shifted within his seat, clearly uncomfortable with the many pairs of eyes staring back at him. He took a last helpless glance at Severus, then back to the others. He sighed heavily, "Fine. I don't have any other bloody choice if I don't get stuck here with you lot for all eternity, " Draco paused for a few moments, trying to search for the right words, "My mother and I were home – We barely ever left the safety of the Manor since the Dark Lord was defeated. Ever since then, any time I left the house, I got attacked. Not just by Death Eaters, but…everyone else. My family name has been smeared – tainted - and I've never felt more of a target in my life. Anyway, we ended up with intruders in our home. Our wards must have fallen…I remember seeing Dolohov and Macnair and a few others. But they found their way inside and caught us off guard. The Death Eaters asked me to rejoin them, but I blatantly refused. A duel broke out. They disarmed my mother and one apparated away with her. One of the others set fire to the bloody house, but it became too unstable. They sent three stunners my way and knocked me off my feet. I must have blacked out after that because I don't remember anything else. The next thing I remember is bloody waking up here."

Severus frowned, leaning forward in his chair, "What else did they say when they offered you reprieve?"

"Either I join them or have me suffer the consequences. But my mother wouldn't have any of that, and she attacked them first to drive them away. When she was disarmed, they…." Draco swallowed thickly, looking distasteful, "…They hit her. They kept asking me again and again for me to join them. They continued to hit her, but Mum pleaded for me not to say yes. One eventually took her away, and the other imbeciles attacked me. They set the place on fire and left me to die."

Harry cast a heartfelt glance at Severus, whose face softened. The older Slytherin drew in a gentle breath, "Did they mention anything about where they took her?"

Draco shook his head, "No, they didn't. Well, I don't really remember. But they did laugh about the Hogsmeade diversion."

"Diversion?" Harry looked confused.

"Of course, " Severus leaned back into his chair deep in thought, "It surely wasn't a coincidence on the same night Hogsmeade was attacked, was the same time both Malfoy Manor and Grimmauld Place were targeted."

"So that whatever available Aurors could flee to Hogsmeade, leaving them in a primary position to attack, removing those defenses. That makes complete sense, " Hermione interjected.

Harry nodded in agreement, finally turning back to Draco, "What can you tell us about Pansy and Blaise?"

Draco scrunched up his face in disgust, "Those idiots? Your guess is as good as mine. I haven't had contact with them since Hogwarts. They were happy enough calling me a traitor when I turned against the Dark Lord."

"I overheard them plotting. They mentioned that they were watching the house. We assumed they meant here, but it turns out they were watching yours as well, " Harry explained.

Draco slowly nodded, "Yeah, I noticed someone prowling around the boundaries, but I couldn't see their face. I figured they were just waiting for one of us to leave. I didn't think they were planning on actually paying us a visit to our bloody doorstep."

Severus frowned, turning to Draco, "Your mother's wand, Draco, where is it?"

The younger Slytherin shrugged, "No idea. Why?"

Severus paused slightly, "Perhaps we could use it to track your mother and possibly lead us to the others, as we did with Miss Weasley's wand."

Draco raised his eyebrow at Ginny in disbelief, "Wait, you were taken?" Ginny hesitated but nodded slowly. The Slytherin turned back towards his Godfather, slowly piecing together the information, "The Quarry, I'm assuming?"

Severus nodded curtly, "Yes."

"So, are you going to work with us, or not?" Harry finally asked.

Draco eyed Harry frustratingly, looking sour, "I suppose I don't have any other choice, Potter. I just refuse to take orders from you. "

"Deal with it already, " Ginny fired back, "Be lucky you are alive, for goodness sake."

"Yeah, I'm absolutely thrilled, " Draco mocked, "So what is this ghastly place, anyway? Looks like it was constructed with matchsticks."

"Headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix, " Severus answered, coolly.

Draco rolled his eyes, "You can't be serious? The society that Dumbledore supposedly put together? I don't suppose you lot have a stupid secret handshake or something. I just might barf."

"You're just jealous you ended up on the wrong side, you numpty!" Ron snarled.

"- For Merlin's sake, ENOUGH, " Severus hissed, as he tensely bawled his fist, and spoke through bared teeth, "I will not have you clawing at each other like children! Get a hold of yourselves. I will not tolerate such appalling behavior."

"I want my wand back!" Draco challenged.

"Not a chance tonight, Draco. I will keep it in my possession until I deem you appropriate for it once again, " Severus slowly and gingerly, rose up from his chair, "Furthermore, you are to rest and recover. You are due for another dose of Skele-Gro and antibiotics within the hour, so I suggest you get yourself settled upstairs for the night." He turned to the Gryffindors, "As with all of you. We will discuss this further tomorrow. We have a lot of ground to cover, including laying down some house rules."

Harry groaned.

"I will escort you back to your room, Draco – " Severus motioned for Draco to follow and the younger Slytherin shot Harry a bitter look, as both left the room.

Harry drew in a deep breath, and exchanged exhausted glances with the others, "Well, that went well."

Hermione bit her lip, "I sure hope this works out. I do feel kind of bad for him, though. I hope his mother is alright."

"Well, he had a chance to take their offer and he didn't, " Ginny spoke, "That says a lot, even at the expense of his mother. Draco wouldn't turn away from us if it means getting her back."

Harry nodded, "I believe so, too. After we rescue her, we don't have to associate with him anymore. Besides, we still haven't found Lee and the other twenty or so prisoners they have with them. I'd hate to be the one saying this, but Draco is a strong wizard - we can't deny that. We definitely need the added numbers on our side. And like Snape, they both know how the Death Eaters operate."

Ron grumbled, "He is not going to be fun to work with."

"No, but if anything, Snape will be able to keep an eye on him, " Hermione added, "I mean, by the looks of it, he didn't trust him with his wand."

"Thank Merlin for that, " Ron said.

Harry rose up from his chair, "Right, I'm getting some shut-eye."

Ron didn't move from the couch.

"You coming, Ron?" Hermione asked.

Ron grumbled, "Hell no. I'm sleeping here again. Bad enough sleeping in the same house as Snape, but on the same floor as Malfoy? You're off your rocker if you think I'm going to do that."

Ginny stifled a laugh, "Cheer up, Ronald. I hear the attic might be cozy."

Hermione grinned, as she stood up with Ginny, "It's only short-term, Ron. Although if you want to go back to the Burrow, I won't hold it against you."

"And leave you two with Malfoy? I'd rather stay. I don't trust him, " Ron huffed.

Harry smirked, as he threw a pillow at Ron, "Sweet dreams, Ron."

Hermione and Ginny made their way to the double single bedroom on the same floor as the sitting room, while Harry made his way to his own on the fourth floor. As he passed the room where Draco would be staying during his ascent of the stairs, he heard a few more hushed voices and yet another heated discussion between him and Severus.

"I just want her back. I don't care about anyone else."

"You are going to work with us, and we will set this right. They will hunt you – us - down, for as long as they are alive."

"I-I can't work with them."

"I understand, Draco. This is difficult, I know. You were admirable in turning against the Dark Lord…against your family's wishes. That takes immense bravery - "

"- Stop being so bloody condescending!"

There was a tense pause, followed by a frustrated sigh, "We are all out of our comfort zones. Everything has changed now. But now you must trust us…Me. Trust me, if not them. I assure you that they are not happy about this arrangement as you are."

There was a desperate whimper, which Harry recognised came from Draco, "…Everyone has gone. Everyone has left me."

Harry's heart skipped a few beats. It was a familiarity he knew all too well.

"Not everyone, Draco. You have myself and we will do everything in our power to bring your mother back safely. I reassured her I would keep you safe."

Harry had heard enough. He slowly made his way back to his bedroom, replaying that conversation in his mind over and over again. He felt a new pang of sympathy for Draco, his Hogwarts rival for seven years. He knew what it felt like to lose people. To feel so isolated and alone. To feel like no one really cared. Although Hogwarts was a different era for Harry, his time at the Dursleys did no such favor. His childhood was spent alone. He had no friends. No parents to love him. His pre-Hogwarts classmates taunted him and labeled him things like 'freak', 'scarface', 'creep', 'loner', well before he knew he was a wizard. He was thrown against the wall when he accidentally burnt the meals he cooked. If a chore wasn't done on time, they deprived him of meals, sometimes days at a time. If he did so much as look at Dudley in a threatening way, he would get locked back in the cupboard. One spill on the carpet earned a mighty slap across the face leaving bruises and a bloodied nose, even though it was never his fault. Dudley did that and always blames him. But they always made him feel like everything was his fault.

Draco had far more than Harry. At least he grew up with parents and immediate family…But he just didn't know the extent of the love that was there. If it ever was. But now, all that was taken from him in an instant, and Harry knew. He knew that feeling of losing everything. He knew that feeling of powerlessness and diminished hope. He knew that feeling of knowing that things will never be okay. The ambition now seemingly ripped away from the Slytherin, leaving no desire in its wake. Draco was a tortured soul. As was Severus. And Harry. Each had something they could never truly recover from. Each had a scar with far darker stories to tell. Each had been damaged by this evil power that desperately wanted to rip everything away from them, stripping their life bare and permanently wounding them. All three of them struggled horrifically and each struggled to cope.

Harry had since welcomed so-called fate into his reconciliation with Severus, but Draco…Perhaps he may never reach out as he did with Severus, but fate did bring them together again in a twisted way. Perhaps even Severus realised that too. For years they were reprimanded for their differences, but now the time has to come to finally unite in their similarities. At least, towards their common goal. Enough senseless division and petty house rivalries. Enough grudges and schoolboy attacks. They were adults now.

And it was time they stepped up to their final mission, together, and no longer divided.
+ + + + +

Harry awoke later that morning, after a struggling night of sleep. He awoke to a few small nightmares, but not the panic-inducing ones he usually had. He lost count of the hours he spent laying awake, but it seemed to be the norm for him so he lay there in defeat. Several times he rose up and sat on the edge of his bed, twirling his own wand in his hand. Some nights he spent practicing Severus' freeze charm, as it gave himself something to focus on that wasn't the arrival of Draco or Severus' ill health. He was getting better at the freeze charm, too, although he could not yet perform it non-verbally. He wanted to perfect it, much like he had seen when Severus performed it at the Quarry. A powerful beam of ice. Something that even Dumbledore would have been capable of.

He could now manipulate the ball in his hand, emitting frost from its glacial sphere. He was far from destructive territory with it, but it was definitely a useful spell. After all, he did manage to catch a Death Eater with it. He wondered if Severus had used a mild version of the same spell when he ended up with a concussion, but he wasn't entirely sure. All he could think about was Severus' soothing words of comfort as he lay there, injured, with his arms protectively and sympathetically around him, warped by his own guilt upon his mistake, which could have been fatal.

He felt almost like…a father. Is this what it felt like? To have an adult who genuinely cared?

Harry scrunched up his face. He already made that blunder a few nights ago, when he almost called him Dad without thinking. Truthfully, he was thinking of his own father at the time, but he couldn't help it when it almost slipped out. He was rather horrified by it, but the more he curiously pondered it, the more he started to welcome the idea. It was, indeed, an odd thought. Never in his right mind would he ever consider Severus – Snape - a parent. But his actions upon seeing the man in a new light since the War, had been nothing short of instinctually protective. Fiercely so. He had been strangely patient with Harry; teaching him whatever he could. He was there for him, even in dangerous situations, as he was still committed to his safety and well-being. Despite his looming fate and the possibility that the curse will still take his life.

That was far more than anyone had ever done for him. He was more of a parental figure than anyone else – besides Molly and Arthur of course - dared to be. Hell, not even Sirius.

Him. He was the only one who dared to make that effort. This went beyond the memory of Lily and his dedication to her. No, this was something else. Something neither of them had ever foreseen in their lives. He could sense it. Severus cared for him and Harry knew he had difficulty showing it, otherwise admitting it openly. It was no wonder Severus was adamant to push him away, even when Harry found him alone after the Wars end. Severus was scared to get so close to him, but he feared the attachment and newfound fondness would be too great for him to pry away from.

Now he knew why Severus couldn't bear the thought of leaving now.

Finally tired of the confinement of his room, Harry made his way downstairs to greet whoever else was awake at the time. There was an odd silence as he entered the kitchen and all that could be heard was the clanking of forks and knives, and Kreacher tinkering with plates and dishes. On one end of the long wooden table were Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, tucking through the scrumptious spread omelettes, sausages, and sauteed vegetables lined up on the table. On the other end were Severus and Draco, eating solemnly and silently. It was what you could expect from Slytherins and Gryffindors being forced to share a table.

Suddenly Harry felt like the intruder in his own home, as all sets of eyes wandered to him as he entered the room. Ignoring the awkward scrape of the legs of his chair, he sat down with his friends.

"Most humble of you to finally join us, Potter, " Severus observed him as he sat down.

Still half-asleep, Harry poured himself a large mug of coffee and dumped in a serving of sugar, with a dash of milk. He will definitely be requiring the caffeine today. At least he had his appetite. He began to fill up his plate with food, ignoring the piercing gazes from the younger Slytherin.

Severus continued, not waiting for an answer, "Now that you are all present, I am going to lay down some ground rules."

Draco snorted under his breath and he speared a vegetable with his fork.

"Now, first and foremost, while you are under the same roof, I will not tolerate any squabbling of any kind. You will behave like adults and not like a pack of rabid Cornish pixies, " Severus' expression was stern and serious. Harry had the urge to laugh, but he figured he'd contain himself for time being. The older Slytherin continued, "Draco is to remain here indefinitely; however, I will observe the next twenty-four hours and ensure your behavior does not run wild in the meantime. Potter, afterward you will accompany me to seek out Narcissa's wand. Meanwhile, the rest of you will stay put and be civil. If I return and you've turned this house into a circus, I will have no choice but to take disciplinary action. I will not,/i> be forgiving."

"Why have my wand, and not theirs?" Draco interrupted, still persistent over his confiscated wand.

Severus turned to peer at Draco beside him, "Because you are a guest here, Draco, and I will do my best to separate you from blasting each other through the wall, by any means necessary."

Draco's lip curled, "Seems to me like you are taking their side, over mine."

"I will be equally displeased with the lot of you, should any of you do anything foolish."

Draco looked mad. Harry, without thinking, let out a snort of amusement.

"Do you think this funny, Potter?" Draco spat.

"Now what could possibly be so amusing?" Severus looked dully at Harry.

Harry picked up his mug to take a sip of his coffee in his bid to stifle his laughter, "Nothing, sir."

"I beg to differ."

Ron had a smirk plastered on his face beside him, watching the scene with interest. Hermione and Ginny did their best to contain themselves. Perhaps Harry was delirious from lack of sleep, but this was bound to happen eventually.

Harry finally looked up from his mug, and eyed both Slytherins on the other end, with a smile still on his face, "It's just that, this is all so…ridiculous? Here we are, in the house of Black, sitting around having flippin' brunch, with a total of four Gryffindors and two Slytherins. One Slytherin who is essentially my rival for seven years, and an ex-Potions Professor and ex-spy who no longer has any desire to teach again, stuck in this house with five of his teenage students with a tendency to make bad choices and follow disaster wherever they go. On top of that, Voldemort is dead, three of us have bright red targets on our backs, and yet we are still stuck together. It's like a bad fever dream. Not even Professor Trelawny could have predicted this."

Hermione almost choked on her omelette. Ginny had to bite back the urge to laugh, and Ron sat there hiding his grin behind his goblet of juice. Draco's face was a mixture of disgust and mild amusement – he probably thought this was ridiculous too. But Severus' face was the most interesting. He sat there staring at Harry, eyes boring into his own. The corners of his mouth twitched as if he tried desperately to stifle a grin that was forming, but he persevered. He most likely shared the same ridiculousness of it all, much as Harry did. The man's obsidian eyes crossed between the highly amused Gryffindors on the other end of the table.

Silver lining, right?

Ron gave a half-shrug, grin still plastered on his reddened face, "Well, he's not wrong."

"Glad you all think this is bloody amusing, " Draco sneered, as he ate a piece of sausage.

Severus gave a subtle roll of his eyes, then pinched the bridge of his nose, "Merlin help me."

"Call it…isolation-induced delirium, " Harry responded, "We were going to approach you about the whole situation, but then, this happened instead."

Ginny looked at Draco, "Lighten up Draco, it's not that bad."

"Not that bad? Not that bad?" Draco echoed, as he narrowed his eyes, "Are you mental?"

Hermione cleared her throat lightly, "Look, the only way we can do this, is with cooperation. As much as we didn't want to admit it earlier, we could use your help. You turned against the Death Eaters before the War ended. We are on the same side now. Trust us enough to at least let us help you get your mother back. She's not the only one they took."

Severus gave a curt nod, "Miss Granger is correct. We have been formulating rescue efforts to save the victims and round up the Death Eaters on our tail. We search for bases, infiltrate, and plan an attack. We have approval from the Minister himself."

Draco leaned back into his chair, still not completely convinced, "You've been doing this the whole time?"

"Yes, we have. There are many bases scattered around Britain and we've rummaged through a number of them. Many abandoned, however, " Severus responded, "Do you know of any bases the Death Eaters may have mentioned in passing? We have since searched the ones that were known to me, but we have since hit a…dead end."

Draco crinkled his brow in thought, "I was only ever familiar with the one at the Forbidden Forest. I had no need to venture into any of them. Although…" He frowned, "…One of them did mention something about, tunnels. When they attacked the Manor. I was knocked to the ground and couldn't register what they were saying. But I only remember tunnels."

"Tunnels?" Severus repeated, rolling the word slowly off his tongue, appearing completely confused, "London is full of them, however, harboring prisoners within a major Muggle city would be suicide. No, they will not act so carelessly. It will likely be within the countryside."

Hermione pondered, "The countryside has…caves. Cave tunnels, perhaps?"

"Well, obviously it'll have to be somewhere that Muggles don't visit, " Harry suggested, "Which cancels a lot of them out."

"There are thousands of caves in Britain. There is no way we'll be able to find them, " Draco clenched his jaw.

Hermione pushed herself up from the table, "Time to narrow it down, then. Until we have a better solution and more information, I'll check in at the Hogwarts library and see what I can find. Many caves around Britain are used as tourist attractions, but I'll see if I can eliminate those ones and see what we have left."

Severus nodded in acknowledgment at Hermione, as she darted out of the kitchen and out of the door. He followed suit and rose from the table, "Potter, we will leave for the Manor immediately and scout for the missing wand. If we find it, we can use it to track her and perhaps narrow down the search. We mustn't waste time."

Harry took the last sip of the remainder of his coffee, and stood up, "I'll go get my Cloak, just in case."

Severus turned to the remaining occupants, with a look of warning, "Remain here. We shouldn't be long. And no foolish behavior."

Draco threw down the serviette he just used, "No need. I'll be upstairs. I have no need to stay in the company of the Weasleys." He took one more look at the remaining Gryffindors and made his way upstairs.

"Bloody rude, he is, " Ron scowled.

Harry raced up the stairs and retrieved his Invisibility Cloak. He had no desire to leave it behind, with Draco lose in the house- he felt much safer keeping it with him at all times. He met back downstairs with Severus, who was already waiting for him, arms crossed, at the entrance of Grimmauld Place. Without another word, the pair departed and made the familiar walk to the park where they Disapparated away. He wasn't sure what to expect when he arrived at Malfoy Manor, but according to Severus' description, it seemed rather horrific. He walked together silently with Severus until they reached the warded boundary, and after the Potion's Master re-checked the wards had not been tampered with since his last visit, they both crossed the magical threshold.

Malfoy Manor was well and truly in ruins. Gone was the impressive mansion Harry had remembered previously, and instead in its wake, was a crumpled heap of charred debris. A house so impressive, now no longer stood tall. Harry swallowed thickly, observing the mess before his eyes. This could have been the state of Grimmauld Place. One of them could have been taken, too. Instead, they chose to mercilessly attack this dwelling. Blackmail Draco, and kidnap Narcissa. Harry couldn't help but stare helplessly at it all. Severus had already bounded ahead but stopped when he realised Harry was not behind him. He turned to look at Harry.

Severus' brow crinkled, "Do not stray too far."

Harry shook his head, trying to bring his mind back to the present, "Uh, yeah. " He moved forward towards Severus.

The Slytherin observed Harry's saddened appearance, "…Harry?"

Harry drew in a deep breath, "Nothing."

Severus raised an eyebrow and remained unmoving.

Harry stopped and bit his lip, "Just…This." He waved his hand in the direction of the destroyed Manor, "This could have been us the other night."

There was a slight pause, until Severus gave a small nod, with a flash of guilt behind his eyes, "Yes, it could have been."

The pair began to slowly walk the paved cobblestone path in the direction of the ruins, passing a multitude of burned greenery and shattered stone statues. Severus' black traveling cloak slowly fluttered in the midday breeze. The day was overcast but slightly humid. The greyness of the day caused Severus' usual paled skin, to adopt a sickly tinge. Harry couldn't help but take cautious glances at him to make sure he was still sound and on his feet. His decline was always worrying, and Harry often felt unequipped to deal with any further health issues. He couldn't help but worry. In a week, Hermione would commence brewing the second potion, and thus, the second phase edged closer. They could only hope that Severus was still alive within those two months, to finish the ritual and potentially save his life. It was a looming dread that caused Harry to feel rather ill, and he felt powerless to do anything more for him.

They walked slowly in silence past the twisted iron gates, towards what remained of the front doors.

"Why…" Harry turned his vision back to the Slytherin, stopping again, with a question prodding the back of his mind, "Why…Why do you trust me?"

Severus seemed surprised by the sudden question, "All this time, now you ask? I wouldn't have asked you to accompany me here if I didn't trust you."

"Yeah but…why?"

Severus paused in thought, meeting Harry's bright green eyes, "Because you are no longer a child, therefore you have dealt with the seemingly impossible responsibilities thrust upon you in the last seven years."

"Surely that can't be why."

"You mean to tell me, that years of fighting off the Dark Lord, still leave you to believe that you are incapable of maturity? Harry, you've had to grow up quicker than most. Those your age are contemplating career pathways, not chasing after darker wizards because you believe it is your duty still. You are not far from being an Auror. That is not to say, that you do lack common sense at times. Despite all that, I do, in fact, trust you."

Harry gave a light shrug, "That doesn't really answer my question."

Severus frowned, "I do not know what answer you are expecting. You've grown into a responsible young adult I never foresaw. I trust you. Does it really require an explanation?" He walked through the now destroyed front doors and began visually combing the ground for any sign of the missing wand from the Malfoy matriarch, "If it's any consolation, I don't put trust in people that easily. I trusted Albus and he trusted you. I had to have some measure of trust if I were to watch over you from afar."

"I suppose, " Harry began to look around the ground, magically shifting pieces of loose debris surrounding them, with his wand clutched tightly within his grasp, "It's kind of strange we barely talk about Dumbledore."

Severus stopped his task, and glared at Harry with pursed lips, "Perhaps because he fashioned us into his sword and shield for seventeen years?"

Harry frowned at the analogy. That was quite true, "I definitely can't argue with that. It is a…sensitive topic."

"I don't know what you expect me to say. I respected him, but I also hated and cared about him as equally as each other. I cared about him, as he saved my life and gave me a second chance to prove myself. I hated him because of what he…manipulated me to do, " Severus winced, recalling memories from so long ago, "I assure you. We were both pawns in his grand game of chess."

Harry was sullen and had no response to that. In a sense, he could very well say the same thing. He loved him as a mentor – a father figure. But like Severus, he also hated him for manipulating his life since the night his parents died for him and forced him to live with his abusive relatives for ten years, sleeping in a damn cupboard.

The pair spent about an hour searching through the crumbled wreckage of Malfoy Manor, only to come up empty-handed. Neither of them could find Narcissa's wand, even despite Harry's attempts to summon it magically. His efforts, however, were useless. They met back beyond the house debris, in front of a statue of a marble dragon, which appeared to be missing a limb, a wing, and half of its face. Severus walked towards him looking weary and faint. Before they turned to depart, Harry noticed Severus' left hand was bleeding.

"Severus, your hand…"

The Slytherin stopped in his tracks and slowly raised his hand. There were several small gashes across his pale fingers as if he blindly tried to pick up broken glass. Blood was dripping slowly to the cobblestone path below. The man frowned, observing the random injury. With his other hand, he reached into his pocket and retrieved a cloth, as he hastily wrapped it around the new mysterious wound.

Harry noticed his confused expression, "How did you -?"

"I…didn't notice, " Severus said simply. He continued to stare at his hand as if it were not his own. With his other hand, he tapped the tips of his injured fingers with the edge of his wand, seemingly mumbling to himself. His frown deepened, further worrying Harry.

'What is it?"

Severus drew in a slightly shuddered breath, "It appears I have lost some sensation within my fingertips. The nerve endings must be damaged…It's subtle but evident. Hence why I could not feel the injury. The curse is…surely progressing."

Harry's heart began to race, biting his lip as he spoke quietly, "…Draco doesn't know, does he?"

Severus merely shook his head, "No - And you are not to tell him. I do not want him to know."

"But he's your Godson…"

"In time, I will divulge that information to him. Now is not the time."

Harry looked defeated, feeling a nervous breath escape him, "L-let's get back to Grimmauld Place."

Severus averted his gaze from the worried Gryffindor and walked ahead toward the magical boundary. Harry trudged behind him, and once they were at a safe distance, they disapparated back to headquarters. As Harry entered the front door, he saw the back of Luna standing in the kitchen talking to Ron and Ginny. Upon their entry, Luna turned around. She had a look of worry on her face.

"Oh, Harry. Didn't you hear?" Her voice was soft. Ron and Ginny watched Harry with the same equal worry.

"Hear what?" Harry was too scared to ask.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news. Neville and his grandmother are missing."

Harry felt his heart drop out of his chest. He had no words comprehensible enough to respond with. Instead, all he could do was bury his head in his hands, helplessly.

Neville was gone.