Harry Potter 1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is my first story so please don't be too mean. Feedback would be great; of course I'll just be pleased if people actually read this. I don't own Harry Potter; I just like to daydream about the characters *wink wink*. Severus and Fred are alive because I love them and they shouldn't have died. I'm not making any money and this is just for fun. If you see mistakes please let me know. This will be a slash story, as in male/male. If you don't like it then please don't read.

Moonlight glittered off the polished marble floors casting shadows throughout the room. A cool breeze brought the sweet scent of cherry blossoms in through the open balcony doors from the garden far below. The room was quiet except for the pleasured moans from the young woman on the large four poster bed and the soft almost inaudible sound of silver silk sheets moving under pale flesh.

"Sweet Merlin…" the woman gasped as the man above her sped up his administrations. He was silent as he moved and his face was masked in the darkness of the room. He scowled down at her knowing that she could not see his look of contempt. He had requested her silence at the beginning of this ordeal but of course it was just his luck that she was a vocal lover. He was pleased with himself for refusing her earlier request to turn the lights on. He did not want to have to look at her, especially if he had to listen to her.

He momentarily paused. Perhaps he was being at bit too harsh. It wasn't really her fault that he had been forced into this. She had not been overly helpful in getting him out of the situation but neither had she personally made him do it.

The lady beneath him bucked her hips up, reminding him that he had ceased to move. He sighed in frustration and restarted his movements with renewed vigor. The quicker he did his part the quicker he could be done.

He closed his eyes as he moved and tried to think of pleasant thoughts, thoughts of anything to distract him from his task.

_I wonder what I should get Pansy and Blaise for their anniversary. Certainly not a puppy… Although it would serve them right for giving mother that abomination that they call a bird. It's so loud with its constant squawking and repeating everything it hears. It's really too bad that mother put it in her and father's private rooms. I certainly did __**not**__ need to hear that damned bird repeating the sounds of my parents…intimate life. _

The woman beneath him chose that moment to scream out as her body clenched around his in orgasm. She reached up and attempted to pull his face down into a kiss but he pulled away sharply.

"Do not think that you can take such liberties with me." He snarled darkly. He could almost make out the pout on her lips below him.

"But darling, we're married. I'm your wife and we're making love. Most couples kiss. I bet even that stupid Potter…"

The rest of her words went unheard as his body tightened up and released his seed into her. He pulled out immediately and cast a wordless spell to clean himself before heading to the bathroom. The spell had cleaned him but he still felt filthy.

He paused in the doorway to the bathroom and spoke without looking back.

"I will never 'make love' to you, Astoria."

.

Draco sat stiffly in the scalding water. He scrubbed his skin until it was beet red and then scrubbed just a bit more. He felt disgusting all the way down to his bones.

When his skin was too sore to scrub at anymore he lay back in the tub, resting his head against the white porcelain side. Briefly he wondered if the path he had chosen was worth it.

He had married Astoria earlier that day. The wedding had been large, full of people he did not know. It seemed everyone had wanted to see the event. Minster Shacklebolt had attended along with a vast number of his auror henchmen, including Weasley in his shabby robes.

"What are you doing here Weasel? This is a high class event, not a food give away." Draco had snarled to the red head in annoyance.

"Shove off Malfoy. I'm here on official Ministry business but that doesn't mean I won't hex you."

At this Draco couldn't help but smirk. His meddlesome mother had hired aurors to guard the wedding. He felt like he was going to scream at the complete insanity of it all and ended up laughing to hide his panic.

"Oi, what's so funny Ferret?" The Weasel asked as he looked at him suspiciously. Quickly Draco came up with an excuse.

"Just trying to picture you protecting anyone. The lot of us would be dead if we actually had to depend on your pathetic self to save us."

Weasley turned an ugly shade of red as his hand moved towards his wand.

"Oh there you are Ronald. I checked over by the food and I couldn't find you so I got worried. Harry is looking for you." The mudblood said as she walked up. Her robes were lavender and plain but at least they looked fairly presentable unlike her red headed partner.

Still looking a bit red, Weasley headed off in the direction that the mudblood nodded. As soon as he was gone she turned towards Draco with a fierce look in her eyes.

"One would have thought that you would have grown up by now Malfoy."

"Well one would also think that you and your worthless husband would have the courtesy to not ruin such a fine event with your despicable presence!" Draco replied quietly in a dark tone, making sure that surrounding guests didn't hear. The mudblood had the audacity to laugh at him before responding.

"That was a sad attempt at a comeback Malfoy. You used to be so much better. What happened to you?" Her tone almost had a sincere quality to it that Draco did not even want to consider. Over her shoulder he could see his soon to be bride walking towards them and sighed exasperatedly.

"Just keep that weasel out of trouble Granger."

"Ron wouldn't cause trouble if you weren't harassing him! He's grown up a lot since school ended and personally I think you should give it a try too." She huffed and then suddenly her entire appearance shifted to one of formality and forced politeness. "Oh, hello Ms. Greengrass. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Of course it is." Astoria muttered before turning all of her attention on Draco. She stepped as close to him as possible and then took his arm in her hand while leaning into him suggestively.

"Darling, I can't wait until tonight. I so look forward to finally being able to explore that delectable body of yours without clothing to hinder me." She whispered in his ear in an attempt at an alluring voice, which she failed miserably.

Draco shivered in disgust and tried to disentangle himself from her without looking too much like he wanted to be far away from her. Much to his dismay she mistook his shiver as a sign that he had found her attempt at seduction riveting, and laughed while trapping him within her arms.

Silently his mind screamed at him to get her off and away from him. At first he tried to be gentle but she would not budge so he forcefully pushed her away. He glanced around quickly to see if anyone had noticed and his eyes locked onto emerald green ones that stared directly at him. He felt heat rush to his cheeks as he backed away from the crowd, making an excuse of having to use the loo.

.

Draco had remained hidden within his room until his father arrived declaring that it was time for the wedding. His walk down to the ballroom felt like a walk to his death. Actually he would have preferred walking to his death. He blanked out during the entire ceremony, robotically speaking when it was required of him, and chastely kissing Astoria when he had to. His body was on autopilot and his mind was miles away.

_I just have to remember the reasons why I'm doing this. It's my duty as the heir to marry and produce another heir to carry on the bloodline. I have to do this to uphold the family name. I can't let father and mother down… I suppose Astoria's not so bad. It could be worse. It could have been that stupid Weasley chit. She is a pureblood after all. _

_Well no I guess it couldn't have been that stupid Weasley. Didn't she recently marry Scar Head? _

_Hehehe… Scar Head… Ah I was not an overly creative child, was I? I could've called him anything when I was younger and I came up with Scar Head? _

As he thought that his mind traveled back to earlier when he had looked into the eyes of said person. He couldn't decide what it was but something had seemed different about Potter. But he had only seen him for a second so he could have just been imaging things…

Draco was snapped from his thoughts as he was lead up to the room Astoria would be living in. He had refused to share his room with her, declaring that he needed privacy to work on the potions that he and Severus were creating. That was not the real reason of course, but how could he tell her that he would rather jump of the seventh story balcony than sleep in the same room as her?

Malfoy Manor was excessively large and Draco had always been proud of his home but at this point he wished it was infinitely bigger so that Astoria could never lead them to her chambers. Sadly they arrived much sooner than he wanted. She dragged him inside and then cast a series of spells to lock the door and silence the room and… remove her clothes.

Astoria stood before Draco naked. He inspected her closely and tried to figure out just why he detested her so much. She had pale skin, but in his opinion it looked more sickly than appealing. Her hair was a dull blond color and reached down to her shoulders in perfectly straight layers, which Draco found boring. Her eyes were a medium brown and reminded him beef stew which was not romantic at all. Her lips were too large for her face and had a hideous shade of bubble gum pink lip gloss on them. Her breasts seemed disproportioned with the rest of her body. She was thin and tall and just all wrong. Draco couldn't help but think that perhaps something was wrong with him…

She draped herself across the silver sheets of the four poster bed and looked at his clothes pointedly. Draco thought of her touching him and wanted to vomit. He lifted his wand and extinguished the lights in the room, leaving them in darkness. He smiled at the thought that he wouldn't have to look at her anymore.

"Hey! Turn the lights back on Drakey." Astoria whined in that nasally voice of hers.

Draco snarled.

"Listen to me Astoria. We may be married but you are never, ever allowed to call me Drakey. My name is Draco. Do not tell me what to do. I turned the lights off and I will leave them that way. I want you to remain silent throughout the rest of the evening. Your insufferable voice will not improve this situation at all."

"Fine darling, whatever you say. Just please come here?"

Draco could tell by the tone of her voice that she was not pleased but he could not bring himself to care. His task was to marry and produce an heir and he was half way through with his goal. He was really not looking forward to making a child with this banshee but he had no choice. He sighed in defeat and removed his clothes.

.

Draco shook his head sadly, his white blond hair becoming tousled. It was definitely not the path that he wanted his life to take but he didn't have a choice in the matter. He never had.

The water in the bathtub had cooled considerably and Draco was no longer comfortable sitting in the chilly water. He stood and dried himself with one of the fluffy ruby colored towels before putting on clean pajamas and skillfully combing his hair.

He tried to prolong his tasks in the bathroom but he was exhausted both mentally and physically and only wanted to sleep. He steeled himself and opened the bathroom door before walking out into the darkness of Astoria's room.

The scent of sex assaulted his nose and he felt sick again and had to suppress the urge to scrub at his skin which was still a faint pink. Astoria snored obnoxiously from the bed and Draco ran to the door and made his way to his own private chambers as quickly as he could.

Once inside he cast a locking spell on the door and climbed into his huge bed. The soft dark blue sheet wrapped around him in a cocoon. For the first time all day Draco felt safe. He buried his face in his pillow and cried himself to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Reviews would be extremely appreciated so that I'll know how I'm doing with this story ;)

Draco woke the next morning with the distant hope that he was dead. His hope was soon squashed when he realized there was an incessant pounding on the door to his chambers. He tiredly snapped his fingers and a tiny house elf appeared with a hot cup of tea and lightly buttered toast. He grabbed the offered plate and nodded to the small table beside him. Obediently the elf put his tea on the table and then turned back to him and bowed deeply.

"Will Master Draco need anything else?" The elf inquired while still bowing at the side of his bed.

"Who the bloody hell is at my door?!"

"Bonk is thinking that it be Mistress Astoria, Master." The elf replied timidly. He trembled slightly, as if afraid that Draco might suddenly punish him. Draco counted to five in his head and released a deep breath before speaking.

"Inform her that I will be busy the entire day and I require her immediate departure from my wing of the manor."

Bonk's ear twitched and he shuffled his feet nervously.

"Master Draco… Bonk is to be needing to be nice to his new Mistress. Bonk is thinking that he cannot order her away." Now the elf's voice clearly shook in fear as he addressed Draco. Draco paused for a moment. The elves **never** talked back or questioned their orders. **Never. ** And now because of his stupid nuisance of a wife the bloody creatures had decided they could not obey? This was an outrage.

"I am your Master. Only my parents and I can order you about. Ms Greengra- I mean the new Mrs. Malfoy's commands are to be ignored. Now do as I said!" Draco's hissed before turning his attention to his toast. With a tiny pop the house elf disappeared from his room.

After a moment he heard muted shouts from outside his chamber and he was glad the walls were thick so he didn't really have to listen to the stupid bint speak.

Another tiny pop alerted him to the second arrival of his house elf.

"Master Draco… Bonk is needing to be punished. He has failed to make Miss Astoria leave." Bonk stood noticeably just out of Draco's reach. Draco had never actually harmed an elf but his father provided abundant discipline.

"Bonk listen to me. GET RID OF HER. I don't care what you have to do, just keep her away from me unless I specifically tell you otherwise. Understand?"

The elf nodded, his large ears bouncing and effectively making him look a lot like a cartoon character, and another tiny pop marked his disappearance.

Draco smiled to himself as he thought of his goofy looking house elf. They were such strange creatures but they were loyal and extremely handy. He couldn't even imagine doing his own chores and cleaning up after himself constantly.

A shrill scream sounded loudly from the hall before there was peaceful silence once again.

Curiously Draco stood and walked to the door, barely registering the cold marble floor beneath his bare feet. He reached the door and grabbed the large sterling handle. He slowly opened it and peered out into the hall before quickly falling into a fit of hysterical laughter.

Astoria was levitating three feet above the ground. A thick looking rope was tied around her body rendering her immobile. A red handkerchief was in her mouth effectively muting her irritating voice. From Draco's position peering around the door he could just make out the corner of the smile on Bonk's face.

She was clearly distressed but Draco didn't care. He knew that Bonk wouldn't harm her; he would just remove her from Draco's wing of the house which was exactly what Draco wanted.

Still chuckling to himself Draco moved back into his room to retrieve his tea, making sure to spell the doors closed behind him. He took his tea and sat in front of the fire quietly pondering what he would do with his day.

Normally he would attend to any business that father might have for him and then take a walk through the gardens with mother for a bit before having tea in the afternoon with both his parents and sometimes various acquaintances of theirs.

Based on current events he had no intentions of leaving his rooms at all.

"Brooding does not become you Draco." The deep soothing voice of the man that could only be Severus Snape said from the direction of the fire.

"How did you get in?" Draco wasn't upset to see Snape; actually he was rather glad to have the company of his mentor. But his wards were supposed to be impenetrable….

"I can do as I please Draco. Surely you know that by now? Now will you tell me why you are skulking about locked up in your rooms or shall I have to force it out of you?"

Draco did not doubt that Severus could in fact force him to speak but he knew that despite the man's cold exterior he did care and would help him if he could. Severus was probably one of the only people in the world that Draco actually trusted.

"I just wanted some space; I need to think is all and I can't do it with that she monster around."

"Why Draco, if I didn't know any better I'd say that you were unhappy with your marriage. Tell me, where is the lovely missus?" The usual cold darkness in Snape's eyes was replaced with a kind of knowing sparkle that was suspiciously Dumbledoresque. Draco took a moment to look at Snape closely before answering. He looked different. He looked healthier than Draco could remember ever seeing him. His skin was certainly still pale but it was not the translucent paper it used to be. His eyes were brighter; his hair was combed through, cleaned, and held back in a leather band. He seemed to glow…

"You got shagged?" Draco hadn't meant to sound so incredulous but… as far as he knew nobody was interested in Severus and Severus was even more uninterested in everyone.

Snape raised a brow elegantly before chuckling. Snape laughed. _**SNAPE LAUGHED!!**_ Severus Snape never laughed. Draco pinched his arm harshly, leaving a tiny blue and purple bruise almost instantly. He couldn't help but feel that he had somehow fallen into an alternate universe unwittingly.

"It seems you've lost your flair for elegance. However, you are just as observant as usual," A playful scowl passed over his features as he continued, "If you must know, I had a nice evening….and morning." A triumphant smirk graced his lips as he glanced at Draco.

Draco was flabbergasted. Severus was not an unattractive man… it's just… he was so damn mean all the time. He had never seen Snape say a kind word to anyone other than himself or his parents. He didn't have time to ponder who could be sharing Snape's bed though because he was quickly fixed with that inquisitive look that told him he had better answer the question he had been asked.

"I do not know where she is, and to be perfectly honest I could not care less. Earlier this morning Bonk had her bound and gagged and was levitating her off somewhere…" Draco trailed off with an amused smile on his face.

Snape narrowed his eyes at him in annoyance.

"I do not understand Draco. Please explain to me why it is amusing that your house elf carried your wife off much like a hostage." The serious tone of his voice almost made Draco feel bad for not caring where Astoria was. Almost but not quite.

"You know everything about me Sev. It should not surprise you to hear that I do not take an interest in Ms Greengrass. In fac-"

"Malfoy." Severus interrupted. Draco looked at him quizzically.

"Her name is now Mrs. Malfoy, not Ms Greengrass."

Draco sighed. He hated to hear his family name attached to such a monstrosity as Astoria.

"I think I will just continue to call her Ms Greengrass. She does not deserve my family's name… I was forced into this Severus. I didn't have a choice. I don't like her. I don't like her stupid voice, or the annoying way she clings to me, or the over powering smell of cotton candy perfume that she insists on wearing a gallon of, and I absolutely hate it when she touches me. I am not attracted to her. I'm not attracted to women at all. I'm only doing this for my family. I'm only doing this because I must…"

A thousand different emotions plowed through Draco at once. He had just admitted out loud that he did not like his wife. Amongst the purebloods this was a social crime. He trusted Severus with a lot of things but could he trust him with this?

"If you were not attracted to women, you should have said so Draco." Severus sighed as he walked over and put a comforting hand on Draco's shoulder.

_Oh shite… I just made a right arse of myself. I told him I don't like women. I don't like women?_

_Well…I don't like girly voices, or perfume, or breasts, or the female anatomy in general…I suppose that's why I detested having to have sex with her. It just felt so wrong…_

"Severus, I just don't know what to do. I hate her. I really do. But we're married now and nothing short of death can break us apart. Divorce would result in father disowning me…"

Snape gazed at Draco as he looked intently into the fire. Severus could see that Draco was not handling this well. He looked like he was about to break down any second and just jump into the flames in front of him. Severus could see that Draco was falling apart but he did not know what to do so he just sat there for a moment longer and then stood and walked back towards the fire.

"Draco, I will not divulge this information to anyone. You may trust me. I'm sorry but I don't know what else to do right now. I will think on it though." With that Snape picked up a handful of floo powder and threw it into the fire, called out Diagon Alley and vanished in the flames.

The fire was momentarily a vibrant green color because of the added powder. Draco found himself thinking of vibrant green eyes with a sad smile on his face. They were most definitely the vibrant green eyes of a man that he very much loathed.

But damn were those nice eyes….


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Obviously I don't own Harry Potter; that honor belongs to J.K. Rowling. I'm just having fun. Thanks to WinterStorm for the very first review. It definitely made my day to know that somebody enjoys the story.

"Hello dear. I was beginning to wonder if you would ever venture out of your quarters again. How are the potions coming along?" the gentle voice of Narcissa startled Draco as he wandered amongst the brilliant green hedge maze.

She watched him, trying to see the boy she had known only a month ago. His hair was no longer a shimmering white blond, but a dull shadow of what it had been. It was unkempt and stuck up in tufts sporadically which was something she had never seen. He had always kept his hair immaculately tamed. His skin was not the beautiful moon kissed paleness that he had gotten from his father, but it was now nastily white with a yellowish hue. Little red sores littered his arms and as she narrowed her eyes Narcissa realized they were from extensive scrubbing. His clothes were wrinkled and disheveled.

Her blue eyes, a shade darker than the bright summer sky, searched Draco's cold gray ones as he turned towards her. She was displeased to find that he looked completely closed off and devoid of any emotion. Her son had never been an overly expressive child; she knew that he had learned to hide his emotions in the cold mask that was necessary in pureblood society at a young age. However, Draco had never hid his emotions from her. They were family; there was no need to hide things like that.

"The potions are fine, Mother." His replied shortly in a dead tone, still with that blank look in his eyes. Narcissa moved to a bench not far away and sat gracefully, motioning for Draco to sit beside her. He hesitated a moment looking like he'd rather flee than sit.

_Why must she look at me with that concern? It's not as if I can tell her what is really bothering me. I can't tell her that I hate my wife. Even if I did tell her, she'd just inform me that love is not a requirement for marriage. _

_I should have just stayed inside._

Draco grimaced as he made his way over to the bench. The stone was cool to the touch under him as he sat down despite the summer heat. It woke up a part of him that he had not realized had been dormant for the past three weeks.

Narcissa smiled weakly as she saw something inside Draco loosen. It was a small step, but it was step a in the right direction.

"Will you tell me what's bothering you? Your father and I have been terribly worried dear. Severus paid a visit a few days ago. He inquired about your health. It was distressing to tell him you were fine when for all I know you are most certainly not. He has always been uncommonly perceptive of course, and he somehow knew I wasn't confidant that you were indeed fine. He implied that he knew what ailed you but he refused to divulge the secret with us. He said we needed to discuss it with you…" Narcissa trailed off, her voice trembling slightly. Draco noticed her hand fisted at her side so tightly that her knuckles were a stark white.

He felt bad for making his mother worry so but he didn't know what to say. So he just said nothing. The silence between them was tense and it was clear that Narcissa was desperate to have Draco talk to her.

"We love you, you know. I know we don't say it often enough. Okay we hardly say it, but that doesn't mean we don't feel it dear. You must understand that your father and I are not…particularly adept at showing what we feel. That does not mean that our feelings are any less real though. You are our only child and we love you immensely no matter what."

"I know Mother. I love you too." Draco uncurled his mother's hand and held it tightly, as close to a hug as they had gotten since just after the Battle of Hogwarts.

Narcissa sighed and held onto his hand like a life line, taking it as an incentive to continue. She drew in a deep breath and plowed on, determined to find out what was bothering her son.

"Astoria-" Narcissa paused here as she noticed Draco's hand tighten almost painfully around hers and he seemed to draw deeper within himself.

"Astoria has been quite the trouble lately. She seems to believe that you need to be devoting all your time to her. She is under the impression that you are avoiding her." She made it clear with her tone that she did not particularly approve of Astoria but she was curious as to whether or not her son was avoiding his wife. That seemed like such an odd thing to do.

After a few moments she realized that Draco was not going to say anything so she decided to use a new tactic.

"Are you avoiding her Draco?"

He looked her squarely in the eye but she could not detect anything within the swirling icy gray depths.

"I am. I do not have any desire to see her unless it is absolutely necessary. I have completed my duties as heir, Mother. I have done what was expected of me. Now I just wish to be left alone." Draco stood stiffly and pulled his hand from his mother roughly.

Narcissa was puzzled and heartbroken as she watched her son walk away.

.

Narcissa Malfoy was not usually an unkind woman. She had a reputation, that's true, but she when it came to Draco she was willing to do anything to ensure his happiness, no matter the consequences.

She did not know why her son seemed so disinterested in his wife but she would figure it out. His childhood had been less than ideal and she wanted him to have the best life that he could now that the Dark Lord was dead.

The first step in her plan to help Draco was one that would surely anger him, but she could see no other choice. She would accept nothing but the best for him and the best happened to be Healer Lovegood.

That is why the day after her conversation with Draco in the garden, Narcissa traveled to St. Mungo's to speak with Healer Lovegood.

The young wizard at the reception desk looked up at the sharp sound of high heels clicking on the warm sandy brown tiled floor.

"Lady Malfoy, I'm sorry to say, but you must wait here. You can't go through without an appointment."

The wizard's voice shook meekly as he spoke and Narcissa completely ignored him as she made her way through tall dark oak doors to Luna Lovegood's office.

Luna was sitting behind a small desk, talking to herself. Her light gold hair was tied up with bits of what looked a lot like muggle shoe laces. Narcissa cleared her throat rather loudly to get the girl's attention before sitting directly in front of her.

"Lady Malfoy, it is a pleasure to see you. I had thought you'd be here sooner." Luna said dreamily with a far off look in her eyes. Narcissa wondered if perhaps she shouldn't have come but Lovegood was supposedly the best in her field and Narcissa would settle for nothing less.

She decided to ignore the girl's odd behavior and to finish her business as quickly as she could.

"I have heard that you are the best Healer around and that is the only reason I'm here. I expect your secrecy and discretion as a professional. I assure that if you leak one work of this I will make sure your life is ruined for the foreseeable future." The threat was heavy in Narcissa's voice but Luna just laughed airily.

"Threats are unnecessary. I would not betray my client, no matter who that person is. Now will you tell me what is wrong with your son so I know where to start?"

Narcissa looked taken aback but quickly hid it behind the patented mask of Malfoy indifference.

"How did you know I was here because of Draco?"

"Healer's intuition." Luna replied with a strange twinkle in her eye. There was something very weird about this girl.

"I don't know what is wrong with him. He seemed fine up until three weeks ago when he was married. Now he hardly ever leaves his rooms, and his skin is ghastly. It's as if he's wasting away…"

Luna was thoughtful for a moment, seemingly deep in concentration. Her brow furrowed and she opened her mouth to answer many times before closing it, giving her the appearance of a gold fish. Narcissa was steadily getting annoyed

"Well?"

"This is not a very common thing among the magical community, which I'm sure you've already realized. However, one of my close friends has recently gone through a very similar situation. I think it would be good to have your son meet him here on Thursday. That way I can compare their symptoms."

Narcissa nodded, finding it strange that the odd girl said such weird things but was clearly intelligent. She was just happy to be doing something to help her son. Now she just had to figure out how to get him to St. Mungo's on Thursday.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: This was supposed to be out last week but apparently it did not load correctly or something. I'm very sorry about that. Thank you to everyone that has favorite this story, and a very big thank you to Mighty Gryffindor, darkshadowarchfiend, WinterStorm, and Airborn-Love for the reviews. They definitely motivate me to try make this story great I hope everyone enjoys this chapter because it involves our favorite Gryffindor. (This is not a Severus/Harry story just so everyone is clear).

The pungent scent of what could only be burnt potion assaulted his nostrils as soon as he stepped through the fire.

"You have a flair for potions just like your father. Tell me; is it a genetic trait to be completely dismal at potions?" Harry smirked to himself as he heard the cold drawl of Severus Snape humiliate a helpless student. Some things never changed.

He was not surprised at all when there was no reply. What kind of idiot student would dare talk back to Snape? Well besides himself of course.

"It seems you will not grace us with your reply. Twenty points from Hufflepuff for failing to follow simple directions and three days detention with Professor Sprout. Understood Kent?"

Suddenly the smile fell off his face. He felt sick when he thought about the fact that he had smiled at another person's misfortune. Since when was he that kind of guy?

Harry dusted off his robes, letting the green hued ash fall to the floor like toxic snowflakes. He made his way to the thick black wooden door quickly and pushed it open. As he stepped into the classroom he could feel everyone staring at him. No matter how often it happened he still hated it.

"Class dismissed!" Snape hissed sharply. The young students, clearly only first years, did their best to leave and not draw Snape's attention to them while still getting a look at Harry.

Once all of the students were gone, Severus pushed past Harry and through the door leading to his private chambers. Harry followed behind, briefly wondering why he felt as scared as those first years had looked. An angry Severus Snape was not someone that you wanted to deal with no matter who you were.

The high screech of a heavy chair being moved over the stone floor brought Harry out of his momentary fear. Snape may be intimidating but he was not dangerous.

"How did you get through that door?" Snape's cold gaze landed on Harry as he sat in the rough looking armchair. His arms were folded across his chest in a gesture that would have made him look reminiscent of a petulant child if not for the fierce darkness in his eyes that was anything but childish.

"The same way most people do Severus; I walked." Harry replied cheekily.

Snape scowled before casually flicking his arm and conjuring two cups of steaming tea. Harry took that as his queue to sit in the ragged grey velvet arm chair across from Snape's.

"If you aren't going to answer how you got through my wards, then perhaps you will at least tell my why you are here today, as it is only Wednesday?" Snape quirked an eyebrow in that trademark Slytherin way that the other school houses would never be able to match.

"Luna has asked me to meet her at St. Mungo's tomorrow around noon. She implied that it might take awhile, so I thought it'd be a good idea to come today instead. Pretty smart, eh?"

Severus studied Harry for a few moments while carefully taking a drink from his steaming cup.

He knew that these meetings were important to the boy. After the war ended Harry had changed drastically. Now he was finally growing up into a confident man who possessed immeasurable power, and Snape liked to think that he had a hand in that. However, the media followed his every move. There was not a single day that went by without a story that somehow involved _Harry Potter, the Wizarding World's Hero. _And the boy hated it.

He had become an auror because it was what the world expected of him. He did not want to fight for the rest of his life. He did not want to be involved with the violence and trouble that being an auror entailed, but he just went with the flow of things. After the Battle of Hogwarts, roughly four years ago, Shacklebolt had immediately offered Harry a position in the auror program. The boy had been so devastated at the time that he was not thinking clearly and he consented robotically.

Severus had watched from a distance as Harry lived on auto pilot. Nobody around him seemed to notice that something was wrong with him. Not Granger who was supposed to be the smartest witch her age, and not Weasley who was supposed to be the boy's best friend. And most definitely not his girlfriend at the time, the female Weasley.

Snape had been fed up with watching the grotesque display of false love they had all showed Harry. He sensed something was wrong and he had been determined to discover what it was. After all, he owed the boy a lot for getting rid of that mad man.

So he sent an owl to Harry, making up some absurd story of finding a dangerous potion and needing the auror's help. He knew that Harry would show up, he was notorious after all, for his 'needing to help people' complex.

As expected, Harry showed up. Severus gradually got him to open up about what was bothering him. A few days after that Harry had sent him an owl, requesting another meeting. They decided to meet twice a week and that was how they continued for the past three years.

During that time Severus learned things about Harry that he doubted anyone else knew. He discovered that Harry hated being an auror but he took the promotion to become Lieutenant Auror because his girlfriend had insisted that he do so. He learned that Harry did not really like Ginny, but he felt he had to date her for Ron and the rest of the Weasley horde. Harry told him that he hated the media following him everywhere, and the way everyone stared at him, and always asked him to retell the story of how he defeated Voldemort.

None of this was particularly surprising to Snape, but he was in fact shocked when Harry told him that he had considered ending his life a few times. He felt abandoned by his friends, purposeless now that he had defeated the Dark Lord, and completely alone. He didn't think there was a reason to live when his life was just a product of other people's dreams.

That was the reason why Snape continued to meet with him. Although he had never had friends except for perhaps Lily, Narcissa, and Lucius, he had still felt abandoned after the war. The Wizengamot had issued him an Order of Merlin for his services during the war, but many people still viewed him as a horrible Death Eater. Now that Dumbledore had no use of him, he hardly ever even acknowledged his existence. Severus knew better than most what it was like to want to die.

In a way they had saved each other with their meetings. Harry needed Snape, it was the only time he could be himself, and Snape, although he was loathe to admit it, needed Harry to remind himself of the reason why he needed to live. To keep Potter alive.

"Look, I'm sorry for interrupting your class. If now isn't a good time, I'll leave." Harry said dejectedly as he stood from his chair.

"Sit Potter. I was merely thinking. I need a drink; would you care to continue this conversation at The Dragon's Den?"

Harry smirked in a fashion that was remarkably Slytherin-like and walked over to the fire.

"Coming old man?" He chuckled as he threw a handful of floo powder into the fireplace and shouted the name of the club.

Severus growled in a manner that would have made the first years wet themselves, before following after Harry.

.

Harry sighed happily as he stepped into the familiar room. It was a vast darkly lit room. The outlines of dancing bodies were easy to make out on the dance floor but the faces were completely hidden in shadows. A few people were sitting at the bar on the left side of the room but the booths looked relatively empty.

Harry walked over to the booth furthest away from the dance floor. He loved the feeling of the bass moving through his body but he knew that Severus did not enjoy sitting close to the dancers. Especially after one middle age witch had accidentally bumped into him and spilled his Firewhiskey all over his robes a few weeks ago.

Harry felt the glamour he was wearing waver a bit and decided that it would be safe to take it off in the club since nobody could see him anyway.

He should have realized that Snape's eyes were a lot sharper than most, and he could see well even in the dark from years of living in the dungeons.

Snape looked at Harry closely, while using his long black cloak to immerse himself in the available darkness. He noticed the moment that his glamour fell away. Harry's usual obsidian black hair looked muted somehow. His eyes, which were normally his most striking feature, were not their normal brilliant green, but a dull peridot. His skin looked flaky in places and red in others. His robes were disheveled and his lipped were chapped to the point of looking bloody.

A shiver of fear ran down Snape's spine.

Harry looked very much like his godson.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Thanks to WinterStorm and aikuyo soatome for the reviews because it always encourages me to write more Reviews are fantastic and greatly appreciated. I do my best to look at each chapter and correct mistakes but I'm sure there are still a lot. Sorry ^^'

Draco Malfoy was a lot of things but stupid was not one of them.

_I wonder if mother really thinks that she is fooling me. She can't honestly think that I would believe St. Mungo's needed my help with a healing potion. I know for a fact that they have highly skilled Potions Masters employed there to assist with those kinds of things._

_What is she up to?_

Draco's curiosity had already ensured that he would in fact go to St. Mungo's. There was no way he would tell his mother that though. No, first he wanted to figure out why she was trying to trick him into going.

"Mother, why didn't they ask for Severus? Surely he would be a better choice, wouldn't he?" Draco's voice sounded strange, even to his own ears. He briefly wondered when his had started talking in a monotone…until he remembered Astoria.

His mother had a panicked look in her shimmering bright blue eyes for a fleeting second before her carefully crafted mask slipped back into place.

"Don't be silly Draco. Severus is a very busy man. You know that." Narcissa replied in clipped tones that made it obvious that she did not want to continue the conversation. "Now I suggest you bathe and put on clean robes."

Draco sighed in annoyance. He knew from experience that it was no use arguing with his mother when she used that tone. Narcissa seemed to notice her son's, albeit reluctant, acceptance and turned sharply and left his private quarters.

Draco quickly reapplied the wards on his door; nothing could ruin his day faster than seeing Astoria.

He walked towards the bathroom, randomly dropping his recently discarded clothes behind him as he went. He snapped his finger impatiently as he entered the bathroom. A single pop announced the arrival of Bonk.

"What is Master needing Bonk to do sir?" Bonk asked as he bowed deeply, his long floppy ears brushing the floor.

"Prepare clean robes for me."

"Of course Master Draco." Bonk disappeared from the room with another pop.

Draco stepped into the shower and turned the handle to the left and warm neon blue water fell from the showerhead. He distractedly scrubbed at his skin, not even noticing how his skin cracked and bled over his shoulders.

After a few minutes of rubbing Draco finally noticed the blood dripping down his arms and muttered an angry spell to heal his wounds.

He leaned his head against the wall and let the hot water rain down on his back. How long would he be forced to live this way? Scrubbing at his skin until it bled, hiding in his rooms while avoiding everyone at all costs, and slowly losing touch with sanity.

He knew his mind was beginning to fail him. He could not recall the correct compositions of potions that he had once been able to produce with his eyes closed. He often found himself reflecting on his time at school and wondering how his life would be if he had chosen different friends. Perhaps if he had not been such an arse he would have had someone to talk to during his self imposed exile.

Draco stood back up and ran his hands down his chest. All of his ribs could be felt under the thin layer of skin that held his body together. A maroon colored scar reached from his heart to just under his right nipple. He traced the scar with one long finger and green eyes flashed in his mind. He pushed the thought away before it could even start. His chest was hairless and smooth except for just under his belly button. Pale hair trailed from below his navel to his cock. He gazed at it in disgust, not able to forget that it had been inside of his hated wife.

It still looked exactly the same, despite the fact that the rest of his body seemed to be falling apart. He had not touched it in over three weeks, and he momentarily wondered if it was normal for a twenty one year old male to not be aroused for almost a month. He picked it up roughly, not even feeling the slight pain that shot through him as he held it in his tight grip. It was deathly pale like the rest of his body, which was odd since it was usually a flushed light pink. It drooped sadly in his hand and he felt an intense hatred towards it.

_Why can't you just be normal? Why are you doing this to me? If you were aroused by that she monster then I could at least pretend to love her!_

He harshly dropped his cock in disgust and began washing his skin with renewed vigor. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't make the nauseated feeling leave his stomach. He always felt nauseated when he thought about sleeping with Astoria.

He ran from the shower and leaned over the toilet just in time to lose the meager breakfast he had eaten.

He stood and tried to make his way back to the shower to rinse off but stumbled. He pressed his back to the wall and slid down to the floor. He felt light headed and dizzy and soap ran down his forehead into his eyes, stinging harshly.

The wall across from him was covered in a floor to ceiling mirror. Draco stared at his reflection and hated the man that he saw looking back at him.

Icy grey eyes stared, looking lifeless and defeated. His hair was covered in soap but he could still make out the faded blond. His skin was ashen in some places and bleeding in others. He appeared to be a breathing corpse.

He began to shake uncontrollably. Anyone that saw him would have thought he was crying until they heard the haunted maniacal giggle that escaped his lips.

_Look at me! I used to be the Slytherin Prince, the heir to the Malfoy name. Now look at me! What the hell is wrong with me?_

He began laughing hysterically, gasping for breath and pulling at his hair.

"Master Draco! What is wrong Master?" the worried house elf stood in front of Draco, looking down at him with eyes full of concern.

_Even the house elves look down on me now. I am pitied by house elves. What the hell…_

Draco snapped out of his momentary insanity. There was no way he would allow himself to be something that house elves pitied.

.

"It's over here, Draco dear. We're almost there." Narcissa said in a sing song voice as she led her son through the halls of St. Mungo's.

She had been surprised when he had agreed to come; she had thought she'd have to spend a lot longer convincing him. She was even more surprised when he met her in the entrance hall of Malfoy Manner looking pristine and much like the boy she used to know. She had not wanted to question it though, figuring that Draco would probably shy away from her if she asked him questions.

Now they were steadily walking towards Healer Lovegood's office, leaving many awe struck bystanders in their wake.

"Ah, Lady Malfoy. Healer Lovegood is expecting you; she requested that Draco enter first and you wait out here though." The poor wizard at the reception desk looked terrified to be denying Narcissa anything. Mentally she was pissed but she kept her mask in place and smiled politely.

"Thank you. I'll wait for you here, Draco." She leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to her son's cheek. Lately she had been trying to show him more affection.

Draco nodded and pushed his way into Healer Lovegood's office, just like the haughty person he used to be.

_My son…_

.

Draco stepped into the office as he was told to do. The sweet aroma of lilac breezed around the room and he felt somewhat calmer. His eyes fell on the large desk in the center of the room and he was shocked to see Luna Lovegood in a blazing yellow robe with straws sticking out of her pulled up hair, sitting behind it and talking to herself.

_Oh Merlin…_

"Hello Malfoy. It's been a long time. How are you?" She asked airily as she stood and walked towards him.

"I'm fine. Why am I here exactly?"

She gazed intently over his left shoulder with a sad pout on her lips and Draco felt uneasy.

"You're ill, very ill. Please remove your glamour so that I can examine you." She shifted from creepy airhead to professional healer so quick that Draco felt dizzy.

He sighed, internally debating whether or not to do as she asked. In the end he decided that he wanted to get away from her as soon as possible which meant he had to do what she said.

Draco had to give her credit for trying to hide the look of disgust that passed over her face when she saw him.

She pulled out her wand and began casting spells over Draco. He recognized one as the spell that Madame Pomfrey used to check magic levels and vitals but the rest he could not interpret at all. The more tests she did, the more worried she looked.

Finally she stepped away and put her wand in the pocket of her canary yellow robe.

"I'm afraid this is very serious Malfoy. I've only seen one other case like this and… so far we haven't been able to find a cure for him." She couldn't meet Draco's eyes as she spoke. He did not know what to feel. He had known that there would not be any good news for him so he was not particularly surprised.

"He's here today actually; I'd like you to meet him. I want to compare your symptoms and run a few more tests and it would be easier if you were in the same room."

Draco merely nodded and sat in the strange chair in front of her desk that vaguely resembled a unicorn. Luna sighed and walked to the door, not knowing what else she could say.

"Well, I'm going to go explain things to your mother. On my way I'll tell the other man to come up here, so you can become acquainted. Maybe you two could discuss when you came down with the symptoms and see if you have had any similar experiences in the last few months. I'll be back after I speak to your mother. Okay?"

Draco merely nodded. As soon as he heard the door shut behind Luna he began itching, hating the feeling of his own skin.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I'm finally on chapter six and the boys are finally going to meet! I hope everyone enjoys it. Of course I'd like to thank WinterStorm, Swan Songs, and Airborn-Love for the reviews because they're great. Thanks to everyone that reads. There's some violence in this one (this story will have mature scenes in it at some point just so everyone knows). I don't own Harry Potter (obviously).

Floor to ceiling bookcases were against every wall of Luna's office. Draco mused silently that they were probably just for decoration. There was no way Lovegood had read all of them; he wasn't even convinced that she could read. _Then again she had been a Ravenclaw…_

A tall potted plant was in the corner of the room behind the desk. The leaves were about the size of his fist, heart shaped and a distinct mauve color. Stormclover. It was extremely rare and extremely expensive but its healing properties made it invaluable. How the hell did Luna Lovegood get one?

Draco noticed that there were no windows or lamps but a bright light seemed to emanate from the ceiling itself. He was so caught up in his inspection of the room that he failed to hear the door creak quietly open behind him.

"Hey, Luna told me to come up here and talk to you. She thinks we have similar illnesses or something…" The voice trailed off.

Draco instantly froze. He knew that voice. That voice had tormented him for seven years and still managed to haunt his dreams more frequently than he cared to admit. That was the voice of his arch nemesis and the voice of the boy that had saved his life from the fiendfyre four years ago.

_Harry sodding Potter. _

Draco pulled his glamour back around him rapidly, hoping with every fiber of his being that Potter had not seen him. In the high backed chair, (which, much to his disturbance, still resembled a unicorn), only the top of his head could be seen.

He stood slowly. The glamour masked his sore skin but not the pain that he felt every time he moved. He turned towards Potter after securely placing his indifferent Malfoy mask over his face.

"They let any type of vermin in here these days I see." he said in the monotone voice that he had apparently recently adopted. Potter stared back at him blankly, all signs of possible politeness fleeing once he recognized Draco.

"Obviously, they let you in after all."

"My mother brought me here Potter. I don't suppose you've ever experienced anything like that, seeing as yours is dead."

Draco could see Potter's fists clench at his sides, so tightly that his knuckles began to turn white. A familiar sense of glee filled him as he watched Potter begin to lose control.

Mocking the Weasel and his loser family was one thing; it amused Draco to an extent. But getting under Potter's skin… that was something completely different. It was what Draco lived for.

He was furious when he took in the Boy Wonder's appearance. The same obnoxious obsidian locks sat atop the pale, smooth skinned nuisance. His eyes were deep viridian pools that swirled with anger and hatred as he glared back at Draco. He looked exactly as he always had and it aggravated Draco that his own pale beauty was gone while Potter was completely unharmed.

Power seemed to ooze out of him, and the angrier he became the more dangerous he appeared. For a split second Draco finally understood how this average, un-noteworthy boy had defeated the Dark Lord. But he was not afraid.

For the first time since he married Astoria he felt alive. His own magic was gathering and coiling in response to Potter's.

"Don't ever talk about my parents!" The Golden Boy's voice was thunderous and was laced with rage. Draco briefly wondered if the Weasel and the Mudblood had ever heard their hero like this.

Draco merely sneered, which thanks to his glamour, turned out just as scathing as it had in sixth year.

"I don't take orders Potter, especially from the likes of you. I was reading the Prophet the other day and there was a horrifying picture of the Weaselette. Do you know who I heard she looks like?" Draco inquired innocently.

Potter remained fuming and silent, glaring daggers at Draco, an unvoiced warning hanging in the air. Draco studiously ignored it and barreled on.

"What's it like to fuck someone that so closely resembles your own mother? I suppose you did that on purpose though. You know, married the girl because she looked like that dead dunderhead-"

Now the tightly clenched fist seemed itching to hurt something, namely Draco. Potter's face had turned a bright puce color that surely could only indicate bad things. And yet Draco would not stop, really could not stop, himself from continuing and seeing just how far he could push the man that had always seemed to make him forget how he was supposed to behave.

"-that you never even got a chance to get to know. Poor tragic Harry bloody Potter-"

Whatever he was going to say next was lost as Potter's fist connected with his nose. He reacted immediately and lunged forward, swinging his elbow into what felt a lot like the rib of the Boy Who Lived. Potter stumbled back, still as ungraceful on his feet as always, and swung blindly, narrowly hitting Draco in the jaw.

Draco smirked as he took in the height difference between them. Potter was still shorter than him, the top of his head just coming up to Draco's ears. He didn't know why but he felt so small sense of accomplishment knowing that he would most definitely always be the taller of the two.

Potter, having finally gained some sort of balance, began stalking forward. Without thinking Draco dodged under his arm and stood behind him. Before Potter could turn around Draco kicked out the back of his knee, forcing him down to a kneeling position. Taking advantage of this Draco kicked at his back until he fell forward. He laid unmoving face down on the carpet that Draco now noticed had the pattern of dragonflies darting about on it.

He moved closer slowly, afraid that perhaps Potter was merely faking.

A few small specks of blood littered that carpet around Potter's open mouth. A sick sensation began to grow in Draco's stomach as he looked down at his school rival.

His hair, which had only minutes ago seemed unruly and dark, was a matted mass of washed out black straw. His skin was ashen and flaky. His lips were chapped and cracked.

He was just a darker image of Draco.

_He must have been wearing a glamour too… Lovegood had said that she was sending up the other person with the same symptoms. Sweet Salazar, why am I doomed this way? _

Draco's self-pity session was interrupted as he heard pained groans coming from the body on the floor. He stepped back a bit as Potter opened his eyes. His eyes were a pale tea green fire that made the fine blond hairs stand up on the back of Draco's neck. He was used to emerald rage, not this shallow imitation.

Potter's eyes widened as he inspected Draco. Immediately feeling self conscious Draco gazed down at his clothes to see if perhaps he had ripped them in the fight or something. Maybe a little disheveled but nothing too bad. He lifted his hand to readjust his tie and froze as he noticed gray peeling skin.

_Shite! I let my glamour fall. Damn it! Damn Potter and his stupid face and his stupid life!_

"Don't stare Potter, it's rude. I know your mother was not around to teach you that but really it is common sense." Draco snarled as he turned to the door and wordlessly reapplied his glamour. He left the office quickly and walked through the building at a brisk pace. Once he made it outside the entrance he apparated directly to his room at Malfoy Manor.

He let the glamour fall and looked at his reflection in the mirror once more. His nose was crooked and dried blood speckled his face. He appeared just like he had earlier but now more worn down and beaten. But his eyes had a spark in their pale depths. They reflected life.


End file.
