Chapter 20: Sins of the Father

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author.

A big hug of thanks goes out to VIVAvivacious for the generous application of her beta skills to this chapter.

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The air in the room was cold and made breathing a difficult task. He had not realised the fire had died down.

Standing from his chair, Snape went over to the fireplace and threw a few more logs in from the stack in the corner, igniting the wood with a quickly-murmured spell. After he was satisfied it was burning away properly and the room was beginning to warm up again, he returned to Draco's bedside and took his godson's temperature. The fever was beginning to break, but there was still a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead, and he was shivering slightly.

It had been that way for two days now. Since Draco's arrival on New Year's, Snape had been his constant bedside companion, caring for the man and healing his injuries. The moment he had arrived on the doorstep, Draco collapsed, unconscious, into Snape's arms and had been in a semi-coma ever since. Hermione had been a great deal of help. She ensured he was getting food and would watch over the younger man whenever Snape felt like he needed to have some sleep.

If he was honest with himself, Snape was nervous about the state Draco arrived in. It was unclear whether he had been beaten as a punishment or whether it had been the entertainment kind. In the Revels, oftentimes Death Eaters would be set against one another in boxing and wrestling matches to amuse the Dark Lord. Although, he did not recall a time before when Draco had been called upon to participate in such events. Usually he was exempt because Lucius Malfoy was Voldemort's right hand.

Sighing heavily, he tried to push it out of his mind. In due time, Draco would wake from his unconscious state, and he would be able to ask all his questions.

He was about to get up to go to the bathroom when a knock sounded on the door before Granger entered, levitating a bowl of soup and a plate of thick-cut garlic toast along with her. She gave him a wary smile before placing the food on the nightstand beside Snape's chair.

'I thought you could use some lunch,' she murmured. 'You didn't have anything to eat for breakfast this morning.'

'You're not my nanny, Granger,' he growled.

She flashed him a warning look before sniffing delicately. 'I might not be your nursemaid, but if you don't start taking care of yourself better, I will be forced to do so for you,' she scolded. 'You won't be able to help Draco all that much if you are wasting away yourself.'

Frowning, Snape picked up a piece of toast and took a large bite. 'Satisfied?'

Hermione raised an eyebrow at him and snorted. 'Very,' she replied. 'I'll watch over Draco if you need to go to the loo and take a shower.'

'Are you implying something by that?' he asked even as he stood to comply.

She sighed and shook her head. 'Just go. I will put a warming charm over your food so it doesn't go cold while you're out.'

Snape muttered under his breath and left, heading straight for the bathroom. He emerged fifteen minutes later, clean and wearing a thick, black bathrobe. After he re-dressed in his room, he immediately returned to the guest room and found Hermione sitting in the chair beside the bed, reading aloud from one of the books from the study. He recognised it as being one of the old Transfiguration texts from one of Minerva's classes.

Reaching out a hand, he gently touched Hermione's shoulder, alerting her to his presence. She made to close the book and get out of his chair, but he waved her off and simply sat himself on the end of the bed beside Draco instead. She closed the book anyway and looked at him as though she had something she wanted to say.

'Well, spit it out,' Snape said, sighing in exasperation.

'I was just thinking you should probably tell Dumbledore about the potion now,' she answered, her voice barely above a whisper.

'I haven't the patience for the old man at present.'

He watched Hermione's brow furrow. 'Don't you start on that,' she scolded. 'We've already figured out all the kinks involved. Withholding the potion's completion from them will only cause problems.'

Snape closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. 'I know,' he said eventually. 'I will Floo Albus soon. Just be aware there is a good chance you and I will have to travel to London this evening, if that is the case.'

Hermione nodded in acceptance. Snape stood from the bed and made to leave the room. He watched Hermione pick the book up once more and begin reading it before he ventured down the stairs and to the sitting room. Lighting the fire, he tossed in a generous scoop of Floo powder before sitting down in the armchair in front of the green flames and calling out Dumbledore's name. The head of the man in question appeared in the flames in seconds, looking at Severus curiously.

'Severus, it has been far too long since your last update,' Dumbledore scolded.

'I apologise, Headmaster, but things have been very busy this holiday,' Snape replied. 'It will please you to know the potion for the Dark Lord is now complete.'

'Excellent,' Dumbledore said gruffly. 'And just what do you mean when you say it has been busy? Are you having complications with Miss Granger?'

Snape shook his head adamantly. 'Miss Granger has been most helpful as far as the potion is concerned,' he answered. 'My godson, Draco, appeared here two nights ago and has been unconscious since his arrival. We are caring for him and waiting for him to reawaken.'

'That is interesting news, indeed,' the Headmaster said thoughtfully. 'I will arrange an Order meeting for tonight where you will be able to announce the results of the potion and charm work. Bring Miss Granger along – it was, after all, her spell.'

Snape frowned then. 'With all due respect, Headmaster, I will not be bringing Miss Granger along to Grimmauld Place again if she is to be subjected to Mad-Eye Moody's disdain as well as your utter lack of reigning in your dog,' he said, his tone cold. 'She is not to be treated so poorly. She is not a Death Eater or a traitor.'

Snape saw Dumbledore roll his eyes at that but nod. 'Very well, I will personally ensure Miss Granger is treated well while she is at Grimmauld Place,' he agreed.

'I'll need you to send someone over to watch Draco while we are attending. I would prefer if it were Luna Lovegood,' Snape told him. 'She already knows the location of this house and is the most competent person I can think of to care for Draco.'

Dumbledore nodded, and the connection was dropped. Snape stood from the chair and walked from one side of the room to the other, pacing out his steps. He would likely receive a message via Dumbledore's Patronus later as to when the meeting would occur. He hoped the Headmaster would go through with his promise not to ridicule and make Hermione feel uncomfortable. His chest constricted a little at the thought of Hermione. She was upstairs, reading to the one boy who had been cruel to her their entire association as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

Times had definitely changed; a Gryffindor caring so easily for a Slytherin would have been unheard of only a few short months ago. And yet, there they were, in his cottage, caring together for his injured godson, waiting to see what they could make of the information Draco could give them. He walked up the stairs to the guestroom to see Hermione was still reading aloud. Taking a moment to just look at her, he noted she was looking a lot healthier than she had a week beforehand.

He knew she was constantly fighting an internal battle; her light and dark sides were having at one another, fighting for the right to be the only side within her. She was in a grey spot, struggling not to cave to either side too quickly. He knew her heart was with the light, but her mind was sharp, and her magic was a powerful opponent. He walked all the way into the room, grazing his hand against her hair and alerting her to his presence while enjoying the feeling of touching her.

She looked up at him and gave him that half-smile of hers that never failed to reassure him she was still Hermione Granger, brightest witch of her age and the woman he had come to care for a great deal.

He was just about to sit on the bed when he heard a moan coming from the other end. His eyes shot to Draco's face, and he could see the man moaning softly, his eyelids flickering spasmodically as he tried to open them. Hermione dropped her book on the nightstand and immediately reached for one of Draco's hands as he tried to scratch at the bandage on his head.

Snape went around the other side of the bed to hold his other arm down, and together the two of them murmured soothing words as they tried to calm the young Malfoy as he began to wake up. It took ten minutes before Draco was able to open his eyes and look around the room and at the two of them, his grey eyes fearful.

'Where'm I?' he rasped out harshly.

'You are in my cottage in Aberdeen, Draco,' Snape answered calmly. 'You came here two days ago with some serious injuries, and you looked as though you had been beaten rather badly.'

Draco's eyes widened, and he nodded, his grey eyes becoming watery. 'I was beaten,' he said softly. 'It was my father.'

Snape's eyes widened when he heard this. Lucius Malfoy had done this to his own heir? 'Why did your father beat you, Draco?' he pressed, squeezing the younger man's hand as his eyes began to drift shut again.

'Wouldn't deliver you and the Granger girl to him,' he whispered. 'He wanted to give you to the Dark Lord to prove his worth...'

After the words slipped from Draco's mouth, he once more slipped into unconsciousness. He was severely concussed, and when he had arrived at Snape's doorstep, he looked like more than just Lucius Malfoy had beaten him. He looked over to Hermione, whose eyes were filled with shock, but her expression held nothing. She blinked and shook her head, unable to believe what she had just heard.

'He was protecting me,' Snape said softly. 'The daft little idiot chose now, of all times, to be more loyal to me than his own father...'

Hermione flashed him a half smile. 'At least you know now Draco loves you as much as I think you must love him,' she said, looking down at her lap and releasing the young man's hand.

Snape felt his chest clench again in the way it always did when Hermione was around. Oh, he knew for a fact he was fast falling for her. It might have even been a long time in the making, but it all culminated at the point when he became the one person she could rely on. The one point when he knew she was the only one he could rely on. In their own strange way, they had become far more to each other than simply friends. He released Draco's hand and walked around the bed to her, holding out one of his large, roughened hands to her. When she slipped her small hand into his, he felt his heart warm.

It had taken him many long, lonely years to find someone he could connect, read, smile, argue, and enjoy the quiet with. But there she was – with her hand in his. Trusting him like no other had before – so implicitly. He was just growing used to the rapid beat of his heart when Hermione's hand slipped out of his as she pointed in the direction of the window. He turned to see Dumbledore's Patronus floating in silver-blue just beyond the glass; he waved his hand in that direction to open the window and let it inside.

'Come to Headquarters as soon as Miss Lovegood arrives,' it said.

Snape heard the Floo downstairs activate and knew it was time to go. Hermione looped her arm through his and allowed him to lead the way out of the house and Apparate them both to London.

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A/N – Yes, Draco is a good little boy, and Snape has feelings.