※ Warning: descriptions of abuse

~~~

Utter silence filled the room when Severus finished. Harry's story had horrified Lucius and Narcissa, leaving them speechless. They couldn't believe how malignant the treatment those mediocre Muggles had given to the poor boy. Lucius solemnly looked at Severus:

- What are you going to do, Sev? This is most likely the doings of that manipulative coot.

- "Most likely"? I'm completely sure that this is his 'masterpiece'. - Snape growled, - However, I don't know what he is up to, nor what is Harry's place in his plan.

For once in his life, Severus revealed a more vulnerable side of himself. He tiredly slumped deep into his chair, his face paler than usual. He pursed his lips and furrowed his brows.

Lucius curiously asked him:

- Severus, I really want to ask you something from the moment you set foot in here: why are you protecting the Potter boy? Were you not on good terms with his father?

Severus grew silent at Lucius' question. He stared into space before answering:

- I don't know, Lucius, I really don't know what is going on inside my head. I just had a feeling, a familiar feeling when I look at him. He feels like...home.

Severus woefully looked down at his hands. They were abnormally pale due to numerous potion's testings. However, they were long and elegant, and, strangely, soft. He opened and closed his hands several times:

- Ever since I met him, I always had a feeling that I was missing something very important, something that is priceless to me, but I cannot bring myself to try and remember. It seems as though something is blocking my desire to search deeper into this.

He sighed helplessly and looked at Lucius and Narcissa:

- I think that the truth behind this will be very scandalous. As such, I ask for your help. Both of you. I cannot do this alone, not anymore. I sense that this is not only about me, but about something much, much bigger than I had expected when I first took Harry in. So, can you help me?

They looked at him before Narcissa broke the silence:

- Do you know how long we had waited for you to say this? Of course we will help you, we are your friends, after all.

She leaned towards Severus and warmly held his hands:

- We will be more than happy to accompany you on this 'quest'. We don't want you to do this alone any longer. We both had our scars and wounds, so it is vital that we look after each other, as true Slytherins do.

Snape smirked a bit, remembering the old times at school. He said lightly:

-You sounded just like when we were at school. When I was bullied by the Marauders, you and Lucius were the first to stand up to protect me. I still remember some of Lucius' pranks on the Marauders, they were wicked. - He chuckled a bit.

Lucius smiled:

- Well, you know what we used to say-

- "Slytherins look after their own."

The three said together and laughed. It was fun, those carefree days. All they need to do was learning, pranking, and having fun. They sat still, lingering in the sweet moment they rarely had for years. They were too busy to survive that they had momentarily forgotten how to enjoy life. Narcissa smiled:

- I had to admit, it was fun. Oh, how I missed those times... It was only several years and yet, it seemed like a century had passed.

- You can be surprised at how fast time flows. - Lucius said, - But now, let's get back to our problem. What shall we do first?

~~~

While the adults were busy planning, Draco watched Harry sleep. He gently caressed Harry's face, tucking his messy hair away from his eyes. His fury hadn't gone away completely, and the desire to murder those Muggles was as tempting as ever.

Suddenly, he noticed a scar shaped like a lightning bolt on Harry's forehead. He remembered that Harry's twin, Juliet, had one too, but on her cheek. He sensed that something was off and started to think, hard.

The scar the twins had were identical, but why did Harry had a scar? After all, his sister was declared to have beaten the Dark Lord by Dumbledore. Still, he was not a Dumbledore fan, so he decided to put that fact aside, and started to think in a different way.

If he were the Dark Lord, where would he aim when he wanted to murder someone? There were three options: 1) The head, 2) The heart, and 3) The stomach. Draco stood up and rumaged through the pile of old newspapers he collected. He pulled out an old tattered one and looked at the moving picture of the girl at the front: she was smiling arrogantly, waving her hand and trying to shake her fiery red hair elegantly. But of course, it was useless, and it made her look ridiculous.

Draco traced his fingers to her cheek, spotting the scar. It was exactly like Harry's. He looked at the picture, then he looked at Harry. It was impossible that the Dark Lord miss his shot, so it was more probable that the scar was near the head, not on the cheek. But if that was true, then it would mean that Harry was the real Chosen One, and that girl was a fraud.

A wave of realization washed over Draco, leaving him dumbstruck. He had just discovered the fraud of the century! He planned to announce this to the adults, but suddenly, Harry began to hyperventilate. His breathings sped up, and he was sweating intensely. He began to mumbled:

- No, no, please don't touch me... Please, stay away from me... I-I don't want to... I didn't mean to do that... NO!!!!

He screamed, tossing and turning in bed. Draco didn't know what to do, and it was too late to call anyone, so he crept onto the bed and carefully grabbed Harry's hands:

- Harry, it's okay. You're at Malfoy Manor, no one will dare to hurt you. Harry, calm down, calm down... I'm here, I will protect you... Calm down Harry...

Draco whispered softly, his hands ran up and down along Harry's side. The brunette started to breath normal again. He grabbed onto Draco's hands and snuggled up to the blonde. Draco smiled and hugged Harry tight, letting him rest his head on his arms. It must had been dreadful living with the Muggles, or else Harry wouldn't scream so desperately.

Combing his hands through Harry's black messy hair, Draco stayed still, lost in his thoughts. For a while, his silvery eyes darken with hatred and anger. Then all of a sudden, his eyes glowed brighter and brighter, emanating a cold silver light. And, as abruptly as it had come, the light disappeared.

Draco planted a small kiss on Harry's forehead. He muttered:

- I'll protect you, Harry. So sleep well, my dear friend.

~~~

Harry had a horrendous nightmare. He was back in his closet at number 4 Privet Drive. he dreamt he had just messed up breakfast, and Vernon's face was growing purple. He was VERY angry:

- BOY!!! You've burnt the bacon!!! Now what are we supposed to eat, huh?!!

He hovered his meaty hands over the small boy, making him flinched. He scurried away to a corner, his hands held protectively over him:

- I-I didn't mean t-to burn the bacon-

- No excuses!!! - Vernon shouted, - Come here, so I can beat the life out of you!!!

- N-No, please... I don't want to... I-I won't do it again-

- Too late, boy!!! Now come here before it gets worse!!!

- Please-

- NOW!!!

Frightened by Vernon's booming threat, Harry fearfully stumbled towards him, shaking furiously. Vernon ordered:

- Turn away!!!

Harry slowly turned, facing his back to Vernon. The disgustingly fat man stripped off his belt, and lashed it on the boy's back. Harry bit his tongue, hard, not wanting to make any noise. Tears streamed down his face when he felt the buckle buried deep inside his back, his flesh being stripped off of his own body, streams of blood bled through his clothes, staining the floor. It was a haunting sight.

When he thought he couldn't keep his conscience any longer, he felt a warm aura wrapped around him, shielding him from the lashes. It wiped out Vernon, and brought him to a flower field. Harry stood there, dumbfounded, but also relieved. He dropped his body on the field and closed his eyes, feeling the rhythym of nature echoing in his ears. It was steady and ensuring. It made Harry felt relaxed as he sank deeper into his slumber.

~~~

Hello dear readers! Wonder why I update so soon? ☺ I am on a short vacation, so I have time to write. I have been writing since 11:20 pm, and I am very tired. So I am going to cut this short and let you guys relaxed 😊🏖

Where I am right now 😁💚💜🐟🐚