Lost and Found

AN: I do not own or profit from anything in the Harry Potter world. This applies to all chapters of this fic. This is a repost. I am finally close to finishing this story. I want thank everyone who read the original. I think it is painfully obvious that I do not have a beta. If you would be interested, send me an e-mail @ cathy_mac@yahoo.com. Please let me know what you think of the story. I don\'t mind negative comments. Please review even if it is a single phrase it means the world good or bad. I just moved this to Draco/Harry.


The dark haired young man forced his legs to keep moving, in spite of the pain he was in. Blood and sweat mixed with the heavy rain as it rolled down his battered face. Between the stinging rain, that was being driven forcefully into his face, and the fact he no longer had his glasses, he couldn’t see where he was going. He needed to find help, but he was beginning to despair. He didn’t know where he was. He wearily put out a hand to block the rain and the wind, squinting in an effort to see anything of use around him. He headed towards the large darkness he could see to his right. He was pretty sure that is was the beginning of a forested area where he could at least get some relief from the wind and rain.


He could have almost smiled as he passed a few trees and entered the darkness beneath the canopy of the more densely packed tree trunks. Some of the rain found its way down to him but he was blocked from the worst of the wind. He kneeled on the forest floor and took stock of his injuries. He hurt all over. The rain had washed away much of the blood while he had been moving, but now, like magic, he could see it oozing from the many tears in his clothing. He had a large gash on his forehead that continued to leak down his face and into his eyes turning what vision he had left, red. He could barely breath and he believed that one of his lungs had been punctured. His ragged breathing was overly loud in his ears, and he found himself staring at a fallen leaf with intense fascination as he found himself falling forward to meet it. He passed out on the cold damp forest floor. A small white owl landed on his shoulder and desperately tried to wake the man, who was slowly drowning in his own blood as it filled his lungs. She nibbled on his ear and cried into the night. Not knowing what else to do, she finally flew took to the sky to find someone that could help.


Knowing that she had to find help quickly, the owl fought her way through the wind to the only humans that she could sense nearby. She found the small cottage and beat her wings and beak against the window. It seemed to take forever for her get a response from the resident. When the window finally opened she frantically latched herself to the man’s shoulder and cried into his ear.


The man was on the run from both sides of a war. He had killed Albus Dumbledore and he had betrayed Lord Voldemort so both sides wanted his blood. Draco ran away after his mother was murdered in front of him for his failure. Severus Snape was ordered to find the whelp and bring him back to face his punishment. Finding Draco had not been difficult but he did not take him back. He took the hysterical teen to one of the safe houses that he had set up years before and was trying to help him recover from the shock of Narcissa’s death. They had been there undisturbed for over a year. Seeing Harry Potter’s owl sent him reeling even more that her harsh cries did. He thought at first that she was attacking him, and he tried to throw her from him, but when it became obvious that she was trying her best to drag him out into the rain, he realized she wanted help. Making a quick decision that he hoped he wouldn’t regret he followed her out into storm.


Hedwig flew as fast as she could towards her friend only to turn back and fly back to the wizard following her before he could lose sight of her. She screamed her frustration at how long it was taking. She had never been so terrified for her friend and wished she was strong enough to pick up the man and make him move faster. As they entered the forest she had to fly low beneath the branches of the tall trees and she almost flew right into a trunk as she turned her head to see if the wizard was still with her. Finally they reached the crumpled form of Harry Potter and she flew to his head to cry into his ear.


Severus took one look at the bloody heap at his feet and knew that he would not make it back to the cabin alive without some help now. He knelt in front of the fallen figure and gently rolled him onto his back. Pulling his wand from his robe he started casting diagnostic spells. He was not a mediwizard but he knew enough about battle first aide to cast a stabilizing spell on the boy before he lifted him to carry him back to the cabin were he had potions that would help. The trip back seemed to take an eternity, but at least the bloody owl had shut up.

Draco was waiting in the front room of the cabin when they entered looking wide eyed and frightened still dressed in his pajamas. When he saw the body that Snape was carrying and all the blood that coated both men he looked like he was going into shock. “Sev...?”


“It’s Potter. Go get my potions bag and meet me in the bedroom.”


Draco didn’t ask any further questions as he ran to grab the bag from where he had seen it last which was in the small kitchen next to the cauldron that Snape had set up on the table. He raced into the bedroom that they shared in time to watch Snape lie the still unconscious young man on Draco’s bed. He would have complained that the man could have used his own bed, but thought better of it as he handed the man his bag.


“Draco, get over here and help me remove his clothing.” Snape snapped.


Together they pulled the mostly destroyed clothing away from the multitude of gashes. Snape was amazed that the boy was still breathing. It looked like he had been run through by something like a sword in several places and there was hardly any unblemished skin. He ran more scans and cleared the fluid from Harry’s lungs with a wave of his wand. He pulled a healing potion, that was good for internal injuries, from his bag and coaxed it down the young man’s throat. He followed that with a blood replenishment potion and some healing charms. He gently covered Harry with a thin sheet. Looking up he saw that the white owl was silently watching from the window sill. Addressing her as much, or possible more, than Draco he stated that he had done all he could for the moment.


Leaving the snowy owl to her silent vigil, Draco and Severus went to the front room and sat in front of the fire. They kept their own council for few moments staring into the flames before Draco finally tentatively spoke. “Sev, what happened to him?”


“Your guess would be as profitable as mine. That little hellion in there came and dragged me into the forest where I found our little hero. That boy was no doubt rushing into something dangerous trying to save the world.”


“What are we going to do with him? When he wakes up he is going to try to kill us you know.”


“I know. I am tempted to make a portkey and send him to Hogsmeade.”


“Why don’t you? It would be a lot safer for us if he never sees us.”


“Yes it would, but it wouldn’t be safer for him. I also want to know what is happening. I am sure it has not escaped your notice that the Dark Lord has been ridiculously busy of late.”


Rubbing his forearm over the dark mark, Draco sighed. “No it has not escaped my notice, but I can’t imagine him waking up and having a little gossip session with two of his worst enemies, even if they did save his life.”


“Well then we will simply have to be very convincing then won’t we?” Snape smirked at Draco as he saw the boy grimace at him. Standing he looked down at his blood stained robes. “I am going to shower and prepare for bed.”


“where am I supposed to sleep?”


Ignoring the whiney quality in Draco’s voice, Snape smirked at him. “I am sure that you will come up with something.”


Draco watched the man leave with irritation. He was grateful for all the man had done for him, but sometimes he was just too much. Wandering into the bedroom he noticed that Potter had moved since they had left him. The sheet that had covered him was pushed down and tangled around his ankles. Draco couldn’t help but stare at the naked young man in his bed. If it weren’t for the telltale scar on his forehead, he wouldn’t have recognized him as the same mousy boy he had gone to school with. Even with his injuries and covered in blood, Draco could see that he had a magnificent form. He must have been eating better for he had filled out and wasn’t so skinny. He was still thin but he no longer looked like a poster boy for feed the children, and he certainly had more muscles that Draco remembered. His eyes wandered to his perfect flaccid penis and his breath caught. If Draco was honest with himself, he would have to admit that the hero was starting to look like one. He felt a strong urge to lean over and touch him, and probably would have if he hadn’t been afraid he would cause him further injury. He untangled the sheet and covered him with it.


Shaking his head he conjured a cot and bedding and tried to make himself comfortable enough to fall asleep. He heard when Sev came in and settled himself in his bed. The comforting sounds of his former professor’s breathing finally put him to sleep.


Snape jerked awake the next morning to the burning in his arm and the startled yelp of Draco going through the same thing. He cursed as always that he couldn’t find a way to inhibit the pain for Draco if not for himself. Sitting up in bed he looked over to the other twin bed and found fuzzy green eyes squinting at him. It took him a moment to remember why Harry Potter was in his bedroom, but when it all came back he quickly shot from the bed and made his way over to his patient.


“How are you feeling this morning, Mr. Potter?”


“Snape?” Harry looked around frantically for his wand but with his vision as bad as it was he wouldn’t have been able to find it if it were close enough to bite him. He felt the panic rise in his chest as he realized that he was naked, injured, and unarmed in the same room as the man who had killed his mentor.


“Please calm yourself, Potter. If you are not careful you will undo all of my hard work and cause yourself more damage. We will not harm you.”


‘We?’ Harry scanned the room and saw a white blond head on a small cot next to his bed. “Malfoy?”


“Well he is remarkably effusive in the morning isn’t he?” Draco couldn’t help but smirk at the Gryffindor even though it seemed unlikely that he could see it.

Taking pity on the frightened and nearly blind boy, Snape turned and addressed Hedwig. “Can you find his glasses?” At her negative shake of the head he sighed. “Very well then I will need to brew an eye correcting potion. Potter, stay here with Draco. It will take me an hour if I have all of the ingredients. We will wait to talk until you can see.” Snape swept out of the room towards the kitchen.

Harry turned to glare in Draco’s general direction once the older man was gone. “What am I doing here, Malfoy?”


“That is what I would like to know. Your bird came and got Sev last night and he found you near death. Don’t you remember what happened to you?” Draco took in the black, blue, and purple and the majority of Potter’s visible skin had turned during the night. “Do you need a pain potion?” He added.


“I am not stupid enough to take a potion from death eaters. You will have to find another way to kill me.” Harry really did need a pain potion, but he wasn’t going to tell Malfoy that.


“If we had wanted you dead, we would have simply let nature take its course last night.” Draco went to the potions bag that was still lying on the floor next to his bed and selected a pain reducing potion which he sat on the bed next to Harry. “I know you don’t trust us, but take the potion anyway. It will make you feel better.”


“Since when do you care? I would think that it would make you and your master happy to see me suffer.”


“He is not my master! He killed my mother and he plans to kill me. You don’t know anything, Potter. You think that everything is black and white, well it isn’t. I fucked up. I fucked up and my mother paid for it. Do you think that it is easy to be raised by a Death Eater? I fucked up everything and I can’t go back and kill Dumbledore and I can’t bring my mother back, and I can’t join you and kill that scaly monster. I can’t fix any of it. I have to care what happens to you because you are the only one that can avenge my mother’s death. Now drink the bloody potion before I shove it down your throat.” Draco sat heavily on the cot and dropped his head into his hands.


Harry was shocked by the outburst. He didn’t know what to make of Malfoy’s statements but he did hurt and it was only getting worse. He opened the vial and swallowed its contents. It didn’t take long before he began to feel much better. He decided that if they were going to kill him that they would have done it already and if they were going to turn him over to Voldemort then he should be better rested. He closed his eyes and rested his head on the pillow falling back to sleep almost immediately.

When Draco finally raised his head he saw that Potter had taken the potion and fallen asleep. He frowned at his loss of control. What was is about Harry Potter that always got the better of him. Looking down on the sleeping face of his once sworn enemy, he was filled with a myriad of conflicting emotions. He knew that he didn’t really hate the Gryffindor. How could you really hate someone that you suspect would take a killing curse for anyone, even someone that had treated him like crap for years. How could you hate someone that would save the wizarding world even though it turned on him without a second thought every time a new rumor started. How could you hate someone so beautiful that it gave you a stomach ache just to look at him. Draco knew that he was lost. He would never have what he wanted, and he had no one but himself to blame. He had been a spoiled brat who believed every stupid word that his father had uttered. His jealousy of the boy who lived and his fear that maybe his life were a lie and caused him to be viscous and hateful to an abused orphan and his only friends.


Severus returned with the eye correcting potion to find Draco still staring at the sleeping young man with a pensive look on his face. “Do I want to know?” He asked as moved to the side of the bed.


“He said something about that scaly bastard being our master and I blew up at him.” Draco looked sheepish.


Snape pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “Well I don’t imagine that will help our case any. Did you say anything that can’t be taken back?”


Draco thought about what he had said. “I told him that I couldn’t fix the things that I had fucked up, including that I couldn’t go back and kill Dumbledore.”


“Well that will endear him to you I am sure.” Snape’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “I am so glad that you reminded him of the incident. He might have forgotten watching his hero die at my hands otherwise. Do you ever think of anyone but yourself, Draco? Maybe your father taught you better than either he or I thought.”


“I was upset, Sev. No one gets to me the way that he does. I don’t know why.”


“Keep in mind that we need him. I think that we can help him too.”


Draco looked incredulous. “How exactly are we going to help him? He is strong, powerful, and brave. What use would he have for a couple of washed up Death Eaters?”


“Look at him. He nearly died last night. He needs to learn cunning and planning. He can’t just rush into everything and expect to come out of the experience alive. Just play nice, Draco.”


“I will try.”

Snape gently shook Harry’s shoulder to wake him. When he opened his myopic eyes, Snape handed him the potion and demanded that he drink it. Surprising both of the other men the green eyed man took the vial without complaint and drained its contents.


“Thank you. How long will it last?” Harry asked as his vision cleared and he could finally take stock of his current situation.


“About a week. I have more if you are here long enough to need it.” Snape answered.


“What do you want, Snape? You and your extended family have taken everything from me. What else, beyond my life, could you possibly want.” Harry really wanted to understand the actions of the two men, but he couldn’t believe that either was dependable at this point.


Severus knew that this was a pivotal moment and gave it the consideration that it deserved. It was important that he didn’t waste this opportunity to gain a little of the trust that he had lost back. “Potter, I do not want your life. I want mine. I made a mistake when I was no older than you and Draco are now, and I have paid for that mistake over and over again. I needed to feel like I could make a difference in the world, a world that had alienated and abhorred me. I chose to follow a half blood maniac that detested Muggles and touted pureblood rule even though I, myself, was a half blood. I chose to follow a code that I did not believe in because I thought that it would give me retribution against those that had wronged me. I want to be free of that mistake, and you are the only one that can grant me that boon. I want you to be strong and I am willing to give my life to guarantee your success.”