A Predicament

Disclaimer: First all let me say that I do not own any of this but the idea. All characters and locations are the sole property of J.K. Rowling, and no infringment is intended.

Now that that is over, I'd like to say that the first few chapters of this are pretty mild, but it will deserve its NC-17 rating soon enough. It will also involve Severus, Harry, AND Draco. I know I've put this in the Harry/Severus section, and it looks like it doesn't fit, but it will.


Prologue

Severus Snape was a bastard. He was mean. He enjoyed making little children cry. He was always looking for new and creative ways to anger, annoy, or hurt those poor souls that came across his path. He did not lessen his harsh ways with those foolish to call him “friend”. Severus Snape had no friends, and that was the root of his heartless personality.

These were the conclusions Draco Malfoy had come to when he was nine years old. Severus Snape didn’t like anyone and didn’t really care if anyone liked him. Draco liked him. Draco liked him so much that he often wondered who he would rather be like, Severus or his father Lucius.

Lucius Malfoy was cruel. He was cold. He was self contained. He relied on the traditional ways of making others hurt from within. Lucius substituted creativity for precision. Lucius was refined and gentle as a silk garrote slipping around your throat. Lucius Malfoy had many contacts and acquaintances. Lucius Malfoy had a wife, Narcissa, and their relationship was one of tolerance and avoidance. Lucius could not love anyone, his heart was frozen over at birth.

These were the conclusions Draco Malfoy had come to when he was twelve years old. Lucius was hard, and demanding, and intolerant of anything less than perfection. Especially from his only child. Draco loved him. Draco would do anything for him. Draco was desperate for his father’s love, even though he knew Lucius could not feel love.

Draco watched these two men all his life, Severus was his father’s preferred companion. They were almost friends, although neither would actually call the other that. The relationship was more along the lines of colleagues who had similar interests and goals. Severus came to visit often during Draco’s early childhood. When he was seven Severus began tutoring him in Potions, and Lucius began tutoring him in Proper Wizardry and Conduct Befitting a Pureblood. Draco excelled beneath the tutelage of these two men. Draco became the very image of his father, with all the advantages of Severus’ training. They were molding him into the perfect pureblood.

When Draco was eleven his parents fought extensively about where his training would continue. His father wanted to send him to Durmstrang, where he would be taught the things he would need to know to live up to the Malfoy name. Narcissa wanted him closer to home, Hogwarts. Lucius claimed it had become too liberal. Narcissa stood firm. Lucius ignored her desires and enrolled the boy at Durmstrang.

That was when Severus wrote. Harry Potter would be attending Hogwarts that same year. Lucius altered his course. He needed a foothold with the Potter brat. Draco would go to Hogwarts and win over the Boy-Who-Lived. The necessity of this was explained to Draco, and the boy was reminded of it every day until September 1st.

When Draco boarded the Hogwarts Express he kept his ear open for mention of the famous name. When he heard the whereabouts of the other boy, the one who had become his father’s obsession, he immediately went to the correct compartment. As soon as he saw the two boys in the little room he knew it was a no go, but still he would have to try.

The reprimanding letter Lucius sent to him when Draco wrote of his failure was very unpleasant.

Gone too was the Severus he had known all his life. Professor Snape was very good to him, much more so than any of the other teachers, but he was also very distant. Draco was too young to understand the political maneuvering that was going on around him. He had become a pawn in a game much bigger than himself and had no idea of the rules of engagement.

He would learn the rules in the most brutal way. He would learn that for all the dark and evil things he had been exposed to in his youth, he had been very sheltered. He would learn that his name would only get him so far, and beyond that he had to work for what he wanted. Sometimes his name would even be a drawback. He had to become harder and colder than any of his classmates. He had to outmaneuver older students just to keep his footing, for it would never do for a Malfoy to be seen as ‘lesser’.
When the time came for him to prove his worth to those better than he, he still failed. At sixteen he could not do the one thing he had been trained for so industriously. He had failed his Lord. He had choked at the crucial point.

Severus had changed drastically over the last two years. He had become more distant than ever. Perhaps if he had confided just a little in Draco things would have turned out differently. If Draco had known the full extent of the promise Narcissa had extracted from Severus, and the true thoughts and intentions behind his offer of help, Draco may have accepted. If Severus had not pushed Draco so far away, had not excluded the boy from the action behind the scenes, Draco may have been able to do what was necessary. However Severus did push the boy away, hoping to spare him for just a little while longer.

That was not to be however. Lord Voldemort wanted Lucius to pay, through his son, for failing him so badly. And pay Lucius did. Severus took Draco to his own home once they escaped Hogwarts. Lord Voldemort was waiting for them. Severus reported the nights actions to his master. Voldemort was pleased with the end results, but not that Draco had failed in his duty.

Severus intervened on the boy’s behalf. Asking for him as an assistant to his potion work. Despite the boy’s youth and his ineptitude at killing, he was fair with potions, and a much more appropriate assistant than Wormtail. That was the beginning of the end for Draco Malfoy, Prince of Slytherin. Severus did his best over the next six months to educate Draco in Reality.

Draco’s hardest lesson was in Survival. He was told in no uncertain terms that no one would come to his aid next time, if he failed to do the job he was given, he would not be saved, and it would not be done for him.

Lucius Malfoy died in Azkaban allegedly during an escape attempt. Narcissa Malfoy was executed in front of her son for her troops failure to claim Hogwarts. That was when Draco first made contact with the Order of the Phoenix. Harry Potter was now leading Dumbledore’s troops. Harry reluctantly accepted Draco’s tip-offs. Draco was in a position to gather much information from Severus as the older man was still Voldemort’s top operative.

When Harry Potter finally defeated Lord Voldemort Draco was spared Azkaban for his contribution to the Order’s victory. His families lands, titles, and monies were returned to him, but he was ostracized from the Wizarding world. He could not find employment, and was not welcome in any magical establishment or home. He was alone and very bored.

Until Harry Potter showed up on his doorstep on Draco’s twenty-sixth birthday.


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A/N: I have three more chapters written and will be posting them within the next few days. I am not holding them hostage or anything like that, I just want to make sure they are ready for reader's eyes.

Any and all comments are appreciated.

thanks bunches,
Jessie