Disclaimer: No infringement of any copyright is intended, neither is any financial gain being procured. This is simply a work of fanfiction. Nothing more, nothing less.
Snape stared at the unconscious boy in front of him. All though he had managed to stem the torrential bleeding which had ensued from the open gashes, the wounds were yet to close completely. His coal black eyes glittered in absolute fury. That Potter boy should be hanged at the gallows, not only did he attempt to turn into a budding potions progeny overnight, but he used a dark curse on Draco claiming to do so in self defence, with absolutely no idea what that curse was capable of doing.
Draco stirred fitfully. 'No, please' he muttered. 'Spare them. Take me instead.'
Snape stroked Draco's pale blond hair. 'Draco, calm down. I'm here.'
Hearing his voice, the boy stopped struggling, and drifted once more into sleep. Snape sat next to his bed and held Draco's hand. He could not explain why, but he was very attached to the boy. Now he was not the sort of man to allow bonds and attachments to form easily. He did not believe in displaying his affections for all and sundry to see. But this boy was different. It had nothing to do with the fact that he was in Slytherin. The fact that he was Lucius Malfoy's son or Narcissa's for that matter was not important either. But the fact that the boy had grown up, with almost no love to rely on was.
In a way, he saw himself in the boy. Draco reminded him of his past. Even as a baby, when Draco's incessantly loud wailing was a source of annoyance, charms were used to control the boy's crying rather than any investigation into the cause. Lucius could never be bothered enough to hold his son. Narcissa was not blessed with any of the maternal warmth and tenderness either, that all biological mothers were supposed to have. So either the child cried his lungs out, or was simply prevented from making a loud racket with a silencing charm. It was pitiable really.
Snape on the other hand, felt a surge of protectiveness when he first held the boy as a baby. Draco had actually been a delight to hold. With his rosy chubby cheeks and blonde hair reminiscent of the first rays of dawn, Draco touched his heart in a way no one else had. He used to come toddling over to Snape as soon as he saw him and latch onto his feet. He was not very demanding as a baby, which was why for the love of God Snape could never understand why his parents were unable to provide him with the basic ammenities of love, care and affection.
He never delved into the memories of his own childhood. It would suffice to say that he had not received any of those basic ammenities himself. That's why he gave them freely to Draco, and the boy responded in return and for the first time Snape had felt that he was capable of making a difference. He had vowed that the boy would never tread down the path that he himself had, and did his best to keep him from catching the interest of Voldemort.
But Lucius had other plans for his son, one's which were based on fuelling his own ambitions. As soon as the boy was old enough to comprehend, it was drilled into him that showing affection was a sign of weakness. He was not to form an alliance with anyone other that a pure blooded witch. So when Lucius discovered that Draco's first bond was with a pretty muggle-born witch, who managed a sweet shop in her mother's absence, he obliterated her entire family tree. He then proceeded to whip Draco with leather, showing no mercy whatsoever. Nothing like letting the boy know that leather was multi-purpose and at the same time finding a release to all his frustrations. Draco had only been nine.
Thus Draco had effectively been processed from the baby who was content to simply rest his head on Snape's shoulder and suck his thumb, to the boy who tried to gain pleasure from the multitude of house elves and wealth at his disposal, trying to assure himself that it was enough. Snape was thankful when the boy started school, for now the boy was under his care and it reduced the amount of time he spent at home for him to endure Lucius's lashings. But evidently his care had not been enough. The boy had almost died in his attempts to save his parents by doing the Dark Lord's biddings. And he did not trust him enough to tell him just how exactly he planned on executing the Dark Lord's orders. Snape felt a sharp twinge of pain at this. The boy meant more to him than his own life, which was why he had not hesitated in forming the Unbreakable Vow with Narcissa.
He knew that Draco would be unable to do it, and he did not want him to do it. There was no reason why Draco had to make the same mistakes he did, Snape had had no one to go to and so he made damn sure that Draco was never in the same precarious position. But Lucius had conditioned him well. Draco chose to sob wretchedly in the boy's bathroom rather than come to him. Lucius had taken the boy's blissful innocence.
As he rubbed the boy's cheek with the back of his hand, Draco turned in his sleep and placed his hand over his lap. With a start he realized that he had come to love the boy, like his own son.
Please let me know how this turned out. For Snape to make an unbreakable vow on Draco's part,I thought he must be attached to the boy, and I can't help feeling sorry for both Snape and Draco, both outcasts in their own world.