I AM SOOO LATE & SORRY!Please forgive my tardiness, but preparing for entry exams took all over my time... anyway, as a fresh new student at the Master of Physiotherapy, I give you:

And You Didn't Even Know My Name

Ch. 7. And The Storm Blows On, Out of Control.

Tears kept falling from his eyes and he had a hand over his chest in a feeble attempt to stop his heart from hurting. Somehow, he'd always known that a miracle lasted 3 days only. Next step – the cupboard under the stairs. Caught in his distress, Harry failed to notice he was being gingerly lifted until a familiar chuckle brought him back to reality.

"I have always known Severus to be quite inconsiderate, but this time he outdid himself!" his protector's low drawl vibrated in Harry's ears, filled with detached amusement. Downcast green eyes and tear-stained cheeks turned towards him and the Dark Lord's right hand found himself whipping tears of a child that was neither a pureblood, nor his own.

"Lucius? Who was it?"

Harry's head snapped up in mere seconds at the sound of the sweetest voice he'd ever heard in his short life.

"The most infuriating man we know: Severus!" Called his protector, then, seeing he had Harry's undivided attention… "Come. We shall meet the rest of my family. My wife and my son."

"Lucius? Who are you talking to?" the crystal voice rang again, this time from the doorway and green alert eyes settled on a beautiful woman.

"Narcissa, meet Harold Einar Snape, my godson. Little one, this is my wife, Narcissa Malfoy." Harry looked utterly confused while the Lady of Malfoy Manor stilled. A deep blue gaze washed over Lucius and stopped on the child in his arms where it softened. Carefully, as if approaching a frightened animal, Narcissa Malfoy touched his forehead and ran her delicate fingers through his hair.

"Would you mind it terribly if I held you, angel?"

But Harry kept silent at her question. In fact he looked as if he hadn't even heard her.

"Harry? Did you hear me, angel?" she tried again, a little louder. "Would you let me hold you?"

Harry turned to Lucius, locking their eyes and the Malfoy patriarch knew exactly what the child wanted from him. Slowly, he focused and entered the child's mind, opening their connection.

"Yes, little one?" In turn Harry hesitated for a couple of seconds. Was he really allowed to ask his questions? Were they going to be answered? Lucius had always been unexpectedly kind to him, but still. Was he really going to give Harry what he had promised or was he going to …? "That would be quite enough, Harold Einar. I will hold onto any promise I make and this one is no different."Lucius' hard drawl cut through Harry's mind like ice. How dare this child doubt him? No Malfoy would go back on his word regardless of the circumstances it was given. But at the child's confused eyes he added: "What I mean is that you can trust me to keep my word. No need to go down that train of thought. Now, what was it that you were going to ask me?"

Harry chewed on his lower lip, a taint of fear crossing his soul, as he willed Lucius to understand. "Why does she keep looking at me?"

It was Lucius' turn to show confusion. "Does it bother you?"

Harry frowned. His protector's suspicion was not completely wrong. It bothered him a bit, all this attention he was receiving lately, but… "She keeps looking at me when she talks to you. Why?"

For a split second Lucius' eyes mirrored his shock, but the image was gone just as quickly. "I apologize. Little one, my wife was addressing you, not myself. She wants to hold you." Harry's eyes grew large and he turned his face to Narcissa, who was watching both of them, a guarded expression on her face. This beautiful lady, his protector's wife, wanted to hold him. The freak. What was he supposed to say? Almost owlishly, Harry rounded his head in Lucius' direction again and blinked. He had lost their connection when he had turned to watch Narcissa.

Lucius smiled patronizingly and reopened it. "Well? Do you not want to be held?" Harry nodded slowly. "Perhaps it would be wiser to tell her instead of me, don't you agree, little one?" One short, bird-like nod and Harry bit his lower lip before letting his thoughts invade Lucius' mind.

"I'm sorry I made you angry earlier. I won't do it again, I promise." The child lowered his head in shame. Gently, the Malfoy patriarch raised the boy's chin with two fingers and for the third time that day remade the connection.

"What on Merlin's name are you talking about?"

"You were angry because I didn't believe you. Because I thought you weren't going to keep your promise. I'm really sorry, I…"

"Enough." But this time the word was whispered, not to scare the child again. "It is I who should be apologizing for letting my pride get the better of me. I am a very proud man, Harry, and your lack of trust in the word of a Malfoy offended me. Please bear with that. However, given your previous experience with adults, your insecurity is understandable so let us forget the matter."

Little Harry wasn't very sure what he was supposed to say, but he was certain that he had to say something. After a few moments of deep contemplation of a proper answer, he nodded to himself and told Lucius the final version. "Umm, it's ok. I promise to never have 'lack of trust in the word of a Malfoy' again." Lucius' hard laugh let Harry wondering over his ongoing ability of getting that reaction out of his protector. Not that he complained. It was a nice change from being yelled at for everything you say.

When Lucius could finally keep his laughter under control, he smiled almost gently at the child in his arms. It was positively contagious how easily the boy managed to distract him. The way Harry had tried to quote him was absolutely delightful on so many levels.

"Little one, I suggest we finally answer Narcissa. What do you say; will you let her hold you?"

The boy nodded slowly as Narcissa narrowed her eyes. What exactly was the connection between this child and her husband? Only the last question had been said out loud, but she was certain of an already existing conversation between the two. Impressive and terrifying. Lucius was plotting again and she was so going to find out what. But until then…

"Excellent, little angel!" said the Lady of the Manor in a perfectly delighted way. She opened her arms and took small Harry in with a care he had yet to encounter in a stranger. Her hold of him was delicate yet firm, and he was certain that as long as he stayed in those arms he was never going to fall. Narcissa Malfoy radiated heat and Harry couldn't help but wonder what was happening to him. In mere days his ordinary small life had been turned upside-down never to be the same again. He was thinking so hard about all the turns in his life that he almost missed the startled yelp of one equally small, but blond child.

"Draco, dear, this is Harry! Our friend Severus brought him to us while he runs some errands."

Harry turned to the real world to gaze into widened quicksilver eyes. A cute little blond was measuring him. It seemed he had passed the inspection as the boy smiled broadly and stretched his right hand.

"Draco! Get down and let's go play!" he seemed almost imperious in his demand, but Harry could detect the underlaying eagerness behind. He smiled shyly and waited for Narcissa to put him down.

"Be careful boys! Draco, take care of him!" yelled Draco's mother as said boy was already dragging him down a staircase and outside the house. "We have peacocks. Many, very many peacocks and they have to have baby peacocks soon. These days. I'll show them to you and we can play. Then we will…"

Draco seemed to love both showing off and ordering around. He was an only child and resembled Dudley in that aspect. Yet, for the time being, he wanted to play with Harry not hurt him. And playing with baby peacocks seemed fun enough. He only hoped they were allowed to.

Lucius stood his ground in the living room. "Harold Einar is not my son. He is not even Severus' biological son, though they do resemble a bit in matters of past experiences." How dare Narcissa accuse him on cheating on her? Did she think she meant so little to him?

"Then what is he, Lucius? A ghost of the past?"

Lucius gritted his teeth. Damn woman! She just wouldn't understand. "For the last time, Narcissa! Harold Einar is just a magical child mistreated by his disgusting muggle relatives. I found him and saw the outstanding potential the boy has, so I sort of made Severus adopt him and made myself the child's godfather. We are NOT blood related. I do not have the faintest idea even about the purity of HIS blood."

Good.Narcissa smirked inside. He's on the verge of irritation. And now dear husband, for the final strike.

"Maybe." She seemed to be hesitating. Finally, as he had had enough of this ridiculous situation. Someone was going to pay for this and Lucius was more than certain THAT someone was Severus Snape for not giving him time to prepare his wife.

"Nevertheless," Dear Lord, was this never going to end? "Mind to mind conversations are a rare gift in themselves, not to mention possible as a child only if some sort of blood relation is involved. So?"

For the hundred's time that day Lucius Malfoy gritted his teeth. "There. Is. No. Blood. Relation. Between. This. Boy. And. Myself. Narcissa, my patience is running thin. I found the boy with muggles and his predilection to telepathy is natural and surprised me too while I was discreetly trying to enter his mind. This secret has been shared by the two of us only so far."

Narcissa smiled her most charming smile. "And you just couldn't have said this from the very beginning, now could you Lucius? Honest and open is always the shortest way to solve a problem. Worry not, husband of mine, I shall guard your secret closely." She turned on her heels and made for the exit. "Dobby, help me prepare dinner for 4."

Lucius stood still in the middle of his living room. He had just been played for a fool by his own wife and most certainly that had not been the end of it. His lying – though he hated the term, preferring "selective truths" instead - would not go unpunished. Severus was going to pay.

The peacock males ruffled their feathers and raised meter-tall tails in warning. Two human cubs had just infiltrated their territory. They measured the two intruders and pondered over the attack. Sure, humans were peculiar creatures, capable of all sort of atrocities, yet these cubs did not feel like danger. Few warning cries and a couple of aggressive movements later, the two intruders had been stopped three meters from the females. The smaller, dark haired intruder crouched as if studying them. Peculiar. Then he smiled. Even more peculiar.

"What on earth are you doing? Have you lost anything?" Draco looked weirdly at him. Harry just smiled.

"It looks like we can't go any further. They are getting nasty."

Harry nodded.

"Well, I'll call for Dobby, the house elf to help us through. I really wanna see baby peacocks."

Harry turned questioning eyes to Draco.

"What? Dobby'll bind them for us so we can go watch." The small blond said as if it was the most natural thing ever, but it chilled Harry to the bone. He suspected this binding thing must have had something to do with magic, but he didn't like it one bit. Those peacock were merely defending their little families. It wasn't right. The child started shaking his head wildly.

"What? Something in your eyes?"

Harry just shook his head.

"Wait a minute. I'll make Dobby come in an instant." But, before Draco could even utter a sound, Harold Einar Snape had him tackled to the ground, hand covering his mouth. The blond's eyes had turned big and he had absolutely no idea what to make of the new child's behavior. Harry kept watching him imploringly for some reason. Perhaps he was afraid of Dobby. But why?

"'m no' g'nna s'out!" he mumbled against Harry's warm hand. The other boy considered him carefully then slowly removed the hold he was having over Draco. The blond rose to his feet and whipped the dirt of his clothes.

"What's wrong with you? Dobby's not that scary…" he said exasperated.

"Well?"

Harry kept watching, desperately willing the blond to understand. He couldn't answer, no matter how much he wanted to.

"Come on, what is it?" The blond inquired, an edge of irritation to his voice. "Why won't you talk to me?"

Little Harry opened his mouth to form any sort of word. His lips parted and he stressed his vocal cords willing some sound to come out. No result. Draco watched in fascination as the dark haired boy struggled to answer his questions. The child tried again, fear, desperation and effort coloring his face, but nothing short of a weak gurgle came out.

As Draco stood watching, Harry felt shame washing all over him. It was just like his aunt and uncle always said, he was just another worthless freak. Jaded green eyes lowered to the ground in defeat and Harry stilled himself for the upcoming rejection. He felt Draco's small hand on his shoulder.

"You… you can't talk, can you?" the blond asked shyly. Was it even alright for him to put that question when the answer was pretty clear?

Harry shook his head in answer. Something moist fell along his cheeks all the way to the ground. Treacherous tears. His shoulders shook and Draco's hold over him tightened.

"I'm sorry." Was whispered in Harry's ears so gentle and true, that the small boy turned in amazement to his companion. This was not what he had expected. Draco was smiling sadly next to him, hand still gripping his shoulder.

"It must've been awful. I'm sorry I bugged you so much about it."

The line made Harry cry harder and Draco even more confused.

AN/ th-a-a-at's aaall folks? Undeserving, yet waiting for your take on my story. for those of you who had been wondering about Lucius and Severus not realizing Harry's identity, please remember his forehead is still covered in scars from Marge's dog... they will soon enough though.

Happy New Year!