Disclaimer: We fans continue to tear apart other authors' works. We maul the characters, maim the plot, and completely rework the story. Often, these new pieces are crap. Sometimes you find a jewel in there that is good, but not as good as the original. It is very, very, very, very, very, very rare that you actually find something that is worth reading just as much if not more than the original book. That said, I don't own Harry Potter, and my sincerest apologies go to J.K. Rowling for destroying her masterpiece. Oh, and I hope this is one of those jewels worth reading. :)

Author's Note: While this is not my first attempt at writing fanfiction, it is my first attempt at posting online and getting feedback. I won't ask for mercy - gimme your worst. I'm a big girl, I can deal with it. :) Just tell me the truth if you do choose to review.

Story Info:

Pairing: Drarry

POV: Third Person Omniscient

Set In: The Order of the Phoenix, during Christmas.

Rating: T, and for future reference, I am not likely to attempt anything rated M.

Bashing: Um...Voldie? I don't like bashing. Unless it's someone like...I dunno...Wormtail. Little rat deserves it. All characters will display negative and redeeming qualities. If you have issues with any of them...let me know. Or don't. Whatever.

Warnings: Clearly AU, Slash, probably some language, maybe some violence and/or mentions of child abuse later on, and probably some OOC-ness from both Harry and Draco. If you want an explanation for my choices regarding their characterizations, please see my profile. Again, nothing in this fic will be over a T rating.

Sorry if there are any mistakes, I don't yet have a Beta. :)

xxSincerelySienna

Prologue

Albus Dumbledore sat at the head of a long dining table observing the members of the Order with an uncharacteristically disapproving crease of his forehead. Shouts and disembodied arguments bounced off the scarred wood of the table and clattered through the kitchen of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place.

Sirius Black and Severus Snape both sat in the center of it all, trading fierce jabs like the schoolboys that they had once been. Then, they were always overgrown children around each other, their incessant bickering putting everyone on edge and at odds.

Even as much as he disliked admitting that one was right and the other was wrong (feeling that siding with one meant encouraging their behavior), Sirius' point was one that Albus had to agree with.

"I will not allow you to degrade my godson any further than you already have!" Sirius bellowed finally, and the room dissolved into the silent tension of unresolved disagreements and furious sideways looks.

Severus stood to match the height Sirius had attained by jumping from his seat and glowering down at the other man.

Black robes swirling around him, the very image of malevolence, Snape replied in a low, disgusted tone, "The boy is a clone of his dear father; he has no respect for anyone and relishes in the allowances made because of his...title. The lack of discipline he receives elsewhere seems to have led him to believe that my punishments are unjust and undeserved. I refuse to condone to his -"

"Severus."

The Professor fell silent, and he tore his eyes from his nemesis for the moment, to look instead upon the old man surveying him, half amused, half disapproving.

"Albus," he acknowledged curtly from between clenched teeth.

"My dear boy, you have done the very thing I had hoped you wouldn't."

For a moment, something like pain flickered over the trained mask of Snape's face.

"I'm afraid I do not understand, Albus," he replied tightly.

"Severus, from the moment Harry Potter walked through the doors of Hogwarts castle, you saw only the surface image of his father and did not care to delve deeper. If, perhaps, you had ignored the superficial similarities to James Potter, you might have come to me with the conclusion that he was a carbon copy of Lily Evans instead."

Albus' eyes held a question - one that Severus despised, one that he did not wish to ponder.

What would Lily say? the ice blue irises scolded. How would Lily look at you if she knew how you have treated her beloved son? What would she say if she knew you had a part in making his life any worse than it had already been?

"It...is neither the time nor place for this discussion," Severus hissed jerkily, lowering himself into his seat and the emotionless mask back into its place.

Albus was wrong, Snape told himself. He had not simply seen James Potter's look-alike and chosen to dismiss Harry. He had instead seen Lily Evans' eyes. The first thing he always saw when looking at the boy was Lily's beautiful emerald eyes on the face of James Potter, and he had for the first time in years truly felt the loss of his lovely Lily. The loss to Potter, and then the loss to Death.

James Potter's cruelty was only a secondary reason for his treatment of the boy.

"Of course," Albus said swiftly. "Now, the matter at hand -"

And everyone was off again, the kitchen erupting into incomprehensible chatter.

"SILENCE."

Albus Dumbledore had always had the ability to fully capture a room's attention with a single word.

"Very good. Now, when I requested Severus' services for teaching Harry Occlumency, I admit to it having been a last resort. You see, your strong dislike for the boy will be of no help when you are attempting to teach him to close his mind. He is, as you know, prone to temper and rather rash at times. You anger him, Severus. He angers you. I doubt you will be able to effectively teach him something that requires firm control over one's emotions when your old grudges have already prevented you from properly teaching him in Potions class." (Here Snape glowered at the old man ferociously.) "Now that an alternative has been presented, I suggest seizing the opportunity is best," Dumbledore finished with the nearest thing to a smirk at Severus that anyone had ever seen on the man's face.

The skeptical voice of Hestia Jones inquired, "How do we know we can trust her? Her husband, after all -"

"Her ex-husband is currently in Divorce Court with her. She means to sever all ties after the events of last June and his continued loyalty to Lord Voldemort," Dumbledore replied confidently, ignoring the invoulentary jerks of most of his Order at the name of their foe.

"But how are we to be sure -" It was Sirius this time.

"If nothing else, I do hope you trust that I am a competent enough a Potions Master to correctly brew Veritaserum? She agreed to be interrogated under its influence, Black. Every word she spoke to us was the truth," Severus intoned without even a glance in Sirius' direction.

There was a brief silence as this information was digested.

"What of the boy? Her son?"

"He was...conflicted to say the least. He had suffered some at the hand of his father, and was not set in his ways. He did not wish to follow the path his father had set for him, but he had, shall we say, a natural (though rather Slytherin) instinct of self-preservation that prevented him from rebelling. He is to be trusted to some extent though. His love for his mother is stronger than perhaps any other emotion of his, and I believe his mind is reworking itself to something more similar to our beliefs," Dumbledore explained, but with a finality that suggested that the vote to follow was a mere technicality; he would not turn down the mother and son's request for help.

"Is that all?" he asked lightly after a moment. Nobody spoke, so he said, "All in favor of Narcissa Malf - ah, I suppose she's a Black again by now," he broke off, glancing at the clock and nodding, "staying at Order Headquarters for protection with her son Draco, teaching Harry Potter the art of Occlumency, and becoming an member of the Order of the Phoenix?"

A disjointed chorus of tentative "Aye"s invaded the table.

"All opposed?"

Sirius was amongst the few reluctant "Nay"s.

There was a heavy pause.

"Well!" Dumbledore said with a small smile. "It appears you will be having a couple more guests this Christmas, Sirius."

Even with all their caution, none of the Order except for a young Auror called Tonks noticed the thin flesh-colored string zip back through the gap beneath the basement kitchen door.

Author's Note: I look forward to your response to this story. The next chapter is underway, so hopefully you'll look forward to it. I'm trying to make this as original as possible; personally, I've gotten rather tired of most of the Drarry plotlines that seem to circle FF sites, redone over and over again by authors of various skill, innovation, and...well...grasp on the general rules of grammar and spelling. :-/ So, I hope this turns out okay!

xxSincerelySienna