Draco stood motionless for several moments, Harry feeling like lead in his arms. He wouldn't risk trying to stun or harm the snake, but he had to get past it to get to the door.

He walked slowly across the room, hardly daring to breathe. The ten or so feet between him and the door felt like dozens. Eventually he neared the door, not daring to take his eyes off Nagini. He was almost out when her tongue flickered out, head moving just a bit. Draco froze.

Can it smell me? Draco had completely forgotten about charms to mask his scent. Stupid, stupid, stupid...Draco held his breath, waiting for her to move. After what felt like hours, she lowered her head, curling further into herself. Draco slowly let out his breath, lungs burning.

He made it to the hallway, wondering if he should shut the door and put charms on it to hinder her. He stood for a moment, deliberating, but then Harry shuffled in his arms and Draco realized he had to get out, now. Harry needed to see Pomfrey of Dumbledore or Snape, or someone, but it needed to be soon.

The stairs stayed quiet under his silencio, though it shook and rained dust as he went down. Draco hurried his movements, able to see the trap door. He was so close! Draco was tempted to mock the snake in his mind, but decided against it. He needed to get to Hogwarts first.

Maybe his silencio had worn off, maybe he had stepped outside of where he cast it because he was distracted. Either way, a floorboard underneath his foot let out a deafening creak as he stepped on it. Draco almost dropped Harry from the surprise.

He didn't move, didn't breath. He waited, and waited, and waited to hear the snake. Some shuffling, creaking, hissing, something to let him know it had woken up. It must have, there's no way it didn't...

But Draco had cast silencio charms throughout almost the entire path. He wouldn't be able to hear the snake unless it hissed.

He heard it. The slightest hissing from above his head, still on the second floor. Draco almost didn't hear it over his own heartbeat. It's coming.

Draco ran. He threw open the trap door, not caring as it slammed against the floor. Holding Harry tightly, he jumped down the hole, barely keeping his balance enough to reach up.

The snake launched at him as he grabbed the handle. Draco slammed the door shut, catching it's snout. It's hissing seemed to be the loudest thing Draco had ever heard as he cast locking charm after sticking charm on the door to keep it shut. He ran down the hall, unable to hear anything besides his own breathing and Nagini beating against the trapdoor.

It was difficult to run crouched while carrying Harry, but he couldn't allow himself to slow, or for fatigue to catch him. Harry still hadn't woken up, hadn't moved or made a sound. Draco was terrified.

"There is no way I just did the stupidest, most Gryffindor thing ever in my family just for you to not make it out of this," Draco muttered to Harry. Dirt fell from the ceiling, choking him as he ran.

He felt like he was going to hyperventilate until the moment he could see slivers of light from the exit. He cast the strongest immobulus he could at the tree and leaped out of its range. It didn't completely immobilize it, but it did slow it down enough for Draco to make it out with only a scratch on his cheek from a small branch.

No one was outside. That was fine for Draco, morning classes probably hadn't even started. He ran into Hogwarts, thanking Merlin that the entrance was as close to the Hospital Wing as it was.

"Madam Pomfrey!" He shouted, bursting in the doors. She bustled out of her office, wand in hand.

"Harry! Something happened to him," Draco said, panting and only then realizing how hard he'd been running. "He needs-I don't know- there was a snake and-"

"Lay him down, Mr. Malfoy," Madam Pomfrey said, already casting diagnostic charms before Draco had laid him down. He hovered close by, wanting to reach out, hold him and make sure he was okay, but Pomfrey's work was more important.

Still, it sickened him, watching Harry lay there like he was dead. It was some time later when Draco had collapsed in an armchair with his head in his hands that she spoke to him.

"Mr. Malfoy, he's been put under some mild sleeping charms, I'm going to leave them for now so he doesn't wake up and panic. We'll discuss the rest of his condition once Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor Snape arrive. I'm going to go contact them, stay here with him."

Draco only nodded, watching her retreating back for a moment. He put a hand to Harry's forehead, brushing back his hair lightly. "I'm so sorry Harry," he whispered, choking up. Harry shifted a bit, leaning into Draco's touch. A single sob escaped him, but he refused to cry. Harry needed someone strong right now, and Draco would be damned if he failed him again.

"I got you back...you're safe...you're going to be okay..." Draco continued to whisper to him, petting his hair and his face until Dumbledore and Snape walked through the door. Draco reluctantly pulled himself away from Harry to face them. Madam Pomfrey joined a second later.

"Mr. Malfoy, please tell us what happened." Dumbledore said. He gave Draco a disapproving look, probably for going out on his own, but Draco couldn't be bothered. He had gotten Harry back, why should it matter?

Draco didn't look away from Harry as he spoke. Even now, the events felt far away. Unimportant. Draco told them he suspected Nagini bit Harry, and that was the cause for the mutations; instead of necessarily harming or killing him, it had perhaps mixed with the potion and changed him even further.

"I can't... some of it is blurry. I could be mistaken about my charms. It all... happened so fast... and I was so concerned about Harry..." Draco stammered, struggling to explain. His emotions had been surging the entire time.

Dumbledore asked a few questions, some of which Draco struggled to answer. Eventually they circled to Harry's...changes. Which brought up the worrying question of Harry turning back to normal. "I would have to make changes to my current potion to accommodate for the snake venom. It could take weeks, maybe months of experimenting," Snape said quietly.

Dumbledore nodded solemnly. "Mr. Malfoy, please remember to alert myself or at least another professor before you go running off. Otherwise, I wonder if Harry has been influencing you more than you have been influencing him. This is very out of character, Mr. Malfoy." Dumbledore watched him carefully. Draco couldn't do anything but shrug helplessly.

"I... I couldn't take the risk that he would be dead by the time Aurors got there. I-I knew a way in and I was quiet and we got out unharmed. I can't apologize for that, Headmaster." Draco looked back at Harry, brushing hair out of his eyes. He turned back to the teachers. "I couldn't let him down again," he said quietly.

There was a moment of silence. "What can you tell, Madam?" Dumbledore asked Pomfrey. She shook her head slowly.

"He seems healthy. I... believe they may have hurt him in some way or another, but there were no physical wounds except the puncture marks from where the snake bit him. He's under mild sleeping charms, but I can't tell what mental damage may have occurred, but I did give him a calming and soothing drought. I expect he wasn't asleep the entire time, and I'm a little worried about possible trauma, especially at his mental age."

Dumbledore nodded. "And the mutations?"

Draco held his breath. "His canines aren't poisonous, just longer than an adult's would be; I could easily fix them with a shrinking charm. The scales," she pointed to dull green patches on Harry's arms and neck and face, "go over his whole body in small patches. They seem like normal skin, just a different texture."

She used her wand to gently open Harry's mouth, showing his tongue which had a slight slit in the middle. "His tongue is fine, as are his eyes," she gently opened his eyelid. His pupil was a slit, the whites around his eyes now a dull green. Harry didn't move. "I don't think any of it pained him, Headmaster." She finished, backing away from Harry's bed.

"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey. I think it would be fine to wake Harry up now, if you would." He inclined his head towards the nurse, who nodded and spoke a quiet charm. Draco watched Harry closely, waiting for some sign of pain or anything else that would be out of the ordinary.

Harry gasped awake, blinking around the room with squinted eyes. It only took a moment for him to find Draco. As soon as he did, Harry launched from the bed to Draco's chair, wrapping his tiny arms around Draco's neck hard enough to make him choke.

Draco wouldn't change it for the world. He buried his face in Harry's hair, wrapping his own arms around the little body. Harry was crying into his neck, though Draco paid no mind to it. Harry was okay, and was in his arms, and Draco didn't give a damn if the Headmaster and his godfather were watching him.

Cursing and mocking that stupid snake in his mind, he held Harry close, savoring the contact.

Draco wasn't sure how long he stayed like that until a throat cleared. Harry jumped, started, though Draco just glared at his godfather, who looked like he wanted to laugh at him.

"Mr. Potter, do you know who I am?" Dumbledore asked, crouching down a little to meet Harry's eye. Harry bit his lip and shook his head. Draco could tell he felt guilty for not knowing, so he rubbed his back to calm him down. Harry gave him a shy smile.

"That's alright. Professor Snape?" Dumbledore said, moving to look at the potions master.

"My original potion that would've had some effect on Potter before should be done sometime today. I will send that one to you once it is. Have Potter take it, and tell me what happens. I'll start on a new one immediately," Snape said quickly. Draco nodded, still rubbing Harry's back.

"Would tears from Fawkes be any help?" Dumbledore asked Snape, who paused for a moment then nodded.

"Very well, then. We will figure this out, rest assured." Dumbledore clapped his hands together, giving the rest of the room a small smile. "Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Potter, would you like a house elf to take you to your rooms?"

"Yes please, Headmaster." Draco wasn't sure he had the energy to walk up there holding Harry.

"Mr. Malfoy, here," Madam Pomfrey interrupted, handing Draco a few potions. "These are for you. Take them, and try to get some rest. Both of you," she ordered, looking between them. Harry nodded quickly, though Draco was confused.

"What're these? I'm fine."

"You have had a very emotional and possibly traumatizing experience, Mr. Malfoy. Those will help your mind and muscles recover from what you have gone through. And use some of that cream I gave you to heal the cut on your cheek, as well," she said briskly, though she had a small smile on her face. Draco nodded, looking towards Dumbledore.

"Dinky!"