Draco opened the front door himself the next morning. Snape took one look at him and moved quickly into the house. The blond looked as if he hadn't showered or shaved this morning. In fact his clothes looked slept in.
"You're fortunate your father wasn't at the door," Snape said with a gesture at Draco's rumpled attire.
"I set ward alarms if he came within two feet of the house. This cannot be known to my father," Draco said emphatically. "I don't want to imagine what he would do if he found out."
"Yes, let us get to that. Your urgent owl was very cryptic." Snape pulled his cloak off and gave it to the coat tree. "You say Harry has been acting aggressive and belligerent?"
"Yes," Draco said and motioned them toward the stairs. "Not only that, but he has tried to ...be sexually dominant." Snape raised an eyebrow at that. Draco nodded and then continued. "But that I could handle. It was last night that has made me seek you out." Draco stopped on the steps and looked directly into Snape's eyes. "I must have this in strict confidence. This cannot be published or discussed."
Snape ran the back of his hand along Draco's arm, reminding Draco of their bond. "Strictest confidence," he agreed. Draco nodded, slid his own hand across Snape's chest and began climbing the stairs again.
"He abandoned the baby," Draco stated quietly. Snape looked at him sharply. "He left the house with no word and did not return for several hours." Draco looked at Snape. "He said he went for a walk." Snape's face showed his incredulity as they crested the stairs. They were soon standing in front of Snape's old bedchamber. Draco opened the door.
The room was empty.
"Damn it!" Draco turned and looked down the hall. "I never heard him leave!"
"Why was he here?" Snape asked with a frown.
"Because I was trying to keep him away from me before I went too far!" Draco bit out. "I told him to stay here."
"Could he be with the baby?" Snape asked. Draco pushed past and quickly made it to Maia's door. He opened it and moved in, Snape on his heels.
The room was quiet. The only movements were the birds in the ceiling and the snake near the bureau. Then a soft sound of cloth moving and a messy black head popped out from behind the crib only a foot above the floor.
"I...I'm sorry, Draco," Harry whispered apprehensively, seemingly trying to quickly stall the dominant's anger. "I just had to see her. I had to make sure she was all right. But I didn't eat anything like you said and I didn't touch her."
Snape looked at Draco in concerned confusion. Draco ignored him and instead seemed to be holding himself in check. Snape could sense the anger and fear of his fellow Supero. He quickly moved forward toward Harry to give Draco more time to control his emotions. Harry saw him coming and curiously sunk down lower on his hands and knees.
Black eyes quickly scanned the crib and found another set of black eyes watching him intently. The baby seemed perfectly well and unharmed. Harry, on the other hand, seemed a bit worse for wear. He, also, was in slept-in clothes and his hair was even more unruly. His eyes showed the remains of tears and his face showed the remains of a beating. What had happened?
"Have you slept here all night?" he asked the younger man who, for all intents and purposes, was cowering on the floor.
Harry quickly glanced at Draco and then back at Snape's boots. "Yes. I mean... I, I came here after Draco went to bed." Harry looked up forcefully at Snape's knees. "I had to make sure she was okay. Draco told me she was, but I..." His voice, which had begun with bravado, trailed off to a whisper, "I just had to see her."
