The Snake Among Lions

Chapter IV- ...---...

A tar black snake and skull stared back at the terrified teen.

"Here you go, honey." Draco looked away from his arm to the source of the soft, timid voice. His mother stood, holding a tray of food, avoiding her son's gaze.

"You can leave it, Mother." As I soon as she left the room, the boy pushed himself up, ignoring the fact that every nerve in his slight body was screaming. He pulled out a scratch piece of parchment and, panicking, wrote a short letter to the first person he could think of. When he finished writing, he sent the letter with his owl, not bothering to look over what he just transcribed. As soon as the owl left, Draco felt tears slide down his face. He sat there silently until he cried himself to sleep. Not too long after he dozed off, he was awoken by a loud POP! Before he could figure out what was happening, he was standing in an unfamiliar bedroom.

Scared out of his mind, Draco looked up to see his friend. His body became racked with loud, heart-breaking sobs. As he collapsed, he felt a pair of arms wrap around his slight figure, and slide them both to the ground gently. He clung to the jumper he was crying into like it was a life preserver, and he was drowning. He continued to sob heavily, while the arms continued to hold him. He cried until he had no more tears left, and his body hurt even more than when he arrived. He thought maybe he should move, but the embrace was exactly what he needed and knew he would never receive at home. Eventually, he fell asleep on his friend's lap, his hair being stroked comfortingly.