Raspberry Jam-Drarry

Chapter 1 - 1 September 1996

Draco knocked on the heavy wooden door, opening it and entering his godfather's office upon hearing the terse "Enter."

"Hello, Godfather," Draco said, closing the door behind him.

Severus looked up at his visitor, unsurprised, but still with a look upon his face that Draco couldn't quite place. Rising, Severus pulled out his wand and cast the expected privacy charms on the office and then muttered several additional spells that Draco recognized as detection charms. The boy watched his godfather curiously – the man had never done this before when Draco came to visit; he wondered what had happened recently to make his godfather even more paranoid than usual.

After Severus finishing checking his office he turned to Draco. Draco smiled and took a step forward to greet his godfather more warmly only to stop abruptly, jerking back slightly and widening his eyes as his godfather turned to him with a raised wand and a threatening scowl.

"Be still, Draco."

Draco remained still and silent, blinking in astonishment, as his godfather spent the next couple minutes casting spell after spell at him. Again, Draco recognized some of the spells as detection spells – more complex ones used on people instead of things. He began to get worried when heard the detection charm for the Imperius curse followed by other charms he didn't know but could decipher enough of to know were checking for other forms of mind control. A nervous swallow followed this realization.

Finally Severus appeared satisfied, nodded his head sharply, stowed his wand and closed the distance to Draco, enclosing him in a warm hug. Draco hesitantly wrapped his arms around his godfather. Tentatively he queried, "Is everything...are you...okay?"

"I am well, my son."

Draco relaxed at the endearment. Severus never called him son unless they were secure.

"What was with the display, then? Impressive, by the way. Will you teach me those spells?" Draco made no effort to leave the embrace, relishing the rare affection.

A warm chuckle was followed by an amused and indulgent response, "Yes, my curious cat, I will teach you them if you wish."

Draco grinned into his godfather's shoulder. Severus never denied him when he wanted to learn something, no matter what it was – old or new, physical or mental, legal or illegal, wizardly or muggle. Of course, the last they assiduously hid from his parents, no sense in getting himself murdered before his majority, after all.

"What was with all the detection spells? Do you think someone is watching you? Or me?"

"Not any more than usual, no."

Draco waited a bit but Severus didn't seem inclined to comment further or answer his original question. Draco frowned in concern and some frustration. He couldn't ask again, that was one of his godfather's rules that protected the both of them. He could ask any question he wished, anything at all, and Severus would respond in one of three ways: answering honestly, refusing to answer, or not answering at all. If Severus refused to answer Draco, he would state why and when Draco could possibly ask again, but if he didn't answer at all...well, that meant Draco was to drop the subject, completely, for at least one year. No more direct questions. No roundabout questions. No trick questions. It was frustrating for the boy sometimes, even though he knew he was truly better off not knowing some things and trusted his godfather to not keep things from him unnecessarily.

Draco sighed softly, made a mental note of the situation, and tried to put it out of his mind. If he was in danger, Severus would have said.

"Very good, Draco."

Draco huffed in annoyance. Of course, sometimes his godfather was just testing him.

Severus tightened his hold and pressed his cheek to Draco's head. "I have a story, a gift. Perhaps...not in that order. Both are dangerous. Neither must be revealed before the appropriate time." Severus sounded almost distant, distracted. The last statement made Draco curious, more so than the dangerous comment. His life was already dangerous.