Regaining Royalty

Chapter Three

"Mr. Malfoy." He looked up from his plate of bacon, eggs, sausage and toast at the drawling voice of Professor Severus Snape. The greasy haired potions master was standing opposite him looking down at him curiously.

"Yes Professor?" Draco sighed softly.

"Could you meet me in my office a few minutes before potions this morning. I would like a word with you." Draco nodded numbly as his favourite Professor stalked up to the teacher's table, taking his seat next to Professor Frost and began talking with her quietly yet rather stiffly.

"Hey, what d'ya think, boys?" Blaise asked over-extravagantly, making sure Draco heard every word as they walked past. "How long before Malfoy is doing sexual favours for Snape to buy himself a decent set of robes?"

Gritting his teeth, Draco stared blankly at his plate, his fork beginning to make indents in it at he bit back his anger. Moments later; Theodore Nott spoke, making it clear that he had come to a conclusion about his previous worries over kicking Draco out of their group.

"You mean he hasn't been doing it the last six years? He must have saved up for that Nimbus Two Thousand and One somehow!" Scrambling to his feet, Draco kicked his chair out of the way and grabbed Nott by the neck, knocking the burly seventh year to the ground.

"What about your Nimbus, Nott?" Draco snarled angrily. "Who paid for that? OH, YEAH, MY FATHER!" The hall fell silent at the sight of their head boy crouching over one of his fellow Slytherins, his fist raised ready to strike.

"MR. MALFOY!" The booming voice of Albus Dumbledore finally turned everyone's attention of the battling boys and onto the standing headmaster, whose eyes were glaring a murderous blue, his lips pursed angrily.

Draco stood slowly, releasing his grip on Theodore Nott; whose hand flew instantly to his bruised neck. His eyes stayed locked to Nott's and Nott's to his as the humiliated boy scrambled to his feet and withdrew into the tight knit knot of Slytherin boys. Draco, however, stood as alone as he felt as Dumbledore marched towards them, flanked by Professor Snape, a mass of black robes billowing out behind him and a face of thunder.

"My office, Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore ordered angrily. Draco picked up his bag from next to his upturned chair and slung it onto his shoulder, stalking from the Hall, followed by the Headmaster, his head of house, and a whispering by the other students.

"Mr. Malfoy, I do not know what you think you are doing, but attacking a fellow student on the first day of school is not the image the Head Boy should present!" Dumbledore yelled as he paced his office in front of Draco. Still fuming, Draco stood still in front of Dumbledore, his hands clasped firmly behind his back and his head held high like a soldier before his commander. Professor Snape was lurking in the shadows by a large ebony bookcase, watching the scene darkly.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" Dumbledore snapped angrily when Draco did not reply.

"Nothing, sir." Draco murmured.

"You attack a fellow student in the middle of the dining hall and you have nothing to say?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well, you should have something to say!" Dumbledore yelled.

Draco stood staring at a portrait at the wall as it feigned sleep to listen to the proceedings. He would not explain his actions. He would not try and justify it with sucking up. He would not even apologise for them; no, when you were all alone, you didn't justify yourself to anyone.

"If you don't mind, Headmaster, I would like to deal with this myself." Professor Snape finally stepped out of the shadows and appeared at Draco's left hand side, placing a dry grip on Draco's shoulder. Draco's gaze at the wall finally shifted to Snape's hand, a dark sallow hand with numerous scars over the back; from potions, Draco assumed.

"Severus, as Head Boy, Draco should report to me now, despite being in your house," Dumbledore noted.

"I understand that, Headmaster, and in any future occasions he will do, but just this once I would ask lenience and permit me to deal with this," Snape replied, his grip ever steady on Draco's shoulder. Draco's gaze had once again rested on the listening portrait, the long black beard of the ex-headmaster rippling with its breath.

"Fine, Severus," Dumbledore replied, somewhat calmer. "Mr. Malfoy, I hope you understand that another outburst like this from you will not be tolerated," he added, making a strong attempt to make eye contact with the proud Head Boy, Draco making a better attempt to avoid it.

"Yes, sir," Draco replied shortly.

"Come on, Malfoy. My office," Snape commented, steering Draco out of the office and down the stairs without another word to the Headmaster.

Draco walked silently all the way down into the deep bowels of the dungeons where Snape's office resided a few doors away from the Potions classroom. Shutting the door behind them, Snape rounded on Draco like an angry snake.

"Scenes like that will not win you any points around here, Draco," Snape snapped angrily, taking his seat behind his desk. Standing stupidly in the middle of the office, Draco gazed around the room silently. "Take a seat, Draco." Snapping to his senses, Draco sat down opposite Snape.

The silence in the room soon amounted to a terribly aggravating tension, but as Snape leaned forward, the sleeves of his robes draping over the dark desk as he leaned forward onto his elbows, he sighed.

"I know it's difficult, with Lucius gone..." He started as Draco scoffed.

"Difficult?" he snarled. "It's humiliating! The pictures, the stories, the fact no stupid little ignorant fucker in this place can stop talking about it!" Draco ranted angrily. Snape leaned back into his high backed chair, his arms folded over his chest. "That bastard Nott got what he deserved for what he said. I should have knocked him out!"

"Draco, calm down!" Snape murmured calmly. "As I said, I know it's difficult, but you're going to have to get through that! This is an important year for you."

Draco nodded numbly and leant back against his chair with a small 'pff'. He glanced around the office, large jars of pickled beings floating on every shelf, mainly used as book ends to hold up the large heavy potions and Dark Arts books that also cluttered every shelf. Snape seemed to follow his gaze to a particular pile of Advanced Potions Books, the kind of potions books you could only buy after graduating with a Newt Level in Potions; something Draco was sure to receive at the end of the year.

"I wanted to talk to you about your Potions class," Snape commented, catching Draco's attention and dragging it back to the cold, lifeless eyes of his professor. "You are easily top of the class in potions, even outwitting that insufferable Granger, and there is no doubt you will receive an Outstanding grade, but I am able to put forward a student to take an advanced level each year. I was wondering if you would be interested?"

"Of course I would!" Draco replied instantly.

"Brilliant. I have to take one student per year, and if you didn't agree I would have to take Granger as she is second in the class." Draco's eyes almost popped out of his skull in shock as the potions master actually grinned. "My excellent year would have been ruined."

"Excellent year?" Draco scoffed uncontrollably. "What is excellent about this year?" Snape shook his head, a meek smile resting uneasily on his usually grave face.

"Draco, I have watched you progress through this school, without any recognition for what you are capable of. If it hadn't have been for Potter, Weasley and Granger, you would have been seen for what you are, a remarkable student, but due to their antics every single year, you have been missed. Finally, Dumbledore has seen what I have been pointing out to him ever since you arrived and has made you Head Boy." Draco listened silently, unable to comprehend why he was receiving such high praise from his professor. Even though he always knew he was Snape's favourite student, he never actually said anything to Draco about it.

"You have an amazing chance to prove yourself, the chance I never had at school thanks to James Potter."

"But I've lost everything!" Draco replied bitterly. "You saw how the other Slytherins are treating me." It was only when he saw the look on Professor Snape's face that he became really confused. Not only was the Professor not concerned, he was nearly gleeful.

Uncontrollably, Draco's eyebrow rose. Snape grinned maliciously and opened the top drawer of his desk. He lifted out a stack of papers and then lifted out a piece of wood. Leaning over the desk to see, Draco noted that it was a secret compartment in the desk. A magical one could easily be found by casting an enchantment tracing spell, but a Muggle device would skip when searching someone they suspected of being a Death Eater, because, why would someone who hated Muggles so much use a Muggle method of hiding something? Unfortunately for Draco, Lucius hadn't used this vital information. Placing the piece of wood on the desk, Snape reached into the desk and pulled out a small brown envelope and handed it to Draco. Draco stared at it blankly as Snape gazed encouragingly at him.

"Open it, then," he persuaded.

Turning the envelope over, Draco ripped the old faded envelope open. Prising the sides apart, he thumbed a thin piece of parchment and an old, slightly rusted key. Pulling out the piece of parchment, he opened it up to see his father's calligraphic handwriting.

Draco,

If by chance, this letter should find its way into your hands through my trusted friend Severus, I am no longer with you in some means. I assure you, that even though our possessions are great, they are only a percentage of my assets. Do not worry; I would not leave everything in the hands of your mother.

I have a private account, one I have left unused for a long time in a different name as to assure its safe-keeping. No one can know about it. In it, you will find my most prized possessions and keepsakes, including a number of books I know you would find intriguing and a number of items too risky to store even in the safety of our mansion. Please, my son; do not let anyone know of this. Severus will keep all details from you until you have left school, then you are free to do with it as you please.

Do me proud and remember that whatever happens, body and soul you are a Malfoy.

Lucius.

Draco looked up at Snape in awe and excitement.

"You mean, I'm not poor?" he asked quietly.

"By no means!" Snape replied. "As I promised your father, however, I cannot give you the details of these assets' hiding place until you have graduated. There is too much at stake."

"Why is money, putting things at stake? This could put me back on the map," Draco asked, his voice raising slightly as he tried to push as many words out of his mouth as possible.

"Because, if the Ministry find out about this, they will raid everyone Lucius ever knew, including you and myself," Snape explained. "Dumbledore will surely alert the Ministry if you suddenly come into money again while in the school."

Draco's fingers trembled around the envelope and letter. He was so close to things that were rightfully his that he could touch them, but before his fingers could land on the cool gold of the Galleons, and the soft drift of the expensive materials that used to fill his old home, his hand was snatched away and hit for not only looking.

"Here, Draco, let me take the letter for you. I will keep it safe," Snape soothed softly. Nodding, Draco handed Snape the envelope and letter. Placing it back at the bottom of the drawer, Snape replaced the fake drawer bottom and papers to cover it.

"It is nearly time for class, you'd better get going," Snape commented slowly. "Remember Draco, mention this to no one!" Draco nodded slowly." I will see you in class, and if you come down to my office at roughly six tomorrow, and can begin tutoring you for further Potions."

Breathing slightly heavily, Draco nodded and smiled slightly to the professor. He picked up his bag and left the office, his insides squirming nervously and anxiously, but his mind reminding him over and over again that he was back! He was rich, he was powerful, and he was not going to let anything get in his way!