Please...

Chapter Twenty

Harry pulled the hood over his eyes as they entered an office that belonged to a child services worker. "Daddy... I'm scared..." 

"It'll be fine..."

The woman glared at him. "One of you stunned a Ministry worker, and you are withholding a child from the Ministry. I highly doubt it will be 'fine'." It was Remus' turn to glare. 

"I'm going to assume you have no idea what this 'child' has been through. He's been abused, raped, starved, and once he finally gets a family, the Ministry wants to rip it away from him. Your Ministry worker isn't even in this department. Umbridge yanked his hair and attempted to slap Harry across the face, that is why I stunned her. She had no regard for my possessions as she illegally searched my chambers with no prior notice of any sort."

"Yes... But you were harboring a wanted individual."

"Why is he wanted?!"

"Because, Mr. Lupin, he's been accused of abusing a child."

Severus felt himself shrink, his hold on Harry growing slightly tighter. "W-What?"

"While I do not agree with the accusers reasoning, we must look into any and all abuse accusations." 

"And what was his reasoning?!"

"Umm... Well..." She trailed off, tugging at the collar of her shirt. "Well, you see...

"Here, let me take a guess," Remus growled, in an almost wolf like way. "Some prick saw the paper and instantly thought, 'Oh, look, some poufs raising a kid! Must be abuse!', and came crying to the Ministry!"

"Well... Look, we have to do interviews with the three of you and Kandace. Mr. Malfoy may leave." The tone of her voice said enough, Lucius made to stand, and Harry gripped his arm. "Lucy! Don't go!"

"What?" He knew Harry trusted maybe four people, and the fact that he could be one of them warmed his heart. 

"Daddy, don' let him go!"

"Luc... Please...?"

"I-I guess."

"Oh, so no one knows how to listen?!" the woman snarled. "You said we may leave, not that we must. So, would you please get your head out of your arse and get this all over with? You said interviews, correct? Well, who's going first?" Lucius replied.

"I... We have four others on duty today, so we're able to do four interviews at once... Snape, Lupin, Dumbledore, and Kandace will go first."

"Is there a reason you find it necessary to force Harry to wait here alone?" Lucius snapped, his patience growing thinner and thinner with the imbecile in front of him. "He'll be alone either way, Mr. Malfoy. It is your day off, should you not be with your son?"

"My son is going to breakfast with his mother in Muggle London this morning. I've found I do not find the taste of the sugary things at the diner they have gone to appetizing. Now, answer the question; do you think, as you are the head of this department, that leaving an abused child, alone, with a stranger, his parents nowhere in sight?"

"Well... Look, if you're that worried, then you can stay with him, alright?! The rest of you, go into the four offices behind me, I don't care which one, but employees are waiting there!"

Every person glared as they took to the offices, all except for Severus. His gaze softened as he tilted Harry's chin to look at him. "Bambi, you have to stay here with Uncle Lucy, okay? Just for a little bit?"

"No! No! I'm not doing it!" Of course, the meltdown was expected, but it did not help. "I'll be in the other room, okay? You were okay staying with him those other few times, what's wrong with this?" He wasn't stupid. He knew what was wrong.