I found this story highly intriguing. Have you ever seen the movie, "Adventures of Mark Twain" that came out around, oh, 1985 or so? This story reminded me of the part where the kids meet a "mysterious stranger." Throw in a dose of "Labyrinth" a smidge of "The Little Prince" and a bit of "Drop Dead Fred" and there you be.*grin*
There are so many parts of this story that got to me. Draco seemed so resigned, so frail. And Severus reflecting on Lucius' pride for his son was lovely. The room was crazy intense - you packed quite a punch into so few words. And the "welcome home" line at the end - seemed almost self-reflective. Severus had found what he thought he had lost, Draco had regained a sense of purpose. *loves*