Harry's Unlikely Angel
AN: I haven't decided whether or not I will continue with this story, but as it's a high possibility look for it later. It will be set as complete for now. I won't say there is romance here at the moment, but if I continue that's where it's going with this pairing. Does anyone even want this to continue?
Dedication: To my closest cousin that constantly got teased for being gay his entire life, even as a small child, and bullied even though he wasn't out until he became an adult. He's an amazing man that has learned when to walk away and when to stand up for himself and I'm proud of him for that.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Summary: After being bullied by seemingly everyone for being gay Harry is saved by an unlikely savior.
Harry lived in a predominantly gay neighborhood in muggle London after he broke away from the wizarding world. Steeped in their traditions they were further behind than the muggle one regarding homosexuality. Harry never saw it as anyone's business, however, everyone made it their business. Honestly, he never planned to 'come out', ever. Growing up in a homophobic family, he never thought he'd even act on any of it. He would die old, alone, and a virgin, living like a monk. As he hadn't planned on surviving the war with Voldemort, at the time, it seemed like a reasonable plan. His private life could never stay private though.
Defeating the most evil wizard in the world he thought his life would finally be at peace. Harry should have known better. His life was forever meant for turmoil. In 'eighth year' he was granted a private room of his own, as was everyone else of age. They were adults and were far more mature than most their age after surviving such terrifying events. You would think he was caught with his pants down with another boy with the reactions people had towards him, but no. Ginny would not take the hint that he was not into her. On multiple occasions he came into his room with her naked and sprawled out seductively. If he wasn't sure he was gay before, he knew it for certain at this. He would throw her out and she'd get angry, thinking there must be someone else. Her jealousy led to her snooping through his things when he wasn't there. Finding his gay porn collection sent her into a rage that even he didn't expect. Harry always thought if he could find it in himself to actually come out that she would be the most understanding. She didn't even wait to talk to him about it privately. Coming back toward his room he heard screaming and a purple faced Ginny with his porn in her hand and accusations on her face. Unfortunately, she had walked into the corridor and attracted a crowd with her screeching. "Harry... you... you... you're a bleeding poof? That is disgusting. No one will want to be near you now," she vowed.
Harry thought she was wrong. She may hate him, but not everyone there could, could they? She was right. Ron looked at him with a red face after that and never sent another look his way again or spoke to him. Hermione followed his lead. The Weasley clan was just as hateful. His adoptive family he loved so much turned their backs on him, and for what? Being attracted to men? He couldn't even say it was for anything else as he hadn't done anything with anyone. Everyone that was raised in the wizarding world treat him like dirt. He had saved their arses and that was the thanks he got. Harry began wishing he'd let Voldemort kill a lot more of them before he killed him. Once the paper got hold of the story it was even worse. Harry couldn't go anywhere in the school without being hexed, spit on, tripped, his homework ruined or missing, even teachers he previously held in high regard treated him horribly. Now he knew why Dumbledore kept being gay to himself. It certainly wasn't accepted.
Before Harry became a bitter, angry, and hateful man, intent on destroying everyone he decided to leave. He didn't finish school at Hogwarts as he knew he'd never pass exams now, based on people's reactions. As he never wanted to step foot in the wizarding world again, he removed all his money, trading into pounds, and possessions from the Gringott's vaults and sold any property he couldn't take with him, including Grimmauld place. All of the magical items he kept he hid in a secure location from muggle and magical alike. The only thing he kept on him was his wand, which he never went anywhere without. He was afraid someone would find him and try to curse him.
Harry found a small apartment in London. He hadn't even realized he moved where so many gay people lived. All he knew was it was the first place his shoulders relaxed and thought he'd like it there. Although it wasn't extravagant, it was still comfortable. He wouldn't have to work if he stayed there. Harry did work, mostly doing manual labor, because he was used to gardening after the Dursleys. Also, it kept him in shape. He didn't have to if he didn't want to though and that was a great thing for him.
Harry had a few groceries in his arms as he walked back to his apartment. Later he'd wish desperately that his arms weren't heavy laden and he could reach his wand. As he rounded a corner a group of men circled him. "Well, well, look here, boys. We've got another poofter. I think he deserves a lesson. I'm tired of the gay men overtaking our neighborhood," the ringleader seemed to say to his cronies, reminiscent of Dudley. They cackled wickedly. He could tell they were pissed. Certainly, you couldn't get that many of them to agree to a fight that easily. Maybe you could though. The homophobic wizards had a few times.
Looking for any way to get passed the men he realized there was none and not being able to reach his wand quickly enough he couldn't hold off that many at once. They closed in and kicked him behind his knee, bringing him to the ground first. After that Harry remembered very little, except fists and pain. He thought he heard Draco Malfoy's voice threatening the men, but that couldn't be right. He had to be hallucinating. One, he was in the muggle world. Two, he hadn't seen him since his trial. Three, he was a pure-blood, which meant he had as much hatred for gays.
There was laughter from the men and then terror as the other man shot off a huge patronus that terrified the muggles as they ran. The man yelled after them, "This isn't your neighborhood anymore. Get out." At least he didn't curse them. A patronus was pretty tame compared to what he could have done, but as Harry's eyes slipped closed as he lost consciousness he saw the patronus was a dragon. That was appropriate. The person Draco loved the most was himself. Harry smiled. He was hallucinating his school boy rival saved him and that struck him as hilarious. Too bad a laugh never erupted before he passed out.
Harry awoke smelling bleach and the sterile smell of a muggle hospital. The white walls were barely discernible to him. He could hear machines beeping in the background. "Nurse?" a man's voice called out. "Harry is awake." Harry frowned, he didn't know anyone anymore, certainly not someone that would come to the hospital for him.
There was some rustling and a nurse checking him over. "He seems to be recovering slowly, but he should be able to talk to you now," she said to the man in the chair beside his bed and spoke a little longer. Harry couldn't understand her as it was said quietly.
Wondering who his angel was he turned his head and thought he was seeing a real angel. The man beside him was tall, blond, and beautiful. The angel effect was only made stronger by his blurred vision and he saw a halo all around the man. Stupidly, he breathed, "Angel."
The other man laughed a beautiful sound, and remarked, "I'm definitely no angel, but you're still pretty drugged."
Harry tried to shake his head in denial and whispered, "Angel," again. Why couldn't the man admit it? He was beautiful and Harry thought it was the man that saved him. How could he be anything else? No human was kind to him and hadn't been in a long time.
"Here, let me help you sit up," the beautiful angel said and adjusted his bed and pillows. He gave Harry some ice chips and that helped cool his parched mouth and throat. Then he put Harry's glasses gently on his face. Harry could still feel he was bruised there.
When he got a good look at his benefactor, Harry gasped. "I thought I was hallucinating you as my savior," Harry admitted. He wasn't sure how this meeting would go as they had such a volatile past. He decided he would tread carefully, but as Malfoy was here and no one else that supposedly loved him was or ever would be, he gave in to his curiosity.
"No, not a hallucination," Malfoy stated and smiled. The perfect, white, straight teeth, Harry remembered, but not in such a kind face. The war must have changed him as much as it had Harry. Malfoy seemed to have changed for the better.
"Why?" Harry asked shyly. He couldn't believe the Malfoy heir would stoop so low to save him, of all people.
Understanding what Harry meant, Malfoy answered, "For many reasons. I owe you a life debt that is now paid. Those men would have killed you, Harry." Malfoy gave him a serious look at this and Harry knew it was true. "I didn't know it was you at the time. I just knew I saw injustice and couldn't stand for someone to be hurt that way." Harry gave him an incredulous look in return. Fighting injustice? Draco Malfoy? That seemed far-fetched. "I know what you're thinking, but after the war I lost my home, my money, and my parents when they found out I'm gay. Everything I was ever taught, everything I knew about myself was gone. What did I have left? For a long time I was depressed and morose. I was fortunate that I found the same neighborhood you did. An older muggle named Grey found me. He saw me looking very out of place with wizard robes and knew instantly I was a wizard. His cousin is a witch and he knew what I was without me having to explain it to him. Grey took me home. He's fond of taking in strays often. I think he thinks of us as his children. Normally he and his husband take in the ones that were kicked out of their homes for being gay. For me, he knew it was different. He knew me by name and my family's reputation and still took me in. Whenever I asked him why, he explained that no one is irredeemable. Each day people chose new actions, so what did I want to become from now on? That was the most fortuitous thing that has ever happened to me in my life. I still live there now. He's taught me so much about the muggle world, things I never even imagined. Grey and his husband Liam and some of the others that live there are like family to me."
Harry watched as Malfoy gave a much more detailed explanation than he expected. He was fascinated watching his face being that expressive, without the mask he'd seen growing up. It was clear to Harry that Malfoy loved the men that took him in. He sighed, wishing he had people like that again. That's what the Weasley's should have been to him, what he always thought they would be to him.
Malfoy shook his head at his long speech, and asked Harry, "Are you okay? Do you need me to get you something?
"No, just please don't leave me. Keep talking. Please," Harry begged. He thought he probably sounded pathetic, but he didn't care.
Malfoy smiled. "I'm not going anywhere. I've been by your bedside for two months," Draco told him.
Shocked, Harry spluttered, "Two months? What?"
"Harry, those men, they did a number on you. I healed you enough that I could get you to hospital, but let them think you still had those injuries. You would have died had I moved you in that condition. You've been in a drug-induced coma for the past two months, but they decided you were well enough to bring you out of it now and take you off the ventilator once they determined you were breathing well enough on your own. They had to do some surgery on broken bones and to stop some internal bleeding. I've done what I could to heal you as well and keep you from scarring, but I couldn't let them see that. You have a few glamours, so they won't know something isn't right," Malfoy explained, patting a cast on his leg, the same one those men had knocked out from under him.
Overwhelmed, Harry said, "Thank you, Malfoy. For everything."
Malfoy shrugged, and admonished, "Call me Draco. We aren't enemies anymore or in school. Besides, everyone here thinks we're related as I told them you were my adopted brother and our parents were dead. It was the only way they'd let me stay here with you."
Smiling at the thought of being this man's brother in any way, Harry agreed, "Okay, Draco."
"That's better. I hope you don't mind, but some of my family has seen you up here as well. They have been bringing me clothes and food," Draco admitted.
"You haven't left?" Harry asked in shock.
"No. I was afraid to leave you alone. Besides, Grey knows who you are and how important you were. He would never stand in the way of me making amends with you either," Draco said, blushing.
Harry thought over their conversation in amazement, but something occurred to him. Draco said injustice and as Harry knew Draco wasn't likely to take something like what happened to him lightly, and the use of the word injustice, Harry knew he had to ask, "What did you do to those men?"
Draco smirked, and retorted, "What makes you think I did anything?"
Snorting, Harry answered, "You may have changed, but some things about your character will never change. They are too ingrained in your personality."
"Well, Harry, it's like this," Draco started and leaned forward with his hands under his chin. He looked like an excited child. "I cast my patronus on them and with it I tagged each one of them." Harry furrowed his brow. He'd never known you could do that. At his look of his confusion, Draco added, "It's a spell I developed." Harry knew Draco was book smart, but he didn't know he was capable of that. Continuing on, Draco got into his story. "There were ten of them and I cursed them, giving each one erotic dreams of being with men. Every night's sleep, every nap, any time they sleep or nod off they dream of naked men and being turned on by them. They can no longer get it up for a woman, no matter how hard they try or what medication they take. As I never want to return to the angry, violent person I was, I thought I'd teach them a lesson. Will they still attack gay men when they think they are one? Some of them might as they try to fight it, but some of them will figure out what they are doing to gays is wrong. The best part about the curse though? It won't go away until they are truly remorseful for what they've done and the curse knows they won't ever hurt someone again because of it." Harry laughed. It was vindictive without going further than necessary. They did nearly kill him, after all. The laughter hurt his ribs, but it felt good to laugh. Harry hadn't laughed once since before the end of the war, certainly not a full belly laugh. Draco's gray eyes shone with mirth and it wasn't long before he joined in the laughter.
One of the nurses walked by and smiled at them as she came into the room. "I heard you laughing and had to see it for myself. It's good to see you awake, Harry. We weren't sure you were ever going to wake." She seemed nice and as if she knew him well, but as he was in a coma for most of it, he was sure it was an intimate one-sided relationship. "The doctor will come by later and check you over now that you are awake. Most of your injuries are healed enough that you should be able to go home soon as long as you have help. You will need rehab though after being abed for so long. We tried to keep your muscles strong, but with so many broken bones it was difficult."
Harry nodded at her as she said her goodbyes and left. He frowned then. He lived alone. Also, he hadn't been there in two months or paid rent. Harry was certain his place would have been rented out to someone else by now. He hoped they'd at least kept his things in storage somewhere, but that would have to be looked into later. Who was going to help him? Draco healed much of him, but he knew he still had some extensive injuries, and was weak after a two month hospital stay. "What's wrong, Harry?" Draco asked in concern.
Smiling weakly at the beautiful man, Harry asked, "What am I supposed to do? I lived alone and I'm sure they rented out the place to someone else. I have no one."
Draco grinned at him and stated, "You will live with me, of course."
"What?" Harry was stunned.
"You're coming home with me, at least until you are healed. Everyone else already voted to take you in and help. Besides, it will be nice to have another wizard around. It's been a long time that I could talk to someone that I could be open with. Grey is great, but as he never lived in the wizarding world or through the war he can only relate so much." Draco grabbed Harry's hand and squeezed. "You'll love them and they'll love you, don't worry about a thing. They gave me a chance, didn't they, and look how I turned out?"
"Yes, you fancy yourself a superhero," Harry joked.
Draco laughed uproariously at that. "Me? A superhero? Look who's talking, 'oh, vanquisher of the Dark Lord'."
The doctor chose that moment to walk in and smiled at them. "I'm not even going to ask. I will assume you're talking about a video game," he said and the other two men laughed even harder.
Draco explained, "Sort of. Just something we played with when we were younger." Harry kept laughing, even if it made his ribs hurt, he couldn't help it.
"It's good to see you in such high spirits," the doctor noted and started checking Harry over. When he was done, the doctor told them, "I think you should be able to leave within the week. Let's first start you walking again and eating solid food before you walk out of hospital." Harry agreed to the doctors orders. As long as Draco was there with him he thought everything would be all right.