In Potions class, the students are having an assembly morning. This means there is a guest lecturer and an anti-magic hex is placed on the room. Harry and Draco are paired, then Hermione with Crabbe and Ron with Goyle. Ron is goofing off, mimicking Goyle's absurdity. He trips and nearly knocks over the assignment Harry and Draco had been working on. Ten points taken from Gryffindor.
"Watch where you're falling, Weasel!" Draco groans. "You'll be sorry if Father ever hears about this!"
No sooner had he say this, the classroom door bursts open with heavy force. Lucius walks in, staring intently. Harry notices Draco lose all color but the Slytherin does not move from his seat. Lucius struts up to him, placing firm hands on Draco's shoulders.
"Forgive me, Severus." He drawls in an innocently sounding plea. "I'm overtaking this class and I claim recess. I need to speak with my son, alone."
The last word sends chills up everyone's spines. Crabbe and Goyle look very scared. Draco looks uncomfortable, but glares at Snape. The instructor cannot pull away from either Malfoy's stare. Soon, the room is deserted and Lucius digs his nails into Draco's soft skin. Draco's face scrunches slightly but he does not utter a sound. Lucius moves up to manually lock the door.
"So, anything worth reporting on Severus?"
He punches his son across the face as he nonchalantly asks. Draco falls back with a visible bruise but quickly jumps back to his feet. On the other side of the door, Snape, Hermione, Harry, Ron, Crabbe and Goyle are listening intently for their names. Snape already feels sick.
"Not much, Father. He's much harder on the Gryffindors than the other houses."
Lucius gives his son a black eye then knocks him to the floor with a swift kick. Draco still manages to control himself.
"Favoring Slytherin?"
"Yes, Sir."
"Gryffindor isn't who needs to be treated differently, you sorry excuse."
"Yes, Sir."
This last 'sir' has a bit of a wince attached as Lucius has located a scalding potion in the back and is slowly dropping it on Draco's exposed arm.
"It's Ravenclaw. Be sure to pass along the message."
Draco nods, biting down on his tongue. Lucius refuses to take a nonverbal response. He lowers the scalding potion, causing unhealthy burns to his son's skin.
"YES, Sir!"
Draco is fighting back tears. Lucius curls his lips satisfactorily. He tosses the potion away, keeping behind a few shards of glass. He traces the same arm with the burn marks. Draco shudders.
"What about the Mudblood?"
Lucius chuckles a bit at his son's reaction. "Did I offend you calling that Granger a Mudblood?"
He chides, drilling the first shard about an inch deep into his arm. Draco suppresses a squeal. Lucius holds Draco's wrist down in firm protest. Back behind the door, Snape is confused and Hermione has mixed feelings for Draco at the moment.
"Grange…." Another piece digs slowly into his skin. "The Mudblood is smarter than most of us. In the class."
"The mudblood is a freak of nature."
Lucius scolds his son, slightly twisting his wrist. Draco bites on his tongue so hard he draws blood. A small overflow drips out of his mouth.
"You are a fucking Malfoy." He sneers. "Swallow that blood, damn it."
Draco sucks in most of it. Two drops dribble off his chin and Lucius grasps the front of his son's shirt, lifting him off the floor. Draco flinches expectantly.
"How's the Weasel, Ferret?"
"He's fine."
Lucius slams Draco into the floor without letting go. He picks his son up, slamming him into the wall then throwing him to another side of the class. Draco lets out a small wail.
"Ron tripped and my assignment was wrecked. Harr—Potter and I have to start from scratch. Snape is taking favors from McGonagall and Granger cheated on her last exam. She didn't mean to but Goyle tricked her."
He is crying now. Draco's hair is a mess. He has a shiner on his right eye and bruises on various places of his body. His mouth and nose are bleeding and his left arm is filled with burn marks and trickled glass shards. Lucius towers over him, grabbing a tuft of his son's hair. Draco yelps, trying to force himself to crawl in the same direction.
"Weasel ruined your assignment. Potter started from scratch. The Cat is handing out tasks for The Grease Monkey. The Mudblood cheated." Lucius corrects his son, yanking his hair at each amendment. "With your attention to detail, you're just lucky I haven't killed you yet."
Again, behind the door, the students are shocked. Crabbe and Goyle walk away. Snape has his head in his hands, sitting back against the wall. The Gryffindors are beginning to hold new respect for the younger Malfoy. In the class, Lucius throws his son against the main door. Draco is still crying. Lucius kicks him out of the way and reaches for the door. He turns the knob and looks back.
"And don't bother coming home for break. We don't need a screw-up like you around during the holidays."
Lucius emerges to find only Snape, still in the same position. He glares at the instructor, silently urging he stand.
"Draco told me about your monetary allegiances, Severus. I suggest you watch your back. Don't you dare step foot in that room until my boy unlocks it from inside."
As Lucius leaves, Harry, Ron and Hermione return to the door. Snape looks visibly shaken. The Golden Trio are only thinking about Draco out of concern. Inside, Draco stares at the make-up bag his father had dropped in the scuffle. It was obviously intentional. Each time he and his father had these 'confrontations' in the manor, his mother would tend to him after the fact. He would then dress himself and be presentable for guests.
Draco carefully works the make-up around his face and decides to tie a torn cloth around his arm. He digs out the shavings then applies foundation across his many cuts and scrapes. As he completes this grueling task he recalls when and where he has received the many covered signs of abuse over the years. He unlocks the door then sulks back to his seat. Snape walks in then. He unnervingly watches as the boy gathers his belongings.
Harry walks in next. He manages to walk up to the desk they share. He too collects his things. As Harry separates his things from Draco's, he notices a fresh mark on the quiet boy's neck. There is a shadow of pale fingers there as well, causing Harry to realize it is the mark of his father strangling him then punching him there. Draco self-consciously notices and immediately snaps his eyes to meet Harry. His voice is low and threatening.
"What the hell are you staring at, Potter?"
"It's—It's nothing, Draco. I'm sorry."
Draco stops him from leaving, shoving Harry's things to the floor. "It's Malfoy, Potter. Now, what the hell were you fucking staring at?"
The cussing and the venom take Harry aback, though he is also aware it is because of the unexpected visit from Lucius. He knows Lucius had done this.
"Your, your bruise." He points to Draco's neck, not daring to touch the edgy kid.
Draco brings his hand to the mark, wincing at the pain. "Damn it." His voice then drops to a harsh whisper. "How much do you know?"
Harry scrunches up his face and it is enough for Draco. He clears his throat and, in a booming, angry voice, he turns to Snape. "Get out. Now."
Snape's eyes grow wide but he immediately leaves, realizing this has something to do with Lucius. Draco manually locks the door, since the room has yet to be unhexed. He storms over to Harry, forcing him to sit.
"Tell me."
" I heard your dad say Ravenclaw is the bad house now and he told you to… swallow the blood?" He finishes with a sick look.
Draco opens his mouth, showing two teeth missing and dried blood inside. Harry is in shock. He tries to remember what else he heard.
"And I heard a lot of slamming. And you and your father were arguing over what to call… all of us."
"… I'm not on good terms with him."
Harry studies Draco a bit, noticing other faint marks, hastily covered by make-up and the like. He pieces two and two together.
"How long has he been abusing you?"
Draco blanches. "Too long."
"Doesn't your mom do anything?"
"Narcissa Malfoy doesn't do anything." Draco scoffs.
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