Draco was walking down a dirt road, towards a burrow. Not any burrow, the burrow, where the Weaselys live. Just this morning, he was asleep in his bed when his father stormed in after reading the letter Draco left him in his study, confessing that he was gay, and he was friends with the weasley's and harry, and Hermione, and that he wouldn't live a double life like Severus, and he was joining the light side. Needless to say, that didn't go over well.
When he got to the door, he hesitated, but took a deep breath, and knocked. Mrs. Weasely quickly opened the door, and her eyes widened.
"Are you Draco?" she asked, and he nodded.
"Yes ma'am. Is Ron here?" he asked, and she nodded.
"Son, you aren't wearing any shoes" she said, and ushered him inside, sitting him down on the table.
"I… no ma'am I'm not" he said quietly.
"I'll go get Ron, just wait here alright?" she asked, and he nodded. She left the room, and came back with a blanket, socks, and Ron.
"Draco! What are you doing here?" he asked, and Draco's eyes brimmed with tears when Mrs. Weasely wrapped a blanket around him, and gave him socks.
"Oh dear, what's the matter?" she asked, and tears slid down his pale cheeks.
"I… I wrote a letter to my dad, told him… I told him a lot of things, and he kicked me out, disowned me…" he choaked out, and Mrs. Weasely brought him in for a firm hug.
"You don't even have to ask, of course you can stay here. Any friend of Ron's is family" she said, and he shook his head.
"You… you don't want me here. I'm a freak, I'm-" but she stopped him.
"Don't you dare talk about yourself like that. You are none of those things." She said.
"I'm gay." He whispered, and she smiled.
"So is Charlie, Ron's older brother. That doesn't mean a single thing, not in this house. You can't change who you are Draco." She said, and he hugged her tightly.
"Thank you" he said, and she smiled.
"Come on mate, I'm sure harry and Hermione want to see you" he said, and Ron took him upstairs.
"Draco!" Hermione said, bringing him in for a hug and a light kiss on the cheek. Harry hugged him as well.
"Where are your shoes?" he asked, and Draco blushed.
"I got kicked out. I told my dad everything and he… lost it." Draco said, sitting down and wincing.
"Draco…" harry said, and Draco lifted up his shirt to see a dark purple bruise against his ribs.
"He kicked me, I don't know how many times before mum came and stopped him. He told me never to come back, and that I wasn't his son anymore. I'm ok with that, it doesn't mean anything to me. I never was his son, not the one he wanted anyway" he said, and harry nodded.
"Let's get Mrs. Weasely to check that out" he said, and they took him downstairs where she fixed him.
"You are never going back there again, do you understand?" Mrs. Weasely asked him, and he nodded.
"Yes ma'am I understand" he said, and she nodded.
"Ok. I'll floo aruther at work, and we'll get your things. You and harry can sleep in Fred and george's old room, Hermione's in Ginny's. Ron can finally get a room to himself." She said, and Ron grinned.
"Yes, after so many years." He said, and harry rolled his eyes. They went outside and played quidditch for a bit, until it was time for dinner. When Draco came back inside, all his things were in the living room.
"Your father… it seems he had no problem giving us your things. If I didn't work for the ministry, and I wasn't on duty, I would have… well, let's not worry about that. Your safe here and that is all that matters. Ok?" he said, and Draco nodded. Mrs. Weasely served up dinner, and everyone chatted and talked until there was a knock on the door. Mrs. Weasely went to get it, while everyone stayed quite.
"You are not welcome here" Mrs. Weasely said coldly, and they heard a sniffle.
"Please… please let me see my son" Mrs. Malfoy cried, and Draco got up and ran for the door.
"Mum…" he said, and she pulled him into a tight hug.
"Oh Draco… I'm so sorry baby" she cried, and he nodded.
"It's ok mum… I forgive you" he said, and she nodded.
"You shouldn't. I didn't do anything to protect you…" she said, and he shook his head.
"He would have hit you too… it's ok mum, really. Mrs. Weasely, and Mr. Weasely are… they'll take care of me while you go through divorce." He said, and she looked at him funny.
"I'm not divorcing your father Draco… I love him" she said, and he gaped at her.
"Mum, he beat me, he kicked me so hard my ribs broke…" he said, and she sighed.
"You don't understand. You need to come home Draco" she said, and he shook his head.
"Come and live with that monster? No. I will never live with him, or you again. You have one chance mum. Me or him." he said, and she stared at him like he lost his mind.
"Fine. Don't try and contact me, because as far as I'm concerned, I no longer have parents." He said, and slammed the door in her face, and ran upstairs. Mrs. Weasely looked around, and slowly made her way upstairs, and knocked on Draco's door.
"Please… just go away" he cried, and Mrs. Weasely opened the door anyway, and shut it lightly. She sat down on his bed, and sighed.
"I'm sorry Draco." She said, and he sniffled.
"I… I don't…h-have a f-family any m-more" he cried, and she sat him up and held him in her arms.
"Yes honey, you do. You have us. I know we might not have a lot, but were… we are family" she said, and he sniffled again.
"y-you mean i-it? I'm r-really family?" he asked softly, and she kissed his forehead and held him until he stopped crying.
"Yes Draco, you are family." She said, and he nodded.
"Now, let's go back downstairs, and finish eating shall we?" she asked, and he nodded. She took his hand, and led him downstairs where he was hugged and given love and attention for the rest of the evening.
When Draco finally got into bed that night, he realized the true meaning of the word, family.