Title: When No One Hears
Author: mintapotter
Overview: Draco finds Harry in the saddest of positions, and something inside him changes forever.
SLASH! Guy/Guys! If you no likee, you no readee.
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Chapter 1 - When No One Hears
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"You may leave now. Close the door behind you."
"Yes, sir."
Draco sighed heavily and slid down to the cold black marble floors beneath him as soon the heavy mahogany door was firmly closed behind him. These "important" talks with his father were nothing if not draining, and at 8 in the morning they were the last thing he was compelled to do. They mostly consisted of his father's plans for various heinous and evil events, what to do when it came time to be marked… that sort of thing. All of Draco's energies were spent in not laughing whenever his dear old daddy said "I trust you my son, with my life." and that sort of rubbish.
Fucking mastermind is what he thinks he is… he doesn't even realize that his own son despises him and will turn on him on a whim…
Draco pleased himself immensely as pictures of his imagined betrayal in his father's time of greatest need danced before his eyes, and as a tiny smile crept up on his pale lips he composed himself and began the long walk downstairs for an early breakfast.
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"I. Am. BORED!" the last word was bellowed so loudly into Harry's ear that he winced involuntarily.
"Then go. And. EAT!" He screamed back at his enormous cousin, and immediately regretted doing so.
Stay, calm. Do NOT yell at him, you will NOT enjoy the consequences. SHUT. UP. HARRY. The high temperature had strained Harry's mind beyond all normal self-control. His brow was bathed in sweat, and his entire body screamed for some relief from the unbearable heat. And between Dudley yelling in his ear and his itchy, hot and bothered body, his mouth had done the unthinkable. He had yelled. At Dudley. The sensible voice in his head (that he rarely listened to) spoke up from the shadows of his mind and he thankfully he decided to listen to it.
"If you are bored, go and get yourself some candy in the pantry and have some fun with your friends down at the park. Or at their houses. Or… anywhere really. Just go." He kept his voice completely void of all anger, and dropped his head to avoid showing his dangerously riled cousin the flames shooting behind his emerald eyes.
"Oh, no, you aren't getting off that easily. You yelled. At me. Mommy and Daddy won't be pleased in the least! And I know about you! Not only are you a freak, you're a fucking fairy!" Dudley wobbled all over as threw the word in Harry's face.
"I am not Dudley-Unkins! Just because you think yourself so good looking doesn't mean that the rest of the world does too! You seem like an overfed pig to me, but that's just my opinion." Harry fought off a deep laughter as his cousin paled at the thought.
"So now you like me? I thought it was all your disgusting freak friends, but I'm your cousin! I suppose Cedric wasn't enough for you!" Dudley gave a very Malfoy-like smirk at the thought and began to walk away from Harry towards his still open door.
"Firstly, I don't like you in the least; I despise every living inch of you. And secondly my friends. Aren't. FREAKS!" Harry exploded right in Dudley's face and his inner voices yelled at him with all their strength.
HARRY, STOP NOW! SAY NO MORE! THIS SITUATION CAN BE SALVAGED!
Dudley virtually giggled in excitement and ran, or more so waddling from the room, quivering with glee.
"Oh, you're in for it now, you queer freak!" he cried and slammed the door in Harry's face.
"Shit. Shit, shit, shit…"
Harry visibly paled at the mere idea that his adoptive parents or just his uncle was going to be given reason to punish him. He paced the room frantically, thinking of ways to escape in the next few moments. Then he stopped and stared intently out his only window as a soft breeze ruffled his raven-black hair. He was sure he had seen a snatch of white, a flash of black. He took a double take out to the lone tree stationed in the backyard, then returned to sit on his lumpy bed.
You're losing it Harry. You are officially going nutters. Calm down now; there are more pressing matters at hand. Uncle Vernon will be here in a minute. Just… take your mind away from this place, imagine you're at Ron's…
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Draco shed his thick black robe on the floor of his immense bedroom with ease, and began work on his white long sleeve shirt, too-warm pants, and green silk boxers. The temperature outside was hotter than hell and he couldn't stand a moment longer wearing all that boiling and itchy clothing.
"Aaahhhhh….." he sighed happily as his entire body prickled with delight with being in the nude. All his body was out for the world to see, every inch of his pale and perfect skin. "People really don't give nudity enough credit. It's a very effective mode of cooling." He talked to himself as he strode confidently across his bedroom with every wide window thrown open, begging for a breeze to flutter by.
"Must maintain some class, even in this heat. I'll go for… white and black" He announced to himself as he threw open his closet to view a virtual sea of whites, grays, and black. He chose a crisp white t-shirt with black pants. (A thinner material than his last.) He slid them on with no boxers (Too much heat conservation in them) then mounted his broomstick, bewitched himself nearly invisible, and sailed smoothly out his bedroom window for a day of adventure.
He lazily flew threw the air for about an hour before arriving at his chosen destination for the day.
If I'm to betray my father, I must know how the other side lives. He had landed oh-so-carefully in the highest branches of the tree at the back of number 4 Privet Drive. His disillusioned himself and settled down comfortably within the dappled shade that the broad green leaves gave him.
So, the infamous Harry Potter lives in… a boring old Muggle house? What the hell is this, some kind of trick? Doesn't "The-Boy-Who-Lived" have a mansion, a fortune, a gaggle of girls and boys around him at all times? This can't be where he really lives; it's some kind of decoy…
Malfoys inner thoughts were smashed as soon as he heard sounds from the open upper story window.
"I. Am. BORED!"
Draco recoiled in the tree from the sudden booming voice emerging from the room. Definitely NOT Harry Potter, I have the wrong house… his thoughts were once again cut off early by another voice.
"Then go. And. EAT!"
That's the Harry I know and HATE! Giving some typical Gryffindor sass…Draco shifted his position to a lower branch to get a better view of the row unfolding.
"If you are bored, go and get yourself some candy in the pantry and have some fun with your friends down at the park. Or at their houses. Or… anywhere really. Just go."
This stunned even Malfoy's mind into silence. The Harry Malfoy knew NEVER backed down. He always fought back to the bitterend but now he wasn't even resisting a bit. It was a sight to pity, seeing him there like a shameful dog with his head hung low.
"Oh, no, you aren't getting off that easily. You yelled. At me. Mommy and Daddy won't be pleased in the least! And I know about you! Not only are you a freak, you're a fucking fairy!"
The fat boy began to walk towards the rickety door into Harry's room and then stopped as Harry began talking again.
"I am not Dudley-Unkins! Just because you think yourself so good looking doesn't mean that the rest of the world does too! You seem like an overfed pig, but that's just my opinion."
Characteristic Gryffindor, stupidly digging themselves deeper graves to die in. Good lord, when will they ever learn?
"So now you like me? I thought it was all your disgusting freak friends, but I'm your cousin! I suppose Cedirc wasn't enough for you."
Point for the fat one. He really would make a good Slytherin; very fickle and deliciously evil in a non-threatening way.
"Firstly, I don't like you in the least; I despise every living inch of you. And secondly my friends. Aren't. FREAKS!"
Tut-tut, classic Harry always is asking for more trouble. Can't say he doesn't deserve it now though…
He watched as the blonde haired, fat pink boy waddled out of the room, barely fitting through the narrow doorframe.
"Oh, you're in for it now, you queer freak!"
"Who, what… hold up a minute...?" Draco whispered to himself. "He didn't just say… is this the REAL Harry Potter?"
"Shit. Shit, shit, shit…" This was too much for Draco to understand. Harry Potter was backing down from fights, a fat Muggle boy threatened The-Boy-Who-Lived, and the infamous one himself just took it. And then freaked out.
Draco watched, mystified, as Harry paced the room in a frightened fashion, raking his fingers through his sexily tousled black hair, looking scared and very uncertain. He turned unexpectantly to look directly at Draco, and he beat a hasty retreat to the branch above him. His breath came in short gasps, to be seen was not an option he wanted to think about. Harry didn't call out or send searing spells his way, so he warily looked back.
He was seated calmly on his bed, apparently deep in thought. This. Is. Too. Weird. thought Draco. He's probably going to hex his uncle to the high heavens, I just know it! This can't be real; this is going to be the BEST GOSSIP EVER! Even though Draco despised his father deeply and loathed any and all things that he said, he still kept a special place in his heart just for hating Harry.
"Let's watch and see what happens why don't we?" he whispered to himself, disillusioning himself again as to not be seen twice by Harry.
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… imagine you're at Ron's, you're happy, you're very happy and very far away from here…
"BOY!" Harry's purple faced and bulging veined Uncle slammed the door open so forcefully that the dingy gray wall behind it was permanently dented and it swung itself closed with all the extra force.
Harry began to explain himself before his Uncle even began to accuse him of anything.
"Nothing. I swear, I didn't touch Dudley." Harry had decided against lying a long time ago. In situations like these, he could have told his uncle that he was the world's only savior (not so far from the truth) and it wouldn't change a thing. He knew what was coming before Vernon began the first step of the stairs.
"You are LYING! You always lie you stupid freak! How DARE you talk to my son in such a way? Like you are superior to him, like you have the right to even speak in his presence! It seems like you've learned nothing in all the years you've been here!" Spit flew from the man's mouth; he was such a shade of puce Harry was surprised his head didn't simply explode from the pressure. His breathing came in short gasps; he resembled a very pissed off rhino rather than a person at the moment.
Keep. Calm. Do not, at any time feed the animals, or approach when angry. Harry made his worst mistake of the day at that moment. He smiled. In the middle of his Uncle's rage, he smiled. It would be the end to so far a quite happy day.
"And if… YOU'RE SMILING! AT THIS?" Harry was so forcefully backhanded that his neck snapped back and his glasses flew and smashed into the wall behind him. Blood poured into his mouth as his lip cut raggedly against his teeth.
Shit, shit, shit…
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Draco was nothing if not astonished. Simply astonished beyond all words.
Harry took blow after blow, never drawing his wand, never making a sound other than an occasional grunt of pain. He just took it. From a common Muggle, no less.
After the first blow, he was knocked down hard, and his glasses flew off his face and smashed into hundreds of pieces as they became too friendly with the dingy wall. He struggled to all fours, trying to get back up when his Uncle continued. He kicked fiercely at his ribs whilst yelling, "THINK IT'S FUNNY NOW! THIS IS HOW YOU DESERVED TO BE TREATED, YOU HEAR ME? YOU HEAR ME?" His Uncle went on kicked, punching, slapping any part of Harry that could be reached. Draco watched in silent horror as this went on for minutes that dragged on like endless hours. Eventually he stopped; short of breath and flecked with his nephews own blood.
"That… is what you… deserve… you are… no longer welcome…in this house… you… fucking… queer… freak."
He left the room quietly and calmly as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred, opened and closed the door behind him.
The raven-haired boy lay beaten and bruised on the floorboards of his bedroom and began to cry very silently. Tears flowed down his cheeks but he refused to whimper or really cry; his body shook in small bursts and he made an effort to make as little sound possible.
Draco's insides felt as broken as Harry's outsides looked. Silent crying was the lowest of all the lows, he knew from experience. Even when everything inside you was crushed so much that you weren't even sure you had a soul left, you couldn't let those intensely painful feelings show through. That was what Harry was doing and it broke Draco's frigid heart.
And that is how Draco changed all his previously made views on Harry Potter. As he sat silently in a dying elm tree and watched the emerald eyed boy cry inwardly on his dirty floorboards, hatred 5 years in the making melted away like an ice cube on that record temperature making day.
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mintapotter