AN: Written for LJ' s 30wounds, prompt #24: Stabbed in the back

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters

The Ultimate Betrayal

Draco opened up his copy of the daily Prophet at breakfast and after reading the first page was quite glad that he didn't have anything in his mouth because he surely would have choked on it.

Hogwarts had been attacked a few weeks ago and the Final Battle had been fought. Thankfully Harry had come out on top, but only just. He had spent three and a half weeks recuperating in the hospital wing and had only been released two days ago. Even so, he still wasn't completely healthy, he was quite weak and would probably remain so for quite some time due to the amount of power he had used in the final battle to defeat Voldemort.

They had known that someone had to have helped the Death Eaters to break through the wards but so far the culprit had not been discovered. Though now it appeared as if he had been found at last.

It appeared that while the majority of students had slept last night one in particular had been discovered as a traitor. Draco finally came out of his stupor after reading the article and swore.

"Harry, he'll already know if this happened last night," he abandoned the remainder of his breakfast and rushed out the Great Hall, hearing the echo's of McGonagall's voice trailing behind him, presumably telling the students of last nights discovery.

Draco made it to Gryffindor tower in record time and banged loudly on the portrait, ignoring her protests of such treatment. Finally a somber looking Hermione Granger appeared in the opening where the portrait had been a moment ago.

"Malfoy," she greeted him.

"Granger, where's Harry. I just found out-"

"I'm sorry Malfoy, but I'm not sure. You could try the Room of Requirements, or maybe the pitch."

He nodded his thanks and turned and raced off.

Hermione sighed and turned back into the common room to resume her task of calming the other students who had heard last night's happenings, which was most of them. She only hoped that Professor McGonagall returned soon.

Xxx

When Draco reached the seventh floor he hurried to the corridor that held the entrance to the Room of Requirement and prayed the Harry was there.

There was already a door, which meant that Harry probably was in there and he let go a sigh of relief.

It took him a few tries to get the door open but finally he found the right unlocking spell, he was just relieved that he knew Harry so well and which spells he was more likely to use. Of course it helped that Harry still hadn't completely recovered and couldn't put too much power behind his spells.

The sight of his lover working through his anger was a hard one to bear. Harry was grabbing anything he could get a hold of and violently throwing them towards a replicate of the person who had betrayed not only him, but also the entire Wizarding world. He finally began to pound on the figure with his fists before his still damaged body gave out and he sank to the floor, still yelling the most hateful words Draco had ever heard come out of Harry's mouth.

Draco approached cautiously and when he was near enough he alerted Harry to his presence.

Harry looked up at him and Draco knelt beside him unsure as to whether or not Harry would want to be touched. He had his answer a moment later when the smaller brunette threw himself into Draco's arms and sobbed against his chest. Draco just held on, comforting him in the only way he knew how to with the present situation.

Finally Harry's sobs came to an end and he pulled away from Draco though not far enough for Draco to release him. He sat there like that for quite some time before he spoke, his voice hoarse from his tears and earlier shouting.

"There was a death eater on trial yesterday, he was given veritiserum and when asked how the Voldemort got passed Hogwart's wards he gave a name. As I'm sue you know by now that name was none other than Ronald Weasley."

Draco remained silent, knowing that despite his present silence Harry wasn't finished. Finally he began speaking again.

"It seems as if Ron was corresponding with his brother Percy at the ministry who was then passing on the information to the death eaters. Neither of them were marked but they conspired against us all to get the information out to those who wanted it. I just can't – he was my best fucking friend Draco, my best friend and my first. And he stabbed me in the back in the worst way possible.

"What makes things even worse is that I know he sat there with everyone else waiting for me to wake up after the battle, that he was there with me, helping me during the battle. And all the while he was the one that gave the death eaters the key to Hogwarts. He endangered everyone here, including his own sister! How the fuck could anyone do that? I just can't comprehend…" He trailed off and collapsed against Draco's chest again.

The blonde moved his hand in soothing circles on Harry's back and spoke for the first time since he had entered the room.

"What Weasley did was reprehensible Harry, the worst form of betrayal. I'm sure he had his reasons but none of them could possible justify what he did to you and everyone else here. I know that he was your friend Harry and I know that you loved him like a brother, and he was obviously quite happy to keep up the act once you had killed you-know-who and he had no reason to openly change sides. As you said, he stabbed you in the back and then he turned the knife counter-clockwise and then did the same thing to everyone in our world who did not bow to the Dark Lord's will. There's no forgiving that and no coming back from it. And now he will be punished and you, you Harry will try to move past his deceit and heal. And I will be there with you every step of the way."

Harry looked up at him, his eyes red and watery, and placed a firm kiss on Draco's mouth, pulling away before Draco could respond.

"Thank you," he whispered.