Chapter 9

Harry

"Do you have to go back? Why can't you just stay here?" Harry asked, pretending to read a book. They were sitting across from one another in the library. There were a few other people around them, so they were under the façade of studying.

"Believe me I don't want to go back, but—" she paused as Madame Pince walked by. "But my grandfather doesn't know that I was trying to run away."

"So where did he think you were for two weeks?"

"Apparently, I felt like spending those two weeks in Paris," she said, sarcastically.

"Who told him that?"

"His minions of course." She got up and returned her book to the shelf.

"And there's no way you can convince him to let you stay here?" Harry asked, as he got up and followed her.

"No," she said sighing.

"It's too dangerous, I don't like it."

"I know you don't like it, but it's only for a couple of weeks. I'll be fine," she said, trying to convince him.

"Yeah, sure," he muttered in disbelief. She sighed and took hi hands in hers.

"Harry, I'll be ok, I promise," she pleaded.

"All right," he sighed, "but if anything happens I want you to write me immediately, ok?"

"Ok, don't worry, I'll be fine," she added. Harry smiled weakly and kissed her. He was still nervous about her staying with Voldemort and his Death Eaters. But there wasn't much he could do without revealing their relationship, which would probably just cause more problems for Dawn.

"I'll try to write often if that'll make you feel better?"

"You won't get caught?"

"No, no one really pays much attention to me. They're all too busy trying to figure out how to kill you and take over the Ministry," she joked.

"Any progress on that?" he asked, feigning a passive interest.

"I'm sure someone has some new thoughts on it." She laid her head against his chest and sighed.

"Do you believe everything you've told me?" he asked in a whisper.

"I have to," she whispered. Harry heaved a heavy sigh and hugged her tightly.

"I should go," she whispered sadly. "Have a good holiday."

"I'll try, be careful," he said, kissing her forehead.

"I will. Good night Harry, see you in a couple of weeks."

"Wait." He pulled her to him and kissed her fervently. "Night Dawn."

"Good night."

XXXXXXXXX

Dawn sighed as she followed Draco onto the platform. She thought she had escaped all this the previous summer. It wasn't that she didn't love her grandfather, she just didn't agree with his ideals. She thought that if she could disappear she would be fine, she was sure that he would never have noticed that she was gone. He never did pay much attention to her.

"Don't try to pull anything, you little slut," whispered Mrs. Malfoy in a threatening tone as her hand closed tightly around Dawn's upper arm.

"Mother!" said Draco aghast. Mrs. Malfoy had always been kind to Dawn what was with the sudden change in attitude?

"It's your estranged aunt, Draco," Dawn explained as she figured out what was going on. The Death Eaters were afraid of her squealing on them, or a specific few of them at least, and had sent Bellatrix to scare her.

"Smart girl," Bellatrix smirked. "Draco go get your trunks and bring them to the Manor with you. Dawn and I will go on ahead since she still underage."

Draco nodded and ran off to get their belongings while Bellatrix steered Dawn further down the platform to a more secluded spot. On their way they past Harry, who shot him a quick smile trying to convey that everything was all right, even though it wasn't. As they reached a spot that was empty of most onlookers they Disapparated to the Malfoy Manor.

"Is she all right?" asked a worried Mrs. Malfoy.

"Oh, don't coddle her Cissy, she's fine," said Bellatrix as she changed back to her regular appearance. "And Draco's on his way. I do hope that this is the only baby-fetching job I ever to do, it's so degrading!"

She stormed off and Mrs. Malfoy rolled her eyes at her sister. Draco appeared behind them with a loud pop, levitating two trunks. He set them down and with a wave of his wand sent he trunks to the owner's room.

"Thank you, Draco. Will you escort Dawn to her room?" Mrs. Malfoy asked.

"Sure, Mum." He put a hand on Dawn's should, startling her from her reverie. They started to make their way upstairs when Mrs. Malfoy called out, "Oh, and dinner's at six!"

"All right!" Draco hollered back down. "So how have you been? I don't see you around much any more. What have you been up to?"

"I'm fine, I haven't been up to anything," Dawn said, edge creeping into her voice.

"Sure," Draco muttered, sarcastically. "I think Potter fancies you."

"Oh really? Why do think that?" she asked, trying to sound unconcerned.

"He's always looking at you. How did you tow meet any ways? He's never paid much attention to you before."

"I don't know Draco, we've been going to the same school for seven yeas, there's no way we could've met that way!" she snapped, losing her cool. "Thanks for showing me to my room."

She opened the door that they'd stopped at, walked in, and shut it in his face. She leaned against the door and sighed, feeling a little guilty about how she'd treated Draco. She threw herself on the large ornate bed. Dawn looked around at her surroundings. The room was lavishly decorated with antique furniture and expensive paintings. The blue and white sheets on the bed had to have been made of silk. It was a very nice room, but it felt cold and imposing to her. I wonder what Harry's doing, she thought wishing more than ever that things were different.

There was a knock on the door, which caused Dawn to jump to her feet. She looked at the clock; it read five-thirty. Dinner wasn't for a while so that couldn't be why someone was coming to get her. They knocked again, becoming impatient. She walked to the door dread rising inside of her with each step.

"Oh, Grandfather, it's you," she said, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Were you expecting anyone else?" he asked, entering.

"Er…no. What brings you here? I wasn't told that you'd be stopping by." He crossed the room and sat on one of the antique chairs that adorned the room. He then motioned for her to join him; she obeyed and sat across from him on the bed.

"I know that you did not spend the remainder of your summer in Paris. I would like to know why and where you were," he said in a business like tone. It always amazed Dawn how uncaring and cold he could be.

"I stayed at the Leakey Cauldron," she said, trying to keep the hurt out of her voice.

"Why?"

"Surely you know. You know everything else that goes on around here," she snapped. His hand curled into a fist in anger.

"This isn't a game Dawn," he said, temper rising. "Why did you lie about your where about?!"

"Why do you suddenly care? When have you ever cared? Why now?!" she asked, tears streaming down her face. She couldn't understand how he could notice so much and yet so little? He up so quickly that she flinched back out of habit.

"How dare you! I—Why did you flinch? When have I ever laid a hand on you?" he shouted in rage. She tried to say something, but couldn't. All her repressed emotions were pouring out in the form of tears. Seeing that he could not get any more information out of her, he got up and left, having her to cry herself to sleep.

Later that night Dawn was awakened by the sound of her door creaking open. She sat up in her bed and squinted at he door, trying to see who it was. The figure entered the room and quickly shut the door. A spell shot from the figures wand, lighting the room for the briefest moment. He was upon her in seconds.

"What did you tell him?!" Yaxely demanded, shaking her violently.

"N-nothing," she stuttered. "I didn't tell him anything."

"You're lying!" He punched her, causing her lip to bleed, and threw her to the ground.

"I swear I didn't!" He kicked her in her side. She cried out, he only laughed.

"No one can hear you. Now tell me the truth, bitch, what did you tell him?!"

"Nothing," she cried, but he didn't believe her. He continued to beat her for what reason she couldn't fathom. Just as she was about to give up there was another flash of light, and Yaxely lay unconscious on the ground. Someone scooped her up and she almost saw who it was before passing out.

XXXXXXXX

"Professor McGonagall what's going on? Why am I here?" Harry asked. He had to jog the keep up with her swift pace.

"Potter, do you or do you now know Dawn Riddle?" she asked, stopping just outside the Hospital Wing.

"Yes, why?"

"And are you not in a…romantic relationship with her?"

"Yes." Harry's heart started to speed up and it wasn't from running through Hogwarts. "How did you find out about it?"

"Miss Riddle was brought here earlier this evening. She wasn't in any fit condition to tell us what had happened to her, but did keep asking for you. Being a teacher for as long as I have I can put two and two together."

"Is she ok? Can I see her?" he asked. He was mentally beating himself up for letting her go back there. I should have done something…anything. McGonagall gave a stiff nod of her and led him into the room.

"Professor McGonagall what's the meaning of this?" asked an indignant Madame Pompfry.

"Miss Riddle asked to see Mr. Potter. He's to find out what happened to her."

"She's in no fit state to answer questions—she's not even awake!"

"Actually, I am awake," Dawn said, weakly. Madame Pompfry gave a defeated sigh as Harry rushed over to Dawn. Professor McGonagall and Madame Pompfry retreated to the end of the wing, where Madame Pompfry's office was located.

"Dawn are you ok? What happened?" he asked, embracing her. She was a mess. She had bruises everywhere, her bottom lip was split, and her movements were small and tender.

"I'm ok really. I looked a lot worse earlier." She smiled, trying to make light of the situation.

"I knew I shouldn't have let you go back," he said, more angry with himself than anyone else.

"You couldn't have done anything," she whispered.

"What happened to you?" he asked, looking her in the eyes.

She looked away from him and sighed. She seemed to be battling an internal struggle with herself. She took a deep breath and looked back at him.

"The Death Eaters don't like me very much. They think that I could deter my grandfather fro his goal. That's not possible, but that's what they've deluded themselves into thinking," she muttered bitterly. "Anyways, when something goes wrong or if they're just angry, they take it out on me. I could take the beatings, but there's one Death Eater who sometimes goes further than just hitting. He didn't tonight, someone stopped him…"

"Is this why you ran away?" Harry asked, trying to keep his temper under control.

"Yes," she whispered. She was ashamed an embarrassed about her past. She was worried about his reaction, she had never told anyone what had happened before. "Are you mad?"

"No, not with you at least," he said, reassuringly. "I just don't understand how someone who cares for you could let this happen!"

She sighed and looked at him sadly. "I don't think he's cared about anyone in a long time."

Harry hugged her and kissed her forehead. "I care about you and I promise that you'll never have to go back there again."

She hugged him back and cried into his shoulder. He held her there and whispered comforting things to her. Harry stayed with her for a long time, long after she had fallen asleep. He could have left and slept in Gryffindor Tower, but he didn't feel right leaving her there alone. He curled up next to her on the bed and held her to him. As he fell asleep his thoughts rested on Voldemort and his stupidity.

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