Sorry, guys. Life got busy. Also, I'd been forgetting to post here, so here are all the chapters I've neglected to post.
Draco smiled as the other man approached. He was glad to see him. The warm, fuzzy feeling in the chest that blossomed every time he was in Harry's presence spread through the rest of his body. The news he had to share dampened the mood a little, but not enough to wipe the smile off Draco's face.
The other man smiled back, but he looked off. Tired. Beaten down, more so than before. Draco could have sworn he saw the man wove a little bit as he walked, but passed that thought off as his overactive, protective imagination. He walked forward to embrace the servant. Comte, he corrected in his mind. That was going to be a fun conversation. But food first; that would hopefully soften the blow.
As he pulled away, he caught a grimace on Harry's face. He wondered why. He pushed that thought to the back of his mind. "I've bought us some lunch," he said, rubbing his hand through his hair, " I thought we could enjoy some time alone. Together. Under the shade of these magical apple trees." He waved his hand around, to the blanket spread out and the basket resting on it.
Harry nodded, sitting down. Draco joined him. He reached into the basket and began to serve them. It was really nice, but what he needed to tell the other man was eating away at him. Draco distracted himself by looking at the other man.
Harry was looking pale. Paler than yesterday. There was an ashy hue to the normally gorgeous, rich olive skin. He mostly just nibbled at the food, though he did eat a decent amount. The man would shift slightly then wince, like he was stiff but moving to relieve that made something hurt. Merde, if those vile people hurt him again.
The rest of the meal was spent chatting softly about nothing important. The sun beat down mercilessly on them, even with the partial shade of the leaves above. Draco plucked at neck of his tunic. It was heavy, thick, and it felt like it was suffocating him. He made a snap decision. They were in the middle of a basically abandoned orchard; it was just the two of them.
Draco grabbed the fabric and pulled it off. That left him in just his thin undershirt. He sighed in relief. The wind went right through the material and cooled him down. "Much better," he murmured, then looked to the other man. And frowned.
Harry was biting his lip, looking conflicted. He fingered the vest wore over his shirt. It was a different from the rest of his clothes; it was not worn down to the threads. It was nice quality, like what a noble would wear. After a moment, he shrugged it off, leaving just the shirt. He folded it in his lap. Draco tilted his head in confusion. The lining was dark red, but only on the back part. Dark red … like blood.
Draco looked up at the other man, horror and anger warring behind his eyes. "Harry … what?" he trailed off, not able to find the right words.
The other man just shook his head, waving his hand at the other man. "It's nothing," he reassured, "Don't worry." He smiled weakly. "So, I'm surprised you're here again." He bit his lip. "Not that I'm complaining or anything. I like you being here." He ducked down, obviously embarrassed.
Draco smiled and stood up. "I love coming here. Seeing you," he said as he dug through his saddle bags for the records the old servant from the townhouse gave him, "There's something I need to tell you." He paused for a second, gathering his thoughts. "Remember what Lyra and I asked you about? About the Dursley's? It has to do with that. Somewhat."
Draco turned back around to face Harry. He then gasped. Harry had turned a bit to reach into the basket, exposing his back. The shirt was drenched with blood. Fresh too, not had enough time to dry. They had done something to him. Whipped him, by the looks of it.
"What happened?" he breathed, crouching down next to Harry. He reached out like he was going to touch his shoulder.
The other man flinched away from the touch. "Nothing," he said, jumping up. He wavered, like it hurt, and then stood tall. He looked over his shoulder at Draco, forcing a smile. "This was nice, but I have to get back to my duties."
Draco sighed sadly, nodding. "Alright," he answered. He tucked the papers behind his back. It was not important right then. Harry, and what happened, and what Draco was going to do about it that was. He watched the other man leave.
Harry stumbled over a root, and Draco stood up. Something was wrong. The other man wavered again. He made it the man's side just as emerald eyes rolled up. Draco caught him as he collapsed.
Trying not to panic, Draco laid the other man across his saddle. He untied the stallion and climbed up into the saddle, settling behind Harry to hold him in place. Taking the reins, he kneed his horse into motion. He would take the other man back to castle. There, he would get treatment and finally learn the truth about himself.