OMG! Hi!

Thanks soooo much to my faithful readers and reviewers! Thanks for sticking with this and coming back, even after a three months pause! I promise, I won't wait that long again!

Well, I've been bad. I posted like three or four oneshots before updating this. -cough-you should check them out-cough-. ;) So, as my humble apology, I'll make this chappie long. :)

Well, enjoy!
Oh, BTW, if you were wondering why Blaise and 'Mione were friendly, I don't have an answer for you besides, it's my story and I say so :):)

RECAP

"I-I know what he does to you Harry." Harry closed his eyes for a second. He remained silent. "I saw what he did." Blaise said gently. His voice was calm again and he looked into Harry's eyes. His pale blue eyes shone with truth and tears into Harry's softening emerald ones.

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"How?" was all Harry said. He never uncrossed his arms. Blaise was sure it was because he didn't trust him.

"I went to follow you guys out on the grounds one night not too long ago. I needed to get Malfoy for something or other. I went to the lake where I figured I'd find you snogging. Instead, I saw him pinning you down and cutting you. My eyes were glued on you guys. I was right there. I saw you pass out and be brought back, I saw the ground dyed red from you blood, I saw you covered in it, I saw Malfoy covered in it, and not caring. I just tore myself away and ran. I didn't look back. I just turned around and ran into the castle." He finished sadly. His voice went low and broke again halfway through but now he was calming himself.

Harry had moved to the couch and sat with Hermione and Blaise on either side. He laid his head back and looked to the ceiling. "No... you're not supposed to know. If Draco finds out I'm going to-" Blaise stopped him.

"He's got it coming to him. Harry, we're gonna help you so he can never lay a finger on you again." he said seriously. He looked directly into Harry's eyes and Harry saw genuine caring.

"Why do you care so much?" Harry asked out of curiosity, not to mention with a bite of anger. Blaise used his Slytherin defiance and acted cool.

"He tried to pull the knife on me once. I wouldn't listen to him. We were at his house and we were probably... eleven, twelve? I don't know, first year. But, we were in one of his rooms and he wanted me to do something with him. Probably go steal something, or play a trick on someone. I usually love that stuff, but whatever he wanted was way mean, even for me. So I refused to do it."

"What was it?" Hermione asked gently. Blaise shrugged.

"Can't remember. But I know whatever it was it was bad. Anyway, I refused to do it and he got mad. He threatened me and pulled out his knife. I just got right in his face. I told him he can't touch me with it. I looked right in his eyes and told him I'm not scared. I said I'd tell my dad on him if he touched me. He knew I'd do it too so he dropped it." Blaise stated with pride. Harry looked away.

"What's wrong Harry?" Blaise asked. Harry just let his eyes water and mumbled, "I can't say that. It's not like I have parents. I'd never be strong enough anyway." Blaise just left it alone as Hermione spoke.

"But Harry, just because you didn't stand up to him doesn't mean you aren't strong! You told me! And Blaise knows! So now we can help protect you! And don't you start with the feeling sorry for yourself again." Harry snapped around to face her.

"Well, you've got parents to speak for, haven't you! By the way, I did stick up to him! I stood up to him before. I fought him before and he overpowered me!" Blaise spoke up again, trying to get off the topic of Harry's parents.

"But have you ever fought with help?" Harry thought for a second.

"But how can you guys help me?" he asked dejectedly. Hermione popped in again.

"Let us worry about that. Just know we'll keep you safe." Harry smiled and hugged her. He looked over to Blaise, who looked very uncomfortable. Harry laughed.

"Don't worry." He paused a moment. "You're cool, you know that? Thanks for you help." Blaise smiled and shook his hand. "If you don't mind my asking, why are you friends with Draco if you don't like him?" Blaise shrugged cooly.

"Draco is my friend. Draco tells me his secrets and comes to me when he needs help. He's there when I need him and we can just hang out sometimes. However, Draco's father beat 'Draco' out of him by first year. Now he's Malfoy. Malfoy is snobby and demanding. Malfoy is rude and hides his secrets. He is cold and I can't tell him anything. He doesn't deserve my respect." Harry scoffed. He didn't believe Draco was actually abused. If someone was hurt, they'd know what it feels like and wouldn't hurt others.

"I don't believe it at all." Harry said angrily. Blaise raised his eyebrows.

"Believe it. He always told me about his father's abuse, at least until he cut off from me. When we were little, he could come to me with angry tears in his eyes and tell me Lucius hit him. When he was seven, his father used the Crutacius on him." Blaise said darkly.

"Seven?" Hermione breathed disbelievingly. Blaise nodded sadly.

"Seven and he was fair game to the unforgivables in his father's eyes. He was being taught to be 'strong'." He said matter-of-factly. "But, since his eighth birthday, he was introduced to the chambers." Blaise choked out. Harry and Hermione didn't understand, but they nodded anyway. Blaise rolled his eyes. He calmed down for a second before continuing. "I know you don't understand. Maybe I shouldn't tell you. You shouldn't know anyway." Both Gryffindors nodded sympathetically, although they felt cheated and taunted now. "But I'll tell you anyway."

"Listen. The chambers are where Lucius holds his torture weapons- you know, whips, chains, shackles, the works." Blaise said quietly. "So... the chambers... since he was eight. And he still came to me. He would come over in the middle of the night saying he snuck out. He would show me the marks from the day and I would help him heal them since he was usually too weak to do it himself."

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I could end it here. But I feel bad for leaving you for so long. So I'll keep going.

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"The marks..." Harry trailed off in an astonished voice.

"You've seen them?" Blaise asked sadly. Harry shook his head.

"I couldn't figure out why he wouldn't let me take off his shirt. He got me a few times for trying." Harry muttered. Blaise nodded.

"He won't let anyone see. The last thing I remember him telling me was he couldn't tell anyone or he'd be in big trouble. Then he just... changed." Harry agreed in sympathy. Hermione spoke again, though tearfully.

"So... so the knife incident was after he changed. Which means..." She trailed off.

"He wasn't always an evil little wanker." Blaise finished laughing bitterly. The trio sat in an uncomfortable silence for a moment before Blaise volunteered information again.

"I saw once..." Harry and Hermione looked up at him awaiting an explanation. "When we were ten. He was in the 'cut-off-from-the-world' stage. We were messing around in his room and his father called him. He said he'd be back in a minute. He told me to stay there and not leave. I agreed, but of course followed anyway." he grinned a little. Harry smiled and Hermione playfully rolled her eyes. Soon Blaise's smile fell though. "Well, I crept along in the shadows. I followed as he went into the living room with his head held high. I peeked in the door to see. Lucius was standing over Draco and leaning on that creepy cane of his."

"Well, he started yelling at Draco for something he didn't do. Draco tried to protest and Lucius backhanded him. Draco fell to the floor and Lucius demanded he get up. Draco stood really fast and looked angrily up to his father, but he held his tongue. Lucius kept yelling at him. Occasionally Draco would nod and apologize but Lucius ignored it all. After a few minutes more, Lucius ordered him to take off his shirt. Draco looked a little scared, but he did it anyway. His father pointed to a wall and Draco turned around. He walked over to the wall. I saw the face he made. Almost like he was expecting something more unpredictable. Lucky his father didn't see though." Blaise commented. "He... he pressed his fists and forehead on the wall, probably to brace himself. His father strutted over and flicked his cane at Draco. He just stood against the wall and waited. Lucius caned him about fifteen times anywhere between his thighs and the top of his back."

Hermione was teary eyed again and Harry was biting his lip.

"He stayed standing though. And he never once made a sound. But as soon as Lucius left the room, Draco slid down the wall and fell to the floor. He just sat there still and breathing hard. I left and went back to the room. When he came back I had plastered on a face like, 'What took you so long?' he just muttered and apology. Thing was, he looked like nothing had happened. He came strutting in and nothing looked wrong. His shirt covered him again and if I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't have believed it. He just said in his same lazy drawl as always, 'What do you wanna do now?' and... that's it."

"He never told you?" Harry asked.

"Never." Blaise answered.

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There. I'm a horrible, sadistic author. Poor Draco. Poor Harry. Poor readers for having to wait so long.

Haha, all the more reason to review! It'll give me some self-esteem and I'll add sooner! haha.
Laaaaaaaates!