Chapter Twelve

It'd been five days since Harry had had any contact with Draco- and the end of that rendezvous was hardly desirable in the least. In the years in which he'd considered himself to be sexually active, never had he forced a partner to run away in tears.

Fucking brilliant as per usual.

Assisting in wedding detail certainly wasn't helping Harry's dilemma either. The closer the day came, the more Hermione and Ron seemed to fall in love. The hero couldn't make heads or tails of it. How could two people who have known each other for over half a lifetime still find more? Love seemed utterly exhausting and dangerous. To open oneself to something so terrifying seemed counterproductive in self-preservation. Painful even, if not handled with care.

"Hello, Harry," Luna smiled, interrupting his inner turmoil along with the wind's chorus and crackling leaves. "Lovely weather today, isn't it?"

"Very much so, Luna. Yeah," he humoured, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his trousers.

"Going to Draco's today? It's Thursday after all." Knowing this was nowhere near a jibe at his struggle, Harry allowed his fists to unclench. The expecting mother never possessed the potential to actually toy with Harry or anyone else for that matter.

"I'll be leaving after I finish my tea."

"You're worried about the date, aren't you? There wasn't much of an article about it. Higgs was wonderful about keeping the whole deal private."

The print flashed momentarily in Harry's mind:

Escorting the ever-enigmatic Draco Malfoy, Higgs?

Higgs: I wouldn't exactly call him enigmatic, Lucile. He's definitely a mystery, but not unsolvable.

While in school, did you ever have eyes for the Slytherin? You both attended together, yes?

Higgs: Well, considering we were five years apart, he was very much a child when we'd met. And the fact that he had wanted my Seeker's position didn't do much for a friendship. Different times and different people.

Why keep the affair so exclusive? Both of you are quite the catches as of nowcould have any and every one if you chose to.

Higgs (laughing): I have no interest in dating for sport. I'm twenty-six. Pardon my language, but I wasn't much of a whore when the world thought me straight. Why would that change because I've gone and out myself? Draco's a wonderful man. I'm looking forward to getting to know him.

And how about his relationship with the elusive Harry Potter? Are you nervous that the pair may be a bit more than business partners?

Higgs: Draco's told me about their relationship. It's professional and Potter's presence is really helping publicity for Draco's center. If a War Hero supports a cause, it's probably a worthy cause indeed. I give him all the credit in the world for moving past his differences with Draco to help these children.

Speaking of children, we hear from a reliable source that you're thinking of ado

And that's where Harry had ceased to complete the interview. The churning in his stomach was in no agreement with the words on the page and if he continued, there was a stern possibility that he would have covered the Prophetin bile.

"It's of no concern to me, he can do as he pleases," the brunette bit through clenched teeth.

"When I was little, Daddy used to read me a story about Flaxers and Boxens. They never got along until one Flaxer told a Boxen that he was smitten with her. Turns out, she felt the same and the two eloped to make their own family of Floxen. The cutest little green-armed, pig-nosed, pink-haired, pixies you've ever seen. When their families saw what a beautiful group they made, they settled their differences and lived happily ever after."

There was a dreamy look to her eyes as she recounted her past. "Am I supposed to learn something from that story?"

"Flaxers never were the brightest pixies."


Harry arrived dutifully at noon, not bothering to knock as he entered the centre. The eating area was surprisingly empty considering it was near lunchtime. He heard some ruckus outside and saw a pair of girls sat on the sill of a nearby window, giggling at their sight.

"Where is everyone?" the former Gryffindor asked the girls. The red-haired child turned with a smile.

"Outside playing Quidditch, Mr Harry."

"Quidditch?"

The black haired girl Harry had remembered as Sarah spoke next. "It's a sport with brooms, Mr Harry. That Seeker who came last week is teaching us how to play."

Sure enough, Terence Higgs was standing amongst a crowd of all sorts, instructing at least a dozen riders. Goal posts stood on opposite ends of the yard, some players sat guard while most simply remained spectators. Draco was among the spectators, the smile on his face both broad and true as he squinted against the sun, laughing as Karina pulled at the hem of his shirt in giddiness. He proceeded to lift his daughter from the ground and onto his shoulders. Harry recognised the dress she was wearing to be the dress she'd bought during their ice cream a few weeks previous.

"Will he be here all day?" Harry wondered absently.

"I think so. He's taking us to a game this weekend. Mr Seamus is super excited. I hear the other team has pretty shirts. I don't really like his Seeker shirt."

Well, isn't he just a fucking wonder.

Just as the girls turned back to the window, Terence was shuffling through the tight-fitted group to Draco, taking Karina off his shoulders and pecking the blond man on the cheek before carrying the flailing child with one arm over his head in a circular flying motion. The same disgusting bile built in his throat as he heard her shriek through the thick panel of glass.

The brunet made way for his office, deciding it best to keep as far away from the new soon-to-be couple as possible.

To his astonishment, the room was occupied.

"Felix?" Harry called, waking the boy from his mindless staring. The teen jumped in response and could have contracted whiplash with the force he exerted in looking to Harry.

"H-hi, Mister, I mean—Harry. S-sorry I'm here, I was just waiting for you and Draco said you would be coming again this Thursday and-."

The hero smiled and shook his head, laying his hand on the stuttering boy's shoulder. "Absolutely no need to apologise, Felix. How can I help you today?"

Harry took a seat behind his desk and put his feet up, feigning comfort for this stressed orphan.

"Well, I would like to talk about what happened in the few months the Death Eaters had me."

The Man Who Lived blinked in awe. "Are you sure? I mean, it's a huge step and I want you to make certain you're talking to someone you trust and can feel at ease in revealing this information to."

"I trust you, Harry. Really, I do." There was such naïve certainty in the boy's voice, making it nearly impossible to discourage his efforts.

"Please then, continue."


I was alone in this unimaginable darkness. The back of my eyelids didn't even seem to be so dark. I remember there being a lot of pain. I remember feeling the back of my head and touching something wet. I assumed it to be blood, but I couldn't make out a thing. I hadn't any ideas as to how I'd come to this place. I couldn't remember a blasted thing from before waking in the darkness.

There were chains shackling my ankles and a rumbling started in my stomach. It may have been days since I'd eaten.

Suddenly, a piece of the wall opened and a young girl was tossed inside. I only had a moment to see her face before the darkness returned. She had dark hair and pale skin, her face was thin and worn. Perhaps she was a bit older than myself.

"Hello," she said. She must've seen me when the door opened. "Someone's there. I saw you."

"Hello," I croaked in return. I didn't remember ever speaking until that moment.

"What's your name?"

Racking my brain for several minutes, I couldn't recall. "I don't know."

She laughed then and the sound was hollow. "I don't remember my name either."

We couldn't reach each other, but I felt very connected to her. She understood me. Granted, she was the only person I could consciously remember, but I think if I would have known her otherwise, I still would have felt a bit better around her.

She didn't talk about what she'd been through. Her laugh was wonderful, so lovely even in the midst of terror.

One night, or I assumed it to be night, she was removed from the room. A tall, longhaired man took her and she threw me a smile before she was forced away. Something in that grin gave me hope, and I held onto that feeling throughout the next bout of horrors.

For what felt like years, and I now know to have been days, I was spelled to torturous amounts of pain. I was a test to them. A test for new Death Eaters. They were meant to bring me to the brink of death without actually completing the deed. That privilege was reserved for actual Death Eaters, those who have earned the mark.

When I began to tolerate the beatings, I was, well…

They raped me. Sometimes a few at a time, sometimes one at a time. It began to not matter. Nothing mattered. I couldn't die, they wouldn't let me. And if I did manage to receive a deadly cut, they would heal me only enough to scar. The pain still raged.

When they were through with me, I was put back in that horrid room, bruised and broken. I sobbed after I knew they had no more use for me. Half because of impending death, and half because I knew the torture may be over.

Not long after my assault, the same girl was cast inside. She was silent. Not even her breathing could be heard.

"What did they do to you?" I finally managed to ask, turning in the direction of the door. I only realised then that we were in another room as there was light pouring in from the bars of the exit.

She looked terrible, bruises beneath her eyes. Her skin was purpled and what was still natural only paled further. Blood stained her clothing that was torn to near shreds. She was shaking terribly. Small sobs were escaping her mouth.

I never received an answer.

Time moved much slower than before. I may as well have been alone. A ruckus could be heard outside of the cell and I heard a rushed turning of a knob.

"What's happening?" I heard her whisper to someone I hadn't seen before. He hadn't been a Death Eater assigned to me. "What're you doing?"

"I'm getting you out of here," the boy said, unchaining her from her bonds. "Come on, we haven't much time."

"Why?"

"I can't keep you here after what happened. I have a choice now and I need to get you out of here," he said just as quietly.

She was far too weak to lift herself, so the boy picked her up in his arms and carried her off, turning once to look at me with the deadest grey eyes I can ever remember since. His hair looked like a dulled blond and his skin was nearly as pale as the girl's in his arms. I could tell he wasn't the wrong sort just from the sound of his voice. I don't know if he'd loved her or what of it, but he saved her.

Again, I felt a small pang of hope.

My tears stopped.

The Death Eaters hadn't returned. In fact, the next face I'd seen was one of an Auror's. She picked me up in her arms and held me for a long while, helped me to my feet and led me to the outside.

I don't know what happened to the girl with me, but somehow, I knew she was all right.

I was all right.

Everything would be okay.


Harry never once looked away from Felix as he retold his memory.

"You're brave, Felix."

"I'm alive," he responded in turn. "That's about as much as I could ask for."

"The boy who saved that girl, did you see him again? Through your trials and everything? There were quite a few Death Eaters put up."

Felix quirked a brow in confusion. "Don't you know? Draco Malfoy saved that girl, Harry."