Draco

"Hello. Draco Malfoy, right?" A man says entering my room.

My first instinct is to be suspicious, but I vaguely recognize him. The eldest Weasley brother. Benjamin? Basil? Benedict?

"Yes."

"Bill Weasley."

Dammit. I should have remembered that. Ginny talks about her brothers often enough.

"Are you here to guard me?" I ask, extending my hand.

Bill comes forward and shakes it. He's so relaxed. He looks confident. He even has a piercing. I've considered getting piercings, but haven't been able to go through with it yet.

"Nah. Well, I guess so. At least until Dad comes in. I'm actually here because Hermione owled me yesterday. She said she wants me to take a look at you, if it's alright." Bill smiles and the scars on his face tighten a bit.

I feel sick suddenly. I recognize those scars now. Bill was hurt when I let Death Eaters into the school. Greyback clawed him. That was my fault.

I curl up in the chair I'm sitting in, tugging my blanket tighter around me.

"Hey, are you okay? You look a little green." Bill crouches in front of me, looking concerned. I don't deserve it.

"Your scars... It was my fault. I'm sorry," I mumble. I might throw up.

I spring out of the chair and rush to the loo. I haven't eaten much today. It's all stomach acid. It burns my throat and nose.

A hand pulls my hair back. Another hand starts rubbing my back. I know it's Bill, even if I can't face him.

My stomach clenches painfully as it tries to empty itself into the toilet, but I think there's nothing left in me anymore. When I'm finally done heaving, I spit out whatever is left in my mouth.

Bill is still running his hand up and down my back. I glance at him in confusion. No one has taken care of me while I was throwing up since I was a child.

"Sorry if I got into your personal space. My wife is pregnant with our second child and you look a little like her. Not that you look like a woman, just your hair is similar. I guess muscle memory took over," Bill babbles, looking embarrassed.

Despite what he said, he's still touching me.

"It's fine," I say hoarsely. My throat feels raw.

Bill finally moves away enough to conjure a glass and water. He hands it to me. I nod my thanks and sip it gingerly.

"About what you said earlier. I know the whole story about the vanishing cabinets. I'm actually quite impressed you managed to get it to work. That was some serious magic for a kid."

I blanch and flush the toilet, scooting back to lean against the wall. "I was an idiot. It's all my fault that people got hurt that day."

"Well, in a way. You did let them in, but you were also being threatened by Voldemort, weren't you?"

I flinch. I hate the sound of his name. "Yes. He was going to kill me and my parents if I didn't kill Dumbledore."

"There you have it. If my family was being threatened... I actually think I would have done the same thing you did. I don't think I would have been able to live with myself if my parents were killed because of a choice I made."

I stare at him. "Ginny said you nearly got turned into a werewolf that night."

"I didn't though. In fact, I look much cooler now." He grins. "I'm fairly certain that was when my mother and wife started getting along too. You may have done me a favor."

I don't know what to say to that, so I drink more water. I don't understand how Bill and Molly are so kind to me, but I'm too tired to question it.

I slowly get up from the floor and move to the sink. I wash my face and brush my teeth methodically. When I'm finished, I walk back to my armchair and curl up under my blanket. I can't really process this right now.

Bill follows me and sits on the bed. "I understand that you have your own version of what happened that night, but I don't blame you."

I nod once, curling tighter into myself.

Bill runs his fingers through his red hair. "The reason I'm here is I'm a curse breaker. Hermione thought it would be a good idea if I tried to figure out which curse we're dealing with."

I blink, my head jerking up. "You're here about the curse? But what if there isn't a curse at all?"

"Well, the least I can do is try. You won't be harmed in any way, I swear. I definitely don't want Harry to hex my bullocks off." He laughs heartily. "Do you consent to this?"

I feel my cheeks get warm. I'm not used to the idea of Harry being so protective of me. "I have nothing to lose. Go for it."

Bill smiles and slips his wand out of his sleeve. "Alright."

A mist of gold envelops me. It tingles on my skin. Every few moments, the mist gets thicker. It feels like it's straining, pushing against something.

The gold condenses around my chest. It feels like my heart is being weighed down with bricks. I watch the gold sink into my skin.

Nothing happens for a long second. Then, a dark murky brown wisp sneaks out of my chest. Ice shoots through my veins. I'm scared.

Suddenly, the brown tendril vanishes and the weight leaves my heart. I feel dizzy.

"It's a curse alright, but it's incredibly ancient. I've never even heard of this type of curse. It fought against me revealing it so hard, I was getting worried you would faint." Bill shoves another glass of water into my hands. "How do you feel?"

"Tired... my heart felt heavy during the spell." I lay my head on the arm of the chair, ignoring the water.

"I guess that's to be expected."

"Can you break it?"

Bill tilts his head and looks thoughtful. "I'm not sure. It's attacking your heart, but the source seems to be in your mind."

"My mind?"

"I can't really describe it, but I'll do my best to research it. Maybe one of my colleagues knows something about this."

"Why are you going through so much trouble for me? I'm not worth it." I pull the blanket over my head.

"You don't... do you really think that?"

Of course I do. I'm not a good person. Regardless of what Harry says, I'm still an ex Death Eater. I deserve this curse. I don't say anything.

"Listen, I'm doing this because I want to. Your life is worth a lot to the people who love you. Your parents, my sisters, your friends... and Harry. They care about you." I hear Bill sigh. "I don't know what you lived through or how painful it was. I do know that you're worth saving."

A hand touches my shoulder briefly. It's getting hard to breathe under the blanket. It's too hot. I don't reemerge until I hear the door open and close.

I wipe tears off my face. I need a shower. I know no one will disturb me there.

It seems like whenever Harry isn't working, he's spending time with me. He sleeps in one of the armchairs next to my bed.

I've woken up numerous times to find him with his head buried in a book, a quill and parchment taking notes next to him.

I know he's trying to research the curse.

If Harry isn't there, Hermione or a Weasley is. Always with a book in hand. I think my hospital room is starting to look like a library.

"How did you manage to get the Weasleys to do all of this?" I ask Harry, gesturing to Ron who is flipping through a book.

"Hermione is persuasive. Also, apart from Ron and George, there was no convincing needed." Harry shrugs as his friend throws a pumpkin pasty at him.

Harry catches it easily, reminding me of how he always beat me in quidditch. He hands me the treat. I think he knows I'm not eating well. I don't have much of an appetite lately.

I've been stuck in the hospital for two weeks now. Harry and Hermione are worried that I'll be attacked again and I still won't agree to stay at Harry's place. There's also the alarming problem that my heart isn't working without several potions and spells a day.

I pick small pieces off the pasty and eat them slowly.

"We only needed convincing because we have the shop to run and we have babysitting duty with Victoire. Do you know how hard it is to read a book around her? Vicky keeps trying to eat them." Ron sinks lower in his chair, groaning. "Fleur is very adamant that these books are unsanitary and her baby shouldn't use them for teething."

Harry chuckles and hugs me closer to his side. He's sitting in my bed with me. He's propped against the wall and one arm is wrapped around me.

We've been reading an absolutely ancient book together. It's about Prussian curses. I'm not hopeful that we'll find anything.

I take off the glasses Hermione charmed for us. They translate written words. They're very useful, but they give me a headache if I use them for too long. I rub my eyes.

"Are you okay, Draco?" Harry asks, looking concerned.

He looks ridiculous right now. He still needs his normal glasses, so he's wearing two pairs. I cough to disguise a giggle.

"Fine. Just a little tired."

Harry's fingers run through my hair. I think he's growing obsessed with it. He's always petting me. I quite like it. It's soothing.

He starts humming softly as he guides my head to rest on his shoulder. I think he's trying to lull me to sleep.

I don't really want to sleep yet. I like these moments too much. I thought I loved Harry before, but what I'm feeling now... it grows stronger every day. I have to wonder if I was fooling myself before and this is what love really is.

I feel Harry's lips press against my forehead. I smile and look up at him. Harry's been kissing me a lot since the day we talked about being together. It's always chaste. Little kisses all over my face. My nose, eyelids, cheeks, chin, eyebrows, and forehead have all been graced by Harry's lips.

He just won't kiss my mouth. I wish he would, but I understand there's a line right now that we can't cross. We can't be lovers until I'm healed. Granted... it feels like we are lovers already with all of the affection and time we spend together.

Harry smiles down at me and leans in. He pecks my nose just as the door opens.

We turn to look at the door. For a moment, there's nothing there. I start feeling apprehensive. What if it's my attacker?

Then, a man appears. He's holding Harry's invisibility cloak. The man is vaguely familiar. I think he was in Ravenclaw in my year. Goldstein?

Harry tenses beside me. Ron jumps to his feet and pulls out his wand.

"You've been cheating on me? Is that why you've been turning away my owls?" The guy clenches his fists.

Harry gets off the bed and crosses the room. I've never seen him look so angry.

My head starts reeling as I take in what Goldstein is saying. Harry was already in a relationship when we kissed? When he asked me to be his boyfriend?

"Anthony, get the hell out of here," Harry growls, snatching his cloak out of Goldstein's hands.

"Don't make me hurt you, Harry."

I see the man's fist raise. Red clouds my vision. The next thing I know, Goldstein is on the ground underneath me. His nose and mouth are bleeding. My hand is throbbing.

I can't hear anything. My heart is thundering in my ears. I feel hands pulling me up. The person wraps their arms around mine.

"Malfoy! Malfoy! Draco!" the person shouts in my ear.

I realize I'm struggling against him. My body stills. I'm breathing hard. I see Harry summon a vial and place on it my bed. His lips move.

Goldstein scrambles to his feet. Harry grabs him by the arm and drags him out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

Ron guides me to the bed and hands me the vial. I drink it thoughtlessly. I feel my body relaxing. The anger seeps out of me.

"Well... my respect for you has just skyrocketed." Ron sounds winded. "How the hell are you so strong in your condition?"

I look at my hand. It's covered in blood. I split the skin on my knuckles. Ron casts episkey on it. The skin stitches back together.

"I can't believe Harry didn't tell me he was seeing someone," I whisper, feeling my eyes burn.