Days passed in which Draco had no interactions, save himself. No doubt actions of the family house-elf, Draco received a small loaf of bread, a pitcher of water, and an apple each morning. During the first day, Draco also received anti-bacterial cream and bandages, a gift he believed to be from his old nurse house-elf.
During waking hours and sleepless nights, Draco's mother constantly appeared. Her death was on constant replay in his mind, her last words to him, and the emerald ring Draco's bandaged hands clutched. Tears were something of taboo for Draco, especially in his early years. Now, they were like a faucet that never properly turned off.
And that's exactly how his recuse squad found him: starved, bloody, poorly bandaged, crying, delirious and unable to see a reason to live. Bill, the first person to see Draco, reckoned that if they had not come within that week, they would have found a lifeless vessel that one held the spirit of the arrogant Draco Malfoy.
"Draco?" Bill's soft, yet overpowering voice asked the darkness. His wand was lit, but even the lumos charm had little effect in the Malfoy dungeon.
"I won't tell you anything, Father. You're wasting your time." Draco answered.
"It's Bill Weasley, we're getting you out of here." Bill answered approaching Draco's slumped body supported by a beam.
"You got married." Draco stated as Bill extended a hand to Draco.
"Yes, I did." Bill answered.
"I'm sorry." Draco whispered.
"Married life isn't that bad." Bill laughed now reaching behind Draco to lift him to his feet. As soon as Bill touched Draco's back, Draco groaned in pain.
"The party, was crashed, by, by Death Eaters." Draco gasped as he began making his way to the entrance, most of his body weight supported by Bill.
"Ah, that. Well the important part is that no one was hurt." Bill answered.
"I won't leave without her." Draco told Bill as they made their way thru empty corridors.
"Oi, Bill about five minutes!" Fred called as he caught sight of the pair.
"Got it. Who, Draco?" Bill asked.
"Mother. We can't leave her." Draco answered.
"Draco, she's…"
"She's my mother and she saved their lives!" Draco hissed.
"Ok, where is she?" Bill asked.
"I, I don't know. I don't think Father or Aunt Bellatrix gave her a proper funeral." Draco answered.
"She's dead? Draco, we can't go back for a body, as much as it's hard to hear." Fred reasoned.
"She's my mother. She deserves a funeral." Draco defended, and had he been able to produce tears, he was sure they would be falling from his eyes shamelessly.
"I know, I know. Listen, we have a small block of time, so let's get you out of here, and I will come back for her." Bill spoke encouragingly.
"Ok." Draco answered hoarsely.
"What the hell's taking so damn long?" Mad Eye hobbled towards Fred, Bill and Draco.
"Nothing, let's go." Bill answered quickly. Fred, heeding Bill's warnings, moved to Draco's left side and helped drag Draco outside the Malfoy Manner. Then with a small 'pop', the four Order members vanished.
"They're back!" Flur yelled thru the cottage, though there was no need to, everyone was anxiously awaiting their arrival.
"His back is hurting him, he's got bandages on his hands and Merlin knows what else they did to him." Bill began telling his mother as he and Fred awkwardly pulled an unconscious Draco thru the small cottage. Now in a fully lit room, Draco's injuries were displayed clearly. Everyone's eyes instantly found the patch of skin with the Dark Mark magically glued to his forehead. The dead skin had shriveled slightly but the blood streaks stained Draco's face. Every face paled at the sight and Flur dashed from the room only to throw up her breakfast from that morning.
"Oh, the poor boy." Mrs. Weasley cried at the sight.
"The couch, Bill." George jumped into action throwing a clean sheet on the long couch.
"Ginny, get scissors, warm water and a clean cloth." Mrs. Weasley ordered. Still stunned at the sight, Ginny stayed rooted to her position.
"Ginny!" Mrs. Weasley yelled forcing Ginny back to reality with a jump.
"Going, Mum." Ginny answered before dashing to the kitchen for the necessary items.
"I think I'm going to hurl." George whispered to his twin as they observed the battered boy on the couch.
"Well for goodness sakes, puke outside." Mrs. Weasley snapped.
Upon her arrival, Ginny began to cut the tattered sweater and undershirt Draco wore. Her once shock and disgust was now replaced with a drive to care for her secret lover. Once a ragged line separated the materials along the left side, Ginny began to pull away the material.
"Mum, it's stuck." Ginny told her mother as she struggle to pull the material away.
"We need to soak it off. The blood dried to his clothes making a glue-like affect." Mrs. Weasley explained, "Bill, run up and start a bath, please."
"How much blood would be able to do this?" Ginny asked.
"Dear, in this situation, we cannot ask that kind of questions. Now start taking his shoes off. Flur, would you grab a pair of shorts of Bill's? I'm sure he won't mind."
"'Course not." Flur answered before disappearing only to return a second later with a pair of shorts.
"Thank you, Ginny dear, step back." Mrs. Weasley asked. Obeying, Ginny was hardly a foot away when Draco's once filthy jeans were replaced with a fresh pair of soft shorts.
"That spell saved me hours with the twins." Mrs. Weasley explained calmly before waving her wand again, and levitating Draco to the bathroom.
Only a few moments in the warm water roused Draco. His first thought was of searing pain along his back. Next, he registered the soothing warm water that surrounded him. Then, he heard her soft voice whispering apologizes and calming phrases.
"Ginny?" Draco asked the dark world.
"Draco, thank Merlin you're awake." Ginny breathed.
"Draco, dear, can you open your eyes?" Mrs. Weasley's voice asked. In response, Draco opened his eye, only for them to burn at the bright light that absorbed the room. With a gasp, Draco clapped his hand over his eyes.
"It's too bright. It hurts." Draco answered.
"Oh, here," Mr. Weasley's voice offered.
"Who is here?" Draco asked.
"If you open your eyes you will see." Ginny told him.
"No, it's too bright." Draco answered stubbornly.
"Dad made it darker, try it." Ginny encouraged. Again, Draco tried, and being considerably darker, Draco was able to keep them open, though squinted. He was sitting upright in a large white tub in a large bathroom decorated to look like the bottom of the sea. Cramped in the room, Fred, George, Bill, Flur, Mr. Weasley and Mrs. Weasley watched him.
"Where's Ginny?" Draco asked alarmed.
"Behind you." Ginny answered kindly.
"Oh. What are you doing?" Draco asked.
"Trying to take off your shirt." Ginny answered.
"Where are my pants?" Draco asked in a panicked voice as he noticed his jeans were replaced.
"They are downstairs, dear." Mrs. Weasley answered softly.
"I need them." Draco replied.
"You need to rest, son." Mr. Weasley returned.
"No, I need my pants. Now." Draco pleaded again.
"Ok, George, go get his pants. Now settle down. Mum, I think I- oh." Ginny's voice suddenly dropped off as she viewed the deep cut that ran across Draco's back.
"I tried to wrap it." Draco offered.
"What happened?" Ginny asked now finding her words as Mrs. Weasley began to muttering spells and charms.
"Not to them. Please." Draco asked nodding to the group that clustered around him. Taking their que, the group dispersed as George entered with Draco's pants in hand.
"My mother's ring." Draco questioned. Quickly, Ginny stood up and stuck her hands in the front pockets.
"Here." Ginny answered holding up the simple emerald ring for Draco to see.
"Thank Merlin." Draco breathed.
"Did, did You-Know-Who do this to you?" Ginny asked sitting to face Draco. As if her statement was humorous, Draco chuckled darkly.
"I wish I had faced him than my father. The Dark Lord would have killed me quickly. I swear, he doesn't know anything about the Horcruxes or safe houses or-"
"Shh, I know you wouldn't have told him." Ginny soothed as Draco seemed to panic.
"He dug into my memories. He saw you. He knows about you. He will find you and kill you to get after me. He will-" Draco rambled.
"Draco, breathe. I am safe. Your father cannot find me. I'm safe, you're safe. We are all ok." Ginny comforted. When Draco nodded in response, she began unwrapping his hands, oblivious to her mother's shock and realization.