CHP 3

When Harry started to stir it caused Draco to panic. He immediately rushed to his side fighting the urge to contact Severus. Taking Harry's hand in his he smiled sadly, "Oh Harry if only you knew the way I feel. Then I wouldn't have to pretend." Harry turned over in his sleep causing Draco to worry that he had awakened but he settled back down. Draco smiled and unconsciously started to rub circles with his thumb onto the back of Harry's hand. "I'm so sorry Harry, if only I had done better. I mean you defeated a madman and you were abused. I didn't even try to fight back and I led a privileged life." Tears start to slowly track down Draco's face making his ice blue eyes sparkle even more than usual. When Snape finally rushed back through the door he turned around and whispered something to someone behind him. That someone turned out to be a very frazzled looking Madame Pomfrey. She took in the scene in front of her and immediately got to work setting bones and feeding him potions.

"He has several bones that healed wrong and will need to be broken and reset, it will take several months. Each break will need at least two weeks before I can reset the next one. But this process cannot start until his current breaks are healed and his fever is gone. The poor, poor boy, all these years he's had to deal with this and no one helped. He was all alone." She frowned and gestured to Snape to help turn him onto his side. She pulled his shirt up to look at his back and gasped, mark after mark lined his back most of them faded to a faint whote line, while some were still fresh having only been done about a week or two ago it seemed.

"What is it?" Snape had never seen anything like it.

"I don't know what would cause such a thing. Perhaps he fell onto something repeatedly? I really have no idea." Draco crept up behind them and gasped, turning green at the sight of Harry's back.

"They're whip marks." Draco muttered. Having seen it before, although not for long. He went around to the other side of the bed facing Harry's front and sighed. What had he done wrong to deserve such pain as this. Why were the muggles so cruel to him. He understood why they were whipping the other boy, he had done something wrong. But Potter didn't do anything wrong, for Merlin's sake he saved the world.

"Whip marks! Oh Heavens the poor dear. I don't know why Dumbledore sent him there in the first place, anybody would have taken the boy in and done a much better job than those miggles!" Madame Pomfrey spits out the word muggles as if it is covered in poison and burning. In a softer voice she says, "We must tell Minerva, she is the headmaster after all. She will be able to help him with housing for the holidays, because all students will be required to go home seeing as Hogwarts is still under construction."

"Well Poppy, he could stay with me and Draco if he wants." Snape spoke softly, being careful not to wake the boy.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea. Minerva just needs to approve, and Harry will have to want to stay with you as well. But other than that I think it will work out just fine." Madame Pomfrey waved her wand over Harry's back closing all the wounds and healing them. "The fresh ones won't scar but the old ones will stay like that forever. He will need someone to make sure he takes all his potions in order and on time. Will you be up to the task Mr. Malfoy?" She peered over at him. He slowly nodded his head and smiled down at the boy on the bed.

"Anything for him." Draco suddenly ducked his head and mentally berated himself for blushing. He just couldn't believe all Harry had been through, and never told anybody! He was so much stronger than anybody else believed, but Draco would make sure that from now on, nobody would hurt Harry again. Madame Pomfrey left stating all Harry needed now was rest. Draco thanked her profusely as she left. He was so grateful that she had helped them.

"You should go and do homework then go to bed."

"But--"

"No buts. Go, do your homework. Go to sleep. He'll be here in the morning." Severus smiled sadly at Draco and said, "I promise." Draco sighed and turned to Harry, he leaned down and kissed his forehead brushing a piece of hair out of his eyes.

He turned to Severus and rushed at him, wrapping his arms around his middle he said, "Thank you."

"For what?" Severus asked once he had gotten over his surprise.

"For everything." Draco smiled up at him and headed for the door. He took one last look at Harry before heading down the hallway. Draco was halfway through washing his hair in when the crystal around his neck started to violently vibrate. Draco cursed his godfather's bad timing and finished as fast as he could. Throwing on his pajamas, that just happened to have purple cartoon snakes on them. He grabbed his wand and ran to Severus's rooms. He spoke the password: Abare Yanagi. He rushed in and headed straight for Harry's room. He suddenly stopped when he reached the door shocked at what he saw. Snape was sitting next to Harry, his arms wrapped around him as Harry was sat up sobbing into his shoulder. Severus looked up at Draco and gestured to Harry mouthing the word help.

Draco laughed and walked over to the bed. He pushed his godfather out of the way and wrapped his arms around Harry. Harry just squeezed him tighter. Draco sighed and tipped them back against the bed, he slipped them both under the covers and sighed. He heard Harry slowly fall asleep his breaths evening out and his shaking stopped. Draco's breath hitched when Harry turned in his arms and snuggled his head into the crook of his neck. Draco smiled softly before he succumbed to sleep.