A/N: Thanks to all who reviewed. I'm happy that you like the story. I have
the first part written now, so updates will be frequent.
Chapter 2: Does the punishment fit the crime?
Next day, when Draco asked for Harry to go shopping with him, aunt Petunia shoved the boy out of the door. Harry wasn't looking at him.
"Hi, Harry. How are you? Did everything go okay yesterday?"
Harry lifted his head and looked up at Draco. The older boy gasped: "Harry, what the hell happened?"
"I was punished." And Draco hadn't heard anything that made him angrier than that dull voice.
"Come on, let's go home."
Harry limped down the stairs. It was too much for Draco to watch. He scooped the boy in his arms and carried him to his house.
"Mom, I need help!" He shouted, closing the door with his foot.
Narcissa was in the living room, reading. She put the book down ad stood up: "What's the matter, dear?"
"He is the matter, mom. Look what Dursleys did to him, because he was half an hour late."
He laid Harry on the couch. The younger boy made an attempt to sit, but Draco put a hand on his chest and pushed him down lightly.
"Stay put. Mom will help you."
Narcissa was already carrying First Aid Kit.
"Yes, Harry. Don't worry. Everything's fine."
Harry laid on the couch, watching them, as Narcissa and Draco treated his cuts and bruises. When they finished, Draco helped him to sit up. "Nobody's ever done that for me. Thank you." "Oh, sweetie" cooed Narcissa.
"Have they done that before?" asked the fair-haired boy.
Harry looked at his hands: "Yeah. a lot."
"Mom! They. These are not people!" cried Draco. "How can anyone do that to a child?"
"Draco, don't shout. You're scaring Harry."
Harry was huddled in the corner of the couch. Draco's face softened instantly.
"Don't be afraid, Harry." He sat beside the frightened boy and hugged him. "I won't let them do it again."
Harry crawled in his lap and cuddled into Draco's chest. The older boy looked above the dark head at his mother, silently asking 'what ar? we going to do now?' She understood him, as always.
"Draco, you take Harry to your room. He is tired, right Harry?" The boy nodded unsurely. "Of course you are. Draco will put you to bed. And don't worry, Draco, I'll go shopping."
Harry couldn't stay silent. "No ma'am. I'm fine. Really. I can help."
"Harry, that's out of question. Take him upstairs, Draco."
"Okay mom. Come on buddy." Draco got up from the couch lifting Harry as well.
"No, you don't understand." Hurriedly started the younger boy. "If uncle Vernon will learn that I was here doing nothing he'll punish me. Please?" Harry looked at Narcissa, pleading her to understand.
"No, Harry. You stay here and I won't tell your uncle. Now, you go have some rest and later we're going to talk, guys." With this she took the keys and left.
"I guess we have to obey." Draco smiled at the boy in his arms.
"You don't understand."started Harry again.
"No, Harry. I promise, neither I nor mom will tell, so it will be just fine."
Draco carried Harry to his room and put him on the bed.
"Will you stay with me? It's okay if you don't want to, but I thought." trailed Harry.
"Of course I will, Harry. Sleep now, I won't go anywhere."
Harry took Draco's hand in his smaller one, held it to his chest and closed his eyes. Draco knew that Harry did trust him, really. But the little boy had a lot of people leave him and now he needed as much reassurance that it won't happen again, as he could get. So, Draco sat there, watching Harry sleep and thinking about what to do next. He just couldn't leave it like that. Nobody should abuse kids, especially this kid, who suffered enough as it is.
Draco was really surprised to admit to himself that he liked Harry. At school he was known as "Ice Prince"- a person without any trace of warmth and emotion. He considered that it was true, even though his mom told him differently. Now he started to believe her. Maybe he wasn't as frozen inside as he thought. And he knew for sure that the little boy, who slept holding his hand, will never suffer again if Draco has anything to say.
Sometime during his thought process he nodded off to sleep and was startled, when his mom gently shook his shoulder. He looked at her and opened his mouth to say something, but she put a finger to his lips:
"Shhh. Don't wake him." She whispered.
"Okay." He mouthed back.
"Come on, I need to talk to you, Draco."
"About him?" whispered the teenager, gesturing at Harry. "I can't. I said I would be here with him."
"Okay." Narcissa thought for a moment. "We'll talk later, when he goes home."
"Home? Mom, he can't go back there. They will kill him, you know that" fiercely whispered Draco.
"I'll put a protection spell on him, so they wouldn't be able to beat him, but Draco, he muct go back. They are his family and."
Harry stirred and hugged Draco's hand closer.
"He is so sweet."
"I know." Smiled Draco. "So small. How can that people do that to him?"
"I have no idea, darling."
Harry turned on his side, taking Draco's hand with him and the older boy nearly fell on the bed. Narcissa chuckled: "He seems to trust you a lot."
"I hope so." Sighed Draco. "He really needs someone. Do you know what he told me a couple of days ago? That I'm his best friend. Mom, he knows me for a week and I'm his only friend. He means 'the Only Friend'. The Nine- year-old boy doesn't have friends. Can it get more awful?
"I know, Draco. But we'll discuss it later. He's waking."
Draco looked at Harry. He really was waking. The little boy sighed and opened his eyes.
"Hi!"
Draco smiled. "Hi, Harry! How are you?"
"Better. Thank you."
"Come on, boys. Let's get something to eat." Narcissa opened the door. Draco picked Harry from the bed. The younger boy giggled. "I can walk, you know."
"I know, but maybe I like carrying you."
"He, he, he." Harry held onto Blond's neck.
They arrived in the kitchen when Narcissa put the plates on the table. "We'll have sandwiches and soup, ok?"
"Sure, mom."
"Yes, Mrs.. Narcissa." Draco's mom smiled at the boy's attempt. They ate and chatted about everything. Then Harry and Draco washed the dishes and put them away. After that Harry had to go back to Dursleys.
"Thank you for everything, Narcissa." She smiled and patted his head.
"Bye Draco." Harry hugged the older boy around the waste and held onto him for a moment. Draco hugged him back.
Harry ran to the Dursleys' house and was in his cupboard in a few minutes. He flopped on the bed and closed his eyes. He knew that in a few moments his aunt or uncle will make him do chores, so he had little time to thank every god, who listened for sending Draco and Narcissa to him.
Meanwhile, Draco and his mother were talking about Harry.
"Mom, we can't just leave it. They are not treating him well. We need to do something."
"Draco, there is literally nothing we can do. At least, not now. They are his family, the only one he has. They are his legal guardians as well. If somebody will say something, then Harry will be taken to the orphanage. Do you want him to go there?"
Draco shook his head.
"Me too." Continued Narcissa. "So , we will have just to be there for him. And do what we can."
"Yes, mom." said Malfoy jr., defeated.
"I know you want to do more, dear. But we can't take him from Dursleys, so we have to make sure that he can find friendship and understanding here."
"Okay mom. You know I've always wanted little brother." Draco smiled "I'll be the best big brother to him"
"I know you will, Draco."
End of chapter 2
PS : Review please.
Chapter 2: Does the punishment fit the crime?
Next day, when Draco asked for Harry to go shopping with him, aunt Petunia shoved the boy out of the door. Harry wasn't looking at him.
"Hi, Harry. How are you? Did everything go okay yesterday?"
Harry lifted his head and looked up at Draco. The older boy gasped: "Harry, what the hell happened?"
"I was punished." And Draco hadn't heard anything that made him angrier than that dull voice.
"Come on, let's go home."
Harry limped down the stairs. It was too much for Draco to watch. He scooped the boy in his arms and carried him to his house.
"Mom, I need help!" He shouted, closing the door with his foot.
Narcissa was in the living room, reading. She put the book down ad stood up: "What's the matter, dear?"
"He is the matter, mom. Look what Dursleys did to him, because he was half an hour late."
He laid Harry on the couch. The younger boy made an attempt to sit, but Draco put a hand on his chest and pushed him down lightly.
"Stay put. Mom will help you."
Narcissa was already carrying First Aid Kit.
"Yes, Harry. Don't worry. Everything's fine."
Harry laid on the couch, watching them, as Narcissa and Draco treated his cuts and bruises. When they finished, Draco helped him to sit up. "Nobody's ever done that for me. Thank you." "Oh, sweetie" cooed Narcissa.
"Have they done that before?" asked the fair-haired boy.
Harry looked at his hands: "Yeah. a lot."
"Mom! They. These are not people!" cried Draco. "How can anyone do that to a child?"
"Draco, don't shout. You're scaring Harry."
Harry was huddled in the corner of the couch. Draco's face softened instantly.
"Don't be afraid, Harry." He sat beside the frightened boy and hugged him. "I won't let them do it again."
Harry crawled in his lap and cuddled into Draco's chest. The older boy looked above the dark head at his mother, silently asking 'what ar? we going to do now?' She understood him, as always.
"Draco, you take Harry to your room. He is tired, right Harry?" The boy nodded unsurely. "Of course you are. Draco will put you to bed. And don't worry, Draco, I'll go shopping."
Harry couldn't stay silent. "No ma'am. I'm fine. Really. I can help."
"Harry, that's out of question. Take him upstairs, Draco."
"Okay mom. Come on buddy." Draco got up from the couch lifting Harry as well.
"No, you don't understand." Hurriedly started the younger boy. "If uncle Vernon will learn that I was here doing nothing he'll punish me. Please?" Harry looked at Narcissa, pleading her to understand.
"No, Harry. You stay here and I won't tell your uncle. Now, you go have some rest and later we're going to talk, guys." With this she took the keys and left.
"I guess we have to obey." Draco smiled at the boy in his arms.
"You don't understand."started Harry again.
"No, Harry. I promise, neither I nor mom will tell, so it will be just fine."
Draco carried Harry to his room and put him on the bed.
"Will you stay with me? It's okay if you don't want to, but I thought." trailed Harry.
"Of course I will, Harry. Sleep now, I won't go anywhere."
Harry took Draco's hand in his smaller one, held it to his chest and closed his eyes. Draco knew that Harry did trust him, really. But the little boy had a lot of people leave him and now he needed as much reassurance that it won't happen again, as he could get. So, Draco sat there, watching Harry sleep and thinking about what to do next. He just couldn't leave it like that. Nobody should abuse kids, especially this kid, who suffered enough as it is.
Draco was really surprised to admit to himself that he liked Harry. At school he was known as "Ice Prince"- a person without any trace of warmth and emotion. He considered that it was true, even though his mom told him differently. Now he started to believe her. Maybe he wasn't as frozen inside as he thought. And he knew for sure that the little boy, who slept holding his hand, will never suffer again if Draco has anything to say.
Sometime during his thought process he nodded off to sleep and was startled, when his mom gently shook his shoulder. He looked at her and opened his mouth to say something, but she put a finger to his lips:
"Shhh. Don't wake him." She whispered.
"Okay." He mouthed back.
"Come on, I need to talk to you, Draco."
"About him?" whispered the teenager, gesturing at Harry. "I can't. I said I would be here with him."
"Okay." Narcissa thought for a moment. "We'll talk later, when he goes home."
"Home? Mom, he can't go back there. They will kill him, you know that" fiercely whispered Draco.
"I'll put a protection spell on him, so they wouldn't be able to beat him, but Draco, he muct go back. They are his family and."
Harry stirred and hugged Draco's hand closer.
"He is so sweet."
"I know." Smiled Draco. "So small. How can that people do that to him?"
"I have no idea, darling."
Harry turned on his side, taking Draco's hand with him and the older boy nearly fell on the bed. Narcissa chuckled: "He seems to trust you a lot."
"I hope so." Sighed Draco. "He really needs someone. Do you know what he told me a couple of days ago? That I'm his best friend. Mom, he knows me for a week and I'm his only friend. He means 'the Only Friend'. The Nine- year-old boy doesn't have friends. Can it get more awful?
"I know, Draco. But we'll discuss it later. He's waking."
Draco looked at Harry. He really was waking. The little boy sighed and opened his eyes.
"Hi!"
Draco smiled. "Hi, Harry! How are you?"
"Better. Thank you."
"Come on, boys. Let's get something to eat." Narcissa opened the door. Draco picked Harry from the bed. The younger boy giggled. "I can walk, you know."
"I know, but maybe I like carrying you."
"He, he, he." Harry held onto Blond's neck.
They arrived in the kitchen when Narcissa put the plates on the table. "We'll have sandwiches and soup, ok?"
"Sure, mom."
"Yes, Mrs.. Narcissa." Draco's mom smiled at the boy's attempt. They ate and chatted about everything. Then Harry and Draco washed the dishes and put them away. After that Harry had to go back to Dursleys.
"Thank you for everything, Narcissa." She smiled and patted his head.
"Bye Draco." Harry hugged the older boy around the waste and held onto him for a moment. Draco hugged him back.
Harry ran to the Dursleys' house and was in his cupboard in a few minutes. He flopped on the bed and closed his eyes. He knew that in a few moments his aunt or uncle will make him do chores, so he had little time to thank every god, who listened for sending Draco and Narcissa to him.
Meanwhile, Draco and his mother were talking about Harry.
"Mom, we can't just leave it. They are not treating him well. We need to do something."
"Draco, there is literally nothing we can do. At least, not now. They are his family, the only one he has. They are his legal guardians as well. If somebody will say something, then Harry will be taken to the orphanage. Do you want him to go there?"
Draco shook his head.
"Me too." Continued Narcissa. "So , we will have just to be there for him. And do what we can."
"Yes, mom." said Malfoy jr., defeated.
"I know you want to do more, dear. But we can't take him from Dursleys, so we have to make sure that he can find friendship and understanding here."
"Okay mom. You know I've always wanted little brother." Draco smiled "I'll be the best big brother to him"
"I know you will, Draco."
End of chapter 2
PS : Review please.