"Try not to piss your pants again ferret." Ron unleashed a flurry of punches that left Draco lying flat on the floor.
"Draco who was crawling to a nearby wall was stopped by Harry, "Where do you think you're going?" With a sadistic laugh he placed a firm boot on Draco's wrist until he heard it snap.
'"Aaah!" Draco grimaced, clutching his broken wrist firmly to his chest.
Ron grabbed onto Draco's hair, "Really Malfoy, a deatheater of your standing who is well versed in torture, should know that we are just getting started!" With that he slammed Draco's head against the dirt floor. "Is that how you broke my sister's skull Malfoy?"
Draco opened his eyes to find the room out of focus and blurred, he felt like vomiting but he wouldn't give Potter and Weasley the satisfaction.
"Answer me!"
Before Draco could open his mouth Weasley had struck again, the blow landing in his midsection. Draco could feel it all the way to his backbone. "W-W-When I get out of here you'll pay."
"You'll never get out of Azkaban alive Malfoy." Harry's voice dripped with the threat of more violence to come.
"I'm innocent." Draco kept his voice calm trying to think of anything but being in this room. The pain was intense, he wanted to cry, he wanted his mother, most of all he wanted the red head that haunted his dreams.
"You smell like shit, you know that Malfoy? Don't you wash up in here? " Ron laughed knowing that was one of the privileges that were taken away from what was once the king of clean, Draco Malfoy. How very fitting and ironic, Ron thought. "Must be killing you inside to let that pretty little head become infested with lice."
"I sware it wasn't me!" Draco pounded his one good fist into the floor as if it would convince them of his innocence .
Harry snapped his fingers at the guard that stood by the door, "Bring in the video."
"You're an educated man, Ferret. I am quite sure even you know and own a few muggle devices" Ron pointed to a television that the guard had brought in. "Thanks to muggle technology we were lucky enough to obtain your initial attack of my sister courtesy of a security camera."
"It's not true…" Draco closed his eyes, the only way he could see her. In his visions she was laughing while playing with his hair, her tongue trailing kisses down his chest.
Draco's throat felt like it was going to collapse as he found himself in a headlock.
"Keep your eyes open!" gritted Harry.
Ron popped the tape into the television. For a few minutes it showed nothing but a dimly lit street. No presence of life save for a stray dog or cat. Slowly coming into view was a woman in a green dress, casting nervous glances behind her.
Draco stared at the screen, "Virginia." he whispered. Draco wanted to sleep and dream of nothing but her.
An almost inaudible voice could be heard on tape, "Nox."
The last remaining street light went out and Ginny rushed past a dark alleyway. Out of the alley emerged a blonde haired man.
Draco twisted in the headlock. That couldn't be him!
Silent, he crept behind Ginny. Closing his hand around her mouth, his other hand went around her waist as he trapped her arms against him. Draco whispered in her ear, Ginny struggled even more. Breaking free she kicked him hard in the shin before taking off down the street. He was too fast. Catching up with her he shoved her harshly against the wall. They exchanged more inaudible words. Ginny seemed to yell at him, ripping at the shirt that hid Draco's dark mark. Revealing the dark mark she spit in his face. Draco shook her. Taking his fist, he hit the wall close to the side of her head. One cry could be heard on tape.
"Leave me alone, Draco!"
Draco took out his wand, swishing it in the air. In a poof they both disappeared.
Ron turned off the tape, "That's when you apparated to your apartment and proceeded to rape her. Confess now Malfoy and we might go easy on you."
It was a setup, Draco thought. "Polyjuice potion, someone used polyjuice potion to frame me."
"You are Mr. Potion Master. You know that Polyjuice potion can be found in all types of secretions, including semen. The initial autopsy reports we received from Hermione don't point in that direction at all. Which only means….." Harry started to raise his voice while increasing the tight hold he had on Malfoy, "THE PERSON ON THE VIDEO IS YOU!"
Harry dragged Malfoy like a rag doll and flung him to the wall. "I've wanted to do that since Hogwarts!" A trail of smeared blood on the wall followed Draco as he fell again to the ground.
"I haven't heard one smartass comment from you yet Malfoy!" Ron said as he stepped on his back. "If I am not mistaken, these are 2nd hand prison robes, are they not?" He brought up his leg and slammed his foot on the base of Draco's head.
Finally Draco broke down, tasting the blood in his mouth, "P-Please, n-no more."
Ron used his boot to turn him over. Draco immediately curled into a ball as Ron's kick met his face again. "Is that what my sister said? Did she say no more? But you didn't listen did you? It wasn't enough that you had to rape her repeatedly was it? You had to kick her face in and stab her. She pleaded with you the whole time to stop. You went back to bed sleeping as if nothing had happened, while she lay dying on the floor. Guess what Malfoy, I changed my mind. I'M GOING TO KILL YOU NOW!"
He placed his arms around Draco's neck, slowly constricting his airway as he slammed his head repeatedly against the floor.
Draco twisted on the floor seeing nothing but darkness. He stopped fighting. He would be with his Virginia soon. She was reaching out for him and all he had to do was take her hand……
"That will be enough." Neville reached down and dragged Ron off a bruised and red faced Draco, but not before Ron got a harsh kick straight towards Draco's face.
Ron quickly bent down and picked up two teeth, "I think these belong to you Malfoy." He threw the teeth at him, laughing gleefully. "You really need to get those injuries looked at!" said Ron in a mock concerned voice.
"Glad you could come Neville, Had a chance to look at the tape?" Harry asked ignoring the haggard breathing of the prisoner lying on the floor .
Neville nodded. "5 times already. I'd like some alone time with the prisoner if you two don't mind."
Harry said a quick cleansing spell, punishing prisoners was a very messy business indeed. "Not at all. We were just finished. He's all yours Neville. Have fun."
Ron bowed, "Until next time Malfoy…..and it will be very, very soon."
With that they were both out of the room. Neville knelt next to Draco surveying his injuries.
"Come to get your licks in too, Longbottom?"
So the familiar Malfoy attitude was apparently still in working order. Neville opened up the bag bringing out the various needles and tubes.
"What's that for?" Draco asked, his voice a little shaky.
"After dealing with fists and legs, don't tell me you're scared of needles Malfoy?" Neville tied the tourniquet around his arm. He inserted the needle. Draco didn't even flinch, not that Neville expected him to. He inserted a few more tubes before obtaining an adequate sample.
Putting the tubes away he motioned for the guard on the other side of the bars, "Can you call for a healer to see Prisoner Draco Malfoy?"
Not paying attention to Neville's request, the guard was leaning back in his chair, both legs on his desk reading the latest edition of Wizarding Enquirer.
"For the last time – CALL FOR A HEALER"
The guard jumped up from his desk knocking his magazine to the floor. "Sorry Auror Longbottom, but Aurors Weasley and Potter left specific orders that he was not to receive any form of medical care."
"What? That's, that's inhuman. They are no better than…."
""Deatheaters." Draco coughed.
The guard rattled on, "I'm sorry Auror Longbottom but I can't disobey their orders. I was given instructions that noone was to override their decisions and….."
Ignoring Malfoy, Neville opened the barred door that separated him from the guard. Extracting his wand from his pocket he waved it a few inches away from the guard's face. "I'm an Auror as well and I'm giving you a new order. Got that?"
The guard gulped and slowly nodded his head.
"You'll contact a Healer."
The guard repeated. "I'll contact a healer."
Neville added, "I will inform no one of changed orders."
As if in a trance the guard stated. "I will inform no one of changed orders."
Neville kept his wand pointed at the guard, "I will keep Auror Longbottom informed of any and all activity concerning Prisoner Draco Malfoy."
"I will keep Auror Longbottom informed of any and all activity concerning Prisoner Draco Malfoy." Was the guard's response.
"You've made the right decision." He tapped the guard lightly on the head with his wand as if petting a dog for a deed well done and watched the guard go off to fetch the healer.
"Impressive." came the somewhat familiar drawl of Draco Malfoy, his voice still a bit shaky.
"Shut it Malfoy. You should be bowing down on your broken hands and feet thanking me."
"And you've developed a sense of humor too!"
***
It took almost three hours for the healer to treat the wounds that Draco suffered. Still, the healer said he wouldn't be 100 % healed for weeks to come. Plenty of rest, the healer had recommended.
Neville shook his head. Rest would be damn near impossible , especially with Harry and Ron about. Conjuring up a pillow he handed it over to Draco. Hesitantly Draco reached for it, not knowing whether this was a cruel trick.
Neville pulled out his notes ready to start his questioning when Draco interrupted him, "Why are you doing this Longbottom?"
"Doing what?" Neville asked. He just did what any decent person would do.
"Treating me as if I'm not a monster." Draco sighed holding the arm that branded him a Deatheater, "This alone will convict me." Draco brought his face to his hands not wanting Neville to see him so weak as the vision of Virginia once again flashed in his mind. "I love you Draco." She said as she brushed her lips against his. "I have something to tell you…." she placed his hand in hers over her abdomen, "I'm…"
But she was disappearing again. "Don't leave me Virginia. I won't let you go." He told her. Draco's palms were wet with salty tears as he asked Neville again in a strained voice, "Why?"
"Because you're innocent Malfoy."