Chapter Six: Of Rings and Beatings
Draco got off the Scarlet train and saw his mother. He hung his low and thought about the past few days. Harry hadn't really spoken to him. And that dream... He shivered. Every time he dreamed now, those damn scars were reopened. He vaguely wondered what his father would think of it. Then a thought appeared in Draco's head, Maybe my father was the one who put it there. Maybe he's doing this to me. Interesting. His mother held a portkey that would take them to Malfoy Manor. "Hello, Draco, dear." she said and smiled. He smiled back weakly and thought, At least she's not snockered.
"How's your semester been?" Bloody fucking peachy.
"It's been fine, Mum."
"Oh, it's time dear." She held out the small purse. /i And Draco felt a tugging around his navel. Then he looked up at the huge Malfoy Manor. So big, impersonal. And full damn dark magic. Draco loathed it. But it was only two weeks. Of abuse. And drugs. And alcohol. And probably snogging his father against his will. Draco heaved a sigh and thought again, It's only two weeks.
"Hello, Draco." came an ice cold voice from the kitchen, "Welcome home."
Draco nodded to his father and started to walk away. "Not a word of greeting to your old man, boy?"
At that, he turned around and said, "Hello, Father."
"Much better. I knew I'd knock some manners into you one day." Lucius was just trying to make his son angry for an excuse to beat him. But his son was having none of it, as Draco just shook his and began to walk up the stairs to his room, dragging his trunk behind him. He began to unpack his trunk and at the very bottom of it was a roughly wrapped package. "What's this?" he mumbled aloud. He unfolded the piece of paper that was attached to it. It read,
"Draco, the ring is for you. I put it at the bottom of your trunk because I thought you'd find it when you most needed to know that I love you. You unpacking probably means that your home and I know that desperately need someone loves you there, so if you ever need to know, just speak it aloud and the ring should glow. Love, Harry." Draco looked at the small piece of silver and nearly dropped the letter. It was so thoughtful. So simple. Draco slipped it on to his left hand ring finger. And he asked, "Does he still love me?" And the ring glowed. Draco's heart leapt and began beating furiously. He loves me. He loves me. He loves me! HE LOVES ME! He grabbed a quill and parchment and began to form a letter to his lover. But he couldn't get past "Dear Harry," He sighed and looked at the pictures of Harry and him that had been taken by none other himself.
The first one had Harry planting a kiss on Draco's cheek. But he stopped at the one that showed them kissing passionately. The picture moved just the way Draco remembered it. He looked at the edge of the picture and smiled and saw his hand moving down to Harry's ass. At the moment, he heard his mother call him down to dinner. But Draco, not wanting to let go of the picture, put it in his pocket and came down. Dinner, as always was a solemn event. Draco ate his meal as fast as he could and asked to be excused. To his surprise, his father said, "No. Sit down." Draco hesitantly returned to his seat. His father looked at him and said, "I hear, from a very reliable source," iSnape/i ,"that your grades have been going down and have been seen gallivanting around late at night with a certain Gryffindor." he chose his last words carefully. Draco was positive he knew of the relationship but also positive that he didn't know of its nature. His hand went to his pocket to make sure he still had the picture. Unfortunately, his father noticed.
"What's in your pocket, Draco?" his cold eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Nothing. Just a quill."
"Draco, go to your room. I'll be there in a minute."
Draco went to his room. And was sure what was going to happen. How had Snape known about him and Harry? Was it all that obvious? Damn that stupid potions teacher! Fucking low life bastard! Working for my father! Damn! Draco's thoughts were interrupted by his door being opened.
"Take off your shirt, boy!" Lucius demanded. And Draco did as he was told.
"Good. It looks like my little spell worked." His father nodded approvingly as he looked at the gashes, "However it doesn't look as painful as it should have been. No matter, it's something I'll have to remedy." Draco looked in horror as his father made that statement and lovingly stroked his whip. He had been right. Everything else seemed like a blur because he was being flogged longer and harder than he had ever been in his life. But he got strength to continue through by watching his glowing ring. Then, he wasn't expecting his father to hit him over the head with a with the metal end of his whip and knocked him out.
Draco got off the Scarlet train and saw his mother. He hung his low and thought about the past few days. Harry hadn't really spoken to him. And that dream... He shivered. Every time he dreamed now, those damn scars were reopened. He vaguely wondered what his father would think of it. Then a thought appeared in Draco's head, Maybe my father was the one who put it there. Maybe he's doing this to me. Interesting. His mother held a portkey that would take them to Malfoy Manor. "Hello, Draco, dear." she said and smiled. He smiled back weakly and thought, At least she's not snockered.
"How's your semester been?" Bloody fucking peachy.
"It's been fine, Mum."
"Oh, it's time dear." She held out the small purse. /i And Draco felt a tugging around his navel. Then he looked up at the huge Malfoy Manor. So big, impersonal. And full damn dark magic. Draco loathed it. But it was only two weeks. Of abuse. And drugs. And alcohol. And probably snogging his father against his will. Draco heaved a sigh and thought again, It's only two weeks.
"Hello, Draco." came an ice cold voice from the kitchen, "Welcome home."
Draco nodded to his father and started to walk away. "Not a word of greeting to your old man, boy?"
At that, he turned around and said, "Hello, Father."
"Much better. I knew I'd knock some manners into you one day." Lucius was just trying to make his son angry for an excuse to beat him. But his son was having none of it, as Draco just shook his and began to walk up the stairs to his room, dragging his trunk behind him. He began to unpack his trunk and at the very bottom of it was a roughly wrapped package. "What's this?" he mumbled aloud. He unfolded the piece of paper that was attached to it. It read,
"Draco, the ring is for you. I put it at the bottom of your trunk because I thought you'd find it when you most needed to know that I love you. You unpacking probably means that your home and I know that desperately need someone loves you there, so if you ever need to know, just speak it aloud and the ring should glow. Love, Harry." Draco looked at the small piece of silver and nearly dropped the letter. It was so thoughtful. So simple. Draco slipped it on to his left hand ring finger. And he asked, "Does he still love me?" And the ring glowed. Draco's heart leapt and began beating furiously. He loves me. He loves me. He loves me! HE LOVES ME! He grabbed a quill and parchment and began to form a letter to his lover. But he couldn't get past "Dear Harry," He sighed and looked at the pictures of Harry and him that had been taken by none other himself.
The first one had Harry planting a kiss on Draco's cheek. But he stopped at the one that showed them kissing passionately. The picture moved just the way Draco remembered it. He looked at the edge of the picture and smiled and saw his hand moving down to Harry's ass. At the moment, he heard his mother call him down to dinner. But Draco, not wanting to let go of the picture, put it in his pocket and came down. Dinner, as always was a solemn event. Draco ate his meal as fast as he could and asked to be excused. To his surprise, his father said, "No. Sit down." Draco hesitantly returned to his seat. His father looked at him and said, "I hear, from a very reliable source," iSnape/i ,"that your grades have been going down and have been seen gallivanting around late at night with a certain Gryffindor." he chose his last words carefully. Draco was positive he knew of the relationship but also positive that he didn't know of its nature. His hand went to his pocket to make sure he still had the picture. Unfortunately, his father noticed.
"What's in your pocket, Draco?" his cold eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Nothing. Just a quill."
"Draco, go to your room. I'll be there in a minute."
Draco went to his room. And was sure what was going to happen. How had Snape known about him and Harry? Was it all that obvious? Damn that stupid potions teacher! Fucking low life bastard! Working for my father! Damn! Draco's thoughts were interrupted by his door being opened.
"Take off your shirt, boy!" Lucius demanded. And Draco did as he was told.
"Good. It looks like my little spell worked." His father nodded approvingly as he looked at the gashes, "However it doesn't look as painful as it should have been. No matter, it's something I'll have to remedy." Draco looked in horror as his father made that statement and lovingly stroked his whip. He had been right. Everything else seemed like a blur because he was being flogged longer and harder than he had ever been in his life. But he got strength to continue through by watching his glowing ring. Then, he wasn't expecting his father to hit him over the head with a with the metal end of his whip and knocked him out.