Chapter Eight: Of Letters and Plans
Draco woke up and his head was aching. He moved his hand to his face and felt the dried blood. Then everything that happened that evening came back to him. He tried to move but when he did pain seared through his whole body. He looked down and groaned when he saw the bruises on his stomach and chest. Why does he like to beat me when I'm unconcious? he wondered, somehwta incoherently while looking at his bruises. He could tell that a few of his ribs were cracked. He groaned again and once more, fell asleep. When he woke up the second he was more himself and coherent. "What day is it? What time is it" he muttered. Then looked at his calender. It crossed off the days itself. And it said, :December 25, Christmas, nine p.m." "Damn." Draco said. Five minutes later there was a taping on his window. Being to hurt to get it himself he called for his house-elf, Renny to open it. The snowl owl dropped a letter on his bed and perched on one of the posts. "He wants a letter back then?" Hedwig hooted softily and Draco took that for a yes. He knew this owl very well. He tore open the evenlope and read the letter.
Dear Draco,
I'm sorry about our last meeting. ("Why is he sorry?") I want to make sure that your all right. I've been, well, worried. Write me back as soon as you can. Love, Harry.
Draco took the parchment, quill and pot of ink that Renny was handing him and wrote,
Dear Harry,
Don't be sorry about our last meeting. It was my fault. I'm sorry. I don't want you to be worried. Everything is fine here. How is your Christmas? Can't wait to see you at school. Love, Draco
He kept re-reading the letter. It looked about right. He truly didn't want Harry worried about him. And telling the truth may cause his lover to take a drastic step that didn't need to be taken. Draco pulled the Malfoy ring off his finger and gave it and the letter to Hedwig, who gave a hoot of thanks and nip on Draco's finger and flew out the window.
"It's been a long time since I had a hit." Draco said to Renny, who took the hint. And considering that Draco was too hurt to properly prepare the drug, the house-elf did it for him and even injected the sweet liquid into his vein. Draco's achings were eased as he ordered the elf to give him another hit, once the effect of the first wore off. Things seemed to be looking up, but of course, that may have been the heroin talking.
Hedwig reached Harry at about 9:30 in the morning. Harry's eyes went slowly over the letter. He knew Draco was lying. He could feel his lover's pain just by touching the parchment. He looked at Hedwig, who hadn't left. She dropped something small and circular in his hands nipped his ear and left. "Wow." Harry whispered. It was Draco's ring. He put it on his finger and started to get dressed. He had to tell someone. Draco was being abused and was lying about it now. He couldn't let his lover be in so much pain. Harry ran quickly through the Common Room, ignoring Seamus' offer of wizard's chess. And he was in front of Dumbledore's office. "Chocolate frog!" he said and the gargoyle jumped aside. "Professor!" he knocked on the door. "Come in, Harry." came Dumbledore's reply. "Professor! Draco Malfoy's in trouble!" he said when he was in the door.
"Is he?" he raised his silvery eyebrows.
"Yes! He's being abused but doesn't want any to know! He went home for the holidays and...he's in pain! Professor, you have to do something!"
"Harry, I am afraid that I can't interfere." Dumbledore sounded grave.
"But WHY!?"
"Because Draco doesn't want anyone to know. He went home willingly."
"He went home because his dad would be suspicious!" Hary said hotly.
"But he still went."
"He wants it to end. He's told me so!"
"Then he has to come to me."
Harry growled in frustration and wandered the corridors. "God!" he muttered to himself. "How could he do nothing?! The only thing nessercary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing!" he shouted. No one was in this corridor. Where was he? "Oh, God. Draco..." Then a plan came to him. He ran to Gryffindor Common Room and up the stairs to his dormitory. It's breaking so many school rules...he thought. And not to mention Ministry rules. But I don't care. It's for Draco. My love. The only thing that gives my life meaning!
He ran outside to the grounds. Then a thought struck him. "I don't know where MAlfoy Manor is..." He held his Firebolt in his hand and ran to Owlery. "Hedwig knows! I'll take her!" He slid on owl droppings as he ran to where his snowy owl was. "Hedwig! I need you to show me the way to Malfoy Manor!" Hedwig hooted. They reached the grounds and Harry kicked off following Hedwig.
Draco woke up and his head was aching. He moved his hand to his face and felt the dried blood. Then everything that happened that evening came back to him. He tried to move but when he did pain seared through his whole body. He looked down and groaned when he saw the bruises on his stomach and chest. Why does he like to beat me when I'm unconcious? he wondered, somehwta incoherently while looking at his bruises. He could tell that a few of his ribs were cracked. He groaned again and once more, fell asleep. When he woke up the second he was more himself and coherent. "What day is it? What time is it" he muttered. Then looked at his calender. It crossed off the days itself. And it said, :December 25, Christmas, nine p.m." "Damn." Draco said. Five minutes later there was a taping on his window. Being to hurt to get it himself he called for his house-elf, Renny to open it. The snowl owl dropped a letter on his bed and perched on one of the posts. "He wants a letter back then?" Hedwig hooted softily and Draco took that for a yes. He knew this owl very well. He tore open the evenlope and read the letter.
Dear Draco,
I'm sorry about our last meeting. ("Why is he sorry?") I want to make sure that your all right. I've been, well, worried. Write me back as soon as you can. Love, Harry.
Draco took the parchment, quill and pot of ink that Renny was handing him and wrote,
Dear Harry,
Don't be sorry about our last meeting. It was my fault. I'm sorry. I don't want you to be worried. Everything is fine here. How is your Christmas? Can't wait to see you at school. Love, Draco
He kept re-reading the letter. It looked about right. He truly didn't want Harry worried about him. And telling the truth may cause his lover to take a drastic step that didn't need to be taken. Draco pulled the Malfoy ring off his finger and gave it and the letter to Hedwig, who gave a hoot of thanks and nip on Draco's finger and flew out the window.
"It's been a long time since I had a hit." Draco said to Renny, who took the hint. And considering that Draco was too hurt to properly prepare the drug, the house-elf did it for him and even injected the sweet liquid into his vein. Draco's achings were eased as he ordered the elf to give him another hit, once the effect of the first wore off. Things seemed to be looking up, but of course, that may have been the heroin talking.
Hedwig reached Harry at about 9:30 in the morning. Harry's eyes went slowly over the letter. He knew Draco was lying. He could feel his lover's pain just by touching the parchment. He looked at Hedwig, who hadn't left. She dropped something small and circular in his hands nipped his ear and left. "Wow." Harry whispered. It was Draco's ring. He put it on his finger and started to get dressed. He had to tell someone. Draco was being abused and was lying about it now. He couldn't let his lover be in so much pain. Harry ran quickly through the Common Room, ignoring Seamus' offer of wizard's chess. And he was in front of Dumbledore's office. "Chocolate frog!" he said and the gargoyle jumped aside. "Professor!" he knocked on the door. "Come in, Harry." came Dumbledore's reply. "Professor! Draco Malfoy's in trouble!" he said when he was in the door.
"Is he?" he raised his silvery eyebrows.
"Yes! He's being abused but doesn't want any to know! He went home for the holidays and...he's in pain! Professor, you have to do something!"
"Harry, I am afraid that I can't interfere." Dumbledore sounded grave.
"But WHY!?"
"Because Draco doesn't want anyone to know. He went home willingly."
"He went home because his dad would be suspicious!" Hary said hotly.
"But he still went."
"He wants it to end. He's told me so!"
"Then he has to come to me."
Harry growled in frustration and wandered the corridors. "God!" he muttered to himself. "How could he do nothing?! The only thing nessercary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing!" he shouted. No one was in this corridor. Where was he? "Oh, God. Draco..." Then a plan came to him. He ran to Gryffindor Common Room and up the stairs to his dormitory. It's breaking so many school rules...he thought. And not to mention Ministry rules. But I don't care. It's for Draco. My love. The only thing that gives my life meaning!
He ran outside to the grounds. Then a thought struck him. "I don't know where MAlfoy Manor is..." He held his Firebolt in his hand and ran to Owlery. "Hedwig knows! I'll take her!" He slid on owl droppings as he ran to where his snowy owl was. "Hedwig! I need you to show me the way to Malfoy Manor!" Hedwig hooted. They reached the grounds and Harry kicked off following Hedwig.