Draco's Change By:
Occasus
"... and?"
Draco sighed and looked up into Harry's imploring green eyes. "And... and yes. Yes, I have to take the post, Harry. If I don't... I'll never stop being afraid."
Harry's eyes, slightly hooded, were still shining with sympathy and understanding. Closing the distance between the two men, Harry took Draco by the shoulders and pressed an open-mouthed kiss on the blonde.
It was chaste, in its own way, something the two men shared. Their hearts were not. Harry's belonged to another, whilst Draco's was simply lost.
Smiling gently, Draco pulled out of Harry's grip, still slightly frightened by the new strength in the fingers, and clutched his heavy robe around him. "I'm going to send the reply owl," Draco whispered, "and attempt to get some sleep."
"You know where I'll be if you need me," Harry said with a soft smile.
Draco smirked a little, a small bit of his old personality shining through. "Yes, I know, pining."
Harry rolled his eyes but made no move to counter the accusation.
"Full moon's in two weeks," Harry reminded Draco as the blonde moved towards the door. "Rest."
Draco nodded almost curtly, not wanting to be reminded of that fact, and quietly shut the door. Padding back down to his room, Draco locked his own door and went to the small writing desk where a tawny Hogwarts School owl waited.
Dipping his quill in the ink, Draco quickly scratched out his acceptance letter, tied the parchment and sent the owl off. The blonde followed the bird out onto the terrace and watched it fly off into the distance. When the soft shadow of the owl was gone, Draco's eyes trailed to the Spanish country side, the land lit by the orange glow of the setting sun.
It was still the beginning of summer, the breeze carried a hint of heat, even in the evening, and Draco found himself momentarily at peace. It wasn't to last, as nothing really did, and soon the blonde felt the memories creeping into his consciousness.
Not even Harry's bites could take away the pain any longer. Draco still bore scars from Harry's teeth, as he had begged the raven-haired man to hurt him. For the moment, when the outside pain was greater than the inside, Draco could forget. But just as everything else did, the outside pain dulled and the inside pain took over once again.
Storming back into his room, Draco picked up his half-finished snifter of brandy, refilled it and drank it down in one long gulp.
The blonde glared at his reflection in the mirror as he repeated the process, his grey eyes now tinged amber with the up-coming change. He still bore a scar on his right cheek, the origins quite plain by the jagged teeth marks.
Had the blonde shrugged off his cloak and robes, anyone could see the remnants of torture marring his pale skin. The scars were too numerous to count, really, as they bore the evidence of months of torture. But even Harry, the person who'd saved Draco from not only death, but madness, hadn't seen the full extent of Draco's horror.
And Draco fully intended on keeping it that way.
Finishing his fifth round of the liquor, Draco felt the blackness creeping up on him. The memories would come, as they always did, and Draco succumbed to them.
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What the, Draco wondered as he made his way through the woods. "Bugger," he cursed, angry with himself for getting completely lost.
He was on his ridiculous mission for Dumbledore.
"Find Harry, we've heard a rumour that he was somewhere in northern France. It should be safe enough, Draco, though I'd be happy to provide a companion if you'd like."
"I don't need someone to hold my hand," Draco snarked. He hadn't wanted the bloody mission and now that he was thoroughly lost, he remembered why he didn't want to be there in the first place.
"Potter, you stupid sod, you are not worth this," Draco hissed as he kicked a clump of mud from his boot. He grumbled for a moment but fell silent when he heard the noise. It was the same noise he'd been hearing for two days now... as if someone was directly behind him.
Shaking his head, Draco continued onward. "Stop being so paranoid," he hissed to himself. Rounding a bend in the path, Draco frowned as his eyes fell on a large mountain of rocks, that being quite uncommon for the area he was in. Quite high up, Draco spotted what looked to be several caves and he decided to go a bit further, hoping that maybe Harry was hiding in them.
"Bloody fool if he is," Draco muttered as he began to climb. "Why's he hiding anyway?" Tucking his wand into his pocket, Draco used both hands to hoist himself up over the rock formations. It seemed to take hours but eventually, completely drained and out of breath, Draco made it to the top.
With a frown, the blonde surveyed the scene. It was odd; the caves looked lived in, and not too bad if one was in a pinch. There was a fire roaring near the back, several items for cooking sat nearby and many camping items were strewn about.
If Draco didn't know any better, he'd say five or six people lived in that cave.
"What the hell?" Draco whispered.
"I'd ask you the same thing," hissed a voice from behind.
Draco whirled round and reached for his wand, but frowned when his hand met with nothing. "What?" he hissed and glared at a tall, black haired, dishevelled man who was holding his wand casually.
"Ah, not very observant are you?" he drawled, his accent clearly French, and quite thick. "We've been following you for days."
Draco felt the menace radiating off of the man, and his eyes flickered over towards the opening of the cave where several more men appeared. "Who are you?" Draco demanded arrogantly, though he knew he had no right.
The man threw his head back and laughed. "Ever the Malfoy... aren't you," he drawled. "We're of no consequence to you... not really. We merely want what's due."
"And what is due?" Draco demanded, though the strength in his voice was failing.
The man approached Draco slowly, pressing the tip of the wand into the blonde's neck. "Justice... for our dead pack."
And after that moment, it was all the same. Violence, rape, curses and anything else Draco had ever imagined could possibly happen at the hands of the Dark Lord. But this was not the Dark Lord. No, this, Draco learnt, were the remaining werewolves from a pack Voldemort had destroyed during the war.
The rest of the pack had been kidnapped and brutally murdered by Lucius Malfoy. And now Draco was their way of gaining revenge on the older, blonde bastard who had the fortune of falling in battle, killed by an Avada Kedavra.
For days on end, weeks even, Draco knew nothing but pain. He was kept alive, barely. He wasn't sure what was to become of him... Until the night of the full moon.
Just before sunset, the Frenchman stumbled towards the back of the cave, weakened by the impending change, and he slowly drew his jagged fingernails down Draco's cheek. "So pretty... even prettier tonight..."
Draco, only half-conscious, didn't know what he meant. Not until the moon rose.
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"Fuck," Draco gasped. It was the second moon change, and this time Draco had changed with the pack. He had still been tied to the stake, and in wolf form, it was even worse. Now, as the rest of the pack slept, Draco was attempting to free his bonds. Having learnt that no amount of noise or struggle could wake the pack when they slept in recovery, Draco didn't bother to hide his attempts.
One last tug... then...
"Oh!" Draco cried out, as his hands finally freed. Sliding down the stake, Draco's heavy hands fell to his side and he slowly moved his shaking, disturbingly weak fingers. Carefully and shakily, Draco reached down and undid the bonds on his legs.
Standing up, Draco found he had next to no strength, and stumbled as he made for the entrance of the cave. He didn't get far before...
"Leaving so soon?"
Draco spun round and found his captor leaning against the wall of the cave, arms crossed, smirk on his lips.
The werewolf slowly stalked forward, approaching Draco with a strange kind of gentleness. Reaching out, the man cupped his hand round the back of Draco's neck and drew his face in so close that Draco could feel the hot breath ghosting across his skin.
"You don't really want to leave, do you?" he drawled in a breathy voice.
"Yes I do," Draco spat. "I'll kill you."
The man chuckled and ghosted a kiss across Draco's cheek. "You can't kill me, I made you..."
"A monster," Draco hissed. "You made me this... "
"You'll love me for it," the man said, smiling gently. Running his hands through Draco's dirty, dishevelled locks, he pressed a chaste kiss to Draco's mouth.
"I don't even know who you are," Draco said, feeling his resolve
weakening. He didn't know why, this man had done unspeakable things to Draco, things that would haunt Draco until the day he died and yet...
"I'm called Claudius, and I am what lies in your heart now," he purred.
Draco shivered and wrestled against Claudius' grip. "No," Draco cried out weakly, but found he couldn't fight as Claudius pressed him down to the dirty ground. Reaching between them, Claudius fisted Draco to full hardness, smirking as the blonde fought the response.
"You will love me," Claudius said against Draco's now-flushed skin.
"You will have me, and you will be mine."
"No," Draco cried out as Claudius slipped a finger inside of him. He found himself pushing back against the digit as it repeatedly tormented his prostate and he groaned. "Not you, not this," Draco moaned. "No..."
"Mine," Claudius hissed gleefully as he forced himself inside Draco, sans lubrication or further preparation.
Draco cried out as Claudius' thick, hard prick tore him open. The pain was blinding and as the larger man fucked him into the floor, Draco felt the graze of teeth on his neck, marking him as a mate, sealing his capture and bond to the other werewolf.
When Claudius was spent, he pulled out of Draco, ignoring the blood that coloured his softening cock. With a soft smile, the werewolf collapsed down next to Draco and draped his arm over the blonde's waist.
"You can't leave now, I've marked you," Claudius whispered. "You are ours now, my blonde angel, my willing slave." And with a soft yawn, Claudius fell back into his deep sleep.
Draco felt as if he could have slept for years, but that was not going to happen. No, because he would not acquiesce to the mark. He would not seal his fate, join this pack. And he knew what must be done.
Carefully extracting himself from Claudius' loose grip, Draco rummaged round the stores until he found exactly what he needed. A knife.
Creeping back to where the sleeping Frenchman slept, Draco looked into the peaceful face. Claudius was beautiful. His soft, black hair fell over his pale skin, his features finely chiselled and quite nice to look at. Draco had seen his eyes, though, the amber eyes that could burn through to your soul as he caused pain that went far beyond physical.
Steadying his hand as best he could, Draco pressed his fingers over Claudius' mouth and forcefully drew the blade across his neck. With a soft, muffled gasp, Claudius' eyes opened. Amber eyes locked with grey and Draco watched as Claudius' life's blood slowly pooled out of
his body.
Claudius' breathing laboured, slowed and eventually stopped with a soft exhalation. When Draco finally realised that the black-haired man was dead, he drew his hand away and looked down at his palm, seeing it stained with the fierce red blood.
"It's over," Draco whispered. Looking to the rest of the pack, Draco knew what he had to do. Standing up, feeling his sanity slowly starting slip, Draco raised the knife and set out to complete his task.
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Eyes... green eyes... pain...
Those were the first two things Draco noticed as he slowly rose from the blackness. He ached, deep into his soul, and he couldn't remember much of anything.
The second thing Draco noticed was a beyond foul stench, as if something horrid was burning. Arms were around him and he slowly turned to the side, dry heaving. Thirsty beyond belief, Draco groaned and attempted to look back at the person who was holding him.
So familiar.
Black hair, green eyes behind small, round glasses.
The scar.
Potter...
The name slowly rose out of the depths of Draco's memory and he blinked. "Po...Po..." Draco attempted, his tongue too thick for his mouth.
"Shhh," Harry said gently. "I've burned the bodies, and I'm taking you home with me."
"Home?" Draco asked, confused by the meaning of the word. It was a word Draco had never really known.
"Home, my home," Harry whispered, "and I will keep you safe."
Draco gave a feeble nod and then succumbed to the blackness that was
forever lurking in his mind.
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The next thing Draco knew, he was being bathed. He was feverish now, dehydrated and full of potions that Harry had forced down his throat.
They were doing a meagre amount of work on his body, but it was enough to sustain him.
With careful hands, Harry slowly cleaned the month's worth of dirt, blood, cum and horror off his body. When finished, Harry eased the blonde out of the water and draped a closed robe over the blonde's head.
Carrying his dreadfully light body back to the bedroom, Harry poured more potions into the blonde, easing him into sleep.
And that was how the next three weeks went. Draco slowly gained more and more of his mind back as Harry cared for him, and eventually his bouts of consciousness remained longer and longer.
He didn't chance any sort of speech until two and a half weeks since Harry had found him. In his moments of wakefulness, Draco had begun to wonder how Harry had managed to find him and what exactly had happened.
The last thing Draco properly remembered was slaughtering the rest of his pack. His pack, because it was true, Draco was a werewolf. And then it dawned on him, Draco was going to have to change, and relatively soon.
"Harry," Draco rasped, "how long?"
"Have you been here? About two weeks."
"I... the change..." Draco managed as he struggled to sit up in the bed.
Harry reached forward and slowly eased Draco into a sitting position, propping him up with pillows. "I know, Draco. The moon is in eight days."
"Then you must have found me soon after," Draco said, closing his eyes against the harsh light of the sun.
"The bodies were still freshly slain, if that's what you mean," Harry said softly. "I've gotten you Wolfsbane for your change, which should help."
Draco blinked, having forgotten about such things in the modern Wizarding World. "I killed them," Draco eventually whispered. "My pack."
"What the hell happened to you?" Harry asked gently yet forcefully. "Why did you kill your pack, and why were you in Normandy."
Draco felt more of his thoughts and memories starting to piece together and he eventually opened his eyes properly. Taking a good look at Harry, Draco saw that the raven-haired man hadn't changed much at all. He was still beautiful in his own way, and still resonated
power beyond measure.
"I was looking for you, Potter," Draco eventually said. "Dumbledore sent me off to Normandy, said he heard a rumour you were there. I went alone, stupidly, and was... taken."
"By the pack?" Harry inquired.
Draco nodded. "They... "he started, but found it was impossible to describe what had happened to him.
"It's okay, Draco," Harry said softly, taking the blonde's hand.
"When I got free," Draco continued in a voice thick with unshed tears, "I'd already been bitten. Claudius... the leader... who'd bitten me... took me and, and marked me as his. So I... I... killed him... and them." Draco trailed off and lowered his head as the hot, silent and bitter tears leaked out.
Harry wordlessly climbed onto Draco's bed and pressed the blonde to his chest. "Draco," he whispered, feeling at a loss for what to do. "Draco..."
"I'll live, I'm alive," Draco muttered angrily. "How did you find me?"
"I... sensed you," Harry said carefully.
"Sensed me?" Draco asked, glancing up at the man who was holding him.
Harry nodded and slowly launched into what had befallen him.
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Hours later, Draco and Harry were enjoying a small meal. Harry had carefully explained his vampriric condition, his still love for Severus and how he'd recently contacted Dumbledore about returning to the Wizarding World once again.
Draco was unsure about returning, and felt absolutely petrified at the idea. "Harry I... I don't know if I can."
Harry reached out and took Draco's hand gently. "I know, Draco, and I will wait for you, if you need me to."
Draco, unable to admit it aloud, merely nodded and accepted the offer. The blonde looked at Harry and suddenly wished for Harry to bite him, to distract him from the pain he was feeling on the inside.
Harry looked at Draco curiously for a moment before setting aside their food and settling himself next to Draco. Pulling the blonde close to him, Harry pressed Draco's head to the side and leant in to his ear. "Draco," he whispered, "do you really want this?"
Draco nodded sharply. "I do... please Harry," he begged.
Harry, feeling his blood hunger rise to the surface, nodded his acquiescence, lowered his fangs and did as the blonde asked.
In a drained sleep, Draco shifted away from Harry and let out a small whimper. Harry hadn't wanted to cause the blonde any more pain, but he knew that Draco would heal. And that was all that mattered for the
moment.
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Packing his trunk, Draco glanced round the home that had been his, with Harry, for the past three months. They were ready to leave, Harry far more anxious than Draco was, but Draco didn't mind the raven-haired man's enthusiasm.
Slightly anxious about the trip, Draco stayed very close to Harry's side, reassured when the raven-haired man kept a firm grip on his hand. "Thank you," he whispered.
Harry smiled and nodded. "No matter what, Draco, I will still help you heal."
The two men had made plans to lunch in Diagon Alley, purchase their teaching supplies and floo to Dumbledore's office. Harry had arranged for a private stay until formal announcements had been made, and Draco had expressed his desire to stay secret for a short while.
That was not to be, however, when they entered the Leaky Cauldron. Their lunch had arrived and they were eating quietly just spaces away from the fireplace, when the flames roared and a man tumbled out. Not just a man, a man and his dog.
Draco looked at the figure as he righted himself and his jaw dropped. It was Severus. Draco cast a wary look toward Harry who was staring at Severus like the older man was a ghost.
"Severus," Harry whispered and tightened his hand on Draco's arm.
Severus, being blind, turned his face toward the sound of his name, but before he could respond, the flames roared again and two giggling girls stumbled out of the hearth. They started to brush each other off, until the darker haired girl spotted Draco and Harry. They both froze.
"Oh," the darker haired girl said, and began to whisper to her friend.
"What is going on?" Severus demanded.
"Uhm… dad," the girl said and took Severus' arm.
Draco sucked in his breath at the sudden realisation. The little girl looked like Severus, very much so. Right down to her beetle black eyes.
Severus seemed as though he was going to answer, but in that moment, Sirius Black tumbled out of the flames and soon spotted Harry and Draco.
Draco turned his head to whisper in Harry's ear. "Perhaps we should go."
"No," Harry whispered back, and pulled away from Draco. "Me," he said, answering Sirius. "Hello Severus."
"Potter," Severus choked out, gripping the harness on his dog tightly.
"And Draco," Harry said. Draco paled and turned his face toward the counter.
"Draco… you were…" Severus fumbled. "Albus didn't tell me you had been found."
"I asked him to keep it quiet until I was certain I wanted to be found," Draco all but whispered. "I'm sorry." Draco's heart hurt suddenly, and he wanted to leave. He wasn't sure he could take seeing everyone that suddenly.
Blocking out the rest of the conversation, Draco didn't notice anything until Sirius and the two girls were sitting at the table across from him and Harry.
"So," Sirius said softly, "you're back then."
Harry nodded. "I'm back."
Draco stole a glance at Harry who couldn't seem to keep his eyes of Severus' daughter. The black haired girl was sulking, her eyes fixed on the table.
"Maia," Sirius warned, "you don't need to behave this way."
The little girl called Maia, sniffled a little. When she looked up, Draco saw her eyes were red. "He promised," she whispered at Sirius. "He said he was going to take me out. Why'd he leave?"
Sirius closed his eyes for a moment and put his arm round the girl's shoulders. "He's confused."
"I hate him," she spat. "He hates me, so why shouldn't I?"
"He does not hate you," Sirius said firmly. "You know that you and R… that you are his life," Sirius said and flushed a very deep red.
Harry tensed. "And who?" he whispered.
Sirius shook his head. "Not now, Harry. I've missed you more than I can say, but this is not the time."
Harry glanced at Maia and then nodded. "Fair enough." Harry took a long drink of his water and then nodded toward the brown haired girl. "She's yours?"
Sirius grinned and nudged his shy daughter. "Yes, all mine. Netta, this is Harry."
Netta looked up shyly. "I know, I've seen the photos. Hello… uhm… Harry?"
Harry laughed. "Uncle Harry sounds good, eh?"
Sirius laughed. "Whatever you want, kiddo."
"Not a kid anymore," Harry remarked. "She looks like Hermione."
"That's my mum," Netta said
"And your mum?" Harry asked Maia.
Maia looked at Harry with frightened eyes before glancing, almost panicked, at Sirius. "Ahem… not now Harry," Sirius said. "Please."
"Fair enough," Harry said. "I'm sorry to cut this short, Sirius, but Draco and I have an appointment to keep."
Sirius nodded. "See you back at the castle."
"Absolutely," Harry assured him. Sirius reached across the table and gripped Harry's hand a moment.
Eventually he turned his eyes toward Draco. "I'm glad you're okay, Draco," he said very softly.
Draco merely nodded and slid out of his chair. Taking Harry's hand in an iron grip, the two men moved toward the floo with their packages and headed to Dumbledore's office.
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After explanations of where they'd been, what had befallen them, and a lot of catching up with Hermione, Sirius and their brood, the four adults and children sat in the kitchens, waiting for dinner.
Severus had not been seen, and Draco could tell his daughter had been sulking for most of the day. Earlier, Harry had got furious with Draco, demanding to know why the blond hadn't told him about Maia, but Draco hadn't known.
"I'd only seen Severus a bare few times, Harry," Draco said softly. "They must've kept her secret. I didn't know Severus had even met someone."
"And it had to be right after me," Harry said. "Because she's starting Hogwarts this term."
Draco placed a dry kiss on Harry's mouth and pulled him in for an embrace. "I'm sorry," was all he could say.
Just before the food was served, the entrance to the kitchens opened and two men walked in. One was Severus, and he was on the arm of Remus Lupin.
At the sight of the werewolf, Draco's heart pounded and he felt a panic rise in him like never before. "I can't do this," Draco hissed in Harry's ear.
Harry's hand tightened over Draco's, but his eyes were fixed on the too familiar forms of Remus and Severus. Maia hugged Remus, and it became very clear who the other parent was.
Draco could feel Harry's despair flowing off of him, and he wanted to comfort him. "Harry," he whispered, but the raven haired man simply shook his head and continued to watch the exchange.
Severus was being painfully affectionate with his daughter, and it warmed Draco's heart just a little. When he looked at the werewolf, Draco felt a strange surge of protectiveness and knew he had to tell Remus the truth.
"Harry, I'm sorry I can't visit straight away, but perhaps tonight, after dinner?"
Harry sighed very softly. "Of course, I understand, family business."
Draco frowned when Remus and Severus flinched, but made no mistake about the way Severus reached for Remus' hand.
Before the two men could leave, Draco suddenly called out, "Remus."
The werewolf turned and smiled. "Yes?"
"I'd like a word... later. Might I come by your quarters?"
"Absolutely," Remus said. "Severus and I are in the dungeons."
"Thank you," Draco managed softly, and watched them leave.
When he turned back to the table, Harry was staring at Hermione and Sirius tensely. "How long?" Harry managed in a very tight voice.
Hermione and Sirius exchanged glances. "Harry… it's… it's more complicated than all of that," Hermione said in a pained voice. "I think Remus should be the one to explain it to you."
Harry nodded and fell silent.
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Immediately recognising the bite of another werewolf, Remus was determined to speak to the blonde who had gone missing after going after Harry. Before he could speak up, however, Draco requested a meeting with him.
Remus agreed and met with Draco that night. Draco was frightened, the scent of it rolling off him in waves and Remus had to keep his distance for a while lest it overwhelm him.
"I recognised your bite, I already know about your change," Remus said kindly as he conjured tea and biscuits. Situations like these always seemed to call for tea, and as the blonde sipped at the hot liquid, he calmed considerably.
"I didn't ask you here to discuss my change," Draco confessed quietly.
Remus frowned. The blonde had changed drastically. He barely resembled the arrogant young Malfoy he was just months before. "What's happened, Draco?" Remus asked.
Draco lowered his eyes and began his tale. It was like a horror story. Kidnap, rape torture for weeks on end. Draco told how he'd escaped, half starved, just changed. And then he told the rest of the tale. "They were the last of the werewolves, Remus, in all of Europe and possibly the world. And I killed them. All of them. Harry burnt the bodies when I was unconscious and he nursed me back to health." Draco paused and swallowed thickly. "We could be the very last," he added in a whisper.
Remus took all of that in with a sombre face. He half expected to be shocked, perhaps angry or at least a little sad. After all, he was a werewolf. There was no changing or denying that fact. Yet, after hearing Draco's tale, he realised that most of them were reduced to nothing but monsters, even in their human flesh. He found he could not pity them.
"It's okay," he eventually said.
Draco's eyes shot up. "Sorry? It's okay?"
"I don't wish lycanthropy on anyone, Draco, and I don't believe that people who are capable doing what they did to you are worthy of life."
Draco's eyes misted over slightly and he had to clear his throat before he could speak. "I was terrified of telling you, to be honest."
Remus moved closer to Draco and reached out gently for his hand. "I'm glad you did. I don't know exactly how I feel about being totally alone in this world…"
"You're not though," Draco all but whispered and squeezed Remus' hand back. "I'm in this too, now. And…" Draco looked down and blushed a little. "And perhaps now that you're here and I'm here… we can get through the months together."
Remus felt a slight flutter in his chest and let out a short breath. Knowing things were too insane to even think about Draco in any other capacity besides werewolf companion, Remus pushed his budding attraction to the side and released Draco's hand.
"I ought to get back to Severus… but if you need anything at all, you know where to find me."
Draco nodded. "Can I ask you…"
Remus smiled. "Yes and no, we aren't a couple and Maia is not mine."
Draco nodded. "I had a feeling. Does Harry know yet?"
"I don't think so, but Severus is not going to wait to tell him. I suspect it could get quite messy over the next few days. Please, keep it quiet until Severus has his say."
Draco nodded solemnly and rose from the sofa. "I will. I just don't want Harry hurt. He saved my life."
Remus gave a slight smile. "I don't think anyone wants Harry more hurt than he already is." Remus paused and then said, "He's changed. I can almost smell a change about him."
Draco nodded slowly. "He has changed."
"What happened to him, Draco?"
Draco shifted uncomfortably. "I'm sorry Remus, but it's Harry's story to tell. I'm not sure how much of it he's willing to divulge."
Remus smiled. "I understand, I just worry about him. He's important to me." Remus walked to the door and paused with his hand on the doorknob. "I do mean what I said Draco, if you need anything at all, I'm here."
"Thank you," Draco said solemnly and fell silent as Remus left the room.
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Draco was pleased with how well the werewolf took the news of the death of their race, but he wasn't sure Remus was being completely truthful about it.
He was also pained from his visit with Severus. He didn't know how to deal with it all, and he suddenly felt the need to leave the castle.
"Harry," Draco said softly, "can we go somewhere else? I don't think I can be here right now."
Harry looked up, his eyes red from crying and he nodded. "I don't think I can be here either."
"Did you ask Remus?" Draco prodded.
Harry nodded. "He was truthful. They aren't… together. But he wouldn't tell me much more than that."
"I'm sure he still loves you. I just wonder why you aren't angry at him."
Harry chuckled a little bitterly and shook his head. "I thought I would be, and then I realised that in these eleven years, I've changed, and so has he. I realised that Severus and I never actually knew each other. From what little I did now, I didn't understand. Eleven years has given me time to mature and comprehend why he made the decision to push me away. He didn't want to be a burden, and I didn't understand it at seventeen, but now I do. I can't hate him, not when I love him this much."
Draco chanced a very small smile, and held out his hand. "Can we leave?"
Harry looked round their room and then nodded. "Yes, we can."