Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, etc. etc. etc.

Hurricane Dennis is arriving so I will be writing tonight. Tomorrow school has been canceled so I'm going to have plenty of time to write any more chapters if any more chapters come. I don't know yet.

Thanks for the reviews and now I warn you that we have testimony in here from Draco and some really disgusting testimony from Sam Malfoy. Just to warn you now.

Harry's room was dimly lit by the first streaks of dawn. It was almost six am on the morning of the first day of the trial. Harry and Draco were lying in bed together and both of them were awake. Draco was lying on his stomach and staring at the wall. Harry was also lying on his stomach with his head on Draco's shoulder. His left hand held Draco's left hand while his right hand was tracing the scars on Draco's back. There were about twenty thin, vertical, and parallel scars that started at his shoulder blades and ran down to his waist.

"I keep hoping that those will fade with time," said Draco wistfully.

"I'm sure they will," said Harry gently. He leaned over and kissed one of the scars.

"The trial starts today." Harry kissed another scar.

"I know. And I've all ready arranged to be there." Draco tightened his hand around Harry's hand. "Are you all right my love?" Draco took in a shaky breath and let it out.

"Call me by name... please." Harry kissed another scar and then said,

"I love you, Draco." Draco's body relaxed after Harry said his name.

"It's just... something the other wizards did. They wanted us to believe we were truly just objects. When they did things to us they would never call us by name, they would never hold our hands, and they would never kiss us." Harry gently kissed Draco on the neck. Draco turned over onto his back and looked up at the deep green eyes. "That's why... whenever we do things I keep asking you to say my name, and kiss me, and hold my hand. I'm just..."

"Trying to stay here, with me. I know. I've seen you almost zone out from time to time." Harry took Draco's hand and put it over his heart. "I love you. My heart will always love you. I know your past and I know how you were hurt. Whatever it takes to make you more comfortable with anything we do, I will do. I don't want to hurt you any further." Draco reached up and combed his fingers through Harry's dark hair. He gently pulled Harry down over him and Harry gently kissed him. Harry turned on his side and gathered up Draco in his arms and kissed the top of his head.

"What time is it?" asked Draco. Harry squinted at the clock until it came into enough focus to see it.

"It's six thirty. We need to be at court at nine."

"Could we just stay here a little longer?"

"Draco, if I could, I would stop time and we could lay here forever." Draco snuggled closer to Harry and whispered in his ear,

"I'd like that."

The two sat in the audience as the trial started. The four wizards were paraded out into the room in front of the board of wizards and witches. The charges were read. The first witness called to speak was Draco. Harry gently squeezed Draco's hand before Draco stood up and walked to the witness box.

"Mr. Malfoy," said the head judge, "you have come here today to tell us about the crimes that these men committed against you, is that correct?"

"Yes, your honor," replied Draco in a steady voice.

"Could you please tell the court, in your own words, what transpired two years ago in Romania and what happened in the last week." Draco took a deep breath and opened a secret door in his mind where he kept everything that had happened to him.

"Two years ago, I was traveling in Romania. I met these four wizards there. It had been almost a year since I had been around anyone from the magical world, and for me it was a bit of a relief to be around people from the magical world. At first, I simply lived there with these four wizards. I had lost my parents a year before and I was searching for a place to belong. I felt like I belonged there. After a month... things started happening."

"Please be specific Mr. Malfoy." Draco searched the faces of the audience until he found Harry's face. 'You can do this! You can do this! I love you!' said Harry's face. Draco took a deep breath drawing strength from the man who loved him.

"I was taken to the dungeon of the house we were living in. There I was stripped naked, chained to a wall, and was raped by all four wizards."

"Was this the only time it happened?"

"No. These same events happened at least three or four times a week. Sometimes... while I was being raped, Sam Malfoy would take a razor blade and cut my back."

"Do you have any evidence of this?"

"Yes, I have several scars on my back."

"If you feel comfortable, I would like to ask you to remove your shirt and show everyone this."

"Yes, your honor, I am comfortable with that." Draco stood, folded his jacket over his chair, took off his tie, unbuttoned his shirt and put it with the jacket. Then he turned around and showed the entire court his scarred back. There was a collective quiet gasp and mutter around the court room. Harry swallowed the knot in his throat as he watched Draco show everyone the scars that only he and Madame Pomfrey had seen.

"Thank you Mr. Malfoy," said the head wizard. His tone had changed slightly, he sounded a touch more sympathetic. "You may put your shirt back on and continue." Draco nodded. He put back on his shirt, put back on the jacket but stuffed the tie in his pocket. It had been bothering him since he left the house.

"I was eventually able to escape from the house and I wandered Europe for a year and a half, just avoiding them. In the past two weeks I have returned to England and taken up residence in the guest room of Mr. Harry Potter." A quiet mutter went around the court room as he had expected it would, but he tried to keep it from bothering him. "While living there, these four wizards tracked me down. They used a suggestion spell on me and I left with them. I was taken to a mansion owned by one of them where I was once again taken to a dungeon, chained to a wall, and raped by all four of them."

"Did you escape again?"

"No. I was rescued by Mr. Harry Potter." More mutters around the court room. He was getting worried now. He's going to leave me, he thought as he looked around the room. But then he saw Harry's face staring straight at him. Harry's face hadn't changed. His expression still said, 'I love you! You can do this! I love you!' Draco took in a deep breath once again drawing strength. "I was taken to Hogwarts and was taken care of by Madame Pomfrey and Professor Dumbledore. I am told that I slept for two days in the infirmary before I woke up again."

"What did you learn when you woke up?"

"All four of the wizards had been captured."

"Why did you go with these wizards when they took you from Mr. Potter's house?" asked a witch next to the head judge.

"They used a suggestion spell," he replied calmly.

"What kind of suggestion could they use to make you go with the people who hurt you?" Draco took a deep breath and stared straight into Harry's eyes as he spoke his next words.

"They made me think I was good for nothing else than being their whipping boy."

"Surely you know that you are worth more than that."

"Begging your pardon madame, no I do not. When my parents died, I was supposed to have been there. I felt responsible for the death of my own parents after that. My remaining family convinced me even further that I was not worth anything. They blamed me for not being there to help my parents and possibly save them. I do not like to admit my own weaknesses, but this is one that has affected my life more than any other."

"Surely you know that you couldn't have done anything to stop your parents death."

"Begging the court's pardon, but how many people in this court room have felt responsible for the death of a friend or relative even when they know that they couldn't have done anything. It's not just the guilt that eats away at a person, it's the uncertainty as well." Muttered agreement flowed through the court room after his statement. The witch who had asked him the questions now remained quiet.

"Mr. Malfoy, is there anything else you wish to say at this time?" asked the wizard.

"No, your honor."

"You may step down." Draco walked back to his seat next to Harry. Harry took Draco's hand in his own and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Draco was still shaking. The next people to be called were Professor Dumbledore and Madame Pomfrey who both testified to the extent of Draco's injuries when he arrived at Hogwarts. Some photographs were shown that caused Draco to wince. Harry just held Draco's hand and squeezed it from time to time. Of the four wizards, Sam Malfoy was the only one who chose to speak in their defense.

"Mr. Malfoy," said the head wizard in a gruff voice, "what do you have to say in your defense?"

"Draco Malfoy knew exactly what we were doing and he enjoyed every minute of it."

"Excuse me?"

"Well, of course there were the usual protests, please, don't, stop which all mean for me to keep doing what I'm doing. He used to shake when I would cut him."

"Most people do shake when being cut," said the witch.

"This was from pleasure your honor."

"How can you be certain of this?" asked the wizard. The disgust on his face was now obvious.

"I am certain."

"Please step down." Sam gave Draco an evil grin as he went back to his seat. Draco clenched his jaw and stared at the ground.

The verdict was passed and they were sentenced to Azkaban.

Draco and Harry silently made their way home. Once back at Harry's house Draco began to build up the fire. Harry went into the kitchen and started dinner. As he was cooking Draco appeared at the door of the kitchen.

"Harry, I'm going to go for a walk," he said in a dead voice.

"Are you all right Draco?" Harry asked as he turned and dried his hands on a towel.

"I... I don't know," said Draco quietly. Harry walked towards him but Draco backed away. Harry stopped walking forward then. "I don't know when I'll be back."

"That's fine," said Harry. He wanted to hold the man and take away all the pain and fix what was wrong, but he knew that he couldn't do that especially if Draco didn't want him to.

"Harry, I love you, my thoughts are just swimming tonight, and I don't know... I have to sort these things out."

"Ok."

"You don't have to wait up."

"I know."

Draco rushed forward and kissed Harry passionately on the lips for a few seconds before he quickly turned away and walked out the front door.

Harry stood still for a second before he turned back and put the pork chops into the oven. Harry went into the living room and curled up in the same chair he had been sitting in when Draco first arrived at his door step. Once again he stared into the flames of the fire and wondered when Draco would be back. He'd been sleeping with Draco in his bed every night and this was the first time in a week he was facing going to bed alone. He sighed and decided he would stay up as long as he could in case Draco came home soon. He sat in the chair until the pork chops were done. He ate alone. Then he returned to his chair and stared into the flames, waiting for Draco to come back.