Monica85: Glad you like it so far, and sorry I took so long to update.
Oracale: Thanks!
Lampshadesrgreat: Sorry, but I just love cliffys, keeps them coming back for more. Anyways, glad you like it so far.
Angel74: Glad you like it so far. Sorry I took so long, but I hope you like this chapter.
Sinilu Silverspell: No, no, no, you have nothing to apologize for. I feel honored that you took so much time to review my story. Thank you. And because of your wonderful review that made my heart swell with pride, I dedicate this chapter to you. First of all...mmm...cake! LOL! Yah, I know the shotgun was a bit much, but I had to make it climatic enough for the events that followed. You were right about the apparation, he doesn't control it. It will be explained better later, but he did apparate himself to that room. Coincidence? Maybe. Remember Draco's friendship with Tom is not one he would tell anyone about. Room 13 might come into play later, haven't worked out the details yet. I'm really sorry I took so long to update, but I was away at academy and I didn't get much time to type. Please forgive me.
Chapter Three- Hidden Stars
"What in Merlin's name are you doing here?! Get out now!" Draco was doing his best to control the anger that was threatening to explode at any moment. After everything had gone so smoothly, here was Potter trying to mess it all up. The question was what he was playing at and how he had known Draco was going to be here in the first place. Then again...maybe he didn't know.
Harry's lack of response or even movement added to Draco's ever increasing anger.
"Don't you dare ignore me Potter! I said get out!" Harry was still motionless except for the gentle rise and fall of his body that accompanied each of his ragged breaths. Wait a minute... ragged breaths?
"Wake up Potter, and get out?" Draco was at the side of the bed in a single stride. He placed his hand on Harry's shoulder and shook hard.
"What's wrong with you? I said get out!" He flipped Harry over and could have sworn he felt his heart stop for a moment. Never in all his wildest dreams had he ever imagined seeing such a sight.
There was Harry, looking worst than Draco had ever seen him. His face was covered in cuts and bruises; blood dripping from a huge gash just above his left brow. Who knew where his glasses were. His clothes were ten times too big for himself and torn to shreds, and worst of all his left shoulder was soaked in blood.
This was not the boy who lived, this was not the wizarding world's golden boy, this was not the one who defeated the Dark Lord, and this was most certainly not the future hero of the world. This was the remains of an innocent broken child. And yet there was that signature scar, hidden by blood soaked hair.
Draco backed against the door. What was he supposed to do? He had to tell someone, but whom, and what was he supposed to say? I, Draco Malfoy, son of the Dark Lord's right hand death eater, just happened to stumble across the mangled body of Harry Potter. Who was going to believe that he had nothing to do with this?
Draco's hand stopped just short of the door handle.
"No one. No one's going to believe me." Draco sighed and turned back around. He starred long and hard at Potter, then slid down to the floor and wrapped his arms around his legs. His head flopped down against his knees, and he mumbled the words again and again.
Draco's head shot up at the sound of Harry. It was quiet, but he could just make out small moans of pain. He got up and made his way back over to Harry.
"What am I supposed to do?" Harry was the only one who could tell people that Draco had nothing to do with this. He was the only one people would believe. Draco had to admit that he was curious as well. This certainly didn't look like the work of a death eater, besides, had it been one, his father most certainly would have known and would have told him.
Other than that, he couldn't even begin to imagine what could have possibly done this to Potter.
Draco looked him over carefully. He had lost quite a bit of blood, and Draco wasn't sure he'd survive without medical care. Unfortunately, Draco never thought to bring any healing draughts. How was he to know he was going to run into a situation like this?
It would be too risky to go into Diagon Alley, at least today. He was sure his father had already found out he was gone, and he was sure his father would have every death eater available out looking for him today, accompanied with the thought that Draco couldn't have gotten very far yet. After today it should become safer. The Dark Lord would never waste time searching for him...or would he? There was a lot of important information that Draco knew and if divulged could hinder some of the Dark Lord's plans.
Unfortunately it was a risk that Draco was going to have to face tomorrow if he even hoped to help Potter.
He was angry with himself for his final decision, but he knew that Potter was his only chance of not being convicted of being a death eater. Besides, if he did help Potter recover, perhaps it would give him the plus points he needed to gain protection at Hogwarts.
Protection. Now that he thought about it, he was going to need a lot of protection, not only from the Dark Lord and his death eaters, but also from his own housemates. What was he going to do? Most of the Slytherins had at least one death eater parent and Draco was certain that they would make their displeasure in him clearly evident. Would they go so far as to physically harm him? Draco shuddered at the thought.
Another moan jerked Draco's attention back to Harry. Well, if he was going to help, he might as well start now. He grabbed on to his sleeve and tore off two long strips. Draco gently tied a strip around both Harry's head and shoulder. It was going to have to do until he could get some healing draughts.
Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Draco froze. No, they couldn't have found him already; there was no way.
"Draco, open up, it's me Tom." It was so quiet, Draco almost didn't catch it, but it was without a doubt the voice of Tom.
"Just a second." Great, now what was he supposed to do? Draco grabbed hold of Potter around the waist and yanked him off the bed. Harry moaned in pain as he hit the floor.
"You alright in there?" Tom's voice drifted once again through the door.
"Yah...I'm fine...I'll be with you in a minute." Draco hauled Harry's body over to the bathroom. He laid Harry's head gently on the floor and closed the door. As long as Harry didn't make any noise, they would be ok. Maybe he could even ask Tom to get the healing draughts for him, but no. With as many as he needed, he was sure Tom would become suspicious.
Draco walked over and opened the door, ushering Tom in quickly, in case anyone was watching. Tom sat down on a chair beside the bed and Draco plopped himself on the bed itself, covering the stain of blood that Harry's shoulder had left.
"Why were you moaning...and what happened to your sleeve?" Draco's eyes fell to his torn sleeve.
"I got it stuck on the corner of the sink counter and...bumped my elbow...that's why I moaned." Draco didn't look up, afraid his face would spell out the lie. Luckily, Tom merely nodded and continued on.
"You're not going to believe this", Tom said as he handed Draco a copy of this morning's Daily Prophet. Draco looked up at Tom suspiciously as he took the paper. He looked down at the cover page and gasped in shock. There in black and white was a picture of Harry flying his broom in what appeared to be the first task of last year's Tri-wizard Tournament. Above the moving photo was the headline, 'THE BOY-WHO-LIVED MISSING'. Below the photo was an in-depth article on the incident.
Draco read it silently to himself. It seemed that the wards surrounding Potter's muggle residence had alerted the ministry the moment his magic signature had left the ward's perimeter. And apparently, when questioned under veritaserum, Potter's muggle relatives claimed that he had merely run away.
This was hard for Draco to believe. Even if Harry really had run away, it seemed as though he had had an excellent reason to do so. With the state he was in, and the fact that it didn't appear to be a death eater's doing, the only assumption Draco could make was that his relatives had done this to him. But why, he was everyone's golden boy? Wasn't he supposed to be treated like a god by his relatives? Why would they do something like this? Draco just couldn't understand it.
"Unbelievable, isn't it?" Tom's voice broke Draco away from his questioning thoughts.
"Yah", was about all Draco could get out. He was stunned. Everything he had ever thought about Potter was being slowly flushed down the toilet. All the thoughts of Potter being a spoiled brat at home started to make Draco feel guilty about the way he had treated him all these years. How long had all of this been going on? It couldn't have been long. Potter had never showed up at Hogwarts with any injuries or anything before this. Could he have been hiding it all this time? No, he wouldn't...would he? Draco suddenly realized that he didn't really know anything about Potter. "Could I keep this", Draco asked, indicating the paper in his hand?
"Of course, but I've got to get going." Tom got up and made his way over to the door. He opened it, but stopped just short of leaving. "Take care of yourself, alright Draco?"
"I will, and again...thanks." Tom nodded and closed the door behind him. As soon as the door shut, Draco ran over to it and hooked the lock back in place. He then made his way over to the bathroom and opened the door. Harry was lying exactly where Draco had left him.
Draco sighed and this time gently picked up Harry's limp body. It wasn't as difficult as he had thought. Potter was so thin and light, it began to really worry Draco. What had Potter been through, and to what extent? He knew he was going to have to check Potter over better to assess his injuries. If his suspicions were right, he was going to need a lot more healing draughts then he had previously thought.
Draco removed Harry from the bathroom and set him gently on the bed. He removed the makeshift bandages that were now soaked in blood and threw them unceremoniously in the trash. He then began to remove Harry's shirt and pants; tossing off his shoes and socks and throwing them all in the trash as well.
Harry seemed about the same size as Draco. He would simply loan him some of his own cloths until he had a chance to buy him some new ones.
Draco had to admit he felt quite awkward standing over the half naked body of his sworn enemy. Potter was clad only in his boxers, which Draco couldn't force himself to remove.
It seemed just as bad as Draco thought. There were cuts and bruises all up and down Harry's body. Draco gently felt across Harry's chest and was certain at least three of his ribs were broken. He continued to feel across Harry's body; stopping momentarily each time Harry moaned because his hand had passed over a particularly nasty looking bruise. To his relief, it didn't seem as though there were any other broken bones.
Draco was particularly worried about Harry's shoulder, though. There was a hole clean through his shoulder, and while it had just about stopped bleeding, it was still troubling. Merlin only knew what muggle contraption had made such a horrible injury as this.
Draco gently flipped Harry over and wasn't surprised to find it in the same condition as the front. Draco felt down his spine and was relieved to find it in one piece.
He began slowly turning Harry back over when he noticed two small D's carved into Harry's lower back. Draco's mouth hung open in shock. Had they not only abused him but also tortured him?
This was too much for Draco. No one deserved this. Not even Potter...no, especially not Potter. After everything he had already done, everything he had already sacrificed to protect the world from the Dark Lord, this was not the reward he deserved. He deserved to be loved and care for, not praised and then abandoned like this.
Draco could feel his eyes watering as he slowly turned Harry onto his back. How unfair life seemed to be; that the nicest people in the world always seemed to get the short end of the stick. It wasn't right. Potter deserved so much better than this.
"And whose to say he shouldn't get better than this", Draco whispered as he took his trunk out of his pocket and poured an enlarging solution on it. He opened the trunk and began searching through it until he found a nice red silk shirt, a pair of black jeans, and red boxers.
"From now on Potter, I'm going to take care of you. I'm not going to let you go back there." Draco dried his eyes and smiled at Harry's unconscious form. "First things first Potter, you most certainly need a bath". Draco over-exaggerated by pinching his nose shut and pretending to choke. "I'm surprised Tom didn't smell you were here." Draco laughed at his own joke, but stopped when he realized he was basically talking to himself.
Draco picked Harry gently up and took him over to the bathroom. He set Harry in the bathtub and carefully removed his boxers. Draco retrieved some soap and shampoo from his trunk before undressing himself as well and getting in beside Harry. He turned on the hot water and let the tub fill to the brim before turning it off.
"Thank Merlin you're unconscious Potter. There's no way I would do this otherwise." Draco lathered up the soap and moved it over the entire length of Harry's body; taking extra care over his injuries, yet making sure to remove any dried blood. He rested Harry's head in his lap as he washed his hair and then cleansed himself.
When he was finished, he pulled the plug and waited for the water to drain before grabbing a towel and wrapping it around Harry. Draco carried him over to the bed and tore off the bloody sheets before laying Harry on the stripped bed. He dried Harry off, wrapped his head and shoulder in new cloth strips, and dressed him in the clothes he had picked out for him.
Draco couldn't help but stare. Harry looked extremely handsome in clothes that actually fit.
Draco grabbed another towel to dry himself off and got dressed as well. Only then did he realize how hungry he was. He should have asked Tom if he could bring him some food, but it was a little late for that.
He went over to his trunk and search through it, looking for anything eatable. The only thing he could find was a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. Right now, he wasn't hungry enough to risk the chance of getting a vomit flavor or something else disgusting.
He tossed the bag back in his trunk and slammed the lid shut. He slumped to the floor in defeat. There was so much he hadn't prepared for, so much he hadn't anticipated, he just couldn't help the tears from slowly falling. How could things have gotten so out of control, so fast?
There wasn't anything else Draco could do at the moment and he was tired of thinking about how messed up everything was. Draco went over to the bed and lay down beside Potter. Not in a million years would he have ever guessed he would have felt this way, but lying beside Harry seemed to make all the bad things go away. Some how, he felt safe beside him. Draco wrapped his arm around Harry and pulled him close.
"I promise...I'm going to take care of you...perhaps we can even become the friends we should have been from the beginning." Draco sighed, closed his eyes, and in moments was fast asleep snuggled beside Harry.