Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, and the licensed copyright holders including Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Warner Bros., Inc. No money has been exchanged and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
A/N: Patience grasshopper...all will be revealed in due course. Oi! I'm such a bleeding hypocrite I have no patience whatsoever, and so I'm posting this chapter mad early...and uh, cause I got two more reviews and that made me really happy as I'd had a right awful morning...ah well...such is life. Anyhoo...child abuse, sexual assault and drug use mentions in this chapter. And yup, it's still slash! Yay! Now read and review! Chocolate frogs, Hershey's Kisses and big hugs to everyone who's already reviewed, in the words of a great man..."I love you guys!"
4.
He didn't notice Rhiannon shooing everyone from the room but he did notice when he felt a large warm hand on his shoulder. "That song speaks of great pain and expectation honey. I don't know if you wrote it for yourself or someone else or maybe for you and someone else. But whatever happened in the past…it doesn't much matter any more. It's your past and if you ever want to share it we'll be here to listen, if you don't that's okay too. I have a funny feeling you're worried about being worthy enough to belong here or some such nonsense. Let me tell you right now that's crap. Every one of us has a story, has lived a kind of pain that either breaks you or brings you greater strength than you thought possible. You're not alone anymore Draco. You haven't been since Alistair and Melody adopted you. You're one of us now and we take care of our own."
Draco looked up at her expressionless mask in place, "There are things I've done…the man I was…"
Rhiannon held up her hand, "You don't owe me any explanations Draco. I'm a pretty good judge of character and I think you're worth taking a risk on. But you want to talk about crimes and beating yourself up over them then let me tell you my story." She walked to the sidebar grabbed a bottle of scotch and poured two stiff drinks; handing one to Draco she knocked back her own and poured again, "You don't have to say anything. I'm not sharing this to shock you or to get you to open up with your deep dark secrets. I'm sharing this so you can understand it's not who you were that's important, it's who you become that matters.
Suddenly Draco noticed the vibrant woman he'd met earlier seemed weighted down by unknown and unseen hardships. He wanted to offer her support in the way he'd received from his hosts. He held her shaking hand as Rhiannon's story unfolded:
"I was 10 when I came to the States with my Mum. She'd met some rich businessman who'd promised her the Cinderella happy ending—gave it to her too. Within a year she was pregnant with my baby brother and we were the perfect happy family, white picket fence and everything. It changed a couple years later. I was 13 and-developing-I guess, he started getting grabby."
She sighed and poured another drink, swirling the rich amber liquid in her glass before huffing out a breath. "By the time I was 14 he'd raped me so many times I lost count." Draco held her hand tighter and she smiled at him sadly. "When it came out that I was pregnant he and my mum threw me out, said I was a whore and I could spread my legs for a living since I obviously did it so well."
Draco gasped and stroked her hand. She nodded her gratitude but there was more to tell and she'd started, might as well finish. "I was scared, alone, a child expecting a child. I had never been away from my parents. I knew nothing about surviving on my own. Like a lot of street kids I got caught up with a bad crowd, drugs, booze, sex and a pretty rotten pimp who made sure we stayed hooked."
She laughed but it was a bitter and harsh sound, "He was none too pleased when I started showing—told me to get rid of it and he didn't care how."
"It's not like I wanted the baby anyway. It sickened me to know that there was a piece of my step-father growing inside me. I wanted it out of me so I asked around and one of the girls gave me the name of guy who did abortions cheap. I saved up and I went to go see him. I spent my last bit of money on a hit and his fee. I still don't know what all happened. I was high out of my mind. But I do remember the pain. Gods there was so much pain." She shook her head, "When I came to I was in an alley lying in a pool of blood."
Draco reached over and wiped away her tears, "Rhiannon, I'm so sorry."
She have him an awkward one-armed hug, "My friends call me Rhi Draco, and don't be sorry, for the most part I'm not."
She smiled at his evident confusion, "That alley was off 137th…"
"Burlington Davis."
"Give the man a cigar," she smiled more genuinely, "Melody was just coming off shift. She took one look at me and levitated me inside. She saved my life that night. And she and Alistair took me in when I was as healed as I was going to get. They made sure I stayed clean, they introduced me to their friends, who became my friends, the kind of friends you call family. I didn't think I was worthy either. I was a whore, a junkie, and I did a lot of things I'm very ashamed of. But they never judged me, they only ever offered me acceptance and love and faith and they comforted me when I came to terms with the fact that I will only ever be an auntie."
Draco frowned, "I don't—"
Rhi sniffed, "The highly recommended fucker didn't just nearly kill me; he damaged my insides so badly that the only thing they could do at Burlington Davis to save me was a complete hysterectomy. I can never have my own kids Draco."
Draco paled, "Oh Rhi!" He tugged her drink aside and pulled the shaken woman into his arms. "I'm so so sorry Rhi. So sorry." He rocked them both murmuring his sympathies and crying with her. Tears they'd both thought long shed resurfaced as they faced the sorrow of their pasts together.
In the time that followed, the group became closer than ever. They were a family. When Evan took his first steps he propelled himself from Dai's arms to his Papa's. His first word was a pouted 'Astair,' when Alistair was withholding a favoured toy. Melody's 'don't mess with me' glare was the only thing that got him to eat his peas. Next to his Papa, Jonathan and Avery gave the best hugs for boo-boos. He'd run to Mama Rhi when he first used the potty like a 'big boy,' Aidan, Case and Madison were his 'bestest' friends and by the time he was 3 he had a huge crush on Kaelleigh. Together they were strong, healthy and raising their children well.
After he'd explained to everyone about Voldemort, the Death Eaters, his father's position in the inner circle, the bigotry of pureblood politics and why he'd left it all behind (minus the parts about Harry of course) Rhiannon came up with the idea for what to call the band, she thought playing on Draco's name was a great idea, it was fully Muggle but it gave Draco a way to "hide in plain sight," to that end they also used spells or incantations in their titles and lyrics. Despite what he'd thought possible all those years ago Draco Malfoy had a good life, one he was content with, one he was proud to share with his son.
Tbc...
