The Gryffindors and Slytherins were sat in Potions that week, when Slughorn came in with a bright smile. He turned to the class.
"We've got some news everyone!" Slughorn announced. "For those looking to go onto further education after Hogwarts, an exciting opportunity has come up with the Wizarding University of Bernhaus in Switzerland. They're offering a scholarship to two students for any of their various training programmes. They specialise in different types of healing, as well as politics and international relations, and much more" Slughorn informed them excitedly. "I'll be handing out applications to those of you who are interested. Applications need to be submitted within the next two months, and they will also take exam results into account"
Draco's mind was spinning, he had read about Bernhaus University, it was an institution that took it's security and privacy very seriously. Draco hadn't even considered going to University, assuming his father would throw him in a Ministry job to keep control of him, but if he got one of those scholarships he could spend four years away from his father where he could never reach him.
There was an excited chatter between a few students in the room and Draco knew he'd have competition. He glanced past Harry to see Hermione beaming, whispering to Parvati with a hopeful look on her face. Draco chewed his lip. She definitely deserved it more than he did, but what if they both won it? That would be the ideal outcome. She was already training herself to become a healer, she would be tough competition, and Draco didn't even know what he wanted to do.
At the end of the class, Draco walked over to the desk with the application forms and picked one up cautiously, feeling like his father might sense his disloyalty and apparate behind him. It was a hefty application. He glanced over at the others who had picked one up, there were quite a few people, and all seventh years were being offered them, so there would be others as well.
Ron had stayed to see the application as well and had looked up, seeing Draco with his application. He felt the anger build in him.
"Are you fucking serious Malfoy?" Weasley growled at him as they all filed out the door, the two of them and Hermione were the last ones out, though Hermione and Ron still weren't speaking.
"Excuse me Weasley?" Draco replied, an eyebrow raised.
"Daddy could buy your way into anywhere, and let's be honest you're probably just going to end up taking over his job one day, whatever it is that slimeball does, but you want to take a space away from someone that actually needs that scholarship?" Ron shook his head in disgust.
Hermione bit her lip, looking torn. Things were already rocky with Ron, but scolding him in front of Draco might be the last straw for them.
"Yeah he could, but I want this scholarship" Draco shrugged, smirking. He needed to act normal, and if that meant pissing off Weasley then he needed to do it. But he didn't want to upset Harry and Hermione so he chose his words carefully.
"Other people deserve it more!" and Draco knew he was talking about Hermione. Draco glanced at her and his smirk widened.
"Well there's two spots, maybe we'll go together" he suggested innocently, then turned and walked away.
Ron's face went bright red. He turned to Hermione.
"Be honest with me. Are you two seeing each other? Is that what the secret is?" He could barely contain his anger and betrayal.
"What?! Ron, no!" Hermione exclaimed in shock.
"Really? Because you didn't seem too bothered at the idea of going to University together?" Ron burst out angrily.
"Ron you're being ridiculous!"
"Me?" Ron spat. "You're the ones who are acting out of character! Becoming friends with that prat!" and with that he turned and stalked off.
- 0 -
Draco met Harry on the Friday and sat down on the sofas. They had stopped using their therapist chairs Draco had noticed, which he was glad of.
"So how have you been feeling?" Harry asked him.
"Alright actually, I think going flying again, and spending time with people has helped take my mind off it more. I still think about taking drugs at night, that seems to be when it's the worst, I don't sleep the best and my appetite isn't great, but the Potions definitely help with the withdrawal"
"That's really good" Harry smiled. He could see the difference in Draco, his skin and hair were looking healthier, though he was still too thin and had dark circles under his eyes. He had noticed Draco not eating much, but hopefully that would come back as he recovered. As always, Draco didn't mention the self-harm that got him through the worst nights.
"So this scholarship" Harry asked in interest. "You're applying?"
Draco hesitated, wondering if Harry felt the same as his best friend. "Yeah I think so"
"I think that's great" Harry smiled, glad Draco was looking to a future not in the Ministry.
"You do?" Draco was surprised. "Weasley wasn't happy about it at all"
Hermione had told Harry about it. Harry sighed and they agreed Ron did have a point, Draco certainly didn't need it, and was ruining someone else's chances but Harry knew his father might be controlling his future and explained that to Hermione. "Yeah I know, sorry about that" Harry grimaced. "Do you know what you'll be applying for?"
"Not really to be honest, I'm going to look through all their courses this weekend"
As they did more and more these days, they fell into a comfortable discussion that had nothing to do with drugs or rape, they talked about their futures, classes, things that friends spoke about.
- 0 -
Ron was doing the Prefect rounds a week later, he still wasn't talking to Harry and Hermione, and he missed doing these Prefect rounds with his girlfriend, missed talking and laughing with his best friend. He sighed, all this because of that bloody albino, twat-faced -
"I'm fucking done with you McLaggen, you can't convince me to do it anymore"
Ron halted. Speak of the devil. Was that Malfoy? He paused and slipped in behind the alcove beside the door where he could hear the conversation.
"Aww Drakey, how many times have we heard that one? And yet you keep messing up"
"Just get to the point, you're boring me"
"What I'm going to need you to do Draco, is pull your application out of the scholarship"
A scoff. "Scared McLaggen? Know you're too stupid to get it without cheating?"
"Clearly your dad hasn't been beating you hard enough Malfoy, it obviously takes more than a few measly punches and Cruciatus curses to keep you in line, do I need to bring my photo collection out?" McLaggen asked in a taunting voice.
"Go fuck yourself McLaggen" Draco spat.
"Pull your application out of the scholarship, or I'll send that photo collection of mine to the Daily Prophet, and then nobody will take you, no Universities, no jobs, no family, you'll have nothing" he murmured almost seductively.
Silence.
"Do I make myself clear? Or do I need to go to your daddy and tell him you've been a bad boy. There's so many things I could tell him, imagine how angry he would be, what he would do to you" Cormac's soft mocking voice made Ron's skin crawl. "You wouldn't be able to walk again, let alone go to a leading training institution"
Draco stayed silent again.
"Have I made myself clear?" McLaggen again. A pause in which Draco must have nodded. "Good" and Ron could hear the smirk. A second later there were footsteps and Ron ducked further into the alcove, peaking out behind the big statue and seeing McLaggen launch a wand down the corridor.
"Go fetch boy" he said like one would talk to a dog, and he swaggered down the corridor laughing.
Malfoy appeared a moment later, looking shaken. He ran a hand through his hair and Ron could see the stress in his face. What the hell kind of photo collection did McLaggen have on him? And is this what Harry and Hermione weren't telling him about? Malfoy disappeared to get his wand and Ron heard his footsteps disappear down the corridor towards the staircases.
- 0 -
Harry sat in the Common Room, rolling up his charms essay, having just finished. The portrait hole opened and Hermione walked in, walking up to Harry and plopping down on the seat beside him.
"How were the Prefect rounds?" Harry asked.
"They were okay, not the same without Ron" she frowned.
As if hearing his name, the portrait hole swung open and Ron walked into the Common Room, directly up to Harry and Hermione.
"We need to talk" he said shortly.
Harry and Hermione gaped at him but nodded and they all filed upstairs to the empty boys dorm. Ron locked and silenced the door.
"How little do you both think of me?" Ron immediately exploded.
Harry and Hermione were taken aback.
"Ron, what are you talking about? We don't -"
"You know about Malfoy's secret and you thought that was the sort of thing I would make fun of him for? Are you joking? It's fucking serious and no I don't like the git but that's not something to make fun of!" he cut Hermione off angrily.
Harry's mouth dropped. "How did you find out?" he asked, bewildered. Did he know about the drugs or the rape?
"McLaggen had him trapped and disarmed in a broom closet, he was blackmailing him, Malfoy told him to fuck off but McLaggen was having none of it, he's getting him to pull out of the scholarship"
Harry and Hermione exchanged alarmed looks. If McLaggen was involved he must have been pushing him to take drugs.
"Did he take something?" Harry asked, taking an urgent step forward.
"What from the broom closet?" Ron asked, looking baffled at the change of topic. "No, I mean he took Malfoy's wand..."
"No I mean Draco, did he take any drugs?"
"Drugs? What the fuck are you talking about?"
"What?" Harry asked, his blood going cold. Oh god they were talking about different things.
"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked Ron.
"The fact that Malfoy's getting abused at home, that Lucius beats him and uses the Cruciatus on him!" Ron exclaimed.
"He what?" Harry and Hermione both exclaimed.
"Wait... you didn't know?" Ron asked, bewildered. "What drugs are you talking about?"
Harry and Hermione exchanged worried glances.
"No. No way. You can't keep me out of the loop now, I know too much" Ron told them folding his arms.
Harry and Hermione nodded in resignation, it was true. They filled Ron in on what had been happening with the drugs. How they had been helping him get through the addiction, and how McLaggen, Smith and Finch-Fletcheley had been harassing him and blackmailing him, manipulating him into staying high.
Afterwards they all sat in silence.
"I can't believe I didn't know about Lucius. That first time I found Draco, he asked me to not let him go home, but I did and he came back from the October holidays..." Harry trailed off. He had gone home, and came back having been raped. Harry didn't imagine Lucius would go that far with his own son but could he have had something to do with it?
"You didn't know Harry, he didn't tell you." Hermione told him sadly. "God, that poor boy, always championing and defending his father and for what? To get beaten and tortured in his own home" she wiped tears from her eyes.
"He told me he had been talking rubbish" Harry said sadly. "He told me all those times he just argued with his father and he left home, but if he was being abused the whole thing makes so much sense, I'm such an idiot"
"You're not Harry, you never could have guessed that" Hermione consoled him.
"Makes sense why he's applying for that scholarship now as well" Ron shook his head. "He would be safe there away from Lucius"
"I can't imagine how desperate he must be to make a future for himself" Hermione frowned sadly.
"I understand why you guys wouldn't tell me about the drugs" Ron said. "But you know I would never make fun of him for this right?"
"We know Ron" Hermione smiled, taking her boyfriend's hand.
"Is the Ravenclaw guy blackmailing him too?" Ron asked.
Harry and Hermione looked at him, puzzled.
"Malfoy came barrelling into me one night out of a classroom, looked terrified, he was running away from something, I snapped at him and he said nothing bad to me, just ran away. So then I walked past the classroom he came out of and a Ravenclaw guy - I think his name is Devon? - was coming out looking a bit ruffled, I mean my first thought was it was a secret affair and Malfoy was scared about breaking Pureblood traditions but now..." Ron looked thoughtful.
Harry bit his lip. Could he tell Ron about the rape?
Ron saw his hesitation. "Again, I'm not going to mock him about being gay, come on Harry, I don't care about that stuff. Besides, I'm not going to do something that will make Lucius bloody torture him!"
Harry ran a hand through his hair and nodded. "You were right. Malfoy is gay but he would be disowned if it got out and things went badly with Devon and he's had some bad experiences. But I um..." Harry swallowed. He needed to get it off his chest. "Hedoesn'tknowbutIkindofthinkilikehim"
"Sorry what?" Hermione and Ron both asked with bemused expressions.
Harry took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "I like him" Harry blushed deeply. "Malfoy, I fancy Draco Malfoy" Harry put a hand over his face.
"Oh... Harry" Hermione looked at him, devastated. Knowing that the sexual assault would be a massive barrier.
"You... like Malfoy?" Ron's face went red. "I mean, are you sure? I know all this awful stuff has happened to him but, he's still Malfoy right? He still hates mudbloods and blood traitors and poor people" Ron shook his head. "And do you even talk normally? I don't see it in class? Are you maybe mixing up pity for attraction? You do have a saving people thing. What if he goes back to being the old Malfoy as soon as he's better?"
Harry looked down, they were the same fears he'd had himself.
"I - I don't know" Harry said quietly, a little shaken. "He seems to have changed, and we have begun to talk like actual friends, though we don't show it in class to keep up the pretence. But if we could get him away from his father maybe he could just be himself, like he is when he's having a good day with me?"
"Does he know you're gay Harry?" Hermione asked curiously.
"Um no... I was worried he wouldn't want to talk to me if he thought there was a chance I might..." Harry trailed off.
"What, jump him?" Ron snorted. "Why would that be so bad?"
Harry sighed. "Because the bad experiences I mentioned were bad... really bad. And he started to trust me being close to him and I didn't want to ruin that"
Ron sighed, dropping down onto the bed. "Merlin, how does all that stuff happen to someone we know and we don't even realise that? I wouldn't wish all that on anyone"
The other two shook their heads.
"Well I still think he's a git, although I can see why some of these things could cause him to be like that" Ron reasoned. "And I think it's bloody typical of you Harry to fancy someone so insanely complicated, but if it will make you happy, and he truly has changed, and we can get rid of Lucius then fuck it, I'll support it"
"Seriously?" Harry and Hermione asked, eyebrows shooting up in surprise.
"Yeah I mean, do you think he likes you?" Ron asked.
"He definitely trusts you more than anyone" Hermione said to Harry.
"I - I think there might be a chance he likes me" Harry said hopefully. "He did drunk message me on the galleon a while ago"
Hermione laughed, as Ron pulled a face that was somewhere between amused and disgusted. "You both message each other over the DA galleons? How adorable. Well I think if you're the person he thinks about when he's drunk, then he definitely has it bad. What happened?"
"Um, he ran up to the Room of Requirement from the dungeons, and was quite flirty, and then he slept for a bit so I did my Charms essay and then we took the invisibility cloak and went down to the kitchens to get food and..." Harry trailed off, realising something.
"And..." Hermione asked curiously.
"Dobby was there" Harry said, deep in thought.
"That is not where I thought we were about to go with this" Ron muttered to Hermione.
"No, Draco was being so nice and then Dobby started saying something about wondering all these years how he was doing, how he hoped Lucius had stopped... something. But Draco cut him off and was really cold and was quiet for ages until I got him talking again. Dobby knows about the abuse. Maybe Dobby can help us!" Harry started getting excited at the thought of being able to charge Lucius Malfoy with this.