Harry's face was buried in his hands listening to the constant beeping of the monitors. Each beep meant Draco was holding on and still here with him. After throwing what was probably the biggest tantrum England has ever seen, Draco had finally received some proper medical care.
The diagnostics had turned his stomach. Four broken ribs, one completely shattered, a punctured lung, bruised kidney, more scrapes and bruises than the healer could even count, a fractured cheek bone, and the gash on his arm causing the infection that had brought Draco here in the first place. Those injuries weren't the ones that made his stomach turn. The guards had violated his boyfriend. The healer had said the scar tissue and bruising around and inside of Draco rectum confirmed Harrys worst night mare. They had raped him. Used him like he was just some toy to play with. He was sure they had violated his lovers mouth. He could see the swollen lips just sitting there next to him.
How did they let this happen. Harry had never seen such treatment when he was the one bringing the bad guys in. Was this treatment only meant for Draco?
Harrys head lifted when he heard a soft knock and Hermione came walking in shutting the door behind her. Whatever she had been expecting to see, this was not it.
"Harry? I got your patronus. I came as soon as I could. How is Malfoy?" Hermione moved towards her long time friend, seeing how tired he was.
"He's alive if that's what you're looking for. I'm sure he wishes he was dead after what they put him through. " Harry snapped. He didn't mean it. He knew it wasn't her fault. He couldn't even be sure if Ron had any part of this.
"Harry, that is not what I was looking for. The last thing I want is for you to be hurt. And Malfoy being hurt, and sick is hurting you. I don't want him to be suffering. " Hermione pulled up a chair and sat next to him placing her hand on his leg offering her support.
"They raped him Hermione. They used him and threw him away like he was bloody trash! They left him in that cell to die. If his lawyer hadn't shown up to check on him... " Harrys voice caught in his throat. "I promised him I would bring him home and I failed him. I need your help Hermione. Please, he can't go back there if he wakes up. He won't get a chance to come home again."
Hermione's normally flushed face became eerily pale. She looked at the broken man before her in the bed. While the healer had repaired a good amount of the damage, some of it would be slow healing. He would need potions and most of all, he would need time.
"What do you need me to do?" Hermione asked clearing her throat. She normally would stay out of whatever the boys were fighting about, but this was crossing the line.
"He needs an advocate, someone who can speak up for him. His lawyer isn't enough. He's a bit of a push over. Not willing to fight for him. I know you usually advocate for creatures receiving unfair treatment, but this... this has to count some where. I am begging you Hermione. I love this man like you love Ron. Help him... if not for him, do it for me. "
Hermione squeezed his leg, "of course I will. I will send the letters needed. I'll need you to sign the release forms for his medical. I will need the documents to prove his mistreatment. Did the healer estimate how long he might be out for? The names of the guards would be helpful. Whether they participated or watched. Even if they had knowledge and ignored helping a prisoner. I'll also need... any Aurors who may have... had a hand in this." Hermione had pulled a note book out of her purse and was writing everything down for Harry to remember. Hermione was good at what she did. Harry knew reaching out to her would be the best case.
"Hermione, what if he wakes up and he mentions Ron?" Harry looked over at the blond man's face wondering how many names there would be.
"I would pray, Harry, while Ron has been handling this relationship with you and Malfoy poorly, and he has done some stupid things, that he wouldn't allow a human being to be treated this way. He swore to protect the wizarding community and if this is his idea of that, then that's not the man I fell in love with." Hermione wrapped her arms around Harry hugging him tightly. "He will be okay Harry. He's just as tough as you are. Whatever he needs, he will have you and me to get him through this."
Harry looked up at her, "you mean that? You are willing to put aside it all and help?"
"Harry, I knew the moment I saw you watching him at the gala, that you wouldn't be content until you had what you wanted. You wanted him. It's always been him. He was a right git in school, but our friends tell me he's changed. He's been doing well for himself. Luna adores him. Did you know he meets with her for coffee all the time? Even before he started seeing you?"
Harry nodded, "Yeah. As part of his probation he had to serve a hundred hours of community service, and he had ran into Luna one day while he was doing the gardening in the park. She marched right up to him and started talking to him like they had been friends for a life time. He really has changed Hermione. In the ways that matter. He's still prissy and uptight. Glares at me when I'm being a fool. Scoffs at me for dressing like I do. He's the same in so many ways, but so much better in others."
"I can see it in your eyes when you look at him." Hermione smiled gathering her stuff. "Im going to leave you with him, you send for me when he wakes, or if you need a break. If you want to go home, shower and things. I can sit with him. Or Im sure Luna would come. His friend Blaise. Just don't over burden yourself. We are here to help. " she hugged Harry tightly. "I love you Harry. "
Harry hugged her back feeling relief that someone was finally on their side. "I love you too 'Mione. Thank you for coming."
"You are my best friend Harry. I'll always be here for you."
--
"Ronald Weasley, if you go into that hospital room I swear I will..."
Whatever Hermione's plan was to threaten Ron with didn't work. He barged through the door like a wild hippogriff looking around.
Harry had dozed off holding Draco's hand, the constant beeping almost like a lullaby. He looked around confused, eyes falling on Ron. He whipped out his wand and pointed it at him with a glare. Hermione moved between them.
"Boys, there will be no wands or spell work in here unless the healer is taking care of Malfoy. Put it away Harry. Ronald, you stay your distance. "
Harry looked between the pair and sighed heavily. He was too tired to argue. He slipped his wand back into its holster. "What is it that I can do for you Ron? Come to serve more warrants and take him away from me again?"
"I was doing my bloody job Harry. In case you forgot, it is my job to arrest wizards who are breaking the laws. And your boyfriend was having a grand old time behind your back, causing all sort of problems. " Ron growled out.
"You are a bloody idiot. Honestly. Draco didn't commit those crimes. And honestly. Even if he did do it you think he deserved this? To be beaten with in inches of his life, to be fighting an infection so bad that it has taken over his body, to have his consent taking away from him as your guards and possibly Aurors violated his body? What if this was Hermione laying here? Ginny? Your mum Ron? Draco is as much a person as they are, and whether you think he committed those crimes or not does not mean this was deserved."
Ron swallowed hard looking between the pale man and Harry. "They did what to him? They were only suppose to rough him up a bit. Like we always do. Scare him into confessing. Nothing else. I hadn't even seen him since the first day when I took him in. They moved me to a different case claiming it was too personal for me to work this one with him being the suspect and you being my best friend. "
"You heard me clearly on what they did to him. And Hermione has the whole extensive list. Feel free to read for yourself what they decided he deserved. How long, how often he deserved those punishments. " Harry glared at the red head and looked back at Draco's sleeping form. "You're not my best friend Ron. You acted like a damn child. You ruined his life. First with the paper, his job and now this. You knew it wasn't him after the first interview. You could have checked his memories. I'm sure he would have let you. You were being an arse. Because he was an arse to you in school. We aren't children anymore. He grew up Ron. You just chose not to see it."
"I know I fucked up, I'm sorry Harry. But I would have never let this happen if I had known. " Ron moved towards Harry.
"Well you want to be sorry? Find the person who did commit those crimes. Interrogate the guards and your staff. Find out who hurt him. Make this right. Then maybe we can talk. But right now you are nothing to me. The man I love is laying in this bed and they aren't sure if he will wake up. If he dies Ron I'm coming for all of you. That's a promise. I gave up everything for years. And finally I found someone who makes me happy. Who makes me feel complete and you could give two shits less. You want to be my friend Ron, then go, do what I asked and pray he wakes up."
Harry didn't speak anymore. He just rested his chin on Draco's arm rubbing his hand. He was whispering to the man, asking him to come back to him.
Hermione took this as their cue to head out. She ushered Ron from the room shutting the door, leaving Harry to tend to Draco.
