Summary: HBP spoilers! After Draco appears at the Burrow fully nude and bleeding what will happen to the teens as they struggle to get along? Will they return to Hogwarts? What romance will bubble during Harry's search for the Horcruxes? And is Snape on the side of the light? Find out in this griping tale of blood, sweat, and tears.
Spoilers: Half Blood Prince, OoP, GoF, PoA, CoS, PS
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry or his friends
Warning Slash! And R!
Broken Window
The Birthday
Draco was startled awake by the sound of an alarm going off, he looked over to see Potter press a button on the horrible muggle watch he had and whisper to himself, "Happy Birthday, Harry." It was the most ridiculous thing he had seen since Goyle attempting to get a date with that Veela girl back in fourth year. Potter's eyes closed and Draco wished he could go back to his dreams, but it had taken him a couple hours for the boy to fall into a restless sleep; after sighing several times the boy grimaced. Draco had never been able to sleep well, especially since the war had started. Of course he had started to relax when he found out his father was in prison, but still he could not stop his nightmares of the childhood he would never care to tell anyone about – especially anyone at this god-awful house. But yet in choosing to remain silent he couldn't ask Severus for the wonderful potion he had created in his school years called Dreamless Sleep potion.
It was nearly one by the time the blonde had dressed and was on his way outside, the shadows were throughout the whole house, engulfing it into a curtain of blackness as barely any light was visible except the nearly new moon that was poking its way through the near darkness. These shadows use to be his fear of his childhood naivety, since his father tended to bring him nightmares of reality, now simply lay there dormant, innocuous, and innocent. Pacing in measured steps in a circle Draco couldn't stop the strides as he worried about that feeling; the feeling he's been having ever since the wedding.
'But I've been feeling it before then, haven't I?' Abruptly stopping his strides the boy paused and let him eyes fall closed, he knew what the feeling was – despite never wanting it or claiming he never knew what it was. He knew. The wispy blonde hair that had escaped from behind his ears blew in the wind, the air was damp and Draco knew it could start to pour at anytime, but yet he stood, shocked at the revelation. That feeling! He knew what that feeling was.
It scared him. It was the feeling he felt towards his mother. But not quite! This feeling was different, yet the same. Eyelashes fell closed as the boy's lungs took in much needed air, since he felt like he was going to pass out upon the floor into a mess. Did he actually like Potter? No, that was impossible! Or was it?
He watched the brunette walk down the stairs through the window as it started to rain; his hair was plastered to his head within seconds, but he didn't seem to care since he just continued to stare at Potter. Thoughts were racing through his head as conclusions he didn't want to believe were being drawn inside his mind.
Potter wasn't doing much of anything, just standing in the door way while watching the man of the house. Suddenly he turned to receive a giant hug from his surrogate mother, Missus Weasley. The giant smile that appeared on Potter's face was huge, and his eyes were sparkling. The twin that came over to Potter made Draco's grin disappear; Draco's eyes watched as the twin sneaked in a quick kiss as his mother turned her back.
"Why don't you join them?" a female voice from behind Draco said. He knew that voice; it was the voice that always knew the answer to all the questions at Hogwarts. "Malfoy… you aren't a lost cause. If you came here to better yourself you should realize that you aren't. Please Malfoy we can only reach out so much, you have to take those opportunities." Draco didn't turn around; instead he bent his head and looked to the floor, his long hair falling over his eyes and water poured into his face from the wet strands.
"Granger you know what? Some of your friends have been not exactly kind to me so just shut up." Draco had said that with not much authority, since he just did not feel that hostile towards them anymore. He was wearing a blood-traitor's clothes that happen to belong to the girl of the family, and he was living in that house full of these blood-traitors. His father would disown him in a second… if he already hadn't. Draco suddenly got this feeling of dread in his stomach; his father was going to disown him there was no question about it. His father's only heir was going to be disowned.
"Well Malfoy, you haven't exactly been kind to us these past six years! And on top of it all you are the reason the Headmaster of Hogwarts is dead! So you can understand why we are so hostile with you, but on the other hand Missus and Mister Weasley have been nothing but kind to you, even allowing you to sleep in their house and wear their daughter's clothes." She stepped in front of Draco and stared down at his bowed head. Even she was taller then the blonde! "And you know what else Malfoy? We have-"
"Draco! Hermione! What are you two doing out there! You should be inside! It's pouring rain out there!" Missus Weasley stood with Potter behind her as she threw open the Kitchen door with two towels floating behind her. "Now get in here before you both catch a cold!" Granger didn't seem to mind and after one last glance at Draco moved towards the door, but the blonde didn't appear so willing instead he just stood with his face hidden from sight. Missus Weasley sensed something was wrong and cast a spell to keep her dry as she walked out towards the boy, when she reached him he did not move.
She reached out a hand and forced his face up to look at his closed eyelids that were clenched so tightly that they were slightly wrinkled at the bottom producing stars of colors for Draco. "I can't see." He muttered, as he kept his eyes closed. Missus Weasley huffed and stated something along the lines that he should open his eyes, but when he followed her instructions blurred visions of people and colors caused the boy to close his eyes again tighter then before. "I can't see even with them open."
While the others were getting ready for Potter's fabulous Party Draco was stuck up in his room with none-other-then the Birthday-boy, himself. Madam Promphrey was suppose to be coming any day now to check his eyes, since Draco couldn't see anything he was almost positive that Potter was gazing at those horrible magazines with glossy eyes filled with arousal.
Oh how he wished he could see that expression.
Shaking his head from his vulgar thoughts that had to be due to his current condition he rolled over onto his stomach and shoved his head into the pillow bellow him just waiting (a bit impatiently now) for the medi-witch to arrive. He heard the door burst open and Potter scramble to hide his magazines and someone rudely entered their room. "Not need to hide those Potter, since I already know about your orientation and it's a simple fact of life that boys look at those crude things!" She placed her hand upon my forehead and continued to ramble to herself about vulgar, uncouth, teenage boys.
"No fever my dear now take off your shirt and keep your eyes closed, might as well check the progress of those cuts while I'm here!" She apparently didn't care to wait for Draco to strip his own shirt as strong hands pulled it off him and proceeded to poke and prod at his bare chest. "Your heart, I completely forgot about your condition! Draco how could you be that careless! You did so much physical activity without your potion! It's a mere miracle that you didn't die you foolish boy!" She forcefully rolled his over and then Draco heard the curtains on someone's bed be closed, "Now take off those pants. We might be able to do something about the scaring, but as you were told before the Dark Lord put some type of spell on you that we have yet to figure out and the scaring solution didn't absorb into your skin."
"Will you cast a silencing spell or something? Potter can hear everything you are saying!" Draco yelled fumbling with the button on his pants as the woman proceeded to huff and then could be heard casting a silencing spell. She waited a while before forcing Draco's hands away by swating at them and then spelling his pants off his legs.
"Oh my! Nothing under the trousers, my dear?" Draco blushed and turned his head away from the woman's voice as she continued to check his scars. "Hmm… Draco you realize that if nothing can be done about these scars that you'll have to live with them, and I understand from Molly that you've been having a hard time dealing with this whole issue." She placed a hand on his and gave it a small squeeze as Draco continued to look away from her, "Draco it's not bad! You are alive be thankful of that. But back to your heart condition, I am unsure if you've been informed or not but Harry apparently will not be attending Hogwarts this year except to take a few classes a semester and to take his NEWTs. How does this affect you? Well it affects you because you will be his roommate since you can not return back to school except in private. And he will be in the Muggle World so making Potions every week will not be an easy thing to accomplish so I'm going to start you on some pills."
The blonde couldn't believe his ears he had to room with Potter and not only that but he had to take medicine that he had never taken before and didn't know where it came from. The boy turned away from her and muttered something about crazy medi-witches. Then she turned her attention to his eyes as she muttered multiple spells and forced his eyes open to the light. She clicked her tongue and continued muttering spells. "It seems to me dear that you have not only been taking potions for your heart but also potions for color-blindness and astigmatism as well as your poor vision. Don't worry dear I can whip up a pair of glasses for you that will cure your astigmatism and poor vision, but you will have to learn how to operate without being able to see green and some reds will appear pink." Draco couldn't believe his ears, he needed glasses! He couldn't see greens! He would see pink instead of red! How could he live without his favorite color? How would green look if he saw it? How would everything look now?
Cursing under his breath as he was handed a pair of rectangular, wire frames and for a second he just held them unsure what to do until he place them onto the front of his face. The weight from the glass was at first weird and the fact that if he shifted his eyes downward he could see blurs of color, but if he looked through the glass he could see everything clearly was just enough to make him slightly dizzy. "Now don't exert yourself and take one of these a day." She handed him a cylinder of what appeared to be little pastels or hard white candy. "You must take it on an empty stomach with water. Now I'm off unless you have anymore complaints." Draco didn't say a word and she soon took down the silencing spell and bustled out the door, he heard murmurs down stairs and then the unmistakable sound of a loud crack!
Potter then asked, "So what the hell was wrong with you?" Draco's back was to the boy and he didn't say anything as he slowly turned around to face the other bespectacled boy before loud stomping sounds could be heard as if a mob of raging lunatics were trampling up the stairs it all stopped with a loud BANG! The door flew open and sure enough there stood a mob of raging lunatics and blood-traitors that started to laugh at the sight of Draco with his wire glasses on.
The blonde wouldn't let them get to him as he threw his head into the air with his chin pompously up and then he pushed his way through the four red-heads that were beside themselves with laughter. He then was shocked to see the banner of "Happy Birthday Harry and Draco!" It had been spelled to change into "Happy Birthday Harry and Ferret-Face!" when neither of the Parents were looking at it. A redhead with a ponytail shook his head at the banner, but let it be as Harry came down the stairs being carried on the back of one of the Weasley twins. Draco supposed that it was the same twin as the one from earlier who had kissed him.
Scowling Draco turned around to see the ageing face of his Godfather, grinning he walked over to him and despite his better judgment he walked over and placed both his hands into his Godfather's and gave them a hard squeeze. "I've missed you." Draco said as he placed his face momentarily into Severus's chest before dropping the Potions Master's hands and pulling away.
"What the bloody hell is he doing here! He murdered Dumbledore! He killed him! What the fuck!" Draco looked over to see Potter with a heaving chest and his mouth hanging slightly open in outrage as he walked over to where Severus stood. He pressed a finger to Severus's chest and Draco's godfather snatched that hand in his and gave it a painful squeeze that invoked Potter to flinch, but not look away. "Fuck you, sir."
"Don't you dare touch me again, mark my words Potter I will not tolerate you! I am simply here for Draco's Birthday." The snarky professor looked at Draco and gave him a clap on the shoulder.
"Oh? Back to retrieve your lackey, eh? Got the information you needed? Killed the single noblest man in the whole Wizarding World and back to get your precious Malfoy to maybe..." he paused for a rather long second, "fuck?" Potter obviously didn't know what the hell he was saying! He was spitting out insults to a professor and telling him he shagged students! There must be something wrong with that boy whose chest was rising and falling in an erratic pattern as he proceeded to yell at his Potions Master. And Severus stood there and took it!
"If you are quite done Potter I have something to tell your insufferable arse. You should realize that I might have killed your professor but it was not on my free will! I did not wish for him to be killed, you brat." Severus walked up to Potter. The brunette boy was quivering now, "Shouldn't this anger be redirected towards someone else, Potter?" he spat out the name like it was poison, "I heard about how you trashed the Headmaster's office in one of your fits of rage, but shouldn't this anger be..."
"Shut up!" Potter yelled, this was getting to be too much for Draco. How dare Potter not be chided for this! How dare he be able to get away with it! If that had been Lucius... Draco shivered at even the name of his father.
Draco couldn't take it anymore; he had to stop the yelling, the insults, and the thoughts about his father. "Why don't you both just stop fighting?" Draco said in a raised voice, "It's your birthday and this is suppose to be some kind of celebration, so just stop yelling Potter and go snog your redhead, flea-ridden boyfriend in the sodding corner or something." Apparently that was the wrong thing to say as everyone turned to stare at Potter and one of the twins (the one probably dating Potter) started to make his way towards the other boy.
"Well that certainly wasn't how I would've liked Harry and me to come out... but we aren't boyfriends as much as I would like us to be Harry's holding out on me!" The group laughed, but Draco just stood there as Potter glared at him.
"Better look out Harry soon all the gay men will be flaunting over you not just the straight women hoping to convert you." Called out Remus, who a rather strong looking Alcohol in his hand with a girl resting on his shoulder. The woman had bright turquoise hair that clashed horribly with her outfit; Draco cringed at the bright colors and wished that instead of not being able to see green that he could switch it with turquoise.
"Now if you all," the twin motioned to the party members, "will excuse us we have something to discuss with our wonderful Malfoy." The Twin looked rather disheveled as he proceeded to walk up the stairs, his yellow knit sweater was hideous in Draco's opinion. Whoever had made that thing should stick to their day job, and Draco hopped their day job was not making clothing because otherwise they would be rather poor. That caused Draco to smirk, of course the Weasley's would have to resort to buying the rejected clothing! Letting out a small laugh Draco's thoughts were cut short as the Weasley appeared in front of him again, "Come on you wonderful Malfoy, I don't have all day!"
It didn't seem like he thought Draco was all that wonderful with the way he said his name. That Weasley twin grasped the back of Malfoy's shirt and pulled him up the stairs and into the first bedroom they came to, "What the fuck are you trying to pull Malfoy? What the bloody hell is wrong with you calling us out like that!" It was a rhetorical question, Draco didn't dare answer. "Just because we fucked once while you were in the room doesn't mean-"
"What! You shagged with me in the bloody room! What the-"
"I told you he was asleep! You weren't suppose to tell him that!" Potter yelled his face was crimson with embarrassment, "He didn't know that you had... you know! And you go and blurt it out! I was just wondering what it was like and now he bloody knows that you..."
Draco sat amazed, stunned, and a bit jealous that not only had this Weasley touched Potter's arse, but he had been inside that well-shaped arse too! The thought of Potter bent over and those green eyes (that he no-longer could see) closed tightly with tears... Draco felt his pants tighten and his collar get considerably hotter as he imagined himself in that Weasley's place. Cursing out loud Draco moved to make his arousal unnoticeable, but that horrible twin had already seen it and was moving over towards him with a triumphant gleam in those blue eyes.
"Fred what are you doing?" Potter called out while looking around the room as if seeking for something to make Draco forget this whole conversation. "We have to get something to keep Malfoy quiet! Now thanks to you he knows what you did to me!" But this Weasley kept on moving closer to Draco, his slow and measured steps made Draco flinch inside although he looked as smug as he normally did on the outside.
"Turned on by that are you?" He asked Draco, whose eyes widened slightly, but other then that he looked the same. "Turned on by the thought of Harry and me going at it? Or maybe you took one of our places you sick bastard." Cursing inwardly Draco threw his chin up and gave this Fred Character his best sneer and opened his mouth to say something only to have the blood-traitor's fingers thrust into his mouth. "How would you like me to put these fingers into a different hole?"
Momentarily stunned Draco just sat there as the other boy smirked at him, and then Draco came to his senses and bit down hard onto the Weasley's fingers causing the redhead to let out a small screech. He turned to Potter who gave him a look that said well-you-asked-for-it-dumb-ass. Then, Potter stepped forward and placed a hand on Draco's shoulder and squeezed it painfully-hard before stating "You will keep your mouth closed or I'll owl those Death Eaters your location and then you'll be in trouble."
Just wanting to get away from this pair as fast as possible – Draco agreed before storming out of the room to go see Severus before he had to leave. But Severus was already on his way out, when Draco called out to him causing him to stop in mid stride before quickly walking over to the blonde, "Draco I must go but your presents are over in the pile for you, but I really wanted to give you one personally... unfortunately, I can't keep the Dark Lord waiting, I'm sure you understand." The former Potions Master gave Draco that look and then his eyes softened as he said, "Have a Happy late Birthday Draco."
With that the Potions Master left leaving Draco all by himself in a room full of people he had no care to talk to. The blonde wished he could've been a spy instead of spending so much time with these stupid people, these scum bags! He was sure he had had enough blood-traitor encounters to last him a lifetime! Someone was coming towards him, a redheaded someone with a Ponytail and twinkling eyes. Wanting to yell at the pony-tail wearing man to 'Go away' Draco just stared at him as he sat down.
"Well I hope you are enjoying this Party of ours! I'm unsure if it's up to your standards, but Harry always has fun. Provided he's with his friends and you aren't. We couldn't invite yours since not only do we not know them, but they are not cleared to know about your location." Who was this fool? What was he thinking coming over here and talking to the blonde – who was already fuming from what had happened in the bedroom with Potter and the Fred character? Idiots the whole lot of them.
"Who the hell are you?" Draco asked very eloquently with his long hair falling into his eyes as he continued to stare at the redhead. Unfortunately, Draco had to admit he actually thought that maybe this blood traitor was the best of the bunch, since he did seem to know something and seemed to have an open mind about Draco's reputation.
The man's pony tail fell against his back as he threw his head back in laughter, "Are you always this positive?" Draco looked at the grinning face of the man before him and thought of something witty to say, but was unsure if he should say it and cause this man to run away after being so kind to him. Thinking about Granger's words, Draco pursed his lips and shrugged causing this character to say, "Well, my name is Bill and it is a pleasure to meet you." Bill laughed before saying, "I've heard so much about you, all positive remarks I assure you."
Draco came to the conclusion that not only was this Bill logical, but he also had a sense of humor and those two things were hard to find in blood-traitors especially in a pair. Bill had a little bit longer hair then himself, but it was tied back into a leather thong. Pushing the blond strands behind his ears he listened as this Bill told him stories about himself and about his job, but soon the conversation was halted as another blood-traitor came over and snatched him away leaving Draco once again alone in a room full of people he had no desire to talk to.
The Mother of the swarms of redheads in the room came in and announced that dinner was ready, everyone stood up and left, but Draco just sat there not really wanting to join the heard of people to the dinning room. Soon the room was cleared and the blonde let out a breath of air as he sat, he could here the people through the walls, but he still sat in isolation from the rest of the family, until he saw Bill come out from the room with a small smile on his face. "Are you going to come eat?"
"I'm not particularly hungry." Draco said politely, but apparently Bill didn't buy it as he walked up to Draco and crouched down in front of him with that small smile he was always wearing. Some of that red hair that had flew out of his ponytail fell into his eyes, Draco stared at it then he did something he didn't understand – he blushed!
"I'm sure you are so come in and I know you are having trouble adapting to our loud, busy, and frumpy house, but don't worry you'll get use to it and I'll be here the next few days." Bill seemed to know that he had made a large impact on the blonde's life in only a matter of a few minutes. "Come in and have a seat next to me, I'm sure you'll life my mother's cooking! At least have a slice of cake if you aren't that hungry." Draco let the redhead grasp his hand as they both stood up and he also allowed the redhead to lead him to the dinning room.
For Draco the dinner was just too loud his father would've scolded him if he had been this loud at the table, and these people were ill-mannered as they yelled, talked, and even sang with their mouths full of food. Draco kept on expecting Mister Weasley to stand up and yell at them to stop, that he'd take his hand and slap their cheeks, but instead the man simply laughed at their antics and even was misbehaving himself. Silence was all Draco could stand to do, he couldn't say anything to this dysfunctional family as Remus Lupin downed whatever alcohol he was drinking, Potter laughed at whatever joke Fred was telling, and the Weasley King chatted animatedly with his girlfriend Granger. Draco then courageously asked Bill a question, "What is Lupin drinking?"
Bill then looked at Lupin, "Oh, he just took his Potion… but he's been drinking water he just had his transformation eleven days ago and after it he's always very thirsty and hungry until about a week until the next one where he doesn't eat barely a thing, but until that week he's hungry like crazy. Molly's cooking will be a cure to that! My mum is always cooking too much that causes everyone to be stuffed, and then she comes out with desert!" Draco smiled and Bill looked shocked for a second, "Wow! You should smile more." Blushing, Draco grinned and looked down at the plate in front of him, "I'm serious Draco!" Bill said sounding outraged from Draco's muttering of 'yeah right', but then he stated seriously, "It suits you."
Mister Weasley then stood up and told everyone to settle down was Draco's cue to be quiet; he didn't dare speak up over the man of the house. "Now today is Harry's seventieth birthday!" Everyone cheered and the twins took a shot of something after clanking their glasses together, and Mister Weasley shushed then and continued, "Now Draco over there," he motioned to where Draco was sitting next to Bill and Remus's Girlfriend, "we were informed by Severus that he didn't have a formal birthday so we are giving him one today! Happy very-late birthday Draco!" The adults all clapped as well as Granger until she was elbowed sharply by the Weasel King, while Bill cheered causing Draco's cheeks to tint slightly.
All the birthday parties at the Manor were always formal dinners with proper, ballroom dancing. Every time Draco had a birthday he was forced to wear stiff, new dress robes with high collars and (in his opinion) flamboyant patterns. The parties were always long and full of Lucius scowling at his son if he did something wrong or said something indecorous. Just the thought of those piercing eyes full of disgust staring down at him, his own son, caused Draco to always withdraw into himself. After all he really couldn't stand more repulsion from anyone.
Cut out of his thoughts, Draco stood and did a curt bow before sitting down again with his eyes lowered hoping Lucius wasn't scowling at him with those hard eyes. Bill then stood and lead Draco back to the sitting room where Potter had already started opening his presents. Missus Weasley handed him a present from Severus; it was a white envelope with the Snape family seal on the back and upon opening it he pulled out a single piece of parchment.
"Draco,
Happy Birthday! I'm sure you are having so
much fun. I wanted to tell you that I will be
allowing you access to my vaults for one thing.
That is that I can't have a Malfoy wearing a
blood-traitor's clothes. You can only spend so
much; after all I was only a sodding teacher
for 18 miserable years.
-GS"
After she handed Draco a rather large box, Missus Weasley yawned as she sat down on the sofa next to her husband who promptly put an arm around her shoulders. Draco unwrapped the present with precision undoing the tape then carefully pulling off the paper not wanting to rip it as Lucius would have reprimanded him. But Potter didn't seem to mind as he tore the paper to shreds with a grin on his face. A small white kitten with blue eyes sat inside the box, "He remembered." Draco's expression softened and he pet the head of the small kitten. They continued opening gifts and Draco, while he only had four compared to Potter's vast amount he was grinning slightly when Bill handed him an envelope from the Weasley family that contained a small amount of money and a letter that informed him that he would need to find a small apartment in Muggle London for himself and Potter to share.
The last gift was something Draco had never expected to receive, when he unwrapped the small, rectangular present from Severus he felt his chest tighten and his breathing cut short. He hugged the small book to his chest, but said nothing as the kitten played with his pant leg and pounced on his sock-clad feet. The book was a diary from his mother that as a child he had seen her write in many times, but she would never let him read it or so much as see it. The brown leather was worn and soft, it had two words embroidered into the front cover in yellow and those words were "Narcissa's Diary". Draco wanted to open the book and smell the pages that he was sure smelled like his mother's expensive perfume.
"What's that Draco?" Bill asked motioning to the book he still had pressed against his chest, but the blonde just shrugged and clung to it as though it was a life line.
The party was over after much dancing and chatting, people left in couples and some camped out in the living room saying they would leave tomorrow morning, Fred went up the stairs with Potter they were kissing all the way up into the room leaving Draco sitting outside on the steps. The blonde just sat there stroking the kitten in his lap as he opened the small rectangular book and inhaled the familiar scent of lavender and just that smell that was his mother. The light purple pages were scribbled upon in an elegant, lucid handwriting with loops and precisely placed dotes. He turned the page despite the ruckus consisting of moaning being heard in the room behind him and saw a date written on it and continued to read after a deep breath.
June 5, 1990
If you are reading this my dear boy, then I am very sorry I
cannot be with you. My boy… my sweet innocent boy. I do realize that I
wasn't the best mother allowing your father to hurt you, allowing him to use
his own means of discipline that I think are wrong, but I did tolerate it in
exchange for Severus. I was permitted to continue seeing my lover if I never
spoke against your father. I was ashamed-
Draco closed the book with a rather loud smack; he couldn't read about his mother being ashamed of him in permitting his father do those horrible things to him. After a few minutes of silence, Draco stood and walked into the room and laid down on his bed despite the fact that Fred and Potter were half nude and protesting rather loudly with him being there.
