Disclaimer: Not owner of Harry Potter or other such characters
Warnings: Yaoi and other such goodyness!
AN: R&R please!
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"Oh Harry It's so good to see you!" Hermione threw her arms around Harry's neck, the witch was beaming, her frizzy hair tamed back in clips. Harry was grinning ear to ear. Ron shook his hand, but Harry tugged him into a hug which Ron returned warmly.
"Glad to see you mate!" Ron thumped Harry's back and Harry led them into his apartment.
"So, How has life been?" Harry asked grinning. Ron and Hermione laughed.
"Hectic as usual. Everyone is still over the moon about you disappearing and all, though some did say that you did need the break." Ron said grabbing the sandwich Harry offered.
"You have fourteen chapters of the Hogwarts A History all to yourself as well." Hermione chirped in grinning broadly. Harry laughed,
"Only you Hermione would ever think of having me in Hogwarts A History,"
"Well, everyone at least reads them now, unlike you two ever did." Hermione replied good naturally.
"Well, that's why what we had you for; you were the reader, not us." Ron said with a matching grin. The good natured bantering went on for a good ten minutes before they all sobered up rather quickly.
"Harry." Hemrione started. Harry's smile faded slightly, hearing the tone in her voice.
"I am not coming back Hermione." He said firmly.
"Oh but Harry, it's been two years, things have died down. You can join whatever Qudditch team you want, you can teach, you can become and Aurer—"
"Hermione, you know I can't do that" Harry said kindly
"Herm' leave it be, it's his own life." Ron said, flashing Harry a smile. Harry returned it thankfully.
"Oh, all right. You never change. Just as stubborn." Hermione sighed with a small frown.
"Don't worry Hermione, I don't mind it at all. It's quiet. I can do all my transfers from Gringots, I have my broom, my wand, I'm living the quiet, uneventful life." Harry replied smile reassuringly at the witch. She sighed again.
"I know, but I miss you so much. We both miss you. It's not the same not being able to see you more often." Hermione got down to it. Harry shook his head,
"You guys can visit me whenever you want, you honestly don't need to owl ahead or anything." He said.
"Oh. Really? I never thought…" Hermione blushed, then Ron laughed.
"Wow, we are thick aren't we Herm'" He said grinning. Harry rolled his eyes upward with a smile.
"Seriously. Come visit me whenever!"
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Harry stared at the door after Hermione and Ron had left. It was good to see them. He felt a jab of sudden guilt. He never apologized to Malfoy. Sighing he opened the door, Cindy had said they did have an new tenent living two doors down from him. That was Malfoys. For sure. He could feel the magic. How he never felt it before…He was losing his touch. Maybe he should go back. He shook his head firmly. No. Never. Walking down the hallway he stopped at the door and knocked. He didn't hear anything inside and suddenly the door swung open to the hard gaze of Draco Malfoy. Or at least that's what Harry expected. He blue eyes focusing at a spot above his shoulder.
"Mr. Potter. Finally decided to visit an old friend?" Malfoy sneered.
"Look…I'm sorry…" Harry muttered. Looking away.
"Ah. I see. Would you like to come in?" Draco gallantly mocked a bow for him opening his small apartment up for Harry.
"Well...I er…Yes I guess." He was ushered in and as he stepped through the door a large black cat leapt out of nowhere and began rubbing itself all over Harry's legs, mewling happily. Malfoy actually smiled,
"Hm. She usually doesn't take to people at all." Harry detangled the cat from around his legs and followed the blind young man to the small kitchen.
"You completely disappeared; I couldn't find you afterwards to apologize." Harry started somewhat weakly.
"Harry Potter, Looking for me?" Draco raised an eyebrow passing him a cup of tea.
"Oh stop acting like it's so abnormal. I haven't been in touch with the wizardry world for over three years—"
"Weasley and Granger were here just a few hours ago were they not?" Draco mused looking above his head with an amused expression.
"Well...thats different. They don't come too often, busy with the ministry and stuff…so…" Harry trailed off. He was dying to ask Malfoy what had happened. If he had the Dark Mark.
"It's rude to stare." Malfoy whispered, leaning in slightly.
"I wasn't…" Harry trailed off miserably. No one has ever made him so uneasy in his entire life. Not even Snape could manage this level of uncomfortable-ness.
"Ok look. I'm sorry. It's just…it's you...and your…" Harry paused to consider the word
"I'm blind Potter. It's not that bad really." The blond shrugged away the statement.
"But…fine, whatever." Harry replied irritably. Just because he was blind didn't mean he still wasn't annoying.
"You must be dying to ask me. How did it happen. What happened. Why are you blind Malfoy?" the Slytherin sneered at the words and put both hands on the table
"Well…I do…want to know at least. But I wasn't trying to be rude or anything." Harry replied slightly taken aback by the blonds vehemence. A surprised look went over Malfoys face,
"Oh." He said softly. Calmer.
"But I still want to know…what did they do to you?" Harry finally asked. Malfoy stared above his head,
"Well, Since you are being rather Gryffindorish to me today, I might as well tell you. I haven't told a single soul this so please don't go blathering it about with your little friends." Draco warned. Harry nodded,
"I won't." He said, realizing of course Malfoy couldn't see him nod.
"Good. Five years ago, went to take the mark. Went though whole ceremony. Got scared. Backed out of it at the last minute. My own father decided to put me through the cruitacious curse until I begged him to quit and asked for his fucking forgiveness."
"Then I was given my test to prove I even deserved the dark mark. My Order—to kill Dumbledore. Well, you know what happened in that story. I never saw that through,. I could not kill that man, for unknown reason. I just could not. Snape did the mercy killing and we both fled. A year later, Voldermorts wrath caught up with me." Draco paused taking a calming sip from his tea. His hands were shaking and Harry just stared at him in horror.
"He put me through every painful curse he probably could think of, he wanted me to suffer, not to die. It was that night, He wanted me to bed with him."
Harry gave a horrified gasp which Malfoy stopped once more,
"Oh it gets better, don't worry."
"I refused him, of course. He forced a potion down my throat, saying I would never see another, I was beaten, cursed and thrown in a dank room. I was blind. Tears hurt to cry, so I sat in stillness and shock for over three hours. My body refused itself. I was covered in my own vomit. I heard footsteps and creaking of the door. I didn't know who or what it was, so naturally I moved away. Only when I felt a damp cloth on my face and over my eyes, I realized it was my mother. She had saved me. She led me out and told me the way, I was taken by one of her maids. My mother never survived that night. Neither did that maid." Draco stopped to take a deep breath, Harry felt his throat close up. It was horrendous.
"I'm sorry…I didn't know…I wish…"
"Don't, it's over, you're past is worse then mine, we both ended up in the same place anyway" Draco snapped, grabbing Harry's empty teacup. Harry stared at the time it was almost midnight.
"I should go." Harry suddenly said. Malfoy tilted his head towards him,
"You know where my door is, maybe you'll find yourself back at it." Harry began to leave with that interesting thought; the words from Draco's story still swimming through his mind. All Draco had said. What he had been through. It was all horrible. He wondered how to make this better. Now that they were both out of school, every fight they fought seemed so…so trivial. So annoying…Why was he ever so stupid?
"Are you busy tomorrow?" Harry asked at the door before he left. The cat was around his legs once more.
"I'm a blind man, living alone with only the money in Gringotts supporting me, do you think I'm busy?" Malfoy laughed.
"Well..I..I didn't know if you had a job…or anything…"
"It's fine Potter. No I'm not busy tomorrow."
Harry felt himself smiling for some reason.
"Alright. Wanna do lunch?" He offered, "I'll pay since you bought me that drink the other night."
Draco turned, a soft smile on his lips, "Sure Potter, I'll take you up on that offer."
Harry closed the door, feeling as if a large weight had been lifted off of him. All those years, Malfoy could have been a friend, or at least an ally. Harry had been a jerk to him once and while, but it was enough. And now that was better, right? Malfoy taking him up on his offer at least. Harry sighed as he walked from Malfoys room to his own, the door opened before him and he stepped inside a soft sigh of relief coming past his lips.
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TBC
Me: (yells) R&R!
Harry: ask them nicely!
Me: Please?
Draco: you don't have to ask nicely, you and your stupid Gryffindor tendencies
Harry: Stupid Gryffindor tendencies huh, that rich coming from your--
(muffled cries of protest and pleasure)
Me: Oh my...well...better give them some privacy...