At the Gryffindor table, the Gryffs were keeping a close eye on everything.
"This is not right Hermione! Harry belongs with us, not with the ferret!" Ron spat. Hermione sighed.
"You're right. Harry does belong here. I'm hurt that Harry would rather trust Malfoy than us. We are his friends!" Hermione was just as angry. Ron was suddenly smirking.
"Okay Ronald, I know that look. What are you up to?" she asked
"I know how to get Harry. Listen…"
Ron and Hermione continued to perfect their plan, all the while keeping a close eye on Harry and the Slyths.
"Come Harry, first we have Potions." Draco stood up and helped Harry out of his seat. They all walked to the dungeons and took their seats. Draco glanced at the 2 thirds of the Golden Trio and found that they were acting very suspicious.
'I wonder what they are up to.' Draco thought. He didn't have time to dwell on it, because professor Snape chose the moment to enter and everyone went quiet.
Everything went fine during Potions, except for the glances professor Snape shot at Harry. After class, the professor motioned for them to stay behind.
"You wished to speak with me professor?" Draco asked politely while holding Harry's hand. The little boy stared at the floor. Severus nodded.
"I know that this is the Potter boy and that he is to stay with you for a week. I assume you are his, let we say, guardian?" Severus glared at Draco.
"Yes sir."
"I've noticed the faint bruise around the left eye. How did he get it?" Harry was now squirming. Draco picked him up.
"I'm sorry sir, but I can't tell you that. Now that you mentioned it, I do need more Healing salve, if it is possible?" Draco asked. Harry laid his head on Draco's shoulder. Severus glanced at the little boy and noticed the closed off appearance. He was very familiar with it and he did not want to believe that Harry Potter was a victim of child abuse.
"Healing salve? Since you seem in perfect health to me, I assume it's for young Harry?" Draco could tell by the soft tone of his godfathers voice, that he knew what happened to Harry.
"Yes sir." Though Severus now knew about Harry, Draco did not want to break his promise to Harry and tell him all the details. Severus nodded and went to get the salve.
Draco could feel Harry shaking and softly stroked his back. Severus came back and handed him the jar.
"If there are any problems, you know where to find me. Now go to your class," Severus said and stalked off.
The rest of the day went fine. Harry had only 3 panic attacks and Draco was able to calm him down within 5 minutes. First he panicked because the Gryffs were staring at him and he thought he had done something wrong. Draco solved it with a glare and some soothing words.
The second was during lunch. Blaise had temporarily forgotten about Harry being only four years old and had sneered at the boy when Harry asked if he could pass him some chicken legs.
Draco was so proud that Harry had asked for something out of his own and then Blaise went and spoiled it all. To say Draco was furious is an understatement. Draco had hexed Blaise so severely that he had to stay in the hospital wing overnight, regrowing his tongue. One thing was for sure; Blaise wouldn't ever forget that.
The last panic attack was when they were in the Library, getting some books for DADA. Colin Creevy came up and snapped some pictures of Harry. The little boy in question, really didn't like it and hid in a corner of the Library. It took Draco 15 minutes filled with terror to find the poor boy and calm him down.
Draco then decided it was enough and they retreated to their room.
Though the trip to it went pretty smoothly, both were absolutely exhausted when they finally arrived in Draco's room.
"What about we call it a night early Harry? I don't know about you, but I'm knackered." Draco sat the both of them down on the bed and levitated their PJ's and the jar of salve towards them. Harry nodded.
"Yeah, I'm tired too." Harry finished with a yawn. Draco smiled.
"I need to apply the salve again. Could you take your clothes off?" Harry took a deep breath and then slowly took the clothes off. He turned his back to Draco. The blonde inspected the almost invisible marks. They had healed nicely, they only needed one more application. There would be no scaring, thankfully.
Draco applied the salve and then they dressed themselves. When Draco had tucked Harry in and went to walk away to sleep on the couch, a little hand stopped him.
"Please?" was all that the little boy would say and Draco's heart melted. He smiled and got in next to Harry. Immediately, the little boy curled up in his side and sighed happily.
"Sweet dreams, angel." Draco kissed his forehead. Harry was already fast asleep. Soon Draco followed him to Dreamland.
"Okay lets get Harry," Ron said and threw off the Invisibility Cloak. Hermione followed him hesitantly.
"I'm not so sure anymore Ron. Harry really looks happy here. And did you see his back! Absolutely horrid! Why didn't he tell us?" Ron sighed and faced her.
"I don't know. I never saw any scars when we were dressing or showering after Quidditch so I never asked. Now let get our friend. It's for his own good." They walked over to the bed and Hermione used the Levitation Charm to carefully Levitate Harry out of Draco's arms. The little boy whimpered a bit but stayed asleep.
Hermione steadied him and Ron opened the door. Silently they took Harry away from the only safe haven he currently had.
When Draco woke up in the morning and didn't find Harry in the bed, he got worried. He checked the bathroom, the closet, under the bed, the living room and even in de little cupboards in the very small kitchenette. Harry wasn't there. Draco panicked and went in search for Pansy. He found her in the Slytherin Common room
"Pansy! Have you seen Harry?" he asked frightfully. She shook her head.
"No I haven't. You lost him!" she said incredulously.
"Of course not! I put him to bed last night and in the morning he was gone. Please help me find him?" Draco pleaded and Pansy couldn't say no. They searched the whole common room and asked the other students to check the dorms. Nothing. They didn't find him in the dungeons as well. Draco was ready to go to Severus when he felt it. An overwhelming sense of fear. He could feel Harry reaching out to him via his magic. Draco concentrated and tracked down the source to the 7th floor.
"Pansy, isn't Gryffindor Tower on the 7th floor?" he asked her, barely containing his anger when another bout of fear washed over him. When she nodded he set off to the 7th floor. When he got there he saw a painting of a fat lady in a hideous pink dress.
"Password?" she asked formally.
"I don't know but you have to let me in, its very important," Draco gritted through his teeth.
"If you don't have the password, I can't let you in," she said decidedly. Draco's blood boiled. He could feel the emotions running high and was unable to control them any longer. His magic spiralled around him and started pushing at the portrait. The Lady got scared and fled. Draco continued pushing at the door till it blew up. He stormed inside. He heard Harry screaming and practically flew up the stairs and into the second dormitory on the left.
There he saw a hysterical Harry, huddling in the corner while Ron and Hermione looked absolutely powerless and scared.
Draco walked up to them and with one hand on each throat he pushed them up against the wall.
"Don't ever do that again or I swear to Merlin, the consequences will be severe!" Draco screamed and dropped them both to the ground. He quickly made his way to Harry.
The boy was absolutely out of his mind with fear and didn't even notice when Draco dropped to the floor next to him. When he felt a hand on his shoulder, he jumped and tried to scurry away from the offending appendage. Only when Draco grabbed him and placed him on his lap with his arms around the hysterical boy, Harry seemed to calm down enough to see that Draco was there and that he was safe.
Harry wrapped his arms around the blonde and refused to let him go. Draco lifted him up and walked away.
When he went to walk out of Gryffindor territory, he could hear Pansy screaming about responsibility and dense lions.
Draco smiled and took Harry to his room.