Disclaimer: Unfortunately I don't own Harry Potter, cries, but I do have all the books and movies.
Voldyismoldy: I got so many reviews and alerts and favorites for this story as well as two archives thank you very much all of you. For any who want to archive this story or any of my others just let me know so I can cheek the archives out thank you. I am glad to know there are people who like this story so far and I hope you will continue to like it and to review as they keep my muse alive and keep me wanting to write so thank you again and enjoy this chapter.
Warning: mentions of rape and abuse, confusing emotions and beginning friendship between Draco and Harry as well as Ron and Hermione bashing.
Chapter 2. An Unexpected Savior.
Draco was still sitting in the kitchen with Remus Lupin when the others arrived: Dumbledore, McGonagall, the Weasley's and Granger as well as Moody and Shacklebolt all looking torn between relief and distress at the news of Harry's return. Not one of them were expecting to see Draco there and Remus quickly explained what had happened before someone decided to curse him or kick him out. Before he knew what was happening Draco was out of his seat and being patted on the back by several of the Weasleys and hugged by Mrs. Weasley all of them thanking him for rescuing Harry, all except Ron and Hermione who were both strangely silent.
The blonde boy's face was flushed with embarrassment at all of the attention and affection he was receiving not having expected it or being used to such things. He couldn't remember ever being hugged the way Mrs. Weasley was hugging him now even though he was sure that in some way his mother truly did love him. His father however had always been cold and cruel toward him nothing he ever did being enough for him. He was sure now that his father would hate him once he discovered his betrayal to the Dark lord and he found strangely enough that he didn't care. He knew he had done the right thing and that was all that was really important to him now.
Once everyone was done touching him and thanking him they all took seats around the table after Lupin told them that Pomfrey was with Harry and would let them know when she was done with tending to him. Mrs. Weasley conjured butterbeers for everyone else and talked more about what had happened to Harry. Draco was made to repeat his story and answer all of their questions some of the things still sending shivers down his spine and making him feel sick. Molly was crying into her husbands chest by the time he finished and the twins looked pale faced with shock. Their elder brothers who Draco didn't know had remained calm during the telling but their faces were drawn and he only noticed then that Percy wasn't there. Strangely that didn't surprise him, what did surprise him was the lack of concern on Ron and Hermione's part and the angry look on Ginny's.
He said nothing about it however feeling that it wasn't any of his business and was relieved when Snape finally arrived. He gave them all a quick nodded and then hurried upstairs to help the school nurse a bag in his hands. Draco was once again left downstairs with the rest of them much to his displeasure. He feel silent as he listened to the adults debate on how Harry had been captured and what they were to do with him now since it seemed unsafe to leave him with his relatives.
His thoughts drifted onto Harry and what he had seen the night before, not what the death eaters had done but the other things. His suspicions about the abuse and things even worse than that came back to him then. He still hadn't told the others about those and he wanted to talk to Harry and find out what had happened to him and why. It was obvious he had been hiding it since he still remained with his relatives who were his prime suspects and he didn't want to reveal something Harry didn't want them to know.
He was broken from his thoughts when a sudden scream broke out from the rooms above them. Instantly everyone was on their feet in concern and within minutes a flustered Madam Pomfrey came rushing down the stairs.
"Albus I don't know what's wrong with Mr. Potter he just started screaming and won't wake up no matter what we do," She told them looking concerned and somewhat frightened. "Please see what you can do for him."
Dumbledore nodded and the adults rushed upstairs after telling the younger Weasley's and Hermione to stay there. Draco having not been told to stay quickly followed after them as quietly as he could no one having seen him leave the room. He didn't know why he was so concerned about Harry but he wanted to know what was wrong and felt this strange need to help him if he could. It disturbed and confused him but he had no time to think about it now as he rushed up to the room Harry had been left in.
Once he got there he found the adults circled around the bed worriedly while Dumbledore was leaning over the small boy trying to get him to wake. He tried several spells and comforting words but nothing seemed to work as the boy kept screaming and thrashing in the bed. Snape rolled his eyes at the headmaster knowing nothing he did would help and caught sight of Draco surprised to see him there though he said nothing about it deciding simply to observe him for now.
Draco was watching Harry with wide eyes the sound of his screams terrifying him. There were tears streaming down his face and Draco was glad that his wounds had been healed before hand so that they didn't have to worry about him making them worse with his violent movements. He could just imagine what the boy was seeing or reliving and the thought left him shaken and realizing that none of them would be able to help him not knowing really what he had been through as Draco did.
"Professor let me try please," He said walking up to the bed. Dumbledore looked at him his eyes twinkling annoyingly and moved away from the bed. Quickly Draco took his place and took the smaller boy gently in his arms. "Harry it's me Draco can you hear me? You're safe here do you understand you're with friends. None of what you are seeing is real its just a dream."
The eight adults watched in amazement as Harry slowly calmed in the other boy's arms. His screaming stopped and his tears as well as he gave a low groan. Draco continued to hold him as his breathing evened out and his eyelids began to flicker as he slowly awakened from his dream. His eyes opened and blinked a few times as he looked around the room seeing everyone there looking back at him in relief and then his stunning, did Draco just think his eyes were stunning, eyes landed on the blonde boy holding him in confusion and strangely enough relief.
"D . . . Draco?" Harry said softly as he looked up at him a small shy smile crossing his face. "Thank you."
"You're welcome Harry," And Draco was surprised that he meant it. He carefully laid the boy back down who looked suddenly alarmed and grabbed at his hand that he let him keep. "What was the dream about?"
"Not a dream a vision, Voldemort is angry because you . . ." The boy began his eyes filling with wonder as he went on staring only at Draco as if he was the only one in the room. "Saved me. Why did you do that your life is in danger now."
" I know my life is in danger but no more than yours is and after what I saw that night I couldn't leave you there or serve that mad man," he explained. Harry's smile grew at his words and he squeezed his hand in gratitude and joy. "I guess you could say that what Voldemort did worked, it was done to make us choose sides and I did just not the side he wanted and I hope you can accept me on your side now."
Harry nodded and fell silent clearly tired and Madam Pomfrey moved then to continue her tending of him with Snape's help. The others seeing that he was all right left the room saving the questioning for later but Draco remained as Harry wouldn't let go of his hand. Once they were done the nurse and the potions master left the room as well and the two boys were left alone Draco now feeling suddenly uncomfortable.
"Harry how are you feeling are you in pain or anything?" Draco asked hoping he didn't sound as nervous as he felt as Harry's grip on his hand loosened slightly. "Did you want me to get Weasal, Granger, or Weaslette for you. They're downstairs and I am sure they want to see you and I can leave if you want to see them alone."
"I don't want to see them and I doubt they want to see me," Harry told him softly surprising him. He felt a little smug to knowing that Harry would rather spend time with him than with his friends. "But you don't have to stay with me if you don't want to Draco."
"I don't mind staying and I wanted to talk to you about something," The blonde boy replied. Harry smiled again happily and Draco surprisingly felt himself start to smile too, it was very rare that he smiled usually he would smirk or sneer and it felt odd but right to. "Last night I saw some things, scars and bruises that weren't from the death eaters, and the words you said when you were begging them to stop didn't sound like you were actually saying it to them. I want to know where they were from and who it was you were talking to while they were rapping you Harry, I have my suspicions but I want to hear it from you."
Harry's face paled as he spoke horror filling his eyes and shame as well. He took his hand away from the blondes and lowered his eyes remaining silent. Draco only watched him giving him a chance to speak and knowing he couldn't force the smaller boy to tell him anything. Whatever had happened to him had been painful and he was certain that he had never spoken about it to anyone before. Maybe no one else had ever wanted to know or maybe he was so used to keeping his silence that he was unable to speak about it even now but Draco would find some way to make him even if only for his own peace of mind if nothing else. So he waited for him to speak offering only his silent support and whatever reassurance he could give.
"Have you told anyone else about what you saw and what you suspect?" he asked his voice barely audible. Draco could still hear the fear and dread in it though.
"No Harry I wanted to speak to you first before I said anything to anybody else," Draco assured him taking his hand again. The relief was visible on his face as he raised it slightly. "Can you tell me what happened to you and who gave you those injuries?"
"My parents, you know, died when I was a little over a year old and I was sent to live with my mothers sister and her husband and son. They hated me from the beginning and made me live in a small cupboard under the stairs for the first ten years of my life until I got my Hogwarts letter and they moved me to the second bedroom that used to hold all of my cousins old toys, you should have seen the fit he threw when they did," Harry began without looking at him. A mirthless chuckle raising in his throat as he spoke about his cousin's fit. "I was three when they had me first start doing chores and when I received my first beating from my uncle. Four when I started cooking the meals and five the first time he touched me."
It was Draco's turn to have his face pale in shock as he listened to him and his hand tightened its hold on the other boys. He had suspected abuse but not to this existent and he almost didn't want to hear anymore but he knew he was only beginning and now that he had started he couldn't stop him. Harry needed to tell him these things for he had kept them away inside for too long and Draco wanted to listen and be there for him so he remained silent as he went on.
"They told me my parents died in a car crash and I didn't even know I was a wizard until I got my letter. To them I was nothing more than a worthless freak they were forced to let stay in their home and they treated me as such. The first few years I tried so hard to please them thinking that maybe if I did everything right they would love me or at least acknowledge me but no matter what I did it was never enough and eventually I realized that they would never not hate me."
"My cousin Dudley always made sure I never had any friends at school and would threaten or beat up anyone who tried to be nice to me and of course he and his friends would beat me up to. I always got better grades than him but my aunt and uncle blamed me for his bad grades and I would get a beating for that as well. I think I was five when my uncle first took a belt to me, I can't remember to well because I blacked out from the pain. That was his favorite way to beat me using his belt and then he would lock me in my cupboard cause he didn't want me to get blood on the floor."
"I would be locked in my cupboard for days at a time without food and only a bottle of water and a bucket to go to the bathroom in. I didn't mind that much though because at least while I was in there they would leave me alone and I wouldn't be hurt. The only clothes I was given were my cousins old ones and I was never allowed to have any toys or to play with my cousins even the broken ones. I never even got a present until Hagrid got me Hedwig before I came to school."
"When I was little my uncle would touch me whenever we were alone I hated those times the most. He touched my penis or made me touch his while he jerked off and eventually taught me how to give head. He even made me wank myself in front of him while he got off watching me. I was ten the first time he rapped me, it hurt so bad and I just wanted him to stop. I screamed and sobbed and pleaded with him but it didn't matter cause anything I did only excited him more and he would beat me either before or after depending on his mood. "
"After I went to Hogwarts he locked all of my stuff away so I couldn't do my homework or even let Hedwig out during the summer. Usually he would lock it up in the cupboard and lock me in my room. Whenever my cousin was on a diet I would practically starve cause the only way he would go with it is if I got less food than him and the Weasley's would send me food packages sometimes. This last summer though it got worse, my uncle threw me in the cupboard instead of my stuff, I don't know where he put all of it, and wouldn't let me out except to do chores or pleasure him. The day I was caught my uncle had just rapped me when my aunt and cousin came home. He left me in the room forgetting to lock me up and I dressed myself and snuck out of the house."
"I didn't think about the fact that I didn't have any of my stuff or even my wand since he had locked that away to. I just needed to get away so I ran and went to a playground where I used to go sometimes when I was young and needed sometime alone. It was there the Lestranges found me and it was only then I realized I was outside of the wards that protected me and without my wand. I tried to stop them and get away but it was no use and you know the rest."
Draco nodded not needing him to continue since he had seen the rest of what had happened and feeling even sicker than he had the night before. How could people do those things to anyone lest of all a child and their own blood. He had never imagined that what Harry had been through had been that horrible and he didn't know how the smaller boy had survived such torture everyday of his life. He had thought what Voldemort and the death eaters had done to him was bad but what his own relatives had done to him was so much worse. How had Harry managed to survive all of that and without telling anyone and why had no one else known what was going on? Why hadn't even his friends known what was happening to him and why had no one ever done anything about it?
"Harry I'm sorry all of those things happened to you. You didn't deserve any of it and you aren't worthless or a freak." Draco told him squeezing the boy's hand. Harry looked up at him at last surprise and disbelief on his face as well as an almost desperate hope. "But why didn't you tell anyone even your friends, surely Weasel and Granger would have done something if they had known and Dumbledore."
"When I was little no one cared and Dudley was always able to convince our teachers that I was a liar who made up stories to get attention and make people feel sorry for me," Harry explained sadly, a sadness that was quickly replaced with anger as he went on. "And my friends wouldn't have done anything about it because Dumbledore wouldn't have wanted them to. He had it all planed Draco, he would put me with a family he knew would abuse me and then pay Ron and Hermione to be my friends and Ginny to eventually marry me. I would be so grateful for their friendship and love that I wouldn't even question them or him and would just do as they wanted."
"Then Dumbledore knew about the abuse and rape and just choose to do nothing? Did Ron and Hermione know?" Draco said in shock. Harry smirked but shook his head as he lowered his eyes again. "How did you find out about this? Its not something that the Dark lord or his death eaters told you is it because they would certainly lie about something like that."
"No I overheard the three of them talking before the end of last term about how Dumbledore hadn't paid them enough to put themselves in danger the way they had for me at the ministry and stuff," the raven haired boy said softly tears sliding slowly down his face. The whole time he had spoken about his relatives and the abuse he had suffered he hadn't cried at all but now talking about his friends betrayal he couldn't hold back the tears. "I confronted them about it right then and they told me how Dumbledore had come to them the summer before our first year but that their parents didn't know anything about it and Ginny told me it didn't matter because she had always had a crush on me, the money was just extra incentive, and that I would still end up marrying her because I wanted so much to be a part of their family."
"That's when I yelled at her that I wouldn't ever marry her because I was into blokes not girls and she yelled at me and told me she would never forgive me for being so cruel after everything she had done for me. Ron said that he didn't know what was wrong with me that I would want to be with some boy instead of his sister and Hermione said she didn't understand how after everything I had been through I wouldn't want a normal life with a wife and children. So were not friends anymore not that we ever really were friends to begin with at least where they were concerned."
Harry's face flushed as he realized he had revealed his sexual preferences to the person who had until recently been his worst tormentor. Draco however seemed unconcerned by his confession mostly because his preferences ran the same way and he found himself feeling strangely pleased that Harry's did to. He smiled at the smaller boy who looked relieved by his reaction and squeezed his hand again to assure him that he wasn't like his friends and wouldn't hate him for his decision.
"I hate to interrupt such an important discussion about who is going to marry who but I believe Mr. Potter is in need of sleep now Draco," Severus said gliding into the room with a purple potion in his hand. He came up to the bed and handed the potion to the raven haired boy who took it willingly despite the fact that it was Snape giving it to him. "You will have to continue this fascinating discussion tomorrow now drink it all Potter you have been through a great deal and need rest to recover."
Harry nodded and took the potion downing it in one gulp. Almost instantly his eyelids began to droop and within minutes he was fast asleep under the effects of the potion. Draco reluctantly released his hand and followed his godfather out of the room surprised by how kindly he had acted toward the boy he had told him many times he hated due to the pranks his father and his friends used to play on him. That was until he saw his face that was lined with concern and deep thought.
"You heard didn't you Severus?" Draco questioned though he already knew the answer even before the older man nodded. "What are you going to do?"
"I am going to confront Dumbledore about what the hell he thought he was doing leaving Harry in a place like that," Snape growled. He may not have liked the boy but after hearing everything he had gone through during his life he could no longer hate him and now felt sympathy for the boy having suffered from an abusive father himself. "And then I am going to make sure that he never goes back to that place again and a little trip to the Dursley's might be in order as well his stuff is still there after all."
"I would like to go as well and see what kind of people could do such things to a child and what defense they have for their actions," The blonde boy replied pleasing his godfather. He lowered his voice as they neared the stairwell not wanting the people downstairs to hear what they were talking about. "I want to help Harry as well there was something wrong about how he explained everything. He was so calm like it didn't really matter even though he didn't want to tell me at first and he seemed more hurt by what his friends did than his family that can't be good can it."
"No and I am quite certain that Harry is blocking how he truly feels about the abuse he suffered it is common for children who are abused to do that," his godfather agreed. They stopped near the head of the stairs as Snape looked down at the boy. "They become resigned to it and submissive believing that it is what they deserve and their fault they are being punished and I am sure Harry feels no different. He will need help from people he can trust to overcome the abuse he suffered if he is to save us from the Dark lord as he is supposed to."
"He can trust me and I will try to help him," Draco replied frowning as he thought of his one time friends and their lack of concern for Harry's capture and what he had suffered at the hands of the Dark lord. He would need new friends yet Draco was unsure how many friends of his own he still had but at least he would have him. "Are you going to tell the others about what he told me or just Professor Dumbldore."
"Oh no I am going to make sure the Weasleys and the werewolf know I am sure they will have some choice words for our dear headmaster when they discover what has been done to their beloved boy-who-lived, Bill and Charlie and the twins too will be quite upset by the abuse Dumbledore allowed him to suffer." Severus told him with a sneer his black eyes looking very pleased by what would happen once they went downstairs. "And he will need their support as much as ours so it is best that they know."
Draco nodded though he felt strangely displeased that others were to know what had happened to Harry. He had felt proud that Harry had wanted to tell him when he had never told anyone else before and now felt strangely protective of the smaller boy. He didn't want anyone else to hurt him and regretted all of the years he had spent tormenting him and making his life even worse than it already was. If he had known he would have tried to be nicer to him and maybe it wouldn't have taken a torture session to make him realize that he didn't want to be like his father or serve the Dark lord.
He didn't fully understand his new feelings toward the other boy or how he could have changed so much in such a short time but he didn't dislike it either. He was actually feeling happier with himself than he had in a long time and that what he was doing was right. Discovering that the boy who was supposed to save the wizarding world from Lord Voldemort needed to be saved himself had changed everything for him and rearranged all of his beliefs and strangely enough he didn't mind it as much as he thought he would.
A small smile formed on his face as they walked downstairs, he would take great pleasure in seeing the others reactions to what they would tell them and how Dumbledore would try to defend himself and maybe he could get the two youngest Weasleys and the muggleborn alone for a little reprimanding of his own. Yes it would very pleasurable indeed he was only sorry Harry wouldn't be able to see it as well but if he wanted to Draco would show it to him in a pensive later so he would be able to enjoy it to.
A/N: yes I am being cruel and ending this chapter now I know you hate me don't you. I don't normally write really long chapters and I felt like this one was long enough plus I wanted to save the confrontation with Dumbledore for next time. I hope you like this story so far and that Draco isn't to ooc but if he is than oh well. In the next chapter will be the confrontation with Dumbledore and Draco's confrontation with Ron, Hermione and Ginny who are jerks aren't they and don't you just feel so sorry for poor Harry? Any way I hoped you liked this chapter and please keep reading and reviewing or my muse will die and I won't be able to keep the story going. By the way I wrote part of this while I was sick which is why I didn't have it up yesterday like I wanted to so blame it on my massive headache and upset stomach for it not being good if it isn't.