Harry Potter and all characters, settings and situations in this story is © J. K. Rowling, Warner Brothers, Scholastic, Bloomsbury, and all others involved.
Live In Harmony
Draco walked slowly towards an empty bench under a tree. He was barely aware that Charlie had come with him. Then Percy was leaning over, asking, "Is everything all right?"
And of course, Percy was the only one who knew, who could understand what it meant.
"It was on his orders, Percy. I understand. Because I wouldn't do it to Luna, he had all of them do it to me," he explained.
"What's going on?" Charlie demanded. "Why's he telling you? What does it mean? What's wrong with him?" he asked Percy. Draco was his, he knew every inch of him, they spent every night together. Why did Percy understand something about his Draco that he didn't?
Percy sat down next to Draco, on the other side from Charlie and it was Draco and Percy who looked into each other's faces. Percy asked, "Is it better to know? You wanted to know. You realise that this means you're not a victim, you're a hero?"
Draco took time to absorb Percy's words. "But I didn't know that would happen," he countered, still with that sick, lost expression on his face.
"What happened?" Charlie asked. He was fuming. He wanted to be supportive but it was driving him mad that he was outside something that they were inside together.
Draco turned to him briefly, stretched a hand out to him. Charlie held it. But then Draco turned back to Percy.
"I will do you a deposition, Percy. I think it would help. About everything, but including …" he looked at Charlie, "I can't say it. I know you deserve to know. I can't. It wasn't me who told Percy. Can't you tell him?" he asked Percy.
"I could," Percy answered, "but I think you should try."
Draco took a deep breath before saying to Charlie: "At school, the last term. Carrow. And other Death Eaters. Blindfolded me and ... Lots of them …" He couldn't say it.
Charlie was terrified of the answer, but he had to ask, "Not … Didn't rape you?"
"Did," was all Draco could manage.
Charlie wrapped his arms tight round his lover's trembling form. He wanted to protect him, but it was too late. He wanted to kill Carrow and all the faceless, masked Death Eaters who had done this thing to the person he loved most. He wanted to change the past, to be there and to make it not happen. But all he could do instead was just hold Draco.
Draco was talking again, muttering into Charlie's chest, "They patched me up after. No-one knew. They said they would do it again. I had to get His favour back. I wanted to give him Potter to save myself."
"You were scared. That's understandable," Percy said quickly.
"Potter wouldn't have …" Draco protested weakly.
"Plenty of people did worse things with less reason," Percy argued.
Draco curled into Charlie and clung to him, the way he had done when they had first found each other. Then it had excited Charlie, but now he wanted his confident, happy Draco back.
Percy stood up, began to back off, just as Ron started striding towards them. Seeing his expression, Percy started saying, "Not now" but Ron wasn't listening.
"I want a word with you, Malfoy," Ron growled.
Draco surreptitiously wiped his face on the sleeve of his smart robes and then stood up and attempted a sneer.
"I want my brother back you twisted piece of shit!" Ron spat out.
Old habits kicked in and Draco reached for his wand, snarling, "Fuck off Weasel!" But he was too slow, Ron had punched him in the face.
Charlie flew at his younger brother, pushing Draco and Percy aside; he rammed into Ron, knocking him to the ground where he slammed his fist into him. After a moment where he was immobilised by shock, Ron fought back, kicking out and head-butting as well as thumping.
Suddenly an explosive force separated them and Harry Potter stood over them, glowering, his wand pointed at a space between them. Very softly he said, "If you two spoil Ginny's big day then I will personally hex your balls off. Sort it out elsewhere!"
Shooting Harry a look of resentment, Charlie grabbed hold of Ron's collar and stood up, forcing Ron to his feet. He said, "We'll talk things through at our place, then," and they both disappeared.
Harry and Draco were left staring at each other.
"Careful!" Percy warned.
"I invited him to my wedding. I'm not going to attack him," Harry said, steadily but fiercely.
Draco managed to force out, "Congratulations."
"There's blood and dirt all over your face," Harry reprimanded in reply.
"Ron hit me," Draco stated.
"Clean up before a journalist finds you," Harry snapped.
Draco answered, "I haven't got a mirror."
"Do you trust me to put a wand to your face?" Harry asked.
"Percy?" Draco requested.
"Merlin's pants, Malfoy, what do you think I'm going to do to you?" Harry sighed with exasperation, waving his wand and removing blood, bruises and tear tracks.
"How long until the ceremony, Harry?" Percy asked, to fill the potentially awkward silence.
"Don't know," Harry admitted, "Ginny and Molly have organised everything."
"Thanks for inviting us," Draco muttered.
"No problem," Harry said, avoiding eye contact, adding, "thanks for the present. It's pretty cool. Did you make them all yourself? Must have taken ages."
It had, but Draco said, "Not really, had most of them in stock. It's what I do."
"What is?" Percy asked.
"Potions," Draco replied.
"I know that," Percy said.
Harry explained: "It's a case with a couple of dozen potions in little bottles. Useful ones, household and medical. You know?"
"A sort of starter kit for a new couple," Draco added.
Percy smiled. He thought he'd better not let Draco know how sweet he thought that was.
They were interrupted by a flash of light and then shouting on the other side of the house. Harry ran round to see what was happening. So did a lot of other people. Over the panic rose one voice, a voice Draco recognised. His father's. He couldn't make out any words but the tone was clear.
"I'll sort this out," Percy said quickly, "and let you know when it's safe to return."
Draco Apparated to the cottage in Romania without replying. He was lucky not to land on the two men on the floor.
"This must be a Weasley definition of 'talking things through'," he said dryly, watching Charlie and Ron's exhausted attempts to pummel each other.
"Stop it!" he shouted at them and Charlie looked up. With a look of disgust he pushed Ron away from him. Before Ron could swing his next punch, Draco said to Charlie, "My Father just turned up to kill you."
Ron froze. Charlie swore.
"But Percy's going to sort it out and then come and get us," Draco stated with complete confidence.
"Bloody hell! If we're relying on Percy you've had it!" Ron told Charlie. "I'd better get back there."
"Looking like that? Potter's very particular about everyone's appearance today," Draco said, trying to keep the contempt from his voice and failing.
"Oh, yeah. They've got some magazine paying for most of it. And newspapers there from all over the world," Ron grumbled.
Draco Accioed over his Potions case and handed Charlie dittany for himself, while he got to work on Ron. Ron flinched before the liquid made contact.
"Can't bear to have me touch you?" Draco asked resentfully. Charlie looked over proprietorially.
"It's not that actually. But it always stings when Mum does it," Ron admitted.
"Yeah, I do that sometimes when it's his own fault he's got hurt," Draco answered, looking over with a grin at Charlie. "But you have to add in the sting and I haven't this time."
He dabbed gently at Ron's face and hands, then charmed his face clean, his hair tidy and, finally, repaired the rips in his robes.
"All done!" Draco announced, standing back to admire his work. "Unless …" he flicked the wand at the robes again and buttons started to re-arrange themselves, stitching moved and some twee little stars disappeared altogether. While the robes improved themselves, Draco asked, with a nasty smile "Did you choose it yourself?"
"Yeah!" Ron answered defensively. Actually 'choose' was overstating the matter. He'd grabbed the first thing he could see without lace on.
Draco swished his wand, muttering something, and the colour of the clothes deepened to midnight blue. "You should take Miss Granger with you next time," he suggested.
Ron stood up and replied, "Yeah. Girls are much better at that sort of thing," then he looked straight at Draco with a coldness in his gaze and added, "no offence."
Draco was deciding whether to take any when Charlie intervened. Putting his arm round Draco's shoulders and giving Ron a warning look he said, "Weren't you on your way to save my life or something?"
"I'm sure Percy's sorted everything out by now!" Ron answered back sarcastically and Apparated away.
Once they were alone together, Charlie wrapped his other arm around Draco and Draco slipped his arms round Charlie's waist. They held each other tight. Draco closed his eyes. Each knew the other was thinking about the gang rape, but neither wanted to start a conversation about it.
Eventually Charlie lifted Draco up and carried him over to the sofa. When they were sitting comfortably close, he asked softly, "How are you feeling?"
"Better, actually," Draco answered. "In some ways better than I have in a long time. I've wanted to tell you for so long. But it's hard."
"I feel so angry and so helpless. I want to protect you and I've failed," Charlie said, pulling Draco's head onto his shoulder.
"Silly, you didn't know me then," Draco mumbled into Charlie's warmth. "We've been together over nineteen months and nothing bad has happened to me in all that time. You're doing pretty well."
Charlie twisted his head so he could see Draco's face better. He looked concerned and he was holding Draco as though he were something fragile. It was the last thing Draco wanted.
"I need to look after you," Charlie whispered.
"Well maybe you could do the washing up occasionally then," Draco replied bluntly. He pulled back from his lover. He wouldn't let himself be treated like a china ornament in a world without Reparo. It was Charlie whose life was in danger as they waited. By unspoken agreement, they were ignoring that, though.
Draco decided it was time to remind his Dragon keeper that he was no longer the scared little virgin who'd got himself picked up on Diagon Alley. He slipped down onto his knees in front of Charlie and started to push up the velvet dress robes. It was lucky that Bill, when he arrived, had the manners to Apparate to the front door and not straight into the sitting room.