Once he was sure that Draco was asleep, Harry got up from the bed and walked over to grab some boxers and a t-shirt from his dresser before heading to the bathroom. He wasn't surprised to find it sparkling clean and made a mental note to thank Kreacher.
He turned the shower on and adjusted the water temperature to hot before stripping out of his clothes and tossing them in the hamper. He didn't know what Kreacher had done with the things Draco had been wearing but he hoped the house elf had burned the clothing and tossed the other stuff into the trash.
He sighed with relief as he stepped under the hot water and revelled in the feeling of the warmth relaxing his muscles. He deliberately kept his mind blank, using the same technique he used after a horrible day at the hospital. He let himself drift as he washed his hair and soaped himself off.
He felt his cock starting to respond to the slippery touches and warmth. The shower was his favorite place to have a wank and as he'd been too busy for anything resembling a relationship in the last few years, it had become almost a habit.
But when Draco's condition and the things that must have happened to him came crashing through Harry's carefully built walls, it all came to a halt. His erection faded quickly as he realized what sex had probably meant for the other man while he was caged up like an animal.
After rinsing off quickly, he stepped out of the shower and dried himself off before throwing on his clothes.
He looked around as he wanted to make sure he tidied up after himself as he didn't want to add to Kreacher's burden. Some days Hermione's lectures about house elf freedom being nothing more than indentured slavery still rung in his ears.
She still didn't have an idea about how to deal with the fact that most of the elves had no desire to be freed and considered her attempts to give them a better life no better than terrorism.
After checking on Draco and finding him still peacefully asleep, he wandered down to the kitchen in search of something to eat. It had been a long day and when he thought back over it, he realized that he hadn't eaten anything since 11 that morning and now it was almost 9. No wonder he was starving.
Kreacher was in the kitchen stirring a large pot of soup and the smell was making Harry's mouth water. "I don't know what kind of soup that is, but it smells delicious."
Kreacher smiled, something he'd been doing more often of late. "It's chicken vegetable. Kreacher asked Mrs. Weasley for her recipe. She is a mother and knows how to care for people."
Harry grinned. "You're absolutely right. Thank you for thinking of it." Harry sat wearily at the table, intending to just rest before getting his supper, but Kreacher was there with a bowl of soup, along with bread and butter.
"Eat up, Harry Potter. Mr. Draco is needing a lot of care from you I think." Harry wasn't sure when Kreacher got so good at reading humans, but he was getting better at it all the time.
Yeah, I will, Kreacher. Thanks." He reached for the bread and slathered butter on a slice before dunking it in his soup and taking a careful bite. He moaned as the flavors burst across his tongue. "Kreacher, this soup is wonderful! Mrs. Weasley couldn't have done better herself!"
Harry watched in amazement as Kreacher blushed right down to the tips of his pointed ears.
"Kreacher thanks you Harry Potter." The elf barely got the words out before he disappeared from the kitchen with a pop.
Once Harry was done eating, he prepared a tray for Draco and put it under a warming charm before carrying it upstairs and into his room.
He set the tray on the dresser and looked at Draco, happy to see that he was still sleeping peacefully.
Harry looked around the room, wondering if he should sleep there or not. Draco had made him promise that he wouldn't leave him alone so Harry transfigured a chair into a lounger and grabbed a blanket and a couple of pillows from the hall closet. After checking on the fire, he flopped back on the small bed and curled up, feeling warm and cozy.
Letting his eyes drift closed, he willed himself to fall asleep quickly because he knew the dreamless sleep wouldn't last forever and the next day was bound to be difficult.
As he considered how his day had turned out, he realized that he was happy he'd found Draco. He'd been drifting along in his life for a long time, working and studying and avoiding anything that might be considered a personal relationship besides Hermione and the Weasley's.
Now it felt like he had a purpose…and a chance to mend something that had been broken when he was too young to know better. Maybe helping Draco reclaim his life would help Harry find something in his to hold on to.
The thought made him smile as he fell asleep.
Harry woke abruptly, unsure of what had disturbed him and he sat up and looked around for something out of place, but couldn't see anything.
Grabbing his wand he cast a Lumos charm and looked to where Draco was supposed to be sleeping but couldn't see him. Pushing the blanket off, he stood up and walked quietly over to the bed, but Draco was nowhere to be seen.
Looking around frantically, he finally spotted him sleeping on the floor at the foot of Harry's transfigured bed. He'd obviously awakened long enough to move as close to Harry as he dared before passing out again.
"Oh Dray. What are you doing?" The poor man had left the blankets on the bed, probably too out of it to drag one with him. He lay on the wooded floor, shivering with cold and the sight of it was heartbreaking.
Harry walked over and cast a lightening charm that was hardly needed and lifted Draco into his arms. He whimpered quietly and then curled against the warmth of Harry's chest. "Come on then, let's get you back to bed."
Walking over to where Draco's nest of blankets and pillows were, Harry laid him down carefully before tucking him back in. When he tried to move away, however, he discovered that Draco wasn't quite as asleep as he thought he was.
Long, fragile fingers wrapped around Harry's wrist. 'Stay…Harry."
It would have taken a lot of determination to fight off the effects of the dreamless sleep potion so Harry knew that it was important to Draco that he stay with him. "Okay. If you're sure you won't be too scared."
Draco shook his head. "No, not scared of Harry. Only thing I'm not scared of."
Harry felt the warmth that had been warring with the horror in his chest since he'd found Draco start to unfurl a little further. He walked around to the other side of the bed and pulled back the covers before climbing in beside Draco, being extra cautious not to jostle him too much.
Lying on his side, he watched as the tension in Draco's back faded away as he finally lost the battle and was pulled back into sleep. Harry slipped off into dreamland soon after.
When he awoke the next time, a quick glance at the clock showed that they'd been sleeping for about five hours. Looking over at Draco he could see that he was breathing easier, hopefully indicating that the pain he'd been in was fading as his wounds healed.
He was snuggled down into the blankets and Harry's sweater and he looked for all the world like a child wearing his father's clothes. Draco had always been on the lean side, but the body Harry had bathed had been emaciated to the point where every bone seemed to stick out at odd angles. He'd apparently been fed enough to be kept alive and that was about it.
In sleep, Draco's face looked deceptively peaceful and you could almost believe that he'd never been tortured or abused. But once he started to stir, a frown creased his brow and his hands clasped together, long fingers running over the bruised flesh of his wrist and Harry realized that he was looking for the shackles.
"Its okay, Dray. They're still gone. I think Kreacher banished them to hell." He spoke softly, not wanting to startle the other man.
Draco froze and then slowly relaxed as he recognized Harry's voice. His eyes finally fluttered open and a shy smile curved his lips as he looked at Harry. "Hi."
Harry smiled at him. "Hi. How about we get you something to eat?"
Draco closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths before opening them again and nodding. "Okay."
"Are you hungry?" He was curious to know if Draco would even tell him one way or the other.
Draco shrugged. "A little?"
Harry chuckled. "Good enough." He slipped out from under the covers and stood up. When he looked at the dresser, the tray was gone and a note sat in its place.
Harry Potter. When you are ready for food, call down to Kreacher and I will send up another tray.
Harry looked at Draco. "I don't know what's gotten into Kreacher. You must be royalty or something to him." He walked over to the door and called out. "Kreacher, we're ready for the tray now. I can come down an…"
He was cut off by the sound of the tray popping into existence on the dresser in the exact spot it was left, only this time it had two bowls of soup, some delicious looking bread and some biscuits that Harry suspected were homemade.
"Well, would you look at that." He grabbed the tray and turned to face Draco, dismayed to see him sitting against the pillows and looking down at his hands with tears in his eyes. "Dray? What's the matter?"
He felt stupid asking that question. Obviously a lot of things were sad and scary for the poor man, but he needed to know what was happening right at the moment to upset him.
"Kreacher is foolish. Draco is not royalty. Draco is nothing. Not anymore. Not a son, not a friend…not a man. Nothing." The self-loathing in his voice was tearing at Harry's heart.
Walking over to the bed, he set the tray down carefully on the empty side before walking around to sit on the edge by Draco. "That's not true. You will always be your parent's son. Whether they're here or not, as long as you remember them, that's what makes you their child."
Taking Draco's hand into his, he held it gently and stroked one finger down the back of it. "And as for friends, well, I've already told you I'd like to be yours if you want me."
"Yes. Harry's friend. That's good. It's a start." Draco couldn't seem to take his eyes off Harry's hand touching his and Harry started to pull away, thinking it was bothering him, but Draco's fingers tightened just enough to let Harry know that he didn't want it to stop.
"As for being a man, well, I'm not sure what makes one in your eyes." Harry stopped and looked at Draco's face before continuing. "But to me, a man who knows when something he's doing is wrong and stops. Like that night on the astronomy tower."
Draco's head came up and he started shying away. "Harry was there? Saw what I did?"
Harry shook his head. "I saw what you wouldn't do. I know now why you tried. I know how you tried to save your family from a madman whose trap they were in."
"Snape saved me." Pain crossed his gray eyes once again. "Was my godfather."
Harry nodded. "He saved me too and plenty more. He was an arrogant ass and a poor excuse for a human being, but he loved my mother and I'm betting he loved you as well."
"Yes. You're right." Harry watched as Draco took a deep breath and tried to get control of himself.
"You're a man Draco. You've been battered and abused but you're still here. You've fought to live when anyone else would have curled up and died. That's all that's important." He lifted his hand and carefully brushed the bangs off Draco's face so he could see his expression.
Draco looked at him, those gray eyes that Harry had always felt were so cool now felt blazing hot on his skin.
"Thank you Harry. You're not…" He stumbled over his words before recovering. "You're not the person I thought you were."
Harry smiled. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"
Draco ducked his head shyly. "Good Harry. Very good."
"Good to know." Harry patted his hand and got up to walk around and grab the tray. "Think you can eat this now?"
Draco nodded so Harry walked over and set the tray in Draco's lap. "Just eat as much as you can, okay? I don't want you making yourself sick."
Pulling a chair over, he sat beside the bed and picked up his own bowl. He'd already eaten but the soup was too damned good and he couldn't wait for more. When he looked up at Draco, however, he was trying hard to get the spoon to his mouth, but his hand was shaking badly and the soup kept spilling back into the bowl.
He waited to see what Draco would do, but as soon as he noticed that Harry was watching, he set the spoon down. "Not hungry."
Harry could see the tears threatening to spill over again and he hurried to intervene. Setting his own bowl back on the tray, he picked up Draco's spoon and dipped it into the bowl. "You know what the biggest lesson I've learned is Dray?"
Draco shook his head.
"The biggest lesson I've learned is that if someone wants to help you, then there are times that you should let them." He reached up with his free hand to wipe the tears off Draco's cheek. "When you're fighting a dark lord, that's one of those times. And so is this. When you're weakened from hunger and all the abuse you've suffered, this is one of those times that you should let someone who really wants to, help you. Will you let me help you Dray?"
Draco's hands were clenched into fists but after a moment, he nodded his head. "Yes please." His soft voice was a little smoother than before and Harry idly noted that the collar marks around his throat were already starting to look better.
"Okay. Good." Harry lifted the spoon and Draco opened his mouth to take it. After the first bite, his eyes widened and he smiled.
"This is good. I like this!" His happiness was almost childlike and Harry could feel his heart cracking open a little more.
"It is, isn't it? Kreacher went to Ron's mom for the recipe. The woman is a goddess in the kitchen." He fed Draco another spoonful and then put the spoon down to take bite of his own. He could have waited but he didn't want Draco going too fast and upsetting his stomach.
He went back and forth, feeding himself and Draco and keeping up the chatter about unimportant things to keep Draco distracted from the situation. He didn't say much, but he was avidly paying attention and even laughed a little at the stories Harry told about the Weasley's and their crazy antics.
By the time they were done, Draco had finished most of his soup, although he'd refused to try any of the bread, saying it was too much. Harry had managed to polish of another bowl of soup and both slices of bread. He was just putting the dishes on the tray when he noticed Draco eyeing the cookies.
"Would you like to try one?" He waited while Draco had his inner debate before he finally lifted his hand and picked one up. His hand still shook, but not as badly and he took a small bite.
He chewed for a moment with his eyes closed before opening them and looking at Harry. "Delicious." He took another bite and smiled. "Please tell Kreacher…thank you."
Harry's throat felt tight at the effort it took for Draco to properly get out that simple sentence, but he swallowed down the rage he felt building and found a smile for Draco. "I will."
Draco finished the cookie but declined any more. He was yawning again and Harry knew it wouldn't be long before he was down for the count again. "It's okay to go back to sleep Draco. You're body needs lots of rest to heal."
Draco nodded, but he didn't relax. His gaze kept jumping to the door to the bathroom and it wasn't long before Harry figured it out.
"Do you want me to bring you the urinal?"
Draco shook his head. "Help me walk? Please?"
Harry smiled. "Are you sure?"
"Yes. I can do it…with help."
Harry knew that the pride he felt at those words was a little out of proportion, but he didn't care. "Yeah, I can do that."
Getting up from the chair, he moved the tray to the dresser and then watched as Draco pushed the blankets back. The hoodie he was still wearing had been big on Harry and on Draco's wasted frame it covered him almost to his knees.
He helped him get turned and then put his arm around Draco's waist and helped him try to stand, but the moment he put pressure on his legs, he cried out and would have collapsed if Harry hadn't had a good hold of him.
Harry quickly muttered the lightening charm against and bent to slide on arm under Draco's knees. "I know you wanted to walk, but your body isn't recovered enough for that yet. A few more hours of healing and a couple more potions and you should be able to start working on your legs, okay?"
Draco curled against Harry's chest and nodded. He didn't protest when he was carried into the bathroom and sat on the toilet. "I'm going to wait out here to give you some privacy. Call me when you're finished and I'll come and get you."
He waited until he was sure Draco was steady and then backed out of the room. After a few minutes he became concerned and was about to go in when Draco quietly called his name.
Opening the door he was surprised to see Draco leaning against the counter, sweating and shaking but smiling. "See Harry? I did it."
The front of the hoodie had been splashed with water while Draco had washed his hands and held himself up at the same time and he was on the verge of collapse, but Harry just smiled and nodded. "Yes, you did. I'm proud of you. Now, can I take you back to bed you stubborn git?"
He made sure to smile as he said the words and Draco's happy nod let him know that Draco got the fact that he was teasing. He swung him back into his arms and carried him back to the bed. Once he was settled, Harry tried to unzip the wet hoodie but Draco grabbed his hand and tried to stop him.
"No. Please, I like it." His big gray eyes were impossible to resist so Harry let go and walked over to the closet to grab another hoodie.
"Here, I've another and it's dry. Will you let me trade for that one?" He watched the emotions play out over Draco's face. The only other person he'd ever seen whose emotions were to open in his expression was Teddy Lupin and he was just a child.
"Okay." He pulled the blankets up until his lap was covered and then unzipped the hoodie and slowly shrugged it off his shoulders. The bruises and scratches on his torso were looking much better as Harry gave them a quick look before helping Draco into the dry jacket. He zipped it up and smiled as Draco flipped up the hood and snuggled back into it before pulling up the covers and turning onto his side facing the empty side of the bed.
"Comfy?" Harry fussed with the blankets a little, making sure Draco would be warm enough.
"Yes, very comfy." He was trying harder so speak properly and it made Harry happy to see him putting in the extra effort. "Tired."
Harry gently patted his shoulder and started to move away. "I know. It's all the healing you're body's doing. Get some rest."
"Stay?"
He started to shake his head, but couldn't find it in him to deny the simple request. "Okay, until you're asleep anyway."
Draco smiled sleepily at him as he rounded the bed and lay down on the other side. "Thank you."
Harry reached out and tenderly brushed the bangs back out of Draco's eyes. "You're welcome Dray."
Draco's eyes slipped shut almost immediately and while Harry hadn't thought that he was still tired, he found the combination of Draco's quiet breathing and their shared warmth too much to resist and he slipped into a light doze before long.
And woke to the sound of screaming a couple hours later.