Rating: PG-13
Warning: Slash, maybe. Swearing. Some sexual content and I just mean him getting a boner.
Song: 'Empty Chairs at Empty Tables' from Les Mise'rables.
Couples: DM/HP
Sorry it took so long! I've been trying to post this chapter for two weeks now. But the document wouldn't load and blah blah, it's up now.
"Waiting outside by yourself ferret?"
A voice startled Draco from his seat by the voice teacher's window. A large group of Gryffindor fifth through seventh years stood in front of Draco in a wide half circle surrounding him till his back was against the brick wall. Their leader, Ron Weasley spat on the ground by Draco's feet.
"Where's your groupies death eater?"He sneered drawing his wand from his sleeve and advancing slowly. The other's quickly disarmed the Slytherin youth and the two largest boys at school, fifth year beaters for the Gryffindor quidditch team, grabbed Draco while he fought wildly against him.Even though Draco was no push over in his own right, both physically strong and magically powerful, a harsh blow to the stomach knocked the air out of his lungs and his eyes bulged fighting for a breath.
As Draco's legs fell out from beneath him the crowd cheered and crowed at the youth. A figure broke through the crowd and tried to get to Draco but he was quickly bound and gagged with a few flicks of wands. Panting, Draco down at the ferociously struggling Neville Longbottom. The boy who nearly wet himself whenever Snape came near him, was trying to protect him. Why?
Ron came over and swiftly kicked Neville's body out of the way. The brown haired boy curled into a fetal position and Draco vaguely wondered if the boy's ribs were okay. Still in a somewhat stunned state a hand dipped under his chin and lifted it up to meet the cold eyes of the red headed boy.
Regaining some of his pride, Draco spat in his face. Pain burned through his body and he nearly let a horrified scream tear through his throat as the two who still held his pulled his arms back, and back, and back until they popped out of place. His bruised boy was chucked roughly to the ground and his head smashed into the brick wall.
As Ron's foot was about to come down on Draco's head a bright orange and crackling spell shot past his head. Ron stumbled back and the crowd turned to see a figure in the doorway. Short in stature didn't seem to matter because dark brown eyes glittered angrily and she shook out her short curly red hair streaked heartily with gray.
"A fight? A fight on my property?" Her voice was slurred slightly from a stroke in her youth but none the less, was commanding of presence. "Violent mongrel hooligans!" Several painful burning and binding spells shot out of her wand faster than anyone could blink and soon the crowd was down and gagged staring up at her in pain and fear.
A slightly taller figure shot out of the house finally set free from her stationary spell and went to Draco instantly checking injury for injury. "Boy, get the fat one and the blonde one into the house, we'll fix them there." The boy, who turned out to be Harry, much to the surprise of the Gryffindors nodded and quickly hefted Draco onto his back after cutting the bonds and then went over to Neville and slowly picked the other boy up careful not to joust his ribs.
This was a surprising feat for all who watched but the old woman, whose eyes held approval. When he was about to pass her into the house she stopped him, "Push ups, double amount, every morning, picking up the two of them should have been a snap." Harry nodded feebly and went into the house.
The old woman stepped out onto the tiny porch using her cane, then hobbled down the stairs. Her step sounded hollow when she reached the final landing and those on the ground could see she had a wooden stub of a leg. A muttered spell and a flick of the wand had a parchment in her hand. She mumbled while reading it over, then recited names while looking into each student's eyes for recognition. "Your names are on a list which will be given to the headmaster. Along with information about what you did, and was about to do."
Her gaze poured over the surrounding area, "You're lucky I'm in a secluded part of town, how you found this place I will never know, nor wish to know. Just get out of here before I loose my temper and hang you all in my well by your ankles." She threatened menacingly and let their bindings go. The so called courageous Gryffindors scattered like kittens and the woman grinned viciously before slowly hobbling into her house again.
Harry had put his two fellow seventh years on pallets in her plant workshop. And now he was efficiently binding Neville's ribs which were severely bruised, and some had cracked. Draco watched the boy work silently and Cathy Thornbyrn nodded in approval. "You're getting sloppy boy." She told him in a gruff manner while fixing a few of Harry's errors. Harry nodded silently with a tiny smile on his face, she said, getting sloppy- not you are sloppy, that was a big complement coming from his frumpy teacher.
Standing, she went over to Draco and began her examination on him. "Boy, get your friend the strengthening tonic. Make tea, non caffeinated and put two drops in the brown hair boy's. But first." She gestured to the now green faced Neville. "He's gone into the next stage of shock, nausea. Take him to the bathroom." Harry nodded and helped Neville to his feet and they made their way carefully out of the room.
Cathy turned back to Draco and took his arm in her hand. He expected something painful from her gnarled and bony hands, but the touch was surprisingly gentle, "He obviously cares for you." She said quietly while heaving could be heard faintly from down the hall.
"We're good friends." Draco said in the same manner wincing when she hit a particularly nasty bruise.
She nodded with a hum of agreement before saying, "These will need to be popped back into place. It will hurt but it is necessary. I'll have Potter do it for you."
"Why do you call him that? You always seem to call him Potter or boy, why not Harry." Draco testing out his theory he said, "I can see you care for him."
"Of course I care for him!" She snapped, gently testing the angle for which his shoulder had been popped out of. "I'm not going to cuddle him, nor will I ever." She sighed and leaned back away from her ministrations. "But, no matter how much I despise it, I do concede to the fact that I am not as young as I used to be Harry will be my heir if he so chooses, as I never had children. I will never alienate him, but nor will I wrap him in bubble wrap- that's a muggle mail thing."
Draco nodded, he knew the situation well, Snape and he had it. They cared for each other, but cuddling was just not the Snape or the Malfoy way. In the silence that followed Harry trotted in, silently grabbed the strengthening tonic then trotted out again. Soon he was back tucking the vial neatly back into place as if it never left. Turning to the others, he kneeled down quietly and waited for his next instructions.
"Boy, hold him tightly. I do not want him thrashing about while I fix his arm." Draco was mildly offended but did see the merit to her instructions. As Harry wrapped his arms around Draco's body in a gentle manner Draco's heart beat a little faster but it went unnoticed as Cathy had already started to push.
The pain was agonizing and Draco was forced to shut his eyes and buried his face into Harry's chest. A sharp snap resounded throughout the room and Draco's teeth went through his lip, funny, he never realized he had bit it. The next one wasn't any easier and by the end Draco was sweaty and shaky.
Harry gently put him back down onto the cot and got swabs to help with Draco's mouth. After he finished cleaning the area, Harry put his finger to the abused skin and warmth spread around it. When Harry pulled away Draco put a finger to his lip but he couldn't feel the holes that had once been there.
Cathy sent the three boys out of the house with a wave and a warning to be careful. Neville and Draco were to join Harry on his three nights a week vocal lessons. On the side, the bitter old hag would teach them the spells and defenses she once taught Harry from her aururing days. Once back at the castle the three silently made their way to an old unused classroom and sat down in a stony silence.
"Why did you try to help him?"