Chapter 2
Return
The drive back to Harry's house was in silence. Draco Malfoy didn't say a word, not even a "thank you" for getting him out of that place. He sat in the back seat next to Harry Potter, staring out the window, refusing to even look at the wizards. Harry watched him silently, wanting to say something, but not being about to think of anything. More than anything, he wanted to get the boy to talk.
Once they arrived at the house, Harry, Lupin and Snape all got out of the car, waiting for Draco to follow. When the boy didn't make a move to get out, or even open the car door, Harry sighed and opened the door for him.
"Come on, Malfoy," he said calmly. "Let's go." When Draco still refused to move, Harry added, "It's alright, Malfoy. No one is going to hurt you. You're safe here." Without saying a word, and giving no sign that he had heard Harry, Draco stood up and got out of the car, following the wizards inside.
Ron and Hermione were in the living room, watching TV while they waited for the others to get back. When they saw Draco, Ron let out a gasp and sat there staring at the other boy rudely, while Hermione put a hand to her mouth and whispered, "My God."
Glaring at his best friends, Harry turned to Draco and said, "Come on, Malfoy, let's get you cleaned up."
When Draco didn't move, Harry made the mistake of touching Draco's arm. He heard a sharp intake of breath from Draco and felt the boy's muscles tense under his hand.
Shit, what the hell has happened to him? Harry thought to himself, watching Draco sadly, who turned and followed Harry up the stairs.
Harry led Draco into the bathroom, motioning for Draco to sit down on the edge of the bathtub. Draco looked a little uncomfortable, but did as he was told nonetheless.
"Alright, er, I'm just going to take a look at this, er, this wound here, alright, Malfoy?" Harry asked softly, looking up at Draco, who nodded once refusing to look at Harry. As gently as he could, Harry slowly began unwrapping the dirty bandage from around Draco's side, unable to ignore Draco's winces of pain.
"Shit," Harry hissed when he saw Draco's wound. It was very deep and probably deadly if he didn't heal it. The only problem was that he didn't know how to heal it. It was way too severe for him. He would need Hermione.
"Malfoy, listen to me," he ordered, looking at Draco, who raised his head slightly, but still didn't look up at Harry. "Malfoy," Harry repeated. "Draco, look at me." This time, Draco did as he was told and looked up, meeting Harry's eyes. "I can't heal this. I don't know how to. I'm going to need Hermione for it, alright?" Draco hesitated then nodded once, before turning his head away again.
Harry sighed, disappointed, but not surprised, by Draco's reaction, or lack of reaction in this case. He knew he couldn't imagine what had happened to Draco over the past two years, but, looking at the wound and the scars that flawed the boy's once perfect body, he could tell that he'd been hurt pretty badly, and he wasn't surprised Draco wouldn't talk.
Standing up, Harry went to the door of the bathroom, calling Hermione's name loudly.
"Yeah?" Hermione called back, and Harry could hear her walking to the stairs to hear him better.
"Come up here," Harry ordered. "We need your help."
He stopped when he heard the sound of Hermione running up the stairs and in a moment, she was at the bathroom door. She pushed her way past Harry, and gasped when she saw Draco's wound.
"I need your help to heal it," Harry explained. "I don't know how to heal a wound this…severe." Hermione nodded, without taking her eyes off Draco. She knelt down beside him and looked him over, checking for any more signs of injuries. Luckily, there were none, just scars.
"Alright, Malfoy," Hermione began, glancing up at Draco. "This is going to sting a little, but it will get better, alright?" Draco nodded, leaning against the wall and closing his eyes. Hermione turned to Harry, frowning at this behavior. When Harry shrugged in response, she turned back to Draco, pulling out her wand and murmuring a few spells Harry didn't recognize. Instantly, Draco's wound began closing and the scars started to fade. Draco opened his eyes and looked down at his body, watching in silence as all the signs of the suffering he had gone through the last two years vanished. Harry watched him quietly, remembering what Hermione said about it stinging. If Draco was in any pain, he didn't show it. Or maybe he'd just been through much worse things and this was just like a tap on the shoulder to him. Whatever it was, his face remained emotionless.
Once it was done and all the scars had disappeared and the wound had closed, Draco stood up and looked at his body in the mirror. He looked much better. Still too skinny but not too beat up.
We have to get him some food, Harry thought to himself, staring at Draco Malfoy's thin, fragile form. Apparently, Hermione seemed to be thinking the same thing because a second later, she said:
"We should get you something to eat. You look really hungry."
