CHAPTER TEN

Disclaimer: Neither the characters or locations are mine; they belong to J. K. Rowling and various affiliated companies. No plagiarism or copyright infringement is intended. All characters will be returned safe and sound with smiles on their faces and food in their bellies. :D

A/N: Bum-ba-dum-dum

When Harry returned home he knew he would have to go apologize...but he was so confused. He heard water running in the bathroom and knocked tentatively on the door.

'Draco...?' he asked softly.

Nothing but the sound of running water.

'Draco, it's Harry. Can I...I mean, are you decent?'

Still nothing. What it...? He wouldn't, would he? Harry tested the door and, upon finding it unlocked, pushed it open, fearing the worst. What he found was Draco, naked, seated beneath was was very obviously only hot water, scrubbing at himself with a bristled brush. His skin was red and raw, in some places beads of blood were appearing only to be washed away by the water that was surely scalding him.

'Draco?' Harry gasped.

He stepped closer and reached out to turn the water off. Draco suddenly looked at him, his gaze dull.

'Don't.' he hissed. 'Leave me.'

'Draco, I-'

'LEAVE!'

Harry backed out slowly, knowing there was only one person to call.

--

'You what?' Hermione asked increduously, harried from her rushed journey to Grimmauld Place.

'I think I broke Draco.' Harry said evenly, all too aware of how ridiculous it sounded.

Hermione raised an eyebrow at the use of "Draco", but felt niggling concern. Something was definitely wrong.

'Where is he?'

'Bathroom.'

Hermione looked toward the door Harry indicated warily. This had to be a joke. She sighed heavily.

'Won't he be naked?'

'Frankly M'ione...I don't think he really cares.'

What concerned her the most, Hermione discovereed, was the mixture of panic, terror and guilt in Harry's voice. She pushed the door open.

'Draco?' she asked, astonished.

'Granger.' he said, no emotion in his voice.

'What...what are you doing?'

'You know, you were wrong. I bet you don't hear that often. He doesn't love me. I don't think he even particularly likes me.'

Hermione just stared; through all this Draco had been scrubing and scrubbing at his skin.

'I want him to like me at leaast, you know?'

'Yeah. He does like you though.'

'He doesn't. He can't. He's disgsted by me...I can see it in his eyes. And so, I figure, if I scrub all the bad out, he has to like me, right?'

Hermione heard the tears in his voice as he said the last part. Oh Draco, I'm sorry, she thought. I didn't realize.

'Leave me Granger. I'm not coming out until I am clean...I'm so unclean. Can't you see the blood on these hands? I drove him to it, you know. Beautiful Potter, dying on the ground, because of me. Father would be proud. Out damn spot, out!'

He returned to scrubbing with a new fervor as Hermione backed out.

'What did you do to him?' she asked Harry.

Harry's lower lip quivered as he fought back tears.

'He's trying to scrub the "bad" out so you will like him! Have you been that horrible? He's spent the last three years in St. Mungo's, for Gods sake! Get me a towel.'

Harry knew she didn't actually want an answer and rushed off, returning with a large white towel. He was in St. Mungo's? Hermione frowned at him and returned to the bathroom.

'Draco, I'm going to turn off the water.' she said.

Receiving no response she did so, before deftly snatching the brush from his hands. Draco cried out and reached for it but she held it just out of his grasp.

'Stand up.'

He did so and she wrapped the towel around him, well aware that it was going to be stained.

'Now we are going to leave this room.'

'No.'

'Come on. It's not that bad.'

'He hates me! And I love him so much... It's killing me. I have to be cleaner...'

'Draco, no. Come on.'

Hermione tried to steer him out but he wouldn't budge. She sighed aggravatedly.

'Harry, I need your help.'

'No.' Draco whimpered.

Harry pushed the door open, his cheeks tear-stained, his eyes swollen and red. Draco suddenly pulled away from Hermione, his eyes growing hard.

'I don't need anyones help.' he hissed, pushing past Harry as he reached for him.

Hermione shrugged at Harry.

'I think he'll be...alright. I've got to get back to work, but let me know immediately if he "slips" again.'

'Why was he in St. Mungo's?'

'It's not my place to tell. Now I have to go.'

Harry nodded and accepted an embrace from Hermione as she left. He then went up to Draco's room where he found Kreacher packing his belongings as Draco dressed.

'What do you want Potter?' Draco sneered.

Harry visibly winced; back to Potter.

'Are...are you ok?'

'Fan-fucking-tastic. Although I must admit me coming here was a terrible idea. Does Granger have those often? Never mind. Tell me, what do you think?'

As Harry watched Draco's hair turned brown and his skin took on a deep tan.

'Think I'll fit in in Italy?'

'You're leaving then?'

'There is no reason for me to stay.'

There is, there is, don't let him leave! Harry's brain screamed at him. Harry said nothing as he meekly followed Draco to the front door. Draco turned to Harry for what he knew would be the last time.

'How could she be so wrong? Goodbye Harry.' Draco whispered as his eyes became brown.

After he had gone Harry feell to his knees, marvelling at how stupid and blind he had been...and wondering if he could ever gain back what he had just lost.