Draco was sitting in the Great Hall at breakfast when he heard a commotion from the Entrance Hall. He groaned at the fact that he was being disturbed from his breakfast, stood up and walked to the doors of the Great Hall and pushed them open. As he walked through the Entrance Hall the crowd parted for him. Hate him they may do, but people still moved for Draco Malfoy.
He reached the doors as they opened and a boy covered in blood staggered in. Draco rushed toward his friend and helped him up. The boy had blood in his black hair and cuts marring his unusually pale face. There was a haunted look in his dazed, brown eyes as he turned to look at his best friend.
"What happened?" Draco asked.
"Father," Blaise Zabini muttered.
An understanding look crossed Draco's face as he nodded and then looked away.
"Right, of course. I suggest you don't go back." Blaise laughed humourlessly. "Let's get you to the hospital wing." Draco swung Blaise's arm over his shoulder and started walking with him to the stairs. "Welcome back Blaise."
**
Ginny was on her way to breakfast when it happened. She was talked to Mia and Neville as they walked down the stairs into the Entrance Hall.
"Look, I'm not saying that-" Mia was saying.
"Yes you are," Ginny interrupted.
"I wasn't!" Mia protested.
"You were," Neville said. "you were saying it."
"I don't like him," Mia shouted. "I really don't!"
"Yeah right," Ginny muttered.
Neville looked up. "Hey! What's going on?"
There was a crowd in the Entrance Hall around the window.
"I better check it out. I am Head Girl after all," Ginny said pretending to be exasperated.
She pushed her way through the crowd, wishing they would just move out of the way so she could see what was going on. After an excruciating effort she managed to get through the crowds just in time to see the crowds part for Draco and the doors slam open.
She gasped at what she saw. He was covered in blood and his clothes were practically rags. Was that really Blaise Zabini? He had always been so neat, good looking and charming. What had happened to him? She heard Draco ask the same question she had just thought and when she heard the answer she was shocked.
"Father."
Draco nodded and Ginny stared at them both. She watched as they walked away and up the stairs. She didn't understand what had happened to Blaise. And she didn't understand how Draco seemed so understanding and accepting. She could tell from the way they both acted that they were close friends and she knew if Mia, Neville or Luna was hurt as bad as Blaise was hurt she would be acting a lot worse than Draco was. Why wasn't he freaking out? Why wasn't he surprised?
**
Ginny walked through the corridor toward the hospital wing. Thankfully, Draco had been too busy helping Blaise to realise she was following them. She had waited in a broom closet for a while before coming out and walking towards the Hospital Wing -she didn't want it to look like she was following them.
She slid in through the door and walked to the bed nearest the curtained off section where she knew Blaise was.
"So what exactly happened?" she heard Madam Pompfrey ask.
"At a guess? Crucio, whipping, beating, burning. Pretty much the usual stuff."
"How do you know this? What do you mean the usual stuff? I've never seen this before."
"Yeah, well, Sev always treated us."
"Us? You've been hurt like this before?"
"Madame Pompfrey, can I tell you something in complete, and I mean complete, confidence?"
"Yes, of course, anything you say here is completely confidential," the nurse assured him.
"Blaise and I…how do I put this…we don't have the nicest of fatherly figures," Draco said sarcastically, "And we're not the only ones."
"Are you saying Mr Zabini's step-father did this to him?"
"Ooo go to the top of the class. Yes, that's what I'm saying."
Ginny stared at the curtains in shock. Was he really saying that their fathers abused him and Blaise? Merlin! She couldn't imagine what that must be like. And to be so blasé about it was ridiculous. How could anyone be so calm and accepting about this kind of thing? Merlin! She never knew!
She stood up and staggered over to the door in shock. She had to leave before they came out and found her and she had some thinking to do.
