Disclaimer: Not mine. All JK's. I just fuck with her characters circumstances.
"I first met Draco 6 years ago when I was still just a Healer…
"Healer Young, you're needed in the emergency ward!" a frantic mediwitch exclaimed.
Andrew sighed, closed his file, stood from his desk, and followed her to the emergency ward, where a dirty blond was violently vomiting over the side of the bed. He was pale, with aristocratic features, and blood-shot, dead, grey eyes. Andrew took the file from the mediwitch, and scanned it quickly. 'Male, 6'2" , 130 lds. Malnutrition, vomiting, fever. No condition to fill out forms, but conscious.'
"Son, do you know where you are?" Andrew asked.
"No, nuh a ssson, nuh nomo, g'way, g'way." the blond babbled. "Blizz, gemme meh drink baa. 'N meh needle. Need it, need it, need it."
"A junkie." Andrew said, glaring at the mediwitch. "You brought me here for a junkie."
The witch shrugged. "I was told to."
"By who?"
"Head Healer Seevey."
"Seevey." Andrew spat. "That meddlesome crone."
"Who happens to sign your pay check." an ancient voice said from behind him.
"H-h-head Healer Seevey. I-I-I-" "Save it Young. I know you hate me. I'm assigning you this case."
"Case? What case? It's a junkie. We should kick him out now and save us the cost, since he won't be able to pay. It'd save us the medication, the bed, time, and all."
"I know how you feel about junkies, which is why I'm assigning this case to you. Maybe you'll grow some compassion."
"Never." Young growled. "Not for them. They can never change."
"Well, you'll see. Have fun." With that, the old Healer walked away. Young could hear her cackles after she turned the corner. He growled and stalked to the blonde's bedside. He cast a Sobriety Charm and stepped back has the blond began to vomit out all the alcohol and drugs in his system.
When the boy finally stopped, he dangled himself over the edge, panting weakly. His glare, however, was one of the strongest Andrew had seen. "Do you know where you are?" he asked lowly.
"It is not a bar, so it is irrelevant to me." the boy spat.
"Ah, a foreigner. Come for vacation from your posh school to rebel from your parents?" Young sneered. "You're the worst kind of junkie. The wanna-be-rebel. Who should I contact to come fetch you?"
"No one." the boy said. "Just allow me to leave."
"Why? So mummy and daddy don't find out about you being naughty?" Young cooed sarcastically.
"No. If you must contact someone, contact Blaise Zabini. He normally takes care of me. I do not know why I am here without him, actually. Who brought me here?"
"The paramedics. You nearly died from malnutrition and- what is so funny?" Andrew demanded as the boy laughed.
"I-if yo-u kn-knew a th-thing a-about me-e yo-u'd find i-it funny too." the boy said, calming down.
"Enlighten me." Young snapped.
The boy's humor died. "After everything I've been through, everything I survived, the thing that nearly finishes me is not eating. How pathetic." the boy sneered- one of the much more impressive ones Young has seen.
"Good. Maybe you'll stop this foolishness. Everyone goes through hard times, and not many choose to hit the bottle."
"Why would I hit the bottle? What good would that do? It might break, and I'd be injured and drinkless. Pointless if you ask me." the blond sneered again. "Speaking of…how do I get one here? I assume you don't have house elves?"
"No, we don't, and you can't. Have some water if you're thirsty."
"I'm not thirsty, I'm sober. Much worse."
"Yes, it's a terrible fate, facing reality."
"Exactly. So maybe you can rectify that?"
"No. Drink your water, eat your food, and be out of here in the morning to get wasted tomorrow. Until then, deal with the fact that you can't drink here."
"What, I'm suppose to sleep sober? Nononono. No. I-I can't do that." the boy sounded quite panicked at the thought.
"You can and will." Young snapped, and stalked away, leaving the poor-little-me-rich-boy for the night.
It was nearly two and Andrew was filling out the rich-boy's (who he learned was named Draco) release paperwork for the morning when his wand let off the alarm that lets him know when a patient is distressed. He quickly followed the light beam to the mention-rich-boy.
He was clearly asleep, and clearly distressed. He was screaming, tears rolling down his face, and fighting against the mediwitches and wizards who were holding him down. As Andrew got closer, he could make out words in his screams.
"Nonononono! M'Lord, I'm sorry, M'Lord, I tried, I tried. I'm sorry! Rowle, I'm sorry, so sorry, I don't want to-I have to-my Mother… Father, Father, help me! Mother! Leave her alone! Father, why are you letting this happen? Father!"
Unable to listen to the terrified screams anymore, Andrew conjured cold water over the boy. He woke instantly, rolled over, and vomited again. Andrew sent the medi-staff away with a silent gesture, and approached the boy. He was curled into a ball self-defensively, shuddering and chocking.
"Boy, are you alright?" Andrew asked, setting a gentle hand on his back. The boy jumped violently and hissed something. "What was that?"
"No, I'm bloody well not alright! I need a bloody drink by Merlin!" the boy snapped, sitting up and twitching so the hand fell off his person.
"I don't think that's what you need." Andrew said kindly.
"Of course you think that. I'm just a junkie." the boy spat.
"No, I mean…do you want to talk about it?"
"No. I want to forget about it. I lived it once, why would I want to go through it again? Hence, the substance abuse."
"Well, that's not a good alternative."
"Of course you'd say that. No one understands. Go away now." the boy ordered, laid back down on his side, facing away from Andrew and expertly ignored him. Nothing Andrew said or did could coax the boy out of his silence, and eventually, as the sun came up, Andrew left.
Before he went home after his shift, he destroyed the release forms. That boy wasn't going anywhere.
"What do you mean, I can't leave?" Draco raged.
"I-I'm sorry, but that's what Healer Young said!" the unfortunate mediwitch explained.
"Well, let me speak with him!"
"H-his shift is over. He's gone home. He won't be back until 8 tonight." she said.
"What am I suppose to do all day?" the blond raged.
"Read?"
The boy stared at her with such hatred, she flushed in fear and darted away. He huffed and flopped backwards. Deciding there was nothing else to do, Draco rolled over and went to sleep. It would be hours later when Draco woke up again.
"You idiot!" someone snapped, cuffing his head.
"Blaise?" Draco questioned, voice raspy.
"Again, you idiot! Getting yourself hospitalized! How are you going to pay for this? I do a lot of things for you, but this? This is too much! I'll pay your bar tab, and your motel bill, but a hospital? I don't have that type of money! You know what? I'm done! I quit! Solve your problems on your own!" With that, the enraged Italian stormed out.
Before the door closed, Draco whispered, "I'm sorry Blaise."
When Andrew come in, the mediwitch reported that Draco slept until he got a visitor who stormed out, and that afterwards, he refused to eat, drink, sleep or speak. Concerned, Andrew went straight to his room. "Draco?"
The blond shifted slightly to look at him, and turned back without a word. He was curled in the window, watching the people on the streets. Andrew sat on the bed and waited. Minutes or hours later, Draco whispered, "Do you think he'll come back?"
"Who?" Andrew said quietly, kindly.
"Blaise…probably not. Would you?"
"Would I what?"
"Come back for me. I wouldn't. I'm pathetic." Draco never changed his tone. It remained flat, quite, and…fragile.
"Who says you're pathetic?" Andrew asked, keeping with the mood. Draco flinched, but said nothing. Silence reigned again for more minutes or hours.
"My Father. My Lord." Draco said with a sneer. "Every time I close my eyes, they're there. Just…there. In my head. So…I don't go there. I remain drunk. But…lately that hasn't helped. So I tried other things. And I ended up here. And now I've lost my best…my only friend."
"You have a Lord?"
"I did and I didn't. I served, but I didn't have a choice." Draco sneered again. But his gaze on his forearm was sad and disgusted, and slightly fearful. Then he shook his head. "It doesn't matter. He's dead, thank Merlin."
"Obviously, it matters. It's still affecting you."
"It shouldn't! It was 4 years ago!" Draco stood and began to pace, rubbing his arms. "Four years since I was initiated, three years since my first kill, two years since my last torture, two years since his death, two years, two years- God I need a drink!" Draco rambled,loosing himself into hysetiria. As he rambled, he paced faster, rubbed harder, until he was scratching long, bloody trails on his arms. Andrew jumped up and pulled his hands away. When Draco began to thrash, fighting Andrew to free himself, Andrew pulled him into a hug. Draco instantly froze. Another set of minutes or hours passed, but Draco gave in, and started to sob. Soon after he started, his legs collapsed, so Andrew gently lowered them to the floor. They stayed that way for hours, until Draco finally passed out.
"The next day, his friend came back. After that, he went into rehab and got clean. He stayed with me after he got out of the clinic." Andrew finished. "Ironically, I became Head Healer when he was released from here. I still think that that was Seevey's plan, crazy old crone…"
"How'd he become a Healer?" Hermione asked.
Andrew chuckled. "Well, he started working here to pay off his bills and…he just never left. It helped him, I think. The routine, and helping people."
"Why tell us? Why now?" Harry asked.
This question made Andrew sigh. "He's regressing. He drank again, for the first time in 2 years."
"Two years? I know he's a recovering alcoholic, but he should be able to drink occasionally." Ron asked.
Andrew shook his head. "Yes, recovered alcoholics can drink occasionally. But…Draco drank so much, so fast and never gave his body a chance to recover…his liver is destroyed. He takes a potion so it can function enough for him to live, but he can't drink; it taxes his liver too much. And he can't get a new one the Muggle way because he's a recovered alcoholic. He was rejected."
"But why tell us? We're going back to England." Harry asked again.
"He wants to also. While Florida, and America, helped, he's not fully healed. He hasn't faced what caused his drinking. He needs to go home. He's realized this recently." Everyone fell silent to digest that.
"Malfoy really has changed a lot, hasn't he?" Ron finally said.
"If you mean he's no longer a rat-bastard, then yes and no. He's more…aloof. He doesn't let anyone in. I'm the only friend he has here. Blaise comes, and so does Pansy sometimes, but they don't live here. They don't see him on a regular basis. But no, he doesn't insult…anyone anymore. He's been cursed, hexed, cussed out, hell, he was punched once. But he never retaliates. He just stares, or glares if he's in the right, then walks away. That's why I'm so concerned. He's completely no confrontational, and he needs to confront his demons." Andrew sighed. "I love him. He's like the son I could never have. But…I can't help him." He made the shuddering breath of someone trying not to cry.
"Sir…I think you have been a better father than Lucius Malfoy could ever be." Harry said quietly, sincerely. Andrew's eyes filled with tears that Harry couldn't see, but knew were there.
"Th-thank you." Andrew said, standing up. He wiped his eyes. "I have a favor to ask you."
"Anything, sir."
"Help him confront his demons. Help him live again because now…he's existing, not living."
"Of course sir. He deserves it." Harry agreed.
Outside the door, Draco wiped his eyes and walked away as fast as he could while still being inconspicuous.
Well, that came out much sooner than I thought it would. You guys might not agreed, but that felt fast. I only got stuck twice, and it didn't last long. This is also the longest chapter yet! I'm going out of town Tuesday. I'm going to VA to pick up my nephew with my grandma and sister. I'll be back Thursday or Friday. I'm bringing my laptop, so I can type, but I probably won't update.
This story only has one or two chapters left, then onto the sequel! Anyone have an idea for the title? Not me!
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Reviewers!
Rtag- no more wondering!
Sunset on Heartache- me too! I just want to hug him and make everything better!
GoldenRoya- Yes he does. Did you think the hurt/comfort genre was for Harry only? Silly, silly. Sorry real life sucked and you had to wait, but I updated. I'm glad you have such high hopes for my writing ability. That makes one of us. (please tell me you are a girl before you beg)
Rainglyph13-thank you. Did it live up to your expectations?
Farwalker- Yes he does. Did you think the hurt/comfort genre was for Harry only? Was it as good as you expected?
Knightvanilla-Thanks! I think I got it, lol. Here's more, was it worth it?
Darloudasha- Yes and No. since you're the only one who actually said what Draco's problem was before I did, you get to pick a baby name! gender doesn't matter, but only one! Congrats! *toots horns and throws confetti*
Vampluver66- hey, it's like, the only one. But yeah, sometimes I wish cliffhangers didn't exist either. Thank you!
Tawnyeyes10- lol. Good, I made another follower. I try not to just leave it. My breaks all make sense. However, I try to be infuriating. It's my purpose in life. :3
Elf warrior princess-lol. It's like, the only one. You'll be okay.
A()- you act like there's 72 of them. You'll be fine.
RosesAreForever23- I try. *bows* I don't have a computer chair…so good luck tying me to it. Here's your chapter! As for what's next….mwahahahahahaha
Chochowilliams- you know, you are the only one who commented on that. I thought that was really clever! Draco. Defantly Draco.