Chapter 14:

YES! They are finally getting to Hogwarts! This is where the really good stuff begins to happen and where we find out if Hermione is on Dumbledore's side or is still loyal to Harry. Hmmm…I wonder…

Laughter could be heard from inside the compartment containing four Gryffindor's and a Slytherin. The current reason for the hysterics was the look on Fred's face as he bit into a Bertie Bott's bean that was liver flavored.

"Oh, Merlin! That's one horrid tasting bean!" He choked after casting a freshening charm on his mouth. Fred looked around in slight amusement and grinned fondly at the dark haired teen he saw as a brother rolling around on the floor, tears of laughter streaming down his face.

"Y-your face! Never seen anyone so repulsed!" Harry giggled, pointing up at Fred from his position on the floor. Fred rolled his eyes and stuck out his tongue.

"Well let's just give you a liver flavored bean and see what sort of entertaining faces you can make." Fred grumbled good naturedly. He watched as Malfoy leant down and, taking Harry's hand, helped the brunet off the floor and back onto his seat. 'He seems like an alright bloke. I hope, for Harry's sake, that he doesn't turn out to be a monumental prat.'

"Come on, Nev! Look, if you try this green one I'll try this white one." Harry promised, trying to talk Neville into testing the first green bean they had come across.

"Not a chance, Harry. For all I know that could be asparagus!" Neville cried, eyeing the bean as if it had mortally offended him. Harry, Draco, Fred and George stared at Neville with raised eyebrows. "What? They're disgusting! Especially when you cook them, all slimy and gross." Neville shuddered.

"Please, Neville? I just want to know what it tastes like! I promise you won't have to eat any more beans!" Harry pleaded. Neville looked at Harry and sighed as he snatched the bean from his hand.

"Fine, but this is the only one!" He snapped, turning to glare at Malfoy when the blond snickered. Neville popped the bean into his mouth and chewed. Immediately he gagged and spit the bean out onto the floor before rubbing at his tongue in an attempt to remove the foul taste.

"I told you! I told you it was asparagus!" He shouted, glaring at Harry accusingly as the smaller teen roared with laughter.

"Malfoy." Fred hissed quietly, trying not to attract Harry's attention. Malfoy turned to him with a raised eyebrow.

"Weasley?" He drawled.

"We want to finish our earlier conversation, about why Harry left." Fred said. Fred was shocked at the speed that Malfoy's expression went from relaxed and unworried to furious and pained. Fred looked over at his brother and George nodded at him. 'If Malfoy's expression is any indication this is a lot worse than what we thought.'

"I-" Malfoy took a deep breath and Fred watched as his face became that of the ice cold Slytherin they were used to. "I can't tell you what happened. Its Harry's secret to tell when he feels ready for you to know. Ask him." Draco said coolly. Fred hesitated, not wanting to disrupt Harry's carefree mood but wanting to know what had happened to his little brother.

"Harry?" George whispered and Fred shot him a grateful look.

"Yeah?" Harry asked turning towards the twins. He looked uneasily from the twins sad and hesitant gazes to Draco's cold expression and sighed.

"We…can you tell us what happened over the summer to make you leave? Was it the cupboard?" Fred asked quietly.

"The cupboard? Leave from where?" Neville asked looking from face to face in confusion. "What are you talking about?" Harry gazed at Neville as if assessing him before standing and casting privacy charms on the door.

"Okay." Harry took a deep breath and looked at Neville. "Neville, what do you know about my muggle relatives?" Harry asked his year mate.

.

"Not much." Neville answered truthfully. "We never talked about them the few times we talked."

"Hmm, I guess we haven't. Well, my relatives aren't, weren't the nicest of people." Harry said. Draco growled loudly and Harry looked over at the blond. 'Thanks to him I never have to go back. I'll never be hurt again.'

"In fact, they were the worst sort of muggles. They hated magic and anything to do with magic, thought it was unnatural and freakish. I was given to them after my parents died, just left on their doorstep for them to find in the morning. They never wanted me and made sure I very well knew it." Harry said, scowling darkly at the floor before looking back up at Neville. 'I really hope this doesn't scare him away. I need all the support I can get this year.'

"Dumbledore couldn't have given you to anyone else? I'm sure loads of wizarding families would have loved to take you in!" Neville said, brows furrowed in confusion.

"Yes, but that would have ruined his plans. Anyway, starting at a very young age, I think I was five, my aunt and uncle forced me to do…well everything. I was to clean the entire house, dust and sweep and mop, straighten everything up, make sure everything was perfect. I had to garden the lawn and repaint the shed every weekend and cook every meal. If I didn't do something fast enough or good enough or I didn't finish the entire list of chores I was…punished." Harry said softly.

"No. Tell them what they did to you, Harry. Tell them what that bastard Dumbledore allowed those muggles to do to you." Draco growled, glaring at Harry.

"They don't need to know all the details!" Harry protested.

"Harry, as your friends, as the people who are sticking by your side, they deserve to know. Tell them so that they can help you when I can't be there with you in the Tower." Draco pleaded. Harry stared into stormy silver eyes and sighed.

"Uncle Vernon beat me for the first time when I was six. I had burnt a piece of bacon and he didn't like the smell or the fact that I had wasted perfectly good food. He hit me and took the frying pan and pressed it to my arm until I passed out from the pain." Harry said in a monotone voice. 'I don't want to tell them. I don't want anyone to know how bad it was.' Harry looked at the three Gryffindors and flinched at their looks of horror.

"They…abused you?" Neville croaked eyes wide and dark with pain. Harry slowly nodded.

"Sometimes he would just lock me in my cupboard under the stairs without any food. I rarely got to eat anything, mostly just whatever they had left over or food that was going bad. This summer was really bad though." Harry whispered, moving closer to Draco. His dominant wrapped strong arms around him and whispered words of love and comfort into his ear.

"Please, I can't tell them. Don't make me say it. Please, Dominant." Harry whimpered as he pressed even closer to Draco. 'I don't want to talk about it. Talking about it brings back the memories and the nightmares.'

"You don't have to say anymore submissive. You did very well." Draco spoke softly. "I can tell them the rest." Harry nodded and closed his eyes, blocking out everything but the sound of Draco's heart beating against his ear.

.

Draco looked at the three Gryffindors with agonized silver eyes.

"My birthday was earlier this summer and I came into my Veela inheritance. I'd been searching for my mate everywhere, trying to pinpoint them through the slight bond we already had. I could feel his pain, only what I got wasn't nearly as bad as what he received." Draco looked down at the angel in his arms.

"The night I found him was the worst. I was getting multiple bruises and even a few broken bones. For me to have broken bones his would have to be beyond shattered. I let my Veela take complete control when I felt the beginning of something different. I felt…something brushing against…" Draco took a shaky breath. "I felt that filthy bastard as he started to rape Harry."

There were three loud gasps of horror. Draco nodded. "I let my Veela take control then and was able to find the hell that was the muggles house. When I reached him, Harry was being pressed onto the floor of a bathroom and that whale was…was…he was in him. And he was…the sounds he was making…the look on his face…" Draco's eyes went pure silver as he began to growl menacingly, tightening his hold on Harry. He buried his face in the black, unruly hair of his mate and took deep breaths. He vaguely heard the sound of someone stumbling from the compartment along with the sound of retching. There was also the sound of broken sobs and harsh snarling.

"I've got you. I have you now and I'll never let you go. You'll never experience anything like that again." Draco murmured, his only response was the small nod of Harry's head.

"I killed him. I don't really remember what exactly happened. One second I'm looking at the muggle raping Harry and the next I'm covered in blood and the bastard is in shredded piece shoved into the tub. Mother and Father took care of the son and wife." Draco continued when everyone was back and reasonably calmed. He looked at them and noticed for the first time how bad they looked.

Longbottom was green and shaking, his eyes dark with disgust and fury. The Weasley twins were staring at him with blank expressions, their eyes the only indications to what they were feeling. Fury that rivaled that of Draco's was clearly visible.

"You killed them?" Twin number one snarled.

"All of them?" The other asked. Draco nodded.

"Did Dumbledore know about this? About the beatings and the…rape?" Longbottom asked softly. Again Draco nodded.

"What about Ron? Hermione?" Neville questioned.

"Ron, that evil little bastard, was never really Harry's friend." The Twin closest to the window snarled.

"We found out recently that Dumbledore has been paying the slimy git to be Harry's friend and follow him around and report everything back to him." The other one hissed, eyes flashing furiously.

"I'll kill them." Longbottom breathed and everyone looked at him in surprise as he jumped to his feet. "How could they let that happen? I'll kill every last one of them." Longbottom said, opening the door to go do just that.

"No! Neville, you can't kill anyone." Harry said from his spot at Draco's side. He stared at Harry incredulously.

"Harry, they let you get raped! I'm surprised Malfoy hasn't ripped their throats out already!" Draco thought it was George, grumbled.

"It's not like I haven't tried! He won't let me!" Draco snapped angrily.

"Because I have plans for those bastards and I won't let you ruin them!" Harry snapped. "I'm going to make them suffer. They're going to wish Voldemort really had killed me when I'm done with them!" Draco took Harry's chin firmly in his hand.

"Don't ever say anything like that again. The thought of you dying, of having to live without you…" Draco trailed off with haunted silver eyes. 'I can't even think about life without him. I'd rather follow him into the afterlife than attempt to try living without him.'

"What do you have planned and how can we help?" Longbottom asked. Harry turned towards Longbottom and looked at him with slight awe in his eyes.

"I've never seen you so angry, Nev! Were you really about to go hunt down Weasley and Granger?" Harry asked.

"Of course. Those two are supposed to be your best friends, Harry, and they're Gryffindors! Lions are loyal and brave, we watch out for each other and protect others and those two have violated that code. I know I may not be the ideal Lion but I would never have done what they did. You can count on me to protect you and be on your side." Longbottom declared. Draco stared at him in shock. He'd never expected Longbottom to say something like that.

"Neville, you don't have to swear your loyalty to me." Harry breathed.

"We swear our loyalty too, Harry. We thought our family was on the light side but what they've been doing, it's almost as bad as what You Know Who is doing." Draco thought it was Fred who had said it.

"Well, damn. I'm going to have to start calling you all by your names now." Draco sighed in mock despair. "You Gryffindor's are ruining my reputation and we haven't even made it to school yet!" They all laughed and tense atmosphere became relaxed.

In no time at all they arrived at Hogwarts. They quickly changed into their school robes and Draco held them back for a few minutes.

"Weasley twins, I need you to do something." Draco said.

"And what's that, Baby Malfoy?" Twin number one asked. Draco glared as Harry giggled beside them.

"Don't call me that! Anyway, I need you to pretend to hate Harry like the rest of your despicable family." Draco said. Harry froze beside him and the twins glared furiously.

"Not a chance, Malfoy! We aren't turning on Harry!" They snapped. Harry stared blankly down at the ground.

"No…he's right." Harry said slowly. He looked back up at the twins. "If you pretend to hate me then you can get information on what your family, Dumbledore and the Order is doing. We need someone on the inside and you two are perfect!" Harry exclaimed.

"Exactly!" Draco said looking proudly down at his mate. "Look at you, Potter, thinking like a Slytherin."

"Shut up, Malfoy and get off the train." Harry grumbled as he pushed Draco out of their compartment and into the throng of students trying to reach the carriages. "See you later guys!" Harry whispered to the twins. "You coming, Neville?" Harry asked.

"Yeah but I gotta go get Luna. I kinda left her with Ginny." Neville said blushing slightly in embarrassment and running back to get the blonde. Draco chuckled and took Harry's arm as they exited the train.

"Nice to finally be back at Hogwarts, yeah?" Draco asked sarcastically.

"You have no idea, Angel." Harry chuckled sadistically and Draco looked down at his mate with loving, awe filled eyes. "After what I have planned is over with, Hogwarts might not even be standing anymore." An evil smirk flashed across his face and Draco couldn't hold back a groan as he pulled his Emerald into a passionate kiss before helping him into a carriage. They were soon joined by Neville and Luna and the carriage took off, heading for the castle.

.

Harry felt himself tensing as they made their way into the castle. 'How the bloody fuck did I forget we would have to separate? I can't do this without him!' Harry felt as if he was going to hyperventilate.

"Harry? Harry, calm down. You are fine, everything is going to be fine. Longbottom will be with you. Just ignore them okay? I'm right here," Draco tapped Harry on the forehead lightly. "If you need me. Just talk to me and ignore them. You will be fine."

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Piece of fucking cake, eh?" Harry laughed nervously before taking a deep breath and squaring his shoulders. Harry nodded, signaling his readiness to enter the Great Hall. Harry swept in with Draco on his right and Neville on his left. He glared up at Dumbledore, pulled Draco into a heated kiss, and stalked off to his own table to sit down.

"Quite the show you just put on." Neville chuckled.

"It's better for me if everyone else is riled up, helps me keep my cool." Harry said, lips pulled up in a smirk. Harry ignored the dark looks the other Gryffindors were giving him and tuned out the multiple hissed conversations. He had eyes only on Dumbledore who was looking at him contemplatively. "I fucking hate him, Neville." Harry snarled as he turned away.

"You have a good reason to. Don't worry about it, Harry. You'll get your revenge." Neville said, patting Harry's shoulder comfortingly. Harry smiled and tuned the sorting out in favor of talking with his dominant.

'Draco? Can you hear me?' Harry felt ridiculous speaking in his head.

'Are you okay, Harry? Did they say something? Do you want me to rip their heads off?' Draco's response was swift and concerned.

'I'm fine, ignoring everyone just like you said. You're too far away, I don't like it.' Harry pouted down at his table. He hadn't left Draco's side since the Veela had found him so this forced distance was hard on both of them.

'I know, Emerald. Just wait a little longer. My father got the other members of the school board to sign a form giving us our own private rooms. We'll be together right after the feast.'

'Good.' Harry turned on the bench to face the Slytherin table behind him and shot Draco a blinding smile. When he turned back around he was faced with an enraged Ron.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, smiling at the Slytherins like that?" Ron snapped angrily.

"What the hell do you think you're doing talking to me?" Harry drawled back in a perfect imitation of his mate.

"I always knew you'd go Dark, Potter, I just never thought you would whore yourself out too." Ron snarled in disgust. Harry was reaching for his wand when Neville whipped his out and pointed it right at Ron.

"Shut. Your. Mouth." Neville hissed, eyes glinting angrily. "Another word out of you and I will hex your arse off, Weasley." Harry and the rest of the sixth year Gryffindors stared at Neville in shock.

"Neville what's gotten into you?" Hermione asked staring at the wand still pointed at Ron.

"People being utter bastards is what got into me." He snapped without taking his eyes off of Ron. "Now shut up and don't speak to us again for the night." Neville slowly lowered his wand, slipping it back into his pocket.

"Neville, I think I love you." Harry teased looking up at the Gryffindor in awe. "I knew you were pretty tough after the Ministry last year but I didn't know you were this badass!" Harry chuckled at the blush covering the other boy's cheeks.

"Don't let Malfoy hear you say that, he might kill me." Neville shuddered at the thought.

"I'll protect you if you protect me, Nev. That's how friendship works." They smiled at each other and talked about random topics for the rest of the feast. When it was finally over Harry and Neville stood, Harry searching for a head of platinum blond hair. 'Draco where are you?'

"Here" A voice said from behind him. Harry whirled around and threw his arms over the blonds' neck in greeting. "Dinner with the Gryffindorks go alright?"

"There was a slight problem with Ron-" Neville started but was interrupted by Harry.

"You should have seen him! Neville pulled his wand out faster than we could blink and had it trained at Ron, right between the eyes! And he threatened to hex him stupid if he said another word and then he snapped at Hermione and it was great!" Harry told the older male excitedly. Draco raised an eyebrow in surprise and held out a hand.

"Thank you, Neville. For protecting him." Draco said seriously and Harry gasped in pleasure. 'He's already starting to treat them nicer. Just for me. Merlin, I love him.' Neville stared hesitantly at Draco for a few seconds before slowly taking his hand and shaking it.

"You're welcome, Malfoy." Neville mumbled before turning back to Harry. "You ready to go to the Tower?" He asked.

"We've got our own private rooms. That way we won't have to spend too much time apart." Draco explained, wrapping an arm tightly around Harry. Harry looked up at the blond with narrowed eyes. 'If we have our own rooms I won't have to stay at the Tower and if I don't have to stay at the Tower then…'

"You lied to me!" Harry gasped looking up at Draco in disbelief. "You tricked me!" Harry stepped out of the Veelas comforting arms to glare at him.

"What are you talking about? I never lied to you." Draco said.

"Yes you did! On the train you made me tell them about Vernon! You said to tell them for when you can't help me in the Tower but you knew we were getting our own rooms! Why would you do that to me? You know I don't want anyone to know!" Harry felt like there was something constricting his chest, making it harder for him to breath.

"Harry, this isn't the place for this discussion. Let's go to our rooms and I will explain." Draco said, looking around at the people still in the Great Hall. Neville placed a hand on Harry's shoulder.

"See you tomorrow Harry." Neville said then glared at Draco before heading to his dorm. Draco reached out for Harry and Harry slapped his hand away.

"Don't touch me." He hissed before pointing a hand towards the door. "Take me to the rooms." Draco hesitated before silently leading the way.

.

'Shit! He looks seriously pissed off right now.' Draco thought, shooting searching glances at his mate.

"Harry-" Draco tried again to talk to him.

"Shut up, Malfoy. Don't talk to me until we get to the rooms." Harry snapped at him and Draco flinched at the use of his last name. They finally reached their rooms after a few tense minutes, a portrait of a large silver dragon with green eyes.

"AmareAeternam." Draco said softly. The dragon nodded at him and the portrait swung open. Harry stomped in and Draco followed slowly behind him.

"Harry-"

"You lied to me, Draco. You lied and you tricked me into doing something I wasn't ready to do." Harry looked up at him with angry emerald eyes and Draco flinched.

"Harry I was only trying to do what was best for you." Draco explained. Harry's eyes narrowed on him and Draco paled.

"I wasn't ready for them to know, Draco. I would have told them in my own time but you had to push it. Do my feelings mean nothing to you? Does what I want mean nothing?" Harry hissed.

"No! I mean, yes!" Draco sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Harry it's not good for you to keep this bottled up and I thought if you had other people you could talk to that they would be able to help you with things that I can't." Draco said. Harry glared at him.

"Because you know all about how to treat traumatized rape victims, right Draco?" Harry snapped before sighing deeply and closing his eyes tiredly. "Look, I'm incredibly mad at you right now." Draco flinched at the dead tone of Harry's voice. "But I need my Angel so I forgive you, but Draco?" Emerald eyes the same shade as the killing curse pierced through him and Draco shivered. "If you ever do anything like this again I won't hesitate to curse you. I won't have people manipulating me 'for my own good' anymore, not even you." Draco nodded his understanding and sighed in relief when he felt Harry wrap arms around his waist.

"Come on, let's go to bed. We're both tired and it's been a long day." Draco murmured, burying his face in his mate's black hair. Harry nodded and allowed Draco to lead him to their room. Draco pulled out some pajamas, handing a pair to Harry. Draco watched as Harry immediately began to take his clothes off, practically drooling with every inch of tan skin uncovered. Harry reached for his pants and Draco, unable to resist any longer, slapped his hands away.

"Allow me." He whispered huskily before he bent down and engaged Harry's lips in a smoldering kiss, his hands slowly unbuttoning Harry's pants and pulling down the zipper. Harry wrapped his arms around Draco's neck, deepening the kiss by opening his mouth for Draco's probing tongue. They moaned in pleasure and Draco pushed Harry's pants down before tightening his arms around his waist to pull him closer.

Harry gasped when he felt a hard length pressing against his hip and he shifted his body so that he was hip to hip with Draco. Draco moaned loudly as he let his hands wander over his mate's exposed skin. This was as far as they had ever gotten and he was finding it increasingly difficult to gather his sense together and stop before things got to out of hand. He lost all train of thought when Harry arched against him and their erections brushed against each other.

"God!" Draco gasped out as Harry whimpered in pleasure thrusting against him more firmly. "Harry. Harry we have to stop." Draco panted as he pushed slightly on Harry's chest. Harry shook his head before attaching his lips to Draco's neck and sucking hard. Draco moaned and his fingers clenched Harry's waist hard. "Submissive stop." Draco whispered. Harry froze immediately before taking a step back unable to ignore a direct order from his dominant.

Draco took a few big steps away from the entirely too enticing male in front of him and took deep, calming breaths.

"You aren't…we can't go there, not yet. You need to heal completely before we do anything like that." Draco said in a hoarse voice.

"And if I don't ever recover fully? What if I still get flashbacks or nightmares? What would we do?" Harry asked.

"That won't happen." Draco said with a shake of his head.

"How do you know that? It's a possibility." Harry said.

"No it isn't. I'll make sure of it." Draco said moving close enough to lay a hand on Harry's cheek. "Finish getting dressed. We don't have classes for two days so we can talk about it tomorrow." Harry nodded and they put on their pajamas and climbed into bed. Harry curled up next to Draco who wrapped his arms around the smaller teen.

"Goodnight Harry." Draco murmured.

"Goodnight Draco." Harry whispered back and the two settled down and quickly fell asleep.

.

.

Albus Dumbledore paced in his office angrily. That little show that the Potter brat had put on before the sorting grated on his nerves. Harry wasn't supposed to be in a relationship with the Malfoy spawn! He was supposed to stay at his aunt's house where he was treated dismally so he would be grateful to Albus for getting him out. He was supposed to look to Albus for guidance and instruction and he was supposed to defeat Voldemort before Dumbledore killed him under the pretense that he was going dark and had to be stopped. This little tryst with Malfoy needed to be stopped and he knew just the grudge holding potions master to tear them apart.