One's True Nature

One’s True Nature


Chapter 10

Harry laid Draco on the ground in a pure panic. He didn't know what he should do. He felt helpless, completely and utterly useless. Draco's face had a look of perfect calm. Harry swore and for some reason he decided on his course of action based on some idea from a muggle TV show he had watched years ago when he had snuck out of his room back on Privet Drive. He sealed his lips over Draco's and pushed his breath into him. He then put his left hand on the man's chest and attempted to compress it using magic. Draco didn't respond and his lips were cold. Harry held back his tears and fought the panic in his body. He pressed and breathed, pressed and breathed. He was about to give up when a breath was suddenly forced through his mouth from Draco's

He recoiled in shock that it had seemed to work. Draco shuddered and started to cough very hard. Black fluid dripped mixed with blood from the side of his mouth. He breathed deep and all Harry could do was draw him against his chest and coax him, he was just glad Draco was breathing for now.

"That's it Draco, breath. That's all you've gotta do." Harry was crying. He hadn't slept in nearly five days.

Harry was concentrating so hard on Draco that he never saw the mediwizard who had come to help him. He was a young man, no more than twenty-four, handsome, but definitely had that aura of trust that medical wizards and witches used to instill trust in their patients. Harry smiled, not yet allowing Draco to be taken from his arms.

"Naithen." Harry smiled happily. He trusted this man more than he did most others. The young man was serious about his work and he didn't seek anything like glory or high recognition for it. The man's features were complimented by a disarming smile which he used on Harry.

"What've we got here?" He asked gently, gesturing to the form against Harry's chest.

"He-basilisk poison-don't know what-" Harry tried to keep the panic out his voice as he let Naithen take Draco and place him on a levitation stretcher.

"We'll take care of this Harry." Then he looked at the man, sympathetic and kind. "I'll see to his care personally. Please come inside, we'll need some information." Naithen used his wand to strap Draco down and began to walk inside as the floating stretcher glided in front of him.

Harry didn't feel better despite the fact that he knew Draco's life was in capable hands. Naithen had saved some of his aurors' lives after a sting operation went bad. He'd never seen a man more dedicated or determined despite the strength of the dark magic. He only felt ok when Draco was close to him, it made him nervous to feel that way. He didn't understand, but more and more, he felt like he was learning something that he had deep inside of himself. He didn't understand it, he didn't like it, he feared it. The way Draco had touched his cheek, he could still feel the soft warm flesh pressed against it.

It was a few hours before Harry got word that Draco was not in immediate danger of death. He looked over Naithen, he was tempted to use a truth serum on him. He wouldn't trust until he could see with his eyes. Draco was alive, but the damage to his body was great. He could see from the creases on Naithen's robes that the battle had been fought, it hadn't been easy and Harry was definitely envious just for a moment of what it must feel like when the man saved a life.

"You look like you could use some sleep." He smiled kindly at Harry.

"I don't think-" Then he yawned powerfully. "Maybe that's not so bad." He said with a slight smile. He watched as the man reached into his robes and pulled out a vile of purple liquid.

"Here, this ought to help." Naithen clapped him on the shoulder after he took the potion. "I will make sure your friends' find their way here. Also, since our guest isn't well liked by some of the older staff, I'll be personally seeing to his case. Get some sleep, I'll wake you if anything requires your attention Mr. Potter." Naithen swept from the room, probably to see to another case. Harry sat in a chair outside Draco's recovery room. The last thought he had before drifting off was how Draco's lips felt when he had breathed into his mouth.

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"Over here Scorpious." Ron said gently, directly the young boy to some chairs in front of Draco's recovery room. He made notice of Harry sleeping on one of the chairs and removed his glasses gently making sure he didn't disturb him and then he transfigured his winter coat into a small blanket. Harry had looked cold. Ron looked him over once he was finished to decide if there was anything else to be done and then, he sat down next to Scorpious. He didn't mind the kid, he was Rose's friend, a nice, loyal, but sometimes troublemaking child. Harry breathed deeply in his sleep.

Ron sat there with the youngest Malfoy in relative silence. He was glad that Hermione had been so occupied by something at the ministry that she didn't give him the old wife routine. He was brought out of his thoughts by a nearly inaudible voice speaking gently.

"Mr. Weasley?" The boy asked politely.

"Yes?" He answered gently, keeping his eyes focused elsewhere incase his staring might cause the boy to stop speaking.

"Was my dad a bad person?" The words seemed to be painful for him to say. Ron did look at him now, his head downcast, shamed by something.

"What?" Was all Ron could muster and he kicked himself for his lack of tact. Hermione was always so much better at these things.

"Well, when I was with those guys, the leader, Zabini, he showed me things. He said I didn't know my dad. He said, my dad was a bad person before." Scorpious breathed out painfully. "I didn't believe him at first, but then, lots of things started to make sense for some reason."

"Things like what?" Ron's questioning was coaxing. He placed a kind hand between Scorpious' shoulder blades and rubbed gently to help him be comfortable.

"When I was little, my dad used to go through long times where he was just really sad, you know, like where a dementor had kissed him or something. I always tried to cheer him up, but mom, she was really the only one who could help. Sometimes he just- I thought he was dead sometimes." He was shaking.

"It's alright Scorpious, keep going, I'm right here." Ron said whispering.

"I wondered why he was always that way, but I never thought he was bad-" Now he was crying softly. "How could he do things like that?" The boy looked at Ron in the eyes, his glistening with tears of pain confusion and betrayal. "I don't understand Mr. Weasley! Why?" The boy was getting more hysterical. Ron took drastic measures. He stood up and drew the young blonde out of his chair and into his arms.

"Scorpious, I can't tell you much, because that isn't my place. I can tell you that your dad had a very, very difficult life, which caused him to have those things happen. But Scorpious, do you remember when I taught you D.A.D.A class and what I said about One's True Nature?" The boy nodded into Ron's chest.

"You said that One's True Nature is how he values things or people that are precious to him. Also, how he fights for them." Then he looked up at Ron's face. "I don't understand-"

"You are precious to him." Ron hugged him again. "I know he regrets many things in his life. Someday, you should ask him to tell you."

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"What do you mean?" Harry's voice sharp and angry as he spoke to the mediwitch at the desk.

"Just what I said Mr. Potter, the ministry has frozen his assets. He is incapable of paying for his treatment." The woman was infuriatingly calm about something so serious. He ran his hands through his hair to resist the urge to choke her with the darkest of intentions.

"Then I will pay for it!" He said sharply, dangerously angry, she seemed unfazed.

"It isn't that simple Mr. Potter." She spoke softly. She was really testing his patience now.

"Make it that simple Mrs., or I shall make every effort to make things very, very difficult for you." Harry's glare was ice cold. It wasn't really her fault. Some of his enemies in the ministry had moved, Draco was their enemy too. He was going to have to figure this all out and quickly. He'd have to call in a favor from Percy.

"There's no need to become hostile Mr. Potter. I will see to it." She said taken aback by his aggressiveness.

"Thank you," He said nodding. "It's just been a long day, sorry."

"That is quite alright. Take care." She said as she returned to a rather towering stack of forms on her desk.

Harry was pissed off to say the least. He hated the ministry, even though they were necessary, he saw them as extremely useless over anything more important than giant incursions into centaur land. They always seemed to miss the boat on anything greater than that. Harry had hoped that they would learn from their mistakes during the war with Voldemort. They hadn't, they were still arrogant, petty, power hungry, and almost always, stupid. He looked to Ron with a jerk of his head as he walked by, indicating the wish for private conversation.

They found an empty closet and cast silencing charms on it as they entered.

"They've moved." Harry breathed angrily.

"Alright, so what do we do?" Ron asked simply.

"We do nothing." Harry hissed. "I'm going before the Wizengamot, alone."

Ron fumbled his words. "But Harry, that's really risky, you have more to think abo-

"I KNOW THAT." Harry let out a breath that seemed to only add to the pressure he was feeling. "But I am tired of this shit Ron, they have meddled and meddled and made things far too hard for anyone that might have been a Death Eater. I won't stand for it, not anymore."

Ron knew the decision had already been made long before this conversation had taken place. "Just be careful." Ron gave him a one arm hug. "Don't do anything too drastic alright." Ron said hopefully. "Come on, I have to get Scorpious back to Hogwarts." Ron said as they left the closet.

"Why Hogwarts?" Harry asked with confusion in his voice.

"Well, he's got no parents at the moment and he can't stay with us because Hermione is working and all sorts of complicated stuff." Ron sighed, "I'd really rather not do it, but I don't see a better-"

"He can stay with Ginny and the kids." Harry said directly. "I know she won't mind."

The two men walked into the room which was only occupied by Draco several odd magical things around that Harry thought must pay attention to important things about Draco’s condition. Scorpious was holding his father's hand and looking at him intently. Harry quietly walked up beside the boy and knelt down so he could look him straight in the eyes.

"You'll have to go with Ron now, alright?" Harry said in a gentle and warm tone.

"Where will, I mean, my mom is-" The boy started to get upset. Harry placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Would you like to go visit Albus for the rest of the holiday?" Harry smiled slightly at the boy's sudden excited and shocked expression.

"Could I?" Scorpious' voice cracked, hope in it.

"I'll make all the arrangements, alright?" Harry questioned and then found himself embraced by smallish arms.

"Thank you Mister Potter." He said, somewhat happy for the first time since the day he'd come home from the holiday.

"Ron, if he needs anything from the manor, you have my say so as Head Auror to get it." Harry's face turned fiery, "If anyone tries to stop you, I want their names."

"You got it Harry, see you."

Harry watched as Scorpious came up and kissed his dad's cheek. "Good bye dad, I love you." Harry hid his grimace, it was his fault Draco was here.

When the both had left, Harry looked at Draco lying on the bed and sighed in agony. He was glad to see the rhythmic rise and fall of the man's chest, but mostly, he was glad that Draco had lived somehow. He wanted to say something important, like thank you, or, you're not as bad as I thought, or, I lov- No he couldn't say that, it wasn't fair to Draco. It wasn't true, Harry knew that. When he finally did say something, he spoke almost as if by thought instead of his voice.

"He's a good kid." Harry smiled softly. Absently taking the man's hand. "I think you've done the best you could, you should be proud." He stood up. "I have to take on the ministry tomorrow." Harry leaned over as if led to and kissed Draco's forehead and smiled absently. "Don't die just to avoid having to show gratitude." He chuckled to himself and turned and walked out of the room.

The next twenty-four hours wouldn't be very fun.