With A Dragon's Heart

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE: The Impossible Mission

(now Beta’d)


“Would you mind telling me why it took two whole days for me to find out?” Lucius Malfoy sneered and he glared hatefully at Headmaster Dumbledore.

Albus opened his mouth to answer but the aristocrat continued. “You do know the consequences of attempted murder, I presume? Mr. Potter\'s trial will be short indeed.”

“Lucius,” the older wizard began calmly. “I think given the information you received explained…”

“It explained nothing! The only reason Mr. Potter is not in Azkaban prison now is because, for reasons unknown to me,” he paused to cast a furious look at Draco, “my son co-operated with you and him.”

“Then I do not see why young Mr. Malfoy must leave with you at present.”

Lucius bit back a growl. “As I told you earlier,” he hissed. “My son and I have important issues to discuss and it needs no further justification.”

“Classes are still in session, Lucius. Perhaps this can wait until the holidays.” Albus stated.

“The boy is ahead in all of his classes. He will return in two days,” he smirked with satisfaction.

Dumbledore turned his attention to Draco to see if there was any evidence of fear. But there was none. The pale youth had his head raised high and had his father’s same smug expression on his face. If he was afraid, he did an excellent job of hiding it.

Albus sighed loudly. “Very well. I will inform his professors of his departure and they will have any work he missed waiting for him when he returns.”

Lucius’ lips curled and nodded his approval then addressed Draco. “Let’s go.”

The Headmaster watched the two of them disappear then he whispered, “I hope you’re wrong, Severus.”


~*~*~*~*~*~


“Miss Granger, would you be so kind as to retrieve Mr. Potter and bring him back here before he does something foolish?”

Hermione’s face beamed with delight. “Yes, Professor Snape. Right away.”

Severus gave her a half smile and looked at her as if to say, “Yes, you won, now get out of here.” He watched her leave and he shook his head.

“She should have been in Slytherin,” he said to no one.


~*~*~*~*~*~


Harry Potter clutched his father’s invisibility cloak tightly around his arm and rounded a corner. Of all people, Ron Weasley was the last person he wanted to see.

“Ron,” he said in a low voice.

“Hi Harry,” the redhead replied nervously.

Harry arched an eyebrow at him, waiting for some sort of outburst. But none came and Harry grew suspicious. He was no longer hurt or upset at him because now he was too filled with anger.

“What is it, Ron? I’m kind of in a hurry.”

Obviously Ron wasn’t expecting that type of reaction from Harry because he blanched at the coldness of his friend’s voice.

“Oh. Right. Uh, you see, I just wanted to say… uh,” he paused as he saw the curious gazes of passing students. “Can we go somewhere private to talk?” Harry frowned. “Please?”

Harry softly sighed and gave him a curt nod. Ron tried to hide his excitement by scanning the corridor.

“I think this room is empty,” he offered.

Harry nodded again and followed his friend into the darkened room. Closing the door behind him, he noticed that Ron kept his eyes down and shuffled from one foot to another.

“Well?” Harry asked impatiently.

Ron closed his eyes and took a deep breath before looking straight into the emerald eyes that was staring back.

“I’m sorry, Harry,” he blurted out. “I really am. I shouldn’t have said all those things to you.” He stopped briefly. “And to Malfoy.”

“Thank you, Ron,” the raven-hair boy said evenly.

Ron frowned and he took a hard look at Harry’s face. He sighed. “You don’t believe me, do you?”

Harry glanced away and pursed his lips tightly. “You know Ron, what you said really hurt me,” he replied finally, still unable to look at him. “I thought you would’ve been more understanding.”

“I know Harry and I am sorry. I really am. It’s just that…well… it hurt me too, mate. All these years and you never told me. It just…hurt.”

Harry closed his eyes and barely nodded. “I was too embarrassed. I thought if you knew, you’d never look at me the same way,” he said softly.

“I’m your friend Harry. I would never do that. If it happened to me, would you treat me any differently?”

“NO!” Harry yelled looking back at the light hazel eyes.

“Then why on earth would you think I would?” he said with a small smile.

Harry gave a half snort. “I don’t know,” he said quietly. “Maybe I… sigh… I don’t know.”

“Well now I know and I’m right here and not I’m not looking at you any differently. And I won\'t treat you any differently.”

Harry lowered his head and peered through his fringe. “And Draco?”

Ron scrunched his face. “That will take time,” he said honestly.

“Fair enough.”

Both boys smiled and hugged each other tightly.


~*~*~*~*~*~


No sooner than the two Malfoys had arrived at the manor, when Lucius cast a hateful look at his son.

“Wait upstairs.”

“Yes, father,” came the familiar response.

Draco passed Narcissa and said, “Hello, mother.”

“Hello, Draco,” she acknowledged with a disdainful voice.

Ah yes, the Malfoy pride as always. The young boy retreated to his room and sat on the edge of his bed waiting. He knew his father so well. First a cold “Hello” kiss to his mother then a shot of fire whiskey. He’d be up here in ten minutes.

~*~*~*~*~*~


“Ron?” Harry said, with a trembling voice.

“Yeah?”

“There’s something I didn’t tell you or Hermione.”

Ron tilted his head and looked at him curiously. Harry began pacing in the small room. He bent his head down to his chest and mumbled silently.

“Harry?”

He stopped pacing but kept his back towards the redhead. He leaned over, clutching his arms around his ribcage. “I-I couldn’t say it because Hermione was there.”

This got Ron’s attention. He listened intently, waiting for Harry to tell him as slow as he wanted. The raven-haired boy crouched down until his arse hit the floor. He brought his legs in close and hugged them tightly. Ron crept over to him and knelt down beside him, but still wouldn’t speak. It was when Harry started rocking back and forth that Ron opened his mouth.

“Do you remember what I said about them? About what they made me do?” he whispered.

“Yes,” Ron answered softly.

“And what they did to me?”

“Yes.”

“That’s not all,” he sobbed quietly.

Ron barely touched his friends shoulder and jumped back when he flinched.

“S-sorry.”

Harry shook his head. “I’m sorry. It’s just that…” he took in a much needed breath of air. “They…they...Oh gods.”

“Shh. It’s all right, Harry. You don’t have to…”

“No. I need to say it. I need to … tell you.”

Ron nodded though Harry didn’t see him.

“They caught me… you know… that first summer.”

Ron’s face turned white. He wanted to scream, ‘What?’ but he stayed quiet.

“Anyway, they thought it’d be funny if I continued in front of them.”

Again Ron wanted to scream.

“When I couldn’t… they… they,” Harry paused to wipe his eyes. “They did it for me.”

Ron could no longer hold back. “What? Those bloody bastards! I’ll kill them!”

Harry’s body visibly shook. He rocked faster. “It hurt, Ron. It hurt so badly. I don’t know how I did it, but I-I …did.”

“How is that possible?” Ron choked.

Tear-filled eyes gazed up to him. “I don’t know, Ron. I don’t…but I did. I did! What’s wrong with me?” he cried.

Ron was speechless. He had no answer. Harry laid his head on top of his knees and clutched his hair.

“I came, Ron. They made me. Over and over again. They yanked and pulled and and…FUCK!” he screamed as he leapt to his feet. “It’s not normal!”

He spun around and staggered to the wall, resting his forehead against it.

“It’s not normal,” Harry muttered through his hands that covered his face.


~*~*~*~*~*~


Lucius Malfoy entered Draco\'s room as if Lord Voldemort was at his side. He crossed over where his son was sitting and looked down at him.

“You fucked him, didn’t you?”

The pale boy’s eyes widened and his mouth fell open.

“Always the little whore, aren’t you?”

“Father!” Draco yelled as he saw the back of his hand aiming for his face.

He fell off the bed, holding his cheek.

“Is that your goal in life?” he spat. “To humiliate me to the entire world? It’s bad enough that you had to fuck everyone who knows me, but now him? Harry Potter? The enemy?” he hissed as he kicked Draco hard in his ribs.

“Father,” Draco whimpered.

“This is how you repay me? I gave you everything! Anything you ever wanted, and still you have to shame me. Why, Draco?” he paused as if waiting for an answer. “I said why!” he screamed as he stomped on his son’s leg.

Draco yelled out and instinctively grabbed his leg. “Please,” he begged.

Lucius kneeled down and brushed his son’s hair away from his face. “Is that what you did, Draco? Did you beg him? Did you beg him to fuck you?”

“No,” the boy whispered.

“Liar!” he spat, grabbing a thatch of his hair and roughly pulled his head back.

Draco winced at the sharp pain and closed his eyes, feeling the tears fall.

“Such a worthless child you are, Draco. And so ungrateful.”

Lucius released his grasp and rose to his feet, looking down at his cowering son.

“My good for nothing, worthless, weak, whore of a child,” he tsked.

He reached down and pulled the young boy up to his feet.

“Shall we see how good of a whore you really are?” he purred in Draco’s ears.

Draco mouthed ‘no’ and was thrown on top of the bed with ease.


~*~*~*~*~*~


Ron walked slowly over to where Harry was leaning against the stone wall. He clasped his fingers together because the desire to hold his friend was overwhelming.

“I do it now, Ron.”

“What?” he asked his voice just above a whisper.

“I do it to myself.” Harry shuddered once then took a deep breath. “That’s how Draco found out. He saw me in the locker room showers.”

“When?” was all Ron could think of to ask.

“The day I jumped him.”

Ron closed his eyes and remembered back to that day.

“So Potter, are you always self-abusive?”

Now those words made sense.

“He saw you?” he said unbelievingly. Harry nodded. “And you’ve always done it?”

“Yes. That’s why I take a shower at night. You know, afterwards.”

Ron froze. All those times he thought Harry was just washing the nightmare sweat off of himself. He closed his eyes and shook his head. How had he missed that?

“Ron?”

“Yes, Harry?”

“I know you don’t want to hear this, but…”

“It’s all right, Harry. You can tell me anything. Just please don’t hold any more secrets from me.”

The young Gryffindor sighed. “I’ve stopped doing it.”

“You have? That’s great, Harry!”

“But, um…Draco was the one who helped me,” he whispered as if that would soften the blow.

A moment passed by in silence. Harry slowly turned to face his friend. Was he mad? Upset? Disgusted? But Ron’s face said it all.

“Remind me to thank him someday.”

Harry smiled for the first time that day.

~*~*~*~*~*~