Draco, on the other hand, had mixed feeling about leaving. He wanted to be away from the Hospital and Ron because he knew he could only rein his desires for a set amount of time. Also, he wanted to stay in bed, doing nothing. He wanted to be around Ron. The world started right outside the doors and he thought he couldn’t handle it just yet.

But to he had to. It was Monday. He received farewell from Ron and Pomfrey who gave them both a rather cryptic message (“I always knew you two would work things out.”)

Draco sighed heavily as the weight of the world and school population’s stares hung heavy in his heart. Every corridor he walked down, each student he passed, all were filled with furtive whispers and even sharper glances. He wondered how he ever was able to get through the days in the past. He remembered people talking about him in front or behind his back but now, now it was different.

It was a Potions day.

The blonde Slytherin feared going back to that place. Though gait steady, the undeniable fear hung in the back of his mind. He had to pass that spot.

That spot is where I hit my head...and there. That was the last stone I can remember before fading out...

“I can’t do this.” He moaned to himself. He dropped his satchel, leaned against the wall...the very spot that started it all...for better or for worse. He wanted to rush back to that back room, the little corner of recessed darkness that no one, even someone as brave as Ron, was willing, wanting to go. Draco wanted to knock on that door and play some chess or hold his hand or...be away from reality.

The past few weeks were a dream. It seemed as if nothing was real but here he was...stuck in reality.

“Oi! Malfoy!”

“Can my day get any better?” Draco opened his eyes to see Potter, Granger and the female Weasley marching towards him.

“We need a word with you.” Potter demanded.

“Why? I need to get to class.”

“You will when we’re through.”

“No, I’m going now. Whatever you need to say to me can wait.” Draco straightened his school robes. He motioned for them to get out of his way.

“This is about my brother.” Ginny spoke up.

Draco froze in his place. He hadn’t expected anyone to know about the two of them. No one, to his knowledge, knew about their relationship. “What do you need to know about Weasley?”

“We wanted to know some things. How is he truly? What motives do you have behind starting a relationship with Ron? Are you planning on using him like he has been before?” Harry questioned, a hard glare in his emerald eyes

“How dare you? To even suggest that I would brutalize Weasley in any such a manner he is, unfortunately, accustom to is equal to you asking for a good throttling.”

“Still call him Weasley? Yeah, those two are really together.” Harry scoffed.

“I call him what I want. It doesn’t matter what we call each other. If you must know, yes, we are seeing each. And no, I would never put him through such a nightmare as that man has. I bet none of you know some of the details I know. He’s told me so much. You all just don’t understand. He may not act like the old Weasley but he’s still in there. You all pity him and he feels so ashamed. I was the first one he ever spoke to. I was the first person he told his secret to. I helped him whenever I could. I am proud to say that I am his first partner. I swear to make this all better for him. I don’t need to tell you lot all our torrid, most intimate details.”

“Intimate? You aren’t-” Hermione reacted.

“Of course not. I would never. I can tell that, if we ever get to that part of a relationship, it may be this time five years from now. That doesn’t matter to me. I must be going. Don’t you dear,” he spoke directly to Ginny, “have Care of Magical Creatures?”

Ginny gasped but quickly recovered. “How would you know that?”

“Ron speaks highly of you. If you must interrogate me, wait until lunch. I’ll be at the lake. But make it quick because, yes, I want to visit Ron. Excuse me.” He growled as he slipped into the classroom.

“I can’t believe him. He’s still rotten.” Harry mumbled as he entered the classroom, fuming slightly.

Hermione grinned towards Ginny. “He’s right. You do need to head off.’

“You’re late.” He said stoically as the three Gryffindor made their way across the lawn.

“You’re early.” Hermione quipped.

Malfoy remained on his seat near the edge of the lake. “May this please get started? I promised that I would come and check on him. Because of your disregard for me and time, we barely have time for all this.”

“Then why are you here?” Harry muttered under his breath.

“I’m here because it seems that Ron really cares about you. You’re opinion of me counts because, like it or not, we are together. I don’t want to give him any added stress by our constant bickering. Let’s get this over with so there won’t be too much tension between us when he’s around.” Draco answered swiftly. He was already through with Potter.

“You care for him enough, so soon, to actually talk to us when you could be with him?” questioned Hermione.

Draco nodded his head. He didn’t know that he could actually tell it to those three without breaking down. He genuinely cared for something, someone, other than himself and that someone was waiting for him. He was just so tired, worn down from the stares, whispering, small dizzy spells, tension, anxiety that filled today. He wished that none of this had ever happened.

Ginny watched Malfoy. He was slouching. She had never seen him anything less than poised. He was as weary as they all were. “What do you know?”

“All I know is that this man violated Ron for almost a good two weeks, straight, in the beginning. I know that he actually touched him while at a dinner with the family. That explains why he couldn’t eat. It disgusted him. I can still hear him vomiting at night when Pomfrey managed to get him to eat. He’s been cutting himself. He’s notched how many experiences he’s had with his rapist on his arm. Eleven in total.”

Ginny shuddered. “When? When did this man-” She remembered some instances where he seemed so uncomfortable at dinner and then, later on, he would be in the bathroom. Could that man be-?

“You know, don’t you?” Malfoy asked, still looking ahead.

“Why do you want to be with Ron?” Harry asked.

Draco turned to glare at Harry. “I thought I already answered that question,”

“Answer it again.”

“I care about him. I like him a lot. There’s nothing else you need to know.”

“There’s plenty more.”

“No there isn’t. This is between Ron and me. If you want to know anything else, talk to him. In fact leave him alone. He needs to rest up. If everything goes well, and you don’t upset him, he may be able to leave next week.”

The bell sounded for the second half of the day to begin.

“Shite.” Draco cursed as he hoisted himself off the ground. “Thank you all so much. Because of this silly, pointless, and less than productive meeting, I have just been forced to break a promise to Ron. Thank you for making me break my first promise to him. He’ll greatly appreciate that. Thank you so much.” He growled to themandheaded off.

“I think that went well.” Hermione said quietly. “Come on. Let’s go.”

Harry and Hermione began to head back to the castle.

“Gin, you coming?” Harry called back to her.

“Yes. I’m coming in a moment. You go ahead. I’ll catch up.”

She stared at the lake’s rippling surface. If what Malfoy said was true then...she probably knew who hurt him. “I can’t believe he would do that to him.” She would wait and talk to Ron, get all the facts first. She didn’t want to believe it was true.

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