Life Debt

Chapter 4

A week or two passed with much of the same. Malfoy came when they left and cleaned, healed and covered him. He stayed for hours, whispering reassurances to him, but the damage was getting more profound to Harry',s soul.

He was still chained to the floor, naked and spread open, as Fenrir and his packmates had used and abused him for hours, nearly the whole day, torturing him for kicks and making him beg to be fucked, again. They left him broken, bound and bleeding from several places as each had several turns with him. He couldn't stop crying, even when he heard Malfoy's soft steps.

"Shh..." he said, as he entered the cell and Vanished the chains.

He didn't have the strength to crawl to the corner, which somehow felt safer. Even when Malfoy fixed him up and covered him in the smooth blankets, he couldn't calm down and stop the tears.

"It's okay, Harry," Malfoy's voice as he gently touched his shoulder.

Harry receded deeper into his blankets. There was no coming back. His mind was breaking apart quicker than he could try to repair it. The damage was too profound. It was irreversible, now. He realized as he muttered incoherently and whined like a hurt animal. Nothing really made sense anymore. Everything hurt.

"Harry..." Malfoy's voice called.

He couldn't respond. That wasn't his name anymore. He was a pet, a dog... a slave. Not a person. Not someone... but something. A toy for them to play with. 

His breaths were short and he wasn't able to stop crying. Malfoy whispered, "Hey... come on... breathe... Harry...."

But he was broken, now. He couldn't answer him. He only didn't want to hurt anymore. Malfoy tried to talk to him for minutes, if not hours, but he didn't reply. Until he suddenly realized that Malfoy was bunching up the blanket behind him. He froze as Malfoy laid down behind him on the soft mattress pad. Harry stopped crying, and near blinding panic took over as Malfoy's arm went under his body. Malfoy pulled him into his chest. His legs wrapped around his, cinching them down.

"Shh... calm down... the blanket is covering you. I have my clothes on, okay? Shhh...."

Harry tried to break out of his grip, but he was weak and Malfoy wouldn't let go.

"Harry... it's me... Draco," he whispered, keeping his voice low. "Please calm down."

He couldn't. People hurt him and made him do things. He kept moving, trying to escape.

"Shh... it's Draco. I'm not touching you directly. I won't touch you. I won't hurt you," Malfoy's calm, pained voice said.

Harry whimpered, "Please...."

"Harry... shhh... calm down. I promise I won't hurt you. I owe you remember?"

His mind wasn't working anymore. Everything was about pain avoidance.

"Harry... I owe you. The life debt? You saved me, remember."

Harry remembered the fire, the heat and Malfoy's arms wrapped around him like they are now. He remembered, and something stabilized. He took in one deep breath.

"There you go. Breathe deeply and slow down your heart. In and out, like mine is."

He could feel Malfoy's chest expand, and he took slow breaths. Harry struggled to match him.

"That's very good, Harry. Breathe. You're in control. I'm right here. I will keep you safe."

Merlin, his voice was so strong and compassionate, he couldn't help but listen. His panic slowly went away under the lull of his soft voice.

"Shhh... calm down. You can feel the bond, right? The life debt? We are bound, Harry."

Harry could feel it. He felt it in his very soul. He scoffed it off before. There was no such thing as a life debt, he thought before, but the second Draco (Draco, not Malfoy) accepted the bond, his soul tinged. He felt safe and bound to him and to Draco's soul.

"My life belongs to you. I will never hurt you, Harry. I won't give up. I will save you," Draco vowed, again.

Harry turned his head so he could see him with one eye. "Thank you."

Draco sighed in relief and stared at him. "You're welcome, Harry."

"You'll stay here?" he asked in a small voice. He just wanted to feel safe.

"All night, Harry."

"Thank you... Draco."