Healing Draco Malfoy

Chapter 33

Published: December 1st, 2021

Harry was curled up on Ron and Hermione's couch, trying to stop crying. Thank Merlin, the kids were already at Grandma Molly's house, so they didn't see his breakdown. Ron was on his knees next to him, occasionally reaching out to comfort him, but he always pulled away. He didn't want to be touched while he was so open. Hermione tried to talk to him, but he was just trying to beat down the building panic.

Hermione turned to her husband and whispered, "The recess is over. I have to go back. Take care of him."

Ron nodded. Hermione had a vote in the Wizengamot. Harry didn't look at her, when she told him that she'd be back. She disappeared into the floo, and Ron took a deep breath and tried to talk him out of it. Harry didn't want to come out of it. He wanted his bottle... anything to numb the pain. Everyone knows, his mind helpfully reminded him, and he let out a sob.

Ron made another attempt to touch his shoulder, but Harry jerked backward out of his grasp. Ron held up his hands in surrender. "Alright mate... I won't... touch ya. I'm sorry. Just tell me what to do."

Harry shook his head. There was nothing to be done. His secrets were bare, open for everyone to know. The details were the only thing still in the dark. Harry was now considering that it wouldn't be impossible for them to dig deeper. The last cases he had been a part of, or solved, before he left the Ministry would be checked. What that guy did, how he got arrested by the muggles, and was Harry's name on the file for tipping the investigating Auror, Williamson, off? He didn't know. Hell, Williamson could make the connection himself and leak the theory.

Fucking hell, they could go to Azkaban and interrogate the guy! Find evidence of the Memory Charm... and the curse... trace it back to him. What he had done was illegal, especially as an Auror. Conspiracy to cover up a crime, egregious assault, forceful removal of memories and casting a permanent curse... and those were just the big ones. There was a slew of minor crimes stemming from the fact that he was an Auror, with carnal knowledge. His right to curse him, no matter that fucker did, ended when he knocked him unconscious. He could go to prison... for years... decades....

He stopped breathing and Ron went from worried to freaked out. "Harry! C'mon, breathe! Breathe, damnit!"

Harry looked at him, desperately, unable to make his lungs open. Ron reached forward and grabbed the front of his robes. He yanked him upward to a sitting position and slapped him hard on the back. A short gasp of air rushed in, and Ron hit him, again, forcing another spurt of air in. Once more, Ron hit his back, and Harry's lungs finally let go and took in a full breath.

"There ya go. Breathe... in and out," Ron urged. "I gotcha... breathe."

Harry burst into tears and leaned into Ron's chest, just needing comfort that was for far too long denied him. Ron slowly wrapped his arms around him, rubbing his back as he cried into his chest. He never thought they'd dig that deep, and now it was over.

"Harry... shh..." Ron whispered in his ear. "... it's going to be okay."

Harry pushed off him and wailed, "No! It's not going to be okay! They're going to find out everything! They're going to find out what I did!"

Ron held up his hands and stared into his eyes. "No, they aren't."

"They'll dig and dig and find out!"

"And they'll find nothing, Harry."

"But Williamson knows that I...."

"Williamson is dead, Harry," Ron said, and Harry looked at him. "He was killed in a bad raid two years ago."

Harry stopped crying, but muttered, "It's probably in the report...."

"No, it's not. As soon as you told me... who it was... I scrubbed his file. You're not in it, in any way. He was tagged for Auror investigation because the prep's wand was confiscated by the police and flagged for Auror review. If anyone tries to link you two... they'd have nothing but wild theories and no evidence. Only me, you, Hermione and Malfoy know of the connection, now."

Harry blinked. Was he telling him... that he changed his file? "Did you...?"

Ron nodded. "I did what I had to, Harry."

Harry's eyes widened. "But Hermione...."

"You think she doesn't know? I don't keep secrets from her, and I wouldn't let her be put on the spot if something happened. She knows and is fine with what I did."

"You did it without... telling her first?"

"I'd had done it regardless, Harry. Now, listen to me, mate. This is about right and wrong. That fucker was doomed to die in Azkaban for what he did. He deserves it for everything he did. You have every right to privacy for what he did to you, and you weren't going to get it. We both know that."

"I Obliviated him," he whispered.

"And he did so much more to you, Harry. I can live with that... Hermione can live with that... and so should you. Hell, Harry, how you didn't kill him.... I don't know if I could have let him live."

"You're not a killer, Ron."

"Maybe... maybe not. If he'd done it just to me... maybe... I'd be on the fence. But if he hurt Hermione like that... or my kids... Merlin-help-me... I don't know what I'd do. When I went to Azkaban, I saw him. It took a lot not to kill him for what he did to you, Harry."

Harry looked up into his eyes.

"I didn't want my kids to grow up without a father."

"I'm glad you didn't," Harry said, lowering his head. "I put him in there, Ron. Draco said that they... hurt him too... if...."

"Harry... I don't want to make ya upset... but he deserves that spot in hell."

"But they targeted him...."

"Maybe at first. Let me dispel any notions you might have. He's nothing like Malfoy. That fucker... watched... enjoyed them hurting the others. Voyeurism, the sick fuck. He even beat other prisoners. Ironically, he has some kind of erectile dysfunction, now. Don't know if that was why he needed...."

Harry snorted and Ron raised an eyebrow. Harry sighed, "I kinda cursed him... when I... I didn't mean to...."

Ron laughed and took one of Harry's hands. "Harry, mate. Don't even fret about it. He deserves it, cause I know he'd spend the rest of his life wanking to the memory of what he did to those muggles. He doesn't deserve that right. His victims don't deserve it, either. Harry... I know you carry a lot of weight and guilt over what happened... but let it go, mate. He is where he belongs. You're not an Auror and if you feel you need to pay for those desperate actions you took... you just spent five years burning for it. Let it go."

Harry took a deep breath and nodded. "Everyone knows... though."

"I'm so sorry, mate. I know it sucks... but maybe it's better this way? You've been hiding it so long... it's out in the open. It's not hanging over your head, anymore."

"I don't think it'll be better. Everyone will stare... will know... will ask."

"They will stop staring. They will get used to it and if they ask, report their asses to your boss."

Harry bit his lip and nodded. "I'm still scared."

"I know, but it'll work out...ya understand?"

Harry nodded and lowered his head. Some more tears fell to the ground, and Ron gripped his hand tighter.

"Harry, just in case you need to hear this..." Ron started, and Harry looked at him. "You did a great thing for Malfoy... Drraaaco. Man, that's weird to say."

Harry smirked a little.

"Mione told me how bad he was... and how you are with him... and that he wouldn't have handled that stand. He was locking up when Hermione was calmly asking him questions. So, I'm proud of ya... more prouder than I have been before in ya. And that includes all that war-shite and saving me, Hermione and my family's lives. You faced all that on the stand and never lost it. It was amazing, mate."

Harry's eyes watered for a different reason, and he swallowed hard. He leaned into Ron's chest, again, and Ron obliged him with a hug.

"Cry it out, mate... it can only get better...."

No, it won't, Harry thought, but didn't say it. He let Ron comfort him until they heard the rush of the floo, and Hermione came back. He could see that her mouth was moving, but he couldn't hear, until Ron looked at him expectantly.

"What?"

"Didn't you hear her?"

Hermione smiled. "Guilty on all counts and sentenced to life in Azkaban."

Harry let out a breath of relief, and Ron let out a loud Whoop! Hermione sat next to him on the couch, and he hugged her. She pulled back and had tears in her eyes, as well as questions. He just nodded. He wasn't sure how to process everything.

"Harry...."

"I... need time," he murmured.

"Okay, but I'm not letting you go off the rails, Harry. We're here for you."

He nodded.

"I fired Bletchley... in front of the Wizengamot. That bellend isn't going to get voted onto the Court, now."

Harry stared confused.

"He let Runcorn do that to you on purpose. He didn't object or stop any of it. There's no way he wasn't in on it. He should have never let Runcorn even put your scan into your hands without demanding to know what it clearly was and not trap you into admitting it."

Harry snorted. He was a victim of another power play. Some things never change. He needed to leave. Get back to the hospital... to Draco.

"I need to go to work," he muttered.

"Harry, come on. You need to process what happened. Take some time off," Hermione urged.

"I didn't tell him I wasn't coming today. He'll worry."

Hermione tightened up. "You didn't tell him, did you? What you were going to do?"

Harry shook his head. "He'd have tried to stop me."

"Harry...."

"Please don't push... I'm... everything is raw."

"All the more reason to take a few days off. We can go tell Draco, or that new healer, your friend Joel. Anything! Please, Harry... you need to recover."

"I'm fine."

"You were practically catatonic when I left!" she said, and Harry tensed up.

"Hermione... enough. Harry... you can't go to work and pretend you're fine. You need support."

"I have Draco."

Ron leveled with him. "Harry, Draco... is bed-ridden and your patient. Who is protecting you from reporters, well-wishers and uninvited guests? Hmm? So, you either take some time off, or I'm taking some time off and am becoming your personal security. I'm not letting you wander around alone when you are this... raw."

Harry stared at him, surprised. "You can't do that."

"I have plenty of vacation days... and I have an in with the boss," he said, nodding to his wife.

Harry glared and Hermione said, "That's a very reasonable compromise, Harry."

"You're not a healer. You can't just hang around me."

"I can stand in the hallway. Guard duty isn't beneath me."

"I'm... I don't need..." Harry said and started crying.

Ron's eyes softened, and he took his hand. "It's okay to need support, Harry. You suffered long enough trying to overcome this shite on your own. We want you to be safe."

"I don't... what about Joel and Nat? They watch out for me."

"Really?"

"I'll call Joel, here. You can discuss babysitting me with him, if you want."

"It's not babysitting," Hermione said and Ron frowned. His eyes watched him sadly.

"It's what it feels like," he spat and sent his Patronus with the floo address. He leaned back on the couch and crossed his arms, fuming.

A minute later, Joel came through and walked toward them. "Harry? What happened?"

"You mean there wasn't an evening press release?" he sneered.

"He got off?" Joel said, aghast.

"No, he didn't. Life in Azkaban. Harry did it, but...."

"But what?" Joel asked, confused by Harry's obvious anger.

"Higgs made his play and gave Runcorn everything."

"On Draco?" Joel said, confused.

"On me."

"Shit. I'm sorry, Harry," Joel said.

"Higgs gave that information?" Hermione pressed.

"Anonymously... I'm sure. That scan he had was from five years ago. So, unless you all took me through emergency when I snapped, he's the one who scanned me."

"If we can get proof... I'll do more than strip him of his license."

"Proof... yeah... good luck with that," he said and washed his face with his hands.

Joel stepped forward and offered a vial. "Sorry, I didn't bring tea, but it's another Calming Draught."

Harry took it, but didn't drink it. He wanted to know things before he decided if they mattered or not. "How's Draco?"

"Okay... worried. He tried to get it out of me where you were. He didn't believe me when I said that something had come up with your friends. I didn't tell him that you'd be in today, though, Harry."

"I did. I don't want you to tell him what... happened."

"Harry?"

"That I went on the stand, that they pulled it out of me."

"Harry... he's going to find out. If not from me then...."

"Are you my healer or not?!" he snarled, meeting Joel's eyes.

"I am. I won't tell him. Of course, I won't," Joel said, quietly.

Great, now I yelled at Joel, Harry thought direly. He buried his face in his hands, again. "I'm sorry, Joel."

Ron vacated his spot on the floor, and Joel knelt in front of him. "Harry, it's okay. You need to vent, and I don't mind if it's on me. You just went through a very stressful and triggering experience. You're on edge. I don't think that you should come back immediately. Draco will understand."

"I need him," Harry admitted and didn't look at Ron and Hermione's reaction to that declaration.

"I know... but your emotions are all over the place, Harry. One, he's going see and know, and two, you could snap on him."

"I won't. I would never hurt him."

"Harry... I mean... you would be... unresponsive."

"I'll be fine."

"You're not fine."

"I didn't summon you here to lecture me," he spat.

Joel held up his hands. "What am I here for? Just to give you more potions?"

Harry flinched at the subtle jab to his unconscious fear of becoming an addict.

Ron cleared his throat. "Harry... needs someone watching out for him at work, since he refuses to take time off. I am willing to do protection detail, but he assures me that you and Nat will be sufficient deterrents against ambushes when the news breaks."

Joel sighed. "Yes. Nat is very capable of sessing out intruders to her floor, and the other wardens will watch out for interlopers, too. They are loyal to Harry, and we can put them on alert. It won't stop staff members from being dicks or his patients. I suppose if people use more insidious ways... we won't be as capable. I can stay on the floor as much as possible, too. I do think that personal security is necessary right now."

"See?" Harry said.

"Fine, but I'm coming with you and laying down wards and checking for spells."

Harry frowned. "I was an Auror."

"Yeah, five years ago. Warding spells change and tell me to my face that you check the wards every day with all the testing spells," Ron challenged.

Harry blushed. "Fine."

"I'll come every day. You need to feel safe, and I don't want anyone to jump you unexpectedly, alright?"

Harry shrugged and downed the vial in one gulp. His chest opened up, and his breathing evened out. Everything didn't seem to be crushing him anymore. He looked up at his friends and nodded. Nothing changed. He still didn't want Draco to know and still wanted to see him. And apparently, they were the only things that mattered to him.