Rock Bottom

Published: 5/25/2025

Draco sat back down at his desk, realizing he had a delivery while he had been telling off Weasley. Seven memory vials were in his inbox. Hopefully, that was seven nails in the Auror department's coffin, and he put them into his locked drawer. Draco paused and then made multiple copies of the reports and sent some to his home as well. He was a former Death Eater, so he had powerful security charms. Those idiot Aurors wouldn't get in unnoticed.

After an hour, Potter set down the teacup on Draco's desk. "Thank you," Potter mouthed. Draco wasn't sure if it was for the tea or everything else.

"I told you that I wanted to help you, Harry. That includes fighting your enemies for you, too."

Potter seemed to contemplate that and lowered his head, again. Draco glanced at the time and then pulled his sandwich out of the icebox. He duplicated it again, leaving three on the end of the table.

Potter took one with a silent "Thanks" as he munched on the sandwich. Draco ate two and conjuring more as Potter grabbed another, too. Potter seemed very hungry and Draco wondered how much he really ate. Before he could ask, the door burst open, and Draco was half-expecting the Aurors, but no, it was one of his charges. A kid named Samir, who still had two more years of probation.

"Mr. Draco! Mr. Draco!" Samir exclaimed, happily, as he nearly ran into him as Draco stood to greet him.

"Samir! You cannot just burst into my office without warning!" he huffed.

The kid didn't care if he reprimanded him. He just hugged him anyway. He was a small kid, too, very small for his age, but the potion abuse stifled his growth considerably. The healers said that he would suddenly start growing, again, which he had over the last few months. He was one of the cases that Draco refused to give up. He had worked hard with the kid to get him back on track. Samir had hated everything and everyone, including himself, when he was sentenced to probation.

Samir leaned back to face him, tears in his eyes. "It went just like you said! They... they let me use a wand for the exams. It felt so good to use my magic, again! Mr. Draco... they said... they said I passed all of them! I got an Acceptable on everything! Thank you!" Then he hugged him, again.

Draco patted his back as he gripped him. "I'm so proud of you, Samir."

But then Draco saw Harry watching him confused and intrigued by this comparable child that just ran into the office and hugged him. Draco silently lifted the Silencing Charm and cleaned Potter's robes while he was at it. Samir would definitely recognize him, once he realized that there was someone else in the office, and Potter was owed his privacy. By his flinch, Potter had noticed the spells, and he rubbed his throat.

"I knew you could do it," Draco said, and let go. "You're a smart lad."

"Do... do you think Professor McGonagall will let me come back?" he asked into his chest.

"I'll write to her today, but remember what I told you," Draco said, pulling Samir off him to look him in the eye.

"It's not on people to forgive me for what I did. It's on me to show them that I am different and hope they will forgive me," he said, quietly. They had had this talk before.

"Very good. Now... I've told you a few times, Samir, you can't just rush into my office."

"But Max was at lunch!" he whined.

"Samir," he said, with the disappointed look he had down pat.

Samir looked at the floor and scuffed his feet on the carpet. "I'm sorry."

"I was just having lunch with a friend of mine. So, it'll be alright. I'll try to stop by tomorrow, okay?" he said and sat back down at his desk.

Samir nodded and made to leave, when he looked directly at Potter. He stopped dead in his tracks. "Oh Merlin... it's... you're... Harry Potter!"

Potter glanced at him, and Draco motioned for him to answer, hopefully conveying the need to be nice.

"I am. I know... umm... Draco from a while back," he said, gruffly but thankfully playing along.

"I know! He told me stories about your duels and how you saved his life and taught him right from wrong!" Samir nearly shrieked.

Draco loved the kid, but that didn't mean he didn't want to strangle him at that moment. He felt his face heat up.

Harry raised an eyebrow, and his green eyes met his for a second before looking at Samir. "He saved my life in the war, too. Did you tell you that?"

Samir's eyes widened, and he breathed, "No... he didn't."

"He did. I wouldn't have escaped alive when I got caught by Death Eaters unless he helped me. We've been through a lot together," Potter said, quietly, and, again, met Draco's eyes, before returning them to Samir. Draco felt his heart beat a little faster.

"Yeah," Samir said, who was staring at Potter reverently. "Did-Did he tell you about me?" he whispered and looked back to Draco.

"Samir, I told you that I can't, and I won't talk to other people about your case unless you give me your permission. That's why we talked about telling Professor McGonagall about... what happened. I would never betray your trust like that," Draco said, quietly.

Samir looked at him, thoughtfully, and nodded. The sixteen-year-old had grown so much in the last year, but he still was so young. It broke Draco a little every time he saw the kid in pain. He prayed to Merlin that McGonagall would let him come back to Hogwarts, even after nearly two years of being gone.

"I don't mind. He's Harry Potter! He would understand. You can tell him of all people," Samir said and looked back to Harry, now looking a little unsettled by that declaration. Draco knew that he hated his fame, but the boy couldn't know that. "You're... my hero. You saved us all."

"It wasn't just me," Harry mumbled, blushing as well.

Samir shook his head. "But after you defeated him... they freed all of us from... Azkaban."

Harry swallowed and looked at the young kid, concerned. The war was nearly three years ago, and Potter could see that he was really young. He whispered, "You were in... A-Azkaban?"

Samir lowered his head and his words came out straggled. "I was-am a-a m-muggleborn. I tried to run... like y-you. They... caught me. Punished me... and-and sent me there."

Draco quickly came out of his chair, knelt at his side and called to him softly, "Hey, Samir, look at me. Come on, kid. Look at me... that wasn't your fault, okay?"

Samir nodded, looking at him briefly and took a deep breath. "I know. Thank you, Mr. Draco." He turned back to Harry. "Everyone was so happy that you freed us, but I was hurt... inside. I... g-got hooked on... Euphoria Potion and the headmistress... she snapped my wand. I did all sorts of bad things after and got arrested. Then I met Mr. Draco. He helped me... get better, stay off the potions. He even found me a nice foster family, and I just took my OWLs. So, I hope I can go back to Hogwarts."

Harry leaned forward on his chair, really connecting to Samir. "Professor McGonagall is a very nice woman. I think she will let you come back."

Draco did not like the certainty in Potter's voice. Potter was still a bleeding-heart Gryffindor with a hero complex and still says things without understanding the consequences. It was a hard sell to let a student back to Hogwarts after an expulsion. He didn't want Samir to lose what positive progress he had gained. Draco had been considering moving him toward the GNOME exams, the alternative exams for the NEWTs.

"Samir...."

"I hope she will! Wait till I tell Mimi that I met you! It's so awesome to have both my heroes in the same room!"

Draco blushed a little at that, too, though he knew how much Samir had connected to him. "Thank you, Samir. Now get on home, before I get an earful from your foster mum."

The kid turned around and hugged him and then Harry. "It was so nice to meet you, Mr. Potter!" Then he dashed out of the room.

Potter watched the door for several seconds after it shut. He was processing it.

"Samir Harris. He's sixteen, would you believe it?" Draco said, quietly.

Harry watched him as Draco got up and sat back in his seat.

"Because he said I could talk about him... he was barely thirteen, a third year, when he fled Hogwarts. He managed to evade the Carrows, but the wolves caught him near York. The kid was pretty smart to make it that far. You... were lucky, Harry. Lucky that Fenrir and Scabior recognized you... and your friends. The others... didn't get a trip to my house. They eventually were sold off to the blood purists at the Ministry to be sent to Azkaban for... stealing magic. But the key word was eventually. Samir was their captive for several weeks."

Potter stared, this time stunned silent by shock and not a spell.

"There aren't words for what those... beasts did to that kid, and then the dementors... they made him relive it over and over again. I don't blame him for trying to find a way out, especially as his mum was killed during the war, too. After he was expelled, he broke into several shops in Diagon for food and supplies and finally tripped an alert ward trying to steal potions. He got arrested and was nearly sent back to that hellhole, but thankfully, he was given probation. It took a lot to earn his trust, to save him, to convince him to stop the self-destruction and build himself back up from nothing. But he's doing well, now."

Potter was quiet for a long time. "And you think you can save me?"

"I'm going to try. You, being the stubborn git you are, won't take me at my word. You won't let me help you until you really crash. It's going to hurt, when it happens, Potter. Trust me on that, but I'll be there ready to help you get back up."

Potter's eyes locked on to him. "Why?"

"The kid told you why, Potter. Not only did you save me from the flames and from being that evil bastard's slave, but you and Kingsley saved me from Azkaban and my own demons. You gave me a purpose. I owe you... everything," he whispered, and Potter went still. Draco closed his eyes and embraced his inner pain. "You don't know how right you were when you told me that I owed you yesterday."

Draco's very soul tinged in his acknowledgment of the life debt. He was shaking. "You have no idea how much power you have over me." Merlin, it felt like his soul was being raked against the coals.

"You're... in pain," Potter stated, analyzing him.

Draco opened his eyes and met his eyes, warily. "I'm bound to you, Potter," he whispered, and he looked away, bracing himself for Potter, who was taking what little control he had left.

But Potter said, softly, "I don't want you to be bound to me, any more than I want to be bound to you."

Draco took a deep breath. He had to step up... for Potter. "I know. I told you that I didn't want this, but really... there wasn't any other option. It's me or Azkaban."

Potter grumbled under his breath and then glared at him. "You really didn't ask Kingsley for that... DOI?"

"Of course not! It's meant for people who are actually mentally... challenged, children and elderly adults who have dementia. It should be illegal that you... were given that to sign," he growled, annoyed, and Potter's shoulders dropped.

"You were right. He just told me to sign, so I could leave. He didn't... explain it. I didn't read it," Potter said, leaning forward to put his elbows on his knees to rub his face. "I can't believe he did this to me."

"I'm sure he thought... no, he knew that... he knew that I...."

Potter lifted his head up to stare at him. "That you'd what?"

"That I would fix this... what's happening to you."

"Fix me, huh?" he spat.

"Not just that. I'll stop the Aurors from hurting you, keep you out of trouble and make you stop acting out."

Potter glared. "You're awfully full of yourself, Malfoy. You're that all incredible, huh?"

Draco knew that Potter's temper was easily stoked. "I already did the first two, didn't I?"

Potter lowered his head, his face red. "How... how did you know... about what happened?"

"I assume you mean what happened when you were in the Auror program?" Draco said.

"Yeah. I didn't tell Kingsley it. I told no one about what happened," he said, trembling. Draco knew that this was painful for Potter.

"I know because I know Weasley's a scared little bitch, and the only way Robards, the power-hungry bastard that he is, could take you out is by turning him. It wasn't hard to guess what happened after that."

Potter had tears in his eyes. "Ron was... behind me. We were supposed to be together through the exam course. He...."

But Potter stopped and buried his face in his hands, again. Draco resisted the urge to comfort him. Potter was volatile, right now, like a cauldron brewing under a roaring fire. "You didn't deserve that, or Weasley harassing you until you attacked him."

"That's what got me booted from the program, officially, not that Robards and the others didn't tell me I was as good as gone," Potter grunted and wiped his eyes.

Draco sighed. "Potter... I'm sorry. I'm sorry that he did that to you, and they have been relentlessly attacking you for two bloody years. But you had the power to hurt them back. Why...."

Potter's head whipped up, and his temper finally boiled over. "Why? Why? I'll tell you fucking why! I'm not a cheating, traitorous bastard like him! Like all of them! I won't give them the satis-fucking-faction of me begging for a fucking reprieve! You don't think that Ron has dirt on me? Fuckers loved taking pictures of me... for evidence, surely. Were they in that file, Malfoy?"

Draco's grey eyes narrowed, and he glanced at the photo-devoid file. Mutually-assured destruction. "No. They weren't. Illegal or... humiliating ones?"

Potter snorted, settling back down to a simmer. "Bit of both... more humiliating for sure, but I'm sure they have whole slideshows of my deviant sex life and drug use."

Draco nodded. "If it does come out... we'll deal with it. You're under both probation and guardianship, so I can file injunctions quickly. You're protected more than you know. Perhaps they can be reasonable and cough them up."

"I'm not trading anything with those fucking bastards, Malfoy!"

"Well, I guess it's a good thing I'm your guardian, then."

Potter glared, his shoulders and back arching as though trying to hold himself back. "Don't you fucking dare! I won't beg anything from him, and I sure as fuck will hate you forever if you do it for me."

"I won't. It doesn't mean I won't... extort them to hand it over. But this war is going to end whether you want it to or not. They are hurting you and, more importantly, they are winning! That's why Kingsley bound you to me. I looked into the DOI. It's magically binding because you bloody signed it. It doesn't matter if he tricked you or not. You signed it! I can't contest it, and it'll take a long time to file the removal. The Wizengamot won't even entertain the thought of lifting it unless you show some progress."

Potter was shaking, and he growled, "I don't fucking care anymore. I don't care."

"Yes, you do."

Potter's green eyes locked on him and he stood up. Draco realized that Potter could easily attack him. He definitely didn't want that to happen, but Draco wasn't sure that he could draw his wand on Potter. The life debt tinged his soul, again. No, he couldn't. Not even to defend himself.

"Don't you fucking tell me what I feel! I don't care! I don't care about anything or anyone!"

Draco let Potter vent and rage on for a few minutes, spluttering mostly indirect rage, before Draco said, "I don't believe you."

Potter put his hands on his desk and leaned over, menacingly. "Really?"

"You played along when Samir was here."

Potter straightened up and took a step back. "That's different."

"How?" Draco pressed.

Potter was shaking. "He's just a kid... he didn't deserve... that."

"No. Neither did you, Harry. Not just this BS... but the war, too. Samir wanted the pain to end any way that he could, and he nearly lost everything."

Potter sat back down. His eyes were glazed over. "You said... that there... weren't words for what they did to him."

Draco debated. He was making a connection to his charge. Indeed, he never thought he'd get this many words out of Potter without bloodshed. "No... there isn't. They broke him in every way. I'm amazed he didn't die or be worse than he is."

"Crucio? Or...."

"Yeah, plenty of Crucio, but they did far worse than that. Took what innocence he had. He's a resilient kid, though. He survived... but he had no one. Spiraled into bad coping mechanisms to handle his emotional pain and losing what little he had. Sound familiar, Harry?"

Potter's shoulders sunk, again, and he gasped out, "Why even bother?"

"I can tell you that he asked that exact same question when I first met him. What would you say to that kid, if he was broken, craving potions and scared shitless in front of you?" Draco pressed, and Potter tensed. "Harry? Would you tell him to give up? Let the dementors have him, or spend the rest of his life on potions? Come on, Harry, answer me."

Potter closed his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair. "It's not the same!"

"It is, Harry," he said, softly.

"He's just a kid! He's just sixteen!"

"And what did we go through at 16?"

Potter looked at him and didn't answer.

"I know I met him when I was 16. Not as young as when you did, surely, but it was... brutal. I almost took the easy out, too. I did... in a few ways, but I know you went through so much by then. But your life doesn't have to be over. You can find peace."

"There's no such thing. Just pain..." Harry muttered.

"Is that what you'd tell Samir?"

"He's just a kid, he can have a life still!"

"And you at 21, can't?" Draco challenged.

Potter shook his head. "I did my job. I played my part. Walked down the one-way path... no. There's nothing left. I'll never be alright."

"That's not true. You just need some help, Harry."

"Stop calling me Harry, Malfoy! We aren't friends."

"No, but I'm your guardian, now."

Harry jerked his head up. "Fuck you! You're not my fucking guardian!"

"I'm sorry, but I...."

Potter jumped to his feet and walked towards him. "You're sorry? You're fucking sorry?!"

Draco tensed as Potter was in front of him. He couldn't do anything to stop him. He just stared at Potter, and tried to keep the memories at bay.

"You wanted this! You got Kingsley to get me to sign it! You wanted to control me, break me. Just like you always wanted to do."

"No! I wouldn't... I couldn't do that!

"You're a Death Eater, Malfoy."

"I didn't want to be one," he whispered, again struggling to avoid a flashback. "I just want to help you, Harry."

"Why should believe that!?"

"Because I owe you my life. Come on, Harry. You have known I was here the whole time. You passed my door and nameplate every time to see your other probation officers. I've avoided this for as long as I could, and you know it."

Potter snarled under his breath and turned to leave.

"You can't get your wand without my signature."

Suddenly, Potter's chair slammed into the wall. Boy Wonder must be pissed to do accidental magic. Potter took some deep breaths and turned. "Hand over the release!"

"We still have a few things to discuss, Harry," he said, calmly.

"Really? What be good? Stop drinking and get into fights with back-stabbing pricks? I got it!"

"I doubt it, but also you were arrested last night. Your curfew is from eight o'clock to seven, now. Don't break it again."

"Or what?" Potter scoffed. "You just told them to back off? I know that they'll either do the opposite or ignore you completely. I'm guessing the latter. So, what are you going to do? Nothing!"

"Potter, I told you I'm required to help you...."

"I'd like to see you try."

Draco stared him down. "We are getting too old for these games, Harry."

"It's my life, so fuck off," Harry spat.

"Be here tomorrow at ten."

"Yeah, sure will. You're the boss, n'all. Now, give me the release!"

Draco signed the form, and before he gave it to him, he said, "If you really want to take this further, I will do it, Harry. Get back home before 8. Stay there and clean. Be here tomorrow at 10."

"Yes, master!" Harry sneered, saluting him.

He just handed the paper and the stubborn prick stormed out. Draco took out parchment forms and signed the access deny request for Gringotts. Then he went down the hall to the storage room. Potter had been put on monitoring bracelets before, but he had always managed to break the locking charms eventually. They had only basic locking wards so it wasn't that hard for an ex-Auror to crack. Then again, Potter had never had to crack his spells before.

The silver band was designed as a way to quickly locate the person wearing it. Potter had had fun leading his Auror pursuers all over England when he had it locked on once. Draco smiled slightly as he realized that he had license to put whatever spells and locks he wanted on this thing. He was his guardian, and he would make Potter listen, one way or the other. His next stop was the Portkey Authority.