Punishment and Salvation

Published: 6/13/25

TRIGGER WARNING: Auror abuse, panic attacks, disassociation, discussions about past noncon, torture and sexual abuse, physical exam. It's a rough one. The feels.

Harry Apparated all three of them to the AAP (Auror Apparation Point) in the Ministry. The child stirred but, thankfully, stayed asleep.

"He's a sturdy little guy," Harry commented, and Malfoy nodded.

He led Malfoy to the private lift and went up to level two. Malfoy was trying not to cry, again, but was shaking badly. Harry couldn't blame him. If it was him and an Auror had taken Teddy, he'd be balling.

"He's going to be okay, Malfoy. Just breathe, alright."

Malfoy nodded, but he still looked terrified. When the lift reached their floor, Harry led him off and pushed Malfoy more in front of him to block the view. Ron heard the lift and came over. He was about to say "Hi" when he realized Malfoy was there.

"Malfoy!" Ron nearly shouted. "Harry! You finally got the bastard! Let's go, Death Eater!"

Malfoy flinched but didn't resist as Ron led him off to the interrogation rooms. Killens, another Auror, also comes over to taunt Malfoy. They hadn't really looked at him, so Harry let them go and zipped through the nearly empty office to Natalie's desk in the corner. She was already in, covering for early incidents.

"Nat... I... please watch him for me," Harry said as she looked up at him holding a small child. "Please... can I hide him under your desk?"

"Well... I... of course, Harry," she said, accepting his request without question. She was a good Auror. She moved out of the way, so Harry could tuck him under the desk.

The Dormiere Spell should last several hours on a child, but Harry put up Silencing Wards and a Cushioning Charm on the floor. "Please... I'll tell you later. Just don't let anyone know he's here, okay? I need to talk to Kingsley."

"Robards won't like that you're going over his head, again," she warned, but knew she had his back.

"Robards can suck my knob for all I care. I better make sure they didn't kill him," Harry said, glancing in the direction of the interrogation rooms.

"Malfoy? I heard Ron yell his name. I would say congrats, but..." she trailed off and looked deliberately at the blond-haired child. "I don't think it's a time to celebrate." Nat was quick on the uptake.

"To right you are. Thanks, Nat. I owe you," Harry said, and cast a Notice-Me-Not Charm in case Nat got any visitors.

Harry ran to interrogation and burst in. Malfoy was pinned to the wall by Ron and had a black eye and bloody lip. Malfoy was still in restraints and looked scared to death.

"Ron! Killens! What the fuck!" Harry spat.

"He was resisting!" Killens growled.

Harry glared at them. "Get out. Both of you. He's in restraints, and you hit him."

"Harry? It's Malfoy!" Ron said, confused.

"Shut up! Another word, and I'll go to WWR. Get out!"

Ron looked shocked, but Killen's eyes were full of promises of revenge for cutting his fun short. Robards would be in an hour or two. He left without a word.

Ron started. "But...."

"I'll tell Hermione," Harry threatened, and Ron clenched his jaw and fled.

Harry shut and locked the door. Malfoy had slid down the wall and was shaking badly. Harry released the Incarcerous, and Malfoy brought his arms into his body, tightly, as if trying to protect himself. He didn't stop the tears from coming out. Harry grimaced and put up several privacy wards in case anyone was trying to listen.

He crouched down and said, "Sorry, I let them take you... but I got your son to a safe place. They didn't notice I had him."

Malfoy nodded and eyed the walls like they were closing in. He was starting to panic.

"Hey, breathe... slow your breathing down. In and out... nice and slow," Harry said, and went to offer his hand to Malfoy, but Draco winced as though he thought Harry would hurt him.

Harry pulled his hand back and tried to calm him down. He stared at Malfoy, trying to rectify his memory of the once proud, pureblood aristocrat with this new version. Draco was now a nervous, cowed, but loving father who'd been living amongst muggles for four years, wandless. Harry would have never guessed it was possible. He now understood why Draco was so desperate at the safe house four years ago. He had a child and apparently believed he had no safe place to go.

"Malfoy... breathe... calm down...."

Malfoy's head came up. He was panicky again. "Please... I just need to know my son will be safe. I'll do anything! Anything!" he begged, adding a certain inflection to his tone.

Malfoy meant anything... including his body. Harry felt sick, wondering if that was how Draco had survived on his own. Malfoy still had good looks, though he was clearly underfed, judging by his weight, though the hoodie hid a lot.

"That's not necessary, Malfoy. I was raised in an abusive home. I could never let a child endure that, okay? So, calm down and don't offer anything to the other Aurors. They will take it," he said, bitterly.

Malfoy blushed and looked away.

"Do you want to sit at the table or stay here on the floor?" he asked.

Malfoy wouldn't look at him. He just trembled.

"Come on, get up," Harry said and half-pulled Malfoy up and into a chair. "There you go. Now... where do you want to start?"

Malfoy flinched hard and didn't answer.

"Look... it's just me and you. No one is watching. They will make you tell them everything anyway. They'll use Veritaserum."

Tears flowed out of Malfoy's eyes again, and he started rocking back and forth.

"Hey, calm down... and listen, please! I'm probably the only one who will help you, but I have got to know what happened, alright? You need to talk to me before Robards gets here and rips me off the case, because I won't be allowed to see you after this."

Malfoy processed this or, at least, came to terms with it.

"What... what do you want to know?"

Harry debated his words and what had been gnawing at him. "What did Voldemort do to you?"

Malfoy recoiled like Harry had punched him. His grey, frantic eyes met his. "You don't know?"

Harry shook his head. "Your file is redated. I was in training when the Death Eater interrogations occurred. The public trials did not mention you... but the other Aurors... they make comments about you, and I don't know what they mean."

Malfoy lowered his head. "I can't... please."

Harry heard the distress in his voice and nodded. "We can take our time... start off on easier topics? What about your son?"

But Malfoy flinched again. More tears dripped down.

"I'm sorry, but I need to know who his mother is. Is she still alive?"

Malfoy gave him a strange look. "Mother?"

"The child's mother? If there's a reason why he can't go to her, then I need to know."

Malfoy was shaking and said, "He's my son."

"I know but...."

"I bore him," Malfoy whispered.

Harry blinked. "What?" It wasn't computing. Then he looked at Malfoy. "Oh... are you... um... trans?"

Malfoy rolled his eyes, showing some of his old self. "A potion can make it possible for men to have children, Potter."

Harry was dumbfounded. After thirteen years of knowing about magic, it can still surprise him. "Oh... umm... sorry, alright... so who's the other father?"

Malfoy tensed up and looked at the table. "I don't know."

Harry blanked as he had an epiphany. The backhand comments were finally clicking into place. He knew what happened.

"It was my punishment," Draco whispered, his eyes going still. "For being a... coward. For refusing to kill... Dumbledore."

Harry's heart seared with pain, and he had to refrain from trying to hug... Draco. Harry was still missing something... or he needed the confirmation. He wasn't sure if he should press Draco or not. "I see...."

Draco's tone was bitter, and he stared blankly at the floor. "Since I was a coward... I wasn't useful to him as a man. He ordered that I was to lie on my back and produce like the other women."

Harry's lip curled, and he growled, "That sick fuck."

Draco nodded and seemed resigned. He stared at the wall blankly and murmured, "He ordered Snape to brew it and said I was... available for anyone to use... until I became pregnant. Not that it stopped them."

"I'm so sorry, Draco," Harry said, as Malfoy wiped tears out of his eyes.

"I don't know who the father is. They all did it... many times. They brought me to the meetings as entertainment. So, all the Death Eaters and their friends and family knew what I was... what my punishment was. That's where the nicknames came from."

"I'm so sorry you had to tell me it, Draco," Harry said, trying to keep the tears out of his own eyes. "The Aurors will still use Veritaserum on you, but they will hide that knowledge. Sympathy for Death Eaters is not allowed."

"As long as my son is okay, I don't care. It doesn't matter to me how he was connived. He's such a sweet, innocent child. I didn't teach him to hate people, or about me and what happened, I swear," Draco said, his emotions getting to him.

"I believe you, okay? I won't let anyone hurt him, so breathe...."

"He was the only reason I kept going."

"Draco... calm down. He needs you. Stay with me, okay? Our time is running short. I need to ask you a few more things. What about your parents?"

Draco's jaw clenched, and he looked both mad and ashamed. Harry could guess that the split hadn't been amicable.

"I'm sorry. I need to know," Harry whispered.

"My father gave up on me when it happened. My mother tried to help, but she picked him in the end."

Harry shook his head. "She refused to tell me what happened, but she seemed sad about it. She'll be in Azkaban for several more years, if you didn't know."

Malfoy shook his head. "No, I didn't. Owls can be tracked. I put up wards to repel them. Is my father in prison, too?"

"Yes, for life."

Draco nodded. "Good."

"So... they'll ask... but how much did you have to break the ISS?"

Draco shrugged. "Nothing blatant that I know of. I only cast wards and Repelling Charms on my things. I taught my son out of sight. I never had to Obliviate anyone."

Harry was glad. "Smart. So, no spells to steal or Confound muggles?" Exploiting Muggles with magic was highly illegal.

"Never. People report things, and the muggles have cameras. I didn't want to pay attention. It wasn't worth the risk."

Harry raised an eyebrow. Malfoy seemingly had been cut off from his vaults five years ago.

"How did you make money to live off of?"

"Lately, as a bartender in a muggle bar. I only need money for food and clothes."

"Before that?" Harry asked.

"Busing tables, parking attendant, clearing crew... any under-the-table job I could get," he murmured.

Harry bit his lip, but couldn't help but ask the obvious. "I'm sure they will ask... but did you... umm... sell yourself?"

Draco trembled and wouldn't meet his eyes. "Not exactly."

Harry grimaced. "What's that mean?"

"I mean, if someone gave me twenty or forty pounds to blow them, I'd do it... but I didn't go looking for it, and I couldn't let anyone go all the way."

"Couldn't?"

"For a few reasons... but namely... I can still get pregnant. The potion is permanent," Draco whispered, burying his face in his hands.

"I'm sorry, Draco. Can I..." Harry trailed off, unsure of how to comfort him. He looked at the wall clock.

"The Head Auror is going to be in soon. He's a prick, and whoever he assigns won't treat you nice. He'll try to keep me out."

"It doesn't matter anymore, Potter. Just keep my son away from him... from all this. I've been branded, tortured and worse things. As long as my son is safe, I'll live," Draco insisted.

Harry's heart felt heavy. "I will protect him, but I'm still worried about you. I want to book you in. They'll be cruel about it."

Draco didn't say anything, but Harry stood up. "I'm going to reapply the Incarcerous."

He placed his hands behind his back. Harry secured him and led him out of the interrogation cell toward the holding cells and processing room.

"Harry? What's going on?" Ron asked.

"Ron, please stop being an asshole for five seconds and stop anyone from coming in, please," Harry asked.

Ron looked angry but nodded. Harry led Draco into the processing room. He guided Draco over to a chair and released his bonds. He took hair, blood and fingerprint samples. Wizards had slowly accepted Muggle techniques. Harry tested his blood for potions, for good measure. A trumped-up potion charge was not out of the realm of possibilities, so he'd take it now to ensure that there was no tampering.

"It's just in case someone does something. You are clear."

Malfoy nodded, cowed.

Harry then grabbed a set of gray prisoner robes. "Sorry, I need you to take off your clothes."

Draco jerked his head up and leaned away from him. He got up and backed into the wall like a trapped animal. "No!"

Harry's hands trembled. "They will do it if you refuse. They will not do it gently or be considerate. They will physically rip your clothes off you and hurt you doing it. Trust me, it's better if it is me. I won't touch you."

Draco was shaking. "Can-Can I change alone?" he asked, pleading.

Harry shook his head. "Can't leave you alone... plus... I need to take pictures of you."

Draco's head jerked up, his eyes wide. "Of what?"

"Scars, Marks, and injuries. It's required, and I know it's invasive, but it will keep the Aurors and guards from hurting you. I... if you want... I can have my friend Natalie do it... if it's me, that's the issue. I just don't want Killens or Ron to do it."

"No... I... just..." Draco started, slipping into a panic attack. He was rubbing his shirt like it was his last defense. "Please...."

Harry had to pull over a chair so Draco could sit down and ease himself out of the attack. It took several minutes of deep breathing exercises for Draco to calm down.

"I'll try to make it as quick and painless as I can. Ron can come in, if you want a witness."

"No!" Draco shrieked, "Not him. Please." He looked like he wanted to disappear.

Harry let him calm down before asking him to take off his hoodie.

Draco nodded. "Okay... please just don't touch me."

"I won't. I promise," Harry said, backing up to give him room. Unlike most Aurors, Harry paid attention in victim trauma care training.

"And... can you... not ask... anything?" Draco whimpered, trembling.

Harry knew then that he was about to see serious trauma. A physical record of the torture and abuse Draco had endured. If he hadn't regretted finding Draco before now, this would have made it certain. Malfoy wasn't running from justice. He was running from this.

"I won't ask about anything I see, okay? Luckily, no one else will do this once we get this part done. They will just rely on Veritaserum."

Draco nodded and slowly took off his protective hoodie. Both of Draco's arms were covered in scars. Harry wondered if some of them were self-inflicted, but he promised not to ask.

"When you are ready... just put your arms on the desk," Harry said, grabbing the magic-infused camera.

Draco's forearms were pressed into his chest protectively, but jerkily put his left arm on the counter, face up. Harry could see the old faded Dark Mark under the scarring. He wordlessly took a few shots. Draco carefully switched arms. His right arm was worse. Slashes in haphazard horizontal lines ran down his arm like ruled muggle paper. Harry, again, made no comment and just took photos. Draco brought his arm back to his chest again. Tears were in his eyes as he stared at the floor.

"It-It wasn't me," he whispered. "They did it."

Harry nodded, unsure of what to say. He didn't want to traumatize Draco more. However, Draco couldn't stay silent. He brought his arm out, so Harry could see it. He lowered his head.

"It... It was my body count," he confessed.

Harry tightened up and tried not to count the lines. Thirty... forty? Holy f'n shit. It was past anything he had expected.

Harry couldn't keep his own tears at bay. "I'm so sorry, Draco. I... if I had known... those fucking bastards! They knew... they knew if I knew... I'd never let them find you. Fuck! I'm so... so sorry."

Draco looked up and met his eyes. "Maybe it's better... maybe my son will get a better family... a better life than what he had with me."

"You're his father, though!" Harry exclaimed.

"And look what my father did to me? No, I've been selfish keeping him, but I didn't know what else to do... how to make sure he was safe," Draco said, crying.

Harry offered his hand out. "I won't touch you, but you can touch me if you want."

Draco slowly did. He took a few minutes and a few more when Harry said that he needed photos of his whole body. Draco, almost numb, took off his shirt mechanically. Harry froze, taking in what he was seeing. Draco couldn't look at him.

Written in all caps, not cut but branded on, was "COWARD" scrawled in large letters across his chest.

Harry had to mentally kick himself into action, and he took photos of Draco's brand and his collection of scars. Branded coward was not a euphemism or metaphor. Those assholes literally did it in a permanent way.

"T-Turn around, please," Harry stammered.

Draco slowly complied. His back was worse. Whip marks covered it, and another wand-branded mark was across his shoulders... WHORE. Harry took his pictures, and then asked Draco to lower his trousers so he could take photos of his legs and butt, which were also scarred and smaller words carved into him.

Harry handed Draco an undershirt and robes to don as Harry put his clothes into property bags.

"I made copies of everything in case... something happens," Harry told him.

Draco was zoned out, hugging himself as he sat down in the chair, now dressed. He was bouncing back and forth. Harry was getting worried.

"Draco?"

"He liked to watch them... hurt me. He got off on it... and my aunt... pleasured him," he murmured.

Harry didn't know what to do or say.

Draco just keeps rambling. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry I couldn't help you more at my house when you got caught. I had... I just had my son... and after you left... he t-tortured me more. He didn't really even care about you escaping. He said... he said my aunt couldn't have kids. Now that I whelped, I was ready to b-bear his heirs."

"He said that when I graduated and came home, I was going to be his private whore and bear him sons. He said that if I ran, my son... he'd raise my son to take my place."

Harry wanted so badly to hug Draco but controlled the impulse. "Holy fuck... Draco...."

Draco ignored him. "That's why I gave you my wand. That's why you had to win. And that's why I ran and fled..." he sobbed. "I couldn't let my son grow up in this world... our world... because... because...."

"Draco... breathe...."

But Draco's voice was getting loud and panicked. He pulled back his sleeve, revealing the striped scars, again. "The Dark Lord was the first line. The first one."

Harry trembled at the implication. The child could be the son of Voldemort. "Draco...."

"Even if he's not... he's... no matter what... my son has two Death Eaters for parents. He would be an outcast."

Harry tried to calm down, but a knock came from the door. Ron yelled that Robards was here and coming. Harry had no time and apologized. He reapplied the bindings and took Draco to a holding cell. He said he'd be back as soon as he could, but Draco just dropped to his knees on the cell floor, waiting for more torture.

Fucking hell.

Poor Draco. I always torture him so much. But he does have a cinnamon roll this time.

This is also the anniversary of the death of my father and I miss him so much. It was fun to write a father Draco fic. His cinnamon roll does him proud. Treasure you loved ones. Fight for them, even if they are wrong.

This fic is mostly finished. I handwrote this at work, so it only takes editing and some 온라인카지노게임line rework.