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It was a few days after winter break, and so far it had been rather uneventful which was, in Harry's opinion, an extremely good thing. No one had confessed their undying love for him, no one had spread any rumours about his relationship, and no one had harassed Draco either. So far things were looking very good.
Harry and Ron were walking through one of the outside corridors, returning to the common room after a day of classes, when the pair unexpectedly rammed into a bunch of other students. The two Gryffindor's exchanged exasperated looks. Large groups of students gathered together never meant good things for them. They usually ended in fights and house points being taken away. Reluctantly, they pushed past the dense and chattering crowd only to find Draco and an older wizard in the middle of it all.
It seemed Harry spoke too soon.
This would most certainly be an event.
Harry's eyebrows knitted together and his green eyes shone with worry as he watched the older wizard shout at Draco. He was slightly taller than Draco with the trademark silvery blond hair of a Malfoy that reached far past his shoulders. A permanent snarl stayed on his lips almost like a wolf baring its teeth, and that fact alone made Harry feel even more unsettled at the thought of this man yelling at Draco. He also took notice of the cane the man held that had a snake’s head as the handle, no doubt a wand hidden inside of it, which furthered his cruel-looking image.
Must be Draco's father.
Harry chewed on his lower lip worriedly. He'd only ever met Draco's mother, a lovely witch who was equal parts elegant, kind, and fierce. No wonder she had left Mr Malfoy. He was vile, cruel, and pathetic. The complete opposite of the refined woman she was.
As far as Harry knew she'd raised Draco by herself other than the odd holiday or weekend he was forced to spend with his father, something Harry's boyfriend complained about constantly. Although, now that he thought about it, Draco hadn't complained about his father in quite a while. He'd actually been rather quiet about it lately. But Harry had just assumed he hadn't been to see his father in a while. That was his mistake.
He tuned into Lucius Malfoy's shouting then, his voice rising even louder than before. It bounced and echoed throughout the courtyard, grating Harry's nerves.
"You're as worthless as your good for nothing mother-"
"I'm sor-"
"Do not interrupt me when I am speaking!" Lucius Malfoy hissed as he raised his right hand and struck Draco across the face. A sickening clap rang out in the courtyard as Draco let his head fall forward till it hung in shame, his eyes glued to his feet and a red handprint surfaced on his pale cheek. The courtyard was now completely silent of all of the students’ whispers. Many had sympathetic eyes focused on Draco, but a small few, including many Gryffindor's, were looking smug about the harm that had come to him. Bloody bastards, he couldn't help who his father was any more than Harry could.
Rage blossomed in Harry's chest like a roaring wildfire as he shoved his books into the nearest students’ arms, which just so happened to be Ron, and stormed toward the two Malfoy's. His eyes were blazing with anger as he whipped out his wand and harshly pressed it into Lucius Malfoy's neck, completely unfazed by the Death Eater. He stood between one of the most infamous dark wizards and Draco without an ounce of fear. He vaguely remembered Draco calling him stupidly heroic and awfully Gryffindor-ish earlier that year as he did so. Draco was probably correct.
"Touch him again, I dare you." He spat, his face mere inches away from the older man. It was a threat and it came out in a cold and detached tone. He barely contained his urge to curse the old man with something foul and unforgivable. No one was allowed to lay a hand on Draco like that. No one. Not even his loathsome father.
"Look at that, your little half-blood faggot has come to save you. The things your mother allows you to get away with and with a filthy paki no less. You've truly tarnished yourself, Draco." Lucius drawled bitterly as he looked down at Harry with the utmost disgust, his lips curling nastily.
"This does not concern the likes of you," he said, harshly shoving Harry to the ground with a swipe of his cane. Harry let out a growl at the words, blood boiling viciously. Draco wasn't tarnished.
Lucius grabbed onto Draco's forearm tightly, nails digging into his pale flesh. His nails would no doubt leave marks and a possessive part of Harry's brain couldn't help but think that no one other than him should be allowed to leave marks on Draco.
Lucius pulled Draco harshly towards him, little beads of blood surfacing as he tore Draco's delicate skin in the process. And Harry's fury only seemed to grow at his actions. Who cared if Lucius smacked him around and threw slurs at him, but how dare he touch Draco like that! How dare he dig his nails into his arm so painfully that it left blood trickling down onto the cobblestone floor. Harry could see nothing but red as he grit his teeth.
"We are leaving," Lucius announced pulling his son along. Harry looked up from his position on the ground and was seriously debating on whether or not he should just charge at the bloody git who dared harm Draco in his presence. It was, after all, a very tempting idea. But, being the wise person he was, he thought better of it and remained silent. He knew this was something Draco had to do alone. He knew his boyfriend was stronger and braver than anyone gave him credit for. He could do this.
He watched as Draco yanked his arm from Lucius and hurried over to help him up with a soft smile that Harry returned. Harry held firmly to the blond's hand and gave it an encouraging squeeze as Draco faced his horrid father.
"I will not be going with you, Father, and I will be informing Mother of all your doings," Draco looked down at Harry and gave him a smile that melted his heart, before turning and glaring at Lucius, "You ought to leave before she hears, Mother can be ever so nasty when displeased. Besides, there isn't a thing you can do to make me into something I am not. I will never be like you."
Harry did not doubt that Lucius stared horrified as Draco leant down and kissed him square on the mouth. The ferocity behind the kiss left butterflies swirling in Harry's stomach after he pulled away. He truly was head over heels for this boy.
The pair stood staring into one another's eyes until Harry heard Ron shout from somewhere within the crowd.
"Harry, watch out!"
He looked up to find Lucius raising his wand at not him, but Draco with a malicious and manic grin on his face. Harry's eyes flared, his hand clenched around his wand as he lost complete control of his emotions which set off his magic as well. A strong wind whipped around him as he marched towards the Malfoy patriarch, a murderous look on his face.
With a few wordless spells, that he had no idea he was capable of using, he forcefully shoved Lucius against a wall, flicked his wand out of his grip, and had the vines wrap around him keeping him firmly in place.
"I warned you, didn't I?" He hissed with a look that could have made any and every one of the students present in the courtyard turn tail and run. He could hear them gasp at his actions and the faint click and flash of a camera going off somewhere to his left. A small part of him realized this would certainly make the front page of the Daily Prophet later that week. It surely was a sight to behold, the big bad Lucius Malfoy splayed halfway up a wall by a teenager on a rampage. He could see the headlines now, 'Breaking News: The Boy Who Lived Assaults Ex-Death Eater Lucius Malfoy on School Grounds over his Son!'
Good.
They should all know not to mess with Draco unless they wanted to deal with Harry.
"Professor! Harry's gone mad!" Someone squealed from somewhere in the crowd. Harry was too infuriated to look away from Lucius' scowling face to see the crowd part to let both Professor Flitwick and the Headmistress walk in.
"That will be quite enough of that, Mister Potter. Thank you." Headmistress McGonagall said as she laid a hand on Harry's shoulder. The tension in his back bled out as he allowed himself to be manoeuvred away from Lucius and into Draco's awaiting arms.
"Mister Black, please take Mister Potter to the infirmary." Professor Flitwick said, gesturing to Harry's arm which had a large gash from elbow to wrist. He hadn't even realized he was bleeding. It didn't even hurt. He supposed that must've been the adrenaline. Draco nodded dumbly, a dazed look on his face as he began to pull Harry away from his spiteful father. And Harry would have let him too if Lucius Malfoy hadn't felt the need to open his mouth and speak again.
"Just you wait, Draco, I'll beat the disobedience out of you if I must, but you will not disgrace the Malfoy name with such revolting dalliances any longer!"
Harry shrugged off his hands and turned back around to storm up to Lucius, digging his wand back into the old wizard’s throat. The older man flinched at Harry's actions and went to speak again when he cast a silent Langlock, effectively glueing his tongue to the roof of his mouth and silencing him.
"Come near him again and I will be the one in Azkaban." He growled lowly, his heart pounding, eyes narrowed, and a cruel curl to his lips. No one dared touch him, his hair standing on end, magic angrily crackling around him.
"You are nothing! Nothing, but a pathetic, racist, homophobic, blood purist, and entitled prick. Just a stupid bully who never grew up. You couldn’t be more worthless if you tried," He pressed the tip of his wand further into his neck, if it had been a knife it would have more than drawn blood, and leant in leaving them nearly nose to nose, his voice dangerously low as he continued, "Draco is a Black, he may be a Malfoy by blood but he has never represented you or your awful family. I will kill you next time, Lucius, do not doubt that."
With that he drew back and smiled venomously, patting the older man’s cheek. It was a purely condescending gesture and Harry watched as Lucius angrily threw his head in the opposite direction of his touch. Like he was poison, like it burned. Harry hoped it did.
"Have a lovely time trying to deal with Narcissa Black once she hears about all this, I'm sure she'll gladly put the fear of Circe into you herself." Harry laughed coldly, then turned and pulled a stunned Draco towards the hospital wing.
• • •
Once they had gotten to the infirmary, Harry continuously refused treatment until Draco was healed, effectively pissing off Madame Pomfrey in the process and making him bleed all over her pristine floors. But he was adamant. He didn't want Lucius' marks all over Draco any longer than they needed to be. And Draco didn't need the reminder, neither did Harry.
He said nothing as he watched Madame Pomfrey clean up his boyfriend. He silently pet Draco's hair and rubbed his back soothingly as she gave him a calming draught for the panic attack that seized him after he'd snapped out of his stunned stupor. Harry stayed that way as she healed him and finally finished flitting around them anxiously, leaving them alone with an exasperated huff.
Harry sat propped up against the pillows an armful of pretty blond. Draco was curled up against his body, a shaky hand clinging to his shirt as they cuddled in a cot. Despite the near foot he had over Harry he always was more of a little spoon.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Harry," Draco murmured looking up at Harry from where he was tucked into his arms. His pretty silver eyes, red-rimmed from the hysterical crying he had done a few minutes prior. He sighed and kissed Draco's temples.
"I know," Harry hummed, pressing his nose to Draco's hair and breathing him in, the smell of green apples and parchment settling his nerves. Draco was fine. He was safe. Lucius wouldn't touch him again, he would make sure of that. He turned his head, leaning his cheek against Draco's hair, "I just wish you had. Why didn't you, love?"
"I thought I could handle him on my own. I didn't think he would show up and make such a scene. I thought I could-could make him see reason about me, about us," Draco said, his voice getting quieter with each word, "It was childish, a stupid idea. I was being foolish, seeking his approval. I'm sorry for how useless I am, for dragging you into all this."
"You are far from useless and nowhere near foolish or stupid, Draco. Your father, from what I've heard and what I've seen, is an unreasonable and foul man. He doesn't deserve to have you as a son, he never did." Harry said, his voice firm and unwavering. Draco shifted a little, making Harry raise his head till their eyes met.
Draco reached up a hand and stroked soft fingers down Harry's cheek. His eyes were full of guilt as he glanced from Harrys’ now healed arm to his face.
"I'm sorry he called you those nasty things," He whispered, "You aren't dirty or anything of the sort. Not for your blood, for your skin, or for who you love. And he hurt you, too. I'm so sorry, Harry."
Harry's eyes softened as a few stray tears ran down his boyfriends’ cheeks. He wished Draco understood how little he cared about being called racist and homophobic slurs or about getting a little scratch. None of that mattered so long as Draco was safe and happy.
"Sweet thing, you don't have to apologize, especially not for something you didn't do. I'm alright, I've had worse," Harry said as he wrapped a hand around Draco's and brought it to his lips. He kissed his fingertips, his palm, the soft inside of his wrist just where his pulse was at and hummed quietly. He loved kissing his wrists, feeling his pulse on his lips, reminding himself that Draco was here, was real, was his. It had taken a while for them to get to this point and he loved to remind himself of this.
Draco made a displeased sound at his words.
“You shouldn’t have to deal with such disrespect and cruelty, it doesn’t matter whether you've had worse or not. It’s awful, you do not deserve that, especially not from my relatives.”
"How you view me, Draco, matters more than anyone else. Their words carry no weight, no value in comparison. Not even big bad Death Eater, Mr Malfoy."
"But-"
"But, nothing, love. If you can see me for more than just my blood, then I can do the same for you."
Draco gave him a sweet smile and leant up to kiss him, only for Ron to burst into the Hospital Wing with a loud slam of the doors and Harry's books in tow.
They both shot up, gawking at him, wide-eyed and shocked. Ron was dishevelled, to say the least, his hair sticking up at odd ends, cheeks flushed a dark red and huffing deep breaths before he took a large gulp of air and fixed Harry with a dark look. Oh, Merlin.
"Never," he said dangerously low, "Never, leave me alone with those blasted monsters ever again!"
He stormed over to the shocked couple and continued to speak, his voice steadily rising to a yell.
"Do you know how many of your fans I had to pry off of me just to get here?! They were all falling on top of each other, on top of me, trying to grab your bloody things and return them to you!"
He unceremoniously dumped Harry's things all over the ground and huffed out a sound of irritation before poking Harry in the shoulder roughly.
"You owe me butterbeer for at least a week." He grouched before turning to Draco with an altogether different look and demeanour.
Ron smiled at him sympathetically and pat him on the shoulder, a large contrast from the angry boy he had been moments ago.
"I'm glad you're alright, Black. I'm sorry that happened. If you ever need anything ‘Mione and I are always here in case this git," He jabbed a harsh finger into Harry’s shoulder again, making Harry scowl and flick his finger away, "Isn't around with his bloody hero-complex to save the day."
"Hey! I do not have a 'bloody hero complex'!"
Draco snorted at that and merely pecked him on the cheek.
"Of course not, my love. And thank you, Weasley, I appreciate that."
Ron gave him a kind smile, then turned to leave, but not before flipping Harry off and shouting, "A whole week, Harry," over his shoulder as he went.
"Yeah, yeah whatever, mate!" Harry called back before turning to face his boyfriend, "And you, don't you patronize me, Draco Black, I do not have a-"
Draco let out an exasperated laugh and crashed his lips down on Harry's to shut him up. He snogged the living daylights out of him before pulling back, leaving a dazed look on his face.
"Yeah, alright," Harry babbled, face feeling flush and mind fuzzy from the kiss, a dopey grin settling on his face, "I suppose I do have a 'bloody hero complex', but I'll only admit it as long as you keep snogging me like that."
"Hmmm, I think I will. Your 'bloody hero complex' is rather hot. So's the wordless magic, Merlin was that mouthwatering."
"Good, I'll keep that in mind."
Draco laughed again, a sweet and elegant sound before Harry stole his mouth into a kiss.