Chapter 6 Draco
Chapter 6 Draco
Draco had cried for hours. His eyes were raw and the tears had dried up, he was probably dehydrated now, it seemed impossible that there was any moisture left in his body. There was a terrified and tortured muggle underneath his feet somewhere, the knowledge picked away at Draco, like an axe slowly chipping away at a tree. It was going to fall at some point.
It had gone on for such a long time, Draco had witnessed Voldemort use crucio more times than he cared to remember, but never like that. Never so much for so long. Draco had desperately wished Dudley had just given up his secrets, couldn’t understand why he hadn’t just told him, that’s what people normally did. Draco knew certainly it’s what he would have done. Draco wasn’t brave.
Draco pondered the blockage he had felt, it was something completely new. He didn’t even realise muggles could use occlumency, he wasn’t convinced that it was occlumency. It hadn’t felt like a shield, it had felt like a fortress. Did Dudley even know what was behind it? Had a wizard placed the wall there? Could Dudley even control it? Could he have removed that blockage if he’d wanted to? Did Dudley actually know where Harry was? Draco was being eaten alive by questions. He was also imagining the state Dudley had been left in, memories of blood and dead eyes repeated endlessly through his head. That’s what pushed him into the dungeons in the end, he needed to see Dudley with his own eyes so his brain would stop spiralling with images of lifeless bodies and blood soaked floors. He apparated to the dungeons, there were only three cells down there but they were large. Draco found Dudley in the first one. He was laid awkwardly face down on the floor. Draco couldn’t understand why anyone would lay like that, it looked so uncomfortable, one knee jutting out to the side, one arm underneath him and the other at a right angle to his body. A shiver slowly wrinkled its way down Dudley’s spine, his stomach turned over, he was dead. He had to be. He hadn’t moved, completely still and lifeless sprawled on the floor.
But then Draco noticed Dudley’s back rise ever so slightly and fall back down. He was breathing. A weight lifted from his shoulders, Dudley must be sleeping. Maybe it was a muggle thing, sleeping in strange positions. Draco knew that scientifically he wasn’t really any different from a muggle but he wasn’t sure he’d ever actually had a proper conversation with a muggle. They were something of an enigma to him. He obviously disliked them, they were inferior. He’d learned that as soon as he was old enough to understand, his parents had ensured it, still there was something irresistibly interesting, the excitement of something unknown or hidden from him. Draco cleared his throat
‘I’m going to Apparate inside’ he announced. Nothing.
Draco apparated into the cell. Still nothing. Dudley didn’t move an inch.
Draco moved closer and knelt down. He could see blood everywhere now. It had spread out from Dudley’s face creating a small lake on the ground. Draco also noticed the bitter smell of urine. Clearly Dudley couldn’t move, he wouldn’t have remained laid out on the cold ground covered in his own mess out of choice. Draco placed a wobbly hand on Dudley’s shoulder, giving him a gentle shove, checking he definitely wasn’t asleep. Bodybind he realised. They’d left him in a fucking bodybind, Draco bit his lip so hard he drew blood. Guilt rushing his body. He’d been upstairs stewing for hours, why had he left it so long? He really was evil. This was all the confirmation he needed.
Draco stood again
‘I’m going to release you’ he said, glad when he heard the even, cool tone of his own voice.
‘Dimittis’ he whispered.
Dudley’s body instantly tensed up, his hands going straight to his face. Dudley slowly lifted his face from the floor and sat up, Draco could see the extent of the damage now. Dried blood covered most of his face but under the blood was the unmistakable mottled purple of bruising. His left eye socket was swollen like he’d had an allergic reaction. His eye unable to open. Dudley’s hands traced the damage feeling along the ridge of his nose and over the swelling. Dudley suddenly became aware of Draco standing over him. He looked up and their eyes met again, locking in. Then Dudley was swiftly backing away, shuffling backwards until he hit a wall. More bubbles of shame popped in Draco's stomach. Of course Dudley was afraid. He would be mad not to be.
‘That looks sore’ Draco managed
‘Don’t come near me, don’t touch me’ Dudley answered
‘I could help. There are spells-
‘-NO, please please no’ Dudley was sobbing now, tears clearing tracks in the blood on his cheeks. Draco didn’t think he had ever felt worse in his life. His entire being was a furious ball of hatred and shame and regret and resentment.
‘I won’t.’
‘T-Thankyou’ Dudley sounded exhausted.
Draco couldn’t do this, he wasn’t strong enough.
Draco apparated to the garden, accio’d some metal buckets from deep in the shed. Draco filled one with hot soapy water one with clean cold water and he left the third empty, he also grabbed a towel from his bathroom, a pumpkin pasty from his bedside drawer and a glass of water. It really wasn’t much but he couldn’t think of anything else. He apparated back to the dungeon and left the items in the corner of Dudley’s cell, he said nothing, didn’t even look at Dudley Before returning to his room for a futile attempt at sleep.