Chapter 3
Hermione was the first one to wake the next morning. She was sitting in an arm-chair next to Harry when Draco opened his eyes. It was still early, and the sun had not risen yet. But the light of the fire showed a grin on her face that he wasn’t sure was coming from a story she had been reading. After blinking a few times, Draco’s eyes cleared, and he noticed a heavy weight. Harry had moved in his sleep and was slumped sideways with his head in Draco’s lap. It looked like a terribly uncomfortable position for him, and Draco was sure he was going to have a kink in his neck for days. Gently he lifted his own arm and prodded Harry on the shoulder. He did not rouse. Draco prodded again. Nothing
“Sometimes, he sleeps incredibly soundly. Makes up for all the time he spends not sleeping I suppose,” said Hermione in barely more than a whisper.
“Makes sense,” said Draco prodding Harry’s shoulder one more time. Still nothing. So instead, he tried to roll Harry’s head to the side and push his shoulder underneath him. That would at least take the tension off his neck muscles a bit.
“Would you like a blanket?” asked Hermione getting up and laying one over Potter’s body that hung off the couch at an awkward angle.
“No, I’m fine without one. Thanks though,” he said.
…..
It was some time later that Draco awoke again. The sun light coming in through the window behind him. This time though Harry was nowhere to be seen. He must have gotten up and went to bed, or to eat, thought Draco. He did notice that he was covered in the same blanket that was placed on Harry earlier and wondered how he didn’t notice the change. Either way, he figured it was a good sign that he slept well for once and he shook it off as he got up to go get dressed and start his day.
When Draco went into the boy’s dorm, he realized it was empty. He panicked only for a short moment, thinking it was breakfast time, before casting a tempus charm, and then panicked in earnest. It was 10 past 8 and he was late for his first class of the day. He hurriedly got dressed and ran toward the Charm’s classroom. It took only about ten minutes for an out of breath Draco to reach the classroom on the other side of the castle on the fourth floor. Flitwick, while usually cheerful and full of energy during class, was instead sitting behind his desk when Draco entered the classroom.
“Nice of you to join us Mr. Malfoy.” Said Flitwick with a slight tone of annoyance.
“Sorry, I overslept,” said Malfoy sheepishly and took his spot at the end of the table next to Hermione.
Class was already fully going with many students practicing their minor healing charms on the oddly realistic dummies provided for them. There were only a few students that were still reading about them in the book. Most students had a pretty good grasp on the minor healing spells for bruises and small cuts because of having to heal themselves or each other after punishment from the Carrows the previous year. Malfoy was quite adept at healing charms being tortured and punished not only by his Father and Aunt, but also by Voldemort as well. It took only a few minutes for him to review the information provided in the book, and to begin his ministrations on the dummy on his desk.
After about twenty more minutes Flitwick stopped the class to describe the ways in which healing charms can be used on larger areas and bigger wounds.
“While dittany is the best option to help heal splinching and loss of limbs, it’s also important to know how to heal such things with charms. So, to practice I want you all to begin by severing a limb off your dummies and then try to reattach it. That will be what we are doing for the rest of the class today and we will see how far you get with it,” Flitwick said in a matter-of-fact tone.
Draco was nervous about reattaching limbs. He had healed his fair share of bruises, cuts, and scrapes, but he had never dealt with splinching and was terrified by the idea. He reluctantly used an easy severing charm on his dummies arm and tried to reattach it with the healing charm they had been learning. There was no success. Not so much as a spot of attachment could be claimed. Draco looked next to him to see that Hermione’s fake arm had been almost reattached to her dummy her first try.
“If I only I knew how to do this last year, things would have been much easier on us,” Draco heard her say quietly to Harry next to her. This was a curious thing to say and made him wonder who had lost a limb or gotten splinched while they were off on their adventures away from Hogwarts. Not that he was jealous of them, but at least they didn’t have Voldemort living with them, breathing down their necks, causing mayhem and disruption to their daily life and scaring them near to death with every look. But then again, the trio had experienced those things and Draco had to remind himself of that and stop being so selfish about what he went through. He wasn’t the only one he just didn’t know of the other’s struggles yet.
Flitwick tapped his wand on his desk three times and the classroom fell silent. Draco was brought out of his thoughts and noticed the entire class had seemed to fall off into their own thoughts with only Hermione and Neville having completed any healing.
“I think that will be good for today. I would like you each to write twelve inches on healing charms and how to preform them. Due next week. I do want you to take your time and don’t push yourselves. As I can tell from how you have reacted to this lesson, there are still some issues that need worked through. Be patient with yourselves.” Flitwick
With that comment a couple seventh year students began to cry. Surprisingly, Draco noticed Ron’s face turn scarlet and Hermione’s eyes began to shine. With being dismissed from class almost two hours early, Draco decided the best thing he could do was find a quiet place to study. He tried the library first, but it was full of his classmates. His next best idea was to find a deserted corridor to sit down in. It was still warm enough that he didn’t have to cast a heating charm but cool enough where he wasn’t sweating. He was thankful for this small amount of comfort as he conjured a large fluffy emerald pillow to sit upon. He withdrew his parchment and quill from his bag and began his essay for Flitwick. While he imagined he would not have much problem with it compared to the others, who obviously had trauma to sift through, he found that he also had some issues to deal with still. He had to remind himself that healing took time. He also had to remind himself that despite it not being a competition as to who was hurt the most, Draco had most definitely not suffered as much as the others, and he needed to give them space to heal from what he and other death eaters had done. He had to respect the need for others in order to heal. He was determined to do so.
….
It was late when Draco finished his essay. Surprised that he got it done within just one day’s time, he got up and left his corridor for dinner. Most of the Eighth-year students were not here and while Draco wondered where they were, he decided to eat anyways. He only had a small amount of food before he got back up and went to the dorms to rest. It had not been a physically grueling day, but he was tired none the less.
Draco didn’t know what to expect when he got to the Eighth-year dorm, but everyone sharing stories from their perspective of the war was not it. When he opened the door and stepped into the cozy couch and cushion filled room, he noticed more than one face red and shiny with tears. He also noticed that Ginny and Luna had joined the group. They were sitting on separate cushions when he entered, but then Luna got up and sat next to Ginny on hers.
“Come sit here Draco, I think you all should hear something” Luna said mildly.
Draco cautiously sat on Luna purple velvet cushion and looked around. While no one seemed filled with hate at his appearance, he noticed some were less open and had moved into more closed positions. Draco forced himself to take a deep breath and relax a little into the puff.
“Draco saved my life. I just wanted everyone to know that. I know he has done a lot of wrong, but he tried his best to be good and was severely punished for it. I remember the first night I was held at the manor he came to the dungeons to make sure I was ok. And while I was far from okay, it was a reminder that there was good to be found even within the darkest times. Just like Dumbledore said. He would visit at least once a day with scraps of food or water for all of us that were held there. Every time he got caught, but he didn’t stop, even though his aunt tortured him for it. Sometimes his dad would crucio him after her. Sometimes, it’s the small things that save those around you, and this was no small act of kindness. This was an act of defiance and it saved more than just me. I wanted you all to know that of him,” Luna stated solidly, as if trying to convince herself that she was okay.
Draco was in shock. He never had anyone talk so well about him before. He didn’t know that anyone other than his Father and Aunt knew he was tortured for bringing the prisoners food and water. They said they wouldn’t tell anyone because they didn’t want looked down on or punished for it. He supposed that Luna would have known because she was fed by him and most likely heard him screaming. She would have seen the cuts and bruises before he had a chance to heal them since he had to sneak time to do that as well. Draco looked around at the stunned faces that looked back at him. And only then did he realize the tears falling down his face. Not that he didn’t cry, or that he was ashamed of his emotions, but he wasn’t too keen on everyone knowing his deepest secrets and seeing him cry in all at once. Draco stood swiftly and walked rather briskly towards the boy’s room. He heard a small rustling behind him but did not turn to look back, assuming it was Luna moving back to her poof. It wasn’t until the door closed behind him that he realized the noise had nothing to do with Luna but was instead, Harry who had gotten up and followed him into his cubby.
“I didn’t know,” “I’m sorry,” ”I know it’s never easy, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth it in the end,” and “Thank you,” seemed to come out of Harry’s mouth all at once in a jumble confusing Draco and by the look on his face, Harry as well. All Draco really understood was the “Thank you” and he stood there, looking at Potter from over his shoulder, not knowing how to respond. They both stood where they were for an uncomfortable amount of time. Until Neville came in as well. He was followed closely by Luna. Neville stopped at Potter’s side and patted him on the back while Luna went towards Draco and engulfed him in a hug.
Draco was not particularly comfortable being hugged by Luna, or anyone for that matter. He wasn’t raised like that, with physical affection of any sort. He did allow it because, if he was being honest with himself, he liked it and he needed it. Just when he settled into the embrace Luna stepped away and it was over. Suddenly, he was being squeezed around his waist again. This time all he saw was a mass of black move toward him. It couldn’t have been another hug from Luna, and it was impossible for it to be who he thought it was. Harry would never.