Tobias Potter

19

It was time to head back to Hogwarts, Tobias had not seen Draco the rest of the holiday. He was unsure of whether his father had punished him or not, Severus said he was fine but Tobias was yet to believe him. He had packed and was on his way, working through the crowded platform, he was going back on the train because he wanted to see everybody. He approached the wall and went straight through, Severus had dropped him off and is taking his trunk to Hogwarts for him. He went through the platform entrance and immediately saw Draco boarding the train, his parents stood by him. His father had not taken an eye off of him, he looked so much weaker than when Tobias left him. He climbed onto the train further away, not wanting to anger Lucius anymore. He made his way down the train once it pulled away from the station, Severus said he was going with him and not on the train. So his arrival will be a shock. He saw the boy alone in a carriage, he bumped into Crabbe and Goyle who warned him not to enter, that Draco wanted to be alone. Tobias, obviously did not listen to them and entered anyway.

'Leave.' He uttered a single word. It was cold.
'I'm sorry.' Tobias said. Naturally knowing he did wrong. That he was the reason of this outcome.
'Don't.' A single word again.
'What did he do?' Tobias sat by him. Draco moved.
'Nothing.' Single word.
'Please.' A single plea.
'Nothing!' A single yell.
'Please!' A final plea.
'Tobias...please. Leave.' Draco uttered, verging on the edge of tears.
'No.' Tobias wanted to know what is wrong.

Draco didn't do anything, not for a while. The boys sat in silence, nobody bothered the cart as they heard what had happened. Soon, after an hour or two of waiting, Draco finally moved. He shut the blinds, locked the door and blocked out any way of viewing or hearing. Once he was seated back, across of Tobias, he finally spoke up.

'My father, is extremely homophobic. As it turns out. Your dad, I mean, Godfather. He came and begged to Lucius but he didn't listen, he said it was his fault, that it was a stupid present and all a little bit of fun. He banned him from entering the Manor after that. I spent the rest of the holiday in my room, after...'
'No.' Tobias knew where this was going.
'Yes. He...he hit me a few times. Yelled a bit, and locked me in my room. It is not your fault, you had no idea what he was like. Nor did you know what he would do.' Draco saw the pained look on Tobias, he didn't want that look there.

Tobias went over, disgusted by what he had heard and hugged him gently. He carefully pulled back Draco's shirt, looking down his back and chest. He saw the bruises and marks. He let a single tear fall down his face, he felt horrible, he had no clue how a father could do that. How a person could do that their son, but, some people did.

'Draco, I am so, so, so sorry.' Tobias but his lip slightly as Draco leaned back into his seat.
'Tobias, honestly, it's fine. I'm not angry.'
'You should.'
'Yet I don't.'
'Why?' Tobias couldn't understand this boy.
'Because, you are my best friend and I know I said to wait. However, you know those cute little relationships that children have about thinking they know love, and it's really cute because it's little kisses and only holding hands on special days. Yeah, I was wondering if we could have a secret relationship like that.' How could he ask that after being beaten? Tobias would be dying from anger.
'Sure. I don't see why in Merlins beard you'd forgive me, but I'd love to be your little secret.' Tobias smiled.
'Yay.' Draco sat up and gripped the other boys hand, as if the pain was now worth it.

They sat eating food for the whole ride, Draco told Tobias to stop apologising but the message never got through. They finally arrived back into Draco's dorm where they hibernated together on Draco's bed, Tobias sat whilst Draco let his head fall onto Tobias.

'Did he do anything else?' Tobias sat, taking his boyfriends, he liked that word a lot now, boyfriends hand.
'No.' Draco said, closing his hand around Tobias's.
'Can I see you without your shirt on? So I can see all the damage.' Draco sat up and removed his white shirt.

He had bruises all along his back, and more covered his stomach. Very few faint ones, rested on his shoulders. They looked more like hand bruises, so Tobias assumed Lucius grabbed him and pulled him around a lot. What caught his eye however, was the scars that littered along Draco's arms.

'You said he hit you, why are there scars? He said he did nothing else.' Tobias traced where they were.
'Exactly, he didn't. I said nothing about me.'