"Well if it isn't Pitty-Potter" the voice sneered. "I see you've gotten yourself a boyfriend? Not surprised really - I always knew you were a fag."
"Dudley" Harry breathed quietly, slowly turning around to look at his cousin.
"I'm sorry, what did you just say?" Draco asked, annoyance clearly laced in his tone.
"You heard me, blondie" Dudley spat.
Draco tried to step closer to the muggle, but Harry's firm grip on his wrist held him in place.
"Draco, don't" Harry pleaded. "He just wants attention, can we please just g-"
"Draco?" Dudley laughed. "What kind of a stupid name is that supposed to be?"
"Well it's not like yours is any better" Draco stated. "Dud. Ley." He spelled out for himself.
"And here I thought muggles had no sense of creativity."
Dudley stepped up to the Slytherin, a sickening grin plastered on his face. "Say that one more time, I didn't quite catch that" he barked.
"Dudley, stop" Harry said. "We're not looking for a fight-"
"- Oh but I am" he interrupted. "Why don't you come out from behind your bodyguard, Potter? I'm sure you must've picked up something from my father after all these years."
Draco stiffened at the words and glanced between Harry and the boy; "Listen, Dud, I don't know what you're trying to do here - but I suggest you keep your damn trap shut next time. It avoids getting into situations like this..."
Dudley eyed the blonde with an arched brow. "Situations like wh-"
"Draco, no!"
~ Meanwhile ~
"- se? Blaise? Blaise!?" Hermione yelled, pulling the Slytherin out of his daze.
"What?" He mumbled, looking around at the concerned faces around him.
"Are you alright, mate?" Pansy asked while glancing between him and Ron.
"Y-yeah, I'm okay" Blaise smiled. "I was just thinking about tomorrow... You know; with the thing..."
Everyone nodded, immediately knowing what the the Slytherin was hinting at.
"Okay, well we should all probably get going to the common rooms - dinner ended two minutes ago and we're still standing in the middle of the corridor" Hermione pointed out after a moment of silence.
"Yeah yeah" Pansy muttered before kissing the Gryffindor's temple. "Sweet dreams, I'll see you tomorrow in the library."
"Night" Hermione smiled. "And please remember to bring your Alchemy textbook this time!" She yelled as the Slytherin walked off.
"You got it, babe!" Pansy snickered and turned around the corner.
Hermione shook her head and looked up at Ron. "I'll see you tomorrow morning too - you two probably want a moment alone." She smiled; clearly knowing what Blaise had been thinking about during the entire conversation.
"Thanks, 'mione" Ron smiled back. "See you..." He mumbled before giving her a quick hug.
"Bye, Blaise" Hermione added before running down the corridor.
A few moments of silence between the two boys passed before Blaise finally cleared his throat.
"So, uh- About tomorrow..." He trailed off.
"Blaise, if you're worried about telling your mom between us - don't. You don't have to tell her anything until you're ready." Ron smiled.
"Thanks, Ron" Blaise sighed and pulled the Gryffindor in for a hug. "Will you be okay being the third wheel tomorrow?" He questioned sarcastically.
"ToTaLlY" Ron chuckled. "I'll be fine - just worry about yourself for now; from what I've heard your mum sounds scary." He stated.
"She is not" Blaise argued. "Okay- maybe a little."
Ron rolled his eyes playfully before pulling away from their hug. "I guess this is... See you later?" He smiled awkwardly.
"See you later, Ron." Blaise chuckled.
***
"I can't believe you did that!" Harry yelled and got off his broom, immediately begining to make his way up the steps.
"Harry, wait-" Draco yelled after him, discarding his broom on the ground before running after the Gryffindor. "I said I was sorry, okay!? Would you just- slow down!?"
Harry stopped walking and turned to face the blonde. "Do you have any idea what you just did? What if he decides to go and tell- Oh gods. What if he tells them? I can't go back after..." He started rambling to himself; tears starting to weld up in his eyes.
"Har- Harry, what are you- Slo- POTTER!" Draco yelled while gripping the boy by his shoulders. "Calm down. Why are you crying?"
Draco traced his thumb across the boy's cheeks, wiping away the few tears that had begun to stain his face.
"Draco, you don't understand..." Harry muttered before falling into the blonde's chest. Draco stumbled backwards a bit before draping his arms around the Gryffindor's body.
"What is it, Raven?" Draco asked softly. "Tell me what's wrong."
Harry was quite for a moment; the only thing that could be heard was his occasional whimpering.
"Dudley is my cousin, Draco" Harry muttered.
Draco frowned. "What does that have to do-"
"No - Dray; I think it's time I told you about what's been going on" Harry interrupted. "Outside of school."
Draco nodded slightly and watched as Harry laced their fingers together - beginning to lead him to the astronomy tower.
Warning: something you've probably read a thousand times in other fanfics.
The two boys took a seat in the middle of the room - Draco quietly and patiently waiting for Harry to start.
"So - let's start with the obvious things first" Harry muttered. "Is that okay?"
Draco nodded.
"My mom has a sister - Petunia Dursley; and after my parents were killed Dumbledore left me in their custody" Harry started. "He said that it was safer that way - with me living there, it meant that I was hidden from Voldemort and the rest of the wizarding world... Unfortunately - my aunt and uncle didn't see it that way."
"I was nothing but a burden to them. A constant reminder to Aunt Petunia that she had lost her sister - at least, that's what I told myself." Harry forced a laugh. "It started off with little things... You know, like name calling and saying a whole bunch of crap about me or my parents."
"Uncle Vernon had stuck me with chores the moment I could hold a mop properly. He would always get angry whenever I didn't do them right; and..." Harry sucked in a sharp breath as his earliest memory flashed through his mind. "Then punish me."
Draco flinched at the words; but continued to sit quietly and let Harry continue.
"I use to sleep in a cupboard under the stairs up until I was eleven years old - that's when I moved into Dudley's second room" Harry explained, feeling his chest tightening with each second.
The only people who knew about this was Ron and Hermione; and even they didn't know the all the details.
So why was it so easier for Harry to talk to Draco about this?
"They keep locks on the door, and only let me out whenever they need chores done around the house... Aunt Petunia is easier to deal with - she just uses words and slurs to get to me. I stopped listening to her when I was thirteen, though. Uncle Vernon is... Well..."
"More physical...?" Draco's jaw clenched at the thought of someone hurting Harry.
"Yeah. Like I said - it started small. It use to be a hit on the head here and there; but as I got older..." Harry was quiet for a few seconds, swallowing the lump in his throat before continuing. "It got worse. Dudley - Dudley craves his father's approval; so he started to do the same. We were actually friends, not close friends though, until I received my Hogwarts letter. After that I was labeled as a freak."
"You know - in fith year I actually saved his life from a Dementor and all I got was a letter letting me know that I had been expelled from Hogwarts" Harry smiled sadly as the tears started making their way back down his face. "I tried being more careful around them, but it was never- I was never good enough."
"I'm nothing but a burden to them!" He repeated and clenched his jaw.
Draco's eyes widened at the sight and he quickly stood up to comfort Harry - letting the Gryffindor sob into his shoulder as the painful memories of his still-unspoken words played through the boy's mind.
"Harry, you are not a burden" Draco whispered into his ear. "You are brave, kind and deserve so much better than what those filthy muggles did to you."
"I can't imagine what ot must've been like for you" he continued. "And to think I only made it worse whenever you had your one chance to escape from all that."
Guilt began to resurface as Draco cradled Harry gently.
"You couldn't have known..." Harry muttered through his tears.
"That's no excuse" Draco stated angrily. "I was a selfish prick who contributed to making your life a living hell - for you and your friends."
"I'm sorry about what happened to you, Raven" he muttered and hugged the crying boy closer. "I am so so sorry..."
As Draco whispered comforting words into his Raven's ear, a shadow lurked from the distance... Having heard every single word that Harry had spilled - and planning to use that to their advantage.
• • • • • • • • • •
I swear to Merlin-