Harry screamed in his sleep. It wasn't the first time that night, either. The whimpering had occurred since they had rescued him, but it started in earnest around midnight. The screaming started shortly after. Narcissa couldn't take it anymore. She turned to the doorway and started yelling at Dumbledore.
"Isn't there anything we can do for him? We can't just watch him suffer like this! Draco wasn't this bad when he got his inheritance! I wasn't this bad with mine! What is happening? You had better tell me now, or so help me Albus..." She got up and threatened him with her eyes. The intent was clear.
"Narcissa, I know your motherly instincts are coming out to play, but if you could just listen to reason-"
"AND WHAT ABOUT HIS SCREAMS? WHY DON'T YOU LISTEN TO THAT FOR A MOMENT?" There was silence, broken only by Harry's screaming and writhing.
"I understand. I don't like it any more than you. Some inheritances, especially when there is no previous history of them in the family, can be extremely painful. Severus has already informed me that if we try to give him potions or ease his pain in any way, the chances of him dying go up exponentially. You have been so kind as to offer him a home here, despite what the male Malfoy's have said. I only wish there was something we could do without risking his death." He paused, looking sadly at the boy whom he had come to love. So much kindness, going through so much torture. It didn't seem fair.
"Albus, I wish I could tell you the extent this boy has been traumatized tonight. Not just with his changing. I can smell it on him, the kind of pain he was forced to suffer through. Why would you not come to us sooner, if the boy was being punished this way? You knew, and yet you ignored it. That is truly unforgivable." Her voice was lowered, a sadness that was overpowered by a dark threatening undertone towards the end.
Her yelling from earlier had summoned the other three men from down the hall, and they had arrived in time to hear her voice change. Lucius was the first to speak.
"Cissa, what's happened? Dumbledore has already admitted to knowing Harry was beaten in recent years, but why the sudden turn of emotion in your voice?" She looked at him, conveying to his mind just what she could smell on the boy. Proof that the uncle was truly a disgusting creature. Lucius's mouth fell open, and he turned on Dumbledore.
"Did you know?" His voice was suddenly very menacing. Albus looked between the two in subtle confusion. "Did you know that that boy in there was starved, beaten senseless, weakened just so his uncle could...could....have his way with him?" He practically hissed the last part, he was so disgusted. Dumbledore's eyes widened, clearly not having any idea that's how far things had progressed over the summer. A great sadness filled his eyes, and he hung his head. Shame radiated from his body, disappointment in himself for not being able to protect Harry from such a brutal situation. The boy had told him about the beatings, but he must have been covering up just how bad they really were.
Lucius and Narcissa seemed to think that wallowing in his own mind was the best punishment for him. Draco and Severus stood there, shell-shocked. The looked at each other, both knowing what the other was thinking. How could they have treated him with such hatred when he had been on the brink of breaking from the stresses and horrors of what was supposed to be home?
Lucius closed the door softly behind him as Narcissa took up her diligent post by the bedside, ready to take Harry's hand once more to attempt to comfort him from reality while he wrestled with the changes happening to his body and the events of the last twenty four hours.
Harry felt like he was swimming in a very dark pool. Memories swirled around him. He was looking in on snippets of his own life. The last run-in he had with Malfoy. Dumbledore's twinkling eyes. The last feast of the year at Hogwarts. Having to say goodbye to his friends. Dudley beating him up, over and over again. His uncle slamming the door open-
-Harry screamed at his memory. Screamed for him to get up and run. Screamed for him to make a run for it. To fight harder. To fight longer. And then, he begged himself to pass out sooner. So he wouldn't have to remember.
As his memories shot by, one after another, he noticed they were fading to something else. His body burned, like he was engulfing certain parts of himself in flames. His shoulder blades, head, and chest got the worst of it. His entire body was uncomfortable warm; hot even. It increased in strength as the memories faded away into the blackness, the blackness became white hot with the intensity of the pain increasing.
He didn't know just how long he would be here, but he hoped and prayed that it would go away. It was all consuming, but eventually one thought came to the forefront of his mind. What if they hear you screaming? He did his absolute best to suffer in silence, for fear of incurring their wrath. He had gotten quite good at silencing himself while he was dreaming or unconscious, and he wasn't about to let that ability go to waste.
It felt like an eternity later, but the burning in his back subdued itself to a throbbing that he could handle. The pain in his chest finally slowed to a dull ache. His skin no longer felt like it was on fire, just too warm. But with a sudden vengeance, all the pain that had dissipated came back and attacked his mouth. He wanted to scream, but the pain was too much. His back arched, feeling lethargic in the pool of his consciousness.
Narcissa looked up hopefully. His screams had quieted down to whimpers and faded out altogether. She was hopeful that after two days being unconscious, he was finally starting to wake up. At the beginning, they had summoned a Healer from St. Mungo's to check Harry out and she had simply stated that he was still in his transitioning phase. She had two likelihoods of what he was becoming, and both of them caused intense fever and a prolonged transition. There was nothing to do but wait.
Once she had thought they were in the clear, his back arched off the bed completely. Whimpers escaped his throat, and tears of pain flooded his face. She caressed his hand, it had seemed to help before, and watched him suffer. Draco put a hand on her shoulder, a gesture of comfort as her tears flowed over her cheeks. She just wished there was something she could do. She hadn't ever felt this useless. Even with Draco's transition, she was able to comfort him with her touch.
Severus was staying at the Malfoy Manor to stock up their supply of potions and to brew some specialty potions for when Harry woke up. Lucius was in and out on business, preferring to keep outsiders away from the Manor whilst Harry was in and out of screaming fits. Albus had gone back to Hogwarts to send out letters for the next school year and to oversee some special adjustments to the curriculums. Draco and Narcissa hadn't left Harry's side.
She smiled up at her boy, so grown and caring now. She dragged the spare chair next to her, but he sat on the edge of the bed like he had been doing all day. The bed was comfier than the chair.
"Why do you stay, Draco? I know how you used to loathe him...how adament you were about him not staying with us."
"I see now this is important to you, although I cannot imagine why. I want to be here, to support you Mother. You've done so well with helping me through...well everything this last year. And especially my changing. I just want to assist you. And I tire of fighting with everyone. With my friends about what classes are rubbish, with others about things they cannot control...with Harry. Really, was I so childish that I decided to hate him because he didn't want to be my friend straight away? It's just so foolish. I don't want to waste my time on any of that. And so here I stay."
"Oh Draco, you're so much more mature now then you were. Remember how much you complained about him? You used to even comment on his hair and his eyes."
He smiled down at his mother, and shifted his gaze to Harry as he writhed in pain.
"I'd give just about anything to see his eyes open right about now." He looked back at his mother. "I owe so many in Hogwarts an apology. Do you think any of them will accept it?" She nodded, and assured him of it. People did change, after all.
After another two days of Draco writing apology letters to everyone he could think of that deserved an apology from him, Harry finally had quieted down. His movements were much slower, and were happening less frequently now. His brow was no longer furrowed as drastically, but a hint of pain still lingered on his face. Narcissa and her son were hopeful that they were nearing the end.
Draco went and opened a window to let a small breeze in. The white voile curtains danced slightly with every daisy perfumed breath the outside brought them. It was nice and refreshing, especially since the two of them were far too worried about Harry to leave the room for fresh air. The family owl, a large and proud Japanese Scops Owl, flew into the window. Draco handed off his letters and wished the owl luck on his journey.
He went back to the bed and gingerly sat on the side of it, fidgeting with the last letter he hadn't sent off with the owl. What was the point, if it was meant for the man that was right next to him?
Narcissa lightly scolded him about fussing, and reminded him that Harry most likely wouldn't want to read straight away awayways. She told him to relax, and if he wanted to he could always just apologize in person if Harry wasn't too strung out.
Harry drifted in and out of consciousness. Never enough to fully understand what was going on, but he first caught sounds of two people talking. He caught that one sounded remorseful. The next time he drifted back, it was to smell the flowers. Such a sweet smell...followed by some talk of an apology? He let himself drift again.
He came to a little stronger the next time around. He had heard someone calling his name, repeatedly. Desperately? He heard it again, a little clearer now.
"Harry, if you can hear me...I know you probably can't. But I needed to practice and I thought if maybe you weren't fighting me on what I have to say then this would be easier to do when you wake up. I-I know I haven't been very good to you. Anyone, really. I've been a right prat over the years and I've changed a lot over the summer. I just wanted to apologize for the way I treated you. I know you won't want to talk to me...hell, you'd probably punch me if I gave you the chance. I just hope that one day we can put our past behind us. Maybe even be friends." Harry squeezed his hand as hard as he could, and succeeded in moving his index and middle finger the slightest bit. "Thanks Harry. I know you won't remember this. I just...I just wanted a little bit of practice so I would have some sort of courage to give you my apology letter."
Harry drifted off after that.
The next time he gained consciousness, he managed to turn his head and open his eyes just a crack. When he did, a searing hot flash flew down his shoulder blades and he groaned, letting the darkness take him once more. It wasn't long before he could hear that voice again.
"Mother...look! He's changed. He passed out, but he's changed!" Harry hear a more feminine gasp and giddy laughter signaling the release of pent up emotions. "He's so beautiful..." Harry felt an odd sensation, almost tickling but comforting as well. He couldn't quite place where he felt it, he just knew he did. Making an effort to wake himself up, he groaned. At least, he thought that was him. It sounded less gruff, and more musical to his ears. Then again, he had been swimming in blackness and pain for who knew how long.
He managed to drag his eyes open when he heard the feminine voice calling him.
"Harry...Harry? Harry! I'm so glad you're awake!" He squinted for a moment before forcing his eyes to open wider.
"Narcissa?"