Healing Draco Malfoy

Chapter 52

Chapter 52

Published: December 10, 2022

TRIGGER WARNING: Mentions of past assault and self blame

Harry held onto the thick white belt firmly as Draco made small steps. He constantly observed Draco for any sign that his muscles might give out, but his legs were shakily holding so far today. The belt was around his waist in case he fell, and Harry wouldn't have to resort to rushed magic to catch him.

"Come on, a few more steps," he encouraged.

Draco sighed but pressed on silently. His full concentration was needed to control his limbs. Walking can only improve with muscle memory, and Draco's was gone. Every movement was jerky and required extra time to get right. Harry usually saw it in stroke victims, but Draco couldn't move for so long that everything atrophied. He was making slow progress, though. It had been over a week since his birthday, and he was already doing controlled walks with the balance bars.

"Alright, great job! Now, backward."

"Fuck," Draco swore. He hated walking backward. Draco preferred turning around, but he also needed to work all his muscles. His backward steps were smaller and more careful, but he completed his fourth lap.

"You did it! Do you want to rest?"

"No... one more," Draco replied.

Harry smiled but only slightly. Draco seemed determined to push himself, regardless of the consequences. Harry was worried about why that was, but, of course, he couldn't just ask him about it. Ever since his birthday, Draco had been... different. He flinched more and was just... on edge. He hadn't used his wand, at least that Harry saw. In fact, Draco hid it somewhere on him and never took it out.

Harry could sense it, though. The wand, once his for a few short weeks, still was in tune to him. He had held it several times since the war ended, and the hawthorn wand always purred in his hand, just like his own holly one. Sometimes, it almost seemed closer. Before he really got his wandless magic under control, he used to check Draco's wand to see if the feeling ever went away. It didn't. The hawthorn wand wanted his attention more than his own did. But... he always had felt guilty when he held it. It wasn't his, and Draco... why-why hadn't he bothered to check on him?

Harry was never going to forgive himself for that. Some part of him recognized that he had had no idea what Draco was going through, and sure, Azkaban shouldn't have been the hell on earth, but... it was. Azkaban was always horrifying. The only difference from before the war to after was that humans were torturing the prisoners and not dementors. Much to his shame and guilt, he remembered that he had thought Draco's sentence wasn't that bad.

At the trials, Harry had really thought about what Draco had done and, more importantly, what he didn't do. He tried to get him off from the life sentence that was up against him. Draco had tortured people... had Imperioused people... had accepted the Dark Mark, and all of those carried life sentences in the post-Voldemort age. That Draco was underage when he used Imperio and took the Mark helped. The Cruciatus was another thing, though. Draco was of age when that happened, and the Death Eaters that Draco tortured were quick to offer him up to buy years off their sentence.

Harry had not been allowed to visit Draco after he had been arrested. However, he had hired the best solicitor he could find to represent the son and wife of Voldemort's right-hand man. Harry didn't care about the bill... he owed Draco and Narcissa. The lawyer was efficient and quick-witted, getting evidence tossed and extra charges dismissed before they even got to the Wizengamot. So she got it down to the big ones and destroyed most of the claims against Draco in open court.