Blue [DRARRY]

Prologue

   Draco was pretty sure nobody else would be using the showers at 3am, but he fancied being safe rather than sorry, and had put up a silencing charm anyway. He wouldn't have really minded much if it hadn't blocked out the sound of the shower itself, as long as it erased the sound of his sobbing.

   In truth, he felt pretty pathetic, the way he was holding himself, like he was broken; or how there seemed to be more tears on his cheeks than droplets from the shower water. How the shower was hot, burning his skin, turning his pasty Malfoy complexion a blotchy red, but he was filled with so much self-hatred, that he left it, absent-mindedly assuming he deserved it anyway. How he couldn't clear his mind of the memories of everything he'd ever done wrong from the moment of his birth.

   That, of course, had been his first mistake. Being born at all. Or, at least, being born a Malfoy. But he had to admit that wasn't his fault. His fault laid within every moment since Potter rejected his handshake. Potter wasn't to blame; he was. God, he could see that now. He had been a bratty, prejudice, racist child, who's parents had been known to work for the wizard who killed his, and he'd had the audacity to ask Potter to be his friend, while insulting another entire family at the same time. And one that had shown Potter kindness at that. Really, what had he been expecting? If only he'd been nicer, to both Potter, and Weasley for that matter.

   And of course, he'd only had to go and make things worse. Through petty bullying and show-off tendencies. But to also go as far as straight-up discrimination. Calling Granger a Mudblood - that was when he'd truly earned the Malfoy name... but lost any chance at redemption at the same time.

   He was a sorry excuse for a person, and nobody knew that better than him. What's more, he knew he was the only one to blame.

   However.

   Didn't they say the first step to recovery was accepting that you have a problem? Well, couldn't the same be said for change? He accepted he'd done wrong - and lots of it. Could he now try to change?

   Letting out a shaky breath, and wiping his eyes as he reached for the box he'd brought to the showers with him, Draco only hoped this could be the start.

   But he had to stop crying. He didn't want this stuff going in his eyes...