Modern Hogwarts

The Trial of Marcius Greengrass: Part 1

"Maggie," Draco said as he walked back to their part of the train to check on her and Dominic. "Have you called your parents yet?"

"Yes, Dean said it was fine and to send me home immediately if something's wrong or I'm a bother," Maggie reported.

"And you told them everything?" Draco asked. "About the trial, the possible death eater attacks, and going to the Ministry?"

"Yes," Maggie answered, not understanding what the big deal was. "And besides, my uncle Harry will be there the whole time. He's the director of the department. And I am a skilled witch by the way, I can take care of myself if something happens."

"I hope so," Draco mumbled, not thrilled about taking someone along that wasn't family. But Draco knew having Maggie there was helping Dominic-- and that was the primary goal.

Before Frost had gone to fetch Dominic, she sat down with Draco and McGonagall and had a talk about Dominic's mental state.

"He was showing me the pin marks where his younger sisters have been practicing dark poppet magic on him," Frost had explained. "But he didn't realized I got a glimpse of the fresh cuts on his hip. I asked him about them and he told me he cut himself, and that he's been doing for a while. He's also told me numerous times that he's suicidal. I'm not a mental health professional, I don't know what to do besides listen to him vent about everything. He needs something more. He's in a really dark place."

"Thank you... for telling me," Draco had mustered out, almost throwing up.

"I just wanted you to know so you could keep an eye on him," Frost replied. "Please don't leave him alone. He's already tried to take his own life once. He needs some real help. Talking isn't enough. He needs to see that there's still sixty or seventy years left of life for him to live, that he has a future."

Draco walked back to his seat on the crowded train, replaying the conversation with Cassie over and over again in his head. Thinking back to her words about Dominic harming himself made Draco sick all over again.

Draco had been through what Dominic was going through, just to a slightly lesser extent. His father never disowned him, since he had only one child, whereas Marcius had five. Dominic was expendable in Marcius's eyes.

But Draco knew what it was like to spend every night wanting his life to end, and he knew what it was like to self harm and escape the pain through a blade.

And Draco had failed to save Dominic from that torture.

Draco rested his head against his seat and dozed off, dreaming of how much he wanted to be with his son and hold him tight. He wanted more than ever to tell his son he loved him. He dreamt of the vow he'd taken when Scorpius was born, that there'd never be a moment he didn't show his son he loved him. He dreamt of his wife and how much he loved her, of how she was everything he ever wanted, and how she helped him change into the man he wanted to be. He dreamt of the early years of Scorpius's life and when he and Astoria played with their son until he fell asleep in their arms. He dreamt of all the good things in his life until they got to Birmingham.

❖❖❖

"I can feel your pain, you know," Maggie said to Dominic as they watched the trees fly by in the window. "I'm a clairsentient, I can feel everything that's going on inside you."

"You must feel as shitty as I do," Dominic muttered.

"I feel an itching on my right side," Maggie said covertly. "And I know why too."

"Why's that?" Dominic asked as if it were no big deal.

"You just started doing it again recently," Maggie said as if she hadn't heard his question at all. "Only in the last few weeks you've taken the blade out of your razor and put it against your skin again. Why do you even have a razor? There are spells for hair removal... unless... Dominic, do you have a razor for the specific purpose of harming yourself?"