Memory Loss (Harry Potter Drarry slash)

42: [Rape 8] Forever Bonded to You

When they returned to the Manor, they were met with happy and relieved cries; it was clear that not everyone had expected them to come back. And well did they know that they were lucky to have all made it out alive. Four of six clones had given their lives for them, and that was something that would not go unacknowledged. Harry, for one, seemed particularly grateful for their sacrifice, looking at Draco's stomach when he spoke of it.

Ron immediately went to his husband. "Jonathan!" he said with an almost surprised smile, as if he could not believe that he was actually there. And bearing his injury and near-death experience in mind, that was probably only natural.

Jonathan practically threw himself into the ginger's arms and elicited a pained moan from him. "Ron! I was so scared for you!" he exclaimed, and hugged him close. "I thought I'd never see you again, and I couldn't bear that!"

Ron reluctantly disentangled himself while holding a hand to his side. "If it hadn't been for Harry's clones, you wouldn't have," he said, shuddering as he realised what a close call it had been.

His husband frowned and finally took a good look at him. He gasped in fright when he saw the glistening wet bloodstain. "Ron, you're hurt!"

"Don't worry—Draco closed up the wound for me before we left, but there wasn't time to heal it completely so I'm still pretty sore. I'll be fine, though. He's the one who really needs help," he pointed out, nodding to Daring.

Just as they had been about to force open the French windows in the drawing room where James had been cornered by the Death Eaters, Optimistic had appeared in the doorway, sporting a wide and exhilarated grin. "Look what I found!" he had called out to them and proceeded to drag a lacerated and bleeding Daring into the room.

Considering the unfair numbers that he and Competitive had faced in that parlour, it was amazing that he had made it out at all. But it was clear that it had been an even closer call for him than it had been for Ron.

Daring was still bleeding freely and was dangerously weak from the blood loss. His skin was a pasty, pale grey. "One of the Death Eaters saw me using Sectumsempra on his pal and decided he wanted to try it on me," he croaked, and winced as the ever-present Optimistic lowered him into an armchair. "I tried healing myself, but Harry's never been very proficient in Healing Spells so I could only close up the wounds partway."

Draco pulled up a footstool and settled himself in front of Daring. "I'll take over," he said solemnly. It was the least he could do for someone who had so bravely risked everything for them. If it had not been for him, the outcome of that day might have been so much graver.

"I'll run and get some Blood-Replenishing Potions!" Piper called, and hastened off towards her laboratory.

A heavy silence fell over the parlour. Nobody seemed to think it proper to speak, and Draco did not blame them. The events at the Death Eater headquarters—if that indeed was what the manor house was—had frightened them all. Any one of them could have lost his life that day, and some of them almost had.

"Cheer up, fellas," Optimistic suddenly said with such undiluted merriment that Draco felt like puking, "it could've been much worse!"

"Yeah, you could've been dead like those other clones!" the blonde retorted indignantly.

Not even Optimistic could turn that around to something positive.

Once he was done with Daring and Piper was back to administer the potions, Draco went over to Ron, who was currently sitting in one of the sofas, tiredly leaning against the back rest. "Here, let me finish that healing," he murmured, and carefully put his left hand to the redhead's injured side while lifting his wand with the right.