It Had To Be You

Chapter Two: It's Up To You To Explain

Harry managed to disentangle himself from his friends once they arrived in the Gryffindor common room, with Ron taking the opportunity to snog an equally enthusiastic Hermione, and Ginny deciding to catch up on some reading for charms. Harry noted that, while Dean seemed pleased that his relationship with Seamus was out in the open, he had not wished to hurt Ginny, but Harry had whispered to him on their way back to the common room that he should leave off for a while before attempting to apologize again.

Making his way upstairs, Harry summoned his cloak, before making his way back downstairs. It was a surprise to nearly trip over Lavender Brown and Cormac McLaggen as they came through the portrait hole together, talking Quidditch and the like, and the upcoming tryouts. While he had been staying at the Burrow, Professor McGonagall had sent Harry and owl, informing him that he had been made Quidditch captain. However, his quick reply had urged her to give the role to Ron, for it truly seemed to mean more to him than it ever would to Harry, as Harry had decided to stop playing the game altogether.

Harry made his way down the stairs, once he had exited the portrait hole, and took the most direct route to the dungeons. When the temperature around him dropped, he made his way in the direction he hoped were Snape's rooms. However, as he neared the Slytherin common room, he heard the sound of sniffling, and saw Draco Malfoy in a corner of the hallway. Sighing, and hating that his desire to play the hero won out, Harry took off and shrunk his cloak, and made his way towards the sad Malfoy.

"Malfoy," he said, and the sixth-year Slytherin immediately went to his feet.

"Potter," he tried to spit, but he just didn't seem to have it in him anymore.

Harry sighed, but, nevertheless, stepped closer. "Look, Malfoy, I know we've never been friends, but can't we just agree to disagree on the Dark and the Light?"

Draco sighed, his shoulders slumping. "It's not like that."

Harry blinked. "What?"

Draco turned around then and exposed his back, and Harry immediately gasped at the whip marks that had been lashed into his skin. "That's what."

"Bloody hell, Draco!" Harry said, and the Slytherin immediately looked over his shoulder at Harry in shock at the use of his first name. "What...?"

Draco drew his wand and waved it. "Quietus," he said, and there seemed to be a bubble of silence appearing around them, before it disappeared. "He gave it to me," Draco told him as he pocketed his wand, and Harry swallowed, not needing an explanation as to who 'he' was. "I... I was ordered to take the mark, and to kill the headmaster, just a few weeks ago, but I wouldn't submit to it. Severus, he's my godfather, you know, he taught me how to shield my mind from certain spells last year, so the Imperius Curse wouldn't work on me. When all else failed, they tried to..." He gestured to his back.

"They tried to beat you into submission?" Harry asked, unable to hide the disgust from his voice at his predicament.

Draco nodded, his movements stiff. "Exactly. I held out for as long as I could, and then I collapsed in a faint of some sort... I'm sorry for belittling you third-year for fainting," he said softly, and Harry raised his eyebrows. "I'm sorry for everything, really. I know that nothing I could ever so could make up for all I've done, but..."

"It's fine, Draco," Harry told him. "Just tell me the rest."

Draco nodded. "All right... Well, I woke up in St. Mungo's, and all the mediwitch's and wizards would tell me about how I got there was that a house-elf had brought me. I think it was my mother instructed ours to do so," he explained. "After that, I got a short note from my father, telling me that I had shamed the family, and now I am disinherited."