Dark Granger

Untitled Part 6

Remus knocked on 12 Grimmauld Place much much later that night, several documents in hand. The sound of several locks turning filled the air and Harry opened the door slowly. At the sight of his old teacher, he pulled the door open fully and Remus nodded his thanks, stepping through the threshold.

He had been here several times since Draco and Harry started renovating and every time it looked nicer than the last.

Long gone was the dreadful fancy yet ugly furniture that littered the place for centuries. Every tapestry, every picture, everything in Black's name had been ripped down and sold apart from a single picture of James, Him, Sirius, which had been framed and stuck on one of the walls. Even Sirius's screaming mother had been torn down, Draco knowing a special potion that could boil off the Permanent Stick Charm.

The walls were brighter now, the floor ripped up and replaced, every room with a special carpet that fit the atmosphere.

Remus frowned at the carpet. Draco had insisted that every room own one; he had been forced to hit the ground in so many different ways, and even now he was preparing just in case. Whenever Remus could get him talking, Draco always seemed to describe how hard wood floors were.

It was embarrassing to admit how long it had taken Remus to realize it was Draco's way of both answering and avoiding the question.

They entered the living room, where Draco stared at their beautiful yet homey fireplace, all curled up on the edge of the couch, unblinking. Harry strode up to him and squatted in front of the boy.

"Can I touch you?" he asked with all the gentleness in the world.

Draco shook his head, eyes glassy.

"Can Professor Lupin?"

A small nod.

Remus went to move forward but Harry held out a hand to stop him in his tracks.

"Where?"

"Upper back," Draco whispered. "Don't need him soiling my perfect hair."

Harry laughed quietly and motioned for Remus to come. "Of course not Dray."

Remus sat beside him, careful to leave enough space between them that there was no chance of their legs brushing together, and placed a firm hand on his back. Draco let out a soft sigh and he rubbed up and down sideways, both trying to calm the boy down and stay within his limits.

Harry stood and sat in one of the comfy red chairs beside the couch. "Remus stayed at court," he told his fiance, not even needing to shift to get comfortable.

"I might be broken Harry, but I'm not a bloody idiot." He looked over at the werewolf, and Remus frowned at the underlying fear there, fear he was trying to replace with sass and sarcasm. "How'd they rule?"

"Death Penalty," Remus responded, hand stilling on Draco's back. "They haven't officially decided on the date yet, but it'll be within 6 months."

Draco closed his eyes. "Can you... can you stop touching me?"

Remus lifted his hand instantly and Draco fell against the back of the couch, wrapping his arms around himself. "Dead," he whispered. "She's going to be-" A sob wracked his body and Remus watched Harry shift to keep himself from reaching for him. A smile broke Draco's features. "Thank fucking god." His eyes opened and he looked over at Remus. "You promise?"

Some people might've found this uncomfortable; normally, Remus would've been one of them. He was never really sure what to think of the death penalty, but after what Hermione had done to this... this boy in front of him, to the number of people's lives she had ruined had him smiling back at him.