Blind - drarry

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Published: December 21, 2020

Updated: September 30, 2021

It turned out that Skeeter wasn't a problem to work with after she obtained at least some of the profits and a promise from Harry to do an interview after it was over. Hermione wrote a very stringent and punitive contract on what Rita could and could not reveal and when. Skeeter, despite her questionable ethics, saw an opportunity when it arose. Stories about the Chosen One were big sellers, as were confessionals from an ex-Death Eater. She could see the galleons in the story and was eager to cash in on it.

"Enough time has passed, and the public wants to move on. But we will have to go deeper into the story and talk about every little thing," she explained, and Draco had to admit she knew how to write a good story. Her articles in their fourth year were brilliant, though slanderous and gossipy.

After two tiring weeks of interviews and memory extractions (all done and reviewed by Harry), they had fifty pages of Draco's story. Harry read it all to him to make sure that he was okay with everything. The front title, Living with Dark Lord, had a particular draw. Luna had taken over her father's business and agreed to publish it. Draco didn't know if it was enough, but Harry assured him it was. He said that people just needed to see what the Ministry was doing to people.

It wasn't just Draco's memory clips, either. Harry used the ones from the people who attacked him, the bastards at the reformation center, and even a choice one from someone in the lobby when a mediwitch threw a blind, pleading, and bleeding man out the door. St. Mungo's had fired the witch when Harry showed them the entire memory.

They also did a full healer's assessment on Draco to confirm what he already knew, blinded for life. Hermione was already filing suit on his behalf, which they probably wouldn't win, but she was striking against the hospital's reputation. They were only arguing about how much to settle out of court. They wouldn't risk the whole incident becoming a scandal, as they had broken their oaths as healers.

Harry also pulled out a few of his memories, namely when Draco admitted that Voldemort was going to kill him at the tower and that he lowered his wand. He also did some of when Draco was begging and from when the addict had bruised him up. Harry even put one clip of the manor, where Draco had refused to identify him. Harry had a few pages of his own words in the special edition, edited and flushed out by Skeeter, of course, and calling for change, healing and forgiveness. This wasn't what the victims of the war died for, he declared.

It was set for release in two days, so Draco could only wait. Aside from Harry's mini-war against "everyone", they had settled into a nice routine. Draco started to make breakfast every day. He got used to cutting vegetables and meats to fry up. Harry liked to watch without letting him know, or maybe Harry did let him know. He didn't say that he was there, observing his progress and never tried to help. That was the best part of it. He let him learn and struggle, but didn't make him feel that he was helpless.

Lunch had been regulated to Kreacher, and Harry cooked dinner but always tasked him with something to do: fetching stuff from the icebox, cutting, mixing and letting him taste how things came along. They made batches upon batches of Christmas cookies and cakes, that Harry let him decorate. It was a type of domestic life that Draco had never dreamed of. Harry still had his ups and downs, but Draco didn't let him slip too deep. He had taken to sitting on the couch with Harry, instead of his lonely chair.

When Harry would start to panic or feel down, Draco would take his hand. The grip seemed to ground him, but occasionally Draco would hug him if he got too overwhelmed. Harry would just turn to putty in his arms and cuddle up next to him. He never asked for more-a perfect gentleman. Draco didn't know how to bring it up again, though he still was unsure it was the wisest path. Harry still deserved better than him.