Wounded

by Moonbeam
 
 
 

Draco looked around his bedroom as he lie on his bed, on his stomach while his mother silently
wiped his scarred back with a sponge. She was wiping away blood, and dressing deep wounds.
Wounds from the morning's lashings, administered by his father.

Narcissa was not caring. She wasn't cleaning Draco's wound because she wanted to, but because
if she didn't there would be blood everywhere and there would be evidence of abuse. She wasn't
gentle. She wasn't kind. She was cold. After she'd bandaged the slash marks on her son's back,
Narcissa began to leave the room.

"Be packed by tomorrow morning. You leave for school tomorrow." She said icily before
slamming the door behind her.

Draco let out a shuddering breath as he painfully sat up, pulling a shirt over his head with great
difficulty. He lay back on his stomach. It was too hard to lay on his back, and he couldn't bear to
walk out of his room and face his parents. No doubt they were in the parlor, entertaining guests
now. Acting as if Lucius had not just beaten his son. Acting as if their son wasn't in his room,
alone, in pain.

~*~
Must be your skin that I'm sinking in
Must be for real cos now I can feel
And I didn't mind
It's not my kind
Not my time to wonder why
Everything's gone white
And everything's grey
Now you're here now you're away
I don't want this
Remember that
I'll never forget where you're at
Don't let the days go by
Glycerine
~*~

Draco climbed out of his father's car, his trunk already out and ready, the cage with his black
owl on top.

"Make yourself known. Do you understand me?" Lucius said coldly. Draco nodded. It meant
what it always meant. What it had for the past six years. The same as it had the first time Lucius
had asked, as Draco left for first year. It meant that Draco was to be a carbon copy of Lucius.
He was ORDERED to be hateful and arrogant. It was his "place".

"Yes, father. I understand." Draco said quietly.

"Good." Lucius hissed, then sped off in hsi car, not bothering to see that his son got through the
barrier and onto the train without problems.

Sighing, Draco loaded his things onto a cart and was soon on Platform nine and three quarters.
He boarded the train, found Crabbe and Goyle in a compartment, and had soon assumed his
normal character. He was no longer himself. Now he was Lucius Malfoy's son. The heir to the
family fortune and future death eater.

~*~
I'm never alone
I'm alone all the time
Are you at one
Or do you lie
We live in a wheel
Where everyone steals
But when we rise it's like strawberry fields
~*~

When it was announced that the train was only fifteen minutes away from Hogwarts, Draco
found a compartment of his own to change into his school robes in. He made sure the doors
were closed and lifted his shirt over his head. He heard a gasp from behind him and turned,
to find Hermione Granger staring at him. He jerked the shirt back on, wincing in pain.

"DId you want something?" He asked, too startled to remember 'who he was' and 'his place'.

"Oh...I needed to change..." Hermione said, but made no sign of moving.

"Well, go find another compartment." Draco said rudely, finally collecting himself and
remembering to act as he had been told.

"Well I...What happened to you back?" Hermione whispered the last bit, and Draco swallowed,
realizing that the bandages were gone and she had seen the angry red marks.

"Oh...It was just...My mother's rosebushes. Now go away." He said, starting to turn away
from her.

"Rosebushes don't do that to someone." She saids softly and he turned back around, his eyes
filled with anguish.

~*~
I treated you bad
You bruise my face
Couldn't love you more
You got a beautiful taste
Don't let the days go by
Could have been easier on you
I couldn't change though I wanted to
Could have been easier by three
Our old friend fear and you and me
Glycerine
Glycerine
Don't let the days go by
Glycerine
~*~

Draco watched her for a moment, his mind reeling. This was Hermione--not Granger, not
Mudblodd--standing in front of him. He face was concerned, concerned for her enemy. It
baffled him and touched him at once.

"It was the rosebushes." He whispered, blinking back tears. He hated being vulnerable--
especially to her. She wasn't allowed to see him crumbled, no one was allowed to see a
Malfoy crumble, according to Lucius Malfoy.

She stepped intot he compartment, closing the door behind her.

"Tell me." She whispered, her face flushed. She looked as if she would cry at any moment.
"Tell me who did it to you, Draco."

He started at the mention of his first name. She'd never called him that before. Only Malfoy.

"You hate me, I know that but you've been hurt..." She continued. She began to ramble,
but Draco cut her off.

"I do not hate you."

"Y-you don't?"

"My father hates. I follow my orders."

Hermione nodded in understanding, "DId he put those marks on your back?"

Draco looked away, his face anguished, "Yes."

Hermione made a noise somewhere in her throat, a noise of disgust.

"Why didn't you just heal them? Woth magic?" She asked.

"I couldn't do a healing charm on myself. And my parents refused. It was my punishment."

Draco sat down, and Hermione moved so that she was in front of him.

"Punishment? For what?"

"Having my own mind."

Hermione's eyebrows knitted together, and was about to say something when the conductor
announced that they were pulling into the station.

"I have to go..." She whispered, moving the the door. Draco stood, watching her go. She
looked back at him, as if thinking hard about something. SHe sighed and walked over to him.
"Turn around and lift your shirt."

"What?" He said, looking at her as if she were crazy. But a look from her made him do was
she said.

She whispered something under her breath and he felt the stinging pain leave his body.

"Th-thank you." He whispered. She smiled softly and left the compartment without a word.
Draco watched her leave and realized that he wasn't who he was when he got on the train.
That girl had changed him in ten minutes' time. Concern from a so-called enemy was something
Draco had never gotten from anyone.

He quickly changed into his robes and headed off the train. It was a new year and new life.

~*~
I needed you more
When we wanted us less
I could not kiss just regress
It might just be
Clear simple and plain
That's just fine
That's just one of my names
Don't let the days go by
Could've been easier on you
Glycerine
~*~