Draco's Only Fear

He cowered in the corner, trying to hide in the shadows.

"Come out here, you filthy bastard!" He drew his knees up to his chest and shook in fear as he watched the tall figure approaching his hiding place, brandishing a whip in one hand, and his wand in the other.

The figure was tall, a male in his early twenties. He was naked, and moonlight, streaming in though a square window, lit his frame in an eerie light.

"I can see you, you piece of filth!"

He hugged his knees tighter, trembling.

"Get out of that stinking corner!"

He stood, and stepped into the faint light. He was only a child, and a small, skinny child at that. His ribs stuck out from beneath pale, scarred skin. There were tears on his face, and he knew that he would be whipped for them.

Sure enough, the crack of the whip whistled, and stung across his skin. He cried out involuntarily.

"Get those fucking tears off your face before I rip it in two!"

He wiped the tears away, but more leaked from his eyes.

"Just get on the bed."

This was the bit he hated - the bit that hurt more than anything else.

"You heard me, boy."

He walked over slowly, and lay on the bed, face down.

*

Draco awoke with a gasp. There were tears on his face, and his throat hurt - had he been screaming aloud? Carefully, he pulled the green velvet curtains apart a little, and looked at the other boys. The curtains to their beds were all drawn - he could hear Crabbe's wheezy snores.

He relaxed slightly and lay back down in bed, pulling the covers up to his chin, trying to get warm. Suddenly, he noticed that he had broken out in a cold sweat. Irritated, Draco pushed the duvet away, halfway down his bare chest. The scars, even after years of scar removal treatments, had failed to fade. He was still skinny, but not as skinny as he had been then - when his father used to starve him, and before he could eat, he would have to endure a beating. And the rape.

When he was young, Draco hadn't known that "it" was called rape. He had thought of it merely as pain or a punishment. As soon as he came to Hogwarts, however, he discovered all about it, all about sex and love.

He'd always had the nightmares though. They were the worst part; often he would wake in the night, with four anxious faces looking at him, asking him if he was okay. Possibly the worst time was when he'd first slept with Pansy - she'd awoken him in the middle of a nightmare, because he had been screaming. She had been so terrified that Draco had to stay awake with her until he convinced her to leave.

Finally relaxing, Draco slipped back into an uneasy sleep.

*

"What's the matter, Draco?" Luna's voice cut through his recollection of the nightmare. She slipped her hand into hers as they walked slowly past the lake. At first, Draco didn't hear her; he was too absorbed in his own thoughts.

"I'm going to punish you like never before, you insolent little pup. Get up and take it! Don't you fucking whimper like that!"

"Draco!" Luna's voice got to him this time. He looked down into her worried face. "Draco, you've gone really pale. Are you okay?"

He shuddered; suddenly the sunlight seemed cold. He could feel his paleness, his shrinking away in the brightness.

"Please, Draco," Luna said. Her tone was filled with worry and concern.

"I'll be okay, I promise," replied Draco, "Can we go inside now? It's a bit cold."

"Yes, sure. Will you tell me what's wrong?"

"Perhaps, one day."

"I love you, don't you forget that."

"I know. I love you too," said Draco. He stopped and hugged her. She slipped her hands up into his hair and pulled his head down to kiss him.

Draco loved kissing Luna. She was completely unlike any other girl that he'd ever been with. He was sure that she was the first one that he'd actually loved - the others he had just gone out with for the hell of it, and, of course, the sex.

*

They went down to the dungeons, talking as they went.

Luna kept questioning him about his sudden change in mood, and why he had suddenly become so cold. To which he would reply with a kiss.

She stopped asking when they entered the dormitory.

Draco was slow with these things. He liked to draw out the pleasure. Slowly, they made their way to his bed, shedding socks and shoes as they went.

"You do know, I'm not going to sleep with you!"

"Of course," murmured Draco into her mouth. "Wouldn't dream of it."

"Good."

He slipped a cold hand up the back of her top and pulled her as close as they could get. They fell suddenly on to the bed, Draco lying atop Luna. She grinned and kissed him slowly and he undid her bra clasp beneath her shirt.

"Not too much!"

Draco laughed; they always played this game of I'm a virgin, don't hurt me!

He kissed her again, hard. It was a violent kiss, and Luna bit his lip in retaliation. The taste of blood mingled between them.

"Do you know how much I love you?"

"Yes. Lots."

Draco laughed as he unzipped his fly and pulled Luna's skirt down.

"Lots and lots and lots."

He broke away from her kiss for a brief second.

"I love you so much that my heart hurts every time I look at you, I love you more than life itself."

"I love you more. Now get on with it!"

Draco obliged.

*

"You're just a worthless piece of shit. You're nothing to me!"

"I try to be, Father!"

"TRY HARDER!"

"What do you want me to do?"

His eyes looked down at Draco, cold eyes, frozen eyes.

"You know what I want you to do."

"Please... don't make me," begged Draco. He trembled; he hadn't imagined that his torture would continue even after he went to Hogwarts.

"How many times before have I heard that bloody excuse?! You know what you need to do if you want food!"

Draco could already taste the sickening liquid in his mouth as he crawled towards his father on his hands and knees.

His eyes were dancing dark flames now.

Draco wondered why he had inherited his father's eyes. He was nothing like him, nothing at all like him.

He knelt at his father's feet and pleasured him.

As soon as he was done, he vomited.

The whip cracked through the air and stung across his back. Draco screamed, and -

*

"Draco!" Luna's cry awakened him.

"Oh Luna! Thank God you're here, thank God," he burst into tears and Luna cradled him in her arms, trying to calm him.

"Tell me," she said, her voice commanding.

"I hate him."

"Who? Your Father?"

Draco jumped but Luna explained.

"You were pleading in your sleep."

"I was speaking out loud again?"

"Yes. It was terrifying."

"What did I say? Please Luna, tell me."

"You were pleading not to do something."

Draco shuddered. He hated the dreams.

"Will you be okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Luna, could you clear off? I'm really sorry, I just need some time on my own."

"Sure, don't worry." Luna clambered out of bed and dressed. She was out the door in five minutes.

Draco pulled the curtains closed and allowed the tears to flow. He pulled out a calendar from under his mattress and looked at the date; merely twenty days before he returned home for the summer holidays.

The torture would begin the minute he got home.

Draco wiped away the tears and tried not to think about what lay ahead.