Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Freedom Bound in Chains	By : TaintedSensibly Category: Harry Potter AU/AR > Slash - Male/Male Views: 58477 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 13
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Harry Potter characters. I did not make money from this story.

Chapter List
- 26
- 27
- 28
A/N: Sorry for the delay! Between Harry's mental landscape giving me trouble and Real Life being evil, I've had some trouble. Please give me feedback! It's really appreciated. Thanks so much!
Armor
The boys returned from the forest as the sun was setting just as Draco had promised. Laila – feeling sick – had gone up to bed, so it was just Remus and the boys for dinner. He'd already started a soup, but Harry took over, seasoning the broth and putting together little finger sandwiches. That left Remus with Draco.
He had had no idea what to expect from Draco, but the boy seemed as cheerful as ever. Clearly, the session hadn't bothered him as much as it had effected Laila. A small part of Remus was amused by the complete reversal of his time with her, but mostly he felt stressed. How the bloody hell was he going to soften Draco's edges?
“Harry told me 'bout your story. You're Moony, aren't you?” Draco asked, full of curious energy. His white-blond hair was tucked behind his ears. There was pink in his cheeks and a bright intelligence in his grey eyes.
Remus had no time to be shocked that Draco had put together who he was from a second-hand telling of the story, nor did he have time to confirm Draco's suspicions. The little boy had already moved on.
“Was the snow fake? How'd it tickle you? How's it possible ta turn a wall into a fireplace? How's that work? And what's an elf?”
Like this, Draco didn't seem dangerous. He seemed like a normal six-year-old boy curious about magic.
“Slow down. I'll do my best to answer your questions,” he said with a smile. “Let's see. The snow was created by a weather charm that Padfoot altered. For example, if I spelled a storm, it would pull moisture out of the air and create a storm cloud that would rain on you, making you wet. The more magic you put into the spell, the larger the storm. Most people are able to change the weather of a single block, however, I know of one or two wizards that could change the weather of a city, and the Headmaster of Hogwarts, the school I told Harry and you about, could change the weather of the country. He'd be spent for a week afterward, but he could do it.”
“Control the weather...” Draco had a thoughtful cast to his face. “And the other stuff? How'd he make it not cold without it meltin'?”
“I believe Padfoot cast a second layer of charms to mask the cold. Basically, each snow flake was contained inside a magical membrane, cold on the inside without letting that coldness escape. He then wove in a third set of charms that gave each snow flake a very slight charge so that the flakes felt like they were tickling the skin. A final layer of charms gave the snow an extra sparkly glitter. For an eleven-year-old in his third month of school, that was very impressive spellwork. However, Padfoot grew up in a magical family and had likely been exposed to delicate spellwork before. In fact, all three of the boys grew up in magical families and witnessed magic on a daily basis.”
Draco lifted an eyebrow. “But not you?”
“No.” Remus felt his smile disappear, but he had a sudden epiphany. Maybe if he explained to Draco how hard it was to be on the outside of society, to be unaccepted, he'd begin to understand how important it was to conform. “My childhood was different. My mother was a witch, my father a muggle without magic, which meant I was exposed to magic, but not quite as much as a child with two magical parents would have been.”
“And then?” Draco asked softly.
“Everything changed when I was five years old,” Remus admitted. “When I caught a magical disease. My parents knew the magical community would suggest euthanasia or demand I be locked away in a sanitarium. My parents... They sacrificed everything... They took me away and basically went into hiding. They sold their nice home in the suburbs of London to buy a small country house isolated from others for miles in either direction. My mother even gave up her magic so that she wouldn't bring the attention of the Ministry of Magic to our house. They did whatever they could to keep me secret. I grew up purely as a muggle after that. Until I got my Hogwarts letter, anyway. It wasn't even certain I'd be allowed to go, but the Headmaster somehow knew about my condition and promised my parents he'd keep our secret and keep me safe.”
Expression hard and unmoved, Draco asked, “Are you contagious?”
Remus flinched. He understood Draco was just concerned about protecting himself and Harry, but it was still painful to hear after opening up. “Yes. But only on the night of the full moon. I... I'm a werewolf.”
Draco's head tilted to the side. “What's that?”
Remus was shocked. Sometimes he forgot how innocent and unaware of the world Draco was. But, if he thought about it, the boys grew up more isolated than he had. Holding that in mind, he took a deep breath and let it out.
“A werewolf is a magical monster. On the night of the full moon, a human with the disease will transform into a werewolf. The beast will kill and maim, possibly eating any people it comes across. For some reason, other animals are safe from a werewolf, but it will actively hunt people. No one knows why this is for sure, but there are lots of theories. Some say that a powerful wizard in the past tried to create a solider for war, but the spells went wrong and created a monster. The only way to pass on the werewolf curse is to bite someone on the night of the full moon. If by small chance the person survives the attack, they will now carry the curse and transform on the night of the full moon. I'm not contagious any other day of the year, but some people fear that the werewolf can influence my behavior, that it somehow makes me unsafe or more prone to brutality even in human form.”
Remus fell silent, waiting for the blond's verdict, but Draco said nothing. He stirred his soup thoughtfully. Remus let the silence grow, trying to tuck away his shame. Harry's green eyes shifted from Draco's face to Remus's and back again as he finished his food. It wasn't until Harry began clearing the table that Remus spoke again.
“It wouldn't have been so bad, but growing up isolated I didn't have the social skills I needed to blend in. I was awkward, sickly, and lonely. It was beyond fortunate that Prongs, Wormtail, and Padfoot befriended me and took me under their wing. After that, I began to integrate more with my peers. I learned from them and more doors opened up for me because of it. Had I the social skills from the beginning and not developed the habit of pushing people away, even more doors would have opened and my life would not have needed to be so hard.” Remus caught and held Draco's eyes. “Do you understand?”
Draco didn't give him an answer. He held his gaze for a long moment before standing and calling Harry to his side. “Leave that 'til tomorrow. Bath then bed.”
Harry's smile was sweet as he wiped his hands dry and took Draco's hand. “Night, Remus.”
“Goodnight, Harry,” he answered, smiling sadly as the boys disappeared.
…
Draco noticed Laila's good mood had returned by the next morning. He also noticed Remus's amber eyes following him hopefully. He wasn't too concerned about Remus's disease to be honest. It sounded like a pain in the ass. He was sickly – which Draco had witnessed – and everyone was terrified of him for being a monster only one night a month. One night that anyone could prepare for by looking at a calendar.
Really, Draco had known worse monsters who were bloodthirsty fuckers every day of the year, but Draco wasn't about to let him off the hook too soon, either. Remus was dangerous one night a month. When had he planned on telling them about it? Was he ever? He should have told them before now, especially as they were living together and the full moon was in two weeks.
So Draco chose not to say anything to Remus while he ate breakfast and towed Harry out the door to play in the forest. He was determined to catch a fairy. It was a harder challenge than he expected.
Four hours later, they were still empty-handed but having a great time. When they returned to the house, Remus looked as pale and shaky as the day before. The new scars that puckered his cheeks looked inflamed and darker after his sessions. Draco wondered what exactly Laila was doing with him.
He'd felt tired after their session, but he also felt strong when he'd kicked her out of his mind. She'd said he wouldn't even notice her taking a peek, and at first he hadn't, but then he felt suddenly exposed and knew she'd somehow touched his connection to Harry. His reaction had her collapsing on the floor looking pale as death, which amused him to no end.
Laila looked her normal cheerful self as they finished lunch. She tossed her dreads over her shoulder, revealing even more of her hot pink blouse. She had a bright yellow head band holding her dreads back from her face, and Draco was beginning to realize that she wore such bright colors as camouflage. She didn't want anyone to know when her confidence was shaken and used it to bolster her cheerful personality.
Teeth white and straight in her dark face, she smiled and said, “Let's start with Harry today, if that's okay?”
But Draco could see the hesitation in her eyes. Feeling smug, he gave Harry's hand a squeeze, letting him know it was okay. “Don't worry. I'll be with you the whole time,” he promised.
Harry followed Laila and Draco into the living room without hesitation.
Draco sat on the couch, wedging himself into the corner, and pulled Harry into his lap so that he could lean back against his chest comfortably. Harry sighed and snuggled in. Draco could feel his – trust – as Draco's arms draped around him, holding him safe.
Gestured at an armchair and set it down directly in front of them. She sat, briefly settling her pristine white skirt around her. Folding her hand in her lap, she gave them a warm smile and met Harry's curious green eyes. “Harry, I'm going to take a look at your mind. I won't see memories or anything like that. I just want to feel the shape of it so I know how best I can help you and Draco both. You won't feel anything weird. I'm just going to look; I won't be touching anything or trying to change anything. Okay?” she asked, smiling sweetly.
Harry nodded, and it made Draco feel smug and prideful. He'd promised Harry that he would be fine and Harry trusted that completely. He felt even more smug when Laila refused to meet his eyes.
“Okay, Harry. Just look into my eyes. You're doing great.” Taking a deep breath under Draco's watchful gaze, Laila whispered, “Legilimens.”
…
White.
So much white.
White nothingness.
Blinding – literally - in it's whiteness.
She couldn't be any more blind if she were in a pitch black room.
And that's when the cold set in.
A tundra; sky and flat field both so blindingly white that it almost registered as black.
Motion out of the corner of her eye. She jerked. Heart pounding.
Nothing but white, white, white...
But there was something here. She could feel it.
She spun trying to see what was out there...
Something tugged at her hair. She screamed.
Nothing but white. Nowhere to go. There was nothing. Absolutely nothing.
She felt something slice across her arm. Vivid red, burning against her frozen skin.
Panicking, she began to run. Couldn't even remember how to escape. She knew she could, but all she could do was run. Run blindly as things snagged her hair and scratched at her arms and legs.
She tripped, falling to hands and knees.
And that's when she saw it... Them...
Faces under the ice, stretched and distorted, like something possessed.
Black figures with glowing eyes and wide gaping mouths, sharp spindly claws, and red, wet blood splashed everywhere. They clawed at the ice trying to get to her. Hundreds of them, a sea of screaming faces. Hatred. Madness. Worthlessness. Despair. Clawing to get out. Tearing at the ice, breaking their own fingers to do it.
Trying to get to her.
To consume her.
She scrambled to her feet and bolted. Her breath tore through her lungs and froze in front of her face as she ran. She fell hard, skinning her knees and palms, her whole body throbbing with pain.
There by her foot... A chain...
She'd tripped on a nearly clear chain about one inch thick. Gasping and panting, she realized what had been there all along. A web of chains laid down across the ice.
She sucked in a sobbing breath and held perfectly still, terrified she'd broken the chain and the whole thing would shatter. She knew instinctively that the howling insanity under that ice would destroy her. The scratches were just teases, brushes of what was underneath.
And as she looked at the chain, heart in throat, waiting to see if it would crack or shatter, destroying her mind, she noticed one was thicker than the others.
Frozen, the pain going numb, everything going numb, she pushed to her feet and followed it.
Suddenly... It was snowing.
Gentle, beautiful snowflakes. The white sky gone a soft, pure blue, the ice cushioned by powdered snow. It was warm somehow. The landscape, blue and white, was illuminated by sparkling sunlight and a wide open sky. No longer threatening, the landscape had transformed into something peaceful and beautiful. This was where children could play; where they would make snowmen and snow angels, go sledding and drink hot cocoa.
Heart slowing down, she followed the chain to a statue. The chain curled around a slender wrist and arm, and it draped across thin shoulders to loop about the throat and coil down the opposite arm. It was a statue of Draco – naked and powerful.
There was an expression on the child's face that she had never seen, had never imagined. His hair was out from behind his ears and fell around his face, framing it, softening the hard angles. Eyes an intense silver with a desire she could feel on her skin, his expression was still somehow soft and completely relaxed, his lips curled into a natural smile.
He wore the chain like jewelry, making it look beautiful. His hands dangled loose at his sides, open and relaxed. His hip was canted slightly, his posture full of attitude and grace. He stood like a King, naked except for the sinuous chain he wore, the same chain that had spread across the ice and kept the howling, terrifying darkness at bay. He was the nexus –
Oh god. It was armor for Harry's mind. The chains created stability and perspective, a foundation for rational thought. Harry had gone through horrible, degrading experiences – endured years of systematic, dehumanizing abuse since infancy - and he hadn't made it out okay. It hadn't sharpened his edges the way it had Draco. It had shattered his mind, his self-image so badly that he couldn't see past it... without Draco.
That was a huge burden to bear for a child so young. It gave Draco absolute power over Harry's mind and heart. Power that could be abused and used to damage Harry further and make it utterly impossible for Harry to recover some scraps of self-acceptance and self-esteem.
But then she looked into the statue-Draco's eyes and saw the love there. If Draco damaged Harry it would not be intentional. The child truly loved Harry. Harry's well-being, happiness, and safety were Draco's prime motivation. However this had happened, as horrible as it could have turned out, the bond was Right in a way few things were in life.
Draco sheltered, grounded, protected through the bond. Harry opened Draco to warmth, love, selflessness. Without Harry, Draco would be a compassionless, narcissistic sociopath only able to care about himself and his wants. Without Draco, Harry would be unable to function, his whole reality warped and distorted through the lens of his self-hate. He'd likely be suicidal and unable to function.
But here they stood. Draco caring deeply about another person and allowing others into their lives because he understood Harry needed to live within a community to be healthy. And Harry found worth in his own existence by caring for Draco. His gentle soul was allowed to shine and experience joy and happiness once more.
For a Mind Healer, to see two children's souls damaged and maimed to such an extent... It was beyond hideous. It was to see something Holy desecrated. It was to see a unique and precious world poisoned and destroyed by pollution and atomic weapons. It was unforgivable destruction.
The bond between them – precious and pure – it salvaged their tragic souls. It created an environment of healing. Created the chance to make right what had been so horrifically maimed. Precious and impossible, the bond was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.
The horror and impossible beauty clashed in her head, and she couldn’t take it anymore. She fled.
…
Harry blinked his eyes. Laila was curled over her lap. Sweat dampened her blouse and her hands were shaking as she covered her face. She wept loudly, like a child, her whole body shaking with her cries.
Heart beating fast in his chest, Harry whipped his head around to look up at Draco, terrified he'd done something wrong. - horrible disgusting freak Demon unnatural Vile – Shouldn't have let her inside, should protect people from my disgusting, evilness...
A strong hand grabbed his face, turning his head painfully, forcing Harry to turn his body so he could face Draco. “Hush, Harry. It ain't you. She did this after bein' in my head, too.” Grey eyes burned into him, the hand on his face tightened enough to leave bruises on his jaw. “Ya don't think I got a bad mind, do ya?”

Harry gasped, tears burning as they fell down his cheeks. Laila's loud sobs still sounded from behind him. “No!” Of course Draco wasn't bad. Harry couldn't even fathom it. Draco was so strong and good and pure. He was everything good.
Draco smiled. “Good boy.”
Harry felt warm to his toes at the praise. Draco released his face, but Harry remained in that position, looking into Draco's eyes until it was clear Draco wanted him to move.
Smiling, Draco gently caressed his jaw where it throbbed hotly. “I think she feels some of the pain we've felt in the past. We've both felt a lot. She'll be fine in a few minutes. Remus'll take care of her.” A wide grin. “We still got time 'fore dinner. I think we're gettin' closer to catchin' a fairy. Let's go!”
Harry smiled back. “Okay.”
He didn't even glance Laila's way, trusting Draco's judgment. He took Draco's hand and followed him out of the kitchen. Together they ran back into the forest. If he held tighter to Draco's hand than normal... Well, Draco didn't seem to mind. Draco always made the bad feelings go away. Made the world okay and safe. He always knew the answers. He loved Draco so, so much; he felt near to bursting with love and gratitude for Draco.
Draco gave a laugh, wild and free. He spun, pulling Harry up against his chest and kissed him.
Harry melted into the kiss, heart singing.
…
Laila said nothing except a very hoarse - “Never let those boys be separated. Never, you hear me?” - as Remus helped her to her room, and then she firmly shut the door in his face. He was worried as all hell, but the boys arrived for dinner, dirty and smiling just as they had the other night.
Remus forced his shoulders to relax and let it go. He listened with a smile as Draco told the story of how Harry had actually had his hand almost around a golden fairy this time. He was certain tomorrow would be the day they'd catch one. He was getting better at spotting areas a fairy colony might settle.
“Be careful,” Remus murmured. “Fairies love to play, especially with children, but if you come upon a batch of fairies who seem angry, leave them alone. They can be vindictive and mess with your senses. Just like animals have defenses, so do magical creatures.”
Draco shrugged. “I'll be careful.”
Harry offered Remus a sweet smile. “Don't worry, Remus. I can hear them laughing. They're having fun, too.”
Remus relaxed once more and reached over to ruffle Harry's hair. “Good.”
Little did he know he should have pressed his warnings harder. He should have made the more dangerous side of fairies clear. Because the game of 'Catch A Fairy' was about to turn ugly.
Chapter end.
A/N: So that was Harry's mind. What do you think? I wanted Draco and Harry to be opposites and somehow really work the bond into a metaphor. How'd I do?
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Freedom Bound in Chains