No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

Three: Draco's redemption is a pain

((WARNING: There is going to be a point in this chapter where Draco is essentially tortured. If you're not too good on gore/violence it may be a good idea to skip this chapter))

Daylight creeping  in through the train car's window as it lumbered down the track was what woke him. He felt the piercing light on the back of his eyelids, and only moments later, he was acutely aware that he'd slept in a bad position for his shoulder. It throbbed and tingled.

Opening his eyes, he looked around. Almost immediately, he noticed the arm that wasn't his arm draped across his waist. Glancing back, he had to bite down on the inside of his cheek to stay quiet.

Harry had at some point removed his glasses and was snuggled into Draco's back. That was something the blonde hadn't thought he'd see in his life time. And for a brief, fearful moment, he wondered if Harry knew his secret?

Had Harry realized that over all the years of nasty taunts and cruel teasing, Draco had been hiding very different feelings? Had he discovered that Draco really hadn't hated him all those years? 

Could Harry know that Draco had fallen for him on day one?

Shaking his head, the blonde scoffed. That was completely wishful thinking on his part. Harry probably ended up laying beside him when he fell asleep and the arm around Draco's waist was just an accident.

Sighing, the blonde gently moved the other boy's arm, crawling out of his grasp to move to the other bench. Out the window, he could see the train station coming into view. It wouldn't be long now.

Harry awoke just as the train was slowing to a stop, and at the same time he sat up, Ron and Hermione came in through the doorway. Hermione's expression was somewhat somber, feeling very similar to how Draco's thoughts had turned when he saw the station come into view. Ron just seemed half asleep, probably because his darling girlfriend had only just woken him up.

"Well...this is it," Draco remarked, trying not to sound anxious. Before any of the others could comment, the auror who'd been sent with them entered.

"The train has stopped," The green eyed man said coolly. "Come, HQ is expecting us."

The four teens followed in silence, Draco keeping his gaze mostly downwards as they made their way through the bustling crowds of the station towards the fireplaces meant for travel. The auror was as silent and official as always, nowhere near as kind as the woman who'd tried to comfort Draco the day before.

Once they'd stepped through the green flames, they appeared in a building with polished black marble floors and tall granite pillars. The only ways to describe the place would be 'ominous' and 'corporate'. Draco stared around with wide, anxious eyes as the brunette auror they'd been left with guided them through a winding maze of corridors and stairways, until eventually, they reached a massive courtroom. 

"Wait here," The auror ordered them as they stood outside. "You will be called in when they're ready for you."

With that, he slipped into the court room and slammed the door shut.

Draco shivered involuntarily. The building was strangely cold, almost empty feeling. Like being passed by a dementor, but not quite as powerful.

"Am I the only one who's nervous about this?" Ron asked suddenly, looking at his three friends. Motioning to Draco, he stated: "You're way too calm about this, and its weird...I expected you to be freaking out by now."

"I am, I just hide it well," Draco murmured.

"Don't worry..." Harry soothed, reaching to squeeze Draco's shoulder. "Once they find out how little damage you caused because we had your wand, they're very unlikely to kill you..."

Draco nodded some. At least Harry helped, a little.

Before too much else could be said, the door opened, and an unfamiliar young desk clerk peeked out at the quartet. "We're ready for you know, Mr. Malfoy. Your friends can come in and sit. There isn't really too much to be discussed."

Though the court room was empty only moments before when the teens had peeked in, it was now quite crowded. The four trekked in; Draco was almost immediately separated from his friends and lead to a chair in the center of the room. In a moment of panic, he glances back to the others. Harry mouths 'it's okay', as if to say he's certain Draco will survive this.

Once Draco is seated, the whole court goes quiet. The judge looks down at Draco with a calm expression.

"Mr. Malfoy, you still have a dark mark on your forearm, correct?" The judge asked. Draco nodded, rolling up his sleeve to display the mark. It stuck out on his pale skin like a horrendous bruise, immediately calling attention to itself.

"Very good," the judge stated coolly. "That makes this easy. For your punishment, you can choose one of two options... you may either keep the mark, and be a pariah amongst the wizarding world for who knows how long, or, you can go through the process of having it removed. I do warn you, keeping the mark would be easier on you..."

Whispers traveled throughout the room. Draco could hear Hermione whispering that he should keep it, saying he could just cover it up. 

All at once, he knew what he had to do.

"When can the process be started? To remove the mark, I mean.." Draco asked softly, standing. All at once, the court is in an uproar, shock and surprise filling the crowd. Three sharp whacks from the judges gavel drew the crowds attention, bringing silence. 

"Are you sure this is what you want?" The judge asked Draco. "This process is agonizing...it'll leave scars..."

"When can it be started?" Draco asked again, watching the judge.

"Right now, if you'd like," The man stated, to which Draco nodded. Almost instantaneously, aurors evacuated the room, leaving the judge, Draco and his friends, and three women dressed in white standing in the court. The judge looked to the trio standing behind the blonde.

"If I were you three, I'd leave, this could be upsetting," He said, before stepping out himself. Harry, Ron, and Hermione moved to stand with Draco. After a moment, the women in white, approach.

"Draco Malfoy, please kneel," the women ordered. He did as he was told, following suit as he was ordered to give them the arm that was marked. All three pulled their wands from somewhere, touching them to his forearm. After a few quietly murmured words, it begins.

And all at once, his arm is in agony.

Like being touched with a live wire,  the pain is like every nerve ending is being jabbed at with a needle, like all the muscle in his arm are being torn apart, strand by strand. Draco screamed until his voice gave out completely, his whole body tense. But, just as suddenly as the removal process began, it ended.

Draco slumped against the legs of his friends. The dark mark was gone, in its place, only a harsh red scar remained. His skin was damp with sweat and his whole body trembled, but it was over.

"That's it then? You don't have to hurt him anymore?" Hermione asked, wanting to be certain it was truly over.

"We're done," The three women said in perfect synchronicity. "He'll need to rest, and there will be a scar, but the worst is over," at this, they turned and left, leaving Draco, Ron, Hermione, and Harry alone in the center of the room.

Draco passed out soon after. Exhausted.