Indifference Towards Difference || Harry Potter

14 | Round A Merry-Go-Round

"I'm empty, as if whatever makes me feel and hurt and laugh and love has been surgically removed, leaving me hollowed out like a shell."
Jennifer Niven

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⚠️IMPLIED SUICIDAL THOUGHTS + SELF HARM⚠️

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🕊CHADWICK BOSEMAN 🕊
(28/08/2020)

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"Potter."

Potter, with welts all over his back that looked far from healthy and healing. Potter, with discoloured bruises he saw spiralling all the way to his stomach as the Gryffindor whipped around, slipping on a hoodie with hopeless haste, as though speed would make a difference, would make him unsee it all.

But the Slytherin's silver eyes were bright with horror, and it was shock that smashed into Harry with a dizzying force. "Merlin, Potter... what happened to you?"

"Malfoy—" Harry started.

"I'll get Severus," Malfoy turned towards the door. "He'll help, he'll—"

Before Harry knew quite what he was doing, he'd muttered a Locking Charm, and the door shut with a sound click.

Malfoy stared at him in blank disbelief. "What the hell are you doing, Potter? You're hurt, you absolute prat."

"You're not getting Snape." His grip was still tight on his wand.

"You're hurt, Potter." Harry gave a hollow laugh; Malfoy sounded almost concerned.

"Last time I checked, you were looking forward to Umbridge casting the Cruciatus on me, Malfoy. Why exactly do you even care about a few scratches?"

"A few scratches?!" Draco was now completely certain that the evident infection to Potter's wounds had crept up to his brain. "Never mind Severus, Dumbledore's coming and the pair of you can—"

"Dumbledore's coming?" Well of course things could only get worse today, Harry grumbled in his head. There was far too much conflict within him when it came to Dumbledore. And now this.

"Potter, that's not the point of this conversation!" Harry didn't really want to have any sort of conversation at all. "You're hurt, you idiot twit. You have an infection. Do I need to spell out how—"

"I'm not unaware of that, Malfoy," Harry said. "But you're not gushing about it to Snape like it's the latest gossip in 'Hogwarts Hearsay'." The school paper had practically fed off Harry's pariah periods.

"I could call for Severus right now," the aristocrat said challengingly.

"I could also hex your mouth off and spell you bald before you even got the chance."

Draco just managed to refrain from touching his hair in horror of that idea. "Dumbledore would help you, Potter. Sweet Circe, he's old but he'd probably bend over backwards—"

"Dumbledore can't help with this, Malfoy." He could get somewhere with this, Harry figured desperately. It was a small thread to cling to, but better than nothing. "There's more to this than what you saw, all right? It's... complicated."

"Then explain and clarify." Draco crossed his arms, posture clearly demanding. He spoke with a drawl. "I imagine I've sussed out the majority of it all, but I'm sure you can fill me in on the finer details."