"Are you sure you're all right, Father?"
There were times that Harry still found it hard to call Mr. Malfoy Father. But right now, with him even paler than usual and resting on his bed with pillows piled everywhere around him and half his left arm missing, it was easy.
"Yes, I'm fine." Father closed his eyes for a second, his left arm twitching as if he wanted to reach out and pick up his wand, and had only now remembered why he couldn't. "Why are you here, Henry? As much as I appreciate your presence, this is something a house-elf could do."
Harry hesitated, but decided only the truth would probably let him remain. "I got left alone all the time when I was sick and hurt and upset at the Dursleys'. I don't want to leave you alone."
That got Father's eyes opening very wide for a moment, but then he closed them again and nodded wearily. "Water, please."
Harry carefully poured from the carafe sitting beside the bed, which had water in it laced with potions that were supposed to promote healing. Apparently Father was fine as far as physical pain was concerned, but his body was still recovering from the weight of the ritual.
"Thank you." Father took the cup in his right hand and sipped carefully from it. His eyes were fixed on Harry, though. "Does that mean you would be willing to talk about your experiences with the Muggles?"
"I do talk about them," Harry said, and waited until Father's face began to change before he added, "With Healer Letham."
Father grunted at him. "I still think it would benefit you to talk to someone else. One of us."
"Why? You wanted me to have Mind-Healing, and I'm having Mind-Healing."
Harry knew his voice was growing stubborn, but honestly, what did they want from him? He had done exactly as they wanted. He didn't know why they wanted something more from him all of a sudden.
Father sighed. "I know, but we are your family. And while it's your right to ask Healer Letham to keep your confidences, it does mean that it's hard to be sure your healing is progressing as it should."
"I'm more settled. Happier. You know that."
"Yes, of course. I noticed." Father's eyes were soft as he looked at Harry, and he was smiling the way he had the day he told Harry would have his arm amputated to remove the Dark Mark. "I'm glad of it. But I wish you felt that you could trust us enough to tell the truth to us. That's all."
"Maybe someday," Harry said. All sorts of things were true that he never would have thought could be two years ago, like him feeling happier in his family and thinking of Draco as his brother and Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy as his parents. That meant that he couldn't rule out this changing someday, too.
"What would have to change?" Father leaned forwards, his left arm twitching as if he wanted to clench the hand that was currently missing.
"You would have to promise that you wouldn't murder them."
Silence. Father looked baffled. Harry looked steadily back at him.
"I do not understand this odd hesitation of yours."
"It isn't just a hesitation with you," Harry said, because he thought it might make a difference if Father understood that. "I freed Pettigrew because Black would have murdered him. There wasn't any other alternative I could see. Lupin was just standing there, and Black—"
"Yes, well, you know my opinion of that," Father interrupted. That was true, Harry reflected. They'd had a long talk after his parents had learned that Harry had been alone with Black and Lupin, no matter how short the time period had been. "Killing Black would also have solved the problem."
"Murder is wrong."
"Perhaps someday you'll change that idea."
Harry just kept quiet. No matter what some of the people around him thought, both Gryffindors and Slytherins, he didn't think it was that weird to see murder as immoral.
"I shall endeavor to earn more of your trust," Father said, with a faint smile on his face, and gave him back the glass of water. "I understand that you have another meeting with Healer Letham tomorrow?"
With some relief, Harry let the subject be changed.
....
Do you want to read ahead by more than 60 exciting premium chapters?
Then join my p*atreon right now.
Link: p*atreon.com/Sonic_Spectre (Remove the *)
Free members can unlock upto 2 chapters.