Chapter Text
The day they went back to Platform 9 ¾ was a doozy, everyone was scrambling to eat, get showers, clothe and then make sure everything was in their trunks before leaving. Dudley stood at the Platform after he’d put his trunk on the loading area.
“Dudley!” Damian waved and Dudley grinned waving, he was with his little brother Dillan who looked as unhappy as ever. Dillan glared at Dudley who raised an eyebrow, the boy looked surprised and looked down kicking the ground.
Dudley hugged Damien and then flinched when he’d realized he forgot one major aspect about the whole action. “What’s wrong?” Damien asked with a concern.
“Bruise on my back, owowowowow” Dudley replied.
“Sorry” Damien stepped away.
“It’s fine, I’ll be okay” Dudley had already said good bye to Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione and the others and they understood his numbness in his bruises had gone away and hit full force. Dudley made no mentioned of how he got it as they boarded the train looking for a compartment with Mercutio, his owl in his cage and bag with his clothes hang from his arm.
XX
Hugo hugged his dad and mum good bye, he hadn’t told his parents about having no friends. It felt pathetic and embarrassing to him, and he didn’t dare tell Rose either. She would only make him sit with her and Al and Scorp. That would make it harder for him, he remember what Dudley had said, show kindness.
He boarded the train last, waving to his parents heading down the hall to find a compartment. He stopped at one with only one person, he sort of recognized the boy, and he’d been with Dudley’s friend. “Can I sit?” he asked.
The boy glanced at him and nodded, looking back to the window to watching scenery go bye. “So um, I’m Hugo Weasley, what’s your name?” he asked.
“Dillan” the boy responded then looked away, Hugo looked down feeling awkward. His family was never like this, never so socially awkward and he felt like a loser.
“So, what’s your favorite class at Hogwarts?” Hugo asked, showing his eagerness.
The boy turned back to Hugo, navy blue eyes searching him “you really want to know?” he asked looking skeptical. Hugo frowned, there was something in Dillan’s eyes that showed insecurity and fear.
“Of course” Hugo said unsure why he was acting the way he was.
“I like DADA cause I get to move around, I don’t like sitting for too long. I get irritated” he replied.
“I like DADA too but I think I have more talent in Transfiguration” Hugo replied.
“I’m awful in Transfiguration” Dillan admitted “but my brother’s good at it, like really good” he said.
“Damian right, my cousin is friends with him, Dudley” Hugo said.
Dillan nodded “the weird one, right, with the eyes” he said pointing at his own eyes.
“He’s not that weird, just has some odd talents” Hugo probably.
Dillan nodded “I don’t think my brother likes me but he seems really happy when he’s with your cousin” he said.
“Why do you think that?” Hugo asked, frowning.
“We didn’t live together for a long time, Damian is a lot like our mom. Graceful and smart while I’m not like anyone in my family. I’m not smart or brave like my dad” he explained.
“My dad says bravery doesn’t come until you’re forced to. A life or death situation” he responded with and Dillan looked surprised.
“I’ll bet your dad’s been in a lot of those” Dillan said and Hugo laughed, his cheeks reddening.
“Yeah, I’d say so” Hugo confirmed and Dillan smiled for the first time. “And who cares if you’re not like your family, I think you’re cool the way you are” he said and if possible Dillan smiled even more.
XXX
Damian had been watching him since he mentioned bruises. Dudley shifted, trying to keep his back from touching the back of the seat. His entire back was a rainbow of bruising with purple, green, blue, and black discoloration.
“Okay, it’s cute when you secretly glance at Dudley but it’s just sad when you just flat out stare” Rica gave him a pitying look and Damian glared at her.
“Dudley said he has a bruise and he wouldn’t show me or tell me how he got it” Damian said.
“A bruise?” Jessica looked to Dudley who nodded.
“It hurts but I’m okay, really” he promised and Damian didn’t look satisfied, in fact he looked more than annoyed but distraught. His mouth was set in a frown and his eyebrows were drawn down.
Dudley looked down with guilt and they didn’t speak until the girls left the compartment to change into their uniforms and Dudley took off his shirt to do the same. “Oh my Merlin” he turned to look at Damian who looked horrified. “What the hell happened?” Damian asked.
Dudley winced when Damian gently touched his shoulder blade “I- I can tell you but I can’t tell Rica or Jessica” it was hard to admit but he didn’t quite trust them enough to tell them the truth. Damian though was special, no matter what Dudley was feeling Damian always seemed to want to know.
“Okay” Damian said then left the room for a moment and Dudley finished dressing before Damian came in. “They said they’ll give us the train ride” he responded.
Dudley sighed and let Damian change, trying not to look at his bare chest. Dudley started with his early childhood, explaining that this was a long time ago. Damian listened intently, expression changing at each point, as he got closer to the now and finished with explaining about what happened yesterday Damian needed a few minutes to process things.
“So your like 40?” he asked, Dudley shrugged “pretty good for 40, you don’t age at all very nicely” Damian pointed out.
Dudley smiled “I’m technically still pretty young in mind and body. I just got like put on pause” he explained.
“Something about the Potter’s and Weasley’s is like- your family is crazy. Seriously, your Cousin saved the bloody wizarding world by killing Voldemort, one of darkest wizards who ever lived. The rest of your older family survived and kicked ass during the war and are considered the biggest badass’s in the wizarding world and your younger cousins aren’t far behind at being the coolest kids in school. But um, can I say something?” Damian asked.
“Sure?” Dudley said.
“I think you’re probably the coolest one in the entire mix, from what you’ve told me you grew up with the kind of rubbish that makes spoiled children and then you came out of it. You got kidnapped, trapped in a tank for like years and then you get over it. You just shrug it off and keep going, I think that’s amazing” Damian said.
Dudley’s blush had creeped up on him, it spread across his cheeks, his ears, and neck without him noticing. It seemed like Damian always knew what to say to reassure him. He didn’t know what to say so he stepped forward and bent to hug him. “Thank you” he mentioned to him.
“It’s no problem, do you have any salve for those bruises, they look painful” Damian asked opting only to return the hug gently with minimal touching of his back.
“Um, yeah but I can’t reach it, could you?” Dudley asked getting the salve out of his bag.
“Of course” Damian took it and Dudley took his shirt off again and ignored the twinges of tingling pain whenever he felt the lightest of touches. The pain numbed a little once it was spread all over his back “you don’t think the killing curse had any other affects, do you?” Damian asked.
“No, I don’t think so, Harry had me go through 3 docto- I mean healers just to be sure. He’s kind of protective lately” he sighed.
“For good reason, this crazy potion master is after you” Damian pointed out. Dudley nodded then slowly lowered his shirt over the bruises.
“Oh and another thing is that I’m getting trained as soon as my bruises heal. You know for Battle Field Healing” Dudley replied.
“Yeah… you’re gonna hate everything. I’ve heard it’s like worse than Pro Quidditch Training and Auror Training put together”
“I’ll find a way to deal” Dudley shrugged.