Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my own ideas.
So this is a drastic change from the type of story I normally do. This will be a Draco/Harry pairing, but the plot is so very different from my usual romance stories. Here's a full summary:
What if everything you knew about your cause was a lie? What if you found out you were fighting for the wrong side? What if your world came crashing down around you and up was down, left was right, evil was good, and good was evil? This is what happens to Harry when he runs away from the Burrow after Dumbledore unceremoniously drops him there before sixth year. As it was Severus's turn to watch Harry, he finds him badly injured and takes him back to the Prince manor to properly heal him. When Harry wakes up, Voldemort is standing over him. He discovers that Voldemort is leading the real light side while Dumbledore had been manipulating everyone all along to form the world he wanted, going as far as defeating Grindelwald and making people believe he was fighting for equality. Going as far as killing Harry's parents and pinning the blame on Voldemort. But Harry must go back to Hogwarts to carefully recruit as many people as he can and train them, all while pretending he was unaware so Dumbledore would continue to trust him.
The song this story is named after is Something Wild by Lindsey Stirling and Andrew McMahon from the movie Pete's Dragon.
You had your maps drawn
You had other plans to hang your hopes on
Every road they led you down felt so wrong
So you found another way
o
You've got a big heart
The way you see the world, it got you this far
You might have some bruises and a few scars
But you know you're gonna be okay
And even though you're scared
You're stronger than you know
o
If you're lost out where the lights are blinding
Caught in all, the stars are hiding
That's when something wild calls you home, home
If you face the fear that keeps you frozen
Chase the sky into the ocean
That's when something wild calls you home, home
o
Sometimes the past can
Make the ground beneath you feel like quicksand
You don't have to worry, you reach for my hand
Yeah I know you're gonna be okay
You're gonna be okay
And even if you're scared
You're stronger than you know
o
If you're lost out where the lights are blinding
Caught in all, the stars are hiding
That's when something wild calls you home, home
If you face the fear that keeps you frozen
Chase the sky into the ocean
That's when something wild calls you home, home
o
Calls you home
Calls you home
Calls you home
Calls you home
o
If you're lost out where the lights are blinding
Caught in all, the stars are hiding
That's when something wild calls you home, home
If you're lost out where the lights are blinding
Caught in all, the stars are hiding
That's when something wild calls you home, home
If you face the fear that keeps you frozen
Chase the sky into the ocean
That's when something wild calls you home, home
As soon as Dumbledore apparated away, Harry ran. He couldn't face the Weasleys; they'd find out. Molly would be the first. It was in her blood to know when one of her brood was hurting. Hermione would be next. Ginny, Ron, and the twins would see the pain hidden behind his eyes and ask questions until he caved. They'd force him to tell them. He loved them dearly, but he couldn't face them right now. He couldn't admit what had been happening to him his entire life.
"You FREAK! You little FREAK! There are FREAKS parading outside my house at all hours of the day and night because of you!"
"There's a dark wizard looking for me, they're working for the Ministry to protect me - "
"I DON'T BLOODY CARE!" Vernon roared. "I want them GONE!"
"I can't get rid of them. They're like the police of this world. I have no control over them."
"Well then YOU need to go, boy! It's about time you stopped putting my family in danger! You're no more use, anyway. All you do is scream your head off at night about some people who died, ride around on trains everywhere during the day instead of doing your chores - "
"Be your slave, you mean?"
Vernon backhanded him. "Your aunt and I took you in when you were a baby out of the kindness of our hearts! A little respect would do you good!"
"WHAT kindness?!" Harry shouted. "There isn't one ounce of kindness in your black heart!"
Vernon lunged for Harry and gave him the worst beating of his life.
He felt himself pass through the magical barriers put up to protect the Burrow and fell to his hands and knees, breathing harshly and heavily. He had been able to hide his pain and injuries from Dumbledore and Slughorn, but he used up too much energy. He couldn't fight it anymore.
"Potter?"
He looked up. "Fuck."
Severus Snape knelt in front of him. "What in Merlin's name is wrong with you?"
Between breaths, Harry said, "Leave me alone. Pretend you – didn't see me."
"You know I can't do that."
"You don't even care – about me. Just doing your – job. I won't tell."
"You're an idiot." Severus did a quick medical check with his wand and even in the dark, Harry saw his face whiten. "Who did this to you." It wasn't a question.
"No one."
"Who. Did this. To you," the professor growled. "The muggles?"
Harry didn't say anything, but his hesitation told Severus what he needed to know. "Don't take me back to the Burrow. Please – they can't know."
"I can't leave you here and I can't let you go. You need medical attention."
"Please."
Severus thought for a minute. "I'm taking you home with me, then. No protesting!" He put up a hand when Harry opened his mouth to argue. "It's either my house or the Burrow. You choose."
"Your house," Harry mumbled. They apparated, and Harry passed out on the guest bed Severus led him to.
The potions master lifted his sleeve and pressed his wand to his dark mark. "You are needed at my manor. Potter is here and in a bad way." He paused and cocked his head as if he were listening to something. "His muggle family has apparently abused him his entire life. I think we can get him to see the truth." He paused again. "He may be Dumbledore's puppet, but I think he can be swayed. Once he sees the truth, he would be a great asset to our cause especially because we are what he thinks he's fighting for." ... "I know his prophecy states that, but what if we were wrong about what it meant?" ... "He is Lily's son, through and through. Very little of Potter in him, though Potter did come around in the end, remember? I know he'll listen. He's not dying, but he passed out. I need you, Voldemort. I'm a potions master, not a healer. Please help him."
When Harry woke up, none other than Voldemort himself was standing over him, wand out. Harry shot up in bed with a shout and immediately regretted it.
"Stay still," Voldemort ordered.
"With YOU in front of me, wand drawn?! I don't think so!" Harry felt around for his wand but it wasn't on him.
"Severus put your wand on the table. I'm performing an extensive medical scan on you, you idiot. Stop moving or I will force you."
Harry stilled. "What… what on Earth… what's going on?" It was then he noticed Draco Malfoy off to the side, watching them. Severus was sitting in a chair, waiting for the scan to finish. "What are you doing here?" Harry asked Draco.
"I was already here, waiting for my godfather to get off his shift of protecting your arse, when he showed up with you half dead."
Harry's eyes trained wildly on Voldemort. "What are you doing here and why aren't I dead? Why are you helping me?"
"Potter, if you don't shut up, I'll make you."
"Draco," Voldemort chided, "he is understandably confused and scared. He has every right to ask questions."
"I am not scared."
"Right," the dark lord said. "Potter, there is much you do not know about the world. About me, my followers, the Order, Dumbledore. Everything you know is a lie that I will remedy and explain later. Now do shut up." Harry closed his mouth. "Broken ribs," Voldemort told Severus. "Internal bleeding. Ruptured lung. Fractured femur. Bruising everywhere." Voldemort gasped suddenly.
"What is it?" Severus asked.
"Show me your arm," the dark lord ordered Harry.
"No."
"Don't defy me, boy. I'm trying to help you. Show me."
"No! There's nothing to see!"
Voldemort invaded Harry's mind. 'I am trying to be delicate about this, Potter. If it is pride holding you back, you need not be concerned with it in our company. We are all victims here and we have all been in situations that would curdle most people's blood. I need to see your arm so I can know the extent of the damage to it. It may be able to be healed with no or minimal scarring. I don't know what's there, but I can tell it is deep and bruising. It needs to be healed soon or it will become infected and eventually scar badly. I know you are confused, but I am not your enemyanymore. Show me.'
Harry slowly raised his arm and Voldemort pushed the sleeve up. The word FREAK was carved viciously into his forearm, visible through dried and still oozing blood.
"Those pieces of SHIT!" Draco shouted, slamming his fists on the wall he was leaning against. "THEY'RE the freaks! Those mother –"
"Draco," Severus interrupted. He turned to Voldemort. "What will we do to them?"
Voldemort looked like he was holding in a great deal of violent anger. He waved his wand over the wound and healed it as much as he could. "It needs salve. Severus, fetch it." Severus nodded and retrieved it with accio. "Do not fear injustice. They will get what they deserve. For now, we focus on healing Potter." He handed a vial to the boy. "Drink. It'll help with the pain." Harry looked at it skeptically and Voldemort rolled his eyes. "If I wanted to kill you, you'd be dead. Drink."
Harry looked at the vial, shrugged, and gulped it down. And almost threw it back up. He glared at Voldemort and groaned. "What the hell IS that?"
"Skele-grow."
"You said it was for pain!"
"If I told you it was skele-grow, you wouldn't have slammed it back. It's nasty stuff, but you need to drink it all at once for it to work at the best of its abilities. Now you can have the pain potion." He handed Harry another vial full of pink liquid. Harry glared at him as he sipped it. When he was sure it didn't taste terrible, he drank it all. "You will want to lie down again. This is going to hurt, even with the potion. Draco, Severus, give Potter some privacy to grimmace in peace." Ten excruciating minutes later, Harry heard truly magical words. "It is done." He got up to leave but Harry stopped him.
"You said you'd explain."
"You need a full night of sleep and bone mending. Tomorrow, we will talk."
"You'll tell me everything?"
"Every little thing."
Harry's eyes felt heavy. "That wasn't just pain potion, was it?"
"Smart boy. I laced it with dreamless sleep."
"Ass," Harry slurred.
Voldemort chuckled and shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a Slytherin. Good night."
Harry slipped into blissfully painless sleep, his last thoughts lingering on the enormous changes that happened to his life in the past few hours.
Thanks for reading!