..A..B..Y..S..S..

[--Chapter One--]

//Bloody idiot charts! What did Aprias give up this much homework for?// thought 17-year-old Harry Potter angrily as he tried his best to complete his astronomy homework through his frustration. It was only the first week back, and already that amount of homework!!

Sudden, hurried footsteps from outside made Harry stop in the middle of his ranting. He froze; what if it's one of the prefects, or worse, teachers? He grabbed his parchment and quill, stuffed them into his robes, threw the Invisibility Cloak over his head, and had only enough time to dart behind a curtain when the door to the room was pushed open.

But it wasn't any teacher or prefect. It was Draco Malfoy.

Harry watched as Draco peered around through the crack of the slightly opened door, obviously trying to see if there are anybody else inside. None, apparently. He slipped into the room, closing the door behind him. Taking out his wand, he murmured, "Mulitos."

Mind spinning, Harry stared. //Why is he suddenly making himself mute?// he pondered. Shaking his head in bewilderment, he continued to stare at the Slytherin from behind the satin folds.

Draco gently placed his wand on the desk, a simple action, yet so filled with grace and beauty that Harry was stunned. Malfoy... beauty? It was something he'd never expect to see, nevertheless, think. But there was something about the Draco Malfoy of this hour that made him catch his breath and continue his gazing.

Draco lifted his head slightly, so the moon was shining on him, a pale glow enveloping his fragile cascade. His eyes, normally so cold and leering, were now filled with unshed tears. He stare up at the offending moon, delicate hand curving itself into a tight ball. The knuckles went whiter and whiter, paler than possible.

And then, suddenly, he collapsed.

On the floor.

And that's when the sobs began.

His body hunched over the floor, slender arms supporting himself, Draco sobbed. Wrecking sobs that produced no sound sent cruel shudders throughout his body. His lips were a faint purple, tinted with crimson blood, spilling from where Draco had bitten too hard. Silver hair disheveled, robes tousled and unkempt, face tear-stained and full of pain, Draco resembled nothing of the Slytherin Ice Prince whom Harry had grown so familiar with.

The Gryffindor could only gape at the sight before him. Draco Malfoy crying? Was this even possible? Where was the strong, independent enemy of his? What could have happened to have brought this kind of pain to his arch-enemy?

Draco crawled towards the windows, mouth opened in a silent scream, watery crystals spilling from his silvery orbs. He slammed himself against them, only to fall back, hard, onto the cold stone floor. His pale, trembling hands clawed hopelessly at the glassy surface, as if trying to escape, to run away from the terror that had tormented him into such a state. Mute voice screamed soundless words into the air, acting as if something was clutching at him, not letting him escape.

Soon, after a long time of such antics, he gave up his struggle, and slumped against a wall, sobs still wrecking his faltering body. Miserable face and posture betrayed his real self, his true soul to Harry, whom all this time could do nothing but to watch - to watch this strained, sad, and tortured beauty, like a stunning nightingale trapped in its cage, unable to get out, fluttering wildly and hurting itself in its desperate hope for freedom.

What Harry had been seeing all these years were simply a mask - a cold and heartless mask which falls away completely during the night, revealing the beautiful nightingale that cries its heart out to heaven. Something touched his heart right then and there, and he fell in love with the tortured soul of the caged nightingale.

*****

Harry woke up the next morning in his bed, last night's events played over and over in his mind. He had slipped back to Gryffindor Tower when he had made sure Draco was fast asleep, tip-toeing, sneaking past the slumbering boy.

What exactly had happened? What had made Draco act this way? It's totally wrong - desperately different - from the boy who always stood up to him. There was something wrong. Desperately wrong. And he was determined to help Draco, no matter the cost.

Hey peeps! Review please! Or no new chapter! There's going to be a sequel to this, I promise.

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