Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters used in this story.
A/N: Hi! This is my first fanfic and it's a oneshot. I totally forgot to add a disclaimer so I'm replacing it. Please review and tell me what you think!
Harry watched Malfoy closely from across the Great Hall. His enemy shoved the food around his plate halfheartedly before sighing and dropping his fork. Harry noticed Malfoy's dejected behavior. What had happened to the once arrogant and confident boy?
A few weeks ago, Malfoy had passed Harry in a corridor. Harry had braced himself for the usual sneering remark but it never came. Malfoy continued walking by as if Harry was invisible, his face scrunched up with worry in a very un-Malfoyish manner. This strange behavior sounded off alarms in his head and Harry started to watch the Slytherin Prince more closely.
During Double Potions, Harry noted the bags under Malfoy's eyes, signifying that he hadn't had a decent night's rest in ages. Malfoy always had a very forlorn expression on his face now and he looked like he had taken a strong aging potion. Harry also noticed that Malfoy never surrounded himself with friends and preferred to sit by himself. Once, Pansy Parkinson tried to engage Malfoy in conversation and he answered politely but his tone suggested that she should leave him alone. Pansy was oblivious to his lack of enthusiasm but the weirdest part was when Pansy had reached out and grabbed his wrist, Draco quickly jerked away as if his chair had been electrified and Harry could've sworn he'd seen a black mark on his arm momentarily but before he could look again, Malfoy had pulled his robe over his arm as far as it could go.
Harry had tried to explain Malfoy's weird behavior to Ron and Hermione but they both dismissed his worries and told him to stop obsessing over Malfoy. Despite his friend's advice to drop it, Harry became more curious as to what Malfoy was up to. He began to observe Malfoy with a fervor; always checking to see where he was on the Marauder's Map and even going so far as to follow him in his invisibility cloak, a manic glint in his eye. He desperately wanted to catch Malfoy doing something illegal or to find out why he would disappear off the map for hours and why he was always so exhausted.
One night, Harry was half heartedly lying in bed, doing his homework and searching the map for Malfoy every so often. It was one AM and Harry was beginning to think he had been imagining those things he saw about Malfoy. Had he been so desperate to want to catch him in the act and get him expelled that maybe he had made up all those things? Maybe he was tired because of the approach of exams, or maybe he had been ignoring Harry because he had lost interest in their petty arguments? Harry sighed and started to fold up his map when something caught his eye. A single dot suddenly emerged from a corridor as if appearing out of thin air. Harry inspected the miniscule writing beside the dot and discovered it to belong to none other than Draco Malfoy. Harry's heart fluttered excitedly. Why was Malfoy wandering in the corridors this late? Surely he was taking part in some sort of Dark Arts activity? Harry scanned the are where Malfoy had appeared. It took him a while to figure out what was in that particular corridor, but when he did it hit him like a stinging hex. The Room of Requirement! It wasn't on the map so Malfoy wouldn't have been seen, plus the room could provide Malfoy with whatever he needed to carry out his evil doings. Harry jumped up and grabbed his invisibility cloak from his trunk. He was going to find Malfoy and confront him and if he refused to tell him what he was doing in the Room of Requirement, then Harry was going to force it out of him. He tucked his wand into his pajama pocket and threw his cloak over himself. With the map in his hand, he exited out of his dorm and silently make his way into the night.
Harry tiptoed quietly through the halls, occasionally looking at the map to make sure he was headed in the right direction. Thoughts of revenge flickered through his mind. He'd finally be able to get Malfoy back for 7 years of pure torment. He checked the map and saw Malfoy's dot moving to a boy's bathroom, thoughts of Malfoy begging Harry to keep his secret entertained him until he reached the entrance to the lavatory. He quietly reached out and turned the doorknob, wanting to sneak up on the Slytherin Prince. He puled out his wand and pushed the door open.
Of all the scenarios Harry had imagined on his trek to the bathroom none of them were even remotely close to what lay before him. Never in a million years would he have thought to find Draco Malfoy curled up in a ball on the floor, wandless and sobbing. All thoughts of vengeance fled Harry's head as his brilliant green eyes took in the pale boy in front of him. Something about Malfoy's disposition made Harry's heart bread. This was Draco Malfoy for Merlin's sakes! Famous for never letting his true feelings show and for being a heartless jerk. Harry pulled off his cloak and the rustling noise made Malfoy look up. His eyes were wide and startled like a deer caught in headlights. As soon as he recognized Harry, he wiped away his tears and tried to sneer but the look didn't hold its usual venom.
"What do you want Potter?" he snarled
Harry just stood there speechless.
"I asked you a question." Malfoy snapped
"I... Are you okay?" Harry asked concerned
"I'm fine." Malfoy lied. "Now just go away and leave me alone."
Harry stood firm, a look of pity on his face.
"What's wrong?"
"I don't want your pity Potter, and you wouldn't understand." said Malfoy. "Now leave me alone!"
When Harry just stood there, Malfoy's voice turned pleading. "Please, just leave me alone. Just go, you wouldn't understand. It's not like you really care anyway."
Harry didn't know why he did it, maybe it was the tone of Malfoy's voice or the look of fear in his silvery eyes, but Harry found himself walking over to the boy and he sat down by him. Malfoy's eyes narrowed suspiciously as he watched Harry.
"What makes you think I don't care?" he questioned.
"Maybe it's the fact that we've been enemies as long as we've known each other? Maybe it's because I've done awful things to you? Or maybe it's because I'm..." Malfoy broke off and shifted his gaze to look at the floor.
"You're what Malfoy? You're evil?" Harry questioned.
When Malfoy continued to look at the ground Harry continued.
"I don't think you're evil. I think you're... Misunderstood." stated Harry.
"Misunderstood?" cried Malfoy angrily. "There is nothing misunderstanding about what I've done." and with those words, he he lifted up the sleeve of his robe, revealing pale smooth skin Harry's eyes stared at Malfoy's wrist in shock. Where there should have been nothing but pure, flawless skin lay a dark ugly tattoo that contrasted with his skin. A skull with a serpent coming out of its mouth tarnished Malfoy's angelic skin. Harry recognized it as the Dark Mark and his eyes widened in shock. Malfoy? A Death Eater? Harry let out a barely audible gasp and he looked back up to Malfoy's face. His eyes were full of fear and remorse.
"There is definitely no misunderstanding as to what He's going to go to me if I fail." whispered Malfoy.
Harry reached out a tentative hand towards the poor boy. When Harry's fingers gently brushed away a lone tear that had escaped, Malfoy flinched. His long pale lashes fluttered closed as Harry let his hand linger on the smooth alabaster skin. Looking at how vulnerable Malfoy looked made Harry yearn to comfort him, to draw him into is arms and to touch those soft plum lips with his own. Harry quickly erased those thoughts away from his mind as Malfoy's pale grey eyes snapped open. Harry let his hand drop and could feel the the tingling sensation where Malfoy's skin had come in contact with his hand.
"He's going to kill me." said Malfoy, unusually calm. "There's no way I will be able to complete the task he appointed me with. And when I fail, he'll kill my family too." Malfoy looked down as another tear slipped down his angelic face. "I...I'm going to fail." stuttered Malfoy "And then I'm going to die" and with these words, he broke down into quiet sobs. Harry sat there torn. Part of him wanted to comfort the boy, to trust him and allow him forgiveness but the other part of him was reluctant and cautious. Although Malfoy seemed genuine, Harry couldn't forget those years of torment.
Malfoy's movements drew Harry out of his thoughts. Malfoy had pulled his legs to his chest and he was rocking slightly from the force of his sobs.
"All alone." he murmured in between sobs. "All alone..."
Harry couldn't help it. He had looked so helpless. Like a lost child; scared, lonely, and broken. He wanted to fix him, he wanted to tell him he wasn't alone. Throwing caution to the wind, he reached out and pulled Malfoy against his chest. He felt Malfoy tense under him but he didn't push him away. Malfoy's sobs vibrated through Harry as he rocked him.
"Draco." he cooed, the name sounding awkward on his tongue.
Harry ran his hand through Draco's hair soothingly. It felt soft, like spun silk and it shone silver in the moonlight.
After awhile, Draco's sobbing stopped and he gently pulled away from him. Harry's body immediately longed for the warmth that Draco had provided as the cool air chilled him. Draco looked up into Harry's eyes. Stormy, silver grey met emerald green as Draco looked at him questioningly.
"What are you doing?"
The question wasn't harsh or scathing. It was just pure confusement to which Harry didn't even understand himself. What was he doing? Surely he couldn't care for the Slytherin Ice Prince? But when he glanced down at Draco's face, he wasn't quite so sure.
Draco looked positively angelic, his silvery fringe almost hiding his beautiful mercury eyes. His cheeks were slightly reddened and his lips were plump and pale pink.
"I wonder if they're as soft as they look?" wondered Harry before he quickly berated himself for thinking such a thing. Draco's ivory skin glowed eerily in the light and reminded Harry of an angel. Harry reached out to touch him, to make sure he was real because surely no one could look so beautiful. But when his hand was within inches of Draco's face, Draco pulled away. Harry inwardly winced at the subtle rejection.
"What are you doing?" he asked again but this time his voice was demanding. Harry just stared at him, watching as his eyes hardened and his eyes filled with hurt.
"I get it." sneered Malfoy. " You're just pretending. Pretending to care so that you can run off to your Gryffindor stalkers and boast to them that you saw Draco Malfoy cry!"
"What?" cried Harry angrily "What makes you think I would do that? What makes you think that I don't care?"
"Well maybe it's because you're Harry bloody Potter and that we've been enemies since we were 11? And maybe it's because you hate me!" seethed Malfoy.
"You're a right foul git, you know that?" hissed Harry. "Here I was thinking that you really changed and that you were different but then you go and start yelling at me like it's my fault Voldemort's going to kill you no matter what!"
As soon as he had said it, Harry wished he could take it back. Although Malfoy was pushing it, he didn't deserve to hear that because they both knew that even if Malfoy did succeed in whatever task set forth for him, he was still going to pay for his father's mistakes.
"I'm sorry," Harry murmured.
"No, I'm sorry." said Draco. "I'm sorry I trusted you in my moment of weakness, I'm sorry that I was an idiot and I'm sorry that I even believed for a few seconds, that we could ever be more than enemies."
His words struck Harry and by the time he had recovered, Malfoy was already halfway to the door.
"Wait!" cried Harry.
Malfoy turned slowly, a kook of pure hopelessness on his face. Harry stood up and made his way to Malfoy, stopping when he was a foot away.
"I'm not sorry," he whispered.
"Pardon?" Malfoy questioned.
"I'm not sorry." Harry stated a bit louder. "I'm not sorry that I came down here, I'm not sorry that you trusted me, and I'm not sorry that I thought we could be more than just enemies."
Harry took a step closer, closing the distance between them till their faces were an inch a part. Harry could feel Malfoy's warm breath on his face. He knew that he needed Malfoy to understand that he could be trusted but he wasn't sure how to show it in words, so he did the only thing he knew that would get the message across. Without pausing to think it through, Harry leaned forward and captured Malfoy's lips in a tender but passionate kiss.
Harry poured his entire being into that kiss; all his unsaid feelings focused on Malfoy. Harry noted that although Malfoy wasn't responding, he wasn't pushing him away.
"Though he could just be shocked." He thought.
Slowly, Harry pulled away so he could see Malfoy's face. He didn't look disgusted, just sort of dazed.
"And I'm definitely not sorry for that." he huffed.
Harry turned to leave but stopped when he felt a warm hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Draco hovering an inch from him as they stared into each other's eyes; emerald green against silver gray, and without warning, Draco crashed his lips onto his.
Harry was in pure bliss as Draco's lips sent electrifying jolts through his body. The world around him faded away and there was only Draco.
"This is so wrong." though Harry, but he couldn't find it in him to push Draco away.
Harry felt himself responding and he parted his lips to allow entrance to Draco's probing tongue.
Harry had to admit though, Malf- no, Draco, was a damn good kisser. Their tongues battled for dominance as they explored every inch of each other's mouth. Harry slid his hands up to tangle in Draco's hair while Draco's arms snaked around his waist. Their bodies molded together as their kiss deepened and Harry felt as if he was flying. Draco smelt of vanilla and the winter air while he tasted more of mint and and essence that was purely him. Harry couldn't get enough but all too soon they had to pull away for air.
They stood their gasping and gazing into each other's faces. Harry noticed that Draco looked a smidgen happier. His eyes were brighter, his cheeks flushed, his lips red and swollen and his hair thoroughly messed up. Neither wanted to break the silence but Harry knew he had to say something. He had to protect Draco now and he knew exactly who to ask for help. He smiled at Draco who looked as if in a daze.
"C'mon Draco," he said. "Let's go talk to Dumbeldore."