AN: This is my first chapter fic, and I would really appreciate all those that take the time to review and tell me what i'm doing wrong or what to improve. To all those who reviewed my last story - YOU GUYS ROCK! Thanks for the motivation.

Summary: When Harry receives a letter over the summer, he doesn't anticipate just how much it will change his life, or his path in the war. A story of love, war, and finding your way in life. Grey!Harry, Grey!Draco, Slightlymanipulative!Dumbles.

Warnings: This is SLASH, specifically of the H/D variety. If this doesn't float your boat, kindly click the back button in the upper corner of your browser screen. DON'T write reviews later on about how slash is wrong or how another pairing would be better. I'm warning you now, DON'T DO IT!

Also, there will be violence, cursing, and other such things. Once again, if this doesn't work for you, kindly press the back button an LEAVE!

Black, White, and Gray

Chapter One: A Letter

It was a beautiful sunny day in Little Whinging, Surrey. There were few clouds in the sky, and a light breeze kept the temperature from rising too high for comfort. Several children could be seen playing in their yards, or in the somewhat dilapidated playground under the watchful eye of their parents.

4 Privet Drive, however, was empty of such frivolity. If one were to look inside, they would see a woman that rather resembled a horse craning her conveniently long neck to see what Mrs. Number 3 was doing in her yard through the kitchen window. If you turned to the living room, you would see what could only be described as a humanized walrus and baby whale creating a hole in their respective chairs while glued to the game on the television. All in all, a "normal" suburban family.

At a glance, you wouldn't even know that there was a fourth person living with this family. There were no other pictures on the mantle, no extra chairs at the kitchen table. The only clue you would find was a heavily bolted door at the end of the second floor landing.

Harry Potter was sprawled across his bed with a book propped up against his pillow, quill in hand, laboriously attempting to write a four-foot essay on "the properties of Moonstone and its uses in Potion making". Occasionally he would flick his unruly black hair out of his emerald green eyes, and gaze longingly out of his barred bedroom window.

Suddenly, he threw his quill down in exasperation. "I can't do it, Hedwig! There's no way I can write four feet on Moonstone with this book. It doesn't give me enough information. Got any ideas, girl?" Amber eyes gazed back solemnly at him, wishing she could help her master. "It's all right girl, the next time Vernon says I can let you out, you're going straight to the Weasley's." Hedwig glared reproachfully at him.

Harry sighed, "I'm sorry girl, but you're not getting what you need here. You'll be better off at Ron's house." He stroked her feathers for a while, watching the beautiful day out of the window, lost in his thoughts. He cruised over the last school year; thinking of how much the sky matched Sirius's eyes, and felt a pang of guilt and pain as he remembered the surprise in them as he went through the Veil. He had grieved heavily the first few weeks of vacation, but now he was slowly working his way toward acceptance.

His peace, however, was interrupted by a shout from downstairs. "Boy! Get down here and weed the garden. It looks like a jungle back there!"

Harry sighed, but quickly changed into more yard work oriented clothes, which consisted of a pair of loose-fitting pants and a muscle tee. Aunt Petunia insisted he wear a shirt in the house, even if he always took it off once he started on the yard. He had filled out a little, and was now decently toned from all the work in the yard and house the Dursleys made him do. He was even something of a handyman, since Vernon was far too cheap to pay a professional to do the repair work around #4.

Harry wiled away the afternoon weeding Petunia's garden. When dusk had set in, Petunia called him back in after inspecting his work.

"Here," she said, handing him a sandwich, "take a shower and eat upstairs. I don't want you mucking up my house after I cleaned it." 'Yeah, like you're the one who gets on their knees and scrubs the floor till it shines and your hands and knees ache.' Harry quickly retreated upstairs before he was told to do something else. He bolted down his sandwich and quickly grabbed a change of clothes to take a quick shower.

The moon was a bright gibbous, and Harry was once again reclining on his bed, with his transfiguration work spread around him this time. He was trying to decipher the theory for human transfiguration when he heard a light tapping on his window. When he looked up, he saw a regal looking Eagle Owl perched just outside his window. Wondering who would be sending him mail, as his birthday wasn't until next week, he opened the window and untied the letter from the bird's leg. His name was written on the front in a clear, elegant script, and knowing that if it was dangerous it wouldn't have gotten through the improved wards, he wasted no time in opening it.

Harry Potter,

I know that we haven't been on the best of terms with each other, but I write this letter to you to ask for your aid.

It has come to my attention that my parents expect me to be Marked within the month. This I cannot allow to happen. I do not wholly back their ideals like my father believes I do. I do not condone such senseless torture and violence, and while I am proud to be a pureblood, I realize that new blood is necessary to our survival. We can't all be inbred mongrels. However, I do not fully believe in all the methods and ideals of the light, but I am willing to put this aside and work with you if you will grant me sanctuary.

If you agree, or wish to meet in person to better discern my sincerity, kindly send your reply back with Hermes. If not, simply return him empty handed.

With utmost Sincerity,

Draco Malfoy

He nearly dropped the letter in his shock when he had read through it. It took two more readings before he fully comprehended its content. Draco Malfoy – his schoolyard rival and pureblood supremacist – did not want to follow in his father's footsteps and serve Voldemort and rid the world of muggle-borns and half-bloods? Even more shocking, Malfoy had written to him – Harry Potter, bane of his existence – for help in escaping the dark faction, which everyone - even his parents - believed he whole-heartedly supported. It just wasn't working in his head.

He did, however, know that this wasn't a joke. The aura coming off the letter spoke of nothing but truth and desperation. Pushing Voldie out of his head in the department of Mysteries had unlocked some of his mental abilities, and he was a good enough Occlumens and Legilimens to protect his mind from Voldie's occasional attacks and tell whether or not someone was being truthful.

He tried to think the situation through. He knew it wasn't a trap, but that didn't mean that Malfoy couldn't be followed to whatever meeting they set up. He needed to choose his place and time carefully, as he didn't want Order members or Death Eaters to interrupt them. He quickly consulted the timetable he'd made on the Order's guard shifts. Tomorrow around noon would be the best time to meet, as that was when the guards changed and gave him a window to leave. Also, Mad-Eye was on shift tonight, and he wouldn't be back for another two weeks, giving him ample time to hide someone or leave #4 if necessary. And, if this thing with Malfoy came through, he would have a valuable ally in this war against Voldemort. The whole thing was risky, but it might be worth it.

Deciding the pros outweighed the cons, Harry took up a quill, found a piece of parchment, and penned his reply to Malfoy. It simply said to meet him at the park at noon the next day, and if he was confident, to bring his trunk, as he wouldn't have the opportunity to return to his manner, as it was too risky for both him and Harry to do so.

Harry tied the letter to Hermes, then watched as he flew away until he couldn't see the owl any more. He was restless that night, and didn't fall asleep until much later. He was awoken in the wee hours of the morning by a tapping on his window, and when he opened the window, Hermes dropped the note on the sill and flew off.

It was only three words, but Harry felt his heart skip a beat as he read it.

I'll be there.

"I hope I'm doing the right thing, Hedwig." Hedwig hooted and nipped his finger lovingly in reassurance.

AN: Like it? Hate it? Should I continue? C'mon guys, I need feedback! REVIEW!