I know I shouldn't be doing any fics until I've done TBP and SU but this was stuck in my head and those fics were giving me some trouble! I'm sorry that it's been awhile, but with uni and everything things have been hectic - there will be update of TBP soon though, I'm slowly working through the writers block.

Disclaimer; I don't own Harry Potter, if I did then the series would have been pretty different! :)

I hope you like this! :)

Harry walked through the empty corridors on silent feet, he hadn't bothered with the cloak tonight, preferring to storm past everyone in the common room and slam the portrait hole so that they all knew he was angry. Hermione's face had been a mask of concern, but Ron had seemed just as angry as he was; he didn't expect her to come and find him.

He didn't want her to anyway.

His fist slammed against the stone wall, the sudden pain jerking him forcefully out of his thoughts. He sighed, glaring at his bruised knuckles; he really had to learn to stop hitting stone when he was angry. Or maybe just to stop hitting things in general really, that would probably work too. Thinking back to earlier that afternoon, when he had hit Ron rather viscously in the face; he was so sick of him telling him that he was crazy for trying to figure out what Malfoy was up to.

Hermione had been more sympathetic, even realising that he had other reasons for wanting to know what was up with the Slytherin. Thankfully she was smart enough not to mention those reasons in front of Ron. Harry snorted, leaning further into the wall he had struck, not really having anywhere else he could go. Not anywhere he wanted to be anyway.

His conversation with Hermione after Ron had stormed off to the Infirmary was still making heat rise in his cheeks. He would deny he was blushing till his dying day.

"Harry." Her voice was hard, leaving him no option other than to look at her. Her face though, was as soft and caring as always. "You know you can tell me anything right? I won't judge you. Merlin knows you have enough people around to do that." She threw a dirty look at the people scattered about the common room.

"I don't know what you want me to tell you Mione…" The unease was so apparent in his voice that he may as well have told her that there was something wrong. Definitely not the nonchalance he had been going for.

"The truth Harry." The honest and completely simple answer threw him. He was used to people asking him questions, but they all had something that they wanted to hear, something they wanted him to say.

"I just…he's all alone." Hermione's eyes softened even further as she sank onto the couch, holding her arm out for him to join her. "No one seems to notice that he's struggling to hold on. He's being forced to do things he doesn't want to do…why am I the only one who seems to care?" He tried to ignore the way his voice cracked, the way his eyes burned with the effort of holding back tears. Hermione just wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"Maybe it's because you're the only person he needs to care." He looked at her, confusion brimming in his eyes. "Harry, it isn't hard to see that you like him." He jerked in her hold, but her arms tightened and kept him pressed to her side. "Really Harry, you know I won't say anything to anyone, I love you like a brother; you could never do anything that would turn me against you." He nodded, wrapping his arms around her for a moment.

"I know Mione, I love you too."

A growl ripped its way out of his throat as he thought about Ron, how he had come back at that moment and blown up. His nose had been fixed by Madame Pompfrey, though he was still wearing his blood stained shirt. He'd left. He wasn't stable enough to deal with Ron, whilst he was a good friend he was quick to anger, and he had trouble seeing past the things people had done to him. Harry knew it wasn't fair to just expect him to accept that Harry's feelings for Malfoy weren't all negative anymore. But merlins balls he was his best friend! Surely that counted for something? He signed, giving up on staying upright and sliding down onto the cold floor. He glared at the shadows around him, practically daring a prefect, or even a teacher to find him right now.

He didn't know how long he sat there, but he was pulled from his musings when the sound of footsteps reached him. Stiffening, Harry leapt to his feet and pushed himself into an alcove a little further up the corridor. The shadows hid him well, and the figure that past him had no idea that he was there.

"Malfoy?" The word was out of his mouth before he could stop it. He closed his eyes. Now he'd gone and done it. Quickly opening them again, he realised that Malfoy had frozen in the middle of the corridor. Harry shrugged.

"Malfoy? What are you doing out of the dungeons?" The other boy slowly spun around, his eyes wide and his expression skittish. He masked it well.

"I could ask you the same thing Potter." The sneer didn't have the same effect on Harry as it had for the last few years. He didn't feel anger, not even annoyance.

"I couldn't stand to be in the same vicinity as Ron; figured a walk would be better than breaking his nose again." He felt rather proud when he saw the surprise flicker across Malfoy's face.

"You- you broke Weasel's nose?"

"Well yeah, wouldn't be the first time I've hit him." And it wasn't, it had happened before. Ron had a habit of saying things that pissed Harry off. "So where are you headed?" Malfoy's back straightened, which was impressive considering how straight he had already been standing.

"That's none of your business Potter!" Any other time and Harry might have believed it. He might have bought the arrogant mask that he put up. Right now though, the mask was cracked. Harry could see the desperation in his eyes, the drawn look in his face. He saw the silent cry for help that no one else had.

"Draco." The boy startled at the gentle tone. "Are you okay?" Harry saw the surprise, saw the disbelief. Draco scoffed.

"Like you care either way Potter." The bitter tone of his voice wasn't missed.

"You'd be surprised by what I care about Draco." At the use of his name again, Draco shot him a confused, suspicious glare. "It's obvious to me that you've been asked to do something. And it's obvious that you don't want to do it." Harry looked straight into his eyes. "I bet I could guess what it was you need to do."

"It doesn't matter Potter. I don't have a choice." He wasn't imagining the tears was he?

"You always have a choice Draco, no matter what anyone else has told you."

"No! You don't understand! He'll kill her!" No, he wasn't imagining the tears. Draco was crying. "He'll kill my mother." Understanding flooded Harry's veins, and his heart broke for this beautiful boy who was willing to risk his death for the slimmest chance he could save his mother.

"Oh Draco." Harry couldn't help it, he surged forward, his arms pulling the shaking boy into his embrace. "It's okay, everything will be okay." Draco didn't bother trying to pull away, didn't listen to the voice in his head that told him that hugging Harry bloody Potter was a bad idea. All he cared about was that someone was there; someone was going to help.

"I just- I don't know what to do. I don't want to kill him- I don't want to kill Dumbledore! I don't want anything to do with this stupid war; I don't want my mother anywhere near that monster!" Harry stood still, his arms tightening around the crying boy. "I don't want to be dragged down into the horrors of this war anymore than I have been." Harry's face hardened, his mind made up.

"I'm not gonna let anyone drag you down Draco." Draco looked up at him, his face the picture of hope, and Harry thought that he'd never seen anything so damn beautiful.

"Okay, I- I trust you."

Let me know what you think! Reviews would be absolutely lovely!