To love and lost and love again, takes more than just the desire, but also the courage to take the first step again.
-Jeanne Goh

A/N Ok, I have no idea where this idea came from, but I had to come from somewhere right? I actually found the quote after I was fairly far into the story, so it's not from there. I am fairly happy with how this has been going. I have written most of the story already, and I'm at a bit of a tough spot. However, I am trying to work though my writer's block and still write the story.

Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. I only own my ideas and the character Gabe so far. Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling and the various publishers and movie contracts. I also don't own the songs used in this story. They are Who You'd Be Today by Kenny Chesney and I Do (Cherish You) by Mark Wills. I love both of these songs, and I highly recommend listening to them while reading those parts!

Warnings: This is slash. Guy/guy relationships. Don't like? I have one simple answer for that. Don't read. See? Simple!

Still here? Good! Please review and tell me what you think!

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^I am sick and tired of living in my father's shadow. I need to get out from underneath my father's thumb, and I know only one person who can make that happen.

Potter.

It is time for Draco Malfoy, heir to the Malfoy fortune, ex-Death Eater, prat, and arrogant Slytherin to grovel for help from the one person I terrorized for years on end. This wasn't going to be easy.

I sighed and apparated to the Ministry of Magic.

"Can I help you?"

"I need to talk to Auror Potter."

"Head Auror."

"What?"

"Mr. Potter now leads the Aurors. He was promoted two weeks ago."

"He's eighteen!"

"Yes, that's right. He is the youngest Head Auror. Now sir, may I ask your name?"

"Drake Malloy."

"Please remove your hood."

"I'm afraid I cannot do that."

"Why not, sir? I must know that you have no weapons."

I held out my arms. "You may check me magically. I mean no harm."

"Very well." The secretary waved her wand, and I felt a tingling go down my body. "You are clear. I will contact Head Auror Potter and have him meet you in Room number 3. "

"Thank you." As I walked away, I took a deep breath, preparing to go through the hardest experience in my life.

Five minutes later, Potter walked in, his wand drawn. I kept my eyes trained on the ground, as a sign of submission and of respect. "My secretary said you wanted to talk to me?"

"Yes, sir."

"Do I know you? She said your name was Drake Malloy?"

"Yes, sir."

"Will you please look at me? I don't like talking to someone so downtrodden, although your humility is quite refreshing around here."

Making sure my hood was kept in place, I looked up. Potter looked me in the eyes, and his widened. "Malfoy!"

Of course he would recognize my eyes. "Potter, I need your help."

"Why do you want my help all the sudden? I never liked you, and you always hated me. Why me?"

"Potter, even my name suggests I am evil. I am determined to change that, I need to change that. I need your help."

"You terrorize me for years both during and after school, and now you're asking for help. " Potter raised an eyebrow.

"I know. I regret that now. I'm sorry. I-I can't do this anymore. I will get down on my knees and beg if I have to."

Potter seems impressed, but he continues on as if he wasn't. "How did you even get in here? There are supposed to be wards against the Dark Mark."

"Why do you automatically assume that I have the Dark Mark?"

"You're a Malfoy! No, that's wrong of me, I'm sorry. That was wrong for me to assume. Didn't your father force it on you?"

"I refused. I was tortured for it, and I had a week to change my mind. I refused again. The torture was worse the second time around, but after the fourth time, I hardly felt it."

"How many times were you tortured?"

"More than enough. Potter, I really need your help. I know you can protect me. You're the,"

"If you say Boy-Who-Lived, I will not even consider helping you."

"I was going to say most known wizard, second to Merlin, but I won't go there."

Potter smiled and reached out his hand. "I will help you, with some conditions."

"Name them."

"You will submit to questioning, and you will be under surveillance until I feel it is not necessary, and you will not leave wherever I place you without my permission. Fair?"

"I agree." I shook Potter's hand and laughed. "This reminds me of first year."

"What do you mean?"

"When I offered you my hand for friendship, but you refused."

"You just insulted my first friend ever. I wasn't likely to be all friendly to you after that."

"And every day since then, I haven't wondered what would be different if I hadn't-first friend?"

Potter flinched.

"What do you mean by 'first friend'? Didn't you have any friends before Hogwarts?"

"No. My relatives wouldn't allow it."

"What do you mean?"

"It means nothing! I will contact you shortly with information. Where are you staying?"

"The Hog's Head under the name I gave you."

"Good day Mr. Malloy." Potter stormed out, and I was left very confused, but relieved. Potter had both helped me and gave me a mystery to solve. I loved mysteries.

A/N Okay guys! Please review! I'm fairly far on this story, so if I get good feedback, there will be fast updates! Now if you guys think this sucked, then that might be a bad idea, but I still am holding onto hope that someone besides me likes this, and that I'm not totally insane. Or maybe that the start was good, and I am totally insane. Before I confuse myself any more, I am going to stop. Please leave your opinions!

You'll have to excuse me, it was 11:41 at this time I wrote the above Author's Note, and I had a long day. Please disregard everything I said, minus the first three sentences and the last one. Thank you, and I'll try to write my Author's Notes when I'm not tired and slightly insane. Thank you for your time.