This is my first ever fanfiction for Harry Potter. I am really interested in the story involving Draco and Snape and so this is about their relationship. It is also about some of the troubles Draco is going through in his sixth year at Hogwarts and his despair at becoming a Death Eater. This story contains self harm, so if this triggers you or it bothers you, consider reading another story.

Draco Malfoy deep down was broken. Everyone seemed to consider him to be some insolent person who never considered other people's feelings. They just didn't understand.

'I can't live like this anymore…' Draco thought to himself as a tear passed down his face.

He felt so alone, so enclosed in a position he had no idea how to get out of. He didn't know who to talk to, his father was in Azkaban and he would see behavior like this a weakness. His mother, well she was concerned, but he did not want to show his feelings to her. He did not want to display he had weaknesses. He didn't want to seem like a fool.

At first becoming a Death Eater seemed like the thing to do. He did not know exactly why, but it just felt right then. He was going to be a part of something, where he could be able to prove himself…be good at something for once. He never was the great Seeker like Harry Potter, or the one with the brains like Hermione Granger, or even a good chess player like Ron Weasley. He felt so inadequate.

So here in the evening Draco was shedding tears in a seemingly abandoned bathroom. He did not really want to be alone, but sometimes he just did not know who to go to…He stayed here in this bathroom without eating or sleeping for days now. It seemed like no one noticed anyways.

Sometimes Moaning Myrtle would come and he could relate to her and how she too felt inadequate. Or how people did not see how she truly was like. No one seemed to know how Draco was really like besides the way he displayed himself. And at the same time, Draco did not want people to know how he really felt sometimes. He was afraid of what they would think. And sometimes he was just confounded.

Draco took out a razorblade he carried with him in his pocket. Under immense pressure, he felt like he needed to release it. And sometimes he felt like just punishing himself for what being such an imbecile.

He already had numerous scars from cutting. He liked them sometimes, and other times he strived so hard to hide them. Luckily, no one knew about it.

His wrist started to bleed more profusely. The deep, red looked lovely to him. He felt more vitally alive, and he felt he deserved the pain. He looked at the Death Eater etching on his wrist, and started slashing it, feeling disgusted at what kind of decision he had made.

Still, tears strung down his face liked beads of water trembling in the midst…

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Severus Snape understood that Draco Malfoy was up to something. He had not been attending classes for now three days in a row, not to mention countless other times. He tried to meet up with him, but Draco would not arrive to any of the appointments Severus had made with him.

'Where is he?' Severus thought deeply.

He tried talking to his cronies Crabbe and Goyle, but being dunderheads who seemed to have no care whatsoever in their education or "friendship" with Draco they had no idea.

'They probably were more interested in what was being served for dinner' thought Snape.

Severus could tell that Draco looked like he had not been outside for days with his pale skin and its gray tinge, most likely had not ate for days, and although he was not ever an exceedingly great student, his performance had went from average to just short of failing.

Severus Snape did not like showing his students that he cared and was compassionate, for he felt they would take advantage of that and not work to their potential. He knew he was hard on them sometimes, but if no one pushed them then they would not be working to what they could work to. But right now he was worried about Draco and he was determined on finding him so they could discuss what was troubling him.

Harry Potter was strolling the corridors having completed most of his assignments. He was planning to visit Hagrid's cabin and see what he was up to. As he was walking, he thought he heard something. Having had awful experiences with a Basilisk talking to him in his second year through the corridors, he paused for a moment.

"No—don't do it! You're going to hurt yourself!" some shrill female voice explained.

It sounded just like Moaning Myrtle. But who on earth would be in that bathroom? No one used it…well besides him, Ron, and Hermione occasionally. But it seemed like whoever was in the bathroom was in peril.

Out of curiosity, confusion, and almost fear he went into the dingy, abandoned bathroom.

Only it was not empty. There in a corner by the sink was Draco Malfoy, holding something that looked sharp. There was a puddle of blood surrounding him, and Moaning Myrtle was trying to stop him. Being merely a ghost there was not much she could do.

"Malfoy! What are you—are you okay?" Harry asked quite loudly in shock.

"What is it to you Potter! Get away, go find your Weasley friend and play with him!" Malfoy said with contempt quite weakly and he seemed humiliated in being caught. A glint of anger was apparent within his eyes for someone just barging in.

Moaning Myrtle started shrieking shrilly as she realized that more and more blood was beginning to pour out profusely. She even accidentally dropped one of the stone basins and it clunk loudly on the stone floor.

"Malfoy—you need to go to the hospital wing, you're bleeding!" Harry said frantically. He knew his affinity with Draco was not good, and although hostility was still held within him, he didn't want Draco to ever be hurt in such a way.

"Potter, just go away and leave me alone! I—I'll curse you!" Malfoy threatened Harry.

"Malfoy—" Harry was about to tell Draco he was not going the right way when he faltered upon hearing something.

Just at that moment, there was a creak of a door and Severus Snape entered the scene. Bewilderment and distress was etched all over his sallow face, as he quickly headed towards Draco, with his dark, billowing robes following him. He took no apparent notice of Harry even being there.

"Draco, let me see what is in your hand," Severus Snape said, trying to keep his composure, yet his tone was very serious.

"Get away! Trying to take something else from me? Well you can't! Stop trying to get involved in everything!" Draco said loudly, but at the same time tears were pouring down his face. His eyes were puffy and red…

Please Review and tell me what you think. Thank you for reading. This story will hopefully be continued.

--Jess

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