CHAPTER ONE

This was the moment he'd been waiting for. He finally had Draco Malfoy cornered. He was so ready…until he saw those tears. Until he saw those artistic hands clutching the sink, until he heard the sobs. He was frozen where he stood.

Draco's head snapped up, and he caught Harry's eyes. He didn't yell…didn't scream at him or insult him. He just stared, looking more defeated than ever. After a few moments that seemed like forever to both boys, Draco shook his head, his eyes closing for a brief second.

"I suppose you've caught on, Potter?" He said in a scratching voice.

Harry didn't know how to respond. He took a few steps forward, stopping a foot from Draco. He reached out, slowly, and latched his hand around Draco's wrist. He pushed up the white cotton of Draco's shirt. There, faded but still visible, was a tattoo of a skull, a snake sliding out of its mouth. Draco turned to face Harry. He shook his head again, before a tear slid down his face. Harry looked down at the slightly shorter boy, shocked by what he saw. This wasn't the bastard that he had grown to hate. He looked so tired, so sad…Draco locked his eyes with Harry's, a pleading gaze.

"Are you really a hero, Potter?" He asked, his voice barely a whisper. Harry narrowed his eyes, dropping Draco's arm.

"Why do you always have to be a prick?" He screamed. Draco's expression didn't change. He extended his arm and grabbed Harry's hand.

"Save me." He murmured. Harry furrowed his eyebrows.

"What?" He said, trying to wrench his arm away from Draco's, but said boy tightened his grip in response.

"Please." He stepped closer to Harry, so that their chests where almost touching. He laid his head in the dip of Harry's neck. "They forced me to do this and I," his voice cracked, "I just can't fight anymore. I can't hide anything anymore. How I feel, either…" He nuzzled Harry's neck. "Please, save me."

Harry gulped. He didn't know what to do. He knew, somehow, that Draco wasn't lying. He meant what he was saying, Death Eater or not. That unnerved Harry. He had only figured out his…preference…earlier that year. He had been spending 'quality time' with Ginny, and that's when it hit him. She was pissed, of course, but Harry wasn't about to lie to himself. He also wasn't about to romance his arch-enemy turned Death Eater! He wouldn't complicate his life like that. So, he shoved Draco away. He stumbled, but caught himself on the sink. He looked at Harry with big eyes, resembling very much a faithful dog that had just been kicked.

"You're the only one who can save me!" He pleaded. "And I-"

"Save it." He turned to leave, but the sound of a hitched breath made him turn back around.

Draco was standing there, head down, shoulders slouched. He was sobbing, the force of it shaking his frame. Harry sighed, pulling him into a one-armed hug. Draco collapsed against him.

--

Harry took Draco to the only place he knew of that would give them complete privacy. The Room of Requirement was decorated much like a bedroom when they arrived, with a large canopy bed in the middle of the room, dawning baby blue sheets. Harry set Draco down on the edge, and began to pace the gray carpet.

"How do you expect me to help you?" He said finally, after a few agonizingly quiet minutes. Draco shrugged, which in turn infuriated Harry. He took a threatening step towards the sitting boy and was shocked when said boy shrunk away from him.

"I'm sorry!" Draco said miserably. "I just don't know! I'm only certain that you're the only one who can! And you're the only one that I-"

"Shut up!" Harry interrupted. He really didn't want to hear Draco's confession. He didn't want to have to deal with it. He was only here to do his civic duty…Draco stood.

"Why do you keep doing that?" He asked, visibly upset. Harry turned his head away.

"Because it would complicate things. And I don't want you any more upset then you already are, or we'll never get this solved."

"So you're saying that it's a definite no? That you'd reject me?" He sounded put out. Harry looked at him incredulously.

"Of course it would be a no?" He said. "How could you think that I would ever-"

Harry had only kissed two other people in his life. They had both been girls, mind you, so when Draco's lips pressed pleadingly against his own, he was quite shocked. Draco's delicate hands gripped at his dark gray sweater, and Harry was sure he was crying. Why did people always cry when they kissed him? He didn't respond, keeping his lips immobile, but he didn't push him away, either. He couldn't bring himself to. Draco pulled away, but his lips were still so close to Harry's, not even a piece of gossamer silk could have fit in between them.

"Please…" Draco had said this to him only minute's before, as well, but Harry had never known a word to hold so much feeling. He could feel Draco's anguish, his heartbreak, his fright, his disparity…The blonde's grip on his sweater tightened, and Harry could feel the boy's hands shaking. Draco opened his eyes, and Harry saw the blue orbs swimming in tears. His own green eyes smoldered into Draco's. He noticed, due to their closeness, that Draco had freckle on his cheek. He absentmindedly reached up and ran his finger over it. Draco leaned into his touch, shutting his eyes for a moment. Harry cupped the boy's face, noting its softness, and the fact that it was freezing cold. He moved his hands to Draco's neck, feeling still the coldness. Draco took this as an invitation, and leaned in to kiss him again. Harry pulled away.

"Don't." He said bluntly. His grabbed Draco's wrists and wrenched them off of his shirt. He was aggravated all of a sudden, and he gave Draco a rough shake. The blonde shook like a rag doll, and then something akin to a leaf, fluttering in the breeze. Harry pushed him into a sitting position on the bed.

"I'm here to 'help' you. And that's it. That's as far as this relationship goes." Harry hissed. Draco nodded, but all of a sudden he was sobbing again. Harry sighed, aggravated. He was getting annoyed by the amount of crying Draco was doing. Finally, Harry lost it.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO? I CAN'T SAVE EVERYONE! WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU EXPECT FROM ME?" He screamed. He grabbed Draco's shoulders and shook him again, harder. "HUH? WHAT DO YOU EXPECT?"

"STOP!" Draco pleaded. "Stop screaming at me! Stop it!" He seized the chest of Harry's sweater. "Please stop it. You're hurting me. I have a big enough headache as it is without you shaking me!"

Harry stopped shaking him, but stared at him. He remembered the kiss, and pulled his hands away as if he was burned. Draco stood up, and pulled Harry close to him, having still a good grip on his sweater.

"Harry…please. I know you want this. Why can't you just give in and admit it?" He whispered. Harry scoffed.

"Newsflash, Malfoy. Not everybody in this fucking school wants you!" He growled. Draco sighed.
"Everyone but you, Harry. And frankly, I'd trade them all for you." He let go of Harry, but proceeded to straighten out the other boy's sweater. As his nimble hands ran up Harry's chest and over his shoulders, Harry shuddered. "I wish you would understand. I wish you could see what really goes on in my house. You'd see me differently. You'd see my parents differently, too. They're not evil, you know."

"I doubt that, Malfoy-" Harry began, but Draco put a finger to his lips.

"I don't want to talk about that right now. I just want…" He leaned up, almost as if to kiss him, but he stopped right before their lips touched. "I just want you to know that I love you."

"Malfoy-"

"Draco." Draco corrected him. Harry sighed.

"Draco. You need to understand something. It's not you…I'm just not gay." He lied. Draco shook his head.

"That's not what Hermione said."

Harry almost choked. "What? WHAT!" He screamed.

"Hush. We've only pretended to hate each other. We've been speaking through owls for the past three years…since she punched me actually. She wrote me to apologize and I just…spilled everything to her. She's a really great girl, Harry. Anyway…I told her about how I felt and she told me that you confided in her your 'secret.' She told me to go for you…that you needed someone like me in your life."

Harry growled.

"That bitch!" He hissed. Draco gasped.

"How dare you? She's trying to do us a favor! We need each other!" Draco smiled at him, but Harry didn't look as though he agreed.

"I don't need a fucking thing from you, Malfoy! Not a GOD DAMN thing!" He hollered. Draco shook his head.

"Stop being so hard headed, Harry. I need you, I know that much. And you never know…If you rescue me, I might be inclined to be that warm body, if ever you should need it." He looked into Harry's eyes with a heated look. Harry snapped out of his rage at this.

"Malfoy…are you suggesting that I would use you for sex?" He asked, astounded. Draco nodded, absentmindedly fixing Harry's loose tie.

"If that's the only way for me to be close to you." He looked away. "I'm very good at pretending."

"You'd have to pretend to like having sex with me?" He hissed. Draco shook his head.

"No. I'd pretend that you love me. I'd pretend that your hands were touching me out of compassion, instead of lust…"

That broke Harry's heart. Just the thought of having to do that was enough to make him sad. He grabbed Draco's wrists.

"If I ever do that with you, it'll be because I love you. I'd never do that with someone if I didn't feel something." He said definitely. Draco looked put out. He looked down at their hands. Harry's skin looked good against his, they were both slightly pale, but the two colors mixed nearly perfect. Draco shook his head, trying to pull away. Harry held on, and Draco sighed.

"Harry, let me go." He said, biting his lip. One of Harry's hands shot out.

"Don't do that, you'll get a sore." He said, using his thumb to pull Draco's lip from under his front tooth. Draco caught his hand.

"What does it matter?"

Harry frowned. He let Draco go.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I can't say I love you too, Draco. It's just…I've hated you for so long…this is all coming to me as a shock! I mean…you and Hermione? Friends? I'm reeling!"

"Oh, is it really that shocking? The evil ice prince Draco Malfoy has a best friend? A level headed Gryffindor, to be exact?" He said hotly. "I do have a personality, Harry! I do have friends! Oh…and I have feelings, too. Feelings that can be hurt!" He was pissed now. "I can't believe I thought you could help me! Well, I guess it's not matter of you could as opposed to you would." He got in Harry's face. "Am I not good enough for you to save? Would I be a blemish on your perfect record? Would you be afraid of what Ron would think? Or maybe you don't trust me, is that it? You don't believe me? I'm Draco Malfoy, of course I'm lying! Why would I ever tell you the truth? HOW COULD A SLIPPERY, COLDHEARTED SNAKE EVER FALL FOR A PERFECT, LIBERAL, BEAUTIFUL-"

Harry kissed him. Harry had seen the fire in Draco's blue eyes. The same fire he had, and of course…this was the only way to shut Draco up. And he needed to do that.

"Hush." He whispered as he pulled away. "Calm down. I never said I wouldn't help you."

Draco touched his lips, looking into Harry's eyes.

"Harry…you don't understand how I feel when you kiss me. It's amazing." He wrapped his arms around Harry's neck. "Please don't tell me I can't do it whenever I want." He kissed Harry's jaw. "And please don't say you don't feel it too. I know you do."

Harry wrapped his arms around Draco, hugging him to his chest. All of a sudden, he wanted the closeness. He wanted to feel intimacy, and he sat down on the bed with Draco next to him, almost on his lap. The other boy was clinging to him, desperately, and at this moment, that was okay. He lay back, holding onto Draco. Draco made a sound in the back of his throat; halfway in between a moan and a whimper, and Harry looked down at him. His blue eyes were so hopeful, so full of an emotion he couldn't place, but he was drawn to it, and he kissed him passionately. Draco gasped, his pale hands holding either sides of Harry's face. Harry buried his hands in Draco's blonde hair. He rolled on top of him, and Draco arched his back against him, begging for closeness. Harry pulled away, looking at Draco intensely.

"You're right…I do want this. You're…you're so beautiful." He breathed. Draco blushed, pushing Harry's bangs away from his face.

"I love you." He whispered. Harry stopped dead, dropping his hands.

"Draco…I…" He looked distraught. Draco put a finger to his lips, closing his eyes for a moment, before opening them, a tear escaping, rolling down his cheeks, to fall on the pillow.

"It's okay…I can pretend…" he whispered. With slow, calculated tenderness, he pressed his lips to Harry's neck, burying his pale face there. Harry's breath hitched.

"No…I told you I wouldn't make you do that…" He said. Draco pulled away, and Harry noticed how vulnerable he looked underneath him.