Full Summary: Harry Potter and Co. are back for their 8th year of school after the war ends. Harry is just hoping for a normal school year, his first one ever... But things are about to get crazy, as usual. When a secret admirer sends him a cryptic message on Valentines Day, what will Harry do? Will he ever figure out what it means? 831. Eight letters. Three words. One meaning.

A/N: Hey there, everyone! If you've read my other fics, you know that I'm a bit shy - I don't like letting people read the fanfiction that I write... But, well, after all of the positive feedback I've been getting for my other Drarry fic, What A Malfoy Wants, I decided to post this story as well. Don't make me regret it? Thanks. You'll also know that I need lots of reviews so that I know people like what I'm writing before I will post any future chapters. Seriously, I'm a very sensitive girl. I need some love, here :)

This was an idea I had quite some time ago, and fell in love with. It'll be my first fanfiction that isn't a one-shot or two-shot! I'm pretty excited about it, and you should be too :) As it stands, I'm looking at somewhere around twelve to fourteen chapters... Though knowing me, it'll wind up being twenty lol. But that's what I'm aiming for right now, in any case.

There aren't really many warnings for this story, for once lol... Though I will say this now: This is a HARRY POTTER X DRACO MALFOY fic, meaning that eventually they will be having steamy gay sex. Seriously, when I write smut, I write some intense smut. If that sort of thing doesn't appeal to you, you may want to be more careful when clicking on stories to read at such high ratings with male pairings, eh? So if you're not old enough to be reading this, don't, kay? Thanks ;) If you leave an idiotic review about how being gay is wrong, be sure to leave your name so I can ridicule you for your stupidity at the beginning of the next chapter.

DISCLAIMER: Not mine. If it were, well... -grins- Unfortunately, all that I can do is have some fun with the characters with stories like this one. -sigh-

*Edited 4/17/13*

.:Prologue:.

The steady rocking of the Hogwarts Express easily lulled Head Boy Draco Malfoy into a calm, relaxed state as he let his gaze wash over his surroundings. His friends, Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy, Theo, and Blaise were chatting freely, a sense of carefree abandon in the air that hadn't been present in previous years, when heavy expectations lead to an oppressive, calculated silence in the very same compartment. It was hard to believe that just a year ago, Lord Voldemort's presence had lingered just beyond sight, weighing heavily on each of the Slytherins' minds. Not one of the occupants of this particular compartment had wanted to join his ranks, but their parents had been pushing for them to take the mark for ages. Under this constant stress, the last year had been a bleak one.

However, all that had changed after the final battle, when Harry Potter killed the Dark Lord once and for all.

The downfall of Voldemort was a bittersweet one for the Malfoy heir. He was immensely pleased that he hadn't been forced to take the Dark Mark; forced to bow down to a raving half-blood hypocrite. However, with the end of the war came the Reconstruction, a time where rogue Death Eaters were rounded up and suspected Death Eaters were persecuted. The entire government was being reformed, preventing another take over. The wizarding world was clearing away the wreckage, beginning to rebuild their lives.

While many of the remaining Death Eaters were captured and sent to Azkaban, there remained the slippery few that managed to remain free. Lucius Malfoy was one of these Death Eaters. He went into hiding, leaving Draco as the only available Lord of the House of Malfoy. As such, the newly reformed Ministry was constantly searching the Malfoy mansion for something that would condemn the family to Azkaban. Their task had been unsuccessful thus far, but not for lack of trying.

As much as I didn't want to do this, I'm glad that I'm going back. At least at Hogwarts, I'll be tucked away from the outside world, and from reminders of how close I came to losing everything.

Malfoy pressed his forehead against the cool glass of the window, not quite taking in the scenery as it flashed by. During the trials scheduled for suspected Death Eaters, he and his mother had come close to being sentenced to Azkaban, despite the fact that neither had the mark on their pale arms. If it hadn't been for Harry Potter's hero complex and honor, Draco Malfoy would be huddled up in a dark cell in Azkaban right now instead of on his way to his true home, Hogwarts. Harry had testified at both his trial and that of his mother, convincing the Wizengamot that neither of them had been willingly involved in any Death Eater activities, and that Draco was incapable of killing. He further proved their innocence by releasing that Narcissa had saved his life during the final battle, a fact that had shocked Draco to the point of tears. With the testimony of The Boy Who Lived on their side, there was no choice but to drop the charges against Draco and Narcissa. However, the charges against Lucius Malfoy still stood, and he was declared guilty of engaging in crimes against wizardry and humanity. If he were ever caught, he would receive the Dementor's kiss. Unfortunately, Malfoy Sr. was doing a very good job of not getting caught.

Draco's gaze moved from the window to the door of the compartment, where two first years were running past. One had jet black hair, the other fair blonde. They were laughing and wrestling, reminding Draco of his first year when Potter had refused his friendship; they represented what could have been in the Malfoy heir's mind. The sound of the compartment door sliding open brought Draco back from his musings. He looked up as Hermione Granger poked her bushy haired face through the gap.

"Malfoy."

Granger. Of course the head girl would be Granger.

He inclined his chin slightly in acknowledgement, a single eyebrow raised in question. "The Prefect's meeting starts in ten minutes. I figured that we should talk about what we have planned for this year a bit before we set their tasks." After he gave a curt nod, she backed out of the compartment, relieved that a confrontation had been avoided among all those Slytherins. Draco pulled his designer robes on over his black dragonhide slacks and green blazer, and made his way to the first compartment to meet Granger, then the prefects.

After the sorting, Draco made his way through the sea of underclassmen towards his rooms. Since he had made Head Boy, he got his own dorm, connected to the Head Girl's dorm by the common room they'd share.

He turned down a corridor, leaving behind the majority of the other students. His gaze swept to the left and right, searching for the entrance to his new common room. At last, he spotted the portrait he had been looking for; a young woman sitting under an apple tree, a large old-fashioned book perched in her lap. As he approached her, she looked up, cocked her head to the side, and placed a leaf in the book to mark her page. She set the book down before standing up and coming closer to the edge of the painting; closer to Draco. When it appeared she could get no closer, she stopped, crossed her arms across her chest, and cocked an eyebrow at him. Though she didn't speak, Draco knew she was waiting for the password.

"Dignitas." (1) he sighed, ready to get inside and settle in, but at the same time not looking forward to the conversation that he would have to have with Granger before he could go to sleep. The portrait swung open, and he stepped inside. He nearly gasped aloud at what he saw inside, but seventeen years of masking your emotions and reactions is not an easy habit to break, and his face was instantly schooled into a cool mask if indifference. The only outward sign of the shock that he felt was the minute widening of his eyes.

(2) The common room itself was quite impressive. It was done in mostly black, with tones of both silver and gold laced throughout the room. While normally this combination would seem tacky, the extremely light shade of gold actually managed to compliment the silver. The floor was a beautiful cherry oak wood paneling, which gave the room a warm glow. The furnishings were simple, yet elegant; just the way Draco liked them. His home, the Malfoy Manor, was full of garish monstrosities that his ancestors had felt compelled to buy in order to flaunt their wealth, and he grew tired of such pompous quarters. A small smile on his lips, Draco closed the portrait behind him and made his way around the room.

To his right was a sitting area with two black couches, adorned with sheer golden throws and pillows that seemed to shimmer. There were four other black chairs and small golden end tables as well. All of this was placed strategically around a black marble fireplace, and a silver rug completed the area.

Beyond that was what appeared to be a fully functional kitchen, equipped with various muggle appliances. The countertops were a beautiful black, gold, and silver marble. A rather large pantry was next to a grand double staircase, which Draco presumed lead to the actual dorm rooms.

The entire western half of the room was a personal library. Tall black shelves made up the whole west wall; their top shelves reached all of the way up to the ceiling. Several couches lined the walls, and a large table sat in the center. It appeared to be made of wood, but it was such a beautifully pale breed that it matched the other golden embellishments around the room.

Draco tore himself away from the bookshelves reluctantly, mounting the stairs. He turned to the right and opened the door, one eyebrow raised at the color combination in the room; the furnishings were a deep purple, accented with lime green and silver.

"I guess this one's mine. That is, unless you've developed a sudden affection for my favorite colors." Draco jumped as Hermione approached him from behind.

"It would seem so…"

Hermione waited for him to move aside, but when he didn't, she turned sideways and slid past him awkwardly.

"Granger, wait." He stopped her just as she set her purse down on the bed and bent down to open her trunk.

"Yes?"

"I… well, I would like to formally apologize for my poor judgement in the past. I propose a truce between us. It seems only logical, since we'll be living and working together this year…"

"That sounds good to me. But just what would such a truce entail?"

"I will be civilized, if you will keep your boyfriend on a short leash. He starts arguments with me just as often as I do with him." He raised a hand to protest when she tried to interrupt him after he called Ron her boyfriend, and she nodded, resigned.

"It's a deal. Truce, then."

With a small smile, Draco turned around and opened the other door. His smile grew as he saw his room's décor; the floors were wood, the same dark color as in the rest of the quarters. A plush black area rug rested under his bed, which was decorated in high quality sheets and curtains that were a shade of purple so dark it was nearly black. His desks and bookshelves black, and it appeared as though they were covered in a shimmering layer of silver dust. They had ornate embellishments in a green so pale, it appeared silver.

"Sudden affection, indeed." Draco smirked, moving to his bed. He waved his wand, unpacking all of his things at once. As he lazily watched his dorm room putting itself in presentable order, his thoughts drifted to the truce he had just made with Granger and company.

"What have I gotten myself into…" Draco collapsed on his bed, intent on taking a long nap before dinner.

(1) "dignitas" is latin for dignity, merit, worth, or prestige. I thought that was a fitting password for the Head Boy & Girl's quarters :)

(2) For a picture of the Head's Quarters, see my profile. There's a link posted under this story's section. I was quite proud of myself for making it, so you should definitely go check it out. Plus, y'know, then you'll be able to visualize a bit better lol.

There you have it, folks :)

I hope you liked it!

Can I just say, purple and green are the best colors, ever? :)

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review? I love getting feedback for the fanfiction I write. It gives me the confidence to post more of the fics I write ;) Tell me how much you love it, how much you hate it, ANYTHING. I love constructive criticism. I'm also one of those people who are happy when readers point out mistakes - it makes me a better writer.

Much love,

~Arya Rose