Draco

After I finally start to calm down, Harry takes me by the hand and leads me down by the lake. We settle down by a tree.

"We're gonna miss class." I choke out, and then I scold myself for saying it. He's trying to save me, and all I can say is that we're going to miss class? I'm such an idiot. And I don't really deserve to be saved…

"I don't care." He says softly. "You're more important." My breath catches in my throat. Did he really just say that? He's blushing… does that mean something? Probably not… He's not gay and he'd never care that much about me. I'll never have him. More tears streak my face and I pull my knees up to my chest. "Why have you been cutting, Draco?" I take a deep breath. I don't know how to say this.

Harry

As I wait for Draco to answer me, I question myself as to why I said he's more important than missing class. It's true, of course, but my face got hot when I said it. Does that mean I like him? This is all so confusing.

"You saw why." He tells me, after he seems to think about it for a while. I'm confused for a moment but then I realise that he's talking about the boggart. My stomach feels sick.

"Do you… do you mean to tell me that you father… treats you like that all the time?" Oh god. I just though he was only afraid of what would happen if he knew he was gay…

Draco nods.

"He's worse than that most of the time." His voice breaks. "He doesn't know I'm gay though…"

"Well lets take that as a good thing." I say. "How long has he been…" I don't know how to finish the sentence.

"Abusing me?" He finishes for me. I nod. "Its okay, you can say it. I know he does. He's been treating me like that since I was about five years old…" His voice breaks again. Without thinking, I reach over and pull him towards me. He rests his forehead on my shoulders and I start to absentmindedly play with his hair. "I've gotten used to the beatings though," he continues. "It's the psychological shit that I can't handle."

"What do you mean?" I ask. This is making me feel sick. I can't believe anyone would treat their child like that. Even Lucius Malfoy.

Draco

My head is rested against his shoulder now. I haven't completely stopped crying, but they're silent tears. He wants to know what I mean by psychological… I think for a moment about how to explain.

"For one, I always have to be strong. I can't be afraid, and I'm not allowed to cry when he hits me. Because it's weak. And when he's not hitting me, he's pulling apart everything else. I'd be better off dead. Or, I'm pathetic and that no one wants me around…" I break off crying for a moment and he hugs me closer.

"It's not true, you know." He whispers. I sniff.

"How am I supposed to know that? No one around here wants me. I'm just Draco Malfoy. Son of a Death Eater, cold hearted arse who doesn't have feelings. And my parents certainly don't want me…" My words cut off yet again as I choke on a small sob.

"But I do." He whispers. "Besides, no one's ever gotten to know the real you." I shake my head into his shoulder.

"They'd still hate me if they did. I'm just a pathetic little boy who has to cut himself to deal with his father's abuse." I hate myself so much right now. Harry pulls away and turns my face so that I'm looking into his sparkling green eyes.

"Draco, listen to me. You're not pathetic. You've been through a lot, that's all." He wipes a few tears from my cheeks. He takes my arms and rolls up my sleeve. "And this," he says, showing me my cuts, "can be fixed. It's not too late. You're not alone anymore. You have me."

Harry

As soon as I've said it, I know it's true. I'm not going to stand off to the side and watch as he falls apart. I'm just starting to realise how much I care. He needs me, and I fully plan to be there for him. I wipe at his tears, and I suddenly am met by and urge to kiss him. I try to shake this off. I've never been attracted to another guy before. I don't know why I'm starting to now…. Draco is starting at me as though he doesn't believe that I actually exist.

"Do you promise?" He asks, quietly. His eyes are begging me to say yes.

"Of course I do." I whisper. Suddenly Draco starts to shake his head.

"No." He says. "No, you're lying." He's starting to cry again and it's breaking my heart.

"No, Draco, I'm not." I take his hands into mine. "You've got to believe me." His grey eyes stare into mine and I feel as though he's searching for the answer there.

"Every promise anyone's ever made to me has been broken…" I'm finally starting to see just how broken Draco really is…

"Not this one." I say. "And I understand that that's hard for you to believe since we've been rivals all this time… but I'm serious. I don't make promises that I can't keep." He stays silent so I grip his hands tighter in my own. "Let me help you. Please." I feel like I'm begging him but I'm not going to sit and watch him waste away. I couldn't handle that. He is silent for a long while. And then finally, he nods.

"I need you to understand something." He tells me.

"Anything." I tell him, thoroughly relieved that he's opening up to me.

"If you betray me, I won't be able to handle it." His words chill me to the bone. I know what he's implying. I nod.

"I know." I whisper. The bell rings behind us. We ignore it, and talk until lunch time.