The dark and the cold coupled with the Dementor's guarding Azkaban prison sent most people over the edge not long after they were placed there usually.

Draco Malfoy had watched prisoners go mad. He witnessed his father killed right in front of his cell trying to escape.

He wasn't even trying to help Draco, that just happened to be the way to get to the door and fate found it humorous for the wizard who guarded that floor with the dementors to kill Lucius right in front of his son's eyes.

It hadn't bothered Draco that his Father was dead. He felt that the man deserved what he got. What bothered him had been looking into those cold, dead, stone gray eyes that mirrored his own. It could have easily been him lying there and that freaked Draco out.

That had been the first year of Draco's stay in Azkaban. As the years trickled by he watched the prisoners slowly lose their minds. The only thing that kept the young Malfoy sane was the fact that after four years he would be given another chance. A chance to prove that he could be a good person if given the opportunity.

He owed that chance to the golden boy himself, Harry Potter. Rumor in the wizarding world now was that Potter had disappeared and most thought him to be dead. Draco didn't believe one word of that rubbish. If the killing curse hadn't gotten rid of him Draco doubted anything could.

The second year of Draco's imprisonment he caught wind that his Mother had gone insane and killed herself. That had put a bit of a damper on his spirits but his life went on. He had to survive and with each passing day Draco would make another tally on the wall counting down the days.

The blond often sat and thought. What else did he really have to do in his small dank cell? He thought about life before the war, he thought about his role within Voldemort's ranks, and as much as he tried not to he thought about St, Potter.

Draco had several mixed feelings about the savior of the wizarding world. At first when they were kids he had wanted to be his friend, but who was he kidding that had been for the bragging rights. After that he became jealous that the boy had turned him down and chose the blood traitor and Mudblood over him. That had turned to hatred when Draco was forced to take the dark mark and Harry had the light on his side.

Draco didn't know anymore how he felt but it wasn't like it mattered he would never see the raven haired teen again. No one else had.

When finally the day of Draco's trial arrived a ministry official came to his cell and unlocked it. Draco was forced to turn around with his face against the unforgiving stone wall while they searched him and bound his hands behind his back.

He was taken to the Ministry of Magic via Portkey and locked into a small room to await his trial. Draco got his first look at himself in almost four years. After everything he had been through that was what almost unraveled him. His hair was matted and filthy. His face was sunken and gaunt. Even Draco's skin was pale and sickly looking.

Draco sighed, it wasn't like it mattered how he looked he didn't exactly have the Malfoy name to uphold anymore. Lucius had destroyed every shred of dignity they had when he allied himself with Voldemort and forced the whole family to do the same thing.

In what seemed like an eternity later but was probably only a few hours an auror flung the door open.

"Let's go." The man ordered.

Draco was finally hit with the reality of the situation he was in. This was the deciding point, either they would decide he had learned his lesson and let him go, Or they would toss him back in Azkaban to rot away like the rest of the death eaters.

If the first Draco didn't know what he would do, he had nowhere to go. The ministry had seized the Malfoy property and wealth. He didn't even have a wand anymore they had snapped it in half when he was sentenced.

With the Dark Mark emblazoned on his forearm there was no way for him to find employment. No one was going to hire an ex- Death Eater.

If the latter then he would finally succumb to the madness in the dark, cold, miserable cell and die like his Mother had.

Draco's legs gave out on him and he dropped to his knees trembling in fear. No matter the out come of this trial he was doomed. The Auror got frustrated and grabbed Draco by the arm dragging him painfully into the corridor.

By the time Draco found his senses he was being pushed down into the same chair he had been chained to when his original sentence had taken place. The chains snapped shut around his wrists and ankles holding him there.

"Draco Lucius Malfoy, You have served four years in Azkaban prison for your crimes against the wizarding world. At the prompting of Mr. Harry Potter it was decided you be given an opportunity to prove yourself worthy of a second chance." Kingsley Shacklebolt spoke in a loud rumbling voice.

Draco felt tears welling in his eyes. The Minister himself was presiding over his trial. That couldn't be good.

"Do you feel that you have learned your lesson?" Kingsley asked.

Draco realized he had been asked a question but he wasn't sure if he could speak or not. He hadn't uttered a word in over a year. Who did he have to talk to locked away in Azkaban.

"Yes Sir," He replied his voice hoarse and barely audible.

"What reason do we have to believe you?" Kingsley asked again.

"You don't." Draco replied feeling the tears slide down his cheeks. "I did horrible things. At the time I thought I was doing what was right. I thought I was doing what I had to to keep my family safe. But I was wrong. I felt then that I had no choice but I did. I could have run away from my family and joined the other side." Draco paused taking a breath. "I was offered protection for my Mother and myself on several occasions but I knew my Mother wouldn't have accepted it and I didn't want to leave her I was foolish. I now know that. I'm sorry, I wish I could take back the things that I did but I can't. No one can." Draco finished his rant hanging his head in shame.

He knew no one would stand up for him, no one cared rather he was chucked back into prison or not. He didn't even blame them.

"Does anyone have anything to say before a decision is made?" Kingsley asked the courtroom.

"Aw let him go." A voice spoke from the back of the room.

Draco jerked his head up looking in the direction it had come from. A young man with long dark hair pulled into a low pony tail was standing in the back leaning against the door frame. He looked vaguely familiar but Draco couldn't place it.

"Who might you be?" Kingsley asked the youth.

"Come on now Kingsley, Don't tell me you don't recognize me?" He laughed walking forward. As he got closer a few people gasped and Kingsley's face split into a smile.

"Merlin's Beard! Harry Potter!" He exclaimed. The courtroom was buzzing now and Draco could only stare dumbfounded at the teen who now stood only a few feet away from him.

Harry smiled brightly at the minister. "The one and only."

"So Mr. Potter, why do you feel we should release Mr. Malfoy?" Kingsley questioned. That was when it hit Draco. Harry Potter was sticking up for him again. Fighting for his freedom.

"Well I mean look at him," Harry replied snidely bringing tears to Draco's eyes again. "He's broken and defeated. Besides that, when is the last time you heard a Malfoy apologize for anything? He admitted he was wrong and said he was sorry for it. Not only that but I saw a convicted Death Eater on my way here today that did way worse than Draco did and they were released." Harry crossed his arms knowing Kingsley would figure out who he was speaking of.

All Draco could think about was the fact that Potter had used his first name.

"Yes that is true Mr. Potter but the person of which you speak was put with a chaperone of sorts. Call it a probational period." Kingsley replied easily.

"Okay so do the same thing with Malfoy." Harry shrugged.

"All who agree with placing Mr. Malfoy with a chaperone for a probational period of two years please raise your hands." Kingsley finally gave in and called the vote. "All who are opposed?"

Draco didn't look up. He didn't want to know what the verdict would be.

"Mr. Malfoy, You will be sent back to your cell until we can find an appropriate and willing chaperone for you." Kingsley's voice rang out.

Draco looked up and blinked stupidly at the Minister. He was going back to his cell but only until they found someone to take him in. All hope left him then. No one would take him in.

He was escorted out of the courtroom and another portkey took him back to his own personal hell.

Several days passed and with each one Draco became more and more depressed. He knew no one would take him but still some part of him had hoped.

After the first few days Draco quit eating. After a week he barely slept he just didn't care if he died anymore. He wished for it, he wished he had died at the final battle or even before that.

Two weeks passed and Draco sat in the corner of his cell shaking from hunger, fear and lack of sleep. When the cell door clanged open he jumped in surprise.

"Well Come on then." A guard bellowed at him. Draco crawled forward squinting in the light from the hallway. He was confused about why there was a guard at his door telling him to get out. Slowly Draco got to his feet and the guard grabbed his elbow leading him out.

"What's going on?" Draco finally found his voice.

"You're free to go. Your chaperone came to get you." The guard replied not seeming very happy about it.

"My chaperone? Who would..." Draco didn't get to finish because they entered a small office area where his chaperone was signing the last of the paperwork.

He turned around leaning against the counter. Draco eyed him up and down. The green shirt with the sleeves ripped off, the black leather pants and dragon hide boots, and the arms covered in tattoos.

Draco's saving grace stood there in all his bad ass glory.

"Don't take this personally Malfoy, but you look like shit." Harry laughed.

For once in his life Draco couldn't come up with a scathing reply for the raven haired teen.

"Cat got your tongue?" Harry asked nodding to the guard who released his hold on Draco.

"N N No?" Draco stuttered. Harry shook his head at the blond.

"Come on let's get you home and get you cleaned up."

Draco started to follow Harry to the door but lack of nourishment and sleep took its toll and he stumbled nearly falling. Harry rushed forward and caught him before he could go to far though.

Draco looked up into Harry's face.

"Why?" He questioned.

"Because you look like hell and you smell something fierce." Harry replied as if it were obvious.

"No, not that. Why are you helping me?" Draco reiterated.

Harry kept his hand under Draco's elbow leading him to the foyer where a portkey waited to get them off the island.

"Would you prefer if I left you here?" Harry asked seeming to lose his patience.

"No but I.." Draco was cut off again.

"Then quit asking so many damned questions and lets get the hell out of here I hate fucking dementors." Harry swore under his breath as the one of the creatures in question floated by.

Harry grabbed the hairbrush that was to be their portkey and made sure Draco was touching it before activating it.

The strain proved to be too much for Draco in his weakened state and as soon as the portkey dropped them he passed out.

"Well that figures." Harry sighed picking up the malnourished teen swinging him over his shoulder.

Thankfully the portkey had dropped them at the edge of he and Sirius' property so it was only a short distance to the house.

"Did you kill him already kiddo?" Sirius asked when Harry stumbled through the back door with the unconscious blond.

"Ha Ha Very funny Padfoot." Harry rolled his eyes. "He passed out. He's no heavier than Teddy is though." He added referring to his three year old godson.

"Well I hope he feels better soon." Sirius wrinkled his nose. "He needs a shower."

"Do you think he would feel violated if I went ahead and gave him one?" Harry asked. He like Sirius had a canine animagus form and the magnified sense of smell didn't go away in their human forms.

"Well how would it make you feel if you knew your arch enemy from school had stripped you down naked and bathed you, then dressed you and put you to bed?" Sirius asked.

"You make a very good point." Harry chuckled readjusting Draco's weight to carry him upstairs to the extra room.

Harry laid him down on the bed stretching his arms out to get rid of the kinks in his neck and shoulders. After a moment Harry decided to pull Draco's worn shoes from his feet to make him a little more comfortable.

Harry looked at the clock swearing under his breath, he was going to be late for work.

Draco groaned looking around he didn't know where he was or how he got there but he wasn't in his cell at Azkaban so he didn't really care. The clock read six o'clock and by the looks of the light coming in the window it was evening. Draco sat up wearily looking around he remembered Harry had come to get him so he assumed he was at Harry's house. Not that that told him anything.

A soft knock on the door made him jump. "Come in?" He said softly more like a question than anything. He wasn't used to receiving any common courtesies particularly one such as privacy.

"Good, you're awake." The man who entered the room was definitely someone Draco recognized. This was Sirius Black.

"How long was I out?" Draco asked.

"Since about ten yesterday morning." Sirius replied.

"Where's Potter?" Draco then questioned a little upset that he hadn't been the one to come see him, not that he would admit that.

"Harry had to go to work this morning he'll be back in about an hour if he doesn't go to the bar." Sirius shrugged. "Are you hungry?"

The idea of real food, not prison food was like heaven to Draco. His stomach apparently agreed because while he nodded his head his stomach growled.

Sirius chuckled. "I'll take that as a yes. I'll be right back."

Draco leaned back into his pillows looking around the room in awe. It was nothing nearly as grand as Malfoy manor but it was bright and open which is something he wasn't used to.

Sirius soon returned with a bowl of chicken noodle soup and a a grilled cheese sandwich. Draco didn't want to seem ungrateful but he was a little disappointed. After the years of disgusting gruel he had eaten locked up he had been hoping for something a little more for his first meal outside of prison.

Draco's emotions were obviously more apparent than they used to be and Sirius noticed.

"I wanted to start you out with something a little more simple. You've been eating crap for four years and not very large amounts of it. If you ate a heavy meal now it would make you sick." He explained.

Draco smiled sheepishly.

"That makes sense I guess."

Sirius nodded. "There is a bathroom through that door. Harry just called he should be home soon. He said to tell you if you were up for taking a shower he would be up for answering your questions."

Draco pouted slightly. Harry had referred to him bathing more times than he could count since freeing him.

"I know I stink." Draco finally exclaimed. "I'm sorry I haven't had a bath in four years."

"Calm down Kiddo, I'm just relaying a message." Sirius held up his hands in defense backing out of the room and shutting the door quietly.

Draco began to devour his food thinking about what questions to ask the-boy-who-lived. The first one would be "Why?"

AN- WOW! I didn't expect much feed back on this story particularly not the first chapter of it. But you guys went above and beyond adding and reviewing. Thank you all so very much. I guess that shows how amazing my readers are.

In reference to this chapter I know a lot of things are off. I've changes dates around a bit it should still all make sense if it doesn't let me know and I'll try to fix it or help you understand. I just didn't want a million reviews telling me that I did it wrong or that it's not the same as the book.

Thank you all again for reading and please review.