A/N: FINALLY I GOT THIS TYPED UP. Seriously, you wouldn't believe the trouble I've had with this. Dx Anyway, enjoy the chapter, and watch out for mild language.

Harry Potter stroked the feathers on Hedwig's chest, smiling at her while he tied his letter to Sirius to her leg. He was still worried about sending her out, especially after she got attacked the first time, but he wanted to ask Sirius how he was doing and update him on what was goin on in Dumbledore's Army. Hedwig nipped affectionately at his fingers before taking off. Harry watched, making sure that she got out safely, relaxing when she was out of sight as he turned to leave the Owlery.

Just as he made it to the archway leading to the stairs, a certain blond-haired Slytherin appeared in his way, looking down at the letter in his hands. They nearly collided, but Draco looked up just in time, giving his trademark pompous smirk. "Potter."

So much for a good day, Harry thought to himself as he scowled at Draco. "Malfoy," he sneered, trying to step around him.

But no, of course Draco had to block him from leaving, leaning against the archway. "Who do you have a letter to send to, Potter?"

"Your mum," he snapped with a scowl. "Get out of my way."

"How cute, Potter, you can't even come up with a proper comeback."

"I'm not in the mood to deal with you today, Malfoy." Harry would never admit that he was having trouble with his nightmares about Cedric again—let alone the fact that everyone thought he was crazy—especially to Malfoy. "Go mail your letter."

Malfoy smirked. "But it's not that urgent to me at the moment, Potter."

Harry gave him a flat, irritated look as his hand twitched toward his wand, getting the feeling that this could quickly turn into a duel. "Move."

"Oooh, touchy today, aren't we Potter?" Malfoy taunted.

It was the tone, the arrogant smirk that made Harry snap. "I said move!" he shouted, shoving him.

What harry didn't expect was to have Draco shove him back, with enough force to push him against the wall and pin him there, cold grey eyes narrowed. "Don't shove me, Potter," he hissed.

"Or what?" Harry moved to try it again, only to have Malfoy grab his hands and pin them above his head.

"You don't know half the things I could do to you, Potter," he sneered as he looked him over, snorting and tossing him away carelessly, walking off.

"Whatever," Harry muttered as he rubbed his wrists, eyeing Malfoy warily. He shook his head and turned away. Malfoy had let him go. That was all that mattered. But the look the Slytherin had given him... It created a strange feeling in Harry, and he didn't know if he liked it or not. He looked back to make sure Malfoy wasn't following him, pausing at what he saw.

Draco's eagle owl was perched on the Slytherin's shoulder, a letter in his beak. He was hooting softly at his owner, and said owner had an expression on his face that Harry had never seen on any Slytherin—almost forlorn, definitely softer than he'd ever witnessed. It seemed like the arrogant pure-blood's guard was dropped for once... and Harry wondered for the first time what someone who seemed like they had everything would have to hide.

He noticed that he looked much younger than usual... and he realized that he'd never really noticed that Draco was normally much more lined than the usual boy their age. The lines were permanent... he wasn't nearly as handsome as he should have been.

All of this made Harry wonder why he was thinking about those kinds of things in the first place, especially when it was Draco.

Draco's owl took off, and the softened expression stayed on the Slytherin's face while he watched him go. Harry turned to leave, only to slip on an owl dropping and fall against the wall.

He scrambled to his feet quickly while Malfoy turned to look at him, his cold, sneering expression instantly back. "Can't even walk properly, can you Potter?"

Harry brushed himself off. "Who was your letter to? Almost looked like you cared."

"None of your business," Draco snapped, snorting as he brushed past Harry to get to the stairs. Harry hesitated before following him down the stairs, wondering if he was going to get ambushed. He couldn't help but notice, though, that something that looked like the edge of a bruise was poking out from under Draco's collar, or that it looked like he'd hit his head and bled—not recently, but the hair was stained, discolored just enough to notice if someone stared at the spot long enough.

Again, Harry wondered why he was noticing things about Draco. He pretended not to, of course, and cursed silently when Draco made it to the bottom of the stairs and headed off in the exact direction Harry had to go. It was the last thing he wanted to do, but Harry followed him, keeping his hand by his wand as he watched Draco's hand twitching constantly toward his pocket.

As soon as he could, Harry escaped following Draco by way of a side corridor hidden by a tapestry. He didn't have any other classes scheduled for the day, and he didn't want to go back to the Gryffindor Common Room. And Umbridge hadn't made a "No Wandering Hogwarts After Class" rule... yet. Harry figured he might as well make the best of it.

He somehow made his way to the upper levels of the school, barely paying attention to where his feet were taking him. As much as he was trying to avoid it, his mind was on Draco, among other things. Who would Draco have been thinking of when he was sending that letter? And the bruise... the discolored hair... Had the Slytherin finally bitten off more than he could chew? Insulted the wrong guy?

Harry turned a corner and paused. He was on the seventh floor... This was where the Room of Requirement was. And the door was there. And it was open.

Someone was in the Room of Requirement.

Nobody was supposed to know about the Room of Requirement except the DA. They didn't have another meeting until next week. Who could possibly be in there?

Proceeding with caution, Harry drew his wand and moved slowly into the room, looking around. This definitely wasn't the Room of Requirement he knew. This was huge, bigger than the Great Hall, and full of miscellaneous objects, mountains of them. Nudging the door closed behind him with his foot—no need in getting snuck up on—he moved warily through the mountains.

He frowned to himself. Who could be in here? Oh God, if it's Umbridge... no. No, it can't be her. It has to be anyone but her. I'd prefer Malfoy over her!

After a few minutes of wandering—and refusing to admit to himself that he was lost—he started to think that maybe the room was empty of people. Maybe someone had just left the door open. At least he was still away from the Common Room, his Housemates who were supposed to be his family but didn't hesitate to stare, point, whisper behind his back...

Suddenly, a sharp sound pierced the silence—a scream. A human scream.

All hesitation abandoned, Harry moved in the direction of the scream, wand at the ready. Who was screaming? And what—or who—was causing it. He saw movement and cast a Stunning spell at—what was it? It wasn't like any animal he'd ever encountered, even in Hagrid's Care of Magical Creatures class. Luckily, the spell sent the animal scrambling away.

Harry made sure it was gone before he looked over at the person who had been attacked. "Hey, are—"

Malfoy. Draco Malfoy was covered in scratches—and why the hell was he shirtless? The Slytherin didn't look up, picking up a bottle of some sort of lotion and applying it to the scratches. Harry could see the pain on Draco's face as he tried to reach his back.

Sorry. He was feeling sorry for Draco Malfoy?

"... Need help?" Harry offered reluctantly, grimacing as he looked at the scratches. "They look infected."

"I'm fine," Draco muttered sullenly, turning his back slightly to Harry to treat his side. Harry could see bruises that definitely hadn't been caused by the creature.

"What happened to you, anyway?"

"That thing attacked me?"

"That thing scratched you up. It didn't bruise you."

"Why are you even asking?" Draco eyed him warily. "It's not like you care."

"... Right," Harry muttered with a sigh, eyeing him warily before he turned to go.

Draco sighed. "Wait."

"Yeah?" Harry turned to face him again.

"... Can you get them for me?" Harry could almost see the humiliation on Draco's face, and, surprising himself, he didn't feel any satisfaction at the pitiful look on the boy's face as he offered the bottle of lotion

Is this some sort of trick? "You sure you want me to touch you?"

"Positive." Draco grimaced, eyes averted from Harry's. "They hurt like hell."

Harry nodded, moving forward and taking the lotion. "Got beat up, did you?" he asked as he kneeled down behind him. "Finally sneered at the wrong guy?"

"I'd rather not say," Draco muttered with a sniff.

"Because you don't want anyone to know?"

"Because you wouldn't believe me if I told you the truth."

"After all that I've been through? You really think I wouldn't believe you?"

Draco let out a sharp, bitter laugh that almost sounded like it hurt. "Always the martyr, aren't you Potter?"

"You make it sound like I like this."

"And I suppose you don't. You suffer through it, for the greater good."

"It's either that or die, Malfoy." Harry scowled at the back of the Slytherin's head, but he continued being careful about rubbing the lotion in, nearly done. He felt Draco begin to relax, but that didn't help his own being on edge.

"Sometimes..." Draco started, but didn't elaborate, just shaking his head. "Nevermind."

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Uh-huh..." Harry eyed him but didn't push it, getting the last of the bruises. "There you go."

He heard Draco give a sullen "Thanks" as he watched him turn and lay back in the little cave he'd apparently dug out of the mountain.

"Don't menton it..." He frowned, eyeing the dark circles under Draco's closed eyes. He looks so... vulnerable...

Snapping himself out of his own confusing thoughts, he shook his head to clear it. "How... do I get out of here?"

"... You don't know?" Draco asked incredulously, opening an eye to look at him. "You're not observant enough to know what to look for?"

"I was looking for you, git," Harry snapped with a scowl. "I lost which turns I took."

"And why the hell were you looking for me?"

"I didn't know it was you."

Draco gave him a flat look. "Turn right out of here, then left. Two more rights, two lefts and you're at the door," he told him, turning his back to Harry and curling up in his makeshift shelter.

Harry eyed him, wondering if the Slytherin had just given him backwards directions... but he didn't have much other choice. "... Thanks," he finally said, moving away, trying to remember all the directions. Left, right, right, left, left...

He was surprised and relieved when he came to the door, but before he could open it, it shifted into something like a one-way mirror so he could see into the hall.

... My luck's just getting better and better... Harry thought to himself as he watched Umbridge talking to Filch. Knowing he wasn't going anywhere now, he started to wander again, paying closer attention to the turns he was taking now. Right, right, left, right, left, left...

He found Draco's cave again and paused, watching him. Draco was asleep and, by the look of it, he was having a nightmare. He was tangled up in his blankets, fighting against them and muttering, a thin sheen of sweat on his skin. Harry watched him, wondering if he should try and wake him up... He quickly darted out of eyesight as Draco woke up, holding his breath as he heard him curse and hit something. Harry slowly backed away, not wanting another confrontation.

Harry eyed the mountains as he continued to walk, ignoring the footsteps behind him as he practiced a few spells on the objects, but being careful not to disturb the piles. He tried to ignore the eyes boring into his back, and when the tension started to fade, the footsteps going away, he sighed, concentrating on stacking objects as high as he could until the tower fell over. When that happened, he simply cleared the area and rebuilt the pile. He had a strange feeling, though, that the room was shrinking... It definitely wasn't as big as the Great Hall now...

After a while, Harry forgot Draco was even in the room, and he started getting riskier with every pile he built. He smiled as the riskiest pile yet fell, clearing the area once more. He jumped with a start when Draco spoke up behind him.

"Is that really necessary?" He sounded irritated.

Harry looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "What? It's not like we're going anywhere anytime soon. Umbridge is out there."

"Yeah, but you could do something other than annoy the hell out of me!"

"Thinking too highly of yourself there, Malfoy."

Draco sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Just... Stop. Okay? Stop it with the noise."

Irritated, because Draco was getting on his last nerve with all this holier-than-thou crap, Harry pointed his wand at a pile, giving the Slytherin a flat look as he made the pile fall over.

He pretty much expected Draco to slam him against the nearest mountain. He expected the glaring, the growling, the angry grey eyes... He would have expected a punch, to the face or stomach, a knee, anything.

What he hadn't expected was the kiss.