A Different Kind of Pure Blood- Written by Ceilidh Clemens, Characters © JKR

And for special thanks... Arigatou to you all! HyperInsanity, Morena, Lucy, Aticia, and Elektral! Just so's you know, this all takes place after 5th year. The death of the order of the Phoenix people was all very early into the summer.

Part 2- Twist the Other Way

When Harry opened his eyes, he still saw nothing. Either the room was dark, or he was blind… no, it was just a dark room. He adjusted slowly to the light (or lack thereof) and tried not to move. He was certain that something bad would happen if he did. He felt rather weak and exhausted, but he couldn't quite remember why. With wary eyes, he took in his blurry surroundings, noticing his lack of glasses.The room has was in was nearly empty. A lonely and unclean wardrobe stood in the corner. Dark, thick, and dusty curtains covered a large window. Harry was lying on the bottom bunk of a twin bed. He couldn't see the top bunk, but he could tell from the squished mattress above him that it was occupied.

He didn't dare to move. For one terrible moment, Harry was afraid that Malfoy had taken him to Voldemort- but then his sense kicked in, and he knew that Voldemort would much rather torture and kill him than lock him away with a cozy bed. Although he relaxed at the thought of not being captured by the dark Lord, he was also alarmed and filled with suspense- if he wasn't a Death eater captive, then where was he, and why was he here?

"You're in the Leaky Cauldron," a voice drawled from above him. Harry's breath hitched. Oh, god, that voice, it's- "Room 4. I was wondering when you'd wake up." The bulges on the squishy mattress above him shifted, and Harry gaped as Draco Malfoy's blond head dangled out of the top bunk, gray eyes fixed on his own emerald green ones. His white eyebrows furrowed slightly as he looked over Harry, who was frozen in place. "You look like hell," Malfoy stated simply.

That got a growl out of Harry. "I'm probably in hell, considering who I'm bunked up with." A moment after he said it, Harry regretted it. Pain ripped through his chest as his lungs didn't want to take in the air. Malfoy stared at him curiously as he ground his teeth and coughed slightly. Why was he this weak? His lungs were not on his side. "That hurt," He mumbled after the bout was gone.

The mattress above shifted again. Malfoy propped his head up on his hands, and the look he fixed Harry with was rather serious. "How does it feel?" he asked softly. The tone was a lot more gentle than Harry had come to expect from his less-threatening-than-Voldemort nemesis. In his dazed and aching state, Harry didn't know what he was talking about.

"The bed?" Harry croaked blankly, being careful to not take too deep a breath.

"The pain, dumbass." Malfoy's drawl was back in place, and Harry smirked. For a split second, he was glad to see the spark of annoyance on Malfoy's pale features. If Malfoy had randomly started being nice to him, the world would surely explode in shock. Ah, one thing that would never change… the mutual hatred between Potter and Malfoy.

"It feels like a Hungarian Horntail took a shit on me," Harry coughed. An exasperated groan escaped the lips of the pale boy above him, and Harry decided to interrupt whatever he planned on saying. "Can I ask a question?" Harry wheezed.

"No," Malfoy drawled.

That caught Harry by surprise, and it annoyed him endlessly. "Well, I'm asking it anyway!" he spat, before being overcome by a strong fit of coughs. Malfoy's head disappeared for a minute, and the mattress shifted as the pale boy moved toward the ladder at the far end of the bed. Through his choking breaths, Harry felt a bit of alarm. Great, I've made him angry. Now he's going to kill me. He was doubled over in pain as he watched Malfoy descend the ladder. He looked a lot thinner than when Harry had last seen him, when Harry had cursed him into a squid on the train back from Hogwarts. There was no doubt that Malfoy would remember the incident.

Instead of heading toward Harry as his feet met the floor, the youngest Malfoy stalked regally towards the window. He was wearing the same clothing Harry had last seen him in; the elegant black robes that had been stained and ripped, as if the boy had ran away in the middle of a fancy dinner and been attacked by something with claws. Catching his breath, Harry couldn't help it but wonder what had happened to his pale rival. Perhaps he really had been attacked by something. Why wasn't he at home with his father and Mother, Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy?

Draco Malfoy hissed something under his breath, and stood against the wall, near the curtains. His long hands reached out slightly, taking the curtain cord and pulling it sharply. Light flooded the room, daylight, and though it stung Harry's eyes for a minute, the change was very welcome. He could see the train right outside the window, see the whole of London before him. But the best thing he saw was Hedwig, his beautiful snowy owl, scratching at the window to be let in. He would have moved to open the window, but his body wouldn't allow it. He was relieved to see that Malfoy was opening the latch, keeping his hand out of the light for reasons unknown. For a split second, a sunbeam fell upon his white skin, and with a sharp hiss, Draco snapped his hand forward, knocking the window open. Hedwig soared in gracefully. Malfoy instantly receded to the shadows.

Harry was too busy being overjoyed about the arrival of his owl to note these strange things about Malfoy. "Hedwig," he sighed happily. "How did you escape the cage?" Hooting in a dignified way, Hedwig landed on his shoulder. Harry tried to lift a hand and stroke her, but it hardly moved up an inch before falling limply onto the blankets. He was too weak. "Sorry, Hedwig. I- I'd pet you, but I'm too tired…" She hooted softly. Malfoy's eyes glittered from the shadows. Harry glared in his direction, but continued to speak to his owl. "That's just what I get for falling into this conniving bastard's traps. If I'd known Malfoy would try to rape me, I would never have tried to help him."

An annoyed hiss issued from the corner where Malfoy lurked. "For the record, I would never try to rape you. If I were to rape anyone, I would trust myself to have better… taste." Harry was at a loss for words. That wasn't in insult one heard every day.

"Than what did you do to me?" Harry demanded after a moment, groaning slightly as his lungs stung. Hedwig dug her claws into Harry's shoulder, but he was somewhat numb, and it didn't hurt very much.

The curtains snapped shut, and the pale Malfoy swooped forward, making his face hover inches over Harry's. The small boy flinched at the intensity of Malfoy's gray stare. "I got a taste," Malfoy whispered. Harry froze. What did that mean? A taste of what? The gray eyes above him seemed to glow in the darkness. Hedwig flew off of Harry's shoulder, landing on the wardrobe.

"Malfoy?" Harry gasped uncertainly, not liking how close their bodies had become. He felt trapped. Draco was a little larger than him, not by much, but the difference was notable. Malfoy frowned, gray eyes darting all over Harry's small and trembling figure. He brushed his blond hair out of his face, never taking his eyes off Harry Potter.

"Draco. Call me Draco, Harry."

Now THAT was strange. Nobody called him Draco, not even his two cronies, Crabbe and Goyle. The only person he had ever hear calling Draco by his first name was his father. It hit him that being allowed to use his first name must be a rare privilege.

"Since when were we on first-name terms?" Harry whispered slowly. The eyes above him softened slightly, and Mal- Draco stood erect, fixing Harry with a very odd look. It was almost as if his eyes were trying to bore holes in Harry's head, possibly trying to split his scar open.

"Since last night, when you saved my life."

Harry's jaw dropped, emerald eyes shooting wide open. "What- when did I-" he began to ask, but a loud knock at the door caught his attention. Draco was gone before Harry could blink, and as the dusty old door creaked open, the mattress above him shifted under Draco's weight.

"Harry?" A familiar voice called. Harry tried to lift his head and look, but it fell back onto the pillow. "Harry! Oh, you're okay!" A split second later, the intruder was on him, knelt by his side, with her arms wrapped around him tightly. Fluffy brown hair tickled his nose, and Harry's body screamed in pain as he was forced to move. With a small gasp, she released her hold, letting him fall back onto the mattress.

"H-Hermione?" Harry choked, his eyes watering from the pain. "I thought you were in hiding!"

"I was, Harry, I was," Hermione Granger cooed, as she draped a striper-shirt-clad arm over his chest and buried her fluffy head in his shoulder. "But I had to come. When I heard what happened- I couldn't stay away…" He could tell she was on the edge of tears. How Harry wanted to talk, to ask what was going on! But the pain was all over him, and he was too busy gasping for breath. "Malfoy was the one that found you, Harry," She whispered. Her voice quivered. "You were so messed up from the ordeal. I can't believe you punched him! He was only trying to help!"

Help? Harry though distantly, realizing that Draco must have fed her some cock-bull story about what happened. "He carried you all the way here from Privet Drive," Hermione continued, oblivious to Harry's confusion. "Don't you know how far that is? He doesn't have his wand, so he couldn't hail the Knight Bus or anything- he just walked! He carried you, without magic, all the way to London! Even after you hit him!"

"What?" Harry gasped. Draco Malfoy did what!

"He rescued you, Harry," Hermione explained softly. "We knew the Dursleys were… a bit abusive… But trying to kill you, Harry, we never… if I had known…" her arms tightened around him for a moment, a bit like a hug, and she slowly stood, her brown eyes misty. "I'm sorry."

So, that's the story Malfoy fed her.

She turned slightly and looked up at the top bunk, with a sigh. "It took a lot out of him. Still unconscious. I can't believe he carried you all that way…"

"Unconscious?" Harry breathed. Malfoy was absolutely still above him. Hermione nodded, and leaned down to brush his raven black hair out of Harry's eyes.

"I'll bring some soup," Hermione whispered. She retired from the room, leaving Harry alone with his thoughts and Malfoy. Though he really wanted to fall asleep and ease this uncomfortable pain, he need his questions answered.

"Malfoy?" he croaked. Silence met his ears. "Malfoy," he said louder.

"Don't call me that," came the strained voice above him. "I'm not a Malfoy anymore."

As if Harry wasn't confused enough already.

"What the hell is going on!"

Draco Malfoy didn't answer.

Confused yet? REEEEEEVIEW!