Hary found himself missing Draco's silent company. The little voice in his head was good conversation, though he never imagined it to be Malfoy. Maybe there was more to the blonde. 'I didn't realize you had it hard as well' rang in his mind. How did Malfoy have it bad? What was Harry missing. He promised himself he would ask at Hogwarts.

It was a cloudy July day when Harry rolled over to hit something. His eyes sprung open. Platinum hair was dispersed on a pillow beside him. Draco was in his bed. Again. Harry got up and began trying to tame his hair before Draco woke up.

"Harry?" a groggy voice asked. It sounded tired. More so than usual.

"Yes?"

"You're here?"

"Erm, yeah?"

"Good," he said, voice cracking. Harry became concerned.

"Is everything okay?" Harry asked. He sat next to Draco on the bed.

"Kind of." Harry waited. "My father is angry at me."

"Shocker," the Gryfindor murmured. He tried to shake Draco awake, but the instant his hand connected with the blonde's shoulder, he screamed in agony. "What's wrong?!"

"Nothing, nothing, sorry, just a curse."

"From what?"

"Nosy much, Potter?" Malfoy spat.

"Sorry."

It was another hour and a half before Draco got up slowly. His lips curled together in pain. Harry restrained from helping him, not knowing what to do or wanting Vernon to find Draco there. He was lucky they had been out when the Slytherine screamed. He had limited time before they got back from Vernon's work party.

"Draco, what happened?"

"My father. Let's just say its hard to disobey orders."

"He didn't hurt you, did he?" Malfoy winced before taking a deep breath and pulling up his shirt. All across that silky even skin was discolored scars, so many that they overlapped each other. Harry started in horror. That's what Draco had meant.

"Why are you in pain now?" he managed to ask.

"Once you come of age, unforgivable curses are preferred over the belt," Malfoy said, gazing blankly out the barred window. Harry stood and came closer to Draco.

"Can I touch you?" Harry asked.

"I'm not sure," Malfoy admitted. Harry put his hand in Draco's, allowing him to guide Harry's hand to the crook in his side. Ever so slowly, Harry wrapped himself around Draco. "Can I stay here a while?"

"Of course."

With the help of a silencing charm, Harry and Draco enchanted the room not to let noise escape. Malfoy was a night person.

"Do you ever sleep?" Draco asked.

"No." Draco waited for him to continue, but Harry simply gave him a mischievous grin. Draco smiled. "Wow, I didn't know your face could do that." Draco threw popcorn at Harry, who giggled like Hermione did when she found a book about magical cats. "What about you?"

"Take a guess."

"Erm… you stay up way too late, sleep in and everyone then thinks you do sleep, when your running on two hours."

"Your smarter than you look, Potter."

"Harry."

"Harry," Draco agreed.

"Are you my friend now?"

"What a dreadful thought."

"Seriously," Harry asked.

"Yes." A warm feeling enveloped Harry's stomach. "Hey, do you want to go on the roof?"

"Sure," Harry agreed. The two of them clambered between bars and hoisted themselves onto the roof. "Aren't you afraid of getting in trouble for using magic?"

"My father wouldn't let that happen."

"Truth or dare?" Harry asked.

"You're kidding."

"No, truth or dare."

"Ugh fine. Truth," Draco answered.

"Do you want to become a Death Eater?" Draco winced.

"No," he said quietly. It was a minute or so before he regained the composer to ask Harry, "Truth or dare."

"Dare."

"I dare you to put spinach in Dudlay's chocolate." Harry laughed.

"Dudley, and sure. When?"

"When you get a girlfriend," Draco replied.

"Then I'm probably never gonna mess with Dudlay," Harry said.

"What about Weasley? The girl."

"I'm gay."

"Oh… mehasell"

"What?" Harry asked. Draco ran his fingers through his hair. Harry's habits were rubbing off on him. Harry reached over and rested a hand on Draco's shoulder. The blonde wrapped an arm around Harry's waist, sliding him closer. This is platonic right? Draco gazed up at the stars. Harry followed his stare. The view was almost as beautiful as Malfoy. Harry tilted his head and looked over at Draco. When the blonde looked down at him, he traced the green seeds in Harry's irises. Merlin, he could lose himself in those eyes so easily…

"Truth or dare?" Harry whispered.

"Dare."

"I dare you to find your crush and kiss them."

"Right now?"

"Yes."

"What if I don't know where to look for them?"

"I'm sure you can figure it out before tomorrow," Potter said. He stood and began walking down the roof shingles. Draco reached out and caught Harry's wrist. The air was sucked from the night sky. Draco pulled Harry's arm sharply. The Gryffindor came crashing into Malfoy's arms. Draco looked down at him. Harry's eyes reflected both fear and confusion, but there was something more. His magic sparked like fireworks on a calm night. The energy was infectious. Draco slid a hand to cup Harry's jaw. Before either of them had time to register what had just happened, Draco's lips came crashing down onto Harry's.

Where was Draco? Harry blinked. The room remained the same. He kissed Draco Malfoy. Draco bloody Malfoy. That git. What the hell was he thinking? That Draco's glowing skin and peppermint would taste so good… No! But it did… Ah fuck.

Harry stood abruptly. He dipped down to check under his bed for the blonde. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

"Draco?" he asked nothingness. Harry wasn't sure what he was more afraid of. Having no one to talk to, or not having Draco to talk with. Harry turned, slamming his foot into the broken closet. He had scared Draco away. Fuck fuck fuck fuck. Harry fumbled his fingers through his hair tightly. He slid down against the wall.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, feeling like a love sick wimp.

Night came and the blonde had still made no appearance. Harry's wand remained in the trunk full of his magical possessions that Vernon had taken after his 'attack on Dudley'. Harry had utterly nothing to do.

Drawings of Hogwarts piled up on any available space in the Gryfindor's room. Some of them, no most of them, had Malfoy in them. It was stormy evening when a bang made Harry jump. Ink streaked across a dark night overlooking the castle. Harry cared little about the ruined art. He snapped around to see Draco standing in the corner. His hair overlapped messily. Why hadn't the blonde slicked it back?

"Draco, are you okay?" Harry asked. Malfoy didn't answer. He simply came forward and wrapped Harry in a somber hug. "Draco."

"Yeah?" the Slytherine replied daftly.

"Where did you go?"

"To my father," Draco said with a shudder.

"What happened?" The blonde gripped him tighter. Harry pushed Malfoy off and craned his neck to look him in the eye. Draco hung his head at an awkward angle. Harry knew the boy had too much pride to cry in front of him. What could have gone so wrong?

He recalled the scars down Draco's stomach. A lot, he realized.

"I told him I didn't want to be a death eater," Draco told him.

"Oh Merlin." That explained it.

"He tried to kill me."

"Are you okay?!"

"Sort of? I mean, emotionally I'm fine," Harry laughed. Draco shot him a glare. "But I weakened my magic in the fight."

Harry vaguely knew what it was to have weakened magic. He had never experienced it much himself, even when battling Voldemort. It seemed if one used too many spells at once paired with excitement or fear, they could temporarily dampen their powers. Once, Hermiony had taken too many classes with her time turner and practicing made her irritable and tired. It was McGonagal who solved the mystery.

"Do you want to sit down?" Harry asked, remembering the bags under Hermoine's eyes. He didn't know whether she was sleeping or dead after fourteen hours. Draco nodded vigorously. Draco practically fell onto Harry's sheets. The blonde tried to stay awake, for his pride's sake, Harry imagined. Harry had rubbed his back softly to get the Slytherine finally asleep.

Harry leaned back against the bed frame, letting out a sigh he felt he had been holding in for hours. Draco slept soundly on his bed. Harry felt oddly safe having the blonde under his protection. Thunder boomed in the distance. Reminded of his first year, Harry sat in the sill of his barred window and watched the rain fall, like dreams from the sky coming down on them.