DISCLAIMER: I do not own the magical world that JKR created…but if I did…*smiles mischievously*…who knows what would happen. =]

Savior

Chapter Three

By: Kuro Malfoy

MONDAY

Draco sat nervously in one of the plush chairs in Dumbledore's office. What does he want to talk about with me? He asked himself thoughtfully. Draco nearly jumped as Dumbledore popped out of the fireplace, dusting himself off. He sat down at his desk.

"Lemon Drop?" Draco shook his head no. "Then let's get down to business then."

"Sir? Is Har- I mean Potter going to be okay?" Draco asked before the Headmaster could speak. He knew he sounded needy, but after seeing his rival almost die, it changed the way he thought about the kid. Draco hated seeing blood- it was his worst weakness.

"Harry is going to be just fine after the blood replenishing potion kicks in. May I ask why you are so interested in Harry's welfare? I had come to the understanding that you two despised each other."

"Just because we're rivals doesn't mean that I want him dead." Draco mumbled, looking down.

"I see." Dumbledore said thoughtfully. "Draco?" Draco looked up. "Is there anything you need to tell me before we start talking about Harry?"

Draco thought hard about that. There was something that had been bothering Draco recently, but he wasn't sure if he should tell Dumbledore that just yet. He never told anyone, but at home, he wasn't treated like royalty like everyone thought. In fact, it was the complete opposite. His father ignored him completely.

When Draco arrived to his house during the summer, his father left him there to go to the Dark Lord. He's usually gone all day, leaving Draco to tend to the House; cleaning, gardening, and cooking. The house elves are ordered not to help Draco in any way so Draco has to work hard to get the house clean for his father's return.

When he finishes cooking, his father returns- drunk off of his ass as per usual.- eats the food set out by his son, then drags Draco- still drunk off his ass- to the dungeons where Draco is brutally whipped and beaten until exhaustion overtakes his father. This happens for about a month until Lucius stops coming home from his Death Eater meetings. That is the part of the summer that Draco likes the most. He still has to keep the house clean, but he then has some time of his own.

His favorite thing to do is fly his Nimbus 2001 to a great oak that is just before the borders of the Malfoy estate. He would sit in between two roots, lean against its trunk, and draw in his dragon hide notebook that his mother got him right before she was disowned.

Draco was an amazing artist. He could take a simple line and transform it to a work of art. His art was so expressive, and real that it almost looked like a photograph. He was forbidden to show or tell anyone because his father had found them. 'Not Malfoy worthy' he was told.

As Draco sat in front of the Headmaster's desk, he thought hard about if he should tell the Headmaster. He was afraid of going to the light side, bur he realized that it was something that needed to be done. He looked up at Dumbledore and said, "My father really is a Death Eater." He lost his courage. Thankfully, that was all Dumbledore needed to hear.

"He is now." Dumbledore said thoughtfully. "I am assuming that you are telling me this so I can catch him and send him to Azkaban, am I correct?" Draco nodded his head. "May I ask why you are turning in your own father?" Dumbledore asked.

"I don't want to talk about it." Draco murmured.

"Well I won't press you now, but don't expect to keep it a secret for long. I'll need to know sooner or later. Does he want you to become a Death Eater also?"

"I was supposed to be branded on Saturday, but the Weasel- I mean Weasley attacked me." Draco said.

"Yes, I remember."

"I don't want to be a Death Eater. I don't care if he disowns me, hell, I'd rather he did. I hate him!"

Dumbledore stared intently at the young blonde. "Well I do know a way but…"

"I'll do anything you ask!" Draco said, very unlike his normal demeanor.

Dumbledore chuckled slightly at Draco's un-Slytherin attitude. "Well you see, you need a bodyguard and Harry needs someone who can watch him and make sure he doesn't attempt suicide again. If I put you both together-"

"Be Ha-Potter's babysitter?!" Draco said indignantly. Inwardly he was happy to get a chance to be near Harry

"Yes Mr. Malfoy, the only way I can keep your father away from you is if you 'become' Harry's bodyguard. You can then claim that you are not allowed to leave Harry's sight, and I am certainly not letting Harry fall into Lucius' clutches."

Draco thought about it for a moment and then said, "I'll do it."

"Good. I'll set up the arrangements. Please go back to the Hospital Wing and wait with Harry. Tell Poppy to tell me when he wakes."

"Yes Sir."

"And Draco?"

"Yes Sir?"

"Please try to be civil with him."

"Yes Sir." Draco rolled his eyes, and then left Dumbledore's office to go back to the Hospital Wing.

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP HPHPHPHP

A sharp jab of pain caused Harry to awake. He quickly sat up and was immediately, gently pushed down by a blurry figure. He found his glasses, put them on, and was rewarded with the gift of sight. But who he saw was not someone he wanted to see. "Malfoy, why the hell did you just push me down? Trying to get me while I'm down?" Harry said in a low growl.

Draco, who had been in a chair next to Harry, took his chair, brought it to a far corner of the room and sat down. "If you sit up, you will throw up." He said quietly.

"Like you care." mumbled Harry, almost back asleep.

"Actually I do." replied Draco.

Harry sat up straight. "What?" Obviously sitting up was a bad idea. He barely got his head on the side of the bed before he started puking his brains out.

"Shit Harry! I told you not to sit up!" said Draco as he came towards Harry, picking up the waste basket and putting it directly under Harry's 'line of fire'. "I'll go get Madam Pomfrey, be right back." Draco left the room.

He called me Harry. Harry mused as he ceased throwing up. And he said that he cared about me. What is that all about? His thoughts left him as another bout of nausea hit him. After the nausea passed, he looked up to find Draco and Madam Pomfrey coming towards him-potions in hand.

"Mr. Potter, I know that you know the after effects of a dreamless sleep potion, why did you sit up suddenly?" the Medi-Witch scolded him.

"I um, got distracted." Harry glanced over at Draco who had made himself comfortable in the corner again. "Why is Malfoy still here? He could have left after I fell asleep."

"I believe I can answer that, my boy." Harry turned and saw Dumbledore standing in the doorway. "You see, because you attempted suicide-"

"IT WAS NOT SUICIDE!" Harry interrupted.

"I'm sorry, that's what I meant, but by doing something very dangerous to your body, there are consequences."

"What?" Harry interrupted again.

"Harry, please stop interrupting me. As I was saying, there will be consequences. As of now, you and Mr. Malfoy will be sharing a room. You will-"

"THAT'S NOT FAIR! I-"

"Silence!" Dumbledore said over Harry's voice, quieting him immediately. "You are being put under suicide watch. The law states that an attempted suicide victim must have someone with them at all times, making sure they stay safe at all times. If no one will take that role, then they will have to stay at St. Mungos. I thought you would prefer it if you stayed at Hogwarts then St. Mungos."

"I do Sir, but why is Malfoy my guard and not Ron or Hermione?"

"That is a story that Mr. Malfoy can tell you yourself. Poppy?" Dumbledore said turning his attention to the Medi-Witch. "When Harry is healed enough, take them both to the portrait of Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin on the fourth floor. The can make up the password."

"Yes Headmaster. Actually if he can stand, we can go right now. Draco, help Harry to stand."

"I don't need help" Harry started to say, but he only got halfway to a sitting position before he fell back down.

"Here, let me help you" said Draco, and he gently raised his rival-I think?-into a sitting position, then put his feet on the floor and lifted him to a standing position.

"Thanks" Harry said.

"You're welcome." Draco replied with a hint of surprise. He didn't expect Harry to thank him for anything.

"Well now. Now that Harry is up and ready to go, I have a meeting to attend to," said the Headmaster. Dumbledore then, with a hop to his step, walked out of the room.

Poppy turned to the boys. "Let's get you to your room. We can go by floo since that will be easier. Draco, help Harry to the fireplace in my office-I need to get a few potions.

"Yes ma'am." Draco said. He turned to Harry shyly, but confidently. "Do you need my help?" It took him all he had not to sneer at Harry out of habit.

Harry looked Draco in the eyes, blushing slightly. "Yea." Draco put his arm around Harry's waist, covering up his own blush. Thank Merlin were going through the floo-I wouldn't want anyone to see me like this. Harry said inwardly. He then looked at Draco who had gasped, eyes widening. "What?"

"Nothing!" Draco said, quickly.

"Right." Harry said sarcastically.

"I'll tell you later when Madam Pomfrey isn't near." Draco whispered as they got to the fireplace and Madam Pomfrey. "I'll go first so I can catch you if you fall."

Harry nodded, confused. Why did Draco suddenly gasp? And why is he talking him without provoking a fight? Usually they were at each others throats! Harry was shaken out of his thoughts as Poppy put a handful of floo powder in his hand. He threw them into the fire and stepped into the flames.

HPHPHPHHPHP…YOU GET IT…NEW SCENE…HPHPHPHPHPHP

"Well here we are!" said Madam Pomfrey as she came out of the fire. "This will be your home for the rest of the year."

Draco took a good look around his quarters. The walls were a deep, calm purple with a silver and black border. He was currently standing in the living room which hosted two black and silver love seats with a glass coffee table in the middle. There was a small kitchen in the corner and a hallway that probably leaded to their bedroom and bathroom.

"This is incredible!" Draco said to himself. "I've never seen anything so beautiful that I've been aloud to live in! Compared to where I live, this is royalty!"

Harry turned to look at Draco. "What are you talking about? Don't you live in some fancy mansion with large rooms and whatnot?" Unlike some people. Harry added to himself.

And for a second time, Draco gasped like a goldfish, eyes widening in surprise. Harry looked at him questioningly but Draco just shook his head. "Later" he just said, eyeballing Madam Pomfrey. Madam Pomfrey stared at them intently, then said "Harry, Draco, I want you two to take the week off. Get used to your new house. Get to know each other. And Harry, I don't want you to do anything this week that will tire you. That way the blood replenishing potion will have time to give you all your blood back."

"Yes Ma'am" they chorused.

"Good! Hopefully I will not see you two in my hospital again, but then, I'm sure that something will happen despite my wishes" she said as she stepped into the fire, disappearing.

Harry immediately turned towards Draco. "Why are you being nice to me? You hate me! And what is with the weird looks that you wouldn't explain with Madam Pomfrey in the room?"

Draco sat down on the corner of the couch. "Sit down Potter. Wouldn't want you falling down." Harry sat down cautiously, looking at Draco the whole time. Draco rubbed his temples. "Ok Potter, think of something." Harry looked at him, confusedly.

"Why?" He asked.

"Just do it."

Harry shrugged. Strawberries and Quidditch, he thought, still confused at why he was doing this. Draco, now expecting it, did not flinch. He looked at Harry and said, "Strawberries and Quidditch? That is the weirdest combination of thoughts I have ever heard of." It was then Harry's turn to gasp.

"How did you read my thoughts?"

"I don't know, I just can."

"Please tell me this is recent."

Draco chuckled. "It is. I'll check it out later, there is something I need to tell you that is more important." He gathered his wits and said, "I joined the light side."

"You what?!" Harry yelped in surprise.

"Yes, I know. Infamous Draco Malfoy gone good. Amazing." Draco said.

"Why? No offence but I thought that you were all for Voldemort and the Dark side."

Draco replied tiredly, "Maybe I was getting sick of my dad beating the shit out of me after he came home drunk from his death eater meetings. Maybe I didn't like being locked up in the dungeons all the next day because he forgot he put me down there. He never cared about me so why should I care about him and his views on mudbloods? I don't really hate you or your friends. I only did what my father told me to do and 'Hate the Golden Trio' was first on the agenda. I know you probably still hate me, but since we are going to be living together I thought it would be smart to not fight you. So do you think we can call it a truce?" Draco asked that last question with a hopeful expression.

Harry, who had been sitting there with a shocked expression on his face, looked up at Draco and said, "I don't want to call a truce." Draco's face fell. "I would much rather be your friend."

Draco liked up with a smile on his face and said, "I'd like that."