A/N: Hey hey! Here I am. Trying to get this chapter posted to you guys has been CRAAYYYYY ZEEE. Haha, but I have done it!

Anyways, I hope you enjoy.

I OWN NOTHING!

Chapter Four: Darker Things

When Draco finally came to, he was met by the strange smell of chicken and some sort of vegetable. His head was spinning and he felt extremely weak. There was an excrutiating pain in his arms, and he felt a general all around pain. Slowly, he blinked open his eyes and expected to find himself still on the floor of his bedroom, or perhaps at Hogwarts and this entire summer had been one whole nightmare. INstead, he found himself laying on a lumpy, tacky couch in the middle of a living room he did not recognize. His arms had large bandages wrapped around them. He was wearing a plain black muggle v-neck shirt that was too big for him, and a paid of muggle pajama pants that were just right.

Cautiously, he looked around him. All ove the room were pictures of a pike like boy-he seemed to have gone from piglet to porker as the years went on. Draco relized this was the boy he ahd seen Potter serving food to, just last night. Suddenly, he remembered the park and his encounter with Potter. Potter finding him broken. Potter not allowing his life to end. Potter shoving his nose where it doesn't belong...just like always. Draco felt tears spring to his eyes.

Potter and his need to save people, He thought to himself. He just doesn't understand. He didn't save me, he has sealed my fate to a life wishing I were dead.

Draco stoo, his stomach growling and his mouth wet with hunger. He needed to face Potter sooner or later-and he needed to eat something before he couldn't think straight. Finding his way to the kitchen was a simple process, because the heavenly smell wafted from it as though a hand guiding the way. He stood in the doorway and watched for a moment as the Golden Boy stood before him stiring the big pot upon the muggle contraption. Harry had begun to fill out this summer. His arms had thick muscles, and his hands were callused from work. He had grown taller-now standing almost 3 inches taller than Draco. He had cut his hair short, and the color had darkened slightly. The boyish face he once sported was now covered in a bit of stubble and his jawline was that of a man.

Harry turned, jerking Draco out of his stupor, and his steel grey eyes hesitated in meeting Harry's bright green orbs.

"Draco," The brunette said with a small smile. The sound of Potter saying his first name instead of last made Draco feel awkward. It was said soft, no hint of malice, no anger. "It's good to see you awake."

The blonde nodded in acknowledgement and pushed his own hair out of his face. He felt very strange standing here in Potter's house, wearing his clothes, and about to eat a meal with him. A year ago, if someone told him this was going to happen, he would have laughed in their face.

"You can sit down, lunch is almost done."

"Got any coffee?" Draco asked softly.

"I can make some." Harry replied with eagerness to please. He got straight to work as Draco sat in the chair furthest from him.

"Why did you bring me here?" Draco said suddenly, not able to hold back his words.

"I couldn't leave you there." Harry said matter-of-factly.

"And why not?" Draco spat angrily. Silence followed and the boys stared away from each other for a long time. Then, the muggle thing making Draco's coffee beeped, making the blonde jump in his seat.

"Relax, it's just the machine." The other boy chuckled as he poured the black liquid into a cup.

"Machine?" The blonde questioned slowly.

"Yes, it is an electronic device that makes coffee." He set the cup infront of Draco. "Sugar? Cream?"

Suspiciously, Draco took the cup and sipped its contents. "It's fine...thank you."

"You're welcome." Harry went back to the pot and began to dish out what Draco assumed to be chicken soup with sliced carrots, and out from the inside of that muggle..machine..he pulled fresh yeast rolls and brought it all to the table with a dish of butter.

"Eat up." Harry smiled and started to dig in, taking a yeast roll and dipping it into his broth. Draco stared at the sheer lack of table manners and slowly picked up his spoon to eat. He was careful to never spill the broth, to make sure he never took more than an inch of bread, and chewed each piece of chicken thirty time-just like his father taught him to so he would always be proper, and not eat too much.

"Why aren't you with the Weasley's?" Draco asked trying to break the unnerving silence.

"I'll actually be heading there in a few days." Harry said with a slight smile. "I have to stay here at least part of the summer every year."

"Why?"

Harry looked taken back and his green eyes contemplating as they looked him over. "You know, I never really thought to ask."

Silence filled the room again.

"Are you staying in town the entire time until school starts?" Harry asked carefully.

"Yes, I'm afraid." Draco looked at his soup, suddenly no longer hungry thinking upon the next few days he'd be spending with his father. And how every night he would be fearful of the Dark Lord's appearance.

"Why?" Draco looked at the boy and saw his challenging and yet playful smirk.

"You know why, Potter." He spat angrily standing up from the table. "I have to go."

"Draco, I was just kidding."

"Where are my clothes?" He said stubbornly.

"Draco." Harry said earnestly.

"My clothes you ignorant bloody-"

"Draco. I can't let you leave." Harry sighed and looked away from the blonde.

"Why not?" He almost growled crossing his arms to keep them from trembling. The brunette sat and placed his head in his hands.

"I know you will hate me for it, but I contacted Dumbledore after I brought you here."

"YOU WHAT!" Draco saw red and lunged at Potter who simply grabbed him by the hands and pinned him back against the wall.

"Draco, I had to..After finding you like that. With your.. You had lost so much blood.." Harry shook his head as though he didn't want to remember. "I had to tell him. I had to get someone to bring me potions and supplies to help you. He was the only one I knew how to reach."

Draco felt himself shutting down, every fiber in his body willing for him to let go and give up. The Headmaster knew, Dumbledore knew that he was marked. Hogwarts was no longer an option for him. His one solace, his home. He wouldn't be allowed back. Without realizing it, a single tear slid down his cheek and Harry, shocked stepped back letting the blonde sink to the floor.

"Draco."

"You have no idea, Harry. No idea what you have done."

He called him Harry. That was on it's own a shock. But it was nothing compared to the fact that Draco Malfoy-the strong willed and stubborn boy he'd always known, looked like he was ready to give up and die.

"Draco, I did it to help you." Harry sat in front of the blonde and placed a hand on his knee. No longer did the blonde try and stop his flow of tears, he just let them slide down his face and drip onto his exposed collar bone.

"Help me? You've only made it worse!" He grabbed his hair in fist fulls and tried to stop the sobs that began to wrack his body. "I can't go back now, he won't let me back."

"Who? Your father? Why would you want to go back-"

"Not my father you idiot!" Draco's voice was thick with his building angst, and Harry felt pain in his heart for his classmate.

"Who won't let you back?"

"It doesn't matter." The blonde dropped his head onto his knees and out of Harry's sight.

"Draco, please talk to me."

"Why did you do it, Harry? Why didn't you just let me die in that park?" Draco's voice came in nothing more than a whisper, and the Gryffindor sat next to him placing an arm around his shoulder.

"Because, Draco, I just couldn't let you die." Harry pulled the shaking boy into his lap and held him close. "I'm sorry, Draco. But I couldn't."

"But now I'll have no choice. I'll have to join him..to be...in..inducted." Draco trembled against Harry no longer holding anything back. His tears fell like bullets onto Harry's chest and he felt his throat thicken with the promise of tears.

"You'll always have a choice. I promise you."

Draco pushed away and looked into his green eyes. Draco had seemed to change altogether. His ice mask had fallen back into place as though he had composed himself. He stood up slowly and walked to the doorway. "You can't promise something like that. Not to me. There is no choice for a Malfoy. There never has, and there never will be. Except death."

And then he ran. Harry jumped up from the floor to follow him, but Draco was quicker. He was out into the street before Harry had reached the front door. And then he disappeared into Number 7.

Harry sank onto his front stoop and place his head in his hands. He never thought Draco wouldn't want to be a Death Eater. He'd always assumed that he'd want to be Number One in the ranks. But the blonde was scared, terrified even, of the fate that would fall to him in that monsters hands.

Harry knew now that he had to do everything in his power to keep Draco from falling too far.

He needed to save Draco Malfoy.

A/N: Hope you like this chapter! I'll have the next one all ready as soon as possible!

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See ya next time!