Disclaimer: HP is not mine.

Author's Note: So, a new chapter after nearly two years! I am so sorry for the lateness. Here you all are! Read and review, guys!

Oh, and I also have to remind you that this fic was thought of and made years ago. It is not HBP or DH compliant. At all.

You'll Be Safe Here

xianora

Chapter Six – Recollections and Visions

"Were we friends? Draco and I? Because, he's the most familiar person I have ever met ever since I woke up and went here. I vaguely remember his face, like from a dream. It's like…I don't know. Were we close? Was he my best friend?"

"Harry, let's attend Herbology first, then, maybe you can find Draco during lunch break and ask him about it," Hermione said, giving her best friend a mysterious smile.

"But, Hermione!" Harry whined but Hermione shook her head, resolute in her decision that this talk about Harry and Draco's relationship before all this mess happened should be between them only.

"Just ask him. I'm not the one supposed to tell. Trust me." Harry relented, giving off a sigh.

Hermione led them to class, mere seconds before Professor Sprout entered the greenhouse herself.

Maybe it wouldn't be bad letting Harry remember this, after all. Hermione smiled to herself.

The bell rang, signaling the end of their Herbology class. Harry turned around to get a glimpse of the mysterious—creepy—blonde, but it seems as though the Slytherin already left.

"Looking for someone, Harry?" Hermione asked curiously while washing away the soil from her hands.

"No, nothing," Harry replied, turning to face Hermione and washed up before packing up his things and hoisting his bag over his shoulder. He was patiently waiting for Hermione to finish up her own cleaning and packing when Hermione spoke, "Harry, if you—when you remember something, no matter how small, after you take the antidote, you will tell me, right?"

Green eyes looked at her intensely for a few moments before Harry answered, "Of course. Wouldn't know what to do if I don't have any idea about what I'm remembering about, won't I?" Harry gave her a lopsided grin.

Hermione smiled back then gestured for Harry to start walking. "So, are you looking for Draco earlier?"

Harry blushed.

x

The Great Hall was packed with students hungry for their lunches after the first grueling day of school. Everyone was talking and laughing as though the brief catching up done at the feast and this morning wasn't enough.

Hermione led Harry to the Gryffindor table and took a seat beside Neville. The shy boy looked at them and gave them a smile before going back to eating his pie. Harry sat down and looked around the Great Hall. Draco was no where to be seen.

"Looking for someone Harry?" Ginny asked, unknowingly echoing Hermione's question, as she took her own seat in front of the green-eyed Gryffindor. She, herself, looked around the Hall, just in case Harry told her who he was looking for and she spotted the person.

"No one," Harry ducked his head as he answered and blindly took some of the Shepherd's pie in front of him.

"He's looking for Draco," Hermione piped up helpfully before taking a bite of her sandwich.

"Hermione!" Harry hissed, his face perfectly imitating the color of the catsup Seamus was playing with.

"Someone has a crush on blondie!" Seamus and Dean sing-songed then cackled at Harry's look of mortification.

Harry scowled at his smiling and laughing housemates. "I do not have a crush on him. I just need to talk to him. That's all. He knows me, before all this. And…and he's familiar."

The smiles were replaced by frowns and looks of pity. They cannot begin to try to understand how confused Harry feels after all that has happened to him. Having no memory of what happened in the last six years of his life and then being pushed into said life and face people that he doesn't know…or remember, at least. It was a surprise he found someone familiar at all.

And it has got to be Draco, of all people, of course. This must be killing the Slytherin.

And the Fates must be laughing their arses off.

"We're sorry, Harry. We didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. It's just that, we're familiar with you and we do this all the time. We forgot that you don't, you know…" Seamus said.

"It's fine," Harry muttered. "And why would I fancy him, anyway? He's creepy and I'm not gay…Or am I?" he looked inquiringly at Hermione.

The bushy-haired girl paused from her eating, "You never labeled yourself. You might be bisexual for all I know, Harry."

Bugger.

Their housemates snickered into their lunches and Harry decided to just eat his lunch quietly. There will be time to look for Draco later, when there are no nosey housemates around.

A flash of blond caught Harry's eye and he watched as Draco Malfoy carefully seated himself at the Slytherin Table. He was conversing about something with a dark-haired girl and he looked decidedly uncomfortable while the girl looked liked she was chastising her son.

Draco said something that seemed to shut the girl up before lifting his gaze. Harry's eyes widened when they made eye contact. The blonde smirked at the raven-haired Gryffindor, raising his eyebrow at the obvious fidgeting of the other boy.

Hermione elbowed Harry in the ribs. "Give him a wave or something. You're looking like an idiot."

Shaking his head disbelievingly at Hermione, he gave Draco a small wave. Honestly, can the girl get any bossier? It was endearing at most times, but this is not most times. The creepy—uh, mysterious—blonde is looking at them knowingly. Or rather, at him. It seems he knows what Harry is thinking.

"Oh, curse me for being so obvious," Harry muttered as he returned to his plate, finally deciding to break his gaze and start eating lunch.

"He often goes to the library, you know. The table near the end is yo—his usual spot," the Head Girl cleared her throat, her face flushing at her near slip up.

"You know, it's almost as if you two—you and Draco—are keeping something from me," Harry said, carefully cutting up a piece of Shepherd's pie. "And I want to know what it is."

"I don't know what you are talking about, Harry."

"You do know what I'm talking about. You two have been acting weird since this morning. I also noticed your near slip. You were supposed to say 'your usual spot', right? Mine and Draco's usual spot?" Harry prodded his friend. "You should come clean. I only lost my memories, not my common sense."

"I told you," Hermione replied, clearly wanting to avoid the topic. "It's not my place to tell you about Draco. You should just talk to him after lunch. You two have a free period, anyway."

"Fine."

X

Heart beating a mile a minute, Harry entered the library to look for Draco. The blonde was already gone when Harry turned to look for him when he finished his lunch. "I hope he's in here," he said silently to himself.

Upon reaching the last of the shelves in the library, he saw the person he was looking for. Draco's back was facing him, while the Slytherin seemed to be taking notes from a large tome, based on the light scratch of his quill as he wrote on his parchment. Harry took a few tentative steps closer to his Potion's partner, holding his breath.

Draco tensed when he felt movement from behind him, his eyes narrowing in annoyance. Moving his head a fraction to get a glimpse of just who was stupid enough to sneak on the infamous Malfoy Heir, his eyes widened a bit when he saw messy black hair and green eyes. Harry stopped walking closer when he saw Malfoy move to look behind him.

"You look like I'm going to attack you. You can breathe now, Potter," Draco smirked as he turned on his seat to see Harry fully.

Harry bit his lip for a second then changed his expression to one of determination. Really, he should not be scared of the blonde. But, this boy is making him feel strange. Draco is messing his thoughts and his feelings. This was the most confused he felt since he woke up in the Hogwarts infirmary a month ago.

"Well, you looked like you were going to attack me. Have you any idea how scary you looked like just now with your eyes narrowed to slits?" Harry asked him, finally taking a few tentative steps forward until he was directly in front of Draco. The Slytherin motioned his hand, indicating for Harry to sit on the chair beside him.

When Harry took a seat, Draco returned to his note taking, waiting a few seconds before responding just so he can see Harry fidget at the corner of his eyes. "That is what you get when you sneak on someone, you know."

Harry scowled and was about to give an irritated retort when Draco spoke again. "Anyway, you wanted to talk." Harry gave a silent nod. "You should not know any details before the antidote is given to you. Dumbledore forbid us to tell you anything until after you remember some things."

The Gryffindor visibly deflated at that. "So, nothing then? I just wanted to know some things about you… or about us. I thought we were pretty close."

Draco's grip on his quill tightened. We were more than pretty close. We're practically bonded to each other. He sighed and stopped writing, fully facing Harry again. "Well, then, good thing for you, I never really followed the old coot's orders."

Harry's face brightened with what he just said. "So, you can-?"

"Not everything. I still have to keep some things until you're ready to know them but I will answer some of your questions," Draco said. "Just don't be a brat when I don't decide to answer what you asked. Pouting won't help either." But so help me Merlin, I will crumble when you look at me with your freakishly green eyes.

"Okay!" Harry gave him a smile.

Draco just looked at him for a long time, feeling his heart stop. It has been so, so long since he last saw that. And for the first time in months, Draco's face was graced with a smile.

X

Ginny scooted closer to Hermione when Harry left his seat in the Gryffindor table. "Aren't you worried that the ward won't hold on Harry's memories? I'm not saying that Harry spending time together with Draco is a bad thing but…Draco has such an impact on Harry and I'm scared that—I don't want to see Harry suffer that again."

The red-headed girl was among the first ones to see Harry lose it at the end of the battle last June. She was on her way to find her brothers and Harry when she heard his strangled cry. It was the most disturbing and sad cry she had ever heard and no amount of effort on her part can ever make her forget that. When she finally saw Harry, Hermione was with him trying to stop him from plunging his face in the blood pooling around Ron's body. His eyes were mad.

Ginny shuddered from her recollection as Hermione placed a hand on her shoulder. No, she does not want that to happen to Harry ever again. Never.

"Draco knows what he's doing. And the ward is strong. Professor Snape made that Potion so you have nothing to worry about," Hermione reassured her.

"But you're worried, too," Ginny pointed out to the Head Girl.

"Of course I am. But I trust Draco. He would never do anything to hurt Harry," Hermione said. "But what worries me more is Draco's position in the Slytherin House."

"What about it?" Ginny asked, glancing at the table in question.

"I think they are becoming restless. They know Draco is close to Harry but most of them thought it was just because he wanted to garner the favor of You-Know-Who. Become close to the enemy, or something. Some reckons the Malfoys are playing for both sides. So the family name won't fall to dirt if either side loses," Hermione's fists clenched. "I saw Draco talking to Parkinson. She looked worried."

"What do we do, then?"

"I don't know," the Head Girl expelled a breath. "We just have to look out for them and wish for the best."

X

"We were rivals? Then, why are you friendly with me now? Or is this just a prank?" Harry eyed Draco warily as he fired his questions at the blonde.

"Note the use of 'were'; that generally means in the past since it's past tense," Draco remarked.

Harry raised his eyebrow at that, looking eerily like Draco when someone is trying and failing to tell a joke. "Seriously, how did we become rivals, and then friends—that is, if we really are friends—if we're rivals since first year?"

"Well, you did not shake my hand when I offered my friendship," the blonde replied, his jaws tensing with the reminder of the hurt he felt when the Savior rejected him. His mother always said that his pride will destroy him.

Harry's eyes widened, his expression apologetic. He was about to utter an apology when Draco cut him off, "But that was probably my fault. I was a bit hostile with the way I offered my hand. Not to mention, I was incredibly rude to We—," Draco stopped himself, feigning a coughing fit before continuing, "—rude to Hermione."

The raven-haired Gryffindor cocked his head to the side, his eyes looking at Draco suspiciously. Both he and Hermione are having these weird slip-ups; about to say something and then stopping themselves by coughing or clearing their throats and saying something different to cover up their error. It makes Harry unbearably curious. What are they hiding?

He averted his gaze to the side. He'll probably recall most of it anyway, as the school year goes on with him drinking the antidote every few weeks for the memory potion he was given. Harry bit his lip. He so wanted to ask questions but he promised not to pressure Draco for information he's reluctant to give. He'll know more by the end of the week, anyway.

"Let's just pretend I did not hear about your slip up just now and continue," Harry said.

Draco gave him a smile. "Ever since then, we became rivals…at almost everything. We were always out to get each other into trouble and I was so angry when they had the rules bent just so you can be Seeker during our first year. First years aren't allowed brooms, much less a spot in the House Quidditch Team," a small, sad smile was playing at the corners of Draco's mouth as he reminisced his first year. "We faced off at the Quidditch Pitch during our second year. I was made Seeker, then, for Slytherin.

"I always thought that everyone kissed the ground you walked on. You always got your way, always wormed your way out of trouble," Draco looked at Harry exasperatedly before continuing, "You and your little friends are quite the rule breakers."

The Slytherin paused and looked as if bracing himself to continue. "But my impression of you changed around 6th year. At the start of the year, I was so angry at you for having my father imprisoned."

Harry let out a gasp, making Draco stop his story-telling and look at Harry in askance. "I'm sorry! Whatever happened, then…I'm sorry."

"You shouldn't be. I figured he got what he deserved," Draco looked down and uncharacteristically worried his lower lip. "It was just that…I respected him. He is my father. Malfoys always treasured family."

"Why did he—why did he get what—Don't tell me…Is he one of those after me? Dumbledore said that there are people after me and-," Harry stopped thinking that he might have offended Draco by accusing his father.

Draco shook his head, not as a negative answer but as a signal that he cannot answer Harry's question.

"I understand," Harry said. "It's just so frustrating not knowing anything! That I still have to wait so I can have access to some of my memories… I know most of them are bad given what the Headmaster said about my previous condition," the Gryffindor shuddered at that. "But it's hard waking up with absolutely no sense of self one minute then looking at the mirror and seeing yourself as a seventeen-year-old when the last memory you remember was when you're still eleven years old."

Draco wanted to reach out and touch Harry's hand to comfort him, even just a little. But to be able to touch him again, he would not know how to control himself. Harry is in pain and he couldn't do anything. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault! It's me surely. These things always happen to me. My aunt and uncle always said-," Harry swallowed the irrational fear he felt burning in his throat. He's not there anymore. He's not coming back. "They always said that whenever something bad happens, that it's my fault because I am who I am. Is that…I mean, being who I am—Harry Potter. Is that true?"

"You said before that you don't go looking for trouble. Trouble usually finds you. And it's the Dark Lord's fault, not yours. Whatever's happening now to you and to your friends, never, ever think that it's your fault. You always try to help and be brave—most of the time, idiotically so—because that is who you are. You should be proud of who you are, Harry, not scared or disgusted. Forget whatever those despicable maggots told you," Draco said in a rush, finally reaching out a hand to touch Harry's cheek.

The touch was electric. Harry's cheeks flushed as he leaned into the touch and closed his eyes. Draco, however, immediately withdrew his hand when he felt Harry leaning into it. It was just too much.

Harry opened his eyes and was about to ask Draco what the problem was when Draco continued with his story.

"I remember telling you about family values, how important they are and how you will never learn them," Draco's voice was tight. He clenched his fist and avoided looking at Harry at all.

"Draco-."

"I was gearing myself up to fight with you while waiting for you to react to what I said but you cried. You cried and apologized again and again, and I realized then that I couldn't bear to see you that way," Draco finished. He stood up and began to collect his parchments and quills.

"Draco, wait-."

"I'll see you around, Harry."

"Wait. Draco, please," Harry pleaded, clutching the sleeve of Draco's robes as he stood to try and stop Draco from going.

"I said what I can. Now let go of me," Draco commanded, his voice gone cold.

Harry immediately let go of his sleeve as if shot with a Stinging Hex and just stood, rooted at the spot as Draco left the library in clipped and controlled steps. He didn't know what he's supposedly done to offend Draco. They were getting along fine until…

Was it because he leant into Draco's hand?

...I realized then that I couldn't bear to see you that way.

"Damn it," Harry cursed under his breath, finally leaving the alcove at the back of the library. The Slytherin is doing it again. He was messing with Harry's mind again. Harry practically ran until he reached the portrait leading to the Gryffindor common room.

"Nun—Ah, fuck!" He exclaimed as he clutched his scar.

Unbidden images went running through Harry's head along with voices…coversations. Fuck, this hurts.

"I want him Marked, Lucius."

"Yes. Certainly, My Lord."

Everything vanished and changed into a new vision...

"Just relax. I'm here. Relax. I'm sorry they're hurting you," he felt a kiss on his forehead as a blurry image of Draco came into view.

Spinning.

"I hate you."

Falling.

"Draco!"

There! If I left any errors there, please inform me. I did not have my beta edit this. Also, please tell me what you think about my attempt at writing after two years of not practicing. So, review! Thanks!

xianora