Long rambly A/N What can I say.love you all! When I get reviews like this I just have to write more. Some of you want me to be nicer to Draco, that may happen at some point (depending where the muse leads), I think Snape working on keeping him from being a death eater is being as nice as he deserves right now. I just think back to book 5 and how maliciously eager Draco was for Umbridge to torture Harry, and how he calls Hermione Mudblood and well I just can't be all that nice to him yet because I keep thinking in books 6 & 7 he will likely be even more evil, although I really hope not, I'd want him to be redeemable and not like his father. I confess my sympathies lie with Harry and to a degree Snape although Snape as an adult really shouldn't take all his past hurts out on someone who has nothing personally to do with them. Although Dumbledore's trust in Snape is inspiring and makes me think there is just so much more to Snape we have yet to learn. As you can tell I find him to be one intriguing character who I believe underneath all that bitterness and all those wounds he's actually got a golden heart. As for Harry, he's just a sweetie, brave, lots of heart, pure soul, makes mistakes just as everyone does cause he's very human but takes things to heart and shoulders everything himself. He's such a lonely, tragic figure who isolates himself from all those who truly love and care for him. When he did reach out and depended on someone that person died. So those of you who love Harry, rest assured there will be lots more of him as he (with Snape's help) struggles to find some peace because after all "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger". Hope you enjoy. Sneak peak for next chapter-Harry sees something very startling. Snape gains some heartwrenching trust back. Draco's shield cracks.

Chapter 7 - Shadows Harry woke to an empty room. He glanced at the clock and realized it was almost 10:00. The dreamless sleeping potion had worked very well. Since it was Saturday morning there were no classes but he was scheduled to meet with Snape again at 2:00. He'll have expected him to have started meeting with Lupin but he had no plans to do so. He would just have to block out Snape's spell. He would have to stay calm. He kept thinking about the dreamless sleep potion, if he only swallowed a few drops of it, it should make him calm and sleepy. He could then handle whatever Snape threw at him.

He resolved to sneak into Snape's office sometime before 2:00 to get it. He decided to skip breakfast and have a big lunch. He wanted to avoid Ron and Hermione. They would just ask him questions and want to talk about Sirius. They both had their parents; they didn't know how it felt to be alone. He got dressed and went out to the lake.

Severus Snape woke up when a heavy weight landed on his chest. He rubbed Loki under the chin. The large black hairy cat with the pumpkin colored eyes purred at him loudly. He pulled back the covers and got up reluctantly. Today he would see if Draco respected him enough to apologize to Potter or if he would be forced to inflict further punishment on him. Today he would also see if talking to Lupin had helped take some of the grief and guilt off Potter's shoulders so he could finally make progress in occlumency. Dumbledore counted on him to work with Harry. He had promised to try and put the past behind him and concentrate on Potter as an individual, not just his father's son. He saw shades of Lily in him more and more and that was making it easier to care about what happened to him.

Draco had hardly slept that night. The thought of apologizing to Potter almost made him sick to his stomach. Prince Potter the golden boy, who got all the attention. Everyone loved him. Potter the savior. It was enough to make him want to run begging to Voldemort to make him a death eater. Potter, he mentally spat out his name, hatred welling in his heart. He hated Snape for making him do this. How could Snape do this to him? Snape had always supported him. Snape had helped him when Lucius had hurt him so badly he could barely move. Snape was the only person in the world that he trusted and whom he thought would never hurt him. Draco bit his lip suppressing the fear that threatened to overwhelm him. Without Snape he had no one. Crabbe and Goyle were two big stupid goons who latched on to him like two groupies because of the Malfoy name. How was he going to do this? How could he walk up to Potter and apologize? He tried desperately to think of a way out of this. Maybe he could pretend he was sick? It wouldn't be too much of a lie after all, he was feeling quite queasy. Snape's dark eyes sprang to mind. It would only postpone the inevitable, he would just make him do it tomorrow. He could opt for the detention and denial of privileges but spending time with Filch and doing his every bidding brought shivers up his spine, that punishment would just go on and on. So he resigned himself to apologizing. It would only take a minute. He sat back down on the edge of his bed, staring out of the window. He swallowed hard. He hoped Potter would accept it and wouldn't give him a hard time.

Harry was almost frozen to the bone when he decided to come back in. Sitting outside in the cold air, letting it chill him to a point where he became numb felt good. Sometimes he almost wished the cold would just freeze him over and he wouldn't ever have to feel again. It was time for lunch and since he had skipped breakfast he decided he should at least attempt to eat something or Hermione would be on his back. He walked in and wordlessly went to sit beside Hermione and Ron who looked at him worried. He hated it when they did that. He picked at a chicken potpie with little interest.

Snape was eating with the rest of the professors. His dark eyes lit on Potter as he entered and went to sit with his friends. He noticed that he hadn't spoken to anyone. He realized for the first time that Potter didn't look very well. Rather pale but flushed at the same time. Was Potter ill and he hadn't noticed before? He glanced over at Professor Dumbledore whose gaze was also on Potter. Snape was almost too distracted to notice that Draco had entered. Draco's icy gaze lit on him as if to confirm that he had no choice but to do as he had been told. He could almost feel Draco's anger. His eyes never left the boy as he headed over to Potter. He must have said something because Potter and the Gryffindor's around him all turned to Draco. He could see the shock on Potter's face as well as the rest of them. Potter said something. Then Draco must have said something else. Potter shrugged, said something then turned his back on Draco. Draco his face flushed, then turned and threw an angry glare at Snape, then left the room. Snape noticed Ron and Hermione get up and go after him. This wasn't good. Snape paused for a moment, should he go after them or should he let them iron things out themselves. Worried over what Draco might do, he decided to interfere. He got up and hurried out.

Harry sat staring at the 3/4s of his chicken potpie that was still on his plate. What had just happened was one of the strangest things he had witnessed in the last few weeks. Malfoy had come up to the table. Looked him in the eye and said "Potter, I just want to say sorry about last night. I hope you accept my apology." He had seemed very determined, yet a spark of anger lay behind his gray blue eyes. Harry expected a lot of things to happen but Malfoy apologizing to him for almost placing the cruciatus curse on him was not something he had anticipated. Puzzled he asked, "Why are doing this?" Malfoy's chin went up a notch. "Because I have no choice." Malfoy actually trembled slightly much to Harry's surprise. It was obvious he wasn't sincere and someone had forced him. "Fine, whatever, I accept." With disinterest Harry turned back to his food. When Ron and Hermione left the table anger boiled up in him again. Hermione must have told Professor McGonagall who forced Malfoy to say he was sorry. He wondered what she threatened him with because Malfoy wouldn't have agreed to this willingly.

Draco heart racing, tore down the hallway. He had done it and Potter had nonchalantly accepted his apology. He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he hadn't heard the advancing footsteps behind him.

"Malfoy!!! What the bloody hell was that all about?" Weasley suddenly shouted at him.

He turned with fury in his icy eyes. He grinned maliciously. "What's it to you Weasel and oh look you brought the mudblood with you."

"You should be in Azkaban with your father." Hermione snapped at him. "Don't you ever ever even think about using the cruciatus curse on Harry again. I will go straight to Professor Dumbledore if you do."

"Ooooo I'm scared mudblood. You better worry about your mudblood parents before someone hurls the avada kedavra curse at them. Maybe if I get lucky it will be me!" Malfoy smirked.

Unfortunately right at that moment Snape turned the corner. Draco's heart almost stopped. Hermione's hand had gone to her wand but when Malfoy suddenly trembled and his smirk turned to a look of shock she stopped. She turned to see what had startled him so. She almost expected to see Dumbledore but much to her surprise Snape stood there, his robes billowing around him like a dark smoldering cloud.

"Draco! My office!"

Malfoy stood there not moving. Snape went over to him grabbing him by the scruff of his robe and practically hauled him down the hall.

Ron and Hermione were left staring at each other in shock and confusion.