Draco quickly cleaned Harry's bed linen, making sure all the blood stains were gone, returning the sheets to white once more.

He still didn't think that Harry would want to touch the bed so he deftly repaired the broken wooden chair in the corner, adding a soft cushion to it for good measure.

"Here Harry," Draco said softly, gently manoeuvring Harry into the chair.

"No, wait...!" Harry tried to protest but he fell unbalanced onto the chair seat. He let out a cry of pain and immediately jumped back to his feet.

Draco frowned in concern. "What's wrong?"

Harry shook his head, fresh tears suddenly trickling unbidden from his eyes and trailing down his pale cheeks.

Draco's gaze roved over Harry's body, taking in the clenched fists and arms pressed tightly to his sides, the slightly hunched over posture...

He stopped at Harry's black boxers. A horrible understanding dawned as he made the connection between Harry's backside and the chair.

"Harry..." he breathed out, barely contained outrage lacing every syllable. "What the fuck did that monster do to you?"

Harry merely shook his head again, the tears tumbling from his glassy green eyes.

Draco reached out for the distraught young man but Harry jerked away.

"Leave it Malfoy. It's nothing."

Draco gaped. "Nothing?"

"It's nothing that hasn't happened before!"

Harry's words were met by a stunned silence.

Draco's heart clenched painfully as a true understanding of what Harry's life was like swept over him. What Harry had gone through and continued to go through every day.

He'd heard stories of the abuse the Gryffindor had suffered at the hands of his relatives while growing up. Life at Hogwarts hadn't been a walk in the park either, what with Voldemort hunting him down every year, then losing his sight, his friends, his dignity...

Draco shook his head. His mind was made up.

If Severus hadn't worked something out with the contract then he was going to enact the Grevillea Agreement.

"Harry? I need you to listen to me very carefully alright?"

Harry frowned, curiosity replacing his anger.

"Have you ever heard of the Grevillea Agreement?"

Harry shook his head.

Draco licked his lips and wondered how best to explain it without scaring him off. Every pure-blood knew of the Agreement, but being raised by muggles...

"It's like a... a life-long promise that you make to another wizard. It's legally binding and is held above all other contracts in the wizarding world. Meaning, if we were to make this agreement to each other then you would immediately be released from all other contracts or agreements."

Harry's eyes widened. "Why does this sound more serious than you're making it out to be?" he asked suspiciously.

"Because it is," Draco answered honestly. "The Grevillea can never be broken. Once you make this commitment then you are in it for life."

Harry nodded slowly, mind working rapidly. "And... what do you have to do?"

"One person must be the... the responsible wizard, meaning, that person makes up the formal agreement and prepares the potion. As you are already under a magical contract, that person must be me."

"A potion?" Harry questioned nervously.

"Yes," Draco nodded. "The potion binds us together; our life force and our magic."

Harry swallowed. "What else?" he asked.

"Well... we each have to wear a bracelet that connects us together and that never can be removed. It only unlocks when one of us dies, and, er... if one dies then the other will soon follow."

Harry's eyebrows nearly rose to his hairline in surprise. He gaped in Draco's general direction. "This is... pretty serious, isn't it?" he asked, mouth dry.

Draco nodded then remembered himself and answered aloud. "Yes."

Harry breathed out and walked away from Draco towards the window.

"What else?" Harry pushed, facing away from the blond.

Draco took a deep breath and obliged. "I will feel any extreme emotions from you; pain, sorrow, joy. We will also be able to pool our magical abilities together."

Harry nodded thoughtfully, taking it all in. "You said you would be able to feel my emotions, would the same thing happen to me and your emotions?"

"No," Draco shook his head. "As the 'parent' in the relationship, it would only work for me. You are my responsibility; your happiness as well as your health."

Harry chewed his lip consideringly for a moment then looked up.

"And what's in it for you Malfoy?"

A clear conscience, Draco wanted to answer, but he knew it was more than that.

"I want to help you Harry, and I don't know, lifetime companionship sounds pretty good."

Harry looked sceptical. "But you're not even ready to live with someone, doesn't this whole agreement thing scare you?"

"Scare me?" Draco bristled. "I'm not scared of you Potter."

Harry smiled a little. "What about living with me?"

"We don't have to share a place. We need some sort of contact every twenty-four hours or so but it's not necessary that we live together."

"Oh..." Harry nodded, and Draco thought he looked a little disappointed. "But... so we can't ever stop being around each other?"

"That's right," Draco confirmed.

"Wow..." Harry wrapped his arms around himself, shivering a little in the cold room.

Draco at once walked over to the robe crumpled in a heap on the floor by the bed and picked it up.

"Thanks," Harry said gratefully as Draco slipped the thin material over his bare shoulders.

Draco wanted to wrap his arms around the shaking brunette but refrained, Harry looked as though he was deep in thought, as he should be after that amount of information.

Harry sighed. "I still don't understand why you would want to do this. It's the perfect solution for me, I have everything to gain and nothing to lose, but... you would lose your freedom, your independence." Harry turned his face towards him searchingly, as though trying to see him. "Does this agreement mean that you can't ever have another relationship?"

Draco didn't want to answer but knew he must. "Yes."

"So if you fall in love with someone then you can never act on it?"

"Yes."

Harry shook his head and backed away. "You can't do this Malfoy. You'd be throwing your life away for nothing."

"It's not for nothing," Draco insisted firmly. "I have only ever met two people that I can tolerate for any length of time; Severus Snape and you, Harry. And while I have great respect for Sev I hardly fancy him."

"What are you saying?"

Draco sighed. "I'm saying I have a greater chance of falling in love with you than anyone else I've ever known."

Harry's lips parted in surprise.

Draco fidgeted with his wand in embarrassment. "I'm just going to er... check on Severus, see how the negotiations are going. Give you time to think."

"Draco?"

"Yeah?" Draco turned on his way to the door.

Harry took a deep breath. "Thank you."

Draco smiled. "You're welcome," he replied awkwardly.

Harry's sweet smile in response cemented Draco's decision to do anything in his power to help him.

He left the quiet room and went to find Snape.