Draco just shook his head and rolled up his sleeve, revealing a blistering tattoo on his left forearm.
The Dark Mark.
"Draco…" Harry whispered.
"They couldn't stop him," Draco cried. "Said if I didn't take the mark he would kill them. They didn't care but I couldn't lose them. Told them to let me get it. It hurts, Harry."
Harry shushed him. "It'll be okay. It'll be okay," he said. "The worst of it is over, right?"
Draco shook his head 'no' and Harry held him tighter.
"Told me to kill Dumbledore. Said if I didn't he would kill them. I have to kill Dumbledore, Harry!" He cried. He reached up and cupped Harry's face with a wild, frantic look in his eyes. "Harry, I gave to kill him," he whimpered. He sorta reminded Harry of Trelawney but this was much more serious to him.
"Draco it's okay," he said when Draco looked like he was in another world and started murdering "no" over and over. He grabbed Draco's wrists and slid his hands up to cup his hands. "Draco!" He shouted and Draco looked at him. "I'll help you," he said. "I'll help you kill Dumbledore. I'll help you."
"Harry, you can't-"
"Then we'll tell him. We'll tell him what happened."
"But he'll have me thrown in Azkaban. Harry, he'll-"
"Sev has probably told him anyway," He pushed. "You can't go through this alone. Dray, please. We have to do something."
Draco looked into Harry's eyes. He saw not a shadow of a doubt that he'd - that they'd get through this. He really cared about Draco.
"Okay," He said, still shaking slightly. "Okay, we'll do that. We'll tell him."
"Okay," Harry sighed. "Let's wait till tomorrow. For now you need to eat."
"I'm not-"
"Try to eat, Dray, please," Harry begged.
"Okay," said Draco.
The next day the boys woke up in the Room of Requirement and it provided fresh clothes for them. They decided to tell Dumbledore in the morning so that they could get it over with. He was not in the Great Hall and neither was Severus. However, Ron was.
"What's wrong, Potter? Lost your filthy Death Eater mentor?!" Harry just rolled his eyes and pulled Draco out.
They headed to the Headmaster's office with Draco muttering obscene things about Ron that made Harry snort every few seconds. The statue guard asked for the password and Harry said "Mandrake Marmalade" and they got through. They heard Sev's voice and knocked quietly. The conversation stopped abruptly and Severus came to the door with a sneer until he realised it was Harry and Draco. He let them in and they sat at the deal across from Dumbledore.
"Ahh, Harry. Draco. What brings you here?" Dumbledore asked. Draco started.
"Good morning, Headmaster. Has Professor Snape informed you of my situation?"
Dumbledore nodded calmly. "Yes he has. And you have nothing to worry about," he said. "Do you know what a Horcrux is, Malfoy?" Draco shook his head. "It's a Dark Magical artifact which hosts a piece of a wizard's soul. When a wizard commits a murder their soul splits. They can then put a piece of it into an object," he looked at Harry. "or an animal and it becomes a Horcrux.
"Voldemort has created several of these. Seven to be exact. They are Marvolo Gaunt's Ring, Salazar Slytherin's locket, Helga Hufflepuffs Goblet, Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem, Tom Riddle's diary, Nagini the Snake, whom I'm sure you've met-" Draco shivered. "And last but not least," he turned to Harry. "Harry Potter."
The world had just ended. We'll it did for Harry. He was a horcrux? How could this be?
"How," Harry asked.
"On the night Voldemort killed your parents, he was planning on making another Horcrux. However, as I'm sure you know, his killing curse on you backfired. It was deflected back to him and he was just a floating soul piece due to all of the other Horcruxes he had made prior.
"Unfortunately for him, a piece of his soul was released that night. And it rests within your lightning bolt scar."
Draco felt sick. He was paper white but he stayed silent.
"In order to kill Voldemort you have to destroy his Horcruxes first. Or he will be able to come back, as you witnessed in the graveyard, Harry. You destroyed one in second year-"
"The diary," Harry supplied.
"Yes, the diary. I tried to destroy the ring but one look at it and I knew what it was."
"What was it?" Draco asked.
"You will find out in due course. But anyway, I put it on, not realizing until too late that it was cursed. That's why my hand," he lifted it. "Looks like this.
"Severus has tried to help me but I have about a year, at the latest. Which means Severus can kill me and you won't have to."
They processed the information and Harry tentatively wrapped an arm around Draco's shoulders. Draco wouldn't have to kill Dumbledore. That was excellent news.
Dumbledore cast a wandless tempus. "You must get going if you wish to have breakfast. It ends in Twenty-seven minutes," he said, quite cheerfully for a man who, quite literally, has a death wish. By a specific person. At a specific time. But they went to the Great Hall anyway. Ron and Hermione were gone so they could eat breakfast in peace. Then they went to their classes.