Over the next few days, Harry searched endlessly for a time to talk to Draco. But the Slytherin was seldom in classes, never at meals, and seemed to disappear from the castle entirely at points, according to Harry's searches of the Marauder's Map. The few times Harry caught him in the hallway, Draco turned bright red and hurried quickly away.
"Where is he?!" Harry almost growled, throwing the map onto the ground.
"Relax, mate," Ron said from where he was reclined on his bed, trying to study Defense Against the Dark Arts. "He's probably hiding from you."
Harry glared at his best friend, ignoring the smirk on the redhead's face. Ron shut up his book, and leaned toward the floor, scooping up the map from where it had fallen.
"You've really gotten very thick, haven't you?" Ron asked, his eyes stayed on the map.
"Why are you saying that?"
"Because Malfoy's right here," Ron answered, pointing to a spot on the parchment.
"What?!" Harry launched off his bed and was beside Ron in an instant. Sure enough, a tiny dot labeled Draco Malfoy was located in one of the upstairs bathrooms.
"Brilliant. Thanks, Ron." Harry was already running out the door of their dormitory.
"Tell him hi from me!" Ron called after him, before collapsing in a fit of laughter.
Harry raced through the hallways, up staircases, desperate to catch Draco before he disappeared again. A stitch growing in his side, he burst through the lavatory door and saw the blond standing before him.
To Harry's heartbreak, he saw that Draco was bent over a sink, crying. His hair was disheveled, and his thin shoulders violently shook with sobs. Harry quietly locked the door, not wanting anyone to walk in on them.
"Dray?" Harry said gently, stepping forward.
Draco whirled at the voice, pulling out his wand, tears staining his cheeks.
"Draco, it's ok. It's just me," Harry said, holding up his hands. Draco still held his wand, slightly shaking, pointed toward Harry's chest. "What's wrong?"
"Why do you care?" Draco's voice was hoarse.
"Because I care about you," Harry answered.
Fresh tears leaked from Draco's eyes. "Can you please just go back to hating me?"
Harry shook his head. "Why would you want me to?"
Draco closed his eyes, trying to steady his wand hand. "It would make things so much easier."
"Dray, please just talk to me," Harry said, trying to get closer to the blond. But Draco sent a hex in Harry's direction, his shaking hand making the spell swing wide, crashing into the wall.
"Get away from me, Potter," Draco growled.
Harry winced at the use of his last name, the loathing coming from Draco's voice. It hurt more than a curse. Draco sent another hex at him, but Harry jumped out of the way, pulling out his own wand.
"I'm not going to leave you alone," Harry said, his words calm. But within his chest, his heart was pounding painfully fast against his ribs.
"Please hate me," Draco said through his teeth.
"Never."
Another hex. Another dodge.
"I poisoned Ron!" Draco screamed across the bathroom.
Harry stopped trying to get near the blond. "What?"
"I poisoned the mead. I gave it to Slughorn," Draco said, his voice without waver. Harry knew he wasn't lying. He felt like his world was collapsing around him. All he could hear was a loud rushing in his ears. This is not happening. Draco was raising his wand again, but Harry beat him to it.
"Sectumsempra!" he yelled, his voice cracking.
Draco buckled as blood suddenly exploded from his chest. He stared at Harry, eyes glazing for a moment. Then his wand fell slowly from his hand, tapping onto the damp stone floor. And Draco collapsed beside it, hands working at the wound, breathing harsh.
Harry's own wand slipped from his fingers. He was on his knees beside Draco, pulling the blood-soaked boy into his arms. "No, no, no," he sobbed, as Draco started to slip from consciousness. "I didn't mean to. I'm sorry, Dray. I'm sorry."
The blond started to slightly convulse in his arms. Harry laid back his head and screamed for help. Not half a moment later, the locked door was blasted open, and Snape stood in the doorway. He strode toward the students swiftly, and ran his wand over Draco's wounds, quelling the flow of blood. His black eyes bored in Harry's as the professor helped Draco sit up.
"Come on, Draco. To the Hospital Wing," Snape said, supporting the injured blond as he helped him stand. Still on his knees, pulse pounding in his ears, Harry watched them go. He lowered his head into his hands, and felt himself break.
Draco almost killed Ron. I almost killed Draco. Everything is collapsing.
Harry refused to let himself cry, though. He looked up, eyes taking in the blood stained floor and the two fallen wands. He grabbed his own, shoving it into his pocket, and gently picked up Draco's wand. He stood unsteadily, and walked away from the battle scene.
He took the familiar path to the Hospital Wing, set on returning the wand to its rightful owner. Entering the infirmary, he found it empty. One bed was surrounded by high curtains, and Harry walked toward it silently. He paused and slowed at the buzz of voices coming from behind the fabric. He sank onto an empty bed, and listened.
"… if you would only let me help you," Snape was saying.
"I don't need your help," Draco answered, voice weak.
"Need I remind you that he is not pleased with your progress thus far?"
"I know."
"And soon, he'll send Bellatrix to finish the job she started in the forest. Draco, I promised your mother I would protect you. But if he sets out to kill you, there's no protection I can offer you. Be very careful."
"I will, sir," came Draco's small voice.
Harry heard the legs of a chair scrape against the floor. He quickly jumped off the bed, flattening himself on the ground, rolling underneath the bed, hiding himself from view. Snape appeared from behind the curtains, and swept from the Hospital Wing.
Harry scooted out from beneath the bed and snuck around the curtains. Draco was lying propped up by pillows in bed. He was pale and shaking but no longer bleeding. He stared at Harry as the Gryffindor sunk into the chair beside him.
"The poison wasn't met for Ron," Draco said, biting his lower lip.
"Bellatrix Lestrange attacked you in the Forest," Harry stated back.
"I would never hurt him, because I know how much it hurts you."
"She was punishing you on Voldemort's orders."
"I wish I could take it all back."
"You're a Death Eater."
"I love you."
"I love you, too."
Harry held out Draco's wand to him. Draco took it with a shaking hand. He rolled up his left sleeve, pointed the wand at his forearm and muttered a few words. The concealment charm vanished and Harry was left staring at the Dark Mark burned into Draco's pale, perfect skin.
Harry shook his head sadly. "Why are you doing this?"
"I have to," Draco said, his voice shaking with tears. "The Dark Lord will kill my family, everyone I love, unless I do as he says."
"Dray, you're stronger than this. With Dumbledore's protection-"
Draco grabbed Harry's arm at the mention of Dumbledore. "No! Harry, I have to do as he says. If I don't… if I don't, he'll kill you." Draco collapsed into tears.
Harry sighed, and crawled into the bed with him. He took Draco in his arms, trying to soothe his sobs. "Love," he whispered against the side of Draco's head, "he's been trying to kill me for my entire life. Nothing you do can stop that."
"But… I… I couldn't live with myself if I knew I had a part in it," Draco said, his breath calming slightly.
Harry looked at him sadly and gave him a quick, chaste kiss. Draco placed the concealment charm over his Dark Mark again, before looking up at Harry with big, earnest eyes.
"Please," he whispered, "please don't tell anyone about me."
Harry opened his mouth to retort, but Draco interrupted, saying, "Please, Harry. He'll kill me."
Harry swallowed his words, and breathed, "Ok."
Draco looked relieved. He expelled a shaky breath, as Harry wiped the tears off his cheeks. He lay with Draco until he fell asleep. Then, slipping slowly off the bed, Harry made his way out of the Hospital Wing. Letting his feet lead him as they would, he found himself walking onto the grounds. Sitting beside the lake, Harry hugged his knees to his chest; raising his eyes to the clouds, he begged the sky to tell him what he should do.