A.N- hey guys. Thanks so much for sticking with me through the waits, I am sorry for that. I am rather proud of this chapter, actually. :D Please review and let me know what y'all think!

Oh and Merry Christmas!!:-)

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About an hour later Harry's mind drifted back into consciousness. He kept his eyes closed though, and let the reddish light of the sun filter through his eyelids. He could hear the other people in the compartment's murmured conversations but didn't pay much attention to them.

He absently went to stroke his hand across Draco's head, and jolted up when he felt he wasn't beside him anymore.

Ron looked up at him for a moment with his sudden movement, before quickly going back to the chess board that was sitting in front of him. Draco sat on the other side of it, watching Ron's movements intently.

After a few moments of concentration he moved his bishop four spots and leaned back, satisfied. "Ha," he said.

Draco shook his head and leaned forward, bumping his nose against his knight until it started to move where he wanted it. It then began pulverizing Ron's queen.

"Damn it!" he shouted, throwing his hands in the air and glaring at Draco. "I'm losing wizard's chess to a cat!!!"

Draco's rumbly cat-laughter reverberated through the room and Ron stuck his tongue childishly out at him.

Harry laughed from his seat and Draco turned to look at him, licking his hand when Harry stretched it out to scratch his head.

"You had to choose a smart chess playing panther. Couldn't have just chosen a bloody dumb fur ball like Hermione," Ron grumbled from his seat, back to staring at the chess board, and received a smack from Hermione.

Draco turned back to the game also just as the lady pushing the trolley popped her head through the door. "Anything from the trolley?" she asked pleasantly, not paying mind to the chess-playing panther in the middle of the floor.

Ron immediately jumped up from his game, of course, and hurried out into the hall of the train. He came back carrying five chocolate frogs, two liquorish wands, and three Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.

Then he dropped back into his seat and dropped his stuff in his lap, before carelessly pushing his one last pawn forward. Draco shook his head again and sent his queen forward, taking Ron's king.

Ron grumbled some more swear words before looking resigned and putting the chess board away. He tore open a chocolate frog and offered it to Draco. It hopped from his hand, landing smack in the middle of Draco's muzzle. Draco jumped and shook his head wildly until the thing came off. It hopped lazily on the floor and Draco jumped at the chance. He pounced on it, only to have it avoid him by mere seconds.

It continued its lazy trail until it was out in the hall. Draco darted after it.

"Guess you know how to entertain him then," Ron said as he stuffed his own frog into his mouth.

A few seconds later Draco came scampering back into the compartment, ears down on his head, tail nearly curling between his legs. A hex sailed past the door just as Draco came through it, and Harry's anger boiled. He stood drawing his wand, quickly followed by Ron. Hermione and Ginny sat wide-eyed and silent in there spots.

Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini strolled into their compartment as if they did it everyday. Crabbe and Goyle remained in the hall way, like jokes of body guards.

Their wands were at their sides, but that didn't eliminate the threat. Harry kept his up.

"Ah, Potter! Got a new pet have we?" Pansy asked motioning her wand toward Draco with a sneer.

"Yeah I have, actually. And I'd appreciate it if you and your sorry excuse for friends would leave him alone," Harry shot back with a sneer of his own.

From his spot on the floor Draco nodded his approval. He's got a good sneer, he mussed.

Blaise spoke up. "Your just lucky Draco's gone up missing. If he was here, you and you're panther would be getting it good."

Harry had to hold back a laugh. "Sorry, I'm not scared of Malfoy, Zabini. And too bad the git's missing. What ever will you do without him?" Harry feigned worry.

Draco nudged his leg with a huff. Git? How rude.

Blaise sent him a smoldering glare before turning and exiting the compartment, shoving Crabbe and Goyle out of the way. Pansy gave a quick glare of her own before following them back to their own compartment.

"Malfoy's missing?" Ron questioned, sitting back in his seat. Then he laughed. "I think this is going to be a good year." Hermione and Ginny laughed with him, while Harry sat back in his seat and pretended not to hear that comment.

Draco huffed slightly before snitching one of Ron's liquorish wands and gulping it down before the red-head could protest. He then hopped back up to his seat next to Harry, curled up and went to sleep.

Poor Draco, Harry thought. Must be hard on him, not being able to be with his friends and everything.

The rest of the train ride was spent talking, playing chess or exploding snaps, eating stuff from the trolley, and sleeping.

When they finally reached Hogwarts the only light came from the blue moon and the many lanterns scattered across the boats the first years would ride in up to the school. Draco had his nose pressed to the glass, his breath fogging it up.

They all stood gathered their things and started out into the already-crowded corridor.

When they'd finally made it out into the cool night air the only carriage that wasn't full was one with a lonely looking second year inside. He was skinny, had messy brown hair and big blue eyes.

When they crowded in with him, his eyes widened first at the older kids, then impossibly wider at the panther. He smashed himself against the wall.

They sat in silence for a moment before Ron spoke up. "Oi midget, what's your name?" he asked, not in a mean way.

"Ronald!" Hermione scolded.

"Nick," the boy squeaked, still staring at them all wide-eyed.

"Well nice to meet you Nick," Ron said pleasantly. "I'm Ron, this is Harry, Hermione, Ginny, and Dragon," he said motioning to them all in turn.

Nick nodded, staring at Harry. "Harry Potter?" he asked in a soft voice.

Harry nodded, and appreciated how the boy didn't stare at his scar. The boy nodded again, looking around at all of them. "Nice to meet all of you too," he said, seeming to sink back into his seat even more.

They all politely smiled and nodded at him, thinking the conversation would end there. But Ron, ever the nosy one continued it. "What house you in?"

"Ravenclaw," he said, a little bit of pride seeping into his voice.

"Cool. We have friends in Ravenclaw. Do you know Luna Lovegood?" Ron asked, sounding amused when he said Luna's name.

For the first time Nick smiled. "Yeah. She's actually really nice. If not a bit…" he trailed off, seeming embarrassed. They all grinned.

"Know what you mean," Harry said.

With that the tense atmosphere faded and they spent the rest of the ride up to the castle in companionable silence.

As soon as they got out of their carriage and walked into the Great Hall, heads turned, the pointing started, and the whispers started. Keeping his head down, Harry walked with Draco up to the head table and approached a wide-eyed Professor McGonagall.

"Mr. Potter!" She said breathily, staring at Draco. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Well Professor, that's what I wanted to talk to you about." He glanced around. "Maybe in private?"

Minerva nodded; seeming slightly dazed and followed Harry off into a side room connected to the Great Hall. As soon as the door was shut behind him Harry turned to McGonagall and began explaining the story of how he found Draco in a lonely park in Surrey.

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By the end of his tale Minerva McGonagall's eyes were wider then ever before as she started at Harry's magnificent panther. "Mr. Malfoy?"

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Minutes later they casually strode back into the Great Hall. McGonagall took her seat back at the Headmaster's seat and Harry took his seat between Ron and Hermione, Draco curled up at his feet.

The doors opened and a long line of first year students began filing through, all looking as nervous as Harry knew he had felt when he first walked through those doors.

After the sorting was finished, McGonagall stood to make her speech.

"Welcome to all of our first years, and to the rest of you, welcome back!" Thunderous applause and cheers accompanied her words, and she motioned for silence. "I hope this year will be good for us all." She looked over the crowded students and added as an after thought, "And I am aware of Mr. Potter's new pet. I would not like any more complaints on the matter. Now. Let us eat!" And with a wave of her hand food appeared on the silver and gold plates covering the table.

Another cheer rumbled through the room as students began chattering excitedly to their friends about the summer and piling as much food as possible onto their overflowing plates.

Harry casually passed Draco down bits of food of all sorts throughout the meal, all the while talking and laughing with his friends; Ron, Neville, Dean, Seamus, Ginny, and Hermione. Though Hermione was still a bit bitter abut being proven wrong about him being able to keep Draco with him.

As the chatter died down in volume and people began wandering off to their house common rooms, Harry said goodbye to his friends and stood, beckoning Draco to follow. They walked in silence out of the Great Hall and to the stairs

Draco was rather taken aback by the change in perspective he was getting. Hogwarts looked different through his new, sharper eyes, and from his three feet in height.

McGonagall had been shocked to say the least. She'd said that Draco could go to classes with Harry and try to learn a bit as long as he was here. She'd even tried to transfigure him back, with the same result of the shocking pain. She said she'd talk to Dumbledore and they would try to figure something out.

When they reached the floor which Draco knew the Gryffindor common room was on, he was surprised when Harry kept going up the flights of stairs. Draco padded along beside him until they had reached the seventh floor, where Harry sharply turned a corner into a lonely looking hallway.

Now Draco knew where they were going; the room of requirements. He made a noise in the back of his throat and Harry smiled down at him. "Well I'd look like a lune if I sat up there talking to an animal."

Draco snorted as Harry stopped before closing his eyes and pacing back and forth in front of the expanse of wall.

I need a place where me and Draco can talk. I need a place where me and Draco can talk. I need a place where me and Draco can talk, he thought.

When opened his eyes a door appeared in front of him. Grinning, he pushed it open and went through, leaving it open for Draco.

He stepped through into a nice looking room. It was a burgundy color with a big fireplace on one wall and two couches that sat facing it. There was a small coffee table between them. A big conference table sat behind them, with six chairs around it. One at each head, and two on each side.

As Harry surveyed his handy work a yell came from behind him. "What the bloody hell!?!?!?!"

With a start he whirled around to find a handsome boy with white-blonde hair that went to just below his ears standing with wide-eyes staring down at his body… which was naked.

As Harry thought this, robes appeared out of no where in front of Draco, who hurriedly put them on.

Then, slowly, he looked up at Harry, his eyes growing wider. Neither of them said anything, they just stood and stared at each other, their shock mirrored on both of their faces.

"Didn't see that one coming," Harry finally said softly.

Draco smiled and ran a hand through his perfect hair. "Me either."

Then they lapsed back into silence, still staring at each other. "So," Draco said simply, coming farther into the room and throwing himself lazily onto one of the couches. "What's up Harry?" he said jokingly, putting his hands behind his head and crossing his ankles on the couch, looking back over it at him.

Harry moved to sit on the couch opposite Draco. He continued to baldly stare at him. "You're you again."

Draco's eyebrows furrowed and he sat up slightly. "Yeah?" he said it like a question, like he didn't know what Harry was talking about.

"Aren't you going to say 'Bye Potter, it's been a nice run but I've got my own friends,' and leave?" Harry asked in a distant voice.

Draco sat all the way up now, his eyebrows practically meeting in the middle. Then a look of sadness washed over his face. "No," he said simply, confused and hurt. "Am I supposed to?"

Harry's face suddenly lost its blank look and the animation washed back into it. "Oh. No. Good," he said.

Draco continued to look confused, but the sadness had left his face. He let out a strangled laugh. "You're a little strange. You know that, Potter?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Harry," Harry corrected.

"Right, Harry," Draco said in his silky voice, flashing Harry a smile.

"And yeah I know. I'm a little hard to figure out," he said simply, as if it was something he had to explain often.

Draco smiled. "Me too." Then he scooted over on the big couch and patted the seat beside him. "Well come over here so we can discuss why this happened."

Harry timidly jumped couches so he sat awkwardly next to Draco. This was crazy! He'd sat next to Draco millions of times already. Hell, they'd shared a bed! And yet, now he was nervous to be around him. Maybe it was the fact that now he could actually talk back to him.

"Well I'm not sure," he started, looking at his hands. "When I was trying to get into the room I was thinking 'I need a place me and Draco can talk.' So I guess it decided you couldn't talk as a panther or something," Harry mumbled.

Draco was nodding beside him, staring into the flames dancing in the fire place.

"It will probably reverse when you leave, and you'll be a panther again."

Draco looked over at him sharply before standing and striding to the door. He opened it and took a cautious step out.

With a faint pop Draco disappeared and a panther reappeared, only this time draped in robes. The comically dressed panther huffed before coming back into the room and popping back up as Draco.

He strutted back across the room to again sit next to Harry. "Well that's strange." Harry nodded in agreement.

Draco turned so one of his legs was bent on the couch, his foot tucked underneath him while the other stayed resting on the floor. "Thanks for - you know - taking me in," he said, looking down.

"No problem," Harry answered automatically. "It was one of the best summers I've ever had."

Draco looked up at him, his eyes gleaming with emotion. "Really?"

Harry nodded; his embarrassment showing on his face. "So are you gonna tell me how you got to be a cat in the first place?"

Draco let out a long breath before bringing his other leg up onto the couch as well, drawing his knees to his chest and wrapping his arms around them.

"I was hoping you would forget about that one," he said softly. Harry smiled.

"Not quite."

Draco sighed again before looking straight into Harry's emerald eyes. Harry was shocked by the emotions he saw in them. "It started the day my parents were… killed," he started heavily, his eyes becoming unfocused as he stared somewhere over Harry's right shoulder. "The Dark Lord… he was mad… my dad was supposed to kill one of the Death Eaters who… disobeyed. Who and what he did, I don't know. That was information given only to my father. Well in his mission, my father's partner was killed and my father was injured. The man they were supposed to kill got away." Draco seemed to be having problems forcing the words out, but Harry needed to know this.

"So he came to my house two days after my father reported he had failed… and he… he grabbed my mum… and told my father… told him that if he didn't come with him she would die… my father had commanded I stay in my room… he said it was all going to be fine… he… promised they were both going to come back fine…" Draco let out a ragged breath and Harry saw the tears swimming in his eyes as they focused back in on Harry.

"The next day, when neither of them had come back, I was worried. I was hysterical. But around eight o'clock that night five of the Death Eaters that were close in the Dark Lords inner circle showed up. They were drunk as fuck. They were stumbling around laughing and swearing, fire whisky in their hands. When I asked about my parents, they roared with laughter and told me about their cruel deaths.

"Then they started grabbing for me, one of each of their hands gripping on my arms and one of them apparated us all too some random spot. Surrey I know now. Why, I have no idea. But then they started to get angry, swearing, calling me a traitor. That's when the blows started raining down. I thought I was going to die. Then one of them did a none-verbal spell. There was a flash of purple light that blinded me for a moment, and when I got my senses back I was looking at their feet. I thought they'd shrunk me first, and then I looked around at myself.

"They all laughed some more, kicking at me, laughing, swearing, stomping. Then there was a crack and they all jumped away. I took that chance to get away. I picked up my wand which was lying on the stack of my fallen robes and took off.

"I started sprinting blindly in the dark, being so small I could run faster and hide easier, and we were in big woods; the one by your uncle's house. It wasn't hard to get away. I hid in a little burrow at the base of a tree. So I stayed there until they left, and I didn't leave there for the next two days I was so scared. When I finally built up the courage to leave I wandered off into that park and a couple hours after that, you showed up.

"You have no idea how happy I was to see you," Draco's voice shook again with emotion as tears began falling freely, and Harry knew it was true. "And then I thought you were going to leave me. And I'd be all alone again. But you didn't! You-you t-took me with you!

"And then that giant whale of a boy got me… Oh God I thought I was going to die again. But then you saved me from there too!" Tears streamed silently down his face as he buried his head in his knees. His shoulders shook.

Harry felt tears brimming in his eyes as well and instinctively moved to Draco. He pushed his legs down from his chest and dragged Draco to him, wrapping his arms around his waist as Draco's head buried its self in the crook of his neck and his arms went around his shoulders.

"I was all alone," Draco whispered over and over.

Harry continued to hold him, rubbing his back and whispering condolence into his ear.

After a few minutes Draco's tears stopped and he sat back, rubbing at his red and irritated eyes. "Thanks," he mumbled.

Harry just nodded, staring with this new sorrow he felt for the boy. "Do you want to sleep in here or go back up to the common room?" he asked gently.

"Can we stay up here? Or do you think your friends will be suspicious?" Draco asked doubtfully.

"I really don't care about my other friends right now," Harry answered simply as blankets and pillows appeared on the coffee table beside them.

Draco gave him a small smile before reaching for one of the pillows and a blanket. Harry stood and gathered his, hesitating before positioning them on his own couch. He'd gotten quite used to having another person in his bed… well, animal. He almost wanted to go curl up beside Draco.

Draco positioned himself comfortably before snuggling down into his blankets and closing his eyes. Harry watched him for a while before closing his own eyes as the fire died to just glowing embers.

He drifted off into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

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A.N.- So what do y'all think? Like my new idea, hate it? Tell me in a review!