I own nothing. All characters and copyright, ect, go to J.K. Rowling.
...
He didn't know who would stay or leave,
So he pushed them all away.
...
"Tonks!" Remus snapped. "What?! He was going after Draco!" Tonks hissed. "You have to let them sort it out for themselves."
Draco snatched his wand from the table, stood up from his chair, and knelt beside Harry's frozen form. He reversed the spell quickly, and waited until Harry bolted upright. "Sh, sh, shhh." Draco pressed a finger lightly to Harry's lips. "Just come with me." He murmured, and helped Harry stand. Harry just nodded dumbly, looking extremely guilty and upset.
"Where are you taking him?" Sirius growled.
Draco glanced at Sirius, but only pulled Harry out of the room, and crept quietly down the hallway, tugging Harry with him up the stairs and into their room. "Sit. Now." He pulled Harry in, and forced him to sit on the bed.
"Draco, I'm so–"
"Save it." Draco snapped. "What the hell was that? Why did we do?" He snarled.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I just..." Harry shifted on the bed, and drew his knees to his chest. "I don't know, Draco...I just feel so...angry. All the time..." He buried his face behind his knees, trying to hide from Draco's harsh glare.
Draco sighed, and sank down onto the bed next to him. "It's alright. Everyone snaps at some point. But...I was scared, Harry. I'm so scared I did something wrong, that I hurt you in some way. I've never seen you like that before, or anyone really, except maybe Bellatrix or Father..."
Harry lifted his head, and shifted closer to Draco, leaning against him slightly. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to scare you." He craned his head, letting it rest against Draco's slumped shoulder.
Draco tensed at the touch, but leaned into it slightly. "What happened, Harry? What flicked in your head and told you to do that?"
"I...I don't know. It...I liked it, Draco. I loved it. I don't know what it was, but I just loved the horrified look on your face...I don't now, but something in me, it...I don't understand it, Draco!" He sat up suddenly, green eyes meeting silver.
Draco shuddered. Because of Voldemort... "It'll be ok...I can't promise it, but I will try my damn well hardest to make them explain. Sirius and Tonk and Lupin, I mean. And Moody. They might know what's going on." He murmured.
Harry sighed, nodded, and slumped against Draco, a hand tracing circled on Draco's leg absentmindedly. "You're so different now..."
"People change." He rasped softly, shuddering at his touch. Suddenly his eyes narrowed, and he snatched Harry's hand. "The fuck is that?" He growled, pulling his hand closer. "I must not tell lies...the fuck? What the hell, Harry?! Why would you...cut yourself?!"
"I didn't. Umbridge...in detention. She made me write with this weird quill, and this just...carved itself into my hand..."
Draco hissed. "Tell Dumbledore."
"It's nothing, Draco. It's fine."
"It's not fucking fine!" Draco snapped.
"Just forget it, ok?!" Harry growled, pulling away from him.
"Ok...ok...I'm sorry. I just...don't want you hurt..."
"Why do you care so much about me?" Harry breathed softly.
"You...you're the only true friend I have, Harry..." He whispered. Harry's eyes went wide, and Draco instantly stood up, heading towards the door. "Forget it. Forget I ever said that. You're just Saint Potter, why should I care about you? Nothing but half-blooded scum."
"Draco, stop. You're sounding just like Lucius. Do you want that?" Harry tilted his head slightly, and Draco stopped in his tracks.
Draco turned to Harry, the same exhausted, gaunt look to his face. "Why must you always find a weak spot and hit it so hard, Potter?"
Harry stood up, and came up to Draco, tilting his head up to look at him. "You told me none of them deserved to be yelled at for no reason. Take that information for yourself, and you might just get something good out of the dark."
Draco sighed, glancing guilty at the ground. "I'm sorry, Potter...I'm just..."
"Why are you so scared, Draco? Why do you do this?"
"Because...because I don't know how...I don't..." He huffed, glancing at the ceiling, anywhere but those gorgeous green orbs. "Because I don't...know...how to be...vulnerable, I guess...Harry, I'm not...a good person. I was never taught how to be vulnerable, rash, kind. Malfoy's are cowards, they run at the first sight of danger and close themselves off at the first hint of affection from another human. I...am the same way."
"You don't have to be scared to care about someone," Harry protested softly.
"It's in my blood, Harry. I'm taught to marry just to continue our pure blood, not to love. I'm not taught how to care for someone. Just to continue our line, the Malfoy's, pure bloods." Draco muttered.
Harry snatched Draco's hand, and held him tight when he tried to pull away. "Your turn to follow me." He muttered, pulling him out of the room, and down the stairs, quiet to not disturb Mrs. Black.
"I noticed this when we came here," Harry murmured, pulling him into a room. "Look. Lumos Maxima," he whispered as he pulled out his wand, the room filling with light.
Draco blinked at the sudden brightness, taking in what was before him. It was a very, very old tapestry, faded and pale, chewed and ripped in some places. But nonetheless gold strands of thread connected names together. " 'The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. Toujours Pur.' " he murmured, half to himself. "Harry, what...is this?"
"This," Harry murmured, "is your family tree. Look," he pointed his wand down, revealing Draco's name towards the bottom. "Look at who you are related to, Draco. It's not just the Malfoy's who are your family. Their are so many great wizards in the Black family, look..." He pointed to a burned mark, where Draco could faintly see the name 'Sirius Black'. "Wait..." He hand gently traced a line up the tapestry, "Sirius is...my cousin?" He murmured, dumbfounded.
"Your mothers maiden name is Black, Draco. Don't be such a dim witted prat. Look, Ted Tonks. The last name sound familiar?"
"Nymphadora...but she's not on here..."
"She's your cousin to, Draco. And your mother is a brilliant witch. Andromeda, your...aunt is a incredible healer. Just because most of the Black's and Malfoy's are horrible people, doesn't mean they haven't any brilliant and sweet people out of these families. You don't have to be like them! Just because its in your blood, doesn't mean you have to be like them. Look at Tonks, she's so much different from her bloodline. Stop putting yourself down because of your name. It means nothing. It's what's here that matters," he murmured, pressing a hand gently to Draco's chest, over his heart.
Draco shivered, suddenly cold to the bone from the touch. "I'm sorry, I have to do this," he whispered, snatched Harry by the front of his sweater vest, and attacked his lips with his own, Harry's wand falling to the ground with a clatter.
"What's going on in..." Nymphadora stopped at the door, and took a step back. "Nope, nope, I'm coming back later then..." And she took off down the hall again.
Draco either didn't notice her, or didn't even care. Harry wrapped his arms around Draco's neck, pulling the kiss deeper.
"No Remus, don't go in there." "I warned you." "No! Harry...Draco...um...they're..."
They faintly heard Tonks in the hall, but didn't break the kiss for several moments, until they broke away, gasping.
"Remus they are–" "FILTHY HALF-BREED SCUM, RAVAGING THE HOUSE OF MY FATHERS. MUDBLOODED COWARDS, DIRTY BLOODED—"
Mrs. Black's resounded screeches filled the hall, but Draco and Harry chuckled softly.
"Tonks," Harry shook his head, locks of black hair scattering his face.
Draco wrapped a arm around Harry's waist, his other hand coming up and brushing strands of hair from Harry's face.
"MUDBLOODS! CREATURES OF DIRT! BESMIRCHING THE HOUSE OF MY FATHERS! BLOOD TRAITORS!" "SIRIUS! SHUT THAT GOD DAMNED PORTRAIT OF YOUR STUPID MOTHER UP!"
A nervous smile crossed Draco's face. "We should go help them." He whispered.
"Yeah, we should." Harry agreed, but didn't move from the spot. "DESTROYING THIS HOUSE. ASHAMED OF MY KIN, BLOOD TRAITORS AND–" Harry stretched up slightly, planting his lips against Draco's. His lips weren't soft, actually the opposite, they were chapped, rough, but Harry didn't care. He nibbled gently at Draco's bottom lip, and at this Draco jerked away.
"No. I can't. This isn't safe. It's not safe for you." He turned and slunk out of the room, thankful that Mrs. Black had stopped screaming. Tonks jogged up to him, her hair a aqua blue color. "Hey," she tossed her chin up in greeting, a idiotic grin on her face.
"Fine, thanks." He muttered.
"Yeah?" She asked teasingly, nudging him in the ribs.
"Oh drop it Tonks!" He hissed. "Nothing happened. We were just looking at the family tree."
"And snogging each others faces off." Nymphadora shrugged, "but I guess you could call that looking at the Black family tree, if you like."
"Oh for Merlin's sake. You saw nothing, alright?"
"Um...well...about that..." Nymphadora gave a nervous laugh. "They um...they uh...I sort of told Remus and Sirius...I mean, not pointedly, but uh...I think they got the point..."
"TONKS!" Draco groaned, leaning against the wall.
"FILTHY BLOOD TRAITORS. MUDBLOODS AND SCUM RAVAGING THE HOUSE OF MY FATHERS–"
"SIRIUS! FOR GOD'S SAKE GET RID OF THAT FUCKING THING!" Nymphadora yelled down the hall.
"Stupid Permanent Sticking Charm!" Sirius yelped, dashing up the stairs. "She won't let go!" He added as he closed the curtains. He came back down, coming up to them. "So...Draco. Did you, uh, talk to Harry?" He asked, giving a pointed look at Nymphadora.
"Um...yes." Draco coughed. "Yes, I did. He calmed down. It's m
Because of...you know. Him. Possessing Harry." He kept his voice very low.
Sirius nodded. "That explains it..." He sighed. "Well, as Tonks informed me, you two were getting along quite well."
"No! No, I um...Er, well...you see...I uh..."
"No, no, Draco. It's good," he grinned, "Harry has something Voldemort doesn't: love."
"Wait—what? You're not–? But I mean we're both–?" Draco looked stunned.
Tonks snickered, "Sirius knows how that feels quite well, Draco." She nodded her chin down the hall to Remus.
"Tonks!" Sirius hissed. She just grinned.
"So you're not...mad at me?" I can guarantee these two people are my favorite cousins.
"Why would we ever be mad at you? It's a natural thing, you can't control who you love," Tonks stated.
"Yeah...but...I mean...I'm...me. A Malfoy."
Sirius sighed, "Draco, look. Malfoy's have a bad reputation, yes. But not all of them are bad. Your mother, though she isn't a Malfoy by blood, is one of the best people ever. She's a brilliant witch. You aren't bad because of just a name, it's the actions you make that shape who you are."
Draco gave a weak smile, and glanced back down the hall, where Harry was sulking by the door. "Thank you, Sirius. I wish I was told the truth about you sooner. And the truth that I have two super amazing cousins." He added, nudging Nymphadora.
Nymphadora snickered. "Right back at you," she said, grinning, her hair turning a bright red orange color.
"I think Harry wants to talk to you, Draco," Sirius murmured, indicating to his Godson who was sulking down the hall.
Draco looked over at the skinny raven-haired boy, and let out a long sigh.
"Why so apprehensive?" Sirius queried.
"Because there are so many people who are out to get him, who know me. My father, my aunt Bellatrix, Voldemort. They're all out to get him and I'm their best source." He looked at his elder cousin, "I'm scared, Sirius. To get close to him. Because I'm scared they're going to make me hurt him. And I can't do that, not when I...when I..."
"Hush, Draco." Nymphadora scolded softly, patting his shoulder. "As long as we can help it, no one is going to force you to hurt him. I promise that."
Draco gave her a nervous smile, and went down the hall to Harry. "Hey..." He murmured.
Harry turned around, and flung himself into Draco's arms, pulling him into a ravaging kiss. Startled, Draco tensed, but relaxed instantly, pulling Harry closer by the waist, not giving a fuck that Tonks and Sirius could very plainly see them.
Nymphadora grinned, and shared a look with Sirius. "Lets be real," she whispered, "this is the cutest thing ever."
Sirius nodded. "Hell yeah." He head a hand up, and she grinned even wider, slapping his hand with a high-five.
"Let's leave them to it then." She turned and walked down the hall, followed by Sirius. She was snickering madly. She gave a happy squeal, doing a slight skip.
Draco almost melted in Harry's grasp, letting out a soft moan as Harry gently nibbled his bottom lip. He instantly pulled away, staring down at Harry, "don't do that."
"Why not?"
"Feels weird..." Draco muttered. "I don't like it."
Harry huffed, and buried his head against Draco's neck tiredly. He let out a contented sigh, but the precious moment was broken by a old, raspy voice.
"Ahhhhhh, Master Malfoy, what a pleasure to see you." Kreacher croaked. "Kreacher would like to know what ever are you doing with the filthy half-breed?"
Draco's eyes snapped open, and located the strange house elf. "Leave him alone, Kreacher. It's none of your business," he growled almost defensively.
"Oh but Kreacher would love to know, young Master Malfoy. So Kreacher will ask one more time before he goes and wakes Mrs. Black; what is Master Malfoy doing with a filthy half blooded creature like him?"
"Call him filthy again and I'll hand you over to Sirius. He'll willingly throw you out." Draco snapped, stepping away from Harry, "come on, Potter. You need rest."
"Can we talk—"
"No." He pulled Harry's arm, leading him up the stairs. "Go to sleep, Potter. You're exhausted."
"Don't call me that," Harry muttered tiredly, slinking into the room, where a sleeping Alissa and Hermione already lay. He sank onto one of the beds tiredly, looking back at Draco, who was leaving. "No, Draco...don't leave." He whimpered softly. "Please."
Draco turned back to Harry, and sighed softly, coming back over to him and settling down beside him. "Alright." He murmured. To much was going through his head, and he just wanted sleep. But he knew the nightmares would still come, and he wouldn't sleep. He kicked his shoes off, quickly changed into the clothes Mrs. Weasley had laid out for them, and sank into the bed beside Harry, letting out a long sigh as he realized the other boy was fast asleep. He turned onto his side, back to Harry. "I don't understand why we are here."
...
Draco was roused from sleep by a strange noise. But it was, strangely enough, still dark. He snatched his wand, and slunk out of bed, and opened the door. Sobbing. In the next room over, he heard sobbing, and the soft, stuttering attempts at a spell. "R-r-r-riddikulus...r...r...ridik..."
He opened the door slowly, to find a sobbing Mrs. Weasley, and...Oh dear Salazar.
He stood frozen to the spot. A mangled and bleeding and lifeless form lay on the ground. Pale skinned, dark haired and green eyes. Harry. His heart instantly froze, and he felt a sob well in his throat until...until the shape reformed itself into Ron Weasley, just as lifeless and bloody as Harry, then he realized what is was: a Boggart. "Ridikulus!" He snarled, aiming his wand at the stupid dead body. But instead of vanishing, another form appeared. Tall, long legged, blonde haired. Lucius Malfoy. And he strode towards Draco, a wicked grin crossing his face.
Draco backed up slowly, wand raised. "Fuck, fuck, Ridikulus!" Again the Boggart didn't vanish, instead it twisted and morphed into the worst possible thing, the mangled body of his mother.
He should have been smarter. He should have known it was just a Boggart, but her sky-blue eyes were to lifeless, to much blood..."Mum," he choked.
"Draco, dear, it's a Boggart. It's not your mum, kill it, Draco." He heard Molly whimper.
"RIDIKULUS!" And the Boggart vanished. He dashed forward, and knelt in front of Molly's sobbing form. "Mrs. Weasley...it's alright now. I got rid of it." He murmured.
"Oh precious boy." She sobbed, hugging him bone crushingly. "You must think...I'm so silly for not being able to get rid of it."
Draco tensed at the touched, unmoving. "It's alright, it's alright." I'm so pathetic.
"Oh Draco, you shouldn't have had to see that. Your mum, Harry..."
I've seen worse. "Hush, Mrs. Weasley. It's alright."
Never, ever would be speak of that night, or the terror it rose inside him.
...
Harry had been roused from a sleep by a endless stream of yelling from downstairs. He was sure Draco had slept with him last night, but the bed had been empty. He came down the stairs now, fully dressed, and strangled to close the curtains over Mrs. Blacks portrait. The kitchen was alive with activity when he walked in. Mrs. Weasley was threatening Fred and George with a wooden spoon, Sirius (as a dog) was barking madly at Remus, Ginny, Alissa and Hermione were having a argument, and then at the table, speaking quietly was Tonks and Draco. Draco lifted his head with a laugh, nodding wildly at Tonks. Harry stood in place, almost transfixed by the blondes laugh. It was strange, like it didn't belong to him. A raspy, harsh laugh, as if someone hadn't laughed in a long time. It didn't seem to belong to Draco, yet at the same time it was so...him. It was strange to think about, because, if Harry were to ask himself, he didn't think he had ever heard the blonde Slytherin laugh a genuine laugh.
Draco suddenly realized Harry was standing there, he gaze drawing away from Tonks. He lowered his head, as if embarrassed.
"Hey Tonks?"
"Whaddup, Cuz?"
"D'you have some parchment and quill I can possibly borrow? I need to write a letter."
"Yeah, 'course you can. We have plenty around here."
Harry heard the snippets of the conversation as he came up to the table, Tonks getting up and vanishing from the room for a few minutes. Harry sat at the table, snatching a muffin up. "Morning, Draco. Do you feel better?"
"I feel fine. I felt fine last night, this morning, whatever. I'm fine, so stop fucking asking." Draco snapped, leaning on his arms.
"Who shoved their wand up your arse?"
"Fuck off, Potter."
"Fine, be that way." Harry snarled, devouring the muffin with a ravenous hunger as Tonks reappeared, settling ink, a quill and parchment on the table in front of Draco. "If you need to borrow a owl, you can use Livvy," she offered.
Draco shook his head, suddenly quite. "No thanks. I saw Eve flying around last night, I can use her." He murmured.
"Who are you writing to?" Harry asked.
"None of your fucking business."
Harry frowned, studying Draco's tensed form. Draco was leaning one bent arm on the edge of the table, the other hand picking up the quill. A characteristic look of Draco's crossed the blondes face: 'I'm pissed, I don't want to talk, leave me alone, fuck off.'
"Arse." Harry growled, but only got a low growl in return. "I don't understand what your problem is! Last night you were...well," he gestured his hands between them, "and now you're acting all weird. What the fuck is your problem?" He leaned close so Draco could hear him over Molly's shouting, Alissa/Hermione and Ginny's arguing, and Sirius' barking.
Draco looked up from his letter with a dangerous warning glare, but didn't speak, and returned to his letter.
Dear Mother,
I'm so sorry for not coming back for Christmas. I've gotten your letters, by the way. Don't worry, I'm safe, nothing's happened. But we do need to talk. I'll be in Hogsmeade next weekend, meet me at The Three Broomsticks if you can. Don't come if you don't think it's safe.
Stay safe, Mum, I love you.
—DM
"I have no problem, Potter." He snapped after finishing his letter.
"Who are you sending that to? You haven't sent a letter in months, why now?" He snatched the letter from the table, eyes skimming over Draco's incredibly neat and tidy handwriting. "Ohhh, it's for Narcissa."
"Give that back!" Draco hissed, lunging for the letter.
"Calm yourself, here," he handed the letter back slowly. "Sorry for being concerned. I thought maybe it was because of your father." Harry snapped sarcastically.
Draco flinched, and snatched the paper up. "Keep out of this Potter." She strode out of the kitchen, food untouched.
Harry let out a long sigh. "I'm just trying to help..." He whispered.
...
January 4th, Slytherin Common Room, 5:00 PM
...
After hearing Draco protesting madly and begging for a reason they had gone to the OOTP, and why they had to leave so early, they eventually got back to Hogwarts and their Common Room.
It confused Harry as much as Draco why they had gone there. But one thing was for sure: Draco liked it there much better then Hogwarts it seemed. Though, unlike other Slytherin's, Draco couldn't stand yelling, and was reserved and rather stayed curled in a corner with a book, he had seemed to immensely enjoy being there, even with Harry's outburst. The blonde Slytherin had grown, even in less then a day and a half, very close to his Metamorphagus cousin, Nymphadora Tonks, even promising to write to her.
Now thought, Draco sat by one of the massive windows (on the floor) curled against a wall, reading. (Or brooding, probably both)
Hermione came up the stairs from the Girl Dorm, and saw Draco sitting there. She trotted over, and sank down next do him.
"What do you want, Granger?" He muttered absentmindedly, scanning the pages of the book.
"Ohh! You're actually reading Hogwarts: A History!" She squealed excitedly. "Anyway, anyway...what's up? Why're you sitting over here by yourself?"
Draco rolled his eyes, but didn't look up from his book. "Because I'm reading, Granger. What does it look like?"
"Well...I see that, Malfoy. But why are you here? I expected you to be over there, with Zabini and everyone. Zabini, Nott and Parkinson are playing Exploding Snap if you want to join."
Now Draco looked at her. "I don't want to join them, Granger! I'm alone for a reason."
"What reason is that? Are you ill?"
"Do you ever give up?" Draco hissed, exasperated. "No, I'm sick of hearing the whispers. You don't hear them? They were talking about why we were missing for this weekend, and they just...whisper, Granger. About me. I haven't yet walked into a room and not heard someone whispering about me."
"What are you talking about? People don't whisper about you."
"Are you deaf, Granger?" He slammed his book closed, shifting to face her. "Everywhere, everyday, all I hear are bits and pieces of conversations about me. They know! They are catching on, they think I'm a Death Eater and people are becoming scared."
"Me and Harry and Alissa don't whisper about you Draco." Granger murmured.
"I and Harry." He muttered.
"Sorry?"
"It's I and Harry, not me and Harry."
"Sor-ry." She growled.
"Besides the point. Anyway. I do not want them to be scared of me, Granger! I have never once wanted to bring harm upon any of these people. Any of them. Not you or Potter, or Zabini or Parkinson, Diggory or Chang. No one. Ever. I just want to be accepted for once, not treated like I am some sort of freak." He slumped back against the wall, staring at his lap.
"You aren't a freak. You're anything but. Don't let them take you down."
Draco hissed, his hands tightening into fists. "I am a freak, don't you understand that? Look at my bloodline. Look at the people in my family. Lucius, Bellatrix..."
"But you also have people like Sirius and Nymphadora in your family. You aren't like Lucius. If this past year has proved anything it's proved that."
"You sound like Harry."
"Yeah?" Hermione tilted her head slightly, drawing her knees to her chest. "He really cares about you."
"No he doesn't." Draco huffed, curling himself into his corner. "No one can care about me, Granger. Maybe they think they can, but...no. They don't know who I really am, they don't know the freak I really am." He stared blankly out the window into the lake.
"Draco—"
Draco stood up, abandoned his book, and slunk up into the Boys Dormitory without another word.
...