A/N: Hope you all like roller coasters, cause more is a'comin! Who all is in it for the long haul? ;-D Hope you like...

He had expected scorn. He had expected surprise. He had expected an explosion. What he had not expected was a bright smile.

"I was wondering if you'd ever tell me!" Ron gushed, and visibly relaxed. "Gah, you had me thinking something was really wrong!"

Harry tensed, not understanding.

"Ron, you do realize what I've just said, don't you?"

"Yeah, so you're gay, so what? So are half the guys from Hogwarts."

Harry dropped his head and waited. He wagered that it wouldn't take Ron too long. He counted slowly, suddenly finding himself the one with endless patience.

Two… three… four… five…

"Oh, Christ!" Ron swore softly, his voice heavy with the gravity of the realization. "Harry… Christ, mate, I'm sorry. Damned if I'm not sorry."

Harry felt the tears threatening, and shook his head. "Don't give me sympathy right now, Ron, you'll just make it worse. Say something, make me stop feeling this, make me realize what an idiot I am for having fallen in love with not only the straightest guy in Hogwarts but one who eventually became my arch enemy, and then once it was decided he wasn't my enemy, was… was repeatedly and violently raped by a bunch of overgrown bastards."

Ron was suddenly next to Harry, his arm draped over his shoulder. "Harry, mate, you're not an idiot. You're not an idiot at all. Don't get yourself down about it. You've done nothing wrong."

Harry leaned into Ron's shoulder, the tears renewed by Ron's understanding. "No, damn it, I'm an idiot."

"Stop beating yourself up, Harry."

"No, Ron, what was I thinking! I'm such a fool! Only I would be stupid enough to fall for the last man on earth who would ever even think about me that way!"

Ron couldn't help the grin that tugged his lip sideways. "Don't worry, mate, I don't think of you that way either."

The absurdity of that statement brought a surprised laugh to Harry's lips. However his amusement was short-lived, and the tears immediately chased away his smile. "I feel like such a silly little school girl who's had her first crush taken away. I can't believe how childish I'm being!"

Ron tilted his head to rest it atop Harry's, which was buried in his shoulder. "Hey, now, none of that, now. Listen, Harry, you're not being a child, nor are you being a girl. Obviously Draco is more than just a schoolgirl's crush, and obviously you're more than just a schoolgirl. You're a grown man who has had his first love..?" he paused, assuming the answer but leaving Harry time to correct him. He continued when Harry nodded miserably. "… taken away from him in a terrible manner. You're not a fool for having wanted Draco Malfoy. Hundreds of people did. And you have to realize, this man is someone that you obviously care deeply for. These tears you're shedding are not just for yourself, though in your self-deprecating haze you've convinced yourself, I'm sure, that you're just a sick pervert who is lusting after a victim who will never welcome him…"

"Way to make me feel better, Ron," Harry groused, and Ron shushed him impatiently.

"I'm just saying that to make you see how foolish your self-loathing is. You're not in the wrong. Now listen, because I'm about to make a good point. The pain you're feeling is not just for yourself, thought you've convinced yourself it is. You're mourning for Draco on so many different levels you're not even sure what you're mourning anymore. You're mourning for him as one of your loyalists and as the man you first fell for, you're mourning for him as a victim and for him as a soldier, you're mourning for him as a friend and for him as a would-be lover, and for your loss of love, and for your loss of hope, and for his loss of innocence, and for his pain, and his misery. Don't you see? It's like each of these facets of the problem are magnifying the problem in your mind, and there's no way to handle that all at once."

Harry allowed Ron's words to sink in for a long moment before he spoke again.

"I don't understand," he admitted, frustrated.

Ron shrugged. "Yes you do, it's just so convoluted and stupidly simple that you have no idea what I just said. All I mean is that there are a hundred facets of your relationship with Draco, and you're mourning the fact that you feel you've lost them all, and the fact that you have always hurt with your men when they're injured. So to see one of your men be put through so much blatant torture is tearing you up. Plus the added facets of everything he is to you."

Harry nodded, but didn't speak. His throat had long since closed. He understood the redhead's message, but didn't know how to address it. Several long minutes passed, and Ron permitted Harry to cry onto his shoulder.

"Come on, Harry," Ron began gently, when he heard Harry's breathing even out somewhat. "Let's get you to bed and you can sleep on it."

"I can't sleep," Harry objected, though his voice was thick with exhaustion.

"Then let's get you to bed so I can Stun you," Ron corrected easily, and Harry snorted.

"Alright, I'll try," he relented, knowing that Ron would in fact find a way to force him to sleep if he didn't try to rest.

Ron helped him to his feet and into the hallway but soon realized that Harry's lack of solid sleep had worn him out. He scooped Harry into his arms, ignoring Harry's single soft protest, and made his way to Harry's room.

Gently, he placed the exhausted man into bed, smiling to notice that Harry was asleep before his head hit the pillow. He snagged the spare blanket from the closet and draped it over Harry, knowing his tendency to get chilled. He left the room and turned off the light, pleased with the strides he and Harry had taken that night.

Though he was in no way happy that Harry was in such a state, he was decidedly happy that Harry had trusted him with his thoughts. He had wanted for so long to be Harry's friend again, and had feared that even after their reunion things would never quite be the same. Yet it was obvious that Harry was in fact making an effort to be what they used to be, and entrust Ron with his friendship.

It was quite some time that Ron sat on Harry's couch, his head tilted back and his thoughts roving a million places. He considered all that he had learned about Draco and all that he knew about Harry, and all that he had said to and heard from Draco. A million thoughts flitted through his brain, but he finally fell asleep with his head propped on his shoulder, sitting upright on Harry's couch.

Severus strode into the hospital with his typical haughty stride, watching with pleasure as he got fearful looks from everyone he passed. Apparently, having lost his temper in a rather dangerous fashion the last time he was a patient here had earned him a healthy amount of fear. The healers still had the memory of his furious denial of their idea of healing.

He made his way automatically to the room where he was sure he would find the one he sought, not bothering to halt at the reluctant protests of the healers. He flicked the door open and froze when he saw the Irish brat from Hogwarts reclined in Harry's chair and his godson pretending to be asleep with his back to the door.

He made his way to Draco's bedside and gazed down at him.

"Draco," he whispered.

Draco tensed slightly and let his eyes slide open. A slow, pleased smile made its way onto his lips as he recognized his godfather.

"Severus," he replied, and sat up to shake Sev's hand. Severus allowed him his space, though every fiber in his being wanted to perform in a very un-Snape way and gather his wounded godson into his arms.

"I'm so glad you're alive," he rasped instead, his voice thick with emotion. "I knew you were taken in with the prisoners, and not knowing where you were ate at me constantly."

"I'm alive, Uncle," Draco responded simply, not sure how to respond to his godfather's uncharacteristic show of affection.

"Drake, I'm so sorry that I was never able to find you. I've tried… I've tried since the day you disappeared. My worst fear was that you had truly been one of them…"

"I wasn't, Uncle," Draco interrupted. "I was trying to play the spy. I just wasn't as good as you." He gave Sev a crooked, hesitant smile.

Severus sighed. "I had always hoped. And Harry, I think, knew as well. The moment he brought you here he summoned me, I came as quickly as I could…"

Draco winced with the knowledge that his godfather had seen him at his worst.

"Harry seemed to be just as shaken by your state as I, he must have known that you were on our side."

Draco smiled lightly. "He's been very supportive of me," he agreed. "When we spoke in the House of Serenity, he needed very little convincing that I was not against him any longer. He is a good man."

Sev echoed Draco's smile. "That is disgustingly true," he joked, and spun when Seamus awoke with a snort.

Severus narrowed his eyes on the Irish brat, his ire pricked by his inattention to Draco. "Where's Potter?" he asked coolly.

"He's ah, he and Ron went to the ministry to fill out some paperwork last night. Ron had me come in to watch over Malfoy."

"A right good job you're doing," Severus hissed. He motioned toward the blonde. "He's more bloody alert than you are. Why the hell are you asleep when you should be guarding your charge?"

Seamus narrowed his eyes. "Shove off, you crackpot old fool, I know my job and I would have awakened had something happened."

"Oh, yes, you would have awakened the moment I'd said stupefy, I can tell."

Draco placed a hand on Severus's shoulder. "Just leave him be, Sev," he requested. "Harry and Ron left at around one in the morning, and I'm sure Seamus didn't expect to be here this long. He asked for someone to relieve him about three hours ago but there are only three people Harry would trust to watch over me, and Dean was busy. Ron was with Harry himself. So Seamus had to stay."

Seamus raised a brow, surprised at how well-informed Draco was. "I thought you were asleep," he pointed out needlessly.

"I haven't been able to sleep," Draco replied.

Severus eyed his godson carefully. "Are you…"

"I'm fine, Uncle," Draco cut in.

Severus smirked. "You're a peculiar child, Draco Malfoy."

Draco snorted. "I'm not a child."

"So you admit you're peculiar?"

"And proud of it," he responded with a half-smile.

"So did Harry tell you what paperwork he had to fill out? It's never taken this long before," Seamus interrupted.

Draco lowered his eyes, the reminder of Harry's departure making his heart hurt. He had wanted so badly to reach out to Harry, to ask him what was making him so sad, but knew, somehow, that Harry would not welcome his interest in the matter.

"Dunno," he responded. "He thought I was asleep, too."

"Ah," Severus nodded. "In light of this, I must go find that whelp, Draco. I'll return later to speak to you more. And Seamus, I'll retrieve Dean before I leave so that you may be relieved…"

"Don't bother," Draco interrupted. "I'm fine, I don't need a babysitter."

Severus narrowed his eyes. "Thank you very much, Mister Malfoy, but I am perfectly content to have the flesh of my throat perfectly connected, and have no desire to have it slit open by a pissed-off schoolboy. However if I ever get the need, I'll go ahead and leave you unattended."

Draco pouted. "You're so dramatic," he complained. "It's not like I'm really that big of a deal."

Severus bit back a laugh and rolled his eyes. "You keep telling yourself that, Draco."

"I'm not!"

"We'll talk later," Sev promised, and left the room in a swirl of cloaks.

Within three minutes, Dean rushed into the room, eyes wide and hands trembling.

"What's wrong!" Seamus asked immediately, concerned for his friend.

Dean looked at him, terror written across his features.

"I just talked to Snape," he explained. "He… said I should report here."

Both Draco and Seamus burst out laughing.