A/N I had posted a chapter 14 already, but I realised it was absolutely awful and I really didn't like it, so I deleted it from the site. So, to anyone who read it in the day or so it was up, sorry about that, but if you can just ignore that chapter that would be lovely :D

Anyway, here is the actual chapter 14.

Also, I've added an extra section to chapter 13, which actually now makes it the longest chapter so far :D It was originally going to be the first part of this new chapter 14, but I just thought it fitted better at the end of the last chapter. So, yeah, if you just skip back a page it's easy enough to spot.

Anyways, on with the chapter. Enjoy.

Oh, and 'charlie-becks', I am delighted to say that in this chapter, your wish, is my command. Hehe, I guess I'm just powerless against puppy eyes... :P

Over the next few months, Monday evenings quickly became the highlight of Harry's week. Since getting the reassurance he needed from Draco that he was not joining Voldemort, Harry had found himself trusting the blonde more and more. He felt comfortable with him, happy, and, it felt strange to admit, but secure. There was just something about Draco that made him feel inexplicably safe; protected, almost. It was an odd feeling. However much Ron and Hermione had worried and fretted over him, he had never felt secure with them, never felt quite at ease. Perhaps it was because he simply had nothing to hide from Draco any more. Draco had seen everything there was to see about Harry, and accepted him. The warmth that thought gave Harry was enough to get him through even the cruellest of nightmares.

He still had nightmares every night, still screamed out in the dark, shielded by his silencing charms. But sometimes, just sometimes, Draco would appear in them. He would hold out a hand to Harry, a small smile lighting up his face. Harry would reach out and take his hand, and Draco would pull him up. Up, up, out of the nightmare, and just hold him all through the night. Harry would wake those mornings, feeling more content than he could ever remember feeling.

It was one of those mornings, after having dreamt of being held all through the night, that Harry finally braved the mirror again. It had been months since he had returned to Hogwarts, and the pains in his body had all but gone, but he hadn't looked in the mirror, not properly, since that first night he had willingly gone to speak to Draco.

Taking care to put up silencing charms all around the bathroom, Harry closed and locked the door, before making his way over to the mirror. Sliding his nightshirt over his head, Harry watched it drop to the floor, before lifting his eyes to meet those of his own reflection.

Where before, his body had been covered in cuts and bruising, now, pink scars littered his torso. He lifted a finger, and traced one, as he had done with the cuts, down from his chest, to just past his navel. He held back a strangled sob as he did so. However many times he saw his damaged body, it never got any easier. He turned to look at his back, and closed his eyes as he drew in a deep breath. There was no use in crying. It didn't solve anything, not really. Slowly running his hands down the sides of his body, Harry noted that his hips weren't as prominent as they had been when he had first returned to Hogwarts. He smiled. He always hated being so bony.

Turning back to face the mirror, Harry reached out, touching a fingertip to his own reflection.

'One day,' he whispered, 'One day, we'll be gone. No more Dursleys, no more kicks, and punches, and accidents. We'll be free.'

He bent down to lift his shirt from the floor, and shrugged it back on. Taking one last glance at himself in the mirror, he turned away, and lifted the spells from the room.

'One day...'

.o0o.

It was Monday, which, to Draco, meant Potions, boredom, a general inability to concentrate, and Harry. He smiled at this last thought. Months had passed since he had finally admitted to Pansy that he liked the other boy, and, in Draco's opinion, they had passed extremely well. Although they 'officially' met each Monday evening, Draco couldn't remember the last time he had gone more than two days without meeting Harry somewhere after lessons. His smile broadened as he thought back to their last meeting. Harry had decided it would be a good idea to try and feed Draco one of the Weasley-twins' inventions. Having already been warned about them by Pansy, Draco had decided Harry would look much better in feathers than him, and switched the two biscuits when he wasn't looking, a story that Pansy had found endlessly amusing.

He turned very slightly in his chair, glancing at Harry out of the corner of his eye. He smiled, as he watched Harry furiously stirring his cauldron full of green sludge. Draco had finished his, and was currently sat with a vial full of perfectly clear potion resting on the desk in front of him. He rolled his eyes, as Harry took another look at the board at the front of the classroom. His eyes widened as he looked back down at his potion, before he slumped back down into his chair, clearly deciding that his potion wasn't even worth trying to save. Draco stifled a laugh. Harry might be incredible with spells and charms, but the boy really was hopeless when it came to potions.

'Mr Potter what is this?'

Draco's musing were interrupted, as Professor Snape reached Harry's cauldron, and looked down at it, a smirk firmly fixed on his face.

'My potion, sir.'

'And why, Mr Potter,' Professor Snape continued, 'is your potion currently green?'

'Because I added the lacewing flies too early.'

'Indeed.' With that, Harry's potion vanished, and Professor Snape was walking back up towards his desk. 'Another fail, Mr Potter. How unfortunate.'

Harry simply stared at him. Draco meanwhile, was seething. It was all he could do to stop himself from yelling at his Professor, and telling him in no uncertain terms, that he was not allowed to treat Harry like that anymore, and then walking over to Harry and enveloping him in a hug. But he restrained himself. No one knew he and Harry were friends, and he didn't really think that clinging onto the other boy in the middle of a Potions class would be the best way to go about telling them. Besides, he may spend most of time in the company of a Gryffindor now, but he was still a Slytherin through and through, and shouting at Professor Snape was never a particularly clever option, if you valued your own safety as much as Slytherins generally did.

He would have to wait, Draco decided, until that evening. A smile crept back onto his face. He had Harry all to himself tonight. He turned back to face his desk, and allowed his mind to wander for a moment. They were going to have a duel tonight, a sort of, culmination, of everything Draco had learned so far. Up to now, Harry had simply taught Draco spells, coaching him through the correct ways of doing them. Tonight though... Draco felt himself tense slightly in anticipation. He couldn't wait to see Harry fight properly.

.o0o.

Harry cringed, as Snape once again vanished his potion. There was no way he was going to even scrape a pass in Potions this year. He changed a glance over at Draco, and found him staring into space, a small smile lighting his face. Harry felt a similar smile spread across his, as he watched the other boy. Over the last week or so, Harry had found himself watching Draco more and more. The way he smiled when he caught Harry's eye, the way his eyes changed with his moods, the way he walked, talked, sat. Harry was fascinated. He was still watching, when Draco turned discretely once again in his seat to look back at Harry. Their eyes met, and Harry felt a small leap in his stomach. His teeth went immediately to his lip, and he watched, as Draco's eyes darkened ever so slightly. He gave the other boy a small smile, and turned away, heart beating slightly faster than it had been moments before. When he chanced another glance at Draco, the other boy had turned once more to face the front of the classroom, and Harry felt an odd mixture of relief and disappointment build up somewhere in his chest.

Don't worry, you'll see him tonight.

Harry felt his chest leap at this thought, and a strange fluttering start up in his stomach, very much as if tiny, winged butterflies had taken up residence inside it. He was duelling Draco tonight. Harry flushed at the idea of him and Draco fighting. For some reason, the idea of Draco getting all hot and bothered was doing very strange things to the insides of his stomach, and making the butterflies inside it flap even harder.

.o0o.

It was night, they were in an empty classroom, and Draco was getting more and more fed up. He had been looking forward to tonight all day, but as he picked himself up off of the floor for the sixth time, he had to admit that it was becoming somewhat tiresome.

'Sorry,' Harry muttered, going slightly red. 'I thought you were prepared that time.'

'I was prepared!' Draco scowled, 'Your magic went straight through my shield.'

Harry blushed slightly at this, but grinned nonetheless. 'Can't have been a very good shield then...'

Draco's scowl deepened. He refused to be outdone by a Gryffindor, even if it was Harry Potter. Before they had begun duelling, Draco had insisted that Harry use whatever magical methods he saw fit, a decision that he was now beginning to seriously regret. Harry had discarded his wand early on, and was now standing, hands outstretched, having not even broken a sweat. Draco meanwhile, was armed with a wand, something that theoretically should give him the advantage, and was already struggling. Not that he would ever admit that out loud. 'Again,' he growled.

'If you want,' Harry replied, still grinning slightly.

Moving back to stand in front of the other boy, Draco drew his wand.

'On three,' Harry said, 'One... two... three!'

'Expelliarmus!' Draco yelled, then quickly yelped and ducked, as the spell came flying back towards him.

'Reducto! Impedimenta! Petrificus Totalus!' Draco shouted out spell after spell, and each one was deflected back towards him just as quickly as the first. 'Fight!' he yelled finally in frustration. 'Don't just block me!'

Harry shrugged. 'If you want.' He flicked his wrist, and a stream of light came flying across the room

Draco put up a shield as soon as he saw Harry start to move, but, he reflected afterwards, he may as well not have bothered. As the jet of red light came towards him, he had hardly enough time to prepare himself, before his wand flew out of his hand, and he was knocked backwards into the opposite wall of the classroom. He slid down the wall, and landed, hard, on his back. He lay still for a moment, determinedly not looking at Harry. This was ridiculous. Not only was he now going to have a fair few bruises in the morning, to accompany his already severely dented ego, but the sheer power Harry was exuding was making it increasingly difficult for Draco not to jump the other boy there and then. He felt his face redden at this thought, and immediately set about trying to wipe it from his mind.

Before he was able to clear it, or even to rearrange his expression into something more presentable than its current combination of embarrassment, pain, and he hated to admit it, but lust... Harry's face appeared just above him.

'Uuuum, you ok?' he asked, biting his lip nervously.

Yes, until you came along with your red lips and cute, mussed up hair...

'Fine.'

Harry looked far from convinced, and reached down, offering Draco his hand. He took it, and at once felt the skin on his hand begin to burn. He hauled himself up, and let go of Harry's hand, blushing profusely. He couldn't help but notice that Harry had a very firm grip.

Harry meanwhile, was clearly oblivious to the thoughts currently occupying Draco's mind, as he continued to watch Draco, a slightly puzzled look on his face.

Draco cleared his throat, 'I think that's enough.'

The worried look left Harry's face at once, and was replaced with a barely suppressed grin, 'Too much for you?'

'No,' Draco scowled.

Harry laughed, 'Whatever Draco.'

Draco turned away, and walked over to the nearest row of tables. Throwing himself down on them, he stared up at the ceiling, scowling. It was infuriating, he decided, that Harry should be so powerful, and yet so completely unaware of it. With a wand at least, Draco conceded, he was relatively normal; slightly more powerful than average, but not exceptionally so. Not so that any teacher would ever really notice. Without a wand though, he was, quite simply, extraordinary. He knew, of course, that he had just thoroughly beaten Draco, but Draco was quite certain that if he were to ask, the other boy would still refuse to acknowledge that he was anything special. He lay, pondering this for a few moments. It was inconceivable to Draco that someone could have so much power and not use it. But then again, he reflected, Harry Potter had never exactly been 'normal'.

As he lay across the desks, Harry's face appeared above him once more, and Draco felt his tongue almost instinctively come out to moisten his lips.

'Tired?' Harry asked, grinning.

'No.'

Harry laughed, poking his tongue out at Draco. 'I knew you'd get tired before me. I guess Slytherins just aren't quite up to par with Gryffindors.'

Draco however, heard none of this. His eyes were still fixed upon the tiny drops of moisture Harry's tongue had left on his lips. Resisting the urge to sit up and gently wipe them away, Draco closed his eyes, and tried to focus once more on Millicent Bullstrode. When he opened his eyes, he found to his dismay, that Harry hadn't moved at all. His face was still hovering just above his, the slight crease in his brow telling Draco that he was, apparently, deep in thought.

'Yes?' Draco asked, managing, somehow, to keep his voice steady. Harry's eyes flickered down to Draco's mouth, and he blushed. Draco allowed himself a small smirk at this, before slowly slipping his tongue out of his mouth, and licking along his bottom lip. Harry's eyes followed the movement, and his face turned, if possible, even redder than it had been.

Draco slowly moved his arms so that they were positioned up by his side, and propped himself up on them, his face now just inches from Harry's.

'Yes?' he repeated, delighting in watching the way Harry's eyes flickered between his mouth and eyes. He reached out, slowly, carefully, until he could gently touch Harry's cheek.

.o0o.

Harry stood, completely still, as Draco reached out one long, elegant finger, and touched it to his cheek. He could feel his face burning, as Draco slowly stroked down the side of his face, stopping as he reached the corner of his lips.

Draco seemed to be moving, if possible, even closer than he already was, and Harry felt the tiny, winged butterflies start up again in his stomach.

'Harry,' Draco began, his voice hoarse, as he slowly traced the other boy's bottom lip with his finger.

Harry closed his eyes, lost completely in the sensation of Draco's finger tracing its way across his face.

.o0o.

Draco watched, enthralled, as Harry's eyes fluttered shut. He sat up a little higher, bringing his face to within touching distance of Harry's. Slowly, hesitantly, he reached one hand underneath Harry's chin, and tilted it, bringing his lips into line with Draco's own. And then... Draco moaned softly, as his lips touched Harry's for the first time. He felt, rather than heard, Harry's sharp intake of breath, and smiled against the smaller boy's mouth. Slowly, he drew back, savouring every moment, watching Harry's eyes gradually open, watching the shock they were displaying, the blush spreading across Harry's cheeks.

'You really are quite adorable,' Draco said, one finger still resting under Harry's chin.

Harry's brow creased, apparently caught somewhere between indignation, embarrassment, and unadulterated bliss.

Draco laughed, before slowly moving to close the gap once more between them, pausing only to whisper softly against Harry's lips. 'Just accept it.'

A/N So...? –looks extremely nervous-

I was so worried posting this chapter, I have a feeling their 'first kiss' will either make or break the story... :S

Anyway, hope you all liked it, let me know what you think xx