Based on: A yaoi rp my friend Alankin and I did. All parts of Draco and various characters played by her. Harry and other characters played by me.

Disclaimer: I and my friend do not own any part of Harry Potter, we're just fans.

Chapter 25

Thankfully the next day was Saturday and Harry was allowed to sleep in. He doubted he would have awoken any time earlier after that medicine. He had to admit that Draco made a good potion. He slept without dreams. Sleepily Harry stood up and stumbled through halls. He needed more of those sleeping potions for the next couple of nights. He entered the dungeon and was pleased to see that Draco wasn't in sight. He quickly crept to the potions cabinet and cursed softly at remembering that they weren't labeled. He grabbed a handful of each, filling the small bag he carried.

At breakfast that morning he was up early. His hair was a mess, covering his face, sticking up all over the place. He was in green plaid Pajama bottoms and a simple white t-shirt. After all, who said that he needed to be in robes for Saturday morning breakfast? He was here to invent his own rules. He guessed Potter was probably still asleep, at least he should be in he took that Potion.

Harry left the dungeon and went to the great hall, still carrying the bag. He was surprised to see that aside from Hagrid, who was sitting down at one end talking to a small group of kids who were having trouble with their monster books, the only other person at the teachers table as Draco. He was dressed in simple baggy clothes. He made his way to his seat and was doing his best to avoid looking at Draco, who looked extra sexy right now. Harry sat down and scooped some food on his plate...and a vial fell out and rolled down to Draco. This was not one of the medicine's Draco had given Harry.
Draco heard the familiar 'tink' of a vial hitting the floor. Glancing down he saw a potion, and seeing it's source, it must have come from Potter's bag. He tucked it away, he wasn't about to confront Harry in the middle of the Great Hall, but it concerned him, was Harry an addict! Which meant Slughorn would have known. Was Slughorn encouraging it! He was appalled, and yet scared for his friend. If it was true, then there was an urgency to get their friendship back on track.
Suddenly his appetite wasn't there, once again Harry was all he could think about. Finally Draco stood, and left the table, passing a very worried glance at Potter, and waving the potion in front of him, slipping it back into his palm as he left. Potter would know he knew.

Harry choked on his bacon when he saw Draco and groaned. He knew he wouldn't be able to finish eating now. His thoughts getting worried so he pushed himself from the table and followed Draco out with a small scowl on his face. "What?" Harry said, acting like he didn't know. He figured he might be able to play innocent.

"Come on Potter, how many are going to be missing if I go down there and count?" He placed one hand on his hip and just looked at Harry. "This isn't a headache remedy or a sleeping potion." He held the vial out again. "Now you're going to tell me what's going on, or so help me I will get the Headmistress involved...and I really don't want to do that. Potter, you're my friend despite everything that's gone on. Just let me in."

"Ha, friend. You only came here to cause me grief." He muttered and then shook his head. "Look, I just...I have a lot of trouble sleeping. And after how I started messing up, badly, with my classes from lack of sleep I was given sleeping potions. But I had to keep taking them so I could sleep." When he looked back at Draco he had the mannerisms of a druggie. "Look, it's only so I can sleep at night. There's nothing wrong with it. No harm." He rubbed the back of his head. "Just...just let it go... I need them."

"Are you really that dense? I didn't come here to cause any problems, I came here because...I miss you. I mean, if it seems I'm being a pain I'll put in my resignation for Christmas..." He trailed off, thinking about it, he had been so unsure of himself. This was the first thing he knew he wanted, and now it was falling apart. "This isn't a sleeping potion! You're not having troubles sleeping, you need this, your next big high!" He was going to move all his potions, and secure them a little tighter. He would advise Madame Pomfrey to do the same. Potter was actually scaring him, there was something seriously wrong.

Something snapped then. He grabbed Draco and pushed him up against the wall again. "Ha! And destroying the tree with a broken heart is all about missing me! Just admit it! You hate me! Because I had to push you away and break up with you, you hate me! THAT is what all this is about! A way to get back at me! And now you're trying to get in my way!" He suddenly didn't look like Harry anymore. "I didn't know what I was grabbing because you don't LABEL anything!" But after a moment his face fell. He slowly loosened his grip and began to slowly slide down to his knees, his head bowed. "I just want to stop them." He whispered. "I want to be able to take care of Teddy without being afraid that I'm going to lose it because of something I saw. To teach these kids and hope they never have to use anything they learn. To just...sleep peacefully like I used to." He said brokenly.

Draco slid down the wall with him. "You know Potter...there's a message on the tree now. It says I miss you. And I do, that's why I'm here, I wasn't even going to take the job until I heard you were here, and then I saw my chance, even if we're not like we were before, I want us to be friends. If I hated you, would I be stopping you from destroying yourself?" Harry was a tough guy, Draco had seen that first hand, on a number of occasions. He wanted to pour his entire heart out to Harry, but held back, he didn't need any more baggage, he needed help.

Harry looked back at him. "Miss me? You can't even say my name, Draco." He growled before pulling away and storming down the hall. Harry did his best to avoid everyone for the rest of the day. He was pissed when he realized that during the whole thing with Draco he had lost the bag of vials.

That night Harry was desperate for sleep. He knew Draco was probably going to wait for him in the class room. So instead he snuck into Draco's bedroom. Any good potions master would have a case in his bedroom, which thankfully he did. Harry went searching through vials, finally grabbing a few and draining them. He was desperate. Harry realized his mistake too late. He didn't know what he had taken but suddenly it was hard to breathe, his vision darkened. He made a grab for the case, knocking a few vials on the floor before he passed out, his breathing shallow.

Luckily for Harry, Draco was NOT a good Potions Master. He didn't label anything, and he didn't keep vials stored in his bedroom unguarded. He was actually transferring them out of the dungeon, where he was sure Harry was going to strike at some point. So when he arrived back with another load, he was shocked to see a barely breathing Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher on his floor. "Bloody hell Harry!" He cursed, grabbing Harry and carrying him down to the Hospital Wing. Madame Pomfrey was just heading off to bed, but when she saw who it was, she didn't seem surprised. Draco provided the woman with a list of what he knew for sure Harry drank, though he didn't know whether to call it stress, suicide or addiction. At the moment though, she didn't ask, so he didn't have to answer.

It took a leeching spell but soon Harry was breathing normally again and Madam Pomfrey had awoken him with something similar to smelling salts. She then left to go and tell McGonagall what had happened. Unlike Draco she wasn't about to make deals. Harry blinked blearily around. "W-Wha? Where am I?" He then groaned and gripped his head. "Merlin's beard! Why the bloody hell am I awake? I just want sleep." He whimpered quietly before he lowered his hands in defeat.

The instant Pomfrey was gone Draco jumped to his friends side. "Harry. We don't have a lot of time, McGonagall's going to be on her way. You need to stop, you need to get help or you're going to lose your job, and what would Teddy think?" Draco knew it wasn't about him anymore, he could work on wooing Harry after he was stable, and the only way to do that was through his son. "Do you want Teddy growing up with an addict for a Father?"

Harry rolled his head to the side. "I took the lesser of three evils. After everything that happened and saw... I thought about suicide. I wouldn't be able sleep and it was driving me insane. There was drinking, but I didn't know what could happen with Teddy. So instead I chose sleeping medicine." He looked at Draco pathetically. "Why does that have to be so bad?"

"You let it get out of control, those weren't sleeping potions, you grabbed whatever you could." He looked down on his friend and wiped the hair from his face.

McGonagall arrived then in her nightgown. "Mr. Potter!" The tone she used when angry or worried about Harry, right now she was both. "What has gotten into you? You were only supposed to take sleeping potions for a couple of days! Now I hear that you're stealing potions and nearly killing yourself?" Harry didn't answer and McGonagall paced angrily. "I have two choices here. One is I fire you! Since you don't seem to care about this job.." Harry looked at her in panic then, "Please Minerva! No! I love this job! Please!" "Or!" She said, turning back to him with her arms crossed. "You go to St. Mungo's and detox, returning when you're finished. It may save you your job." Harry knew that she was right. Both Draco and Minerva were right. Harry nodded his head and McGonagall took his wand away and looked at Draco. "Draco, would you do the honor of taking him there, or shall I call and have him escorted there?"

"Let's save him the indignities, I'll take him." He looked at Minerva, she was as worried as he was, though he could almost hear her ask why this always happened when the two of them, Malfoy and Potter got together. "He'll be alright Minerva, he's just lost his way." And with that, they were off!

Harry felt the slightly blush on his face when Draco wiped the hair away. When they left Harry had to lean a bit on Draco, still weak from the medicine. The nurses at St. Mungo's actually weren't surprised to see him, they had been making bets on when he would arrive and what for. Apparently the pot had been building up quite a bit. They took Harry in and thanked Draco for his help.

Draco wished Harry luck, it was all he could say before they took him away. Did he want to say more? Of course he did.