Disclaimer: I Own Nothing. Well, a couple of things, I suppose. But the closest I come to owning Harry Potter is owning the books, so find somebody else to sue.

~~~

The twenty-second of February was the day of Draco's birthday party, though his birthday was really the twenty-third. Severus, Katie, and Harry organized the party, which was held at Remus and Sirius's house. They all came, as did Hermione, Ginny, Fred, and George. At first, everyone was having a good time eating, watching television, and listening to music, but there was one person who seemed to have something else on his mind.

Draco.

Everyone was in the living room watching a movie, Harry and Draco sitting together in a chair. Suddenly, Draco stood up and slipped out of the room unnoticed by everyone except for Harry, who soon followed. Draco was heading up to Harry's bedroom, and once Harry got up there, he found Draco sitting on his bed. The blond boy held Harry's teddy bear tightly in his arms and stared at the floor. When Harry sat next to him, Draco didn't say a word. He just leaned into Harry's embrace, closing his eyes.

"You're supposed to be having fun, baby," Harry murmured, stroking Draco's hair. "It's your birthday party. What's the problem?"

"The problem is tomorrow's my sixteenth birthday," Draco sighed. Harry rested his cheek on top of Draco's head.

"You're worried about the Mark, aren't you?" Draco nodded slightly.

"I've seen people receive the Dark Mark," he explained, quietly. "Usually, it's activated as soon as they get it, and it causes a severe amount of pain... I could tell by their screams how badly it hurt; it was like they'd been hit with the Cruciatus. I-I don't want to hurt again, Harry." Harry held Draco tightly, letting the blond boy bury his face in Harry's chest.

"I wish I could tell you that everything will be all right," Harry whispered. "I would do anything to be able to tell you that, but I can't because we won't know what happens until it happens... Do you want me to stay with you in the dungeons tonight? If it hurts, I might be able to try--" Draco cut him off by shaking his head.

"I've been reading everything I could possibly find on Death Eaters and Dark Marks. I haven't found a single way to lessen the pain or remove the Mark."

"There has to be a way," Harry said, softly. "Have you asked Severus or Katie?"

"No... They don't even know I have the Mark yet," Draco admitted. "They'll, uh... They'll probably find out when I start screaming tomorrow, though."

"Don't you think you ought to prepare them, instead of give them heart attacks?" Harry wondered.

"Hmph," Draco snorted. "I may as well get some kind of amusement out of this whole ordeal..."

"Anyway... Do you want me to stay with you tonight?" Harry asked again. "Even if it's just to sit there with you."

"Would you?" Draco said in a small voice. Glancing up at Harry, he seemed so young and vulnerable.

"Of course," Harry said, soothingly, as he hugged Draco. "I love you, and I'll do anything for you."

"Thank you."

~~~

"Any idea when it will happen?" Harry asked, softly, around two-thirty in the morning. He and Draco sat on Draco's bed, leaning against the wall. Harry was cradling Draco in his arms, while Draco just stared at his left arm.

"Soon," Draco murmured, laying his head on Harry's shoulder. "It's two-thirty-three. I was born at two-fifty-seven." They sat in silence for the next twenty-four minutes.

Suddenly, at two-fifty-seven, Draco inhaled sharply. He closed his eyes, pressing his face into Harry's shoulder, and tried to take deep breaths. An icy pain ripped through his arm as the black Mark appeared on the inside of his left forearm. The pain traveled through his entire arm before coursing through his whole body. Draco gritted his teeth, taking in short, rapid breaths and blinking back tears.

"Draco, baby, if you don't let it out, the pain will be worse," Harry told him, his eyes welling up with tears. He hated seeing his boyfriend hurting so badly. "Let it out, scream, cry, something, please!" Draco shook his head from side to side, not letting Harry see his face.

Finally, Draco couldn't take it anymore. He let out a scream of excruciating pain and broke down in tears. Harry held Draco in his lap, hugging him tightly and pushing his hair back from his sweaty forehead. Seconds after he screamed, Severus and Katie ran into the room. Harry looked up at them, a sad look in his eyes.

"He's had the Dark Mark since birth," Harry said, quietly. He kissed Draco's hair, rubbing his back. "It was just activated, the minute he turned sixteen." Katie glanced at Severus, whose face had paled.

"Severus, is there anything we can do for him?" she asked, softly. Severus slowly shook his head, his eyes downcast as he remembered receiving his own Dark Mark.

"The first time is always the worst," he explained, quietly. "There's nothing that can be done; nothing that I know of, anyway." Draco curled up in Harry's lap, whimpering.

"How long does it last?" Harry wondered.

"It's different for everyone," Severus sighed. "It could be minutes, or it could be hours. We just have to wait it out." Harry sighed, shaking his head. He closed his eyes and began to concentrate.

-Open your mind to me, Draco. Let me feel your pain, if it will help.

"No!" Draco exclaimed suddenly, looking up at Harry. "No, I won't let you do that, Harry..." Draco cringed in pain once more, clutching his left arm with his right hand, and Harry suddenly had an idea.

"Draco, darling, lay down," Harry said, softly, as he gently moved the blond boy from his lap. "I have an idea. Just lay down, try to take deep breaths, and try to relax as best you can." He looked at the two adults. "Can one of you hold his hand, so he can't touch the Mark?"

Severus did so, and Harry sat next to Draco, who now lay flat on the bed. Taking a breath, Harry lowered his hands to the Mark. He winced as the heat from it burned his hands, but he didn't pull his hands away. He closed his eyes and focused all of his energy towards his hands.

After what seemed to be hours, but in reality was only a couple of minutes, Harry opened his eyes and took his hands away. He saw that Draco's eyes were closed, and a peaceful expression was on his face. Seeing the worried looks on Severus's and Katie's faces, Harry rested a hand on Draco's forehead and began to listen to his mind. Then he looked at the adults and smiled slightly.

"He's asleep," Harry murmured, weakly. The two just stared at him in disbelief.

"How in Merlin's name did you do that?" Katie asked, finally. Harry shrugged his shoulders.

"I can heal with my hands," he said, quietly. He was growing increasingly tired with every word he spoke. "Decided to try it, didn't think it would really work¼ Focused all my energy¼" With that, Harry blacked out.