WAI! I'm back with another chapter of GSEE! I'm so happy I got over my writer's block (with a little help from my muse)! I posted another mini- fic the other day, Letters to the Lover, please take some time and read it! I'm not sick anymore, which is a good thing, seeing as I hate getting sick (for obvious reasons).

Replies to certain reviews: Dorothy S - thanks for reviewing, I love your story. I think I went a little overboard with my last review *sweatdrop* Shinigami - Those bands are heavy American rock bands. I love Savage Garden too *drools at thought of Darren Hayes*. The people I'm talking about are the main focus of this chapter, I hope you like! MissMoppet - Yes, I know, I know. I was looking for some bands to put in, and my friends suggested them, and since I was clueless I used them. I don't particularly like them, but I needed something. Hell yeah Harry listens to Bright Eyes, they're the best! I'm addicted to their music Snuffy5- Woah, CALM DOWN! There is no need to choke the author, if you did there would be no new chapters! But, I'm glad you like it. You should be happy now. So, try not to choke me anymore, okay?

Read beginning of other chapters for key.

Warnings: Oh dear...Draco gets in to torture. It made me queasy just writing it.

And before I forget: *gives all readers and reviewers roses and chocolates and stuff* YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST!!!!

~*

"Draco, who exactly were the people you told me about the first time we met here, the ones that killed themselves?" Hermione asked suddenly.

Draco stiffened visibly. They were in the Astronomy Tower, meeting like they had over the past month and a half. They had talked about many things, but always refrained from mentioning these kinds of topics. Draco drew in a shallow breath, and looked sharply at Hermione.

"Are you sure you want me to tell you? If you do, I must warn you, it won't be pretty," Draco said seriously.

Hermione looked shocked at Draco's reaction, but nodded and said quietly, "Tell me."

Draco again drew in a breath, but this time looked out the window. His eyes went far off, as if he was trying to remember the events.

"There were two specific instances I can remember," he began, "A man, maybe 25 or so, and a 16 year old girl. The girl, whose name was Tara, came to the castle over the most recent summer vacation. All the captives were held at my mansion. Why, I have no idea. She was quite pretty, with long blonde hair and sparkling brown eyes. If I wasn't gay I might have taken a fancy to her. But that's not the point. Her family was a pureblood, and one of her brothers was in You-Know-Who's ranks. The other members of the family had stayed neutral, except for her. She went to Beauxbaton, but had come to visit her parents for the summer. She was secretly working with Madame Maxime to help destroy the Death Eaters, but her brother found out. That's when they came and took her up to the castle. She stayed there for 3 days before they did anything. At night I would go down and visit her, knowing none of the servants or house elves would tell. She told me about herself and the story of her life. How her Death Eater brother was always threatening the family if they turned over to the opposing side. How he would slap her around if she argued with him. How she had to sit there when other Death Eaters came over for dinner, racked with anxiety that they would find out about her. On the 4th day, they started to torture her. I watched it from a secret passage. There was one located to every cell, and all I had to do was open it a crack to see exactly what they were doing. This wasn't regular torture either. Yes, they cast curses on her that broke her badly. Many of them. But that was not the worst part. When dusk came, the real torture began. I would visit her to give her some water, and I would have to scramble back to the passage because I heard footsteps. One would come down, lock the cell door and cover the little window, and they would.they would.rape her."

Hermione interrupted his story with a loud gasp. Draco tore his eyes from the window to her, and he found she had grown pale. She had shrunk a little, wrapping her arms around herself. Draco looked out the window, knowing he could not be able to continue if he looked at her. He hated thinking of all of those nights in the dungeons, but nonetheless, he continued on.

"It happened every night. The first time, I looked on, horrified by what I saw. They would use her, then beat her, then use her again. It continued like that for hours. When they would finally leave, she would lay huddled up in the corner, covered in blood and God knows how many other things. After the first night, I would bring down a bowl of water with me, and when they leave enter the cell and clean her up. I would clean the blood, dress her, hold her, and let her cry on me for a while. She would tell me of her fears, of the thoughts she experienced while they abused her. She told me how she wanted to end it all. I couldn't blame her really. After about a week, they started coming up with more.creative ideas. They were some things not even your mind could fathom. They were crude, disgusting and downright inhumane. 2 and a half weeks later, she finally snapped. It was after some particularly nasty episode. I was about to come in when I saw the mad glint in her eye. She took the rusted chain that bound her feet and cut her wrists. As she bled, she looked over at the stone wall. That's when she went truly insane. She hopped over to the wall and started bashing her head against the stone. She did that for at least 15 minutes before she fell unconscious. I scrambled in there, determined to keep her alive. I did, for a while. She finally regained consciousness and told me to leave her be. That it was her time to depart from the world and that she valued all that I had given her. I can openly tell you that I have never, and probably never will, cried that hard or that long in my life," he finished in a soft voice.

"A-and what about the man?" Hermione squeaked, her voice failing her.

Draco's eyes flashed with bitterness. Hermione shuddered; the look in his eyes was pure ice. He seemed oddly calm, and Hermione had a feeling she wasn't going to like this story much. But she refused to not hear the tale. It would not only help her on understand what Harry might be going through, but it would also help her understand what the Death Eaters were like besides the facts she already knew.

"The man, his name was Tei. His mother was Japanese, and had somehow convinced her husband to name their child that. Tei's story is slightly similar to Harry's, but only in the beginning really. His parents had been killed by a dark wizard when he was one year old, but he had been at a friend of his parents' house that night. Many of the people wanted to take him in, but he was sent to live with distant muggle relatives. These muggles didn't disapprove of magic persay, they just never told him he was a wizard. They would beat him, his cousin using him as a punching bad and his uncle the tool to take his drunken rage out on. His aunt, however, was a great woman. She was related to Tei's father, and the two were very close. She was too scared to stand up to her violent son and husband, but she would help out Tei in anyway she could. She would sneak him food in the middle of the night, wash his bloodstained clothes, and generally give him someone to hold and love. She unfortunately passed away from breast cancer when he was 8. His relatives considered putting him up for adoption, but they decided against it, thinking it would be a little suspicious that a boy be dumped at 8 years old. At 11 years old, he went off to study magic. I never found out which school he went to, but he had a lot of potential. That's the main reason You-Know-Who wanted him to join the Death Eaters. He was taken when he was about 23, and we were on vacation before our third year. They tried to convince him to become one of them, but he wouldn't do it. No matter how hard they persuaded him, he wouldn't comply. They were patient at first, or, as patient as servants to the DarkLord could get. After about 3 week, they got angry. They were fed up with trying to be nice, so they tried to persuade him by other means. They cursed him, beat him, tortured him, and so many other things. His screams echoed throughout the castle all night and most of the day. The other Death Eaters said they were showing him how powerful and wonderful they were. Father said they were doing it because they were pissed off because they weren't as superior as they put out. Nevertheless, they continued the torture. Father had always said the DarkLord was horrible, not in public I might add, but that summer I really got an understanding of what he meant. They broke bones, mended them magically, then broke them again. They expected him to give up and join, or just die. They didn't know how much endurance he had. It amazed me really. When I came back the summer before fourth year, he was still there. I don't know why they didn't just use the killing curse on him. Father said it's because he was too valuable. I shrugged it off, having more important things to worry about. Like the DarkLord's growing interest in me. I managed to evade him that summer, and went off to school. I came home, and he was still there! It was beyond me how he had ever managed to survive, yet he was still there. Father finally decided to end his misery. He staged a loud conversation with my mother about how the boy was nothing but a nuisance and that they could do better. The other Death Eaters came to their senses and performed the killing curse a few days before Tara came. I made a makeshift grave with my mother out in the garden, and every week after his death we'd place a flower there. It was in secret of course, though I suspected Father had to use a Memory Charm here and there. So, there you have it. You wanted to know, I told you."

"Draco, I'm so s-" Hermione began.

"Don't be sorry," Draco cut her off a little coldly, then softened, "It was best that they both died. No one should ever be subjected to that kind of torture. Especially not Tei and Tara. They were the best kind of people out there. I really miss Tara, and every night I remember to pray for her soul."

Hermione smiled sadly, and her eyes suddenly brightened. A plan began to form in her head, one she knew would cheer Draco up.

"Draco, what was Tara's last name?" she asked absently.

"D'Souer. Why?" Draco asked puzzled.

"Just wondering. We need to get going, it's really late," Hermione said quickly, making a mental note of the name. Draco checked his watch.

"Shit! It's 2:30! I need to get back to my dorm, I told Blaise I would be going out and be back before 3!" Draco said anxiously.

With a swish of his cloak he took off down the stairs. Sure, he had half an hour, but it would be better to get back sooner rather then later. As he snuck down the Charms corridor, he heard a soft sort of sniffing sound. A muffled sob reached his ears next and he stopped. He looked around wearily, and he stepped quietly to where the sound originated from. He came to a window. It appeared to be empty, yet the sniffing continued to come from there. Draco wracked his brain, trying to think what it might be. After a moment, the answer came to him.

"Potter?" he called out softly.

The sound of a sharp breath being sucked in came next. Silence came, and Draco looked up at the window nervously. He gathered his courage and spoke again.

"It's okay. It's just me Draco," he ventured, using his first name uncertainly, "I'm not going to go tell anyone you're here."

More silence followed, and Draco waited tensely. After a moment, he saw Harry's head appear, then the rest of his body. He had pulled off his Invisibility Cloak, and was sitting, apparently having been looking out the window.

"W-what are you doing here?" Harry whispered shakily, "How did you know I was here?"

"I heard something sniffing from the end of the corridor, and I came to inspect," was Draco's reply, "What are you doing here?"

"Thinking." A short, efficient reply. But not good enough for Draco.

"About what?" he asked.

"None of your fucking business!" Harry snapped defensively.

Draco noted that Harry's eyes were red and puffy, no doubt from the crying he had done. Hesitating slightly, he climbed up next to Harry on the window. It was tall and not very high up, with a slight ledge that was perfect for sitting. Draco propped himself up parallel to Harry and looked the other boy straight in the eye.

"You don't look so good, are you okay?" Draco asked calmly.

"I'm. Fine." Harry said, swiping at his eyes angrily.

"Why were you crying? Is something bothering you?" Draco continued.

"I was not crying, and nothing is bothering me. Sod off Malfoy," Harry growled.

"You can tell me, you know," Draco said.

"Yeah, right," the other boy said sarcastically.

"Seriously. I'm here to listen. I would understand," Draco said quietly.

Harry looked at Draco with a fiery look in his eyes. He was angry. Very angry. How dare he!

"Oh really," Harry seethed, "You think you could understand? You with your Death Eater father and smarmy I'm-better-than-everyone-else ways," forget about love right now, Harry was pissed and didn't care what insults he gave, "Tell me something, Draco Malfoy. Have you ever, ever ONCE in your life, lost something precious to you? Something that was even remotely special to you? Don't say you can understand me until you can prove it!"

Draco looked away. ::No, don't cry!:: his mind yelled. Memories of Tara came flooding back to him, and tears threatened to come out. He pushed them back. He looked at Harry with a mixture of emotions in his eyes.

"Oh, I can prove it. Don't you dare pull that stunt about my father with me. You shouldn't judge people just because of something that might be. And don't you dare ask me that question ever again. I've had just as many important loses as you have. I understand you better then the rest of the school ever will, and maybe even better than yourself!" Draco said with hints of anger, hurt, and sadness in his voice.

Harry looked at the boy in front of him, shock in his features. He hadn't quite expected that reaction from his one-time enemy. He let his eyes scan Draco suspiciously at first, and then with a kind of acceptance. Draco saw it in Harry's eyes and gave a smile. They sat in silence for a while, and then Harry spoke.

"Who were they?" he asked, not a hint of curiosity in his voice.

"She," he put emphasis on the word, "was probably the only friend I ever had. She told me her story, I told her mine. She taught me that death wasn't as scary as I thought, and that sometimes it's better than living in a world where all you get it used and abused. She gave me a new light on certain things. He," again with emphasis, "taught me bravery and the courage to stand up for what you believe in. He taught me to endure as much as you could, and if you don't want to do something, resist as much as you can. No matter what it gets you. They were both great people, and they both died while at the same time giving me parts of my life."

Harry gave Draco a thoughtful look, then nodded. Draco gave a silent sigh of relief. He had gained Harry's acceptance and maybe even friendship. He decided to find out.

"Harry?" he asked uncertainly.

Harry gave a small start at hearing his first name, but recovered and gave a small, "Hm?"

"Do...do you think we could be friends? I...I would like it a lot if we were. Will you be my friend?" Draco stammered out.

Harry stared. Friends? Only friends? But oh, he wanted to be so much more. He guessed he could just settle for friendship. It was a step in the right path, and maybe they could grow into more.

"I would like that too," he said softly.

For the first time in a long while, Draco smiled. Not a smirk, nor a tug at his lips. A full-blown smile. Harry gazed at him. The moonlight hit Draco at an angle, platinum hair shimmering slightly, and casting shadows on the boy's face. Harry had never seen beauty quite like this.

"Harry? Harry, are you okay?" Draco asked with concern, seeing the far away look on the emerald-eyed boy's face.

"I am now," Harry whispered softly, but not soft enough that Draco didn't hear.

They sat in silence for a while, each content in their own thoughts. Harry was smiling, a sight that pleased Draco greatly. Harry yawned and began to drift off to sleep. Soon enough, he was fast asleep and looking like he was not about to wake up anytime soon. Draco wondered what he should do; he certainly couldn't leave Harry here. Teachers were still roaming the castle. Sighing slightly, he scooped Harry into his arms and slipped off the ledge. He remembered Hermione telling him how to get to the Gryffindor commonroom, just in case something ever happened that needed her attention. He walked quickly but softly, balancing Harry and the boy's Invisibility Cloak in his arms. He reached the Fat Lady, who was asleep. He called out to her softly. She shook awake and looked down at the boy strangely.

"And who might you be?" she asked, annoyed that an unknown student had waken her up at 3 in the morning.

"I'm...I'm a friend of Harry's," he nodded to the sleeping boy in his arms, "I know I don't have the password, but can you let me for 2 seconds? I can't leave him out here, and I promise I won't do anything to cause trouble," Draco answered.

The painting considered not letting him in, but caved when she saw the desperate look on the young boy's face. She sighed, defeated.

"All right, go on in. But, only go in and then out. No trouble, you hear?" she said, swinging forward.

"I promise," was the reply as Draco crawled through the portrait hole.

He traveled down and found the commonroom. It was cozy, with many squishy armchairs and a couch or two in the corner. All that was left of the fire was a few burning coals, but it was still enough light to see. It was empty, all of the students having gone to bed. Draco smiled in relief. It would have been mayhem if he had walked down and someone had seen him carrying his supposed enemy. He was also surprised that Harry had managed to stay asleep throughout the entire trip. Not daring to go up one of the staircases, he gently laid Harry down into one of the armchairs. He placed a book from one of the nearby tables into the other's lap. That was in case someone came down and wondered what Harry was doing down here instead of in the dorms. He watched the sleeping boy for a moment, memorizing his features. Draco brushed a loose strand of jet-black hair from Harry's face with a slightly shaky hand. Looking around, he stooped down and placed a soft, gentle kiss on Harry's lips. The boy only stirred and repositioned himself, mumbling incoherent words. Blushing fiercely, Draco straightened and rushed out of the commonroom. As the portrait hole closed, he turned to the Fat Lady, still quite red.

"Um...thank you," he stuttered. Thank you's had never been his thing.

"No problem child. You better get back to your own dorm, it's very late," she said, grinning.

He nodded furiously and took off. The Fat Lady watched him retreat, the grin as wide as ever. She had noticed his blush. It wasn't that hard really; his face was as red as a tomato. She giggled to herself.

"Those two would make a cute couple," she said to herself, dissolving into giggles.

~* Six: Well, there you have it. Chapter 6 is complete. I think it came out very well, don't you? I want to thank Lee-chan for being my wonderful muse and helping me come up with Draco's stories!

Lee-chan: You're welcome. It wasn't that hard, when you're as great as me *flips long brown hair*

Draco: Now now, there's no need to get egotistical. There are still other chapters to write you now.

Lee-chan: Oh yeah? Look who's talking, mister 'I'm-better-than-everyone- else'. I bet you loved it when you got to k-

Draco: *covers Lee-chan's mouth as Harry walks in, his face red* Uh, hey Harry!

Six: *giggles*

Harry: Did I miss something?

Six: Those two are just conversing *giggle*. Anywho, all of you people out there, remember to review! I'll keep working on my story if you review! I should get going now, see you!