When Draco Malfoy was ten years old, his father sent him away to school. He was too young, all the teachers, even the headmaster said so. But Lucius Malfoy said it would build character, and people who argue with Lucius Malfoy often disappear, or end up dying in strange ways. So they let him go to Hogwarts.

Draco sobbed, and clung to his father's robes, begging Lucius not to send him away. Narcissa pleaded with him; Draco was too young, too attatched. Tired and frustrated, Lucius slapped her. In shock, both Draco and Narcissa ceased their pleas, and Draco boarded the Hogwarts Express, chin high and quivering.

Draco was the bully, sure that if he did not maintain control over the others they would taunt him for his age. In the evenings he wrote heart wrenching letters to his mother, begging her to take him home. When Lucius caught Narcissa writing to him, reassuring him, he was furious. The boy needed to learn to be a man. He ripped the letters apart, snapped the quills, shattered the bottles of ink.

After a while, Draco stopped begging. His letters became short and courteous. He called his father sir, and spoke nothing of his feelings. "Crabbe has made himself ill eating shrivel figs during potions. The stupid git. The Golden Boy and his lowly friends are up to something, I'm sure of it."

At night Draco still sobs silently into his pillow. Crabbe sleeps deeply. Goyle is still convinced that Draco just has allergies. But Blaise hears Draco. At midnight, if he's still crying, Blaise sits on the edge of the bed, stroking Draco's corn silk hair and whispering reassurances. He twists his fingers in the thin strands, and kisses Draco's tears while Draco gasps and whimpers. Draco clings to him, clawing at his pyjamas, and leaving salt marks on his shoulders.

In the daylight, Draco ignores Blaise. He convinces himself these were dreams, and refuses to question the dark hairs on his pillow, or the tear marks on Blaise's bed robe. He spends his time with Crabbe and Goyle, who are refreshingly uncomplicated, and ignores the way Blaise stares at him across the room. Blaise kisses the tear drops on Draco's cheeks, as Draco shivers, and Blaise sighs, knowing this is all it will ever be.