~ Will I lose my dignity? Will someone care?
                                                                       Will I wake tomorrow, from this nightmare? ~

            Draco paced restlessly in front of the fire of the Slytherin common room. Thankfully all of the students were away on summer holidays and he had the place to himself. His mind was keeping him awake, thoughts of the meeting with Dumbledore and Snape running through his head. He flopped down into the black leather couch with a sigh and rubbed his temples, the stress was finally getting to him and his head was pounding painfully. He tried not to think about Harry, but it was hard not to wonder where he was, if he was okay...or even alive.

"If they so much as touch one hair on his head..." he thought vehemently.

A tentative knock on the entrance portrait suddenly interrupted his vengeful thoughts. He rose quickly and pulled the door open to find Hermione standing in the hall. She was wearing a maroon robe with matching slippers and holding two steaming mugs of coffee.

"I thought you might still be awake," she said. "Want some company?"

Draco smiled and stood aside to let her pass. He glanced into the hall before pushing the door closed again.

"Ron didn't come with me," Hermione said knowingly, as she set the mugs on the coffee table and settled in the large, green armchair.

Draco sat on the couch and wrapped his hands around the red and gold mug for warmth. "Is he still angry?" he asked.

"Well...you know Ron, he lets his temper get the better of him sometimes and I'm afraid no one can trigger it faster than you."

Draco smiled wryly and took a sip of coffee before looking up to regard Hermione thoughtfully. "Do you blame me too?"

"Of course not, Draco," she said, leaning forward to place a hand on his.

"I just wish...what if..." Draco sighed in frustration. "I don't know..."

Hermione sat back and stared into the crackling fire.

"Why did you leave him Draco?"

Draco gazed into his coffee with a frown. "I left because I didn't want him to die and leave me all alone. I didn't want to feel that kind of pain...I thought it would be better if I ended it before that could happen," he finished lamely.

"You really do love him, don't you?"

Draco looked up at her and nodded, complete honesty reflected in his eyes.

"You should have talked to him, Draco, told him your fears and about your true feelings. He would have understood. He thought you left because you didn't love him, he was never the same afterwards..."

"Did he talk about me?" Draco asked, trying to stop the tears that were threatening to form.

"No," Hermione shook her head. "He forbid us to mention your name. He wanted to get over you..."

"So he moved on? Did he...meet someone new?"

"No, he never left his apartment after he moved in. He removed himself from everybody and everything, including us and Dumbledore. I don't even think he tried to get over you, it was like he'd given up on love. He wouldn't eat or sleep, he started looking so thin and depressed that I was really starting to get wor-"

Hermione stopped herself abruptly when she looked over at Draco. His head was bowed and tears were running freely down his cheeks, little droplets falling into his coffee with a splash.

"Oh God, I'm sorry, Draco." Hermione quickly took his mug and placed it on the table before wrapping her arms around him. "I didn't mean to sound so accusing," she said. "You've been through enough today without me making you feel guilty."

"I'm such a bastard," Draco choked into her hair.

"No you're not," Hermione said, rubbing his back soothingly. "You just got scared. You never grew up with love, so it's only natural that you would fear losing it."

Hermione drew back and made him look her in the eyes.

"I know that you really do love him, and that means a lot, Draco."

"But he never knew..." Draco said, almost to himself.

Draco closed his eyes and let out a ragged breath. He wiped his face with the sleeve of his cloak and stood up. "I'm tired of feeling sorry for myself, it's not like me to be so emotional. I never cried in my life until this past year and now it's almost become a habit."

Draco pushed his hair away from his face angrily, "I've had enough...this isn't going to accomplish anything. I'm going to find Harry, bring him home and stop being so fucking weepy."

Hermione smiled at him. "Harry is going to be so happy when he sees you again," she grinned.

Draco smiled back and tried not to think about all the 'ifs' in that statement.

Hermione placed her empty mug on the table and tucked her feet under her comfortably.

"So, what happened in the meeting?" she asked curiously. "Did they come up with a plan?"

"Well, I found out that there was a box and a handkerchief left in Harry's living room with portkey residue on them, also a clip board belonging to a muggle delivery man named Cary Shields."

Draco began pacing in front of the fire again as he talked.

"They think, and I agree, that my father probably used a polyjuice potion to get inside Harry's flat undetected."

"The security wards protect against polyjuice, don't they?" Hermione asked with a furrowed brow.

"Only if the person is using magic inside the flat, so the alarms didn't go off until the portkeys were activated and by then it was too late."

"How was he able to use a portkey in a protected area in the first place?"

"Dumbledore thinks that Voldemort has created some kind of new, very powerful, portkey."

Hermione's eyes widened.

"Luckily," Draco continued. "This new kind of portkey also leaves behind a strong residue that can be traced to its designed place of destination."

"So we can find out exactly where Harry was transported to?"

"Exactly," Draco stopped to face her. "But it's not a sure thing yet. Snape is working on it and we'll know by tomorrow, it's only theory right now."

"It's better then nothing," Hermione smiled, stifling a yawn.

Draco smiled slightly, a small spark of hope lighting his exhausted grey eyes.

"Well, I better go," Hermione said getting to her feet and stretching. "Looks like tomorrow is going to be a long day."

Draco walked her to the door and held the portrait open. Hermione gave him a peck on the cheek as she passed through.

"Try to get some sleep," she said kindly, before padding off down the corridor.

Draco shut the portrait and leaned against it wearily as his fears of Harry's well-being came rushing back. He walked over to the couch and lay down, willing himself to fall asleep.

* * * * * * * * *

Harry lay unconscious on a black table in the throne room, his battered body magically bound to its shiny surface. Two Death Eaters stood on either side, holding daggers to the pale underside of Harry's elbows. Voldemort approached to stand over Harry's head, his eyes staring hungrily down at the famous scar below him. He slowly placed the tip of his wand on the lightning shaped mark and nodded to the two men.

The Death Eaters pierced the skin of Harry's arms and let the blood run down onto the table. As the red liquid touched the surface it was magically absorbed and disappeared completely. Voldemort smiled as the red glow from Harry's scar flowed up his wand and into his body.

Harry's body twitched as he dreamed obliviously in unconsciousness.

~ It was Harry's twentieth birthday, and Draco had planned a surprise picnic at Adamo Lake. Draco had even gone to Dumbledore to get the place magically secured; no bodyguards and no other visitors. The area was absolutely stunning; rolling grass hills that were a crisp, sparkling green and a vast expanse of dark, blue water that shimmered under the sun. The day was sunny and warm, without a cloud in the sky. Harry had playfully accused Draco of adjusting the weather by magic.

It had been a perfect day. Neither boy had ever been on an outing to a lake or beach before, so they indulged their 'inner child' by swimming and splashing in the water playfully until the sun started to go down. Then they had had a romantic picnic dinner overlooking the lake, of smoked salmon with lemon juice, roasted garlic potatoes, sautéed vegetables, and rich chocolate mousse.

Just as Harry was enjoying his first glass of champagne, Draco reached behind the willow tree they were under and pulled out a guitar. He said he had written a song for Harry and began to sing. Draco had a raw, sexy voice and was always writing songs at home and singing around the house, he said it helped him express himself.

The lyrics brought tears to Harry's eyes as he leaned back on his elbows and listened, completely enraptured. Draco sang with his eyes closed and a small smile playing on his lips, strumming the guitar with the ease of years of practice.

The sky was a brilliant canvas of purple, pink, and blue as Draco let the last chord echo over the hills. He put the guitar aside before placing a gentle kiss on Harry's lips and whispering, 'happy birthday.'

Harry gave a watery smile and leaned in for another kiss. No words were spoken or needed as they closed their eyes and simply enjoyed the intimate contact. Draco shifted back to lean against the trunk of the tree with Harry's head in his lap. He stroked Harry's soft, dark hair gently, as they watched the stars appear in the black, velvety sky.

Harry sighed and wished that the moment would never end... ~

"Enervate."

Harry was roughly pulled out of his dream, the aches and pains of his abused body rushing back. He opened his eyes with a quiet groan and looked up into the face of Peter Pettigrew.

"Are you ready to die yet, Harry?" Voldemort's voice rang out loudly from the throne, reverberating in Harry's sore head and causing him to wince.

"No," he managed to gasp out weakly.

Wormtail looked up and shook his head at Voldemort, confirming Harry's quiet refusal.

"Take him away then," Voldemort smiled with a wave of his hand. "Until tomorrow, Mr Potter."

Wormtail released the magic bindings and carried him away to the dungeons. Harry stiffened when they reached his cell, prepared for the physical abuse that Lucius had inflicted when they had returned earlier. Pettigrew carried him to the table and gently laid him down, securing the shackles carefully to his tender wrists that had been rubbed raw from the heavy iron.

Harry looked at him in surprise.

Pettigrew watched him thoughtfully from the doorway for a few seconds before quietly leaving the cell. Harry frowned in bewilderment as he thought he saw sadness in Pettigrew's eyes.

* * * * * * * * *


Draco was awoken suddenly by a loud hammering on the portrait door. He quickly jumped off the couch and shivered, noticing that the fire was now just a pile of glowing embers. He flung open the painting to see Sirius Black standing in the hall.

"Sirius," he croaked, his throat dry from sleep.

"I just arrived and was sent to bring you to Snape's lab," he informed him somewhat coolly. "Snape is almost finished."

Draco nodded and followed him silently through the halls. He glanced over and frowned at Sirius' cold behaviour. They had become good friends when he was with Harry, apparently Sirius blamed him as well.

"At least you didn't give me the same greeting that Weasley did," Draco said aloud. "Although, you probably wanted to."

Sirius glanced over questioningly and Draco simply smirked and rubbed his jaw.

Sirius smiled and stopped to face him. "Listen Draco, I'm not blaming you for Harry's disappearance," he admitted. "I was just angry about how you left him. I know people break up and most relationships don't last forever, it's a fact of life, it was just how you left him so suddenly with no real explanation that bothered me."

Sirius paused to look over at the young man.

"It was a mistake, and I'm sorry," Draco sighed. "You don't know how sorry..."

"I should have stayed with him as soon as I found out he was living alone," Sirius added regrettably.

"Dumbledore never would have allowed it, two of Voldemort's targets in one place would have made it even more dangerous."

"I guess," Sirius sighed, starting to walk forward again. "I just feel like I could've done something more to prevent this."

"Dumbledore said that this was destined to happen," Draco said. "That we were only delaying the inevitable and no matter what the outcome...this is the way it's supposed to be."

Sirius looked over at him as they approached the lab door. "Do you believe that?" he asked, pausing with his hand on the door knob.

Draco snorted. "No, I don't believe in all that destiny crap. I think our lives are just a game of chance and what happens is just a result of choices we make. It's not pre-destined by some great cosmic force."

Sirius chuckled in amusement. "I didn't think so."

"I also believe that sometimes Dumbledore can be full of shit."

Sirius decided to ignore the comment and open the door.

Snape, Lupin, Dumbledore, Hermione, Ron, and Professor McGonagall were gathered around Snape's desk looking at various jars and vials.

"Mr Malfoy," Dumbledore greeted. "It's just about ready."

Draco went and stood beside Snape, watching intently as he added some last minute ingredients to a gold coloured potion. His eyes strayed over the group and came to rest on Ron's face. The red-head sensed it immediately and looked up to glare at him in warning.

"Finished," Snape announced.

"Now what?" Sirius asked, leaning over to look at the vial.

"All we have to do is return to Potter's flat, pour this potion onto an object of his and it should transform into a portkey. When you touch it, it should transfer you to the same place Potter was taken to," Snape answered.

"We will leave immediately," Dumbledore ordered. "Bring your wands and anything you might need."

"I should point out," Snape began, carefully placing a cover on the vial. "That the portkey won't be strong enough to transport us all, probably three at most."

"I'm going," Draco said immediately.

"I don't think so, Malfoy," Ron growled. "We're not entrusting you with Harry's life again."

"Watch it, Weasley," Draco said icily, while pulling his wand out.

"Draco!" Lupin said sharply. "Enough!"

Draco lowered his wand, eyes still glaring at Ron's enraged face.

"We will decide once we reach Harry's flat," Professor McGonagall said sternly.

Just then a large grey owl flew threw the doorway and dropped a letter at Dumbledore's feet. The owl quickly turned and flew out again, apparently not requiring a response. Dumbledore picked it up and opened it quickly.

"It's from Collins, one of the Ministry Guards," he said as he scanned the letter. "There was an attack at Harry's flat in Desiderium."

There was a collective gasp from the group as they listened in shock.

"Harry's alarm went off and when he arrived on the scene he discovered that all of the guards had been stunned," he read on. "But are fine otherwise."

"That's strange," Sirius muttered.

Dumbledore read on silently and looked up at their expectant faces when he had finished.

"Collins writes that the flat was untouched except for the one thing that I was having them protect," he said gravely. "It seems some one has returned and taken Harry's wand."