Disclaimer: JKR owns it all, I am merely a fangirl.

A/N: Thanks once again to Dawn for beta'ing and general ego boosting.

V. Do What You Can

Harry slammed the door to his dorm and muttered a spell to lock it. Agitated, he paced his dorm, ignoring the first and then second tentative knock on his door.

Did he just have an urge to kiss Malfoy? And why were Ron and Hermione just standing there looking at him expectantly? Was everyone going mad?

There was something else, too. He felt different, not completely himself. There was a strange emptiness deep inside, it was faint, but he could feel it. Like there was something he was missing. Something vital.

"Damnit. I must be losing my mind!" Harry slammed his palm hard against his desk. There was a soft clink. Harry glanced down and saw silver light winking at him from the floor. He picked it up, it was a delicate silver charm of two intertwined snakes with bright emerald eyes.

"What the hell? Snakes?" There was no arguing who the charm reminded him of. Harry swore, his hand closed around the charm in a tight fist. This was just another piece of a puzzle that he didn't understand. Harry winced in pain; the charm was burning against his hand. He opened his palm instinctively.

Harry sat and stared. In his open palm sat the charm he had earlier, or he thought it was the same one. It was no longer two intertwined snakes, but one large one. It was curled around itself in a type of self-embrace that made the snake seem endlessly long; emerald eyes stared at him. He held it between his fingers for closer examination when the snake's mouth opened and a long, delicate silver chain seemed to ooze out of it.

Harry blinked and would've been worried, except that he felt absolutely no apprehension. He had learned long ago to trust his instincts and his were telling him to slip the chain over his head. So he did.

Harry felt a warmth spread over him and then a flood of memories. He reached up and grasped the charm tightly in his hand. The feeling of hollowness and dead weight was gone; replaced with something else. Harry closed his eyes, he felt angry and sad at the same time. When he released his grip, the snake's eyes were no longer green emeralds. They were twin points of bright silver, magnified by diamonds.

Draco woke up with a start and squinted. The top drawer of his desk was outlined in what looked like glowing white light. He picked up his wand, approached the desk cautiously and opened the drawer. Inside sat the familiar cherry wood box, its silver clasp glowing brightly.

"What the hell..." he mumbled. "Accensum." His room was bathed in light.

He set down his wand and opened the box. As he expected, the right side was still inexplicably empty, the charm on the left, however, was glowing brightly. Curious, Draco picked it up. The charm pulsed for a moment, then dimmed. The familiar delicate chain spilled from the charm-

And immediately looped itself over his head and around his neck.

"What the fuck?!" Draco grasped the charm and tugged hard.

Nothing. He tried to bring the chain over his head to remove it, but it wouldn't move past his chin, like it was pulled to him magnetically. He tried this several times to no avail. Next, he picked up his wand and tried every cutting, unbinding and unlocking spell he could think of. He was who he was; he knew a lot of them. Still nothing.

Draco sat on his bed, exhausted.

He had no idea what was going on and whatever it was. it couldn't be good. Draco cursed himself for not being more careful. Magical objects were always complex, he had been hasty. He was sure Borgin had intended to tell him something important before his greed over took him.

"Restingos." The lights went out and he lay back against his expensive sheets.

Harry once again found himself in familiar, though not exactly inviting, territory. He had an intense feeling of déjà vu standing before the Slytherin entrance. Some inane line about coming full circle echoed in the back of his mind.

Harry had developed a habit of remembering everything.

"Unless I'm being magically suppressed," he muttered under his breath. He pounded on the entrance and didn't stop until it swung open.

"What in Merlin's name is going on?!" Blaise finally realized who was standing before him, his eyes narrowed. "Oh. What do YOU want?"

Harry shoved past the sandy haired boy, his eyes sweeping the common room. "Okay, where is he?"

"What the hell?! You can't just march in here like you own the fucking place!" Blaise paused. "Where's who?"

"That spoiled bastard. Where the hell is Draco?! We have unfinished business."

"He's not here."

Harry turned his flashing green eyes towards the voice.

"He had an errand to run," Pansy said calmly. "What did you just call him?"

"What?" Harry asked confused. "Just tell me when the ferret's going to be back."

Pansy shrugged. "Draco has never been one to disclose more details than necessary."

"Goddamn Slytherins! You're all the same with your cryptic little lines." Harry took a seat. "I'm not leaving until I have a word with that snake."

"Suit yourself," Pansy said, taking a seat herself.

"This is fucking ridiculous!" Blaise stormed out of the common room. "Damn Malfoy-" "Fucking Potter-" "Ridiculous-" "Soap Opera-"

Blaise's voice echoed down the corridor. Harry would've laughed, if he weren't feeling so angry. Pansy was eyeing him curiously. He ignored her and instead studied the Slytherin common room. It was the same as he remembered, though no one other than Ron or Hermione knew that he'd been in there once before.

"What is this nonsense about a Gryffindor invasion?" A cold, dry voice cut through his observations. A pause. "Potter."

Harry wasn't expecting this, he glared at Snape before scowling at Blaise. "I'm not going anywhere, Malfoy and I have some business to discuss."

"Oh shut it. You and Malfoy always have 'business' to discuss." Blaise said sarcastically. "You can wait it out like every other 'business meeting' and punch each other senseless in the halls. I have N.E.W.T.S. to study for."

Snape glared coldly at Harry and opened his mouth to say something when his eye caught the silver dangling from Harry's neck. A brief look of shock that no one noticed flitted across his face, he paused for a moment. When he regained his composure, he was boiling with anger, so what he said next surprised everyone.

"Potter is free to stay until he has resolved his business with Malfoy." Snape forced through clenched teeth, "However, you are never, NEVER to force yourself into this common room again. You are NOT a Slytherin. Fifty points from Gryffindor." With that said, Snape swept angrily out of the common room.

Harry thought Blaise was going to explode since he was quite red in the face. Instead, he sighed, grabbed his books and stalked out of the room.

"How about some ice cream?" Pansy said suddenly.

"What was that?" Harry was caught off guard.

"Ice cream, since I have a feeling you'll be waiting awhile and I've nothing better to do." Pansy stood up. "So how about it?"

Harry did not expect Slytherins to be hospitable to Gryffindors. "Yeah, sure," he said finally. "Just remember that if you poison me, I'll be on you like Myrtle on water."

Pansy smiled and disappeared. She returned moments later with two bowls. Harry didn't hide his look of surprise.

"We're Slytherins, we have our own stock." Pansy sat down and handed a bowl to Harry. "It's so funny."

"Hmm?" Harry swallowed a spoonful, coffee with caramel. That had been his favorite combination until...

"It's so funny that this is the only combination Draco ever eats anymore. It was always vanilla with almonds."

Harry's spoon stopped in mid-air.

"I wonder what made him change his mind?"

"I want you to tell me RIGHT NOW what you happened to 'overlook' during my last visit!" Draco's fist hit the counter shaking everything sitting on top of it.

"Young Mr. Malfoy, so good to-"

"NOW!" Draco hissed, "So help me I'll curse you until the next new moon."

Mr. Borgin blanched, "Of course. Where to begin..."

"You said there was something else." Draco said, calmer now.

"Ah. Yes." Mr. Borgin hesitated, "There is a small catch."

"Get on with it."

"As you know, it was up to the wizard to make the decision to break the connection. Except something unexpected happened. The old wizard fell in love, and with this new feeling that he'd struggled so hard against, he finally let go of his obsession. But he was too late; he had already broken the connection. He found there was a flaw in his magic. While he could still take on the same lover and re-gift him with the charm, the connection was not the same."

Draco gave him a puzzled look.

"Take this gold chain for example." Mr. Borgin lay a clasp-less necklace on the table and spread it out in a perfect circle. "It's perfect, flawless. But once broken will no longer be able to return to its former self. You can tie it, but a knot still remains. You can attach a clasp to it, but it's no longer perfectly fluid."

Draco nodded. "Continue."

"His former lover, who had loved him in return - because that is when the charm burns, when the lover genuinely loves - could not love him a second time, because of the flaw. So he took the second charm and reworked the magic. He made it so while there was no memory, there would be hollowness, something haunting, like a part of him had died. Instead of breaking the connection completely, it was only frayed, hanging by one delicate thread. If the owner of the gift charm desired enough to get rid of this feeling, a chain would appear, much like the owner charm. If he put it on, then all memories would return."

Draco blinked. "So what about the owner charm? The one on the left."

"Nothing, if the feeling is not reciprocated. You see, if the giver truly felt nothing and wanted nothing, both charms would reappear in the box, as before. However, if there is any ounce of doubt, the gift charm would not return. The box would lure the owner and once he picks up the owner charm, it would slip around his neck, unable to be removed. The old wizard-"

"That's enough, I don't need to hear anymore about the old coot. Just tell me how to get rid of it," Draco said impatiently.

He appraised Draco carefully. "Surely, you don't mean that you-"

"Of course not!" Draco lied. "Hypothetically. How would the owner get rid of it?"

"It's very simple really, the two have to meet and face their demons." He said casually. "So to speak."

"That's all?" Draco was skeptical.

"Yes. Now if there is anything you'd like to-"

"No, not at this time and you're lucky I would still even consider coming back here." Draco hissed, "I can ruin your business easily. Remember that the next time you sell me half-truths."

Before Mr. Borgin could say anything else, Draco turned and left. He had not failed to catch the small glint of sliver against his neck. There was one other small thing he'd failed to explain.

So, this insufferable albatross around his neck meant that Potter had put on the other charm; that he had the charm all along. It meant that Potter had his memories as well. What was that again, about the charm around his neck? If there was any doubt... Doubt. That was ridiculous. He had made his choice. Genuinely loved? Did that mean?

"Fuck." He said out loud. This was not what he had paid for; he had paid for freedom from these complexities. He reached for the charm and tugged one last time and sighed. Okay. It was simple enough. He would find Potter and sort this out. That's all he needed to do.

"Anguiferum," He muttered. The Slytherin entrance swung open.

"Hello Draco." Pansy greeted. Sitting across from her, looking like he belonged there, was Harry Potter.

"Potter. What the hell are you doing here?" It was all Draco could come up with.

"I think I'll be the one asking the questions this time." Harry stood up. "I think you know exactly why I'm here."

Draco noticed Pansy was watching the exchange with great interest. He sighed in irritation. "Fine, but not here." He gave Pansy a warning look and pushed Harry out of the still open Slytherin entrance.

Harry followed Draco in silence, though Draco could feel the piercing glare aimed at the back of his head. Draco weaved through the dungeon corridors for what seemed like fifteen minutes before he finally came to a halt. He took out his wand and tapped a pattern on an irregularly shaped stone in the otherwise uniform wall. A door appeared and in the stone's place was a doorknob. Harry was stunned.

Draco shrugged. "I wander the corridors when I'm bored, sometimes I find things." He opened the door and waited for Harry. Harry hesitated. "Oh for fuck's sake. I'm not going to lock you in, okay?"

Harry snorted. "I wouldn't put it past you." He stuck his hand in his wand pocket and walked in, Draco followed and the door clicked shut behind him.

"Accensum." Draco muttered and the torches all lit at once.

It appeared to be an old storage room. Harry looked more closely and noticed that there wasn't a spec of dust anywhere and that one side was carefully arranged with a desk with a chair, a bookshelf with books neatly arranged and a sofa and armchair.

"I think this used to be a storage area for questionable items during Salazar's time. It's long been cleaned out and forgotten. Nothing remotely dangerous is left, I've looked." Draco explained before Harry could ask. "Sometimes I like to disappear and this is where I go." He arranged himself carefully on the couch.

Harry slid into the armchair and stared at Draco for a long moment; his eyes darkened. "How dare you use magic against me like that. It was underhanded and completely cowardly."

Draco's eyes flashed. "Don't call me a coward!"

Harry ignored him. "I can't believe you had the nerve to fuck with my head like that! With my memories! When you know how important they are to me! When you know...when everyone knows how hard I have to try to remember ANYTHING about people I care about. About my PARENTS and..." Harry was shaking. "When I have to try so hard to remember the things that don't give me nightmares!"

Draco didn't know what to say. He hadn't expected him to remember, after all. He cursed Borgin. He hadn't thought about any of what Harry had just mentioned. Perhaps he had really just been thinking about himself. He had never felt guilt and meant it before.

"Look, I-"

But Harry cut him off. "Why did you do it?"

Draco tried to think of a way to carefully answer. "Because I was afraid." Draco clamped his mouth shut. That wasn't what he had intended to say.

Harry was taken aback; he hadn't expected Draco to be so straightforward. "You were afraid? Of what?"

Draco felt an intense burning sensation against his chest. "Of losing control." Again, the words just came out of him. He started to get nervous.

Something caught his eye. He finally noticed the silver around Harry's neck and the charm resting against his robes. The charm was glowing and it looked different, but Draco couldn't tell exactly from where he was sitting. Draco reached into his robes and pulled out his own charm. It glowed white and burned against his hand, he winced. He dropped the charm and still felt its heat through his robes.

Harry watched Draco carefully and looked at the charm around his own neck. It pulsed beneath his fingertips, but didn't seem to be causing him the pain that Draco's was. Harry had a sudden thought.

"Malfoy, I'm going to ask you what color my eyes are and I want you to tell me they're blue."

"What?" Draco asked, bewildered. "Have you lost your mind?"

"Just do it! What color are my eyes?"

"They're..." Draco struggled. "They're... They're green. Your eyes are green. FUCK." It must be the charms, he thought. He had to face his demons by being completely vulnerable. He was going to kill Borgin and his entire bloodline. Draco tugged on the chain one last time but it didn't snap.

Harry sat back, he was right. Draco couldn't lie. "What did you mean, when you said you were afraid to lose control?"

"The only person I've ever been able to depend on is myself. It's what I'm used to and it's how I like it. I don't like to rely on anyone. If no one means anything to me, then I don't have to worry about anyone by myself. Ever since that time in the corridors I couldn't get you out of my head. I couldn't focus. I..." Draco gritted his teeth. "I was starting to fancy you, so I decided I had to do something about it."

Harry's face was expressionless and it was infuriating Draco. So. He can hide his feelings when he wants to, or maybe only when he's angry.

"You were starting to fancy me?"

"Bastard. Yes. Yes, all right! I was starting to fall hopelessly for you! I would fall asleep remembering how warm your body was and wake up with your taste in my mouth. I would look in the mirror and imagine your skin against mine. You are the only person in this entire fucking school who even comes close to challenging me." Draco's voice was thick with emotion and anger. "But I can't do this. I can't because..."

Harry's heart pounded. Malfoy couldn't lie, so everything he was saying now was the truth, but he still wasn't sure. He had tricked him. Harry had never trusted him and maybe that would never change.

"Why? What are you afraid of now?" Harry felt bad for prodding Draco, but the truth was Harry really didn't feel like he owed him anything.

Draco's hands clenched into tight fists. "I don't want to have to worry about anyone else's life but my own. You've forgotten WHO we are and who we will be. If I have to make a choice it won't be me. I won't choose myself. Do you understand what that means? Do you understand what you're doing to me? Think about it. It means that..."

But Harry did know and he realized his mistake. "Stop. STOP. You...you don't have to."

The look in Draco's eyes made Harry flinch, he had pushed him too far. "Are you done?"

Harry blinked at the blankness of his voice. "Yes. I guess I am." The charm around Harry's neck stopped glowing.

"Ask me again."

"What?" Harry paused and understood. "What color are my eyes?"

"Blue." Draco stood up, turning his back to Harry and braced himself against the desk, palms flat. "Get out."

"What, I don't understand-"

"Leave. NOW."

Harry realized too late that Draco had never opened up to anyone before, not till now, and he had done so only by force. And what he had revealed... Harry forcing the truth from him was just as bad as Draco suppressing his memories.

So they were even. And maybe that was it.

Harry closed the door behind him. He stood in the corridor and watched it fade away into a solid stone wall.

End notes: The final chapter coming soon, it should be in the beta stage shortly. It looks like there is going to be a sequel. :)