Chapter 16- Matters of the Heart

"Stop it! Leave him alone!" shouted Blaise as he continued to pull on Ron's arm.

Ron was currently gripping the collar of Draco's shirt and staring down at his now bruised face. Draco had just passed out from the blow he sustained to his head when Ron slammed up against the wall moments ago. His unconscious body was putting a strain on Ron's forearms, and he was no longer able to stand the burning in his muscles so he simply dropped him onto the floor, glaring at him in disgust. Luckily Blaise caught Draco's upper body before he fell completely and gently lowered him to the floor.

Ron made his way back over to where Harry was standing against the wall gripping his stomach tightly with his arms. He was still taking shallow breaths and seemed to be staring at Draco's body oddly. His slight form trembled from his recent experience and the chilled air in the corridor

"Are you alright, Harry?" asked Ron touching Harry's shoulder gently.

The small boy flinched at the touch, but looked up into his friend's face and shook his head. This whole situation felt like a complete nightmare. Just when everything seemed like it was all falling into place, life threw another curve ball at him.

"Ron you shouldn't have…." Harry tried to protest, but Ron didn't seem to want to listen to him. "Ron…."

"Harry, he deserved it. He beat you up and probably would have done more if you hadn't gotten away…." Ron said softly. Harry looked at his friend horrified. Usually Ron wasn't so intuitive, but he seemed to be able to assess what happened fairly accurately.

"We should get you to the hospital wing," said Ron, carefully examining his face.

"No, Draco's hurt too…." said Harry softly. As much as he was afraid of his boyfriend right now, it still pained in him to see him unconscious like that. He had somehow sensed that there was something wrong with Draco earlier, but he hadn't known what was wrong at the time. He really didn't know how he felt about everything just yet. Mostly he felt hurt and confused. Memories of the past and what had happened only moments earlier were swirling around his tired mind.

"Why do you care if he is hurt or not?" asked Ron angrily. "Do I need to remind you what that son-of-a-bitch did to you!"

"No, but…"

"But nothing! Let's go," he said bitterly. He grabbed Harry by the elbow and began to steer him towards the hospital wing once again.

"C'mon Draco, wake up," they heard Blaise say. The dark haired boy was kneeling beside Draco, tapping his face gently to rouse him. Finally determining that Draco would not awaken any time soon, he stood up quickly and blocked Ron and Harry's passage. "Why didn't you listen to me Ron! I told you something was wrong with him! You didn't have to go and hit him like that!"

"How did I know that he wasn't going to try and hurt Harry again? I don't care what is wrong with him; nothing excuses him from hurting one of my friends!"

"But it's not his fault!" shouted Blaise. Ron scowled angrily and tried to walk around him, but Blaise continued to block their path.

"Move out of our way!" the red head shouted as he used his free arm to try and push Blaise out of the way.

"No, not until you listen to reason!" yelled Blaise pushing Ron back.

The two boys were so wrapped up their little spat that neither saw the professor walking hurriedly down the corridor, his robes billowing softly behind him. Harry watched the scene before him wide eyed.

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS GOING ON HERE? I COULD HEAR YOU ALL SHOUTING FROM A CORRIDOR AWAY!" Snape yelled angrily. It was then that the professor saw his godson lying unconscious on the cold floor.

"Draco…." He knelt beside his godson and touched his bruised face gently. "What happened!"

"Weasley slammed him up against a wall and then punched his lights out! He probably has a concussion!" Blaise replied quickly.

"What?" said Snape turning his head quickly and glaring at Ron with a murderous look in his eyes. "Explain yourself!"

"Draco came on to Harry a little too strong and then beat him up! I was just taking Harry to the hospital wing when we ran into these two. I am sorry sir, but he had no right to hurt Harry like that," said Ron heatedly.

"What?" Snape asked in complete shock. He looked back down at his godson in confusion.

"Sir, it's not like you think. Draco was acting strangely because he was slipped a potion that made him act out aggressively! He didn't mean to hurt Harry," Blaise tried to explain.

"What potion? What are you talking about?"

"I-I don't know. I think it may have been Crabbe and Goyle. The potion affected me too… only I was felt terrified of everything. While I was hiding, I overhead some of the other Slytherins taking bets about what would happen to us. They said something about us becoming what we hated most…." Blaise's voice trailed off as he remembered Draco's words before he went unconscious.

Snape stood up and walked towards Harry who was still trembling. The professor gently lifted Harry's chin up with one of fingers and looked into his tear filled eyes. "Is this true? Did Draco really hurt you?" he asked softly.

Harry nodded and then looked away. As he did Snape got a good look at the bruises that had developed on his face and he sighed deeply.

"Alright, I am going to take the both of them to the hospital wing. You two," said Snape pointing at Ron and then at Blaise, "are going to go straight to the headmaster's office to wait for me. We are going to straighten this entire mess out."

"No!" said Ron.

"Excuse me, Mr. Weasley?" said Snape, giving him one of his best sneers.

"I'm not going to the headmaster's office. I am staying with Harry. Nothing you say will make me leave his side."

"How dare you! You will do as I say or I will see you in detention!" said Snape sharply.

"I don't care. Give me all the detentions you want. I'm not going to let you take Harry to the hospital ward with Malfoy!" said Ron gesturing towards Draco. "What if he wakes up and decides to go after him once again? I am not leaving Harry's side as long as he is near him."

Snape sighed deeply and put his fingers near the bridge of his nose as if he were trying to ward off a headache. After a long while he spoke again. "We still don't know the details of this potion that Mr. Zabini is talking about. I understand your concern. You may stay with Potter for now."

"Hey, if Ron is going, then I want to too! I don't want Draco to be attacked by the likes of him either!"

"Fine then! Just stay out of the way!" he said in a defeated voice.

Snape then carefully lifted his godson from off of the ground and carried him to the infirmary, leaving the others to follow behind him quietly. When they arrived, the professor quickly explained the situation to the nurse and then set out to investigate what had happened.

Madame Pomfrey separated Harry and Draco per Ron and Blaise's request and set to work healing them both. After a number of spells and potions were administered, the boys were left to rest peacefully at opposite ends of the hospital wing. Ron and Blaise each sat beside their friend carefully guarding them and trying desperately not to fall asleep at this late hour.

Harry lay in bed quietly, pretending to sleep. It was a habit that he had gotten used to while living with the Dursleys. He didn't like to be caught unaware, and he was still feeling rather apprehensive about what had happened. He was exhausted, but sleep seemed as if it would never come. He was still reeling from when he was attacked by Draco, and he was having trouble understanding what had prompted the attack. Blaise had said something about a potion that causes you to become what you hated most, and Draco had said that he became his father. Harry shuddered at the thought as he remembered all of the awful stories Draco had told him about his father. He wanted to believe Draco and Blaise so badly, but a part of him felt the need to be guarded.

After a long while, he heard the doors to the infirmary open and close as three pairs of footsteps entered. Not wanting to turn his head and alert the others that he was still awake, he listened carefully to find out what was going on.

"Mr. Weasley, Mr. Zabini, can we speak to you please?" he heard the headmaster ask them quietly. He heard Ron scoot his chair away from the hospital bed and then listened as he walked over to the others.

"How are they, Poppy?" asked a voice that Harry identified as belonging to Remus Lupin.

"They have both been healed completely and are just resting now. I was a little concerned about Draco's head injury but we caught it soon enough that there will be no lasting damage. Professor, any word on what type of potion these boys ingested? I would have liked to have treated them sooner with an antidote or something, but I had to wait until I knew something for sure," Harry heard the nurse ask.

"We have been investigating this matter thoroughly and we feel that we have come to some sort of conclusion about the cause of what happened. Professor Snape was able to use a tracking charm to locate any cauldrons that had been fired recently. Lucky for us, none of his Potions classes were assigned homework that required practical application. He was able locate only one recently used cauldron in one of the abandoned classrooms in the dungeons."

Snape then took over in this part of the conversation. "I examined the residue left behind and discovered that it was from a potion called Factus Contemno. As you have already guessed, the potion when ingested causes the person to become what they hate most. In Blaise's case he became fearful… where as Draco became violent. It is mildly difficult to brew, but the ingredients are rather easy to come by. There is no need for further treatment. Its affects last only an hour or so. Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Zabini should already begin to feel back to normal."

"Yeah, I do," Harry heard Blaise admit.

"What about the creeps who slipped them the potion in the first place?" asked Ron.

"Well, we know that you all feel strongly that Mr. Crabbe and Mr. Goyle were responsible for what happened tonight. We have questioned them under a mild truth serum and found this to be true. They were aided in making the potion by a seventh year, who shall remain nameless for now," said the headmaster.

"So are they going to be expelled or what?" asked Ron.

"The three students have been suspended for one month," said Remus, but by the sound in his voice it appeared as if he felt that this punishment was not suitable enough.

"What? That's ridiculous…" began Ron but he was cut off sharply by Snape's reply.

"I suggest that you hold your tongue Mr. Weasley. You're lucky that McGonagall let you off without a detention or being suspended, even though you did strike another student. Say one more word and I will personally see you every night in detention for a month!" Snape said menacingly.

"What about Draco?" asked Blaise.

"I do not feel that he was acting of his own accord, so Mr. Malfoy will not be punished at this time. I am sure that he feels bad enough about this situation already," said Dumbledore

Ron made a sound like he wanted to say something, but he quickly stifled it.

"Now, it is quite late, and I feel that you should both return to your dormitories for some much needed rest," said Dumbledore.

"But, I want to stay with Harry…."

"Mr. Weasley, Draco is no longer under the influence of the potion. I assure you that your friend is perfectly safe while under Madame Pomfrey's care," said Snape surprisingly reassuring.

"Alright," said Ron resentfully. Harry listened as Blaise and his devoted friend left quietly. The professors stayed behind for a few moments and were talking in hushed voices. Harry was having difficulty making out what they were saying so he gave up trying.

A few moments a later a pair of footsteps walked over to where he was lying. Harry was facing away from the visitor so he could only guess who it may be. A hand reached out to him and brushed the hair on his forehead back gently. Harry could only assume that it was Remus and had to refrain himself from flinching at the touch. He was in no mood right now and wanted them to still think he was sleeping. He heard Remus sigh deeply and say softly to himself, "Why do these always have to happen to him? I hope that he will still let me help him after all this." After a short while, Remus walked away and left the infirmary.

Soon the other professors left as well, leaving Harry alone with only Draco in the room. Sure the school nurse checked on the both now and again, but for the most part they were quite alone.

Harry lay awake in the darkened room for many hours, and at one point he heard Draco shift uncomfortably in his bed. He stiffened at the sound and his heart began to race wondering whether or not Draco was awake too. He was somewhat frightened although he wasn't really sure why. Harry knew that Draco was no longer under the influence of the potion, but somehow lying in the dark listening to the sounds in the night was a little too reminiscent of his time spent at the Dursleys.

Suddenly he heard a small noise that sounded somewhat like a whimper. At first he thought he was just hearing things, but soon the sound began to grow louder. He then realized that Draco was crying softly. Harry wanted so badly to go and comfort the young man that he loved, but he was frightened just the same. His heart and mind were now waged in a battle of sorts. He wanted to forgive but he couldn't forget.

Then he heard his voice, "I'm sorry, Harry…" Draco had whispered into the darkness. Harry couldn't be sure if he knew he was awake or not, but he stayed quiet just the same. He didn't want to respond to him right now, no matter how much it was breaking his heart. He needed time to think about things.

Soon his crying subsided, and Harry was sure by the pattern of his breathing that Draco had fallen asleep again. He waited most of the night for sleep to come, but all he could do was think about those horrible minutes in which Draco had attacked him. They played over and over again in his mind like an endless loop.

Harry didn't remember ever falling asleep, but he soon found himself in the middle of a strange dream.

He was finally free, but there was no time to celebrate such a victory. He was on a mission, one that he had thought about nonstop since he had seen the newspaper that Fudge had given him. Peter would be at Hogwarts once again, disguised as a pet rat. He had to get to his godson before Peter did. He wouldn't let another soul die because of that worthless traitor!

It was dark outside, but the air was warm. A light breeze stirred the air sending a thousand different scents in his direction. His canine nose could expertly discern the difference between each one, but none of the smells seemed to be the one he was looking for.

Making sure he stayed in the shadows he plodded onwards, zigzagging his way across the street looking for a scent to tell him he was going in the right direction. He remembered that Lily had mentioned long ago that her sister lived somewhere in Surrey, but he didn't have an address to go by. Thankfully, in his animagus form, he would hopefully be able to track his godson. His mission would be difficult, however. It had been almost eleven years since he had last seen Harry, and he could only vaguely remember the boy's scent.

He looked up and saw a street sign, Magnolia Crescent. That had to be somewhere close to where is godson now resided with his aunt and uncle. A familiar scent caught his attention and he felt his senses heighten in anticipation. It was then that he saw a dark haired boy desperately trying to lug a large trunk down the street. It was a most peculiar sight to see, but he couldn't determine if the boy was Harry or not. He crept through the shadows and found himself hiding in a narrow gap between a garage and a fence of one of the suburban homes.

He watched as the boy stopped briefly to rest. He seemed to be quite agitated. Dragging that heavy trunk must have taken quite a bit of effort. The boy then bent over his trunk and opened it. He peered inside as if he were looking for something in particular. Sensing that someone or something was watching him, he stood up and glanced around worriedly. Seeing nothing, the boy bent over his trunk once again.

It was then that he realized that the boy was none other than Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, his beloved godson. He looked just like James, right down to his pitch black hair and trademark glasses. He was smaller than James had been at that age, but it was his son nonetheless. Not able to contain his excitement much longer he crept forward and out of the shadows. He had no idea what he was going to do, but he needed to see Harry again. It had been so long!

It appeared as if Harry had sensed that he was watching him, and the boy stood up quickly with his wand in his had. He squinted at the black alleyway, but it didn't appear as if he saw anything. Suddenly, he heard Harry mutter the simple incantation 'Lumos,' and hold his wand high over his head illuminating the pebble-dashed walls. It was then that Harry saw the hulking outline of his large black body.

He watched as Harry stepped backward in surprise. His legs hit his trunk and he tripped. His wand flew out of his hand as he flung out an arm to break his fall, and he landed, hard, in the gutter. There was a deafening BANG, and Harry threw up his hands to shield his eyes against a sudden blinding light. Padfoot watched in horror as The Knight Bus came to a screeching halt. Harry had rolled back onto the pavement, just in time. His godson had almost been run over by the violently purple, triple-decker bus, which had appeared out of thin air.

The conductor stepped outside the bus and made his introductions. As he did, Padfoot slipped out of his hiding spot and made his way through the shadows to another location where he could watch his godson without being seen. Harry glanced at his surroundings quickly before boarding the large bus.

Padfoot then watched as the bus disappeared into thin air again with a heavy heart. He had missed his only opportunity to reach his godson before he went back to Hogwarts. He had not idea where Harry was going or how else to reach him.

Not knowing what else to do, he began running north, hoping to reach Hogwarts before his godson did. His self proclaimed mission was to protect him and to find Peter. It was the only way he would ever prove his innocence. His exhausting journey would take him weeks, but he knew of no other way to reach his destination. His wand had been snapped long ago and he was without any money.

He ran as fast as he could, gaining speed with each passing stride. The wind ruffled his fur slightly and felt refreshing. He hadn't felt the wind on his body for Gods knows how long. It was only then that he began to feel the exhilaration of his stolen freedom. He was glad to be rid of those prison walls, but his freedom came at a price. He would never lead a normal life again until Peter was found. Life on the run was not much of a life at all…

Harry sensed that the "dream memory" had come to an end and became aware of his surroundings. He was warm and comfortable and he was vaguely aware of someone holding his hand. He slowly opened his eyes to see the face of his beloved Draco watching him. Strangely, his eyes seemed red like he had been upset about something, and Harry wondered about it. Harry sensed that it was still fairly early in the morning because the light was dim in the room he had awoken in.

Draco looked so beautiful sitting beside him with his hair disheveled from sleep. Harry was about to smile at him, but he then realized that Draco was dressed in ugly hospital pajamas. Harry glanced at his surroundings and realized that he was in the school infirmary. The memory of what happened last night came rushing back to him and his chest swelled with emotion. He quickly ripped his hand away from Draco and sat up in bed. He then scooted up against the headboard with his knees drawn up, wrapping his arms around his legs in a protective manner.

"I'm sorry, Harry, I don't mean to scare you. I thought you were having one of those dreams about Sirius because you were murmuring stuff in your sleep. I know how much those dreams bother you so I thought that you might need someone to hold your hand."

Harry didn't say anything, but watched Draco warily. He didn't think that Draco would hurt him again because he knew now that the potion had caused him to act the way he did, but the memory was still too fresh. He couldn't ever forget that look in Draco's eyes when he had been taking advantage of him. It was the same lustful look that his Uncle Vernon had bestowed on him when he raped him in a drunken rage. Things like that stayed with you no matter how many times you use a pensieve.

"Harry… I'm sorry…. I'm so sorry… You know that I would never intentionally hurt you, right? I can't imagine how you must be feeling…. I'm so sorry…." said Draco looking at him with watery eyes.

Harry looked at him and wanted to cry as well, but there were no tears left. He was so emotionally drained from everything that had happened. He was sad, angry, confused, frustrated, and a thousand other emotions all at once. Nothing seemed like it would ever be right again. He didn't know what to say so he sat there in silence staring at his bed covers.

"Harry?" Draco tried to get his attention, but he merely looked away. "Say something…"

"What do you want me to say?" asked Harry coldly.

"I don't know… anything… that you hate me… that you understand… that you …. l-love me still…anything…" Draco's eyes were now filled with tears. One of them escaped and slid down his face slowly.

Harry took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly. He was still so confused about everything. He didn't know what to say to him right now. Draco's chin was trembling in an effort not to cry.

Draco tried again, "I am so afraid that I have lost you… that you can never forgive me… Oh gods… I love you so much… I couldn't bear it if you left me…" Draco buried his face in his hands as he began to cry more openly.

Deep down Harry knew that no matter what had happened that he still loved Draco. A huge chunk of his heart and soul would be missing if he was no longer in Harry's life. Seeing his boyfriend so distraught, he reached out to him tentatively with his hand. He then stroked his pale blond hair and Draco looked up at him expectantly. "I could never stop loving you, Dray… I think I can forgive you with time…. but I can never forget…"

"Oh Harry… I love you so much… I'm so sorry…."

"I know… I know it's not your fault, but…"

"You're still a little afraid of me?" Draco finished for him and Harry nodded.

"I understand. We can start over, can't we? I mean, we can at least be friends at first and see where that goes. I know that you may never want to be intimate with me again, but…."

"Don't… just don't," said Harry. He touched his own lips gently with the tips of his fingers as he thought back to how forcefully and painfully Draco had kissed him last night. The mere thought of Draco talking about being intimate was too much for Harry to take. He would never forget those lust filled eyes that had seemed so much like Uncle Vernon's.

"I'm sorry... I don't mean to…." Draco gave up in frustration.

"I know… its okay," Harry replied.

Harry had been staring at his covers for some time now, and decided to raise his head to meet his beloved's face. Their eyes met for only a moment, but their souls communicated a thousand words without even needing to speak. They had reached a wordless understanding that only they would ever understand. They were soul mates, bound by love for eternity and endowed with an ancient knowledge of what being a soul mate truly meant. Regardless of what would happen in their lives, fate would continually bring them together even if they tried to be apart. Their destiny was with each other, despite all the misery that their lives seemed to perpetually bring down upon them. Harry needed Draco, now as much as ever. They had a lot to still overcome, but he knew that with Draco was where he belonged.

In some small way, Harry had already forgiven him without even knowing it. He gave Draco a sad smile and looked back down at his covers wondering if anything needed to be said.

"Harry? Can I at least hug you right now?" Draco looked at him hopefully. "It's okay if you don't want to," he added. It appeared as if Draco had understood his silent forgiveness.

Harry nodded and Draco moved beside him on the bed. He felt himself enveloped in one of the gentlest hugs he had ever received. It was as if Draco was trying to hug him without touching him so as not to alarm him. Harry wrapped his arms around Draco and felt the other boy's arms tighten around him slightly. It felt warm and nice in his beloved's arms.

"I love you," Harry whispered. Harry knew that Draco's emotions were tightly strung right now and that he needed to hear those three precious words. Harry hated to think what Draco must be going through becoming what he hated most… his father. He was sure that the situation had brought up a lot of past memories for him as well and that he needed Harry right now as much as Harry needed him.

"Oh gods, love. … I'm so sorry…. I love you too," said Draco as he began to cry once again.

They sat that way for a long time, just holding one another gently and resting their heads on each others shoulder. They were soon cut from their reverie when they heard an angry shout.

"What the hell is this!"

They jumped apart and quickly turned their heads to see who had interrupted them. Ron had just entered the infirmary and his face was beat red in anger. Hermione was right behind him looking equally bewildered.

"Malfoy, get the hell away from him! You have no right to be near him after what you did last night!" yelled Ron as he stormed across the hospital ward.

"Ron…" Harry tried.

"I said get the hell away from him!" said Ron who reached across the bed and pushed Draco to the floor.

"Hey, what the fuck!" shouted Draco as he stood up rubbing his side from where he had fallen. "Weasley, everything is fine now. Stop being an ass!"

Harry stood up from the hospital bed and put himself in between Ron and Draco, giving Draco a look that clearly said- Let me handle this! The tall blond crossed his arms and looked away in defeat.

"Ron stop this! You don't need to protect me anymore. What happened last night was not Draco's fault, and I am not going to blame him," said Harry. Ron looked at him open mouthed as if he was not understanding what his friend was saying. "Draco and I have made up, okay," he said, hoping that everything would be cleared up.

Ron scowled angrily and walked away towards the other end of the infirmary muttering to himself. He kicked a few of the hospital beds and earned a glare from the school nurse who stuck her head out of her office to determine the cause of the noise.

Hermione took the opportunity to go and see how her friend was doing. Seeing Draco now sitting on another bed, she cast him a disapproving glance. The look on her face that she was just as angry as Ron was, but she was containing her emotions right now for Harry's benefit. She hugged him carefully as if he might break and pulled back to look into his face. They were still the same height after all these years. "Harry, are you okay? Ron told me what happened. I can't imagine what you must be going through right now…"

Harry cut her off," I'm fine 'Mione. I just want to forget what happened…"

"How can you forget Harry!" shouted Ron as he came towards the group once again. "I don't understand why you are even being civil to that bastard!"

"Ronald, lower your voice!" Hermione reprimanded upon seeing another glance from Madame Pomfrey from her office. "You're going to get us kicked out of here."

"Ron, you probably wouldn't understand this but… well I just know that Draco didn't mean to hurt me. I can't blame him. Okay?" Harry tried.

"What do you mean I wouldn't understand? Do you think that I'm I thick headed or something?" asked Ron angrily. Yeah, something like that, thought Harry.

"Shut up Weasley. You know what he meant!" said Malfoy as he came to stand beside Harry and Hermione.

"Maybe we should all just go sit down and discuss this," offered Hermione.

"There is nothing to discuss, Hermione. It's pretty simple. Malfoy is the asshole that beat the crap out of Harry last night and now he has brainwashed him to forgive him. Like nothing happened!" said Ron

"Ron you know that he was under the influence of that awful potion! You said so yourself," said Hermione. She looked as if she were coming to her own understanding as she tried to diffuse the situation.

"Yes, but that still doesn't excuse the fact that he hurt Harry. He should have been able to overcome it or something and see what he was doing! He promised me that he would never hurt him, but he was just a filthy liar!"

"You're one to talk Ron! Don't you remember being hit with that curse in the Department of Mysteries. You were so out of it you stuck your hand in that strange tank and were attacked by a brain! Draco wasn't able to overcome the potion and control his actions no more than you were able to overcome that curse," said Harry trying to reason with his best friend.

Ron looked down at his arms quickly. They were covered by the sleeves of his sweater, but he looked at them as if he were remembering the incident and the scars that lay hidden beneath the woolen material. He sighed and looked back up at the group pondering Harry's words.

"That was different," Ron said finally.

"How?" asked Harry.

"Because… I only brought harm to myself; no one else. He hurt you Harry, and that is what matters to me right now."

"But Ron, because of that curse you weren't able to help us defend ourselves against the death eaters. You may have only harmed yourself, but you weren't able to protect us either," said Hermione softly remembering her own incident on that faithful night. They had all been so terrified at what was happening that it wasn't until later that they were able to understand the full magnitude of what had happened.

"That's really low, Hermione," muttered Ron looking away. "You know I would have tried to protect you if I could."

"I know that, but you aren't seeing the bigger picture here. Draco wouldn't have hurt Harry if he could have helped it," she said.

"This is different. We are talking about Harry here," said Ron softly, looking away.

"What the hell are you talking about, Ron? What does it matter? I'm fine now, okay?" said Harry.

"No it's not okay! I swore to myself after I saw what you went through living with the Dursleys that I would never let you come to harm like that again. Malfoy made me a promise that he obviously couldn't keep, and you paid the price," said Ron.

Draco responded angrily, "Weasley you have no idea what you are talking about. Why can't you just listen to reason! You know I love Harry!"

"Shut up! You're supposed to be soul mates, aren't you? How does a soul mate do that do the one he loves? How do you nearly…."

Draco shot him a look as if he was daring Ron to say something further. He looked like he was ready to pounce on him and it frightened Harry somewhat.

"I don't approve of you still being with him, Harry," said Ron more calmly.

"Ron… you don't have the right to control Harry's life or the choices that he makes," said Hermione.

"You didn't see him last night, Hermione. He was completely terrified of Draco. I have seen that fear in his eyes before and I never want to see it again. What if that potion is still in his system or something and he hurts Harry again? What then?"

"I would never intentionally hurt Harry and besides, Severus said that the potion's effects only lasted an hour or so," said Draco.

Ron looked away from him disgustedly. "I don't care what anyone says. Harry, I don't want you seeing him anymore. He will only bring you more pain…."

"Ron… you don't get to make that decision… I love him… whether you like it or not…" said Harry.

"Well, it's him or me Harry… that's all there is to it…"

"What! You can't make me choose like that…" said Harry flabbergasted.

"Ron, stop this…" Hermione tried.

"Weasley, stop being an idiot!" Draco yelled.

"No… that is the way it's going to have to be. I will not stand by and watch the two of them be together when Malfoy tried to take advantage of Harry last night…"

"Harry?" asked Draco as he looked at him expectantly. He seemed confident that Harry would choose his boyfriend over his best friend.

"What's it going to be…." said Ron. He appeared just as confident at Draco betting that their friendship would pull them through this catastrophe.

"Harry, you don't have to do this," said Hermione.

"I won't choose then…" Harry said barely above a whisper.

"What?" they all asked.

"I won't choose..." said Harry, turning his back and walking away.

"Harry, please don't leave… we'll figure this out…" pleaded Draco as he hurried to catch up to him, grabbing his arm.

Startled at the sudden pressure on his arm, Harry jerked his arm away fearfully.

"Just leave me alone…." he said with a slight hitch in his voice.

"Harry, Draco's right. We'll figure this out…" Hermione tried, walking towards him.

Harry paused at the infirmary's door and looked back at the group. Each of their faces were a mixture of emotions that were impossible to read right now.

"I want to be alone… don't follow me…" he warned.

Harry walked out into the corridor barefoot and still clad in his hospital pajamas. He was really cold, but he didn't care. He was glad to be out of that room and away from them. He walked down the hall listening to Hermione and Draco yelling at Ron and then being scolded by the school nurse.

He wanted nothing more than to be alone right now so he decided to go up to the astronomy tower. He hoped that he wouldn't run into any other students on the way. He must look quite awkward strolling down the middle of the hallway in his pajamas.

Nothing made sense anymore and he was thoroughly confused. Harry had been quick to forgive Draco because he truly believed in the good in him, but did Ron see something that he couldn't? Was Ron right about Draco only bringing him pain? How could they possibly expect them to choose between the people he loved most?

Ron was practically his brother, and he looked up to him for support and guidance. He had been there for Harry at many dark hours in his life and he couldn't imagine life without him. That went the same for his beloved Draco. He loved him with all his heart, but a part of him was scared of their relationship and what it may bring.

He climbed the many stairs until he reached the top and opened the wooden door. Finding the highest room in the castle empty, he closed the door behind him and walked over to the window. It was a miserable day. Gray, dull, and lousy. The weather seemed to match his mood well. He turned around and slowly slid down against the stone wall to the floor where he preceded to curl up in a ball.

He felt the need to cry so badly, his chest ached from the weight of his emotions, but the tears wouldn't come. He was too emotionally exhausted to cry at this point. Why did life always have to be so hard?

A/N: There you go, another chapter done. I really liked this one, but not as much as the last one. The next chapter truly begins the focus of my plot (Sirius's memories) and all will be revealed soon. The potion, Factus Contemno, is Latin for "Become Hate."

Many thanks to my fabulous beta Drae and all my reviewers!