True Friends
By:Craw/Brad

Disclaimer: I enjoy doing these. Some people don't bother after the first chapter, but I like the challenge of finding a new way to say that I don't own Harry Potter or anything else in my story except the plot.

Author's note: Sorry this took so long. I had it almost all typed but then it go deleted... twice. I am so sorry! Please forgive me!

Chapter Four

Warm, velvety sweetness. That was what my world had been reduced to in the few seconds that our lips meet. For the first time since what happened over the last summer, I wasn't worried about what would happen to me after I left school. I didn't care that Weasley would have more money than me or that I would have no where to go after this year ended. (I couldn't, wouldn't leach off of Sev.)

The kiss ended long before I was ready for it to. Harry pulled back but didn't try to escape from my arms, which had tightened of their own accord. "I'm sorry." he said into my ear. I think he did this more out of a lack of options rather than a desire to get a response, but I had to fight hard (read: Dumbledore in a thong) to not give him one.

"For what?" I asked. As I did this I loosened my grip and pulled back so that we were facing each other. "If you didn't notice, the kiss was two sided."

"Two sided?" he asked with his confusion clearly written on his face. "That means you don't hate me?" he asked innocently.

"Of course I don't hate you! In fact, I kinda like you." I sensed that now wouldn't be the best time for sarcasm, so I tried to refrain from it. It didn't work so well.

"But you're a boy."

"The last time I checked."

"And I'm a boy."

"I would have hoped you noticed that before you turned seventeen."

"And you don't hate me?"

This was really getting redundant. So I did the only thing I could be sure would shut him up for a moment, I kissed him. I pulled back after about half a minute. His whines of protest were so adorable that I leaned down and placed a chaste kiss upon his forehead. "So," he said barley above a wisher. "I'm bi and you don't hate me for it?"

"Why would I hate you for it?" I asked in a voice that was only slightly louder than that of the raven haired teen. "I'm gay."

"But they said.." here his words were broken as he let out a silent whimper and tears started to stream down his bronze cheeks.

For the second time in under an hour, I found myself holding the Boy Who Lived and making soothing noises. "It's fine. There is nothing wrong with liking guys. There are a lot of gay wizards and witches." This seemed to shock the youth in my arms. His tears stopped abruptly and his body stopped being shaken by silent sobs.

"What do you mean there are lots of gay wizards?" he asked in a slightly frantic tone.

"There are as many non-straight wizards as there are gay muggles, if not more." I said. My tone implied that I felt this was common sense, and I did.

"But they said..." He seemed rather hesitant to finish his statement.

"If you don't want to tell me, I'm not going to make you, but I hope you know that if you need me, I'm here for you." I said as I began to pull back. "It's getting late." I observed. Checking my watch I saw that lunch was already half way through. "We should go before they send a search party."

"I don't really feel up to eating with the whole school watching me." the Golden Boy punctuated his words with a sigh. A moment later his eye lit up with a mischievous light. "Join me for lunch in the kitchens?"

Who was I to turn down an offer like that?

~*X*~

House elves are truly amazing creatures, though I would never tell that to anyone. They work all the time; cleaning, cooking, mending. Even when there isn't any real work left to be done, they find some little sub-meaningless task to keep them busy. I'm sure that these little hyperactive creatures were overjoyed when Harry and I stepped through the portrait of fruit.

We were greeted by a choir of 'What can I get for sir?'s and 'Would sir like...'s.One voice rose above the rest. A voice I hadn't heard in many years. "Harry Potter sir!" called a voice from my past. The voice of the only person at the manor to see me as more than a prize pig.

I turned to see a small elf wearing dark blue boxers with little pink pigs on them and a Queen (the band) T-shirt. On one of his feet was a red sock that went up his leg to disappear under the boxers. On the other foot was a white ankle sock with Japanese symbols at the toe in light blue. "Dobby?" I ask softly.

"Master Draco?" He asked skeptically. I merely nodded for him to go on. "Is they feeding Master Draco enough? Is sir behaving himself for his new caretaker? Who is it that is watching Master Draco now that there is no Dobby to care for him?"

"I am eating fine and no one is 'taking care' of me. I am quite old enough to watch after myself." I replied to my old watcher.

He looked as if he were about to reply when Harry stepped in and said "Dobby, we missed lunch and are rather hungry. If it were possible, could we get some food?"

"Of course," Dobby said in a motherly tone. "Go sit over there and we will be seeing if there is anything worth Master Draco and Harry Potter eating." He pointed to a corner of the room by a large fireplace. As he pointed two arm chairs and a small table popped into existence.

A small elf brought us each a bottle of butter-beer and asked what we would like to eat. "I would like a turkey sandwich." Harry said in reply to her question without a second thought.

She then turned to me and waited for my answer. After thinking of all of the things I could ask for and deciding against ribs, too messy, I asked, "May I have a garden salad with light vinaigrette, please?" I may act like a total prick most of the time, but I know better than to be impolite to the people that handle my food.

"Yes sirs." she squeaked before bowing and walking away.

"So, you know Dobby?" I asked the raven haired youth beside me.

"Yeah, he saved my life and nearly killed me in the process back in second year. He has helped me a lot since then, and look, I'm still not dead." He answered with a small chuckle. "He seems to like you a lot more than he did your dad."

"Master Draco was always nice to Dobby, Harry Potter sir." Dobby said, magically appearing at my side. In one hand he held a large turkey sandwich and in the other was a salad big enough to feed three of me. "He needed watching and Dobby got the job."

"I did not," I huffed indigently. Just because my father thought that I needed a nanny to take care of me, does not mean that it was true. "I was fine at the manor without someone following me around."

I couldn't believe him, Potter actually started laughing at me! "Sure you were Malfoy. Never needed anyone, did ya?"

"Of course not!" I exclaimed with a proud smile. Harry's humor stopped abruptly and was replaced with a look of awe. "What?" I snapped. I was used to girls and guys fawning over me, I mean I'm a sex god, but I wasn't use to people looking at me as I had a second head. Honestly it was a little off putting.

"I do believe that you just made a joke." He said in a stunted voice.

"Yes, I do that from time to time." I replied in a sarcastic tone.

"Ah! There is the Draco Malfoy that we all know and love!" Harry said in a tone I couldn't quite decipher.

I decided to not dignify that with a response and took an elegant bite of my salad instead. As always when dealing with house elves the food was delicious. We ate in silence for a few minutes before our attention was pulled to the front of the room by the portrait opening. A few seconds later a mop of red hair came into view. I quickly recognized this as the person most likely to laugh at my expense; Ronald Weasley.

The only statement in my mind at this point was the simple fact that this was Harry's best friend and I couldn't ruin our budding relationship by insulting him. Just because I couldn't stand the prick was no reason to risk losing the emerald eyed teen. All of my internal mantras were made void when Weasley saw us in the corner.

"Well, if its not the Fairy and the Ferret. I didn't know they let the local wildlife into the kitchens. It is so unhygienic." the redhead sneered.

Despite myself I snorted. "Really Weasley, I expected better of even you. The whole 'ferret' thing happened years ago. Give it up already. As for the fairy thing, unlike weasels, everone loves fairies and they are amazingly beautiful." I said the last with a small smile at Harry.

"Draco," the Gryffindor voice was so soft that I doubt I would have heard him if I wasn't seated beside him. "Lets go. I have suddenly lost my appetite."

"Ok," I said as I stood up. This action caught the eye of my old caretaker and he was instantly at my side. "Thank you for the lovely meal, but we find the company has become unsavory." at this Dobby shot a glare in the direction of where the weasel was help himself to some danishes.

"Will you visit Dobby?" the elf asked in a hopeful tone.

"Of course we will." I said with a small smile. Almost without thinking I reached out and grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him up toward the door. "But now we really must be going."

"Of course. Goodbye Master Draco, Harry Potter sir." Dobby said with a grin and a wave.

"Bye Dobby," Harry said in a stunned voice. His eyes were looked on our joined hands. I don't know what was going through his mind, but judging by the sweet little smile gracing his lips, I would say that it wasn't bad.

However much I was enjoying this momentary escape from reality, I came crashing back to the sound of Weasley's voice. "You're both unnatural freaks! The ferret is a fag." At this point he started laughing.

"Look Weasel, just because your not getting any doesn't mean you can take it out on the rest of us."

"Draco," Harry said again, in a forlorn voice. "This isn't your fight."

"Of course it is Harry. What are friends for if not to help beat the shit out of close-minded prats? Besides," I really wasn't going to back down form this particular fight. "If he insults your sexuality, he insults mine. You know better than most that Malfoy's don't react well to being insulted."

I was ecstatic to see a small unsure smile cross his lips. "Friends." His smile faltered for a moment before he continued, "I don't know much about true friends, but if you would like to, as you put it, 'beat the shite out of close minded prats', be my guest."

Now it was my turn to smile.

~*X*~

"Why don't we take this outside into the hallway?" I asked the weasel with a sneer. As I had hoped the redhead just nodded before turning and pushing the door open. "Harry," I said quickly. "I want you to stay here. I really don't want you to get hit by a stray spell and I'm not going to pull any punches just because I'm stronger than he could even dream of being. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I really don't want to see you get hurt." Slightly louder I said, "Dobby? Can you do something extremely important for me?" I asked.

"Of course sir!" Dobby said radiating with pride.

"I want you to make sure that Harry stays in here until I get back. Do you think you can do that?" I asked the small elf.

"Yes sir!" He squeaked at me in reply.

"Draco," After years of fighting with the boy, I recognized the hidden edge in his calm tone. "I don't need to be protected. I can take care of myself." I locked eyes with him and could see the angry fire begin to fill those emeralds.

"Harry, I am perfectly aware that you can see to your own safety, but I don't want to see you get hurt by what is said."When I saw the soft look that slowly creep into the impossibly green eyes. I continued, "And if you tell anyone that I said that, I will hex you into oblivion." Swiftly I leaned forward and gave him a little pick on the cheek.

Before I had time to rethink any of the decisions I had just made, I jumped through the portrait hole. This was not the time to think about how much things had changed since last year. It wasn't the time to think about the budding relationship I shared with Harry. No, now was the time to think about what I needed to do to keep my sweet little Harry safe.

The door had barley closed when the first punch fell. I really don't know why he decided it was to his advantage to start beating me, I had a good three inches and ten pounds on him. His aim was rather shoddy as well.

His fist landed on the stone wall where my head had been seconds before. "It's all your fault isn't it? You put harry under a spell to make him like you, you unnatural freak!" he yelled as he prepared to throw another punch.

Being how I am slightly more intelligent than said redhead... Who am I kidding, I doubt that idiot could have even survived first year without the help of Granger and Harry. Anyway, I pulled out my wand and pointed it at him before he had a chance to try and hit me again. I used a little power to slam him into the opposite wall. "Listen up Weasley." I started as I walked over to where he was sup ended a few inches off the ground. "You will apologize to Harry and then you will stay away from him."

"What you unnatural poofs are doing is disgusting. It was Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve. That is the way the human race is supposed to be!" He yelled. The level of loathing radiating from his being was rather impressive. "I will not apologize to that sick little fag." he said flatly.

"You won't?" I asked with a smirk. "I was hoping that you would say that." With that last commit I said a nice little dark spell that I had found in a book at the manor library when I was nine.

The homophobe begone to scream in pain as four more legs started to sprout from his hips. Once those legs hit the ground I released the spell holding him to the wall and stepped back as he landed, continuing to yell at the top of his lungs. Slowly his skin began to darken, or appeared to. What was really happening was that small, sharp, dark hairs were growing out of every one of his pores. The spell finished doing what it was meant to and before me stood a six foot spider/man thing. The spell was just this side of legal, so the worst that they could do was give me detention for the rest of the year and take away my prefect badge.

Weasley's screams were still echoing down the hall, but he had begun to just whimper. Even the remaining remnants of his pain-filled cries were dying down when I heard the sound of hurried foot steps coming our way. I looked up to see a very flustered Professor Lupin and Sev. "What happened?" Sev asked as soon as he saw me. He didn't seem to notice the spider thing beside me.

"Would you like me to tell my story now or should I wait until we get to the Headmasters office?" I asked him.

He now seemed to take in his surroundings and what hinted to be a smile crossed his lips. "Who is that?"

Lupin decided to step in now. "Mr. Malfoy, is that a student?" he asked with a glare at my godfather. "Who?"

"Weasley." I said hit a sneer. "If we are going to the Headmaster's office, let me just stick my head in here first." I said. Without waiting for an answer, I turn and tickle the pear.

I had barely opened the door when Harry burst through yelling, "Malfoy! If you ever do that again I will tell people just how sweet you really are!"

"You and I both know you wouldn't want to do that. If you did there would just be that many more people wanting to get in my pants." I said with a smirk.

The green eyed dream took notice of the other people in the hall. "What's that?" he asked pointing to the spider thing.

"It would appear to be Mr. Weasley." the potion master said with a smirk.

"Oh!" he said quietly "Draco! You could be expelled for this!"

The little gnawing fear at the back of my mind that had appeared when he started yelling disappeared. "So you're not mad?" I asked cautiously.

"Draco," he said as he pulled me into a tight hug. "What will I do if you get kicked out?" he sounded like he was on the verge of tears.

"Come on. All three of you." Lupin said as he turned to walk through the hall toward the Headmaster's office. If I didn't know better, I would have said he was smiling.

~TBC~

Much love to my beta. For this chapter alone there were over 40 corrections. I suck at grammer and spelling, so this would be unreadible with out her help. (can you guess that I do the A/N's on my own?)

Cookies to all of my reviewers. I would go into a more detailed reply to the reviews, but that would take me all night and it has been about three weeks since my last update, so I will reply in the next chapter. Please review!