Revised Version of Chapter 4!

A huge 'Thank You!' to CuriousDreamWeaver!

Unlikely Companions:

Disclaimer: Really, really not mine.

Warnings:
Books 1-4
Slash HP/DM, some harsh language, probably violence, great character changes, character's death

This fic will be rated R, although not all the chapters will require this rating. If the story decides to move on in a different direction (I know that I don't have a saying in this.) I will change this warning so keep checking it.

Summary:
The last battle has been fought. Harry survived, but he is not the person he used to be. He forgot everything about his past. The sad things as well as the good things. He has to learn everything again. Almost like a child. But the keyword is ALMOST. The only person he trusts is Draco Malfoy. For Draco it's a difficult time, he has to adjust to a completely different situation. Now he has to care for somebody else. And what happens, when he starts to have certain feelings towards a certain boy? Strange things happen at Hogwarts, will our heroes manage to survive once again and live in peace?

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Chapter 4: A New Beginning

When Draco woke up, the sun was shining brightly through the windows of the hospital wing. He felt as someone had dropped heavy stones all over his body. Surprisingly his first thought had been Harry and his well-being. He looked to his side and saw a mass of black hair poking out from beneath the blanket. The other boy looked so vulnerable in the foetal position he had curled himself into.

Suddenly Draco noticed that somebody sat on the other side of his bed and was talking to him.

"No reason to worry dear Draco, Harry is quite alright. Madam Pomfrey gave him a sleeping draught. He is still ill, but all his physical wounds will heal relatively fast."

"That's good to know, Professor Dumbledore. But it doesn't matter much to me. I brought him here and now he is not of my concern anymore."

"I don't think that that is really the way you feel. But there is much to consider. Once again, I need your help."

"What is it? What can I do for you?"

"Harry. We could see, that he only trusts you. Madam Pomfrey had to put him to sleep in order to heal him. He is letting nobody close to him, not even Sirius, Remus, Hermione or Ron. It's obvious he needs help, but how can we help him and care for him, when he won't let us?

He is not much different from a small child. Poppy is sure that it is nothing physical; rather, it is a psychological problem that must be fixed. He can't heal by himself. That's why we need you. We need you to look after him until he comes back to the Harry Potter we all know and love. What do you say?"

Draco stared out of the window. He knew that he didn't really have a choice, but he still didn't want to do it. He wanted to be alone. He didn't want to have someone around him all the time. But the headmaster appealed to his honour, and he had to admit that he got to like Harry in the two days that they spend at the manor.

"I will do it. But when I care for him, I will be the one who decides what he has to do and who he meets. I don't want his friends coming to us every time they feel like doing it. There are borders that can't be crossed."

"I agree to your conditions. You two will be given new quarters and I hope that you can bring us the old Harry back."

Draco just smiled at the headmaster, but he didn't know if he could do anything for Harry. He knew that the damage was severe. But there was another thing on his mind.

"Professor did you catch my father? I didn't see him at Malfoy Manor, when I woke up there."

"I am sorry to say this, but we couldn't find him. After all he was the most powerful man after Voldemort on the Dark Side. He must know a hiding place that is well protected. But don't worry, sooner or later we will find him. And I will personally make sure that he gets the punishment that he deserves."

Draco lay back on the bed. He wasn't sure if he shared Dumbledore's enthusiasm, he knew what his father was capable of doing. But he decided to wait and see what happened. Soon he fell asleep again. He had been drained of too much magic.

When he had fallen asleep, Dumbledore stood up and was standing right in front of Sirius Black.

"Albus, can we talk? It's really important."

"Of course my dear, but let's take it some place more private. And I am sure that Remus, Hermione, Ron and Mrs. Weasley who are standing outside are also eager to join us. If I am not mistaken, our topic will be our dear hero."

Sirius nodded and followed the headmaster out of the hospital wing, where the aforementioned people joined them. From there they went to the headmaster's office.

Once they arrived there Albus offered everybody some tea, before he explained them, what he had planned in order to help Harry.

"No, Albus! I can't believe that you are really thinking of giving the young Malfoy the responsibility for Harry! You can't do this. We are his family! And you know the saying that the apple doesn't fall far away from the tree. You don't know what he plans. For all we know he could murder Harry in the middle of the night!"

"Sirius, please calm down. I was hoping that you trust my judgement. You shouldn't judge Draco by his family. Or shall I judge you by yours or by the nice placards of you with the big red WANTED beneath your picture? The young Malfoy heir has shown that we can trust him. Without him, Voldemort would be still alive."

"Without him, Harry would be as he had been!"

"You are mistaken. It's a long time ago that Harry was as he used to be. This war has taken a great toll of him. He knew which risks he was taking when he went to Malfoy Manor.

I talked to him before the fight. And I will tell you something he entrusted to me, but it may help you to understand my point of view.

He told me straightforward that he didn't care if this was the last day in his life. I think we can't understand how much he was suffering under the current situation. He said, that he couldn't take it one more day.

He had made his peace. Harry would have happily died, if he could have saved the wizarding world and the people he loved this way. He was even content that in this case he would see his family again.

He did what he had to do. He saved us. Now it's our time to help him. And it's not doing any good, when we force him to be somewhere where he doesn't want to be.

He needs Draco. It may look like a very ironic thing, but I think that's just what the two of them need to heal from all their wounds."

There was a long silence in the room. Mrs. Weasley sniffed in her handkerchief, Hermione starred out the window, Remus looked at his feet, Sirius inspected his hands and Ron looked as he would explode any moment.

"You mean he wanted to die? Why didn't he tell any of us, how he felt? Maybe we could have helped him. We are his friends and not Malfoy! Maybe we have to bring him to St. Mungo's. They do really well with people that are mentally ill. Or he stays with my family! We will show him why life is worth living!

Professor, everybody can help him, but not Malfoy. He hates Harry he will treat him awfully. He is his enemy! He did so many awful things to him!"

"Please Ron, keep it down! I didn't say that Harry wanted to die. I told you that he didn't mind losing his life, if this was the price that had to be paid for everyone's freedom. No, Harry wanted to live. He wanted to be happy again. But as the situation was that was no option available to him. For him it was only fighting and people, that he liked, dying around him. And I can only repeat that Mr. Malfoy is an admirable young man. But his life isn't happy at all. He lost every family member, although they might not be dead. Harry can be his new family. Draco needs something in his life what keeps him busy, or all the sad things that happened to him will overwhelm him. Can you see now, that they can help each other? And you can be sure, that he will care well for him. He proved it already; otherwise we wouldn't have found Harry alive. You should be grateful and let time do it's work. Everything will turn out to be alright."

The room was silent again after the long monologue of the headmaster. Mrs. Weasley was the first person to talk again.

"Albus, you know that Harry is like a son to me. Can you assure me that the Malfoy lad will do no harm to him? I don't want to loose another son."

Saying this she embraced Ron and waited for Dumbledore's answer.

"Molly, you know me a long time. You know that you can trust me. And I swear, that Draco Malfoy will not harm Harry."

Molly cleared her throat and looked relieved around the room. Resolutely she said:

"Well, we have a lot to do. Let's find some nice quarters for the two boys. It must have enough place and a separate bathroom. I think that they should share a room. This way Draco is there if Harry needs help at night. Ron told me that he often suffering under nightmares."

While Molly Weasley, started to plan everything, the others were looking at each other. It seemed that a unspoken promise was given that everybody would do his or her best to make Harry happy again. Even if it meant that they had to let somebody else care for him.

Three days later the two boys were deemed to be healthy enough to move to their new room. Draco hadn't spoken much to Harry, because most of the time they had been asleep. But he had explained to Harry how his living conditions would change and that he would care for him.

For Harry nothing seemed to matter much, but he seemed to be very happy and relieved that he would share rooms with Draco.

At 11 o'clock they arrived their new home. Molly Weasley had shown them the way, but she had left quickly so they could explore their new home privately. It was one big room that contained two beds on opposite sides of the room, two dressers, two working places and a big plush sofa and a coffee table in front of a huge fireplace. Everything looked really cosy and Draco knew immediately that he would enjoy staying here.

The two boys were still standing in the middle of the room. Harry still held Draco's hand tightly as he had done the whole way from the hospital wing to this room. At first Draco had thought that it was really embarrassing. Almost like a child. But he knew that Harry wasn't a child, he was a young man that needed his help.

Finally Draco fully understood to what he agreed. It was frightening. It was the first time that he was personally responsible for another human being. He became overwhelmed by this task.

But then he felt that Harry was pressing his hand and that he looked up at him in a reassuring and trusting manner. And that made him feel better, suddenly he felt happy and content. He smiled back at Harry, something he hadn't done in a long time.

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TBC

A/N: Please review!