Harry sat up lazily and watched Draco, who laid next to him. "I couldn't make it without you," he said mostly to himself. In his opinion, Draco looked so cute while he slept. The 6th year changed everything between them. After that, there wasn't turning back. But only Harry and Draco knew about that. Harry smiled to that year.

Lucius Malfoy had escaped from Azkaban already during the summer vacation. That, of course, was a big setback to the Ministry of Magic. Draco Malfoy had been spending his ordinary vacation in the Manor when he heard the news. Narcissa had come to tell his son about the matter, while he had been playing Quidditch. Draco was slightly pleased with the news. It wouldn't do, that a member of the Malfoy family would be lying in Azkaban. But it didn't change the fact that the Malfoy family had been tainted the worse way possible. Bloody Potter!

Draco met with his father three times during the vacation and they were quick meetings. Somehow they still brightened the boy's day, even though they never did anything. Draco was doing great in school also, but it was the Christmas holiday that messed everything up.

Narcissa had sent a letter week beforehand, where she stated that Draco would be spending his holiday in Italy with his father. Draco wasn't bothered by the information and when the vacation started he was transported to Italy by his mother via portkey. Draco didn't fully understand the meaning of this. Why on earth did his father suddenly insist to spend time with Draco? Well, the boy didn't need to ponder the matter too long. The second morning his father brought up the conversation about Draco's career as a Deatheater. Draco wasn't too sure about how to react. For a half a year he had started to think that bowing down to someone and spending time in Azkaban wasn't something a Malfoy should do. Draco had heard all the comments about the matter and he had almost lost his title as the Prince of Slytherins. For a week Draco gathered his courage and on Christmas Eve he stepped up to his father and told him with a straight face, that Draco Malfoy wouldn't be bowing any mudblood gaffer. That would be disgraceful.

After that the holiday turned into living Hell. Draco went through countless amount of Crucios, lectures and beatings that made him numb. He was locked to his room, forbidden to go anywhere. But this all was nothing compared to what happened the last day of the holiday.

Lucius returned his house slightly drunk that evening and walked straight to Draco's room, where Draco was writing a letter to his mother. Somehow Draco knew what was going to happen, the mere look in his father's eyes told everything. Draco knew running was useless, so he ended up helplessly letting his father abuse him. Of course he tried to defend himself with the few lousy ways he had, but the fact was, that he wasn't as strong as his father. Draco was the underdog to begin with. But the abuse wasn't the thing that messed up Draco's life; it was the rape that followed. Draco would never forget that day, nor would Lucius Malfoy.

The next morning Draco lolled in the shower and rocked his body back and forth with glazed eyes. Lucius was still sleeping. The boy trembled and was totally absentminded about his surroundings. Finally he had understood that the shower wouldn't make him feel better. At the same time a violent feeling of fury and disgust towards his father had struck into Draco. He wanted a revenge. The boy dressed up hastily, took his wand and walked to the bed. Draco slapped his father with power, which woke him up.

"What?" the angry voice demanded.

"Get up," Draco spat, fire flashing in his eyes.

Lucius lifted his head and was staring at the tip of his son's wand. He stood up from the bed, holding the blanket around his waste. "What the hell do you think you're doing with that wand? Put it away immediately!" Lucius bellowed.

Draco shook his head. "No, not this time. Never again... Goodbye Lucius," Draco said and for the first time he called his father by his first name. "Avada Kedavra!" Words echoed in the room.


Draco travelled to Hogwarts the first possible way and walked straight to the headmaster's office. It had taken a lot of strength, because Draco was afraid of the consequences. It just happened that at the same time in the office had been Harry Potter. Draco cast Harry a quiet and broken glance.


"Draco Malfoy, what brings you here?" the headmaster asked calmly.

Draco glanced at Harry like asking him to leave. "I… I… Well… Lucius… Lucius is dead," Draco stammered beginning to tremble, cold tears rolled to his cheeks. Not because of what he had done, but because of what he had went through.

Dumbledore looked at the boy slightly surprised and glanced at Harry. He watched Draco with a look that told Draco that Harry knew how he felt. It was then that the unbelievable had happened; Harry went and hugged Draco, not caring about the other boy's reaction.

At first, Draco had tensed up and cast a shocked look to the other boy. Draco couldn't understand Harry's gesture, but he gave up and relaxed, although he felt himself an idiot.

"Harry! What are you doing?" Draco asked after awhile with a faint blush.

"Don't you see? I'm hugging you," Harry answered with a smile. Draco was left speechless. The headmaster smiled vaguely, which irritated Draco greatly. As if it was totally normal, that the Wonder Boy came and hugged a Slytherin boy in the middle of the Dumbledore's office.

Draco freed himself from Harry's embrace and glanced at him silently then lifting his eyes to Albus. "So… Could we talk in private?" Draco asked clumsily.


Harry had left and Draco had told everything to the headmaster. Dumbledore had listened carefully and hadn't used any accusing word.

Draco couldn't however walk away just like that. The headmaster had ordered Draco to visit the hospital wing for therapy the rest of the year. Another golden idea of Dumbledore's was that Draco should try and spend time with Potter and the Wonder Trio. Kind of like community service, really. Every class that they had, Draco and Harry would be working-partners. That all could've been handled, but the final nail to Draco's coffin, was the idea of Draco living in Gryffindor House for the rest of the year. By that time Draco had been willing about going to the Azkaban.

After Draco had realised, he didn't have all that many options, he had hauled his stuff to the Gryffindor Tower, cursing heavily. Draco had received few weird looks, when he had walked straight to Harry's Dormitory, where the boy already was, reading a book. Draco had grimaced and went to his bed, not bothering with the greeting. Because Dumbledore had been with Draco, no one started to shout anything. The situation was cleared to the rest of the House and then Dumbledore had left, just like that. Harry had watched Draco in silence and shaken his head.

Draco had languished the two first weeks, Harry was just the worst company possible. He was completely depressed and the boy's mood kept swinging in every know direction. It hadn't been a blast for Draco either; every night the boy had climbed to the North Tower and repeated the happenings under the Italian sun in his mind. Finally he had become so numb, he didn't even care if he was stuck up with Potter or not.

But one night Harry had appeared and watched Draco in deep silence. "Draco? What's wrong with you? You've been all weird for two weeks now. I understand it hurts that your father passed away," Harry started quietly, but was interrupted.

"Hurts? Hurts who? His death doesn't hurt me, I was the one who killed him," Draco snapped and caused Harry to startle.

Why on earth would anyone do such a thing? Harry sat down next to the boy. "I know I'm not the person you'd be first to tell about your worries and memories, but I have a feeling, that you don't have lot of options," Harry blurted out clumsily.

Draco glanced at the other boy and wasn't sure what to do. Part of him wanted to hate Harry out of the idea and throw in something nasty. But the other part had had a chance to get to know the boy in the past two weeks, even if the boy was melancholic and angstic god-son most of the times.

"Okay. I went to Italy for the Christmas holiday," the boy started and spilled out the whole story pressing his head to his knees afterwards.

Harry was quiet. What could one say? Harry swallowed and then hugged Draco. It was strange to hug your long-term nemesis, with which one had been forced to put up with for two whole weeks.

"I'd just want to jump out of the window and end my miserable life. I feel so horrible, I can't stand myself," Draco said with agonized tone of voice.

Harry nodded. "Guess how many times I've thought the same after Sirius died? But still, it wouldn't be right. Someone would still be left behind to miss," Harry stated.

Draco turned his blank stare to Harry. "No one would miss me at all. I'm not like you Harry. I'm not the 'popular' and famous one, who always has real friends," he said coldly.

"Here's one, who would want to be your real friend, if you only accept him. I know, this is weird; we've hated each other for ages. But I think we should just get over it, besides, we've put up with each other for days already," Harry explained.

Draco looked at Harry with arched eyebrows and shook his head. "You're a mental case, you know that Potter? But since your offer sounds so interesting, I'm going to take it for pure curiosity," the boy said with a small grin.

Harry smiled at his memories and dressed up. As he was leaving, Draco woke up.

"Harry?" the boy asked, lifting his head.

Harry smiled at him. "Yeah… I was just leaving. Or should I wait for you?" he asked.

Draco nodded and started to dress up hastily. He walked out from the broom closet after Harry and was suddenly pressed against the wall for a possessing kiss.

Unfortunately just then Ron walked to the scene. Not believing his eyes, the redheaded boy stared at them and rubbed his eyes couple of times. "Harry?" he asked with unsure tone of voice.

Harry lets Draco go immediately and turned towards his friend. Harry grimaced and searched for the appropriate words. "Ron… Well…" Harry begun.

Ron's face had gone bright red. "Is this how you treat Ginny? Cheat on her behind her back? How dare you!" Ron shouted and ran off, leaving a pair of stupidified boys standing at the corridor.

Hermione and Ginny had decided to head out for a small picnic at morning. Ginny seemed to need some kind of cheering up. At the evening before, Ginny had told Hermione about the broke up between Harry and her. Hermione had been slightly surprised about it, but decided to ask the boy himself later. He hadn't returned the Common Room the whole night. As for herself, Hermione had noticed that the 'therapy' of Draco, had indeed helped. She didn't feel herself so weak anymore. Even if she cried herself to sleep sometimes, it didn't bother so much.

"You and Harry should talk. I'm sure Harry wouldn't make up something like that," Hermione said determinately.

"I don't know, we've had it bad for weeks," Ginny snorted.

"He really has been kind of out there," the other girl admitted.

"What about you and Ron? Are you going to clear up your messes?" Ginny asked.

"I don't think so. I'm sure he has moved on with his life, like I said earlier and I on the other hand, have something else to occupy myself with," Hermione answered.

"He's so not. He wants you back. He only made a humane mistake, but you have somehow… built this ice wall around yourself and won't let him get to you. You're not giving him a chance," Ginny said and watched her friend.

At that time, very pissed off Ron Weasley stormed to them. Hermione thought that the boy had somehow found out about her and Draco.

"Ginny, do you have a moment to spare?" Ron asked with a high-pitched voice.

Hermione sneered. "Please, be seated. I was just going to go do my homework," Hermione stated calmly and started to walk towards the castle.

"What is it?" Ginny asked. Ron sat down and for few moments watched Hermione go. "You two should talk," Ginny hinted.

"Harry's cheating on you!" Ron blurted out.

Ginny looked at Ron with realization. "Oh I see, so that's why he dumped me yesterday," the girl sighed.

Ron looked at Ginny with a shock. "DUMPED YOU? For that… that… that… ferret?" Ron shouted looking for the most fitting word to describe Malfoy.

Ginny frowned. "Do you mean Draco?" she asked.

"Yes, I saw them kiss!" Ron exclaimed.

Before Ron had a chance to start the yelling again, Harry entered the scene. "Ron… I…" Harry begun, but noticed the look on Ginny's face. So, Ron told her. "I'll explain it later. Ginny, could we talk for a second?" Harry asked cautiously.

Ginny snorted and stood up. "Why would I be interested in discussing anything with you? Don't you understand how badly you insulted me yesterday? You just took off," Ginny said and glared at Harry.

Harry grimaced. "I'm really sorry about that, but… I wasn't really myself," the boy said.

"That's right, because you were in such a hurry to meet Draco Malfoy!" Ginny snapped. Harry blushed. "Well, alright. Come on." Ginny said and started to walk towards the Quidditch field, leaving Ron to stare daggers after them.