CORRECTION! This is set in sixth year, not seventh!

Also, I pushed out this chapter, I need to get on, so mistakes may be present, lemme know!

Thank you to my reviewes, few have you been.

Aurora Enkeli Medeis for putting up with me and my story so far, and giving me lots of confidance with this fic. Love ya!


"I think we all missed dinner," Naruto sighed, "How about a trip to the kitchens eh?" All four boys were walking back towards the dorms, when Naruto pointed out the obvious, due to everybody's rumbling and anxious stomachs.

Everybody nodded and changed direction, walking in unison and in silence towards the dungeons.

They soon moulded into a kind of square: Sasuke and Naruto leading side by side, and Harry and Draco following, side by side again.

"It's a lot to take it," Draco mumbled to Harry, the first form of contact on a one to one basis since the early afternoon, "I feel slightly sick with the thought. What if it is all bullshit?"

Harry sighed and put a hand on Draco's shoulder, "Bullshit maybe, but I would rather go ahead with it. I often wondered what would happen when Voldemort passed, what direction would my life take? All I have ever lived for is to kill him, and well once he is gone what else will I have?" Harry inhaled heavily, letting his hand slide down Draco's left arm.

"You have friends, albeit distant ones." Draco offered.

"Fame and glory is all they crave. Sure they would be upset if it passed, but not as much as I would like."

The boys walked in silence after that, each and everyone of them relating, in some way, to what Harry had said. This was now something to live for.

XXXXXX

The door to the kitchens opened slowly, exposing a very, very tidy kitchen that glistened with importance.

"Gee's, the house elves really don't have much to do now the students are at home do they?" Naruto asked whilst scratching his head, "Hello?" He shouted.

And as if disturbing a cave full of bats, they were bombarded with offers and greetings from each section of the room. "Sorry Sirs I was just cleaning out the tea kettle…from inside-washing up the stairwell-lighting-my-ass-on-marshmallows?" Came the chatter from over a hundred eager and awaiting house elves. Harry laughed at the sentence he seemed to have pulled out from the sea of house elves.

"Ramen all round!" Naruto screeched.

"Yes Sirs, yes!" In unison from all the house elves.

After the sea had parted, they made there way to sit down at the table that sat in front of the entrance to the kitchens. The hardwood table held many carvings, detailing stories of lovers past and monsters that stalked the halls of Hogwarts.

"You have tried ramen, yes?" Naruto asked. Sasuke shook his head.

"If his obsession with it gets any bigger, I swear I shall ban him from eating it for a month!"

"What is ramen exactly?" Draco asked.

"Noodles in soup, and you put anything in it! Dumplings, chicken, beef…beef…" Naruto started too drool.

"You will catch flies like that!" Harry laughed.

"So what kind of ramen are we eating?" Draco inquired.

"Well, I believe the house elves have a way of knowing what you would prefer, yes?" Draco nodded towards Sasuke, "Well then… no one knows!"

Within seconds the ramen for all four boys was in front of them, accompanied by four sets of chopsticks. Harry looked amazed at the steak filled, super size, noodle and coriander swamped bowl in front of him. Draco was ogling at the huge bowl of soupy noodles, that was thickened by chicken pieces, that looked stir fried.

"We have the traditional stuff: Boiled egg, dumplings…the lot!" Naruto interrupted their chains of thought.

"Uh… Harry?" Draco whispered, "I don't know how to eat with chopsticks!"

"Ahh, by the way, if you don't know how to eat with chopsticks don't worry, because they are charmed so you will pick it up instantly.

And they did, all four boys sat in silence, eating and slurping there food, until each bowl was dry.

"Like?" Naruto asked, his hands on the back of his head and stomach bulging.

"Loved it!" Draco beamed, all thoughts of being sick absent from his mind.

"Was so good!" Harry added!

Sasuke clicked his fingers, "Green tea!" He bellowed and in turn, green tea was on the table steaming.

Sasuke poured the drink, placing the cups in front of each boy on the table. "So tell us about yourselves, if we have to be together for as long as it seems, we might as well get to know each other."

"Well, I'm Draco Malfoy, arsehole extraordinaire and I come from a lineage of complete and utter morons! And this here is Harry Potter, the golden boy who lived, typical courageous Gryffindor and boy beautiful." Draco's heart stopped at the last exclamation while Harry smirked into his green tea.

"Not as beautiful as you Draco darling," Harry added, with just a hint of sarcasm in his voice, which made Draco choke slightly and Sasuke raise an eyebrow.

"Are you two…a couple…or something?" Naruto pushed out.

Harry and Draco looked between each other, the blonde blushing and the raven haired boy smirking overtly, "What if we are?" Harry asked.

"That would mean that there are three boys in this group who don't mind a bit of boy-love!" Naruto chirped.

Draco's eyes lit up, "Your…gay?" He asked.

"Asking for a threesome!" Naruto smirked, wiggling his eyebrows!

"I'm not gay," Harry responded, "Sorry."

XXXXX

All four boys walked back towards there room shortly after Harry's, now very familiar, confession.

"We need to talk," Draco whispered to Harry, "Come to my rooms in fifteen minutes." Harry nodded and left Draco to enter his rooms.

"See ya!" Harry chirped to Sasuke and Naruto, who bowed there heads in return and stalked to there dormitory.

XXXXX

"Draco?" Harry called towards the painting that concealed the entrance, "Pringle." He whispered to the artwork, and walked in the room.

Draco was sitting in the alcove listening to music Harry hadn't heard before, however it intrigued the Brunette.

"What's this?" He asked, startling the blonde.

"Have no idea!" The blonde smiled, and motioned for Harry to sit down, and as he did, Draco turned down the music and moved to face Harry on the sofa.

"You wanted to talk to me?" Harry asked, slightly unnerved.

"Yeah… Harry?" Draco inhaled, letting the words flow around in his mind slowly, "I'm scared of this…war we have to participate in."

Harry eyed Draco curiously, "You're scared?" He smiled, "I'm relieved!"

"I bet, not so much onus on you now is there?" Draco huffed, "But me? I have been thrown into this huge blending machine of evil!" Harry laughed, to which Draco scowled, "It isn't funny Harry, I have lived the past months free of evil, free of the Death eaters and now I have to help you and the new kids to defeat something I haven't even heard of…I'm confused!" Draco let his head drop, tears threatening to expel themselves.

"Don't be, I know it must seem desperately confusing and well yes, it is a catch 22 situation. But honestly it wont be as bad as it seems when you get into things… longer holidays Draco…longer holidays." Harry exaggerated the last words, which made Draco smile.

"I guess," He shrugged.

"Draco, is something else troubling you?"

"Why would you think that Harry, I'm fine!" He moved slightly away from Harry.

"I think that because of what has happened between us, and when I caught you throwing up." Harry looked upon Draco concerned.

"Harry, its nothing out the normal I assure you!" Draco snapped subtly.

"Normal for who Draco? You're thinner than anyone else in this damn castle. Your bones stick through, your skin is paper thin…" Harry broke off.

"Normal for me ok?" Draco entwined his fingers, "It's getting better… I just don't need upset ok?"

"Did I make you sick?" Harry worriedly asked.

"Yes, when you left."

"When did you start being sick?"

"When my father first made me, when I was ten. I guess it's a salvation now, something to save me from reality." He looked away.

"I'm sorry Dray…" Harry once again placed his hand on Draco's shoulder, and with the touch, Draco couldn't help himself but to let the tears fall.

"No, Draco why are you crying!" Harry pulled the blonde into him, holding him close, "I promise, it will be ok! It's just a problem, we will over come it!" He rocked Draco.

"We?"

"You over your problem and me over mine." Harry stated.

"Yours? You're drinking?" Draco looked up at Harry, his bloodshot eyes wide.

"My drinking." He reiterated.

"How did you start?" Soft were the words.

"In the summer, my cousin Dudley noticed a change in me and softened to me slightly. He bought me the booze to try and calm my random outburst and guilt over Sirius.

I got hooked easily, because it numbed the pain."

"How do you get drink now?"

"House elves. They have a lot of respect for me, seeing as I treat them well. I guess it's a thank you." He smiled, "Doesn't help anymore though, I can't get rid of the feelings and I very rarely get pissed anymore. I'm too resistant to it."

"That happens," Draco kept looking up, "I would be happy to help you know."

The smiled towards each other, and Draco moved to sit up, "Harry? What's happening between us?" The words turned Harry cold inside, like his innards had turned to ice.

"Us?" He asked.

"Well, one minute I can't stand you, and the next all I want to do is talk to you, kiss you even." Draco paused, letting his body react to the adrenalin pulsing through him, "Something about you drives me crazy in so many ways. And I see you looking at me in so many different natures.

One minute you hate me, the next you look at me like I am the only person in the world."

"Draco-"

"And then you tell me you aren't gay, and I believe you Harry, I do, but I can't get a hold of why you might be acting the way you do."

"I…Draco…" Harry faintly pleaded, "Draco… I am looking at you now and yes, I have feelings. But feelings are just feelings, I barely know you-"

"That isn't true, you know more about me than anyone else!"

"-And besides, I promised myself not to get involved with anyone because of the war!" Harry ran his hands through his hair with agitation.

"But now were in the war together!" Draco bellowed.

"And what does that change? If I get involved, supposing I do prefer men to women, then what if I lose you?" Harry cowered at the thought of another lost person.

"Then the whole group fails and we loose the war." Harry's mind went silent from Draco's words.

"And what if we break up?" He asked calmly, "What if that puts an unbearable rift between the group, our music, and our lives!"

"I'm not saying lets get into a full blown relationship Harry, I am asking you what you feel towards me!"

"I feel like I could protect you until the ends of the earth, and even longer after that, and yes, there is a certain feeling there but I don't want to think of that."

"Why not exactly?" Draco stretched the point.

"Because I don't want to be gay!" Harry regretted the words as they came out.

"You can't deny it if you are, Harry. It will only come round and bite you in the arse!"

Harry laughed, "The only thing that wants to bite my arse is you Draco!"

"So what if I do?" The fair boy mumbled.

"Nothing Draco, nothing!" Harry kept on giggling.

"You sound like a school girl. Pansy at best!"

"Oh shush, it's not my fault your funny!"

"Don't forget cute!" Draco stuck his tongue out before standing up and stretching, feeling the heat of Harry's eyes on him the whole time. "I like when you stare at me."

"I like when I stare at you too."

"Harry… I understand that you may not want to be with me, but don't pass up the opportunity forever. You will need someone to be there for you at the worst of times, when you need to scream and all you can do is reach for that bottle, you will need someone there to keep you in line, to reassure you that you needn't drink, someone to make you happy.

I don't want you to be sad Harry, you shouldn't have to be. You have done so much for everybody around you, including me, and you deserve more than sadness!" Harry stood up and pulled Draco into a hug.

Draco felt helpless, empty. He wanted to scream at Harry, to plead with him for a kiss that would ease his sadness, his black void. And yet he couldn't, and still he felt the hollowness below his heart, the aching depth of nothing that seemed to draw the blonde into the cycle of depression.

"Cheer up Dray…" Harry said delicately whispered.

"I can't Harry, I really can't!" Draco melted slightly as Harry held him close, swaying slightly.

"What would make you happy?" Harry asked, albeit stupidly, because he knew the answer would be him, even if it was unspoken. However he silently hoped it might be said.

But Draco merely laughed half heartedly, wishing he could answer truthfully.

"I don't know what I could do Draco." Harry whispered.

"Kiss me…" The words barely audible, travelled to Harry's ears triggering a shiver down his spine. He lifted Draco away slightly, before moving his face closer, lips brushing gently against each others, before he pulled away slightly and smiled at the blonde, "And again?" Draco asked.

XXXXXX

"You don't seem very excitable," Naruto told Sasuke, "Especially seeing as Sophie is coming soon!" He stressed Sophie, knowing it would get the dark haired boy riled slightly.

"Of course I'm bloody excited, I can't wait… however I am not going to waste my chakra and energy on it!"

"Yeah," Naruto whined, "You'll need all your energy when she gets here!"

"No Naruto, get those idea's out of your head!" He looked up and smiled, "I need all my energy to deal with Katrina!" Both boys laughed, "And now my friend, I am going to bed!"

XXXXX

"I like you Draco…" Harry mused against Draco's ear, as he held the back of his head tightly whilst in a break from their kisses.

"I like you too Harry." Draco responded, earning another kiss from the one in-denial Harry.

"I'm sorry…" Draco broke him off by kissing him; however Harry caught the side of his face and rubbed his thumbs over his cheeks, and whilst looking deep in Draco's eyes, softly whispered his apology, "I'm sorry about before."

"Baby… don't worry about it, all is forgiven, and I understand the affects of denial!"

Harry kissed Draco once more, his lips just a ghost on Draco's, before he pulled away and walked towards the door, "I should go, it's getting late and today has left me slightly…worn out."

"But Harry…"

"But Harry…there is only one way that this will go tonight!" Harry mocked.

"That isn't true… Besides, if it did, well, we have already done it before!" Draco huffed.

"And if this is going to happen then I want it to go slowly ok?"

"Well stay and talk! Please…" Draco walked quickly towards Harry and placed his hands on the Gryffindor's hips, pulling him in direction to his bed, "Please." He moaned.

But Harry pulled away, "I told you so!" He chuckled.

"Just stop your playing hard to get and come here!" Draco stomped his foot and pointed to the spot in front of him.

"Playing hard to get is how I've survived the threat of Voldemort all these years…" And with that Harry was out of the portrait hole and into the confines of his room, smiling like an idiot.