An hour after the Slytherins returned from dinner and were situated comfortably throughout the common room, Draco happily took the time to ward everyone off the couch so that he could use it himself. Happily was only to say that that was how good of an actor he could be. Though the couch did allow less pain, and he was able to lay there without anyone bothering him.

Yet, the bitter thoughts about Potter returned. If it was anything he wasn't expecting, it was for something like this to happen. The boy actually seemed intent on finding out what was the matter with him, if he felt better, and who did it to him. Caring about such things with someone who had spent their life trying to hurt him just didn't seem right. Chances were that Potter was trying to making himself trustworthy enough so that Draco would end up telling him something.

But he hated dwelling on this. It was this very idea of worrying about this entire thing getting out, that he had gotten so worked up in the forest. Luckily, all of his housemates seemed to believe that it hadn't happened and that this ordeal with Potter was just a joke.

Draco glanced to the side to watch Pansy and Blaise for a few moments. He noticed that she was spending a lot more time with the other Slytherin instead of with him. Not that Draco particularly cared.

Blaise was reading her a note that his owl must've brought him during dinner. Which was another thing; they no longer spoke of what information they received anymore. They'd been keeping him out of the loop without him noticing. Draco's eyes narrowed before looking away to glare at the fireplace.

That's when Blaise suddenly came up behind him. Hands came down on his shoulders to get his attention, and Draco nearly jumped out of his skin. "Hey there, Draco. Don't have a heart attack." Blaise smirked and made his way around the couch to sit beside him; Draco made more room.

"What do you want?" Draco asked, thinking it had something to do with earlier. He took a quick glimpse to see where Pansy was, and he noticed her busy behind a book, yet she held a slightly sickly expression. She sat in the back corner of the room.

"There's something I've been wanting to tell you..." Blaise spoke, his voice rising to catch Draco's attention again.

The pale Slytherin looked back at him. "Which is?"

Blaise chanced a glance toward Pansy before answering. Draco noticed, but didn't want to think about it. There was rarely a time where his housemates were planning anything against him; nothing he should worry about, at least.

"Ok... itsbeenliketwoyearsandithinkimgay," Blaise said in a rush.

It took Draco a while before he fully processed that sentence. Thankfully that hadn't needed repeating. He spoke slowly. "It's been two years and you think you're gay?"

"Yeah," Blaise said awkwardly; he was fiddling with his thumbs while looking down at his hands.

"And... why would you want to tell me this?" Draco asked skeptically. He didn't act too abashed at the news; it seemed as though Blaise was lying.

"Because... er..." Blaise suddenly looked remarkably uncomfortable.

"Yes?" Draco urged impatiently.

"Well... you're the person... that I... like."

There was silence then, and Blaise continued sitting there with his gaze on his hands. Draco's facial expression didn't change at all, but he scooted a few centimeters away as he started to think.

The entire school will end up going mad sooner or later...

Blaise, gay? It seemed impossible to Draco. And why he chose to tell him now? Did anyone else know? Possibly Pansy. That would explain why she looked so nauseous. All Draco knew now was that he was feeling very... indifferent.

"Okay," Draco finally said. Blaise looked up.

"Okay?" He questioned nervously.

Draco shrugged. "I'm not gay. I'm sorry."

"Oh, okay," Blaise muttered quietly. He sat there for a few more seconds before getting up. "See you later, then." He made his way back over to Pansy, who Draco noticed was sending quick peeks Blaise's way.

Something had to be going on. Draco didn't think that now was the time to believe anything they were saying. Nothing like this happened out of nowhere. Everyone was going against their normal character. He sighed, falling back to lay along the couch again.

As he closed his eyes, trying to block out the sounds of talking around him, he heard a few snippets of conversation. Surprisingly, he recognized the hurried whispers as belonging to Blaise and Pansy.

"You have a better chance than I do, Pansy."

"No, I don't! I can tell he'd never like me like that. It wouldn't work."

"Well what the hell do you want me to do, then?"

"I don't know

"Shh, he's just over there!"

The voices lowered and Draco was no longer able to hear them. He was trying hard not to get up and go ask what the hell they thought they were doing. If they were planning anything, he wouldn't have any part in it. He wouldn't let either of them near him. Ever.

It was in the middle of sleeping when Draco suddenly felt himself warm up. The warmth seemed to be coming from somewhere below him. Every other second he felt a pleasantly warm shiver shoot up his spine, which left goose bumps along his arms. He shifted about feverishly, letting out a soft moan.

After a while, he felt that the source was actually coming from a gentle, pressuring movement against his groin. It was soothing... unlike the discomfort he had felt before. Another quiet moan was let loose; he wasn't content on waking up. He didn't want it to stop...

At that time, his eyes snapped open. He jerked away from whoever's hand had been doing that and hurriedly backed up against the arm of the couch. His eyes tried to adjust to the almost pitch black darkness that met him.

"Blaise?" Draco questioned. He thought he saw the boy sitting at the end of the couch.

"Hmm?" Was his response.

"What do you think you're doing?" Draco felt shaky all over. Whatever leftover pain he had been feeling from his encounter in the forest had completely disappeared. It left him surprised, but not enough to distract him from the other Slytherin.

"I was... um... massaging you?"

Draco remained silent. He sat there, staring at him.

"Draco?"

"I told you that I wasn't gay, Blaise."

"But you were just"

"I wasn't doing anything!"

"Yes, you were! You were moaning! I heard you!"

"Well..." Draco stopped, trying to think. He seemed to be getting confused. "Well... I... anyone would have, for god sake!"

"I'm not too sure about that," Blaise spoke quietly.

"I am," Draco shot back, annoyed. "I don't enjoy being sexually harassed by my own bloody dorm mate."

"Sexually harassed?" Blaise snorted.

"I'm not kidding, Zabini!" Draco's voice rose.

"Shhh. Everyone's sleeping," the other warned.

"Get away from me," Draco said darkly, "Please. So I can get up."

"You can get up without me getting away from you."

Draco glared, but was sure that Blaise couldn't see it. He stood up from the couch, trying not to run into the small table in front of the fireplace on the way toward the entrance of the common room. He could hear someone following behind him. "Don't follow me."

"You're going the wrong way. The dorm is behind you."

"I know. I'm leaving." Draco replied.

"Don't leave... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I thought you were just lying earlier, because you know... it's normal to..."

"I'm not!"

"Not what?"

"Just shut up!" Draco had felt his way to the entrance, and was now tugging it open. He stumbled out into the dimly lit corridor, where the light only radiated from the torches.

"C'mon, Draco..." Blaise pleaded, trying to get him to listen.

"Just leave me alone before I hex you," Draco threatened. He turned around to glare at the other boy again, feeling a bit better now that he could see him clearly. "I don't want you around me anymore. I don't like you. And I'm just tired of everyone doing this to me!"

"Doing what?" Blaise asked, confused.

"Just..." Draco sighed angrily, "Well you don't need to bloody know everything, alright?"

"Okay, okay." Blaise stopped talking for a few minutes. Draco thought that he might be getting ready to leave. If not, he'd be angry. They were standing in the middle of the dungeons, for god sake, and for no apparent reasonable reason.

"Can you just let me kiss you?" Blaise asked suddenly.

Draco scowled. "No."

"I know you don't like me. It's just... it's been two years, Draco! At least for a few seconds... it's the only thing I'll ever ask of you."

"No," Draco seethed.

"Please?" Blaise repeated.

"No."

"Why no..."

"FINE! Do whatever the hell you want!" Draco shouted. It startled Blaise enough to send him stepping back a foot. Though it didn't take the boy too long to recover.

"Really?" He asked quietly. Draco merely stood there, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. He wasn't sure if he was really serious or not, but he wanted Blaise to leave him the hell alone. He wanted everyone to leave him alone. They may think that he wanted all of this attention, but they gave no real regard to it and his personal privacy.

Blaise began making his way forward. He was eying Draco warily, as if he didn't believe him. "It won't be that bad..." He said, assuring Draco.

Draco still didn't answer. And then Blaise stopped, watched to see if Draco's expression changed at all, and leaned swiftly forward, catching his lips in an eager kiss. Draco swayed a bit backwards, and forced his eyes shut. He didn't feel disgusted, like he knew he should have... he knew he wasn't gay. But he did feel horrible; like he was allowing someone else to take advantage of him...

"You're resisting... the Unforgivable curses apply to this too."

"Please... don't do this to me. I'll do anything..."

"Let me do this, then. If you don't resist, I won't hurt you."

Draco struggled to shove his father's voice out of his head, and when he felt that Blaise's kiss was lasting far too long than what he had meant, he uncrossed his arms and tried pushing him away. He felt Blaise's hands move up to hold onto his waist.

He pushed again, becoming a bit panicked when Blaise didn't pull away and instead tried to deepen the kiss. Draco was beginning to feel trapped again. He shoved one more time, this time with all the strength he could. Blaise stumbled back onto the floor, looking hurt.

"I didn't say ten minutes," Draco said shakily.

"I...I'm sorry... just lost track of time..."

"Ok, well you got your kiss. Now please leave me alone."

Blaise struggled to stand up again, and he eyed Draco. This time it looked as though he might have felt sorry for him. Draco was trying to keep himself calm.

"Don't stay out too late..." Blaise started.

"I won't!"

With that, Blaise turned around and made his way back inside the common room, seeming to have a jump in his step even though he'd just been pushed to the ground. Once he was gone, Draco started making his way quickly down the hall. For some strange reason, his knees felt weak, as if he'd fall any second.

He was moving so fast toward the doors leading outside that he barely heard someone else running quickly ahead of him. And before he knew it, the person in front of him had stopped to listen, not knowing that Draco was behind, and the Slytherin ran straight into them.

When Draco looked quickly around in front of him and could hear heavy breathing, yet saw nothing, he knew who it was instantly. "Damn it, Potter." His voice sounded very strained, as if her were on the verge of breaking down. Harry drew off his invisibility cloak quickly, and backed away from Draco.

He looked slightly taken aback, and also very cautious. "Malfoy... again?"

"No."

"Out to get some more of those marks?" Harry's eyes narrowed.

"No." Draco's eyes were beginning to burn. He suddenly turned around to make his way around the other boy. But he grabbed his arm to keep him from going. "Let go of me!"

"I saw you in the dungeons, Malfoy."

Draco froze. "Let go of me or I'll hurt you."

Harry didn't. "Why can't you just tell me what's happening? I could help you, Malfoy."

"We hate eachother, Potter."

"I know... it's just, it doesn't matter who you are... if someone's taking advantage of you, then you should ask for help."

"God... just..." Draco started anxiously.

But that seemed to be it for Draco. He couldn't take it anymore. Instead of getting furious and shoving the other boy away, he did the complete opposite. He turned back around to face Harry, and leaned against him. He let his head rest on his shoulder. "You help me, then," he said softly.

Draco didn't want to do this anymore; he didn't have it in him. He was losing the grasp he had on his own life. Nearly everyone at the school was pestering him, either trying to get him to join one side or to take advantage of him. And his own father was abusing him.

All he wanted was for someone here to actually want to help him. He didn't care who it was. And Potter wasn't pushing him away.