The next day Draco returned to his normal schedule. Of course, it wasn't at all normal at the moment, but he could say that it was. He didn't mind sharing the same schedule as Harry, and he'd learned to ignore the others when it came to classes.

They were making their way back to the Gryffindor Tower after a long day enduring History of Magic, Transfiguration, and Herbology, and the other Gryffindors were dragging along behind them. Draco could feel eyes on the back of his head. He glanced back.

"What are you all looking at?" He asked coldly.

Most of them jumped as if they'd been in a trance and then looked away. Others, like Weasley or Finnigan, merely rolled their eyes and continued doing whatever they were. Which might've been staring at the back of his head, or maybe talking about him behind his back. Glaring, he returned to watching where he was heading.

"I'm sure they're only wondering why you were gone for nearly four days," Harry commented.

"So? If they want to ask, then they should. I won't bite them."

"They think you will."

Draco smirked, shaking his head as he looked to the ground. "I'll only agree to biting you."

Heat rose in Harry's cheeks again, and he fought to not look too uneasy all of a sudden, as his housemates were still behind him. Draco glanced up at him and grinned, glad he'd gotten Harry a bit flushed again; he found it to be incredibly easy.

They arrived at the common room about five minutes later, and everyone climbed their way inside, feeling relieved that another day of classes was over and done with. Draco was just about to make himself comfortable on the couch, when the opening of the portrait hole distracted him from it. It was Professor McGonagall.

Harry instantly walked over to stand beside Draco, a bit worried as to what the head of house was doing here. She didn't normally come inside unless something had happened. And as he suspected... she came over to where both Draco and Harry were standing.

"Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Potter, I must speak with you back at the Headmaster's office," she said quietly.

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"You will have to wait until we leave this room. Come along," she spoke hurriedly. They both did what they were told, but Draco couldn't help but get a bad feeling about this. He hadn't thought that anything else could go wrong... at least so quickly... and he hoped it wasn't anything too serious...

But then that wouldn't make any sense if the professor was taking them to Dumbledore's office.

"So what is it, then?" Draco asked, his tone somewhat impatient.

The Professor stopped walking, then turned around to face them. Her expression was solemn. "I'm sorry, Mr. Malfoy..."

All of a sudden, there seemed to be a pause in time. Every thought seemed to shut down and move toward the back of his mind... Draco knew what was wrong now. There was nothing else that could make them need to leave the common room to go have a talk with the Headmaster...

From a ways off, where McGonagall's words sounded like mere whispers, his guessing was confirmed.

"This evening... your mother was found dead."

Two hours later, back in the dorm, Draco was laying stomach first on the bed, his hands clutching onto the pillow as he cried into it. "God dammit, that bastard. I'm going to bloody kill him."

"Draco--"

"I swear that I am! As soon as I'm out of here, I'm going to use the killing curse and make sure he doesn't do anything ever again!" Draco was screaming, but his voice was muffled against the pillow. Harry watched him sadly, feeling as bad as the Slytherin did. He felt like he had let the boy down in some way, and his misery was as equal to his own.

"Please don't do that..." Harry said softly. He put his head in his hands, trying not to break down himself. "You can't throw your life away like that... he'll get what he deserves sooner or later."

"Well, if they don't do it soon, I'll do it myself. I don't care about what happens to me anymore. I won't have a life if I end up following Voldemort," Draco countered bitterly. "And I know I didn't pay enough attention to my mother, and that she wasn't there for me for a long time, but I still loved her, for god sake!" Out of frustration, Draco suddenly sat up on his knees, throwing the pillow across the room with an angry yell. He dropped back onto all fours.

Harry glanced up at Draco again, "I'm sorry, Draco."

"I know. Me too." Draco dropped down against the bed, turning to lay on his side. He was facing away from Harry. A hand lifted to rub at his eyes, which he assumed were more red than any other time he'd felt this low. Actually, he didn't think he had ever felt this low.

Nothing more was said between the two. Draco eventually fell asleep, mostly to try and forget about this entire thing. Or at least for a little while.

Harry watched him for a few minutes after that, and when his dorm mates came up to go to sleep themselves, they didn't speak to the either of them. They knew that something was wrong, and they didn't want to make anything worse. They'd gotten used to Draco, and understood it was best not to get involved. They finally understood that Draco had more problems in his life than they did.

Draco seemed to get more hostile as the days went by. He snapped at anyone who talked to him, including the professors. He'd gotten several warnings from McGonagall and Snape already, but they never gave him a detention. Harry supposed they knew what was wrong with him.

Harry was surprised that the boy was actually wanting to stay with him still. Draco had snapped at him once or twice too, but it'd only been because he didn't know who was behind him.

The students were soon on another break yet again. It seemed like the end of the year would be here in no time, though there were at least two months left until summer. There was no news of the Death Eaters or anything more on Draco's family. He had refused to go to his mother's funeral, in fear that his father might be there or possibly some people he really didn't want to see.

"Hey, Draco! How's life with Potter?"

It was a Friday, and they were on their way to the Great Hall for lunch. Blaise and a bunch of other Slytherins had come up beside Draco and Harry, looking smug. It triggered a burning surge of anger inside Draco, and he stopped to glare icily at the other Slytherin.

"You certainly don't look happy, do you?"

Draco still didn't say anything. He was thinking of how it was all Blaise's fault that his father was ruining his life. It was Blaise's fault that his mother was dead.

"... or are you still mourning over your mental mother? She wasn't that big of a loss."

"Go to hell, Zabini," Draco shot back.

Harry looked between them worriedly, wondering if he should get between an argument that might turn into something serious. Getting a Professor might be a better idea. So, cautiously, he began edging away from Draco and went the rest of the way into the Great Hall. They didn't notice.

Blaise smirked. "It's okay if you are. Though I'm not sure why. Wasn't she crazy and neglectful?"

"Sure she was, because of my fucking father!" Draco said angrily.

"You shouldn't talk about him like that." Blaise frowned.

"He bloody deserves to be called that. He's evil and so are you," Draco growled.

Draco's fists clenched at his sides as he continued glaring at Blaise. The Slytherins that were gathered behind him were being ignored; he was furious enough so that he couldn't even get himself to move.

"We're not. You're just making a mistake," Blaise said arrogantly,

"No, I'm not. You helped my father kill my mother. You've made me lose my entire family."

"It's not my fault that you wouldn't listen to your father the first time."

"HE'S CRAZY!"

"Yeah, you can keep saying that. We don't believe you."

"Haven't you met up with him since his escape?" Draco asked through gritted teeth. He turned his stare toward the floor; he could feel those images from his nightmare fighting to come back. He wasn't going to let them... not now, at least.

"No, but he's been keeping in touch," Blaise said hotly. "I don't see why you had to turn into such a wuss. And gay too, what the hell is that? Your father is furious at you."

As soon as that left Blaise's mouth, something snapped inside Draco. He couldn't take this anymore. He couldn't take the boy being around anymore. He needed to die; he needed to die along with the rest of the Death Eaters, and right now.

"Oh, really?" Draco seethed. In the next second, he strode his way quickly forward and shoved Blaise roughly aside. The boy stumbled and fell onto the ground, startled.

Draco thought the others would hurry up and come to Blaise's side, but they didn't. They backed up, looking wary. Draco had drawn out his wand, pointing it at Blaise's chest as the boy cowered nervously on the floor. "You're gay too, you know."

"I'm not!" Blaise countered darkly. "Get that wand away from me."

"No," Draco threatened, "And yes you are, you bloody idiot. What did you call it when you were doing whatever you wanted with me? You mistook me for a girl?"

"That was different! You weren't listening to your father!" Blaise defended.

"Sure it was! Everything is about him, isn't it!" Draco shouted. "You tell him everything too! You can't keep your mouth shut!"

"He wants to know--"

"I DON'T CARE WHAT HE WANTS TO KNOW. DON'T TELL HIM ANYTHING ELSE OR I'LL KILL YOU!"

"Mr. Malfoy!"

Draco whipped around, his wand still out. Blaise took that time to scramble to his feet, hurriedly making his way back toward the group of gaping Slytherins. He looked terrified.

"Put your wand down immediately!"

Professor McGonagall had come out of the Great Hall, followed by Snape and Dumbledore. Harry was standing hesitantly beside them, looking worried again. His eyes followed Draco's hand as it lowered to his side. Draco's gaze lowered as well.

"What do you think you were doing, threatening another student? That is cause for serious punishment, Mr. Malfoy!"

"I'm sorry, Professor," he mumbled inaudibly.

"What was the reason for this?" Snape queried, examining both Draco and Blaise.

Draco looked up quickly, and Blaise started forward just as fast. "He just snapped, Professor! He pushed me to the ground and sta--"

"I did not! He was talking about my fa--" Draco suddenly stopped in the middle of the sentence, falling silent. Harry looked at him, surprised. He'd almost let it slip.

"What was that?" Snape asked.

Harry glanced at Dumbledore to see that the man was standing to the side, his glittering eyes resting on Draco. He knew that the headmaster knew something; how could he not? Especially with all of this happening? Harry bit his lip, determined not to add in anything himself.

"Nothing. He just made me angry... I couldn't control myself," Draco muttered.

"I see..." Snape said, sounding somehow disbelieving.

"We'll let you off just this once, Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore said quietly, interrupting Blaise's attempt to say otherwise. "But the next time we hear that you've been threatening another student's life, you won't be so lucky."

"Yes, sir," Draco replied, his gaze now facing the wall. It was only until the Professors went back inside the Great Hall, followed by the Slytherins, when Draco looked back up. He looked at Harry despondently.

"I'm sorry, Draco... I had to tell them. I didn't want you getting into a fight." Harry frowned, looking honestly guilty. He wasn't sure if the Slytherin was mad at him or not, but judging by how far he'd already gotten in the fight with Blaise, it was lucky he'd fetched help.

Draco began making his way away from the hall and instead in the direction of the Gryffindor Tower. "It's fine."

"Are... you sure?" Harry asked tentatively. He followed slowly behind the other boy.

"Yes," Draco replied softly.

They walked a bit more before Draco stopped in his tracks. Harry stopped beside him, glancing sideways to look at the boy. "Are you alright?"

Draco sighed, turning slowly around. Before he answered, he took that small step forward and leaned against Harry, his arms wrapping lightly around his waist. Harry didn't push him away; he knew he didn't mind this, and if the boy needed comfort this way, he'd give it.

"I'm tired of this happening... and I'm sorry for being such a git these past few days... it's just..." Draco sighed again, though it was barely heard that time. He moved closer against Harry, closing his eyes. "... I don't know what to feel anymore."

Harry stood there, feeling absolutely horrible for the boy. For a moment he thought that switching lives with the boy might be a good idea... but of course that couldn't happen. "It's okay, Draco. Like I said... it'll get better soon."

This seemed to help a bit. Draco gave a tiny smile, lifting his eyes to meet Harry's. He leaned the small distance forward to kiss the boy gently. It lasted only a few moments, and then Draco pulled away to speak faintly. "I just want to forget that all of this is happening... I only want to be with you."