Disclaimer: Eh...woohoo, don't own nothing, don't sue, all that jazz...

Wow, I feel bad. I'm finally getting comments from people who don't think I'm writing horribly OOC, and I go and put up this chapter. Yay. Well, oh well. It had to happen. Everyone goes crazy eventually. Also, please point out anything that's badly typoed or whatever. I do that alot.

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Chapter Five - Confessions

The next morning, after Harry had made his way up to the Gryffindor Tower still in shock about what Malfoy had done, the Dark Mark on his arm had completely vanished. It still felt funny, however, but Harry ignored it.

Down in the Great Hall, he made the mistake of telling Ginny about the previous night.

"He did what!" Ginny yelped incredulously, causing everyone at her end of the table to stare at her.

"Shh, calm down!" Harry hissed, avoiding looking at anyone. Slowly, they turned back to what they were doing. "I knew I shouldn't have told you."

"This is just too much of a lovely coincidence!" Ginny whispered back, ignoring him. "That time in the library, how he's helping you with that mark, taking you to his room when you fainted..." She was practically radiating glee. "And he kissed you goodnight!"

She said this last part louder than intended, and Seamus glanced over at them. "Who kissed you goodnight?"

"No one," Harry replied, glaring at Ginny. "She's making things up." Seamus shrugged and went back to talking to Dean. "God, Ginny..." Harry groaned. "It's not like it was even on the lips or anything. You exaggerate everything."

"You just exaggerated that."

"We've just decided to try and work together for once..."

"If you say so..." Ginny smiled mischievously.

oooOOooo

As Harry and Hermione sat studying in the library later that evening, Malfoy approached them with a book in hand.

"I may have found something," he said, setting the open book in front of Hermione, who jumped, startled.

"For what?" Harry asked quizzically.

"The bonding potion, Potter," Malfoy explained tonelessly. "It's a really old book, 'Potion's That Go Wrong: What You Can and Can't Do.' But I found something on the antidote. Thought you should look at it."

Hermione was already pouring over it, eyes shining. "Yes..." she murmured. "This might just work. I'll have to go check with Professor Snape." And with that final note she was out of the library in seconds.

"God, I love her," Malfoy muttered, watching her receding back vanish and sitting down in the chair she had been sitting in.

"Huh?" Harry said, thinking he had misheard him.

"I mean, if I had tossed that book in front of one of my friends and told them to step to it, they'd complain and refuse. But she, she just rushes off without me even asking."

"It just means you need new friends," Harry grinned. "But yeah, Hermione's like that... By the way, when you said 'love' you meant ' respect in the highest regards', right?"

"Yeah," Malfoy smirked.

Harry paused, deciding to change the subject. "So, what was with you last night?"

"Huh?"

"You know...with the whole...hand...thing." He blushed slightly, looking away from the Slytherin so he wouldn't see.

"Aw, you're blushing, Potter," Malfoy observed, smiling facetiously. "We can read each other's emotions now, remember?"

Harry flushed even more. "Just answer the question, okay?"

"Alright, keep your shirt on..." Malfoy contemplated this for a moment. "It just seemed like...the right thing to do," he said slowly. "Because the longer I'm bonded with you, the more I seem to want to...know you better."

'Much better,' he finished with a thought, as if he couldn't bear to say it out loud. 'You're not the worst guy in the world, Potter.'

Harry sat there, stunned. Malfoy had lost it.

"I'm not losing it!" Malfoy argued. "Okay, maybe I am! You know, if it weren't for this stupid potion, none of this would be happening!" He lapsed into silence, breathing heavily.

Harry could feel the anger pulsing through the blonde boy, other unidentifiable emotions mixed in. He looked ashamedly at the floor. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Malfoy snapped back. "Ruining my life?"

"I don't know. I honestly don't know. Hell, I don't even call you by your first name, I technically shouldn't be sorry for anything. It wasn't even my potion that blew up! And I'm the one getting the worse end of the deal! My visions are coming back to me, I've got the bloody Dark Mark on my arm, and if anyone found out we were connected, it could spell major disaster for the wizarding world! But here I am, telling you I'm sorry.

"Because you know what? You think you're better than everyone and have no need to say sorry to anyone. At least you have someone to blame now, huh, if I take responsibility? Might as well blame your raging teenage hormones on me as well! Because you're better than me! Mr. Draco Malfoy, Head Boy and perfect little Slytherin suck-up! I don't know how anyone can stand you! You're an ignorant, bitchy, little prep who doesn't care about anything else!"

The flow of angry emotions seemed to subside around them as Malfoy calmed down, taking in the seething Gryffindor's words. But just as soon as those disappeared, an aura of sadness washed over the two. Malfoy swallowed hard, blinking back tears. Harry stared at him. Why on earth was he crying?

"Oh god, this is so stupid," Malfoy muttered, trying desperately to hold back tears. "Here I am, being yelled at by someone who barely even knows me, and I want to cry. What's worse, most – no, all – of what you said is right." He grinned weakly at Harry. "Do you know I haven't cried for two and a half years? Not once. Not once..." He put his face in his hands and sobbed.

Harry didn't know what to do. It had been bad enough when Cho had broken down in front of him, but what was he supposed to do with Malfoy? Trying to let his consoling side take over, he cautiously put a hand on Malfoy's shoulder. To his surprise, this act prompted Malfoy to lean over and press his face into Harry's collarbone.

Harry felt his face get warm slightly. This was crazy. Wasn't he just shouting at Malfoy how much he hated him? "Er..."

"Remember how I said I didn't care about my dad earlier?" Malfoy said quietly, sobs receding slowly. "I, I lied I bit. Not about him, I still hate his guts." He chucked softly into Harry's neck. "But my mum...she must be devastated. She was so devoted to him... He didn't deserve her..." He trailed off, breathing difficult from crying so hard.

"At least you got to know your parents," Harry sighed, running a hand through Malfoy's silky hair instinctively. "Even if one of them was an evil git."

"Can I call you Harry?" Malfoy asked suddenly, looking up at Harry's startled face.

"If, if you want to," he replied.

"Will you call me Draco?"

"Sure..." For some reason Harry felt like Malf – no, Draco – had never really had someone he could just talk to. And that was something the both of them really needed. Maybe Draco had once talked about everything with his mother, just like he had always turned to his godfather for advice. But now that he was gone...

"Someone just to talk to...?" Draco whispered, speculating over the idea. "That's not so bad..." He smiled and hugged Harry amicably. Harry felt oddly at peace with the fair-haired, slender boy pressed against his chest.

And then the peace was totally and utterly destroyed by Madame Pince, who chased them out of the library reprimanding that the library was not a place for 'lovey-doveyness'.

The two boys laughed as they walked leisurely down the hall, poking fun at the stodgy old librarian.

"Hey, Harry," Draco said, the name feeling odd on his tongue. "Do 'ya wanna come down to my room for a bit?"

Harry hesitated for a moment, but then answered, "Sure."

oooOOooo

Harry sighed and sat down on the edge of Draco's large four-poster bed. It sucked, that Draco got his own room and he didn't. They had been just talking for the past hour, pausing now for a bathroom break.

"You should have tried harder for Head Boy," Draco smiled, coming in from the bathroom.

"Yeah, sure. Just what I needed. More responsibilities," Harry said sarcastically.

"You never know," Draco replied, sitting down next to Harry. "It might have been just what you needed."

They sat there, silent, until Draco said, "Harry, why don't you have a girlfriend? I know tons of people who would want to date you if they had the chance."

"Why? Because I'm famous? Or rich?" Harry's eyes narrowed. "Besides, it never seems to work out..." He trailed off.

"Why?"

"I dunno. I just don't have any luck. But I bet you're just being stalked by girls everywhere, huh?"

Draco laughed. "Why on earth would you think that? True, I am very sexy and am the perfect dream date, but actually, I'm single at the moment."

"Really?" Harry mused. "That's surprising."

"Not really. They're all just into it so they can tell everyone they've had sex with me, the most godly being ever." Draco made a face. "Most girls, I mean."

Harry rolled his eyes at that comment and nodded, and was stuck with the sudden thought of having Draco Malfoy naked in bed with him, panting and — He scowled, and shook his head. That was disgusting.

Draco was looking at him carefully. "Potter, what are you thinking about?"

"Nothing," Harry replied quickly, cheeks reddening.

"Yes you were," Draco purred, a light accusative tone slipping into his voice. He smirked. "You were thinking of having sex with me! Admit it, you naughty little Gryffindor!"

"No I wasn't..." Harry muttered, looking away.

"Harry, I'm ashamed of you, really," Draco laughed, teasing. "Don't you know it's not polite --- " He trailed off as an image of his own came to his mind. "Oh no, look what you've done. I'm entertaining fantasies of you while you're still here. This potion must be a really good one."

"If by good you mean horribly bad! If I was in my right mind, I wouldn't even be here! You're the one that brought up sex anyway, you pervert."

"Can we not argue for once? I hate you," Draco groaned, rubbing his forehead.

"Why? What'd I do?"

"Because of you I desperately need a shower. A cold one."

Harry blushed again. All this blushing was certainly not doing him any good. Draco snuck a peek at the dark-haired boy out of the corner of his eye.

"Or..."

"Or what?"

Harry's eyes widened as Draco leaned over and placed his lips on the Gryffindor's. Feeling Draco's soft lips against his own made him cry out, but that just allowed Draco's tongue entrance to his mouth, exploring, kissing him passionately. After several excruciatingly pleasurable minutes, Draco permitted Harry some air. The feeling left on his lips was something he had never experienced before.

"Wow," Harry gasped. "I mean, wow. That was incredible. How do you get so good?"

"Practice," Draco grinned. "You know the saying. Practice makes perfect."

"You can say that again," Harry muttered, and the two started kissing again. Slowly, Draco's mouth moved from Harry's face to his neck, teasing the sensitive skin just below the Gryffindor's ear. Harry moaned, intertwining his hands in Draco's blonde locks.

Draco had managed to take off Harry's shirt, and was now trailing his hand up and down Harry's chest. Harry moaned again as he let Draco do his thing. Draco smiled, caressing him affectionately near his waist. He quickly undid Harry's belt with a hand and slid it into Harry's jeans. Harry almost choked, and seemed to come to his senses, because he sat up quickly, scooting away from Draco.

"I – you – uhh," he fumbled, looking for words to say. Draco sighed and sat back on his heels.

"I get it. You're one of those long relationship-type people," he said.

"Well, I certainly don't want to waste my first time on a useless relationship! Besides, didn't we agree just to be friends? You're taking that kind of far," Harry snapped, clumsily pulling his shirt back on. Draco looked slightly hurt, and Harry's face softened. "I'm sorry, I didn't — "

"No, it's alright. I get where you're coming from." He sighed and flopped back down on his pillow.

"Well, it's getting late. I suppose you want to go back up to your house?"

Harry sat there, thinking. Then, to the surprise of them both, he rolled over next to Malfoy. "Maybe I'll stay the night. As long as you don't try to molest me while I'm asleep."

Draco laughed. "What kind of guy do you take me for?"

"You don't want to know," Harry grinned, and snuggled up against his bonded partner. "'Night."

"...'Night."

TBC...

Review by pressing that little button over in the corner... Anyway, sorry again to all of you who aren't fond out OOCness.heh. I just needed something to lead to the next chapters. I've actually got the next bit of plot mapped out. Celebration!