AU: When Draco moves into a new town, he expects to be miserable. What he finds is a green-eyed beauty searching for love. Can Draco show the shy boy what it is to be truly loved? It won't be easy, especially with Harry's possessive boyfriend constantly intervening. SLASH, Abuse, Angst.

Unbeta-ed this time because I wanted to get this out as quick as I could, so please forgive any mistakes!

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize does not belong to me. I only do this for fun.

CHAPTER 6: Welcome to My Paradise -----------------------

Draco woke up a half hour before his alarm clock was set to burst into song. He smiled to himself as he stretched under the cozy covers, too excited to go back to sleep. He was even more excited to see Harry than he would be to go to an amusement park. He felt the same butterflies dancing in his stomach at the thought.

He threw back the silky green comforter and sheets, slipped his feet into his fluffy green dragon slippers, and turned the stereo alarm clock off before it had a chance to wake anyone else while he wasn't home.

Thinking about seeing his green eyed boyfriend again brought another warm smile to his face. He ran a slender hand through his sleep mussed hair as he stepped into the bathroom for a quick shower.

When he went downstairs, dressed in a light blue polo shirt and dark jeans, he found his father and a thin woman making out at the breakfast table. The woman, a brunette with rather large breasts, had a tattoo of a heart on the left cheek of her bum. He knew this because his father had revealed her rear for all the world to see so that he could squeeze it hungrily. It was something that Draco would have rather not seen and he was purely disgusted by the sight.

He coughed loudly to let the pair know that they were not alone. The brunette gasped and stepped away from Lucius to pull her skirt down. Lucius simply watched her impassively and sighed.

"Son," Lucius greeted unenthusiastically and gracefully sat at the head of the table. The brunette followed his lead and hastily sat to his right.

"Father," Draco inclined his head slightly. He was growing bored with meeting new women each day. Would Lucius ever settle down again? For good?

"Decided to wake up with the rest of us for once? Sit down. Have something to eat," Lucius gestured to the breakfast feast delicately arranged on the table.

"No, thanks. I'm going to grab something with my friends," Draco replied. In truth, he wasn't terribly hungry. He was too eager to see Harry to eat. "I'll just grab a cup of coffee or something on my way out," he informed them and headed towards the kitchen.

The room was decorated in masculine silver and metal to resemble the new modern craze. Draco liked the style because he could check his reflection in nearly all the surfaces and make sure he looked perfect. He did just that before grabbing a juicy apple nestled in a basket on the counter.

On his way through the hallway, his father's stern voice called him back into the dining room. Lucius fed the brunette a slice of strawberry before addressing him, "Your mother called me last night," he said, feeding the woman another small fruit.

"Oh?" Draco questioned, his heart quickening. He tightened his fists, unconsciously preparing for a fight.

"Yes," Lucius glared at Draco. "She bitched about proper parenting and threatened to have a court give her custody of you," he raised a thin, blonde eyebrow before continuing, "If I ever find out that you went to her for money again, I will cancel your credit card. Understood?"

Draco crossed his arms over his chest. "You don't want me here, so what does it matter?"

Lucius smirked. "I want you here for the sole purpose of angering your mother. The child support doesn't hurt either," he sent another glare at his son before kissing the brunette.

"At least she cares about me. I wouldn't mind moving back to England," Draco stubbornly replied. "Severus wouldn't mind giving me money or happiness," he raised his own blonde eyebrow in defiance, daring his father to find a glitch in his threat.

Lucius wickedly chuckled. "Ah…but what about your newest boy toy? The one youspent all that money on?" he turned back to Draco once again, still chuckling.

Damn. He hated when his father was right. He didn't want to leave Harry now. Not when the boy was learning how to trust him. Tom would probably snatch the boy back within the blink of an eye. No, his father was right. He would stay here under Lucius's strict roof in order to be with Harry. He promised to keep the boy safe and he refused to break that promise. He had to conscientiously keep his shoulders from sagging in defeat. He refused to give his father that pleasure.

"I will be out for most of today. I expect you to keep the house in the condition I leave it," Lucius told him, his tone told Draco that he was aware he had won the undeclared fight. "You'll probably be in bed when I get home."

"Fine," Draco coldly replied. "See you tomorrow," he wanted to throw the shiny red apple at his father's head, but instead he strode out the front door and away from the house, fuming all the while.

He expressed his anger by throwing the apple out the window while exceeding the speed limit in his father's red convertible. He slowed as he neared the hospital with thoughts of Harry relaxing him.

Gently pulling up to the curb, he found his raven haired boyfriend already waiting on one of the wooden benches. An elderly nurse was sitting beside him and making him laugh. As Draco neared the pair, he saw a plastic shopping bag at Harry's feet and the bouquet of lilies and lilacs in the boy's hand. He had to smile knowing the gift meant enough to take home with him.

Harry finally noticed him and gave him a bright smile, allowing Draco to see the thick, wire rimmed glassed sliding down his nose. Draco watched as Harry quickly hugged the nurse and stood up to greet his boyfriend.

"Morning, Dray," Harry greeted him with another pleasant nickname.

"Hey, Harry. I've never seen your glasses before," he kept himself from laughing at the bewildered expression on Harry's face. "They're nice. How are you feeling?" he reached down to grab the plastic bag and carry it for Harry.

"I feel fine. Good as new," his eyes sparkled with happiness. Draco watched at the boy glanced down at the bag in his hand. "You don't have to carry that."

"I know," Draco winked, then turned his attention to the nurse on the bench. "Thanks for taking care of him."

"It was my pleasure. He didn't complain once, unlike most of my other patients. Just make sure he's not back here too soon!" she laughed at her own humor. "Take care, Harry, dear."

"You, too, Mrs. Baker." Harry said before walking to the car with Draco.

"Why are you wearing pajamas?" Draco amusedly questioned, gesturing to the hideous mismatched clothing sliding off Harry's thin frame.

Harry bit his lip. "Mrs. Baker gave them to me so I wouldn't have to wear the hospital gown when we left. They were her son's…I thought it was really nice of her," he shrugged.

"You don't have other clothes with you?" Draco was confused as they reached his car.

"No…they had to cut mine off in the Emergency Room to find out what was wrong as quickly as they could," Harry's bashfulness was completely endearing and another reason Draco was so taken with the boy.

He was flooded with guilt as he watched the flush of embarrassment brighten Harry's cheeks. "You should have said something…I would have brought something for you to wear," he scolded as he opened the door for the raven haired boy.

Harry giggled. "You don't know where I live," he said before sliding into the passenger seat.

Draco sat in the driver's seat before continuing more seriously than was necessary. "I could have asked someone...or at the very least I could have brought you something from my own wardrobe," he shifted the convertible into gear.

Draco saw Harry shrug. "It doesn't matter anymore. I'm just glad to be leaving the hospital…with you," he saw Harry blush a deeper red than he thought was possible, even for Harry.

He smiled brightly at the boy before another flash of guilt filled his heart. "I'm still sorry I didn't even think to ask if you needed anything like that."

Harry softly placed his hand on top of Draco's pale one resting on the gearshift. "Draco," he waited for Draco to glance at him and back at the road. "It's okay. Really," he smiled reassuringly.

Draco gave him an answering smile. "I'm supposed to be the one comforting you," he rearranged their hands more comfortable in a light embrace.

Harry laughed, but said seriously, "I'm stronger than you think."

That simple sentence made Draco feel uneasy about how much he still didn't know about Harry. He tried to ignore it by changing the subject, but the unease remained a sinister presence in the back of his mind. "Where did you want me to take you?"

"Home first…for a change of clothes," Harry smiled at him and giggled, keeping the mood light. Draco laughed as well, happy Harry wasn't angry with him.

Draco listened to Harry's directions as they drove away from the hospital. The bright sun reflected back at them from the windows on the tall buildings. The deeper into the city they went, the more poverty stricken sights there were to behold. Draco was becoming extremely anxious to find where Harry lived. He remembered Ron and Hermione mentioning that it wasn't a good neighborhood and Draco was becoming nervous with how bad it could possibly be.

They were driving through a crowded, dirty neighborhood when Draco began to hope they would leave the area soon. There was evidence of crime and vandalism all over the filthy streets.

He glanced at Harry as the boy pulled his hand away. The emerald eyed beauty was looking out the window, but the soft blush on his cheeks and his stiff posture gave off the impression that he was embarrassed.

"It's the next apartment building on the right. The tan one," Harry pointed to a dirt encrusted, broken down building with a crumbling excuse for a fence protecting a yard overflowing with smelly garbage.

Draco quickly looked at Harry to make sure he was right about which building. The boy looked ashamed and fidgeted with his fraying pajama pants. He slowly parallel-parked near the sidewalk, unsure whether he wanted to leave his car alone on the street.

When he grabbed the plastic bag for Harry and opened his door he found the raven haired boy already on the curb looking as if he was going to have a panic attack, tightly clenching the beautiful bouquet in one hand. "You don't have to come in. I'll be quick, I promise," he put his hand out unconsciously to keep Draco from moving away from the car.

"It's okay, Harry. I want to," Draco tried to calm the boy with his soothing tone. In truth, he wasn't sure how much worse itcould be on the inside than it already was on the outside. He took a step forward and watched Harry take a step back, stumbling on the curb. Draco reached out to catch him, but Harry's eyes widened and he violently flinched.

"It's nothing like your villa, though," Harry warned, a flush of shame dancing on his cheeks. His shoulders slouched in defeat as a warm breeze ruffled his hair.

"I don't care about that, Harry," Draco told him, finally catching on to the reason behind the boy's weariness and uncertainty. The poor boy was worried it wouldn't be good enough to live up to Draco's standards. "It's a part of you and that's all I care about," he tried to comfort the boy.

Harry simply bit his lip, and with out replying, lead Draco up the worn stairs and into the dimly lit hallway.

Draco couldn't help his slight trembling that his nervousness had caused. He had never actually been in a place in as bad condition as this one, and he was…scared. Draco was scared. He had known money all his life, being brought up to turn a blind eye toward the less fortunate. He had absolutely no idea what to expect inside Harry's home…and that really frightened him.

As his blue eyes adjusted to the weak lighting in the entryway, Draco nearly gasped in disgust. The wallpaper was pealing in the places it had actually managed to stay glued to the wall. There were large, threatening cracks in the walls and ceiling, and the single, filthy light fixture was hanging by a frayed wire. That could not be safe. There was some type of large red stain splattered on the wall and Draco tried not to imagine where it had come from. The sticky wooden floor gripped his expensive boots as he walked, creating a soft slapping sound.

Harry glanced back at him briefly, the lack of descent light casting weary shadows on his face. "Um…this is the…lobby…" he seemed at a loss as to what to call the cramped hallway. He gripped the groaning banister and softly told Draco, "Our apartment is on the seventh floor."

"Doesn't the elevator work?" Draco gestured toward a brass door in the corner with words and symbols spray-painted across it in various colors. He wasn't too thrilled at the idea of walking seven flights of stairs.

Harry snorted and continued up the stairs. "It hasn't worked since before we lived here."

Draco was rather confused at Harry's bitter tone, but he hesitantly followed the boy's lead. He refused to use the banister for support when hesaw a greasy rat scurry down it.

There were only about two apartments per floor, each hallway about as unsanitary as the last. Draco was completely amazed at how people could actually stand living in a place like this. He simply did not give the poor enough credit.

By the time they reached the seventh floor, Draco was nearly out of breath and worried that the building would not support their added weight. How could Harry climb that long flight of stairs on a daily basis?

The seventh floor hallway was also dimly lit, with crusting walls and squeaky floorboards. The muffled sound of a baby frantically crying came from behind one of the closed doors. A worn, red chair was placed near one of the doors. It seemed as if it had regurgitated all of its stuffing onto the floor as well as one of the arm rests. A tiny boy of about four years old was fidgeting in the chair. As they approached, the boy waved to Harry.

"Hiya, Harry!" He innocently smiled. "Mom's trying to shut Lacy up…" he rolled his eyes at the door to his side.

"Hey, Shane. This is my boyfriend Draco. Draco, this his my neighbor Shane," Harry introduced them.

Draco held out his hand to the young boy, but the child looked at him suspiciously.

"I haven't got any money," Shane childishly stuck out his tongue at Draco and stubbornly crossed his arms over his bony chest.

Harry laughed at Draco's puzzled look. "It's okay, Shane. Draco was just being polite by offering a handshake. Quite a gentleman, this one."

"Oh…" the young boy said. He jumped down from the chair and gave Draco a bow so deep his brown locks made contact with the floor. "How do you do," he said seriously before covering his mouth in a fit of giggles. "I saw that in a movie!" he stated proudly.

"Shane! Get your little butt in here!" A tired woman's voice called from inside the apartment next to the chair.

"In a minute!" Shane yelled at the closed door. Turning back to Harry, he asked, "What happened to Tom?"

Draco barely caught the hitch in Harry's breath. The little boy had caught Harry off guard and he didn't seem to know what to say. "He…he…well…"

Draco gently took hold ofthe hand not holding the bouquet of flowersand squeezed. "He broke up with Harry and I was there to pick up the pieces. Now Tom's going to realize how great he had it and it will be too late," he was aware that the poor kid probably didn't understand most of what he was saying, but we was mainly saying it for Harry's benefit, so he didn't care much.

"You have a funny accent," the little boy said before the door next to the chair slammed open.

Afrazzled looking brunette bouncing a screaming baby in her arms stood in the doorway. The baby was clad in only a diaper and a worn looking pink bow in her messy mop of hair. "Shane! Get in here this instant!" She then noticed Harry and raised her eyebrows at Draco's expensive appearance. "Hello, Harry. Nice day isn't it?" she said in a calmer voice.

Shane scampered past his mother and into the room as Harry nodded to the woman. "Yes it is, 'Bella."

The woman retreated behind the door and Harry squeezed Draco's hand. "They're good people, really," he let go of Draco's hand so he could take hold of the doorknob to the other apartment. "Be quiet for a minute, okay?" Harry pleaded, his eyes going a darker shade of emerald green with worry.

Draco simply nodded, waiting with baited breath for the next horrific glimpse into Harry's life.

End CHAPTER 6: Welcome to My Paradise ------------------------

AN:--- Not really a cliffie...so don't get mad! It was just a good place to stop because I know this chapter took a while to get out, andI really appreciate everyone's patience and my fabulous reviewers. It would have taken longer, but like I've said…I got off my lazy bum and typed this one just for you! Well…there were other external forces working against me…but we're not going to go there…I'm going to try to get the next chapter out within the next week, but it might take a few days longer than normal. Have patience! R&R ;-)

THANKS TO:----

potterluvva (Thanks! I'm trying really hard to be detailed but not overly detailed, so I'm glad you liked my description of Harry ;-) myniephoenix, Silver Angel 7, Kayla, angelkitty77, lilcrazedgurl91, Dont-Be-a-Sheep (lol…nice quote!), LILY-LOONY-EVANS, ceremonially-unclean (Thanks! You make me blush! ;-) Curiosity100, marthsgirls (Aww…I get it now…I like Fuzzy. It's cute! ;-) Lykaios Nyx, ShatteredxDream (Yeah…I tried to make the storm reflect the tension…I'm really glad you picked up on that ;-) checkmarks, benson-luver (Thanks ;-) There are several reasons Harry smokes in my story, but the main is that is symbolizes how Tom has completely taken his innocence) Elektra107, Yana5, chocolatedemon (Why, thank you!) Althea, fudgebaby (Thanks! I am completely flattered!)
Sorry if I forgot anyone!

SPECIAL NOTES:-------

Potter-Pikachu--- Thanks so much for your review. I'm so flattered that you like the story so much! I really love AU H/D stories as well, which was the whole reason behind my writing this one. I'd never in a million years thought I'd write, but I couldn't find any more could AU H/D stories, so I decided to write my own the way I wanted it to play out. I actually based Seamus on my sister's boyfriend…he's hilarious and keeps the mood light when he's around and I wanted to add that to my story. I hope you liked this chapter as much as the last!

owlviennagreen--- Thanks for your review! Of course I'm not mad, I love it when people give me helpful criticism or questions. Harry says he loves Tom because he really does love Tom. Tom is the only one who has taken care of him, given him attention, shown him what he believes is love for three years. Tom has been his whole teenage life and Harry truly believes he loves him. Harry is scared of Tom, but he's also in love with him…odd, I know, but honeymoon-abuse cycle, if you've heard of it. He loves Tom for the good he has given him. As for Draco, Harry isn't in love with him yet, but he really likes him. Draco's the only one who had the courage to talk to Harry when everyone else was afraid of Tom. And for that, Harry realizes that Draco is worth getting to know. It also shows him that maybe Tom isn't the only person who can love him. I hope this clears some things up for you! I'm sorry it was so confusing! ;-)