DISCLAIMER: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters. 'Sides, you'd get more blood out of a turnip then you would money out of me! HA!

AUTHORS NOTE: Hey all! Hope you're enjoying reading this as much as I'm enjoying writing it. FYI, I'm going on hiatus for a bit. Sorry, but I don't have internet access at home and have to drive 40 miles round trip from home to the library and back. I promise to keep working on it so the next update will be a lump, but I have save my gas (and money incidentally). It's about $2.30 just for regular around here. Hope you understand.

SUMMARY: Harry feels like he's in hell, Draco's living through a nightmare. Can they help each other before it's too late to save either one?

FROM THE LAST CH. "Right, you're a Gryffindork. You may go now."/ Harry scowled at the imperious tone. "Thanks ever so much, your majesty. Glad I have your permission after almost strangling me to death."/ "It takes far longer than that to kill someone by strangulation."/ "Really, and how would you know?" Draco looked at him coldly, and Harry decided he'd rather not find out.

Tainting the Innocent

Chapter Eleven

A few days had passed since the incident in the hallway. Occasionally, Draco would briefly glance in Harry's direction and receive a little shake of the head to show there was nothing to report. This little bit of interaction didn't go unnoticed by the ever vigilant Pansy. One morning, she hopped up and straddled him in bed, getting a dagger pressed against her throat. He pulled the blade away and began cursing fluently.

"Damn it, Pansy, what the hell were you thinking? I could have killed you!"

"What's going on between you and Potter," she asked, leaning her face closely into his with an arm braced on either side of his head. "Don't bother trying to lie to me, Drake, I know you too well. Is he the person you're shagging? The one from another house?" He was so shocked by her question it seemed that he forget he'd almost slit her throat.

Draco had completely forgotten his little purposeful misconception. It had seemed much more convenient than telling her the truth at the time, but now he wanted to kick himself in the ass. "Heaven's no! I'm not sleeping with anyone, from this house or any other."

"Really," she said disbelievingly. "Then why did you sneak out after curfew the other week? What was more enticing than that party?"

"Pansy," he said in exasperation. "That was the night I learned my father had escaped. I've already told you all about that."

"Oh," she said looking thoughtful. "Why did you lie to me?"

"There were so many people about that I didn't want to chance being overheard."

"Aaah, ok. So you're sure you're not shagging Potter?"

"No!"

"Okay then," she said. "So what happened the other day? Who was he talking about?"

"My mother," he said quietly, reclining back in bed. "He told me that she was relatively safe, for now. She's managed to avoid the Death Eaters set on her trail, but now Father has been assigned to the task."

"What," she asked quietly, a widening of the eyes the only sign that this news distressed her. "Do you believe him?"

He nodded his head. "Father's owl that very evening confirmed everything. He asked me to wish him well in his hunt for the Blood Traitor. The sick bastard thinks I support him whole heartedly, even when it means my mother's death."

She could think of nothing to say that would comfort her friend, Draco would never tolerate pity, so she asked a question that was burning in her mind. "How could Potter possibly know before Lucius contacted you?"

Draco stared into her eyes intently, trying to decide whether to tell her or not. He had a feeling it would be better if few people knew about Potter's link with the Dark Lord, but this was Pansy. She'd stood with him against obstacles that would have cowed older witches and had nursed him through innumerable fights and beatings. Something inside prevented him from betraying Potter's ability. Voldemort may already be aware of the link, but that didn't mean the knowledge should be bandied about freely.

"You're not going to tell me."

"I can't, P." She closed her eyes and sighed but nodded that she understood before pressing her forehead to his.

"I'm glad she's okay," she said quietly.

"Me too," he whispered back, adjusting his head as she slipped hers below his chin. They remained like that for several moments, each lost in their own thoughts as she was lulled by his heartbeat.

"Are you sure you're not shagging him," she suddenly asked.

"Pan-sy," Draco groaned out in exasperation, glad that she had broken the gloomy atmosphere.

"What?" She sat up, her face a study on wide-eyed innocence. The act didn't fool him for a moment, though. She was trying to catch him out. The silly chit had gotten it into her head that Potter was his personal Hole of Glory and would not cease this badgering until fully convinced otherwise.

"Good God, woman, it's Potter! I wouldn't shag him if he were the last human being on Earth. I'd go bestial before that, so will you drop it."

Heaving a great sigh, she slid to the floor. She skipped away and paused at the door, tossing a wicked smile over her shoulder. "Too bad, really; you'd make a cute couple," she said impishly before dashing off, leaving Draco to sputter indignantly.

"Okay team, let's do that again! This isn't difficult, people, so I want to see some improvement this go." Ron circled his weary team in the rain, trying to talk them into attempting his absolutely brilliant maneuver for the umpteenth time. Everyone groaned at this announcement and began arguing. No one voice could be heard over the many telling Ron explicitly what he could do with his broomstick.

"Ronald Weasley," Ginny yelled over everyone else in her best Mrs. Weasley impersonation. They all fell silent and began edging their brooms away from the petite redhead, afraid of the violence in her expression. "We are exhausted, we are wet, and we are hungry! You have been working us like house elves since before lunch, and we won't take it anymore." Ron's face twisted with temper and he opened his mouth to argue but Ginny continued, talking right over him.

"No one but Harry has mastered this duck-roll-scoopy-whatever, and working our arses raw won't make it happen any sooner." She paused to take a deep breath to calm her nerves before she hexed her dear brother into oblivion. "We are leaving now, Ron, and you had better not argue. Feel lucky we don't strip you of your leadership because of this disgusting example of tyranny," she said scathingly before flying towards the locker rooms, the rest of the team following shortly after.

Ron worked his mouth like a gold fish before finding his voice. "All of you get back here right this instant," he yelled. "We need to win that game against Ravenclaw next week! Don't make me suspend the lot of you!" His eyes widened in fright as Ginny sped at him with her wand arm extended towards his face. She gave an angry shout and Ron was spun in circles by the force of the famous Ginny Weasley Bat-Bogey Hex.

Harry, in the middle of taking off his soaking robes, looked up as Ginny came stomping into the room. "Where's Ron," he asked, concern tingeing his words.

"I haven't the faintest idea," she replied breezily, pulling her robes off in one motion and marching back towards the showers.

"Ginny," Harry said sternly, following her into the warm steam. "What did you do to Ron?"

"Not a damn thing he didn't deserve," she said heatedly before pulling the stall curtain closed. Harry stared at the swaying white canvas worriedly, wondering if he should throw his wet clothes back on and go find his friend. He decided against it though, as the warmth of the room began to seep into his cold body.

"I know Ron's been a right git since we elected him Captain, Ginny," Harry called out as he stepped into the stall next to hers. "You have to admit, though, that he isn't any harder on us than he is on himself. I watched him practice this dive-scoop-roll for hours the other day. Hermione and I had a hell of a time convincing him to go see Pomfrey for those broom sores, I can tell you."

"So what are you saying," Katie bell asked, interrupting from two stalls down. "That we should cut him some slack because he's a neurotic, obsessive bastard with way too much time on his hands?"

"Noooooo," Harry said gurgley, rinsing the shampoo from his hair. "I'm saying to cut him some slack because he's doing the best he can and doesn't want to fail the team or ruin our almost perfect record." He stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around his waist, and faced Ginny who had just finished with her own. "All I'm asking is that you try to be patient with him. This is his first real chance to prove something and it's got him a nervous wreck." Ginny looked up at him, her face softening a bit, and nodded her head. Harry grinned and tousled her hair playfully before heading off to dress.

Harry and Hermione sat in front of the common room fire that night, talking as they waited for Ron to show up. They had received word earlier from the infirmary that he was being treated for the Bat-Bogey Hex and would be there shortly.

"Oh, how could she have hexed her own brother," Hermione fumed.

"You weren't there, 'Mione. He was out of control! Even threatened to suspend the lot of us for finally throwing in the towel."

"Oh, all right then, so maybe he deserved it."

"Yup, but she promised me right after our showers that she'll try being more patient." He saw Hermione shudder and quirked an eyebrow.

"You all share the same showers," she explained. "It just seems so…inappropriate."

"They're my teammates," Harry said shocked, because that explained everything to him.

"I know, I know: once on a Quidditch team, you lose your gender to the other members."

"Exactly. We can't afford to think of each other in terms of boy/girl, so everyone just becomes part of the whole."

"Guess that's what happened with Ginny then, huh? I've noticed her crush on you has cleared up considerably."

"What are you talking about? Ginny never fancied me; she's my best mate's baby sister! Practically mine."

"Har-ry," Hermione said laughingly. "You're so adorably obtuse sometimes." Harry blushed at the back handed compliment and rolled his eyes as Hermione continued laughing.

"What's so funny," a tired voice asked from the portal. Harry and Hermione smiled as they watched their friend trip over Neville's toad.

"Harry doesn't believe me that Ginny ever fancied him," Hermione explained, barely managing to hold in her mirth. Ron looked at his friend for a few moments and then burst out laughing as well.

"Fine, whatever," Harry said in a huff. "So I'm an unobservant shmuck. I got it already, so will you two please stop cackling like a pair of crones?"

"Oh, Harry," Hermione said with a final chuckle. "We mean no harm by it."

"Hmpf," was his reply before laughing manically and attacking his two friends with the chair cushion.

2ND AUTHOR'S NOTE: Decided to end this one on a happy note since there is plenty of angst to come. It's taken so long getting this out because I wanted to post two chaps at once, but have gotten stuck on the beginning of 12. Hey, for those of you who've read my one-shot In the Dark of the Night and either reviewed or sent emails: I might continue that later on, but it probably won't be until I've finishes with this fic. I've already had problems getting the chaps out b/c of invading plot bunnies and brain farts. I don't need any more distractions. Thanks for your interest in the story, though!