A/N: I know that this chapter took me a long time to get up here…but I didn't have it three weeks ago…and then I had to move my mom's office…and then this last weekend I moved my HOUSE…and in school we're doing STAR testing. It's been hectic. Well, here's chapter 16. Enjoy.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or anything associated with it. I'm too poor.

REVIEWS:

Gryffindor16

I don't really know who I'm gonna have top first. I'll just have to see what happens when it happens…and you are just going to have to wait until I write it. LOL.

From The Dark I will Rise

I'm so glad you liked the chapter! Yes, it is great imagery. I'm lucky enough to see it every night in my dreams!

yehudi13

The Quidditch line is a make of the milk slogan (Milk: It does a body good). Don't worry, Draco should find out about Alex in the next chappy.

iluvdanrad

I don't know if any other characters will come in. and sexual tension…that is always ongoing.

Kaikiki

I'm glad the talking worked for you. one of my major things as a writer is to make dialogue realistic. Thanks so much for your review and telling me what you like!

RavenclawGirl824

But…I like "nibbled". Have you ever smelled pinecones and orange? It's so good! (my mom had potpourri) Mmm…almonds.

dracoXK

Yes, you can use my line, so long as you say I wrote it. Use "KidaChan", plz. Thank you!

And a special thanks to my other reviewers: Rei Magami, ozumas girl, Hoshiko-Malfoy, Malfoy vs Potter, Holy Snappers, creepy clown doll, Jazzy needs u, and teresa bloom!

CHAPTER 16: CARRIAGE RIDE

"The Dursleys?" Harry asked.

Professor McGonagall nodded, the glasses on the crook of her nose wobbling a bit. "It's in the rules, Mr. Potter…if you ever cared to learn them."

"But why does it matter? They don't care what happens to me."

"That may be so." She frowned. "Still, if you want to stay the Christmas break with Mr. Malfoy, un-chaperoned, may I add, I need to be able to tell your guardians where you will be."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Whatever…so long as I can go."

McGonagall squinted her eyes at the Gryffindor. "Why are you wanting to stay at Malfoy Manor this Christmas? Last time I checked, you and Mr. Malfoy wanted to kill each other."

Harry smiled, mischievously at his head of house. "Things change…right, Professor?"

McGonagall watched Harry wink at her, then walk out of the classroom. The only thing she could think of was:

'Oh, dear.'

Harry and Draco waited until everyone else had left Hogwarts for Christmas break. The Gryffindor had convinced Ron and Hermione that they should spent the holiday with their families. The Weasleys had invited Harry to spend it with them, but he told them that he wanted to be alone…using the excuse that he wanted to spend it with this godfather. Thinking that he wanted to mourn alone, they agreed to let him stay at Hogwarts.

Harry was ashamed he had used Sirius' death to his advantage…but then again, his godfather would most likely be proud of his sneakiness. However, using it to spend holiday with Malfoy…maybe not. Either way, he was spending Christmas at Malfoy Manor.

They took one of the carriages drawn by thestrals to Draco's house. During the trip, they talked about school and their lives so far. Draco seemed fascinated by the stories Harry told about Muggles.

"Father never said much about Muggles or Mudbloods, (Harry glared) so I don't know much about them. Well, I know that they are foul and weak, but other than that –"

"They're not stupid…just the same as magic folk. They just don't have magic…but they're still people. Yes, there are horrid ones…like the Dursley's…but most of them are nice. Mind you, I didn't meet many of them. I was never friends with anyone, really, and as for adults…I just wasn't out of the house long enough to meet many of them."

"Sounds nice." Draco said, sarcastically.

"Oh yes, very." The Gryffindor agreed. The two looked at each other, and then began to laugh. After a while, Draco spoke again.

"I didn't get out much either. I do remember this one time, though…I was really young. Around five or six, I would say. I was playing in the yard…never mind what it was I was playing…and a family drove up the road. It was a private road, so I had never seen anyone there before. A man and a woman got out, and they had a little girl. She was about my age, and so I went over to say hello. We started playing together, and her father walked up and knocked on the door to the manor. Father answered, and I guess the man was asking for directions…I suppose they were lost. I wasn't really paying attention to the adults, but then I saw a flash of green and the woman screamed."

Draco paused, as if watching the memory play in his head. He swallowed, and Harry watched him intently. Finally, he continued.

"I turned around, and the mother was screaming…and father pointed his wand at her and…and killed her, too. The little girl began to cry beside me, and she grabbed my hand. Father heard her cries, and he saw her hiding behind me. He told me to move, so I let go of her hand and ran away. I didn't want to look back, but I heard him say those…those words…you know. And I turned around…I remember turning around…and the light…and then she just, just fell. The little girl fell to the ground, and her eyes were open. She was looking straight at me…and I remember…I don't remember what happened after that."

Draco's eyes were damp with tears, but they did not fall. Silence descended in the carriage.

"Draco…" Harry whispered.

"Anyway," The Slytherin said, wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his robe. "That was my first experience with Muggles. Afterward, father sat me down and told me why he did what he did. He said that Muggles were the slime of the world, no better than Mudbloods or Squibs or low-class wizarding families. He said that only pure-blood families who were important in society were important at all." He laughed. "I guess that's why I'm so fucked up."

Harry leaned over and took Draco's hand. "You are not. You just…had a bad childhood."

"Yours wasn't any better." Draco added. Harry looked away.

"True, but still."

"Still what?"

The Gryffindor locked eyes with his carriage-mate. He squeezed the hand he was holding, gently. "Darling…I'm here for you. No matter what. I…I really care about you. And before…I was just fucked up. I had a bad experience…but I'm okay now…and…WHAT IS IT?"

Draco had been giving Harry a very weird look. One of his eyebrows was raised, and a cocky smile was on his lips. At Harry's outburst, he gave out a short laugh.

"What?" Harry asked.

After giggling (A/N: Yes! Giggling! You heard right!) a little more, Draco tried to put on a straight face. The brow was still raised. "…It's nothing…it's just…Darling?"

He broke out into laughter again. Harry started as well, and the two boys, hands held, laughed together until the carriage stopped.

"Well," Draco said. "We're here."

Harry looked out the window at the enormous mansion that Draco had been raised in. He didn't realize that his companion had left the carriage until the exasperated tone reached his ears.

"Harry? Are you coming? Come on, let's go."

A/N: That chapter was really short…. and I'm sorry. I'll try to get out another one soon, hopefully longer. Thank you all for keeping with me!