Hi everyone! I'm sorry about the not updating thing. I am currently using a school computer and it only gives me limited access. I hope everyone like the story so far. I intend to keep the plot, for the most part, but I hated the winy sappy Draco. It just isn't him to me. If anyone has comments or questions or whatever, just click the little review button. Hope you like!

Disclaimer: Not mine, never will be either. 'sigh'

Warning: Contains slash, open with caution. If not old enough then go away.

Ch. 2 The Visitor in Hiding

Harry walked quickly, but quietly down the stairs towards the living room. Despite the protective wards on the house Harry was still suspicious of any unexpected visitors, especially in the middle of the night. After listening quietly at the door for a moment, Harry cautiously entered the living room to see a sight he never expected. Albus Dumbledore was standing there in the middle of the room calmly talking to a red faced Uncle Vernon, with a small cloaked figure standing next to him with a few small wisps of pale blonde hair poking out from under a dirty black cloak. As Harry fully entered the room Dumbledore looked up and Harry saw the familiar twinkle suddenly come back into his eyes.

Dumbledore then looked back at Uncle Vernon and said, "I am sorry but I have no more time to argue with you. The boys will have to stay for a few days more. If you can do this you will be reimburse for your trouble. I need to talk with Harry now."

He then sweep over to Harry and lowering his voice said, "Harry I'm terribly sorry but I need to run now. The ministry is in an uproar over Voldemort's latest attack. I will return tomorrow to explain more fully, but for now I need you to tend to your new guest. I trust you will be up to this task?" Harry nodded and Dumbledore left in a fury of fire.

As Harry walked closer to the cloaked he felt a shiver run up his spine as he saw more pale blond hair. As he face the cloaked figure he said, "Um hi, I'm Har-""I know who you are Potter." Came a crisp drawl, "and if you don't mind, I need to rest now." And with that Draco Malfoy pulled back the hood to reveal his pale pointed face, dotted with dried blood and bruises. Harry's jaw dropped and Malfoy raised an eyebrow.

"Um sure, this way." Harry said recovering himself.

As Harry led him up the stairs he felt a swell of unease in his stomach. Entering his room first he suddenly felt a slight embarrassment settle on him as he saw how dirty his room was. Clothes lay strewn on the floor, mingled with book and owl feathers. He quickly turned around and shut the door, running straight into Malfoy.

"What the fuck Potter!" Malfoy yelped.

"Sorry, um I thought you might want to see were the bathroom was and get cleaned up first."

"Potter," Malfoy drawled. "I am dead tired and injured, now get out of my fucking way and let me get some sleep."

Malfoy then pushed Harry out of the way and stormed into the room. Harry quickly got up and ran into the room straight into Malfoy, sending them both tumbling onto the floor.

"Goddammit Potter! Get off me!" Malfoy shouted. Harry quickly jumped up trying to hide his blush.

"What the hell's wrong with you Potter?" Malfoy glared. "Sorry, I just um, wasn't watching where I was going." Harry said in a small voice.

Draco rolled his eyes and turned around to look at the room. It looked terrible. Potter obviously had no house elves, being in a muggle house, but still, that was no excuse. Even he did a bit of cleaning when needed because he couldn't stand to live in a dirty home.

"Bloody hell Potter! When's the last time you cleaned in here. It looks like a barn."

"Well I was going to have you go to the bathroom first and get cleaned up before you came in here so I could have time to clean, but you decided to barge in anyway." Potter said in a matter of fact voice.

"Oh, um okay then, where's the bathroom?" Draco asked sheepishly. "Out the door and door on the left," said Potter.

Malfoy left and Harry started picking up clothes from the floor. 'What the hell is wrong with him! He could at least be grateful for having a place to sleep tonight, I was just trying to help.' Thought Harry furiously as he piled all his dirty clothes into the hamper in his closet. Harry turned around and opened his trunk to pile the scattered books into it. 'Why the hell is he here in the first place? He probably lives in a mansion, dotted on by his parents, so why is he here?' Harry's thoughts and questions swirled in his head as his anger slowly waned.

'Why here of all places!?' Draco almost cried out in frustration. He was holding a small washcloth and attempting to wipe the bits of blood off his face. This was a hard task from all the sore bruises. 'Why am I staying at Potters house!? Why couldn't I just stay at Hogwarts, or at uncle Severus's house?! Does he know?' Drao straightened at this thought. No one knew. It was only a thought, a desire in his head. Nothing more. He had never voiced it aloud. But a nagging voice in his head said 'But Dumbledore knows many other things you haven't said out loud. He probably knows anything that goes on in your head.' Draco shut out the nasty voice, but was still disturbed. 'I'll just have to ask him tomorrow why I'm here.'

Draco thought turning off the water. As he looked at himself in the mirror he saw a dark hue under his eye and a scabbed split in his lip. Sadness flooded him and his thoughts turned back to earlier in the evening. Had it really only been this morning that he had been laughing with his mother? That he had been surrounded by his small family? He felt tears start to fall and quickly wiped them away. Malfoys never, never, never, cried. It was a weakness that could get you hurt. He straightened up and put a determined look on his face. He was in Potter's house and could not afford to show any weakness. No emotion, but a cool, calm, indifference. Fixing his hair, he turned and left.

Harry had finished cleaning and was now thinking about sleeping arrangements. Harry had only one small bed in his room, and then a desk, his trunk, and a tiny closet. Harry was dead tired and didn't want to sleep on the floor, but Malfoy was his guest, he could possibly... The door suddenly banged open, startling Harry. Draco entered and went over to Harry.

"Where's my bed? I'm tired and Dumbledore wanted you to look after me." Harry shifted a bit uncomfortably.

"Well, we only have this one bed and the pillow and blanket on it." Draco raised an eyebrow.

"So your saying we only have one tiny bed, one shabby blanket, and a couple scruffy pillow between the two of us?" Harry nodded and Draco started cursing.

"So how will this work out. Only one of us can obviously sleep on that tiny bed and the other would be stuck on the cold floor. And this room isn't exactly the warmest place I've ever been in. Even with a blanket I surly freeze. What kind of stupid muggles are your relatives anyway?" Draco said trying to think.

"Well... I have an idea." Draco turned to look at Harry expectantly. "I know a spell that can expand inanimate objects. I could expand the bed and blanket to fit us both with plenty of space in-between." Draco looked at him in horror.

"You, and me, in the same bed? There's no way in hell I would ever sleep in the same bed as you!" Draco glared at Harry and crossed his arms. Harry rolled his eyes and shrugged, trying to squash the pain welling up in his heart.

"Well then I guess I'm going to go to bed then and you can have the floor." Harry then went over to his bed and climbed under the covers.

Draco's jaw dropped, "But I'm your guest! What the hell am I supposed to do?!"

"Deal with it." Harry called back, muffled by the blanket over his head. So Draco, filled with outrage and indignation, considered his situation and marched over and crawled into the bed, right next to Harry. Harry jerked around in surprise and faced a smirking Draco.

"What the hell are YOU doing!?" Harry shot at him in disbelief.

"I'm trying to sleep Potter. You honestly cannot expect a Malfoy to sleep on the floor."

"But this is my bed, and I'm in it already!" Harry cried.

"Well look at it this way, there's only one bed, and neither of us like each other that way, as far as I know." Draco shot Harry an amused look. "So we should be fine. But if you ever dare tell anyone about this I swear, illegal or not, I'll cast all the dreadful spells I know on you." Inside Harry's heart swelled a bit but he kept a straight face and said,

"Well at least let me make the bed bigger." Draco sighed and let Harry up. Waving his wand he muttered "Amplificare alveus." The bed stretched and creaked until it was about a king size bed. Draco looked at him and disbelievingly.

"So you can enlarge a bed no problem, but you can't just make a second one." Harry shrugged and turned to hide a slight blush.

"So sue me. I haven't had a lot of practice with duplication spells." Draco looked at the window and back at Harry.

"So from the absence of a ministry owl, I take it you are on the list of underage wizards permitted to use magic from special circumstances involving you-know-who." Draco said climbing under the covers to place his back up against the wall looking slightly questionable at Harry.

"Yeah, it was almost a given when Dumbledore demanded the list be allowed," said Harry setting his glasses on the small table by his bed and climbed under the blanket facing Draco.

"Yeah I thought so." Draco replied tiredly.

"Well umm, Goodnight then." Harry said as he waved his wand and turned off the lights.

"Umm-hmm" Draco murmured as he turned over, already asleep.