From page three hundred and ninety six of 'The Biography of Harry Potter', published in 20--, written by Harry Potter with Luna Lovegood-Longbottom, and help from others.

…It was a feeling, that buzzed through me with raw slices. I found nothing in the way I was falling, as I could feel the lips of Harry on Calix. My curse, it was said, that made me feel everything that went on between one I loved, and the one that was loved by my beloved. Crumbling, I shook as I turned on my sheets to try and find solitude in sleeping, however my dreams until the next day were full of every nasty little thing that had come my way.

Those things were wrapped up against that kiss they shared, because my life was in Harry's hands. The Dark Lord had branded me, with the near qualities of a house elf; the only thing to break the curse was the returned love from another, and this curse he placed upon me didn't vanish after the Lord's fall. There was a catch in my curse, which said that if I didn't succeed in finding true love before my twenty eighth birthday, then death would cease me from ever finding such happiness in emotion. So far, I had been searching for love for nearly nine years, since my eighteenth birthday when the present I received was the life I was serving.

What stopped me, from loosing myself all together that night that Harry had Calix round, was the sparkle of hope that Harry might just be confusing his feelings because all those times he absentmindedly played with my hair, or touched me when we passed had me alive! He couldn't see how all those things betrayed all the things he hoped he wasn't doing, yet I couldn't face the fact he had stopped believing in the truth of maybe, even just a little bit, of loving me.

The weeks went on, naturally like they should. I spent as much time avoiding Harry, because all those times with him weren't worth doing anymore, because all his falseties were causing so much pain inside of me.

I was less than human when he had brought me to his home, the only glimmer of life coming from me in the form of rage! And he knew why that was; for all those times I gave myself away in the hope of being loved.

Yes, they loved their broken boys rough, unwilling and strugglers! I couldn't help but fight back when all those who had owned me before, either demanded sex from me or demanded I have sex with others. I only did it because of the fear of being beaten, or not being loved. Although, I say I didn't want to be beaten, I would allow that just as much as the sexual deviances others put upon me, because I thought that brought love.

And yet, here was Harry who rightfully owned me and all he wanted to do to me was teach me to read, teach me to cook and to do those little things I couldn't remember because yet again, I gave away pieces of me in the hope others would love me. I can't say I ever loved another, apart from the growing feeling for Harry, because he was the only one that treated me as a person.

But then, after the night he spent with Calix, I found there was more unintentional things he did to hurt me, as opposed to unintentional things he did to make me love him. Suddenly, the touches he gave where ones to get me out of the way; like when I blocked a hallway, or when I cut things for dinner wrong and he would push my hands away roughly.

I remember the night when Harry asked me to sit with him and Calix, to meet the git. I was raged, but I never let on, that he would ask such a thing. Couldn't the blind fool see that I was dying? I had but a year and a half to live, couldn't he see that? And more importantly couldn't he see it was the love he didn't reciprocate that was killing me faster?

So, I let Harry dress me in the clothes he saw fit in and then do my hair; his hands running over my head like bolts of pure ecstasy running its way over my being. I ignored every little thing, that said for me to turn around and kiss him then and there, and I felt like I was standing on a cliff edge with a second to run or die.

When I walked into the room, Calix lit up like a Christmas tree at my presence, "I have heard a lot of you!" He greeted me, and I plastered on a wound of happiness, just for Harry's sake.

"I have heard of you too." I responded, in all the careful demeanour I could muster. Harry smiled at us, like it was his mother and boyfriend getting along.

"Wine, Draco?" Calix offered, yet I felt no warmth from his tones as they washed over me. I nodded, because it would be rude to refuse. Carefully I lifted the glass to my lips, tasting for the first time that night the bitterness that matched my feeling.

"It's nice to finally meet Harry's great friend, he is awfully fond of you." Calix offered the conversation again, and I smiled as warmly as I could.

"Yes," I responded, "He seems rather fond of you too…" Harry smiled at me, as if that was the right answer. Couldn't it be that Harry was fond of me, just as he was Calix?

"Harry tells me you went to school together?"

"Yes, Harry and I did school together…" I said, my teeth on edge; about to grit themselves together, but out of politeness I asked: "Where did you go to school?"

"St. Stars, in Cornwall." I nodded, then remembered.

"You went to school with Zerlinda Iceshimmer?" I asked, in awe.

"Yes, she was in the year below me!" He responded, a glint in his eye.

"We grew up together! I was betrothed to her!" I almost screamed, delight at knowing someone who knew him. The connections between us were being made, and even though I hated it I would do it, just for Harry.

"Betrothed? My dear boy she was awful come fifth year…"

"Don't I know that? She lost all her wonderful demeanour, she was of the highest blood around until she began whoring around…"

He nodded, and whilst he did so I cast a glance at Harry, who was smiling at our interactions. "Did you know Abrasaxia Knowles?" He asked enlightened; all the petty small talk forgotten.

"Did I?" I asked myself, "Of course! Smiths cousin?"

"Yes, he was the one who/ broke the bottle!"

"/ broke the bottle!" We said at the same time.

"Care to enlighten me?" Harry asked, confused.

"Yes," I talked before Calix, "Matthias Smith was given, as a coming of age present, a bottle of the finest water. The legend had it that the water would bring cause the holder the finest thoughts, whenever they so wished. The pool it was bottled from dried up soon after the bottle was corked, leaving the bottle Matthias had the only source of such a thing left in the world.

"However, coming of age didn't make Matthias any wiser that he already was, so on the day of receiving his present he decided to leave it lying on the floor with all his other presents whilst he went to bed the whore his father had bought him, for the night of his first in adulthood.

"Now, when the next day came, the whore who he had slept with the previous night demanded payment as she had realized, from the fumbling of Matthias that he was rather dimwitted. He searched around for a suitable payment on his floor, that was covered in mess and noticed the glowing green bottle. He picked it up, ran over to the ugly whore and went to pass it too her, instead he tripped on a huge 'Luck chest' and dropped the bottle!" I tried to regain my breath after my little speech, whilst Harry looked shocked and Calix held in his laughter.

"You forget the most important part Draco!" Calix said, "That his father banished poor Matthias for one month, to the location of the dried up pool and when he returned he was to be branded a fool, literally!"

"Yes…" I recollected, "He was; right on his forearm it was?" I asked.

"Indeed, poor bloke never quite lived that down!" Calix added, and we laughed for a few moments before a timer went off to the left of us; in the kitchen.

"I'll get that!" I skipped up, taking my wine glass with me.

"I'll be right back Calix, I just need to go help?" Harry asked, as he lifted himself up too.

When in the kitchen, Harry rounded on me in whispers, "You have never said that much to me!" He seethed.

"I don't think I have ever said that much!" I added honestly, not remembering a time when I had said so much, but never-the-less enjoying talking like I had.

"What games are you playing at, Draco?" Harry seethed again, and I knew I should have been sad, but my elation from my chat with Calix had sent me soaring. Also, Harry had requested we be friends, and my obligations as a house-elf interpreter had caused me to take heed to that request, and so I did; I was more a friend now than I ever was an enemy, or a household servant.

"I was just talking Harry!" I laughed at his look, thinking it was way to stubborn to be considered scornful. Possibly he was just jealous, then again he could just be hurt that I got on with Calix. I think, in love, we often wish on the outside for our partners to get along with our friends, only for them to do exactly that and for us to become sick with jealousy over the shared people between us.

"I thought you didn't talk?" And that comment, as much as I wished I could have found it funny, hurt.

"Fuck you!" I yelled in whisper. I turned to walk away, my wine glass in my hand but the words that followed me out of the room caused me to do something I had been trained not to do.

"Draco…" I dropped my wine glass, the contents shattering on the floor to resemble the effects of the Sectumsempra curse, and my eyes caused my face to be littered with tears, at my name… my mere name.

AxAxA

I heard the floo fire up from my bedroom, the effects of it being lit reverberating in the fireplace in my room, sending green sparks to light up the darkness that surrounded me. I sat on my bed, finally free of tears when Harry knocked on my door.

Naturally, from the hurt I ignored him; naturally he opened the door anyways. He came in without words and sat on the bed next too me, the light streaming in from the open door lighting his face; his kiss stained face which disgusted me.

"Are you okay?" He asked softly. I wished at that moment the line between hate and love was thinner than it actually is, but naturally nothing can be so easy. I felt as if on a great void, between the line ever beginning, trying desperately to gain a hate for Harry, in all his pride so I could knock him down.

"Yes, I am okay…" I responded with a glint of a sneer, only holding back the full force of it so I could seem, genuinely okay.

"I am sorry about earlier, I don't know why I flipped out!" He threw his hands up in exaggeration of his utterance, and I couldn't help but smile.

"You couldn't help yourself?"

"No…"

I smiled a little brighter, "Well, Harry, I am going to bed. Sleep well…" I was already in the night clothes he had set aside for me, so when I got under my covers I didn't expect him to do anything but give up and go; I forgot he was once a Gryffindor!

Suddenly, the covers were lifted up on the other side of the bed and a body pressed against mine. I felt warm, against my previous beg for hate, at the touch. "I'm so sorry…" He uttered, and I could only smile.

I was sorry too. So sorry that he had landed me in this position, but at the same time so in love with Harry that there was nothing else to do than to lean into the touch, and sleep so peacefully it would have been better if I had never woken up.

Two chapters in one day? I must be off my trolley (not that I had one to begin with!) Please, please review, just for my sanity! I would really appriciate it!

Just once, to make a Christmas a Christmas?

Ashes