Disclaimer: I do not own (sadly) any of what you see before for you, Harry potter has never been and will never be any of my property. All that is mine is an OC or two and even those I'm willing to lend out ever so often.

Warning: this is a Slash story, most likely of the HP/DM variety, so if such easily offends you, I suggest that you exit this site immediately. There is also likely to be some course language and explicit violence. A bit of torture here and there and quite possibly sex in the later chapters.

This is why I have rated this story M and not for the tender hearted.

A/N: It has been a while and im sorry for taking so long, I replied to all the reviews at the bottom of this but this is the last time im doing that for any of my stories.

I am in need of a Beta reader, so if any one is interested just review me and i will definitely get back to you.

Description: The summer of Harry's 6th year, right after the ministry debacle. Harry is coping poorly and an unexpected, and rather beat up, guest doesn't help matters much… until an agreement is met…

Keywords: Harry, Draco, Bonds, 6th year.

Chapter 5

As soon as Harry had paid, he had led Draco down the street into a place called Pizza Hut.

"Potter, what is this?" He asked, staring warily at the triangle shaped slice of something that looked like it had been dipped in cheese and oil.

"Cheese pizza." Harry replied simply as he took a bit out of his own slice. Draco watched in mild disgust as a long string of cheese connected the slice to Potter's mouth.

"And you expect me to eat this… ugh, I can't even find a word disgusting enough to describe it.

"Eat it Malfoy. It's the only food you're getting until tonight." Draco gave him a disgruntled look as he gingerly picked up the so-called food. Harry was already halfway into his second piece as Draco took his first bite. The look of incredulity on his face was quite amusing.

"What's wrong Malfoy? It's almost as if you've never had food before."

"Well not this kind." He replied, ignoring the barb, "and beside, this is the most food I've had in a week besides something called a 'burger' and some bread my mother had sent with me when I escaped. This is variable ambrosia compared to that."

/ Two more questions to add to the list. / Harry thought. "That's the first time pizza compared to the food of the gods. Muggle gods at that. Where did you learn all this muggle from trivia anyways?"

"Muggle studies," Draco mumbled around another mouthful, "Lucius holds to the motto 'Know thine enemy.' And expected me to follow it as well. The bastard didn't expect me to enjoy myself. That was just a perk."

"You enjoyed Muggle Studies?" Harry hid his surprise by taking a long drink.

"It was one of the reasons I turned down the Dark Mark."

It was at that moment that Harry learned never to drink while having a conversation with Draco Malfoy. Thankfully no one was in the immediate vicinity, and the table next to the two boys was the only one to receive Harry's latest mouthful of Coke.

"You like having that shock factor in the conversation don't you?" Harry glared mildly as he wiped his face with the back of his sleeve.

"It gets me though the tough times." Replied Draco with a smirk that was suspiciously close to a grin.

Harry snorted, "Well hurry up, I've got to go see a friend about a place to see and I've also got an appointment to keep."

"Appointment?" Draco asked curiously while he finished off his drink.

"You'll see, Slate."

"Slate? What's slate?" Harry ignored him and headed for the door. Draco just shrugged and followed.

"What in the hell's is this place?" They were standing outside a heavily graffitied storefront just inside an alleyway. The words 'Ink Palace' were scrawled everywhere, and random pictures plastered the windows. There was no way to see inside other than the front door, which was propped open with a hedgehog statue that had been given a rainbow mohawk.

"This is the 'Ink Palace'. The best tattoo parlor in all of London. It is also my friend, Greg's business." Harry smirked as he entered the outrageous store.

"Well that makes you biased now doesn't it?"

Harry chuckled darkly as usual, "I suppose it does."

"He laughed?" came a shocked voice from the left of them, "Our ever dark, brooding, quiet little hellion laughed?" The owner of the voice turned out to be a spiky haired brunette with light blue eyes.

"Slate, this is Greg Marcus, or better known as Chronos. Chronos, this is Slate."

A heavily dimpled smile split Greg's face, "Anyone who can make our Jades laugh is in our good books. All me and Mateo have been able to do is make him groan."

Harry nodded solemnly, "That was how my Uncle found out about my sexuality." He answered Draco's questioning gaze.

"How were we supposed to know that he would open the door right then? It was four in the morning!" Chronos raised his hands defensively.

"Yes but it didn't help that your goodbyes consist of me being humped from behind by Mateo while you basically claw may shirt of as you kiss me."

Draco's eyes were wide as he looked between the two of them. He repeated a mantra of 'Not Gay. Not Gay. Not Gay.' in his head as his imagination took a disturbing turn. Harry's face was completely impassive while Greg was grinning happily.

"So is your friend here to get anything or is it just the usual?"

"Actually, a few things have changed. I'm getting the works today. I don't know if he wants anything but if he does, give it to him. I'm… we're in a bit of a bind though. My Uncle found me and Slate together in my room," Harry suppressed a small smile as Draco flushed at his innuendo, "and now we need a place to stay."

Greg looked at him carefully, "Does this have anything to do with that situation that you refuse to tell us about, for fear of getting us involved?"

"Some." Harry said slowly.

"And is Slate already involved?"

"Partially."

"Are you both now on the run?"

"Well…"

"Oh for…stuff it both of you. You," the irate blonde cut in, pointing sharply at Greg, "stop fishing, he's not going to tell cause it is too bloody dangerous to know to much. Can we stay here or not?"

The Grin returned to the brunette's face, " I'll have to check but I'm sure you could use the loft for a while. For now Mateo is in the clean room and you have station 3, Jades. If you want any tattoos, "he said to Draco, "sit in station 1. If you want a piercing go for the chair with the 2 stitched into it. After he's done with Jades, Mateo will get to you."

"Tattoo? Piercing?" Draco asked quietly.

"Sometimes Slate, your ignorance astounds me." He passed his trench to Chronos. No comment was made as he handed over his vest and various weapons. The dark green muscle shirt soon followed.

Chronos mistook the sharp hiss coming from Draco, "It's some sight isn't it? Some of Mateo's best work. Of course, having Jade's fine body to work with didn't hurt none." He started writing in a little notebook beside the phone. "Did you know that Jade's drew his own tattoos? He also did some work for some clients of ours as a favor. He sure has a gift. Mateo wanted to take him on as an apprentice; he did too for a few weeks. He even got everything down pat, and I'll tell you now, he learned three years worth of training in a week and a half. After doing some bloody amazing works on some clients he tells us that due to some 'unavoidable circumstance' he can't work for us! Mateo was right pissed. Wouldn't talk to him for a week." By this time Harry had walked into the back room, leaving Draco and Greg to talk. Draco was enthralled. This was a side of Harry that he was sure that no one who knew him as The-Boy-Who-Lived had ever seen.

"Then what happened?" He asked as he drew up a chair behind the desk.

Chronos chuckled, "I'm not surprised he hasn't told you. There was one of those terrorist attacks at a club nearby and we figured that he was caught in it. He showed up at about three in the morning bruised and bloody. I was surprised he could even move." Greg went quiet and thoughtful then. "It was only when we were cleaning him up that we saw that most of the blood wasn't his. He didn't sleep that night. And the sex… well it was almost like he was trying to lose himself anyway he could." Draco blushed at the mention of sex as his mind worked overtime again. But he held his tongue, wanting to hear more.

"I'm sure you know about that habit of his. He hasn't been coming to us lately so I assume you have been taking good care of him." He winked and grinned as Draco turned as red as his pale skin could go.

"Well I… er… uh…sorta…"

"SLATE!" /Oh thank Gods! / Draco turned to see Harry poking his head around the doorway to the other room. "Get you arse in here. I have something I want to ask you." Grateful for any reason to escape his current conversation, Draco complied.

Leaving Greg behind, Draco slipped into the room Harry had disappeared to. Inside was brightly lit with two chairs and a misshapen bed beside respective desks. The desks of the bed and closest chair were nearly covered with a large assortment of tubes and paints. Along with a few mirrors were some vicious looking instruments that looked close to a gun. The table in the far right corner held a wide range of earrings and studs along with more sterilized packages. Draco chose to sit there to watch as a foreign looking man set up beside Harry who was laying face down on the bed thingy.

"Slate, meet Mateo. His real name is Yoshiko Kimahara but Chronos called him Mateo once when he was drunk and it stuck." The Asian man nodded to Draco and set to work on Harry. With every buzzing pass of the strange machine, color bloomed on Harry's back. Some of it was the deep green color the man was applying and some was blood. There was barely the hint of pain in his voice as the green-eyed boy continued.

"This is actually going to be the last bit of work on my back so it wont take long. After that, I'm getting a few piercings. That's where they poke holes in your skin and stick a ring or barbell though so they wont close. I was wondering if you wanted one." Mateo switched colors in the silence that followed.

"I want a tattoo." Draco said quietly, staring at Harry's back, "My body is scarred beyond reason. For once I want it to be in a way that I chose." Mateo had stopped and was staring at the young blonde who was riveted upon Jade's back.

"I see." Harry said and Mateo resumed his work silently. "What do you want to have?" This had Draco thinking for a minute.

"I know this may sound cheesy but I want wings. Anywhere on my body, I don't really care, just as a symbol of my freedom. Flames as well… for a number of reasons. Can you do that?" The last uneasy question was directed at Mateo.

"Slate…" came a hesitant voice from Harry, "would you mind me doing it? I have…ideas that you might like."

Draco was silent for a long time, thinking of Harry's silent request for trust.

"I think," he replied slowly, "that I would prefer if you did it. But I would ask something of you." He fell silent but was hopeful.

"And that would be?" he asked carefully.

"If Mateo would teach me, could I do your piercings?" Draco was keenly aware of the tension draining out of Harry's shoulders.

"Mateo?"

"It is not a hard thing you ask," came the deep, accented voice from the heavily tattooed Asian man, "but Chronos will teach him while I finish with you. I shall fetch him, don't move." The unspoken threat was left hanging in the air as the man slipped out.

The thick silence between the two boys was shattered by the excited squeal from Greg. The brown haired man bounced into the room, followed by a silent yet smiling Mateo.

"So I get to teach you piercing?" He asked as he plopped down into the school next to Draco. The blonde nodded. "Great! If you're as fast a learner as Jades is then it should only take a few hours to get he basics."

"Is that fast enough? Wont Po…Jades be done by then?"

"Nah, with the amount of work needed on that tat, we will have plenty of time. Now let's get started."

And so it went. Greg chatted away, pointing out different styles, techniques, areas to pierce and jewelry. The perfectionist in Draco found all of this fascinating. It amazed him how each piercing was different for each person depending on the place they wanted pierced, the size of the piercing, the individuals body structure and the different studs and rings that go through them. It wasn't long before he learned most of what he needed from Chronos through the explanations. Greg was more than willing to take it up to the next level.

"Well I was right about you learning as fast Jades here," he motioned to the seemingly dozing brunette still being worked on, "but just like him you will probably need an example before you fully understand. Now seeing as Mateo already has his piercings and I would rather not pierce myself, which leaves only one option. If you're willing of course."

Draco knew where this was going and he didn't really mind. It would just be a few more scars. He only had one problem. "Where would you put it?"

"I suggest an eyebrow ring," Harry piped up, "on the eyebrow opposite his scar."

"Scar?" Greg asked, confused. Draco sighed and brushed his hair away from his face. Greg gave a low whistle, "Wow, that's some battle scar."

Draco closed his eyes, trying to block out the images from just a few nights ago. / Has it really only been that long? / Greg mercifully dropped the subject.

"Well you right Jades. An eyebrow ring would look good but what do you think about a tongue ring?"

"Well he does talk a lot so it might be worth while to give people something to look at."

"You know something Jades?" Draco cut in scathingly, "If I wasn't so afraid of Mateo throttling me, I would throw a great many things at you right now. Preferably things that are large and heavy."

Harry scoffed, earning a smack on the head from Mateo, "As if you could lift it, you ponce."

"I will have you know that I am quite sinewy. My stunning figure just hides it well."

"Yeah right. Don't forget Slate, I carried you up a flight of stairs. I know exactly what your figure hides." Greg giggled as Draco flushed and quickly changed the subject.

"Well, shall we get this over with? I suppose I could do with a few ear piercings as well."

Greg grinned and set up the equipment.

A/N: So there you go. the next chapter you finally get to find out what Harry's tattoo looks like. Also i think im going to introduce a new character. we shall see i guess.

Reviews:

Vixen Uchiha
This kicks, keep it up.

-thanks.

Onigami Nanashi
Whee! Draco and Harry in hot hot clothes. I most definitly approve. Sorry for not reviewing all the chapters, I just didn't want to stop... Update soon!

-I'm just glad you reviewed at all. thankyou.

freya kurenai
oh.my.god...hahahahaha...snape ...ahahahahahahahah...lucius.. .ahahaahah..man,great fic!continue!

-I had a fun time writing that part... ah the mental images.

TenshiNoStrange
I enjoyed. great for a first fic (most REAllY suck, I know mine did) anyway you're a great writter. I hope you update both fics soon

-Thanks. and I'm really glad that you read both of my Fics. I'm planning to add about 3 more fics that ive been working on soon. hope you read and enjoy those too.

Aebhel

Hey-
I've been reading this all along, and I mostly like what you've done in terms of characterization of Draco and Harry. Draco, especially, is extremely well written. I have some issues with the way you've characterized Harry, mostly because I don't see him as being quite as badass as you've written him--a lot of his charm is derived from his insecurities. It's one thing for him to seem confident to Draco, but every human has insecurities, and when you're writing from Harry's point of view those need to shine through. I also don't see Harry as the sort of person who would shop at Hot Topic or similar stores, not because I have an issue with them but simply because he strikes me as the sort of person who is not very concerned with his appearance. Altogether, though, this is very well-done, and I love the bitchy banter you have going on between the two boys--keep it up!

-Here's the thing. Harry still has alot of insecurities, he just doesn't trust anyone enough to show them to anymore. As the story progresses you will see him open up alot to Draco and vice versa. right now the two are just trying to deal with thier own personal problems that the still cant fully share, mainly due to the years of fighting between the two of them. Harry's clothing choices are actually understandable once you know the reasoning. It's not that he went for fasion at all. the only reason any of the cloths he bought match at all was because of the girl, Rin, who helped him. The only reason he bought the cloths was for functionality. he needed cloths that would fit and hide his wepons. He found a store that would supply him with what he needed, that's it. hope that clears things up a bit. I'll try to make things more clear in the future chapters.

EllyYuki
Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes... Yippie, I found another great HP/DM slash fic! I! And SUCH a good one! I can't find anything that's wrong here, except maybe a small mistake in the first sentence. You forgot 'hair'.
'they were cold and damp and made his >... go terribly frizzy'
But except that, it's perfect.

-It's the little mistakes that mean that i need a Beta reader. i just cant see these things. thanks for pointing it out though.

EllyYuki
Muahahaha! I love Goth Harry! And Draco is snarky as he is supposed to be!

-Draco has to be snarky or it is not Draco at all.

That's everything for now. Next chapter should be up soon.

-nys-