Title: Stand By

Author: Danea

Previously published under another pen name at a separate site

Summary: After the events of the TriWizard Tournament, Harry finds himself depressed and terribly lonely. Even his closest friends can't see what's wrong. A chance encounter over Winter Break with one of his greatest rivals (no, not Voldermort or Snape) leads Harry down a path he certainly never expected. Rated M for language, mention of abuse/rape (non-descript), slight AU.
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. I am American, therefore any misuse of British slang is simply ignorance.
Author's Notes: Thank you for the reviews! I don't speak Latin, so any Latin used in this chapter was found via the internet, so it may not be perfect. The italics is the translation of the Latin phrases, not part of the speech.

The cold darkness seemed to surround Harry, blinding him like a cover over his eyes. He knew he was outside; he could feel the grass brushing against his bare legs. But there was no moon, no stars to light the way. It was oddly silent, as if someone had cast a spell over the area. Harry tried to think back to how he had arrive outside, but his mind was blank.

"Harry Potter," a frighteningly familiar voice hissed. Suddenly, as if conjured, Voldermort appeared in the darkness, his eyes glowing serpentine red. Panic swelled in Harry's chest as he grasped for his wand. "Will you never learn, boy? I will win this war, wether you win the battle or not."

Before he could stop himself, Harry cried, "You will never win! Good will always triumph!" The words sounded far braver than he felt. His wand was nowhere to be found, and the panic was quickly changing to mind numbing fear.

Voldermort laughed, a deep, harsh laugh. "Aut vincere aut mori, my dear boy." Either conquer or die. As he spoke, Voldermort extended one skeletal finger to stroke an icy path down Harry's cheek. Harry desperately wanted to pull away, but felt frozen in place. "And now for your final lesson, boy," the Dark Lord hissed. Despite his menacing stare, his tone was surprisingly kind as he continued, "Non semper erit aestas, Potter. Omnia mutantur nos et mutamur in illis." It will not always be summer. All things change and we change with them.

"What?" Harry cried, unable to understand the other man's words, but instinctively knowing his meaning all the same.

"Veritas vos liberabit. One day, you will understand your position in this world, boy." The truth shall make you free. As he spoke, Voldermort's body began to change. His skin colored, his body filling out as it lost height. Suddenly, it was Dumbledore that stood before Harry, a kind smile on his weathered face. "One day, my dear boy, it will all be clear to you," Dumbledore whispered to Harry, pressing his dry lips against Harry's cheek.

"I don't understand..." Harry broke off in a surprised gasp as the older man's hands closed in around his throat, tightening with every passing second. When Harry looked into Dumbledore's face, he saw nothing but darkness. And then he heard Voldermort's voice once again in the darkness.

"Abyssus abyssum invocat." Hell calls hell. Suddenly, Harry was falling through the darkness...falling, falling...

He woke with a start as strong hands gripped him, pulling him from the dream. Blinking away the remaining darkness, Harry focused on the pale face of Draco Malfoy hovering above him. "Potter?" Draco said unsurely.

"Yeah," Harry replied, running a hand through his sweat dampened hair. The dream had been so intense, the fear so real, that he was now drenched in a cold sweat. The muscles in his neck were tightly knotted, and he ran his hand down his neck to try and loosen the muscles.

"You were talking in your sleep. In Latin!" Draco cried as he released Harry, stepping back to perch on the bed beside Harry's bed. "I caught some of it, but I could hardly understand your muttering."

"What did I say?" Harry asked. He was starting to remember his dream and he hoped that he hadn't given Draco any more ammunition by crying or something. The dream had been terrifying and confusing, but Harry wasn't about to explain that to Draco.

"Something about conquering, something about summer. You really should learn to speak properly, Potter. You managed to mutilate the Latin language," Draco sneered.

"Oh, sure. Next time I'm talking in my sleep, I'll remember to enunciate clearly, just for you," Harry snapped in reply.

"Gee, thanks."

Harry met Draco's smirk with one of his own. "It was just a nightmare, Malfoy. Not a Latin test. It was probably all gibberish."

Draco had no response for Harry, but something seemed to be bothering him. Harry kicked off his covers, moving to stretch. As he did, Draco quietly asked, "Did he kill anyone?" Harry was so taken off guard that his mouth nearly dropped open. He'd purposefully avoided mentioning the exact nature of his dream, but Draco seemed to have guessed it.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me, Potter. Did Voldermort kill anyone? Was that why you had a vision?" Draco seemed oddly subdued, almost afraid, but he had casually tossed out the Dark Lord's name without hesitation.

"This wasn't a vision, Malfoy. Just a nightmare," Harry replied. A sudden thought occurred to him; Draco's concern most likely had something to do with his father. After all, the senior Malfoy was Voldermort's go-to man. But that also put him high on the danger list. If anything had happened, there was a good chance Draco's father was involved. Harry almost went on to comfort the other boy, to ensure him of his father's safety, when another thought caught him. "How do you know about my visions?"

The question quickly erased the look of relief from Draco's face. He seemed to be debating on how to answer, before finally replying, "It's a castle rumor. Everyone knows you're a freak." Though it was intended as an insult, Draco's words fell short.

"Bullshit," Harry spat. He was suddenly furious with the other boy. Draco wasn't suppose to know any intimate details of his life. "You've been spying on me. And not just today, with Sirius. You really are pathetic, Malfoy. How do you do it?"

Draco groaned, rolling his eyes as he pushed himself to his feet. "Get over yourself. You're paranoid! Why would I spy on you? If I had any real interest in your life, I have many other ways of finding out anything I want. I wouldn't need to resort to silly tricks."

"You're still avoiding the question," Harry pointed out, also standing so that he was eye level with Draco. "How did you find out about my visions? No one knows except a small group of people, and no one you associate with would be on that list." Harry paused, before continuing, "Unless of course your dear daddy has been sharing his Death Eater information with his little Death Eater in training."

Anger flashed in Draco's eyes. "I'm not a Death Eater."

"Then tell me how you know."

The boys were locked in an angry gaze, neither willing to turn away first. After a moment, Draco broke the gaze, putting on his best smirk. "Potter, you're so convinced that evil forces are out to ruin your life, that you never thought of the simplest solution." Harry waited for him to go on, still glaring at the blonde boy. "My godfather was talking with Dumbledore and I happened to overhear them discussing your little 'visions'. I wasn't trying to listen in. Okay? It wasn't Voldemort or even my father. My godfather told me."

"Your godfather?" Harry echoed. "Who is your godfather?"

"None of your business!" Draco snorted.

"Wrong, Malfoy," Harry laughed in reply. "You snooped on me and now you know about my godfather. It's only fair if you spill the beans too. Or are you embarrassed? Who is it? One of Voldemort's favorite henchmen?" Harry sneered. "Aside from your daddy dearest, of course."

"Would you lay off with the Death Eater jabs?" Draco cried. "Haven't you got anything better than that?"

"Just say it, Malfoy. Who is it?"

"Severus Snape."

Harry felt a combination between a laugh and a gasp catch in his throat. "What? Snape is your godfather? But...I never thought..."

Draco cut in with a snide comment. "That's quite obvious. Don't worry. I've heard it hurts the first time, but that should pass."

"Shut up, Malfoy. What are you still doing here anyway? I've been asleep for hours. Were you watching me sleep?"

"Come on, Potter. Even a first year knows you can't leave a person alone after they've ingested a numbing potion," Draco smirked, settling back down onto the bed beside Harry's bed. Harry flushed in embarrassment, having forgotten that little fact. "Besides," Draco continued, "if you'll remember, we never quite settled the matter of your godfather, the convict. I really don't have any reason to keep me from screaming to the corners of the world about Sirius Black. So, do you want to give me a reason?" Draco crossed his arms over his chest, his smirk widening.

Despite the anger Harry felt flare up again, he tried to be civil. "What do you want, Malfoy? Money?"

"Yeah, because I need your money," Draco laughed. "I'm a Malfoy, not a Weasley. Money has little sway over me."

"Then what?"

Draco frowned in concentration as he tried to think of a fitting payment for his silence. "Okay, first of all, at the Valentine's Day Feast, I want you to publically announce that I am a superior seeker and a God on the Quidditch Pitch." Harry groaned, but nodded in agreement. "And, you'll start doing my DADA homework for me. I have no time for that rubbish, but you seem to have a flair for it." Again, Harry nodded, hoping that Draco's demands didn't get much worse than that. "And finally, you'll help me with some...extra-curricular studies."

Harry didn't trust the smile that crossed Draco's face. "I do all that, and you'll keep your mouth shut about Sirius? And I mean really shut, no blabbing to those lumps you call friends or your father. And you can't add anything extra on to this agreement later on. This is a one time payment, alright?" Draco smiled in response, giving a slight nod. "Fine. Then it's a deal." Harry extended his hand to Draco, offering a handshake to seal the deal.

"It's a deal."