Draco arrived home and was met with the usual routine. Up to his father's study, made to wait, wand taken away. His father was currently using his cane to beat Draco, repeatedly lifting it and slamming into Draco's body, telling him what a failure he was with each blow, ignoring his sons cries. Eventually his father tired of that and started using the Cruciatus Curse, Draco screamed, begging in between each round of the curse for his father to stop. After what felt like hours, his father bent down and grabbed him by the throat, throwing him out of his study and slamming the door behind him, telling him to come back on Sunday morning for his wand.

Draco picked himself up with a huge amount of effort, there were tears streaming down his cheeks and he could taste blood in his mouth. He ran down the stairs and froze. Standing in his foyer being greeted by a house elf was Cormac McLaggen. McLaggen looked up at him as he heard the footsteps and smirked broadly.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Draco spat. His heart was hammering. How long had he been here?

"I'm here to talk to your father about an internship with him over Christmas" McLaggen's smirk widened and he looked Draco up and down. "I admire how he deals with... problematic people" he said meaningfully, and Draco knew he'd heard it all. Perfect. Just another thing McLaggen knew about his life.

Draco glared at him before stalking out of the front door. Well there was no way he could go to his usual alleyway, McLaggen would know to look for him now, and he didn't want to be tempted with heroin that McLaggen and his friends would undoubtedly give him.

He turned and walked in a different direction, walking for half an hour until the pain from the curses and beatings caused his legs to buckle and give way. He dragged himself down the nearest alleyway and curled himself into the doorway of a shop. A few minutes later the heavens opened and rain began to pour, Draco tucked himself even tighter into the doorway, though when the wind blew he still got rained on, and he let the pain from the Cruciatus lull him into darkness.

In the early hours of the morning, Draco awoke, his clothes were damp from the rain that managed to reach him and he was freezing cold, he got up and walked around, finding a small muggle town with various shops, he walked about aimlessly until they opened up and spent hours, walking around, taking his time in each one, just to stay out of the cold. He hadn't even grabbed a jacket, not thinking about the fact it was now basically winter through his pain-addled mind. He managed to steal a bread roll and bottle of water out of a small food shop and when the shops shut he sat back down in the shop doorway and ate the roll, his stomach in pain from how hungry he was. He tucked himself back up at night, wishing more than anything he could go to Will's and get some Oxy just to send him to sleep and take the pain away. At one point in the night he even got up to start walking to McLaggen's house to see if he had heroin but after a few minutes he stopped himself.

If you do that, every bit of progress you've made will be for nothing, he told himself. Everything Potter and Granger have done for you will have been a waste of their time.

He sighed and turned back, sitting himself back down in the doorway and resigning himself for a sleepless night. He was usually drugged out of his mind. Sitting here sober all he could do was think about everything that happened to him. He felt a lump in his throat. It was all hopeless. He was supposed to be a rich, pureblood, successful student with everything he could ever want, all the luxuries that everyone desired. Yet here he was, in pain from the cruciatus curse, curled up on the ground in a grungy doorway, trying not to go to his rapists house to buy heroin to take the pain away.

In that moment he envied Potter, Weasley and Granger, maybe especially Weasley. A large family, parents who clearly adored every single one of their children. Their boisterous, loud, emotional goodbyes at King's Cross every year had once been repulsive but now... If he had parents who loved him, would he be in this situation? If he had all those siblings who looked out for each other, would they have let him starve and freeze? Would he have been able to tell them all what happened with McLaggen's dad when it all began? Instead of being scared of the beating he would get, of being disowned? Would he have been comforted, looked after, reassured? Instead of scared and alone.

As the sun rose on Sunday, Draco stood up from the doorway, making himself scarce before the employees arrived. He started to walk home, wrapping his arms around himself to try and warm himself up. He felt cold to the bone, hadn't slept, had nothing but a bread roll in the past 36 hours. He felt weak and sick. He wanted to be back at Hogwarts, sitting with Potter in the Room of Requirement, talking and laughing, he wanted to feel safe.

A house elf gave him his wand as he entered Malfoy Manor, thankfully his parents didn't bother coming to see him, and his father had opened the fireplaces again for Draco to floo back to Hogwarts.

He went straight to his dorm, glad that nobody else was up yet, and he pulled out the book, transfiguring it into the usual knife and cutting his forearm several times, lying back and letting himself pass out.

He woke up around lunchtime, still feeling sick, though he didn't think he could eat, and not feeling at all rested after the few hours he was out. He sealed the cuts on his arm, wrapping the bandage up and getting showered and dressed. He went downstairs to find Theo and Blaise bringing in crates of firewhiskey.

Draco raised his eyebrows. "What's the occasion on a Sunday afternoon?" he asked, leaning against the wall and watching them crack a bottle open.

"We're day drinking" Pansy said enthusiastically, coming down from the girls dorms. "Apparently that's what posh adults do"

"Good enough for me" Draco shrugged, picking up a bottle and clinking it in a cheers with Blaise, Theo and Pansy. He pulled a face at the strong taste, knowing that this was probably a bad idea on an empty stomach and with how rubbish he was feeling.

A few others joined in and they played some drinking games and messed about for a couple of hours, making their way through a lot of bottles.

Draco's head was spinning already, but he was starting to feel relaxed the more he drank.

"How was home Dray?" Pansy asked at one point.

"It was alright, just the usual shit about finding a wife" Draco slurred, rolling his eyes.

"Gross, you're a teenager, you need to live a little!" Theo exclaimed.

"Right?" Draco said, throwing his arms out, and accidentally spilling some firewhiskey. "Like maybe I don't want a wife, maybe I don't want kids! Why can't I choose?"

The others exchanged a quick look that Draco missed as he downed his drink. He didn't want a wife, he wanted Potter. He excused himself and - with a little bit of difficulty balancing - went up to the dorm, finding his galleon. He sat on the floor and pressed the Galleon, trying to make coherent thoughts.

Potter

Hello

Potter!

Hi

Room of Requirement

NOW

Please

He stood up just as a throat cleared behind him, and he whipped round, seeing Blaise standing a few feet behind him. Whipping round made his head spin though and he sat on the bed so as not to fall over.

"So" Blaise began. "You and Potter?"

"No!" Draco answered far too quickly. Blaise smirked.

"No, I don't know what you're talking about" Draco tried to act more casual. "Potions partners s'all" he slurred.

"Yeah, that's why you're drunk messaging him on a galleon that he's given you" Blaise chuckled, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow.

"What? No. What?" Draco scoffed.

"For fuck's sake Draco I don't care if you're gay, or with Potter for that matter, if that makes you happy"

"I'm not"

"Yes you are"

"I'm not with Potter" Draco corrected sadly, frowning miserably. "He's straight"

"Hmm" was all Blaise said.

"What?"

"Nothing"

"I shouldn't have messaged him" Draco bit his lip, suddenly regretting his decision.

"Nah, fuck it" Blaise grinned, "I think he'll be happy you did. Go on, go see your beau"

"Shut it Blaise" Draco said, rolling his eyes. But he jumped up, grinning. "How do I look?"

"Drunk as fuck, but gorgeous, so go show Potter what he's missing!" Blaise laughed.

Draco left the common room and started running up the stairs, he got all the way up to the Room of Requirement and had to stop. Why was he running? What an awful idea that was. As soon as he looked up his head spun and he put an arm out to wall and groaned.

"Malfoy?"

He looked up. Potter was standing in front of him. All beautiful, concerned green eyes and messy dark hair.

Draco beamed at him and Harry looked even more confused but now had an amused smile on his face.

"How drunk are you right now?" he asked, his eyes lit up in amusement.

"I'm about six firweshiskey's in on an empty stomach and then ran from the Dungeons so... I'd say way too drunk"

Harry laughed. "Day drinking on a Sunday afternoon?"

"Apparently it's what posh people do"

"Well I'm touched that this posh person ran up several flights of stairs just to see me" Harry joked.

"Would you still be touched if I threw up right now?" Draco asked, still bent over, the world spinning a bit.

"Nothing I haven't dealt with before" Harry chuckled. "Let's get you sat down"

He paced in front of the wall three times and opened the door that appeared. It was their comfy sofa room, not the therapy room.

Draco walked in, using the wall to keep him upright, and threw himself down onto a sofa on his stomach. Harry chuckled and conjured a glass, pouring some water into it and putting it on the table in front of the blonde.

Draco sat up and took it, standing up and going to sit beside Harry on his sofa. Harry was surprised but smiled. They turned to face each other so their feet were both up on the middle and Draco couldn't help but smile at him, the alcohol making him feel happy and confident. After everything that had happened this weekend, he was happy to be back near the Gryffindor again, he instantly felt more at ease.

"So how's your weekend been?" Harry asked. "I haven't seen you around since Friday?"

"Yeah I went home on Friday night" Draco said. "It was fine, I'm supposed to be finding a future wife though"

"What?" Harry exclaimed, bewildered. "A wife? You're still in school!"

"Nearly done though aren't we? I've got my duties to uphold" Draco said in a slightly slurred fake posh voice.

"That is insane" Harry said, shocked. "How do you just find a wife?"

"My father has found a bunch for me, you know "suitable" ones?" Draco did air quotes and rolled his eyes.

"I thought arranged marriages were a thing of the very distant past!" Harry pulled a face, horrified. "What if you don't like them?"

"That's why I'm supposed to meet them, so I can jump in and get the best of a bad bunch. It's ridiculous" Draco said with a mildly bemused face.

Harry pictured Draco with a wife, the thought didn't make him happy. Picturing him with Harry made him happy. He imagined a little mini Draco and Harry running around.

Draco shuffled closer to him, leaning against the side of the sofa. "What are you smiling about?" he asked curiously, the alcohol giving him confidence to move closer.

Harry blushed a little, he obviously couldn't tell him he'd been picturing them together. "Just picturing a mini-you running around, causing all sorts of havoc"

Draco laughed and Harry couldn't help the smile on his face every time he made Draco laugh.

"He would be an adorable little riot" Draco continued to smile. "What about you Potter? I hope you're having a more successful love life"

Harry smiled wryly and blushed a little. Draco still didn't know he was gay.

"Um, no not really, sort of non-existent to be honest" Harry shrugged.

"You mean all the girls aren't throwing themselves at your feet?" Draco asked in overly-dramatic shock.

Harry smirked and rolled his eyes. "Nobody that I would like to"

"Ooh picky are we?" Draco grinned. "Who is it you would like to?"

Harry blushed. You, he thought. "Oh I don't know, no girls in particular" he said cagily.

"Well I think you're a catch Potter" Draco beamed and put a hand on Harry's knee that was propped up on the sofa. Harry felt his face warm, and fought the smile that threatened to take over his face. "Those girls are ridiculous" Draco told him.

Harry didn't know what to say, but Draco took a gulp of his water, then lay his head down on Harry's jean-clad knee, closing his eyes. Harry was glad he didn't see the blush fill his cheeks.

Draco could still feel the buzz of alcohol through him, and the water had made his stomach hurt a little, though he'd be glad for it later. He rested his head on Harry's knee that was propped up and felt peaceful, safe.

"I'm glad you're feeling more comfortable around me" Harry told him gently.

"You make me feel safe, I like being with you" Draco mumbled, his eyes still closed, the alcohol making him bold enough to be honest. Harry's heart warmed, but then quickly his face dropped.

"Is it because I'm straight?" Harry asked cautiously, dreading the answer, having to open up to him one day that he wasn't.

"Hmmm... I don't think so" Draco mumbled, then Harry felt the weight of his head get heavier and Harry knew he'd fell asleep.

Harry shifted slowly and grabbed a cushion, slipping his hand under Draco's head, trying not to linger too long as he touched the soft white-blonde locks. He gently lay his head on the cushion. He nipped out and picked up his Charms essay, deciding he might as well be productive while Draco slept.

He walked back to the Room of Requirement, Ron glaring at him as he picked up his essay and left, not saying a word to each other.

Harry felt awful not telling him, but as he walked back into the Room of Requirement and saw the blonde's peaceful face as he slept, the loose white-blonde locks falling into his closed eyes, he forgot all about Ron. He smiled at the other man in front of him. Who knew they would have been become friends? He remembered the way Draco touched his knee, lay his head on him. He couldn't deny the attraction he felt towards the Slytherin. He wanted to do more than help him through his problems. But he didn't want to be like Will, and take advantage of Draco when he was clearly vulnerable and hurting. And he didn't even know Harry was gay, how would he react? He said he didn't think that's why he trusted him, but that wasn't very sure.

He sat down and worked on his essay over the next couple of hours. He knew Hermione was away seeing her parents this weekend and he had no desire to sit with Ron over dinner. He would just go to the kitchens later.

Another hour later and Harry finished his essay. He rolled it up just as Draco began to stir. He ran a hand over his face and opened his eyes, spotting Harry. He pulled a face as he sat up. Memories of drunk texting Harry, getting close to him, touching his leg... He felt a faint blush dust his cheeks from embarrassment. God, Potter must have felt so uncomfortable with Draco all over him.

Harry grinned at him. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I have no idea what year I've woken up in" Draco joked.

Harry laughed and Draco smiled, glad he'd stayed with him. Hopefully that meant he didn't feel too uncomfortable. Or he just felt responsible.

"I'm uh, sorry for drunk texting you on the galleon" Draco grimaced. "And for how I acted. Apparently I'm a clingy day drinker"

Harry wanted to tell him not to apologise, he wanted to hear all the same nice things when Draco was sober, he wanted to say the same to Draco.

Instead he just smiled. "Don't be sorry, it was funny, besides I learned a lot about medieval pureblood traditions"

Draco chuckled lightly and took a drink of his water, rubbing his eyes.

"Are you hungry?" Harry asked.

"Um, yeah I could eat something" Draco replied, he looked at the clock on the wall guiltily. "Looks like we missed dinner though, sorry"

"Do you want to go to the kitchens?" Harry offered tentatively.

Draco looked at him doubtfully. "Together?"

Harry could tell he was anxious about them being seen together, and Harry wished things were different and they could just spend time together, but he understood the predicament.

"I was actually thinking we could go under here?" Harry smirked, pulling out his invisibility cloak from his bag.

"Shut up" Draco exclaimed, his jaw dropping open and eyes lighting up.

He walked over and looked closer at it. Harry handed it to him, and Draco hesitated. "Are you serious? I can try it?"

"Yeah of course!" Harry smiled, enjoying Draco's reaction.

He took it gently out of Harry's hands and stared at it. "The famous invisibility cloak" he breathed, with a stunned smile on his face. He wrapped it around his shoulders and looked down.

"Holy shit! I'm actually invisible!" Draco twirled round. "Oh my god, no wonder you get away with everything, this is brilliant" suddenly he gasped and threw the cloak over his entire body. Harry heard quick footsteps.

"Potter where am I right now?"

Harry burst out laughing at him, loving this playful side.

"Somewhere to my left judging by your voice" Harry guessed. There was a silence for a few seconds and then suddenly Draco grabbed his shoulder from behind and Harry jumped with yelp of fright, before laughing.

Draco laughed as he took off the cloak, though he had been momentarily distracted by the Gryffindor's strong shoulders, probably from all the Quidditch training. What would it be like to be held in those muscly arms? He tried to shake those thoughts off, it would never happen. "I would never stop messing around if I had this" he grinned instead.

"It's been a lifesaver, literally sometimes" Harry smiled wryly.

"So kitchens?" Draco asked. "I've never been"

"I'll show you" Harry assured him. He got under the cloak and held it up. Draco hesitated, his face falling a little. He would need to be pressed into Harry for them to both be covered by the cloak, he would have his body against Harry's. What if he had a panic attack? Or what if something more embarrassing happened? He couldn't deny the attraction.

"Oh" Harry hesitated, seeing Draco's doubt. "Or I can go and come back, it's no problem" he suggested.

Draco shook his head quickly. "No, no it's fine, I want to go with you" he spoke without thinking and then realised what he said "to the kitchens" he added quickly. "I want to go with you to the kitchens" he slipped in behind the Gryffindor and shut his eyes in embarrassment as he blushed.

Harry felt himself smile. First Draco tells him he's a catch, says he likes being around Harry, touches his knee and now he's getting flustered saying he wants to be with him. He felt a definite spring in his step as he led them to the kitchens.

Draco walked close behind Harry, bumping into him occasionally and blushing every time his body touched against Harry's. At one point Harry stopped suddenly and Draco nearly tripped over, grabbing Harry, one arm on his bicep and one on his waist. He hesitated a second too long before pulling away, closing his eyes for the briefest second, wanting to stay holding him, but he let go quickly and blushed hard.

"You okay?" Harry asked. He had thought Draco would spring away at the touch, but had he imagined him lingering a little?

"I'm good" Draco replied, his voice a little tight.

"We're here" Harry whispered.

Harry tickled the pear and the portrait swung open to reveal the kitchens, house elves everywhere sorting out the food from dinner. Harry removed the invisibility cloak and immediately Dobby appeared in front of him.

"Harry Potter! Dobby is so happy to see you!" The House Elf beamed.

"Hi Dobby" Harry grinned. "Any chance you've got a bit of leftover food for us?" he asked as Draco stepped out from behind him.

"Why yes sir! Oh -" Dobby broke off as he spotted Draco, and Harry mentally slapped himself for forgetting Dobby was the Malfoy's house elf before Harry freed him.

"Young master Draco!" Dobby exclaimed in surprise.

"Dobby" Draco replied awkwardly, not sure how to greet the house elf. He knew Harry had freed him in second year, knew he considered Dobby a friend, as Draco once had... until his father had seen to it that he didn't, and forced him to use proper Pureblood etiquette when treating the house elves.

"Is Master Draco well? I have wondered these past years if Lord Lucius had stopped -" Dobby began.

"It's none of your concern anymore" Draco snapped coldly, cutting him off.

Dobby rung his hands together, looking slightly distressed and Harry started regretting this entire idea as an uncomfortable silence fell between them. He felt a twinge of annoyance at Draco's attitude and remembered the doubts he had about whether Malfoy had actually really changed. His heart sank at the thought that he was still the same prejudice person.

"Forgive me master Draco" Dobby said sadly, and then brightened a little. "But what can I get for Master Harry and Master Draco?"

"Honestly Dobby, I'm pretty hungry so if there's chicken and sides left over from dinner then a plate of that would be great" Harry smiled at him and Debby beamed.

"And for Master Draco?" Dobby enquired, his smile falling a little.

"Just something light, I don't really want much" Draco replied, making sure his tone was less cold.

"Are you sure?" Harry asked doubtfully. "You said you were drinking on an empty stomach, you should probably eat a bit more than that"

"I don't think I could keep much down right now" Draco grimaced.

Dobby nodded and shot away, energetically running around the kitchen piling the plates up. Harry decided not to say anything just yet, not as they were getting along so well. He would bring it up later.

Dobby came back with their plates and handed them to the boys. Draco's had toast with butter and a glass of pumpkin juice. Draco felt his throat tighten. It was what Dobby had always brought him after his dad had beat him, whether Draco asked for it or not, even if Draco was in tears and shouted at him to go away, said awful things to him, Dobby would always bring this and heal him, put a Quidditch magazine in front of him so Draco could ignore him as he worked. It had become their unspoken tradition, even if Draco couldn't stomach the food or ate it cold hours later. It was a routine that Draco hadn't quite realised he had missed until now.

"Thanks Dobby" Draco said quietly, not looking up from the plate.

Harry was shocked at that, one thing he knew was that Purebloods did not thank their house elves.

Harry shook himself and turned to Dobby, who was smiling again, albeit a little sadly. "Yes thanks Dobby, this looks delicious"

Dobby's smile widened. "Anything for my two favourite masters!"

They left the kitchen, and got back under the cloak, making their way up to the Room of Requirement in silence.

They got in and sat down on the sofas, Draco sitting opposite him rather than beside him this time. Harry could see he was lost in his thoughts.

"You okay?" Harry enquired softly.

Draco tried to shake himself out of his low mood. "Yeah, just didn't expect to see my old house elf" he shrugged.

"Was he assigned to you? I always thought he was your father's?" Harry asked.

"Yeah he was with me all the time growing up, and then in the last year before he left my father took him. I got some annoying old one that didn't know how I liked anything" Draco reminisced.

"Oh that must have been awful for you" Harry smirked good-naturedly, trying to lighten the mood up again.

Draco was grateful for Harry's light-hearted banter, he was worried he'd ruined everything by snapping at Dobby.

He smirked back at him. "It was dark times Harry, it really was"

Harry, he called me Harry! Harry had stopped eating, fork frozen in mid air and was grinning at Draco like a madman.

Draco was half way through a bite of toast when he saw Harry grinning at him. He stopped in bemusement.

"Do I have something on my face?" he asked.

"No, Draco, your face is just fine. You called me Harry!" Harry told him, still beaming.

"Oh" was all Draco said, he hadn't even realised. "Is that weird? I didn't even notice"

"That's even better" Harry smiled. "Hey Draco, I think this officially makes us friends"

Draco rolled his eyes and pinged a crumb at him. "You're such a sap, Harry"