Hello again. Sorry for the wait. I'm trying to get it so I can update once a week. We'll just have to waut and see if that happens. Well read and enjoy!

Chapter 4: Trial Run

Gryffindor Common Room

"Ron! Ron, come on. Let's talk about this. Please? Stop ignoring me already," Harry pleaded at the adamant red head.

"Why? Why should I talk to a traitor like you?" Ron hissed, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Because you deserve to know the truth about it," Harry answered.

"Truth? What truth?" Ron asked.

"The truth about me, and thanks to Draco, I am recovering from it. Slowly and surely to be sure, but a recovery nonetheless," Harry answered, daring to take two steps closer to the furious red head.

"Recovering? Recovering from what?" Ron asked, his curiosity taking precedence over his anger.

"Well…uh, lets just say the situation at the Dursleys' was far worse than you were led to believe," Harry whispered.

"They were beating and starving you. How could it have possibly gotten worse?" Ron questioned.

Voice shaking, Harry continued. "I…well, Uncle Vernon, he…he raped me," Harry answered, tightly wrapping his arms around himself and turning his back to Ron's shocked face.

"What? When?" Ron asked, incredulous at how little he knew of his friend's life.

"Since…since I was eight years old," breathed Harry, now staring up at the ceiling in an effort to forestall the tears that were welling up in his eyes.

"Since - What? Harry! Why didn't you tell me? Mum and I would have gotten custody of you. You shouldn't have had to go through that," Ron replied feeling a small measure of shame at his current behavior.

"I was afraid, Ron. Terrified of what you'd think of me. That you'd think I was a freak and uh…uh," Harry stuttered, the last word jamming painfully in his throat.

Now thoroughly ashamed of himself Ron quietly, gently, prompted the small boy to continue. "A what, Harry? Think you were a what?"

Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Harry whispered, "A whore."

"A what? Harry, why would you believe that of us? Don't you trust me?" Ron asked.

"You were awfully quick to name me a traitor, Ron," Harry answered, turning around to face him once more.

"I - well that's different. That's Malfoy. He has nothing to do with this," Ron reasoned.

"No Ron! He has everything to do with this. He's the reason I'm still alive today,"

"Alive? You almost died? How? When?" Ron questioned, flabbergasted at the mere thought of loosing his best friend.

"See…I – well, we'll talk about that later. All you need to know now is that I love Draco, and he loves me."

"He's right, you know. I really do love him," Draco said appearing out of thin air.

"Malfoy."

"Weasley."

"Ron, Draco um... please d-don't," Harry tried to interject.

"Stay out of this, Harry! This is between me and ferret boy here," Ron seethed.

"Ferret? Well then, I suppose it's only fair that I call you Weasel then eh, Weasley?" Draco growled, pulling back full pink lips and bearing his canines.

"Guys! Stop it," Harry pleaded, stepping in front of Ron.

"Why are you defending him? He hurt you," Draco hissed, shooting death glares at the boy behind his beloved.

"I hurt him? I HURT HIM? What about you, Malfoy? All theses years you've taunted and picked on us. You even learned to hit Harry right where it hurts. It was an exact science to you, and now he's running into your arms singing your praises? No! No way, not the Harry I know," Ron huffed stepping in front of the petite boy-who-lived.

"Ron, it's not like that I," Harry tried to explain.

"It's okay Harry. Look Weasley, it wasn't as easy for me to gain Harry's trust, as it seems. Believe me, I've paid the price," Draco answered wincing slightly in pained memory.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Ron asked glancing at Harry's pink face and Draco's slightly flushed cheeks.

"Well on the train ride over, I kinda sorta… well I uh," muttered Harry, still a bit embarrassed over the whole fiasco.

"He kneed me in the sweets Weasley," Draco drawled, trying but failing to keep the emotion from his voice.

Ron erupted into laughter. "Ha! Ha! Good one, mate. Ooops! I mean, uh, sorry 'bout that Malfoy," Ron tried to look properly and politely contrite, but he just couldn't keep the smile from his face. "So…did he getcha good?"

"Well, I did pass out," Draco grumbled.

"Really? Oh, Draco! I 'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I," Harry trailed off, unsure of what else to say.

"Don't worry about it. That time's passed. Besides, we Vampires regenerate quite efficiently," answered Draco. "Look Weasley, bottom line. Say anything you want about me, but don't leave Harry out of your life. You're like his brother. I deserve disdain. He doesn't," Malfoy said.

Ron heaved a huge sigh. "I'll give you a trial run, Malfoy. I still don't trust you, but Harry must see something in you."

"Thanks Ron, that really means a lot," Harry said.

"Hey Weasley," Draco called on his way to the portrait hole.

"Yeah?" Ron answered.

"The name's Draco. Just Draco." With that, he ducked out of the portrait and was gone. Soon after, Ron turned a thoughtful gaze on Harry.

"What?" Harry asked.

"How'd Draco get in here anyway?" Ron questioned.

"I dunno. Must be a Vampire thing or something," Harry wondered aloud.

Girls Dormitory

Upon the bed nearest to the window lay a large volume. The title read 'The Evils of Vampires and Their Mates'. The page bookmarked was on a potion. A very unique potion specifically formulated for one thing and one thing only - to slay a Vampire of the first bloodline... A rushing wind blew through the open window, rustling the pages of the book as it circulated through the room that was trimmed in red and gold. On the inside cover was written: Property of: Hermione Granger….

A/N: Dum-da-dum-dum!