Disclaimer: I do not, under any circumstances own or claim to own Harry Potter or its affiliates. Please do not sue.

Author's note: Technical difficulties added with a large chunk of plot disputes are the cause for this chapter's delay. I hope it is none the less enjoyed. Responses to reviews at the end. Cheers!

Chapter One: And so it Begins

The fractional tightening of his jaw was the only outward sign of Severus Snape's displeasure; NEWT level potions had always been a tense class, but now, with the seventh year students who had made the cut all in one room and the growing tension between the sides of light and dark even within the school itself, the students were all blatantly tense, as though expecting sudden attack. There were really only three students in the room that didn't seem totally distracted by it. Hermione Granger, whose methodic potions work left no room for something as trifle as tension; Draco Malfoy, who ignored it with years of perfected skill at doing just that, yet from the tightness in his shoulders Severus guessed that the boy was very aware of it; and finally Harry Potter, who seemed completely oblivious altogether of the tension, and continued his work as though alone in the room.

Potter's grades in potions had shot up significantly since the death of his godfather at the climax of his fifth year. This increase would have attracted notice had Severus not been careful to purposefully mark him down for that very reason. Potter now took to studying with a seriousness that was frightening, there wasn't a soul to be seen that wasn't aware that for Harry education was a life or death matter.

"Alright," Professor Snape's voice broke through the heavy silence and several people jumped suspiciously, "bottle and label what you have and bring it to the front, we'll be testing them next class."

As the students moved to follow their instructions, Severus looked out at the many caldrons and took stock of who had correctly brewed the potion. Ganger's potion was a little off colored, he noted with only slightly sadistic pleasure, but Potter's seemed perfect. A few others' had also achieved this, Malfoy and three Ravenclaws to be precise.

It was as Potter moved up from the back of the room with his potion that the professor's voice caught in his throat. With the back of his heal Blaise Zabini nudged his bag into the isle just as Potter approach. It almost looked like nothing, like Blaise hadn't intended for anything to happen, but as Potter's foot caught on the bag Blaise turned to look over his shoulder with a malicious glee dancing in his eyes. While this was happening someone else pushed something toward Potter so that when he fell and rolled to right himself one of the larger knives they had been using to chop the more resilient potions ingredients imbedded itself quite deeply into his right knee, the weight of his body pushing the blade deep enough that the sound of it scraping against bone was so grating even Blaise flinched.

For his own credit, and perhaps to deprive his assailants of the pleasure, Potter made no sound of discomfort as he rolled onto his side and into a sitting position. The Potions Master was kneeled beside him a moment later, barking orders to his immobilized students. As everyone cleared the room, and Hermione ran to get Madam Pomfrey, someone else kneeled beside Harry and Professor Snape. When Harry looked up his breath caught in his throat and his already racing heart faltered in its rhythm as his gaze locked with the cool gray eyes of Draco Malfoy himself.

"Malfoy, put your hands on either side of the wound while I extract the blade so the flesh doesn't tare, when the blade is removed cover the wound with your hands and apply pressure to stanch the bleeding." Snape said, seemingly out of breath in his haste. Draco nodded firmly and placed his hands where instructed on either side of Harry's knee.

The touch sent shivers through Harry's body and he couldn't seem to even feel the pain over the intensity of it. He closed his eyes tightly, pretending it was the pain that caused him to flinch away from the searing heat of Draco's more than welcome touch.

Snape took hold of the handle of the knife as well as the blade and slowly began to remove it. It had wedged itself under his kneecap. Snape hoped that the knife hadn't severed anything important, if the pinched look on Potter's face was anything to go by he guessed it was painful.

-

It was the sudden shocked silence of the room that had made Draco turn just as Harry Potter fell. He was moving toward the other teen with his throat tight and his heart pounding loudly in his ears before he even hit the ground. When Potter looked up at him with those green eyes, that had haunted Draco's dreams for years, it seemed to Draco that time had stopped. He knew he liked Potter, it was hard not to fall for him, most of the school did at one point or another, but for some reason his infatuation with this boy was far more intense than any of his other "school-boy crushes" as he called them.

It took all of Draco's will to turn away from Potter's amazing eyes and do as Snape asked, and even then he did it as quickly as possible so that the teacher wouldn't notice how his hands were shaking. Draco pretended not to notice Harry flinch and tried to convince himself that it was from the pain and not because he didn't like Draco touching him. He breathed deeply and held firmly as Snape slowly began to extract the rather large knife from his crushes right knee. As the blade slowly grated against bone Draco's concentration slipped as he flinched and his hand moved, jabbing into the knife and cutting into his index finger deeply.

"Draco!" Snape snapped and Potter's eyes opened and widened as their blood mingled. He reached over quickly and removed Draco's injured right hand with his left, putting pressure on that wound, and put his free hand on his own knee.

It was done so quickly that even Snape took a moment to blink and stare at Harry. The boy himself set his features, held Draco's hand firmly and gestured with his eyes for Snape to continue. He still had not made a sound since it happened.

Draco's gaze was fixed on his own hand held tightly within the warm confines of Harry's. He looked up into Harry's eyes again and was shocked anew by the concern he saw gazing out at him. Potter gave his hand a gentle squeeze before skewing his eyes shut as Snape pulled the blade completely from his knee.

Immediately after the blade was removed thick red blood began to poor out of the wound. Moving quickly, Draco covered the wound with his hand and applied pressure and a moment later Harry's hand was on top of his doing the same. Harry was drawing in air now in quick uneven gasps and his eyes were open wide and staring as the far wall, unfocused. Snape stood and moved to the potions cabinet on the other side of the room. He had just opened it and was peering inside when the door burst open and Pomfrey hurried in followed by a panting Hermione.

Pomfrey moved up the aisle toward Harry and kneeled beside him where Snape had not long before. For a moment Draco had to push down the sudden and unexpected protectiveness that made him want to pull Harry to him and away from the nurse.

She wasted no time in taking out her wand and slowly prying the boys' hands away from the wound. It was only then that Harry seemed to notice her presence and made a conscious effort to steady his breathing. The wound only bled for another moment before, with a sharp wave of her wand and a soft incantation, Pomfrey had a temporary bandage on it and was preparing to take Harry to the hospital wing.

Snape returned then and pushed a cold steel gray potion to Harry's lips. The boy gulped it down automatically, not questioning his professor.

"Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy, please continue on to your next class." Pomfrey said as she stood and tried to bring Harry up with her.

With a great effort and grimace Harry stood, he pulled Draco up with him, only then realizing that he still held tightly to the other boy's hand. He flushed hot but didn't want to relinquish the contact. Draco's cool grey eyes swiveled up to meet his again and his fingers curled around Harry's gently.

"Pomfrey," Snape's silky baritone broke through the trance the two teens had created around them. Pomfrey, alternating between staring at the boys' joined hands and their locked eyes, turned reluctantly toward his voice her mouth agape with question. "Draco was injured when I removed the blade from Mr. Potter's knee and his hand is bleeding. Perhaps he should forgo his next class and accompany you and Mr. Potter to the infirmary."

Pomfrey nodded dumbly and led them out of the room, knowing a diversionary tactic when she saw one but having trouble pulling her mind from the stupor it had fallen into at seeing these once fierce opponents in what was a decidedly compromising position. She shook her head to dispel the remaining fog and wondered if by some miraculous stroke of fate her two companions had done the impossible. 'Perhaps they have.' her mind echoed as she held open the infirmary door and watched them enter hand-in-hand, she couldn't help the smile the curved her lips and threatened to spread until her cheeks hurt at that thought, she just couldn't.

-

As they followed Madame Pomfrey through the halls of Hogwarts Draco tried valiantly to take as much of Harry's weight as he could through their joined hands. Harry glanced at him with an amused expression, as he limped silently along, allowing Draco to take some of burdening weight off his injured knee. The look nearly caused Draco to choke as his throat constricted painfully. He concentrated on breathing through his nose as the urge to pant and relieve the sudden heat that was quickly spreading through him became nearly unbearable.

He led Harry into the infirmary and saw him to the nearest bed. Draco moved to pull away and allow the nurse room, but Harry seemed to have other plans and tugged on their still joined hands until Draco was sitting on his right. Draco's cheeks flushed at both the feel of Harry close beside him and the slight, but still visible, smile on Madame Pomfrey's face.

She kneeled before them and held out her hand for Draco's.

"Let's have a look Mr. Malfoy." she said quickly as Draco reluctantly pulled his hand from the warmth of Harry's.

While Pomfrey went to work quickly and efficiently on the small wound Harry moved imperceptibly closer to him, more of a shift than anything, as though to make up for the lost contact of Draco's hand. Draco had to bite his lip, hard, to prevent himself from yelping as spikes of electricity jumped through his side and warmed his already heated body further.

Pomfrey frowned as she looked up at him, wondering how it was he still felt pain through her numbing spell. She cast another just in case and moved to Harry's knee summoning a tray of magical tools that glinted silvery clean and sharp. Harry gulped almost audibly as he looked at them and Draco fought down the urge to retake his hand with a large mental beaters bat.

"Mr. Malfoy you should go." Pomfrey said distractedly just before pulling away the last layer of bandages around Harry's knee.

Draco found himself frantic for a moment, raking his mind for an excuse to stay but could find none. He slowly stood, his body instantly missing the warm contact. Harry looked up and their eyes locked again, there was longing in Potter's gaze and Draco had to turn quickly and leave the room before his newest problem became apparent.

In the hallway he pressed his back against the cool stone wall and closed his eyes tightly, fighting against his sudden arousal. His breath came in ragged pants as he tried to reign himself in, and upon failing fled to the nearest deserted classroom.

-

"It is time Lucius, where is the key?" Lord Voldemort asked the twisted figure at his feet. The other prisoners were screaming for attention but it didn't seem to bother the snake-like dark lord as he looked down on what had once been his most prized servant. Lucius seemed to him now as nothing more then a shadow, too inconstant to survive through the light of day.

Lucius kept his tormented gray eyes on the floor. "My Lord, my father bestowed the key to Draco when he was an infant. He said I was unworthy of protecting it and Draco would keep it safe. To my knowledge Draco still carries it."

Voldemort's lips curled in anger and distaste. Lucius had not been released from Azkaban after his capture at the Department of Mysteries over a year before and therefore was unaware of his son's betrayal. That knowledge did little to appease the Dark Lord's anger, "Crucio!"

Grasping for breath Harry shot into a sitting position and pressed the heel of his hand to the burning scar on his forehead. His Occlumency shields rarely let in such visions, but in his haste to assure the nurse that he did not require a sleeping draft he had forgotten to clear his mind.

Harry fought with himself for a moment on what to do, whether to see the headmaster immediately or wait until morning. His fatigue won the argument and he laid silently back down.

It was at this moment that a sharp creek startled him back into alertness. The door to the infirmary was being opened and Harry forced himself to move his hand slowly to his wand and keep his eyes slightly open to look up though his lashes.

A figure approached, half concealed in the shadows, and stopped to stand over him. Harry's heart raced when he recognized the figure as Draco Malfoy.

Draco glanced behind him and then in the direction of the nurse's office before sitting in the chair beside Harry's bed and watching him. For a long moment neither moved, then Harry spoke, causing Draco to start in surprise.

"I thought you were a Death Eater or something, I had my wand in my hand before you got all the way through the door." Harry pulled his hand away from his side to reveal the wand and let it roll onto the bedside table.

Draco chuckled lightly, "Those are some reflexes."

Harry smiled and hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should tell Draco about the dream and the reason he had already been awake. He decided against it until he spoke to Dumbledore. "Why are you here?"

Draco colored, it even showed in the dim light and Harry smiled as the pink stained Draco's satin cheeks. He pushed himself onto an elbow so that he could watch the reaction more closely. Draco turned his eyes away and spoke softly, "I don't know."

"Liar." was Harry's immediate reply.

He looked back at Harry was a tentative smile, not quite sure where, or how to start. "Yeah." was all he seemed able to come up with.

Harry didn't seem unpleased by this response and smiled mischievously for a moment, a look that gave Draco pause, before struggling to pull himself into a sitting position.

When his arms began to tremble from the effort Draco snapped back to reality and jumped to his aid. Harry smiled in triumph at Draco's action and caught him around the neck as he leaned over to help him and pulled their mouths together firmly. It didn't take Draco long to react. He put both hands on either side of Harry and eased him back against the pillows, deepening the kiss and making Harry more comfortable at the same time. Passion welled up within them both and they wrapped their arms around each other, pulling and tugging until their bodies were pressed hard and their mouths bruising tight.

Slowly, Draco opened his mouth and gently ran his velvety tongue along Harry's lower lip. The shorter teen shuddered and slowly opened his mouth, inviting the blonde to enter. He took his time exploring Harry's mouth and the gentle movements made Harry moan into Draco. The sound set them both aflame and Harry plunged into Draco's mouth with vigor.

It was at that moment they heard a dull thud and footsteps approach from the nurse's office. Panting, they separated and Draco ran for cover as Harry rearranged himself in bed, trying both to slow his breathing and hide his obvious arousal by turning onto his side and pushing his face into the pillow.

Pomfrey entered with a mutter and walked to a cabinet, retrieved something from inside and barely spared a glance at her only patient before heading back to bed.

Harry released the breath he had been holding and a beat later Draco emerged from his hiding place beside a nearby potions cabinet just out of what would have been Pomfrey's line of sight. Draco was flushed and smiling like Harry had never seen him smile before.

He returned to Harry's side quickly and stopped him from sitting up.

"You little sneak," he said, head dipped down and warm breath ghosting over Harry's face, "you were just pretending to struggle."

Harry smiled widely, "Whatever works."

"Touché." Draco replied and bent the rest of the way to deliver a chaste kiss to Harry's enflames lips before straightening. He winked at Harry's flushed features and turned to leave.

"I hate to see you go, but I love to watch you leave." Harry replied with a smirk as he unabashedly watched Draco walk away. Draco half turned and snorted up the cheesy pickup line. Despite that, after closing the door Draco glanced over his shoulder and looked at his butt.

:Please Review, it would be much appreciated:

((A/N: Would not be adverse to a BETA, if anyone is willing.))

Special thanks goes out to all the reviewers: layce74, Dangerous Lover, Geminidragon, Yui, Chop Suey, Alora, ron's gurlie, and HPDM-Slash-Rocks.

Yui: Thanks for the review! Sorry this chapter took so long. I meant for that line to be a bit ominous but don't worry, I'm a sucker for romance, so angst will be kept at a manageable level. But I make no guarantees on the ending. :cackles evilly:

HPDM-Slash-Rocks: Yes, it does rock doesn't it. Thank you for all the encouragement and for the e-mail. I hope you like this chapter as much as you seemed to enjoy the prologue. Cheers mate!