Note: Journal Entries will be done like this! Look forward to them in any chapter after this, but I'll most likely remind you at the beginning anyway!

Chapter 8: Revelations, A Truce and a Journal for Your Thoughts

As Malfoy muttered something under his breath Harry watched transfixed as multiple scars were revealed. Silver, pink and red; healing, old and new all displayed on the milky pale arms of Draco Malfoy. Harry was frozen in place at the sight; scars like his on a person who he hadn't thought would have these scars. He was trying to understand what was being shown to him. Eyes wide and mouth parted slightly green met grey and a hundred different questions flickered in the emerald eyes.

Draco stared back, not going to shy away. He had made the decision to show Potter this, not only for his curiosity about Potter but, he admits in the deepest part of himself, maybe because he wanted to know someone understood what he was going through just the tiniest bit. While his godfather was okay he wanted someone his own age to know and understand. Ironic that it should be his rival of all people. Draco's lips twisted into a bitter smirk as he saw the surprise and questions in those green eyes.

"Surprised Potter? Rich, evil Malfoy mutilates himself just like Golden Boy Potter." Draco said with a bitter sort of chuckle bubbling from his throat.

The sound of the blonde's voice snapped Harry out of his trance and he moved his gaze from Malfoy's arm to his eyes. Stormy grey eyes looked back at him; their depths showing an emotionless honesty that stunned the black haired boy.

"Malfoy," Harry began slowly eyes drifting to the pale and scarred arm again. "Why are you showing this to me?"

"A few reasons Potter. Maybe I want to prove you wrong that I could understand, maybe I want someone who could understand me. Then maybe again I'm doing this to lure you into an elaborate trap by the Dark Lord. There are plenty of reasons why," Draco answered with a smirk.

Harry looked back at the blonde and smirked a bit also. "Yes Malfoy, I'm sure that Voldemort ordered you to mar your perfect skin just to lure me to him." Harry said with heavy sarcasm, ignoring Malfoy's flinch at Voldemort's name. "So what's the deal Malfoy? What's really going on?"

Pulling his sleeves back down Draco looked at Potter who was sitting now, calm but alert of his surroundings as Draco leaned back a bit in the chair he was sitting in. "I'm curious you can say as to what reason you have to cut yourself." Draco answered casually with a shrug.

"Ron and Hermione don't even know about this, not even counting the reason behind why I do it. So why would I tell you about it?" the raven haired teen asked with a raised eyebrow.

"True, true Potter." Draco said and fell silent for a moment. He was deciding how to go about this. He looked away from Potter's gaze and bit his bottom lip gently in thought.

Harry watched the blonde before him slightly bewildered. He had been confused by Malfoy's behavior since the beginning of the year really. At the end of last year the blonde had been furious with him for getting his father locked up in jail but when they came back in September the blonde had basically left him and his friends alone aside from the occasional taunt every once in awhile.

Admittedly, after the initial spite had died down of putting Lucius in prison and pissing Malfoy off Harry had become slightly guilty about it. No matter what Malfoy had done to him, said to him and his friends he couldn't help but feel the slightest bit bad about putting someone's father away. That thought pained him sometimes, knowing that he had taken someone's father from them, no matter that it was Draco Malfoy's father and that Malfoy junior was as much a bastard as his father. It was the fact that he took someone's parent away from them.

Uncomfortable with the track his thoughts were taking Harry shifted slightly and looked back to the blonde. Some slow rising realization began to bubble up in the raven haired teen, things slowly clicking into place. "Malfoy," Harry began slowly catching the Slytherins attention again. Malfoy looked to Harry almost like he forgot the other boy was there and raised an eyebrow. "You want something from me but I don't think its completely wanting to know why I cut." The Gryffindor continued slow and even.

Draco looked at Potter momentarily startled by his perceptiveness. This wasn't the Golden Boy he was used to and it threw him a bit, unsettling his equilibrium. The Gryffindor, though he was loathe to admit it was right. While he wanted to know why he cut he also wanted something more. Deep down, in that part of him that was still that hopeful eleven year old, that he hated to admit existed, he wanted to become Potter's friend. Damn the Gryffindor Golden Boy for finding brains, Draco thought almost frowning but keeping his face blank like always. With a sigh Draco looked at the other boy. "When did you become so perceptive Potter?" he said with slightly narrowed eyes. He was stalling from saying anything as long as possible.

"I've always been perceptive Malfoy I just never always used that perceptiveness. And your avoiding the subject," Harry said flatly with a smirk. Despite the situation he was having fun throwing the blonde off balance with his uncharacteristic behavior.

Draco growled lowly alternately annoyed and grudgingly amazed at Potter's Slytherin traits. Calming himself down he looked at the black haired teen. "We haven't really fought much this school year, have we?" he drawled nonchalantly.

"No. We haven't. This is amazing considering at the end of last year you were whining about killing me." Harry said raising an eyebrow with a faintly amused look.

Draco glared briefly at the Gryffindor before smirking some. "You never know, I still might. But as to that let's just say I'm not as upset about you landing father dearest in jail as I was at first." Draco said carefully, with a casual shrug. "Back to what I was saying, though, we haven't really fought much this school year. What would you think of a truce, secretively of course, between us?" Draco asked nonchalantly. Maybe becoming friends if at all possible, Draco thought silently to himself.

Harry was looking at the blonde across from him in shock, eyebrows raised, eyes wide and mouth partly open. Did Malfoy just ask for a truce, Harry thought wildly. Yes, they hadn't been fighting much lately, since school started really but a truce! Harry's brow furrowed then as he stared at Malfoy intently. It was obvious there was more to this truce, Harry just knew it. This was a Malfoy and a Slytherin they didn't do anything without gaining something for themselves. But what could Malfoy gain from a truce with Harry? He could be doing this for the Dark Lord, which was a possibility. But surely Malfoy and Voldemort knew that them being such rivals they would hardly trust each other, even Voldemort must know that. So what was the reason? "A truce," Harry said slowly still looking at the blonde intensely. "You, Draco Malfoy want a truce with me, Harry Potter?"

Draco rolled his eyes and sighed. "That's what I just said isn't it?" Draco snapped.

"Well, yeah it's just unexpected to hear you ask that." Harry said. He thought about it for a moment as he sat there. The truce would help him to not worry about fighting with Malfoy, and since they hadn't really that year no one would notice the change. Plus he could concentrate on more important things then when the blonde annoyance would strike next. "A truce. I think that's fine," Harry said slowly with a cautious undertone to his voice that was barely perceptible.

Draco looked so briefly surprised that it was hard to tell it had been there. But inside he was downright shocked. He hadn't thought Potter would agree, honestly, and thought he would be rejected again. In fact he had been prepared for it but this surprised him. Regaining his composure he looked to Harry with a small smirk and held out his hand, a gesture reminiscent of their first year.

It was a tense moment, silent and still, then Harry reached forward and clasped that pale hand with his and shook. The eleven year old in Draco celebrated this moment with a glee most wouldn't have thought possible. They dropped hands and looked at each other in silence, a slightly awkward moment between them. Harry looked nervously at his watch and his eyes widened in surprise. It was only ten minutes until dinner.

"Well Malfoy I'm going to go since it's almost dinner and walking into the Great Hall together wouldn't really be helping the secrecy issue." Harry said standing from his seat and pulling on his coat.

Draco cast a quick Tempus spell to see the time and was slightly surprised also. "Yes, it wouldn't help with the secrecy to see the two of us together." Draco said not really knowing what else to say. He wanted to invite Potter back but didn't want to sound too eager.

"Yeah. Well, see you later, maybe tomorrow since so few are staying." Harry said with a shrug, his tone indifferent.

Draco gave a shrug himself. "Maybe," he drawled casually as he walked Harry to the door. He opened it the door and Harry stepped out. "To the left, then right, and straight from there you'll find your way back Potter," Draco said as the boy stood outside the door.

"Right, Malfoy. Bye," Harry waved over his shoulder as he began his trek up the hall. Draco looked after him for a moment before stepping back into his room and closing the door. He pressed his back to the door and did something many would have thought him incapable of. He smiled a real, genuine bright smile that lit up his face and even showed in his grey eyes. With a shake of his head he began to get himself ready for dinner.

Harry walked away from Malfoy's private rooms shock and disbelief till running through him. He made sure he was out of the dungeons before making his way quickly to a hidden alcove. In the alcove he touched a stone that was a shade darker than the others with the palm of his hand flat against the cold stone. The stone glowed faintly white before the area of wall dissolved into a shimmering almost translucent patch and he stepped through it like it was water, the wall solidifying behind him.

It was another room he had found on his late night wanderings from the beginning of the year when he couldn't or didn't want to sleep. He stepped into the room which was about the size of his bedroom at Privet Drive. The room only had a desk with a straight-backed dark blue chair to the left, a small double-sized bed to the right and two unlit torches that lit up when he walked in, in two corners of the room on the left wall. It was a simple room really that he had no idea what used to be used for and didn't really care at the moment.

He walked over to the bed and sat down staring at the opposite wall blankly for a moment. Today had been surreal, to say the least. He shook his head lightly and checked his coat pocket making sure he had his wand and knife. When he was sure he did he checked his arm. The cut was healed pretty well, or more appropriately the blood had been staunched with the cut still evident. Malfoy had to have done that and he wondered if Malfoy had purposely not healed the cut to where it wouldn't exist or scar and why he had done that when anyone else would have healed the cut also, leaving no scarring.

He shook his head again and decided to think about this weird day later after dinner. He rose from the bed and walked back to the wall placing his hand on it again and stepping through once he could. He left the alcove and began to head for the Great Hall, thoughts swirling through his heads. He made it to the Great Hall and sat at the long table that had been made for those remaining. He sat at the end in his same seat from before, ignoring the other students who greeted him and not hearing the professors' greetings. He had way too much on his mind to notice such things.

Snape who was scowling at Flitwick's annoyingly cheerful attitude as he talked to McGonagall noticed Potter's distracted entrance. The boy looked to be in thought about something and was quite oblivious to his surroundings. Snape watched Potter discreetly as he was engaged in a conversation with professor Vector on pain-relieving potions.

He briefly got distracted from his watch of Potter when Draco walked in and he gave the blonde an intense look as he sat down. He was still upset with his godson for his blatant misuse of a potion, especially one that could be dangerous. He knew Draco knew better and that was what made him so mad and disappointed in the boy. Severus Snape knew better than many the horrors of nightmares but he didn't try to overdose himself to avoid them. So he understood Draco's need to escape those things that haunt him in sleep. He just didn't want his godson to overdose.

Sighing mentally the Potions Master went back to his study of one Harry Potter. He had to grudgingly admit the boy was good with hiding his feeling and thoughts. Besides the fact that the brat was wearing a mask he couldn't tell anything else and that was frustrating him. A Potter and a Gryffindor shouldn't be that good at masking themselves. Shouldn't be able to get past his inspection, he was a spy after all and knew what to look for. But Potter stumped him. He'd become even better in his occlumency and that avenue was no longer an easy place for him to find anything the brat might be hiding. Yes, now he could see why Albus had asked this of him because it was obvious that there was something going on with Potter. Something he intended to find out.

After Draco came into the Great Hall and sat down in the same seat from before the food appeared for the Christmas Feast. He began to pile his food on his plate as he ignored all those around him. He had felt the intense stare of his godfather as he came in and sighed in relief when its weight was lifted. He still felt bad about disappointing his godfather and knew that unless he kept his promise the trust Severus had for him would start to waver. He sighed quietly to himself and adverted his thoughts.

"Something the matter Draco?" Baddock asked in an indifferent tone of voice.

Draco glared at the boy, annoyed to be interrupted form his thoughts. "No, not that it's any of you business Baddock." He bit out in a quietly icy tone. Baddock nodding quickly with wide eyes before turning back to his plate. Draco sneered at him before returning to his plate and his thoughts. He glanced discreetly as Potter who sat one down and diagonal from him. He was still mildly shocked with how things had turned out with the other boy but satisfied all the same. Fighting the grin wanting to breakout on his face he took a sip of his drink. He was looking forward to see where this truce went and was ridiculously eager for his next chat with the Gryffindor. Shaking his head he pushed these thoughts aside and concentrated on his meal.

After the Christmas Feast Harry departed from the Great Hall and made his way back to Gryffindor Tower. He got there, said the password to the Fat Lady and walked in heading straight for his dorm. He stood in the middle of the room and looked around himself. His pile of presents was still on the floor from his hasty departure earlier and the photo album was lying against the wall where he had thrown it. He walked over to the album and picked it up without looking at it, closing it and walking back over to his other presents. He put the album on top of his trunk and looked down at the rest of the pile.

With a thoughtful look on his face he bent down and picked up the black leather bound journal, the pens and pencils and the pencil sharpener. With a shrug and a sigh he brought the items over to his bed and plopped them down before sitting down his self, folding his legs Indian style under him. He eyed the objects some more, not sure why he was even thinking about writing in the journal but with another sigh resigned himself to doing just that. He opened the pack of black muggle pens and took one into his hand and then picked up the journal and opened it to the first page. Blank, line paper stared back at him as he looked at the journal in his hands. I can't believe I'm actually doing this, he thought with disbelief shaking his head a few time before he put pen to paper and began writing.

Dec. 25, 1996

Its Christmas today and the day has been full of many things. I had woke up this morning determined to at least enjoy the day and not let my depression drag me down but in the end I kind of let that happen anyway. I had got up this morning and opened all my presents feeling quite happy about things. I had gotten candy and other assorted treats from Ron along with a really cool dragon tooth necklace. Hermione got me a book on defensive spells and this journal along with a few other things. I got gifts from Molly and Arthur, Fred and George, Neville and Ginny also, but the gift that struck me the most was Remus's. From him I got a book on defensive spells also but I also got a photo album full of pictures of my parents, Remus and Sirius from when they were in school and even some of them after school before everything went bad.

I had leafed through it looking at the pictures before I came across one that reminded me of Sirius in a way I don't want to think about. The picture reminded me of his face on That Day and I lost it. I remember that I shoved the book away from me, took a shower and got dressed before I grabbed my coat and dagger and left the tower. I had walked to the Courtyard where I thought I would be alone. I took out my knife and began to cut at my arm but apparently I went to deep this time because I fell unconscious afterwards.

When I woke up though I was shocked with where I had been. I was in Draco Malfoy's rooms! I had been lying on the couch with him across from me. But that didn't shock me and, admittedly, scare me as much as when I realized he KNEW. He knew about me cutting myself, I didn't even think he might not know. The look in his grey eyes was enough for me to know that he knew. But things took a decidedly bizarre turn. Malfoy revealed something to me that shocked me because I didn't expect a spoiled, selfish Daddy's boy like Malfoy to mutilate himself. But he showed me; scars of all kinds, old and new decorated his pale arms marring the skin.

I was shocked and surprised and confused and whole hell of a lot of other emotions that I had just stared at his arm. I couldn't believe he was showing this to me, Harry Potter, his rival of all people just because he was curious about my scars. There had to be more to it I had thought then. And then it all takes in even more unusual turn when he proposes a truce between us. For what reason he wants this truce still plagues my mind and I'm not sure what the real reason it. Predictably I would go with the reason being he wants to walk in his father's footsteps and was trying to worm his way into my trust so he could hand me over to old Snake Face. But I've changed a lot from what I used to think, from what was fed to me by Ron and Hagrid and any other person who told me Slytherins were evil. Besides, the look in his eyes when he told me "But as to that let's just say I'm not as upset about you landing father dearest in jail as I was at first" was mostly guarded except for a shining of something like happiness in those grey eyes. I can't say I'm not curious about it because I am more than I should be probably.

But as I said at first I was skeptical about his offer of a truce between us but as I thought at dinner tonight I think I'm slowly finding some good things about this truce. We already basically ignore each other except for his occasional attacks of taunts and barbs that I retaliate with but now he'll (hopefully) ignore me altogether and not bother with the taunts. Well, as long as his taunts aren't vindictive and a little more teasing I'm fine.

Well blonde confusing prats aside, I noticed something at dinner tonight that I noticed at dinner since break started. I'm being watched. I'm sure of it. I have become so tuned to people watching me being who I am that I FEEL it when someone's eyes are on me. I'm not sure who it is, though I have some guesses. I would say Malfoy was watching me but I'm not honestly sure it's him. I'm leaning more to it being Dumbledore since he's always trying to make sure he knows everything going on, especially where I'm concerned, the barmy old git! I'm still mad at him honestly and it pisses me off to know he's trying to keep track of me like I'm a child. I'm not child, never have been really and I don't like to be coddled and talked down to.

Which Hermione had been doing to me before the break, coddling me I meant. She gets all mother-y on me and it's frustrating. Maybe if I let her know I'm writing in this stupid journal she'll back off on the mothering bit. But knowing Hermione, she probably won't.

Harry stopped and looked at the words on the page and a half he had written. He had just written what was on his mind and all that came out. He was surprised to feel a little better after writing down his thoughts and looked at the journal incredulously again. Okay so maybe not so bad then, Harry thought as he closed the book and gather the stuff together. He got off his bed and walked to where his other presents were. He put the journal and writing tools into the new back he got from Neville and deciding to sort things later got changed for bed. Once he was done he picked up one of the new books on defensive spells he got, the one from Remus, he thought as he glanced at the cover and crawled into his four poster bed setting back for a nice read before he went to sleep.

Review Responses:

GinnyGin: Thanks for the review! I didn't realize it looked to be heading in that direction, sorry.

Draco8448: Thanks for the review. Your a new reader to my story I see, thanks for taking the time to do so.

Fairies Hope: Thanks for the kind review. I didn't know I wasn't taking Anonymous reviews. I fixed that and now I am taking them!

Amy (whose anonymous): Thanks for the review, here's the next chapter.

amber.moora: Thanks for the review! I really appreciate it.

Raeandria (another anonymous): Thanks for the review! The Harry/Draco slash wont be for a few more chapters but it'll come.

Wykked As Syn: Love the name! Thanks for the review and here's the chapter