Draco POV

Part of him was relieved as he walked down the halls towards the Slytherin dorms. He held his arms to himself, knowing his arm was still bleeding but his body was wracked with cold.

'Great. First the fever, now the fucking chill? Dammit body, choose one!' He thought.

Guilt still nawed at his belly. So did pain. This pain, this ache, he was used to. It never got easier each year and the timing was off.

The fever fit usually hits during summer, when he's home. But it hadn't that year and Draco had thought he was lucky. Yeah...right.

He might've been, actually, if he thought about it. Ever since the summer he was 11, before starting his first year at Hogwarts, his body had been going through the fever fits. Usually he was awake, writhing in pain and heat from fever. He'd scream and scream till his he couldn't speak for a week due to a raw throat, even with potions.

No spell worked either and no one knew why.

The family doctor was never gentle when examining or trying to figure out why it had started and why that year.

He was never gentle every year, poking too hard or outright ignoring Draco's words of protest or what was happening. It got so bad, last year he tried to be as silent as he could, until a maid came to check on him and his parents gave him the "medicine".

The fever and full body pain lasted longer without the "medicine" the family doctor came up with and his parents agreed with.

He hated the "medicine".

Yes, it broke him of his fever quicker, giving his body a sudden shock. It always felt like ice going through his body and even if he hadn't eaten, he'd throw up.

It also made him dazed, almost drunk, but not in a good way.

'Where was I...?' He looked around, seeing he got himself lost. No, couldn't be lost.

Looking out a window, it was dark. 'How long was I out?' He wondered.

He walked a bit more, already feeling the effects of the "medicine". He saw the old woman's bathroom. He could see if Moaning Myrtle was still around.

"M-Myrtle? S-sweet miss Myrtle?" He called out. He knew if you buttered her up, she was more friendly.

"Oh, Draco! Long time, no see. Why haven't you visited me?" She whined, the lady turtle laying on her back.

He turned, maybe too fast...or was it slow? ...and felt a wave of nausea hit. He ran to the sink and heaved. Nothing came up.

"Now why're you doing that? You're so thin as is, Draco. Hm? What's that?" Her voice squeaked and he felt the chill of her ghost fingers brush along his mark. A body shuddering chill went down his spine. Oddly enough, he felt no need to guard his neck from her. He suspected it was because she was dead.

He rinsed his mouth of the bile, the spike of heat going back to the chill. "It's my Claim. Why? Were they still doing that in your day?"

He huffed. "I'm as young as ever while you'll grow old one day."

She didn't answer his question, but he didn't want to push. He twitched his tail and whined. He forgot about that.

"Myrtle, dear? Wait. You can't leave here can you?"

She made a snooty face with smirk. "Ha! Thought you could sweet talk me?"

Even through the pain and chill, he smiled. He sat quietly, on the side of one sink, in case a bout of nausea hit again. Myrtle spoke on and on and Draco let her.

He let his mind wander and he knew he shouldn't have left Harry there, even after he looked so worried. He just couldn't bear if Harry saw him sick and disgusting. Or worry the Gryffindor more. He'd feel so embarrassed.

Saying he'd feel that way because of their history, of their animosity, didn't feel right if he were to say it now.

Part of him was angry too.

He was cold but hot, aching and in pain and he felt alone!

Draco didn't care if he'd have to steal Blaises' boyfriend to be here with him. He didn't want to be curled up alone in Myrtle's bathroom feeling sick.

He tried willing himself to move, but his body wouldn't comply. He curled into a ball again. He'd been doing that a lot as of late.

He felt tired again. This wasn't him.

His eyes fluttered as he took deep breathes.

Who was Draco Malfoy?

His lungs burned from the strain of not stopping, of not looking back. He could've been getting himself more lost, who knew. He wasn't sure whether to scream or try and stay quiet. Pup would know. But Pup was...

As tears flooded his vision he stumbled and he knew his tail got caught between branches and logs at some point. He'd never felt this amount of sadness before. He knew of an aunt once, who lost her husband of many years. She had cried and cried until her eyes were puffy and she couldn't cry anymore. She couldn't look at pictures and she had to live with them for awhile, because the memories held in her own home, were too painful.

That's what she had told him, when he had asked one day why she was so sad. For some reason, she had liked him, because he talked to her.

To him, of course he did. He was lonely.

'Kind' was the word she used.

"She's in despair, Lucious. Give her time." He had overheard his parents late one night.

His father rubbed his temples. "She has done that for long enough. This is why we don't marry for love, Narcissa."

He wasn't sure how, but he came out of the forest to an area he knew. His parents along with some Aurora were there. His mother looked more concerned as his father just looked annoyed. He probably was.

"M-mother!" Draco had yelled, his voice hoarse from keeping his voice quiet.

His mother had looked over and wrapped him in a hug.

His father must have shooed the Aurora away because it was just them after a few minutes.

Draco was sobbing by that point.

"Draco. Where have you been? You shouldn't be crying if you ran off willingly."

Draco straightened, moving away from his mother to try and compose himself.

Though, he tried and tried fruitlessly to stop the tears, but they wouldn't.

"F-forgive the tears, father. P-please. They-" his voice choked up.

He thought he knew now, what his mother meant. What his aunt had been through. It truly was another type of sadness.

His father had simply fixed him an unamused look, giving his son time to calm.

His mother rubbed his back.

With deep breaths and his own will, the tears stopped for long enough.

"I was ch-chasing something then got lost."

His father raised a brow. "That wasn't smart, now was it? Now you're dirty, shirt torn to shreds and..." his father paused to look closer. He saw the odd angle Draco's tail was bent but it was his mother's gasp that caught both their attentions.

"Lucious. Look." She had pointed to Draco's neck.

After a moment, his father let out a long agitated breath through his nose. Draco saw his tail flicking. "Your tail is broken and you allowed someone to bite you? Draco. Explain." His father's voice was low.

He looked down. "A-a bear. Then-then Pup-"

"Make sense Draco." His father warned.

Draco nodded, taking his own breath and thinking of Pup's smiling face to calm him. It worked. "I met another boy. We stayed safe together. B-but just a bit ago, maybe, I-I lost track of time running, a big white bear attacked."

His mother turned him towards her. She knew to try and keep her voice soft and sweet. "Draco, dear, who bit the back of your neck?"

To that, Draco blushed with a wide grin. "Pup bit me! It's a sign of marriage, right?" His face fell at remembering what had just happened. "But...mother? Does it go away if the other is gone?"

Before his mother could reply, a sad look on her delicate features, he felt his father's claws at the edges on his mark, the wounds still open.

Draco felt the icy pulse in his veins as well as a sudden panic.

"No!" He had screamed, letting out a low growl, his tail flicking despite the pain. That had startled his parents, his father quickly recovering.

He showed his anger at Draco's disobedience by putting pressure on his neck. Draco closed his eyes tightly, not wanting to witness his father destroying the mark that made him happy, his gut wrenching and fresh bout of dread consumed him.

Right when he knew his father would, there was a sudden feeling of body numbing calm, automatically making Draco's body lax slightly. His limbs felt light and his body warm, like Pup was embracing him through the night. He heard his father let out a hiss and his mother gasped in shock.

"Lucious. It had to be Draco's magic."

'What?' He thought as he opened his eyes.

"What magic?" He had asked.

All he got was a glare so cold from his father, like Draco was so far beneath him, a disappointment. His mother gave him not a look of concern, but pity.

He didn't understand why, till much later.

Draco shot his eyes open with a fresh wave of nausea and dry heaved.

He jolted at the hand he felt on his back. When he saw through teary eyes, it was Neville.

"Neville? What are you doing here?" He croaked.

The rabbit looked relieved. "Thank goodness. You weren't waking. I came to look for you since you didn't come back. We're all worried. Luckily Blaise knew that you escape here to chat with Myrtle sometimes." He smiled sweetly.

Draco scrunched his brows. Why couldn't his parents have reacted this way? With relief and happiness?

Only when he looked down did he see how utterly gross he felt and looked. He hadn't to have bathed at least in a day or two, depending on the time.

Neville helped him stand, his legs having gone numb and his tail was most likely swollen again.

"I need a bath." He said, crinkling his nose. "What time is it, Neville?"

Neville looked awestruck. Draco gave a questioning glance.

"So it wasn't a fluke. You called me by my first name." His eyes glittered. It was too much for Draco.

He cleared his throat. "Time?"

"Oh! Uh, it's morning, we were all headed to breakfast and I decided to check. Blaise said you were fine, but I was worried. I mean...that's kinda what I do." He laughed lightly.

They walked back to the Slytherin dorms and Draco noticed his things were there. He paused with horror that the last thing before the fever he remembered was hearing Professor Lupin chat lovingly about his husband.

So someone had to have grabbed his things and brought them up.

"Who-who brought my things in?" He turned to Neville who was making sure he had everything.

"Hm? I did, with Blaises' help. They were in the Gryffindor corridors so we brought them here. Harry said you had a bad fever and you were stuck in the infirmary."

Neville smiled.

"Why?" He asked. He didn't understand. They could've left his stuff. Could've let the Gryffindors destroy it. Find blackmail (there was none) or something.

Neville's ears twitched but seeing the look of confusion on Draco's face made him grin. "We're friends, that's why. I care about you. Blaise was a bit concerned, but not much. Must be a feline thing? Anyway, Luna asked about you as well and said to tell you to stop by the Ravenclaw table when you can. I bet it's to check on you. Want me to tell Harry you're alright or do you want to?"

Draco's face had grown more and more confused and desperate by the time Neville was done explaining. "Friends? Why would you want to be my friend?" His voice was quiet.

Neville patted his head, but didn't say anything, leaving Draco to think.

As he went to get undressed, Neville turned to leave.

An uneasiness came over him. He didn't want to be alone yet.

"Neville, wait. Can...please don't judge me, but...oh I can't believe this...can you stay, like near the door or in the dorms? I..." he wasn't sure how to finish it without sounding like a child.

He didn't have to, as Neville smiled. "Just let me grab a book. I'll be right outside. Then if you want to chat, I can hear you."

He knew technically Neville could be in there with him, but he appreciated it nonetheless. Blaise knew he was no threat but he doubted Neville, like himself, wanted many to see him naked.

He did have to remove the splint and he felt for the damage, knowing Madame Pomphrey must not have gotten to it.

It seemed it was pulled out of line at the base, where tail met back and another spot right below the bend in his tail. He could ask Madame Pomphrey or ask Neville there.

Madame Pomphrey it was.

As Neville read, Draco could hear him laughing or mumbling at the book.

'Friends, he said. Did Draco Malfoy have friends?' He thought back to who Draco Malfoy was. His gut clenched and he bent over the side, thinking he was going to heave again, but didn't. The "medicine" might be wearing off.

Draco Malfoy had power, status and second hand blood on his hands. He shivered in disgust.

He gently touched his Claim, feeling the slightly raised teeth marks.

There was a certain sense of calm, of contentment with it.

"You okay, Malfoy?" Neville called, probably hearing the small unpleasant noises he made.

'Damn rabbit hearing.' Draco hummed.

He realized with an odd thought, what about Draco? Who was Draco? He felt a warm bubbling in his belly, a smile breaking out across his lips. Draco was cocky, but had a Ravenclaw, at least 2 Gryffindors and 2 Slytherins with him.

He had that thing called friends that no amount of money or status could make him feel they weren't worth more.

He had people who made him smile. Who made him feel wanted.

That's what it was!

The swelling in his heart raced. He hadn't felt wanted since Pup.

Wanted.

They didn't care about Draco Malfoy, but they did care for Draco.

He knew he was smiling like a fool at his realization. One he should've made years ago.

"Neville?" He called, he couldn't stop grinning.

He heard him hum in acknowledgement.

"Next month is the Hogsmead trip, right?"

"Yes. Why?"

"I bet you were going to go on a big date with Blaise." He teased.

He heard Neville blabber and it made it want to torment. "I'm just pulling your ears, Longbottom. Say...can-can you do me a favor?"

He heard Neville get up, poking his head in. "Yes?" He was obviously nervous.

"Call me Draco, from now on. Luna already does." He laughed at seeing the normally slightly drooped ears perk and Neville smiled wide.

"Okay, Draco. Hehe."

As he got dressed, he ran his fingers across his Claim again. He pictured what he did before Pup bit him. A small gathering of friends and close family. He tried picturing the faces he never saw before.

He choked on his breath. There were faces in his mind. In the picture. Even with a crooked tail, even with his past, he was happy.

What did scare him, though, was he swore, instead of an adult version of Pup, whatever his child-like mind thought, he pictured the giant grin and tart woodsy scent of Harry.

His lip wobbled. He could barely breath. He put his claws against the mark. He was still happy, but there was a sense of loss.

"Draco? What's wrong?" Neville's voice broke through and he quickly removed his hand. He turned and smiled.

"Nothing. You know, I don't know the last time I ate. But before we get lunch, to burn time till then, can you accompany me to see Madame Pomphrey? I think I dislocated a few vertebrae." He knew Neville was skeptical, but the rabbit came over and helped him straighten out his robes, nodding with a gentle grin.

"You know, Blaise doesn't deserve you. I really don't know what you see in him." Draco scrunched his nose.

"Same to you." Neville replied. It confused Draco to no end, so when he looked to the taller boy, he blushed at seeing a conspiratorial grin and a knowing look on his face.

"You know, I take it back! It's obvious now! Nope!" Draco yelled down the hall, but Neville easily caught up, laughing louder than he'd ever heard him laugh.

It made Draco smile despite his embarrassment.

Draco Malfoy could have his status, power, Hell, even magic. He could have the blood on his hands.

Draco, though. Draco wanted to keep the people who made him feel wanted. He wanted the hard work, the grins, the playful taunting. He wanted the love he felt with Pup.

He wanted love.