"Malfoy?" Harry called out, his eyes widening as he stared at the blonde before him. "Malfoy!" Kneeling down, Harry tried to shake him awake. Nothing. Shit..he mentally cursed before holding his ear to his lips as he waited, heart
pounding, breath seizing, panic rising before…

A soft warm breath faintly grazed his ear like a small, absent sigh.

Releasing his breath, his stomach squirmed in relief, the pressure forced upon his heart released. He didn't even hesitate as he tried to pick up Malfoy's unconscious body from the ground. Carefully, he slid one hand under his back, lifting it from the
ground before looping his arm underneath his legs, groaning as he rose from his knees. Letting out a small content sigh, he adjusted his hands slightly, making sure the position was comfortable enough for both of them. That's when he noticed; he was
light.

Too light.

He could feel the boninees of his legs that slacked against the baggy fabric of his trousers. His fingers could easily trace his spine that stuck out through the cotton of his sweater vest.

Was it really this bad? Was he really in such a state that he wasn't eating properly? Don't act as if you're just noticing this now..he thought to himself, real worry settling in.

He wasn't okay and the more he thought about it, the more obvious it became. The signs became clearer, his timidness, his withstanding silence and yet Harry concluded that he was up to something. He wasn't. He was just depressed.

But the Katy Bell incident….That annoying voice of doubt spoke up yet again. I never saw him..I assumed. It was out of context. He seems so resigned...Most of the time, that was. There was only one thing that brought Draco back to his usual self and that
was when they fought.

When they fought, Harry saw the life come back to his eyes just for those few moments, silver glistening with anticipation; an anticipation that faded as soon as Harry's friends stepped in and prevented them from killing each other. This was something
that only Harry was capable of doing. Only he was capable to light that fire in his eyes, a fire he loved and hated all at once. A fire he reluctantly missed.

But now those eyes were covered by his pale eyelids, dark bags darker than he remembered. Harry did take the poor lighting into account but that didn't make them disappear. He looked so vulnerably beautiful, something so bittersweet, something Harry couldn't
describe.

Beautiful…

That word wasn't strong enough. He wasn't even going to deny it.

Where was all this coming from? It was no longer than a few hours ago that he wanted to strangle and choke the slytherin into oblivion and now he was calling him beautiful? Feeling pity? No not pity..Sympathy perhaps. No, that wasn't it either.

A small feeling of movement pulled him out of his spiral of thoughts, realizing from the tiredness of his arms that he had been standing there for quite a while and hadn't bothered to get help. His body froze at the threat of Malfoy waking up, staring
down at him as his expression scrunched up slightly. It took a lot for Harry not to drop him as he was wriggling uncomfortably in his hold.

"Wha…?" He began to murmur, his eyelids cracking open slightly, Malfoy squinting through them. "Potter? What are you…" It was impossible to miss the way his eyes widened in realisation and shock.

Silence.

Harry knew he should've said something, his heart pounding, knowing that standing in a dark, empty corridor holding Malfoy in arms for god knows how long without getting any help was probably not the easiest situation to explain. However, his tongue went
numb, unable to get anything out.

Malfoy didn't do anything to break the silence, his stormy grey eye staring up at him, almost curiously but clouded with hundred of other emotions Harry couldn't read; a look which was so complex.

"Malfoy.. 's not-"

"Potter. Let me go." His calm, cold tone broke through, shattering Harry's sentence into shards of lost word. Swallowing thickly, he nodded, lowering himself and sliding his arms away from underneath his legs, his fingers lifting from
his spine once the blonde was upright.

Stepping back, Harry was grateful for the darkness for hiding the blush of embarrassment that dusted his cheeks. Biting down on his lower lip, he watched as the blonde ran his fingers through his hair, sighing deeply.

"I..um...S-sorry. I'll just.." Harry didn't even bother to finish his sentence, ready to turn on his heel and walk away.

"Why the sudden interest?" Pausing, Harry turned to see Malfoy with his hand held out in front of him, inspecting his nails.

"I'm sorry?"

His sharp gaze that Harry could fall so easily into met his own, hand falling down to his side before walking closer and closer, Harry stepping back further and further.

"You heard me. Why the sudden interest? I told you before, didn't I? Just when I don't want you to notice me, I'm suddenly the most interesting person in your world." Harry took another step, panic rising as he felt his back fall against the
wall, the slytherin now mere centimetres away. He could hear his heart pound in his ears yet felt it lodged in his throat. He was suddenly very nervous.

"I-I.."

"Don't stutter, Potter." Their gazes remained locked, Harry's cheeks heating up against the cool, gentle hand now placed against one of them. He could feel the slender fingers slide past his ear to the back of his neck. He could feel them thread
through the back of his unruly locks, sending an electrifying shiver down his spine. Subtly, Malfoy drew their faces closer together, his hot breath against Harry's lips...so close...so unbelievably close and yet…Harry was so reluctant to pull away.

"It makes you look stupider than usual." Malfoy murmured against his lips before locking them with his own. Harry's eyes fluttered shut as he tasted the sweetness of them, melting as their lips danced with utter ease. They were so soft, so warm
and Harry made no move to pull away. Kissing him back was almost like instinct, a deep longing finally being fulfilled. He wanted to freeze this moment in time, to never pull away. To stay like this for as long as possible…

Blinking, Harry found himself still gazing at the blonde's body that lay limply in his arms, eyes still hidden, lips still pale.

How long had he been standing there? Ache exploded throughout his heart, his grip on Malfoy tightening slightly.

I'm slowly losing it...The last thing I need is to be fantasizing.. Without a moment's hesitation, Harry began to briskly walk to the infirmary, making sure he took all the correct routes not to get caught. Especially by Flinch. All those years of sneaking
around the school grounds hadn't gone to waste, managing to arrive at the infirmary without any disruptions. Sighing deeply, he tapped the door with his foot. A small part of him felt guilty for waking Madam Pomfrey but most of his thoughts were centered
around his worry for Malfoy.

He could hear the rustling behind the door, watching as the door handle turned to reveal the matron squinting at the two tiredly. Stands of grey hair messily stuck out from the base of her nightcap, her wrinkled fingers wrapped around the handle of her
candle holder. Her face was illuminated by the small flame, blinking away her tiredness.

"What in great heavens is going on here?" She huffed but it was clear Harry didn't need to answer her. Her eyes widened as she saw Malfoy in his arms. "Say no more Mr Potter."

Harry handed Malfoy over to her. "You know, you really shouldn't be up this late." She managed to scold as she took him from his arms. Harry knew from the look on her face that Malfoy was going to be eating a lot more.

"Now off to bed. No need to look like that. He'll be fine." She reassured him. Was his worry that evident?

"Thank you, Madam Pomfr-" But before he could finish, he received a door to his face.

Sighing softly, Harry turned and walked back to his dorm, running his fingers through his hair. So much for an 'early night'. He thought to himself as he ran over his encounter with Malfoy countless times. His words rang in his head, still able to feel
the ghost of his fingers gripping his bicep. Not to mention he was imagining them kissing which was so far out of the question he… well he…

He had no other explanation other than the fact that he was losing his mind. None. Why he suddenly considered him to be beautiful, he didn't know. Perhaps it was the fact that he was knocked out. That's always a pleasant image when it comes to Malfoy.
He thought amusingly to himself. Yes. It made sense. Just because he was an asshole didn't make him any less attractive. He was a good looking guy. Nothing cryptic about that. However, that still didn't explain why his heart ached every time
he thought about Draco's bizarre confession; it didn't explain why he wanted to grab him and kiss him just to see if it was nearly as wonderful as he imagined…

Already at his dorm, Harry began to change into his pyjamas, his mind still racing.

I just need to let him be...he slid under his covers. That's what he wants, isn't it? But he looks so goddamn miserable all the time...Removing his glasses, Harry pulled the duvet over himself.

I thought he was up to something but...is he? No. He is. He has to be,

1:00 AM

It'd make sense that he'd want to finish what his father began to do and why he was in the room of requirement...Damn...I still don't know. Yes. He's up to something. A drunk Malfoy isn't an innocent Malfoy. He may be a kind of cute Malfoy..NO. Harry. Stop. Why was he up so late anyways?

2:00 AM

Does he even want to be a death eater? Maybe that's the real reason behind his misery. If he is working for Voldemort, then he must be a death eater. And death eater's have the...the mark! Oh god I could've checked for the mark but nooo! I just stood there like a fucking idiot and imagined snogging him instead. Idiot. Idiot. Idio-

3:00 AM

Why am I like this? What even is this life I'm living?

4:00 AM

Couldn't they have thought of something more creative? 'The Boy Who Lived'. It's not a very original title. It's like calling a sacked teacher 'The Professor Who was Fired' or an astronaut 'Man Who Went To Space'. The same goes for 'Chosen One'. I never asked to be the Chosen One. Am I even the chosen one to start off with?

5:00 AM

I'm not very straight am I… Well neither is Malfoy. Clearly. He practically confessed to me. 'Didn't notice him when he wanted to be noticed..' That's what he meant, didn't he? No of course not. Keep dreaming, 'Gay Potter'. Maybe that should be my new nickname. 'The Wizard who turned out to be gay'.

6:00 AM

I miss Sirius.. Why did he have to go? Why couldn't I just have thought or just listened to everyone before setting out to 'save the day'? All I did was kill him. It's my fault. If he were still here, I could've written to him instead of driving myself insane. I'm so sorry Sirius…

7:00 AM

"Harry!"

Eyes shooting open, Harry sat up boltright, his heart pounding.

"Wha...what?" Clutching onto his head confused, he buried his face in his hands. "What time is it?" He croaked.

"It's eight. We thought you'd come down for breakfast earlier but when we found you still weren't here, I came to wake you up. Say did you and Ron have a fight because he seemed-" The strong, irish tone of Seamus's voice began to fade, darkness
sweeping over Harry as his head fell forward, his body yearning for sleep.

"Harry!"

"I'm up. I'm up." He broke back into consciousness, grabbing his glasses and blinking a few times before standing up with a small struggle.

Seamus's eyebrows furrowed as he looked at Harry. "Merlin, Harry. Did you get any sleep?"

Gathering up his robes, Harry began to tiredly undress himself, shaking his head.

"I don't even remember falling asleep.." he admitted, yawning and rubbing his eyes.

"Well, I'm sure some good food will help you there. Although, you might want to hurry up if you want to sort things out with you and Ron." He stated, giving Harry a small smile.

"Yeah..thanks…" He mumbled as he began to button up his shirt.

"I'll give you some privacy. You british lot are quite big on that." He teased with a light chuckle before leaving.

Harry came down about ten minutes later. How he managed to even leave his dorm room without collapsing and falling asleep on the carpet ground, he had no idea. As he walked in, a few heads turned although Harry didn't quite catch the expressions of confusion
everyone was wearing. It wasn't until he sat down with Hermione and Ron that something was pointed out to him.

"Oh. Look who's decided t- holy shit. Did you drown or something?" Ron's eyes widened as he leaned forward to get a better look at Harry.

"Harry?! Good god. Did Snape keep you up all night?" Hermione exclaimed as she saw Harry. Tiredly looking over to his friends, Harry rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"I'm really sorry.." He apologised tiredly, yawning softly. "I shouldn't have…" Taking a deep breath, he grabbed his goblet and took a sip of the sweet pumpkin juice, the sweet, energy enhancing drink waking him up a little. "I
shouldn't have lost it and I know I over reacted. It's just I'm so fucking tired and...Jesus christ.." He mumbled, his head pounding with tiredness.

"Listen Harry. Just eat something. We can talk later, right Ron? Ron." Hermione urged. Ron scowled slightly and mumbled a small 'yeah whatever..'

Draco woke up to a blurry blank ceiling, furrowing his brows. A brief wave a panic washed through him as he couldn't recognise where he was before looking around the room, noticing the multiple other empty, plain beds and the healing potions cabinet hidden
in the corner.

The infirmary.

What was he doing in here? How did he-

His thoughts were cut off by the throbbing in his head, nails being harshly hammered into the inner shell of his skull. Closing his eyes, he groaned lowly, clutching his head and tiredly rubbing his hands over his face as he lay on his back.
/

"Glad to see you're up."

The voice caused Draco's heart to leap and pound, his eyes widening and suddenly removing his hands from his face to reveal the matron searching through the cupboards.

"Madam Pomfrey.." The raspiness of his voice shocked him, clearing his throat before closing his eyes shut again. It hurt to see. He didn't even bother to sit up, knowing it'd only cause him pain. He also knew that it'd only be a matter of time
before his dreary state wore off and memories of last night would come flooding back. But right now, he wanted Madam Pomfrey to hurry up with that damn draught.

"No use complaining. It's your own fault for drinking on an empty stomach, not to mention that you are way to young to be drinking firewhiskey." She scolded as she paced over to him, placing a potion bottle on his desk.

Firewhiskey..? "How did you.."

"You might as well have bathed yourself in it, dear."

"I don't.."

"Hurry up and drink. I don't want you to be spending too much time in here. Knowing you, you'd go insane." She stated. She isn't wrong..He thought to himself, the thought triggering memories from that summer.

'Summer of '88'.

No. Now wasn't the time to think of that. Doing as he was told, Draco obliged and sat himself up, wincing at the stiffness of his body. He took the bottle filled with a crystal blue liquid. Cork screwing off with ease, the sweet smell of ginger and lemon
wafted to his nose, his tongue already able to predict the taste. Not wasting anymore time, Draco gulped down the entire potion, his face scrunching up slightly at the sharp sourness and spice, shuddering lightly. Placing the bottle back on his bedside,
he slid back under the covers, the comfortable warmth welcoming him.

"You should feel lucky that I won't report this to Professor Dumbledore. Mr Potter was worried enough as it was. Turned out he got no sleep last night, poor boy." She continued to ramble to herself, Draco half listening. It took a few seconds
before he finally processed what she said.

"Potter?" He rasped, turning his body around to face her, confused. "What..Why would he b-" But he immediately cut himself, memories flooding back unwillingly, eyes widening as a humiliated blush rose to his cheeks.

"Why, he came here at god knows what time, carrying you in his arms. I don't think I've seen him so worried. He's a brave one. Not much worries him except when it comes to other people. So selfless as well." Her rambling continues but most of
it faded as Draco covered his face in embarrassment, remembering too well what happened. Did I really confess to Potter? He thought worriedly, wanting a black abyss to swallow him whole and never let him out.

No..It'll be fine..He's too oblivious to read through the lines...hopefully..That was the only comforting thought. What about when he was let out? Rumours would be spreading, especially since Potter was obviously so bloody tired (according to Madam Pomfrey)
people will think they're joining up the dots. And if Potter tells everyone what happened…

Calm the fuck down. It'll be okay..

But every time he thought that to himself, contradicting thoughts outweighed that lie massively. He still hadn't accomplished what he had to. You-Know-Who was getting impatient. His father was still in Azkaban. His mother was home alone and worried and..

"Don't tell my mother. Please." He croaked, lifting the cover from his face and giving her a pleading look.

"MrMalfoy.."

"Please. She's worried enough as it is. You know, with what happened with father and everything." It wasn't a lie but it wasn't the entire truth either. Luckily for him, lying in general was never an issue.

Madam Pomfrey stared at Draco before smiling warmly.

"My lips are sealed, Mr Malfoy. Under one condition."

Uh oh.

"No more firewhiskey and eat." She said firmly.

"Sorry?" Draco asked, furrowing his eyebrows. "Eat?"

"Yes. Don't act like you know nothing. You're unbelievably thin and look so pale. You haven't been eating properly.

"Okay.."Draco trailed off. He should've been expecting it. Now he was going to leave the infirmary stuffed like a teddy bear.

"Oh yes. And one more thing."

Draco rolled his eyes. She was really milking this. "Yes?"

"I want you to thank Mr Potter for bringing you here. He didn't have to do that you know." Draco's eyes widened before he shook his head.

"No. No way in hell." He stubbornly answered. "With all due respect, miss, I have no intention on seeing Potter after this incident." Don't ask why. Don't. Ask. Why.

"Why?" Bloody witch. "Aren't you two becoming a bit too old for this rivalry? Maybe this act was a peace offering." But Draco refused to agree to this.

"It's a lot more complicated than that."

"Fine. But I do not appreciate my patients being selfish. The least you could do to that boy is thank him. Doesn't have to be in person. Just let him know."

"Madam Pomfrey-" Draco tried to intervene but she kept talking.

"If you haven't thanked him by the end of the week, I will write to your mother."