AN I don't own HP or any of the characters!

Draco woke up in a hospital bed, the sheets strewn around him and drenched with sweat. He thrashed, already trying to fight the fear that bubbled in his chest and trembled out into his hands from the nightmare, but a hand stopped him. It was warm, he realized, and gentle.

"Hey, you're okay. Just breathe." He obeyed without even realizing. Who was touching him, though? Pomfrey hadn't touched him, at least not when it wasn't absolutely necessary, since the incident in third year where he'd had a panic attack and none of the professors would dare lay a hand on him. Would they?

"Draco, breathe. Your father is still petrified, your mother and all your friends are hidden and safe. Even you and I are hidden, so just breathe, okay?" He nodded, trying to put a face to the voice he knew so well, but the touch was throwing his brain off track every time. Who touched him? Blaise and Pansy knew better, the other Slytherins wouldn't dare, and who did that leave? He forced his eyes opened, even when the light burned, and came face to face with messy black hair and emerald green eyes. Potter.

"Harry? What are you doing here?" But Harry smiled, obviously pleased by his first name, and the hand he had on his arm moved to intertwine their fingers on his chest. Why was Harry touching him, though? Didn't he know? He'd seen the curse and Draco had assumed it was pity that made him comfort the snivelling blonde but he was still there? Still touching him, even when he knew how pathetic Draco was?

"Hey, it's okay, don't panic or anything. Five minutes won't make a difference, right?" Draco nodded, anxious for answers. "Pomfrey gave you a sleeping draught so you would rest. Dumbledore wanted to know what happened so I told him and McGonagall what I could and Snape nearly went for Lucius' throat right then and there. Dumbledore stopped him, though. Whisked your father off to a cell somewhere to face the aurors when he's revived and made sure we got to the hospital wing. I tried to tell him about your friends and everything but they didn't care. McGonagall listened, though. She got everyone we could think of into hiding and they're safe, I promise you. We're in hiding, too, actually. But we're safe and so are they, hear me Draco? We're safe." He nodded, but didn't totally comprehend the words until Harry caught a tear on his cheek. Why was he crying? There was no reason to be afraid-not more than usual, at least-and there was no imminent threat so why was he crying suddenly? Harry smiled, though, and it hit him. Relief.

"Why are you…?" Draco wanted to ask a million questions but they all blurred together until they became one. "Just… why?" Harry smiled again, softly as he touched Draco's cheek. He couldn't remember the golden boy being so gentle or affectionate with anyone before, not even the rest of the trio. Was he dying, or something? But Harry just smiled at him, tracing his face.

"Because I get it. Our situations weren't the same, obviously, but I get it. I'm sorry I didn't see it sooner." Draco wasn't completely sure he could believe what he was hearing. Potter was sorry?

"What do you mean you're sorry?" Harry's smile faded, though, and he traded his hand for the one holding Draco's on his chest. He squeezed it slightly.

"I mean I'm sorry I didn't see it sooner, I'm sorry I didn't do anything. If anyone was going to see the signs, it would have been me, but even if I saw them I just couldn't put two and two together. But I ignored them because, well, I hated you. And you pulled it off so well… I'm sorry, Draco." He definitely was hallucinating, now, he thought, because no way in hell was Harry Potter sitting in front of him apologizing. No way, right?

"Why would it have been you? Who saw the signs, I mean." Harry gave him a wistful little smile and squeezed his hand again. Surprisingly, though, it didn't make him anxious or make him feel like he was trapped, it actually felt secure. Like a tether grounding him amidst his emotions.

"Life wasn't always picture perfect with my aunt and uncle. Broke a lot of bones over the years. Missed a lot of meals. But that doesn't matter now and, regardless, just know that I see that fear in your eyes and I get it. I'm sorry I didn't see it sooner." Where had this Harry been for the last six years of their education? Draco felt like he was dreaming, even though he knew he'd just woken up from a nightmare, but Harry just smiled. Had he ever seen the boy who lived smile so much? It felt like Harry was trying to blind him with it.

"You're touching me." Harry's smile disappeared and he furrowed his brow at Draco.

"Yes, I am. I can stop if you'd like but it seemed to help earlier so I…" Potter trailed off but Draco shook his head before he could move or pull away. He squeezed the tanner hand back.

"No, don't stop." It didn't hit him how uncharacteristic that was of him to say until he saw Harry's surprised expression but he didn't let himself shrink in on himself. Not this time. Not when Harry had been so supportive and protective and comforting. Harry relaxed a little at the squeeze and a hint of his smile returned. Good, Draco couldn't help thinking. He liked the smile.

"Harry?" Just like before, Harry hummed to show he was listening but didn't take his focus off of Draco's hand. "I… Thank you." Harry just nodded, still smiling.

"Of course. Turns out we're not so different after all, huh Malfoy?" Draco stiffened at the last name-that was his father's name, not his because he wasn't his father and-

"Draco!" He started out of his thoughts and realized he was gripping Harry's hand hard enough to break it. Quickly, he loosened his grip but Harry was still staring at him. Shocked.

"He really fucked you up, didn't he?" Draco didn't have to nod, he didn't think he could given their current situation, because it wasn't really a question. Harry squeezed his hand again.

"Sorry, I won't call you anything but Draco from now on. Is that okay?" He nodded, and tugged on Harry's hand. "What? Is something wrong? Are you in pain? I can call Madame Pomfrey if you-"

"M'cold." Harry didn't have to know that Draco didn't mean literally. He didn't have to know about his father's cold touch or the ice Draco slammed into his own chest every chance he got. He just needed to know that he was cold, and that Harry was warm. He tugged again, until Harry got the hint and smiled.

"Is an almighty Slytherin asking me for cuddles?" Draco flushed bright red at the word and the jeer in Harry's voice but the smile was still there, and not at all malicious. He was teasing him, Draco realized, but it was almost playful. No anger, no hatred. That alone made Draco whine and pull the other's arm again but Harry just laughed.

"I never thought I'd see the day…" he mused, but he pushed Draco over so he could fit on the bed too. "The one and only Draco taking me into his bed. Unheard of." Draco laughed, even if it was choked with tears, and Harry seemed to like that so he didn't stop. Normally, he would have stifled or crammed it full of contempt. But Harry actually seemed to like the fact that he was amused?

Draco didn't totally understand but Harry was warm so he curled into the slightly taller boy and nuzzled his chest. Harry laughed, shaking him with each breath, but Draco didn't mind. It felt good, strangely. Finally, though, finally he was warm and the cold from the nightmare or the darkness couldn't get to him and he felt Harry's heartbeat against his cheek, reassuring him that Harry was there and that they were safe, and he was so warm… He fell asleep without even realizing what he was doing.

It was later that day, in their hidden hospital room, that Blaise and Pansy came to see him. Harry was still there, refusing to leave his side, and Draco squeezed his hand as they approached to get him to be nice. Both looked disgusted that Harry was even touching him at all. But as they got closer, they grew emotionless.

"You doing okay, Draco?" He nodded to Pansy but immediately turned to Blaise.

"Wormwood root. Boiled into a tea. Newest treatment for aftershocks of crucio. Supply is already en route, be sure to get it to the high risks first." Blaise nodded his understanding.

"What?" Somehow, Draco had managed to forget he was speaking in front of Harry. "What do you mean high risks?" Both Blaise and Pansy looked to him but he sighed and nodded, even when they hesitated. It was Blaise who spoke.

"Slytherins. Draco trains us and the lower years sometimes, watches out for the ones with bad families." He looked to Draco for affirmation before continuing. "At least half of us would already have the dark mark if not for him, myself included." They dismissed themselves at Draco's nod but Harry turned on him, flabbergasted. He expected yelling or even accusations of rule breaking but he was not expecting Harry to look close to tears.

"I'm so proud of you, Draco.' Draco's heart stopped. He'd heard wrong, right? He had to have heard the boy wrong because there was no way he'd said that.

"What did you just say?" But Harry smiled at him and nodded, squeezing his hand.

"I'm proud of you." He couldn't believe his ears. There was no way. There was no fucking way that Harry Potter-savior of the entire wizarding world-was sitting here in his hospital bed saying he was proud of him. No one had ever said those words to him. There was no way they were coming from anyone, let alone Harry Potter.

"Why?" he finally managed to ask, shaking slightly in disbelief. But Harry just smiled at him.

"You saved all those kids, Dray. You saved them. You took this shitty situation and the hell that you were living in and you used it to help people. You're so…"

"Stupid." Draco finished, sneering and not even noticing the nickname. "If anything I put those kids through hell. I taught them to survive beatings and curses and how to refuse the dark mark but all I ever really did was prolong their suffering or doom them to hell on earth. Two fourth years didn't come back from winter break this year, did you know that? I told them to refuse no matter what, that I would have their backs if they just sent a letter, and their father killed them. I'm so fucking stupid I just made it all worse." But Harry was still beside him, running his hand up and down his arm comfortingly until he stopped speaking.

"I was going to say beautiful, actually. And before you go getting a big head on me, I meant your soul-not your looks. You know you're attractive and you don't need me to tell you that. But you have a beautiful soul, Draco. Absolutely beautiful." Draco was crying, tears streaming down his face faster than they had in years. Harry just looked at him, though, and continued to soothe. He could not for the life of him believe that Harry had just said that and a large part of him said it was too good to be true. This was some trick, some hoax that would only crush him in the end. But Harry was there, sitting with those bright green eyes, holding his hand and reassuring him. That he was safe, that they were hidden, that he'd meant it. Draco felt like he couldn't breathe but, for the first time in his entire life, it wasn't for a bad reason.

"Thanks… Thank you. Really." Harry reached and wiped a few tears from his cheeks but didn't look concerned. If anyone would have gotten comfortable seeing him cry over the last few days, it would have been Harry and yet it still surprised him. He wasn't used to displaying weakness. But he definitely wasn't used to the people around him not recoiling and looking at his weakness with disgust, like it was a disease they might catch if they got too close. Harry just soothed him, though, and kept his warm hand over Draco's.

Thanks for reading! Not sure if I'll continue... review please!