DISCLAIMER: All characters belong to JKR!

Harry

Harry lay on his bed until Ron came up and sat down next to him. "Were you a git to my sister again?" Ron asked him

Harry shook his head.

"She came down crying."

Harry nodded his head.

"What did you say to her?"

Harry groaned. "I told her I only liked her as a friend.

"O…I've never seen her cry like that."

"She told me she loved me."

Ron sat in silence. "Ginny loves you?"

Harry nodded his head again, sitting up.

"And you only like her as a friend?"

"Yes."

"She was crying because you told her that?"

"Yes. She doesn't want anything to do with me."

"Ah."

Harry looked at Ron. "What should I do?"

Ron looked back, "You're asking me? How am I meant to know? I'm not good with crying females."

Harry smiled. "Should I talk to her?"

"Well, considering how the last talking to her went, I would say no. Just leave her for a bit. She will get over it."

"You sure?"

"No. She told you she loved you, and in turn, you rejected her. Course she isn't going to get over it. I just wanted you to feel better."

"Your plan really worked."

"Good. You want to get some food?"

"Is Ginny still down there?"

"Nope. She ran up to her room."

"Ok then. Thanks."

"For what?"

"Not punching me."

Ron smiled at Harry. "You haven't exactly done anything wrong. It's not your fault you don't like her."

They stood up and walked down to the common room where Hermione was waiting for them. "You told her how you felt then Harry." Was the first thing that came out of her mouth when she saw Harry.

Harry nodded sadly. "It didn't go down too well."

Hermione gave him a hug. "At least she won't have false hope anymore."

The three walked down to the Great Hall where they started to eat until Harry saw Ginny walk in. "O no."

"Whaaa?" Ron asked his mouth full of food.

Hermione gave him a look of disgust. "Don't worry Harry."

"She's still crying!" Harry said, looking at Ginny who refused to catch his eye.

Hermione looked at him sympathetically. "What do you expect? You told her you didn't love her the same as she loved you. I'm going to go see how she is doing." She smiled at the two of them and got up and walked over to Ginny who immediately threw her arms around Hermione, giving her a massive hug and crying into her shoulder. After a couple of minutes the two girls walked out of the Great Hall and Harry looked back down at his plate.

"I feel horrible."

Ron shrugged. "It's like Hermione said, at least she knows now."

Harry gave him a glare. "Yes, but I didn't want her to cry and say she doesn't want us to be friends anymore!" he looked across at the slytherin table and saw that Draco was nowhere to be seen, and neither was Pansy. "Well that's just great." He muttered darkly.

Ron gave him a sympathetic pat. "Don't worry. I'll have a word with her."

Harry nodded his thanks and picked at his food, waiting for Ron to finish so he could get away from the glares he was getting from the girls in Ginny's dormitory.

"Can we go now Ron? People keep glaring."

Ron looked down at the table and saw them all glaring at Harry. "Yeah, might be a good idea."

They got up and walked quickly out of the Great Hall, just as they were about to go up the stairs Harry saw Pansy walk slowly to the Great Hall and she looked like she had just been crying. He continued to look at her, but when she noticed he was staring at her she just glared at him and walked into the Great Hall.

"Wonder what was up with her." Harry said to Ron.

"With who?"

"Pansy, I just saw her crying."

"Maybe she got rejected too!"

Harry glared at Ron. "It's not funny. Your sister is crying because of me."

"Yeah I know and I feel sorry for her. But my sister has always been tough, never would have guessed she would have a break down over you."

"She isn't having a breakdown because of me." He said, saying the password and stepping into the common room. He looked towards the fire where Hermione and Ginny were talking, who fortunately had stopped crying. Hermione looked over at them and smiled. Harry smiled back and was about to walk over when he heard Ginny make an excuse to Hermione and walk up to her room.

Hermione walked over to them. "Well Harry…"

"What did she say? Is she going to be ok?"

"Of course she's going to be ok, she's just upset. She told me that she told you that she loved you." He nodded. "And that you don't love her back, in that way." He shook his head sadly. "She's glad she knows Harry. She's been living in hope ever since her first year and especially because you're so kind, you do sometimes give the impression you like her back."

He groaned. "Should I talk to her?"

Hermione smiled at him. "No. I don't think she really wants to talk to you, although, I think she feels better now."

"Ok, well. I think I'm going to go get some air..."

They nodded. "See you later mate." Ron said and walked over to the fire, closely followed by Hermione. Harry walked up to his room and got out his firebolt and walked down to the quidditch pitch where he flew, letting all thoughts out of his head. He looked around, and noticed that it was getting dark. He flew to the ground and saw someone sitting by one of the goal posts. He walked over to them and he suddenly realised that it was Malfoy.

"You're a good flyer, you know that Potter?" Malfoy asked when he saw Harry coming over to him.

"Thanks…" Harry answered, shocked that Malfoy had actually complimented him.

"Things on your mind?"

"Why?" Harry asked, looking at Draco.

"The way you were flying…I just fly like that…when I do." Draco looked away, embarrassed under the weight of Harry's stare.

"Like I would tell you anyway Malfoy." Harry mentally kicked himself, Draco was actually talking to him without insulting him and Harry still acted like a git towards him. Draco just shrugged.

"Fine." He stood up and turned to go.

"Wait." Harry couldn't let someone else leave him, someone he knew he already cared about. "I'm sorry; I guess I'm just not used to you not insulting me…"

Draco smirked. "Me neither."

There was an awkward silence where the boys looked everywhere but at each other. Harry finally broke it. "You come out here when you have things on your mind as well?" He asked, sitting down.

Draco sat down next to him and nodded. "Yeah. It's the only place where people leave me alone, until now. It would seem."

Harry smiled. "Same."

There was another silence, but this time it wasn't awkward and Harry looked at Draco and realised this was where he felt safest and most peaceful, with a boy who he was meant to hate.

Draco

Draco sat on his bed next to Pansy in silence. Blaise had gone down to the Great Hall and both had made excuses not to go with him. Pansy gave a sob and Draco looked at her in surprise. "What's wrong Pansy?"

She looked at him. "You don't want to go to him, do you?"

Draco looked down. "I don't know what you mean."

"Draco, I've grown up with you. I know you don't show emotion, but I've learnt to read between the lines of what you're saying. You don't want to go with the Dark Lord, but you feel like you have to."

Draco stood up. "I will join the Dark Lord because it is what is expected of me."

"But it's not what you want Draco. Is it?"

Draco sighed. "I don't know what I want Pansy. My life has been mapped out for me and I'm just following the route that has been set out for me."

She nodded sadly. "I know, I just want to help you. It hurts me to see you like this."

Draco sat back down next to her. "I know you do, but we both know that there is nothing that can be done. Pansy, don't cry." He reached over and held her close to him.

"I'm sorry" She said through her tears, "it's just…"

"I know." Draco said quietly.

They sat in silence until Pansy pulled away from Draco, her eyes red from crying. "I'm going to go down, get some food." Draco nodded. "Are you going to come?"

"No. I'm fine thanks."

"Are you sure?"

He nodded again. "Thanks."

She smiled at him. "I'll see you later then." She gave him a kiss on the cheek and walked out, leaving Draco on his own. Draco looked around the room at the 3 other beds and thought how he had grown up with these 3 boys and how they looked up to him. They followed him, did what he asked them to do. They didn't have a mind of their own, they were all just following orders and so was he. He sighed quietly and stood up staring out of the window at the quidditch pitch. He stared out at the sky that was showing signs of beginning to get dark.

Draco continued to stare out of the window and saw how his life was going to be and he hated it. He wanted to cry, but he knew he couldn't. His tears would be wasted. He had learnt this lesson at the age of 10 and he would never show another sign of weakness to anyone. He sighed again and walked out of his room as quickly as he could; nodding at the people that he passed in the common room and didn't stop walking until he was outside. He breathed in the air and ran towards the pitch; he always came here when he needed to get away. It was so peaceful and it was the only place where he felt he had any privacy. He sank down onto the grass by one of the posts and stared up at the sky, tears swam in his eyes but he pushed them back down. He let everything wash over him, thinking about everything but nothing at the same time. Draco didn't know how long he sat there, but he suddenly heard the doors of the castle opening and as he turned to see who it was, they flew into the sky, just circling around and around. Diving and then pulling back up again. He only knew one person that could fly like that. Draco watched Harry, mesmerized by the movements he was making. After some time Harry finally flew to the ground and got off of his broom and looked straight at where Draco was sitting. He didn't know what to do; he didn't want to deal with Harry. He didn't have the strength to be cruel to him anymore, but he also didn't want to move. So he sat there, and waited and watched as Harry slowly made his way over to him.

Draco studied him as he walked, wondering if he should say anything to him. "You're a good flyer, you know that Potter?" he finally settled on as Harry came into ear shot.

"Thanks…" Harry answered.

Draco could tell that Harry wasn't expecting him to be nice and neither was Draco, but Draco didn't want to be cruel, he wanted to be Harry's friend and when this realization hit him Draco realised he had to make sure Harry knew this. "Things on your mind?" He asked Harry.

"Why?" Harry said, looking at Draco as if he had grown another head, Draco resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"The way you were flying…I just fly like that…when I do." Draco looked away, surprised at himself that he had actually admitted that to Harry. He had never told anyone anything personal about himself, even Pansy. Although she generally seems to guess. He thought to himself.

"Like I would tell you anyway Malfoy." Draco was hurt by Harry's reply, but he couldn't show it so he just shrugged.

"Fine." Draco stood up and turned to go.

"Wait." Draco was shocked at the urgency that seemed to be in Harry's voice. He looked at him, waiting for him to say something. "I'm sorry; I guess I'm just not used to you not insulting me…"

Draco smirked at this. "Me neither."

There was an awkward silence where Harry and Draco looked everywhere but at each other. Harry finally broke it and Draco was glad that he had. "You come out here when you have things on your mind as well?" Harry asked him, sitting down.

Draco sat down next to him and nodded, wondering where this conversation was going to go. "Yeah. It's the only place where people leave me alone, until now. It would seem." Draco blinked; he couldn't believe how easy it was to say things to Harry.

Harry smiled. "Same."

There was another silence and as Draco looked at the smile on Harry's face he realised it was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen. He looked away, not wanting to be caught staring at Harry. Draco wanted to say something, but he didn't know what. He stared down at his hands, twisting them round each other. "So" He said, looking up at the sky. "What is on your mind?" Draco wanted to kick himself, wondering over and over why he wanted Harry to tell him everything and why he wanted to tell Harry everything as well.

Harry shrugged and looked up at the sky as well. "Stuff."

"Never." Draco said sarcastically.

Harry smiled again and looked at Draco. "Sorry. I just, I don't know. It's weird you know. Being out here with you and us not wanting to kill each other."

Draco looked at Harry and caught his eyes. "I never wanted to kill you." He paused. "But, you're right. It is weird. You don't have to tell me, if you don't want to."

"That's the thing though, I do." Harry whispered.

Draco felt his stomach knot, he didn't know what to say, or what to do and he wasn't used to this feeling. "Then…tell me." Draco said after a while.

Harry looked down. "I don't think I can."

Draco closed his eyes, he could feel the pain radiating off of Harry and he was surprised at how easily he could read the boy that was sitting next to him. He found himself wanting to hold him and comfort him, to promise him everything would be alright but something in Draco held him back. He knew things wouldn't be alright but somehow he had to make Harry let things go because it was exactly what Draco also needed. He opened his eyes and looked at Harry's bowed head. "Do you make choices?" He asked suddenly, surprising himself yet again at what he was saying.

Harry looked at him, an odd expression written on his face. "What do you mean?"

Draco looked at him, unsure if he should carry on with this. "Just, do you make choices? Do you decide when to do something?"

Draco watched as lots of different emotions flew across Harry's face at the same time. "Yes, but there's always things…people, restricting me. Do you?" Harry asked, watching Draco expectantly.

"No." Draco said after a while, in a barely audible whisper. "I don't." He looked across the pitch, not knowing what to do. He felt Harry staring at him, waiting for him to carry on. He sighed. "My father." He stopped; he didn't want to think about his father. "My life has been mapped out." He said slowly. "I just follow the path that has been set out for me." He stopped and looked at Harry. Harry was looked at him in a way that Draco found he couldn't read.

"You know, you made me make one of my first true choices." Harry finally said.

Draco blinked at him, wondering what Harry was talking about. "What?" He asked.

"The sorting hat wanted to put me into Slytherin, but I had met you and had heard what Ron thought of you and Slytherins so I asked the sorting hat not to put me into Slytherin and so he said Gryffindor."

Draco looked at him in shock. "You were going to be put into Slytherin?" Harry nodded. "But you didn't want to, because of me?!" Harry nodded again, a wary smile on his face. "When we were just 11 years old?! I must have been a right bastard." He smiled at Harry and shook his head. "You're lucky, you know that Potter."

Harry looked confused. "Why?"

"That you can do things like that." Draco stood up. "We should get going, it's dark."

Harry nodded and stood up and the two walked side by side up to the doors, as they got there Harry paused. "Sometimes, I do exactly what they want me to." He looked at Draco, his hand on the door handle. "It makes me feel like I don't exist. Like, I'm a puppet. The one thing they need to get rid of Voldemort, and once I've done that, they will get rid of me. Forget about me, because my job will be done."

Draco looked at Harry and felt the urge to hold him again. "They won't forget about you." He said, willing Harry to see exactly how amazing Harry was.

"How do you know?" Harry asked.

Draco realised how much Harry needed someone true to talk to, someone to tell him the truth. "Because, you're impossible to forget Potter." He said quietly. "Because you touch people in a way you will never know." He looked into Harry's eyes, waiting for him to say or do anything.

Harry looked back into his eyes and whispered "Thank you." He pushed open the doors, holding it open. "Goodnight Draco."

Draco watched him walk away, knowing his first ever choice had been made. "Goodnight Harry." He whispered back.

Thank you again to people that are reviewing! They make me happy :D