A/N: Thanks to mi me-chan, Morpheus9, gbheart, and akilana for the reviews! Especially Akilana, because that review made me feel uber special. Thanks again to all reviewers! I hope everyone enjoys the next chapter.

Disclaimer: Still don't own anyone or the school. So sad...

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Stupid Draco. He showed me he was nice when the people he needed to impress didn't surround him. What was that all about? I was happy thinking he was evil! It was great! Much less confusing. Not really, actually, since I know I might, sort of, care for him, and if I know he's not completely dark, it helps. But maybe, if he didn't show so much bloody compassion all the time, this whole situation could have been avoided.

Is it normal for the damsel in distress to be in denial? It's weird calling myself that, but it's true. And Draco is the knight in shining armour. But his armour is black, as well as his horse. And if he picks me up and carries me away in the sunset, he might just bring me to the enemy.

Ok, so many things were wrong with that. I am not that vulnerable, nor would Draco ever ride me into the sunset on a horse. I don't think of that, honestly. I am very masculine. I swear. These are just analogies.

I guess Draco has helped me, if you can call it that. I started paying attention to my friends again, and I was getting over the shock of Sirius' death. Hard to believe that was because of Draco. It took me a while to realise it. A long while.

So, Draco is now un-evil, but still faces the Death Eater dilemma. That's hard on me, too. I just wish I could have the same effect on Draco that he has on me. I mean, he seems to care, and when I'm with him I trust him completely, but when I think back on our encounters together, I can't help but feel suspicious. But of course, these suspicions leave me once he's near me again. I can't even insult him properly anymore.

I'm losing edge. It's starting to creep me out how much I think of him. Stupid Draco. Stupid me for thinking of him. Stupid fairy tale thoughts. Stupid muggle part of me. Stupid feelings. Sometimes, I really think the world would be better without any feelings at all.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

The kiss in the Room of Requirement never left Harry's mind. It was baffling, puzzling, and he didn't need more confusion. Malfoy was just feeling sorry for him, which was natural because that had been the second time Harry had cried, and kissed him because he thought it a soothing gesture. That had to be it.

Of course, Harry's thoughts of this had been ruined after the second kiss. Draco had asked to speak with him alone after Potions, and Hermione and Ron left after useless protesting. He had dragged Harry into a deserted hallway, pressed lips against his hesitantly, and then left without saying anything.

Harry had been too shocked to react at all. It had been too quick and unexpected for him to do anything about it. He tried avoiding Draco after that, for his own sanity.

Although Harry went about confused, the ones around him couldn't help but see an improvement in his actions. Draco had given Harry something to think about, which didn't include Sirius, not that the others knew that. The other Gryffindors just figured that Harry was moving on. His demeanour was less quiet and less depressive some of the time, and they couldn't help but smile at the raven-haired boy more often now.

Harry barely noticed everyone's smiles though, since his mind was still preoccupied. After a long time of thinking about it, Harry decided he was better off not trying to make sense of things. People did crazy things when faced in situations they didn't know how to control.

But once again, Harry was forced into thinking about it. A fortnight after the second kiss, Harry had been taking one of his regular walks in the corridors late at night, reminiscing about Sirius, and everything he could have done differently. Blond hair caught his eye, and he immediately shot his head up to see Draco. Draco looked Harry in the eye, and entered the closest classroom, silently beckoning him to follow.

Harry did. He walked into the class to see Draco pacing in it. He watched for a few moments, wondering if Draco really had meant for him to follow. Draco looked up and stopped pacing.

Draco slowly walked up to Harry and took his hand. Harry backed away, shocked and stunned. Draco smiled despite himself and let his hand go. He watched Harry for a long, awkward moment, before capturing his lips in a kiss. Harry blinked, once again too shocked to move. Draco pulled back, watched Harry with an expectant gleam in his eye. When nothing happened, he walked out the door.

Harry let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding. This had to stop. He had to stop being so confused. He'd just confront Draco. That would work. Just ask him what he was doing. He left the classroom and looked down the hallway, but the Slytherin was nowhere in sight.

'Tomorrow, then.' thought Harry, and then he set out to write another note to meet in the Room of Requirement.

-X-X-X-X-

The room had been exactly as Draco remembered. The same wooden colours as the previous night, the same decorations, the same furniture, and the same boy waiting for him. Except now, Harry was waiting on the couch, instead of standing near the door.

Draco knew why he was here. The kisses. It wasn't his fault, really. It was Harry's fault. The blond had put much thought into the kisses, and had already established from the beginning that it was Harry's fault. It wasn't his own fault that Harry had that effect on him. Potter's sadness and his tears had been all Draco could think about. And he just wanted it to go away. Surely that wasn't his fault.

"Hi." Draco spoke, as he walked in the room. Harry didn't seem as disconnected nowadays, and Draco took pride in thinking he had something to do with it. Harry looked up, and the green eyes hardened in determination.

"Hello."

It was bound to come soon. The questions as to why Draco had decided to kiss him three times. The questions as to why he thought he had a right to do that. And quite possibly, Harry would ask for a restraining order of some sort. Draco's mask of uncaring emotions already in place, he was ready for the blows. Draco even had an answer for every possible question. He was a Malfoy, and he came prepared. Harry would never know that he, Draco Malfoy, actually cared for Harry's situation. Although, he was sure Harry could see it, since Draco had a hard time of keeping the charade up while the boy was depressed.

Harry took a deep breath and looked at Draco, examining him.

"What do the kisses mean?"

Draco's eyes widened slightly in his confusion. What had he asked? What they meant? That wasn't part of the script. He should have asked 'Why did you kiss me?' or 'What the hell was that all about?' not 'What do they mean?'

"They mean I feel sorry for you, and you should stop thinking about whoever you lost." Draco had to change his answer a bit, but he still found a way to make it fit. Unless he was being too harsh. Maybe that wasn't the answer Harry wanted to hear. Draco ran a hand through his hair, trying to calm himself down. He was seriously on edge. Harry just stared at him, and Draco saw that he was having inner conflicts of some kind.

"You kissed me… to distract me?" Harry seemed to be having a hard time grasping the concept. Draco nodded. Then a thought occurred to him. Draco really was brilliant, but he'd have to celebrate his own intelligence later. He'd threaten Harry to talk. Since Harry obviously didn't like the kisses, Draco would blackmail him into talking. Either way Draco would get more time with Harry.

'Not that I want more time with him…' Draco thought. "Yes. That's exactly what I did. And I'll continue to do it if you don't tell me what happened with my aunt." Draco wondered once again if he was being too harsh with Harry. He didn't know how a death would affect anyone; he could only guess.

To Draco's surprise, Harry smiled. Draco's cool exterior remained, with much effort.

"You'd kiss me to get me to talk?" Harry's smile remained, and Draco couldn't help a soft blush from appearing on his pale face.

"You realise you're just repeating the same questions, but changing the end, right, Potter?" asked Draco, trying to remain in control of the situation. Harry's smile left slowly, before he spoke again.

"And what if I just never told you?" Harry stood up, and Draco watched. Harry wasn't supposed to keep asking questions. That wasn't part of the plan.

"Then I'd find another way for you to tell me." Harry looked at him, looking more confused than before, and sat back down. He stopped asking questions about that, and Draco couldn't help but feel bad for something he didn't know he did.

"Why do you want to know so bad? Why are you trying to be nice? So what someone died. You didn't know him. He didn't mean anything to you. You shouldn't care what happened. It won't mean a thing to you. All it'll be is another advantage you'll have over me." Harry seemed to be on the offensive now. Draco had already thought this as a possibility in their encounter, but it happened to suddenly for him to hide his shock.

"What? Bloody hell, Potter! This isn't an advantage over you!" Draco couldn't help but raise his voice.

"Then what is it? Why do you care so bloody much that you'd snog me to death to find out?" Harry's voice was rising as well.

"I was only trying to help, you insufferable, unmanageable, ungrateful –"

"But why?"

Silence overwhelmed the two boys. Draco glared hard at Harry. He thought about walking out, but then Harry would have gotten the last word. That wouldn't be good. Draco took a deep breath and looked down. He could sense Harry's eyes on him the whole time.

"I don't know. I just don't like seeing you… burdened. And if you talk, maybe you'll be normal again. Maybe you'll go back to how you used to be. As much as I…" Draco looked up at Harry. He had been about to say 'hate you', but he couldn't bring himself to do it. "I just want you to be how you used to be."

Harry watched him, and Draco saw many inscrutable emotions glide through his eyes. Draco went back to looking at the floor, embarrassed by his words.

"I appreciate it." Harry's voice was low when he finally spoke. "But I'll never be that way again." Draco looked up, and Harry was staring at a wall as he spoke. "I'm The-Boy-Who-Lived. Everyone needs to protect me. They'd do anything so I live long enough to defeat him. They'd sacrifice themselves for me. And I just… I just… I'm not sure how they expect me to react to everything. People wanting to be my friends because I'm famous, and my true friends willing to leave me for my own cause... I'm all alone, Draco. I can't count on anyone to be there for me forever, or even for a few years. And now… now I realise that. And I won't ever be how I used to be, because now I know the truth. I'm all alone."

Draco couldn't believe the words leaving the lips of the boy sitting in front of him. How could someone think those words as the truth? Draco couldn't help but feel that Harry was broken beyond repair; that his soul was missing a part and he was never going to get it back. He felt his own hope for the raven-haired boy almost escape his heart. The Slytherin kneeled in front of Harry and looked up at him.

"Harry, you're not alone. You never will be. So many people love you, Harry. So many. You're never alone…" Draco put his hands around Harry's waist and buried his head in the Gryffindor's lap. He didn't want Harry to see his own face, near tears. He felt Harry let out a shaky breath, then felt a hand stroke his hair. Draco tried to control himself, feeling as if he could cry at any moment, just because of Harry's words.

It was then that Draco realised he had fallen for the broken-spirited boy.