It was the following morning and Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy, both severely bruised from the morning before, were regardless, in a very good temper. Ronald Weasley was sitting opposite the two alongside Hermione Granger, and the former was as of present, refusing to look either of them in the eye.

You see, he had been given a terrible shock when the two were not seen in classes, but turned up later in the Gryffindor common room, far sweatier and tousled as they should have been, had they come straight from the Hospital wing, as everyone would have thought they would. In fact, the blond was walking with a slight limp, and Ron had gotten the dreadful feeling that it had nothing to do with the days fighting.

Hermione had watched as Ron blanched. She herself had only smirked, upon realising that Harry had in fact figured out just what Draco could do with his entire body. Draco himself had found quite a few things about the boy beside him as well.

It was now breakfast time in the Great Hall, and to the slight discomfort of the Gryffindor table, the boys' escapades the previous morning had the two feeling rather more touchy feeling than normal. Harry dropped his spoon into has plate as Draco's hand ran up his thigh and Draco nearly squeaked when Harry, smirking, returned the favour.

Blushing and scooting closer to one another, the two only laughed when they were told by Ronald to "get a room". The redhead took it back right away though, deciding that the two may take his advice, and his mind, the two escapading again may put them in even more a lustful mood the next morning, and it wasn't something he wanted to deal with.

Draco Malfoy was in a particularly good mood because he had gotten more sleep the previous night than he'd had since his return to Hogwarts nearly a fortnight before. After having the shit near beaten out of him, he grudgingly returned both Draco's candle, and lion, though he did so while laughing. Draco punched him for this. With a piece of Harry to hold on to, with his roommates, two frightened of him to taunt, and without staying up half the night crying, Draco Malfoy had slept fairly well indeed.

Blaise Zabini stayed across the hall, appearing bashful, still ashamed of himself for allowing Draco to cry all those nights, and Seamus Finnegan, though still slightly disapproving of Draco, was far nicer to him.

It was Hermione who was first to notice the owl.

This was unusual, seeing as it wasn't a post day and it seemed to be headed directly for the young Malfoy's head.

"Dad." Draco whispered as the large bird landing in front of him and started pecking him furiously. Harry, alarmed, shoed it away and grabbed the letter clutched in its talon.

"Dray...?" he asked softly? The blonde had zoned out, seeming unable to sense his surroundings. "You alright, baby?" Draco nodded slowly and suddenly, a strength came across his face that Harry had never seen on him before.

"Let me see that." Draco took the envelope Harry was holding and as he was about to rip it open, Harry grabbed his hand, stopping him.

"Are you sure you want to read that in here?" He asked the boy softly. True, Harry had no idea what the letter might say, but he was almost certain it would not be pleasant, and he was unsure of what Draco's reaction would be.

Draco understood Harry's train of thought at once, and he was unsure of if he should be grateful or affronted for such. On the one hand, he realised Harry cared enough to know he wouldn't want to be embarrassed. But on the other, Draco's pride was disallowing him from not feeling offended on the realisation that his boyfriend was worried he'd cry, and he'd expected Harry to think more of him.

He thought for a moment, weighing the two reactions in his mind. Seeing as his recent track record was proving to him that Harry had every right to come to this conclusion, he smiled up at Harry in appreciation and, instead of arguing, though still sure he'd handle the letter fine, Draco stood up and allowed Harry to follow him into the hall. Just in case.

The moment the two were out of sight of the rest of the school, Draco ripped open the envelope and Harry watched him read it with bated breath. No amount of emotion showed on the Slytherin's face until he seemed to be about three quarters of the way down the page, in which he whispered

"That bastard." His eyes, now seeming slightly dead and hollowed read to the bottom, crumpled up the letter, and tossed it on the ground. Harry watched in slight concern as his boyfriend slid down the wall, knees to his chest, staring directly ahead.

True to his word, Draco was not crying.

Harry slid down beside him.

"What did it say?" He asked softly, deciding that it would be better for Draco to talk about it than for him to read the parchment himself.

"I'm not welcome back at home. Ever." He said quietly, and Harry understood that there was more. "I've been disowned." Harry was bemused.

"But... you left last summer. That's why you came to my house. Surely you saw it coming..." Draco nodded with a wry smile.

"Oh, I know." He said airily. "I'm glad for that part. It's..." He sighed and shook his head. "Mystery solved..." Harry, now more confused than ever, moved closer to the boy.

"What is it baby?" He whispered. Draco turned to him, an expression on his face that was combined fury and sadness.

"You remember why I'm afraid of the dark?" Feeling the pit of his stomach drop out, Harry nodded.

"Davie." Draco said softly. Harry didn't understand.

"Who?" The blonde stared at the stones in the castle wall, while at the same time, not seeming to really see them.

"When I was seven, I had a friend named Davie. A muggle boy. Father didn't like muggles, but he let me play with him." He paused, and looked at Harry with a meaningful expression. "Davie was the first boy I ever liked." Tears filled his eyes but he wiped them away. "He's dead now." He whispered. "Father had told me it was an accident that did it." He shook his head. "Fucking arse."

Harry was afraid to ask, so he allowed Draco to continue.

"He died the same week they put me in that cave. I never put it together before now. Father has so kindly told me that he'd seen since I was seven that I was fag, and that he'd tried to take care of the problem then. The same why he'd rid the world of Davie. But I'd lived. And now I'm poisoning the Hogwarts halls with my abnormality and now that everyone knows, he won't be having me in his house."

"Oh, Draco, I'm so sorry." Harry whispered, pulling the blonde into his arms. Draco stared blankly for a moment and allowed Harry to hold him.

"I'm fine." He said quietly. "Really. I think I knew all along..." Harry knew that Draco wasn't fine. But he'd expected as much. The Slytherin stood.

"Shall we go to class, Harry?" He was shaking slightly, but he seemed okay enough to not worry Harry too much.

So the dark haired Gryffindor followed his boyfriend to class.

*

Hours later, while Draco was lying in his bed, staring at the flickering light of the candle above her, he thought of the young boy who he'd thought he'd loved.

"I don't know what's wrong with me, Davie." Draco whispered. The brown eyed boy smiled, his front teeth missing.

"There's nothing wrong with you, Draco. My mum says it's normal." Draco looked at him, with awe in his eyes.

"You've told your mum you like boys?" The admiration in his voice made the other child laugh.

"Yeah." He said simply. "We're not the only ones, Draco. You like me, don't you?" Draco nodded. The two were in the park, swinging.

"I don't think my mum and dad would be too happy..." he said quietly. "I've always thought I was just a freak." Davie got off his swing.

"You're not a freak." He said. "You're just... special." He gave the other boy a toothless grin, and planted a sloppy kiss on his cheek.

"Draco." A cold voice called from the other end of the playground, and Draco shivered. His dad was standing, watching them. The fury in his eyes frightened him. "Say goodbye to your friend. It's time to go home. We're taking a little... trip... in the morning."

"Okay daddy." He said timidly. "Bye Davie," he waved. He followed the man, obliviously wondering where they might be going in the morning.

Draco, crying slightly, pulled back his curtains and gazed around the Slytherin common room. He felt sick. Sick of all of it. All of them.

It was green. The whole room was green, just like his father's study. Just like the curse that had killed Davie. And then there was Nott. So like Draco's father... He glanced up at the candle, the light and warmth so out of place in such a heartless place. Damp. Cold. Hard. Like the cave. And he was unwelcome here as he was a home. Wiping his face and determined not to cry, he grabbed the lion and took the candle from its bracket.

*

Harry was awaked at one thirty in the morning by a blonde sixteen-year-old boy standing at his bedside with a candle and I stuffed lion.

"I thought I'd sleep in here tonight." He said simply, his voice shaking ever so slight. "To spite my dad." Harry, smart enough to understand that this was not the real reason that Draco was here, slid over and allowed the boy to crawl in beside him.

Draco buried his face in Harry's chest, feeling the anxiety lessen in his stomach. He was safe here. Welcome here.

"I can't go back to that dungeon." He whispered. "I can't handle it down there anymore."

Harry stroked his hair sleepily.

"We'll talk to Dumbledore in the morning."

We are nearing the end my friends. One or two chapters left. REVIEW. Please? Don't make me beg, I WILL do it.