Chapter 2

'He kissed me. The-Boy-Who-Lived-To-Reject-Me kissed me.' It had been a week since Potter had caught him crying in the bathroom, and that was still the only thing Draco had been able to think about. He had been avoiding Potter all week- he stopped going to the Great Hall and took the long way around the castle to get to classes, avoiding the corridors he thought the Gryffindor was most likely to use. The worst part (or maybe the best part) was that Draco really hadn't minded the actual kiss. Though of all the ways he'd imagined kissing the Gryffindor over the last year and a half, Potter using his lips to cut off a Crucio had not been one of them.

'What is Potter playing at? He says he wants to help me, and then he kisses me? Merlin he didn't even draw his wand!' That was the most perplexing thing to Draco. He was a little confused about the kiss as well, mainly because he thought Potter was with the Weaselette. That Potter hadn't drawn his wand, even so much as to cast a shield completely confounded Draco. The Gryffindor had never hesitated to hex back in the past.

Draco had freaked when Potter had come across him at one of his most vulnerable moments. He had expected Potter to take advantage and hex him while his guard was down or taunt him or tell the whole school how he had caught Draco Malfoy, Slytherin Ice Prince, crying in the arms of Moaning Myrtle, but he hadn't tried to defend himself and not a single whisper or thread of rumor had reached Draco all week. Instead, Potter had taken advantage in a completely different way and kissed him! That whimpered "please" coming from Harry Potter's mouth was by far the sexiest thing Draco had ever witnessed.

Having spent a week obsessing over this and not figuring out what Potter was up to, he decided he needed to take a more Gryffindor approach and simply ask him. With that in mind, Draco headed for the Owlery.

Harry was sitting at breakfast with Ron and Hermione, searching for the elusive blond Slytherin who was once again not eating in the Great Hall. The Golden Trio had made up after their row last week, but Harry was still despondent because he hadn't seen Draco except in class. Even then the blond had resolutely ignored him. 'Draco,' Harry thought, 'one unresponsive kiss and he's Draco now?' Harry shook his head sadly, realizing he wouldn't get to see the blond at all today because they didn't share any lessons with the Slytherins on Fridays.

Harry was staring morosely at his plate and didn't notice that Hedwig had flown in with the rest of the Owl Post until she nipped his wrist. Harry reached out to stroke her under her beak. "Hey girl. Sorry it's been so long since I've come to see you." Hedwig gently nipped his finger, cooed in understanding, and stuck her leg out so Harry could retrieve the parchment that he hadn't yet noticed.

"Who's writing to you Harry?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know," Harry said as he unrolled the parchment. A small gasp escaped his throat as he looked back to his owl in disbelief. "Hedwig?" Hedwig reassured him with another soft coo and flew back out the window.

"So who's it from, mate?" Ron asked.

Harry stood up so fast he nearly tripped over the bench, "Nothing. I'm gonna…forgot my…see you in class," he said and quickly left the Great Hall. Harry slipped into an alcove off the Entrance Hall and opened the parchment again. In an elegant and flowing script were eleven words: 'the abandoned Charms classroom on the fourth floor after last class.' The note wasn't signed but he would know Draco's handwriting anywhere.

Harry had never been so appreciative of how strict Professor McGonagall was in class, because it meant his friends couldn't question him about the mysterious letter and his odd behavior at breakfast. After Double Transfiguration, Harry claimed he didn't feel well to get out of going to lunch. He just wouldn't be able to act normal and he knew Hermione wouldn't leave him alone about it. After lunch Harry made sure to put Ron between Hermione and himself during History of Magic. He spent the whole period thinking about the note. He argued every possible scenario he could think of. 'Is it a trap? Is he going to hex me as soon as I walk in for kissing him? Maybe he just won't show up. Or maybe he'll just lock me inside and leave. Does he want to snog more? Is he going to get down on his knees, profess his love for me and beg to run away together? Or maybe he'll tell me he's really a fairy princess and married to Snape.'

Harry had never spent so much time thinking in Binn's class before, even if he wasn't thinking about the subject matter. He was driving himself insane, so sometime near the end of the lecture he decided he was just going to meet Draco after Herbology and find out what he wanted.

Harry's luck at avoiding Hermione's questions continued as Professor Sprout had them repotting Mandrakes. Right before the last bell Harry 'accidently' knocked over a shelf holding bags of potting soil, allowing him to stay behind while Ron and Hermione went back to the castle. After making sure his friends were nearly to the front doors, he used a quick Levitation spell to put the bags of soil back in place and a couple strong Scrougifys on himself.

Before he reached the abandoned corridor, harry slipped in an alcove to check the Marauder's Map. Draco was just coming up from the dungeons, so Harry went down the hall and slipped into the old Charms room. Since he really didn't know what Draco wanted (though he had discounted the fairy princess idea) he left the few desks and chairs as they were, except for Banishing the dust off everything. He checked the Map and saw Draco was just down the hall, so he quickly deactivated it and sat on the deep windowsill.

Draco stepped into the room purposefully, wand drawn, clearly expecting to have to defend himself. After a minute of Harry calmly gazing at him, Draco slowly lowered his wand and shut the door. "Where's your wand?" Draco eyed him suspiciously.

"In my pocket," Harry answered calmly.

"Why?"

"Because I don't need it."

Draco sneered, "You always need your wand. You can't even protect yourself if I were to hex you right now."

"Then it's a good thing I trust you not to hex me." Harry decided honesty was the best way to go for this conversation.

Draco only let his shock show for a second before his mask came back down. "That's your mistake then. What makes you think this isn't a trap to get back at you?"

"Yes," Harry nodded, "I had considered that possibility, but it's not."

Draco was confused by Potter's attitude. He was just sitting there calmly, exuding a quiet confidence. 'Did Potter really say that he trusted me? No one's ever told me that before.' Draco didn't let any of his inner turbulence show on his face, instead he only said, "and why do you think that?"

Harry just shrugged and said, "Hedwig." At Draco's confused look, Harry explained, "she never would have gone anywhere near you if you had meant to harm me." Draco stood there silently for several minutes. Harry stood up slowly, saying, "Look Draco, I really don't want to fight with you." Draco raised an eyebrow at the use of his first name but said nothing. Harry continued quietly, "I meant what I said last week. I really just want to help you."

"Why would you want to help me? You hate me, remember? Just another Death Eater who doesn't deserve to be here." It didn't come out quite as vehemently as it was meant and Harry saw something in Draco's eyes that he thought might be a flicker of hope.

"I don't hate you, Draco."

Draco's shoulders slumped and his mask fell away. Harry had never seen anyone look so defeated. "It doesn't matter. You can't help me. No one can help me." Draco's voice was flat, completely devoid of emotion.

"You don't know that! And even if I can't Professor Dumbledore can!"

Draco's head snapped up and his eyes flashed. "No!" he spat. "You don't understand. There's nothing anyone can do. He'll kill my mother and me!"

"So you're just going to give up? You're not even going to try to fight back?"

"There's nothing I can do! I don't have any choice!" Draco shouted.

"Yes you do!" Harry yelled back. "That's what I'm trying to tell you! Go to Dumbledore! He can protect you and your mother!" Harry continued quietly, "Please, Draco, I don't want you hurt. Let me help you."

Draco still looked slightly suspicious. "Why do you even care?"

Rather than continue to argue, Harry chose to use his tongue in a more demonstrative manner. He reached out, grabbed the front of the blond's robes, yanked him forward, and slammed their lips together. Harry was determined to get a response from the Slytherin this time. He bit down on Draco's bottom lip before running his tongue over it, trying to gain access to his mouth. Draco relented slightly, opening his mouth just enough for Harry to slip his tongue in to explore. It wasn't long after before Draco slid his hand over Harry's shoulder, coming to rest in the dark, messy locks, and started to kiss the Gryffindor back, battling for dominance. Harry moaned against Draco's lips as he gladly let the blond take control of the kiss. Only when the need for air overcame their desires did they break apart, staring at each other.

"Will you please let me help you?" Harry pleaded.

Draco shook his head slowly and gently disentangled the hand that was still gripping his robes. "There's nothing you can do. Besides, you wouldn't want anything to do with me if you knew everything I've done."

Harry gently took ahold of Draco's left forearm and pulled back the sleeve before he could be stopped. Draco just stared at the ugly black tattoo and refused to look at Harry. "I've known about this since the summer," Harry said quietly. He slowly lifted the other boys arm and placed a chaste kiss on the Mark. Harry felt Draco flinch but continued, "and now that I know you didn't want it, I don't mind it as much. I know that you cursed Katie and poisoned Ron, though I'm still not sure how you managed those."

Draco's head snapped up at that but Harry continued quickly before he could be interrupted. "And I know that you've been obsessing all year, to the point of it affecting your health, over some task that maniac set you, which I'm sure is quite impossible for you to actually accomplish. And yes," Harry said, giving the blond a brief tender kiss, "even after all that, I still want to help you."

"But why?" the blond seemed genuinely confused.

"Merlin you're thick!" Harry said slightly exasperated. " I. like. you. And no one deserves what you're going through, especially you."

"But you don't know me so you can't know if I deserve it."

Harry snorted in amusement. "Draco, do you really think that after six years of our lives revolving around each other in one way or another that I wouldn't know you? You take two sugars in your tea, but you prefer pumpkin juice. You like a light breakfast, usually eggs and toast with jam. Your favorite color is yellow, though you'd rather Avada yourself then let anyone find out. You and your Mother are very close. You'd rather be a Chaser than a Seeker and you didn't buy your way on to the team with the brooms; they really were a gift because you take great pride in your House. You merely tolerate most of the Slytherins though they don't know that. You want to be a Healer but won't pursue it because your father would never allow it. You sneak down to the kitchen to visit Dobby more often than I do. You…"

Harry was cut off and found that he couldn't talk with two tongues in his mouth, but he didn't seem to mind as he responded enthusiastically. He let out a small whine as Draco pulled away and said, "Enough." Harry silently watched Draco's eyes for several minutes as a storm of doubts and insecurities battled against the life line he'd offered the blond, until finally Draco took a deep breath and said, "Ok Harry. I'll let you help me."

a/n: really just chapter one was a rabid plot bunny that wouldn't leave me alone for a couple weeks so I decided to write it, then to continue it. And while I have started writing the next chapter now its more like a bunny with its paw caught in a bear trap. Im not certain which direction im going to take it. So if you have any suggestions or ideas you'd like to see happen, please feel free to let me know :)