Well, happy two-year anniversary. I've decided to once again nurture my abandoned child. LOL. By the way, I realized while writing this chapter that toward the beginning of the story, I made a reference to Draco's sixteenth birthday... since I can't physically change it without a lot of effort on my own part, strike that, change it to his seventeenth. It makes more sense that way, anyhow.

I attempted a bit of smut... emphasis on the word attempted.

Harry awoke the next morning on the cold hard floor with stiff joints and a horrendous crick in his neck. He was just about to wonder why in Merlin's beard he was in such a position when he felt something shift beside him. He chanced a look to his right and was bewildered to find Draco curled up on the cold stone, as well—and shirtless, nonetheless. He quickly noticed by the cold draft that Draco was not the only one half naked.

I must be dreaming, he thought. I couldn't possibly be this lucky.

Carefully, so as not to wake the sleeping boy, Harry extended one finger with which to prod the pale flesh… just for the sake of proving its corporeality. (A/N: that is SO a word, look it up. LOL) To his delight, his digit hit the smooth, warm, solid skin.

Harry laid back down and sighed as he stared at the sleeping form, admiring the milky hair that was elegantly strewn about even in its disheveled state. He liked it better this color, rather than the multiple hues it had been that day on the train. By the second day of school, Draco had chosen to return au natural in that particular region, though he had kept the piercings.

Dear God, he's even gorgeous when he sleeps… manky git. But Harry smiled despite himself. After all, he was slowly beginning to realize that the smarmy little ferret was his manky git… or, he hoped so, anyway.

Harry inched slowly closer until he was only millimeters away. He could feel Draco's breath tickling his skin and he wrinkled his nose to keep from laughing out loud. He continued his examination of the pale figure before him, and on closer inspection, noticed the faintest hint of something nearly unbelievable, something he surely would be holding over the blonde's head for a long time to come. Draco Malfoy, the Slytherin Ice Prince, had freckles across his nose. And Harry had to admit, they were fucking adorable.

This time he couldn't stop himself… he did laugh out loud.

At the abrupt interruption of the calm silence, Draco's eyes fluttered open and he stared at Harry. "Did I miss something?" he drawled, clearly unamused.

Harry cleared his throat, but continued sniggering for a few seconds. "You have freckles."

"And?" the other boy replied, still unhappy with his rude awakening.

"And?" Harry said in disbelief. "And what? You, Draco, have freckles. And might I add, they're extremely cute."

"Harry, I've always had freckles."

"Then why haven't I ever noticed them?"

"Because you've never been this close to me before." And to emphasize his point, Draco wrapped his arms around Harry's waist and pulled him so that their bodies were flush against one another. He was pleased to hear Harry's audible whimper. "Any other imperfections you'd like to point out to me, love?"

"No imperfections, but did you know that your eyes have little hints of green in them?"

"So do yours." Draco smirked.

"Dracooo!" Harry whined. "My eyes are green!"

Draco couldn't help himself, he tried to ignore it, but Harry was just so damn cute when he pouted, so he leaned forward and kissed the Gryffindor with all the passion he could muster.

Harry moaned against him and wrapped his arms around the other boy's slim figure.

Draco used this all to his advantage, as he hooked his leg around Harry's and pulled him hard so Harry was straddling him.

"Hmm," Harry purred against Draco's lips. "This is an interesting new development. When did you get so strong?"

"Love, I've always been this strong," Draco replied as he propped himself up on one arm, keeping the other slinked around Harry's waist and began kissing down his neck. "You were just never on the receiving end of it."

Harry shuddered at the feel of Draco's soft lips against his skin, and a faintly muttered, "Why not?" was all he could manage to get out before he all but melted against the firm body beneath him.

Draco stopped at this. He sat up and looked Harry straight in the eye. "Would you have wanted it?"

Harry squirmed at the sudden loss of affection. "Well, no, I suppose not, but—"

"But what?" Draco said, almost bitterly. "If not then, why now?"

Harry looked hurt at the abrupt about-face. "Well, things are different now." He paused a few seconds, but Draco said nothing. "Aren't they?"

Draco sighed and pulled the other boy toward him. "Yes, love, things are different now. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that, it's not your fault."

Harry pulled away. "But it is… all those years, I did nothing but torment you every chance I had… you have every reason to hate me right now."

Draco brushed Harry's cheek. "Did I not do the same? I had every opportunity to be the bigger person, but that day on the platform, I let my pride be so wounded that I had thought it was irreparable." He was silent for a few moments. "Then, in the Entrance Hall, you did the last thing I could ever have expected from you."

"And what's that?" Harry said solemnly.

"You cared, Harry! At the depth of my humility, out of all those people, you were the one to extend your hand. Not Weasel, not Granger, you. Not one of those people would have done what you did, and you know it."

"You don't mean that," Harry said. "Surely someone would have—"

"No, Harry, no one would have given it a second thought. Not even my own housemates were going to help me. But you did. Why?"

Harry shifted uncomfortably. "I—I don't know, it just seemed right."

"Seemed right? Please, don't toy with my emotions here. It was more than just that, wasn't it?"

"Well, it was—I don't know how to explain it. Something just told me I needed to do it."

Draco was visibly more satisfied with this answer. "So it wasn't just your Gryffindor bleeding heart tendencies screaming at you to do right by your morals. You wanted to help me."

"Yes," Harry said cautiously, "I did want to help you. Seeing you there, with all the Malfoy honor and glory stripped away, it was like seeing you for the first time. You were human—you had flaws, you had feeling… you had fear in your eyes…. No, it wasn't my Gryffindor bleeding heart tendencies or my morals. It was… more, but I don't know what. You had bare emotion all over your face, and your eyes flickered with… something. It was impulse, and yet it wasn't. Oh nevermind, I'm not even making any sense now."

"I think you're making more sense than you give yourself credit for."

Harry looked up, confused.

"Don't you get it? I've wanted this—" he gestured between the two of them, "—for six years. Well, not this, exactly… I was only eleven, I didn't really know what it was I wanted from you. But I knew I wanted you…." Draco trailed off and looked away, ashamed of what he'd just admitted.

Harry put his hand on Draco's and had to fight not to pull back when Draco jerked in reflex.

Draco continued with his eyes still down. "I had finally convinced myself it would never happen." He looked up at Harry. "And then you had to go and bare your Gryffindor bleeding heart." He chuckled lightly as he looked away again, but in that small moment Harry did not miss the fact that it never reached his eyes.

"What are you getting at, Draco?"

Draco snorted halfheartedly. "I don't even know, anymore. I just have this sick feeling that none of this is real… that I'm dreaming it all, and when I wake up, everything will be as it was."

Harry grabbed Draco's chin and pulled his face upward, looking him straight on. "Do you really think all this could be a dream?" To make his point perfectly clear, he brought his lips to the other boy's—not in the fierce, hormonal way that their previous kisses had been, but in a soft, gentle manner. And in that one kiss, he conveyed every last feeling he had for the Slytherin… every new feeling.

When Harry broke the kiss, he simply stared at Draco. After a few moments, however, he broke the silence. "You know, you were right about that day in the hall."

When Draco had no response, Harry continued. "I reached out to you because I did care… I think I always have and would just never admit it, even to myself. But I did care, and I do care, and I will care, if you'll just let me."

And for the first time since that night at the beginning of the year, Draco smiled, truly smiled. Sure, he'd mastered the mask once again, and he'd utilized his trademark Malfoy smirk, but he had never managed a real smile, one that reached all the way to his eyes.

Draco kissed Harry lightly and didn't even feel the need for words, as he was sure his facial expression confessed it all.

Shortly thereafter, the two stood and donned their forgotten school robes.

"So," Draco said casually, "what time do you suppose it is?"

"It's nearly lunchtime," Harry said immediately, and when Draco looked at him questioningly, he added, "I have an uncanny internal clock. I'm never wrong."

Draco just laughed. "One more reason to like you. Think they're missing us by now?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Oh, surely… we'll certainly have some explaining to do."

"Good thing it's Saturday, though… at least we didn't miss any classes."

Harry stopped and looked at the other boy incredulously. "I think you may need to go see Madame Pomphrey again... that blow to the head is really catching up with you."

"Why do you say that?"

"...Draco, it's Wednesday..."

Draco turned, horrified. "Oh, damn it all to hell, we had Potions this morning!"

And with that he ran from the classroom, not even thinking to say goodbye.

Harry just laughed. This was going to be the start of a gloriously odd relationship, that much was certain.

Well, let's just say that chapter didn't even remotely go as I had planned it, but oh well.

Really, it was terrible, wasn't it? Please, be honest...