Title: Neither Good nor Evil

Rating: PG – 13

Pairing: Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy; Ron Weasley/Hermione Granger

Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or any of its characters.

Summary: Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy have never been friends. They were happy to stay enemies until unwanted thoughts interrupted. Add one of Dumbledore's prophecies and shake well.

Chapter Seven

Afraid of Love

Harry walked into his Dorm with a small smile on his face. Hermione had sent him off with a warning and another painkiller and had forced Ron to come start homework with her. Harry heard loud thuds in Draco's room and knocked softly on the door.

"What?" He heard Draco snap.

"I heard some loud noises. Are you okay?" Harry asked, cautiously. The door swung open, revealing a rather mussed Draco. His cheeks were flushed.

"Hi." He said shortly before turning and going back into his room, seemingly expecting Harry to follow. Harry peeked around the door to see the room in disarray.

"I repeat, are you okay?" He stared at the mess.

"Fine." Draco answered in a strained voice. Harry walked over to him and tapped the taller boy on the shoulder. He turned and Harry wrapped his arms around the blond boy's neck, balancing precariously on his tippy-toes

"You don't seem fine." Harry stared up at him. Draco sighed and wrapped his arms around Harry's waist.

"I talked to my friends." He muttered.

"Oh?"

"Blaise and Pansy." Draco clarified at Harry's confused look.

"Oh." Harry nodded.

"They know… about us…" Draco winced.

"Will they tell?" Harry asked, staring at the wall in contemplation.

"No. I made them swear not to. On pain of death." Draco shrugged. Harry laughed.

"That might have been a little drastic but if they won't tell then there's no problem. Hermione knows." He smiled.

"And Weaselbee?" Draco prompted.

"If you'd be nicer to him I could tell him without a problem. However, you insist to treat him like shite so I have not choice but to hope Ron's as dense about me as he is about Hermione." Harry shrugged.

"Hey, it's not like he's nice to me." Draco returned

"You started it." Harry answered, simply.

"I did not," Harry raised an eyebrow, "Okay, I did but that's beside the point. They said something that screwed me up a little." He pulled away and fell onto his bed.

"Oh? Are you going to tell me?" Harry sat down next to him wincing.

"First you have to realize something. I don't want to be my father." Draco sighed.

"When did this happen?" Harry questioned, surprised.

"You want to hear the whole story don't you," Draco sighed again. Harry nodded. Draco ran a hand through his hair, "I always thought he was this great man. This brave, cunning man who could do just about anything he wanted to. I thought my father was supporting someone who would get rid of the mud… muggleborns and muggle lovers. But then I met him.

"He was sitting in this dark room, surrounded by Death Eaters. They were bowing and scraping in front of him like he was some God. And my father… as soon as we entered, he dropped down in front of this thing. He can't be called a man. Pale skin and red eyes, he didn't even have a nose. I couldn't do it. It disgusted me. How could someone as proud as my father be bowing in front of some creature? It was horrible..." Draco trailed off.

"I met him." Harry put in, quietly.

"He's scary but it's…" Draco looked away, disgust evident on his features.

"You have to pity him. He used to be human, did you know? He used to be Tom Riddle, a half-blood like me. But he's afraid of death. No, that's not right. He's afraid to die. He doesn't know how to love or like something other then killing. He's just a shell." Harry looked up at Draco, his voice and face devoid of emotion.

"He's afraid of death?" Draco asked scornfully.

"Yeah. It's sort of pathetic isn't it? He has all these followers that would die for his cause but he's afraid to die himself." Harry shrugged.

"That is pathetic. And my father serves him faithfully." Disgust filled Draco's voice again

"I'm glad you don't want to become your father." Harry continued to look up at Draco, searchingly.

"I don't think I could bow down to some bastard afraid of dying." Draco scowled.

"Will you tell me the thing that screwed you up now?" Harry prompted, curious. The blond boy looked away.

"They said… that I've… fallen for you." Draco bit his lip, feeling unusually worried. He realized he was scared to see the other boy's reaction.

"Fallen… like in love?" Harry's voice was breathy and nervous. No one had ever said something like that to him before.

"Yeah." Draco answered, finally turning to look at him.

"Oh… oh my… oh." Harry breathed, running a hand through his hair. He didn't know how to respond. No one had ever said that to him before.

"Well?" Draco stared at him. Harry stared back., terror filling him.

"I have to go." He stood up and bolted.

"What the hell," Draco watched as the other boy ran from the room, "Bastard." He groaned.

ZxZxZxZxZxZx

"Hermione!" Harry burst into the Common Room. Hermione looked up from her homework to be smothered by a small black haired boy.

"What happened?" She asked worriedly.

"He… he said… he'd fallen for me… I'm so confused!" There were tears on Harry's face. Hermione sat shocked for a moment.

"Who?" Asked Ron, surprised.

"Oh no! Could this day get any worse?" Harry stood again and ran out of the room. Hermione grabbed Ron's arm and they followed him. When they finally caught up to the distraught boy, he was hiding in the Library, crying.

"What is going on?" Ron demanded.

"Nothing. Oh Hermione!" Harry threw his arms around the girl's neck. She sighed and wrapped her arms around him.

"Why is this bad anyway?" Hermione asked.

"I ran out of the room. He had just told me all this stuff and then he said that and… oh, I ran. He'll be so mad." Harry sobbed.

"Why'd you run?" Hermione continued.

"I got scared." Harry sat back, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.

"Great. The Famous Harry Potter can look evil in the eye without flinching but runs in the sight of love. That's going to be the tabloid of a century." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Will someone tell me who we're talking about?" Ron looked between the two, confused.

"Only if you promise not to be mad and not to tell anyone." Harry stared up at him pleadingly.

"I promise." Ron answered, slowly.

"It's Draco Malfoy." Harry grimaced. Ron stared at him for a moment and collapsed.

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Sarcastic Romantic