A/N - It's so tough editing this story, even though I wrote it less than a year ago it feels like forever and my ideas have changed a lot. Hopefully by the time chapter 12 is published I'll be able to evolve the story and make it better (think raichu from pikachu)

Disclaimer - The themes and most characters belong to my queen, JK Rowling, author of the true Harry Potter books.

The breath, it danced along his jaw line, it was hot. Lips touched his neck, trailing down.

The hands that had held him against the wall were gentle. The fingers were nimble as they slid inside his robes and a thin knee slid between his legs, Harry's bird-nest hair got pushed back by these fingers and silver eyes flashed at him before he came down again to kiss him harder. Their bodies were close creating a heat that was incredible, Harry needed that gap filled, he needed to pull Draco on top of him but the blonde was drifting further and further, he called out for him to come back, he reached out and got nothing, he sat up and plummeted into horrifying consciousness.

Had he just shouted "Draco" in his sleep?

He looked accusingly toward the unused bottle of dreamless sleep. He'd remembered to take it ever since the night after the meeting when he'd managed to run away after head butting Malfoy. Mortified he'd stumbled into his room finding himself in a state of arousal and hadn't been able to climb the stairs.

That night had been the most graphic dream.
His brain didn't exactly know what two men did when they were that intimate but nonetheless it was creative enough to fill in rather a lot.

Now it was three nights later and yet he'd still dreamt of the blonde. He hadn't even been seeing much of him with the intensive professor training, only glimpses at the staff meetings.
Not for a second did Harry believe it had to do with sex, with the minute knowledge he'd derived from basic occlumency he put the dreams down to a subconscious reaction to his session with Dante.

Nonetheless he felt terrified of them. Painfully he pushed himself out of bed and stumbled over to his wardrobe, still half blind with the lack of his glasses he reached out and opened the doors.

All at once a great pressure engulfed him forcing his heart into a much more rapid pace. His limbs froze rigid and Harry began to think he was under a spell. He very much wanted to look around to find the source but was too terrified to try. It may have been an aftershock of the dream but that didn't seem likely to Harry, as all the sensations suddenly running through him were a world away.

Green light.

Screams.

High pitched laughter.

Snakes.

The horrifying memories threw themselves at him so fast he had no time to distinguish which were real and which were not. He struggled to remember if he was safe or if he needed to protect himself. In fact he couldn't even tell if he was screaming or if he was even awake. It was the same as if he were under the lake in fourth year again and his gillyweed had worn off, except that this time the surface was nowhere in sight, he could swim with all his might in one direction but who was to say that he would find oxygen there?

He had to believe he was in danger because it was what his body was telling him and because it was the safer thing to do, he fumbled for his wand, clasping it he held it out shakily and found within him the ounce of courage to turn around. His heart released as he saw an empty room, he was in Hogwarts, and sun was streaming in through thinly curtained windows. He struggled to get his breath under control; wiping his face he found an unnatural amount of sweat on his skin.

Good thing it was Saturday he needed a bath now and he perhaps needed to firecall his healer.

Harry's ability to bathe and dress in moments was record-breaking; he was still half wet as he rushed into the teacher's lounge, shaking like an aspen.

"Are you alright?" Nightingale asked from a nearby table. Neville who looked like he was leaving paused and headed toward his old comrade.

"Harry, has something happened?"

Harry felt Neville's hand on his shoulder but couldn't comprehend; he was still struggling to recognize safety. In fact there was a death eater in the far corner, a far corner that was becoming less far as Harry found he was walking toward it, he assumed Neville was following because he seemed like he was saying things along the line of. "What are you doing? Where are you going?"

But everything became background noise because by that time Malfoy was speaking.

"Potter, what on earth are you doing?"

Harry sat down.

"I'm not sure."

"Why are you shaking so much? Are you covered in water? Take care you don't get any of that on me."

Malfoy shifted away but only a bit. Neville sat down too.

"Since I'm over here Malfoy, are you ready for the students arrival on Monday?" Neville asked in all politeness.

"Of course I am Longbottom but this isn't time for idle chatter, your friend's unwell."

Neville threw a concerned glance back at Harry.

"What has happened? Will you be okay?"

"I don't know." Harry said again, still shaking.

"Goodness Potter, are you barely hanging on? Have you even contacted your healer?"

"What do you mean barely hanging on?"

Malfoy shot a look at the other pureblood.

"I don't suppose you paid much attention the past few years Longbottom, as it seems Potter isn't quite capable of remaining mentally stable. Salazar knows how he'll manage teaching."

Neville's face paled.

"So he's having a breakdown?"

"I'm right here!" Harry managed to croak, closing his eyes.

Neville leaned in toward Harry and tried to whisper quietly so Malfoy couldn't hear.

"Then why did you come over here?"

Harry didn't bother answering.

"Tell me Malfoy, if you think I'm unfit for teaching, what does that say about you?"

"I'd take offence if you were worth it." Malfoy drawled.

"Harry what in heaven is the matter?" Asked McGonagall, appearing in front of the table.

"Nothing." Harry interjected before Neville or Malfoy could answer.

"Good then you can meet Madam Hooch in the first empty classroom off the third floor corridor, you have class plans to go over before Monday."

"Headmistress I really don't think..." Neville began.

"I'll be right up."

"Very good." McGonagall stated, turning away and marching off. Malfoy gave a little snort of amusement.

Harry stood and straightened his robes.

"Thank you Malfoy." He said calmly.

"What for Potter?"

"For not kicking me away."

And with that he left to find the empty classroom.

The planning didn't take too long and it was only mid-afternoon when Harry was let out.

He was doubly glad because for the past hour there had been an incessant scratching at the door Hooch had told him to ignore, he finally got to see what it was.

A medium-sized fluffy owl sat there, it was a curious midnight-blue color and Harry couldn't recognize the breed.

"Are you here to see me?"
He asked it and he or she hooted and flew to his shoulder, a perch that until then had belonged to Hedwig. The strange-looking owl held out its leg and there attached to it was a roll of parchment; Harry took it off to read.

You've forgotten haven't you?

-Isobel

That was right; Isobel had wanted a meeting between them and Rhys, that week earlier felt as if it was a millennium ago. He of course hadn't asked McGonagall's permission and he certainly didn't plan on it seeing as how thin the ice was he was skating on.

The owl flapped its wings at him, blasting him with feathery bits. Harry sighed as it began pecking him. He supposed he needed to find some parchment. It seemed he couldn't rush toward his quarters fast enough; the owl pecked him into a sprint.

"Potter, what on earth is it you are running from?"

Harry forced himself to halt in the headmistress' presence. This caused the skin over his knuckles to crack open by the vengeful beak.

"Is that Isobel's owl?"

Harry nodded, wincing in pain.

"What ever does she want?" McGonagall asked, pursing her lips.

Harry handed out the note and wished the headmistress would hurry and read it.

"This makes very little sense to me."

"She wants to meet."

"Alone?"

"No we have a friend, he's coming to."

"Dare I suggest you're talking about Rhys Thorn? Maliz to me."

The owl flew away from Harry and to McGonagall who cooed at him affectionately.

"Yes, quite a bad pair Isobel and Thorn. Worse than any Weasley or Potter or Black or even Malfoy at that, I'm sorry to say adulthood has just made them worse. So will you be meeting them?"

Harry shook his head. "I was about to owl her I couldn't come."

McGonagall raised an eyebrow at him.

"I wasn't aware you were busy tonight."

"I'm not but I don't have permission…"

"I'll have you know we teachers use this weekend to enjoy Hogsmeade without the hordes of students, it's where I'd prefer to be and I can't see why you shouldn't go too."

Harry gaped. "Oh." Was all he managed to say.

"Run along, reply to her."

Harry nodded and the owl flew back to him, it seemed he needed to start running again.

When he got to his desk all he manage to write was.

Where do we meet?

-H

The owl was flying off before the ink dried. In the time Harry changed and cleaned the afternoon had become a shade darker and the owl approached from across the grounds and flew back in.

Stews and Brews, be here as soon as you can.

-I & R

Harry sighed as the owl flew off without a reply. He supposed he would have to take his broom again, and he'd have to fly out the window this time too. Well he should feel happy, a moment outside the school, free of any professor business.

He mounted the Firebolt and used bobmbarder to open it magically and then he kicked up and floated out into the sky. So he needed to find Stews and Brews, he had heard the name before and was sure he'd walked past it many times but for the life of him he couldn't pinpoint where to land. He figured he could land in front of the Three Broomsticks again but then no doubt Rosmerta would come out again and then he'd have to explain that he wasn't coming in. In the end he drifted down to a brightly lit shop with a smoking chimney, he was sure he hadn't been to it and it seemed his best bet. Sure enough the signage indicated that he had indeed found Stews and Brews eatery. Wonderful, however he was still out on the cold dark street with his. He walked quickly toward he shop he'd landed too far away from, coming toward him was a Witch, she looked a little familiar but Harry couldn't see in the dark.

"Hurry Draco!" She called out and Harry became worried, he wasn't Draco, should he tell her that?

Some tiny presence of mind told him to turn around and sure enough an unmistakable figure was approaching.

"What are you doing here Potter? Stalking me again?"

Harry spluttered. Getting a good idea of what it looked like and feeling a great deal of dread as he recognized how bad his luck was. He really didn't know how to explain himself.

"I'm meeting up with friends here."

Draco snarled.

"Not Weasley and the former Granger! Maligna I insist we go somewhere else!"

"As a matter of fact I do have other friends!"

Draco laughed cruelly. "You do not."

At that Harry smiled and stormed into the shop. He knew now Draco would follow him in and he'd enjoy proving the former Slytherin wrong.

"Harry!" Isobel was wearing quite fashionable silver robed made of Fairy silk, Harry had seen them from a Witch fashion magazine in the Mungo's and was quite impressed, they were expensive and cutting-edge.

Rhys himself looked dazzling, as a magical therapist he kept his figure but he seemed to have bulked up since Harry had last seen him, accentuated by a fitted hot-pink vest and black robes hanging open. Harry felt under-dressed in the plain black pair he was wearing but at least they were fitted and one of the new sets Hermione had sent him after he'd sent her a bucket load of galleons and a note begging for proper professor's robes.

Isobel hugged him tightly, and then so did Rhys.

"It's brilliant to see you love."

They ushered him over to the small bar where he sat between them.

"Are you coming along as a professor well?" Rhys asked him, picking up one of the menus, Isobel doing the same.

"Yeah it's been really tiring but there's nothing more I can do before tomorrow."

"Don't say that! You'll jinx yourself." Isobel said, passing Harry's menu to him.

The first thing he read was Squid Hearts and pulled a face, at the same time Rhys had asked.

"Got any love interests?"

Isobel broke into giggles.

"What?" Harry asked, he supposed he didn't, not even Ginny.

"No doubt you find Genevieve Nightingale attractive." Isobel asked with a meaningful look that Harry didn't understand.

He felt himself redden.

"Of course, I mean, sure she's very beautiful. I think I'll have the steak."

They ignored his last comment.

"Yes but you can think anyone's beautiful right? You can find something beautiful without falling in love with it. I'm sure you think that wizard who keeps staring at us as beautiful, I do, in a creepy way of course."

"What?" Harry turned around and choked as he found out exactly who was staring. What did Rhys know? Was this about the dream? Was he an occlumens? But he didn't think Malfoy was beautiful any way there were lots of people less pointy and more attractive than the blonde. And yet Harry still couldn't defend himself, mortified beyond words.

"Don't you know who that is?" Isobel snapped at her friend.

"Looks like Harry's new interest." Rhys declared with an air of triumph.

"More like an ex-death eater who's tried to kill him."

"Actually." Harry managed to say "I don't think he ever actually tried to kill me, not seriously, unless I count sixth year, though I almost ended up killing him then."

Rhys looked at him gaping.

"I'm sorry."

"Nah it's okay. Should we order drinks?"

Isobel placed all the orders, which were brought over promptly.

"Thank you Humphrey!" Isobel said to the young wizard serving them.

"What's this?" Harry asked, really just wanting a nice normal Butterbeer.

"This is a roulette game."

Harry shot Isobel a look which portrayed clearly he had no idea what that was.

"These are all the finest magical spirits, there are Dragons Tears, Liza's Fury, Wonderdust and Toad Slime." She smiled amusedly. "But we get the beautiful Humphrey to hide some choice potions in them, whatever Rhys can get his hands on. What did you get by the way?"

"Befuddlement draught, Elixir of induced euphoria and for a lucky one tonight, Felix Felices."

"No!"

Rhys grinned.

"How?"

"Well I have my ways." Rhys replied looking smugly at his nails.

"Come along Harry, goblet stems up!"

The three of them grabbed a drink each and drank them down. Harry's had a nasty sugary sweet taste and was ice-cold.

"Liza's fury." Isobel informed him. "Here try Dragons Tears." A ruby-red goblet was passed to him and Harry drank that down too.

"Aren't you going to have any more?" Rhys asked, drinking down a Liza's Fury.

"Of course not, if I only have two then there's no chance of getting all three potions.

"Oh come on!" Isobel exclaimed.

"Yeah that only happened the once and we were playing with four people that time."

Rhys pushed two more at Harry. "You need to try Wonderdust and Toad Slime anyway."

Harry took the two goblets and shrugged, then he downed them one after the other causing Isobel to whoop. The noise was drowned out however as some music had begun to play, Harry recognized the Weird Sisters; also the shop was now quickly filling.

"Best we get over to our booth."

At their booth their meals were already served, Harry sat down, already feeling tipsy.

"Eat up quickly, you've taken in a lot of drink."

Harry nodded and happily tucked into the steak as Isobel and Rhys began talking about his healer of all people, he didn't really mind because they weren't talking about him in a professional sense but more a personal sense, more specifically his birthday, the coming weekend.

"How old will he be?"

"Too old!" Isobel declared and Rhys glared at her.

"He is not! He'll be thirty-five."

"And how old are you little Mr. Thorn?"

"That's not relevant."

"You're twenty-one and if I can still count that's a thirteen year difference."

"Actually it's fourteen years." Harry pointed out, swallowing his steak.

"Alright so I can't count! Anyway that's worse!"

"I don't see why that's a problem, I mean I'm younger than both of you and we get along great."Said Harry.

"Yeah he has to be at least twenty years your junior Isobel."

The witch scowled briefly and then her eyes widened. "My goodness Rhys he really is oblivious."

They finished their meals, the other two steadfastly refusing to tell Harry what he was oblivious about as conversation swam through Quidditch, the ministry, Hogwarts and recent sightings of the crumple-horned snorlack in Sweden.

As the night grew later and later the shop began to empty, all of a sudden Isobel looked accusingly at Rhys.

"Get your feet off your neck!"

Both Harry and Rhys paused their laughter over their conversation about Dante's facial expressions to look at their friend.

"Off my neck?"

"That's where your face should be! Didn't your mother ever tell you?" Then she began trying to push him off his seat.

"Put them back on the floor this instant!"

She looked at a passer-by who was giving her a strange look.

"No my nose is not running away!" She said, letting go of Rhys to clutch her nose. She leant toward Harry.

"Help me minister I'm afraid she was right." Then she grabbed a napkin and proceeded turning it into a harness for her run-away nose.

"Guess who got the befuddlement draught?" Rhys said amidst new laughter.

Isobel sprung away from the table and ran over to an elderly old wizard with a walking stick.

"Let me get that for you…ha you fool! I have it now! Your wand is mine." She proceeded to run into the center of everyone, pointing the cane at them and shouting out. "Pew-pew, pew-pew."

By this time Rhys had rushed over to her and given the stick back to its owner.

"Must go Harry, ta-ta!" Rhys called, dragging Isobel toward the door as she cried. "I will! I will marry you!"

"By the way I feel fine!" The Mediwizard shouted as they both disappeared out the door.

Harry's stomach clenched, so that meant he'd most likely taken two potions. He struggled to remember which they were.

He saw Malfoy sitting with his mentor and decided to go over.

Why, he couldn't say.

"Good evening, I'm Harry Potter, I don't believe I've had the pleasure of formerly meeting you."

He spoke to the blonde witch, holding out his hand. She gave a small smirk to Malfoy and then shook the offered hand.

"Maligna Winesap, world-renowned potions master if I do say so myself." She answered.

"Potter, what are you doing? How dare you come over to us when your company just made such a display."

"I apologize." Harry said laughing.

"I'm afraid she accidentally took some befuddlement draught, the wizard works in Mungo's you see and there was an unfortunate mix up."

"Why are you talking like that?" Malfoy snapped.

"Like what?"

"Like you actually know how to behave in society."

"Well it's good to see you taking at all." Maligna directed at Malfoy. "As soon as I told him we wouldn't need to do any more class planning tonight he completely shut off and he keeps slipping out of focus."

"Stop!" Malfoy winced. "I demand you do not relay any more information to him Maligna, he's not a friend."

The older witch frowned.

"But then why did he come over here?"

Malfoy scowled. "I have no idea. Couldn't you tell just by the way I received him?"

Maligna shrugged. "You speak like that to everyone."

Harry decided at this point to sit down next to Draco.

"What dose she mean you're slipping out of focus?" He whispered.

Draco shrugged but didn't seem able to snap at Harry to go away.

"If you're going into spellshock then you're in no position to discriminate whom can help you. Do you need to get to St Mungo's?"

Draco shook his head. "I'm not as weak as you." And with that he collapsed onto the table, shuddering.

"What did you do to him?" Maligna cried.

"Nothing." Harry snapped. "He's going into shock, I recognized the symptoms, we need to get him to Mungo's."

"You can't, they don't receive is kind there."

"How can you be sure?"

"He said he's tried to go there before, I didn't know it was for this."

"Help me get him somewhere quiet, he'll start fitting soon."

Winesap nodded and helped lift Draco up and took him behind the bar where they found Humphrey.

"Had a bit much has he?" Humphrey asked and Harry nodded, not knowing what else to say.

"Take him to the room out back, there's some pepper up potions in there, and next time tell him to take it to the Broomsticks."

Winesap and Harry got Draco into the small bedroom in the back and put him on the bed. The blonde was sweating and convulsing at this point and crying out.

"N-no! N-not them, please not my parents, please, don't, not my family, don't send me back, no, no, you can't!"

"Draco!"

Harry was beginning to feel the familiar stress descend on him too.

"Don't! You can't send me back to him! You can't make me! He can call all he want's I won't!"

"Draco, come back, you're all right, he's dead, I'd feel it if he came back wouldn't I? And then I'd have to jump off the astronomy tower so since I'm still here…"

"Should I stupefy him?"

Harry shook his head.

Draco opened his eyes.

"Harry?" He croaked out, reaching out a trembling hand,

"Is he really dead?"

Harry nodded. "I swear on what's left of my life."

Draco pushed himself up onto his elbows and shook his head slowly, his eyes were clouded and kept rolling back into his head.

"But nothing killed him, he kept coming back."

"Not this time."

Draco nodded, flinching as he felt the sweat on his brow.

"Tell anyone about this…"

"I know, it's no as if I have much to fall back on myself."

Maligna looked worriedly at them.

"I'll try to owl for some thestrals, there's no way you can walk back to the school."

"Do you have an owl?" Harry asked, getting a shake of the head in reply.

"Then he'll come back on my broom with me, there'll be no owls around this time of night, those not being used will be hunting and the post office is long closed.

"Is that safe?" Maligna asked.

"We've done it before, besides, what's the alternative?"

And so, helping Malfoy get shakily to his feet they took him out past Humphrey and the empty eatery to Harry's Firebolt parked outside.