Disclaimer: I have no money so if you wish to sue me you will get nothing. Characters belong to J.K. Rowling. Not me. Though if they did….that's a thought for another time.

A/N: Yes finally some Draco! No song in this chapter sorry!

Chapter Three: Draco's Bad Day gets kind of Better

To say Draco Malfoy was confused at getting an assignment to go "check in" on Harry Potter, would be an understatement. Why on earth would Harry Bloody Potter not be okay? He was worshipped by his relatives, was he not? So why did Draco and Severus have to take time out of their summer to go check on Potter? Life just wasn't fair sometimes.

And then his world was thrown upside down by said relatives when they tried to refuse that a Harry Potter lived there. They kept saying things like "We're just a normal family here! We don't have freaks like you around! We have no nephew!" What weirdos. But still he and his professor made into the house only to find that the wards around the place were failing! As there was no Voldemort lurking around Draco and Severus could only conclude that Harry Potter, Savior of the Wizarding World and only hope for the likes of them ever being free from the madman that kept them imprisoned, was dying. Yeah, to say that Draco was confused by his day's activities would indeed be a gross understatement.

And so he and the Potions Master searched the house. And as they reached the second floor, Severus saw a door covered in locks and had a cat flap. Draco felt his stomach sink. He couldn't believethat the Gryffindor Golden Boy was kept in such a room, but judging by the Muggles reactions to them just being there they were fairly certain that that room was the exact place Harry Bloody Potter was being kept. It took a moment but Severus managed to barge through the privacy charm placed around the room. It was quite powerful and had nearly kept them out.

The sight that Draco saw next would stay with him the rest of his life. There was Harry Potter, his school rival and most hated person, sitting on the floor with a pool of blood surrounding him. And the blood just kept coming! Pouring from his wrists, flowing as freely as a river. Draco blanched when he heard Potter speak the only words to him that weren't said in anger, "Thank you, but you're too late." And as Potter passed out Draco was sure he heard something along the lines of "liking dying" murmured. How could Potter do this to himself?

Severus was by Potter's side in an instant, doing his best to heal the slit wrists. He commanded Draco to grab the blood restoratives from the Potions professors robes and start getting them into the boy. Draco had snapped out of it and rushed to do as the older man said.

And so Draco spent the better part of the day keeping the Boy Who Lived to Try to Commit Suicide alive, if not so well.

The moment he was stable, Severus Portkeyed with Potter as Draco took his own Portkey. Appariation would have been easier but the possibility of splinching while side-appariating was much too great, especially for someone who had just recently been inches from death. Plus they'd have to walk up to Hogwarts from Hogsmeade if they Appariated. The wards around Hogwarts still prevented Appariation straight into Hogwarts. Dire conditions or not.

Draco landed in the Infirmary with a thud, and watched as his dark haired companion laid Potter in a hospital bed and called for Pomfrey. Draco had then left to go inform the Headmaster of what had happened at Number 4 Privet Drive.

With that done, Draco sighed as he followed the Headmaster back to Pomfrey's domain. This day just didn't want to end.

When Draco finally stalked through the hospital wing doors, he saw Potter sitting desolately on a bed, Severus pacing with obvious agitation and Pomfrey casting a few diagnostic spells on her only summer patient. She seemed quite grim.

"Well Poppy? How is Mr. Potter?" Draco snorted. The Headmaster had the gall to ask that? It's evident that Potter is NOT okay considering he had just been having thoughts of suicide and acting on said thoughts.

Pomfrey gave Dumbledore a sardonic stare that stated plainly "What the hell do you think?" But she answered, amiably, "Not well, sir. He has severe blood loss, though Severus did well to give him blood restoratives but they do not create blood as well as the body does, along with multiple older scars proving that cutting himself is a habit and he is very malnourished." She finished her results quietly, clearly unhappy with the outcome of her diagnosis.

Professor Dumbledore frowned in concern at Harry, but kept silent indicating Pomfrey to continue.

"Right, he also has several previously broken bones that were never set correctly, bruises littering his upper body and frankly his size is a cause for worry." She concluded in apparent distress. It was obvious what all Potter's contusions hinted at.

Dumbledore, Great Headmaster of Hogwarts, defeater of Grindelwald and most beloved figurehead for the Light side, had left Harry Potter with abusive Muggles. Fantastic.

Dumbledore, for his part, just stared at Pomfrey dumbstruck. As if he couldn't believe he had made a mistake, Draco mused.

Draco glanced at Severus to see his reaction, only to find him looking towards the source of the most awkward silence in Hogwarts: A History ever. Draco followed his Potions Master's gaze and was greatly startled.

You'd figure after having the two people you hate second most in the world find out you were abused and quite possibly still are, a guy would be embarrassed, uncomfortable at least. But no the Savior of the Wizarding World just has to be different.

There, sitting on the hospital bed in hospital pajamas, was Harry James Potter. Smirking. And it wasn't just any kind of smirk. No it was smug. As if he knew something you didn't and he wasn't telling if you named the right price or not. It was the kind of facial feature that screamed "Ha!" complete with a tongue sticking out and his face scrunched up. Now Draco was curious.

"Mr. Potter," Snape's baritone cracked through the stillness, "is there something you would care to add?"

Potter noticeably struggled with getting the smirk off his face, "No, sir. Madam Pomfrey has it all correct." Draco had to give him credit, he sounded sincere. Then Draco tasted the words in his mind, as he did with everything said, and realized Potter didn't lie if he did have something to hide. Pomfrey got it all correct. Meaning what she said so far is right. Clever.

"Good then you won't mind if I do this. Finite incantatem!" He had said it in such a lazy way no one would expect a spell at the end. The greasy haired professor just proved who was more clever.

Harry's eyes widened but no apparent details were different. Well unless you counted Potter was now glaring at his professor, but Draco didn't.

"Severus! What did you hope to accomplish with that?" scolded Pomfrey.

"He's hiding something Poppy. I simply wished to see if I could find out what." Replied Severus bluntly.

"But sir, what could I be hiding? Madam Pomfrey has already checked me over and dispelled all the glamour charms I had. What more could there be?" Once again Draco really had to hand it to the Boy Wonder, he was an amazing actor—to those who weren't already adept to it. His tone, while seemingly innocent and curious, had a distinct feel of sarcasm to it. It was a soft undertone so he could mock their obliviousness in his mind.

"Why don't you tell me, Mr. Potter? What else could there be?" Draco grinned at Severus' scornful smile.

"N..Nothing! I'm not hiding anything." Potter stuttered. Great actor, bad liar. Draco filed that bit of info away for later. And as he was he felt a pang. A pang of…something. Guilt? Damn it. I thought I got rid of any conscious when I came to Hogwarts. How can I feel bad about using this information against Scarhead in the future?

Maybe because Potter had just tried to make it so there was no future for him, the snide voice in his head commented.

Well fuck.

Deciding moral considerations were best left for a time when he wasn't trying to figure Potter out, Draco tuned back into the conversation—more of an argument really—between Pot-head and Severus.

"Fine! If you don't believe just use Legilimency on me! If you think you can find something else wrong with me, go for it!" And I'll fight you the entire way Harry left unsaid, the last thing he needed was them actually positive about him hiding something. He looked to Dumbledore, a false hope that he would step in and not allow Snape free reign in Harry's mind. Good thing it was false because Dumbledore simply gestured for Snape to continue.

"Very well. I shall go through your mind, with your permission even. You now have three seconds to back out. After that I am going to be in your head and nothing you can do will get me out until I figure out what and why you're hiding things." Draco was surprised Snape didn't just delve into Potter's mind right off the bat. Trying to think of why, Draco stumbled across the guilt he felt earlier and wondered if Snape felt the same pang. Intriguing.

"One"

Potter sat obstinately with a blank expression that was completely belied by his clenching fists.

"Two"

"Well this should be interesting. Glad to have front row seats." Draco intoned.

"Last chance Potter! Three!"

A/N: I think I'll stop it here. Hmm should I? *ducks and covers* Yep I'm stopping here.

Harry: I…I just gave Snape Snape! access to my mind. No limits, nothing! I How Why did you do this to me!

Me: For the drama of course.

Harry: Drama! Who enjoys reading about Snape pillaging my thoughts?? Raise your hands.

*Snape, Draco and whole Slytherin house raise hands. Far in the back, Voldemort and all Death Eaters raise hands*

Harry: Well…can't say I'm surprised.

Me: Hey! This is how you and Snape get closer toward being friends. Snape realizes he's been a complete bastard for a while and you realize Snape has been keeping your ass alive for all these years.

Harry: What does that have to do with this! *points finger at dramatic ending*

Me: You'll see.

Draco and Severus: This is almost as good as the story itself.

TBC…until next time