Chapter 11:

Knocking on Severus' private chamber Draco couldn't help but frantically look around the halls. He was afraid to run into Harry or Blaise and was confused from everything he learned from Theo. He still couldn't understand how Blaise could like him than more as a friend. He just met him and didn't know anything about him. Looking back on the past couple days he did see how everyone else knew. Blaise was always with him, helping him, touching him, making him feel safe. He just didn't know how he felt about the other boy, after everything Harry pulled he wasn't sure if he wanted to be in any kind of relationship with anyone.

"Draco, what are you doing here?" Severus smiled at him before letting him in.

"Wanted to talk. Stressed out." Severus nodded before going over to make them a couple cups of tea. When it was done he walked over and placed Draco's cup in front of him and sat down beside him.

"So how has your housemates been treating you?"

"Fine, Blaise is ma..mad at me." Severus scrunched his brow and asked him why.

"He found out how I know Ha..Harry. Knows I lo..Love him. I guess Blaise li..likes me. I didn't know"

"Oh. I thought as much from how he was acting. He is a good person Draco, I don't ever see him hurting you. He has only been in one relationship before, as far as I know and it ended bad. He came to talk to me a lot back then."

"Wh…who was he with?" Draco asked being somewhat curious.

"Mr. Finnegan." Draco's head snapped over to look at Severus for a moment.

"OH."

"Yeah so maybe now you can see why he is upset about your feelings for Harry. He had lost one person he cared greatly for to him already." Draco nodded.

"What….What happened."

"I don't think that is my place to tell, just like I won't tell anyone when they ask me about you."

"Has a lot of people as..asked about ?"

"A few."

"Who?"

"Mr. Zabini for one, Mr. Nott, and one more." Draco looked at him suspiciously for a moment before asking.

"Who."

"No one that concerns you."

"Tell me, Pl…please." Draco had a feeling he already knew who it was the way Severus was acting, trying to protect him from the information.

"Even though he knows how I feel about him and knew I wouldn't ever tell him anything it was Potter." Draco stopped breathing, why would he ask anything about him, he made it clear how he now feels.

"Wh….Why?"

"I don't know why, he just did last night. Stay away from him Draco, he has hurt you enough."

"I am tr….trying to. It's ha…hard when I have classes with hi..him."

"I know, just remember you have friends in your house and me."

"I know. I'm going to go now. Thanks for the tea and talking." He stood up and gave Severus a hug. This man felt more like a father to him than Lucius and he would do anything to keep him in his life.

Walking back to his room he suddenly decided he wanted to go to the library. He loved to read and needed something to bring him away from this life of his. Slowly walking in that direction, trying to avoid as many people as possible. He was weaving in and out of the students that were gathering around. Just before he made it to the library doors he heard laughing behind him and tried to not turn around.

"Hey look little Malfoy is out on his own." He heard from behind him, standing still he took a couple breaths before trying to continue forward only to be stopped by a hand swiftly turning him around. When he stopped he saw Ron, Hermione, Seamus and Harry standing looking at him. Harry stood in the back trying to stay as far from his as possible.

"Lea…leave me al..alone." Draco got out, trying not to act scared. This was the first time he was alone when they confronted him.

"The idiot can't even speak properly, stuttering like a fool." Seamus laughed. Draco look behind him at Harry, silently asking for help.

"Oi stop staring at him, .MINE." Suddenly Draco felt a fist connect with his face and he fell flat on his ass, hand shooting up to his cheek where the blow connected, then a foot collided with his ribs and he screamed out in pain. He wasn't sure how many kicks the other boy got in before he heard someone yelling at him.

"Seamus, Seamus stop. That's enough." Draco slowly looked up to see Harry pulling the other boy away from his crumpled body. He couldn't help but let tears flow down his face from the pain. Memories of his Uncle slamming into his head making it worse.

He felt himself being lifted off the ground and saw Blaise standing with his arm wrapped around his waist, glaring at the other four and the rest of the students that gathered around.

"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO POTTER?" Blaise screamed out.

"It wasn't me."

"It was Seamus." One of the other kids said in Harry's defense

"But it involves you Potter, why can't you just leave him alone. Come Draco, I'm bringing you to the hospital wing." Draco felt him self being moved away from the crowd. He instinctively looked back at Harry feeling like he was going to get sick when he saw the hatred on his face.

"Oh my what happened here?" Was the next thing he heard.

"Madam Pomfry, Seamus Finnegan is what happened." He heard Blaise telling the medi witch as he was laid down on a bed, groaning.

He felt the witch fixing his ribs and healing the bruise on his cheek as he laid on the bed staring at the sealing. He wasn't trying to cause any problems, all he wanted to do was go to the damn library. Why wouldn't they just let him go and leave him alone. Harry's face when he was being led away by Blaise hurt more than the beating.

"He needs to stay here for the night and should be fine to leave first thing in the morning Mr. Zabini. You may stay with him for a little while but he needs his rest. I'll inform your head of house and the Headmaster." Draco heard the lady leave and looked over at his friend.

"Th..thank you." He said looking at Blaises face.

"Any time."

"I…I thought you..Ha..hated me." Draco said then felt Blaise hold onto his hand, rubbing circles on the back of it with his thumb.

"No I don't hate you Draco. I talked to Theo, he told me what you said. I'm sorry for blowing up before. What happened back there." Draco let the tears fall that he knew he was holding back, remembering Harry didn't try to help before Seamus got ahold of him and how long it took for him to actually step in.

"I was going to the library when Weasley called to me. When he wouldn't le..let me pass I looked to Ha..Harry for help. Thinking he would get them to le…leave. Se..Sea..Seamus saw me looking and hit me. When I dropped he sta…started to ki..kick me. I don't know how long it was be…before Ha..Harry finally sto…stopped him." Blaise had wrapped his arms around Draco sometime when he was talking and he found that he liked the feeling as he wrapped his arms around the other boy placing his head into his shoulder and crying.

Blaise rubbed his back for a few moments before Draco calmed down and closed his eyes, slowly falling asleep and feeling himself being laid down. As his eyes fluttered shut he felt Blaise lean over him and place a small kiss to his forehead before leaving.