Draco's mind reeled for a solid week. He avoided Harry as much as possible, and spent an ungodly amount of time alone, simply thinking. He would examine his feelings (something that did not come naturally to him) and contemplate Harry's character, weigh the pros and cons of being in a relationship with him.

And he would watch Harry. He saw how the golden trio interacted, the rough sort of love they all shared, how they would hang all over each other in the corridor and on the Quidditch field. Completely undignified, but Draco couldn't help but feel a sliver of jealousy. He had never been roughly touched with kindness. His mother would decorously adjust his ties, fix his hair, and his father...

Harry was gracious and allowed Draco his space. He would not talk to the blond, or pursue conversation, but he would smile at him, and make eye contact with him across classrooms.

It was maddening.

Draco was positive he wasn't a p- gay. He didn't look at blokes. Then again, he wasn't really one to join in when all his mates were checking out a girl's body.

He remembered dating Pansy for a while, but that could hardly count into his soul searching. It was very forced, and he merely went out with her because she was THE pureblood Slytherin girl. And she was very easy. She had practically thrown herself at Draco's feet. He hardly knew what to do with what she offered him.

And so the relationship had ended. And then the war really started happening. Everything became so real, and relationships had no part to play. Everything was life or death. Those were dark times.

The things Draco noticed a lot were things like when he was walking down a corridor alone, and a group of Slytherins came up behind him, beside their coldness and avoidance, they didn't bully him. Nobody had pushed him up against a wall, or called him a fag... God forbid. It made him wonder why. It was severely uncharacteristic of his house.

Another idiosyncrasy of seemingly all the Gryffindors was that they would all smile at him. They would graciously step out of his way in corridors, they would do ridiculously kind things. Like pulling out his chairs for him. Or offering him their notes if he had lost any memory of the lesson. It was... Unsettling.

More than anything, Draco wished everything would return to normal. He wished he was still in the in-crowd of Slytherins, snickering at all the first years. He wished he could go back to hating Harry. However, no matter how hard he tried, he could not find it within himself to hate the boy.

And so, finally, after nearly eight days, Draco approached Harry with fresh questions.

"Potter!"

He ran to catch up with him as he walked with his companions in the corridor. They all immediately turned towards his voice. Harry gave Hermione and Ron a reassuring look, and they continued on holding hands.

"Hey, Draco." He smiled warmly at him.

"Um..." Suddenly, in the net of his green eyes, Draco scrambled to remember what he wanted to say. "I..." Harry raised his eyebrows.

"Walk with me?"

The corridor wasn't all that crowded, so Draco complied.

"I just... I've noticed a few things that... I... Don't understand."

"Such as?"

Draco noticed Harry's hand start to reach for his, and then stop. It made his stomach tighten uncomfortably.

"Um... Nobody has... Well..." He mimed pushing someone, mildly tongue-tied. "I wouldn't say bullied me, but... Laid hands on me."

"Well, I should hope so."

Draco saw Harry make eye contact defensively with everyone who looked at them as they continued strolling down the hall.

"Why? I assume that phase has happened... Hasn't it?"

Harry looked into Draco's eyes, sorrow swimming in that ridiculously disabling green.

"Yes, it has." He looked away.

"Well...?"

Harry remained silent.

"What happened? Something must have happened because it seems like nobody dares lay a finger on me."

Harry smiled at a memory Draco no longer had. He noticed the brunette had locked his hands behind his back.

"Blaise Zabini."

"Oh..."

"He... And a few other Slytherins... Found you alone in a corridor... And..." His jaw clenched.

"And they thought to teach me a lesson?" Draco said tightly.

"I suppose."

Draco's fists tightened in humiliation for something he could not remember.

"And what happened?"

Harry looked up at Draco and paused in the corridor. Draco suddenly realized without looking around that there was no one else there. Oh dear...

"I swooped in and saved the day." Harry smiled weakly. Something flickered in Draco's memory.

"Just like you..."

"Always do."

Harry's face sobered.

"You remember that?"

Draco's eyebrows furrowed, and he fought the lump threatening to form in his throat.

"I... I don't know..."

Harry smiled hopefully and stepped towards Draco. He compensated by stepping back, but the stone wall stopped him abruptly. He was cornered, and he couldn't get air fast enough.

"Draco..."

Harry put himself uncomfortably close to Draco, like the time in the infirmary. Every time Draco drew in a breath, his chest touched Harry's. He was already in a state of panic...

Harry's eyes were so sad, with just a small flicker of hope in them.

"Draco, I miss you... So much..." His green eyes brimmed with tears, and he brought his hands up to either side of Draco's face. The blond's hands pressed flat against the wall as he pushed to distance himself. Harry, however, seemed not to notice. Draco now grappled for any loathing he could muster for this boy, struggling to remember all the reasons why he had. At best, he was clinging blindly to a familiarity he could no longer identify with.

Those damn green eyes turned their attention to Draco's slightly parted, panting lips. Draco couldn't move. He felt something deep, deep inside him that wanted to reach out to this boy, to close the gap between their mouths, to taste him...

This part of him was terrifying.

It wasn't until Harry's eyes shut and he pressed his body flush against Draco's that he sought escape by looking to the ceiling, narrowly avoiding Harry's impending kiss. He closed his eyes and a small whimper escaped his lips as his head rested against the wall. The brunette gave a sigh and leaned his face into the crook of Draco's neck, his hands coming to rest on Draco's hips.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have..." He breathed hotly against Draco's neck.

Draco felt so vulnerable, he didn't like it. His hands fisted and splayed, unable to push away the warm body on his. He didn't like this at all, no he didn't. Not one part of him liked this, his hands only wanted to touch him to push him away, not to press him closer, not to comfort him, and he didn't have any desire whatsoever to lift the boy's face to his and-

Christ...

Draco swallowed dryly, and his bobbing adam's apple caught the brunette's attention. He drew his open lips up the side of his neck, and let out a stuttering breath against the pale skin. Draco's toes curled.

"I miss you..." He whispered in Draco's ear. Then, he stepped back. The blond declined his head to look at the miserable figure before him. Harry smiled sadly, tears in his eyes, swallowed, and then left.

Draco fought to control his racing heart, but in his mind, he was breaking apart. He slid down against the wall as unbidden tears surged forth.

"He remembered a bit."

"Well, that's fantastic!" Harry looked at Ron, his eyes still wet. "Isn't it...?" Ron looked at Hermione for confirmation. Harry sighed.

"He remembered something he used to say... But he still doesn't remember me." Harry leaned his head down over his knees, his hands over his eyes. He sniffed.

"It just... Gets harder and harder, every day. I... Pushed him a little too far today."

"How d'you mean?" Hermione took Ron's hand as she sat next to him on the floor.

"I mean once you guys left, we walked, and then the corridor was empty, and he remembered a little bit, and... Fuck, I'm such a twat..."

Ron cleared his throat awkwardly. Harry felt a hand on his knee and he looked up.

"Harry... It will get easier." Hermione did that eyebrow thing that she does when she emphasizes things. It was familiar and nice. Harry laid his hand over hers gratefully, and smiled through the tears.

"I hope so." She smiled sympathetically. "I'm just... Afraid that I scared him off, y'know? He had gotten better, he was talking to me, and I just had to cock it all up..."

"He'll come 'round, mate." Ron offered. Harry looked at him, at the awkwardness on his face. Ron really didn't know what to say, or do. His feminine side had been heartily suppressed from birth, and the result was an emotionally awkward teenager.

Harry found this ridiculously comical. He laughed suddenly, probably more from weariness and crying than from the situation, but then Hermione's bubbling giggle joined his. Ron just looked confused. Harry willingly dissolved into easy peals of laughter.

The next day, Harry was especially careful around Draco. He would look away before the blond could see he had been staring. He would only look up if Draco was staring, in which case the brunette would smile apologetically and the blond would flush and look away quickly. Though it made Harry sad, it was endearing.

Of course, Draco did not approach Harry again. He would know better than to do that now. Harry sighed and looked back down at his notes. Or lack thereof...

Neville had apologized effusively several times, to both Harry and Draco, though with more hesitancy to Draco. Harry would reassure him that he forgave Neville, but Draco would just glare. It was not in his nature to say the word "forgive."

Harry waited a few days before approaching Draco tentatively. He just HAD to do something. Draco had been eating in the library recently, and Harry had the Marauder's Map, so he knew where to find him. It wasn't difficult.

"Draco?"

The blond looked up from his meal. Harry sat opposite him, very carefully, watching for any red flags.

"What is it, Potter?" The usual venom was drained from Draco's voice, but Harry still found it unnerving for him to be calling him by his surname.

"Um... I was just going to suggest you... Sit... With me... For lunch."

There was an awkward silence.

"I'm fine here in the library, thanks."

"Could have fooled me." Harry smiled, and Draco almost did, too. Harry saw this as a small success. "Come on, you don't know how welcome you are."

"No, I suppose I don't..."

Harry gave him a helpless look.

"Please, Draco."

The blond looked at him uncomfortably for a few moments while weighing his options. Then, he sighed and cleared his throat.

"Well, since my own house doesn't want me anymore..." He said resentfully. This was enough for Harry, who gave him a brilliant smile.

It was like coaxing a nervous cat out of a cage, but eventually Harry got Draco to sit next to him at the Gryffindor table, despite all the whispers and stares.

"Hey, Draco." Hermione gave him a warm smile, as did Ron, though he remained silent, mouth full of food. The sneaky, small smile Hermione gave Harry did not go unnoticed by Draco, but he bit his tongue.

They ate in silence, a stupid grin on Harry's face. Draco rolled his eyes when he saw it, and Ron choked on his food. Harry had been right, it was an oddly warm atmosphere. Seamus came over at one point.

"Oy, Malfoy, have you got your Potions essay finished?" Draco looked up in surprise.

"Um... Yeah, I do."

"Great. Can I see it?"

"Hah! No."

A broad smile spread across Seamus's face.

"Good to see you're still yourself."

Draco snorted delicately.

"You won't be taking advantage of me just because I've lost some memory, Finnigan."

"Oh, yeah?" A friendly sort of challenge passed between them. "Remember when you lost that bet and you had to say 'cock' as loud as you could in Snape's class? Oh, I suppose not." Seamus chuckled wickedly at the memory, as did a few others at the table.

Draco's face sobered instantly, and he looked to Harry. The brunette was pressing his lips together to keep from smiling, and he wouldn't look up at Draco. He just shook his head.

Draco narrowed his eyes at Seamus. He took his wand out under the table and cast a nasty little jinx in Seamus's direction, one which prevented him from standing successfully without falling.

"Get out of here, Finnigan. You're not wanted." Seamus grinned and stood to leave, thinking he had won. He immediately fell backwards out of the bench. The whole table erupted in laughter. Draco, despite how uncomfortable he was at this table, felt a smile playing at his lips as he returned to his meal.

Ron seemed to think it a good idea to lean across the table and ruffle his blond hair. Other Gryffindors gathered, hitting him on the back and saying things like 'welcome back,' and 'good on you, mate.'

Draco angrily fixed his hair, but could not honestly bring himself to hate any of them for presuming to touch him. In fact... He felt a sort of warmth in his core that he had never felt around his fellow Slytherins.

When he was with his group of Slytherin friends, there was a sort of silent superiority, a cold respect amongst one another. But here and now, at the Gryffindor table, it was boisterous friendship, warm acceptance... Nothing at all like Slytherin. Or Malfoy Manor, for that matter.

It was... Nice.