When Harry woke up in the hospital wing he was disoriented. It took him a few seconds to remembered the happenings of last night, and then it came rushing back to him. He dropped his face into his hands and groaned when it did. Snape had seen the cuts, Snape knew, Snape was walking right towards him! Oh shit, what should he say, what should he do? "Um, professor, those cuts you saw last night, it's not how it seems, I, uh, fell down a couple flights of stairs, that's all."

"How stupid to you think I am Potter?" Asked Snape, his voice was not unkind, "That will earn you a loss." Harry opened his mouth to protest, he wasn't exactly sure how the system worked yet, but he most certainly did not want to spend a detention with Snape! "Never defend your abusers."

Harry couldn't do anything but look down, he could feel his blush rising. Snape moved around Harry and began rubbing cream on his back, making him blush harder. "This cream will help heal the bruises on your back, this one the cuts, and this one the burns, rub them on once a day. If you have any trouble you may ask Draco for help. I haven't told him but I'm sure all your roommate have figured out why you were absent last night. For the following week you must take these potions as well. This is a stomach-expander, this is a nourishing potion, this is a pain-killer and this is a general healer," Snape said as he gestured to different bottles and containers on Harry's bedside table. He finished rubbing the bruise cream on his back and began to walk to fireplace. "Come along Potter, because the Headmaster believes that you will need a bit of time to adjust to your new house, all classes have been postponed until tomorrow." Harry stepped into the fire. He tumbled out in Snape's office, covered in ash. With a quick "Tergeo" his robes were clean. He murmured a goodbye to Snape and hurriedly left his office.

Quickly Harry walked towards his room. It was half-way that he realized Snape only applied one of the three pastes on his back. "That little bastard," he muttered, stopping outside his "room." What was he supposed to do about his back? There was no way in hell he was asking Malfoy, but on the other hand he couldn't just not use them. Snape would surely find out, and then he'd be in detention forever. With an inward groan he knocked on the door. The door opened and he came face to face with none other than the bloody ferret himself. Malfoy's face twisted into a sneer.

"Oh, it's you," he stated, his voice so disgusted that Harry could have been a half dead cockroach on the floor. "Well hurry up Potter! I'm not going to hold door open all day." Harry stepped inside, cautiously examining the interior of his new dorm. The floor was a black hardwood, the walls a deep emerald, there were snakes everywhere, some so tiny Harry felt like he was playing a Where's Waldo game. The were carved into his bed posts, the lamps, the rugs, the chairs. Everywhere! In the corner of the room there was a real snake, huddled and shivering in it's cage. A tall dark skinned boy lay on the bed beside it, oblivious to it's discontent. He looked up as Harry stepped into the room. "Oy! Potter-" Malfoy started but Harry cut him off with a quick "Sh!"

He walked slowly over to the cage, "Hello there," he said to the snake.

"Mmm, a speaker, I sensed it when you walked in the room."

"What seems to be the problem here? You don't look very happy."

"It's so cold down here, I feel like I'm frozen."

"I could help you with that, one second," with that Harry withdrew his wand. He quickly summoned a shallow tray from Dobby. After installing an anti-burning charm on the tray, he murmured "Flamma Eternus," (AN: In case you didn't figure it out, Flamma Eternus means Eternal Flame in Latin) and fire shot from his wand. It burned in the tray as Harry set the cage on top, so that the flames only hit the bottom of the snake's habitat. "There you go, how does that feel?"

"Better, thankssss."

Harry stood up from where he had been kneeling beside the cage. "Your snake was cold," he said to the tall boy, what was his name again? Zabini? He became aware that a small crowd had formed in the room and that everyone was just staring at him. Harry began to feel nervous. This Zabini boy was definably bigger than Harry, and if it cam to a fight Harry didn't think he'd win. He watched aniously as the boy looked down at him. Finally Zabini spoke.

"That was the coolest thing I've ever seen." The spell was over, the others in the dorm all whooped and shouted in agreement. It was odd, Harry would never have expected to find himself in the centre of crowd of Slytherins cheering for him. Yet here he was, and a small part of him actually felt like he belonged. The crowd began to disperse, heading off to their own dorms. "I'm Zabini. Blaise Zambini. The gangly brown haired kid over their is Theo Nott, and of course you know Draco." Malfoy, Harry automatically corrected in his mind. "We're roommates for the rest of the year, so you two are just going to have to deal with it."

"Seeing as you two are obviously going to have a problem with each other, Blaise and I have decided you two have to settle your differences," Theo piped up, "So we're going to leave and lock you guys in here with each other for the day." With a smirk he and Blaise walked out the door.

"What the hell? Get back here Blaise! I mean it!" Shouted Malfoy, his normal cool air gone. The sound of a lock clicking into place was the only response.

"Shit!" Harry exclaimed in horror. There was no way that he wanted to spend this day trapped in a room with Malfoy of all people. His back was really starting to ache now. He wondered if maybe he could put the creams on with a bit of magic. He knew he wouldn't be able to though. Perhaps he could wait until tomorrow and ask Snape. With a sigh he flopped onto his bed, only to let out a startled yelp of pain as his back slammed into the surface.

Malfoy sneered at Harry. "I can't believe that I'm stuck in here with you of all people," he spat venomously at Harry. Harry just glared. His energy was slowly draining, and he could feel the cuts on his back cracking open. Suddenly he heard what sounded like wings, coming from by the door. He turned his head to see a silver paper thin dragon fly through the crack. "Oh you're in shit now Potter!" Malfoy said gleefully.

"What is that?"

"It's one of Professor Snape's dragons. He uses them to send messages. They're bewitched so that only the person who the dragon is intended for can hear the message. Generally he uses them as warnings, when he's angry."

"Oh, shit," Harry had an idea what Snape was angry about. The dragon flew up and hovered in front of Harry. It opened it's mouth. Snape's voice flowed from it.

"This is your last warning. Do not hide your pain."

With that the dragon burst into flames. "So what did it say?" Malfoy asked, his silky voice sounding almost intrigued. Harry was about to reply "Nothing," when a white paper dragon soared into the room. "Oh hell, Potter! You get into all the trouble don't you?"

"What do you mean? What's that one do?" Suddenly the dragon swerved towards Harry and bit him. Harry let out a small yelp. "Why did it bite me?"

"That was a Veritasium Dragon. Which means Snape wants me to ask you a question... the effects wear off in 15 minutes. So I'll have to be quick. Hmm, the Dragon came right when you were about to answer what the other dragon said. I will have to assume that is what Snape wants you to answer truthfully. What, word for word, did the dragon say to you?

Harry tried to stop himself, but the answer spilled out of him, "This is your last warning. Do not hide your pain."

"And what pain might that be?" Asked Malfoy, a soul blonde eyebrow lifting questioningly.

"My back, I can't reach it to put the healing pastes on it," Harry tried to say it as fast as possible but Malfoy heard him anyways.

Now both eyebrows were raised. "I assume Professor wants me to help you," he sneered, trying to mask his shock with disgust. Who knew that the Golden Boy was abused? Though now it did make more sense why he was in Slytherin. He sighed, "I suppose we should get this over with."

"I suppose so," Harry replied quietly.

So there was the Chapter 2. I am afraid to say that I am going to be on vacay for the next 20 days and will therefore not be able to write more of this story until I get back. I will try to get the next xhapter up as soon as possible. Have a fun July :D