"Mmmf…what…what are you – WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

"Wow Potter, heavy sleeper? I was wondering if you were going to wake up at all."

"Uhn! Get off me you pervert!"

Harry tried to elbow the blonde away, flailing wildly, but he was being held in a very vulnerable position.

Harry had woken up to a strange feeling. It felt as though two slick fingers were gently working their way into him from behind, while a hand was reaching around him to play with his left nipple. Apparently it had felt like that because that was what had been happening.

A foreign leg wound around one of his own to pin it down against the bed and further restrain him. Harry struggled, but he felt the fingers working their way insistently in and out of him. The arm around his torso tightened to hold him still as the hand played along his chest. He could see where this was going to go. Such a rude awakening.

"Maybe I should start like this more often," Draco's thoughtful voice spoke into the back of his neck. "Much easier to get into you when you're all relaxed and asleep."

"Go to hell," Harry said angrily. He tried to push Malfoy's thigh away in order to escape. No such luck. "Why can't you just leave me alone?" he whined. He turned his head to bury his face into one of the pillows.

"Because," Draco whispered seductively into his ear this time, "I can't seem to stay away from that tight arse of yours."

He gave a distinct wiggle of his fingers as he said this, brushing against Harry's prostate. Harry tensed as he felt the familiar jolt of pleasure. He felt Draco buck against his arse as he violated it with his slim fingers. Draco was naked, and apparently Harry was too. He wondered how he hadn't woken up earlier, as Draco had clearly removed his clothes. He could see them on the floor.

At least the comforter was still over them, so he felt a bit less ridiculous.

Malfoy smirked as he spread Harry's legs wider by dragging the pinned one across the sheets with his own leg. Harry growled and tried to yank it back, but Draco wouldn't have it. After a few more thrusts with those damn penetrating fingers, he pulled closer to Harry and moved so that he was kneeling over him on the bed.

"Stop, really – "

"You know I'm not going to."

Harry made another whining noise and flailed as much as he could to try and throw the blonde off him. Draco seized one of his arms and used it to try and flip him over, which Harry refused to do.

"No!" Harry yelled, striking out with a wild arm. It hit Draco in the chest with a smack!

"Dammit Potter! Knock it off!" the blonde boy shouted, rubbing the spot where Harry had hit.

"That's what I've been trying to get you to do, but you don't listen," Harry said indignantly.

"Fine, if you want it that way," Malfoy snarled, snatching up his wand from the end table. He grabbed Harry's shoulder roughly and shoved him around onto his stomach, then straddled his lower back. Harry could feel his morning wood digging unpleasantly into his spine. Lovely.

Before he could turn back over and knee Malfoy in the dick like he so rightly deserved, Draco seized one of Harry's wrists and brought it up to the bars above the headboard. Ropes shot out of his wand and quickly tied Harry's wrist to one of them. Harry realized what he was doing and tried to wrench his other arm out of his grasp, but it was too late. Malfoy slammed it against the bars in the struggle, causing Harry to yelp.

"Sorry," the blonde said as ropes wrapped tightly around Harry's other wrist. His apology sounded genuine, but Harry didn't bloody care. It was hard to accept a 'sorry' when one's hands were being tied so that they can be fucked properly.

Harry desperately tried to pull his hands from the ropes, but they only tightened the harder he pulled. He felt Malfoy grab his hips from behind and drag him up onto his knees.

"Wait!" Harry said desperately.

"What?" Came Malfoy's exasperated tone.

"We've already – uhn – we already done it twice!" Harry said as Malfoy shoved three fingers into him now, continuing the interrupted routine. The routine that seemed to get briefer each time they did this…

"So?"

"So, I thought this was only a 'necessity' so that he wouldn't be able to read your mind!" Harry shouted, looking back at him as best he could with both hands tied to the headboard.

The stupid git smirked.

"Well, it is, sort of. But that doesn't mean I'm not enjoying it. Plus," he leaned over to Harry's ear, "you're mine Potter, and you can't do anything about it. Best enjoy the ride."

Harry heard him laugh at his own play on words. He turned back to glare at the wall in front of him. Hilarious.

He figured it could have been worse. At least no one knew about this. Malfoy couldn't humiliate him by telling people because he would reveal that he had kept Harry hidden for his own gain. That would earn Draco a fair bit of Cruciatus, he was sure. Plus, Harry felt that there was some part of Malfoy, deep, deep down, that didn't want Harry to be killed. Otherwise, he wouldn't have saved him from Voldemort's goons in the first place. However, this clearly didn't make him totally innocent, seeing as how the blonde was going to fuck him without his consent. Again.

"Why do you torture me like this?" Harry asked flatly.

Malfoy stopped sucking on his neck and looked over at him, their faces almost touching. "Because I want to," he replied simply.

Harry felt that twinge of pleasure inside him as Malfoy's fingers pushed in once again.

"And because you told me you like it," Malfoy grinned against the skin of his neck, pushing that spot again.

"Uhn," Harry replied, trying to hide his face with one of his raised arms. So embarrassing…

Malfoy pulled his fingers away from Harry's arse and centered his slickened cock at the entrance instead. Draco pushed Harry's legs wide apart with his own, so wide that Harry's arse was properly level with his pelvis. Harry hadn't even known his legs were that flexible. His own dick was almost touching the sheets, and he was spread out as if on display. Slowly, Draco thrust in, grasping Harry's hips on either side tightly. Harry whimpered, feeling that unpleasant stretch, and grabbed the headboard his hands were tied to for support. When Draco was fully sheathed inside him, Harry hung his head, partly in relief that it was over and partly to hide his face. Malfoy was pausing for some reason, but he wished he would just get on with it.

"Christ Potter," Malfoy said in a strained voice. Harry felt him smack his arse cheek, then squeeze it appreciatively. "You surprise me every time."

"Shut up," Harry said, blushing profusely. Yes yes, he had heard about the tightness a million times…

Malfoy leaned over him and put his arms on either side of Harry's shoulders, placing his hands beneath him among the numerous pillows. Harry felt perfectly straight teeth nip at his neck, almost affectionately. He turned to hide his face with his arm again, not wanting Malfoy to manipulate him like the other times. He would just sit here and let him do his things to him, and be on with the more peaceful parts of his day.

But it appeared that Draco had different plans. Harry felt him begin to move in and out, his torso almost flush against his back. The gentle rolling of Malfoy's hips was causing a greater friction than usual, and his breathing was slow and husky against the shell of Harry's ear. Draco's slow, angled thrusts were making it hard for him to remain silent. He bit his own arm to quell the moan that was trying to escape as Malfoy pushed against that sweet spot inside him.

"So quiet today, Harry," the blonde whispered to him teasingly. "That's unlike you."

"Shut – uhn – up," Harry said again as another jolt of pleasure made itself known.

"C'mon Harry, scream for me," Malfoy said in a fake whining tone.

Harry turned his head away furiously, keeping his mouth shut tight as he was pounded into. Malfoy's head followed Harry's, appearing on the other side where he was trying to avoid him. He nipped playfully at Harry's cheek, who ignored it, glaring at the wall.

He felt Malfoy biting and sucking at the back of his neck in different places. Harry soon also felt one of the blonde's hands wander up to his chest, rubbing a thumb over one of his nipples. He couldn't quell the small noise in his throat at this, feeling the stimulation as the thumb played with him and as Malfoy bumped his prostate repeatedly. He had been trying to breathe out his nose to control his reactions, but he didn't know when that had stopped and when he had started panting openly. Draco tried harder, obviously frustrated at Harry's restrained noises.

Holding himself up with the one arm still, Malfoy move the hand from Harry's chest down to his groin. Harry felt him run his long fingers through the black curls down there and blushed again. He was teasing him, the bastard.

He felt Malfoy's hand reach lower. Then he distinctly felt it fondle his bollocks, which made Harry gasp. He had never done that before, and it tickled funny. Yet he found it oddly arousing, which he didn't need. His own morning wood (which caused him nothing but trouble every time it showed up) had remained persistent throughout the encounter so far. More stimulation to it just made him ache. It was because of this that, when Malfoy's hand finally closed around it and began stroking, Harry was unable to hold in the moan that passed through his lips.

"Ohh," Harry breathed, feeling the hand moving steady on his erection. Malfoy seemed to get excited by his breaking of Harry's stubbornness, for the strength of his fucking increased.

"Yeah Harry, that's it," Draco whispered encouragingly. He thrust into Harry's arse forcefully, hitting that spot over and over. Harry couldn't stop his cries escaping as he felt that familiar pleasure radiate from each pound into him. He panted and moaned, leaning heavily on the headboard, and even pushed backward slightly whenever Malfoy's hips met his arse.

"Ah, ah!" Harry heard his cries grow louder as Draco's hand worked at his erection, making him weak with desire. He felt Draco thread his hand through his sandy-colored hair and pull at it slightly, tilting his head back up.

"Look at us," he panted, biting Harry's neck right after he spoke.

Harry looked over at the mirror, seeing their reflection again. He had to admit, it looked pretty hot. Malfoy managed to make it look effortless as he pounded into Harry's arse, pulled at his hair, sucked at the skin on his neck, and stroked his cock, all at the same time. Malfoy looked over too and moaned slightly at the sight. He released Harry's hair and penis for a moment, and Harry felt hands begin to ravish his body as a tongue worked at his neck. The hands moved down his sides, along his torso, through his happy trail, and came to rest on his hips again. Malfoy then began to pound harder against that little place inside him, sending shocks up to Harry's brain, clouding his thoughts. He realized he had been temporarily distracted by the reflection, but Malfoy's cock was demanding his attention again.

Harry moaned, turning his head back to face the headboard. He couldn't think about anything. His thoughts failed him, except for his recognition of the cock inside him, pounding away. That was all he knew.

"Oh," Harry whined, closing his eyes. He was close…

"Yeah Harry, take it," he heard Malfoy say in a husky voice. Harry moaned again.

He couldn't. He couldn't take it. Whenever Malfoy's voice, usually so aristocratic and drawling, lost its silkiness and changed into that raw tone, Harry couldn't take it.

"Uhhh!" he cried out breathily. With a particularly harsh thrust from the blonde, Harry came hard. Draco continued to ride him steadily, and Harry felt him reach around again to stroke him through his powerful orgasm. Harry bucked back against Draco's merciless cock, moaning as he felt white cum seep out of him.

After a few more thrusts, in which Harry panted and tried to see again, he heard Draco's breath hitch and felt warmth spread inside him. Draco held both of Harry's hips and thrust slowly into him while he came, breathing roughly as he did. Finally, he slowed to a stop and Harry felt his weight as he leaned slightly on top of him.

The blonde was panting hard and his cheeks were pink. He lay there over him for a brief moment before Harry felt the weight disappear again. Harry felt him slide out of his arse and winced.

Still breathing heavily, he saw Malfoy tap his wand against the headboard and Harry's hands flopped down onto the bed before him. His body soon followed, too tired to be on his knees any longer. Malfoy joined him and they lay there, catching their breath.

He felt a poke in his ribs and started. Looking over, he saw Malfoy withdrawing his wand.

"What was that for?" Harry asked lazily.

"Well, I'd rather not have your jizz all over my bedcovers," Malfoy said, looking over at him. He was sprawled out on the bed next to him, and Harry thought he saw a brief flicker of a grin cross his face after he spoke.

Harry's face heated slightly. God, he was such a prude. He couldn't even hear the word 'jizz' without blushing.

He must have fallen asleep, for he woke up some time later.

He was sprawled face-down over something solid, which didn't feel like the giant pillows he was used to being draped over when he woke up in Malfoy's room. He slowly opened his eyes, only to see the fabric of boxers right next to his face. Or rather, his face on top of the fabric of boxers. It took Harry a moment to realize that his arm was draped over the waist of Draco Malfoy, and that he himself was completely naked. His exposed arse, legs spread unashamedly wide, was visible for all to see. His face was also dangerously close to Malfoy's clothed, but nevertheless there,dick.

"Getdickoutofm'face," Harry slurred, sitting up quickly. Malfoy was sitting next to him (previously under him) on the bed, reading.

"Hey," Malfoy said sternly, not looking up from his book, "you better not be dreaming about somebody else."

"Ha ha," Harry said groggily, hopefully managing to sound sarcastic at the same time. He yawned widely.

After crawling to and falling from the edge of the bed, Harry stumbled to his feet again and tried to locate his clothes. He was too tired to be embarrassed. He thought it was weird that, even though his vision was corrected, his eyes remained unfocussed in the mornings. Perhaps he just really wasn't a morning person.

Harry finally found a pile of what looked to be his clothing and put it on. Once sorted out, he stood there, not knowing what to do next.

"You hungry?" Malfoy asked from across the room.

Harry looked over to see that he had put his book down and set it on the bed beside him. Harry's stomach growled and he looked down at it.

"Apparently so," Harry said sheepishly.

Malfoy snapped his fingers and an elf appeared after only a few seconds, the crack echoing throughout the room. He asked for it to bring an assortment of things, naming off some foods Harry wasn't even sure what they were, to which the elf squeakily replied "yessir!" and vanished with another loud crack!

Malfoy picked up his book again and it magically flipped pages until it reached the place he had left off, then resumed reading it. Harry wandered aimlessly around the room, bored to death already…his attention span wasn't the largest in existence…

Crack!

Harry turned to find the tiny elf holding a tray that was much too large for its spindly arms to hold. He rushed over and took it for him, thanking the elf kindly.

"Thanks…er, what was your name?" he asked.

"Oh, you is most welcome sir. I is Bandy, sir," squeaked the house-elf, bowing to him.

"Thanks Bandy," Harry said, trying to look warmly at him. He knew what a raw deal the Malfoy family gave their house-elves, having been very well aware of Dobby's living conditions. Bandy most likely had the same hellish treatment, as was evident by Draco's complete lack of concern for the struggling elf just seconds ago. Glaring briefly over at Malfoy, who was still reading and not paying any attention to the exchange, Harry set the tray down on a low table. He kneeled down to shield his actions and plucked several grapes from a bunch on the tray. Handing them to the elf, who looked at them as if they were solid gold, he muttered, "Our little secret," and winked.

Bandy smiled up at him as though Christmas had come early and whispered "Thank you very much sir!"

He disappeared, still clutching the grapes in his tiny hands.

Harry chuckled and took a few of the grapes for himself, sitting in one of the lounge chairs around the low table.

"Conversing with the help?" Malfoy said teasingly, finally putting his book down. He plopped down in the chair opposite Harry, grabbing a bread roll and tearing it apart in his hands.

"Don't you ever?" Harry asked, knowing the answer.

"Not really," Malfoy said nonchalantly, taking the bite of bread he had torn from the roll. "They kind of…I don't know, creep me out a bit. With their small bodies and large heads."

"Really? Dragon-boy afraid of house-elves? Alert the press," Harry taunted. He popped another grape into his mouth.

"The press?" Malfoy said, looking genuinely puzzled.

"Never mind," Harry said through the grape. He looked at all the food on the tray, wondering what to have. There was a bunch of fruit, bread, and random things he was sure were rich-people food.

"Er...Potter?"

"Yeah?" Harry said, looking up at the blonde. He looked slightly uncomfortable.

"If I was…you know…nicer and everything…would you like me?"

Harry almost choked on the bite of apple he was swallowing. Once it was safely down, he laughed.

"Why this all of a sudden?" Harry said, gesturing at him.

"What do you mean?" Malfoy said, narrowing his eyes.

"Well, I thought you didn't care what I thought."

"I don't," he said, sitting up straight.

"Then why ask?" Harry said, curious.

"Just wondering," the blonde said. He shrugged.

"Well then, yeah, I would. If you weren't so high-and-mighty all the time and stuff," Harry said. He threw the apple up and caught it again, watching its path in the air as he spoke. "I think we actually have a lot in common though. Except for you hating all my friends and everything I do. And the fact that you work for the man who's trying to kill me."

"What do we have in common?" Malfoy asked, looking confused.

"Well, we were both seekers," Harry stated, still tossing the apple. He missed his snitch he had inherited, Harry thought briefly. "That by default means we both like Quidditch. And technically, we were both supposed to be in Slytherin."

"What?" Malfoy looked shocked now. "You mean the hat – but – how?"

"Asked it not too," Harry replied sheepishly, looking over at the wide grey eyes.

"Why not?"

"Well," Harry said, looking away. "I guess because…er…you were in it."

"What?" This one was more indignant.

"Well, you thought Ron was a blood-traitor and everything, you seemed like a pompous arse," Harry said, defending himself.

"Well, that was just the way I was raised," Malfoy shot, leaning forward angrily. "It's not my bloody fault."

"Yeah, well, I was raised with insults thrown at me all the time, so I didn't want to become like that," Harry said, leaning back in the chair again and glaring at the blonde.

"What do you mean?" Draco asked again, tilting his head curiously. Harry was unused to seeing such a curious look on that face. It usually held a sneer, smirk, or glare, at least when directed at him. "Hey, who did raise you, anyway? Didn't your whole family get wiped out?"

"Yes, thanks," Harry said bitterly, still glaring. "I was raised by my aunt and uncle. Along with my cousin, Dudley."

"Didn't like them much, eh?" Malfoy said, obviously not missing the venom in Harry's voice.

"Not particularly."

"Why not?"

Harry sighed, annoyed. "Because they were horrible and stupid and hated my parents for knowing how to do magic. They also hated me more when they knew I could too, come to think of it. Actually…I guess they must have always known I could, I just found out about it later."

"Wait," Malfoy said, holding up a hand. He looked at Harry incredulously. "You lived with muggles? And you didn't even know that you were…you? Until when?"

"Right before I went to Hogwarts. About three days or a week maybe," Harry said, tucking one leg over the arm of the lounge chair so that it swung lazily back and forth.

"Oh my god," Malfoy said. He flopped back against the chair, looking at Harry as though he were seeing him in a new light.

"Is this not common knowledge? I would've thought everyone knew," Harry said, taking another bite from the apple. They bloody knew everything else about him.

"No, I just thought that you were passed off to some eager family who wanted to take care of 'The Boy Who Lived'," Malfoy said, doing air-quotes with his fingers. "I mean, I knew it was sad and all, losing your parents or whatever, but I didn't know you lived with muggles."

"Well, it wasn't really the fact that they were muggles," Harry used the same tone Draco did with the word, mocking him. "It was more because they were, and still are, really ugly people."

"Why, did they like, fondle you as a child or something?"

"No," Harry said flatly, repressing a shudder. To think of Uncle Vernon's bulk baring down on him… "Ugh, no. Well, Dudley did once, but it was an accident. It was just…" Harry looked at the food tray before them, "like I was a house-elf, really. Maybe that's why I'm friends with Dobby, now that I think about it."

"Dobby?" Malfoy said, familiarity running briefly across his features.

"Er, yeah. Hey, what is that?" Harry asked, pointing at a round dark thing on the tray.

"It's a Choc-O-Morph."

"Watf dat?" Harry asked through his last bite of apple.

"A Choc-O-Morph. You know, those…oh, right, the muggles," Draco said, leaning forward and grabbing it. He held it in his open palm for Harry to see. Harry leaned forward to get a better look.

It just sat there.

But after a few seconds, the thing began to hover over Malfoy's hand. Harry watched as it appeared to become soft and molten-like, writhing around in midair like a huge blob. Then it started to take the form of something.

A small, moving animal dropped into Malfoy's open hand. Harry squinted at it before he realized –

"Is that a bloody ferret?" Harry asked laughing almost hysterically.

"It changes from person to person," Draco said, glaring at him as he tried to stop laughing.

"Still though," Harry coughed, "that's pretty cool."

"Here, you try it," Malfoy offered the tiny ferret over to him.

"What do I have to – "

"Just fucking hold it," Malfoy said exasperatedly.

"Fine," Harry said, taking it quickly from the irritated blonde. It did the weird morphing thing again, probably why it was called a Choc-O-Morph, and he felt a different-shaped animal land in the palm of his hand. It was a tiny little fox.

For some reason, he immediately thought of Ron's red hair, which made him feel a pang of guilt as he looked up at the tray again.

"I wonder what Ron's had to eat," Harry said sadly as he looked back down at the fox. It was nuzzling his thumb affectionately.

Malfoy visibly hesitated.

"Well, apparently Greyback ordered the elves not to feed him," Draco said.

"What? Why?" Harry asked, outraged.

"He said he wants to keep him weak."

"Christ, can't he just be happy with fucking him? He's got to torture him too?" Harry said angrily. He set the little fox down on the tray so that he didn't accidentally smush it in his rage. It ran behind the bread rolls to frolic.

"That's how Greyback works, I guess. He's always been a bit…barbaric in his ways," Malfoy said, grimacing slightly.

"Yeah, no shit," Harry said shortly. He crossed his arms, stewing.

"You should eat more, though," Malfoy pointed out. "Not that you're easy to overtake, mind."

He smirked as Malfoy rubbed the spot on his chest where Harry had hit him. Harry took a roll.

"Happy now?" he asked sarcastically, brandishing it.

"Yes," Malfoy sneered. He got up and walked over to the bed. Harry stuffed the roll in his pocket and grabbed another one from the tray to replace it. It wasn't much, but he had to sneak Ron something, and a roll was all he could conceal in these damn fitted jeans.

Malfoy sighed, looking around.

"I suppose you can go see Weasley, since there's nothing else for you to do in here, and I probably won't be able to get hard again for a while," Draco smirked as Harry spluttered around his bite of bread.

"Well thanks, your highness," Harry retorted after he swallowed.

"I'm going to read on the lawn and probably feed the peacocks or something," the blonde added, picking up the book he had abandoned earlier. "Do try not to wear yourself out if Weasley suddenly comes round."

"I hate you," Harry said bitterly.

"I know," Malfoy replied cheerily.

Harry headed for the door.

"Oh, Potter," Malfoy said. Harry turned to see him shuffling through the drawer to the nightstand beside the bed. "Weasley will probably need more than one piece of bread to satisfy his insatiable hunger. He was always engulfing everything in sight at school, I shudder to think of his home life."

Harry looked, open-mouthed, back at the blonde. He had seen him sneak the bread and wasn't going to stop him from taking it to Ron. Not only that, but he was encouraging him to take more. Who was this person?

"O-okay," Harry stuttered, walking back and putting more food into his pockets. They were clearly holding several objects now, but stealth no longer seemed to be an issue.

Harry couldn't help but smile slightly at Malfoy's back, even though the blonde couldn't see it. It seemed that, somewhere in that cavernous black-hole of a chest, Draco had a heart after all.

"At least this sort of forced-diet will help him lose some weight, though."

Fucking. Blonde. Arsehole.

When Draco opened the door for him to walk through, Harry saw Ron sit bolt upright on the bed.

Of course, Harry thought, he probably thought I was Greyback coming back for another go.

"Oh, hey," Ron said, a grin showing up on his face after the initial panic.

"Hey," Harry replied. He was suddenly struck with a wild urge and felt that there could be no harm in indulging it.

He ran forward and leapt towards the bed, falling flat on his stomach next to Ron. The redhead was thrown slightly into the air due to the dramatic weight shift, and both boys giggled as they bounced uncontrollably.

Draco stared dully back at them, then rolled his eyes and gave a sigh that sounded like it was part-grunt as well.

"Whatever, I'll be back tomorrow," he said, closing the door. "Idiots."

"Oh, don't mind him, he's just upset because he's constipated," Harry said, loudly enough for Malfoy to hear through the door.

"I am not!" Draco's voice roared through the wooden barrier.

Harry and Ron burst out laughing.

After their laughter died down, Harry heard a distinct growling sound. He looked over at the protester: Ron's stomach.

"Blimey I'm starving," Ron whined, clutching at his midsection. "Malfoy said he would send me up an elf with some food, but the git must have forgotten or something."

"Oh, it wasn't Draco," Harry said, wiggling around so that he could reach into his pockets. He was still lying down flat on the bed. "It was Greyback, I guess."

"What do you mean?" Ron asked, looking innocently over at him. His big blue eyes made Harry feel guilty that he couldn't do more.

"He said not to give you anything," Harry said apologetically, handing Ron some grapes, bread, and an apple. He had made sure to get the shiniest red one, since he knew Ron liked red the best.

"Wha'?" Ron said with a mouthful of bread. He looked as outraged as one could with such a huge bite in their mouth.

"Apparently Greyback ordered them not to feed you. According to Draco, anyway," Harry said, trying to convey his sympathy into the words.

Ron looked sickened, but then his expression slowly turned to suspicion. Harry wondered what this was about. Ron wasn't blaming him, was he?

"Draco?"

"I mean, Malfoy," Harry said quickly. Great, now he was getting on a first-name basis with his own personal rapist.

Ron's suspicion seemed to die down at this. He must have feared Harry was getting attached or something.

"Wait, he said he would be back tomorrow, so does that mean you're staying here till then?" Ron asked hopefully.

"I guess so," Harry said thoughtfully. Malfoy had never really explained anything to him, now that he thought about it.

"So…so Greyback's not coming today?"

Harry could feel his heart breaking at the fear that was badly disguised in his best friend's voice. He sounded scared, but hopeful that Greyback wouldn't come back.

"I don't think he will," Harry tried to say reassuringly. He seriously hoped he wouldn't come looking for Ron today, but he didn't want to give false security by promising a Greyback-free evening. If he did come back today, he would have the advantage of surprise along with all his other advantages against Ron. While Harry didn't like having Ron live in constant fear of an intrusion by the beast, it was better this way.

An uncomfortable silence fell between them. Harry didn't know what Ron was thinking about, but he wished he wouldn't look so sad. He had to do something to distract him from their hopeless situation. After all, they were together at least.

"Hey, do you remember that one time, when Seamus tried to eat a hundred chocolate frogs?" Ron said suddenly into the silence. He was looking at the apple, which had a bite out of it.

"Yeah," Harry said, grinning at the memory. "But they kept trying to jump out of his mouth, so it took, like, twice as long."

"Still though, the bloke made it to eighty-seven, which was impressive," Ron added, taking another bite from the apple. "Before he got sick, I mean."

"Remember when Dean gave Neville five Galleons to down that jumbo box of Bertie Bott's though?" Harry asked, laughing.

"Yeah, he threw up rainbow the whole day!" Ron choked through his own laughter.

After several minutes their chuckling finally died down. Both were laying on their stomachs atop the bed, and Ron's knees were bent so that he was swinging his legs back and forth in the air nonchalantly. It almost felt like normal, Harry thought. Aside from the ever-present impending danger.

Well actually, it was exactly like normal.

It was later, when Harry lay awake after Ron had fallen asleep, that his mind began wandering again. A tiny smile was still left on Ron's lips, and he wasn't snoring like usual, which tended to happen when he was particularly exhausted. His deep breathing was soothing, and lulled Harry into thinking pleasant thoughts for once. He thought about Hogwarts, and how he missed it. He thought about their friendship, and how long it had lasted (despite a few fights here and there, of course).

But then he thought about what he and Malfoy had talked about. The conversation concerning his feelings for Ron.

He didn't think that they would ever get in the way of how they interacted together, or how their friendship was in general. He knew Ron wasn't 'that way', and Harry wasn't even sure on the subject himself. He would be lying if he said he never thought about it though, and would be lying further if he said he hated the idea. But they had just been thoughts, slight musings on the subject late at night out of boredom, nothing really serious. Harry had never thought of himself as truly liking other men. He had never really paid it any great deal of attention. Perhaps it was in an effort to shove down those thoughts, he reflected. Perhaps it had been more serious than he had thought.

After all, he had been perfectly fine dating Ginny, and didn't think that it would be a very good thing if he started pining after her brother. However, when he had initially had his eye on the sister in the first place, the person whose opinion he was more worried about on the matter was Ron's. Did he really focus that much on his best friend?

Harry watched Ron's chest rise and fall gently, illuminated by the moonlight outside. Those lightly freckled cheeks gave him such an innocent look, which fought constantly with the fierceness of that short, fiery-red hair. The result was always a cute, strong appearance that was quite unique, and yet was always furthered whenever he smiled.

Harry looked away, his chest aching for some reason. Thinking these thoughts now, when they were in this situation, was not helping one bit. He could battle with his stupid urges later when they were free, and when Ron was far away from Greyback. Harry felt a sudden pang of guilt, accompanied by a burning hatred.

How could anyone look at that face, the face so gentle yet strong, and do such horrible things to him? One pleading look from it always made Harry lose any battle almost immediately. Things like who would shower first, or who got the last Chocolate Frog. But to stare straight into those bright blue eyes and do the things that Greyback did…Harry shuddered at the thought.

He felt terrible now, thinking of what Ron would have to go back to once Greyback returned. How long he had until then, Harry had no idea. Harry wished against anything that Malfoy would get bored and just let them go already. But he knew he had to initiate this himself. He had to escape for them, and soon.

With a determined huff, Harry turned over to face Ron again. He would do it. He would get them out. All it would take would be a plan, which he would concoct in the morning, and initiate at his first chance. He would do it.

These were his last thoughts as he stared at Ron's still-sleeping face. He couldn't help noticing again, while looking once more at those freckled cheeks, how beautifully they shone in the moonlight.