Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters.

A/N: Not a lot happened in this chapter, sorry. Probably in the next chapter or the chapter after that Harry will tell Draco about his abuse, so don't worry about that. It's coming. Review please.

Chapter 24

When Draco had gotten the letter from his godfather, telling him that if he could he should come back early, he hadn't been entirely sure what to expect. But this was certainly not it.

He had known that Harry and Severus were not the best of friends. Though he was loath to admit it, the man really was terrible to Harry during Potions. Which put Draco in a terrible place. Did he defend his godfather, who he knew was not as terrible as everyone thought, or did he defend his boyfriend, who was not as terrible as Severus thought?

Because neither was really as terrible as the other thought. Severus was kind, no matter how much he liked to say that he wasn't. And once he cared for someone, he never stopped.

And Harry was, well, Harry. He was beautiful, inside and out, though Draco would never admit thinking such, even under the Cruciatus Curse. It sounded too Hufflepuff.

Before they had gotten to know each other, before Harry was sorted into their houses, Draco had thought that there was no way he couldn't be arrogant, based off of how much people adored him, but he wasn't. He was kind and humble and gentle, willing to hold Draco when he suffered from nightmares of his father and help whoever needed it.

But as brilliant as they both were, Draco never foresaw them existing in the same space without shouts and curses flying through the air.

So when he came back from his vacation to find them both in Severus' personal headquarters, Harry sitting on the couch in a way that Severus would never allow anyone else to sit, with his feet up on the cushion, it had been a shock.

A shock that he was still not completely over, despite the fact that it was well past dinner and he had arrived before breakfast.

"Here Draco," Severus said quietly, handing Draco a steaming mug. Draco took it, careful not to jostle the sleeping boy whose head was cradled in his lap.

"Thanks," Draco said. He took a sip and then put it on the coffee table next to the couch. Harry shifted, turning on his side, and Draco reached down to carefully pull of his black glasses before they could become more wrecked. Though they were in a better state than the ones he had started with at the beginning of the year, Harry had a terrible history of making them crooked, cracking the lenses, or chipping the frames. Draco had vowed to save the glasses as much as he could, and seemed to be constantly plucking him off of Harry's face. As he set the glasses down near his cup he caught sight of the slight shadow of a bruise on Harry's jaw. He traced it lightly and Harry twitched. "What happened to his face?"

"He had a bit of a run-in with some students," Severus said. He looked down at Harry from his seat and Draco was startled to realize that his face was almost fond.

"He didn't mention that in his letter," Draco said, reaching down and stroking a hand through Harry's hair. Harry's hair was annoying. That was true. And it always would be, regardless of if the boy was snogging him. It was wild and spiky and could not be controlled, no matter how much a comb was taken to it. By all rights, it should have been coarse. It looked like it would be coarse, wild and poking up like a hedgehog. But it was the softest hair Draco had ever touched, which he thought was unfair. He had used countless hair products and his hair was nowhere near that soft.

"I suspect he did not want to bother you," Severus said. "He has had a rather busy couple of days."

"He has?" Draco said in surprise. Harry's letter to him had not detailed a very busy day. "What happened?"

"It's not really my place to tell," Severus said carefully, taking a sip of his own steaming mug. Draco pursed his lips, telling himself not to be jealous. It was ridiculous, really, for him to be jealous over the fact that Severus and Harry know had a newfound relationship and that they were sharing secrets. Simply foolish.

So instead of being jealous he picked up Harry's hand and stroked a thumb over the back, lingering on the bumps of his scars.

"Have you had any more luck in punishing the evil hag?" He asked. Severus pursed his lips, his face suddenly angry.

"The Ministry has been very unhelpful, as per usual." He said. "They claimed that Umbridge's actions were not sanctioned by the Minister, and yet they still hold her as an employee."

Draco wanted to ask why, though he already knew the answer. He knew very intimately the way of corruption and power. The Ministry needed Umbridge because she was unfalteringly loyal to them, and those people were hard to come by, especially in these days.

"So no action has been taken against her?" Draco asked. Harry's fingers clenched in his sporadically and Draco put his hand down only to resume stroking his hair. It was the most effective way to calm him during a nightmare, he knew from experience. Harry settled down slightly, turning his face into Draco's thigh.

"I hardly said that," Severus said, smirking. "Let's just say that Peeves has recently found a new haunt for a couple of hours a day."

Draco felt himself smirking in response, and was suddenly sure of what to think of Harry's and Severus' new relationship. He hadn't been positive at first, but it was a good thing. Harry needed all the people in his corner he could get, and it was clear that Severus already cared about him.

Though Draco doubted he would admit it.

They were Slytherins, after all.