Chapter two;

Once Harry had told Pomfrey the whole story, including the part about him being an illegal, unregistered Animagus, Pomfrey had her head in her hands. She lifted her head suddenly and frowned at him "and why were you out after curfew?"

Harry smiled sheepishly and sat forward. "I wasn't the only the only one who was out after curfew" Harry mumbled and then looked over his shoulder at Draco who glared back at Harry "oh well that's great, drag me into this, I only saved your arse."

"Language Mister Malfoy!" Pomfrey yelled shrilly then turned back to Harry with a stern look in her eyes "now answer the question please Mister Potter and no lies" Harry leaned back on his elbows and sighed. "I don't sleep so well these days, I'm haunted by things I'd rather not talk about..." He trailed off slowly as one particular memory forced its' way into his head.

Harry was walking into Hogsmeade with Ron and Hermione; it was like every other day. The sun was shining, the birds were singing and the golden trio were laughing.

They were going to enjoy a quiet get together with some other Gryffindor's at the three broomsticks but were ambushed by a gang of Voldemorts death eaters. They circled the golden trio, wands pointed at them from every direction.

The three reached for their own wands but a few Expelliarmus's fired at them de-armed them and they stood there completely vulnerable and slightly scared.

Hermione was hanging on Harry's arm while Ron shouted obscenities at the death eaters. The small group were chuckling darkly, Harry was ignoring all of them except for one; the Death eater that had picked up the golden trio's wands andthen tucked them into the folds of his robes.

Harry studied the rest of the death eaters and realized that they were all lesser death eaters, none of them were from Voldemorts inner circle.

"Surrender yourself Potter and we shall spare your friends!" Harry looked at the obvious leader of the group and made to step forward, he did not want his friends hurt because of his stubbornness but Hermione tightened her grip on his arm and whispered shrilly "Harry, no!" He pulled his arm from her vice-like grip and ignored her panicked screaming.

Ron held her back he knew what needed to be done and if that meant his friends death for their lives then so be it.

Harry felt his heart break slightly when he realized that Ron was not trying to stop him, he stopped in front of the grinning death eater and gave a cruel grin of his own that could have rivalled Voldemort himself "do it!" he hissed at the now nervous man and opened his arms in invitation.

The death eater looked around at his comrades for a moment then growled and pressed his wand into Harry's neck "do you wish for death that much?" He asked Harry who just stared at the man blankly; they stared at each other in a battle of sorts until the man shrugged "too bad it is not my place to give you what you wish, my lord has forbidden any one to touch you but he did not say anything about your friends."

Harry yelled as a body binding charm was shot at him and then his friends screaming filled the air as they were tortured with the Crutiatus, curse after curse.

"...Mister Potter?" Pomfrey's questioning voice brought him out of his trance like state and he smiled apologetically at the older woman. "You have not answered my question Mister Potter."

Harry looked down at his hands guiltily playing with a loose thread on his trousers. Pomfrey handed him a clean nightshirt and he pulled it over his head "McGonagall gave permission to allow me free reign in late night walks, in any part of the castle, to... clear my head."

Harry looked back up to meet Pomfrey's eyes. "Any part of the castle Mister Potter, not the grounds outside" He sighed and nodded "I know, I can't help it. The night calls to me" Harry murmured dreamily. "Must be something to do with your Animagus" Draco murmured from beside him and Harry smiled at him and then looked back at Pomfrey as she stood, missing the joy that spread across Draco's face.

"Well I'll need to inform the Headmistress about the werewolf and the accident" she glanced at Harry who had tensed at the mention of telling McGonagall, Pomfrey smiled kindly "do not worry Mister Potter I will not tell her of your success with the Animagus transformation but she will need to know of your injury." She paused for a second and looked at Harry with a thoughtful expression that melted into fear.

"Mister Potter how did you say you got that injury?" Harry knew where this was going and he hung his head in shame "I didn't dodge fast enough Madam and I'm afraid that it was the beast's fangs that made this wound." Pomfrey gasped, her hands shooting up to cover her mouth "I'm so sorry Mister Potter" she murmured as her eyes filled with tears.

"You will have to stay here for the night for observations and if all is well you may leave in the morning!" she took a deep breath and then smiled at Harry, all traces of the previous tears gone.

"I will need to do one final test, if I may?" Harry nodded and she waved her wand in a series of complicated swirls and flicks. A green light shone around Harry briefly and Pomfrey sighed "there's only a little venom but enough to cause the changes."

Harry groaned it was always him that these things happen to. He jumped slightly when a gentle hand squeezed his shoulder and when he looked to the owner of the hand and was surprised to see tears in Draco's mercury eyes. Harry smiled and patted Draco's hand secretly happy to find someone who still cared enough about him to comfort him.

"Mister Malfoy as you have witnessed a terrible scene tonight I will allow you to stay also but I do not expect you to make this a reoccurring thing, I have enough of that from Mister Potter" she smiled when Harry chuckled and then motioned Draco to the bed next to Harry's "now both of you need rest, if you need anything just call."

"Well that was fun" Harry murmured once Pomfrey had left and then he took off his shoes and socks and then snuggled up under the thin sheet, he took off his glasses, placed them on the bedside table and laid his head on the pillow and sighed.

"Are you alright?" Draco hesitantly asked after a while "Mm-hmm" was Harry's reply as sleep was starting to claim him and he didn't want to open his eyes in case it left him. "Are you sure?" Harry sighed and mumbled "go to sleep Draco."

The sound of rustling was his confirmation that Draco was doing as he was told and Harry sighed again before turning on his side and nuzzling his face into the pillow "good night Harry."

"Good night Draco" Harry's voice was muffled from his position but it reached Draco just fine and a little blissful smile tugged at the corners of his mouth before Draco drifted off to sleep.

Draco awoke to blinding sunlight and he groaned as he pulled the cover over his head before he realized that sunlight didn't reach the dungeons. He sat up quickly, his eyes snapping open as he took in his surroundings; the infirmary.

He frowned before realization hit him; he looked over to the bed next to him and had to cover his mouth to stop from laughing. Harry was curled up in his sleep his knees pulled up to his chest and a thumb stuck in his mouth. He frowned again when Harry's face suddenly scrunched up in pain "Harry?" he called tentatively, climbing off his bed and slowing making his way over to Harry.

Then Harry started muttering in his sleep, groaning every so often. The groans and muttering steadily grew louder until the Gryffindor started screaming; his hands were clenched in the sheets no longer was he sucking on his thumb like a small infant.

Draco froze; he wasn't sure what to do, after a few moments Madam Pomfrey came bustling out of her adjoining bedchambers. She grabbed a calming draught from a shelf on her way and then shook Harry's shoulders, calling his name gently. "Harry, Harry! It's ok, they can't get you; you're safe. Come back now that's it follow my voice, good. That's it, come now open your eyes." Harry gradually quietened and eventually awoke but it was not a peaceful awakening, Harry shot up and leapt from the bed trembling violently, his eyes wide with fear until they landed on the Medi-witch and he started to take deep breaths.

"I'm sorry" Pomfrey smiled gently and shook her head, she was used to Harry's dreams and knew what to do when he had one; he preferred it if she pretended that nothing had happened. She held out the calming draught and Harry took it gratefully, he sipped it and felt its effects instantly. He sighed and sat back on the bed "was it the war or the Dursleys?" she asked gently.

"Dursleys" Harry muttered and rubbed his face they had both forgotten about Draco and he made himself known by clearing his throat "Dursleys?" he asked and Pomfrey bit her lip she looked at Harry who nodded and she stood "I'll send your breakfast's in shortly and then I want to do another check on you Mister Potter."

Harry nodded again but his eyes were still focused on Draco who was becoming uncomfortable under such a determined gaze.

As soon as the Medi-witch left Harry became uncertain and Draco sighed "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to" Harry shook his head an almost desperate look on his face "oh no, it's not that I don't want to tell you, I'm just trying to think of the easiest way to tell you!"

Draco was surprised for a moment but then a smile tugged at his lips "just start from the beginning." Harry stared at the alien look on Draco's face his heart giving a betraying little stutter.

The Gryffindor took a deep breath and let it out slowly "the beginning right... well, um you know where I stay during the holiday's right?" Draco shook his head and Harry sighed "ok well, I stay at my relatives; the Dursleys, they're Muggles and they absolutely hate anything to do with magic, especially me. They call me freak or boy at home, treat me like a house elf, worse even." Harry paused to let what he said sink in before continuing "all my magical stuff gets locked away in the attic, even my wand. My uncle Vernon would go through my trunk every year and sell anything of value; my clothes, Christmas presents, anything. He would burn my homework and books. One year he used my broom as firewood. They made me do all the chores in the house and cook all the meals. At night or when guests are round I would get locked in a small cupboard under the stairs, I would only get the smallest scraps of food while I was there and if I ever performed even the smallest amount of magic intentional or not my uncle would beat me in punishment for my 'freakish ways', sometimes the beatings would be so bad that I wouldn't be able to move for days."

Harry took a deep breath before continuing, looking down at his hands "sometimes he would just use his hands, you know slap me around a bit then send me to my cupboard" he chuckled but there was no amusement in the sound "if he was in a really bad mood he would use his belt, a couple of times he used a knife... I've still got the scars. It's funny I actually got more scars from my so called 'family' then I did during the war." Draco winced, he wanted to comfort the smaller boy but everything about Harry's posture screamed 'don't touch me'.

"They would still make me do the chores and cooking while I was injured and my uncle would punish me if I bled anywhere. My cousin used to play Harry hunting; he used to get all his friends to chase me and whoever caught me would get to kick the shit out of me whilst the others held me down, sounds like fun huh?" he asked when he saw Draco flinch.

Tears were falling down his cheeks now but he was too lost in his self hate to care. "I used to come back covered in bruises and cuts at the beginning of the year, sometimes even multiple bones would be broken but I always wore glamour's but still no one fucking noticed anything was wrong, not even when my friends would hug me and they could most probably feel that something was wrong."

Harry looked up at Draco to find tears trailing down his cheeks also and a great sob ripped through his body. Harry didn't know why he was pouring his soul out to this boy, he was a Slytherin, the enemy but something in Harry was telling him to trust this Slytherin and normally when he got a feeling like this it was right so he trusted in this feeling and hoped for the best. Draco climbed onto Harry's bed and pulled him into his lap, wrapping his arms around the smaller boys' waist. Harry clung to the Slytherin's robes as Draco rocked them both, whispering comforting words into Harry's ear.

"It's ok, I'm here. Don't cry, it's ok, shh." After a while Harry's sobs turned into hiccups and the Gryffindor buried his face in the Slytherins chest in embarrassment. "Was it always like that?" Draco asked quietly almost dreading the answer and when his answer was a small nod of the Gryffindor's head Draco's heart almost shattered into tiny little pieces. "Why didn't you ever tell anyone?"

"I tried but no one would believe me and I started thinking that no one cared" he said quietly and Draco's heart did break then "I care" he murmured into dark unruly locks and he rubbed lazy circles into the Gryffindor's back when he tensed up. "Thank you" the smaller boy whispered and wound his arms around the Slytherin's neck.

A louder than necessary cough pulled them apart and they stared at the Medi-witch as she stood Akimbo, levitating two trays of food beside her "I take it the talk went well?" she asked with a raised eyebrow Harry laughed nervously "as well as it could have gone."

She nodded and placed the trays beside the two boys. She flicked her wand at Harry and a sheet of parchment appeared in the air beside her she took it and read it quickly. "You seem to be in good health Mister Potter, return to your classes once you have eaten and I want you to come back here tonight just in case, it's still the full moon and I'd rather not have a werewolf running through the halls of Hogwarts!"

"Of course" Harry said with a small smile which the Medi-witch returned and then she left the infirmary to, no doubt, have her own breakfast in the great hall.

Harry stared at the door for a moment longer before turning to his breakfast and groaning. The elves had obviously heard of him being in the Infirmary and had made him a mini feast for his breakfast. The tray was almost over flowing and piled so high that Harry was surprised it hadn't toppled over. "The house elves really like you" Draco said with a small cheeky smile on his face "Ha Ha, I won't be able to eat all of this."

"Where's your Weasley friend when he's needed?" Draco sneered and Harry reckoned that Ron would be able to eat this mountain of food with no problem, so he ignored the Slytherin's insult and chuckled.

Harry picked up a slice of toast and lavered it with some kind of jam, he took an experimental bite and discovered the mystery jam to be strawberry, taking a bigger bite he moaned in satisfaction as he chewed. He opened his eyes to see Draco staring at him wide eyed, a chicken leg held in front of his open mouth.

Harry swallowed his mouth full and wiped at his face self consciously "what?" Draco shook his head and smiled distractedly "nothing" then he ducked his head and begun nibbling on the chicken in his hands. Harry looked at the blonde for a confused moment before shrugging his shoulders and taking another bite of his toast.

After they had finished eating they decided to head back to their houses to shower and change clothes, they walked side by side until the time came to split up. "So, I'll err..."

"Always so eloquent" Draco teased and was rewarded with an elbow in his ribs "shove off Draco" Harry murmured half-heartedly "I'll see you in class?" Draco nodded and Harry grinned and before Draco could stop himself, he leaned forward close enough to feel the Gryffindor's warm breath ghosting over his face. Harry's eyes were wide and confused and Draco couldn't help the small smile that tugged at his lips as he leaned the rest of the way and pressed his lips against Harry's. It was an exquisitely gentle, achingly slow, but only for a moment, feather-soft kiss.

Harry thought his heart would burst from his chest, no one had ever kissed him like that and when Draco pulled away his eyes were filled with a yearning hunger that sent shivers down the Gryffindor's spine. Draco tucked a lock of raven hair behind Harry's ear and smiled gently "I'll see you." And then he began walking away.

Harry's knees gave out and he slid down the wall until he sat abruptly on the floor. He lifted his hand to touch his mouth "WAIT!" He pulled himself off the floor. "Draco!" Harry pushed his glasses back up straight and looked around. "What the bloody hell was that!" But he was alone in the corridor. Draco had vanished.

When Harry got to his dorm it was empty as he expected it to be and he quickly grabbed some clean clothes from his trunk before rushing into the bathroom and turning the water on. He stripped and then stood under the hot spray, hissing quietly when the slightly too hot water beat down on his body.

He washed his hair and body quickly and then turned off the water he used a drying charm on himself and hurried to put his cleans clothes on, almost slipping on a bar of soap in his rush.

He shrunk his invisibility cloak and stuffed it his jean pocket then he quickly checked the marauders map to find his friends, they were still in the great hall. Mumbling 'mischief managed' he shrunk the map and stuffed it into his pocket also. Then he grabbed his school robes and raced down to the great hall.

He met Ron and Hermione just as they were leaving, Ron still chewing on a drumstick as he trailed beside Hermione who had her nose stuck in a book.

"Hey guys!" Harry called as he caught up "Hey you alright mate?" Ron asked when he caught sight of Harry's dishevelled state. Harry nodded, panting and lent on his taller Friend "what do we have first?" Harry asked when he got his breath back. Hermione looked at him from over her book. He ignored that his friends hadn't realized that he hadn't slept in the dorms last night, they'd been growing apart recently and Harry didn't really mind.

Hermione lifted an eyebrow at her fellow Gryffindor "we have care of magical creatures first Harry, how could you forget?"

Harry grunted a thank you and followed his two friends out the main doors and straight into a cold, biting wind. He pulled his cloak tighter around himself and wished that he had a thicker one. In the end Hermione cast a warming charm on him after she had grown irritated with his teeth chattering.

Ron was slumped next to Harry on a fallen tree, struggling to open a chocolate frog packet. "Open you bloody thing!" he muttered to himself. When he finally opened it he stuffed it in his mouth and pulled out the card "Oh look, I got you." He said and offered the card to Harry, he stared at the frowning picture of himself "I don't remember agreeing to being on one of those" he mumbled and then they both straightened when Hermione nudged Ron with her foot.

"Can anyone tell me what this is?" Hagrid yelled over the mumbling of the bored class. Harry looked at him and then to the over sized ferret in his hands which was muttering to itself; something about Hagrid being a big stupid oath. Ron started laughing and pointed at it receiving a rude comment back from the ferret-thing.

"I know what that is professor!" he said still laughing, Hagrid looked at him expectantly. "Yes Ron?" he pushed when the redhead burst into another laughing fit. "Well Its obvious isn't it? It's got to be some sort of relation to Malfoy!"

Harry chuckled quietly as the whole class started laughing except for the few Slytherins that were among them. "Shut up weasel!" Draco said stepping up to Ron until they were chest to chest. "Or what ferret, you gunna bite me?"

"Ok, ok calm down boys!" Hagrid said as he pulled Ron back and nodded to Malfoy who scoffed in return and lent back on a tree. "Right then can anyone tell me what this is?" Hagrid said again "anyone except Ron!" he added before Ron could say anything.

"Hermione?" he said smiling, she stepped forward "it's a Jarvey or more commonly known as a talking ferret-"she kicked Ron when he commented about it being Malfoy again, who growled at Ron stepping forward slightly but was held back by Blaise.

"Anything else Hermione?" Hagrid asked hopefully and she nodded "Jarveys live below ground, and their diet consists of moles, voles, rats, and Gnomes. Jarvey are particularly good at hunting Gnomes, and are sometimes employed to de-gnome a garden, although their methods are usually brutal." Hagrid nodded and half the class moaned when she continued still "A Franciscan monk, Brother Benedict, once had a run-in with a Jarvey in the grounds of his monastery. The Jarvey called him a "baldy", and then bit him on the nose so hard that the Monk was excused from Vespers."

The class burst into laughter at the last part and Hagrid scratched the Jarvey on the top of its head. "Very good; ten points to Gryffindor!"

Beside him Ron mouthed a silent yes and elbowed Harry gently in the ribs a couple times urging Harry to celebrate with him. The green eyed Gryffindor gave him a weak smile and looked back to Hagrid when he started to speak. "as you can hear they are capable of speaking, but unfortunately it is impossible to hold a conversation with them because all the creatures use are; short, usually rude, statements and phrases in an almost constant stream."

"Definitely a Malfoy then!" Ron murmured again and Harry stomped on the redheads foot; his patience starting to thin. "That's it Weasel; I've had enough!" Draco shouted as he approached Ron. He stepped back slightly shocked at the outburst but then recovered and pulled out his wand. Hermione started shouting at him about how stupid this was, Hagrid was muttering to the ferret thing, giving up when no one listened to him.

Draco laughed suddenly "Oh come now, Weasel do you really think you will last against me after what happened in second year?" he was obviously talking about the time when Ron's wand backfired which resulted in him throwing up slugs, a hex meant for Malfoy. Which, looking back on it, was actually quite hilarious.

Ron's face went red "shut it Malfoy!" Draco smiled triumphantly "come on then weasel hit me with your best shot!" Ron lips twitched and he flicked his wand. At first nothing happened but then people started giggling. Harry looked at what everyone was pointing at and couldn't help a snort of laughter when he looked at Draco.

"What the hell are you all laughing at?" Draco asked; which made everyone burst out laughing. Ron had changed the colour of his hair. Instead of the usual trade mark Malfoy platinum blonde it was now a collection of neon colours: pink, blue, green, orange, yellow, and purple. "Nice hair Malfoy!" someone in the crowd shouted out suddenly. He raised an eyebrow at his friends who were trying their hardest not to laugh.

Finally pansy shoved a hand mirror in his hand, his eyes widened when he glanced into his reflection. "How dare you weasel!" he growled out as he crushed the delicate mirror in his hand. Pansy whimpered when it was handed back to her and she cast a Repario spell on it.

"If that's how you want to play Weasel; then so be it, Descendo!" he said with a smirk on his face and almost immediately Ron started to sink into the soft earth. A strangled noise escaped his lips as he tried to stop from sinking any further. "Finite incantatem!" Hermione yelled and Ron was shot from the earth she glared at Malfoy who was laughing, he turned to pansy who cancelled the charm on his hair and told him off for crushing her mirror and how much bad luck he would get in doing so. Suddenly Ron ran at Draco aiming his wand at him "IMPEDIMENTA!" he shouted and Draco was thrown back by an invisible force, he flew into a tree and a sickening crack was heard when his head connected with it, his body went limp and Harry felt something snap within him. It felt like a dam had crumbled inside him and whatever ever it was holding back was rushing through his body, sending gooseflesh across his skin.

He watched as Hermione pushed her way through the crowd and instantly turned into the mother hen everyone knew her as. She gently inspected Draco's head whispering a quiet 'Episkey' then she laid him out flat and inspected the rest of his body. Once she was certain he didn't have any other injuries she pointed her wand at his head and said "Rennervate!" at first Harry didn't think anything would happen and he was ready to turn on Ron and bash his head against a tree but then a soft moan escaped the Slytherin's lips, his eyelids fluttered then slowly opened to show two confused silver orbs.

He sat up and gingerly rubbed his head "what the hell happened?" he asked no one in particular. "Ron hit you with an Impedimenta." Hermione provided when no one else answered. He glared at the red head and Harry, now that he knew that Draco was alright, let whatever it was inside him loose and he turned on his friend growling deep in his throat. It was a totally animalistic noise that sent shivers up everybody else's spines.

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!?" he shouted at a shocked looking Weasley "YOU COULD HAVE BLOODY KILLED HIM YOU TWAT!" he continued ignoring the protests from Hermione "Harry, forget it Malfoy's fine." He turned on her then "NO I WON'T FUCKING FORGET IT!" the young witches eyes widened at Harry's words and that was when Draco noticed Harry's eyes; they were glowing. Not human eyes but wolf eyes. The blonde struggled to get up and was thankful when a pair of hands helped him to his feet; Draco nodded to Blaise who just stared at Harry as he continued his outburst.

The Slytherin walked slowly to the raving Gryffindor, pushing through the crowd that was watching in shocked silence. "GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!" Harry screamed when Hermione tried to calm him down by holding his arm, Hermione thought it was just another of his episodes and was ready to hex him if he became violent. He snarled at the witch and Draco noticed the fangs that were elongating in his mouth "Harry!" He called when He escaped the crowd.

The emerald eyed Gryffindor froze, his shoulders visibly tensing and he turned slowly his face was blank but his eyes were filled with fear he looked around himself. Draco looked around as well, at all the faces of confusion and fear that watched Harry.

Harry looked down at his hands and a quiet whine escaped his lips as the claws that had erupted from his fingers cut into the palms of his clenched fists. He started to tremble and Draco pulled the smaller boy into his arms "It's ok Harry, calm down." Draco murmured into his ear. Harry drew in a deep shaky breath then pulled away from the blonde. He looked at the Slytherin blankly; even his eyes were emotionless this time "no it's not ok" then turned and walked away from the giants hut. Everybody stared after the boy-who-lived for a while then looked back to Draco who was still staring after the Gryffindor with sad eyes. Draco's gaze turned to Ron and Hermione crouched in the dirt and he scowled at them. He turned away and, with a determined stride, followed after harry.

To be continued...