Year Five

Harry's ribs ached. He knew he shouldn't be binding with ace bandages, but he had no other choice. His previous binder barely fit over his head anymore, and he couldn't suffer the discomfort that came from wearing a bra. At this point, he simply didn't care if he injured himself. Between the ace bandages and living with the Dursleys, he was bound to get injured anyways. Harry pulled the bandages tight, then put his shirt on. It would have to do.

Petunia slapped the back of Harry's head as he left the bathroom. "You've got no right taking so long in there! Breakfast needs to be made for Dudley. Go on!" Harry cringed and carried on to the kitchen, hunched over himself in a way to make himself seem smaller. Unfortunately, he was lanky and skinny, which made this a little difficult. Harry tripped over Dudley's leg that was stuck out on purpose, but he carried on, head down.

Today, Harry didn't want any trouble. He wouldn't rise to Dudley's bait, and he wouldn't snap at Vernon when he was being rushed to finish breakfast. Instead Harry served everyone at the table in silence, and quickly bounded up to the room he had finally been granted. Harry had a feeling he would always be claustrophobic. Harry skipped meals frequently at the Dursley's. He didn't want to give them a reason to hurt him.

Harry rummaged in his pockets to check he had enough money to buy something at the corner shop, then opened his window and hopped out. Harry wasn't immune to hunger, and as a growing boy he still needed something. Harry went to the nearest corner shop and bought a muffin and some OJ. Then he sat on the front steps to the shop and ate there. Harry suddenly turned his head to the side. Yes, there was the black dog in the alley way that Harry had come to know was Sirius.

He glanced around, then got up and skirted into the alleyway. "Sirius? What're you doing here?" Sirius shook himself and transformed back into his human form.

"I wanted to pay you a little visit. Sending letters these days just doesn't suffice. Plus, mine are being watched." Harry allowed himself to be hugged by Sirius.

"But aren't you on house arrest?"

Sirius pulled back and put a finger over his lips, then winked. "I am. But don't tell anyone about this, not even Hermione and Ron. I just want to tell you that Remus is fine, he's living with me now. He's found a job again!"

Harry nodded. He remembered when Snape had gotten Remus fired. It only tripled his hatred for the potions teacher. "Sirius, are you sure there's no way I can stay with you?"

Sirius sighed and shook his head. "I'm afraid not Harry. While the wizarding council doesn't care about a werewolf living with me, they do care deeply about the Boy Who Lived."

Harry looked down, tears pricking his eyes, and Sirius laid a hand on Harry's shoulder. "I'm working on it, Harry, I really am. I've got to go now okay?"

Sirius transformed back into his dog form, licked Harry's hand, and then trotted off. Harry was getting used to the feeling of disappointment.

Hogwarts was...different, this year. Draco seemed to be stubbornly avoiding Harry altogether with a haughty indifference. Harry almost missed the jibes and sneers from Draco. Despite the teasing being annoying, it was what made his days at Hogwarts normal. Hermione and Ron didn't miss Draco one bit.

"Don't look a gift horse in the face, Harry. Just accept it." Harry rolled his eyes. That sure was rich coming from a dentists daughter.

Hermione did have less ironic things to say that year. Harry had finally worked up the courage to ask Hermione about the spell that would make his voice lower. It was simply too feminine sounding to him.

"Oh that's right! I memorized the spell for you! You have to reapply it everyday, it wears off after twenty four hours."

Harry was surprise that Hermione had memorized the spell just for him, and hugged her.

"Thank you Hermione, you're the best!"

Hermione smiled. "Of course Harry, I only want to help you the best I can.'

And just like that, Harry had a new step added to his daily schedule. Wake up, shower and change in the bathroom, apply the voice spell. Eat breakfast, ignore Draco's stares, go to class. Eat lunch, trade silly faces with Draco, then spend time with friends. Worry if his face looked to feminine, be reassured by friends and his new deeper voice that he was passing. Somewhere along the way, multiple times a day, trade lighthearted insults with Draco. It seemed like even Draco couldn't break his habits for long. Eat dinner, cast a spell that made Draco's drink spill, and then avoid his food. Draco was fond of slipping a molding charm on Harry's food. Go to bed and free himself from the confines of his binder.

Harry had taken to wandering the school during the nights he couldn't sleep. Every now and then he'd run into a ghost and have a pleasant little chat, and he'd avoid Filch's cat like the plague. One night, Harry seemed to be quite lost, until a door appeared. Harry enjoyed visiting abandoned classrooms and snooping around, so he opened the door. Harry was amazed by all the junk he found in there. Harry stepped in and quietly shut the door behind him, before taking off his Invisibility Cloak.

Harry roamed the room, running his hands along things and trying on the most ridiculous looking hats. Harry put a hat on and found a mirror. He stepped up to it, fully intending to make silly faces at himself, but ended up confused and shocked instead. It wasn't Harry wearing a big hat in the mirror, but Harry wearing normal clothes with his parents behind him. Harry watched, transfixed, as his mother pulled a present from behind her back. He watched himself open it to reveal a binder inside. Next his parents were hugging him.

Harry didn't realize tears were falling down his face until he heard a voice say his name softly behind him. Harry jumped and quickly took off the hat he was still wearing, and wiped his cheeks. "Malfoy? What're you, um, doing here?"

Malfoy was looking at him with a gentle expression. "I couldn't sleep." He stepped beside Harry and looked into the mirror, head tilted thoughtfully. Harry watched him warily. The scene was almost eery. Harry and Draco, standing beside each other, moonlight spilling onto their faces. Draco's hair almost seemed to glow in the light, and his steely blue eyes were breath taking. From a distance, Draco seemed all sharp edges, but up close, Harry could see that Draco's cheeks actually looked quite soft.

Suddenly Draco's eyes met Harry's. "Harry, what did you see?" Harry was surprised, and turned defensive.

"I-I dunno, why does it matter?" Draco didn't become aggressive like Harry thought he would, his voice still stayed gentle.

"Because this is the Mirror of Erised. Or rather, the Mirror of Desire. It's backwards."

Harry looked at the top of the mirror and saw that "Mirror of Erised" was indeed engraved there. Harry supposed it wouldn't hurt to tell Draco what he saw, and if Draco made fun of him harry would just hex him.

"I saw my parents. They accepted me as who I am." Harry swallowed and gripped at his Invisibility Cloak nervously, the choked out a watery laugh. "It's a bit silly isn't it? My desire is for my dead parents to accept me. As if it matters." He looked down, trying to keep from crying. After composing himself Harry glanced back up at Draco. "What about you? What do you see?"

Draco looked at him, and then the mirror, and was silent for a long time. "I see...happiness."

Harry stared at him, unsure of what Draco meant by that. The two stood side by side for a while, in comfortable silence.

III

Draco had been wandering the halls, unable to sleep, when he opened a door at random. Draco stopped in his tracks when he saw a familiar mop of unruly hair ahead. What was Harry Potter doing awake, and what was this room? Draco trailed behind Harry at a far distance, watching him try on hats and look at random objects. Every now and then Draco could hear Harry giggle at a particularly ridiculous hat, and it made his heart flutter. Draco wasn't sure why, but it needed to stop.

Harry was the most beautiful man Draco had witnessed. Harry had grown into a handsome young man, and his skin seemed to shine in the moonlight. It took Draco's breath away. Draco hid behind a shelf and watched as Harry stopped in his tracks at a mirror. Was the hat that shocking? Draco was alarmed to hear Harry sniffle, and wanted to do whatever he could to stop it. He slowly edged closer. "Harry?" Harry looked alarmed and made a feeble attempt to hide that he was crying.

Draco wanted to hug Harry and tell him everything was alright, but instead simply answered his question. Draco stared at the mirror, and noticed the engravings. Erised...Desire. Ah, it showed what you desired. Draco looked at his reflection, and frowned. If it showed what you desired, than why was it just showing Harry and himself standing next to each other? Oh. They were smiling, grinning even. And when Draco looked closer, he could see that they were holding hands.

Draco fought down a blush and turned to Harry, who was staring at him intensely. The shadows highlighted Harry's gaunt cheeks, and moonlight filtered through Harry's delicate and long eyelashes. Draco was falling for Harry Potter, and it hurt more than anything in the world to know that Harry wouldn't like him back. He had Viktor Krum. Draco was nothing compared to him.

When Draco heard what Harry had seen in the mirror, his heart ached. Voldemort's last act had been to steal Harry's chance at a full family away from him. Draco wondered if the people Harry stayed with now accepted him and treated him right. I mean, they had to. He was the Boy Who Lived. But Draco saw the way Harry had flinched when things seemed like they would get physical in altercations he's had with other students. It made him worry.

After the night with the mirror, Harry and Draco didn't talk much, but they weren't hostile towards each other. It seemed as if overnight they had reached an agreement that bickering was pointless and almost tiresome. They had a mutual respect for each other. They still teased each other and made faces at one another, but both weren't afraid to laugh with each other after the ridiculous insults they would come up with. Hermione and Ron, as usual, were always quick to notice the change in Draco and Harry's relationship.

"Did something happen between you two that Hermione and I don't know about?" Ron seemed frankly disturbed. Harry shook his head.

"Not really." Harry was grateful for the change, and the rest of the year seemed to go by much more smoothly. Whenever Harry and Draco passed each other in the halls, they would share a nod. Sometimes, Harry would even go so far as to smile. It felt comfortable. Harry was even considering making a peace offering. Draco really wasn't so bad.

III

Harry's ribs started aching more than usual, but he still continued to bind with ace bandages. One such morning, Harry was just finishing binding when a half asleep Ron barged in. Ron in the morning might as well be a zombie, but his eyes doubled in size.

"Harry you're...those things are bad for you!" Harry flushed deeply and covered his chest, despite not needing to. He could see the other boys in the dorm looking at the commotion in an interest.

"Well I've got nothing else! Now if you would kindly-" Harry pushed him out and shut the door, then yanked his shirt on. Bloody hell, the one time I don't lock the door!

III

That Christmas, as Ron and Harry opened their presents, Harry found on with a huge card on front. It read:

From all the boys in your dormitory (Plus Hermione)

Harry opened it, curious. Ron had stopped his gift opening to watch Harry in excitement. What Harry saw made him tear up. It was a plain white binder, but it meant the world to Harry.

"I got everyone to help chip in for that. They were all really worried. So was I-" Ron's words were cut off as he was tackle hugged by Harry.

"Thank you so much Ron. You're the best mate I could ever have!"

Ron's ears turned pink and he patted Harry's back.

"Y-yeah it's nothing."

Harry chuckled and ran to the bathroom to change into his new binder. Harry's friends had made his whole year, and he knew it would be even harder to leave Hogwarts this year.

Much more Drarry up ahead! And hey! Do NOT bind with ace bandages, use a sports bra if you can't get a binder. Thank you for reading! Please leave a review with any suggestions! 3

(Also for anyone who didn't get the part where Hermione said "Don't look a gift horse in the face", look up the phrase and you'll understand that part)