Draco stirred. He could tell the room was warm but that didn't stop him shaking. His arms ached and his head was pounding a terrible drum between his ears.

Shame filled him as the memory of yesterday's events returned. He had been so pitiful and weak, just like the voice in his head had said. He didn't remember crawling into the warmth of his bed however. Or lighting a fire which still smouldered.

A soft snort behind him made him start. He fumbled for his wand but it wasn't on the table where he normally left it. Cautiously he rolled over.

There was a figure in the bed next to him, a bed which had been vacant for weeks. Sticking out of the top was a tuft of messy hair and a pair of glasses rested on the little table. Harry Potter was in his bedroom, sleeping as though nothing was amiss. Draco, wide awake now, wanted answers. He grabbed one of his spare pillows and flung it across the room, wincing at the tinge in his arm. The pillow managed to hit Harry square in the face who jerked awake at once. He groaned and flopped back onto the bed, fumbling blindly for his glasses. Once wearing them he rolled his head to the side.

"You ok?" The concern in Harry's voice just succeeded to irk Draco further.

"What are you doing in my dorm room, Potter?" Draco tried to keep his voice icy cold like his father had taught him but he knew it shook a bit at the end.

"I came to help you, and don't you dare say you don't need it." Harry sat up. His hair looked even more ruffled than normal. His robe shirt was creased and crumbled from the night and had blood flecks on it. Draco looked down, ashamed. He was tempted to roll over like a child, but he didn't want to put his back to Potter.

"Make yourself useful at least. There is chocolate powder on that table over there." Harry raised an eyebrow but got up anyway. He scooped some into the only mug and filled it with hot water from his wand. Next to the hot chocolate was a bowl of little marshmallows so Harry threw some into the mix as well. He carried the mug over to Draco who had now propped himself up on a cushion. He reached his hand out to receive the mug.

"It's amazing how quickly you can turn cocky." Draco looked up to make a snappy retort but realised Harry was smiling softly. He took the mug meekly and looked into the sweet smelling liquid.

"How did you know I needed...help?" There was a pause before the word as though it had offended him. Harry clearly looked uncomfortable to answer but that only made him more curious.

"I- I'll tell you so long as you keep it secret. It's not something I should really have." Draco tilted his head to the side, indicating that he should go on. Harry pulled a tattered bit of parchment from his robe pocket and placed it in Draco's hands. He looked at it and frowned. It was blank. Looking up he saw that small smile on Harry's lips again. Harry tapped the parchment with the tip of his wand.

"I solemnly swear I'm up to no good." Draco's eyes grew wide as ink spread and blossomed across the page. Lines were fanning out from the centre and parts started to move. Draco realised then that he was looking at an intricate map of Hogwarts, and even more astoundingly than that it show the location of everyone within. His fingers traced their own names which were currently sat in the Slytherin dorms. Looking up, eyes met, grey to green.

"This is how you always seem to know where I am?" Harry nodded. He scrutinised the map some more spotting Snape in his office and Dumbledore at the edge of the map near the lake. With a jolt of worry he wondered if Harry could see what he had been doing in the room of requirement. He quickly scanned to the 7th floor. Harry caught the movement of his eyes.

"The Room doesn't show up, it's unplottable." This time when eyes met the grey ones were narrowed.

"Why should I be interested in that?"

"I know you are there a lot, more than just the one time we met there. You haven't been since before Christmas, at least not when I've been looking."

"You really were stalking me, huh?"

"Only a little. I was concerned." At the livid look on Malfoy's face Harry continued, "And we have already had this conversation about you not denying you need it."

"It was hardly a conversation." Draco muttered under his breath. "How did you get in here anyway, I highly doubt any Slytherin is stupid enough to give you the password." He said a little louder. Harry grinned. He isn't half bad when he grins like that. Stop it Draco, he wasn't interested before, he most defiantly won't be interested now.

"You did actually, you gave me access every time I've been in."

"What?!"

"Yes, the last time I heard you say it and used it again this time, the first time you just let us walk right-" Harry stopped. He hadn't meant to mention the first time he had entered the Slytherin Common rooms.

"And when was this first time?" The cat was out of the bag now, there wasn't any way for Harry to deny it so he continued.

"In the second year we brewed Polyjuice potion and came in as Crabbe and Goyle to find out if you were opening the Chamber of Secrets." Harry tried to say it matter-of-factly, as though it was no big deal.

"My, my Potter. Devious little thing, I'd have never expected that from a Gryffindor." Draco put an extra emphasis on the last word. There was defiantly a feeling of the old, smug Malfoy behind those words.

"You're not the only one full of secrets Malfoy."

"Oh but you know all of my secrets now, what will stalking into my bed chambers." Harry flushed at the memory of the silk pants he had seen on his previous visit.

"Don't sound so ungrateful Malfoy, I might leave you to die next time." Harry regretted the words before they had fully left his mouth. At once the familiar sense of rivalry between them was replaced by a tense atmosphere. They sat in terse silence, refusing to break eye contact. Eventually Harry looked away, muttering sorry.

"I deserved that and worse." There was some more silence. Harry was starting to feel that Draco didn't want him there, in reality the latter couldn't think of anything to say that didn't make him sound like a complete fool.

"I-" Both boys began at once. "Carry on Potter." Draco added

"I ought to get going. I've been here all day, Hermione and Ron will be getting worried." Draco glanced down at the map still open across the sheets. He could see Weasel's dot pacing in the Gryffindor Common room.

"Yes, we wouldn't want them sending a lynch mob after me."

"They don't know I'm with you actually, I left in a hurry, but yes, I should go." There was a pause before Harry stood. He didn't want to go, he wanted to keep Draco company through the night. Harry doubted that Draco would appreciate the sentiment however, and as he didn't say anything Harry began to leave. He folded the map up and Draco slid out of bed to put his empty mug down.

His hand was on the doorknob when he felt arms wrap around his waist. "Thank you." And then the arms were gone as suddenly as they appeared. Harry nodded without turning and left the room, slipping on the invisibility cloak as he went.

.

.

Ron was indeed pacing in the common room. He and Hermione pounced on him as soon as he made it through the portrait hole.

"Where have you been?" "We've been so worried!" "We were about to call McGonagall." "We looked for you at Hagrid's, he said he'd check the woods!" He waved them off and fell into one of the big chairs by the fire.

"I'm sorry. I honestly didn't mean to be gone so long or I would have sent a message, time slipped away from me." He removed his glasses to rub the bridge of his nose. Despite having a nap in the Slytherin dorms he was still exhausted, performing so many difficult spells in a short time had been very draining. He knew however there was no way he'd get to bed yet, his friends would demand the answers they deserved.

"You left so suddenly this morning, then didn't show up at lunch or dinner. We thought something awful might have hap- Harry is that blood on you shirt sleeve?!" Hermione seized his arm and pulled it closer for examination. After confirming the blood wasn't Harry's she stared at his with a raised eyebrow, waiting for him to speak.

"It's Draco's blood."

"You've been fighting with Malfoy?!" Ron burst. Hermione hissed at him to be quite before nodding, indicating he should carry on. Harry wasn't really sure how much to tell them, he was sure he could trust his friends but it wasn't really his secret to entrust. He sighed again.

"No, I haven't been fighting with Malfoy. We are… not friends exactly, but we seemed to have formed a mutual understanding." Harry was floundering, trying to find words that suited their odd relationship. "He needed my help today and I gave it to him, I can't really say more. It's an awkward situation."

Ron looked confused, trying to put together 'Harry', 'Malfoy' and 'mutual understanding' into once sentence. Hermione didn't seem to be doing much better.

"How long have you been… in this relationship with Malfoy?" Ron spluttered and choked. "Oh Merlin! I didn't mean it like that. I just meant…" Hermione tailed off, looking apologetically at Ron as he tried to regain composure.

"Since he ended up in the hospital wing at the start of term."

"When you walked through the common room covered in blood?" Ron spluttered again as Harry nodded.

"What? How come I didn't know this?"

"Lavender." Hermione and Harry said together.

"It was his blood then as well, wasn't it? Harry what are you doing with him? You know blood magic can be as dark as it is powerful."

"This isn't blood magic Hermione! I barely even know what that is. Look it's complicated and I want to tell you more but I can't."

"Has the scumbag sworn you to secrecy?" Interjected Ron, making Harry scowl at his choice or words.

"No, nothing of the sort. It's just not my secret to tell, that's all." Hermione nodded, she at least seemed placated by this. Ron on the other hand looked like he was on the edge of an explosion.

"We are your friends Harry, your best friends! Not this death-eater spawn. Why the hell would you keep his secrets from us?" Harry flinched even more at that. "You've been acting off all term, this is why, isn't it? This… This…" Ron seemed unable to come up with a term derogatory enough to suit his needs. "Harry you were the one accusing him of being a deatheater just months ago! What changed your mind?"

Harry swallowed. Dare he tell his friends what had rattled him so this morning? He decided that was one lie he could not tell.

"He is, but-"

"WHAT THE HELL HARRY?" Many heads turned in their direction and Hermione poked Ron in the ribs, shh-ing him again.

"Let me explain, he doesn't want it. At least it seems that way, he is so lost and alone. I think he can still be saved Ron, he isn't his father." The expression on Ron's face would have been humorous had it been any other time. "If you've got any questions say them now, because this conversation is going to be closed afterwards."

"What's with all the blood?" Hermione asked.

"I can't explain that bit."

"Did he have anything to do with that scar on your leg and the attack in the room of requirement?" Hermione could be a little too sharp at times.

"Yes." And after a pause: "Nothing else?" As they said nothing, Harry stood and burled the invisibility cloak up under his arm. "You coming to bed, mate?"

"No, I think I'll stay down here for a couple of minutes." Harry nodded, knowing he would be the primary topic of discussion but left anyway. He didn't really care, he just needed a good night's sleep.

.

.

Harry was up in a spacious tower room that was open to the stars. He was lying on a bed of green and gold, staring at the constellations. He had never been much good at astronomy but he was able to pick out some of them. He knew just enough to be able to pick Draco out of the skies.

Despite the open ceiling, the room was warm. It smelt of hot chocolate and something fresh and soothing Harry couldn't quite put his finger on. He settled back a little into the plush cushions and sighed contentedly. His eyes fluttered shut as the door to this room opened.

The smell intensified as footsteps approached the bed. It was bugging him that he couldn't quite put his finger on the smell, it was crisp and sweet and fresh and wonderful. Almost fruity in fact. Almost like a crisp apple. Yes, of course. It was apple, it had always been apple.

For a moment Harry's eyes nearly flickered open to greet his friend but they didn't after a soft whisper from him. The bed dipped slightly as his friend, his kindred spirit, drew closer. Breath tickled his lips as Draco breathed "Thank you" over them. He felt those lips brush his own, feather light.

"Harry! Harry we are late for breakfast!" Harry sat bolt upright in bed, almost head-butting Ron who had been lent over him. It was almost eight, at this rate he would be late for potions too, but despite this Harry rolled over. He tried to savour the fading memory of apples but like all good things, it was gone too fast.

A/N I got it done on time! This is literally hot off the press as I had been playing around with a Hermione chapter. I decided against it in the end, though we will find out more about what is going on with her next time. Sorry also its a bit short, I am aiming for 3k words and this one fell short. The next should be longer. I hope the fluff has helped you recover from last week .