This story archived at The Hex Files - http://www.thehexfiles.net/viewstory.php?sid=295

http://www.thehexfiles.net/viewuser.php?uid=33

Notes: Written for Wave 1 of The Ebony and Ivory Fu-Q-fest found at http://mortal-moon.org/hdfqf/index.html

Challenges: 59. Harry finds Draco crying. (Minnie)
79. Harry finds out what Draco sees when he's near a dementor. (Aeowen)
12. Draco overhears a secret of Harry Potter...he likes a Slytherin. (Minnie)

Summary: Draco is turned into a child. Harry takes care of him.

To the Moon

by Constant Vigilance

Chapter 1: To the Moon

June 30:

Harry watched Draco out of the corner of his eye. He�d become very adept at it since the beginning of the year. The times that Ron or Hermione caught him, he�d managed to cover it up by stating he was just glaring at the Slytherin. Which he wasn�t by any means. Matter of fact, he couldn�t remember the last time he seriously glared at his blond obsession. These days, glares were more likely to be given over to longing glances.

He didn�t have the slightest clue how he was going to manage the upcoming two months of summer break without his daily Draco watching. He could hardly make it through a meal without staring. Take for example, right now.

Harry was �eating his breakfast� which translated to shoving his eggs around his plate while trying to catch sight of Malfoy�s bright head over the Ravenclaw table. In a few minutes, Dumbledore would bid everyone a safe and happy summer and everyone would race to the carriages that would take them to Hogsmeade. At that point, Harry would spend every second vainly searching for one last look, hoping for something to hold him over the summer when Draco was at Malfoy Manor.

Harry was about to jump up and remove Terry Boot�s ridiculous hat if it didn�t stop bobbing in front of Draco�s face. Just as the urge to snatch Terry�s bloody head off nearly drove Harry from his seat, the last owl mail of the year flew in the windows. After months of watching everything Malfoy, Harry could now spot the Malfoy eagle owl almost as easily as he could find Hedwig, and the beautiful creature was winging its way to Draco as Harry watched.

Draco held out his hands and caught the package, nodding to the owl as it swooped around and headed back out. Harry watched as Draco grinned in anticipation, showing the package to his goon squad, Goyle and Crabbe. Draco quickly untied the wrapping and then frowned down at its contents. Harry strained to see what the gift was without making it obvious that he was looking. He needn�t have worried, though, as half the school was staring at the table, dying to see what Draco Malfoy got in the mail.

A confused look ran across Draco�s face as he reached down into the wrapping and plucked up what looked to be a statue. Harry couldn�t see it very well, but he could tell that it had at least three different aspects carved into it. One looked like fire, another like a cornstalk pile, and another like an Egyptian ankh. He squinted to get a better look when all hell broke loose at the Slytherin table.

Screams began to radiate out from Draco�s seat and people started shoving benches away from the table and scrambling backwards. Harry noted that, while Crabbe and Goyle stood, they hovered protectively around Draco who continued to sit, staring flabbergasted at the relic as it worked its magic on him. He began to shrink. His features became more angular and his body less toned. He appeared to be growing younger with every second that passed. He also didn�t appear to be able to release the relic because his steadily smaller hands were still wrapped around it.

As he shrank to the point where he almost couldn�t see over the table any longer, the relic fell from his hands, hands too small to hold the weight of the piece any longer. Goyle reached forward and snatched the small Draco away from the statue, pulling him up against his waist and half turning to shield him from the room. The head table erupted in movement as teachers raced to regain control.

Dumbledore and Snape headed over to the Slytherin table while the other teachers waved students back to their seats. The headmaster knelt next to the statue and examined it cautiously, without touching it, for long moments before giving a slight �hmph� and producing a swath of cloth from his robes. He tossed the cloth over the relic and gingerly picked it up, holding it closely against his robes.

He turned to take in Draco. The small boy was cowering against Goyle�s leg, eyes unbelievably wide and frightened. Snape was at the front of the Slytherin table trying to calm down a horde of shrieking first years. Dumbledore took a step towards Draco and realized that Draco wasn�t looking at him at all. He was staring out at the sea of inquisitive faces behind him.

Before the headmaster could shield him, or even offer him a word of comfort, Draco bolted. He picked up the excess material of his robes and raced out of the room. Sadly, Dumbledore watched him go; knowing there was no way his old legs could catch him. He looked to the Slytherins, wondering who would take up this task. Not surprisingly, Crabbe and Goyle exchanged glances and began lumbering out of the room, though at a much slower pace.

Dumbledore turned a disapproving look on the rest of the motionless Slytherins and then moved to eye the rest of the room. He watched with a glimmer of amusement as Harry Potter began fidgeting. Fidgeting grew to squirming. Squirming turned into the boy pushing his seat back and taking off at nearly a fast a run as the young Mr. Malfoy.

Harry ignored the cries sent up by his friends and McGonagall and slammed through the doors that Draco had exited a moment earlier. McGonagall turned frustrated eyes on the headmaster who simply gave a tiny shake of his head. She quirked an eyebrow but returned to calming the Gryffindors who were less than happy that their Golden Boy had just run off after the Slytherin Prince.

Harry searched for nearly five minutes before spotting Goyle and Crabbe in the charms corridor. They were crouched in front of a large statue entreating what Harry thought might be Draco to come out. Harry approached cautiously. One did not interfere with the hulking goons� charge without their permission. They were like rabid wolverines when it came to protecting Draco. Surprisingly enough, they flashed him a look of relief as he came into sight.

�Did you find him?� Harry asked carefully.

�Yeah,� Goyle nodded. �There�s a small hole behind here. He�s shoved himself up into the corner there. We can�t reach him.� Harry knelt and followed Goyle�s finger to see a small figure curled into a ball.

�We�re pretty sure that he�s as old as he looks, too,� Crabbe added. �He doesn�t seem to remember who we are. He won�t believe that we�re the Crabbe and Goyle that he knows.�

�Can you get to him?� Goyle asked stiltedly.

Harry shrugged and began unbuttoning his cloak. �Dunno, but I�m sure going to try.� He dropped his school robe in a heap next to the statue and belly crawled behind it until he was blocking the hole with his body. Draco looked up as Harry�s shadow fell across the opening and Harry felt his gut ache as he took in the tears on the little boy�s face. Draco looked so tiny huddled back in that hole.

�Hi,� Harry whispered. Draco didn�t reply, just stared suspiciously at him. �I�m Harry. Do you remember me?�

Draco shook his head slowly. �I don�t know anyone named Harry.�

�Well, now you do,� the Gryffindor smiled widely.

�Don�t care,� Draco returned belligerently, his small chin coming up.

Harry shrugged, pleased to see some life returning to those scared eyes. �That�s fine. You don�t have to. Draco, why�d you run away?�

Draco moved back into his huddle. �Too many people,� he whispered. �Didn�t think there were that many people anywhere.�

Harry nodded. �I understand. I wasn�t raised with that many people either. Just my aunt, uncle and cousin. I was a bit frightened myself when I saw haw many people were here.�

�Really?� Draco asked skeptically.

�Really, � Harry smiled. �Draco, when you were holding that statue,� he continued in a more serious tone, �Did it hurt you at all?�

�It pulled me out of my room,� Draco accused.

�Your room? At the Manor? You were at your home?� Draco nodded. �What were you doing?�

�Sums.�

�Did it hurt? When you were pulled out of your room?� Harry asked again. �Or were you hurt by anything here? Are you injured or just scared?�

There was a brief moment of silence in which Harry tried to peer further into the darkened hole and Draco stared distrustfully back out at him. Finally, �No, the statue didn�t hurt me. But when I was running away, I tripped on my robes and hurt my hands.� His small face screwed up again, holding back tears and Harry was struck by how devastated the boy sounded. He looked curiously over at Goyle and Crabbe.

Crabbe shuffled a bit, not meeting Harry�s eyes. Goyle sighed and then whispered, �He was always falling over himself when he was little. Always hurting himself. His mum and dad would get really angry at him.�

�We always thought that he might be�getting punished whenever he hurt himself,� Vince added, not seeming to notice Goyle�s resulting glare. �Just from the way he acted. He grew out of it around 7 or 8.� The look of fury on Harry�s face was enough that the boys took a step back.

Harry composed his expression and looked back in at Draco. �Draco, you aren�t in trouble,� he said soothingly. �I hurt myself all the time. I�m terribly accident-prone and I�m years older than you. It isn�t your fault. You have on huge robes. You were bound to trip over them sometime. But I am worried about your hands. Can you come out where I can see if you need some healing?� Harry tried to put a note of coaxing into his voice.

Draco hesitated.

�Please?�

There were sounds of shuffling and then Draco�s tiny golden head poked out of the hole behind the statue. Harry smiled and scooted back to make room for Draco to come out. Harry sat back against the wall and waited for Draco to come to him. Slowly, the boy did just that. Harry patiently waited for Draco to hold out his hand for inspection.

It wasn�t terrible. The palms of the small boy�s hands were skinned, bits of dirt clung to the sweaty little appendages. The worst of it was a badly broken fingernail. Harry clucked over it. �That looks like it hurts,� he said, turning it this way and that to inspect it. �Would you mind if I healed it for you?

When Draco hesitated, Harry looked back up at the two Slytherins watching somberly. �They never healed anything that wasn�t killing him,� Greg grudgingly answered Harry�s look. Draco looked up in fear as though he knew precisely whom �they� were and Greg tried to smile at him. Draco inched away from Greg, putting him closer to Harry�s lap.

�Would you like to sit here with me? Maybe in my lap, so I can see those hands better?� Harry asked.

Draco�s eyes grew wide. �You want me to sit on your lap?� he whispered.

Harry nodded and settled down to make his legs a comfy spot. He held his hands out and Draco just watched for a long time before inching closer and finally, carefully placing himself in Harry�s lap. Harry gently placed an arm around the boy, feeling him tense, and took hold of Draco�s left hand. Harry whispered a mild cleansing spell and then a basic healing one.

Draco stared in amazement as his hurt went away. He investigated the healed hand as soon as Harry turned it loose.

�Feel better?� Harry asked softly. Draco nodded and returned to staring at Harry. �Want me to do the other one now?� Draco nodded and presented his right hand. Harry repeated the procedure. �Are you hurt anywhere else?� Draco shook his head, hesitated, and then nodded instead. �Where?� Harry asked, concern coloring his voice. �Tell me and I�ll fix it for you.�

Tears welled up in Draco�s eyes and he shook his head. Harry frowned. �Why not?�

�They said it�s supposed to teach me a lesson,� Draco whispered.

Harry suppressed a growl, lest he ruin his hard earned trust. �Draco, you�re a little boy,� he explained. �Leaving you hurt doesn�t teach you a lesson. It just teaches you not to trust others who want to help you. And I do want to help,� he added earnestly. �Please show me where you hurt.�

Slowly, Draco lifted his robes and pulled up the leg of his too large pants. Greg gasped. �Holy shit, that�s when he got it,� he whispers. Harry glances up; more to stop looking at the weeping burn striping nearly the whole of Draco�s lower right leg than to acknowledge Greg. �He has that scar on his leg still,� Greg continued. �He�d never tell us where he got it.�

Harry steeled himself and turned back to the burn. �How�d this happen Draco?� he asked gently.

Draco�s eyes filled up again. �I was running through Father�s study. I tripped and fell into the fireplace.� His head dropped. �I�m not supposed to run in father�s study.�

Harry fought back tears of his own. �Draco, pet, I can�t heal this. It�s too big.� Draco seemed to deflate and nodded acceptingly. He shifted to climb off of Harry�s lap. �Wait, no!� Harry nearly panicked. He clutched Draco closer to him. �It�s not that I don�t want to,� he explained hastily. �I hate seeing you hurting like this. I just honestly don�t know how to fix it. I don�t know the spell. Let me take you to the infirmary. Madam Pomfrey can help you. She�s really nice and she�s brilliant at healing,� he added encouragingly.

Draco nodded and climbed off of Harry, allowing the older boy to stand. Harry smiled down at him. �Let me fix your robes though.� Harry murmured a spell learned from Mrs. Weasley, and Draco�s robes shrank to child size. Draco just stared in quiet amazement. �Ready?� Harry asked cheerfully. Draco nodded. Harry held out a hand to him and Draco eyed it cautiously.

�You don�t have to if you don�t want to,� Harry pointed out. After eyeing Goyle and Crabbe, Draco cautiously slipped a tiny hand into Harry�s larger one and they headed off down the hall. Harry noticed right away that Draco was limping. He stopped them and knelt down beside the boy. �It looks like your leg hurts to walk,� he pointed out.

Draco nodded, fear on his face again.

�Would you mind if I carried you? It would make your leg hurt less.� Draco looked over at the two Slytherins as if trying to find the hidden agenda in all of this nicety. The other two boys tried to smile supportively. Eventually, Draco nodded and took a deep breath, holding it as though he didn�t know what to expect.

Harry gently picked him up and set him on a hip, making sure Draco�s leg wasn�t about to bump into anything. �That better?� he asked. Once again, Draco just nodded, wide eyed in wonder. �We need to stop back in the Great Hall and tell Headmaster Dumbledore where we�re going,� Harry warned. Draco seemed to draw in on himself again. �But we won�t be staying and I�ll be right there with you, as will Crabbe and Goyle�

�Crabbe and Goyle?� he uttered his first uncoerced words since coming out from behind the statue. �Are they here?�

Harry frowned and glanced up at the other two. Greg shrugged. �I told you he didn�t believe us when we said who we were.� Harry just nodded and continued on to the Great Hall. As the small group entered, all eyes trained on the small bundle in Harry�s arms. Draco buried his face in Harry�s neck as the barrage of questions and comments began.

�He really got him!�

�Look how small he is!�

�He�s adorable!�

�Why is Harry holding him?�

�What do you think happened?�

Harry walked straight up to the head table where Dumbledore had retaken his seat.

�Hello, sir. We found him,� he says loudly enough that the whole hall couldn�t miss it. �He�s got a bit of a scuff, though, so we�re taking him to the infirmary.�

�Good, very good, Harry,� Dumbledore beamed. �Perhaps Professor Snape can accompany you?� Draco�s head shot up at that and he searched the head table. When he saw Snape�s face, his own broke into a huge smile.

�Uncle Sev�rus?� he whispered.

Snape stood and walked forward, ignoring Harry�s astonished gaping. �Draco, how do you do today?� he asked, shooting an unreadable glance at Harry.

�I�m well, Uncle Sev�rus,� he said politely.

�What�s this about needing the infirmary?�

Draco paled instantly. Harry clutched him closer and spoke up. �We�ll just be going now, professor. If you�d come with us?� On that note, Harry turned and moved back down the aisle, smiling briefly at his astonished friends. Crabbe and Goyle followed along, glaring at all and sundry and Snape brought up the tail end of the group, frowning thoughtfully.

When they reached the infirmary, Draco refused to let go of Harry, even for his Uncle Sev�rus. Feeling another small tendril of delight at that, Harry sat on the bed and held Draco as Madam Pomfrey healed the burn. She cast a few more spells on him, determining Merlin knew what and then nodded briefly before heading off to speak to Dumbledore.

Snape watched with dark, unreadable eyes as Draco leaned into Harry, his small body wilting against the Gryffindor as he began to notice what the healing had taken out of him. Snape turned those eyes onto his other two students. Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle were not the brightest of his Slytherins, but they had something else, something almost�Gryffindorish (Snape shuddered) about them.

They were loyal to a fault. Strangely enough, not to their fathers, nor to the Death Eater principals and certainly not to Lord Voldemort. No, these two were loyal only to Draco Malfoy and Snape had yet to discover why. He wondered if perhaps he might find out during this fiasco.

Now the other occupant of the room, Harry Potter, was completely beyond Snape�s ken. Why had the boy gone after Draco? Why had he gently held Draco when the boy was healed? Why did he now, still, hold Draco Malfoy as though the child were precious china, going so far as to glare suspiciously at Snape�s curious look?

�Draco?� Snape ventured, ignoring the slight start the child gave and the subsequent glare from Potter.

�Yes, sir?�

�Do you know how old you are?�

Draco�s small, blonde brows came together. �I�m just 5 sir. You know that. You were at my birthday party.�

�Ah, of course,� Snape nodded in agreement. �I need to speak to the headmaster, gentlemen. I trust that you will be fine alone?� His Slytherins respectfully nodded. Potter just went back to cuddling Draco.

When Snape disappeared around the corner Harry heard a small sniff. He glanced down to find Draco trying to hide a tear track. �What�s wrong, pet?� Harry murmured.

Draco sniffed again. �I�m causing so much trouble,� he whispered. �Everyone has to talk about me. Mummy and Father are going to be so angry.�

�No, they won�t,� Harry smiled. Greg caught his eye and shook his head solemnly. Harry frowned. �Well, I�m not angry at least,� he amended. �Except at someone who�d be angry at a 5 year old for something he can�t help. I�m right ars�er, angry about that,� he caught his language in time.

Draco looked up at Harry and blinked slowly. �I�m sleepy,� he yawned.

Harry smiled. �So take a nap.�

�You won�t go away?� Draco sounded worried.

Harry shook his head. �No, pet. I�m staying right here. I�ll be here when you wake up.� Instead of lying on the bed, Draco curled up in Harry�s arms and closed his eyes. In a few minutes, he was sleeping peacefully.

�I forgot how small he was,� Vince whispered, trying not to disturb the child.

�And how scared,� Greg added.

�Scared?� Harry asked with a pinched look to his face.

�He was always scared,� Greg sighed, knowing he�d brought on sharing hour this time. �His folks were always yelling at him or punishing him.�

�He never said they hit him, but really�even someone as stupid as us could tell they were hurting him.� Vince rolled his eyes.

�You�re not stupid,� Harry protested.

They looked at him wryly and in sync. �Thanks Gryffindor, but we know the only reason we�ve made it this far in school and you�re holding it,� Greg smirked.

�He never gave up on us,� Vince stared down at the small face, peaceful in sleep.

�Even when he had to stay up all night to finish his homework cause he spent the evening trying to help us with ours,� nodded Greg.

�He�s a good guy,� Vince stated. �I know you don�t like him cause he�s a Slytherin and cause he�s sometimes a bastard�but he really is a good guy.�

Harry looked down at the sleeping blonde head. �Yeah, well, I�m starting to see why he might have acted the way he did,� Harry admitted.

�Would you�would you give him another chance?� Harry�s head shot up at the hesitant question.

�Vince! Shut up!� Greg snapped.

�What?� Vince protested. �Draco�s always going on about how everything would have been all right if Potter had just accepted his hand. He�s totally obsessed with it. What can it hurt?�

�Oh, I don�t know,� Greg snarled facetiously. �How about give Potter more dirt on him? How about set him up for a fall? How about betraying our best friend�s confidence?�

�Like what you�ve already told him won�t do any of that?� Vince snarled back.

�Shush! You�ll wake him up!� Harry snapped. They fell quiet. �I�m not going to use anything against him. Especially anything I learn while he�s like this,� he dragged a gentle finger over Draco�s soft cheek. �To be honest, I would very much like to start over again. I�m getting really tired of this bitter rival thing.�

�Maybe you can save him.�

�Crabbe!� Greg exploded. �What the hell?�

�Well, he was going to take the dark mark this summer,� Vince shot back defensively. �And you know as well as I do that he doesn�t want it. Maybe if he knew that Potter was willing to change things with him, he�d be more likely to refuse. And then we could refuse too,� he finished softly.

�None of you want to take it?� Harry asks incredulously.

�Why?� Greg asked bitterly. �Does that come as such a huge surprise?�

�Well, yes,� Harry replied honestly. �I thought you all were fully on board with your fathers.�

�Just cause we have their blood doesn�t mean we have their brains,� Vince argued. �Or lack thereof. And from us, that�s saying something.�

�Stop it,� Harry said absently, petting Draco�s hair. �You�re not stupid.�

Greg and Vince exchanged grins. �What?� Harry asked warily.

�This will work out just fine,� Vince nodded. �You already sound like him.�

At that, Dumbledore, Pomfrey and Snape reentered the room. Pomfrey looked upset, Dumbledore apathetic and Snape looked smug, yet somehow angry. Vince and Greg stood up, placing themselves between Draco and Harry and whatever bad news was about to come. Snape�s lips quirked at the sight and he moved to the end of the bed. Pomfrey hovered and Dumbledore seated himself in a vacated chair.

�We have a problem, gentlemen,� the headmaster stated softly. �Draco can indeed be cured of the cursed properties of the statue. However, it will take considerable time to brew�nearly two months.�

�But he can be fixed, right headmaster?� Crabbe insisted.

Dumbledore smiled. �Yes, Mr. Crabbe. He can indeed be fixed. However, that leads to our second problem. His parents have been notified of the mishap. And they were not happy at all,� the old man shook his head sadly. �Alas, they had many�plans�for our young Mr. Malfoy this summer. Plans that must be put on hold, as he is no longer of age. In addition, they seem to feel that this accident rests solely on the shoulders of Hogwarts staff, and I�m inclined to agree with them if it will keep Mr. Malfoy within our walls.�

�What do you mean?� Greg asked, frowning.

�Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy have stated a great dislike of the whole notion of childrearing,� Dumbledore said matter-of-factly. �They quite plainly abhorred it the first time they went through it and have no intention of doing it again.�

�And?� Vince asked, tired of chasing his own tail around this conversation.

�They have refused to take Mr. Malfoy home until we have cured him. They stated he is now �our problem� and will not be bothered again by it.� Sniffling brought their attention to a quietly crying Draco in Harry�s arms. �Oh, my boy, I�m so sorry,� Dumbledore said softly. �I thought you were still asleep.�

Draco shook his head. �Mummy and Father don�t want me?� he asked plaintively.

�They just can�t deal with you right at this moment, my boy,� Dumbledore tried to place it in a flattering light.

Snape snorted. �Don�t lie to the boy, Albus. He already knows they don�t care for him. You�re just proving to him that you can�t be trusted either.�

Dumbledore looked sadly at Draco who nodded at Snape�s statement. �I�m sorry, child. That was not my intention either. I sought only to keep you from more pain. Please forgive me.�

Draco nodded and lifted his arm to wipe his nose; he froze as he almost dirtied his robe, a look of fear coming onto his face again. Harry suppressed another growl and lifted the hem of his own shirt up, exposing his belly, to gently wipe the tears and snot away. Draco looked up, eyes huge and he smiled tremulously at Harry.

Dumbledore smiled knowingly. �I�m glad to see you getting along so well with young Draco, Mr. Potter. That works nicely with my next request.�

�What sir?� Harry asked warily.

�Draco will be staying here this summer. Unfortunately, all the staff will be quite busy preparing for the next year and someone will need to watch young Mr. Malfoy.�

�What about Professor Snape?� Crabbe asked. �He�s always watched him before.�

�I would like nothing better than to reacquaint myself with Draco�especially at this age,� Snape said softly. �However, if I am to brew his cure, I must not be distracted. I simply do not have the time or the resources to do both.�

�So that brings me to you, Harry,� Dumbledore smiled. �Harry, you do not want to go back to the Dursleys, if I�m not mistaken?�

�Merlin, no,� Harry replied vehemently, a lilt of hope in his voice.

�Would you be able to stay over this summer, and watch Draco?� Harry�s face erupted in a grin. �I�d love to!� He looks down at Draco. �If that�s all right with you?�

Draco smiled shyly and ducked his head. �That would be fine, thank you,� he whispered.

�Hey!� Vince and Greg chorused.

�What about us?�

�We�re his best friends!�

�I haven�t asked your parents yet,� Dumbledore warned with a small smile. �But I�m sure arrangements could be made if they are agreeable.�

�Can we owl them?�

�Right now?�

Dumbledore pulled ink and parchment from the sleeves of his voluminous robes. �I thought you might ask.�
_____________________________________________________________________

Harry followed Greg and Vince down to the dungeons, vaguely surprised when they freely spoke the password in front of him. He didn�t look a gift horse in the mouth, however, and just carried Draco over the threshold and into the Slytherin common room. The Slytherins immediately set to work writing their notes home to their parents and Harry and Draco wandered through the room, looking at portraits and peering into corners.

Eventually, even the forbidden fruit of the Slytherin home base began to sour and Harry plopped down on the couch. He�d set Draco down as soon as they entered the door, but now Draco climbed back into Harry�s lap, wrapping his little arms around Harry�s neck. With a fond smile, Harry gave the little boy a squeeze and encircled Draco�s waist to hold him on his lap.

�Harry?�

�Hmmm?�

�Why am I here?� Draco asked carefully. �What�s wrong with me? Why do Mummy and Father want me to be cured?�

Harry froze. He could hear the scritching of quills stop as even Crabbe and Goyle paused to listen to what Harry would say. He thought briefly of lying to the boy, but then he remembered how the people whom he was supposed to trust had lied to him over and over. There was no way he was going to perpetuate that. He cleared his throat.

�Well, Draco,� he began softly, �you�ve had a spell cast on you.�

�A bad spell?� Draco interrupted, a hint of fear in his boyish voice.

�Yeah, a pretty bad one,� Harry agreed. �It made you turn into a five year old.�

Draco frowned. �But I�m already a five year old.�

Harry shook his head. �No, pet. You aren�t. We know you as a 17-year-old young man. That 17-year-old Draco was the one who woke up this morning here in Hogwarts. He came down and had breakfast. An owl delivered a package to him. That package had a statue in it�a statue with a spell or a curse on it. The curse made you younger. It made you like this.�

Draco sat quietly for long moments, a frown on his face. �I�m 17?� he finally ventured. Harry nodded. Draco turned his head to Crabbe and Goyle, unashamedly listening from the table behind the couch. �So that means you two really are Vince and Greg?� The two Slytherins smiled widely and nodded. �Am I the only little boy here?� he asked.

�Yes,� Harry nodded. �The spell didn�t affect anyone else and Hogwarts only takes students who are 11 or older.�

Draco glanced up at the low ceiling. �I�m really at Hogwarts?� he asked breathily. �And I live here?� All three boys nodded vigorously. A glint came to Draco�s eye. �Can I see my room?�

Harry looked at Greg and Vince, this being their territory. �Sure, Dray,� Greg grinned. �We�re just about done here. Give us another minute or two and we�ll take you in.� It was actually more like five minutes later, but Draco sat patiently snuggled in Harry�s lap without complaining

�All right!� Crabbe rolled the parchment up with a flourish and sealed it with wax. �Let�s get you into the dorm room!�

Draco looked awed at the huge dorm with its five beds. �I don�t have to sleep alone?� he whispered.

Greg flinched but Vince carried on. �Nope. You share with me and Greg and Blaise and Nott.� Vince grinned. �Wanna bounce on the bed?� Draco�s eyes lit up but then he shook his head solemnly.

�No thank you. Its rude and disruptive.� Harry wanted to punch something. Rude and disruptive weren�t normal 5 year old words, he didn�t care how pureblooded one was. Draco was once again parroting his bloody parents.

�I think it�ll be okay, Draco,� he encouraged, his heart breaking at the little elfin face peering up at him hopefully. �Go on. Have fun with Cr-Vince.� Harry watched in amusement as Vince had to show Draco how to jump, the smaller boy gingerly practicing before making a spectacular jump that landed him on his arse on the bed. Draco got up giggling and went at it again.

�He�s afraid of being alone in the dark,� Greg whispered practically in Harry�s ear. Harry turned to find Greg standing almost on top of him. �His dad locked him in the punishment room for days at a time when he disobeyed.�

�The punishment room?� Harry asked, thinking he really didn�t want to know.

Greg nodded. �It was really just a big closet, I think. It didn�t have any light or any windows. Draco was always afraid of the dark and of being alone. He�d nearly lose his mind when his dad would leave him there. For days after, he�d cling to me and Vince. He wouldn�t even go to the toilet alone.�

Harry glanced up at Greg. �Why are you telling me all of this?� he asked the question he�d been wondering since the infirmary.

Greg shrugged. �Maybe I�m just hoping Vince is right.�

�Right about what?�

Greg looked past Harry to the giggling boy on the bed. �That you can save him,� he whispered.

Harry left Draco in Greg and Vince�s hands that night. He hugged the little boy goodnight and went back up to his dorm where he proceeded to stare sleeplessly at the ceiling for the next five hours. Pictures of Draco, both as an adorable child and as a beautiful young man, kept him awake. Now that he knew what to look for, he searched every memory of Draco Malfoy that he could lay his mind on. And in each one of them, he found some hint of the wide-eyed, frightened little boy he pulled out from behind that statue.

Finally, he dozed off to sleep to the memory of a giddy little boy trying to touch the ceiling while bouncing on the bed. And in his dreams�he determined that that little boy would have a trunkful of memories just like that one to take back with him to wherever or whenever he came from.

Chapter 2: To the Moon

July 1:

The next morning, he eagerly headed downstairs to see how Draco had fared in his first night �away from home.� He paused in front of the common room door, not exactly sure that just because he knew the password that he should use it. Finally, he decided he wanted to see Draco too much to just hang out here in the hallway and so he spoke the word, watching the door swing open silently.

What he found was not exactly what he expected. Greg sat on the couch, eyes drooping and bloodshot, holding a tear-streaked, red-faced hiccupping Draco. Vince lay in an exhausted slump on the other couch, obviously asleep.

�What happened?� Harry demanded, striding into the room.

�H-Harry?� Draco�s broken voice stuttered out and he slid off of an unresisting Greg to stand shakily in the center of the room.

�Draco, pet,� Harry held his arms out and knelt to the little boy�s level. �What happened, love?� Draco launched himself across the room and slammed into Harry with enough force to knock the older boy on his arse. Harry clung to the sobbing little boy and looked over his shoulder in question.

Greg sighed and slumped further down into the couch. �He hasn�t slept all night,� he slurred, exhaustion evident in every part of his demeanor. �Vince took the first shift with him. Woke me up about 3 a.m.�

�Why couldn�t he sleep?� Harry asked, slowly rubbing circles on Draco�s back.

A shrug. �He thought you�d left him.� Greg curled on his side, plumping up the armrest pillow for his head. �He freaked out and nothing we could do or say could convince him that you were coming back. He just cried til he threw up and then cried some more.�

�Why didn�t you come get me?� Harry demanded a bit snappishly.

Greg cracked an eye open. �From where? I don�t know where Gryffindor tower is, Potter,� he returned waspishly.

�Well, you could have gotten an adult,� Harry added petulantly.

Greg rolled his eye and then shut it. �Probably. But Slytherins don�t work that way, Potter. We handle things ourselves.�

Harry snorted. �Well, you certainly handled this well.�

Greg opened up his eyes and raised his head, glaring at the Gryffindor. �If you don�t like how we handled it, then why don�t you move your hoity-toity arse down here to the dungeons for the summer and do it for us?�

�Maybe I will!� Harry threw back.

�You�d stay down here with me, Harry?� Draco whispered from the security of Harry�s arms. Harry glanced down at the tear-streaked face and shining eyes and was effectively lost.

He smiled. �Yeah, pet. I can do that.�

Draco hugged Harry tightly and snuggled down into his embrace. �Thank you, Harry.�

�You�re welcome, love,� Harry whispered into his hair. �But,� he continued, pulling his head up to look at the small boy, �I need to get my stuff from the tower.� Draco nodded. �That means I have to leave for a short time to go get it.� Draco pulled a face but nodded again. �So, I need you to lay down and try to get some sleep while I pack. When I get back, and you�re rested, we can have some lunch and maybe all do something together, all right?�

Draco nodded vigorously and allowed Harry to place him in an armchair. He smiled up trustingly at Harry and curled into a little ball, promptly falling asleep. Harry sighed in relief and stood up.

�You�re good with him,� came Vince�s voice. Harry glanced over in surprise. �I would have thought you�d be after my blood right now, Crabbe,� Harry raised an eyebrow. �After all, I just sentenced you to a whole summer with me in your dorm room.�

Vince shrugged unconcernedly. �Least it means I�ll get to sleep the whole night through. He was insane, Potter. It was all we could do to keep him from hurting himself. I�d never seen him like that.�

Harry didn�t know what to say, so he chose to change the subject. �You should get some more sleep too. I�ll be back in a bit with my stuff.�

�Yeah, and then we can have lunch and all do something together,� Vince grinned. �I heard.�

Harry tried to suppress a smile and failed. �Piss off, Crabbe,� he said without heat.

�Wow, original this early in the morning aren�t we?� Vince returned good-naturedly. Harry rolled his eyes and left the room with a grin. Maybe, it wouldn�t be that horrible of an experience.

It didn�t take Harry very long to get his belongings together. He just threw some summer clothes into his rucksack and then tossed in his toiletries. He didn�t trust any of his other belongings just lying around the Slytherin common room. He paused over his swim trunks and then glanced out the window. A slow smile grew on his face. �I think I�ve just found how we�re going to spend our afternoon, Draco love,� he muttered. On his way back to the dungeons, he swung by the kitchens to order up some snacks to take swimming.

When he arrived back at the common room, all three occupants were sleeping soundly. He transfigured a spare pillow into a small quilt for Draco and tucked it up around his chin before heading off to find the boys� dorm. Thankfully, the dorms were laid out in the same way as his own and so his only problem lie in figuring out whose bed was whose.

He must have stood for five minutes trying to figure out a foolproof way to choose which bed was unoccupied by Greg, Vince or Draco so that he could put his stuff away. When he finally realized that each boy�s trunk sat at the foot of their bed�with their names on them�he smacked his hand against his forehead, extremely glad no one was there to witness his brief lapse into stupidity.

He unpacked his belongings into the cupboard nearest Draco and then decided to take a brief nap himself before the others woke up. He was surprised to find that he fell asleep as quickly as he did.

He became aware of warmth on his side long before consciousness began to take hold. By the time he opened his eyes, he had figured out that it was a small body curled up beside him. He cracked open an eye and found bright grey eyes smiling up at him. He couldn�t help but to smile back. �Hi,� he said huskily.

�You came back,� Draco whispered.

�Course I did,� Harry frowned. �I said I would, didn�t I?�

Draco nodded and bounced off of the bed. �I�m hungry, Harry,� he announced.

With a grin, Harry climbed out of bed and staggered to his feet. �All right,� he sighed, smiling to show he was playing. �I suppose I have to feed you, hmmm?� Draco nodded vigorously. �Okay, so come on then. We�ll head to the Great Hall for lunch.�

Draco suddenly stopped smiling. His eyes widened and he looked horrified.

Harry�s eyebrows came together. �What�s wrong, pet?�

�I�I�I had an accident,� Draco whispered, eyes locked on the floor.

Harry cocked his head. �What kind of accident? Did you hurt yourself?� He moved to touch Draco�s shoulder but the boy flinched away, something he�d not done to Harry since he first came out from behind the statue. �Draco? Pet, what happened?�

�I had an accident,� Draco whispered again, his voice sounding choked with tears.

�What kind of accident, love?� Nearly frantic, Harry dropped to his knees in front of Draco. Draco gazed up at him, sorrow and fear in his eyes.

�I-in my�my tr-trousers,� he managed just before the tears began to fall.

Harry frowned and chucked a finger under Draco�s chin. �You wet your trousers?� he tried to clarify. Draco shook his head. Understanding suddenly dawned. �Oh, you�� Harry waved his hand, not sure how to politely put what he would normally just have called it. �You, er�did that in you trousers?� he finally settled on the safest phrase he could think of.

Draco nodded and moaned low in his throat like a dying thing. Harry shuffled closer. �Hey,� he soothed, closing his arms around Draco in a tight embrace. �It�s okay. Things like that happen sometimes.� Draco stood stiff in Harry�s arms, not really sure that the punishment wasn�t going to follow the nicety. �Draco, really,� he rubbed his hand on Draco�s back. �It�s all right. We�ll get you cleaned up. And next time, you�ll just remember to tell me sooner when you have to go, okay?�

Draco nodded against Harry�s chest, not sure how he�d escaped punishment but not willing to argue about it. Harry ushered him in the bathroom and tugged his trousers and pants down gently. When Draco flinched away, Harry mistook it for embarrassment. He quickly cast a cleansing charm on Draco�s lower extremities and did the same for his clothes before chucking them into the laundry.

�We�ll transfigure you some more from your chest,� he called over his shoulder. �For now, why don�t you finish taking your clothes off and I�ll help you shower. Draco moaned again, too low for even Harry to hear, but did as he was bade. He waited for the other boot to fall as Harry began stripping himself. When the older boy was down to his boxers, he stepped into the shower with Draco.

�There we go,� he smiled at the shivering Draco. �Hey,� he looked concernedly at him. �You�re pretty cold. Let�s get you into the shower. Draco stared at Harry the whole shower, marveling at the notion of an adult bathing him, shampooing his hair, and rinsing him off without�hurting. When Harry rinsed the last of the bubbles off of him and shut the shower off, Draco was wrapped in a warm, fluffy towel and swung up in Harry�s arms to be carried back to the dorm room.

Once there, Harry set him gently on the bed and rifled through the trunk that Greg had said was Draco�s. When Harry stood back up, he was triumphantly holding up a pair of trousers and a shirt. Another forage into the trunk yielded pants and socks. Harry searched for the shoes he�d transformed the day before and soon, Draco had a new set of clothes to wear.

Harry had just finished tying Draco�s shoes when a sleepy Greg and Vince shuffled through the door. He smiled at the barely conscious looks on their faces. �Morning, guys,� he grinned. Greg flipped him a two-fingered salute, Vince just grunted. �Better get dressed. Lunch is in a few minutes and then we�re going swimming.�

�Harry?� Draco sounded nervous.

�Hmmm?�

�I don�t know how to swim,� he admitted softly.

�That�s okay, poppet,� Harry smiled as he swung Draco up and around in a circle. �I didn�t know how to swim until I came to Hogwarts myself. My aunt and uncle never let me learn.�

�But you know now?� Draco giggled at the air whooshing through his hair.

�Yup. And it�s my duty to pass that along to you,� he tossed the youngster on the bed and leaped upon him, tickling fingers in action before Draco could squirm away. He glanced up after Draco cried uncle to find Greg and Vince watching him with curious expressions. �What?� he asked defensively.

�Nothing,� Greg replied. �We�ll be right out.�

Harry nodded and plucked Draco up, carrying him out into the common room.

Lunch was a merry affair. Draco insisted on sitting next to Harry and his Uncle Sev�rus. A fact that didn�t please either Harry or Uncle Sev�rus. However, they both sucked it up and smiled politely at one another. After lunch, Harry told Draco to walk down to the lake with Greg and Vince and he popped into the kitchen for the previously ordered afternoon snacks.

By the time he got to the lake, the older Slytherin boys were splashing with Draco in the shallows. Draco�s happy laughter echoed across the water and Harry took a moment to be thankful for this second chance with the bright haired boy.

Draco quickly picked up swimming. He was as graceful in the water as he was in the air. Eventually, he convinced the older boys to plop down in the sand and make the biggest sand castle that Hogwarts had ever seen, complete with moat and a charmed drawbridge. Vince animated a twig to be the moat monster and Greg transfigured a leaf into the Slytherin house flag for the castle flag. Harry didn�t even argue after he saw the excitement shining in Draco�s eyes.

Later that night, as Harry was tucking Draco into his own bed, the little boy pouted at him. Harry hid his grin. �What?� he asked pointedly. Draco looked so downtrodden that Harry was sure it was a ploy. �What do you want now, Draco?� he couldn�t resist a small smile.

�Can you read me a story?�

Harry hesitated for a moment. �Well, I don�t really have anything that a little boy would like�but,� he continued hastily as the downtrodden look became more of a reality. �But I�m sure I can find something to read to you. We�ll just have to go into Hogsmeade tomorrow and pick something up to read together. I need to get you some new clothes as well. I can�t keep changing all of your clothes to fit you or you�ll have nothing to wear when you grow back up.�

Draco nodded solemnly and waited patiently for Harry to rummage around in the room until he found a book on Mythical and Magical Creatures. He began to read, enjoying how the cadence of his words caused Draco�s eyelids to grow heavier and heavier. Just as Draco was nodding off, his eyes shot back open.

�Harry?�

�Yes, love?�

�Will you sleep with me tonight?�

The pleading tone in Draco�s voice was not to be denied. Nor was the warmth spreading through Harry�s chest. Or the lancing pain through his heart. But he couldn�t say no. To either one of them. �Sure, pet. I�ll sleep with you tonight.�
____________________________________________________________________________

July 2:

Harry fluttered his eyes open the nest morning and met, not the shining silver of Draco�s head as the day before, but rather the huge eyes and floppy ears of a house elf. Giving a small start, he reached over and lifted his glasses up from the bedside table. The world came into focus. �Dobby?� he asked sleepily.

�Yes, Harry Potter, sir!� Dobby nodded vigorously.

�What are you doing down here?� Harry rubbed his eyes under his frames.

�There is talk in the kitchens, Harry Potter sir,� Dobby leaned forward, nearly whispering. �Talk that young Master Malfoy is staying with Harry Potter. That Harry Potter is taking care of the young master while he is a child.�

Harry smiled at the secretive glance Dobby cast behind his bony shoulder. �That is correct, Dobby,� he nodded down to the small figure huddled up against his side. �Is that what brings you here this morning? You wanted to confirm that?� Harry�s face took on a scowl. �He�s not a freak to be gawked at, Dobby.�

Dobby shook his head and looked properly horrified. �Oh, no, Harry Potter, sir. Dobby would never think that about the young master. He was Dobby�s friend.�

Harry frowned. �Draco was friends with a house elf?�

Dobby nodded. �Master Lucius was ever so angry with Master Draco when he discovered it. But Master Draco still tried to protect us even after he wasn�t allowed to play with us any longer.� Dobby took on a fond expression. �Master Draco was the sweetest little boy. Dobby was hoping that Master Draco remembered Dobby and might want to play since the master is a child again.�

Harry just opened and closed his mouth like a goldfish for long moments.

�Harry? What�s wrong?� Draco�s sleepy little voice asked. He poked his head up out of the blankets and looked around for whatever was causing Harry�s expression. When he caught sight of the house elf, his eyes widened. �Dobby?� he whispered.

The elf nodded, a smile extending over his face. �Yes, Master Draco, it is Dobby.�

Draco flung himself out of the bed and around the small elf�s body. �Dobby! How�d you get here? Did father send you? Can you stay?�

Harry closed his mouth but continued to blink stupidly.

�Oh, Master Draco, Dobby is missing you very much!� Dobby hugged the little boy back. �Dobby works here now. Harry Potter saved Dobby from Master Lucius five years ago. Dobby can stay as long as Master Draco likes.�

Draco pulled back and gazed in wonder. �Harry saved you?� Dobby nodded. Draco looked sad. �So, Father found out that we were friends?�

�Yes,� Dobby nodded, �but that isn�t why Dobby is here. Master Lucius tried to hurt Harry Potter. Dobby was a bad elf and told Master�s secrets to Harry Potter. Dobby didn�t want Harry Potter to die.� Dobby�s voice grew smaller and smaller and he looked like he was one step away from slamming his head in a door just for the remembered misbehavior.

�Father was going to hurt Harry?� Draco repeated, eyes narrowed. At Dobby�s weak nod, Draco hugged the elf again. �I�m glad you told, Dobby,� he whispered fiercely in the elf�s ear. �I�m glad you saved Harry.� Dobby looked like he was about to cry, so pleased was he that Master Draco wasn�t angry for his betrayal of the Malfoy house.

�Would Master Draco like to spend the morning with Dobby?� the diminutive elf sniffed, a smile on his face. �The house elves are making cookies in the kitchen.�

Draco�s eyes lit up. �Cookies?� He turned to Harry. �Please, Harry? Can I make cookies with Dobby? He makes the best cookies!�

Harry grinned and nodded. Draco whooped and began bouncing on the balls of his feet. A moment later, he froze and glanced trepiditiously back at Harry. Harry tilted his head, his smile fading. �Draco, you can laugh. You can be happy. You can be five,� he reassured him. �Go with Dobby to brush your teeth. I�ll shrink you something to wear for today and you can go spend the morning with Dobby in the kitchen.�

Draco nodded with a faint shy smile and bounded off to the bathroom, Dobby in tow. Harry sighed and fell back against the pillows.

�Um�� came the hesitant voice of Greg Goyle, whom Harry hadn�t even known was awake. �Since Draco is spending the morning with Dobby, you�er�you want to spend the morning with us?� He looked as though he expected to be shot down. In a way, Harry thought with a smile, he looked as young and shy as Draco.

�I�d like that,� he replied.
____________________________________________________________________________

Greg was surprisingly good at chess. Harry thought that if Ron could stomach the thought of being in the same room as the larger Slytherin, Greg could give Ron a run for his money. Vince wasn�t much into chess, preferring to spend the morning scratching in an art book. He occasionally glanced up at Greg and Harry, bit his lip and went back to scritch-scritching on the paper.

Harry had just put his shoes on to retrieve some pumpkin juice from the kitchen�and surreptitiously check on Draco�when two owls flew in through the open dungeon window. Harry paused when he saw the panicked looks on the two Slytherin boys� faces. He watched as they accepted the letters and unrolled the parchments. The owls flew back out the window without waiting for an answer.

Greg read quicker than Vince and had staggered to a chair, placing his head between his knees. Harry moved to help the other boy when Vince finished reading his own letter and simply collapsed on the floor where he stood.

�Merlin!� Harry yelped, torn between whom to try to help first. �What the hell?�

Greg looked up, his face ashen, circles suddenly evident under his eyes. He held up the letter. �They want us to come home,� he intoned monotonously. �They don�t care about Draco�s problem. This just gives them a chance to force the dark mark on us before him. It�s a way to one-up the Malfoys.�

Vince spoke into the silence that followed. �They want us home for the initiation this weekend.� His voice dropped to a whisper. �They want us marked by next week.� Harry didn�t know what to do when the larger boy started to shake. �What are we going to do, Greg?� Vince whispered.

�I don�t know,� Greg returned, his hands fisted into white balls of flesh.

Harry frowned. �What do you want to do?� he asked a bit impatiently. �Surely you�ve thought about this before now?�

Greg smiled wryly. �Potter, no one but Draco has ever asked what we wanted. No one cares. We just do what our parents want or, if we can get away with it, what Draco wants.�

�Well, you know what your parents want,� Harry gestured to the letter still in Greg�s hand. �What would Draco want?�

�He knows we don�t want to be Death Eaters,� Vince piped up.

�Would he support your refusal?�

Vince shrugged. �Outwardly? Don�t know. He�s scared to death of his father. Privately, he�d applaud up for saying no.�

�I wish he were here. He�d tell us to do,� Greg said wistfully.

Harry scowled. �That�s bollocks,� he snorted. �You don�t need Draco to tell you what to do. What you need is to have faith that what you�re doing is the right thing for you. If Draco truly cares about you, he�ll support you no matter what.�

Greg glared. �He does care about us!�

Harry shrugged. �Then whatever you decide will be fine.�

Vince carefully set his letter down on the floor next to him. �What do you thing we should do?�

Greg rolled his eyes. �That�s a stupid question, Vince. Hero of the wizarding world? Course he thinks we shouldn�t take the mark.�

Harry clenched his own fists in the folds of his robes. �Why does it always come down to that?� he demanded angrily. �So I�m Harry Potter. Who gives a fuck? Why is being Harry Bloody Golden Potter the only reason I might have for not wanting you to take it?� he practically spat. �I�m the boy that had death eaters kill his family. That�s why I think you shouldn�t take it. I�m the boy who watches nightly as Voldemort murders muggles and tortures his own death eaters. That�s why I think you shouldn�t take it.�

Greg�s hand, the one holding his own letter, slowly dropped as well. �I�m the boy that�s spent the last 6 years barely hanging on to my life each year as Voldemort sends person after thing to kill me. That�s why I think you shouldn�t take it. I�m the boy who thinks you�ve more potential than spending the rest of your lives being lackeys to a murdering insane bastard. That�s why I think you shouldn�t take it.�

He glared his pain into their eyes. �I�m the boy who knows he�ll face death eaters in battle one day and it makes me sick to think that I may have to watch you be killed for having the wrong tattoo on your arm. That�s why I think you shouldn�t take it. I�m the boy who thinks his heart will break if he has to be the one to explain to a restored Draco Malfoy what his friends had to do this summer. That�s why I think you shouldn�t take it. Would you like some more bloody reasons?�

Vince stared up at him in something akin to awe. Greg had a more thoughtful look. �You�you�d be sick if you had to see us killed?�

Harry eyed them incredulously. �What? Of course! Why the hell would you even have to ask that?�

�Cause we�re people too, right?� Greg tried one last hand. � Not cause you like us or anything.�

Harry sighed. �I don�t know you well enough to like you. All I�ve ever seen has been Crabbe and Goyle, Malfoy�s bastard bodyguards. But I�d like a chance to get to know Vince and Greg, Draco�s friends.�

�You want to get to know us?� Vince looked hopeful.

�Yes,� Harry nodded. �Yes, I do.�

�So, like what? What do you want to know?� he continued.

Another sigh. �Anything. What are your favorite colors? Which Quidditch team do you root for? What foods do you like to eat? Which girls are you interested in?�

�Well what about you?� Greg threw back at him.

�What about me?� Harry asked curiously.

�Don�t you think we should get to know you too?� Vince said.

Harry was surprised, but rather pleased if the truth were told. �Sure,� he shrugged. That�s fine. I�ll answer whatever you answer,� he said slyly, a grin on his face. �How does that sound?�

Greg returned the sly grin. �Sounds fine.�

�So what�s your favorite color, Greg? Vince?�

�I like blue,� Vince said hesitantly.

�I�m rather partial to red,� Greg said. �But not cause it�s Gryffindor colors,� he added pointedly.

Harry grinned. �I never would have thought that, Greg. I actually like green myself. But not because of Slytherin,� he tossed Greg�s comment back at him. �Who do you support in professional Quidditch? I like Puddlemere.�

Greg�s eyes widened. �Really? I love Puddlemere.�

Vince rolled his eyes. �Yeah, he won�t shut up about them. I like the Magpies, personally. So does Draco. What�s your favorite food then, Harry? I like vanilla custard.�

�I think I like chocolate frogs the best,� Harry said shyly.

Greg�s eyebrow rose. �Do you now? Why?�

Harry nearly flushed. �It was the first wizarding food I ever had,� he nearly whispered. �I know it�s hokey, but it�well, it�s just a good memory, I suppose.�

Greg nodded. �I can see that. My favorite is Shepard�s pie. My parents won�t serve it at home, though. They say it�s too low class,� he rolled his eyes. Harry smiled appreciatively at Greg�s casual acceptance.

�So,� he continued with a smirk. �What about girls?�

Vince shrugged. �We don�t like girls.�

�You don�t�you�re queer?� Harry gaped. Both boys nodded. �Both of you?� They nodded again. Harry blinked. �Oh. Okay. So which boys are you interested in, then?�

Greg frowned. �You�re okay with that?�

�Sure,� Harry shrugged. �Why wouldn�t I be?�

�You don�t think it�s sick?� Greg pressed. �That it�s catching? That we�re going to jump you?�

Harry grinned. �Uh, no, no, and not unless I�m one of the boys you�re interested in?� he raised an eyebrow.

�We�re together,� Vince blurted out.

Greg flushed. �You could have waited,� he hissed.

�Why?� Vince looked confused.

Greg sighed. �Never mind.�

�How long have you two been together?� Harry asked curiously.

�Two years,� Vince smiled happily at Greg, who couldn�t help but smile back.

�Congratulations,� Harry grinned. �A little late, but heartfelt nonetheless.�

�Thanks,� Vince nodded.

�You really don�t care?� Greg couldn�t seem to give it up.

�Really don�t,� Harry assured them.

�So what about you?� Vince asked eagerly. �What lovely lady do you have your eye on?�

Harry flushed but grinned. �Fraid I play on your side of the fence too, guys.�

Jaws dropped in shock. �The Boy Who Lived is queer?� Vince breathed.

Harry sighed in frustration. �No. I am queer. Harry is queer. Me. Just me.�

�You really hate that don�t you?� �Greg peered at him. �People pointing out the golden boy thing?�

Harry nodded. �More than you could possibly imagine.�

�So, who do you like?� Vince asked again. Harry got a dreamy expression on his face. �Shit! It�s not just a crush is it? You�re in love with this mystery guy, aren�t you?� Harry nodded with a tiny smile.

�I really think I am.�

�Do we know him?�

Harry flushed. �Yes. Yes you do.�

�What house is he in?�

Harry paused. �Slytherin,� he said softly.

�Who�s in Slytherin?� A new voice entered the conversation. Draco piped in from the doorway, Dobby right behind him bearing a plate of cookies.

�Harry�s got a crush on someone in Slytherin,� Vince grinned at the little boy.

�Actually, Harry�s in love with someone in Slytherin,� Greg elbowed Harry with a matching smirk.

�Really?� Draco looked interested. �Who?�

Everyone, even Dobby, turned expectantly to Harry who turned bright red with mortification. �I�er�� he looked helplessly first at Greg then Vince and finally at Draco. �Well�I�umm�� he squeezed his eyes shut and wiped his hand down his face. �I can�t actually tell you right now,� he finished in a whisper.

�Hey!� Vince protested. �You said you would if we did and now you�re�� Greg�s eyes widened and he elbowed Vince, cutting him off. �What?� Vince snapped. �Well he did.�

�I know, Vince,� Greg murmured. �And he did tell us.�

�When?�

�Just now,� Greg said softly.

�I didn�t hear him.�

�Me neither,� Draco added. �Who do you love Harry?� He held up his arms, asking silently to be picked up. Harry smiled gently and leaned down to pick him up, cuddling Draco next to his heart.

�Well, you of course, silly bear,� Harry smiled into the adoring gaze Draco bestowed on him. �Didn�t you know that already? I love you, Draco. Only you,� he added softly, pain in his voice.

Vince�s eyes widened. He finally got it as well. Draco laughed and hugged Harry back. �I love you too, Harry,� he said nestling his head in the crook of Harry�s neck. Harry smiled, though a tear leaks out of his eye. He tried to wipe it away on Draco�s shirt, but didn�t move fast enough to keep Greg and Vince from seeing.

�Course you do, poppet. Now, tell me you brought me some of those cookies you and Dobby made?�

�Yep!� Draco beckoned to Dobby who handed the package to Harry, sorrow and understanding in his limpet eyes. Harry flinched. Crap. Even the house elves know now, he though. He plopped down on the couch, still cuddling Draco, and began to unwrap the cookies.

Greg and Vince watched for long moments and then, as one, stood and moved to the common room fire. Determinedly, they tossed their parents� letters into the flames and moved back to the couch. When they looked up, Harry was smiling�real affection in his gaze. And not just for Draco.
__________________________________________________________________________

Dobby really did make the best cookies. Harry couldn�t believe that he�d not known that beforehand. Eventually, after enough cookies to make even Greg and Vince feel full, Dobby pulled Harry aside to whisper to him. �Dobby thought Harry Potter ought to know that young Master Draco��

Harry watched the huge eyes dart about carefully. �He what, Dobby?�

�He�messed himself, sir,� Dobby breathed, staring down at his feet.

Harry frowned. �You mean he made a mess in the kitchen? Did you want me to come down and clean it up?�

Dobby shook his head wildly. �No, Harry Potter sir. Master Draco did not make a mess. He�messed himself.� At Harry�s confused look, Dobby pointed to his own rump. Understanding hit Harry like a wall.

�Oh!� he breathed out. �He had another accident.� Dobby nodded. Harry shrugged. �It�s okay, Dobby. He had the same problem yesterday. He was probably just too excited to be with you again to remember to use the lav.�

Dobby shook his head sadly. �Or perhaps, Harry Potter sir, it was something else.�

Harry eyed the elf worriedly. �Something else? Like what?�

Dobby cowered. �Dobby shouldn�t tell Harry Potter sir.�

�Dobby, you don�t work for the Malfoys anymore,� Harry sounded frustrated. �No one will beat you for speaking.�

Dobby nodded slowly. �Harry Potter should look�really look�for another reason,� he whispered and then disappeared so fast that had Harry might have imagined he apparated.

Harry pondered Dobby�s words the rest of the day. He pushed them to the back of his head as he, Greg and Vince took Draco down to Hogsmeade, but the thought was still in the back of his head. He pondered it as Draco twirled around in his new trousers. He pondered it as Draco showed off his new shirts and jumpers. He pondered it�and thusly purchased extra�while Draco peered at the little boy boxers Greg piled onto the heap of clothing in Harry�s lap.

It was still swirling around as he tugged Draco into the bookstore to purchase some real little boy books to read at night. He allowed Draco to choose the stories and Draco came back with a large book of fairy tales, both muggle and magical, and a book about a rabbit. Harry was surprised to see Draco cuddling the book to his chest.

�What do you have there, poppet?� he smiled.

Draco blushed. �Greg read the name for me. I wanted you to read it to me.� Harry leaned in to catch a glimpse of the title. Guess How Much I Love You was emblazoned across the cover along with a picture of a large and a small hare.

�How about we read it tonight?� Harry ruffled the little boy�s hair. Draco�s face lit up and he nodded enthusiastically.

Draco insisted that all the boys take a turn reading to him. Greg rolled his eyes, but Harry noticed that he allowed Draco to snuggle down in the crook of his arm as the deep voiced boy told the tale of The Swan Princess. Vince was a bit harder to convince. Harry thought maybe he just didn�t want to do such a domestic chore. But then, Vince sighed heavily and sat down with Draco, a slight flush on his face. He began reading and Harry understood. Vince read about as well as Draco.

It was painful to watch him stutter and stumble through simple words and Harry found himself mouthing the words along silently with the Slytherin. He glanced over at Greg and was startled to see a sorrowful, pained look on his face as he tried to immerse himself in the chess game he�d started with Harry.

�He�s too ashamed to let me help him.� Harry caught the barest whisper of sound from across the board. �Draco tries. He�s really patient. But Vince gets frustrated so easily that he just storms off before they�ve hardly begun.�

Harry leaned closer. �How has he managed his school work?

�Draco and I read the chapters to him. He�s not slow; he just has a hard time with certain words. He gets them all backwards.�

Harry frowned and glanced up. �Backwards? Has he ever been tested for dyslexia?�

Greg returned the frown. �What�s that?�

�It�s a Muggle term. It�s a reading disorder that causes you to not be able to read or write words in the correct order. Sometimes you can�t even put the letters of a single word in the right order.� Greg looked as though Harry had just handed him the crown jewels of England. �It�s quite common,� Harry continued quietly. �In muggle schools, problems generally show up when children first are learning to read. That�s when they tend to test them for it.�

Greg still stared at Harry in awe. Harry was beginning to feel uncomfortable. �What?� he hissed. �Don�t wizards check for that?�

Greg shrugged, finally snapping out of his daze. �Dunno. They might in schools. Me and Vince were taught at home. Most purebloods are,� he added apologetically. �I don�t know why Vince�s dad didn�t recognize that he had a problem though.�

Harry glanced back at Vince, who was struggling with yet another sentence. Draco smiled up at him and helped him sound it out. For one frightening moment, Harry thought that Vince might yell at the small boy, but instead he just smiled back and pronounced the word correctly, moving on to the next one.

�Dyslexia is genetic,� Harry turned back to Greg. The look on Greg�s face was priceless. He was gape-mouthed in confusion. Harry hastened to explain. �It means he got it from someone in his family. Like how Draco�s dad has blonde hair, so he has blonde hair. Or my dad had bad eyesight, so I have bad eyesight.�

Greg nodded slowly. �So, Vince�s dad might not be able to read well either and so he wouldn�t know that Vince read that way too.�

Harry shrugged. �Or he knew and was too embarrassed about having it himself and passing it on to his son.�

Greg pulled a face. �Yeah, that�s probably more likely. So, is there anyway to fix this dilex�disalex�this whatever?�

�Dyslexia,� Harry supplied. �There are several muggle ways, but they�re really hard. There might be a spell. You should have Vince ask Madam Pomfrey.�

Greg looked scandalized. �Vince would never tell anyone else that he couldn�t read. He�d never do it.�

Harry looked back at the struggling Slytherin lying with Draco. �Maybe not for himself,� Harry agreed with a sly smile. �But he might do it for a certain someone who would dearly love for his friend Vince to teach him to read.�

A matching smirk came over Greg�s face. �Are you sure you�re not a Slytherin?� he whispered just before putting Harry in check. Four moves later and Harry was checkmated. He shook Greg�s hand wryly and turned to see how Vince and Draco were doing. A few sentences later and Vince was relievedly saying �The End.�

Draco hugged Vince in thanks and grabbed the bunny book that Harry had bought him that day. �Harry?� he looked hopefully over at the Gryffindor.

�I don�t know, pet,� Harry sighed. �I�m kind of tired.� Draco�s face fell and Harry didn�t have the heart to tease him any more. �Shove over, poppet,� he grinned, snatching the book out of Draco�s hand. �I was just playing.� Draco beamed at him and snuggled down into the blankets. With a gentle kiss to Draco�s head, Harry began.

�Little Nutbrown Hare, who was going to bed, held on tight to Big Nutbrown Hare�s very long ears. He wanted to be sure that Big Nutbrown Hare was listening. �Guess how much I love you,� he said���


*~*~*~*~*~
��Greg? Vince?� Harry whispered, once he was sure that Draco was finally asleep.

�Yeah?� came a reply from both sides of the bed.

�Did�when Draco was small�before, I mean�did he�did he have any problems using the toilet?� he eventually managed.

He heard rustling and in the dim moonlight saw Vince sit up. �You mean like did he wet the bed or his trousers?�

�Yeah.�

�Well,� more rustling and Greg sat up also. �He did change clothes an awful lot. Sometimes three or four times a day. Some of the other boys used to tease Draco about wetting his pants.�

�But Draco was always so stubborn saying that he didn�t do that kind of thing. He said the other boys were lying,� Vince continued.

�I don�t think it was entirely a lie,� Harry sighed.

�Has Draco been wetting his trousers?� Greg asked, the concern evident in his voice.

�Not�exactly,� Harry hedged.

�He crapping them then?� Vince asked.

Harry winced at the phrasing, but was unbelievably relieved that they cottoned on without a detailed explanation. �Yes. Dobby suggested today that it might not be just a case of playing too long before realizing he had to go,� he added. �I was just wondering if you two knew anything about what he might mean?�

�Nope.�

�Not a thing.�

�Okay,� Harry sighed again. �Well, if he does it tomorrow, I�m taking him to Madam Pomfrey. Is that all right with you two?�

Silence.

�Why are you asking us?� Greg inquired quietly. �You�re his guardian.�

�Yeah, but you�re his friends. You have his well-being in mind just as I do.�

Silence.

�Yeah, that�d be fine.�

Silence.

�Thank you, Potter.�

Chapter 3: To the Moon

July 3:

Morning came gently to the dungeons. It was totally unlike Gryffindor tower where you were forced to sleep with your curtains closed or wake up with the sun baking your eyeballs. The high placed windows in the dungeon only allowed ambient light into the room. Harry found that it was just enough light to emphasize the ethereal quality of the small boy huddled in his arms.

He watched Draco sleeping; every now and then brushing a bit of hair from the boy�s eyes or just petting it�s softness. He had no idea that his crush from four days before would turn into this warm completeness he felt whenever Draco was in his arms. It was like Draco was meant to be there, be he 17 or five. Granted the feelings were different. Harry had wanted to kiss the 17-year-old until neither one was able to see straight. Harry just wanted to protect five-year-old Draco from anything that might hurt him. But the love was the same. Harry reveled in the miracle that brought the two of them together.

The rest of the morning was lazy. Harry eventually crawled out of bed and set out clothes for both himself and Draco before tickling the boy awake. He then carried the giggling armful down to the showers and cleaned them up. He was pleased to see that Draco wasn�t nearly as skittish today about showering with him. When they got back to the common room, they passed Greg and Vince on the way to their own shower and made arrangements to meet at breakfast.

After breakfast, Draco badgered everyone into playing exploding snap until lunchtime. After lunch, Harry had a surprise. He piggybacked Draco to the pitch. Draco�s wide eyes spoke more of thanks than words could manage. Harry forbade him to solo ride higher off the ground than a meter or so but gave in to ferrying him about at the longing look Draco gave the sky.

Eventually, they tired Greg and Vince out with their incessant flight antics and the two Slytherins headed inside for a snack. Harry and Draco continued to fly, making loops and spins. Harry even spun them upside down once, though he had a death grip on Draco�s waist to ensure his safety. Nearly two hours of nonstop flying had Draco red cheeked and gleaming with excitement.

But all good things must end, and so it did�with a frantic plea to be put on the ground and a head hung with shame. Harry didn�t even have to ask. Draco�s demeanor was telling him everything he needed to know. Harry picked Draco up, ignoring his humiliated squirming, and gently carried him back to the castle. He hugged the little boy to him, murmuring soothing acceptance in his ear until Draco just lay placidly on his shoulder, tears leaking out of dull grey eyes.

�I�m sorry, Harry,� he whispered as Harry pushed the infirmary door open.

�Nothing to be sorry about, poppet,� Harry kissed his hair. �We�re going to figure out how to fix this for you, all right?� Draco nodded but refused to lift his eyes. Harry left him standing by the entrance as he stepped inside to speak with Madam Pomfrey. Draco couldn�t hear what was being said, but he could just imagine. He remembered what his father had said about his�problem. He cringed just thinking about it.

So, he was a bit surprised and wary when the nurse knelt next to him smiling. �Hello again, Draco,� she held her hand out. He took it, his hand shaking. �Harry tells me you�ve been having a problem?� Draco nodded, ashamed. �Would you tell me about it?� Tears threatened again, but he nodded slowly.

�I can�t stop having accidents in my trousers,� he whispered.

�Do you just wait too long to use the lav?� she asked gently.

�No,� he shook his head. �I�I can�t h-hold it in.� He wanted a hole to open up and drag him in. It was bad enough that Harry knew. But this was a lady. A strange lady. And even though Harry seemed to trust her, Draco was taught never to tell anyone about his�problem.

�All right,� she nodded, gently chucking his cheek. �It�s okay, sweetie. We�ll just get you cleaned up and then we�ll have a look at you.�

Draco�s head shot up in horror. �L-look at me?� he squeaked. �Y-you�re going to l-look at me? A-at�it?�

Madam Pomfrey glanced at Harry. He waved her off and knelt in front of Draco. �Hey, poppet,� he smiled. �Madam Pomfrey wants to check to see if there�s anything that might be causing you not to be able to hold it in. She wants to make sure you�re not hurt somehow.�

Draco shook his head frantically, his blonde hair whipping around his face. �She can�t!� he breathed vehemently. �Father said no one could look! He�ll be so angry.� Draco was barely hanging on. Hysterics were just around the corner. Harry pulled him into an embrace, cuddling the scared child.

�Poppet,� he murmured as he slowly rocked Draco back and forth. �Your Father is�well, he�s a�bloody he-er�darn it, I mean. Draco, your dad isn�t here right now and you�re hurting. You have a problem that we might be able to fix. But you have to let us try to help. I�ll be here the whole time. I promise. And your father never needs to know. I swear. Okay? Please? Just let us try to help you?�

Harry felt the tears begin on his neck, but Draco nodded anyway. Harry pulled back enough to kiss him on the forehead and then began helping him with his clothes. He cast cleaning spells again on both Draco and his clothes and then helped the small boy up onto one of the hospital beds. Madam Pomfrey wisely stood back, letting Harry take care of all the small details, not wanting to frighten Draco any further.

When Harry had Draco sprawled over his lap, hands gently petting the shaking boy, she stepped forward. �Draco, sweetie,� she said soothingly. �I�m going to touch your back side now, just to get a better look. Is that all right?� Draco�s shudders increased and he began to make whimpering noises. Madam Pomfrey looked worriedly at Harry over the boy�s back. Harry returned her look, pain in his own features. �Would you rather Harry touch you, love, and I just look?� she offered instead.

�Yes,� came the muffled whimper.

�All right, love,� she agreed. �Now, Harry. I need you to hold his cheeks so that I can see. I�ll be doing some spells, but I don�t need to touch him for that. I just need to be able to see.� Harry nodded and squeezed his eyes shut briefly before reaching down to spread Draco�s cheeks for the nurse to examine. Small whuffling noises came from the spot Draco had his face buried, but he stopped trembling and quit trying to fight.

The nurse frowned upon first visual inspection and brought her wand up. Several spells later and she was white with fury. Her final spell caused a muffled squeak from Draco and he began squirming again. �It�s all right, love,� Pomfrey called up to him. �I didn�t touch you. That was just the magic. It was fixing your insides a bit so you won�t have this problem anymore.�

She nodded to Harry who released Draco and spun him around to wrap him in a bear hug. �You did so well, poppet,� he nuzzled the boy. �I�m so proud of you.�

�You did very well, sweetie,� Pomfrey agreed. �I have some chocolate in that drawer over there,� she pointed. �Top left side. Why don�t you pull your trousers back on and hop on over there to get some.�

Draco nodded, still not making eye contact, and slid off of Harry�s lap to pull his pants and trousers up. When he�d made his way through the maze of beds, and out of earshot, Pomfrey turned to Harry.

�I probably shouldn�t be sharing this with you,� she began in a low voice, �But for the purpose of this summer, you are his guardian.� She smiled slightly. �And I can see how much you care for him.� Harry nodded. �So, I will tell you what I�ve found.� Harry braced himself, knowing it wasn�t good. �Someone has been raping that child,� Pomfrey managed without a quaver.

�He had extensive damage. There was evidence of excessive tearing, of extreme muscle damage. That was his problem with the frequent accidents. He�s had�something�forced into his rectum; something far too large for the size of a toddler�s passage. His muscles were simply stretched too far to do their intended purpose. And it was done repeatedly. There are several scars that look to be older than others.� She paused, taking in Harry�s countenance. �Harry?� she asked worriedly.

Harry shook his head, forestalling her questions. He could barely manage to hold on to his anger at this point without being forced to acknowledge someone else. The anger slowly burned through his gut, making him feel nauseous. It radiated out to his extremities, forcing his hands into tight fists and his muscles to tense to the point of quivering. He viewed everything in a red haze, and couldn�t seem to focus on anything but the wall in front of him.

Madam Pomfrey jumped a bit as the cabinets began to rattle slightly, her wand on the medicine tray to jump and roll. She shot another look at Harry. He had his eyes closed. His lips were pressed tightly together, white and pinched. His cheeks had a flush of high color in them but the rest of his skin was pallid. �Harry?� she couldn�t not question again.

He opened his eyes and the shaking stopped. He slowly unclenched his fists and, one muscle at a time, loosened the taunt pull. �I�m all right,� he eventually managed to rasp out. �Have you repaired the damage?� he continued.

She nodded slowly. �Yes. And I cast a muscle-tightening spell. We use it for atrophied limbs, but I think it will work just as well in this instance.�

Harry grunted. �Good. Thank you, Madam Pomfrey.�

She frowned. �Harry, are you all right?�

He smiled thinly at her. �I�m fine. I�m back in control, now.� He turned to watch the small blonde as he finally found his chocolate and scampered back over to Harry�s side. �Poppet?� he asked as he knelt down next to Draco. �Can I ask you something?�

Draco nodded without hesitation.

�Draco, love, who hurt you there?� he gestured to Draco�s backside while never taking his eyes off of Draco�s expression. As such, he watched all the color drain from the boy�s face and a glazed expression take over his eyes. Draco�s hands began to shake and his head quickly followed.

�No one, Harry,� he answered in a monotone. �No one hurt me.�

�Draco. Poppet, you don�t have to cover for anyone,� Harry chastised him gently.

The chocolate fell from Draco�s hand. The boy slumped to the ground and wrapped his arms around his own legs, curling into a fetal position. He buried his face in his knees and began rocking slightly.

Harry bit his lip. �Draco,� he reached a hand out hesitantly, torn between needing to know and needing to comfort. As a tiny whimper escaped, comfort won out. He pulled the small boy into his arms and took over the rocking motion. �Draco, baby, it�s all right. You don�t have to say anything,� he whispered into his hair. �I�m sorry, love. I�m so, so sorry.�

Draco gradually unwrapped his arms from around his own legs and snuck them around Harry�s waist. Harry stood up, lifting Draco with him. He looked at Madam Pomfrey. �I�m taking him with me,� he stated. She didn�t disagree, just held the door open for them. On the way out, she brushed a tender hand over Draco�s bright head. She watched as Harry carried the abused boy out of sight and then she headed straight for the fireplace to Floo Albus Dumbledore.

Harry made a beeline for the dungeons. He stopped by the common room long enough to order Greg and Vince to come with him, silently surprised when they made no noise about it�just exchanged looks and stood to follow. He then headed down a different corridor. One he had avoided for the last few days. Moments later found him pounding on the door to Severus Snape�s personal quarters.

The potions master opened his door, irritation evident in every line of his body. As soon as he spied a curled up Draco residing in Harry�s arms and the determined look on Harry�s face, however, he moved aside and ushered them all in. Harry set Draco down carefully. He bent to look him in the face. �Hey, poppet, why don�t you play in Uncle Severus�s room? I�m sure he wouldn�t mind if you practiced jumping on his bed.� He added a winning grin to the request and Draco was soon following with his own mischievous smile.

�Can I, Uncle Sev�rus?� he asked plaintively.

Snape frowned a tiny bit at Harry, but nodded reassuringly. �Of course, my boy. Be careful not to bounce completely off.�

�I won�t!� Draco called over his shoulder as he sailed into the back room. Harry pulled the other three males to the far corner of the room to talk without having Draco overhear them.

�What is this about, Mr. Potter?� Snape demanded in a low voice.

Harry couldn�t help it. His fists clenched up again and he grit his teeth together before forcing his next words out. �So. How many of you knew that Lucius Malfoy raped Draco on a regular basis?�

Jaws dropped. No one could say a word for long minutes. Then, �How did you discover this�bit of information?� Snape breathed.

Harry glared at him, rage flowing through him again. �Well, Snape, I�ll give you that answer just as soon as you tell me if you knew of this or not,� he hissed.

�No!� Snape jerked back physically. �Never! Had I known that bastard was�I would have�well, I would have done something long ago about it,� he finished clumsily. But the look on his face told all and sundry just what it was that he would have done.

Harry relaxed. �Good.� He looked to the other two. �And neither one of you knew?�

Two heads shook in unison. Vince looked about ready to cry. �How did you�� was all he could manage.

�Remember I told you that I was going to take Draco to Madam Pomfrey if he couldn�t stop going in his trousers?� Nods from the two boys, a confused look from Snape. Harry sighed. �Well, anyway, I did. And she examined him and found that he�d been raped�at this age�to the point where his rectal muscles didn�t work anymore. That�s why he kept messing himself. She found old scars and new scars, like he�d been molested quite a few times.�

He fixed a stony eye on each of them. �If Malfoy did that to him when he was five, what other things did he have to go through when got old enough to �participate?�

Greg winced. Snape closed his eyes briefly. Vince lunged for the waste can next to Snape�s desk and lost his breakfast. Greg moved closer and absently rubbed his back until Vince could stand once again. He then enveloped the smaller boy in a tight embrace. Snape merely raised an eyebrow at that. Harry wanted to smile at this first sign of affection that they�d let him see, but he was just too worked up about Draco.

�Oh, Merlin.� Snape covered his face with his long, bony hands. �I should have seen something,� he whispered. �I should have known. There were signs. I can see that now. I can see what I should have been noticing. But I didn�t.�

Harry reached a cautious hand out to the professor but pulled it back when Snape moved. �It�s not your fault, Professor,� he tried to offer comforting words. �Lucius Malfoy is a sneaky, underhanded bastard. You couldn�t have known. We know you would have done something if you could have. But, Professor, the past is the past. The fact that we get to help Draco out now in some way is what we should be concentrating on. We just have to make sure that he never touches Draco again. And we can,� he added confidently. �I know we can. We can do it together. I promise.�

Snape glanced up; his eyes shining with unshed tears, a smirk on his lips. �I suppose I can see why people follow you, boy,� he said wryly. �Very well. We will go on from here. Can I�� he hesitated, glancing back to the bedroom where Draco was happily squealing as he bounced. �Can I watch him for a while?�

Harry smiled. �I�m sure Draco would love that. Just bring him to the room after dinner.�

Snape nodded and headed back to let Draco know that the other boys were leaving. Draco waved goodbye to them and the last they saw, he was leaping from the bed into outstretched, black covered arms.

When the door shut behind them, Vince turned to look at Harry. �You made Snape feel loads better,� he offered. Harry gave a pinched smile.

Greg smirked. �You don�t believe one word of that drivel you just spouted back there, do you?�

The smile, sad as it was, disappeared and Harry snarled. �Not one fucking bit. I�m going to rip that man�s cock off and choke him with it.�

Greg clasped an arm around Harry and tugged him off down the hallway. �You�d have made a good Slytherin.�
________________________________________________________________

July 15:

All good things must end. Or so they say. Harry wasn�t sure whom �they� were, but he was pretty sure that they knew what they were talking about. For nearly two weeks, everything had been as near to perfect as it could be given the circumstances. Then Harry woke up one morning to find the reign of good at an end. For starters, the weather was horrid. The rain came down in torrents. The wind whistled through the cracks in the dungeon walls until it sounded like a horde of bean sidhe was right outside.

When he�d grabbed his and Draco�s clothes and scurried them as quickly as possible across the cold floor, he found that the warm water spell had worn off and for some reason couldn�t be reactivated. A quick cleaning spell for them both later and they were headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast only to find more problems.

Winky had been into the Butterbeer again. Apparently the storm had brought back several sad memories for her and she attempted to drown her sorrows. Unfortunately, she then tried to light the kitchen on fire. Dobby repeatedly assured everyone that it was an honest mistake. She truly didn�t know that an oil fire would spread like that when one tossed water at it. But by the time the fire was out, the kitchen was a disaster. Breakfast was in the form of cold fruits and cereal.

Determined to have a better morning, Harry cajoled Greg and Vince into exploring the castle with him and Draco. Greg actually used the excuse of needing to do his homework to get out of it. He caved after Harry stared at him as though he were a particularly interesting zoo specimen and tried to take his temperature. So, the three Slytherins and one Gryffindor began their trek through the long hallways of the unexplored north wing.

After three hours, Harry was pretty sure that the only thing exciting in this wing was the sheer number of dust bunnies. They�d taken to carrying Draco in turns, as the hallways just seemed to go on and on. Vince was beginning to whine about being thirsty and Greg was muttering something about preferring McGonagall. Harry sighed and rubbed his feet as they paused in yet another break.

Draco began rooting through cupboards and shelves in what looked to be a huge closet, sneezing every now and then from the dust. Harry was just on his way to thinking this was probably not one of the greatest ideas he�d had when his inner diatribe was interrupted by Draco�s terrified shrieks. Harry was off of the floor and racing for the small boy in less than a second. He twisted abruptly to avoid crashing into Vince who was coming from the next room and Greg who�d shoved himself off of the ground as well.

Harry skidded to a halt in the doorway, his first sight freezing him in place. Lucius Malfoy stood, naked as the day he was born, directly in front of Draco. His face was drawn up in a parody of affection even as he caressed his leaking cock and advanced on Draco.

�Well, hello my son,� Lucius purred. �I�ve missed our playtime. Daddy�s cock has been so very cold and lonely without your tight, hot little arse. Strip down, boy. Don�t make me wait any longer. You know I�ll have to make it hurt more if you make me wait.� Draco shook like a leaf in the wind. His small teeth were clacking together and Harry could see a wet puddle being formed out from the bottom of his trouser legs.

Harry shook his head, forcing rational thought back into place. Lucius Malfoy could not be here. He simply couldn�t. And certainly not like that. He pulled his wand and stepped forward. �Riddikulus!� he shouted. Lucius� form wavered as his attention focused on Harry. He slowly bled into a dark form, cloaked in heavy, tattered robes. Harry vaguely heard the screaming begin, but he didn�t wait. �Expecto Patronum!�

A silvery stag darted across the room, head lowered and antlers at the ready. It slammed into the dementor and distracted it. �Riddikulus!� Harry shouted again. The dementor wavered slightly. �Riddikulus!� he shouted a third time and the dementor disappeared. The stag bowed its head slightly and disappeared and Harry bolted to Draco�s side.

�Draco?� he flung his arms around the small boy. �Poppet, it�s okay. It was just a boggart. It was a monster, and kind of scary, I admit, but it�s gone now. It�s all right now,� he couldn�t stop babbling. And even under all the babbling, he noticed that Draco wasn�t responding. He spun the boy around, searching his face for some sign. There was nothing. It was like looking into a blank slate, into a dead person�s eyes. And that analogy frightened him more than he could lay words to.

He tugged Draco up into his arms and forcibly wrapped the boy�s arms around his neck. A glance at Greg and Vince seeing that they were worried as well, and Harry raced back to civilization. He went straight for Dumbledore. Madam Pomfrey was amazing at physical wounds, but Harry was certain that something had broken in Draco up in that north wing closet and he didn�t think she could fix it.

He stutteringly babbled every bloody candy he could think of, looking grateful when the two Slytherins picked up on the theme and took over while he just clung to Draco. Suddenly, the gargoyle moved. He hadn�t been listening to the string of passwords out of the boys� mouths and hoped that he wouldn�t need it again any time soon. Ignoring the slow motion of the statue, he raced up the steps and burst out into the headmaster�s office.

Dumbledore looked up, surprise on his face. �Well, Harry, boys�to what do I owe this visit?�

Harry fought back tears. �It was a boggart, sir,� he choked out. �It turned into his father�it tried to�to��

�It was going to rape him again,� Greg supplied, placing a supporting hand on Harry�s back. �Harry got rid of it, but Draco�s been catatonic since then. Can you do something?�

�Oh, dear,� Dumbledore stood and moved around his desk, coming to stop at the small boy�s side. �Draco? My boy, can you hear me?� he tried. Draco just lay shaking in Harry�s arms, staring off past Dumbledore�s gaze. Dumbledore sighed and shook his head sadly. �I must ask that you never mention this, gentlemen,� he admonished quietly as he pulled his wand out. �Obliviate!� Draco jerked for a moment and then blinked rapidly.

�Harry?� he frowned. �How�d we get here?�

Harry just clutched the boy tightly and buried his face in Draco�s chest. Vince rubbed Draco�s hair and grinned at him. �You fell asleep, party-pooper. We found a secret passage that led out of the wing.�

�Oh,� Draco looked disappointed at having missed the excitement of a hidden passage. He glanced down suddenly. �Why are my pants wet?�

Once again, Vince came to the rescue. �You spilled your pumpkin juice. Why don�t you come with me and I�ll help you shower and change. We can meet up with Greg and Harry back in the common room.�

Draco nodded happily and leaned down to kiss Harry on the cheek. �I�ll see you in a while, Harry,� he chirped before squirming down and taking Vince�s hand. As Vince led him back out the door they could hear his piping voice, �Vince, I didn�t think we had any pumpkin juice?�

Greg led Harry down to the common room; a little worried that Harry was reacting nearly as badly as Draco had. He pushed the Gryffindor into an armchair and moved to root through his personal stash of chocolate. He came up with a handful of chocolate frogs and tossed several into Harry�s lap. The dark haired boy just stared up at him, confused. �For the dementor,� Greg indicated the chocolate with his chin. Harry seemed to snap out of it and began to open the chocolate.

They sat in silence, Harry slowly chewing the candy and Greg surreptitiously watching Harry out of the corner of his eye.

�Greg?� The Slytherin nearly jumped.

�Yeah?�

�Do you think I�m sick for loving Draco?� came a small voice, one Greg had never heard out of Harry�s mouth.

�No,� he frowned.

�Even though he�s five?�

Greg sighed. He wasn�t the smartest of men, but he could put two and two together. �Harry, unlike Lucius Malfoy, you seem to be able to love without the accompaniment of your cock,� he said sarcastically. �You fell in love with a 17 year old. Yeah, maybe you wanted to shag that 17 year old Draco, but when he turned five, you�well, bloody hell, Potter,� Greg sighed. �I can see how much you still love him, even as a boy. But I can also see that you love him differently. That you only want to protect him and shelter him. Everyone can see that.�

He leaned in, catching Harry�s eye. �No one thinks you�re Lucius Malfoy, Harry,� he said softly. �If they did, Draco wouldn�t be in your care. They trust you. I trust you. He�s my best friend and I can�t think of anyone I�d rather have taking care of him than you. All right, mate?�

Harry smiled, snuffling a bit, and nodded. �Thanks, Greg.
__________________________________________________________

July 17:

The bad luck seemed determined to stay with them. Granted, it eased off a bit, but refused to go away entirely. Two days after the �boggart situation�, an owl flew into the dungeon bearing a single roll of parchment. The bird dropped the parchment on Vince�s head and flew back out the window. He picked the scroll up and eyed the seal. He blanched and let it fall back into his lap.

Greg frowned and reached over to pluck the parchment up. He paled a bit as well when he saw the seal. �What is it?� Harry couldn�t help but ask.

�It�s from the Ministry of Magic,� Vince said softly.

Greg broke the seal and read the contents through quickly. He closed his eyes briefly and rolled the parchment back up. He looked up at Vince. �They�ve disowned us, Vince,� he stated calmly. �The ministry has opened up accounts for us with 1000 galleons each.�

Vince moaned low in his throat. Harry frowned. �What does one have to do with the other?� he asked, confused.

Greg sighed. �Sometimes I forget you were raised by muggles. When a minor is disowned, the Ministry provides them with a small amount of money to start a new life with. It�s never much, but it�s more than we would have gotten had our parents done it after we turned 17.�

Harry frowned. �Neither one of you are 17 yet?�

Greg shook his head. �We were born in August. Me on the 4th and Vince on the 10th.

�Oh,� was all Harry could come up with. He watched as Greg moved over to comfort Vince. The taller boy hugged Vince to his chest, gently petting his hair and dropping small kisses on the crown of his head. The calmer Vince got, the guiltier Harry felt. �I�m sorry,� he whispered.

Vince peeked over at him. �It�s okay,� he sniffed with a smile. �We pretty much knew that was what was going to happen when we didn�t go home.�

�I feel responsible,� Harry protested.

Greg shrugged. �You shouldn�t. You opened our eyes, but we made the choice. It�s not your fault. Really, it�s not our fault either. Our parents can hold the responsibility for this one, I think.�

Harry nodded sadly. �I�I�� he stumbled to a halt.

�You what, Harry?� Vince sniffed again, settling down into a more comfortable position against Greg�s chest.

Harry flushed. �I don�t want you to think this is charity, all right?� he warned. At their wary looks he rushed on. �I�ve got quite a bit of money, both from my parents and from S-Sirius� estates,� he couldn�t help but stutter over that name, even after all this time. �I�ve also got a manor from Sirius and Godric�s Hollow that I�m planning on fixing up when I get a chance.�

He knew he was babbling, but he couldn�t stop or he�d lose his courage. �When we�re finished with school, I�d like to offer you both a place to stay�with me, I mean. We could room together until you decided what you wanted to do. I�d pick up the costs of living, no problem, and we could�er, well�um�� he lost momentum at the shocked looks on their faces.

�What the hell?� Greg breathed.

Harry began to fidget. �Please, don�t think I�m offering charity. It�s not. I-its just that I have this huge house and no one to live in it. And what the hell am I going to do with all that money anyway?� he tried a weak smile. �I thought about giving it to worthy causes or maybe making scholarships with it. Or�or something. But I�d much rather spend it on my friends. Please?� he finished with a quiet plea.

�Harry, do you realize what you�re offering?� Vince asked, a bit flummoxed. �You�re inviting two Death Eater�s sons into your home. You�re offering to let us stay for free, no obligations. What about your other friends? What about the public? What about what You-Know-Who will do when he finds out that you�re harboring us?�

Harry nearly growled. �I know exactly what I�m offering, dammit! You�re disowned. You�re hardly Death Eater�s sons any longer, are you? And my friends will understand. As for the rest of the wizarding world, they can bite my arse for all I care. And Voldemort has plenty of other things to hate me for. Why would he waste time on trying to kill me for my choice in roommates?�

He took a deep breath and exhaled. �I�m planning on asking Draco as well if he decides not to take the mark,� he added.

Greg�s jaw dropped. �Are you trying for a Slytherin half-way house?� he joked, then looked worried when Harry pondered that.

�You know,� he said absently, �I could. If they knew that they had somewhere safe to go, more Slytherins might be willing to say no to their parents. Do you think?� He was startled out of his reverie by a snicker.

�You�re a real piece of work, aren�t you Potter?� Greg grinned.

Harry flushed. �I�m not. I�m just trying to do right by my friends.�

Greg eyed him, a strange expression on his face. �Is that what we are, Potter? Your friends?�

�Of course. I don�t hang around with people I hate, you know,� he smiled shyly.

�Are you sure that you aren�t just looking for a way to endear yourself to Draco?� Greg asked harshly.

Harry rocked back as if Greg had slapped him. �I�you��

� I mean, if you�re nice to us, maybe Draco will take that into account when you finally tell him how you feel.� Harry just gaped, not believing he was hearing this. Not after everything they�d been through already this summer. He couldn�t think of another thing to say that wasn�t hurtful or spiteful or that showed how badly Greg�s words had hurt him. So he did the only thing he could do. He ran.

He ran out of the common room, out of the dungeon. He ran out of the castle altogether and headed straight for the Quidditch pitch. When he got there, he flung himself to the ground at the base of a goalpost and hugged his knees to his chest. �Where does he get off saying something like that?� he choked out, trying to hold onto his rage so that he wouldn�t sink into tears.

�After everything that�s happened? Don�t they trust me yet?� He turned his head so his cheek was resting on his knee and he stared out at the gathering storm clouds on the horizon. �Why don�t they trust me?� he nearly whimpered.

And then the inevitable happened. He tried to see it from their point of view�and he understood.

�What have they got to be trusting about, really?� he murmured. The school, the whole wizarding world was sure the boys were in league with their fathers in worshipping Voldemort. Their only form of backbone was just turned into a five-year-old. The first time they stood up for themselves, they were disowned. They knew they were not the brightest of the Slytherins. Harry could only imagine them wondering why someone who didn�t have a use for them would want to be their friend? And really, Harry didn�t even start talking to them until the whole �Draco incident.�

They weren�t offered many breaks being Slytherins. Harry supposed that it had to seem quite odd that someone who �hated� them for six years would suddenly want to be friends; would want them to live with him after the end of school, would want to take care of them. At least a someone who didn�t want anything in return. Something like trying to get on Draco�s good side?

�Damn it!� Harry sighed, closing his eyes against the coming storm. �Is that really why I�m doing this? Am I really just trying to hedge my chances with Draco when he comes back? For that matter,� he snorted humorlessly, �Am I just taking care of Draco now so that he feels compelled to give me a chance later?� He moaned quietly. He didn�t want to think he�d do something like that, but maybe�

He turned his thoughts inward again.

Just because Harry knew some of the reasons why Draco reacted the way he did as a teenager didn�t mean he understood them all. For all he knew there were some hang-ups he had from much later in life. Hang-ups that Harry couldn�t even begin to comprehend. What if Draco wasn�t the way he was because of mental, emotional and physical abuse? What if he just honestly hated Harry?

What if there was no �cure� for Draco�s attitude towards him? What if he continued to hate him? If that happened, if Harry found out that those were Draco�s true feelings, how would that affect his relationship with Greg and Vince?

No.

No, Harry refused to believe that was how it would come to be. He still wanted to be friends. He had started chipping away at a space in his heart for the two lummoxes nearly a month ago and he was pretty damn sure that he�d created a couple of Slytherin sized holes there that he refused to let go empty.

He wanted to share them. He wanted to introduce Ron to the real Greg. He wanted to be there the first time Ron lost at chess. He wanted to see the shock, then the grin spread over Ron�s face as he asked�no, demanded another game.

He wanted to have Dean and Vince get together. He wanted to see what they could draw together. He wanted to watch them holed up in a corner somewhere, heads bent over their art pads, looking up occasionally at their model and then over at each other�s work.

He wanted to show Mione that someone else had the uncanny ability to look in Harry�s head and tell him what he really meant. He wanted to see Greg and her smirking over his ridiculous notions.

He wanted to watch Vince as he used his strangely subtle misdirection to break up an argument between Seamus and�well, practically anybody. Seamus wasn�t picky about who he got into a shouting match with. He wanted to see the look on everyone�s face when they realized that it was the big lumbering Slytherin who so delicately wove the strands of conversation around that they didn�t even know they were being manipulated.

He didn�t want to be left out in the cold again with them. He wanted to be trusted. Trusted enough to keep their secrets as well as his own. He didn�t think he could stand not witnessing their tiny smiles and tender touches that were the only open sign of affection they would share.

He wanted to be friends. Real friends. How bizarre was that?

And Draco. Dear, sweet, beloved Draco. What of him?

Harry had loved the teenager so long that loving the child came naturally to him. He admitted that he greedily took the affection that this younger Draco offered him, even knowing that the older Draco would do no such thing. But he didn�t love or care for the child to get in good with the older boy. Harry loved him on his own merits. He could say that for certain, now.

He loved the boy�s sweetness, his innocent purity. He loved Draco�s bravery in the face of all that had happened to him. But mostly, he loved little Draco�s willingness to let Harry love him. And to love Harry back. Very few people would have let Harry swaddle then in the affection and protection that Harry bestowed on Draco. Draco did, and loved him all the more for it.

Would he treat young Draco any differently if he could be assured that the boy would or would not remember what happened this summer? No. Not at all. He knew he had a battle waiting for him when Draco returned to his proper age. He was rather looking forward to it. And he knew there was no way that he would toss the ammunition of this summer in Draco�s face when they went at it. Draco would love him on his own merit or not at all. And even though Harry was pretty certain that �not at all� was his fate, he wouldn�t love little Draco any less.

He sat up, having convinced his own mind that his actions were pure as was his love for Draco and his new friends. As he did so, he realized that there were spots on his glasses. Glancing up, he saw that the storm had moved in more quickly than he�d first thought. It was already directly overhead and soaking him with cold rain. He shoved off the ground and began moving back toward the castle.

As he passed the broom shed near the pitch, he heard a pitiful mew. He hesitated, craning his senses to see if he could recognize where the sound came from. �Mew,� he heard again. He followed the noise to the corner of the shed and to a small hole underneath. He knelt, peering into the hole, reminded of doing this very same thing nearly a month ago as he was looking for Draco.

This time, he saw a pair of glowing eyes. �Mew?� It came again.

�Hello in there?� Harry called softly. �Are you all right?�

�Mew!� They eyes grew closer as a tiny black body began to crawl out of the hole. Harry watched as the small creature perched on its hind legs, rain beginning to matt it�s black fur. Fur that Harry could now see was two-toned spotted dark grey. Huge, furry ears twitched and a tail reminiscent of a small lion flicked back and forth. �Mew,� it stated.

�You�re a kneazle!� Harry cried out in surprise. �How�d you get here?�

�Mew?� it cried plaintively.

�You�re getting wet and cold, aren�t you, love?� Harry crooned. �Would you like to come back to the castle with me? I have a friend that would just love to meet you.� The Kneazle stood up on all four legs and gave a tiny sneeze.

�Mew.�

Harry grinned. �I�ll take that as a yes.� He scooped the tiny creature up, taking an apologetic glance between its legs to determine its gender. A disgruntled �mew� and a quick apology later, however, and Miss Kneazle was delightedly curled up in Harry�s robe pocket.

He gathered his courage before speaking the password and then burst through the door ready to defend himself with his new knowledge. The first thing he saw was that Draco was back from his visit with Snape. Okay, so the foul language part of his speech would have to go. He gave a swift smile to the boy and then turned on the other two who were lying on the couch.

�Okay,� he glared. �I�ve been doing some thinking about what you said. I took a long walk trying to figure out if you were right. If I really was just being nice to you all to�get what I wanted. And I�ve come to a conclusion.�

�Harry,� Greg tried.

�No! Listen to me. I�ve been as hateful to you two as you two have been to me these last few years. I�m not proud of that and I want it to stop right now. As implausible as you may think it is, I like you. I like you a lot. I want to get to know you better and I want for us to be friends. I know that I don�t measure up to your ideal of a friend. I�m a Gryffindor, I�m kind of fruity, and I�m Harry Potter. I know I can never measure up to what you two and Draco have. I know that. But I want you to give me a chance. I can be a good friend. I know I can. And I didn�t offer to help you out because of pity or�well, you know. I asked because I�d do anything for my friends. And I consider both of you my friends. I just want a chance for you to feel the same way about me.�

�Harry!� Greg tried again.

�What?�

�We know,� he said softly, sharing a warm glance with Vince. �We�re sorry. We got a bit confused. But, we�re better now. Draco is the only person who has ever wanted to just be with us. In a way, we have our own Boy Who Lived stigma. And like you, we tend to freak out first when we think someone might be playing into that, and think later�generally after it�s too late to fix anything. But we talked and realized something.�

Vince nodded. �We realized you don�t play. As bizarre as it might seem to us, you are who you are. No games. You are who we see and all the searching beneath the surface is only going to show us what we already know. That we trust you. That we believe you. And in you. And that we�d like to be friends with that person if your offer still stands.�

Harry grinned. �Of course it does.�

�Mew!�

Draco gasped, finally understanding something in the serious adult conversation. �Harry! What do you have in your pocket?�

Harry reached in and pulled out the mussed Kneazle with an embarrassed smile. �I found her by the broom shed,� he explained hastily to the two smirking Slytherins. �She�s cold and scared and alone. I thought maybe�well, she�d make a good pet for Draco,� he finished a bit defensively.

Greg sighed, still smiling. �You just won�t be happy until you�ve saved everyone, will you Potter?�

Harry just grinned and knelt to show the Kneazle to Draco. �You want to give her a bath, love?�

Draco nodded slowly, eyes wide as he took in the tiny perfection of the small creature. The little Kneazle tilted its head up to meet Draco�s eyes. Silvery gray met sapphire blue and there was a moment of silence in which the silence was palpable. Then, Draco smiled and held his hands out and the Kneazle climbed out of Harry�s hands and into Draco�s without any suggestion at all.

Harry followed Draco into the bath and ran a couple of inches of warm water in the bottom of the tub. Draco leaned over the tub and carefully bathed the little creature. He diligently scrubbed every bit of her fur, including her tufted ears and swishing tail. Harry eventually leaned back and let the boy work. He was doing a much better job than Harry had imagined he could.

Finally, lovingly dried and brushed with Harry�s own comb, Draco carried the Kneazle out to the dorm and set her gently on his bed. Harry lay on his side, head propped up on his hand, watching as Draco sat cross-legged at the head of the bed, tickling the Kneazle�s furry tummy. Vince and Greg curled up together on Greg�s bed and marveled at the changes wrought from the small, terrified boy they�d known to this happy, loving child in front of them.

�Whatcha gonna name him, Draco?� Vince called out quietly.

Draco grinned up at his friend. �Her name�s Poppet.�

�Um�you sure you want to name her that?� Greg asked with a smirk.

A frown briefly crossed Draco�s face. �Yes. Why?�

Greg shrugged. �Well, it�ll sound a bit more strange when you�re 17 calling for your Poppet than it does now.�

Draco hmphed loftily and went back to scratching his Poppet�s tummy. �Harry loves me and calls me poppet. I love her and Harry found her for me so I�m going to call her Poppet.�

The three older boys exchanged grins. �Poppet it is then, love,� Harry replied.

Chapter 4: To the Moon

July 28:

Draco sighed and buried his face in Poppet�s warm fur. He�d watched sadly all morning as Harry drew further and further away from him. Oh, Harry didn�t mean to. He couldn�t help it. He was having visitors today. Harry had waited anxiously for this day since he�d gotten their owl nearly a week ago.

Vince and Greg had told Draco that the people coming were Harry�s very best friends, Ron and Hermione, and that Draco had better be prepared for a bit of time away from his guardian as Harry�s best friends couldn�t stand Vince, Greg, or the teenaged Draco. Draco was a bit confused as Vince and Greg refused to go any further into why these two people who meant so much to Harry hated him so much. He eventually asked Uncle Sev�rus one afternoon as he was watching him. Severus just looked sadly at him.

�Draco, you have to understand, child. You are very different as a teenager,� the older man attempted an explanation. �You and the Gryffindors just aren�t cut from the same cloth. You both had trouble seeing eye to eye.�

Draco had nodded because his uncle�s eyes were beginning to dart about the room and his hands to fidget. Most people would have thought Draco wouldn�t notice. He�d spent too much time eyeing his parents for just those reactions not to notice, however. When noticing an eye twitch could save you from being backhanded across the room, one learned quickly.

And so, Draco still had no idea why these two people hated him, nor why he was going to lose his Harry for as long as they were there. He sighed again and let Poppet�s soothing purr distract him from his impending loss.

At precisely 11:45, Harry ushered everyone out into the Great Hall for lunch where he was to meet Ron and Hermione. He was so excited he could hardly hold it in. Too excited to notice the long faces that not only Draco, but also Greg and Vince wore as well. Snape watched his house students sadly. Now was as good a time as any, he supposed, to have them learn that a friendship made in the heat of the moment rarely lasted.

As the Great Hall clock chimed noon, the Great Hall doors burst open and Harry jumped up from his seat to greet his grinning compatriots. The three-way hug was bone crunching in its intensity and Draco slouched just a bit more as he saw how happy Harry looked to be holding on to his friends. Harry herded Ron and Hermione up to the table and gestured them to sit across from Vince and Greg.

They hesitated as they approached, glancing at Harry in confusion. Harry, oblivious in his delight, just plopped down next to Draco, dropping a kiss on his head as he did so. When he looked up he was surprised to still see the two Gryffindors still standing. He frowned. �What�s wrong?�

�Um��

�What the bloo�oomph! Mione!�

�Nothing, Harry. Nothing at all,� Hermione smiled winningly and sat, glaring at Ron until he took his place at her side. �How has your summer been?� she attempted. Ron just glared sullenly across the table. Harry stared in confusion from Hermione�s overly bright smile to Ron�s dull anger.

�What is wrong?� he demanded again.

Hermione shot a telling glance at the Slytherins before shrugging. �It�its nothing. Really.�

Harry followed her gaze and his eyes narrowed. �I see,� he said coldly. Then he sighed. �Mione, Ron�I love you both to distraction. You know that.� He waited for nods from both of them. Hermione folded her hands and tried to focus on Harry�s words. Ron just continued glaring at Vince and Greg who were, for once, not even looking at the Gryffindor.

�Things have happened this summer,� he said softly. �Things that have changed me. That have changed the way I feel, the way I think. I don�t have the right to tell you most of it. It isn�t my story to tell. But what I can tell you is that I�ve found good friends somewhere I hadn�t previously thought to look.�

Hermione's eyes shot to the Slytherins, immediately searching for whatever Harry saw in them. Ron�s eyes just widened. �What?� he blustered. �Friends? With Slytherins?�

Harry sat back in his chair, his gaze chilly as he took in his best friend. �No,� he returned. �But I have made friends with Vince and Greg. I�d like to introduce you, if I may?� Ron opened his mouth to retort and all that came out was a hiss of air as Hermione elbowed him under the table. The Slytherins barely managed to keep from smirking.

�We�d like that, Harry,� Hermione said softly.

Harry smiled at the girl. He knew she�d understand. �Mione, this is Greg. Greg, my dear friend Hermione.�

He didn�t know who was more shocked, Mione or himself when Greg reached a hand across the table and held it steady in front of the Gryffindor girl. �Nice to meet you, Hermione,� he said gruffly.

She gingerly took his hand and allowed him to shake it briefly. As he pulled away, she smiled. �It�s nice to finally meet you as well, Greg,� she said gently.

Harry�s face was near to bursting. �And this is Vince. Vince, Hermione.�

Vince offered his own hand with a shy smile. �Hi,� was all he managed.

�Hello, Vince,� Hermione returned the smile.

Harry turned hesitantly towards Ron. The redheaded boy had his face planted in his hands. �Ron?� he asked carefully.

Ron pulled his hands away and looked at Harry with a resigned expression. �You�re not budging on this one are you?� he asked wryly. Harry shook his head. Ron sighed. �Fine. I�m Ron.� He stuck his hand out at Greg as though he were waiting to get it ripped off.

Greg took it with a smirk. �Ron,� he nodded. Ron shook and then moved the hand in front of Vince.

Vince glanced at Greg momentarily and then took the Gryffindor�s hand as well. Another brief shake and everyone was in their seats again. Harry beamed at his friends, both new and old, and then glanced down meeting Draco�s big eyes.

�And this,� Harry lifted Draco into his lap, Poppet and all, �This is Draco,� he said proudly. �Draco, love�this is Hermione and Ron.� Draco looked at them carefully, trying to see if he could tell anything by just the way they looked at him.

Ron grinned. �That�s Malfoy?� he laughed. Draco could feel something in the way Ron said his last name. He couldn�t put his finger on it, but it made him cringe into Harry�s arms none-the-less. That made Harry frown.

�What�s wrong, poppet?� he whispered. Draco just shook his head and bit his lip, trying not to cry at the table like a big baby. Harry cuddled Draco into his embrace and shot a pissed off look across the table. �I don�t know what the hell you did, Ron,� he snapped. �But you�d better apologize or get the hell out.�

Ron stared in astonishment at Harry�s ultimatum. �But I�� he stumbled to a stop, reading in Harry�s eyes that if Harry refused to budge on the Vince and Greg issue, that he was cast in iron on the Draco issue. �I don�t know what I did,� he shrugged helplessly. �But I�m sorry, Draco, if I made you upset.�

Draco peered up at him from the shielding of Harry�s arms, his eyes sad and confused. �You don�t like me,� he said softly.

Harry�s gaze became murderous and Ron rushed to placate the little boy. �That�s silly, Draco,� he chuckled nervously. �I just met you.�

Draco shook his head. �No. The grown up me. They all said you hated me.�

Harry frowned. �Who said, love?�

�Vince and Greg and Uncle Sev�rus,� Draco whispered. �They said that you couldn�t stand me. That we were too different to like each other.�

Ron deflated slightly as Harry turned the death glare on the Slytherins. He was rather pleased to find that they weren�t immune to the effects of Harry�s anger either. Greg�s eyes darted away and Vince turned pale. �Did they now?� Harry bit out.

�We�we were just trying to explain to him why you might not be around as much when Granger and Weasley came back,� Greg defended them.

If Harry were angry before, he was furious at that. �You expected me to just drop you? To just drop Draco as soon as my old friends walked through the door?� he demanded incredulously. Meekly, they nodded. However, when Draco nodded as well, Harry melted. �Oh, baby,� he stroked Draco�s hair. �No. Nonononono. Never. I�d never leave you. Not for anyone.� He placed a gentle kiss on Draco�s forehead and tilted his face up to meet Harry�s eyes.

�I love you,� he assured the boy. �I promise you, poppet, I will never desert you. Sometimes I may get a bit distracted. And I can see how I might have been that way in looking forward to Ron and Hermione coming to visit. But I never, ever, stopped thinking about you, worrying about you, loving you. And I never will. You have my word.�

Draco smiled up at him, his lip still wobbly, and turned to face his rivals in Harry�s affection. �Sorry,� he murmured.

�There�s nothing to be sorry for, Draco,� Hermione smiled softly. �I understand. Harry�s a pretty special guy,� she glanced at the man holding the small blonde boy. �When Harry loves you, when he�s focused just on you, everything just seems right in the world, doesn�t it?� Draco was staring at Hermione in awe. He nodded. �And when he looks away, even for a second, everything gets kind of scary�and you get frightened that maybe he won�t look at you like that again, that he won�t keep loving you.�

Draco was enraptured by Hermione's quiet words. Harry just gaped in astonishment, wondering what the hell she was talking about. And just when he thought he couldn�t be further stymied, he saw Ron, Vince and Greg nodding slightly in response to her words.

She smiled gently. �But he will, Draco. He�ll look again. And he won�t stop loving you. Once Harry loves, he loves forever. And eventually, you�ll realize that when Harry looks away from you, he�s not leaving you. Someone else is just getting to take their turn to feel as good as he makes you feel. Don�t be afraid of that, Draco. Don�t be afraid to share him. Because he�ll always come back to you. And when he does, he�ll have brought others into your life. Others who will want to love you just as much as he does.�

Silence fell at the table as everyone tried not to let their expressions indicate just how Hermione's speech affected them. Finally, she just rolled her eyes at the older boys and leaned in closer to Draco. �So, what�s your Kneazle�s name?� she grinned.

Draco blinked once. Twice. And then his face bloomed into a smile that caused Hermione to catch her breath. �Her name�s Poppet,� he announced shyly.

Hermione reached across the table and scratched the little Kneazle�s ear. �Hello, Poppet,� she cooed. �Aren�t you the prettiest thing?� The Kneazle purred happily. As Hermione sat back down, plates of food appeared in front of them. She began dishing herself up. �So, would you be interested in coming to Hogsmeade with me tomorrow, Draco? We could pick Poppet out a pretty collar.�

Draco�s eyes got huge with excitement. �Can I, Harry?� he begged.

Harry grinned down at him and then smiled up at Hermione, blinking back the tears that suddenly sprang to his eyes. �I think that�d be just fine, love.�
______________________________________________________________________

July 29

Watching Hermione with Draco the next day, Harry decided it was much more than �just fine�. It was amazing. Harry realized that he had more than likely taken over the father figure role in Draco�s life. What he�d not realized was that Draco was still missing something. Harry had tried to be everything Draco needed, but he came to the conclusion the next day, watching Hermione and the small boy together, that there are just some roles that only a woman can fill.

Harry was feeling the tiny niggling of jealousy by the end of the day. Hermione had taken Draco to Hogsmeade early that morning and according to the starry eyed babble Draco subjected him to later that night, they�d seen and done everything imaginable in the town.

�Mione showed me the candy store and we bought�.�

�Mione took me to lunch and we ate��

�Mione took me to the joke store and got me��

�Mione let me try on clothes at Gladrags and I got��

�Mione let me try a Sneakoscope at the magic store��

�Mione bought me stuff to learn to write from the quill store��

�Mione wouldn�t let me go into the bloody Hog place��

�Mione said the tea store was silly��

�Mione showed me the Shrieking Shack��

Harry just nodded and smiled brightly as Draco continued to extol the virtues of Harry�s dear friend. Finally, Draco waved around the jeweled collar, resplendent with a sapphire like stone that precious Mione bought for Poppet and then he wandered off in search of the bushy haired Draco stealer in order to present the collar to Miss Poppet.

Harry flung himself into a cushy armchair in the Slytherin dorm, where he�d decided to continue sleeping, and stared out into the fire. He felt a weight settle down onto the arm of the chair and he glared up at the offending body. Vince just smiled beatifically down at him.

�Hey Harry,� he nodded.

�Mmmm,� was Harry�s only reply.

�Feeling a bit out of sorts today, are you?� Harry huffed a breath out and crossed his arms. �If you would like to talk about something, you know I�m always here.� Harry just shrugged. �Something like, how you�re about to explode with jealousy if Hermione's name comes out of Draco�s mouth one more time?�

Harry�s head shot back around and he stared into Vince�s knowing eyes. �You didn�t��

Vince shook his head. �Why would I say something to either one of them? They aren�t the ones with the problem. That would be you.� Harry went back to glaring; only he had a slightly martyred look to him now. Vince just rolled his eyes. �Look, Potter. Contrary to what you might have believed, Draco is our best friend. We spent 24/7 with him. We did everything together. We were inseparable.�

Harry began to flush, already knowing where Vince was heading with this. �And over the last month, we�ve become like second cousins�or maybe the annoying uncles that come over with a handful of galleons at family reunions. He�s transferred his affections over to you. And we�re okay with that, I didn�t mention it to make you upset or anything,� he was quick to reassure Harry.

�I just mean that, of all the people who might know how you�re feeling right now, Greg and I are really it.�

Harry sighed. �I know. I�m sorry. I have been hording his attention, his affection. I know and I feel like a bastard for it. But�� he turned a pleading look onto Vince who just smiled gently at him.

�I said it was okay, Harry. He has different needs now than he did when he was 17. And you�re best suited to take care of them. If we didn�t think so, we never would have agreed to have him put with you. But maybe you aren�t equipped to take care of all of those needs.�

Harry nodded, letting his head drop onto the chair back. �I was just thinking that,� he breathed out heavily. �He�s not had a mum figure since he�s been here. McGonagall just isn�t the kind to bestow kisses and chocolate frogs, is she?� Vince grinned and shook his head. �I know that,� Harry reiterated. �I know it. I feel that it�s right. And then I see him holding her hand or hugging her and�dear Merlin, Vin, I hate my best friend for a moment,� he added in shame.

Vince patted him on the shoulder. �You know all that crap Hermione spouted about you being special and stuff during dinner?�

Harry smirked but nodded. Vince continued with a slight tint of pink in his cheeks. �It�s true, you know. But especially the bringing back other people who could love you part. You do that.� He frowned, obviously searching for the right words. �You looked at Draco. And then you brought us back to him. When you did, you looked at us. I hate to admit it, cause you�re bloody Gryffindor about this whole friend thing, but it hurt a bit when you looked away from us to Ron and Hermione.�

He couldn�t, or wouldn�t meet Harry�s eyes. �Then I figured that you weren�t looking away from us so much as you were going back looking at them for a bit. And I understood that. They were your first friends. They needed to have you look at them again. But the thing is, when you looked back at them, you brought us with you. And having them looking at us too�well, it didn�t take away the�crap, the pain if you will�of you not looking at us for the moment, but it did lesson it a bit because you gave us someone we could share you with. Someone we could share�bloody hell, share loving you with.�

He looked so disgusted at having to relate fluffy, Gryffindor emotions that Harry couldn�t keep the giggle from escaping. He glared down at Harry, and then gave a returning smile. �Yeah, piss off Potter. What I�m trying to say is that you haven�t lost Draco. You just gave him and Hermione the opportunity to share their love of you with each other.�

�I get it,� Harry said with a soft smile. �And thank you.�

�Yeah. No problem,� Vince shrugged, trying to make light of the whole conversation.

�Hey, Vin?�

�Yeah?�

�I love you, too,� he whispered with a snicker just before being pegged in the head with a decorative pillow. �All right!� he wheezed, pulling the pillow away from his head. �All right, I give!�

Vince �hmphed� triumphantly and grinned at Harry. Harry looked thoughtfully at him. Vince�s grin turned into a wary look. �What?� he demanded.

�I was just thinking�� Harry cocked his head. �Vince, would you let me tell you something without tearing my head off? I mean, really listen to what I have to say before you go off on me?� he asked.

Vince frowned. �I suppose.�

Harry nodded. �I think I know why you can�t read.�

Vince tensed up immediately, his frown turning into a glare. �Greg opened his fucking mouth, did he?� he snarled.

Harry held up a hand. �Please. You promised.�

The Slytherin gritted his teeth and crossed his arms, but stayed on the couch.

�He was telling me some of your difficulties and it sounds an awful lot like a problem I�ve heard of before.� Vince just stared, his gaze icy. Harry sighed. �Have you ever heard of dyslexia?� A brief shake of the head. �Well, it�s generally caught when kids are really young, but Greg tells me you were both taught at home till you attended Hogwarts.�

�Yeah,� Vince nodded, a bit less hostile.

�If neither one of your parents knew to look for it, they might not have caught it,� Harry continued carefully. �But I�m guessing that it�s easily remedied in the wizarding world because I�ve not heard of it being a big problem. Maybe you could ask Madam Pomfrey about it?� he said hopefully. �She might be able to do something to fix it.�

Vince fidgeted. �And I could read then?� he asked, far too nonchalantly.

Harry nodded. �I would think so. Or at least, you could learn to read the right way. It wouldn�t be like some foreign language anymore.�

�I see.�

Silence reigned supreme.

�Yeah, well. Maybe I will,� Vince replied to the wall behind Harry.

Harry smiled briefly. �Lemme know how it works out if you decide to go.�

Vince nodded. �If I decide to go,� he added, voice full of bravado.

More silence. Then Harry was hit upside the head again with another pillow.
____________________________________________________________________

July 30:

�So, mate. Whatcha want for your birthday?� Ron poked Harry with his toe from his seat on the Slytherin couch. Harry glanced up from his perusal of Vince�s art book to shrug.

�Dunno. Haven�t really thought about it.� He grinned wryly. �It�s not like I�ve ever gotten to ask for a birthday present before.�

Ron nodded agreeably. �I know. But one day, Harry, we�re going to convince you to expect someone to give a rat�s arse about you on your birthday.� Harry just rolled his eyes and went back to leafing through the book.

�Hey,� Hermione looked up from her own project�teaching Draco to read. �Didn�t I hear you say something about Vince and Greg�s birthdays being near yours?� Harry nodded and Greg grunted in surprise.

�My birthday is on the 10th of August,� Vince offered. �Greg�s is on the 4th.�

Hermione smiled hugely. �Well, then. Harry, what do you say to having a huge birthday party for the three on Greg�s birthday? That way we could be sure to celebrate for all of you since we won�t be here for Vince�s.

Though Vince and Greg shrugged and agreed with grunts, Harry could tell from tiny smiles hidden behind indifferent masks that Hermione had just gained the loyalty and friendship of two of Slytherin�s biggest players.
______________________________________________________________________

August 4:

�Happy birthday Vince, Greg and Harry�happy birthday to you!� When the cacophony of sound died away, all three boys were left grinning like Cheshire cats.

�Thanks, guys,� Harry crowed. �This is the best birthday ever!�

�Yeah,� Vince agreed with a tiny smile. �Thanks for including us.�

�Dobby�s coming up in a bit with the cake,� Ron quickly changed the subject, sensing a non-manly moment on the horizon. �We should open presents before he gets here.�

Hermione rolled her eyes, knowing the prompting behind Ron�s suggestion. �Yes, lets,� she said instead of berating Ron for his insensitivity. She knew she was just going to have to get used to it. Since she planned on having to put up with him for the next hundred years or so. �You three sit. I�ll bring the presents over to you.�

Vince and Greg plopped down on the couch next to each other and Harry took over the remaining spot. Draco perched on the arm of the couch, as close to Harry as he could get without falling into the Gryffindor�s lap. Hermione began sorting through the gifts and handing them over to Ron to deliver. �This is Vince�s. It�s from us.� Vince took the package with a nod of thanks and carefully began to unwrap it.

He ignored Greg�s look of disgust at his meticulous handling of the present and eventually, he�d lain open the new pack of colored pencils, charcoals and sketchbook. �Thank you both,� he said, pleased. �I was running low on my pencils.�

�You�re welcome, Vince,� Hermione beamed.

�Here, Greg,� Ron plopped a larger package down on the other boy�s lap. Greg showed none of the same care that Vince had in opening it. Ron looked on in fascinated awe as the wrapping practically disintegrated under Greg�s fingers.

�Bloody awesome, mate!� he crowed, holding up the Puddlemere United tee shirt.

�You like it?� Hermione asked worriedly. �I mean, it�s muggle clothes. I didn�t know how you�d feel about it.�

Greg rolled his eyes. �Do you know how annoying it is to never have anything but wizard robes?� he grinned. �This is fantastic.�

�There�s more,� Ron prompted when Greg seemed content to gaze appreciatively at his shirt. Greg tore back into the package and came up with a book on the current season�s Quidditch stats. �It updates every game,� Ron pointed out eagerly.

�Wicked,� Greg breathed.

�I told you he�d like a book,� Hermione sniffed. Ron just snorted at her. �Here, Vince, this is from Harry,� she offered up the next gift.

Vince seemed to take a malicious pleasure this time in opening the package as slowly as he could. Greg was practically fidgeting but he time he was done. When Vince lifted the present up, a sea green bottle, and read the side his eyes widened and he stared at Harry in shock. �This is the base for wizard pictures,� he breathed.

Harry nodded. �Yup. You just paint it on the parchment you�re planning to draw on and your work will be animated when you�re done.� Vince just stared at him. �What?� Harry asked, beginning to get uncomfortable.

�This is bloody well expensive, Harry,� Vince finally managed. �That�s why I haven�t gotten any for myself.

Harry shrugged. �Don�t worry about the cost. I didn�t. I saw something my friend would like and I got it. No big deal.�

�But�� he happened to catch Hermione's frantic head shaking and his words slowed to a halt as he saw how truly upset he was making Harry. �Thank you, Harry,� he said instead and was rewarded with a bright smile.

�You�re welcome. Now Greg�s.� Harry was squirming in excitement.

Ron hefted the next present up and Greg�s eyes widened at the heaviness of the package. He actually took a bit more time to open this one and when he saw the contents, his breath was stolen away.

�It�s kind of a gift for both you and Ron,� Harry grinned. �As I suspect you two are going to be hovering around it for the rest of the summer.�

Ron peered over at the crystal and jade chess set and his mouth formed a silent �O� of delight. �Bloody hell,� he grinned. �So? After dinner?�

Greg nodded vigorously and turned back to Harry. �Thank you,� he nearly whispered. �It�s beautiful.�

Harry preened under the thanks. �You�re both welcome. Now, memememe!� he wiggled his fingers at Hermione. She giggled and began passing Harry�s gifts over to him.

�Here ya go, Harry,� Ron grinned maniacally as he shoved a huge package over to Harry�s feet. �It�s from me and the twins. Hermione didn�t want anything to do with it,� he smirked over at the indignant girl.

Harry pulled out a huge box full of filibuster fireworks and other joke items from the twins� store. �Wicked!� Harry smiled. �Thanks Ron. I�ll have to send a letter off to Gred and Forge too.�

�Here, Harry,� Hermione bypassed Ron and handed Harry his gift with a flip of her hair. �I got you something far more practical.�

�Boring�� Ron sing-songed under his breath. On Hermione's glare, he blinked innocently at her.

Harry grinned wryly and opened up an assortment of quills and inks. �The quills are spelled for each class,� Hermione explained. �So when you�re taking notes, they won�t let you write down the wrong thing. Obviously you can�t use them for tests,� she added.

�Obviously,� Ron said loftily.

Hermione glared again and ignored him. �But, you can at least make sure that you�re getting the accurate information for your study guides.�

�Thank you, Mione,� Harry smiled up at her. �They�re fantastic.�

�Hmmm,� she stuck her tongue out at Ron before grabbing the next package. �This is from�Greg,� she read the tag.

Harry tore into the packaging nearly as fast as Greg. His eyes widened and he slapped his hand against his forehead when he made it to the present. Greg began giggling insanely. �What is it?� Hermione asked, peering that direction.

�It�s a book on chess strategy,� Harry moaned.

�Oh, yes, my tactically impaired friend,� Greg smirked. �You will learn how to make a game last longer than half a dozen moves.�

�You�re a bastard, Greg,� Harry grinned. �Thanks.�

�I think you�ll like mine a bit better,� Vince smiled as Ron placed the cylindrical object in his lap.

Harry gently peeled the paper away, guessing that it was a drawing before he�d begun. He was right. Oh, he was so right. Tears came to his eyes as he took in the amazing work. A grinning, obviously scampering little Draco took center stage, playing outside. The background of the scene blended in to form the features of the grown up Draco, staring off into the distance out of the side of the portrait.

�Oh, Vince,� he choked out. �It�s��

Vince wrapped an arm around Harry�s shoulder and squeezed. �You�re welcome,� he offered. Harry took the offer and fell silent, staring at the picture.

�Can I give mine now, Mione?� Draco looked eagerly at the girl.

�Of course you can, sweetie,� she smiled and handed Draco�s colorfully wrapped presents to him to deliver.

He bounced off of the couch and trotted up to Greg. �Happy birthday!� he cried.

�Thanks, Dray,� Greg took the gift with a smile. It was a drawing of Greg and Vince holding hands with a small Draco. They were only stick figures, but the smiles on their ovally heads were huge. �Did you draw this?� Greg raised an eyebrow. Draco nodded fiercely. �You are quite the artist. Vince better watch out.� Draco beamed at the praise and bounded over to pick up Vince�s present.

He handed it over and Vince took a second to ruffle Draco�s hair. �Thanks, Dray,� he too offered. His picture was similar, but had enough difference that he flushed and pulled it closer to his chest.

�What is it?� Ron demanded nosily.

With a slight flush, Vince revealed the drawing. Two figures that were obviously Greg and Vince stood holding hands with birds and snitches and hearts fluttering around them. Greg flushed as well. Hermione smiled gently and stroked Draco�s hair. Harry grinned behind his hand. Ron just stared in confusion. �Why�d he draw you like that?� he asked.

�Oh, Ron,� Hermione sighed.

�Thank you, Draco,� Vince whispered. �I love it.�

�You�re welcome!�

�I�er, I have a gift for you as well, Greg,� Vince continued, hesitantly. �But�it�s, it�s not here.� He cast a meaningful glance at Greg who just nodded.

�Let�s go get it so we can be back in time for cake, then,� he smiled. Vince nodded and stood. When Greg rose as well, he placed a hand on the small of Vince�s back and gently guided him to the common room door. When the door shut behind them, the remaining occupants of the room turned back to each other.

�Are�are they�?� Ron stuttered.

Hermione sighed again. �Yes, Ron. They�re together.�

�When did they�?�

�Nearly three years now,� Harry filled in quietly. �You should feel privileged,� he continued. �They must really like and trust you to share with you something they�ve gone to such lengths to conceal.�

Ron just nodded and sank into the nearest chair, a gobsmacked look on his face.

�Harry!� Draco hopped up and down. �I left your present in the dorm. Lemme go get it.�

Harry stared after the boy who scampered off into the dorm room to retrieve his present for his Harry. �I�m in love with him,� he whispered, mostly to himself, but knowing that Hermione and Ron would still hear him.

�We know,� Hermione replied softly.

Harry tore his eyes away from the door. �Do you? Do you really? I do love this Draco. He�s a precious little boy. But�� he stared hard into her eyes, �I meant that I�m in love with the Draco he was before the curse. The Draco Malfoy who was a total bastard to you, Mione. And to you Ron,� he turned his gaze on his best friend. �I don�t know when. I just know that I woke up one day and there he was�occupying the larger part of my heart.�

Hermione just smiled. Ron shuddered and rolled his eyes. �We know, Harry,� she repeated.

Harry opened his mouth to demand an explanation but was interrupted by a joyous shout and Draco�s small body racing back out of the dorm room. �Here, Harry!� Draco handed the unwrapped parchment to Harry who unrolled it. Once again, tears came to his eyes. Draco had drawn the two of them much as he had Vince and Greg. Only, Draco had drawn himself as an adult.

The grown up Harry and Draco stood holding hands, surrounded by X�s and O�s and hearts. At their feet sat a pleased looking Poppet. Harry didn�t think he�d ever seen stick figures look so happy. �It�s amazing, poppet,� he pulled the small boy into a hug. �And so are you.� Draco didn�t protest as Harry continued to clutch him close. He just smiled and snuggled down in the young man�s embrace.

�Happy birthday, Harry,� he whispered. �I love you.�
_________________________________________________________________________

Greg clasped Vince�s hand as soon as they were out of the common room and they proceeded down the hallway silently. Each boy, following some unknown lead, headed to the garden where they sat down on the stone bench and smiled at each other. �Draco�s pretty observant even as a five year old,� Vince offered into the quiet.

Greg nodded. �He always was,� he agreed.

�Did you have to pick up my present?� Vince asked.

Greg blushed. �No. I have it in my pocket.�

Vince smiled wryly. �I have yours in my pocket too. I just�it�s pretty personal and I thought we should be alone for it.�

Greg nodded. �Yeah. Me too. So�you want to go first?�

With a tiny nod, Vince began. �For years, Greg, I�ve loved you but been unable to do more than whisper it to you in dark corners. Now, things are different. We are finally free of our families. That we have no money, no home, no foreseeable means of surviving after we leave Hogwarts seems to dim compared to the fact that I can tell you�that I can show you how much I love you in the light of day.�

Greg reached out to grasp Vince�s hand.

�We have nothing to fear anymore from discovery. We have no one but ourselves to hold to any standards. Harry seems to have saved more than just Draco this summer,� Vince said wryly. �He saved us. He allowed us to save each other. And, he convinced me of something else. That it�s okay to ask for help. So I did. I asked for help. And to my great surprise, it was there all along. Just waiting for us to ask for it.�

Greg frowned in confusion but sat quietly awaiting explanation. �I know I�m turning into a sappy Hufflepuff,� Vince smiled, �but I can�t help it. I love you. I want to tell you that everyday for the rest of our lives. And we have that now. The rest of our lives. We don�t have to be the Slytherin muscle anymore. We can just be Vince and Greg. I couldn�t imagine wasting that without pushing for all I could get out of it. And so, that brings me to your gift this year. Actually, my gift, but since you�ve spent so much of your time helping me, I rather thought it your gift as well.�

He handed a piece of parchment to his boyfriend and cast his eyes down to his fingers as he sat, knowing what Greg was reading.


Dearest Greg,
I wrote this letter, Greg. Alone. Without someone telling me how to spell or how to arrange the words. I wrote this after I went to Madam Pomfrey and asked her to check me for some learning disability Harry said I might have. He was right. That was what my problem has been all these years. I�m not stupid. I know you�ve told me that over and over, but I�m sure you understand how I just couldn�t believe you. But now, now I know. And I feel freer than I ever have before in my life. I have everything I could wish for. I can read for the first time. I�m free of my family�s insanity. I can love you without fear for the first time.

You ask when first I needed you
A childish aching need
And only when you smiled at me
Did that ache recede

You ask when first I wanted you
A selfish lusting fire
The touch of your lips, the rasp of your tongue
The only quench to that desire

You ask when first I loved you
When need and want took form
When I finally realized that loving you
Was the reason I�d been borne

And now I ask of you
That same and simple thing
And ask that you would bind that love
To this symbol�to this ring.

Yours,
Vince

�Greg?� He looked up, his eyes misty with unshed tears, and saw his beloved�s smiling face. �I love you,� Vince whispered, holding out a hand. Greg glanced down into that hand and his breathe caught. A golden band, simple and understated, lay glistening in Vince�s palm. �Would you marry me?� Instead of answering, Greg shoved his own hand deep into the recesses of his robe pockets.

When he pulled his hand out, a duplicate to the piece of jewelry in Vince�s hand sat upon his own palm. �I would,� Greg whispered, to choked to make normal sound. �Would you marry me?�

Vince gave a tiny whimper and the tears that threatened Greg�s eyes suddenly spilled down Vince�s cheek. He smiled tremulously up at Greg. �Yes, please,� he whispered back. Their lips met in a brief but tender kiss even as, blindly, their hands reached to place the promise rings on each other�s fingers.

�Happy birthday, Vin,� Greg breathed against Vince�s mouth.

Vince smiled against Greg�s lips. �Happy birthday, Greg.�

Chapter 5: To the Moon

August 14:

Harry was well aware that Draco was capable of walking by himself. He simply didn�t care. He loved holding the small blonde and did it at every feasible opportunity. He was doing it again as the two of them and Vince and Greg walked down to Hogsmeade, preparing to Floo to Diagon Alley for school supplies. As usual, when he held Draco, he tried to ignore the knot in the pit of his stomach that grew with each day, each day that came closer to the end of his time with the boy.

Snape promised that the potion would be ready before the beginning of the term. At best, Harry had two weeks, but he tried to push that thought to the back of his mind as the delighted giggles escaped his charge. �Are we really going to Floo to Diagon Alley, Harry?� Draco�s eyes shone.

�Yes we are,� Harry smiled back.

�Mummy and Father never let me Floo anywhere,� Draco added solemnly.

Harry shrugged. �Well, you are pretty young, poppet. The only reason you�re going through this time is because I�m going to be holding you.�

Draco made a face. �They wouldn�t even carry me. Mummy said it was undiginfiled.

Harry frowned for a moment. �Oh!� he chuckled. �Undignified.�

�That�s what I said,� Draco huffed.

�Of course, poppet,� Harry smirked, giving him a quick squeeze.

�Are you going to buy me stuff, Harry?� Draco wheedled. �Like presents?�

Vince snickered but when Harry turned to eye him, he had a most innocent expression on his face. �What?� he blinked.

�What my ar�err, bum,� Harry snorted, turning back to Draco. �Your Uncle Sev�rus is buying you your school things, but I suppose I could manage a treat or two,� he added in a whisper.

Greg rolled his eyes. �That boy is going to be completely spoiled.�

Draco smiled beatifically at the other Slytherin. �It�s okay, Greg,� he said angelically. �You can buy me something too so Harry doesn�t hog me.�

Greg sputtered while Harry and Vince cackled in hilarity. The remnants of amusement were still evident when they entered the Three Broomsticks to ask Madam Rosmerta for the use of her Floo. Moments later, they stood outside the fireplace of the Leaky Cauldron brushing soot from their clothes.

�That was great!� Draco squealed, clapping his hands. �Can we do it again?�

Harry grinned and plucked the boy back up. �We�ll do it on the way home, poppet, okay? Right now, we have to get started shopping.� Draco sighed but wrapped his arms around Harry�s neck.

As they exited the building and entered Diagon Alley, Harry paused. �Um�� he looked shyly over at the two Slytherins. �I know you�re going to be pissed at me for asking, but I have to.�

Vince grinned and shook his head. �No, Harry. We don�t need any money. The headmaster is getting our supplies this year as payment for helping out with you and Draco.�

Greg snorted. �Yeah. Cause we�ve been such a great help. And why isn�t he buying Harry�s stuff?� he complained. �It�s charity. That�s what it is. Just plain charity!� Vince sighed and placed a hand over Greg�s mouth.

�As you can see, we�ve had this discussion before,� he grinned. �Let�s just leave the whole money conversation topic alone.�

Harry nodded, trying to keep a straight face. He knew how badly Ron hated it when he thought he was getting charity. He could only imagine how horrible it must be for the two pureblood Slytherins who�d been well off their entire lives to suddenly find themselves reliant on the kindness of others.

�Okay,� he smiled down at Draco. �Let�s get you some nasty smelling potions ingredients, shall we?�
____________________________________________________________________________________
Two hours later found all three boys loaded down with books, ingredients and other supplies to the point that they could hardly move. Harry sent Vince and Greg off to Fortescue�s for ice cream while he stopped in to check on the Weasley�s and to use the Floo in their new business to send some things back to the castle.

Draco had protested the loss of his Harry right up until Vince had placed the chocolate hurricane cone in his hand. Vince was now grinning at Draco as the small boy tried to lick the ice cream stuck on the end of his nose. Draco was as messy at five as he was fastidiously clean at 17. Vince chuckled and elbowed Greg to take a look at the chocolaty disaster of a boy. When no response was forthcoming, he glanced up to see Greg staring across the street, eyes wide in horror.

�Greg?� he asked worriedly. When no response was forthcoming, he followed Greg�s eyes and nearly forgot to breathe.

�Well, well, well. What have we here?�

Lucius Malfoy sauntered across the road to stand in front of them. �Two little traitor boys, far away from home,� Lucius smirked, then turned to look at the small boy staring up at him with a terrified look. Lucius frowned. �Draco? Is that Draco?� he demanded angrily. He took in the muggle clothes, the dirty, terrified face, the messy hair and the ice cream slowly dripping down Draco�s arm. Lucius� mouth twisted into a moue of disgust.

�Is this what comes of leaving my child in the hands of muggle lovers?� he hissed. �He looks like�like a street urchin! I can see that my hopes for that pathetic fool to find a cure for his bumbling produced only more chaos!� He reached a hand out to Draco imperiously. �Come with me, boy. We will take you back to the manor and deal with you.�

Draco�s fear expanded one hundred fold. He whimpered and tried to hide behind Greg. Lucius� face was a study in fury. �I told you to��

�I don�t think he particularly cares what you told him to do, Malfoy,� came a hard voice from behind the older blonde. Lucius turned to meet Harry Potter�s angry eyes. �I know I don�t. And he isn�t going anywhere with you.� Harry shoved past the elder Malfoy and scooped up a shivering Draco in his arms, chocolate ice cream now squished and melting against Harry�s shirtfront. His actions galvanized Greg and Vince and they stepped slightly in front of the Gryffindor and his charge.

Lucius stared in bewilderment. �You�you can�t keep me from my son,� he exclaimed.

Harry glared. �Actually, we can. You see, when you decided that you didn�t want him until he was restored, you gave a verbal agreement that you would not interfere with Dumbledore�s methods of curing. That verbal agreement is on record at the Ministry of Magic with Madam Pomfrey as a witness. So, you see�I can, and I will keep you from your son as long as humanly possible.�

Lucius was painfully aware that they were drawing a crowd, but he couldn�t let this little bastard win. �You have no right to my son,� he stated loudly. �He should be at home, with his mother and me.�

Harry sneered. �Bollocks. Where he should be is with people who love him and who would see him safe and protected.�

�And do you?� The anger faded into a smirk, one that made Harry feel rather sick to his stomach.

�Do I what?� Harry bit out.

Lucius latched on to Harry�s discomfort. �Do you �love� my son, Potter?� he smirked.

Harry pulled Draco�s head in close to his chest. �Of course. He�s a wonderful child,� Harry replied warily, trying to circumvent Malfoy�s question.

�No, Mr. Potter,� Lucius nearly purred. Harry flinched, knowing that Lucius hadn�t been fooled one bit. �I didn�t ask if you loved that little ragamuffin in your arms. I asked if you loved my son.�

Harry hated Lucius Malfoy more than any creature on earth, including Voldemort, at that moment. As Draco flinched and ducked his head in under Harry�s chin, Harry could feel the tears start to fall, warm upon his neck. �Yes, you bastard,� Harry flung back. �I love your son. I love Draco Malfoy. I love him at 17, I love him at five and I�ll sell my fucking soul before I let you drag him down with you.�

Lucius Malfoy stared in amazement at the angry young man in front of him. His mind was roiling with responses, but each time he settled on one, another reared its head and came to the forefront. In the end, he said nothing. In return, Harry pointedly turned his back on the elder Malfoy, and with a quick jerk of his head, had the two Slytherin boys falling in step behind him.

Harry didn�t look back once. Vince and Greg, however, kept shooting nervous glances over their shoulders as though they expected the Cruciatus at any moment. Lucius could also see the grey eyes and blond hair of his son peeking over that blasted Potter�s shoulder. And the look he was shooting his father was anything but filial. �You won�t be getting away with this, Potter,� Lucius ground out against his teeth. �Not for long, at least.�

The trip back through the Floo wasn�t as exciting for Draco as the first time. Of course the abject terror in his gut might have had something to do with that. He�d just seen his father. His terrifying father whom he could never seem to please. His father to whom no one�no one�ever stood up.

But Harry had. Harry had stood up to him. Had yelled at him, even. And threatened him. And promised that Draco would be safe. Harry had defended him. Harry had protected him. And while Draco was thrilled to know that Harry loved him that much�that he would stand up to his father�Draco knew something else.

Draco knew that his father would get even. He would talk to his other friends, the ones who wore the white masks. They�d help his father to hurt Harry. That�s what they did. They beat down anyone who yelled at his father. Who dared to defy his father.

And so Draco was sure of only one thing today�

His Harry was in great danger.
________________________________________________________________________

August 24

Harry had convinced Draco to put the frightening incident out of his mind. He assured the little boy that the headmaster would never let anyone hurt Harry. Or Draco for that matter. And Draco had nodded and smiled. He could see that his panic was upsetting Harry and that was the last thing he wanted. But he didn�t agree. And he didn�t stop worrying. And he didn�t stop being scared.

A lot was scaring him lately. Uncle Sev�rus had told him recently that the potion was almost ready for him to take. The potion that would send him back to his 17 year old body. He was excited, of course. He was five. It seemed like a great adventure. Yet, he had a niggling bit of fear. And that fear drove him to ask Harry if he could spend the morning with his Uncle Sev�rus on the day before the potion was to be administered.

Harry smiled painfully and agreed; though all he really wanted to do was spend the next 24 hours holding Draco nonstop. But, he tamped down on his own neediness and deposited Draco with the potions master. He kissed Draco on the forehead and promised to take care of Poppet until lunchtime. And then he was gone.

�Not that I don�t enjoy your company, godson of mine,� Snape smirked, �but what is it that you needed so badly to speak to me about that you couldn�t do it in front of Potter?�

Draco flushed. �Which will I remember, Uncle Sev�rus?� he asked quietly.

Snape frowned. �You mean will you remember yourself at five this time or last time?� he correctly guessed. Draco nodded. �Well, from my research, I believe you will have memories of both. You will, of course, be able to distinguish which memories are from which time period simply by the people around you.�

�Will everyone hate me again?� was his next, nearly indistinguishable question.

Snape sighed. �I don�t believe so,� he tapped his finger to his lips. �But, Draco,� he added softly, �that is entirely up to you.� Draco cocked his head curiously. �Draco. My boy, the people you�love now,� he managed without choking, �will care for you when you return to your original age simply because they have adored you for the last two months. Only your poor behaviors as that 17 year old will probably make them rethink that choice.�

Draco frowned, his five-year-old mind trying desperately to wrap around the concept of two Dracos, one of whom everyone loved and one of whom everyone hated. �But�what about Harry?� he finally asked, getting down to the crux of his problem. �Will Harry still love me?�

Snape sighed and resisted the urge to crush any chance his godson and that blasted Potter had at a relationship �years� before it started. �Draco,� he said instead, �Harry Potter is a stalwart young man. He makes his decisions rashly, but they are very seldom wrong. And he stands by those decisions with the fire of a thousand burning suns,� he added wryly. �If he loves you now, he will undoubtedly love you in two days hence. More than likely, in 50 years hence. The boy is like a bulldog. He rarely lets go once he�s grabbed on to someone.�

Draco smiled serenely up at his godfather. �Thank you, Uncle Sev�rus,� he beamed.

�Don�t mention it,� the older man rubbed his hand over his face. �Really. Please, don�t ever mention it.�
_____________________________________________________________________________

August 25

�I�m scared,� Draco announced, burying his face in Harry�s shirtfront. Harry kissed the top of his head and held him close.

�I know, Poppet,� he soothed. �But in just a few moments, you�ll be all grown up again.�

�But what if it doesn�t work right?� Draco moaned, his voice muffled.

Harry smiled and gently rocked the small boy. �Love, of course it will work right. Your Uncle Sev�rus made it.� Snape jerked back; a bit shocked that Potter of all people would pay him such a compliment�even if it were true.

Vince snickered and leaned in to whisper to the professor, �I know you can�t stand him, sir, but he�s really not all that bad.�

Snape shuddered. Perhaps not. The unmitigated brat did take excellent care of Draco these past few weeks. And he was polite. And had made friends with Snape�s own Slytherins. And provided Vince with the means to excel in school, though Vince would die of shame if he knew that Pomfrey had confided in Snape. And made clear Draco�s past so that Snape could more effectively deal with the teenaged boy. And�

He grit his teeth.

But really�Potter? No. He refused to fall prey to that cheerful disposition, that caring nature, that�

Damn it! He was doing it again!

Instead of further dwelling on the proclivities of Saint Potter, he shot a glare at Vince for sending his mind off onto that rabbit chase. Much to his dismay, the Slytherin just smirked and turned back to the duo in front of them.

�Will you still love me, Harry?� Draco asked mournfully.

Harry blinked away tears. �You have my word, Draco,� he whispered.

�Will you read me our story one more time before I drink Uncle Sev�rus�s potion?� the boy wheedled.

Harry looked about the room. �Well, poppet, I don�t have it here�� Greg held the book up, having stashed it in a pocket of his robe. Harry took it with a watery smile. �Thank you, Greg.� The other boy just nodded silently. �Okay, poppet, turn so you can see the book,� Harry patted Draco�s back.

Draco squirmed around until he was nestled in Harry�s arms, head back against Harry�s chest. He smiled peacefully and settled in to hear the story.

�Little Nutbrown Hare, who was going to bed, held on tight to Big Nutbrown Hare�s very long ears. He wanted to be sure that Big Nutbrown Hare was listening. �Guess how much I love you,� he said���
__________________________________________________________________________

���I love you right up to the moon,� Little Nutbrown Hare said, and closed his eyes. �Oh, that is very far,� said Big Nutbrown Hare. �That is very, very far.� Big Nutbrown Hare settled Little Nutbrown Hare into his bed of leaves. He leaned over and kissed him goodnight. Then he lay down close by and whispered with a smile, �I love you right up to the moon�and back.��

Harry closed the children�s book carefully, the sense of finality nearly causing him to choke. �All right, poppet,� he said gently. �There�s your story. Now it�s time to take your potion.�

Draco flung his arms around Harry�s neck, warm tears seeping down the Gryffindor�s skin. �I love you, Harry,� he whispered. �Right up to the moon.�

Harry chuckled, the tears clogging his own throat causing the chuckle to sound more like a sob. �And I love you, poppet. Right up to the moon�and back.�

Draco kissed Harry on the cheek one last time and climbed down off of his lap. Harry�s arms had never felt so empty. Draco moved to stand next to Snape and began changing into the larger robes that would fit him as a 17-year-old. Vince and Greg moved imperceptibly closer to Harry, noting the way he continued to clutch his arms around himself as though desperate to have someone to hold.

When Draco was changed, he chanced a final glance over at his Harry and smiled. Harry returned the smile weakly and waved him on. Bravely, Draco took the violet potion in his hand and braced himself. He threw his head back, tossing the liquid down his throat and quickly handed the vial back to his godfather.

And then the dizziness came.

Harry watched, fighting back tears, as his brave little Draco quaffed the potion. Almost immediately, his features began to distort. He grew in size, slowly filling out the oversized robes. No more than 20 seconds later, a fully restored Draco Malfoy stood in the spot once occupied by Harry Potter�s poppet.

Snape began performing a few tests the moment Draco�s head came back up. He checked the boy�s eyes, cast several spells and finally just asked, �How are you feeling?�

Draco nodded slowly, his back still to the three boys. �Fine,� he answered softly.

�Do you know who you are?�

A flinch.

�Draco Malfoy,� he answered.

�What do you remember of your last two months?� Snape persisted.

Draco shifted, turning just enough to glance at the young men behind him. Grey eyes met emerald, both filled with pain. �Everything.�
________________________________________________________________________________

August 25 to September 1

Harry could never catch sight of Draco Malfoy. He was unbelievably elusive. But then Harry didn�t go down to the dungeons anymore either, and that was where Draco was spending every second of his time. Harry ran into Greg and Vince at mealtimes, but other than that, even his contact with those two Slytherins had become nil.

They told him, in the brief moments between eating and running back to the dungeons, that Draco wasn�t handling it well at all. He was horrified that Harry Potter had taken care of him. That Harry Potter knew secrets about his childhood that not even his childhood friends knew. He was mortified that Harry Potter had slept with him, held him, played with him, changed his messed trousers, read to him�loved him.

Most of all, he was humiliated that he had loved Harry Potter back.

�He won�t let us talk about you,� Greg said as he reached for a roll. �He yammers on about you with practically every sentence out of his mouth, but we can�t even mention your name.�

Vince patted Harry on the back before going back to his own lunch. �He�ll get over it, Harry,� he assured the miserable Gryffindor. �He�s just a bit wigged out that he could love so completely someone he hated so much.�

�D-does he hate me�again?� Harry had to ask.

The Slytherin boys exchanged looks. �Honestly, Harry,� Vince shrugged, � we don�t know. You�re all he can talk about, but then that was generally the case before this summer. He was always going on about Perfect Potter this and Golden Boy that. He hasn�t said one way or the other if he�cares about you still, or if he�s back to despising you.�

Harry just nodded. His shoulders settled into the defeated slump they�d acquired in the last three days. �Is he at least eating?� he pressed. �He hasn�t been to any meals.�

Greg nodded. �Dobby is bringing him food,� he assured Harry. �His feelings as a child at least seem to have rolled over as far as the House Elf is concerned. The annoying thing practically henpecks Draco to eat and Draco just takes the abuse.�

Harry smiled sadly. �Dobby is rather a pain in the arse about those he cares for.� They sat in silence, just eating for long moments. �How is Poppet?�

Vince snorted. �Growing like a weed. She misses you,� he added softly. �She�s always walking around the dorm meowing until Draco picks her up and pets her.�

Harry nodded. �I miss her too. I miss you guys as well,� he smiled up at them.

Vince swung an arm around Harry�s shoulders and squeezed briefly. �We miss you too, Harry. We miss you too.�
__________________________________________________________________________

September 1--First potions class

�All right, students,� Snape sneered down at the assembled Gryffindors and Slytherins. �Pair up.�

Quickly, before Snape could force pairings on anyone, the students partnered up. Ron and Hermione practically leaped at each other, as did Dean and Seamus. That left Harry as the only unpartnered Gryffindor in Advanced Potions. He glanced warily over at the Slytherins to see them partnered as well save for Vince, Greg Draco. All four just stood in the center of the room, hesitating.

�Is there a problem, gentlemen?� Snape glared down from his desk. Four heads shook in denial. �Then partner up.�

Vince sighed. �You work with Draco, Greg,� he murmured. �I�ll go with Harry.� Greg nodded silently and the remaining four boys went to work on their potion. Snape sighed in frustration as he watched every eye in the room alternating between Draco and Goyle and Harry and Crabbe. Obviously, only an act of God would find him with a single accurate potion at the end of class.

Eventually, as even Blaise and Pansy�s cauldron had to have Scourgify cast on it to keep from an explosion, Snape gave up. �Since none of you are apparently able to do the practical, we�ll see if you can manage the research,� he snapped. �I want two scrolls on the Revivicus potion by tomorrow. Now get out of my classroom.�

The students rose and fled from Snape�s angry gaze. In the hallway, Vince grabbed for Draco�s arm, trying to get him to wait for Greg to catch up. In a move that startled the remaining students in the hall, Draco jerked away with a snarl. �Keep your filthy Gryffindor loving hands off of me, traitor.� Vince stopped dead in shock, his eyes wide.

�What�what did I do?� he asked, bewildered.

�Practically begging to work with Potter, were you Crabbe?� he sneered. �Maybe a summer spent in the company of a Gryffindor has tainted your house pride.�

Greg stepped forward, an angry look on his face. �Now, just a minute, Draco. You didn�t want to work with him. That meant one of us had to. Why are you being a bastard to Vince because he helped you out?�

�Because he liked it!� Draco hissed. He turned to look at the confused Slytherin in question. �What else did you learn to like over the summer, traitor? You bending over for him now?�

Vince physically staggered. Greg reached out a hand to steady his boyfriend and shot a glare of pure hatred towards Draco. To his credit, Draco actually looked shamed by his comment, but he still held his head up haughtily.

�What the fuck is wrong with you, Draco?� Greg demanded.

�You�re both siding with him, now!� Draco demanded frantically.

�Siding with him?� Greg snorted. �I wasn�t aware there were sides to begin with.�

�You�re always eating with him,� Draco pointed out belligerently, �and talking to him. This is just one step closer to you going over to his side.�

Greg opened his mouth to retort but closed it just as quickly. He shook his head sadly and took Vince�s elbow, leading him down the hallway and out of sight. Draco watched them go with a pained look on his face, but let his mask drop when he noticed several Slytherins staring at him in shock. Just then, he was blindsided by another body.

He looked up to see Harry Potter pinning him against the dungeon wall, fury in his eyes. �Whatever problem you have developed with me,� he said, his voice like daggers, �stays with me. Don�t start taking it out on your friends. They don�t deserve it. They gave up their fucking lives for you this summer, Draco. The least you could do is respect them. Especially when they�re still trying to do you favors.�

Draco stared Harry, wide eyed in fear and something he didn�t care to put a name to. That something was causing his chest to hurt, however, and his breath to quicken. Finally, Harry sneered and released him, turning to push his way through the throngs of people that clogged the hallway. When Harry had disappeared down the opposite hallway, he straightened his robes and looked up�right into Snape�s cold gaze.

�Ten points to Gryffindor,� the professor said coldly, �for promoting interhouse relations and standing up for a fellow student. Ten points from Slytherin for demonstrating such poor treatment of one�s companions.�
__________________________________________________________________

September�End of the Second week�Great Hall

Harry stared past the Ravenclaw table. He no longer cared that Ron or Hermione might see him. In fact, he was well aware that they were watching him. They�d watched him for two weeks straight now. They watched him for signs of depression, for anger, for tears. They watched him staring out windows and endlessly rolling and unrolling Draco�s birthday present. They watched him stop eating. They watched him slowly fade. They watched him watching Draco.

And they sighed. And they fretted. And they tried to gently tug him back into reality. In the end, they wound up watching him dying from the inside.

They knew from talking to Vince and Greg that Draco was no better. He�d apologized for his behavior in potions the week before, but now he too sat for infinite hours, child�s book propped open on his lap, Poppet cuddled up in his arms, staring into space. Draco had ceased speaking unless spoken to. He had ceased eating unless one of his companions filled his plate and shoved a fork in his hand or Dobby badgered him into finishing a meal. They reported that they forced him to bed, but couldn�t make him sleep.

And so, here sat the star-crossed�lovers? Enemies? One on each side of the Ravenclaw table. Harry staring with fierce determination at Draco, as though he could will the life back into the Slytherin. Draco staring with equal determination at his plate, knowing Harry was watching him and totally unwilling to make eye contact with his Gryffindor.

A commotion drew the attention of both boys to the back of the room. Lucius Malfoy stood, framed in the doorway, pausing to allow the entire hall to notice his entrance. Only when all eyes were on him did he begin to glide to the front of the room. Harry didn�t take his eyes off of the blonde bastard as he made his regal way past the Gryffindor table. He paid no attention to the strange looks his housemates were throwing him. He wasn�t aware that he had started growling in the back of his throat.

Malfoy stopped in front of the head table and leaned in to converse quietly with the headmaster. Hermione glanced over at the rest of the staff to find Madam Pomfrey watching Malfoy as though he were scraped from the bottom of her shoe. McGonagall�s lips were pursed to the point that they were colorless. Snape watched emotionlessly, though Hermione thought she could see his fingers tightening on his glass.

She noted that Vince and Greg had dropped their dinner and were looming protectively over an ashen-faced Draco. Vince exchanged a weak smile with her, but Greg was as totally focused on Lucius as Harry. His expression was not so dissimilar either. She looked back at Harry. He had started to nearly vibrate in his seat, his hands clenched into fists. Ron�s gaze moved continuously from the fists to Harry�s eyes and back down to the fists, waiting for the moment he would have to jump his best friend to keep him out of Azkaban.

Malfoy seemed to conclude his conversation with Dumbledore, who looked none too pleased. The former Slytherin bowed shortly and spun on his heel, smiling coldly down the length of the Slytherin table. He caught sight of his son, who was trying as desperately not to make eye contact with him as he had just been trying to avoid looking at Harry Potter.

�Draco,� he called imperiously, tipping the snakehead of his cane in the younger Malfoy�s direction. �Come, boy. We are needed at home. Gather your belongings, bid farewell to your little friends. It will be an indefinite stay.� If possible, Draco grew paler. Harry nearly shot out of his seat. Only Ron�s now painful grip on his arm kept him in place. The other Gryffindors couldn�t seem to decide whom to watch: Lucius, Draco or Harry.

Draco pushed his plate carefully away from him and stood on shaking legs. Greg and Vince gazed up at him, eyes full of horror, words of denial on their lips. Draco cleared his throat and fixed his eyes on a spot directly behind his father. �N-no,� he choked out, barely loud enough for the sound to carry to his father.

Lucius frowned, anger building in his eyes. Greg and Vince took a moment to process what Draco had just said and then rose as one to blanket him on each side. Lucius� frown increased. �What do you mean, no?� he bit out. �I gave you an order, son. Gather your things.�

Draco stood straighter, whether because he had his best friends giving him support or because he realized that Malfoy couldn�t do anything to him here, Harry didn�t know. And he didn�t really much care. �No, father,� came the much clearer response. �I will not.�

Harry closed his eyes and Ron felt a bit of the tension in Harry�s body leave. �Thank you,� Harry breathed before opening his eyes back up to watch the Malfoy men in quiet battle.

�And why not?� Lucius narrowed his eyes dangerously.

Draco took another breath and crossed his arms. �Because we�re not needed at home,� he stated calmly. �There�s no family emergency. No one is dead. All your money is in place. The only reason you want me home is to have me marked.�

No sound was heard in the hall. Breaths were held.

A bitterly cold expression came over Lucius Malfoy�s face. �There is indeed an emergency, my son,� he said in clipped tones. �Cease your ridiculous babbling. Your grandmother on your mother�s side is very ill. She requests our presence at her side during her last days.� He smiled sadly, the smile never quite reaching his eyes.

Draco snorted. �Grandmother died when I was a first year. And if I recall, her last request was that her whore of a daughter, her evil bastard son-in-law and her sodding vermin grandson not be allowed to set foot at her funeral.� Quiet murmurs were going up from the surrounding tables. �No, father,� Draco shook his head. �You want to drag me back home to present to your Lord for the Dark Mark just like you wanted to do this summer. And I won�t go.� He lifted his chin defiantly.

Lucius� face was stark white. The only hint of color on his face was the small circles of red on his cheekbones. He grasped the head of his cane and took a threatening step forward before being brought up shortly by the wand in his throat. He gagged and froze to the spot. �Put it down, Lucius,� came a silky voice at his ear. Lucius snarled, but released his grip on the cane to only one handed.

�What are you doing, Severus?� he demanded, throat bobbing against the point of the wand.

�Why, Lucius,� he purred. �I would have thought you�d guessed. I�m taking a stand. In the open, finally, instead of skulking around darkened woods listening and watching for you to make a fatal error.�

Lucius� eyes widened and he made to turn. Snape�s grip on his arm and the sudden intense pressure of wood against his esophagus changed his mind. �You,� he hissed instead. �You are the traitor! You�re the spy!�

Snape chuckled against Malfoy�s ear. �Jolly good work, old boy,� he smirked. �And it only took you, what? Eighteen years to figure that out?�

�You�ll pay for this,� Lucius promised him harshly. �He�ll kill you for this. For what you�ve done.�

Snape shrugged against his back. �I�m sure he will try. Just as soon as he finds out. Which I�m assuming will be directly after you leave here, tail wagging like a puppy with a particularly juicy bone.� Lucius glared bloody death upon all who snickered at that.

�He�ll make you suffer,� he bit out.

�If he can get to me, I�m sure he will,� Snape agreed. �However, I am well protected.�

�Ah, yes,� Lucius sneered. �Your precious Dumbledore.�

Snape shrugged again. �Among others.�

Lucius was visibly trembling in anger, his eyes promising pain as they skittered over Draco. �Like Harry Potter?� Intakes of breath could be heard across the room. �Your beloved Boy-Who-Lived? He can�t protect you, Snape. He can�t even protect himself.�

Snape actually laughed. �And yet, there he sits, quite alive. I think I�ll take my chances with the boy.�

Lucius smirked. �Will he be your new master, Severus? Have you sold your arse to him for protection yet?�

Snape was suddenly in front of the blonde man, hatred emanating from him in a wave as the wand dug even further into Lucius� throat, as though to bypass the threat of a spell and go straight to impaling his jugular. �He is not my master,� he hissed. �I have no master, now. I am finally free for the first time in almost 20 years. Free of you, free of Him. I like it that way. I don�t plan to change that anytime soon.�

�However,� he moved closer to Lucius� face, spittle flying from his lips as he spoke, landing on the creamy skin of the elder Malfoy. �If the need arose for me to swear fealty to a new master, I�ll gladly go to my knees for Harry Potter rather than submit again to that maggot filled carcass you worship.�

�Severus.�

Snape jerked at the sound of Dumbledore�s voice, causing Lucius to choke again. �Yes, Albus?� He replied with a forced calm.

�Let�s just allow Mr. Malfoy to leave, shall we?�

Snape held motionless for a long moment before pulling back with a muttered curse. He backed away, holding his wand on Malfoy as he went. Malfoy rubbed his bruised throat, his eyes icy with hatred.

�Thank you, Headmaster,� he responded, his voice a bit husky after having had a wand jammed into his voice box. �However, I am not leaving without my son.�

�Ah, I am afraid you are, Mr. Malfoy,� Dumbledore shook his head. �Enough innuendo�and plain statement�has been uttered here that I feel compelled to keep young master Malfoy in Hogwarts� protective custody. You may of course take this up with the Ministry of Magic, if you wish.� He folded his hands into the voluminous sleeves of his robes and waited.

Lucius gaped at Dumbledore. �You�but you�� He spun, eyes searching the Gryffindor table. �You!� he screeched as soon as his eyes lit on Harry. �You did this! This is your fault!� Harry stood to face his accuser, shaking off Ron�s arm, but noting that Ron and Hermione stood at his side as well. Lucius stalked over to stand in front of the Gryffindor table, causing the students sitting between Harry and him to scoot down quickly.

�You did this,� he repeated. �You turned him against me! The bloody Boy Who Lived with his nasty little fingers in everything.�

�Draco makes his own choices, Malfoy,� Harry replied evenly.

�No!� Lucius nearly screamed. �Draco isn�t capable of making his own choices. He has always followed my guidelines, my rules, my footsteps! Until this summer and you. You twisted him. You turned him against his family. Against his future!�

�I showed him kindness, Lucius,� Harry snapped. �Caring, affection. Things a small child needs to survive. I did no turning of any kind. No twisting. If you are so determined to look for someone to blame, perhaps you should start with the way you�ve treated him his entire life. Had I kicked him in the head everyday, it still would have been an improvement over your parental skills.�

Lucius gripped his cane again, his eyes wide with hate. �Liar! You showed him lies! Lies wrapped in false promises. Threats! What did you threaten him with if he didn�t stay with you, Potter?� he spat. �I imagine you couldn�t wait to rub his face in what he owed you for his care this summer.�

Harry leaned forward, eyes snapping in anger. �I wouldn�t do that, you bastard! He knows that!�

�Really?� Lucius seemed to calm instantly, smiling slyly. �What else does he know, Potter?�

Harry flushed, hating this man with all the passion he could muster.

�Does he know you love him?� Heads turned as though they were on strings from the vicious verbal fight between Lucius and Harry over to the pale visage of Draco. He refused to meet anyone�s eyes, continuing to stare across the room at his father and his defender. �Does he, Potter? What was it you told me this past month?� he tapped his finger against his chin thoughtfully. �Ah, yes. �I love Draco Malfoy. I love him at 17. I love him at five and I�ll sell my fucking soul before I let you drag him down with you.��

Color was high on Harry�s face as Lucius leaned in with a smirk. �So, Harry,� he whispered, causing the other tables to strain to catch his words, �Is he as good in bed at five as he is at 17? I always thought so.�

As the shock rippled through the room, Harry saw red. The growl was back in his throat and nothing Ron could do would keep him from ripping this fucker�s throat out. He launched himself up and over the Gryffindor table, tackling Lucius before he could move away. He drove the older man to the ground, pleased with the resounding crack that echoed through the room as Lucius� head contacted with the stone floor.

Screams went up from the Gryffindor table as Harry and Lucius disappeared from sight. The sickening crack was followed by the dull thud of flesh on flesh. Every teacher in the room raced to help, though they weren�t quite sure who needed the help the most when they came into eyesight. Harry had the elder Malfoy pinned to the ground and was pounding the man�s face. Curses flew from the boy�s lips, and angry accusations. Along with threats.

�I�ll kill you, you fucking baby raper!� he screamed shrilly against the rhythmic thud of his fists. �I�ll rip your fucking cock off and choke you with it!�

Harry didn�t let finesse get in his way. He simply balled up his fist and pounded. Harry punched the older man in the head over and over again, until no more satisfying cracks could be gleaned from his face and Harry�s hands were slipping off of Lucius� skin from the blood. He then transferred his rage to Malfoy�s torso. Dimly, he recognized that there were bodies stumbling toward him, voices calling for him to stop. But he had Lucius Malfoy where he�d wanted him for months now and there was no way he was giving that up.

He wouldn�t know until years later how he�d cast the barrier. He supposed he shouldn�t have been surprised that he did it at all. After all, he�d been known to spontaneously create spells in moments of great anger or fear. But there it was�a glorious wall between Harry�s vengeance and those who would interfere with it.

Snape launched himself at Harry, intending to knock the boy off of Malfoy. He noticed as he was airborne, the shimmering air in front of him and curled to keep from slamming his face into the barrier. �Bloody hell!� he bellowed. A moment later, he�d picked himself up and was casting to end the shield. His expression grew darker as the shield refused to respond.

Dumbledore stepped forward and added his words to Snape�s. The school watched in awed horror as even the venerated old magician failed to break the barrier. Snape dropped his wand hand and began beating on the air. �Potter! Stop, you bloody idiot! You�ll kill him! Potter!� He stared wildly around the room, his hair whirling about his shoulders. �Draco!� he shouted to the stunned blonde still standing at the Slytherin table.

�Draco, get over here now, boy!�

Draco shook off the stupor he seemed to have fallen in and, along with Greg and Vince, barreled over tables until he was at his godfather�s side. �Oh, my�� he skidded to a halt, swaying on his feet as he took in the ruined mess of his father�s face.

�No time for hysterics, boy,� Snape snapped, grabbing him by the arm and planting him directly in front of Harry�s head. �Talk to him, Draco,� he ordered. �Make him stop. If he kills him, he�s going straight to Azkaban. He�s not worth it, Harry�He�s not worth it. Not to me.�

�But what can I�?� Draco cut himself off abruptly and knelt, his father�s face just on the other side of the clear wall. �P-Potter?� he tried. �Potter, you have to stop. You�re killing my father.� His hands shook as he pressed them against the shield. �Potter? Stop! You have to stop.� Harry moved away from Malfoy�s face and began to pummel his chest. Cracks could be heard from beyond the barrier as well as a strange gurgling noise emanating from Lucius Malfoy�s lips.

Draco shuddered and pounded a bit harder. �Potter! Harry, stop!� he pleaded. �Please! Harry, you have to stop.� Harry continued to pound. Draco could see the blood begin to pool around his father�s form. In one part of his brain, a part distanced from all the violence and hysteria, he noted that he was more worried about Harry going to the Dementors for this than he was his father�s lifeblood spilling across the floor.

�Harry, please!� he screamed. �Please! You�re scaring me! Harry, please,� he moaned, desperately hitting the wall.

Like someone had flicked a switch, Harry stopped. He raised his head up from his victim, a vicious snarl still on a face flecked with blood and eyes that held an insane light. Draco caught his breath and flattened his palms on the shield. �Harry, please stop,� he breathed on last time. The light dimmed and Harry shook his head slightly.

�Draco?� he whispered in confusion.

Draco smiled through watery eyes and nodded. �Yes, Harry. It�s me. It�s Draco. Please stop. You�ll kill him. You�ll go to Azkaban.�

Harry stared mutely for long moments and then raised a hand to mirror Draco�s on the shield. Unfortunately, it was a hand smeared in blood and gore and when Harry placed it on the barrier, it smeared a crimson streak down against Draco�s palm. The blond jerked his hand back away from his father�s blood, frantically inspecting his own hand to verify that it wasn�t covered now in red fluids.

His eyes shot back up to Harry�s and he choked out, �I�m sorry,� before scrambling to his feet and bolting out of the Hall.

�Draco!� Harry shouted, slamming both hands into the barrier, bringing it down in a surge of magic. �Draco!� He staggered to his feet, tripping over Malfoy�s still body. Thick, warm arms wrapped around him, holding him stable until his feet were under him again. But, by that time, Draco was gone. �Draco?� he called softly again.

�Let him go, Harry,� Greg tightened his arms around the Gryffindor. He nodded to Vince, who took off after Draco. �Vince will find him. He�ll be okay. You need to calm down, Harry,� he added soothingly. �Just calm down.�

Harry stared longingly at the door Draco disappeared through and then sagged in Greg�s arms as the adrenaline, the rage, the magic wore off. The last thing he felt before the darkness took him were Greg�s comforting arms around him.
______________________________________________________________________________

Vince followed the trail of slack jawed, staring paintings to the Slytherin common room. There, it really was only a matter of unlocking the dorm room door from the spells Draco had put on it. Normally, Vince might have had a problem. However, Draco was obviously not in his best form today as it only took Vince a matter of minutes to end all the spells.

When he finally entered the dorm, he found Draco sitting on the bed, arms clenched around a worried Poppet. The blonde was rocking slowly back and forth, staring wide-eyed out into the room. Vince moved forward carefully, making enough noise so as to not startle the boy. He gently eased down on the bed, barely disturbing the duvet.

�Draco?� he asked quietly. No response forthcoming, he reached out to touch Draco�s hand. A frightened yelp was his answer and he jerked his hand back quickly. Draco continued to curl away from his friend. �Draco, I just wanted to tell you that I am proud of you for standing up to your father,� Vince tried.

A strange sound escaped Draco�s lips. It took Vince a moment to recognize it as laughter. Then, the laughter built until Draco was pushing hysterics. Still, he flinched from any touch Vince attempted. The door opened and Vince glanced worriedly over to Greg. He shrugged, helpless to fix this strange new infliction.

Greg eased down on the bed as well, causing Draco to flinch again. However, he stopped laughing. He went back to rocking and staring. Poppet mewed her support and Draco lovingly began to pet her head, still not seemingly aware of anything else.

They sat for long moments. Draco staring into nothingness, Vince and Greg staring at Draco. Eventually, Draco kissed Poppet on the head and carefully set her down. He looked up into the concerned eyes of his two oldest friends.

�Please take me to Harry,� he whispered.
___________________________________________________________________

Harry slouched in the cushiony armchair, his just washed hair dripping slightly onto his fresh set of robes. He refused to go to Madam Pomfrey, even when Headmaster Dumbledore suggested it. Instead he went straight for the shower and spent nearly 20 minutes scrubbing the remains of Lucius Malfoy from under his nails. His hands still hurt like mad, and they were beginning to swell up, but he refused to seek treatment. He refused to move.

He had flopped in the chair almost 10 minutes ago and hadn�t moved so much as a muscle since then. The common room was full of students quietly �working� or �playing games�. Harry wasn�t fooled. He could see them watching him out of the corners of their eyes, waiting for an explanation that he simply wasn�t going to give them.

Ron sat nearby, playing chess with Seamus. Hermione and Neville sat to their left, theoretically poring over their Charms texts. The only one who wasn�t making any sort of an effort to hide their concern and curiosity was Ginny. She sat in the chair across from Harry, blatantly staring at him. He�d taken to shutting his eyes so that her pointed blue gaze couldn�t force any answers out of him. As such, he didn�t notice when the second year stumbled up next to her and shifted anxiously from foot to foot as he stared at Harry.

Ginny sighed and stood. She tugged the second year out of earshot. �What is the problem, Ashford?� she snapped quietly.

�Umm�� the second year just pointed at the portrait. Ginny rolled her eyes and headed that direction. She opened the portrait up and things began clicking into place.

�Here to see Harry?� she questioned. At Crabbe and Goyle�s brief nods, she stepped aside and pointed to the back of the common room. They nodded again in thanks and gently herded a fragile looking Malfoy along beside them.

As they drew closer, Hermione looked up. Her eyes widened and she reached over to poke Harry in the side. His eyes popped open and he glared at her. Nonetheless, he followed her pointing finger until it came to rest on the object of his misery. He leaped out of the chair, startling Seamus so much that the Irish boy knocked over the chessboard.

Harry didn�t stop to apologize. He just continued heading to meet the Slytherins in the middle of the common room. They stopped with about five feet in-between them and just stared at one another. Finally, Harry bit the proverbial bullet.

�Hi,� he managed.

The corner of Draco�s mouth twitched. �Hi,� he responded.

Harry felt himself loosing control of the mature mask he�d donned since three weeks ago when he lost his beloved Draco. He knew he was one shy look or one tear away from dragging Draco Malfoy into his arms and never letting him go again. �Draco, I�m so sorry�� he tried.

Draco held up a hand and Harry fell silent, his heart aching with every beat. �I�ve had a really strange last few weeks,� Draco began softly. �The last three, however, have been the worst I�ve ever spent in my life.� Harry looked sickened at having caused any of Draco�s discomfort. �I�ve run the gauntlet from relief to terrified out of my mind.�

�I feel like I don�t know who I am anymore. I don�t know what to do to make it make sense again.� He shrugged slightly. �I�ve been thinking about how I felt as a child this time around. How I wasn�t scared. How I wasn�t going insane. And I�ve tried to distinguish just what it was that was so pivotal. The difference between who I was then and who I am now.�

He gazed up at Harry, eyes deep with confusion and pain. �The only thing I can come up with is you.� Harry bit back a moan and clenched his hands tightly to keep from flinging his arms around the blonde. �You protected me with your presence. You just seemed to radiate safety. Somehow, I knew that no matter what went wrong or how scared I was, or even how fucked up everything was turning out, that all I needed to make my world right was to feel your arms around me.�

Draco smiled wryly. �I know I�m not five anymore. I know that most of what I felt was probably just fond remembrances of the childhood I wanted to have instead of the one I actually did�but �I can�t help but hope�� His voice cracked and a tear slipped down his cheek. Harry felt himself move forward slightly before he could catch it.

�Hope that maybe�maybe it wasn�t only because I was an ignorant child. That maybe if I say I�m scared, and you hold me, everything will make sense again.� Tears were coming faster now, creating a shining silver streak against the pale flesh of his face. �I don�t know. I don�t know anything.� His breath hitched on a sob and he stared into Harry�s face, searching for answers.

�I just know I�m scared, Harry,� he whispered. �And I want you to hold me again.�

Harry�s arms were around Draco before the Slytherin could finish the sentence. He gently rocked him, crooning words of comfort into his ears. Draco�s arms slid around Harry�s waist and held on with a death grip as sobs wracked the slender body. Harry shuffled them a few steps to the left and they collapsed onto a couch that had been hurriedly emptied of its Gryffindor occupants when they�d seen Harry coming.

As Harry cuddled Draco in his arms, whispering soft promises and soothing praise into his ear, Hermione stood and waved the gawking students off to their dorm rooms. When the last of the Gryffindors had vanished, Hermione turned to Greg and Vince. She smiled wearily at them. A brief hug later and she was ushering them out the portrait hole and heading upstairs herself.

She paused to take one last look down at the two boys curled up into one another on the couch. A smile stole over her lips and then she made her way up to her room.

Draco eventually cried himself out and even the shudders that wracked his body stopped. Harry held him the whole while, dropping reassuring kisses on Draco�s blonde head. In due course, Draco looked up at Harry, who smiled lovingly at him.

�Feeling better, poppet?� he whispered, thinking that even with red eyes and puffy cheeks that Draco Malfoy was the most beautiful man he�d ever laid eyes on.

Draco cracked a tiny smile and nodded, snuggling down into Harry�s arms again. �I�m sorry I�ve been such an arse these last few weeks,� he murmured.

Harry kissed his head again. �It�s okay. You�ve had a pretty shitty past few weeks. You weren�t expected to act as thought nothing had happened. And, since we�re offering apologies,� he snorted, �I�m sorry I attacked your father.�

Draco looked up, a wry smile on his face. �Really?�

Harry looked embarrassed and then sighed. �Oh, all right. No, I�m not really sorry I did it. I�m just sorry I scared you with it.�

Draco picked up one of the hands caressing his arm. Harry�s hands were beginning to show signs of bruising along with the swelling. �You didn�t get them healed?� Draco asked curiously. Harry shook his head. �I hate that you�re hurting because of me,� Draco reproached.

Harry shook his head. �I�m hurting for you, love. Never because of you. I�m wearing these hands for me actually. To remind me how close I came today to killing a man.�

Draco shuddered. �They would have put you in Azkaban,� he nearly whimpered.

�Maybe,� Harry shrugged. �But the bastard would have been dead. He never would have hurt you again. All in all, it would have been an acceptable loss for me.�

�Loss?� Draco asked confusedly.

�My freedom for your safety.�

�But this way, we have both,� Draco argued. �You�re free and I know that whatever happens, you�ll keep me safe.�

Harry loved the trust shining out of those grey eyes. He just wrapped his arms back around Draco.

�So,� Draco sighed happily, �where do we go from here?�

Harry shrugged. �I don�t really know. All I know for sure is that I want to go there with you.�

Draco looked up cheekily. �Even if it�s to the moon?�

Harry dropped a gentle kiss, their very first, onto Draco�s lips. He reveled in the warmth and returned desire Draco offered him. �To the moon, love. And back.�

---