"You're telling me you were possessed by the Dark Lord for the better half of the school year." Blaise was sitting on Draco's bed next to Pansy, the two having been snuck in during the rush of everyone packing.

"Sounds about right, yes," Draco said with a nod. All of his things were neatly tucked away. Harry, however... Draco watched as Harry put his hands on his trunk and stood on his toes, trying to push it down with all his weight. When that failed pathetically, Harry then sat down on his trunk to try to get it to flatten out, going so far as to bounce on it. It...didn't work, very well.

"And you didn't think to tell anyone!" Pansy was now off the bed and pacing around the room, Thomas, Finnigan, and Longbottom watching her warily. Hermione was only staring at Harry's sad display, tapping her wand against her palm in thought.

"Right. Sorry. Perhaps I should go to Dumbledore, next time," Draco said with a huff, crossing his arms. "'Yes, hello, Professor Dumbledore? I started writing in this diary and now I think this diary is the heir of Slytherin and making me kill people. I have proof! No, I don't need to go to St. Mungo's!'"

"I'm sorry, let me re-phrase. You didn't think to tell us!" Pansy stared in clear betrayal, Draco's attention more on the fact Longbottom and Ron were recruited into sitting on the trunk as well, Hermione pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Right. My apologies. I've a few things I still don't tell you lot." Draco rolled his eyes before looking to the display. "Oh, for the love of-" He picked up his wand and pointed it at the trunk, whispering a spell and watching as the items fit in effortlessly. "Honestly."

"Was that an Enlargement Charm? How do you know- We don't learn those until fourth year!" Hermione frowned over at Draco, Harry only smiling from where he was the only one to not run when Draco pointed a wand at the trunk.

"You know me, Granger. I study outside of class. I'm far ahead of you all," Draco scoffed, tossing his head. He looked to his bed and frowned before shooing Blaise away and straightening it out, making sure everything was in its place with not a wrinkle in sight.

"You could have been killed- You almost were killed!" Oh, Pansy. She wasn't going to let this go, was she? "Not to mention what you did to poor Harry that night, Draco, honestly-"

"Hey, Pansy! Need your help!" Harry jerked Pansy over by her arm towards his trunk, whispering furiously under his breath to her.

"What? What'd I do to Harry?" Draco looked over and frowned. He crossed his arms, tapping his foot. "If there is any plotting or scheming to be done, it will be by me, thank you very much. Out with it."

"Don't worry mate," Ron patteed at Draco's shoulder, grinning at him. "The only thing you did to Harry was be yourself-" He was cut off by Hermione slapping his arm rather violently.

"What are you lot on about?!" Draco stamped his foot, his face starting to warm up as he threw accusatory looks to them. Blaise groaned, covering his face while Pansy puffed herself up and stared down at Draco evenly.

"Right, well, this all fell apart quickly, didn't it?" Harry slipped around Pansy and wrapped his arms around one of Draco's, smile soft and warm and so much better than the dour looks he'd be giving the last few days.

Draco glanced to Harry before he figuratively stepped down. "This isn't over."

"Sweet Merlin," Blaise shook his head. "Worse than I thought. So much- Jesus, neither of you have a chance, do you?" Laughing to himself, Blaise stood up and headed for the door. "This is just- Oh, man. Third year is going to be a blast."

Draco huffed and turned more towards Harry, pouting more than anything, now. "Oh, hush, you," the blond said with a shake of his head. Harry laughed, moving to instead wrap himself around Draco's shoulders and give him a fierce hug before going to help Ron who was struggling with his own trunk. Draco watched Harry.

His black hair fell down in front of his sparkling bright green eyes even as he huffed, trying to blow it away. He laughed through it all, taking care to bend over and help Ron reorganize everything. From where he was facing down, his glasses slipped down the bridge of his nose, and Draco had the ridiculous urge to push them back up. He was barely aware of the smile that pulled at the corners of his lips, watching him.

He may have risked everything to come back to this time, and things were getting more dangerous than ever with how close he was to everything, but... Draco wouldn't trade one moment of this for the world. Not for anything.

::

"Right, you two better keep in touch," Hagrid warned, helping the older years load all the trunks and luggage onto the train. It was nearly time to leave, the whistle blowing and letting them know that the train was about to pull away from Hogsmeade station. "Need to know what kind of trouble to expect come next year!"

Draco nodded from where he and Harry were waving out the window. "Once a week!" He was smiling, even knowing they were about to be leaving Hogwarts. Really, it didn't matter to Draco anymore where they went. He'd be at Harry's side, and that was all that mattered to him.

"And we promise we'll try to stay out of trouble as much as possible," Harry agreed, leaning out the window to shake Hagrid's massive hand, smile wild and free. "See you after the summer, Hagrid!" The train began to pull out and the two waved, shouting their goodbyes to Hagrid, as well as the teachers of Hogwarts. Even Dumbledore stood at the station to see them off, a curious glimmer in his eyes. "You ever think Dumbledore knows more than he lets on?"

"All the time," Draco confirmed as they slumped down into their seats. "You know, sometimes I think he's a legilimens." That had Harry giving him a very odd look, and oh, right. He wouldn't know- Right. "Mind reader," Draco answered with a simple shrug.

"What?" Harry's eyes widened, the boy's gaze darting back to the window. "That's- That's a thing? Is that like Parselmouth? Something you're born with?"

Draco gave a sharp shake of his head. "No, no, certainly not. It's something you learn to do. Though you can also learn to block it."

"Kind of rare, though," Ron chimed in, stretched out across his part of the seat and head near in Hermione's lap. The girl was doing her best to ignore him - pity that never worked. "Some are better at it than others, too."

"It's never a sort of thing where they can read all your thoughts all the time. It's a very focused thing." Nodding, Harry finally leaned away from the window, digging out the parchment and pencils he had thrown in the train car when they sat down. Shifting around, he settled his legs in Draco's lap and smiled. Draco tilted his head to the left and smiled at Harry. "You'll have to finish that moonlight picture, later."

"Sure you aren't a legilimens, then?" Harry smirked, reaching over to cup Draco's cheek with his palm and tilt his head a bit more towards him. "There. Don't move for about, oh...five hours?"

"I don't see why I would want to. The view is great." It was so fun to tease Harry. He made it far too easy. Especially when he flushed so cutely like that.

"You poor thing," Hermione said sympathetically, looking right at Harry. "What you'll have to deal with..." Draco frowned for a moment before he remembered that he wasn't supposed to move. Instead, he looked back to Harry and smiled.

"Yeah... I don't think I mind, though." Harry smiled back, eyes soft and warm as he looked at Draco before beginning to work. "So, Hermione. What book are you reading? Or are you already starting on your summer homework?"

"What I don't understand is how you're not starting! We want to at least have a grasp on the electives we signed up for! And you lot are just sitting there!"

"Oh, here we go," Ron groaned, covering his face. "Mate, why couldn't you leave well enough alone?"

"I suffer, you suffer with me. 'S why we're friends."

"You know what, I'm going to go ride with Blaise. At least someone appreciates my work ethic!" As she stomped out and slammed the door, the three boys sat in silence for a moment before Harry shook his head.

"You know, I didn't think she'd get a crush on Blaise of all people, but I guess it kind of makes sense." ...What. "I mean, they do spend a lot of time together."

"A crush? You think she's got a crush on Blaise?" Draco laughed at that, rolling his eyes. "I can't possibly see that. They are not at all each other's type."

"Thick as you are blind," Ron shook his head, sitting up and looking at Draco as if he was the crazy one. "How do you not notice? They spend time together constantly and Hermione's always sneaking off to the library to see him."

"She's not sneaking off. They study together. Just like Harry and I do."

"Merlin," Ron breathed, looking to Harry. "How do you do it?"

"Dunno. Must like pain, I guess."

::

Draco smiled at Harry as the train pulled to a stop. He nudged the boy from where he'd been dozing. "Come on. I'll help you with you trunk," he said as he stood on the seat and began to get their trunks down. Harry gave a quiet groan, rubbing at his eyes as he sat up and looked out the window.

"Oh... We're here." Harry stared out the window for a second longer before standing up and helping with the trunks, looking unsettled by something. Not very obviously, but...

"Harry? What's wrong?" Draco set Harry's trunk down before he turned towards Harry, tilting his head. "Aren't you happy we get to go back home?" Shrugging, Harry finally began tugging his school robes off.

"Not really. Dursleys won't be very pleased to see me, after all. Wonder if they finally took the bars off the window." Harry's voice was slightly distant as he got caught up in his robes, shaky laugh leaving him. "Maybe they'll put me back in the cupboard."

"The Dursleys?" Draco frowned as he helped Harry to take his robes off, gently helping him shrug them off. "I didn't know you planned to go back."

"Well... It's the only place I have, isn't it?" Harry blinked at him, as if he was the one not seeing the obvious. "Where else would I go?"

Draco shrugged and shook his head, grabbing his own trunk. "I don't know... I suppose I thought you would stay with me at the Manor. But I understand. They are your family." Getting the trunk down, he made sure it was steady before looking back over to Harry, shocked at the child's expression.

"You... You were serious... I- I wouldn't have to go back?"

"Harry, of course I was serious. I try to make a habit of not lying to you." Harry just looked so... He looked so shocked. Hopeful, as well, with a little fear... Why was there fear?

"But- But your parents- They wouldn't want me around that long, would they? It'd be more than just a few weeks, I couldn't expect them to look after me the entire summer-"

"Why don't we go ask them, then? They'll be waiting for us." Draco held his hand out to Harry, smiling serenely. "You're not going to go back to them." He was expecting a relieved smile, or even a rather morbid comment paired with a sad smirk. He wasn't expecting Harry to start sobbing in the middle of the train car. "Ha- Harry?!" Draco immediately stepped forward, though the thought occurred to him that perhaps he should give Harry his space. "Harry- I thought you would be happy-"

"Shut up, you idiot! I'm crying because I'm- You don't even know. I haven't even told you half of what they put me through, everything- It was so bad there, Draco, and I'm still so scared of them and now you're telling me I never have to see them again and Draco." Draco pulled him into a tight hug.

"We won't let you go back there, then," Draco confirmed with a nod. "You'll never have to go back there, again." How had he missed all of this. He should have noticed that Harry only told the same few stories about the Dursleys, only talked about things that were safe to talk about. Just what all had those muggles done to him...

"It's not asking too much, is it?" The crying had tapered off, Harry's voice hitching a bit in the privacy of the car, Ron and Hermione already having gone on ahead to meet their parents. "Going with you, and livin' with your mum and da. It's not- I can have that, can't I? That's something I can actually be allowed to have?"

Draco couldn't help but to let his head bob as he ran a hand through Harry's hair. "Harry, you won't want for anything in the world, with us." It took a little while before Harry started calming down, slowly pulling back and offering an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, for- Sorry."

"Later, you're telling me about them. Everything."

"Later," Harry's hand trailed against Draco's left arm before he was smiling and pulling Draco along. "Your mom is probably worrying about you like crazy with how long we've been here."

"Let's go, then. Come on." Draco wrapped an arm around Harry's waist. No matter what happened from here, he was going to keep Harry safe. He had promised himself that in first year but now... He was still a child, for now. Draco could stand to spoil and protect him for a while longer. "Now, you are going to be leaving the train first, so that mother has someone to worry and fret over besides myself."

"She'd worry over me?" Harry blinked, looking almost confused. Draco decided a practical demonstration would work best, which was why he gently but firmly pushed Harry out of the train and through the platform. Shouldn't take long- Ah, there she was.

"Hello, mother," Draco said with a beaming grin. "How have you been?" It was amusing to see that Narcissa had already wrapped Harry up in a hug, fussing and fretting and trying to see how he was doing. Harry was near soaking up the attention, not one bit of complaint leaving him as he let Narcissa worry.

"Worried," Lucius answered for her, lips twitching. "I take it Harry will be spending the holidays with us once more?"

Draco nodded and stepped towards his father. Draco kept his arms behind his back and looked up at him. "Harry was actually hoping it would be alright? He didn't want to burden the two of you."

"I doubt he ever could be," Lucius stared down at Draco before pulling him into... Into a hug. "We were so worried about you two when the school sent us that message."

"Oh. Um... Alright. We're fine." Draco stiffened up, his eyes wide. He didn't know what to do with this. At least it didn't last long, Lucius letting him go with a final pat to his back.

"I take it his...muggles are here?"

"I don't know, really. I would assume so."

"Delightful," Lucius adjusted his cuff links - ooh, right, that's where Draco had picked up that habit. "I've been meaning to discuss that miserable company for ages. This will be a delightful opportunity to let the man known that not only is he fired and his company to be auctioned off to the highest bidder, but I shall be taking in his nephew due to my observations of him being in a previously abusive environment."

"Yeah... Yeah, right. We'll just head home- Do you want us to wait for you?" Draco stared up at his father in awe, his eyes wide. He'd forgotten there had been a reason he took so quickly to him.

"No, that's quite alright. I expect you two will want to get settled in after the last few days. I'll be home in time for dinner." Lucius gave Draco's shoulder one last pat before disappearing into the crowd.

"Draco," Harry caught Draco's attention from where he was still wrapped up in Narcissa's arms, eyes wide and shining. "Your parents are incredible."

"I like to think so, yes," Draco said with a beaming smile before he tugged on his mother's arm. "Mother can we please get home? We have lots of work to start on!" After all, he was going to be taking as many classes as possible next year, and he wanted to get an early start on them. He and Harry also had to talk about everything. The Dursleys, the Death Eaters, what was going to be coming...

For today, at least, he supposed he could let Harry enjoy the fact that he was safe and cared for, and that the next year would be normal for once. It... It wasn't so bad, being the best friend of Harry Potter.

A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed that fic! Year two is now finished! Be on the lookout for year three's fic, Draco Malfoy and the Traitorous Marauder! Coming to a fic site near you. What did you guys think of this one? What was your favorite part? Your least favorite? Anything that made you cry? Made you laugh out loud? We'd love to hear from you! Until next year. ~Kas