Originally written for 2013 Bottom!Draco Adaptation Fest. Adapted from the movie Edward Scissorhands.

DRACO, THE SOLITAIRE

Draco saw them coming: four men in uniforms, three men dressed in ordinary clothes and one plump middle-aged woman with a red hair. Draco knew what he should do and went to his hiding place, just like his mother had told him to do if someone approached the Manor. He knew that from the outside the Manor looked like it was abandoned long ago, and no one suspected there was still one resident living in the estate.

He retreated even deeper in the shadows of the attic and stayed silent. He heard distant voices coming from downstairs and soon there were footsteps approaching the attic. Draco listened carefully; there were obviously two people coming up the stairs and one of them was the woman. Draco began to tremble; it had been so long since he had seen any other people in the Manor and he was nervous. Even though Draco was a grown man now - his 18th birthday was coming up in a few weeks, he felt like a child as he was dreadfully waiting for the approaching invaders.

The woman and the man with thinning hair stepped inside the attic cautiously, their wands ready. They seemed to be capable even though they obviously weren't Aurors or any other Ministry officials. He knew a lot about the Wizarding world but only what he had learned from the books. His mother had told him many stories about the Wizarding world, the magic, and witches and wizards many years ago, but now that Draco was all alone, all he had left were those books in the library of the Manor.

The woman and the man searched the attic but didn't find anything. They turned to leave when the woman froze.

"Arthur, wait, there's something in here, I can feel it," she told the man.

"What is it? What do you sense?" The man called Arthur asked.

"There's something... someone..."

The woman turned around and observed the attic. She tilted her head and listened. Draco didn't make a sound, hardly dared to breathe; he was truly scared now.

The woman took a step toward Draco's hiding place and raised his wand.

"Who's there?" she demanded. "Reveal yourself."

Draco was shaking; this was the closest he had ever ended up with another person after his mother had gone. Hesitantly, he took two steps forward so that half of his body came visible for the others in the room. Still, he kept his face in the shadows.

The woman lowered her wand and motioned the man for the door.

"Please, Arthur, leave us. I can handle this." Her voice was soft but firm.

The man left reluctantly and the woman took a few steps toward Draco.

"Everything is fine, you don't have to be afraid. I'm here to help you. My name is Molly Weasley. What is your name?" Molly asked gently and smiled.

Draco's throat was so dry that he couldn't get a word out. He stood perfectly still and finally managed to whisper, "Draco. My name is Draco... Malfoy."

"Where is your mother? She is Narcissa Malfoy, isn't she?"

"Yes. She... she left. Some men came here and took her away." Draco managed to whisper even though he was shaking badly now.

"Don't be afraid. We won't hurt you. We only want to help you. Are you living here alone?"

Draco nodded but realized that Molly couldn't see it because his face was still in the shadows. He took a cautious step forward, revealing his face and nodded again. Molly frowned when she saw him.

"Oh, dear, you are so pale and thin. How on earth have you managed here just by yourself? Let me take care of you, dear. No need to worry. You just need good food, rest, and sunshine on your pale face and you'll be better in no time."

Molly stepped closer and held out her hand in a friendly manner, but Draco flinched and stepped back.

"I won't harm you and I won't touch you if you don't want to be touched. It's all right. Come with me. I'll take you home."

"Home? This is my home."

"Yes, it is, but you can't live alone in here without anyone taking care of you. You can come back here later if you don't feel comfortable with my family."

Molly turned around and started to walk toward the door. Draco hesitantly followed her.

Molly took him to a weird looking house called the Burrow. The tall building looked as if someone had haphazardly tossed several crooked stories on top of each other, and the whole building seemed to be held up only with magic. The gardens around the house were nice in a rampant way.

Molly ushered him inside. "Don't be shy, Draco, come in. I know this isn't the Manor, but this is our home and we love it just like it is."

Draco was surprised to see how comfortable and cozy the house was inside. Molly lead him straight to the kitchen and seated him at the large dinner table while she started to bustle around, preparing something to eat for him.

Draco looked around a little confused. Everything was so overwhelming for him after spending several years with his mother and a couple of the last years completely alone. His mother had never been the motherly type, at least when compared to Molly, fussing and worrying over him. Draco was feeling bewildered and delighted about it at the same time.

"Now, dear, it's time for you to eat. Here, try this. I hope you like the casserole." Molly put a plate full of unfamiliar looking food and a jug of juice in front of him. "You are too thin for my liking. After dinner I'll show you your room."

Draco managed a shy smile and started to eat. During the dinner, Molly told him about her family. She had seven children with Arthur, although none of them were at home right then. The youngest two, Ron and Ginny, were at Hogwarts and they were coming home in a couple of days. The spring term of the school was ending prematurely because of the recently ended war. The school was damaged and all students were allowed to leave early for the summer. The elder children, Charlie, Bill, and Percy, were living on their own as well as the twins, Fred and George. The twins were fun loving blokes, who had opened a joke shop a few years ago, and now their business was blooming. Bill was married and was living in a house of his own called Shell Cottage.

After the dinner, Molly lead Draco to the third floor and explained that the room where Draco was staying in was actually Bill's old room. His room was small and simple, but Draco didn't need a lot of space anyway. He'd had his share of space this far, and now, the small room made him feel safe. Molly had gathered some of Bill's old clothes and urged Draco to try them on. Then she left Draco alone for a while, asking him to come back downstairs when he was ready.

They spent the rest of the evening sitting in the living room and talking. Well, mostly it was Molly who talked and asked questions. Draco just listened and enjoyed the company. If he was asked a question that needed an answer of more than a nod or shake of the head, he replied quietly with a single word or two. Even though Molly was gentle and nice, having company was still so foreign for Draco that he felt uncomfortable.

Next morning, after a restless night, Draco came downstairs for breakfast and met Molly's husband, Arthur, for a first time. Arthur was as talkative as his wife, asking questions and not always even waiting for the answers as he continued talking. Draco was once again confused and withdrawn in his presence. Finally, Molly interrupted her husband. "For Merlin's sake, Arthur, let the boy eat his breakfast in peace." One look at his wife and Arthur quieted to Draco's relief.

Soon after Arthur left for work, Draco helped Molly clean the kitchen. It felt good to actually do something other than talk and Molly seemed to appreciate the help. She noticed Draco's lack of using his wand and questioned him.

"I... I don't feel comfortable using magic in the presence of other people," Draco admitted, with his eyes cast down and a blush creeping on his cheeks.

"Why on earth would you feel uncomfortable using your magic, dear?"

"My mother... she told me not to use magic when there were other people nearby."

"It's quite all right to use your magic, dear boy. In fact, you should use your magic to keep it strong and practised. Why didn't your mother want you to use it?"

"She was afraid that if someone sensed my magic, they would find out I was there."

"We all thought your mother had taken you out of Britain all those years ago to keep you safe. That's why we never thought you were still living in the Manor all by yourself. Why did your mother leave you alone?"

"There were several men coming to the Manor and Mother told me to go hide and stay there, no matter what happened. I heard them arguing and then they left, taking my mother with them." Draco felt the sadness crushing him at the thought of losing his mother. He hung his head and felt hot tears filling his eyes.

Molly touched his shoulder, unsure if Draco wanted to be touched or not. Draco let out a broken sob and threw himself in the comforting embrace Molly was offering. They stayed that way for a long time until Draco had calmed down. Molly took his face between her hands and said, "We'll find out where your mother is. We will help you. You are not alone anymore, dear." Draco nodded and tried to smile. Molly squeezed his hand reassuringly. "Now, let's take some juice with us and go sit in the garden for a while. You need some sunshine on your skin."

They sat in the garden long into afternoon, talking about Draco's education. He was now more comfortable with talking to Molly and told her about his childhood. His mother had refused to let Draco attend Hogwarts because she felt it was too dangerous in those troubled times when Voldemort was coming back and the Death Eaters were raising their power and fear over the Wizarding world. Draco's mother and father had argued a lot about it, but Narcissa had stood her ground. She had hired a private tutor for Draco during the first years, and when Lucius had been imprisoned, escaped, and killed, Narcissa had tried to send him away for safety. Draco had adamantly refused to leave his mother and Narcissa had hidden his son away in fear that the Death Eaters would come for Draco after Lucius had failed the Dark Lord. Narcissa had successfully convinced everyone that she had left the country with her son until she had been found, probably by the Death Eaters.

After his mother had left, Draco had kept himself sane by reading all the books he could in the massive library of the Manor. He had practised by himself, using the magic, and now, he was quite skilled at charms. Molly coaxed Draco to show her some of his charms, and even though Draco still wasn't comfortable using magic in the presence of other people, he complied. Molly seemed to be impressed at how good Draco was with his charms; he had even invented some brilliant charms of his own, and altogether, according to Molly, his skills seemed to be about the level her youngest son Ron was at the moment.

Speaking of her family, Molly told him that she had invited two of her sons, the twins, for dinner that evening so Draco could meet them first. She said that she wanted to introduce her boisterous family to him in easily digestible portions.

Later that evening the twins arrived at the kitchen when Molly was bustling around making dinner and Draco was chopping vegetables by hand. Draco shied away from them as they approached.

"Hey Mum, what's for dinner?" One of the twins gave a brief hug to his mother.

"Hi Mum," the other twin said in turn and kissed his mother on the cheek. Then both of them turned to face Draco. "Draco, is it?" they inquired in unison.

Draco just nodded from the doorway where he had backed off when the twins had arrived.

"Now, Draco, you don't have to worry about Fred and George, they are harmless if quite loud sometimes," Molly soothed, probably seeing the nearly panicked look on Draco's face. "Take it easy, boys, and remember, no pranks."

"Yes, Mum," both Fred and George replied, obviously trying to look innocent.

Molly ordered them all to wash up before dinner and soon after also Arthur had arrived and they were seated around the kitchen table having dinner.

Draco was once again quiet and withdrawn while the twins chatted with their parents during dinner. He answered the questions directed at him but otherwise he just listened. The twins seemed harmless, but Draco wasn't used to that sort of raucousness and it made him cautious.

After dinner, Molly ushered the boys outside, telling the twins about a spell Draco had invented that was effective to get rid of the garden gnomes. Of course, Fred and George wanted to see it and they led Draco excitedly to the garden. Shyly, Draco showed them the spell and the twins cheered at the poor gnome spinning through the air to the other side of the garden fence.

They sat on the lawn in the garden long into the night as the twins told him about all the pranks they'd pulled in Hogwarts and toward their siblings. While listening to them talk, Draco felt himself relax more than he thought he could. Through their stories, he got to know their siblings quite well. Bill and Charlie, the oldest brothers, were as fun loving blokes as Fred and George, although not quite that wild. Percy was a pompous nitpicker. Ron could be a stubborn jerk sometimes but usually was fine, and Ginny was a tomboy, who had a long-term crush on Harry Potter.

"You know Harry Potter?" Draco asked curiously.

"Yeah, of course, he's Ron's classmate and they are best friends. I suppose he will come visit the Burrow during the summer break as usual. How do you know about him? I thought you were a recluse in your home?" George asked.

"I've read a lot of books in the Manor and my mother told me some stories about The Boy Who Lived. I always thought it was just a story, not real," Draco confessed.

"He's very real, I assure you. He's a good lad and I'm sure you'll like him as much as we all do," Fred said.

That night Draco dreamed of The Boy Who Lived for the first time since his childhood.

The next day Ron and Ginny were expected to come home for the summer, and Arthur was assigned to pick them up at the King's Cross and explain the situation to them on their way home. Draco was helping Molly to prepare a late lunch for them and they chatted about Hogwarts while they were working. Eventually, a door was slammed open and an irritated looking redhead boy about Draco's age stomped into the kitchen.

"So this is the Death Eater scum you have taken under your wing, Mum? Just bloody great! Why didn't you just leave him in that rat hole and save us all from the trouble?" the boy yelled, his face almost as red as his hair.

A redheaded girl following him grabbed his shirt, trying to stop him. "Ron, don't be an idiot. Mum wouldn't..."

"Ronald Bilius Weasley, I am ashamed of you! You better start behaving right this minute or you will see that you are not old enough not to be punished by your mother," Molly boomed. Ron paled and Molly turned her attention to a panicking Draco. "I'm so sorry, dear, just ignore him. He will come around. You will see."

Draco couldn't stop a whimper from escaping his trembling lips as he slipped out of the kitchen door muttering, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be a burden." Then he ran all the way up to his room, locking the door behind him. He heard Molly calling after him and a moment later she came to knock on his door, but Draco just sat on the bed trembling and couldn't find his voice to answer Molly's worried call.

Draco stayed in his room despite all of Molly's attempts to get him to come out. He was too scared and embarrassed to face that Ronald bloke again. He had liked living with Weasleys this far, but now he seriously considered moving back to the Manor, even if it meant being alone again, without Molly's care and good food.

Around dinner time, he heard noise coming from the garden and peeked out of the window. He saw Fred and George arguing with Ronald, and one of the twins was even shaking his younger brother while yelling at him.

Draco sighed and started to gather his few belongings. He couldn't stay. He had caused too much trouble to this nice family by simply staying in the same house with them. He'd better leave before things got worse. He tidied up the room and then stepped to the door, ready to leave when he heard a knock on the door.

"Draco? Are you all right, mate?" The voice belonged to one of the twins.

Draco opened the door and stepped outside.

"Yes, I'm all right. Thank you for having me here, but I think I'd better leave now. I don't want to cause any trouble for you," he said stiffly.

"What? You don't cause any trouble. If this is about Ron, he's just being a jerk as usual. He'll get over it," the twin assured.

Draco was unsure. "He hates me and it'll be easier if I move back to the Manor, out of his way."

"Don't be daft, Draco. You're not moving out because of Ron. Come on, we've got things to do in the garden."

The twin – Draco still couldn't say which one he was – wrapped his arm around Draco's shoulders and led him downstairs and out of the back door to the garden. The other twin was there waiting with their younger siblings. The girl smiled and approached Draco, "Hello Draco, I'm Ginny."

Draco nodded and muttered, "Hello."

Next, Ronald was pushed in front of Draco by his brother, receiving also a slap in his head. "Oi, stop it Fred," he exclaimed, but then he turned his eyes to Draco. "I'm sorry for being a jerk earlier. I'm Ron by the way." Sullenly, Ron turned around and slumped down onto the garden chair.

"Hey Draco, how about flying a broom? We have several brooms in the shed," George asked.

"I don't know if I'm any good at it," Draco confessed. "I haven't flied before very much."

"Come on, you'll learn in no time. Let's give it a try," Fred encouraged.

They mounted their brooms and after a moment of unsteadiness, Draco got a grip of it and began to enjoy the freedom. They sped up their brooms, swooped down, and then rocketed up into the sky again, chasing each other with raucous laughter. Suddenly, Ron was up in the air too and released a small golden ball with wings. "Snitch!" both Fred and George cheered in unison and started to chase it furiously. Ron accompanied them and Draco also joined the chase, even though he didn't exactly know what they were doing. Finally, Fred caught the Snitch and landed smoothly, showing off his prize victoriously.

They all tumbled into the kitchen, laughing and slapping each other on the back. Draco felt relaxed and happy being a part of the family like this, and he sensed even Ron accepting him more easily now. At the dinner, the twins kept praising Draco for his flying skills, claiming he was a natural talent at flying and probably would be incredible at playing Quidditch. Of course, Draco wasn't very familiar with Quidditch and the boys had to tell him all about their favourite game late into the night.

Draco's summer seemed to really begin after that day. Slowly, he and Ron started to get to know each other better and despite the twins visiting the Burrow several times a week, Ron and Draco seemed to get closest to each other as the summer proceeded. Ron explained everything possible regarding the Wizarding world and the society that wasn't familiar to Draco. He knew very much of what could be learned from books, but the practical side was almost non-existent. They wandered on the fields and forests around the Burrow, flew their brooms, and talked. A lot. Ron showed his favourite places and pastimes, which usually revolved around Quidditch one way or the other. Ron also taught him to play games as Exploding Snap and Wizard's Chess. Draco was quite good at chess and a good opponent for Ron.

During the summer, Molly had talked Draco into trying to apply to Hogwarts and finish his education properly. She had also invited Headmistress McGonagall to visit the Burrow to meet Draco and talk about having him in Hogwarts for the next term. At first, Draco wasn't too keen about the school, but after Ron had told him that he would be there too for his 8th year – because the war had ruined the usually final 7th year for most of the students – Draco was more interested. After the Headmistress had interviewed Draco, she agreed to have him tested and tutored during the summer to see how he would fit in with the other students his age in 8th year.

Molly and Ron escorted Draco to Hogwarts several times a week to be tested on what level his education and knowledge really was comparing to the other students. After all the testing, Draco was approved to join the 8th years in Hogwarts on one condition: he'd to accept some extra tutoring from the professors in Hogwarts during the rest of the summer. Draco didn't mind; he was so accustomed to studying the books that Ron teased him to already be in Hermione's good graces, even if he hadn't even met Ron's girlfriend yet. He was excited to learn more about magic and this time, he'd learn from the best professors in the Wizarding world.

Weeks passed by and Draco worked hard with his studies. He attended the private lessons in Hogwarts three days a week and got to know more about the school and the professors during these lessons. His favorite lessons were Charms, of course, and Potions. His Charms professor was quite impressed with Draco's inventive ways with different spells, and Draco was delighted to hear the praises.

Two weeks before the beginning of the first term in Hogwarts, Ron's two best friends arrived at the Burrow to spend the last remaining summer days of freedom with the Weasleys. Ron's girlfriend, Hermione, arrived first and just like Ron had predicted, she was excited to find a soul mate in Draco, regarding to studying methods. Draco and Hermione would have liked to talk more about what they had learned, but Ron monopolized most of Hermione's time, demanding her attention after the long time spent apart. Draco would have felt abandoned if not for the twins, who happily took Ron's place in Draco's life with their pranking and pestering new inventions from Draco to be used in their products at the joke shop.

And then Harry Potter arrived. The moment Draco first met Harry was a pivotal moment in his life, even if he didn't know it at the time.

Ginny seemed to perk up after Harry arrived, and she trailed after him all the time, trying to get his attention. Draco noticed that Harry treated her the same way he treated Hermione, like a good friend. George explained that Ginny and Harry had dated last year, but Harry had broke up with her to keep her safe when the war had turned more dangerous for the people closest to Harry. After the war though, Harry didn't show any signs of getting back together with Ginny and that had bothered her tremendously. She just didn't want to let go.

On the other hand, Draco noticed Harry's attention turned more towards him instead of Ginny. They spent a lot of time together, flying, playing, and talking while Ron and Hermione were busy elsewhere. Draco enjoyed his company very much. He was surprised to see that Harry wasn't at all like he had imagined a Chosen One, the Hero of Wizarding World, would be. He was a bit shy, funny, and unpretentious young man with a big heart. His bright green eyes followed Draco wherever he went and he seemed to sense when Draco felt uncomfortable, anxious, or uncertain of something and always came to rescue him. Once, Draco even asked how he always knew when he was needed.

"Well, I have this problem with saving people... even if they didn't want to be saved," Harry had said. Draco felt an unfamiliar warmth spread in his chest, just thinking about Harry wanting to save him.

One morning, they all received their Hogwarts letters when sitting at the breakfast table at the Burrow. The letter contained a long list of the books and supplies they'd need for the school. They had decided to go shopping in the Diagon Alley the next day and that's when Draco got anxious. He hadn't needed any money for so long and didn't even know if he had any, but he knew the Weasleys weren't rich and he couldn't ask for more help from them. As if sensing Draco's thoughts, Harry squeezed his hand and whispered in his ear, "Don't worry, Draco, everything will be okay, trust me." Draco smiled at Harry and squeezed back.

At dinner time, Arthur had some news for Draco.

"I've made some research at the Ministry concerning you, Draco. After your father's death and since you are of age already, you are confirmed to have the right of possession of the title and all the property of Malfoy family, including the accessing rights of the Malfoy vaults in Gringotts. That means you don't have to worry about your livelihood for the rest of your life. I have the documents ready for Gringotts if you want to visit your vaults when you go shopping for school tomorrow."

Draco was speechless. He had money? Now he could buy anything he needed without worrying if he had enough money or not. He also had a chance to thank the Weasleys for all their wonderful help by buying something really nice for them. Relieved at the news, he began thanking Arthur profusely but then a thought crossed his mind. "Have you heard anything of my mother?" He was almost afraid to ask.

"Unfortunately, we haven't been able to locate your mother yet. We know there are still several Death Eaters loose out there and she might be held as a prisoner somewhere." Arthur sounded apologetic.

"I hope she's still alive," Draco whispered. He desperately wanted it to be real. Harry reached for his hand again reassuringly but his good mood had already vanished and sadness crept over him.

The next morning, Ginny's friend Luna Lovegood arrived at the Burrow. She lived nearby with her father and she was coming with the Weasley clan to the Diagon Alley. At first, Draco was quite confused about Luna. She looked like an angel with her blonde hair and a dreamy look in her eyes; she was friendly and nice, but when she started to talk about something called Nargles and Wrackspurts, Draco was confused. Who was this girl?

Harry explained that Luna was quite superstitious and believed in many mysterious things and creatures that others didn't see, which made many of their schoolmates call her Loony. Harry assured him that despite of all the name calling and suspicions of her being insane, she was a good and loyal friend who would always be there for you if you needed her.

Cautiously, Draco kept his distance to Luna but observed her with interest.

Diagon Alley was crowded. Witches and wizards with their children were making their last purchases for the upcoming school year and the shops were busy. The Weasleys with their friends had to divide their large group to save time and fit into the crowded shops more easily. Harry needed to visit the Gringotts first as well as Draco, so Arthur and Ron decided to accompany them. The girls left with Molly.

Draco was dumbstruck to see Gringotts and how it worked. With the help of Arthur and the documents of the Ministry, they didn't have any trouble connecting Draco with his vaults. After Harry and Draco received their Galleons, they headed for the first shop on their list. They had fun in Quality Quidditch Supplies where they examined new brooms and debated over which gear was the best to wear in the Quidditch match. They had time for the Madam Malkin's and the Eeylops Owl Emporium before they were to meet Molly and the girls for lunch at Leaky Cauldron.

They were sitting at the table in the Leaky having lunch when Draco felt someone staring at him. When he looked around, he saw several people watching him. He wanted to shrink or turn invisible at once; their staring felt so uncomfortable. Luna was sitting next to him and saw his uneasiness. She nudged him with her elbow and whispered, "Don't mind them, they are just curious." She smiled and somehow that smile made Draco feel better. Luna obviously knew how he was feeling.

After lunch they all went to get the books, cauldrons, and other supplies they needed for school. They also visited Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes where Draco's jaw dropped at all the joke products they were selling. Now he understood why the twins were so interested in his new inventions at charms. Draco would have enjoyed himself at the joke shop for the rest of the day if it were up to him. He was so interested at what the twins had invented and how everything worked. He even wanted to try some of the products. The twins were happy to explain everything he wanted to know and then some. They were delighted to have an appreciative audience for once. When Molly announced it was time for them to go back to the Burrow for dinner, everyone else was ready to go but Draco. The twins promised to come to the Burrow later and continue their discussion then.

Draco and the twins had found a mutual interest and they kept in touch for the rest of the days before going to Hogwarts. Fred and George promised to continue their discussions by owl post even during the school year and that promise made Draco delighted. He had finally found something he thought he was good at and it was exhilarating. Maybe he could work with the twins after Hogwarts too, he hoped.

The day they were going back to Hogwarts arrived and the Burrow was full of excited students with their trunks and school supplies. Arthur and Molly packed all of them to the extended car they'd be using to transport them to the King's Cross. Packing them in and unpacking them out of the car was a spectacle they wouldn't forget anytime soon but at least they made it to the station on time. Draco enjoyed the ride both on the car and the train. He was surrounded with friends and he was thrilled to arrive at Hogwarts as one of the students.

As soon as they had settled into the compartment on the train, curious students began wander past them very slowly and staring at them. Finally, Hermione had enough and covered the windows of the compartment to have some privacy. Hermione, Ron, and Harry spent almost all the train ride explaining to Draco what was to be expected in his first term and they told a lot of stories about the previous years. Time flew by and before he knew it, Hermione told them all to change into their school robes because they were almost in Hogsmeade already.

When they stepped out of the train, there was a giant man welcoming them. Harry explained the giant was actually a half-giant and his name was Hagrid. He seemed to be a close friend of Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Hagrid ushered them to the carriages, which were pulled by some invisible power. Hermione told him that the carriages were drawn by thestrals, creatures looking a lot like horses, but no person who hadn't seen death could see them. He was intrigued though, wanting to see these creatures for real because he had seen them only on books before.

Hogwarts was already familiar for Draco, so he didn't feel nervous about moving in there. The only thing he was nervous about was the Sorting ceremony. Even though Draco had visited Hogwarts frequently all through the summer, Headmistress McGonagall had decided to let Draco be sorted at the same time as the first years during the Welcoming Feast. Draco was anxious because he was afraid that the Sorting Hat would put him in a different house than the rest of his friends. Draco's fear was justified. He knew he was in trouble as soon as the Hat sat on his head and it started pondering where Draco would fit best.

"Hmmm, a youngest of Malfoys, always Slytherins, ambitious and prosperous. True Slytherins they are, but I sense you are different. If you had come to Hogwarts at the age of eleven, you'd have been sent to Slytherin, but now you are different from that boy. You have a ready mind and wit and you're willing to learn. Ravenclaw it is!" the Sorting Hat exclaimed.

Draco was frozen in place. He was panicking. How was he to survive without his friends? He started shaking uncontrollably. He couldn't move and the cheering coming from the Ravenclaw table sounded distant. Vaguely, he felt himself being lead toward the Ravenclaw table and he glanced at the Gryffindor table where Harry and Ron wore shocked expressions. Hermione, on the other hand, seemed pleased. Draco felt all the energy draining out of him and barely could move his feet towards the Ravenclaw table when a small hand slipped into his own. Surprised, he turned his head and saw Luna standing beside him. She smiled gently and squeezed his hand.

"Come, Draco. Don't be afraid. I'll stay with you. I'm a Ravenclaw too, you know," she reassured and led Draco to their table. He sighed in relief; he wouldn't be completely alone after all. Luna was nice, weird but nice, and she would help him to settle in Ravenclaw.

After the Feast, Draco followed Luna to the Ravenclaw common room located high up in one of the towers. The common room was warm and inviting, with comfy looking furniture, shelves full of books, and the ceiling full of stars glowing softly down on them. The house colours, blue and bronze, as well as their house symbol, the eagle, were prominent in the common room. The stairs leading to the dorms upstairs were guarded by the statue of the founder, Rowena Ravenclaw.

Luna introduced Draco to everyone present and their reactions varied from cautious to warily interested. Nobody seemed too keen to spend more time with them than necessary, so Luna and Draco settled on two chairs and spent the rest of the evening talking quietly. Nearing bedtime, Luna asked one of the 8th year boys, Michael Corner, to show him to the boys' dorms and where Draco was supposed to sleep. Michael didn't talk much but he wasn't unfriendly either. Draco was at ease, following him upstairs and to his bed. Michael also explained their morning routines and the location of the bathroom before disappearing behind the curtains of his bed, leaving Draco to take in his surroundings.

Four boys were sharing the dorm room and the last two boys just stepped into the dorm as Draco was looking around. They introduced themselves as Terry Boot and Anthony Goldstein, and just like Michael, they were quiet but seemed friendly enough. Draco thought that maybe it was a common trait for Ravenclaws. Draco settled down on his bed and closed the curtains. He was exhausted and sleeping seemed a perfect idea.

The next morning began a new routine for Draco as a student in Hogwarts. Most of the subjects were already familiar to him. He had read so many books about them and the private tutoring during the summer had helped a lot for him to absorb the knowledge the other students had learned in lessons during the previous years. Charms, Transfiguration and Defence Against Dark Arts were subjects Draco liked the most. They were easy for him because he had always loved to play with different sort of spells and charms, tried every new one he found, and invented some of his own. He had refined his skills by sheer instinct; even his teachers had to admit he was clever despite never having a proper teaching in the subject.

Potions was a new subject to him. He had read a lot about it, but having no chance to practise in a real lab made him uncertain how he'd manage it. After the first lessons at Potions though, he was thrilled. It was much like the charms for him; if he was meticulous with the ingredients and followed the orders, it was easy. After he had practised long enough, he could start using his imagination and create something new, just like he had invented the charms. The Potions were a new challenge for him and he loved it.

Herbology was quite similar to Potions; he had read a lot about it but lacked the practise. The subject was closely connected to Potions, so Draco was very interested in it too. In Herbology, he needed some extra tutoring during the school year and he was often seen wandering towards the greenhouses after school day to learn more.

Draco enjoyed his new life at Hogwarts. He loved the lessons and enjoyed the company of his friends as often as he could manage it. Having Luna by his side in Ravenclaw was a huge comfort. He had already got used to her weird ramblings about mystic magical creatures that no one had seen before. He didn't always understand what she was telling him, but he was fond of her nevertheless. Luna was a gentle, wise girl, who always knew what to say and was always ready to help, comfort, advise him, or whatever he needed at the time.

What he didn't enjoy at Hogwarts was the increased gossiping and whispering whenever he was around. He understood at some level that having a new student made everyone curious, especially one who had been hidden almost all of his life in his home and only recently made an appearance in the Wizarding society. It was big news, but he didn't like to be a target of all the gossiping and whispering. He hated to cause any attention directed toward him. His friendship with the Gryffindors and Luna were a constant source for gossip, and recently, he had heard someone call Luna his girlfriend. Of course, he knew Luna was a girl and his friend, but what difference would it make if Luna was his girlfriend? Confused, he asked Luna about it and she explained patiently.

"Oh," was all Draco could manage to reply. Now, he could see the difference, and while he liked Luna very much, he didn't like her that way. None of the books he had ever read explained this sort of information, but now that he knew, he started to pay closer attention to how other students interacted with each other. It made more sense as to why Ron had always talked about Hermione as his girlfriend, and thank Merlin Draco hadn't talked about any of his girl friends in the same way, not knowing what it really meant.

When he thought about it, all of his friends were just friends to him. He liked them all: Ron, Hermione, Luna, Harry... Harry, he felt different though. Harry had been around him constantly, even in Hogwarts, and although they didn't share lots of lessons, Harry always found time to spend with Draco. They talked a lot, spent a lot of time on the Quidditch pitch where Harry taught him some cool Quidditch moves on his broom, and in return Draco taught him some of his inventions at charms. They had a wonderful time together even just hanging out, and Draco enjoyed Harry's company tremendously, which made him consider if Harry was more than just a friend. He dismissed the thought quickly; it was ridiculous because Harry wasn't a girl and neither was he. Boys could have only girlfriends, right?

The Hogsmeade day was approaching and everyone was excited to go there with their friends. Draco noticed that every student made dates with their girlfriends or boyfriends for Hogsmeade and he supposed that Ron and Hermione would go together. Well, that left him his other friends to go with, Luna and Harry. Ginny had been quite distant with him since they had arrived at Hogwarts, but he didn't know why. That's why he didn't count her as his friend, at least not yet.

One evening after dinner, Draco and Harry were wandering toward the Black Lake when Draco sensed Harry being nervous. Harry fidgeted with the sleeves of his robes and repeatedly ran his hands through his messy hair. Draco was wondering what it was about until Harry stopped in his tracks and took Draco's hand in his own.

"Draco, listen, tomorrow is the Hogsmeade day and I... I was wondering if you'd.. like.. like to go with me?" Harry stammered.

"Sure, Harry, we can all go together. I mean... you and me and Luna. Ron and Hermione are going together anyway, aren't they?"

"No, I meant if you'd like to go with me, just you and me?" Harry fidgeted with his sleeves again.

"Oh, sure. I'll just ask Luna if it's okay since we had talked about going there all together." Draco was a little puzzled, but he liked the idea of going there with Harry and having him all to himself for the whole day.

Draco asked Luna as soon as he saw him later that evening in their common room and was surprised that Luna didn't seem unfazed or upset.

"Why, of course you can go with Harry. Did he ask you for a date?"

"Umm, I don't know. Can a boy ask another boy for a date?" Draco was confused.

Luna giggled. "Of course they can, you silly. Go ahead and spend the day with Harry. I can go with Ginny. She doesn't have a date either."

The next morning, Draco woke up excited and nervous. He was going to Hogsmeade with Harry! He finished his morning routines and ate breakfast in record time, and then rushed back to his dorm to get ready for the date. Harry hadn't said it clearly, but now that Draco thought about it, he really hoped it was a date.

Harry was waiting for him in the Entrance Hall with dozens of others going to Hogsmeade as well. Harry greeted him happily and led him out of the door. At first their conversation flowed a bit awkwardly, something they had never had before, but soon enough they were back to their usual bantering. Harry teased him about the praise he had received from Professor Slughorn and when seeing Draco blush, Harry nudged him with his shoulder and slipped his hand in Draco's. Draco felt a small smile tug on his lips and enjoyed holding Harry's hand for the rest of the way to Hogsmeade.

First they visited a bookshop and Draco loved to find so many new tomes to read. He bought several interesting books and Harry gallantly offered to carry his purchases. They explored the High Street and all the specialty shops lining it from the outside first before they decided the shops they'd visit next. Draco was exhilarated at seeing everything Hogsmeade had to offer and he wanted to go everywhere at the same time. Finally, they settled for a Quill shop and then to Dervish & Banges to see some rare magical instruments. They examined the instruments and the helpful shop assistant told them interesting stories about the weirdest instruments on display.

Lunchtime had gone without either of them noticing it, and when Draco's stomach growled loudly, Harry laughed and asked if he wanted to go for tea. Draco agreed and they headed for Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop where they loaded their trays full of sandwiches and cakes and, of course, a full pot of tea. They were hungry after all. They enjoyed their tea time chatting and eating for a couple of hours until there was time only for one visit before they had to head back to Hogwarts. Knowing Draco's sweet tooth, Harry suggested they visit Honeydukes and Draco beamed. When they stepped inside Honeydukes, Draco couldn't stop staring. The shop was full of different sort of sweets, chocolates, and marmalades. Draco's mouth was watering, just watching them gleaming deliciously on the counters and shelves of the shop. They bought several different sorts of candies and just before Harry paid for his purchases, he added one more item to the pile, The Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. They were classic and Draco had to taste them.

They strolled back to Hogwarts, Draco talking all the way about all the interesting things he had seen in Hogsmeade and planning what shops they'd visit the next Hogsmeade day.

When they arrived at the castle, Harry stopped Draco by his arm.

"Listen, Draco, I have enjoyed spending the whole day with you. Well, I like being with you. I mean, I hope you feel the same way and I... I thought that maybe... would you like to keep seeing me?"

"What do you mean? I already see you almost every day whenever we have free time from lessons and school work. I like being with you too but.. I don't understand."

"I mean, I'd like to start dating you, be your boyfriend and all that." Harry sounded wary.

Draco took his hand in his own and squeezed. "I like you too, Harry, but I don't know how to date. Didn't you have a girlfriend? Why do you want to date a boy now?"

"Well, I dated Ginny last year, but during the summer break I figured I liked to date boys more and I dated a few boys just to see how it felt. I liked it, but I like you more than the boys I dated last summer."

"I'll have to think about it, okay?" Draco smiled but felt awkward. He didn't know what to do and he felt he had to get away before he embarrassed himself.

"It's okay, Draco. I know this is new to you. Just think about it."

"I will. Thank you for taking me to Hogsmeade with you. I had really fun."

"Me too." Harry smiled and hugged him before leading him inside the castle.

The next two days were busy and Draco didn't see Harry except for brief glances every now and then. He was trying to figure out how to respond to Harry's question. He liked Harry, a lot, and just the thought of dating him was exciting, but he didn't know anything about dating. He might embarrass himself and Harry if he promised something he had no idea how to do.

He talked to Luna, who only reassured him to go for it. She promised that Harry wouldn't mind if he didn't know how to date. Harry would help him.

Draco didn't feel any more confident after talking with Luna, so he went to look for Ron. He found him sitting on the stand of the Quidditch pitch, watching Harry coach the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Draco sat beside Ron.

"Hello Ron."

"Hiya Draco, what's up?"

"Ron, I need your help. I don't know what to do."

"What is it? I'll help you every way I can, you know that."

"It's Harry. You know I spent the Hogsmeade day with him. Then he asked me to be his boyfriend."

"Boyfriend? Are you sure?"

"That's what he said. I don't know what to do. I thought boys had only girlfriends, not boyfriends in a romantic way." Draco hung his head, embarrassed.

"Do you like Harry? I mean do you like him that way? As a boyfriend? Or would you rather have a girlfriend?"

"Yes. No! I mean, I like Harry and I'd like to be his boyfriend, but I have no idea how to be one. I don't know what to do! I like the girls too but not that way. But... is it okay to like another bloke that way?"

"It's perfectly okay. I know Harry isn't interested in girls anymore. He dated a few guys last summer and I guess he's figured out he's a gay. But are you? Are you ready to kiss a guy in public and maybe tell him you love him in front of other people?"

"I don't know yet if I'm gay or whatever you call them, but I'd like to try it with Harry. I feel comfortable with him."

"Then go for it, mate. He likes you a lot and I know he'd never hurt you."

"Thanks Ron. You helped me to make up my mind." Draco was relieved. Now he knew what he was going to do.

"Hey guys, did you see that? Cool move, wasn't it?" Harry jogged across the pitch toward them laughing excitedly.

"See what, mate?" Ron shouted back.

"The Wronski feint Ginny just did! Didn't you see it? It was perfect!" Harry said.

"Umm, no?" Ron said

"What were you doing then?"

"Talking. And besides I've seen her Wronski feint already, so it isn't as if I'd missed something big, you know," Ron explained.

Harry looked suspicious and a bit offended but let it slide.

"Hey guys, wanna go flying?" Harry asked.

"I'm meeting Hermione at the library now, but maybe we could fly some other day?"

"Okay." Harry slumped down beside Draco, watching Ron leave. "How about you, Draco?"

"Sure, but I'd like to talk to you first."

"Oh, all right. What is it? Something you just talked with Ron?"

Draco hesitated. "Yes, sort of. I just... the other day you asked if I'd like to date you. Um... I'd like that but I don't know anything about dating. And I don't want to embarrass you if I do something wrong," he said blushing.

"Don't worry, just be yourself. Everything else will work out just fine. We don't have to rush things if you feel uncomfortable, I promise." Harry wrapped his arm around Draco's shoulders. Draco leaned into the half-embrace and sighed contentedly. Harry kissed his temple and they stayed sitting that way for a long time.

The next day Draco and Harry were sitting by the Black Lake after dinner when Hermione approached them.

"Harry, Draco, I've been looking for you. I've talked about this with Harry, but I'm sure you'd love to know more of..." she started explaining, but Harry interrupted her.

"Hermione, I said no! He doesn't need to think about these things anytime soon yet."

"But..."

"What things, Harry? What did you want me to know, Hermione?" Draco was curious.

"Um... Ron told me Harry wanted to date you and then Harry told me you'd said yes- and because I know you haven't dated anyone before, I just thought that you might want to know more about it and what to expect. I have a perfect book for you," Hermione explained quickly as if she was afraid Harry would stop her anytime.

"Hermione!" Harry tried to stop her once again but Draco had already reached for the book Hermione was holding in her hand. One glance at the title of the book made Draco blush and Harry let out a groan. What A Young Witch or Wizard Should Know About Dating and Sex: The First Time.

Harry groaned again. "I just didn't want you to scare him off, Hermione."

"It's okay Harry. This is exactly what I need. Thank you Hermione!" Draco stood up and started walking toward the castle, already absorbed in reading the book.

"Thank you Hermione, indeed! I was looking forward to spending some time with him today but now you've ruined it." Harry uttered a moan at a beaming Hermione and followed Draco to the castle.

Draco had been reading the dating book almost every free moment he had had since Hermione had given it to him. He had even charmed the cover to look like a Potions book that no one would know what sort of book had him so absorbed. Now he was walking down the corridor on the ground floor after the Transfiguration lesson with Luna walking beside him. Luna was talking but Draco was so concentrated to the book that he didn't hear a thing she said. He didn't even hear a group of Slytherins passing by and shouting insults at him as usual; being a freak, being a coward, being an absolute failure just like his father had been and that even Slytherins didn't want him in their house even if all the Malfoys before him had all been true Slytherins.

At first, their insults and mocking had upset Draco and it had taken an enormous amount of time and effort for Luna to calm him down and learn to ignore them. Now Draco hardly noticed the mocking Slytherins anymore.

Suddenly, Luna stopped walking and made Draco stop too. Draco glanced up from his book and a smile formed on his lips.

"Hello Harry, I hope you'll get his attention better than I did." Luna giggled and walked away.

"Hiya Draco, you have a free period too?" Harry asked.

"Yes, I have. Do you want to go somewhere?"

"That's why I'm here." Harry grinned and took Draco's hand, leading him towards the Clock Tower. They climbed up the stairs to the landing where the giant pendulum was swaying. Draco leaned over the railing to admire the view and Harry decided to admire the view with Draco in it from a distance.

"Have you read the book Hermione gave you?" Harry asked.

"I'm almost finished with it. Why?"

"I just hope it hasn't scared you. That's all."

"Nah, it's quite interesting. No one has ever told me about these things and I've been dying to know more. I've been wondering though..." Draco's voice trailed off.

"What is it?" Harry came closer, standing next to Draco and touching his shoulder with his hand.

"What it feels like to kiss-"

"Oh, it feels like... this." Harry tilted his head and touched Draco's lips gently with his own. One, two, three light brushes of his lips, and Draco started to respond to the kiss.

"I've wanted to kiss you for so long, Draco," Harry whispered, between the kisses he peppered Draco's lips with. The kisses were soft and gentle. Draco moaned and leaned more into Harry's embrace.

"Mmm, I like this. I definitely like kissing very much. More please," Draco purred against Harry's lips. Harry grinned and happily complied.

As the school term continued, also the attacks of the Slytherins toward Draco continued and turned more vicious. Usually they still were just insults and mocking, now added with nasty remarks of Draco dating Potty Wee Potter as Peeves and Slytherins liked to call Harry. When the Slytherins didn't receive any reaction from Draco, they started to bully him more physically. They bumped into him, causing his bag full of books and other school supplies fall to the floor and scatter around. They pranked him every time they could: made his schoolwork disappear, destroyed the potion he was brewing, or just tripped him down when he was walking along the corridors.

Draco tried very hard not to respond to their bullying, trying desperately ignore them as he had when they had just bullied him verbally, but when his body ached and was bruised more after each day, his patience was wearing thin.

The Slytherins were careful not to bully Draco while he was with someone else, at least not physically, because a couple times they had made that mistake and they had been in trouble with Draco's friends furiously defending him. The Slytherins had suffered of some quite irritating and painful hexes during and after these encounters.

His friends were the only ones Draco could count on and even then he couldn't make himself to burden them with all his troubles. He wasn't getting any support from the other students either. The Ravenclaws in general were of course pleased that Draco's success at school earned them more house points but otherwise they were too competitive to become close friends with him. The Hufflepuffs were fine with gossiping and whispering, they never bothered Draco more than that and the Gryffindors, other than Draco's friends in there, were too distant to care what happened to Draco. That left him quite alone with his problem with the Slytherins.

One morning, Draco was going down to the dungeons for his Potions class when he heard a couple of familiar voices calling him names behind him; two of the meanest 6th year Slytherins who had been bullied him before. Then he felt a strong push on his back and before he realized it, he was tumbling down the stairs. He vaguely heard Luna's voice calling his name, and then nothing.

When Draco started to regain his consciousness, he heard two voices coming from nearby. His body was sore and aching and he didn't want to open his eyes, not yet, but hearing the other voice belonging to his boyfriend, a small smile formed on his lips.

"Madam Pomfrey, what happened? I received a message from Luna that Draco is here. What is it?"

"Please, be quiet, Mr Malfoy is sleeping. He fell down the stairs but his injuries are mostly healed now. He just needs some rest."

"What injuries? Is it serious?"

"He had several fractures in his arms, legs, and ribs and also a concussion. As I said, they are healed now and I'm not worried about them. What I'm worried about is that I found some other, older bruises all over his body. Is there something I should know about him?"

"What older bruises? I haven't seen anything happening to him and he isn't particularly clumsy from what I've seen."

"That's what I'd like to know too, Mr Potter. I hoped you'd know something. His bones are quite fragile due to his earlier malnutrition and he can't take any more accidents like this."

"I'm going to find out what happened and what's been going on, Madam Pomfrey. I'll look after him even more closely than before, I promise."

Draco heard footsteps approaching his bed and then felt a hand in his own. He opened his eyes and saw Harry sitting next to his bed looking worried.

"Draco, what happened? I've been so worried about you."

"I'm sorry I made you worry. I just tripped, that's all." Draco didn't look Harry straight in the eyes.

"That's it? You don't usually trip. You have the best sense of balance of all the people I know. You don't trip without a cause. Did the Slytherins do this to you?"

"I really don't want to talk about it, Harry. Just leave it please."

"I'm sorry, but if the Slytherins are behind this you need to tell me. Madam Pomfrey also said that you had older bruises all over your body. What's going on? Please tell me, Draco."

Draco hung his head dejectedly. He didn't want to cause more trouble for himself and Harry by tattling about the Slytherins but he was so tired of all this. He loved the school and he loved his friends, but the price he was paying started to wear him out.

"Yes, Harry, the Slytherins have been bullying me more physically now. I didn't want you to know it because they might start doing it to you too if you confronted them. There's too many of them."

Harry looked horrified.

"How long have you kept this to yourself?"

"Just a couple of weeks. It's not serious. Please, don't tell anyone. I don't want to be more of a freak to them than I already am."

"This has to stop right now. They will regret doing this to you. I want you to be safe, Draco, and I'm going to do everything I can to keep you safe. You are not alone anymore. I'm here for you, Ron's here for you, Hermione and Luna are here for you too. Just let us help you, okay?" Harry took Draco's hand in his and kissed his palm gently. Draco nodded, feeling relieved. He didn't have to face it alone anymore.

Draco was released from the infirmary the next day. After that, he always had someone to escort him wherever he went. He was never left alone. At some level Draco was happy that he didn't have to fear for his health if there were any Slytherins around, but on the other hand he didn't want to burden his friends either with escorting him all the time. Luna was his usual companion as they had so many classes together. Ron, Hermione and Harry were keeping him company after school day until curfew. His favourite escort was Harry, of course, because with him he could kiss him as much as he wanted. Harry didn't seem to mind, quite the opposite. He chuckled that he felt as if he were Draco's private escort service, and even though Draco didn't quite understand what Harry meant with that comment, he was happy. He started slowly to feel safe again and began to enjoy the school just like he always had.

Harry had talked to the Headmistress McGonagall about the attacks towards Draco, but there wasn't much she could do about it because there were no evidence or witnesses. However, she promised severe punishment to everyone she caught bullying anyone in her school.

One day Draco and Luna were returning from the Charms lesson when Luna froze in place beside him. He turned to look at her and then all hell broke loose. There were four Slytherins behind her, standing with their wands ready and cackling.

"Now that Loony is taken care of, you are in deep trouble, Malfoy. No one's here to save you now, blood traitor," one of them snarled.

Draco dug his wand out of his pocket and held it tight. He had seen these four before; they were the nastiest ones of the bullies who had harmed him earlier. He tried to look calm, even though he was almost in panic from fear.

The Slytherins raised their wands at the same time and cast several Stinging Hexes at him. Draco cried out; the pain was incredible when multiplied and he could barely stay conscious. The Slytherins kept cackling and when they raised their wands again, something in Draco snapped and he lashed out at them with a Hurling Hex. It was so powerful that he saw it hitting two of the bullies straight in the chest and slamming them against the stone wall with a force. Then he felt a strong curse hit him with intense pain bursting inside him and everything went black.

The first thing Draco was aware of when he started to regain his consciousness was that his whole body ached. His head was killing him and even his entrails were sore. He tried to shift but an intense shot of pain coursed through him, making him groan.

A hand brushed his forehead and gentle fingers combed through his hair.

"Draco? You're awake?" Harry's voice whispered close to his ear. Draco wanted to open his eyes but his eyelids felt as if they were glued shut. He groaned again.

"Madam Pomfrey! He's waking up!"

Harry's voice wasn't very loud, but it sounded painfully shrill inside Draco's skull. He whimpered and tried to move his hands to cover his ears, but he was totally paralyzed. Rapid footsteps approached and a cool cloth was placed on his forehead.

"Do not try to move, Mr Malfoy. I'm purposely keeping you immobile until we know all the damage the curse caused inside your body. You can try to speak if you want but otherwise you are immobilized for now." Madam Pomfrey's voice was gentle but firm. "It's time to take your potions. You need quite many of them because the curse caused severe damage to your system. Here, take this."

Draco had to imbibe at least ten different potions, fortunately in small doses that he could easily swallow. Finally he was also able to open his eyes a little.

"Harry, what happened? Is Luna okay?" he croaked.

"Luna is fine. She was just petrified. The Slytherins attacked you and used a very dark curse on you. Fortunately Luna was able to identify the curse so that Madam Pomfrey could start healing you right from the start. Oh Draco, you were so close to death. I was going insane just thinking of losing you."

"What curse was it?"

"Luna was sure it was the curse the Death Eater Antonin Dolohov used many years ago when he attacked Hermione. Madam Pomfrey was able to heal Hermione then and now she knew right away how to help you. Thank Merlin for that, otherwise the curse would have killed you."

"Oh," was all Draco could say before he passed out again.

The next time Draco woke up it was dark, only few lamps lit on the bedside tables. He realized he could turn his head slightly and took a look around. Madam Pomfrey was nowhere to be seen but Harry was curled up on an armchair beside his bed. Harry stirred in his sleep and almost fell down of his chair. He woke up with a jerk, opened his eyes and a bright smile formed on his lips as he saw Draco looking at him.

"Hey, how are you feeling?"

"Better, I guess. Doesn't hurt so much. Why aren't you on your own bed?"

"I didn't want to leave you. Do you need something? Water or juice?"

"Water please, my throat is parched."

Harry helped him to drink some water. Then he sat on the edge of the bed and held Draco's hand for a long time with an undecipherable look on his face.

"What's wrong, Harry?"

"Nothing is wrong. I was so close to losing you and it really hit me hard. I don't want to feel that helpless ever again. I wanted to keep you safe and then I let this happen to you."

"You didn't let it happen. It wasn't your fault, Harry. Stop blaming yourself, okay?"

"It isn't so easy, Draco. I feel responsible for what happened to you."

"Stop it, please. You are tired and need a good night sleep. Why don't you go to your bed and get some sleep?"

"No, I don't leave you here alone. The armchair is comfortable enough. I'll sleep on it."

"At least take a bed. There are plenty of empty beds in here."

"I want to stay in the same room with you. Don't worry; I'll be fine on the chair."

Draco frowned. "Then you'll sleep in this bed with me. There's enough room for both of us."

"No, Draco. You need to rest and me sleeping in your bed will disturb you too much."

Harry moved back to his chair and curled up again, trying to find a comfortable position.

"Harry, really. Stop arguing with me. I want to sleep now and I can't do that if you're sleeping in that chair. Come here now and let's sleep." Draco wasn't going to give up and Harry had to comply. He moved carefully back on the edge of the bed and lay down. He tried to keep a distance from Draco, so that he wouldn't disturb his sleep. They both fell asleep in record time and slept until the morning light woke them up again.

"Ahem, gentlemen, time to wake up. Mr Potter, you shouldn't sleep in Mr Malfoy's bed. His body is still recovering and the healing process might get disturbed if you accidentally pushed or kicked him in your sleep," Madam Pomfrey chastised.

Harry blushed and quickly jumped off the bed.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize..."

"No, it was me who demanded him to come and sleep in this bed. It was my fault, but I slept very well and I already feel better now," Draco explained. He didn't want Harry to get the blame.

"Well then, let's make some tests and then you'll take your potions, Mr Malfoy. Mr Potter will have to leave for his lessons and breakfast."

Madam Pomfrey ushered Harry out and cast a few diagnostic spells on Draco. She seemed pleased at the results but didn't say anything. Draco swallowed obediently the potions she offered and then he was treated with breakfast. Then he took a nap and didn't wake up until he heard Madam Pomfrey's voice just outside his room.

"He's here, Minerva. I put him into a private room just in case. Mr Potter has been here almost constantly after the incident but I sent him back to lessons this morning."

"There's no need to protect Mr Malfoy from the Slytherins anymore. After Miss Lovegood identified the attackers, I expelled them immediately. Their parents are upset, but I don't accept any violence in my school. They purposefully attacked Mr Malfoy, trying to harm him and that is not tolerated in here."

"What about the other Slytherins? They have harmed him before."

"The others have been harassing Mr Malfoy only verbally, and I warned them that if I hear one more word against him from now on, the perpetrator will be expelled without questions."

"Very well then. I think Mr Malfoy will be well enough to be released from the infirmary tomorrow if everything goes well. However, I need him back here daily for the tests and the potions he needs for the next three days."

"Very good. Now I'd like to see Mr Malfoy in private, Poppy."

Draco feigned to be asleep when the Headmistress stepped inside the room. Slowly, he opened his eyes, blinking them rapidly.

"Good, you're awake. How are you doing, Mr Malfoy?" the Headmistress asked.

"I'm better, thank you. I hope I don't fall too far behind with my studies while I'm in here."

"Madam Pomfrey said that you'll be released tomorrow so you don't have to worry about falling behind. When you return back to your classes, you don't have to worry about the Slytherins anymore. I believe they were behind all the bullying toward you and that none of the other Houses were involved in it. The four Slytherins attacking you are identified and expelled from the school. The other students are well aware of the severe punishments if any more bullying occurs."

"Thank you, Headmistress. I was wondering if I could get some of my school work brought in here so I could use the free time to study while I'm awake?"

"If Madam Pomfrey accepts it, then it will be fine. I believe Mr Potter has been keeping you company here? I'll send your school work with him if that's all right. I received an owl from Mrs Weasley this morning. She has heard about the incident and wants to visit you. She's not your legal guardian, so I couldn't give her a permission without asking you first. Would you like to meet her?"

"Yes, of course I'd like to meet her, but I don't want her to worry too much about me. She might if she sees me here."

"She might be more worried if she didn't get to see you. Very well, I'll tell her she can come visit you if you don't have more objections." McGonagall said and left the room.

Molly Weasley arrived later that day when Harry and Ron were visiting him as well. She fussed around so much that it made Ron roll his eyes and Madam Pomfrey escape into her office. Even though Draco enjoyed her fussing, it also made him a little embarrassed, but he thought it would be better to let her do it her way and get over it.

Harry spent the evening again with him and together they did their homework. Draco confessed to Harry that he was quite nervous to go back to school, and Harry comforted him the only way he knew: kissing him until he didn't even remember what he was so nervous about in the first place. Near the curfew, Madam Pomfrey ushered Harry back to his dorm and he left reluctantly.

The next morning, Draco was released from the infirmary and cautiously strolled toward the Ravenclaw Tower. He was halfway there when he met Luna who was coming to get him from the infirmary. Together they walked the rest of the way to their house to get Draco's books and supplies for class and while walking Luna told him everything what had happened during his absense.

After the attack, Luna had testified against the four Slytherins and the Headmistress had been furious at the attackers. She had expelled them immediately and made a firm statement to the rest of the student body that anyone who was caught or reported of harassing any other student was going to receive a severe punishment or would even be expelled from school. That had made a positive impact and things calmed down. The parents of the expelled four Slytherins, however, were enraged and gave the Headmistress a hard time but she held her ground.

The lessons of the first school day after the incident went well for Draco. He hadn't fallen too far behind and was able to catch up with the others easily. Little by little, he started to relax again when he noticed that no one was making any nasty remarks or throwing insults at him. The Slytherins scowled but other than that stayed silent, and the others only spared a glance or a brief stare here and there but nothing more. Everything was as it should be. Or so Draco thought.

The next morning during the breakfast the owls arrived. Usually Draco didn't get many letters, only from the twins a couple times a week, but now it had changed. The other students cowered down when an army of owls dove toward Draco and released the letters they were carrying. A small mound of red and white letters fell on Draco's plate and he stared at them dumbfounded.

"Where are they all coming from? Why am I suddenly receiving so many letters at once?" Draco looked confused as he stared at the pile in front of him.

"The red envelopes are Howlers and the white ones are regular letters. Be careful..." Luna started to explain but Draco had already started to open a red envelope. A horrible screaming and yelling filled the Great Hall and the voice shouted insults at Draco and blamed him for causing four fine Wizards being expelled from Hogwarts. Draco bolted up from his seat panicked and stood shaking few feet away from the table. Luna had started calmly destroying the Howlers when Harry dashed to Draco and took the trembling boy into his arms. Ron and Hermione joined Luna at taking care of the hate mail Draco had received. Harry led Draco out of the Great Hall and to a deserted classroom nearby.

"Calm down, Draco, I've got you. Take a deep breath. Breathe," Harry chanted as if trying to soothe Draco with his voice alone. He rubbed Draco's back and arms gently while keeping him close and kissing his temple between the words. Slowly, Draco's trembling lessened and his ragged breathing calmed down.

"Better now?" Harry asked but was taken aback when Draco let out a deep sob and clung into him. He sobbed a good while and the tears dampened Harry's shoulder, but he couldn't care less. Draco was hurting and Harry felt his heart break seeing it.

When the sobs quieted down, Draco still didn't let go of Harry. They sat together down at a desk and curled around each other for comfort.

"Harry, I can't take this anymore. I've better leave before someone else gets hurt," Draco whispered, his voice broken.

"Leave? Where? You don't have to leave. These bastards who attacked you got what they deserved and it wasn't your fault. Never think that. Some people might be upset for a while, but once the situation has settled, there's no more Howlers coming here anymore, you will see that," Harry said, attempting to comfort him.

"No, I don't think it will get any better. They hate me and they'll never stop. I've better go back to Manor and live alone as I did before. That way nobody else will get harmed."

"Give it a day or two, please, Draco. It'll get better. And if it doesn't we'll sort it out, I promise."

Reluctantly, Draco gave in and nodded. After a brief tidying up, Harry led Draco to the kitchens for breakfast, this time uninterrupted, and then to the lessons.

Draco gave it a day and then two, but things didn't get any better. Every morning, there were dozens of owls delivering hate mail for Draco and every time he ran out of the Great Hall with tears in his eyes. McGonagall disabled all incoming owl post for indefinite time because of the ruckus the Howlers caused to the school. Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Draco tried to find a solution to the problem without Draco having to leave the school, but in the end Draco was adamant about leaving.

Ron and Molly Weasley tried to persuade Draco to move back to the Weasleys for a while, but he didn't even want to think about it. He was too worried about the harm his haters would cause to anyone who'd live even near him. It seemed as if the upset parents of the four expelled students had agitated a lot of other Slytherin parents to act on and the pressure against Draco and McGonagall was huge. The opponents didn't care that the expelled students had violated the school rules blatantly and eventually even used a dark curse to harm another student on purpose. They all blamed Draco for being "a dangerous, uncontrollable weird student who put everyone in the school in danger with his unpredictable behaviour". They simply didn't understand and therefore they attacked blindly against the unknown.

Harry had made up his mind. If Draco was leaving Hogwarts, so was he. There was no way he was going to let Draco leave on his own and he made it clear when they sat together in the Astronomy Tower later that evening.

"Harry, you can't leave now. You need to finish your education first. I'll be staying in the Manor and you can come visit me anytime you want. It's not a big deal."

"No way. I won't leave you now. I hate what the Wizarding world is doing to you. This isn't the world I fought for against Voldemort. If they drive away the man I love, I don't want to live with them either."

"You... what? You said..."

"I said I love you and I won't let you go away without me. I mean, if you want me."

"I do! I do, I do... Harry, I love you too. I wasn't sure if you really wanted a weirdo like me..."

"Stop it, Draco. You're not a weirdo, you are the sweetest, most wonderful man I know and I want to be with you even if it means living as a recluse."

Harry took Draco's face between his palms and kissed him.

"What are we going to do, Harry?" Draco asked, after the long, sweet kiss.

"We can figure out what we want to do in the future, but whatever it is we do it together. I'm sure that McGonagall can arrange some private tutoring for us so that we can finish the school... but let's worry about that later. When do you want to leave?"

"As soon as possible. I don't want this awful situation last any longer than necessary. This is exhausting for everyone."

"We'll leave tomorrow then. We'll better go and see McGonagall now and explain this to her."

Harry stood up and offered his hand to help Draco up as well. Together they went to see McGonagall and explained their plans. The Headmistress wasn't very delighted to give up the fight especially when the opponents were so clearly wrong, but in the end she understood their decision. She promised to work on their private tutoring and arrange for them to take their final N.E.W.T. tests in the end of the last term.

Draco and Harry separated their ways after the meeting with McGonagall to go to their dorms and pack everything for leaving in the morning. They were going to meet in the Entrance Hall at 8 am.

After a night of fitful sleep, Draco gathered the rest of his belongings into his trunk and traipsed downstairs. He knew he was early but he felt so restless and excited that he couldn't wait in the dorm any longer. The Entrance Hall was quiet, only a few students hurrying to breakfast a little late.

Draco stood near the large doors, waiting for Harry when a voice interrupted his thoughts and made him turn around.

"So here you are, Draco Malfoy! Are you happy now? You are just an intruder who makes other people's life miserable. First you moved in with my family and turned everything upside down, making my mum fuss over you as if you were a long lost favourite son of hers. After you arrived, she didn't spare her own children a thought! Then you made Hogwarts your next target and even here you get coddled by all the teachers. Then you stole my boyfriend and now you've lured him to leave with you in the middle of the school year! You should be ashamed! You are nothing but trouble!"

Ginny Weasley stood in the middle of the Entrance Hall looking furious and for a moment Draco was sure she'd attack him physically too.

"Ginny, I.. I never..."

"Don't you dare "Ginny" me, you bastard. You'll be sorry enough when I'm finished with you," Ginny yelled.

Draco turned around and prepared to leave alone when he heard shouting behind him.

"Ginny, stop it! You have no right to say things like that to Draco. It's my own decision to leave with him and you've better accept it or get out of my life. Besides, I haven't been your boyfriend for a long time and you should get used to it. I'm with Draco now and I plan to stay with him, so beat it!"

Draco heard Harry's angry voice and turned around. Harry was running past Ginny to catch him before he went out the door. At the same time, he saw Ron grabbing his sister from her shoulders and shaking her fiercely. Even Hermione and Luna arrived to the Entrance Hall seeming angry at Ginny. They had all probably heard what Ginny had yelled at Draco. His shoulders slumped: he had tried so hard to avoid more conflicts and here he was, in the middle of one, not to mention causing it to the family which had taken him under their wing.

Harry reached him and grabbed his arm, stopping him from leaving.

"Draco, please wait. Ginny was totally out of line. I'm sorry if she upset you, but just ignore her. She's just jealous."

"I can't..." Draco tried to free himself of Harry's grasp and leave but Harry didn't let him.

"We agreed to leave together and that's what we're doing." Harry was determined. "Ron, Hermione, I'll owl you when we are settled. Bye!"

Ron and Hermione said their own goodbyes and Luna rushed to hug Draco before he could leave.

Dragging their trunks behind them, Draco and Harry stepped out of Hogwarts hand in hand. There were carriages waiting for them outside.

"Together, Draco. Remember, we're in this together. You'll never have to be alone again, if you don't want to be."

Draco smiled. This all felt so right. Wherever they'd go, they'd be together. He squeezed Harry's hand and felt a warm happiness spread into his chest.

"Together."

The End