So, I might have died for a while, but I'm back now! :D Sorry to keep everyone waiting! Please enjoy this late chapter :) This one feels short, sorry, but I hope it's satisfactory.

Warning: Graphic descriptions of accidents and self harm, please be safe and aware of your limits, lovelies. xoxo

Thanks for sticking around!

Harry

I rested my head on my mother's mattress, a tear rolling out of my left eye and falling onto the quilt covering her. I had my arms tucked to my chest, the stinging sensation keeping me awake. I didn't have to pay for my food anymore, but the Dursley's glared at me so fiercely whenever I went to grab something to eat that I only ate when they weren't home. With Petunia being a housewife and Dudley's different school schedule, it was rare that they weren't home. My stomach growled, and I winced at the hunger pains. I looked up at my mum, her sick pale skin and dull red hair. My usual guilt ate me up, the stinging on my arms flaring.

"I'm sorry."

"Where's mum?" I asked, hissing at the sting of sanitization liquid on my forehead.

"The accident left her with deep head trauma." Dr. Inoue told me, crouched down to my level. Siri's arm was tight around my shoulders, keeping me upright. "And the water stopped oxygen from reaching her brain. She's in a coma right now, but sometimes patients can bounce back. We've seen people wake from comas before, Harry, and your mother is a strong woman." I bit my lip, unable to look at my mother's co worker. We had gone to her baby shower a few months ago. I had played with her little son just last week. Dr. Inoue pulled back, taping a bandage to my head and putting away her supplies. She stayed crouched.

"And dad?" I rasped, rubbing my left hand on my thigh to relieve the clammy feeling. It was silent for a moment, and Dr. Inoue reached forward to put her hand on mine.

"I'm sorry, Harry. He was gone before they hit the water." Sirius sucked in a short breath and I felt myself go numb.

"He's dead?" I breathed. Siri squeezed my shoulder and Dr. Inoue squeezed my hands.

"I'm so sorry, Harry." She repeated, sounding choked up. "He wouldn't have felt any pain." I nodded, and Dr. Inoue continued to speak, but I was gone. I couldn't hear anything, couldn't see anything. My head hurt. I jumped at the feeling of arms coming around me, the smell of books and sandalwood surrounding me.

"Harry! Are you okay? I heard what happened, I came as fast as I could. Harry?" I blinked, and looked into Remus' warm eyes, tight with concern. I stared at him blankly, and then burst into tears, my head splitting into a horrible headache, my ears ringing, my chest hurting. I cried harder when Remus hugged me tightly, my hip and arm screaming in pain.

"Ow, ow!" I cried, and Remus pulled away, Dr. Inoue crowding him.

"What hurts, Harry?" I held my arm and cried and cried, it was uncontrollable. "Let's get you an x-ray. Claire! Get me that wheelchair!" My father was dead, and my mother possibly sleeping forever. My pain was the last thing I was worried about.

I had managed to escape the accident with a broken elbow, broken pelvis and stitches, with only a scar on my forehead and sometimes soreness if I stood too much as a reminder.

"I miss you." I whispered to my mum, "You and dad." My breath caught in my throat, and I coughed so I could breathe again. "It's kind of bad here right now. I just-" A sob tore its way out of my chest. "I just miss how much you loved me, and how much I loved you. I miss being loved." I swiped at my eyes, rubbing away tears. "I... Siri and Remus say I should think about-" I cleared my throat, a lump suddenly appearing and blocking my words. "That it's time to let you go. I don't want to, but Vernon keeps saying how expensive it's getting, and Dr. Inoue- er, Makoto, she told me you might not be waking up... since it's been over two years..." I sat up, looking down at my lap. "Mum, if you're still in there, I really need you to wake up." My voice wobbled, and I fought to control it. "I know you can do it. I s-still have hope. Please..."

"Hey," I jumped, wiping my face, when Petunia appeared at the doorway suddenly.

"Y-yes?" I stuttered.

"You'll be late for work." She said, her eyes lingering on my mum before travelling to look me over. "What happened to your arm?" The bandage covering my forearm was in plain view, and I grabbed my work shirt, tugging it on over my t-shirt and doing up the buttons.

"Burned myself at work. It's nothing." I lied, leaning over to kiss my mum's forehead. I grabbed my bag off the floor and left the bedroom, rubbing my eyes to remove tears. Remus would interrogate me if he saw I was crying when I got to work. I walked straight to work, my head low. I was feeling utterly miserable lately, especially at Vernon's house. I hadn't meant to start cutting again, it just sort of happened. I hadn't meant to start cutting in the first place, but...

"Look at that sun!" My dad crowed, mum and I following his gaze to the sunset over the river we were passing. We were driving over a bridge, on our way to a swanky restaurant where dad had made reservations. We piled into the small car, mum teasing dad by telling him the first thing we were going to buy after his promotion was a big green hummer. My dad looked positively ill; ever the eco man.

"A glorious end to a glorious day." Mum mused, reaching over to ruffle dad's hair. I grinned and rolled my eyes at my parents. I was so proud of my dad. He was going to be Detective Chief Inspector, like he's wanted for years. "Pull over, James. Harry, love, why don't you take a picture for us?" Mum asked, passing the camera over to me.

"Sure." We pulled to a stop at the side of the road. I undid my seat belt and jumped out, walking in front of the car and leaning against the metal bars that made a rail at the edge of the bridge that stopped cars from driving off the bridge. I moved between the hood of the car and the rail, getting a better view of the sun. I heard the car before I saw it, my eye still looking through the camera at the sunset in front of me. There was the roar of a car moving too fast, and I turned to shout at the driver like my mum and dad did sometimes...

A large truck sped over to us, and I stood, shocked, as the truck slammed into the driver's side door, pushing our car into the metal bars and crushing me in between. My dad and I locked gazes for a split second before my leg gave out, my side burning with sudden white-hot pain. I screamed in agony when I felt my right elbow crunch, slumping over our small car, smacking my head off the hood and bracing myself with my good hand. It all happened in one split second, the sounds of my scream, broken glass and crunching metal ringing through the silence that followed the crash. Our car swung around from the impact, the back slamming into the metal bars. There was the groan and snap of breaking metal, and I twisted my neck to look over where the rail had broken, my body pumping full of panic and adrenaline when our car started tipping backwards into the water.

"No!" I shouted, grabbing the car desperately. "NO!" I shrieked when my grabbing made no difference, only pulling on my arm and flaring up nauseating pain, the car slipping off the bridge and into the river below us. I staggered after it, watching helplessly as my parents plummeted into the water, the car flipping upside down and being nearly completely submerged underwater. I screamed, desperate sobs wracking through my chest as I stared down at the car, holding my arm to my side when a burning heat emanated from my elbow. I swung around to the truck that hit us, the front of it completely smashed. I limped over to it, my hip burning in complaint. I ignored the feeling. I needed help. I could save them. I threw the truck door open, ignoring the driver who was blinking up at me uselessly.

"Shit, are you alright?" He slurred, moving to undo his seat belt. I reached across his lap and grabbed his cellphone from the cup holder, dialing 999.

"Emergency, which service do you require?" A female voice answered immediately.

"M-my- Please, we've just been hit by a truck. My mum and dad got pushed off the bridge. I... I tried to stop the car but it was too heavy." Her voice went from bored monotone to genuine concern in a split second.

"Okay, honey. Stay calm. Are you injured?" I winced and held my elbow, the pain in my hip burning hotter when I shifted my weight.

"My arm and my side feel like they're burning... But I think the adrenaline is making it numb."

"What's your name, sweetheart?"

"H-Harry. I'm fourteen years old. We're on the bridge going to the next town over, by the gas station." I looked in the direction we came from, biting my lip.

"You're being very helpful, Harry. You're a good boy. The car that hit you, is the driver conscious?"

"He's awake." I looked carefully at the man, who was struggling with his seatbelt. He belched and coughed, and I wrinkled my nose. "He smells like beer. Please hurry, they're going to drown. The car got flipped over." My breathing sped up, and I stumbled over to the edge again, crying in pain, looking down. "Please! They'll die! Please, they need help!"

"I need you to calm down, Harry. I have ambulances, firetrucks and police on their way now."

"Okay, thank you."

"Talk to me, Harry. Is the car underwater?"

"A-almost. But it's upside-down. They'll die!" I wailed, leaning on the railing. "They're gonna die!"

"The cars should be there, soon, Harry. It's going to be alright. What's your favourite subject in school?" I blinked at the sudden question.

"Uh, um... Art, I think. B-but I like English, too. I like to read."

"That's good. You must be a smart boy. Is your arm still hurting?"

"Yeah, but more than before. My hip hurts too. I'm dizzy..."

"It's okay, Harry. You're very brave. The cars should be there any minute now." I turned my head to where we had come from, loud sirens screaming out.

"I can hear the sirens. Will my parents be okay?"

"I'm not sure, Harry. You've done a good job. I need you to stay put until the paramedics come to you, okay?"

"Okay. My head hurts."

"Don't worry, Harry. It's all okay now." A firetruck screeched to a halt, a firefighter jumping out. "Can you wave to the people so they know where you are?"

"I have to hang up. I can't move my other arm."

"Okay. You're going to be okay, Harry."

"Thank you."

"Stay strong."

...

I tried. I really, really tried. When I returned to school a year after the accident, I was a shadow of my former self. My dad's funeral had been one of the most painful experiences of my life. My shoulder ached with phantom pains for days afterward with the feeling of Siri's hand clamped on my shoulder. I went through rehab and physiotherapy so I could walk and write again, all paid for by the drunkard who decided he was fine to drive home from the pub before his wife got back from work. The kids at school couldn't look at me, forget talk to me, and I wore thick jumpers to keep the chill of loss out of my bones, to hide the scars from my surgery. My mum was allowed home after being kept at the hospital for a while, hooked to machines that kept her alive but not living, and me sleepless night after night. I was moved to Vernon and Petunia's place once we found out mum and dad's wills clashed; Mum's asking for me to live with her sister, and dad's asking for me to live with Remus and Sirius. It was decided that I follow my mum's wishes, and when she passed, then I would live with Remus and Siri.

I suffered a panic attack one day during school when our class was shown videos to encourage students against drunk driving. I was so out of it, caught up in memories and grief that the school had to call my aunt and uncle, and when they couldn't calm me, Remus had to come. Everyone avoided me after that, rumors of schizophrenia and other mental illnesses spreading quickly. The stigma made me into a disease. Luna and Neville were my cure.

Like I said, I didn't mean to start cutting. I dropped a plate one day and it slashed my foot open, the pain shocking me. For a moment, I felt... Well, I felt. That night, curled up on the floor beside my bed, a pair of scissors in my hand, I made ragged lines of feeling on my legs. A week after, they appeared on my upper arms. A month later, they were on my forearms. Remus saw them when they made it to my wrists, when I handed him a cup of tea.

"Harry!" He cried. I startled, looking up at him. He took my hand and pulled up my sleeve, gasping at the line of cuts he saw. I snatched my hand back, pulling my sleeves over my hands. The cup of tea fell to the floor with a crash, but we ignored it. We stared at each other for a long time, Remus' eyes wide with shock and sadness. The smell of books and sandalwood... Remus' warm eyes, tight with concern. I was in his arms before I started to cry, feeling foolish for being a vulnerable fifteen-year-old, but his voice was soothing, and I felt so alone... Just so damn alone... "Harry... You don't need to do that- To hurt yourself like that... We love you so much. Harry, please..." Remus started to cry with me, squeezing me tightly to his chest.

"I'm sorry." I sobbed. "I'm sorry..."

"I know it's hard. I know, but please don't do that anymore. It's okay, Harry."

It wasn't okay.

I didn't cut for a long time after that, but you know what they say.

(Old habits die hard)

HPDM HPDM HPDM

Draco

"So, Easter Hols are coming up." I mentioned to Harry, who was pulling some scones out of the oven. He grinned and glanced at me, blowing a lock of his hair out of his face from where it fell from his clip. I shifted in the stool I was sitting in, my stomach fluttering.

"Already? Where doesthe time go?" He teased me, making me roll my eyes.

"My friends from my old school are coming to visit. They wanted to meet you guys." Harry stiffened where he stood, but smiled at me, making it seem like he wasn't affected.

"Oh? Okay, then." I watched him work for a moment, waving his gloves over the scones.

"They don't bite." I assured him. "They'll like you. They're not like the kids at our school." Harry grinned at me.

"I trust you." He said softly. "Any friends of yours must be great people." I snorted.

"Well, I dunno about great..." I joked. Harry laughed and turned back to his pastries, putting them on a cooling shelf. His free hand pressed to his stomach, pushing harshly against the flat plane. A sort of grimace came to his face. "Are you hungry?" I asked, critically eyeing his prominent cheekbones. He was getting skinnier lately, almost skeletal. "When's your break? I'll take you out." Harry flushed cutely, and I stopped myself from smiling like a dopey love-sick child.

"Oh, you don't have to do that..." I waved away his hesitation, leaning forward.

"Don't be silly. It'll be my treat." I insisted. Harry bit his lip through his grin, nodding slightly.

"Okay." He glanced at the door when a customer walked in, and I waved at him to let him know I was leaving, wandering over to my spot to read my book. I didn't want to distract Harry when he had customers. Remus gave me a knowing look when I passed him, and I looked away, blushing. I sat down and took out my book, ignoring the feeling of Remus' eyes on me while I read.

I really liked Harry. He was so kind and funny and cute and I wanted him like nothing else in the world, and though it sounded really cheesy and adolescent, it was true. We had gotten really close, but I just wanted more. I wanted to hold his hand, or lean over and kiss him when he was being particularly cute. I wanted him to smile and stop pressing on his stomach and stop frowning at the mention of family. I wanted him to know he was wanted, and though I couldn't say I was in love with him yet, I certainly wasn't far off. I wanted to know about him. I wanted to know what his father was like, and what his mother is like. I just wanted him.

"Hey," Harry's voice interrupted my thoughts, making me jump. "Oh, sorry. My break started, and we should go now if you still wanted to go out..." He shuffled and bit his lip, and fuck. I quickly marked my place and put my book away, standing eagerly.

"Yeah, let's head out. Where did you want to go?"

"There's a sandwich shop down the street- bye, Remus." Harry interrupted himself to wave at his godfather, who smiled at us and nodded, returning to his paperwork. "I heard they're good."

"Sounds good." I agreed, pulling the door open for Harry. He grinned and stepped out onto the sidewalk.

We walked down the street, Harry pointing out the store Luna worked at. He slipped on ice and caught himself on my sleeve, giggling skittishly as I steadied him. He walked close to me afterwards, and I could feel how warm he was, how close he was. The shop was warm after being outside, and I pulled my coat off, leaving the jumper I was wearing underneath on. We ordered our food and sat down in a small booth, our legs touching underneath the table. Harry glanced up at me from under his eyelashes, which were long like a girls' and he was so perfect... I smiled at him and he grinned back, pulling his coat off. We fell into an easy conversation, Harry mostly listening. He gained some colour to his face while he ate, which pleased me. He still looked tired, though, poor thing.

"So," I broke the silence that fell over us for a few moments. "If you want to, you, Neville and Luna can come to my flat sometime over the hols to hang out." I munched on my food and watched his reaction. I knew he would be nervous. Harry bit his lip and put his sandwich down for a moment to pull up his sleeves.

"Yeah, that sounds good." He mumbled shyly, grinning sheepishly. I nearly smiled back, before a flash of white brought my attention to his left forearm. He had bandage and gauze wrapped from his wrist to mid-forearm, with a fleck of red near the top interrupting the otherwise sterile white.

"Oh," I reached across the table and took his hand gently. "What happened to your arm?" Harry let me hold his arm, his eyes going wide and worried.

"Uh, a burn from work. It's nothing." He took his arm back, tugging his sleeves down again and folding them across his stomach. I looked at him for a moment in concern.

"You should put some cream on it; it must be pretty bad to have bled through like that." Harry shrugged and nodded, picking at what was left of his food. He got strange, quiet and avoiding eye contact. I cleared my throat after a long moment of uncomfortable silence. "Um, maybe we should head back now. Your break will be over soon." Harry sighed and leaned his head on his hand, looking at me. My stomach dropped, and I felt myself blush. Harry had this intense look in his eyes, the green seeming dark and burning before he slid out of the booth we were sitting in, standing up and stretching.

"Yeah, okay. Let's go." I left a tip on the table, tugging my coat on along with Harry, who looked distracted. We started back towards the cafe in an awkward silence. I poked his arm and stuck my tongue out at him when he looked at me. Harry gave me a weird look and looked forward again, a smile coming to his lips. That's what I wanted. I poked him again, making a ridiculous face at him when he looked back at me. "What the-? Stop!" Harry laughed and bumped into me on purpose, shoving me to the side playfully. I grinned like a demon and pushed him back, Harry taking his hands out of his pockets and pushing me again, staying close to me as we continued walking. I smiled at a girl that walked by, my hand brushing against Harry's. I looked over at him, but he was looking away. It seemed like he hadn't even noticed. I brushed my hand against his again, longer and on purpose, but he didn't even blink. I grinned at him. He was so handsome... I had been thinking about that a lot, how handsome he was. Harry turned those green eyes on me and I felt myself melt...

"What?" He asked, touching his cheek. "Is there something on my face?" I shook my head.

"No, just looking." I pursed my lips and looked straight ahead to hide my ridiculous grin. Harry eyed me suspiciously, but let it go. We walked in silence, our hands brushing every now and then.

I startled when I felt his hand press into mine, gripping my hand lightly. His palm was warm where it pressed against mine. I turned to look at him sharply, surprised and pleasantly so. Harry was looking forward, the slightest blush on his cheeks. I bit back my questions, my heart pounding, and his hand squeezed mine when I faced forward again, a question.

I answered by lacing our fingers together, holding his hand more securely.

Harry flushed bright red, but wouldn't meet my eyes, his thumb rubbing mine slowly. I accepted his shyness, not commenting while we made our way down the street, not even feeling the eyes that followed us.

...

"Come in, make yourselves at home." I opened the door for Luna and Neville, gesturing inside. Luna smiled and me and touched my arm as she passed, and Neville grinned crookedly. I looked into the hallway hopefully, but Harry wasn't there. "Is Harry coming?" I asked, turning to face my new friends. I noticed their hands were intertwined, Neville blushing. I smiled knowingly at them. "Well, it's about time!" I shouted. Luna laughed happily and Neville blushed more, ducking his head.

"Thank you, lovely." Luna danced forward to kiss my cheek. "Harry is coming soon; he just had to do something for his aunt before he could leave." I nodded and ushered them out of the front hall, taking their coats and hanging them up for them. My parents had me well trained. My mother came out of my parent's bedroom, my father trailing her silently.

"Oh, hello! We meant to be out of your way before you arrived, sorry." My mother apologised. I rolled my eyes.

"That's fine, mother. They don't mind." My mother came up beside me and hugged my shoulders, looking at Neville and Luna, Neville shrinking under her gaze.

"Who are your friends? I haven't met them before." She squeezed my shoulders slightly.

"This is Luna and Neville. I've told you about them." Neville reached forward the shake hands with my mother, and then (bravely) with my father, who stared holes into Neville's face. I watched the colour drain from his face somewhat, sighing internally.

"Hello, Mrs. Malfoy. You have a lovely flat." Luna breezed over to my mother, taking her hand gently. My mother straightened up proudly at the compliment. "And Mr. Malfoy, your tie goes with your suit perfectly." My father looked down at himself in surprise, expecting Luna to be afraid. I grinned, trying not to laugh.

"Thank you. Draco picked it for me." Luna giggled.

"That's our Draco. Are you going out for the evening?"

"Yes, we've made reservations in town. We trust Draco won't make a mess." Mother smiled at me. My mother and father went to get their coats on, and I followed to say goodbye. "Now, remember the rules, love." Mother reminded me. "No alcohol-"

"No drugs, no strangers. I know mother. Enjoy your evening." I resisted the urge to dodge the kiss placed on my cheek, and jumped when my father clapped his hand on my shoulder.

"Have a good night, kids." He nodded at me and my friends, stepping into the hallway. My mother waved at Luna and Neville, who waved back.

"That tie really does look nice, Lucius." My mother's voice floated out into the hall, making me grin. I shut the door behind them and faced my friends, grinning.

"So... Drinks? Snacks? The others are going to meet us in town, so we have a while to relax." I herded the two into my living room area, Luna making herself comfortable on the couch. "I have some crisps in the cupboard if you fancy them." I moved a pillow off the couch so Neville could sit nearer to Luna.

"Yeah, that'd be great." Neville blushed and smirked at me, and I went into my kitchen to grab the snacks and a few cans of pop. I returned after a moment, finding Luna struggling with the TV remote and Neville face-palming beside her.

"Oh, it's confusing. Here, let me..." I turned the telly on and handed her the remote, letting her change it to a cooking show.

"Who's coming tonight?" Neville asked after a moment of comfortable quiet.

"Some of my friends from my old school. There's Pansy, Blaise and Theo. I don't expect my friend Greg to come, he and I are kind of on and off friends. My ex, Theo, he's-" I stopped abruptly, realising my mistake. I hadn't come out to Luna or Neville yet; hadn't felt the need. "Um..."

"What? What's wrong?" Luna asked, looking confused.

"Uh..." I could feel my face turning red. "Sorry. That just kind of slipped out." Neville rolled his eyes.

"What are you talking about? Your ex boyfriend Theo is what?" Neville asked. He smiled at me, waiting for me to continue. Luna raised her eyebrows, grinning. They didn't care. Didn't even miss a beat. I smiled widely, sitting straighter in my seat.

"You guys are the best, you know that?" I whispered. Luna leaned over and hugged my shoulders, rubbing my back.

"We're all misfits, Draco. As far as our group goes, a little homosexuality is quite normal. Besides, your sexual orientation does not affect your personality." She pulled back to look at me, gesturing to herself. "I'm pansexual, and Neville doesn't care." Neville nodded in agreement. "So don't worry about that." I grinned and pulled Luna into another hug, feeling a wave of affection for my new friends.

"Thank you." I breathed. Luna rubbed my back, kissing my cheek when she pulled away. We watched the cooking show for a few minutes before my intercom buzzed by the front door of my flat.

"Oh, that's probably Harry." Luna looked worried all of the sudden, so I rushed to answer it.

"Hellooo?" I sang.

"Hey, Draco? It's Harry." He sounded nervous.

"I thought it might be. Come on up, we'll unlock the flat. The door sticks a bit, so don't be afraid to really shove at it." There was a quiet laugh.

"Alright, then. See you soon." The intercom shut off and I pressed the button to let him into the building. I unlocked the door and turned around to find Luna behind me, fidgeting and biting her lip.

"Are you okay?" I asked, reaching out to touch her arm.

"Yeah, yeah. Harry's just-" She cut herself off, looking down at her hands. "Well, it's more his aunt-" She paused again, shaking her head. "Not really, it's actually his uncle... " I raised my eyebrows expectantly. "It's just not a good sign when he has to be late." She finished vaguely, Neville crossing the living room to join us.

"Why? What do you mean?" I asked, getting worked up.

"It's not something he talks with us about. He likes it when we ignore it." Neville chimed in. "Don't say anything if something's different, okay? Harry has a hard time sometimes." I bit back my anger at that statement.

Harry didn't deserve that. I had seen his sadness. It lingered over him like a fog, dimmed his smiles and weighed him down. He didn't need anything else to hurt him. I never wanted anything to hurt him. Asking me not to say anything if something was hurting Harry was like asking a honeybee not to make honey. Neville and Luna stared at me solemnly, and I huffed, nodding. Fine, I would try not to. But if something bad was happening, then I was going to step in. That was just who I was. Our serious moment was broken by the sound of the door being softly knocked on. Luna and Neville scurried back into the living room, and I turned to open the door.

"Hey." Harry's voice was quiet and tired. He looked damp, the jacket he had slung over his arm wet and dripping on the hallway carpet. He was wearing baggy, worn jeans and an old green Henley that looked amazing with his eyes. Or, one eye, considering the other one was clearly swollen and beginning to bruise.

"Bloody fuck, Harry! What the hell happened?" I pulled him into the house, kicking the door shut behind us. I took his jacket and hung it up for him before turning and cupping his face gently in my hands. "Oh my god! Does it hurt?" Harry blushed bright red and shrugged, ducking his head to get it out of my hands.

"Uh, I don't know what you're talking about..." He looked up at me pointedly, his eyes begging me not to say anything. "Luna and Neville here already?" He asked softly, passing me and pausing before walking into my flat.

"Y-yeah, in the living room." I pointed in their direction, Harry shooting me a smile and walking over to see them. "Harry..."

"Hey guys." He greeted them like everything was normal. Neville looked up first, his jaw tightening, but not saying anything except for a polite hello. Luna didn't even look at him, just holding his hand when he sat next to her, keeping her eyes on the telly. I watched them in shock.

"Alright," I snapped, getting all three of their heads turned towards me at once. "I don't know what kind of silent agreement you have about this, but I was not let in on it." I crossed my arms over my chest, leaning against the wall closest to the couch. "I'm getting you some ice." I directed at Harry. He opened his mouth, presumably to deny me, but I cut him off. "No, I am. And you're going to deal with it." With that, I turned and walked into my kitchen, throwing the cupboard under the sink open and getting a new washcloth before wrenching the freezer open to get ice. It's actually his uncle... Good lord, if that man laid a single hand on Harry, I swear to god...

"Draco." Harry's nervous voice floated over to me from the entrance to my kitchen.

"Yes?" I answered, slightly harsher than I wanted to. I heard him sigh, careful footsteps crossing the tiled floor.

"Look, I'm sorry. Please don't be mad." I put a few ice cubes on the washcloth and bundled it up, tying the ends.

"I'm not." I denied, my voice hard and cold. Harry looked disbelieving when I turned around. "Well, I am. Not at you, though. Well, a bit." I rubbed the cloth where the ice was, getting it damp. It was cooler when it was a little wet. I held it up to his face, trying to get it near his eye. Harry gently pushed my hand away.

"Don't..." He murmured. Even his resistance seemed tired, unenthusiastic, like he didn't really want to say no to being taken care of.

"Just-" I gripped his chin carefully between my index and middle finger and my thumb, forcing his eyes to meet mine. "Please, Harry. It hurts to see you like this." Harry swallowed tightly, the tendons in his neck visible and his collarbones looking wickedly sharp when he sucked in a quick breath. "Let me take care of you. Please." His shoulders tensed up, and he fought to hold my gaze, eyes flickering away every now and then. I felt his chin wobble, watched his eyebrows come together. He took a deep breath, exhaling shakily, and then nodded minutely.

"I just..." He breathed deeply, letting out a long sigh. "I'm trying really hard, Draco." He sounded exhausted, refusing to meet my eyes. "I want to be strong and together, but I just..." He looked away, biting his lip as his eyes watered. "I always feel so broken." I watched him choke back a sob, crossing his arms tightly over his stomach. "And I'm trying, but it's so hard sometimes." I couldn't stand to see him like that, and I pulled him into a tight hug, his arms coming around my waist and head tucking into my shoulder. He started crying quietly, his entire body shaking.

"Hey, it's okay..." I tossed the ice into the sink, holding him with both arms, resting my hand on the back of his head and petting his hair. "Just let it out, Harry. Have a moment." I could feel his choppy breaths on my neck, my shoulder becoming warm and wet from his tears. "I'm right here, it's okay." We stood for a moment, Harry's soft sobs interrupting the sounds from the telly in the other room. I breathed with him, held him tightly, stood strong for him.

"It was so stupid." He murmured, his voice tight and choked. "I was only doing laundry. He was upset because I m-mixed our clothes so I didn't waste water! Now you had to find out like this, and I've ruined everything!" A fresh wave of sobs took over, Harry grabbing my shirt in a violently strong grip. "I'm s-sorry, Draco…" My heart broke at his tone, at the desperation and loss in his voice.

"No, no, no. You didn't ruin anything, Harry." I swallowed my own tears, tucking him closer with my chin. "I'm sorry." I whispered. "I'm sorry you have to go home to that. I'm sorry that you think you're broken and have to work so hard. You're so amazing, Harry." His breathing jumped, hands loosening in my shirt. "You're so sweet and incredible, and I'm sorry you can't see it. I'm sorry you can't see yourself like I see you. I'm sorry I can't do more for you, be more for you." He started shaking his head, pulling back to look up at me. Tears clung to his eyelashes, and he wiped them away impatiently, his nose pink and eyes red-rimmed.

"You shouldn't apologise. I'm so lucky you're here, Draco. Never apologise for being you. You're perfect." I smiled sadly, gently wiping the tear tracks off his face.

"If anyone here is perfect, Harry, it's you. If I can't apologise, then neither should you." He stared up at me, a little crease between his eyebrows as they drew together thoughtfully. A long, soft sigh left him, and Harry leaned into me again, burrowing his head into my shoulder once again.

"I made your shirt wet." Harry mumbled, plucking at the fabric where he was crying.

"I don't mind." I assured him, hugging him firmly.

"I don't want to lose you." He breathed. "I feel like I've lost almost everything." He breathed in a deep, shaky breath, his voice thin and breathy. "I'm scared."

"I'm not going anywhere, Harry." I promised. I squeezed him, rubbing his back. "I'm staying right here." He finally relaxed, letting me support him, his hands tangled in my shirt and face pressed to my neck.

"Draco..."