Pure Accident

Chaos. Pure chaos had erupted in the Great Hall. With the professors locked in the Headmaster's office in a meeting, the students were left to their own devices.

Big mistake.

Filch gasped and tried to scramble up to his feet. "You boys are going to be in big trouble! You hear me?!" he blustered.

A huge red apple flew across the room to get at him but he ducked.

SMACK!

<>
<>"Good shot, Neville!" Dean cheered as the small group of Gryffindors watched Filch collapse after one of Parvati's apples-turned-pineapples hit him squarely in the face.

"Fuck," someone swore and the Gryffindors all turned to look at the source.

"Bloody hell," Seamus stared at the figure sitting alone on the bench with astonishment, "did I hear him swear?"

"Fuck," Harry growled, one hand flying up to clutch at his temple. "Fuck."

Standing at the other side of the Great Hall, Draco Malfoy, with a decidedly malicious smirk, aimed his fruit missile at the emerald-eyed Gryffindor.

Harry clambered out of the bench and ducked his head. A banana hit his back and he flinched as wetness started to soak his shirt.

"Bastard," he hissed and shoving his friends away, he stormed toward the offensive Slytherin.

~oOo*oOo~

Draco was having more fun than usual, because he was certain his teachers would not be able to pinpoint who had started the food-fight. He grabbed the remaining available item on the surface of his table and put all of his strength as he threw it at Harry.

It hit Harry's shoulder so hard the Gryffindor actually staggered a little at the force. That was the moment that Draco knew he had done something he should never have done. He suddenly felt the same way he had when his father had caught him snooping around in a Pensieve.

Draco took a step back as Harry advanced, and a chill descended on him even as bottle-green eyes tried to burn a hole through his body.

"It's just a food-fight," a small voice spoke in the back of his mind.

It's just a food-fight.

He tried to shout a threat at the Gryffindor, but his voice would not work, and he grew more alarmed when Harry grabbed his arm and twisted it painfully.

"Potter! Let go of me!"

Draco braced himself and tried to throw all of his weight at Harry but to no avail. "Damn you," he growled and thrust his fingers into his pocket to retrieve his wand.

Then, something - Draco did not know what it was, but it filled him with fright - seemed to travel inside his body, rushing inside his veins and going up into his brain.

"Potter." His voice came out weak and then he could not speak anymore. It was as though he was paralyzed. Paralyzed and incapacitated with fear.

Then it was painful as his mind burned, and his chest hurt even more. It was as though someone was flogging him.

Potter, stop! Stop! Please! Hurts ... you're hurting me...

Tears slid down his cheeks as he helplessly stared into a pair of green eyes filled with burning anger.

Harry...

What was wrong with him? Something inside his mind was working furiously and he could not shut it off even as a distant part of himself was telling him to stop, that he was hurting Draco, very, very badly.

However, a voice inside his mind howled with triumph, while his soul screamed and shrieked in horror.

Draco's silver eyes looked frantically at him, so many emotions swirling in them that they changed colors at every second.

He wanted to let go, but his body felt like it belonged to someone else, and he was just a passenger in a vehicle he could not control.

Harry had only wanted to shake some sense into Draco, to make the Slytherin stop picking fights. The last thing he wanted to do was to hurt Draco, but he could not shut the damned thing that was running through his veins.

Draco then gave a sudden wail before slumping forward, but Harry did not let go - he just held on and channeled that unknown thing that was pouring out of his body.

"YOU IDIOT!" someone roared, and Harry automatically looked over his shoulder. He did not see the fist coming, but he certainly felt it as it connected with his jaw. His eyes rolled back into his head and he fell over backward, taking Draco down with him.

Snape's face was contorted with anger but it simply hid the worry and alarm as he realized what Harry had done, even if the young wizard had done it unconsciously. He breathed hard, towering immobile at the feet of his unconscious students.

The sensation he had felt earlier brought out his oldest and the most painful of his memories, and he closed his eyes, trying to forget the scent of the Cruciatus Curse.

Potter, when will you learn?

"Get back to your dormitories now! Prefects! You will clean this mess up!" Snape barked, startling the rest of the students into motion.

"Merlin - what happened?"

Snape glared at McGonagall briefly and ignored her. His eyes picked the hurrying form of the school nurse and waved her over. "Take Draco up to the wing. I'll take care of Potter."

"But-"

He stared balefully at Madam Pomfrey.

"Severus, wh-" Professor Dumbledore froze and looked down at Draco and Harry. The old wizard sniffed at the air and blue eyes behind thin lenses hardened. "Poppy, bring Draco up to the hospital wing now. Severus, I'll leave Harry with you."

"Yes, Headmaster." Snape waited until Madam Pomfrey had retrieved Draco before casting a spell at Harry, and then he guided the floating form out of the hall.

"Professor, where are you taking him?"

Snape never bothered to look back. None of his Slytherin students dared to ask him questions as he brought Potter down into the dungeons, into his office, and through a false wall that led to his private chambers. He took several moments to illuminate the dark cave and he set Harry down a cot the Gryffindor had occasionally used after Occlumency practices.

He immediately went to his medicine cabinet and brought out several bottles, one to take care of the injury he had caused, another to make sure Harry would stay asleep for several hours, and another to wake him if required. He set two out of the three bottles on the small, circular table at the head of the cot while still holding on to the remedy for Harry's jaw.

The Potions Master sat gingerly on the edge of the small bed and studied Harry's face silently. Quietly, he uncapped the bottle and poured its contents onto his fingers before smearing the liquid carefully on Harry's cheek, jaw and chin.

"You are such a willful idiot, Potter," Snape murmured. "But you have done it, and soon, you'll need to accept the consequences of your actions."

His body felt terrible. His mind felt even worse. On the whole, Draco felt as though he had been torn inside out, burned, ripped apart again, and that was not a very good thing to feel.

He knew that there were others with him - he could feel them coming and going, and then they were back again. But there were two that had not moved from their spot at the foot of his bed since he had woken. Draco doubted they knew that he was awake, since his eyes were closed and his breathing was deep and steady.

"I have finally administered the potion to Potter," he heard Snape say and the Head of Slytherin House paused hesitantly, "and it seems that he has no recollection whatsoever of what happened three nights ago."

"And you believe he is lying?" Draco heard Professor Dumbledore say the words calmly, almost casually. "Even after taking the Truth Serum?"

Draco opened his eyes a little to watch Snape and Dumbledore. Snape was frowning heavily.

"Not quite."

"So Harry is telling the truth."

"No," Snape responded with a small shake of his head. "The innocent part of him does not remember, but that little part of him that is falling to darkness certainly does."

Then Madam Pomfrey appeared and brightened when she saw that he was awake, but a troubled expression came over her face when he did not respond to her in any kind. Draco just lay there, apathetic, unfeeling, and not speaking.

"It is expected, Madam Pomfrey," Snape said to the nurse in a quiet voice and Draco's gray eyes flickered over to watch his teacher. "His state is quite normal for those tortured with the Cruciatus Curse."

"I can't believe Harry did this to him."

"Everyone has their dark side, Madam Pomfrey."

Draco's interest grew when Snape's black eyes seemed to frost over and the wizard directed them at the serene-looking old man.

"Even you," Snape whispered. "With power comes great temptation to do great deeds. Both good and evil."

The Potions Master's words were surprising to him and Draco was starting to wonder about what Snape was trying to insinuate. His thoughts went in another direction when Snape's eyes returned to pay attention to him.

"He isn't suffering like the known cases," Snape started but the wizard backed away and Draco could no longer hear the rest of Snape's observation. "It has not filled him with fear."

People looked at him strangely since that night most of the students got themselves into trouble. Harry had the feeling Hermione knew what actually happened, including the reason why he had been inside Snape's chamber when he awakened several days ago. However, they would not tell him and he could not help but feel sulky and troubled because of it.

Harry had done his best in Potions that day and he was hoping he could escape from the classroom with his friends but Snape had ordered him to stay.

"We'll see you inside the Hall," Hermione whispered into his ear before going out with the rest of the students.

The moment he was alone with the professor, Snape waved his hand at the door and Harry heard him cast Silencing Spells. Harry frowned as he studied each of Snape's movements.

"Potter, I'm going to ask you again."

The solemnity woven in Snape's tone unnerved Harry. Snape was usually sarcastic and his voice had never been less than acidic - a grave and serious Snape was something Harry had never encountered before.

"What?"

There was only silence and he sighed.

"What is it, Professor?" he asked in a resigned tone.

"Do you remember what happened?"

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "I remember that I was hit by an apple, and then a banana, and then I was going to Malfoy to shake him," Harry said in a thoughtful voice and opened his eyes. "I remember him throwing a ball-like thing at me, but after that..."

Snape searched his face and Harry tilted his head to one side, feeling greatly puzzled by this sudden change of Snape's personality.

"Meet me at the entrance of the hospital wing at nine," Snape finally said.

"Professor, that's past the curfew for students," Harry reminded the greasy-haired wizard.

"I'm keeping an eye on you. Nine o'clock. Sharp."

Snape went back to his desk and the classroom door opened. Harry took that as a signal that he had been dismissed, and he hurriedly exited from the room.

Harry used the remaining hours before his meeting with Professor Snape to get his supper, do his homework, and revise Charms a little. As usual, he tried to glean information from Hermione.

"Hermione," he hurried up to her before she could set foot on the staircase to the girls' dormitories, "it has something to do with Malfoy. Right?"

However, his friend merely looked at him sadly and smiled slightly.

"Don't worry, Harry."

Don't worry? Harry stared at her retreating back before descending the spiral staircase.

"Where are you going, dear?" the Fat Lady asked him in a curious voice.

"I'm under orders from Snape," he told her. "Don't worry. I have permission from him to be out."

"Okay. Keep your wand ready. Don't get lost," the portrait advised. "And be careful if you're using the Staircase. All the other portraits have been telling me how ill-behaved they were during the curfew hours."

"I will."

Harry was very wary when he stood at the top of the magical staircase. Carefully, he went down, floor after floor, and when he stepped foot on the landing of the third floor, he let out a huge sigh of relief at the uneventful descent.

He had walked several steps away from the staircase when he heard a loud screech coming from behind him and he turned back to look. His eyes widened instantly as the staircases started to swing around madly.

"Bloody hell..." Harry stared at the unusual scene for several moments before a Snape-like voice inside his mind shouted at him to move and be at the hospital wing at once.

Snape was waiting for him and there was a slight scowl on the wizard's face. "Get inside," the Potions Master said shortly.

Harry did as he was asked, but only after he had stared unblinkingly at Snape for half a minute. His professor stepped in after him and Harry heard the doors of the hospital ward close with a soft thud.

What is he about? Puzzlement rose in him and with a somewhat serious expression, Harry looked around the room and saw that one of the beds was occupied. Without waiting for further instructions from Snape, Harry slowly walked to the end of the wing.

He hesitated when he was at a distance where he could see that whoever that was lying on the bed had silver-blonde hair.

Why? Harry thought uncomfortably. Did I do something to him? Unconsciously, Harry walked a bit more until he was at Draco's bedside.

Pale and fragile. Those were the words that flashed in his mind as he studied the sleeping Slytherin.

"Take hold of his left arm and lay your free palm on his chest, directly above his heart," Snape said in a firm tone, surprising him slightly.

"Why should I?" Harry asked in bewilderment.

Snape stared at him in an unfriendly manner. The Slytherin professor went on to elaborate however, in a tone that could turn stone into dust. "Because I want you to find out what you had done to him - by reading him and feeling him."

Green eyes flickered back and forth before settling permanently on Draco. But what if I don't want to find out?

Harry bit on his lower lip and reluctantly sat on the bed. He looked up at Snape and at his teacher's nod Harry wrapped his fingers on Draco's upper arm, and hesitantly placed his palm on Draco's chest. It felt somewhat intimate, and he wondered if the Slytherin would hex him for touching him someday.

He adjusted the position of his palm until he could feel Draco's heart thudding distinctively.

"Close your eyes."

Harry's eyelids dropped and shut, and then he gasped. He felt as though he was getting sucked into Draco's body for several seconds before everything felt calm once more.

Then he clearly felt the rush of adrenaline and excitement and saw himself - no, he was Draco - beginning to throw food items across the Great Hall.

He was certainly happy to know that he had a very good eye and good aims, Harry noted grudgingly. Well, here I come. His other self was storming forward.

Harry grew surprise when he felt Draco's uneasiness and alarm. Why was he afraid? He looked at his own image. There was no doubt he was angry, but...

Pain shot through his body. Harry felt weak - he felt Draco's weakness. He could not do anything but struggle weakly.

Hurts. You're hurting me...

"No. You're not hurting yourself, Harry. You're hurting Draco. You're hurting Draco. You're hurting him with magic, Harry," a small voice inside his head said gravely. "You're hurting him with a Curse. You, who couldn't Curse Bellatrix Lestrange, the one person who certainly deserved to be Cursed, hurt a boy your own age who was just having fun throwing food around."

No...

He felt sick.

"Yes. You used the Cruciatus Curse. You know it. You've seen it. You've felt it indirectly. You used a Curse on another human being, Harry."

Hurts...

The pain suddenly disappeared and he opened his eyes weakly. He had been crying and he blinked several times to clear his vision.

Snape had removed his hands from Draco somehow, and Draco, who had been sleeping when Harry first came into the ward, was now wide-awake.

"You had unleashed a Cruciatus Curse, however accidental and mild, on Draco," Snape confirmed calmly. "I told you that keeping your anger in check is something that can make you safe, Potter," Snape continued in a tired voice. "Now, can you even trust yourself?"

Harry could only look up at the black-eyed wizard in fear and denial.

"You'd lost control of your magic, Potter." Snape turned away to stare at the window. "But it's worse than that - you'd let your magic control you."

When their eyes met again, Harry's spirit suddenly sank into despair. "So this is not because of him?" he asked in a hushed voice.

"No, I'm afraid not. It's you. It's that magic that's been passed by him and the magic that is your own. Evil is a very tempting thing, Potter. Much more so than Light." Snape stared sharply at him. "Now, you have to take steps, Potter. Are you going to allow yourself to slip away into evil's clutches, or are you going to resist temptation?"

Harry glanced at Draco, who was looking at him with a strange expression. "What about him? Is he going to be all right?"

"That depends on what you decide."

"What?" Harry responded sharply.

"Draco's condition is tied with your decision. If you fall prey to the evil inside you, then he will fall into the abyss called Fear. And he will never get out of it."

"And how do I know you're not making this up?" Harry asked quietly.

"Because you're looking at a survivor who'd been in Draco's position a long time ago," Snape replied just as softly.

"What? Then Dumbledore..."

"I didn't say our cases are identical at all, Potter." Snape's face was hard. "I didn't owe the Headmaster my sanity. I have a particularly strong mind, a trait that is common in Slytherins. Your case is different, because magic had been the source and the cause of it."

Harry fell silent for a long time. "So he'll never make it on his own?" he whispered.

Snape shrugged.

"I'm tied to him." Harry clenched his hands. "I'm responsible for him."

Harry's soul realized what he had done and his knees suddenly gave way. "I Cursed." He buried his face in his shaking hands. "I Cursed."

He cried silently as his soul became overwhelmed with overpowering despair and disappointment. He cried himself into exhaustion, and he fell asleep with the knowledge that Snape was there, watching him.

Draco groaned softly. Why were people shouting inside a hospital wing? He could hear Snape's voice quite clearly, Dumbledore's and a witch's voice.

"This is serious, Albus," the witch said. "If Harry Potter had used an Unforgivable Curse on a student then he has to be placed under the Ministry's care."

"If that boy is out of the protection of the castle then you'll have a dead boy on your hands, Madam," Snape snarled.

Draco distinctly heard the heels of Snape's boots clicking furiously on the floor, and a loud slam filled the wing. Then uneasy stillness descended but Draco thought it seemed heavenly.

"Severus is unfortunately right," Dumbledore sighed. "Harry is now more vulnerable to inner attacks."

"But what if he hurts another student?"

"I doubt it, Amelia."

Amelia? Amelia Bones? Draco was surprised.

"He can hurt someone by accident."

The doors opened again and Draco heard someone grumbling near the entrance.

"Don't look at me like that, Poppy. We'll retreat to my office."

About two hours later, when he showed signs of being awake, Madam Pomfrey came to his side. She started making him do things like going to the bathroom, washing himself, eating a bit of porridge, and drinking all of his potions. He dozed until evening, and when he awoke, Harry was in the room.

Draco did not say anything and neither did Harry. The Gryffindor just looked at him with troubled eyes. Some time later, Draco watched as Harry hid in a corner, and he listened to the choking sobs that came from it. He did not say anything when Harry came to stand beside the bed hours later, to look at him. He did not say anything when Harry walked out of the hospital wing.

He went back to sleep.

Day after day, Draco watched as Harry sat on a chair, and studied the Gryffindor even as the Gryffindor observed him. Day after day, Draco watched Harry cry.

Day after day, Draco watched as Harry continued to lose faith in himself.

Day after day, Draco felt himself changing because of it.

He was changing. There could be no other reason why a Malfoy would even want to reach out to someone and tell them soothing words.

On the ninth night, Draco looked closely at Harry and waited. Then he saw the signs of an impending breakdown. Harry's fingers would clench at the armrests every so often.

The raven-haired teenager stood up and sat on a bed at the end of the wing.

Draco slid out of bed and carefully walked over to Harry. He stopped three feet away, not quite knowing what to do. Harry's shoulders had slumped a bit and the depressed boy was massaging his temple with one hand. Then Harry's head drooped even lower and Draco knew that Harry was on the verge of tears.

He closed the distance between them and touched the Gryffindor's shoulder lightly. Harry's head snapped up and emerald eyes looked up at him, startled.

"It's all right," he said in a voice that was barely a whisper.

Draco stood watching Harry. Something stirred inside him when the pair of green eyes looked at him with awe and relief.

He could not believe it, but he was happy that Harry had forgotten to cry that night.

Snape came in the next morning, right after Draco had his breakfast, and the Potions Master looked oddly expectant. Draco stared at the professor for several minutes and managed to smile a little.

"I haven't forgotten how to talk," he said with slight amusement.

Snape blinked and Draco had the impression that the Potions Master was surprised.

"What is wrong with Potter?" Draco asked curiously. "He's falling apart just because he had cast an Unforgivable Curse?"

"It's because he's not an evil person and he had managed to do it. It would have been less disturbing if he's someone from the other side. But he's not."

"He's losing his grip on the Light then," Draco snorted. "Professor, what is the difference between Darkness and Evil?"

"Evil is evil. Darkness ... Darkness will never cease to embrace the Light, no matter how faint it is." Snape looked at him seriously. "Draco, it is disturbing to listen to you speak as though this has not affected you."

"Something else has affected me," Draco murmured.

"What is that?" Snape asked suspiciously.

"Nothing as alarming as being Crucio-ed by Potter," Draco said quickly. Then he changed the subject. "Why isn't Potter getting help?"

"Because he hasn't asked for it." Snape sighed.

Then Draco shied away when Snape looked at him with a gaze that made him uncomfortable. It was very penetrating and ... commanding in certain ways.

Most of the students were off to Hogsmeade on Sunday morning. Draco was simply lazing in bed when Harry entered and proceeded to sit down on a chair beside the bed.

Harry's face was unreadable but as usual, the teenager's green eyes appeared worried and restless. Draco lifted his gaze to the ceiling and absently flipped his hair away from his eyes.

"I may not look it but I'm not weak," Draco said quietly. He continued to stare at the wooden beams above his bed. "I have a strong mind. I'm not going to fall apart just because I'd been tortured. I'm not saying that you didn't torture me enough to drive me mad." He dropped his eyes, and studied Harry with a distant expression on his face. "It's who I am, Potter."

"You don't look convincing enough," Harry answered quietly.

Draco sighed and sat up. He glanced at Harry briefly, then smiled crookedly at the shocked expression. Then he arched his eyebrow almost sardonically. "I am not bedridden, you know." Draco looked at the window and squinted at the world outside.

It was not snowing but it was bright enough to suit his intention.

"Let's go outside."

"What?"

He gave Harry a somewhat crossed look. "Follow me, Potter," he said in exasperation. "I want to show you something."

He had nearly reached the doors of the hospital wing when Harry called him by his first name.

"Draco, don't you think you ought to wear your shoes first?" the Gryffindor suggested meekly.

Silver-haired Draco blushed hotly with embarrassment and doubled back to put on his boots. After he was certain that he was properly attired and his wand was already in his special pocket, they went out into the grounds. Draco led Harry to a place where the grass was still green and uncovered by snow.

He took several deep breaths and closed his eyes, thoroughly enjoying the clean scent of his surroundings.

"I didn't mean to hurt you," Harry whispered, stepping in to stand beside him.

"I know. But why are you so quick to anger?" Draco kept his eyes locked on a row of trees in the distance. Harry did not answer his query.

"I knew I was hurting you," Harry said instead. "I tried to stop it, but I couldn't. I didn't try hard enough. I wasn't strong enough."

"And I'm sure that from now on you'd think that you're weak," he murmured. Without being obvious about it, Draco walked in circles around Harry, until he decided to position himself directly behind the Gryffindor.

He swallowed nervously and one of his arms circled Harry, trapping the other wizard's arms to the sides and pulling the raven-haired boy closer to him. He used his other hand to tilt Harry's chin up to the sky.

"What are you doing?" Harry squeaked.

"Close your eyes and listen to me," Draco whispered into Harry's black hair. He waited until Harry relaxed visibly before continuing to speak. "What happened that night - what you did to me was pure accident, Harry. However, I am sorry that you have to hurt me in order to be aware of it."

"You're not making any sense, Draco," Harry complained.

Draco rested his chin against Harry's shoulder as though it was the most natural thing to do. "A part of you just want you to open your eyes. It's a little like that phrase you had shouted at me several months ago."

"Huh?" Harry struggled a little to look at him.

"Harry, I told you to close your eyes. And look up at the sky - not me. Anyway, 'Look at your reflection in the mirror, Malfoy,' you'd said back then." Draco smiled ruefully. "I only understood you after a few nights of pondering."

"Oh." Then after several minutes of silence, Harry spoke again. "I guess I'm just like everyone."

"Not everyone," Draco corrected quickly. "Just like anyone who is good. You still have flaws." Draco's other hand, the one that had been holding Harry's chin, slid down to join the other around Harry's waist. "Acknowledge your latest flaw, just like you had acknowledge your other traits."

"But what if it happens again?" Harry's voice cracked slightly with anxiousness.

<>"You have a strong mind, Harry. You're stubborn. When it happens, you have to decide. You have to decide whether you want to stop, or whether you want to go on." Draco closed his eyes and relaxed. "It's your choice. Your will. You of all people know where your heart and soul truly belong," Draco said quietly. "So where do you belong, Harry Potter? Evil? Darkness? The Light? Of course, if you say you think you belong to the first, I'm afraid I have no choice but to hex you and haul you up to Professor Snape."

"How can I know?" Harry sounded helpless. Draco did not like it - he did not like to know that Harry could be weak.

"Harry, I believe you are good. You're one who never wishes serious harm on people."

Draco knew that he could never go back to his old self, to the beliefs his parents had taught him. Draco could never go back. "I believe in you. I believe that you belong with the Light."

He was changing. Now, only time would tell whether his words would change Harry.

It had been three weeks since that day when Draco brought him to stand under the sky out in the grounds but Harry had only begun to feel like his 'normal' self eight days ago. So things had gone back to normal - his friends no longer gave him weird stares, Snape was back to snapping at him, and Harry had no trouble concentrating in his schoolwork.

His relationship with Draco Malfoy was anything but.

Hermione was astonishingly accepting of that particular change, but it took him some time to reassure Ron that the truce was genuine. Ginny, however, had seemed envious and uneasy. There was one night when Harry had joined Draco in the library to study, and Ginny probably had seen how close they were.

Harry was not entirely certain what his status was with Draco, but he knew that the Slytherin had no clue either. However, there were times when Harry felt that they were too close, too close to be merely friends or companions.

"Happy Valentine's Day," Ginny said brightly to him one morning.

"You too," Harry said somewhat gloomily and Ron, who had heard his voice, snorted with amusement. He sat down on the bench glumly and opened his bag.

There were a few cards, a rose, and something bulky that had been wrapped with black wrapping paper.

He read the cards he had received quickly before hiding them inside his beg again, and frowned over the mysterious package.

Hermione suddenly appeared and grumpily set her books down on the table and Harry forgot about the gift. He dropped the parcel into his bag and looked at the witch curiously.

"What's wrong?"

"Did Ronniekins piss you off?"

"No," Hermione answered Ginny crossly. "Some bloody Ravenclaw thought I - never mind."

Harry looked at her with some surprise and wondered if he was deaf, because he thought he heard her mutter something that sounded like breast enhancements and a couple of swear words.

During the next lesson, History of Magic, Harry was so bored and sleepy that he dug out for the parcel he had not opened to entertain himself.

Someone had given him a notebook, which appeared to be very expensive.

Hermione poked him sharply in the waist and he nearly yelped. He dropped the book back into his bag, and guiltily stared at the blackboard. After a few minutes or so, Harry fell asleep.

He awoke the moment Hermione pinched his arm and he looked around - the rest of the students were getting ready to leave.

"One of these days, I'm going to force extra black coffee down your throat," Hermione said threateningly. Harry could only smile sheepishly at her.

His last lesson of the day was Transfiguration.

Oddly enough, Harry ran out of parchment paper to write his notes.

Should I use it? Is it from Hermione? I'm going to be in trouble if Ron thinks it's from Hermione, won't I?

However, the notes on the blackboard were too crucial for him to rely on memory alone. Harry retrieved his new notebook and started to scribble on it quickly to keep up with Professor McGonagall.

After some time, McGonagall allocated them a brief break.

While some of the students made a quick dash to the restroom, Harry simply relaxed in his seat and contemplated about the notebook.

"Hermione, did you-"

"I believe in you."

He stopped short and gaped at the notebook in his hands. He nearly swore as the memory of Draco holding him for the first in the open played so vividly in his mind. He could even smell the snow; he could even taste the air.

Slowly, he turned to look at Draco. The Slytherin was staring at the window with a smug, little smile, unaware that Harry was watching.

"What is it?" Hermione's voice broke his reverie.

"You didn't give me this, didn't you?" Harry asked in a strained voice.

"No." Hermione looked at him with interest.

"Don't look at me like that, Hermione. I don't know who gave it to me," he lied.

"You're such a terrible liar, Harry," Hermione said sulkily.

"Thank you," Harry said wryly.

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat and Harry ducked his head in embarrassment.

An hour later, their Transfiguration professor finally dismissed them. Harry stepped out of the classroom with Hermione and Ron, but he walked as though he was reluctant to go.

"What's wrong?"

"Why don't you two go up first? I need to talk with Draco a little."

Harry turned away quickly and so did not catch Hermione's suspicious expression. He was also not aware that Hermione and Ron loitered in the corridor to wait for him.

Draco finally came out from the classroom and Harry slowed his pace. The Slytherin was smiling somewhat mischievously, thus confirming his thoughts. Quite boldly, Harry strode forward and with a skill he did not know he possessed, he managed to pull Draco gracefully to him and kissed the blond wizard fiercely. When they parted, Harry stared deeply into Draco's sparkling silver eyes and whispered, "Thank you."

Draco's expression softened and the Slytherin kissed him gently. "I believe in you."

"For you, I will be strong," Harry said softly.

"I believe you, Harry."

<>It was something he did not realize he had needed. Draco took Harry in his arms and held the brunette tightly.

Then tears suddenly spilled from his eyes and he quickly hid his face in Harry's hair, so that Hermione and Ron could not see his expression.

His tears were the opposite of those that Harry had shed so many times before.

It was not such a bad thing, to feel cherished.

"Draco, was it pure accident that I thought of you while I was wondering about the mysterious gift I found inside my bag this morning?"

"I wouldn't know," Draco answered with a gentle smile curved on his lips.

"Hmmmm ... so it's from you, maybe. Here's my gift to you on Lovers' day." Harry gave him a chaste kiss on the lips.

"Lovers' day?"

"All right, Valentine's Day."

"Ah." Draco gave Harry an arched look. "You could give me a better present."

"Like?"

"Kiss me properly," he mumbled. Of course, he could not say that he wanted Ron and Hermione to faint in shock outright to Harry.

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