All This Time, You Were Missing From My Heart

Chapter Three

Draco removed Harry's glasses and laid them on the nightstand. The blonde picked up his cloak and threw it on just as Dean Thomas came into the room. Draco slipped out before the black boy could close the door behind him. As the Slytherin walked down the stairs, Seamus Finnigan was walking up to the seventh year boy's dorms with a package of strawberries, a can of whipped cream, and a grin on his face. Draco rolled his eyes as he heard Dean giggle when the Irish boy went into the dorm. When he got down to the common room, he wasn't all that surprised to see Ron and Hermione snogging like there was no tomorrow.

He was surprised to see Ginny Weasley kissing Neville Longbottom. Draco gagged and quickly left Gryffindor territory as a younger student entered his house common room.

Walking back to the room the Headmaster had provided for him (Dumbledore hadn't thought it safe for the fair-haired boy to stay in the Slytherin dorms), Draco's thoughts turned back to the raven-haired boy. Draco ex-Malfoy didn't pity the Boy Who Lived. Pity would only anger him, as it had Draco. The Slytherins, while known for their hatefulness, were still human, and those who knew what he had been through pitied him. Harry Potter didn't need sympathy; he needed love. Love of the most unconditional kind. True, Hermione and Ron loved the teen hero, but Harry needed love from a lover, not a friend. Someone who would love and protect the fragile boy from the world and himself.

Fleetingly, Draco wondered whether the idol preferred men or women. It wouldn't matter, for everyone wanted in Harry Potter's pants. Deciding in a moment, Draco knew that he had to protect Harry from those that loved Harry's fame, and not Harry himself.

***

The next day found Harry awakening to a sharp pain in his scar, but as soon as it had come, it had gone. Harry sat up, groaning in pain before he realized that aside from his head, nothing else hurt.

'The Numbing Potion,' Harry thought, reaching for the blur that he was sure were his glasses. Harry picked them up and slid them on, using the hand he knew wasn't hurt. The green eyed boy looked around and noticed that the sun had yet to rise. Harry picked up his wand, but not before shaking his head at the site in Seamus's bed. The two boys occupying it were naked, Harry knew, but the both had their bits and pieces covered with the blanket. One of Seamus's arms was wrapped around the other boy while the other clutched a can of whipped cream, probably stolen from the kitchens.

"Tempus," Harry whispered, waving his wand. The time appeared, written in the air. It was only ten after five. He got up and limped to the bathroom. He couldn't feel any pain in his ankle, like the rest of his body, but he had been limping since the beginning of last summer and his body was now accustomed to hobbling everywhere. He opened his trunk and pulled out a clean robe, then continued his trek to the bathroom. When he reached it at the other end of the dormitory, he locked the door behind him with a wave of his wand. With a shake of the wand again, the charms on him disappeared and Harry was left to stare at the hideous reflection. One of the bruises had been almost green in colour the day before, but it was waning into a yellowish tint now.

"You poor dear! Whatever happened to you?" The mirror asked. Harry jumped. Seven years in the magical world, and he was still startled by the supposed-to-be-inanimate objects.

"Nothing I didn't deserve," Harry replied, almost astonished at his answer. Part of his mind argued that no one deserved what he had encountered, but another part told himself that because of him, lives had been taken, and he warranted the punishment. Harry shook his head, as if to clear the thoughts from his consciousness.

"Abscondere," Harry spoke, replacing the charms on his body. Then he pointed the stick of holly at the mirror. "Obliviate."

Hermione had told him that he could be an Obliviator for the Ministry with his ability to produce correct memory charms. The mirror remembered him coming into the bathroom, but not the sight he had been with out the concealment charms.

Showering quickly, Harry pulled on his robes and left the bathroom. Seamus and Dean had awoke while he was in the shower, and, from the sound of it, had resumed their previous activities - with the curtains closed, thank Merlin.

"Hey, don't you know how to put up a silencing charm?" Harry called, loud enough for them to hear, but not so loud as to wake the other two occupants of the room.

"Sorry, Harry," Seamus stuck his head out and grinned at Harry before grabbing his wand and putting up a silencing charm. He waved to Harry and then went back to Dean. Harry rolled his eyes and picked up the phial Draco'd left him. From what Draco had told him, the Boy-Who-Lived would have to take another dose before lunch. Harry placed the potion into one of his pockets and left the dorm room.

***

Harry wandered around the grounds, trying to think of other things besides what Vernon had done to him. When his aunt had dropped Harry at the train station, she had told Harry that he never had to come back to Privet Drive. Harry told her that he would come back, to save her. He would put Vernon away. He had promised her that. And Petunia had cried, telling him that he was so like his mother; he would come to anyone's rescue, no matter what they'd done to him.

Harry would go back to the horrid house. He would help his aunt. He would stop Vernon Dursley from ever hurting anyone again.

Harry tore his mind from his future plans and thought of his new friend. The two had as much in common as Fred and George Weasley. Harry stopped walking and sat against a tree near the lake.

The last Potter thanked whatever gods above that he now had Draco. Without the blonde boy to talk to, Harry knew that Hermione would lose another friend by his or her own hand. Harry loved Hermione and Ron dearly, but this was something he could only talk about with someone who shared the memories of torture and abuse.

Yawning, Harry stood and wiped the dew and grass from his robes. He was surprised when he saw the afore mentioned Slytherin walking towards him.

"What're you doing out here at this time of day?"

"Just thinking," Harry replied, glancing at the horizon that was turning colours from the rising sun. "Why are you out here?"

"I started taking morning walks last year, and I thought I'd continue," Draco shrugged.

"You mind if I join you?" Harry asked, squinting as the early morning sunshine hit him in the eyes.

"Not at all," They smiled at each other and began walking around the lake.

The two walked in comfortable silence for a few minutes before Draco noticed that Harry was limping still.

"You really shouldn't be walking if your ankle hurts," Draco told him.

"It's just a sprain; it'll be fine," Harry responded.

"I can fix sprains. Oh, and after you fell asleep last night, I cast a spell that will make sure everything heals right," Draco told him, pulling out his wand. "Stand still for a moment and I'll fix your ankle."

Draco said a spell Harry didn't recognize and pointed his wand at Harry's right ankle.

"Thanks," Harry said, moving his foot around. Despite not being able to feel the pain dissipate from the joint (because of the potion), Harry knew that his ex-archenemy had healed it.

"No problem," grinned Draco.

"You should consider being a medi-wizard," Harry smiled back as they continued walking.

"Actually, I have. Professor Flitwick told me last year that I'm good enough to be able to learn all the required spells, and he said that my knowledge of medical and magical healing would have me working at St. Mungo's in no time after we graduate," Draco told Harry, beaming at the compliments.

The Gryffindor and Slytherin talked until breakfast and by curfew that night, they knew most everything about each other's life.

Harry told Draco about Sirius's innocence, and Draco revealed that Professor Snape was his godfather, though not many knew it. After that piece of information, Harry was surprised even further by the news that Draco thought he was a bastard in class as well.

After dinner, the two had met in Draco's room and talked until curfew. The topic of conversation had been Snape most of the night. To his astonishment, Harry had no trouble telling Draco that he was gay. He even told the blonde that he thought Severus Snape was sexy, if not still in need of a good bath.

Draco had informed Harry that he'd been in heaven while living at the Burrow, for he liked red heads and men, as well.

Harry and Draco both went to bed happier that night; everything was off their chests and it felt good to finally have someone who knew everything about you and what it was like to be you.

End Chapter Three