Harry woke gasping for breath. His scar ached and nausea roiled in his stomach. Slipping out of bed, he made his way to the bathroom. To his surprise, he didn't puke. He tried to settle back in bed but sleep wouldn't come, leaving him tossing and turning.

The bedcurtain moved slightly, and Draco's face peered in.

"Hey." Harry whispered softly.

"You are awake." Draco said, then gestured to the covers.

Harry nodded, and Draco tucked himself against Harry under the blankets. His presence lulled Harry back to sleep.

~~~

Christmas was steadily approaching. Harry felt like he was running all over the place. Draco was running all over- Prefect duties and homework hardly left them any time together it felt like. Plus there was the D.A. and Quidditch. 

They tried as often as they could to sneak out to the Room of Requirement for their own D.A. experience. Draco continued to impress Harry every time, and Draco was always in awe of Harry's magic. When it was just the two of them Harry didn't use his wand. It was just a reassuring weight in his pocket.

~~~

"Draco?" Harry asked one day in the Room of Requirement.

"Yes?"

"Do you remember that book we were reading when we found out I was an Aevumiter?" 

"Of course. Why?"

"Why had you read it before?" Harry asked.

"Ah." A slight hint of color went to Draco's cheeks. "Father made me read it. I had to deduce which Inheritances were most probable for me to receive."

Harry's brows rose. "Do you have one?"

"I do." Draco said. "Though it's so distant that it hardly affects me at all. Its more of a legacy, I suppose."

"What is it?" Harry asked, eager.

"My seven-times great grandmother was a veela."

"What?" Harry laughed. "You're part veela?"

"A small part." Draco said. "I don't have any veela abilities."

"Well, you certainly look the part." Harry said, with new insight into his very fair skinned, and very pale haired boyfriend. Even the silvery eyes.

Draco spluttered. "I- you- I- uh." 

Harry laughed, and then his brain- or magic- made a connection. The spluttering had reminded him of a certain cat... A light colored, grey eyed cat. Eyes a grey that was unnatural to cats- a grey in such a unique shade as to look silver. A cat with very human mannerisms and intelligence.

Harry stared at Draco.

"What is it?" Draco asked, a frown creasing between his brows.

"Steel?"

A moment of shock dashed Draco's face, before a sly grin replaced it. "Took you long enough to figure it out."

Harry's jaw slacked. "How could you not tell me you were an animagus?"

"You didn't tell me you were one either." Draco returned.

Harry  blinked. "Oh. I guess I didn't, did I? I forgot that you didn't know."

"I suppose we're both on the same page now." Draco said.

"Yeah." Harry grinned. "You know what this means?"

Draco narrowed his eyes. "What are you thinking?"

"Let's go exploring."

Draco's grin mirrored Harry's, and the spells were put aside for the rest of the day.

~~~

Draco could practically feel the anxiety radiating from Harry. Draco looked at Harry expectantly.

Harry withered under his gaze. "I need help."

"Okay. With?" Draco said.

"Destroying a dark object." Harry said. "Two, actually."

"Is it that quill? I'd be happy to vandalize her office to destroy that one." Draco said darkly.

Harry almost chuckled. "No. These are... Worse than that."

Draco's posture stiffened. "Then what are we waiting for?"

"Just you, I suppose."

"Well. Then let's go."

"As simple as that? You'll help?"

"As simple as that." Draco said. "You ask the most ridiculous questions sometimes."

Harry led Draco to the Room of Requirement. 

"Well, we've stumbled upon a hoarder's wet dream." Draco said as he took in the stacks and what felt like endless mounds of things others had tossed in the room. "Apologies, I think Blaise possessed me for a moment."

Harry sighed, and shook his head.

"I hope you know where to look?" Draco asked.

"I do." Harry said, leading them further into the stacks.

Draco suddenly spotted something. "Is- Is that Rowena's diadem?"

"There it is." Harry said.

"The diadem is a dark artifact?"

"Yeah."

"I..." Draco sighed. 

They retrieved it, and made their way down into the Chamber of Secrets. Harry got the locket and led Draco toward the basilisk skeleton. He set down the horcruxes and reached up, pulling a fang loose. 

"So how does this work?" Draco asked.

"We stab them with this." Harry said, holding the fang up. "I'm uh, probably going to react badly. Because of the magic, you know."

Draco frowned. "We? Do we both need to hold the tooth?"

"No, but if uh. I faint or something. You should destroy the other one." Harry said.

"Lovely." Draco said, not fond of the idea of Harry's reaction. "Well, let's get this over with."

Harry nodded. He sat in front of the horcruxes. He took a deep breath, and thought of all the pain the locket had caused him. He drove the fang through the metal. 

Harry's head exploded with pain. He gasped, and lost his balance, even though he was seated. Draco caught his head before he tipped over. 

"Are you okay?" Draco asked.

Harry just gestured toward the diadem as best he could. Draco didn't need to let go of Harry to pick up the fang, and without hesitation drove it into the diadem. Draco felt Harry go limp against him. In the dim light of the chamber, it looked like the two objects were bleeding shadow. 

Draco pocketed the fang, and cradled Harry in his arms. He pressed a hand against his forehead, to see if there was a fever. No. Breathing was ragged- Draco sighed. Harry had passed out from pain. His heartbeat was slow but thunderous. A thin trail of blood began to fall from his nose.

"We should have discussed how to treat you beforehand." Draco said softly.

A healing charm on his nose was ineffective, but it only lasted a minute before the bleeding stopped. A few minutes after that Harry stirred and groaned, forcing his eyes open. Harry pressed one hand to his temple and the other rested on Draco's shoulder, almost caressing his face. 

"How are you feeling?" Draco asked.

"My head's going to explode." Harry grumbled.

"Can you walk?"

"Probably." Harry said. "I don't want to though."

"Come on, let's get back to the dorm."

"Okay." Harry said, taking one last look at the horcruxes before they left. Three down. Three to find.

~~~

For the next few days Harry had a headache that came and went. Harry was trying to fall asleep during a particularly bad hour when Draco opened the letter he'd received that morning. He hadn't opened it then, because he 'didn't want to spoil his appetite'.

Draco scowled, and then his lip began to curl in a silent snarl. He balled up the letter and set it ablaze, his expression only slightly softening after it had burned itself to nothing.

"What was that?" Harry mumbled.

"Father wanted to congratulate me on befriending you." Draco said through clenched teeth.

"Why would he?" Harry asked, half his face still buried in his pillow.

"So he could betray you, duh." Blaise said, then began to mock Lucius' voice. "Oh son, I'm so proud. Invite the wretched orphan over for Christmas- The Dark Lord will be so pleased to see him."

Draco only glared, but Harry snorted and then grimaced as it disturbed his head.

"You know I'm right." Blaise said defensively.

"No, you are. That's exactly what he implied." Draco said.

"Jesus." Blaise said. 

"Why are you surprised? You literally called it." Draco said.

"A guy can still hope a parent wouldn't traumatize their kid like that." Blaise shrugged.

"You should save your hope for more reasonable things." Draco replied.

"You okay?" Blaise asked.

"I don't know what to do. I can't go home for the holidays."

"Mate, I don't know if you can even call it home." Blaise said. "Maybe 'can' is the wrong word- maybe shouldn't is better."

Draco sighed. "Regardless, I can't return to the family manor, and I can't stay here either."

"My place?" Blaise suggested. "I'd be happy to have you."

"They could find me there." Draco frowned.

"Forgetting something?" Harry asked after a long moment of silence.

"What?" Draco asked. "Your people? They don't trust me."

"They trust me-" Harry frowned. "Well, no, I can't say that- but Sirius and Remus do. And McGonagall."

"That's not a lot." Draco said.

"It's enough." Harry said. "Now shut up before my skull explodes."

Draco shook his head, and tried to calm his nerves.

~~~

The hallway. The door. The snake, slithering along in jarred frames. The man on guard. It was wicked, cruel, Deja Vu. And then suddenly it wasn't.

Harry could see the man, and it wasn't Arthur. The snake launched to strike.

Harry bolted upright, a hand on his wand. He flung the covers off and was digging through his trunk in an instant. Where was it, where was it, why couldn't he find the damn Auror gear?

"Harry?" Draco asked drowsily.

Right. He didn't have Auror gear. "Fuck." Harry said, too loudly. He heard both Draco and Blaise push their own bed covers. "Fuck-" Harry tried to think of what else he could do- he started changing into clothes, chucking off his pajamas.

"Harry, what's going on?" Draco asked, rubbing an eye.

"Remus is in danger." Harry said, pulling a shirt over his head and reaching for a jacket.

"How do you know?"

"Dream."

"Are you sure?" 

"Yes I'm sure-" Harry said angrily, sparing half a second to glance at Draco. His boyfriend was opening his trunk and grabbing clothes. "-oh."

"Oh indeed." Draco said.

"I'm so lost." Blaise said, his words slurred by sleep. "What?"

"Go back to sleep Blaise, we're fine."

"You sure?"

"Yes. We're fine." Draco said calmly.

"...Okie." Blaise practically faceplanted back into his pillow, and halfheartedly tugged his covers over himself. 

Once they were dressed, they slipped out of the dorm and the common room.

"What's the plan?" Draco asked.

"We need to get outside the wards so that I can apparate us." Harry said. "I know a passage. Transform, it'll be quicker."

They darted through both quickly and stealthily as the little falcon and cat. Harry knew the moment they were outside the reach of the wards- he could see them after all. He offered his hand to Draco, who reached to accept it.

"Wait- you can't come." Harry suddenly realized.

"What? Why?" Draco demanded. "You can't expect me to just let you go alone-"

"Draco, there'll most probably be Death Eaters there. You'll be recognized."

"I am fully capable of a glamour." Draco said, challenging Harry to come up with another reason for him to stay behind.

"Let's see it then- Somebody who make sense to be with me." Harry said instead.

Draco cast the spell on himself, and Harry found that he was looking at Ron instead. 

"Are you satisfied?" Draco asked, his voice sounding like Ron's too.

"Yeah." Harry said. "You know what you're risking, right?"

"Of course. I'm not a fool." Draco said.

"Okay." Harry said. "Don't put yourself at unnecessary risk."

Draco nodded, once. Harry held out his hand, and Draco grasped it. He didn't have a moment to doubt Harry's ability to apparate until after they were standing in a different location. Even then it didn't cross his mind.

Draco saw 13 Grimmauld place unfold into existence, and looked at Harry with a curious glance. Harry ran right up to the door and opened it. Draco followed him in.

"Sirius!" Harry shouted.

"Harry?" Sirius called incredulously from a different room. "What in Merlin's balls are you doing here-"

"Sirius! Is Remus here?" Harry asked frantically, heading towards the voice.

"No, he's out. I was waiting for him to come home." Sirius answered, walking out of a doorway with a blanket over his shoulders.

"Is he at the Department of Mysteries?" Harry asked.

Sirius' face paled. "What's wrong?"

"I have to go-" Harry spun around and started for the door again.

"Harry! What's happened?"

"I'll take care of it. You stay here. If we're not back soon send help." 

"I can't let you go alone-" Sirius said, knuckles white around his wand.

"You promised me you would stay in this house." Harry said, his tone dark and demanding.

Sirius looked helpless.

Harry ran out the door, and as soon as he was on the step he grabbed a hold of Draco's arm and disapparated. 

A/N

Oh dear.