It started with a simple fall. Draco had fallen at work, and had landed harshly on rough rocks. Of course he'd blamed it on his short term partner, Harry, who had been on the other side of the valley. Weirdly enough, despite how rude he'd been, Harry was still kind and offered to help. Draco obviously refused. Even if he had wanted to accept. That fall had really hurt and left an excruciating throbbing in its wake.

Draco was in extreme pain, but being the stubborn Malfoy he was, he didn't get help. Sleeping had been hell, and getting up had been far worse with the stiff muscles. A warm shower had made the idea of working with his sore back seem bearable. So he'd gone. Big mistake.

How was Draco supposed to know that today would be completely chaotic? Being an Auror usually meant paper work and occasional field work. About once a month they they would have field work, and usually those days were exhilarating. Not today.

There were multiple dark wizard's spotted. Draco and Harry could not catch a break. That was bad enough as it was, but when Draco was jabbed in the back by a wandless outlaw, he'd nearly collapsed from the pain. Having his stupid Hero complex, Harry noticed and jumped forward to help Draco. See Draco was the type to do things himself, and without help. When someone went to help him, it simply made him feel like an incapable toddler. Harry helping had simply put him into an even more sour mood then usual. When Harry offered him a massage, after work he'd gone bright red and strutted out with steam very nearly coming out of his ears.

Within the next few days Draco became snappy and would fight anyone, or anything. Well more than usual anyway.

A few days later someone who still hated him because of the war had pushed him down a flight of stairs. That was just what Draco needed. Not. He'd simply lay there a few minutes hoping the pain would subside. When he attempted to stand, Draco saw stars and still managed to continue on with his day. Every movement was now agonizing, and the stars had not left his vision.

After a few days of taking things slowly his back started to feel slightly better. His mother had threatened him, while wildly whipping a wooden spoon around. "You better take it easy Draco, or else you'll break your back before you even reach the age of thirty!" She knew not to advise a trip to saint mungos, because that would only make him more stubborn about not going.

Then, the worst thing happened. Harry had a family emergency and couldn't come (Probably something to do with the Weasel clan, because the golden boy was still single). See, that wouldn't have been a problem, if someone decent had taken over Harry's position for today. Unfortunately that was not the case.

Some guy called Ray had taken over. Draco swore this man could talk three days straight and still have things to say. That wasn't even the worst part. The stupid idiot seemed to be very... touchy. Jabbing playfully with his fist, it seemed he could not take a hint to save his life. If glares could kill, the man would be far further than six feet under. Still the man continued with his geology jokes. Draco would be ecstatic when Harry got back and that was seriously saying something.

Somehow Draco had gotten through the majority of the day okay despite the raving lunatic Ray. It seemed Draco's back truly could not get a break though, because at some point Ray fell head first into Draco's back. He couldn't breath for a good twenty seconds because of the agony now embedded deep in his back. His stubbornness truly would be the death of him.

By some miracle, Draco had managed to drag himself home and went straight to his bed to rest his back. It had been a long two weeks, and Draco was starting to think he should pay a trip to saint mungos. He thought over all the things that led up to his back being this painful and he sighed. That hurt too. Maybe he should have accepted Harry's offer... What was he thinking? Maybe I'm going crazy, was Draco's most reasonable explanation.

Draco's thoughts were interrupted by a knock at his door. His mother never knocked, so she'd obviously let someone in to visit him. Blaise just waltzed right in as if he owned the place so it obviously wasn't him. In fifth year Pansy had started knocking after seeing something that had 'scarred her for life'. Pansy knocked rather loudly though, and It was usually followed by loud screeching that she classified as words. This knock was rather soft, and the person seemed to have manners. Who could possibly be visiting?

Due to the agony of simply sighing and breathing, Draco decided to just not respond. As rude as it was, it was better than a flare of hell being unleashed beneath his skin.

There came another knock, before Draco heard the door handle move.

"Draco? I'm coming in." It was Harry. Great.

The door clicked shut before he heard Harry move closer.

"Draco? Are you okay?"

Draco didn't want anyone to see him in a state like this, so he thought he'd insult and sit up.

"I'm fine you blithering idiot." Draco moved to sit up. "What are you doing here y- AGGHHH!!!" Draco had barely even got a quarter of the way up before his back had decided it had enough abuse. So Draco fell back to the mattress with tears starting to leak out of his eyes without permission.

"Bloody hell Draco, how did your back get so bad?" Harry's voice was laced with obvious concern.

Fighting to not seem so vulnerable Draco harshly spoke, "None of your bloody buisness Potter! Now will you get out?"

Harry sighed. "Back to last names are we Malfoy? I was going to offer you a massage, but if you really want me to leave, I will."

The annoying git had turned and began to stride out. With every step he heard from Harry, Draco began to panic and regret his earlier words more. Draco had thought that Harry would stay to argue. He usually did for at least a bit. His panic finally got to him, and he made a hasty decision.

"Wait!" Draco shouted. The pain and his panic truly showed in his voice.

The sound of Harry's footsteps was gone. Had Draco been too late?

"H-Harry?" Draco cursed himself for stuttering, but the pain in his back quickly made him forget about that.

"Yes?" Harry was still here. Thank goodness.

I- I'm sorry, I'm not used to people wanting to help me. Usually there's something in it for them. I don't know what you'll gain by helping me, and it... It makes me suspicious." Oh great. He'd said too much. Now Harry would think him a babbling sap.

Light padding footsteps came closer to Draco, before Harry sat next to Draco on the bed.

"Nothing."

"What?" Draco asked confused.

"I gain nothing. At most I'll gain a friend, but that's not likely," Harry's voice was still soft and filled with kindness. "I have a habit of helping everyone despite any consequences."

Not sure how to take that, Draco looked over at Harry despite the pain. There was a small, genuine smile on Harry's face. The idiot was obviously telling the truth.

"So," Harry paused. "Do you want that massage?"

Draco thought it over for a moment. His situation couldn't really get worse, so he nodded.

"Okay then, you'll have to roll over and take off your shirt. Do you need help with that?"

"No." He tried again to get up, and once again he was unsuccessful. "AGGHHH!!!" Draco sighed before giving in, "Yes."

Warm, muscular arms wrapped around Draco and gently flipped him over. Those same arms slipped off his shirt before the owner spoke up. "You know its not a bad thing to ask for help right?"

"It is a bad thing though. It shows weakness."

Harry's slightly annoyed voice replied, "no, it shows you're smart enough to know when you need help and strong enough to get it when you truly need it."

Never had Draco thought of it that way. It made a lot of sense though.

"Okay, I'm going to start," Harry warned.

Right after those words were said, Harry's fingers were gently placed on his bare shoulders and began kneading softly. Draco hadn't even noticed, but he'd immediately tensed all his muscles in fear of pain.

"Draco, if you want your back to feel better, then you need to relax." Due to their proximity, Draco felt the air shift when Harry spoke. It made him shiver slightly before he relaxed from the tension slowly being massaged out of his shoulders.

Those warm fingers moved themselves slightly towards Draco's neck. That was when Draco had stopped thinking, and only felt. It felt wondrous to be free of at least some of that tension. Those firm movements luring him to a state of relaxation he hadn't been in for weeks. No months.

"Where does it hurt the most?"

Draco barely replied. He was almost falling asleep. "Lower back mostly, mid back too."

Then Harry moved down.

He was still on the bottom edge of Draco's shoulder blades, but the pain of his back began to flare up.

"OW! HARRY!"

"Sorry. I'll try something else."

Those fingers swiftly trailed his back to his sides. That felt a lot nicer. Harry began to release the tension again, and this time Draco really did fall asleep.

Now that Draco had fallen into an obviously much needed sleep, Harry had time to figure out what the real problem was. This was slightly to painful to do while Draco was awake. Judging by the large shadows under Draco's eyes, and how easily he'd fallen asleep, Draco would sleep rather deeply.

Before starting the massage, Harry had already cast an analyzing spell and saw nothing was broken. There was one rib out of place, lots of muscles were pinched and his had far more bruises than it should.

So Harry decided to start with the misplaced rib. Doing two quick spells, one to keep Draco asleep, and another to move the rib. He knew that was the most painful, so he got that over with first. There was a loud click as it popped back into place. Then he brought out the oils he'd brought.

These oils all had medical purposes and were the best quality they could be. Harry had learned how to use these in his seven years of medical training and three years in masseuse training. He'd then decided being an Auror suited him better. That was for now anyways. As soon as a spot was open in Hogwarts, Harry planned on taking it.

Narcissa had called him and asked for a favor. Draco was obviously in pain, and he refused to go to saint mungos if his life depended on it. Knowing of Harry's medical training, Narcissa had called him over. So here he was. Giving his former enemy, and recent partner, a massage. Weird how something's turn out isn't it?

Lathering the oils that reduced inflammation all over Draco's back, he felt the extreme warmth and the scars. Lots of those scars were because of Harry, and he regretted that horrid spell he'd found in Snape's old textbook. The least he could do now was fix Draco's back, and continue giving the kindness Draco was obviously deprived of for way too long.

The redness had gone down, and so had the extra warmth. Harry thought it time to wake Draco and see if his back felt better. So he swiftly muttered the spell, and Draco began to stir. Softly bringing his shoulders over pinched muscles, Draco slowly came out of his haze.

"S'nice," Draco muttered sleepily.

Harry let out a snicker which startled Draco. He swiftly jumped away from Harry.

"Where am I? Who are you? What's happening?" Each time he asked a question, he figured out the answer and asked another. The only question left unanswered was the last one. What was happening?

"Relax Draco." Harry held up his hands to show he had no I'll meaning. "I was just giving you a massage. Please lay down so I can make your back feel better."

Now that Harry mentioned it, his back did feel better. He hesitated. Harry nodded encouagingly and he made his decision about what he was going to do. Slowly and cautiously he lay back down, glaring at Harry as he did so. Of course he had to put up some fight. He was a Malfoy.

After a few seconds, he remembered how he had gotten into this position and started questioning how Harry had gotten the oils. Due to the heavenly movements of Harry's hands, he soon forgot any questions. A few times Draco moaned from enjoying the sensations so much. The weird thing was he didn't even notice he moaned, but Harry certainly did.

There were twenty more minutes of pure relaxation for Draco before Harry announced he was done. He had warned Draco to take it easy for a few days before Harry began to leave.

"Thanks Harry."

Harry turned back with a small smile, "welcome. Have a good day Draco."

From then on the two became friends. After another massage, boyfriends.

.