Pansy elbowed her best friend in the ribs painfully as she saw the brunet walking up to them in the Hall. The blond scowled at her, but his eyes widened when he saw a nervous face and a mop of black hair walking up to them.

"I have to talk to you," Harry then added. "Alone."

Draco saw Pansy laugh in his peripheral vision, but he ignored her as he followed Harry out of the Great Hall and into a deserted corridor. Harry looked nervous and embarrassed, but he swallowed his pride and looked Draco defiantly in the eye.

"I need you to tell me what happened," he commanded. Draco raised an eyebrow.

"And why would I want to do that?" Draco chuckled as Harry's wavering confidence faltered.

"Because- because-" a passionate fire burning in the gorgeous green eyes Draco had dreamed of since he was eleven years old, Harry took a deep breath to steady himself and said. "Because you know something. And because I know we were friends."

Draco barely stifled his laughter as he heard the word 'friends' being used to describe what he and Harry had. Though they had been young, their love had been an inferno that had destroyed everything trying to stop it.

"Say I did help you," the blond considered. "What's in it for me?"

It took a minute for Harry to answer. A stab of pity hit Draco as he realized the younger boy probably didn't have anything to offer.

"I'll give you anything I can," Harry said slowly. Draco could tell that the boy was hesitant.

"Anything?" he asked, backing Harry up until his back hit the wall with a soft thump. Adrenaline was coursing through Draco's body, and he struggled to keep his voice even as he lowered his mouth to Harry's ear. "Are you sure about that, Potter?"

So close to Harry, the blond could faintly hear his heart's beating and harsh breathing. Shockingly, the shorter boy closed his eyes and raised himself on his tiptoes to look at Draco.

"Absolutely."

"YOU DID WHAT?" Ron exclaimed in their room. Harry winced at his loud voice.

"I- I- offered to give him anything," he said, looking away from his friend.

Ron sat down on his bed and tried to process everything. "Let me get this straight. You had a dream about Malfoy and you when you were kids, and you think it's got some great reason behind it, IGNORING THE FACT THAT IT WAS A DREAM, and you offered to give DRACO MALFOY anything for his help? Harry, that guy is unpredictable! What if he asks for money you don't have?" Ron buried his head in his hands. Harry was so irrational and stupid, for fuck's sake!

The brunet frowned. "I said to give anything I can, Ron. He can only ask for something that I have. Anyways, that dream meant something! It was a memory, and Draco said that he- that we knew each other when we were little," Harry said, cutting out the bit about his parents getting killed and Draco helping him escaping from his parent's basement. "I want to know more!"

"That fucker was probably pulling your leg," Ron said, looking up at Harry. "And Harry, 'anything you can'? That's even worse! What if he rapes you?"

Harry's eyes widened as he recalled the incident in the corridor. Was that what Draco had been implying? He shook his head. "No. I won't let him."

Ron groaned and hit his forehead with his palm. "Well, obviously, you aren't going to let him, Harry! That's why it's bloody rape!"

"We can worry about that later, Ron!" Harry said exasperatedly, mind filling with worry and regret. "Let's just... focus."

"On what exactly?" Ron asked, massaging his temples.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door. Ron's head perked up as Harry went to open it. It was Hermione.

"What's he doing here?" Hermione asked, scrunching her nose and looking at Harry pointedly.

"This is my room!" Harry exasperated. The brunette rolled her eyes and went to sit down next to her boyfriend on the bed.

"Oh, whatever," she said, sliding off her bag and taking out a large folder. "I was hoping to give this to you anyway."

Harry took it in his hand. It was all the notes on the subjects he had missed. Suddenly, his throat felt very thick, and he looked at Hermione with gratitude.

"I- thank you," he said, his heart warming considerably.

"Yeah, well, don't get used to it," she said quickly. Harry smiled inwardly at the thought of Hermione getting worried about his lack of notes. She seemed about the type to deeply care for others, despite disliking them.

"You're so sweet, 'Mione," Ron said proudly. Hermione giggled and kissed him on the cheek. Harry could tell the couple wanted to be left alone and promptly left them to it, wandering through the empty corridors like a lost puppy.

"Potter," he heard a snide voice say. "What are you doing?"

He turned around to face Professor Snape. "Nothing. I was just about to go onto the grounds."

The tall man shook his head. "It's too cold for that. Come and join me in my office. I have some things I need to discuss with you."

They walked in silence towards what students called 'the dungeons.' It wasn't unpleasant. It just reminded everyone of prison, as it was the main science corridor. You'd be hard put to find a single student that enjoyed any form of science. Harry thought it was a little strange that Snape had asked to talk to him in his office when he could have said what he wanted in the corridor and felt uneasy, on edge.

Harry took a seat opposite Snape when they reached the room and was shocked to see the stone-faced man's eyes fill with apprehension.

"I'm not one to believe childish rumors, Potter," Snape said haughtily. "But there are some things I cannot ignore."

"What rumors, sir?" Harry asked tentatively.

"That you and Draco Malfoy have become... acquainted," the professor phrased carefully.

"And?" Harry encouraged.

"And I know this isn't practical, but," Snape took a deep breath. "I must warn you, Potter. Draco is not who he says he is.

"He's hiding something dark. And I'm worried that it might hurt you."

***

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