The night before Halloween, Draco had made sure that he spent the night in Harry's room so that Harry didn't wake up alone. This proved to be in his best interest as Harry woke up thrashing in the middle of the night.

"Potter, wake up! Harry, you're having a nightmare! Come on darling wake up," Draco pleaded.

Draco unwrapped the blankets from Harry and held him close, pushing his sweaty hair off of his forehead. Felix was doing his best to help wake Harry up, but this nightmare was different than the rest.

"Harry darling, you have to wake up for me."

He suddenly sat up with a start, hand flying to the scar on his forehead, smashing his head into Draco's.

"Shit, I'm so sorry," he choked out, tears streaming down his face.

"I've got you, you're okay."

"I don't think I'll ever be okay," Harry choked out.

"Tell me about it," Draco offered.

"I can't- I can't... talk. Show?"

"You- you want to show me? Are you sure?"

"Felix, pensieve. Fetch."

Draco watched in shock as Felix did as told, coming back with a shrunken pensieve.

"Can you?"

"I don't have my wand."

Harry handed Draco his own wand, removing it from under his pillow. Draco cast the spell, and instead of Harry removing his own memory, he grabbed a vial from his nightstand drawer and captured a few tears.

"Too shaky," he explained.

"Are you coming in with me?"

"I've seen it enough times."

Before diving into the memory, Draco got Harry a glass of water and a cool towel for his forehead. Gently wiping down Harry's face, Draco's heart broke for the other man. He didn't deserve whatever he had gone through.

"I'll be right here okay? You'll be okay Harry," Draco promised, pressing a kiss to Harry's forehead.

What Draco watched in the pensieve was absolutely horrible. He didn't know what he was expecting, but it wasn't the brutal murder of Harry's parents. That explained why Harry's hand flew up to his scar once he woke up. Coming out of the memory, Draco had a lot of questions, but now wasn't the time.

"They loved you so much Harry, they're so proud of you."

Harry was openly crying now, holding his knees to his chest while Felix comforted him.

"Come here Harry, I've got you. I'm not leaving you."

Draco pulled Harry into his lap, wrapping a blanket around the both of them.

"Everyone I care about leaves me. You should leave now before I get even more attached. It'll hurt less."

"Harry my darling, you have been dealt an exceptionally bad hand, and I cannot even begin to fathom all that you have gone through. I know that I've contributed to some of your pain, and I know that I can never fully take that away from you. We both hurt each other, but look at where we are now.

Don't you want to see how our relationship grows over time? We have so much more to learn about each other. You have so many recipes to teach me how to cook, so many muggle traditions to introduce me to. I'm keeping my word and we will find out all that we can about where you came from. We'll go next week if you'll accompany me.

There were days I never thought I would make it through the night. But you know what kept me going? You did Harry. Even when you were just Potter my rival, I knew that as long as you were alive, there was a chance that we would all make it out of this. Because you have a strength within you that is unmatched.

You love deeply, but you also get hurt deeply. I'm not going to promise that I won't hurt you again because I still lash out when I'm experiencing high emotions. What I can promise is that I will do my absolute best to make sure that you know you're loved and appreciated every single day.

If you truly want me to leave, then I will respect your wishes and go, but I don't want to. I want to make you laugh and hold you when you cry. I want to have pillow fights and take Felix on walks and go hunting for magical creatures together with Luna. I want to change the world with you by my side, if you'll have me."

"I'm so broken Draco, why would you ever want me in your life? Everyone close to me dies, and I'm so scared that one day I'll wake up from a nightmare and it will come true."

"Is that what your last nightmare was about? The time you didn't wake me?"

"Yes," Harry admitted, burying his face into Draco's shoulder.

"I promise you that you do not have to go through this alone. You are not a pig raised for slaughter Harry. You are a survivor, and you will make it through this. If you fall down, I'll help you up. And if you can't get up? I swear to you that I will carry you to the end."

"Okay."

"Okay? There's no coming back from this. I'll even make an unbreakable vow, something I swore I would never do. That is how serious I am. You've seen the worst of me, and you're helping to bring out the best in me. Now, it's your turn."

Draco held Harry for an unknown amount of time, letting the other man cry as much as he needed to. They lay in silence for a few minutes until Harry collected himself, which is when he spoke up again.

"I don't think I can fall asleep again," Harry admitted.

"Then we'll go out. Come on, I'll set out some clothes for you."

"Where are we going?"

"We're seeking closure."

"Draco the sun isn't even up yet."

"You can't sleep and I'm not going to be able to sleep again. So, we're going out. I'll even let you wear one of my hoodies. Come along Harry, let's get you cleaned up."

The progress was slow, but Draco didn't mind. He had written a letter for McGonagall explaining their whereabouts and would slide it under her door on their way out.

"Are you ready to go?," Draco asked gently once Harry emerged, arms wrapped protectively around himself.

"I have no idea."

"Do you trust me?"

"Of course I do."

"Then you're ready."

Draco apparated himself as closely to Godric's Hollow as he could, relying on what little memory he had of a nearby town to get them where they needed to be.

"I'm sorry, I've never actually been to our destination before so we'll have to walk for a few minutes."

"A walk might be good to clear my head anyway."

It was a silent walk aside from the sound of crunching leaves beneath their feet. Draco could pick up on the exact moment that Harry realized where they were.

"Draco..."

"I'd like to pay my respects, and apologize of course. I thought maybe you'd like some time. I'm a firm believer that even if the dead don't manifest as ghosts, they can still see and hear things once they've passed on. Talking may help you get some things off your chest. I'll give you a few minutes to think, I have some words to say."

Harry grabbed Draco's hand and walked him through the cemetery, thoughts racing through his mind.

"Hi mum, hi dad, this is Draco. He'd like to talk to you for a bit, and then I'll come back and join him."

"I brought flowers," Draco offered, pulling them out of a bag Harry didn't even notice he had.

"Oh. Thank you."

Draco handed them to Harry who dutifully placed them at the grave.

"I'll give you a few minutes then," Harry said, walking down a few rows to a bench.

"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Potter. Your son really is quite something isn't he? I wish I would've seen it before it was too late. I've said some things about you when I was younger, trying to hurt him in any way that I could. I apologize for that. That's not who I am anymore, and I hope that you can see that.

I'm sure I don't need to tell you everything that's happened as you've seen it, but I'm sorry all the same. Not just for my own actions, but the actions of my family. I'm grateful Harry allowed me into his compartment on the first day of school, and that he didn't give up on me. I can't imagine my days without him in them.

I'm beginning to... feel things. Things I know that I shouldn't because they'll only bring trouble. Maybe I've always felt them and I was just pushing them away because I was scared. Maybe I still am.

I promise to take care of Harry in the best way that I can. He deserves to be happy and loved always. I won't stop him from finding that with someone more deserving. I'll always be there for him, in any capacity that he needs me. Thank you for listening."

Draco got up, wiped the dirt from his trousers, and made his way back to Harry.

"I'll wait for you right here okay? Take your time Harry."

"Thank you."

Harry found himself for a loss of words at first, sitting quietly as he pulled out blades of grass. An apology for not visiting seemed to open the flood gates, and soon enough he was sobbing and pouring his heart out. When he finally finished sometime later, he looked over to Draco, sitting patiently on the bench waiting for him. Once Draco looked at him, Harry beckoned him over.

"Are you alright?," Draco asked gently, pulling Harry into a hug.

"I'm better."

"Good."

Draco held him until Harry was ready to pull away.

"Breakfast?"

"Please."

Draco brought them both to a little cafe that he loved to visit with his mother.

"This is nice."

"I don't come here nearly enough."

The owner was kind and Draco had known her for years.

"Oh Draco, it's been quite awhile! How's your mother doing?"

"She's well, thank you."

"And you've brought a friend! Hello dear, I'm Sarah."

"Harry. Pleasure to meet you."

"Any friend of Draco's is a friend of mine. The usual dear?"

"Please."

"I'll bring you a menu Harry dear."

"What do you get Draco?"

"A mint hot chocolate and a hot apple turnover typically. Sometimes I get the chocolate lava cake."

"That sounds good. I've never had a lava cake before."

That's what Harry ordered, and Draco gently held his hand across the table, rubbing his thumb over the top.

"Alright?"

"I'm physically exhausted. And I get these weird chest pains sometimes you know? Magic feels so much harder on days like this. I can't get a grasp on anything today."

"Your emotions are definitely contributing to that. We're going to take it easy today. Starting with these delicious pastries."

"Here you go, let me know if I can get you two anything else."

Sarah winked at Draco as her eyes fell on their intertwined hands, and he felt his face get warm.

"Where to after this?"

"That depends. Do you think you'll be able to sleep?"

"Probably not."

"Then I'm taking you somewhere else."

They sipped their hot chocolate, and Draco decided to sacrifice some of his pride to make Harry laugh.

"I just-" Harry broke off into a fit of giggles.

"You just what?," Draco asked, pretending like he didn't know he had whipped cream on his nose.

"You have some," Harry tried again, leaning in, before laughing as he saw the whipped cream was splattered across Draco's mouth.

"Pardon?"

Draco took another exaggerated sip of his drink, smiling behind his cup as Harry continued to laugh.

"Let me," Harry offered, leaning across the table to gently wipe at Draco's face with a napkin.

"Thank you."

"Thank you for making me laugh."

"Any time. Less at my own expense though. Do you want to try my apple turnover?"

"Sure. You can have some of my lava cake. We'll share."

"At least mine is more of a breakfast food."

"Life is too short. Sometimes you need to eat the dessert first."

"Then let's have dessert for breakfast once a week," Draco decided, stealing a bite of lava cake.

"Deal."

Sarah insisted on the food being on the house, so Draco left her a very generous tip in return.

"I hope you had a nice date. He looks good for you," she said with a bright smile.

"Harry is the best. He's a bit down today, so I'm trying to cheer him up."

"Good luck dear."

It was almost second nature at this point for Draco to grab Harry's hand.

"You're very affectionate today," Harry remarked.

Draco's steps faltered, but Harry quickly continued talking, trying to backtrack.

"I like it, it's nice. Makes me feel safe."

"If it's too much-"

"It's not," Harry reassured him. "This is new to me too."

"We're going to apparate now. Is that okay? I know sometimes it churns your stomach."

"You're much better at it than me. Let me just close my eyes."

Draco had only paid one visit to his Aunt Andromeda, so to say he was surprised that he found the right house was an understatement. The quiet gasp from next to him proved he was exactly where he needed to be.

"Oh Draco..."

"I wrote to Aunt Andromeda after speaking with you on the train, and she was very kind. Mother was already in touch with her, so we met for tea one weekend. She told me I could bring you around and that I was welcome to come back and visit. So, here we are."

With a grin so bright it could outshine the sun, Harry knocked on the door. Andromeda opened the door and ushered the two men in. Upon seeing Harry, Teddy made happy babbling noises, and his hair color automatically changed to match Harry's.

"Well hello there Teddy," he cooed, accepting him from Andy. "How are you Andy?"

"I'm well, thank you. Thank you both for visiting."

"Thank you for having us," Draco responded politely.

"I want Teddy to grow up around family of course. Let me get you some tea."

Draco watched as Harry talked to Teddy softly, pulling faces at him and lightly tickling him to make him laugh. He decided to accompany Andy and assist with tea.

"Can I help you with anything?"

"I've got it dear, but thank you. How are you both doing?"

"I'm better than I've been. Understandably it's a rough day for Harry, so I wanted to get him out of Hogwarts. He doesn't have a lot of time and space to process and grieve. I try to give him that if I can. Neither of us are great at expressing our emotions.

He feels very deeply and needs somewhere to express that. I... I'm sure you remember what it was like. Compartmentalize, don't show weakness. I'm working to unlearn all of that."

"I can already tell that you're making great progress Draco. Your face looks a lot more relaxed, more open. It's easier to read. Of course, I can still read what isn't directly written," she said airily, raising an eyebrow at Draco in a way that reminded him of his mother, and he told her just that.

"Where do you think she learned it?"

It was odd seeing such playful facial expressions on a face that so closely resembled Bellatrix.

"Andy, Teddy needs a change, I'll take care of it," Harry called.

"Thank you dear!," Andy turned to Draco and continued on. "He's quite good with kids you know."

"He's good with everyone. We learn how to read people, seek out their weak points, and use those against them. Harry sees the best in everyone. If there are any weaknesses per se, he gives part of himself to turn those weaknesses into strengths. I'm just worried he's going to give away too much."

"Well, then you're just going to have to replace what's given away aren't you? But I can see that you've already begun to do that."

"Are you implying something, Aunt Andy?," Draco asked coolly, an eyebrow raised in true Black fashion.

"He has a lot of energy- oh, am I interrupting something?," Harry asked, head tilted to the side.

"Not at all dear. Will you be staying long enough to join us for lunch? I do miss adult conversation."

Harry looked at Draco before answering, the slight nod making Harry grin before responding affirmatively.

If Harry was trying to fight off any impending feelings in regards to Draco, watching him care for Teddy was wearing him down. He knew he had a goofy smile on his face, but he couldn't help it. Unlike most people, Draco didn't have a baby voice. He talked softly to Teddy in full sentences as if he knew exactly what was going on.

"That's how Blacks were raised to speak to their children. Sirius spoke like that with you. It was quite endearing."

"I miss them."

"I can't begin to imagine the pain that you've experienced in your short life Harry."

"I'm not very good at dealing with it," he began, watching Draco rock Teddy, "but Draco helps. He gets me to talk about things I wouldn't normally feel comfortable talking about. He takes me places that I wouldn't have thought I could ever go again."

"So he's Draco now is he?"

"He was mostly Malfoy until last night. It feels like something has shifted between us now. There's a deeper understanding. It almost feels like taking a step back by reverting back to Malfoy."

"You two have something-"

"Andy please," Harry interrupted.

"I didn't say it was romantic did I? I'm simply making an observation."

"No, you're trying to fish for information by gauging my reactions to your statements."

"I think Teddy is ready for bed," Draco spoke up from across the room, oblivious to the conversation between the pair.

"Perfect. Harry, show Draco how to put him down for a nap will you? I'll set out lunch."

Draco watched as Harry softly described Teddy's nap time routine to him.

"This way you know what to do next time," Harry offered once the door to Teddy's room was closed.

"Oh I don't think I'd be putting him down for a nap. I get worried around small children."

"You're really good with him."

"I just don't want to mess them up."

"You saying that means you can't possibly mess anyone up. You care a lot which means your heart is in it. That's what matters Draco," Harry reassured him, sliding his arm over Draco's shoulders.

"Thank you."

"Let's have lunch, yeah?"

After lunch, the two men thanked Andy for her hospitality and set out on a walk before coming back to Hogwarts. They snuck back into the tower, and Draco was thankful that Harry had thought to grab his invisibility cloak.

"Looks like rain," Harry mused as they made their way through Hogwarts.

"That could be nice."

Draco walked into his room and changed back into his pyjamas. He opened the connecting door back up before crawling into his bed.

"Draco?," Harry asked quietly, knocking on his door frame.

"Yes?"

"Can I...," he trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Of course you can. Come here."

Felix also took that as an open invitation, and Draco laughed as he curled up at the end of the bed. Harry settled into Draco's arms, stifling a yawn.

"Get some sleep, yeah?"

"I'll do my best," Harry replied, feeling his eyes get heavier the more Draco ran his fingers through his hair.

"You really do need a haircut," Draco murmured, playfully tugging on a few strands of Harry's hair.

"Maybe in the morning," came his mumbled reply.

Draco kept himself awake for another 20 minutes, making sure that Harry was sound asleep before he allowed himself to drift off.