Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Nobody Tell	By : GryffindorToy Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Draco Views: 20213 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 19
- 20
- 21
Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Potterverse.
I make no money or profit of any kind from this story.

A/N: I�m really having a ball with
this. I�m also glad to see that you- the readers- are enjoying it as well!
Thank you for all of the positive feedback thus far! You all really inspire me
to get my procrastinating arse into gear! Keep up the
good work, you guys!

A/N2: I would like to announce
the winners of the Guessing Game!

�� 1^st
Place: wyldcat on
AdultFanfiction.net

�� 2^nd
Place: NobbyPotter
on Fanfiction.net

�� 3^rd
Place: slashslut on
AdultFanfiction.net

Congratulations to the three of you! If you would like to contact me to collect
your prizes, my email is gryffindor _ toy @ yahoo . com� (without the spaces, obviously). The
prizes are as listed!

1^st
Place: One chapter that is dictated by them.
Whatever you want to see happen (within reason, and as long as it fits with the
future plot), you got it! I will try to be as accommodating as possible! ^_^

2^nd
Place: Two scenes of your choice will be
written. You want hot Jacuzzi sex? You got it! You want their first fight? It�s
yours! Heck, if you want some Sev/Remus lovin�,
and I will not disappoint!

3^rd
Place: One scene of your choice will be
written!

To all others who gave their
guesses, thank you very much for your support! I WILL dedicate the next chapter
to all of you who put your minds to work searching for answers! I love you
all!!!!! Now, on with the story!

~XX~

�Ron, do you have the potion?�
Hermione whispered before they entered the Great Hall.

He rolled his eyes at her. �Yes, �Mione. For the
six-hundredth, I have it!�

�I�m just making sure. You know
that without this potion she could suffer from irreversible brain and nerve
damage!� she stated, still whispering.

�I know, I know. We�ve gone over
this a million times!� he said, raising his voice in frustration.

She glared at him, effectively
shutting him up. The potion they would be slipping into Ginny�s drink was
colorless, odorless, and tasteless, and would cause her body and conscious mind
to go into a temporary coma when activated by the appropriate spell. Without
it, there was a good chance that the shock of the spell would paralyze her and
kill the majority of her active brain, leaving her a vegetable. At best,
without the potion, the spell would simply cause irreversible memory loss.
Hence Hermione�s constant pestering on the subject.

They walked into the room, finding
Draco already seated with the Slytherins. With a wave
at the blonde, they took their seats. Acting naturally was key
for their plan to work without drawing suspicion. They sat directly across from
their target, smiling warmly at the girl.

�Hey, Gin,� Ron said, shoveling
food onto his plate.

�Jeez, Ron.
You�d think nobody ever fed you�� Ginny replied with a grimace at her brother�s
ghastly table manners.

He grinned around a mouthful of
potatoes. �I�m a growing boy. I need sustenance.�

�One would think you were a
growing elephant,� she muttered.

He laughed. �Oh! Are those pork
chops?� he said, reaching across the table for the plate, knocking Ginny�s
juice over in the process.

She shrieked as the ice cold
beverage landed mostly in her lap. �Ronald Weasley, you great oaf!�

Hermione sighed, rolling her eyes
and banishing the liquid with a wave of her wand as Ron quickly righted the
goblet, discreetly dropping the potion in as it refilled itself. �No harm, no
foul.�

�Sorry, Gin!� Ron said, grinning
as he grabbed a pork chop, more carefully this time, �Hope your knickers aren�t
stained or anything��

She glared fiercely at him, taking
a drink of her fresh pumpkin juice. �I don�t know how I�m related to such a
pig��

When she had finished off the
entire goblet, they only had to wait a few moments before the potion hit her
system. The color drained from her face and she swayed slightly in her seat.

�Ginny? Are you okay?� Ron asked
with genuine concern. Faking wasn�t an issue at this point. She was
still his baby sister.

�I�m fine. Just a bit lightheaded,
that�s all,� she replied.

�Somehow, I don�t believe you,�
Ron said, �Why don�t I take you up to the infirmary?� He stood, which was Draco�s signal, and began to walk around the table. Across
the hall, Draco had pulled out his wand under the table and whispered Praebeo Profecto,
pointing at Ginny�s back.

Suddenly, she fainted and were it not for Hermione�s quick thinking and speedy wandwork, the red-headed girl would have crashed to the
floor.

�Gin!�
Ron exclaimed, feeling real fear freeze his veins as he raced over to her.

Hermione followed, still
levitating her unconscious form.

�What happened?� McGonagal asked, rushing toward them.

�We don�t know, Professor!�
Neville said, �Ginny just all of a sudden got really pale and said she was
lightheaded. And then she fainted!�

�We can take her to the infirmary,
Professor,� Hermione said helpfully.

�Very well,� McGonagal
said, �Have Madame Pomfrey contact me as soon as she
figures out what is wrong.�

She nodded and walked out, Ginny
floating behind her with Ron at her side.

In Draco�s
mind, he was doing a little victory dance. It had all worked out perfectly, and
Neville jumping in had only added to the credibility. Now, he just had to time
it right. If he waited until the end of dinner, it would be another thirty-nine
minutes before the next stage could commence. He�d have to find something to
occupy himself for a while.

�What on earth
happened?!� Poppy exclaimed when she saw them.

�Nothing,� Ron said, �She�s fine.�

�Fine?
She�s unconscious!� Poppy nearly screamed.

Hermione sighed. �Trust us, Madame
Pomfrey. We have everything under control. May we
please use a private exam room to set her down and wait for Draco?�

She clicked her tongue
disapprovingly. �I should have known that blonde menace was behind this. I
don�t suppose you�ll tell me what�s going on?�

�We aren�t saying anything until
we have confirmation,� Hermione stated.

�I thought not,� the woman said,
huffing a bit, �Very well. You may use exam room C.�

�Thank you,� Ron said as they
headed for the door. Once they had Ginny settled into the bed, they sat down
and began the waiting game.

�How long will it take?� Ron asked
quietly.

�About thirty-five minutes
longer,� Hermione stated, �Draco should be here shortly.�

However, at that moment Draco was
on his way to Remus Lupin�s
quarters, where he knew both Severus and Harry would be. He knocked on the door
and was surprised at how quickly it was answered.

�Draco?� Harry said, raising an
eyebrow at his boyfriend, �What are you doing here?�

Remus
appeared behind the boy, smiling warmly. �Would you like to come in, Draco?�

�Just for a minute,� he said,
stepping into the room and shutting the door behind himself.

�Are you in a hurry to get
somewhere?� Harry asked.

�Blaise
asked for my help on his potions essay,� Draco lied expertly, �I was just going
to let you know that I won�t be done with that for about another hour or so.�

Harry smirked. �Did you think I�d
be lost without you around for an hour?�

�No�� Draco said, chuckling, �But
I know you, and if you couldn�t find me for an hour you�d automatically assume
the worst.�

Remus
grinned at the two of them, turning to Severus and whispering, �Aren�t they
just adorable together?�

The stoic man rolled his eyes, but
had to admit that they did, indeed, fit well.

�I suppose you�re right. Thanks,�
Harry said, smiling affectionately, �If it�s okay with Remus
and Severus, I�ll just stay here until you�re done.�

�Of course you can stay,� Remus said.

Severus narrowed his eyes at his
Godson. He had a strange feeling that whatever was going on had something to do
with his secret theory and plot. What was even stranger, though, was the rush
of anger toward the boy for exploiting Harry�s trust in him. He only hoped that
all of the lying and sneaking around was it and wouldn�t come back to bite him.

�Well, don�t let me keep you from
that potion�s essay,� Harry said, noticing how antsy Draco seemed.

The blonde smiled at him. �I�ll be
back in an hour to get you.�

�I�m a big boy, Draco. I can walk
myself to the room,� Harry stated.

Draco quirked an
eyebrow at him. �Yes, but until Madame Pomfrey
gives you a clean bill of health, I promised to take care of you. So just shut
up and allow yourself to be spoiled and pampered, okay?�

To silence any further protests,
he leaned in for a brief, but searing kiss. When he pulled away, Harry sighed
contentedly. �I think I can handle it with that as my reward.�

Draco laughed, kissing him again,
more gently this time. �See you in an hour.�

Harry just nodded, watching him
leave. When he turned, he saw the identical smirks on his professors� faces and
blushed. �Sorry� I guess we kind of- forgot that we weren�t alone.�

�It�s quite alright, Harry,� Remus stated, �Would you like some tea?�

He nodded, grinning.

�You know,� Severus said, moving
into the sitting area, �We have an hour. Perhaps we should talk.�

He cleared away the clutter on the
sofa with a wave of his wand, taking a seat.

�What should we talk about?� Harry
asked, seating himself on the sofa, as well, taking the tea that Remus offered before the man sat down on the other side of
him.

�I can think of a few things��
Severus said with a meaningful look.

Meanwhile, Draco had just arrived
at the infirmary and was immediately pointed toward exam room C by Poppy. He
smiled gratefully at the mediwitch before entering
quietly.

�How is she? Any change?� he
asked.

Hermione shook her head. �We still
have twenty minutes before she wakes up.�

Ron sighed, sinking lower into his
chair. �I hate this. The waiting is killing me!�

�Naturally.
She is still your little sister,� Draco stated calmly, taking a seat
himself.

�So how�s Harry?� Hermione asked
knowingly.

�He�s fine. He�s up in Lupin�s rooms and Sev is there, too, so I didn�t see a
problem with leaving him in their care,� Draco answered, �I told him I�d be
back to get him in an hour.�

Ron chuckled. �I knew you were
going to try and mother him to death.�

�And why shouldn�t he? I�m sure
this incident was more traumatizing for Draco than anybody else,� Hermione
snapped, �Watching somebody you care for relive something like that� I couldn�t
begin to imagine the kind of fear and helplessness�� She broke off, shuddering.

Draco nodded solemnly. �That was
the single most terrifying moment of my life.�

�And the guy doesn�t even
remember,� Ron stated, grinning, �Irony, anybody?�

The blonde laughed. �Something like that, anyway.�

Hermione smiled fondly at them. �I
bet neither of you even realize how much it means to
Harry that you managed to put aside your differences and become friends for his
sake.�

Ron rolled his eyes. �Obviously we
did realize or we never would have managed it.�

�Hey! Are you saying you aren�t my
friend because of my dazzling wit and charming personality?� Draco said in mock
offense.

�Shut it, git,�
Ron said, grinning.

�Honestly, though, it seems our
generation was just destined to break every precedent that was set by our
ancestors,� Draco said, �A Malfoy becoming friends with a Weasley
and a muggle-born, Slytherins
getting all cozy with Gryffindors, Slytherins dating Gryffindors��

�A Potter very nearly becoming a Slytherin,� Hermione added, smirking.

�Exactly- wait, what?!� Draco
exclaimed.

�The Sorting Hat originally wanted
to place Harry in Slytherin. However, his first
impression of you was so bad and he�d been told that the monster who murdered his
parents had been in Slytherin�� she shrugged, �So he
talked the hat out of it.�

�Thus we have the first ever snake
in lion�s skin,� Ron said, smirking, �More of a snake-lion hybrid, actually.�

Draco looked rather shocked and
amused by the new knowledge. �What an uproar that would have caused! The
Boy-Who-Lived, a Slytherin! I can�t even picture it!�

�Neither could we when we heard
about it,� Ron said, �But if you think about it, it kind of fits. I mean, he�s
definitely got the whole cunning thing. He�d have to, to have survived for this
long. And- he�s pretty good at subtle manipulation. Even if he doesn�t know
when he�s doing it.�

�How else could he worm his way
out of all the trouble he should have been in over the years?� Hermione
continued, grinning.

Draco chuckled. �I suppose you
have a point. There�s definitely more to Harry than meets the eye.�

They nodded in agreement.

�So,� Hermione said, looking like
she�d just realized something, �What was Professor Snape doing in Remus� rooms?�

Draco raised an eyebrow at the
abrupt question, but shrugged. �They�ve been seeing each other secretly for the
last month and a half. I�m surprised nobody caught on before this.�

�Does Harry know?� she asked,
ignoring her boyfriend�s slack-jawed expression.

�I�m sure he does now,�
Draco replied, �I think they were planning on telling him soon. The �joint gift
basket� was a pretty big hint anyway.�

�Yes, I suppose you�re- for
heaven�s sake, Ronald, close your mouth! You�ll catch flies with it hanging
open like that,� Hermione snapped.

�I�m sorry, �Mione,
but- Remus and Snape? Together?
Seriously?� he exclaimed, �How can you not be completely floored by
this?�

�Of course I�m surprised, but
they�re two grown men who are more than capable of making their own decisions,�
she stated, �Besides, you could have cut the sexual tension between them with a
knife.�

�But- what about
Tonks? I thought she was in love with Remus!� Ron said.

Hermione rolled her eyes. �Doesn�t
make much of a difference when the man is gay, now does it?�

He huffed and sat back in his chair, muttering something about �bloody
parallel universes�, making Draco laugh.

There was a sudden stirring from the bed and they stood quickly, wands
drawn and pointed at the witch as she sat up.

�It�s early�� Hermione said quietly.

�That�s good. Or bad, depending on how you look at it. It means that
the subconscious mind is just that much stronger,� Draco replied.

When �Ginny� sat up and glared at them with cold, blank eyes, they knew
immediately that their worst fears had just been confirmed�

�What did we need to talk about?� Harry asked.

�Draco,� Severus answered simply.

�What about him?� Remus said, becoming
suspicious.

�I don�t think he�s being entirely truthful with you, Harry,� the man
stated, �He may be my godson, but I have grown a bit- fond- of you, so I can�t
sit idly by while he�s being dishonest.�

�What is he lying about?� Harry said quietly.

�He has a theory about who poisoned you and who has been causing all of
the trouble lately. I don�t know who this person is, but I think it has
something to do with Lucius,� Severus replied, �And
I�m fairly certain that whatever he is doing right now has nothing to with
either Blaise or any kind of homework.�

�So� he�s been lying to me? Are you positive?� he asked.

Severus nodded. �I�m afraid so.�

Harry sank back into the sofa, eyes downcast, feeling hurt by the
manipulation.

Remus put a hand on his shoulder. �I�m sure he just doesn�t want you to
worry. He�s merely trying to protect you.�

�I believe that is precisely what he is thinking,� Severus said.

�That doesn�t make it hurt any less,� Harry said, �I trusted him. Even
after everything that happened, I trusted him! And he abused that trust!�

To his complete humiliation, he felt tears sting at his eyes. He
couldn�t believe that Draco would lie to him like that! Did he not think he
could handle the truth? If that was the case, then it had to be somebody close
to him. It had to be one of his friends at Hogwarts. The tears escaped to roll
down his cheeks. He couldn�t take another betrayal! Too many people had taken
advantage of him, had taken advantage of his trust!

He could understand, now, why Draco had wanted to hide this from him.
However� he didn�t know if he�d ever trust the blonde again. A little voice in
his head kept asking �if he could lie about something this important, what else
could he have lied about?�

Remus put his arms around the distraught boy while Severus looked on sadly. �Harry, calm down. It�s not nearly as bad as it seems to you
at this moment, I promise. Sometimes people lie in order to protect the ones
they care about. It�s human nature.�

�Try looking at it from his perspective. What would you have done in
his place?� Severus asked.

Harry sniffled a bit, wiping at his eyes. �The same� but- that�s not
the only reason I�m upset. The fact that he felt he had to hide it from me
means that it�s probably somebody close to me. Somebody here
at school. It means I�ve been betrayed again.�

�Oh Harry�� Remus sighed, carding his fingers
gently through the boy�s hair, �Everything will be okay. It�ll all turn out
just fine, I�m sure.�

Harry shook his head. �No. Nothing in my life ever
that simple.� He suddenly pulled away from the man and stood. �I�m going
to go for a walk.�

�Harry, you�re not well enough. What if something happens?� Remus said.

�I have my wand. I�ll be fine. I won�t go too far, I promise,� Harry
said. Seeing the stern looks on his professors� faces, he sighed. �Can I at
least go back to Draco�s room? I need to be alone� to
think.�

�I will escort you,� Severus said, standing as well.

�Will you be back?� Remus asked, smiling.

In a rarely observed moment of warmth, Severus returned the smile and
leaned down to place a tender kiss on his lover�s lips. �As
soon as possible.�

�Then I will see you tomorrow, Harry,� Remus
said with a grin and a wave as they walked out the door.

�Will you be alright?� Severus asked when they reached the Head Boy�s
room.

Harry nodded, forcing a weak smile. �Don�t worry. I won�t do anything
drastic.�

�I�m not worried about that,� the man stated, �I am afraid of what is
going on in that overactive mind of yours.� Severus looked at him, concern etched
in his face. �Draco does not like to lie to those he cares for. He never has.
On the rare occasions when he does, there is always a good explanation.�

Harry raised an eyebrow at him. �What are you trying to say?�

�He is only human, Harry. We all make mistakes,� Severus said, �Please
don�t let this ruin what the two of you have. I know that right now you feel
betrayed and you are probably wondering how you will ever trust him again, but�
at least give him a chance to earn that trust again. I rather enjoy seeing you
two so happy.�

The boy smiled, touched that the man would worry over him. �I�m not
making any promises, but I honestly don�t think I could break up with him.
So� you don�t have to trouble yourself so much.�

Severus nodded. �If you need somebody to talk to,
just firecall Remus� rooms.
We�ll be there all night.�

Harry smirked, walking into the room. �Oh, I bet you will��

�Brat,� Severus muttered fondly before the door was shut.

Back in the infirmary, they asked the bespelled
witch simple questions and were having no luck.

�What is your name?� Ron asked.

The girl shook her head, smirking.

�Is it Ginny?� Hermione said.

�Not Ginny��

�Are you Lucius? Are you a part of my
father?�

She threw her head back and laughed. �Guess, children!�

Ron growled, kicking a chair over in anger. �This isn�t getting us
anywhere!�

�Calm down, Ron. Maybe we�re just not asking the right questions��
Hermione said, �Your name is not Ginny?� She shook her
head again. �You want to play a guessing game?�

She nodded emphatically, cackling.

�What do we get if we win?� Draco asked.

�You get to know,� was the reply.

�Can I ask a couple questions first? And will you please answer?�
Hermione said.

A sigh and a nod.

�Did you put the potion in Harry�s drink?�

�Yes��

�Did you lead the Death Eaters to Grimmauld Place?�

She chuckled. �Yes!�

�And you told Voldemort what happened to Harry this summer?�

�Yes, yes, yes! It was all me! My doing!�

�Are you trying to kill Harry?�

�No!� the girl exclaimed.

�Hurt him?�

�Yes�� she hissed.

�Why?� Hermione asked.

�Because,� she said with a malevolent grin, �The more we hurt him, the
weaker he gets. The weaker he gets, the easier it becomes to break him.�

�Why do you want to break him?� Hermione said.

�Master wants a new toy,� she stated, inspecting her nails, �Master
would rather not kill the boy if he may be of some use. But the little brat is
making it difficult. He has interfering friends. Master says to take care of interfering friends if we have to.�

�Who is your master?� Hermione asked.

She shook her head. �No more questions. It�s time to play��

�Are you a part of Lucius?� Draco asked
immediately.

Her face fell. �Aw� you take all of the fun out of the game!�

�Why did Lucius transfer you into Ginny?�
Hermione asked.

�He didn�t. He was turning on me� ignoring me. I was about to
disappear. Then my master gave me this wonderful new home where I
could be in control for once. The girl�s mind was already weak� it is so easy
to bend her to my will.�

�Is your master Voldemort?� Hermions asked.

She laughed scathingly. �That madman? He would
never think of something so clever as this!�

�Then who is your master?!� Draco exclaimed.

�My master is somebody who was twice gone and twice returned. Seen the
light and the darkness, embraced neither and both, and follows no man or
woman.�

That said, she fell back into unconsciousness,
leaving them with more questions and few answers. Draco sighed and turned to
leave the room.

�Where are you going?� Ron asked.

�To get Harry. We�re done here, aren�t we? When she wakes
up, tell her she fainted and she should take better care of herself,� Draco
replied, �Neither minds will remember what just transpired, so don�t worry.�

�Have fun, then!� Hermione said, smiling suggestively.

�Hey! Not too much fun, you horny bast-!�

Draco shut the door on the rest of Ron�s statement, chuckling. He
explained as little as possible to Madame Pomfrey
before heading up to Remus� quarters.

Safely in the room he shared with Draco, Harry opened all the windows,
letting cool night air wash over him. He took a seat in his favorite window,
overlooking the lake, and pulled out the pack of Salems
that Trina had sent him that week. With the first drag, he felt himself relax
and his mind cleared a bit.

He leaned his head back against the window frame and willed the
gathering tears to go away. He hadn�t felt this betrayed since� He cursed
himself and took another drag, disgusted that he�d even thought to make that comparison. Draco was nothing like Vernon. Draco genuinely cared about him. He was
sweet and gentle and patient. He was fun and lively, shared his odd sense of
humor, and had a passion and enthusiasm for life that Harry found infectious.

He sighed, feeling even more confused that he had before. He flicked
the cigarette out the window, watching the ember fall down to the ground. His
mind was filled with conflicting thoughts. Draco was a good guy, right? But
then why had he lied? What else could he have lied about? He seemed like he was sincere in his feelings� but he�d obviously managed to
deceive him about this� Should he confront him? Would that be wise? Or maybe he
should just leave it alone� He sighed, standing and lighting another cigarette.
He needed to think a bit more�

�Harry�s not here,� Remus said when he
answered his door.

�Where did he go?� Draco exclaimed.

�I walked him back to your room,� Severus answered, stepping up behind
his lover, �A warning, Draco? Be honest with him. He trusts you, and if you
betray that trust you may lose him.�

Draco narrowed his eyes. �Sev� do you have something to tell
me?�

�Godson or not, Draco, I will not tolerate dishonesty,� Severus stated,
�Nor will I allow you to hurt Harry and ruin the best thing you have going in
your life!�

Draco blanched, more at the truth in those words than anything else. �I
suppose I�ll just go then��

�Good night, Draco,� Remus said as the boy
turned to leave.

Back in the room, Harry had gone into panic mode once more. He�d gone
through nearly half of his pack of Salems, most of
which were under his pacing feet. His mind kept going back to what other lies
Draco might have told him. Maybe he didn�t even really like him. All the girls
said that guys are only after sex. Maybe once had sex with him, Draco would
leave. What if it was all just an act so he could tell everyone he fucked the
Boy-Who-Lived?! Maybe Vernon was right� maybe he was ugly and a freak. Maybe he was unloveable�

He reached up to take a drag only to realize that he had smoked it all
the way down and it had gone out on its own. Again. He
threw it to the floor and reached for the pack on the vanity. In doing so he
caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. He stood up, staring blankly at his
reflection. His tear-streaked face and wild, unruly hair, his too-skinny frame
adorned with gorgeous, expensive clothing that Draco had bought him as a gift.
�Just because,� he�d said.

Suddenly he felt as though those fancy clothes were too nice, too good
for a freak like him. He tore them off and threw them into the corner, glaring
at them in a way that suggested they were the sole cause of his anger. When he
turned his attention back to the mirror, he scowled. Vernon was right. He would always be ugly. How could
anybody ever find him attractive, scarred and this as he was. Each scar served
as a reminder of what a useless, stupid, freak he was.

Come to think of it, he couldn�t really blame Draco. He should just be
grateful that somebody like him would even deign to speak to such an unsightly,
insignificant person, shouldn�t he? He should just count his blessings and try
not to cause any trouble, right?

�Ugly, useless, stupid� freak�� These words echoed in his mind until he
could no longer take it. He picked up the nearest object- which happened to be
his potions text book- and hurled it at the offending reflection, shattering
the mirror before collapsing onto the floor and burying his face in his hands.

Draco wrenched the door open when he heard a loud crash and raced up
the stairs, fearing the worst. When he saw Harry huddled on the floor and the
broken mirror, he cringed. Dropping to his knees, he reached out to embrace his
obviously distraught boyfriend.

�Harry? What�s wrong, love?�

Harry�s head shot up, his eyes wide, and he scrambled away from him.
�Don�t touch me!�

�I�m not Vernon, Harry. I�m not going to hurt you,� Draco said softly.

�I know who you are!� he replied, hiding his face
in his knees.

�Then what�s wrong?� the blonde asked.

�Why have you been lying to me?� Harry said, his
voice muffled.

Draco sat back, narrowing his eyes. �What?�

�I know you weren�t with Blaise tonight. And
I know you�ve been lying to me� why?� Harry asked desperately, �Have you been
lying to me all this time? Have you just been toying with me?�

�Harry� no, I-�

�Just admit it! Stop this game or whatever you�re doing and put me out
of my misery�� Harry said and Draco�s heart ached at
how broken he sounded, �Tell me, Draco. Tell I�m worthless and ugly. Admit that
you were playing me, using me. Stop pretending that I�m anything but a freak
and just leave me alone!�

�Harry James Potter!� Draco exclaimed, standing and walking over to
him.

He braced himself against a blow that never came. Instead, he felt
himself being drawn up and into a strong, warm embrace. He stiffened, still
unsure about whether he was being deceived.

�Harry� I promise you that this is no game. It is very, very real,�
Draco said, leading him to the bed where he moved them into a laying position,
�I- I have been lying to you, though.� He felt the boy begin to move away and
simply drew him back, rubbing soothing circles on his back. �No, just listen. I
did have a theory about who slipped you that potion. But I didn�t want to tell
you anything until I was sure. I didn�t want to cause you unnecessary pain. So
I got Ron and Hermione to help do some research and develop a kind of plan.�

�Is that where you were tonight? Conspiring with my alleged best friends?� Harry said, hurt by their secrecy, �Did you think I
couldn�t handle it? That I wasn�t strong enough?� He sat up, anger burning in
his eyes.

�No, that�s not it at all. I didn�t want to throw around accusation
with no proof! I didn�t want to cause you pain if there was no need!� Draco
said, trying to make him understand.

�Just be honest with me! Tell me the truth!� he yelled.

�It�s Ginny�� Draco whispered.

�Harry froze, his face had gone
blank and he stared at Draco as though he hadn�t heard anything he said.

�I�m sorry, Harry, but it�s not her fault. Listen, please?� Draco
pleaded.

He nodded numbly.

�From what we gathered, Luc- my dad was about to defect to the light.
Somebody noticed the change in him and took the dark part of his personality
out of him and placed it in Ginny, where it�s been gaining power and control
for a while now. Ginny�s been leaking information to
Voldemort and sabotaging you, against her will and without her knowledge, on
her �master�s� orders.�

�Who is her master?� Harry asked.

�We don�t know. Someone who was twice gone and twice returned, embraced
both light and dark, and doesn�t follow anyone apparently. Hermione probably
remembers better than me, but� we know it�s not Voldemort or any of his
followers�� Draco replied, �Will you lay back down with me, now?�

Harry obeyed silently, allowing himself to be wrapped in the other
boy�s arms. �So� that�s all you�ve lied about? Do you swear? You don�t think
I�m ugly and-�

Draco silenced him with a tender kiss. �I swear. You have my word as a
wizard. I could never think you were ugly. You�re beautiful and perfect and you.�

�Perfect?� Harry said scathingly.

�Perfect for me,� Draco replied, kissing his forehead, �I�m never going
to leave you, Harry, and I would never intentionally hurt you. I�m only human,
so I can�t promise that I�ll never make another mistake, but� you can be
certain of one thing, at least.�

�What�s that?� Harry asked, looking up at him.

Draco kissed his forehead again, directly over the scar, then his nose,
then his lips, before pulling back just slightly and locking gazes with him. �I
love you��

Harry�s breath caught in his throat and his eyes filled with tears in
the same instant. He buried his face in Draco�s
chest, hiding the silent tears now flowing freely. In all the years that he
remembered, nobody- aside from his parents on the night of Voldemort�s
return- had ever spoken those words aloud to him. And Draco spoke them with
such passion and conviction that he felt them resonate all the way to his
bones. He felt happier in that one moment than he could remember ever feeling
in the past. A few moments came close: finding out he was a wizard and was to
go away from the Dursleys for school, making his
first friend, Ron, the brief time when he thought he�d live with Sirius, his
first time on a broom� but none held the same gravity of emotion as this.

�I hope those are happy tears�� Draco said nervously.

Harry nodded into his chest. �That�s- the first time anybody but my
parents has said that to me��

Draco tightened his hold on the boy, both sad that he�d led such a life
and glad that he could bring him so much happiness.

�Draco?� he said tentatively, moving away to look at him.

�Hm?�

He pressed their lips together in a ghost of a kiss and whispered,
almost inaudibly. �I love you, too.�

Draco beamed and kissed him again, so fiercely that it stole their
breath. �Let�s sleep now. And in the morning, we will discuss the cigarettes
and general destruction of my room.�

�Our room� but okay,� Harry said, already
falling asleep. He was exhausted emotionally from the day�s events and was
ready to succumb to the healing darkness of slumber.

Draco fell asleep that night with a serene smile on his face, truly,
completely happy for the first time in years.

~XX~

SPECIAL NOTICE!!! I created a Yahoo!Group! If you want to be notified every time this
story is updated and gain access to sneak peeks and never-before-read stories,
join us! You can have ANY email address, not just yahoo. MSN, AOL, Gmail� whatever! Come on in! You can find the link on my
profile page!

A/N: Sorry if that was kind of heavy. Harry went a bit crazy in this
chapter, didn�t he? But� he had to. There was no way he could have gotten over
all of the emotional and physical abuse he suffered through so quickly. It�s a
process. I�m sure anybody who�s suffered abuse will agree with me. Plus� I just can�t have it moving too fast, now can I? I
can�t possibly give you guys everything in one go. Gotta
make you want it. Really want it. *insert evil cackle*. Lol.
Please review! You know how much I love it!
- 19
- 20
- 21
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Nobody Tell