AN: Yes, another Drarry. I think I have an illness... This story is almost finished. It's 6 chapters long and I'm writing the 6th now. I'm just editing the other chapters as I post them. If it sucks, I'm sorry. This plot would not leave me alone. I also have 2, possibly 3, other Drarry stories that I'm working on.

For those waiting on an update for "A Heart Divided", yes I'm still working on it. I made a major decision on the direction of the story that requires for me to readjust the current chapter I'm working on.

On with the story and, as always, I'd love to hear what you think.

Harry Potter woke with a startled gasp, drenched in sweat. He jerked back defensively at the hand that suddenly grasped his bicep. The voice that followed dampened his instinct to lash out.

"Mate, calm down. It's just me," Ron said hastily.

Of course. Voldemort was dead. Fred, Remus, Tonks, Mad-Eye, Snape, Dumbledore, Hedwig, Dobby... They were all dead. And Harry was safe and sound at Hogwarts. Harry drew in a shuddering breath, willing himself to calm down.

"Blimey, you're lucky he didn't take your head off," Neville commented.

Harry scrubbed at his eyes before grabbing his glasses from the side table and sliding them onto his face. Ron, Neville, Seamus and Dean were leaning over Harry's bed, still wearing bed clothes and peering at him with concerned expressions. The weak sunlight that filled the room indicated that it was still quite early. "I'm sorry that I woke all of you," Harry murmured. He'd had another horrific nightmare about the war, and he was certain that he'd been thrashing about and crying in his sleep. He could still feel the tears on his face.

"Don't worry about it Harry," Neville said calmly. "We're all still having nightmares."

"And we wanted to get up early anyway," Dean added helpfully. Seamus nodded his agreement.

Harry sighed, but offered a grateful smile. The months following Voldemort's defeat had been difficult. Harry had been swept up in a whirlwind of grief over everyone he'd lost. There had been moments that made him wonder if he'd suffocate under the crushing pain. His friends had allowed him to grieve, but refused to let it consume him.

He'd reluctantly returned to Hogwarts to complete his final year of school. Hermione insisted that it was a healthier option than allowing himself to be pressured into joining the aurors right away. Harry agreed, while not looking forward to dealing with homework again. Though, homework was merely a slight inconvenience when compared with spending several months on a horcrux hunt while evading a murderous dark lord.

Ron had accepted the idea rather easily once Hermione and Harry had decided.

Harry dressed quickly and walked to the common room with his friends, not really paying attention to the concerned looks they were giving him. He was in a daze as his mind battled fatigue and flashes of his most recent nightmare. He stumbled on the last step and quirked a sheepish smile when Ron grabbed him to steady him.

Hermione had been sitting in a chair in front of the fireplace, dressed and alert. She looked Harry over, her eyes widening with sympathy and concern. "You look exhausted," Hermione said, getting up and moving to peer at Harry's face. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," Harry replied dismissively with a lazy wave of his hand. "I'm just a bit tired." He really didn't want to discuss it. The last thing he wanted was for everyone to make a fuss about his nightmares. After everything, it was such a small issue. There was no need for Hermione to fret and wring her hands over it.

Ron, bless him, seemed to sense Harry's aversion to the topic. "He's fine Hermione," Ron assured her, patting Harry on the back. "We kept him up a bit late is all."

Hermione eyed them all suspiciously. "The rest of you look fine," she countered.

The young men paused. They hadn't exactly planned to be interrogated. Luckily, Seamus came up with a quick response.

"Harry walked in on me giving Dean a blowjob," Seamus blurted out, glad that nobody else was in the common room. "Harry was a bit traumatized and had trouble going to sleep."

Harry shuddered, lending some credence to this explanation. Dean glared at Seamus while Ron's face turned bright red. Neville turned away, his shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter.

"Oh my-" Hermione said faintly, looking horrified. Then she scowled. "I don't want to know!" she cried sharply, as if she feared that Seamus would go into explicit detail. All things considered, it was a reasonable concern. "Next time, use a few spells for discretion," she chided. She kindly guided Harry through the common room to the exit. "Poor Harry," she cooed at him. "Let's get breakfast. That will make you feel better."

Harry allowed himself to be shepherded through the door, glancing over his shoulder to wink at his friends. Ron and Neville grinned in response while Seamus was attempting to look apologetic for Dean.

Harry was feeling better once he'd eaten breakfast. Ginny had entered the Great Hall and sat down across from him with a sweet smile that made Harry's insides squirm with guilt.

Ginny was wonderful. She'd been coping with the death of one of her brothers, and yet she still managed to offer Harry unwavering support. He didn't feel ready to rekindle their relationship and it had been so difficult to admit. Ginny had been disappointed but accepting. Now she was as much of a steadfast friend as he could ask for. Harry still felt guilty, but he wasn't pressured to enter into a romantic relationship. Ginny seemed content to be there for Harry in whatever capacity he needed.

Harry set his fork down and let his gaze drift over the Great Hall. His eyes settled, predictably, on the Slytherin table. More specifically, he found himself staring at Draco Malfoy.

Draco seemed to spend most of his time in silence. Most of Slytherin house avoided him. The majority of the other students shunned him as well. He was viewed as a blood traitor or a Death Eater. There was little in between. The Malfoy heir maintained a dignified countenance most of the time. But at that moment, he just looked tired and a bit lonely.

Ginny looked around to see what could have captured Harry's focus, and then shook her head. She should have guessed that it was Malfoy. She turned back to Harry with a smile. "You know, you could just talk to him," she suggested. "That would be more productive than staring at him like a stalker."

Harry jerked back a bit, blinking at Ginny in confusion. "Who's a stalker?" he asked, forcing himself to focus on her.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Nobody," she replied with a huff. "I was saying that you should just talk to Malfoy."

"Oi!" Ron cried out, spraying a third year with bits of scrambled egg. "What the bloody hell for?" He whined like a kicked crup when Hermione smacked his shoulder indignantly.

"It's better than pointlessly obsessing," Ginny retorted, smirking at the sulky look Ron was giving Hermione. "Harry and Malfoy have never been able to leave each other alone."

"That git was a death eater," Ron hissed, turning from Hermione to glare at his sister.

"You know that he was forced into it," Harry said quietly, his eyes shifting back to the Slytherin table.

Ron shifted uncomfortably, unwilling to argue. As much as he disliked Malfoy, he did agree with Harry. When presented with what Harry witnessed in the Astronomy tower when Dumbledore died, and Ron's own memories of being imprisoned in Malfoy Manor, Ron couldn't deny that Malfoy had been in a terrifying position. Malfoy's fear and unwillingness to kill Dumbledore and his reluctance to identify Harry while standing among Voldemort's followers had altered Harry's perception of the blond. Ron wasn't so blinded by hatred to be unmoved by Malfoy's plight. But, Ron reserved the right to think that he was a pompous git.

Harry walked to his first class of the day without paying much attention to his friends' conversations. He stepped into the charms classroom with a sigh and glanced around. Ron and Hermione sat down at a table together, leaving Harry to find someone to sit with. There were a few empty seats to choose from, but he shocked everyone by walking up to Draco Malfoy.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" he asked, hoping that he didn't sound as nervous as he suddenly felt.

Draco flinched just slightly at being addressed. He met Harry's gaze in surprise before noting that there were other seats available, including one next to Ginny Weasley. Draco gave Harry another puzzled look, but shook his head. His confusion only grew when Harry offered an apprehensive looking grin and sat down.

Professor Flitwick stared at Harry in surprise. In the years that he'd known these two young men, they'd only shown animosity toward one another. Of course, the war was bound to change them to some extent. Draco seemed a shadow of his former self. Harry was doing his best to carry on, but the professors had been alerted to the extent of Harry's suffering after the war. Both boys had been broken by the war, though in different ways. Was that enough to bring about peace between the two?

Harry blushed slightly under Flitwick's rather unnerving stare. The class was silent, the other students looking between Flitwick and the table where Harry and Draco sat. Surely sitting next to Malfoy didn't warrant such a reaction. Harry looked at Draco helplessly.

Draco sat up straighter. "This is awkward," he drawled, breaking the silence and making Harry snort in amusement. Draco's lips twitched slightly at the sound.

Flitwick shook himself from his musings and began teaching the class, casting one last searching look at the two boys. The rest of the class went rather smoothly. Mostly. Sort of. The other students glanced at the strange pair periodically while Flitwick called out instructions and tried to avoid watching them too closely.

Harry relaxed a bit more as the minutes ticked by. He could see a bit of the tension in Draco's face melting away as well. Apparently, they could work together without hexing each other or arguing.

"The wand movement isn't right," Draco said quietly, his eyes following Harry's wand. He frowned when Harry waved his wand again. "No. Here-" He reached up toward Harry's hand and then abruptly jerked his hand back, his cheeks flushing slightly.

"It's alright," Harry assured him softly. "Show me?" he requested hopefully.

Draco licked his lips nervously and then reached out to wrap his hand around Harry's. He guided Harry through the correct movement slowly. "Just a slight rotation of the wrist at the end," he murmured. He pulled his hand away and nodded for Harry to try again. This time, Harry succeeded and grinned broadly.

"Thanks," Harry said gratefully before casting the charm on his quill. He glanced at Ron and Hermione mischievously before winking at Draco. "Ron Weasley is a ginger buffoon," Harry said clearly, delighted when the quill dutifully copied Harry's words onto the parchment.

"Oi!"

Harry laughed at Ron's shout of outrage while Draco suppressed his own mirth behind his hand.

Ron was quick to retaliate. "Harry is an oblivious idiot," he declared, his charmed quill hastily scribbling the words.

"Ron screams like a girl," Harry retorted, earning another strangled laugh from Draco.

At this point, the other students were joining in.

"Pansy has a foot fetish."

"Neville likes to run around without pants on."

"Ginny likes wearing nipple clamps."

"I do not!" Ginny shrieked indignantly.

"Theo thinks Potter is fit."

"Seamus set his own pants on fire."

"Hermione set Snape on fire."

"Dean likes it up the arse!"

"Class dismissed!" Flitwick squeaked frantically as the room filled with uncontrollable laughter.

Draco had his face buried in his hands as he struggled to regain control of himself. "Oh Merlin," he choked out. He peeked between his fingers to find Harry grinning at him. "You're an idiot," Draco said, though his tone was amused.

"Please," Harry scoffed. "That was bloody hilarious."

Draco rolled his eyes as he rose and picked up his bag. He paused eyeing Harry curiously. "Was the one about Granger true?" he asked.

Harry's grinned widened. "It is," he chuckled. "Bit of a long story." He shouldered his own bag and walked to the door with Draco at his side. "Want to pair up for Defense?" he asked hesitantly.

Draco tensed. "What is it that you want Potter?" he asked sharply.

Harry sighed. "Nothing really," he replied solemnly. "I just thought it would be stupid to continue with our ridiculous rivalry. Seems silly after... everything."

"So we don't fight," Draco said. "That doesn't require for us to be friendly."

"Right," Harry admitted. "But we could be."

Draco scowled. "I offered you friendship when we met and I was rudely rejected," he replied.

Harry rolled his eyes. "That was because you had just insulted my only friend," he snapped impatiently. He growled in frustration when Draco began to move away. He caught hold of Draco's shoulder, noting that the blond flinched at his touch. "I'd like to try again," he said, holding his hand out to Draco.

Draco stared at Harry, his eyes searching. His gaze dropped to the offered hand. He moved, as if to take it, but he held himself back. "I make no promises Potter," he said stiffly. He wasn't sure how to feel when Harry nodded his acceptance and smiled.

Draco had endured much since the start of the war. Now that the war was over, he'd resigned himself to being ostracized by his peers while he completed his education. Even Pansy was keeping her distance from him.

He had been completely thrown when Harry Potter approached him. The Chosen One had achieved a stunning victory over the Dark Lord. He had the admiration of the Wizarding community. Why would he bother with Draco? And to ask for a truce, of all things.

For a moment, Draco wondered if it was a trick. But, that idea was dropped rather quickly. Harry looked as miserable as Draco felt. The Savior was trying to mask any sign of depression, but Draco recognized it as easily as the misery in his own soul.

It seemed worth it to see where this supposed truce would lead. And so, Draco found himself sitting with Harry in Defense Against the Dark Arts. He even allowed himself to be persuaded to meet Harry at the Black Lake after lunch.

Draco was conflicted over the idea of meeting Harry outside of classes. It was tempting to skip it, but he really had little else to do and the thought of being alone was rather unappealing at that moment. Draco took his time walking onto the grounds toward the lake. No need to appear too eager after all. He almost convinced himself that Harry wouldn't be there. But, Draco felt his body tense up anxiously when he spotted the familiar messy dark hair.

Harry turned and smiled slightly when he spotted Draco, waving him over. "You made it!" Harry said, his cheerful tone sounding a bit forced.

"Obviously," Draco retorted tersely. He never said he was going to make it easy for the speccy git.

"I thought we could work on our Defense homework," Harry said, apparently not offended by Draco's tone. He sat down on the grass and proceeded to take out some parchment and a quill.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Too good for the library Potter?" he asked.

Harry's hands stilled. "I get tired of all the staring and whispering," he said quietly. "And Hermione keeps fussing over me. I just... I don't want that right now."

Draco stood still for a moment. It wasn't as if Harry had just shared anything particularly profound, but it was an openness that Draco hadn't expected. Wondering if he was going to regret it, Draco sat down next to Harry and prepared to start his essay. He was oddly pleased by the grateful smile that Harry offered in response.

Draco soon found himself slipping into this odd routine. He didn't go out of his way to be nice to Harry, but he managed to avoid open hostility. Harry didn't seem to mind the less than enthusiastic response.

Harry's friends were much more skeptical. After a week, Ron seemed incapable of restraining himself. "Alright Harry, what's going on?" he asked, approaching the pair while they sat under a large tree studying. Harry looked up from his book to give Ron a questioning look. Ron made an exasperated sound. "Why do you have a ferret in your pocket?" Ron asked pointedly.

Draco bristled indignantly, but Harry spoke up quickly. "Don't call him that Ron," Harry chided.

Ron squinted at Harry, as if he thought he'd mistaken some other delusional person for his best mate. After a moment, he sighed. "You're going to be friends with this git then?" he asked, waving one hand at Draco.

"That remains to be seen," Draco muttered, flipping through his textbook.

This response wasn't particularly reassuring to Ron, but Harry seemed unconcerned. "We'll give it a go," Harry said lightly.

Ron grimaced and opened his mouth as if preparing to argue, but then he shook his head. With a little huff of resignation, he sat down on the ground, facing the other two. "So what are you doing?" he asked.

"Transfiguration essay," Harry replied.

Ron scoffed. "I'm disappointed," he commented with a little shake off his head. "I thought you'd be plotting a bit if you're hanging around with a Slytherin."

Draco snorted and Harry grinned. "Sorry to disappoint you," Harry replied sarcastically. "You could do your homework as well."

"Bite your tongue," Ron admonished dramatically. "I shan't destroy my reputation in our final year. Hermione might faint," he added with a little smirk. "No, I'll leave this... unseemly swottiness to you two," he declared, waving one hand in mock disgust at the textbooks.

As Ron sprawled out on his back in the grass, Draco peered at him with a contemplative expression. He'd expected more of an argument. It clearly spoke of the faith Ron had in Harry, and Draco found himself wondering what it would be like to have such a friend.

Draco jumped slightly when he felt a nudge at his arm. He turned his head to see Harry holding out a wrapped chocolate frog with a slight smile. Draco hesitated and then reached out to take the chocolate, watching as Harry tossed a chocolate frog to Ron. Ron made a pleased sound and set to unwrapping and devouring his treat. "Thanks," Draco muttered, carefully opening the box to grab the frog before it could hop away.

Harry's smile widened in response as he tugged a struggling frog from his own little box. He hummed as he bit into the chocolate while extracting the card from the box. He choked on the chocolate as his eyes focused on the card.

Ron sat up in alarm and Draco muttered a quick spell to clear Harry's airway. "Bloody hell," Harry croaked with a cough. "Thanks for that," he told Draco, before scowling at the card. "They've already got me on the cards," he explained, sounding annoyed as he turned the card to show a picture of himself. The picture didn't look especially pleased either.

"That was fast," Draco commented, peering at the picture.

"Forgot to tell you mate," Ron said apologetically. "I got one of your cards last week."

"You couldn't warn me?" Harry asked with a frown.

Ron blushed. "Hermione distracted me," he muttered, unable to keep a little grin off of his face.

Harry snorted. "Please spare me the details," he said, rolling his eyes. "No matter. I should have known this would happen. But I'm not keeping a card with me on it." He held it out to Draco. "So I'll always be with you," Harry explained with a smirk.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Be still my heart," he muttered sarcastically. "No autograph to go with it?" He let out a surprised chuckle when Harry promptly signed the card with a mischievous grin.

Draco ate his breakfast silently, grateful to be left alone with his thoughts. He was often plagued by nightmares, and the night before had been no different. Though, this particular recurring dream wasn't quite like the others.

He'd dreamt of crouching on the ground in the Forbidden Forest. His body was bruised and bloody and the feeling of being utterly alone was pervasive. He could catch a glimpse of Hogwarts castle, but was unable to crawl toward it. There was no sanctuary for him. He didn't belong. An enemy to the light, but a traitor to the dark; His soul forever stained by the mark on his forearm.

Draco often dreamed of the horrors of the war. He'd seen so much torture and death for his mind to ever be completely free of it. But this dream of being abandoned in the forest came to him frequently, always the same, leaving him feeling lost and alone. Waking up in his bed, with other sleeping Slytherins nearby didn't make him feel any better. He didn't belong with them either.

Draco sighed heavily, pushing his plate away. His stomach churned unpleasantly as he attempted to focus on something besides his dream. He felt an odd pang of relief when he saw Harry enter the Great Hall. That feeling faded quickly when he noticed how unwell Harry looked.

Harry looked exhausted and rather pale. His mouth was set in a grim line as he was guided to the table by his bushy-haired companion. Harry kept his eyes cast downward as he sat down at the Gryffindor table and ate very little. His friends shot him looks of concern but allowed him to keep his silence.

Draco watched all of this with a strangely heavy heart. He knew that Harry had been struggling, though they'd never discussed it. Harry and Draco had spent a great deal of time together over the last month. Draco wasn't sure that they could be considered friends, but they certainly weren't enemies any longer.

After a little while, Harry seemed unwilling to remain at the table. He lifted his face just enough for Draco to see him bite his lip and blink rapidly. Without a word, Harry turned and left the table, hurrying out of the Great Hall. Hermione moved to follow, but Ron restrained her, hugging her tightly when she burst into tears. Draco could see Ron shaking his head and speaking to Neville, Seamus, and Dean; All of them seemed to be resisting the impulse to follow Harry.

Draco spent part of the day reading and avoiding everyone. He hadn't seen Harry all day, though he'd spotted Harry's friends in the library, talking in whispers and looking rather anxious.

By dinner time, Harry had not made an appearance. Draco finally grit his teeth and approached Ron in the hallway on his way to the Great Hall.

"Malfoy," Ron greeted solemnly, hugging Hermione to his side.

"Where is he?" Draco asked abruptly.

Ron sighed and Hermione's lips trembled. "We haven't seen Harry all day," Ron admitted. "And he took the map so we can't find him."

Draco frowned, wondering about the map, but deciding to question it later. "What happened?" he asked instead. "What's wrong with him?"

"He's been having nightmares," Ron replied, glancing around to make sure nobody else was listening in. "We all do, but Harry's can be pretty awful. He was nearly hysterical by the time we got him to wake up this morning. He refused to talk about it, but we knew it was bad. He even vomited before breakfast. Most days he'll shake it off, but..." His voice trailed off as he swallowed around a lump in his throat.

Draco bit his lip as he considered this new information. " Is it wise or safe for him to be left alone for so long?" he asked.

Hermione made a distressed sound and tugged at Ron's robes. "We need to go look for him," she said urgently.

Ron nodded, brushing one hand down her back in a soothing manner. "Alright, go get the others," he instructed, nodded toward the Great Hall. "We'll spread out and search for Harry." When Hermione nodded and hurried away, he turned back to Draco. "Are you helping?" he asked uncertainly.

"Yes," Draco replied without hesitation. He glanced toward the Great Hall apprehensively. He still didn't feel comfortable around most of the Gryffindors. "I'll get started," he muttered, turning on his heel and striding away.

Draco wasn't sure where to begin his search. He doubted Harry would head to the dungeons, so he climbed the first set of stairs he came to, thinking hard. He paused, glancing around thoughtfully and pulled out his wand, letting it rest on his palm. "Point me," he whispered. This spell was less accurate when used in a castle with multiple floors, but it was better than nothing.

After half an hour, Draco found himself at the Astronomy tower. He swallowed hard, pushing the memory of sixth year away, and climbed the stares. Once he reached the top, he spotted Harry by the window, his back to Draco as he looked out.

"There you are," Draco sighed, relief creeping into his tone.

Harry turned to look at him and Draco's breath caught in his throat. Misery was etched into Harry's face and his eyes were puffy and red from crying. His hands trembled slightly as he scrubbed at his face.

Draco approached slowly, as if he feared scaring Harry off. Harry didn't move, his breath hitching occasionally.

"Talk to me," Draco said quietly. "What's done this to you?"

For a moment, Draco thought he'd refuse to answer. But then Harry drew in a shuddering breath. "I see them constantly," Harry whispered. "Fred, Remus,Tonks, Sirius..." Harry swallowed unable to continue the list, closing his eyes as tears slipped down his cheeks. "So many people died. I lost so many and I've got to live with the fact that I just wasn't quick enough to stop it. Some of those deaths are direct results of my mistakes." He shuddered and gasped as his tears fell faster. "It's my fault."

Harry tears turned into broken sobs. Draco caught Harry in his arms as Harry's legs gave out. Draco found himself sinking to his knees with his arms wrapped firmly around the Chosen One. Harry was shaking and he seemed to have given up on trying to stifle his tears.

Draco wasn't sure of what to say to such devastation. Harry blamed himself for the deaths of his friends. No wonder he was so unhappy. Draco could understand. He had to live with the choices and mistakes he'd made over the years. He'd earned the contempt of decent wizards. But Harry- brave, selfless Harry- had sacrificed himself and fought tirelessly against the Dark Lord, only to take the blame on himself for the deaths of loved ones.

Draco closed his eyes, feeling his own tears trickling down his face. He sniffled and then let out a surprised chuckle when Harry's grip tightened. While Draco had been lost in thought, Harry's tears had slowed and he'd grown quiet.

Neither of them noticed when Neville appeared in the doorway. He stared in surprise at the sight of Draco hugging Harry tightly. He could see the tears on Draco's face and he heard Harry's ragged breaths. After a moment, he backed away from the door to give them a few moments. There was no need to interrupt the moment of open vulnerability. It looked as if the Slytherin had the matter well in hand.

Harry sighed and slowly released his grip on Draco. He frowned and reached up to brush away the tears on Draco's face. Draco gently pushed his hand away.

"It's not your fault," Draco said firmly. "You can't blame yourself. It was a war. You sacrificed your life for everyone." He paused as Harry reluctantly met his gaze. "No one can give more than that."

"I don't know how the Weasleys can stand to look at me," Harry admitted in a broken whisper.

"I'm sure that it's because they love you," Draco replied quietly. He was relieved when Harry smiled slightly.

Harry sighed before eyeing Draco more carefully. "Are you alright?" he asked, his voice rough from crying. He knew that Draco had shed his own tears, and he had his doubts that the blond was simply a sympathetic crier.

"I'm fine Potter," Draco replied with a little shrug. "I have nothing like your excuse."

Harry cocked his head to one side, his green eyes on Draco's face. "You don't need an excuse," Harry murmured. "I know the war was hard for you. It must be painful for you."

"I was on the wrong side," Draco reminded him bitterly. "I've earned this. You deserve better," he added, so quietly that Harry almost missed it.

Harry stared at Draco for a moment, aware that such an admission from Draco was quite significant. "You're the first person that I've really been open about this with," Harry said. "Surely we can be called friends now."

Draco eyed Harry apprehensively. "You're persistent," he muttered. "It's probably not a good idea. We've never liked each other Potter," he added ruefully.

"I like you," Harry argued with a small smile. "And it's Harry."

Draco sighed but returned Harry's smile. "Fine. Harry," he allowed with a roll of his eyes. "Then as your friend, I must insist on a trip to the hospital wing."

Harry's smile fell in an instant. "No," he groaned pitifully.

"This isn't negotiable," Draco said firmly.

Once they left the astronomy tower, they found Neville sitting at the bottom of the stairs. He stood up hastily when he heard their footsteps. "I've alerted the others," he said. "I didn't want them to continue to worry."

"Others?" Harry asked warily.

"Your friends were all looking for you," Draco informed him. "I just found you first."

Neville nodded, turning to Draco. "I saw that you'd found him, so I came down here to wait. It looked like you two needed a moment," he added quietly. "So I just sent a message for the others to call off the search."

Harry nodded, looking away. Draco shifted closer to Neville and leaned closer. "Harry blames himself for the death of Fred Weasley," Draco whispered hastily. "You need to let Weasley know." Neville's eyes widened but he nodded fervently before waving them on and taking off down the hallway in the opposite direction.

Draco ignored Harry's questioning look and swiftly ushered him to the infirmary. Madam Pomfrey pounced on Harry instantly when she saw his face. He was pushed onto a bed and forced to endure a number of diagnostic charms.

Draco watched with pursed lips as Harry was fussed over and given two potions. Once Harry had fallen asleep, Draco slipped out of the infirmary silently. He needed to see the Headmistress.

Harry woke up to quiet murmurs nearby. He opened his eyes to find himself in a bed in the hospital wing with the curtains pulled closed for privacy. He blinked up at the ceiling for several moments, idly wondering what time it was.

Madam Pomfrey poked her head through the curtains and then opened them when she saw that he was awake. She immediately began more diagnostic charms while Harry took in the sight of the Weasley family. Molly and Arthur were standing on either side of George. Ron and Ginny were close by with Percy.

Molly's eyes were bright with tears as she approached the bed and grasped Harry's hand. "We don't blame you," Molly managed to say, her tears spilling over at Harry's sudden sob. She hugged him tightly, whispering soothing words against his messy black hair. Arthur sat on the other side of the bed, patting Harry's leg gently.

After a few moments, George moved closer and nudged his mother, prompting her to shift away from Harry. George sat down and met Harry's watery gaze. "It's not your fault," George said, his voice rough with emotion. "You're my brother too. And I'm so proud," he choked out, pulling Harry into a hug. He could never blame Harry for Fred's death. It broke his heart to see Harry so distraught and blaming himself.

Ron bit his lip and looked down, wrapping one arm around Ginny as she wept. "I wish we'd known what this was doing to him," Ron said quietly. Ginny nodded sadly in agreement.

When Harry felt more in control of himself, he cleared his throat sheepishly and gently pulled out of George's arms. "What are you all doing here?" he asked, rubbing at his eyes warily.

"Malfoy told Neville to let me know how you were feeling," Ron explained. "He seemed to think that you needed us. Apparently he also warned McGonagall and she floo called mum and dad."

"Bill and Charlie were sorry that they couldn't come," Percy added.

So Draco was the reason that Harry was surrounded by the people that were the closest thing he had to family. The thought warmed Harry's heart and he was so grateful to his new friend.

"Why didn't you tell us how you felt Harry?" Ginny asked.

Harry shrugged slightly, looking down at his hands. His eyes filled again when the Weasley's pressed up close to the bed and each one of them reached out to touch Harry. "We love you Harry," Molly said softly. "You are family and we want to be here for you. Grieve if you need to, but for Merlin's sake don't blame yourself. You were given a burden that no child should have been made to carry. And you sacrificed yourself so others could live."

"We're all proud of you," Arthur added.

Harry allowed himself to be coddled and fussed over by Molly. He ached for a mother's love, and Molly seemed determined to fill that void right there in the hospital wing. The other Weasley's sat nearby, smiling indulgently as Harry was babied by the matriarch. Ron wouldn't have wanted to be subjected to such smothering affection, but he supposed that he could understand why it didn't bother Harry.

When Madam Pomfrey insisted that Harry be allowed to rest, Molly pressed a final kiss to Harry's forehead. The others offered a quick hug and filed out of the infirmary. The Mediwitch turned back to Harry and looked him over. "You're looking much better, but I'd like for you to stay for a few more hours," she said crisply.

"Thank you Madam Pomfrey," Harry responded with a yawn.

"Poppy is fine dear," she replied, reaching over to smooth down his hair. "You're an adult wizard and you've spent plenty of time in this infirmary. I think a less formal form of address is admissible."

Harry offered a tired smile. "Sorry for being so difficult Poppy," he said.

Poppy shook her head at him. "You Gryffindors do keep me busy," she said fondly. "Now rest."

Harry turned onto his side, listening to the fading sound of her footsteps. He wasn't especially keen to be alone, but he supposed it couldn't be helped. He closed his eyes and tried to think of something, anything, pleasant. Anything to keep darker thoughts at bay.

Harry jumped when he felt something drop onto his bed abruptly. He blinked in surprise and confusion when he saw that a white cat had jumped up onto the bed. It sat down and stared at Harry with bright silver eyes. Its fur was long and luxurious. It had a long fluffy tail that curled around to cover its paws as it sat.

"Where did you come from?" Harry asked quietly, looking the cat over. "Where's your owner?"

The cat turned its head and looked toward Poppy's office. Then, it hunched over and began to grow and transform. A moment later, Draco Malfoy was sitting on the edge of the bed looking uncertain.

"You're an animagus," Harry said with wide eyes.

"Obviously," Draco retorted.

"That's brilliant," Harry enthused, remembering to keep his voice quiet as he glanced toward Poppy's office. It made sense, in a way. This had be Draco's method for staying out of sight.

"Thanks," Draco replied a bit awkwardly. He paused and then met Harry's gaze. "Are you alright?"

"I'm better," Harry said looking down briefly. "Thank you. For being there, and for telling Ron."

Draco smiled slightly, relieved. He'd been a bit concerned that Harry would be angry. People weren't always rational when they were upset and feeling vulnerable. "I'm glad it helped," he said. He shifted uncomfortably and stood up. "I'll let you rest."

"You could stay," Harry said hastily. He bit his lip and glanced toward Poppy's office again before looking up at Draco hopefully.

Draco heaved an exaggerated sigh. He felt oddly pleased that Harry wanted him to stay. No need to tell Harry that though. "The things I do for you," he grumbled. He transformed back into his feline form and leapt back onto the bed.

Harry smiled and shifted to one side, patting the mattress. The cat walked closer and curled up at Harry's side. Harry turned back onto his side and curled his body around the cat, gently resting his hand against soft, warm fur and humming to himself. He was delighted when Draco started purring.