My December

By Elly Malfoy

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Not the characters or the plot, for that matter, as this situation has been done many times before, I'm sure. So, I guess you can't sue! :P

Summary: It is Harry's sixth year and the war rages on. His pain is increasing from the losses he has endured and new challenges that are set up before him. While the war rapidly approaches, Dumbledore bombards Harry with training, meetings, tactics, which the restless sixteen year old can't handle. As the headmaster sees the restlessness in Harry's eyes, he knows one person to relieve his tension. HP/DM SLASH

A/N1: The title comes from a song from Linkin Park. The lyrics will come into play when they have, ahem, intimate moments.

A/N2: This is my first attempt to write a slash fic, so be nice! No flames please! I do want positive feedback of course! Review and tell me what I should, and should not do. Anyway, this chapter is kind of boring, I had to set up the situations and everything, but it will get better (*wink*). You'll see the attraction start to come up at the end, too soon? Review and tell me! Oh yeah, I couldn't think of a good title for this chapter, want to help me?

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Chapter One: Potter and Malfoy

Harry pressed his forehead against the window of his compartment on the Hogwarts Express. The cool sensation filled his body and it took his mind off of the pain that his scar was causing. It burned nonstop since Voldemort had risen at the end of his fourth year. He never dwelt on what happened that night when he was conscious. Of course, that meant that he dreamt about it, constantly. Every time he shut his eyes, he saw the lifeless body of Cedric lying before him, or those red, devilish eyes that seem to burn into your soul, or even the events of last year, where he saw his only family left, his godfather, fall through the veil at the Ministry of Magic.

His eyes were starting to droop due to the lack of sleep he hadn't received for those reasons. He couldn't bear to see his godfather's death replay over and over again inside his head, or hear the maniacal laugh of Voldemort echo through his head. Just then, as if he'd known Harry's reason for needed savior, Ron slid open the compartment door.

"Hey, mate! Looks like you need some company," Ron looked around the surprisingly empty compartment.

"Yeah," Harry yawned and stretched out his arms. Hermione walked in shortly after, followed by Ginny Weasley and Luna Lovegood.

"Hello, Harry," Luna said in a dreamily sort of voice, sitting next to him, her protruding eyes watching his every move.

"Uh, hi, Luna," he stammered and eyed her carefully.

"Hey ya', Harry," Ginny chimed, with a grin spreading from ear to ear, taking the seat next  to Luna, her fellow fifth year.

"Hi, Ginny," Harry responded with another yawn.

"Harry, you look awful," Hermione, sitting by Ron, said in her usual motherly concerned voice.

"I'm fine," he assured her, but by the look on her face, she wasn't buying it.

"Harry, there's something wrong, isn't there?" Hermione, now starting a full-frontal interrogation, asked.

"No, Hermione, everything is fine," he insisted.

"Harry-"

"Hermione, if he says he's okay, then he's okay," Ron, sticking up for his friend, placed an arm around his new girlfriend.

"But-"

"Hermione, I'm fine," Harry said sternly, "Nothing's wrong, I just need some sleep."

"Well, okay, but if after tonight's rest you're looking the same, you owe me an explanation!"

"Fine," he sighed, happy that she was satisfied with part of the truth. Harry's attention was directed to the new discussion of this year's Quidditch team with Ron.

***

Draco Malfoy sat in his compartment alone; hiding from the two dense oafs he called 'friends.' Protection, he thought, was more of the word. Father insisted that he had Crabbe and Goyle with him everywhere he went, since Draco wasn't big or strong enough to take anyone on physically, verbally and mentally, yes, but when it came down to it, Draco didn't have enough bronze to match his brain. He had a fast tongue and they had the brute strength to back it up.

"Father," Draco sneered as he stared out his window. "Damn, Potter," he cursed the raven-haired boy who placed his father behind the bars of Azkaban. He didn't really know why he was upset; he truthfully hated his father and everything he stood for. Fifteen years of physical, verbal, and mental abuse was enough to drive anyone away from the respect that they should show. However much he hated his father, he still had to respect him, but only out of fear. Draco's father was a very powerful man; he didn't know half of what his father was capable of.

One Draco's sixteenth birthday, he was to receive the Dark Mark, but reluctantly, Potter got his father thrown in the wizard's prison only months before the ceremony. Inwardly, Draco thanked the wonder boy for being the hero he was, but outwardly, of course, Draco cursed the name Harry Potter and threaten to take the life from which was owned.

"Damn, Potter and that bloody scar," Draco seethed and slammed his hand on the seat at which he sat on.

***

The train came to a halt and everyone gathered their things and began to file out into the halls of the train. Frighten first years, pulled the trunks along nervously, blocking the impatient older students. Pansy Parkinson, a sixth year Slytherin, pushed a first year, knocking down the younger girl's cage, which contained her barn owl. Pansy snarled at the platinum blonde hair girl and complained that she shouldn't have been in the way, and then stomping off, making the train car shake.

Harry, who watched the incident happen, walked up to the girl, trying to pick up the cage, but was met by two pale, creamy hands also gripping the cage. He looked up and met two silver pools staring into his own emerald colored ones.

"Potter," Malfoy spat, snatching the cage from the bigger boys clutch.

"Malfoy," Harry shot back with the same bitterness the other boy had shown.

Malfoy had realized that the younger girl was watching the staring match that was taking place. He turned from the gaze that he, for some reason, didn't want to. Something about those deep green eyes drew you into a place of bliss, serendipity. He then looked back to Harry, and then quickly turned back that the first year, sniffing from the verbal assault she had received from the pig-like girl moments before.

"Serenity," Malfoy gasped, placing the cage a top the girl's trunk.

"Hi, Cousin Draco," she sniffed again.

"What are you doing here?" he moved closer to the girl, kneeling down to wipe her tears away.

"Aunt Narcissa insisted mother to send me here. She said that the education wasn't the best, but she liked the fact that you were here to protect me," she said in a child-like voice.

"What happened?"

"A girl knocked over my cage and started to yell at me," she pouted, tears started running down her already wet cheeks.

"It's okay," Draco scooped the girl into his arms, gently stroking her hair. "Show me where she is," he continued his comforting. Harry stood there in amazement as Draco Malfoy showed a side which he'd never seen before, a companionate, caring Draco Malfoy was intoxicating. The blonde boy actually showing sincerity, it, for some reason, drew Harry closer to wanting to be touched by Draco, to be the little girl that Draco was hold so lovingly in his arms.

"Harry!" Ron shouted from the car's exit. The sudden summon drew Harry back to reality and suddenly realizing what he had just been thinking, he began to blush, it made his stomach churn. Why in the hell was he thinking like that? He'd been hanging around Ron and Hermione too long and yearned for some affection himself, yeah, that was it, and Draco's display just reminded him of how lonely he was.

Draco finally pulled from the embrace of his younger cousin and spun around to look for Harry to continue their staring competition, but he had already left.

"Who are you looking for," Serenity asked.

"Uh, no one, get your things and follow me," Draco blushed. He continued to look for those piercing green eyes, but didn't find them. He showed his cousin to Hagrid, who was gathering the first years, and set off to the carriages. He knew for sure that he could see those gorgeous eyes at the feast. Wait, what?! Gorgeous?! Since when did Draco Malfoy think that anything about that prat was gorgeous? Never, he was just lonely, that was all; he didn't get any all summer, since his mother made sure that he was within seeing distance of her; she didn't want to loose her son, too. He'd just had to find some giddy first or second year and his sexual urges would stop and he wouldn't think about Potter that way.

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Not a very long chapter, I know, but I want to save the good stuff for the rest! Tell me what you think; the purple button is our friend! *giggles* No flames, please!