Title: Choose Me

Description: Harry Potter is tired. When he gets into a tiff with his best friend, things spiral out of control and Harry seems to have to choose between getting what he wants and having to please others. Cue an all too quiet Blaise Zabini and all too boastful Draco Malfoy. Honestly, Harry Potter just wanted to sleep. Was that too much to ask?

A/N: I'm rewriting this story after YEARS. Each chapter will be slowly updated.

Chapter One: I've Come to Terms that All I See is A Hallucination

Solitude was a rare luxury that Harry Potter just could not afford. Peace and quiet were foreign words and more than three hours of sleep was a weird concept that he did not seem to deserve. He couldn't remember the last time he was able to fly a broom without dozens of people coming up to meet him, shake his hand in mid air, and thank him for 'all that he's done'. It had become routine that he'd walk the empty halls of Hogwarts, invisibility cloak around him like a protective blanket and explore the newly reformed Hogwarts castle. Some places were just as he remembered while others were entirely newly crafted. The magic within the castle seemed stronger than ever, however, which seemed to give Harry a small sort of peace. At least there was one thing he hadn't ruined.

But, the point was that he did not really get enough sleep. He'd been studying with Hermione and Ron day after day for his NEWTS. Ron would complain upon end because surely he and Harry had a definite spot on the Aurors. They didn't need to take their NEWTS. But saying that always made Hermione turn a splotchy red and she'd force her two best friends to study harder than ever.

Nevertheless, Harry Potter needed sleep that dull Monday morning as he begrudgingly made his way into the Great Hall. The multitude of students were too loud, the Enchanted Ceiling was a nasty gray, and everything else was just all too bright. Harry could honestly say he had no idea how he even managed to spot his friends and take the seat just beside Ron with how bloody tired he was. It took everything out of him just to keep his eyes open for more than a few seconds. The food spread across the table didn't exactly look appetizing, either. In all honesty, Harry would rather much be in his semi-comfortable bed. He knew he wasn't eating as much as he was supposed to but he found that he just did not care. He was never much of a big eater and it didn't bother him that he didn't eat as much as his friends.

But, unfortunately, it did seem to bother Hermione.

"Harry!" her shrill voice would have caused Harry to jump out of his half asleep state if it were not for the fact that he had grown completely immune to it after hearing it for years. "You haven't touched your food at all. Are you not feeling well?"

Harry could see the small, worried frown on her face and he sighed. He really hated to make his friends worry. "Yeah, m'fine," Harry assured her. "I'm just not that hungry."

"Ya need to eat, mate," Ron stated as he stuffed his mouth with yet another pancake. "Could've mistook you for a twig." He didn't even hesitate to take three more from the center platter and stack them on his own plate. Hermione made a face of disgust, obvious distaste in the ginger's eating habits.

"How can he possibly eat anything, Ronald, when you're eating it all? It won't disappear yet, you know."

Ron's cheeks turned a splotchy pink at his girlfriend's scolding but he immediately shrugged it off and continued on with stuffing his face with the syrupy goodness earning an eye roll from the witch.

"Honestly, Ron, you're a pig." Ginny's voice floated into the Golden Trio's conversation, grabbing their attention. "It's embarrassing to be called your sister." Ron made a hand gesture showing just how much he cared about her statement as Ginny took her usual seat across from Harry. There was a spark of excitement in the girl's eyes that Harry was very wary about. "So, Harry, what do you have planned for us Saturday?"

Harry lifted his head at being spoken to. He was enjoying the bickering of his friends and found that he was slowly drifting off. But of course he was interrupted. And by a question he had no clue how to answer, at that. "Um, Saturday?"

The smile dropped from the redhead's face instantly. "Don't tell me you forgot our Hogsmeade date."

Harry winced because he had forgotten. It sort of slipped his mind. He had fully intended to stay in his bed all weekend and try to finally catch up on his sleep as it was one of the rare instances where Hermione wouldn't be dragging him and Ron to the library for some more studying.

"Well, I was actually hoping I'd stay here and sleep," Harry admitted, hoping that Ginny would understand but she did not mutter a word. Her jaw was clenched and her face unreadable; blank. "Gin?" Harry asked, trying to get her attention but she jumped up from the table, startling everyone in close proximity.

"Oh really? Stay here and sleep, you say? Or do you mean stay here and get a shag?" Her voice was loud and harsh, grabbing the attention of everyone in the Great Hall. If no one were interested in their conversation then, they definitely were now. Harry could feel himself flush from embarrassment and shock from the accusation. It were as if hundreds of eyes were now on him. The silence that followed Ginny's words was deafening, Harry was unsure of how he could possible respond to such a thing when Hermione spoke up first.

"Let's calm down, Ginny. You two aren't the only people here. Others can hear you."

The youngest Weasley turned a vibrant shade of red before slamming her hand on the table, spilling pumpkin juice. "You think I didn't know about you and Zabini?" A collection of murmurs spread through the Hall, causing Harry to squirm in his seat and the color to leave his face.

"Me and Blaise? Ginny, no. I can explain-,"

"Tell me this is some sort of joke, Harry," Ron said, a tone of disbelief in his voice. "You're cheating on my sister?"

Harry immediately shook his head but couldn't get the denial to tumble out. Ron immediately turned his body to Harry, his hands was shaking in fury and Harry immediately cowered away.

"You're a poof?"

The question hung in the air. It was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop and before Harry could try to explain this, explain himself, Ron had shot up, almost reflexively Harry had done the same. He held his hands up in defense.

"Ron, please let me explain."

"You bastard!" And before Harry could give any sort of explanation, a fist connected to his nose, sending him tripping backwards and falling. His head burst in pain as it connected with the hard tile below. His glasses flew away from the impact and he immediately had the disadvantage of blurry sight. He heard Hermione scream Ron's name but it faded in and out. He could feel the blood gushing out of his nose and he reached up to cover it. He couldn't seem to piece together that Ron, his best friend, has just punched him but that did not matter one bit because Ron had launched for him, cocking his right fist back to strike Harry again.

Harry could do nothing but stare up at him in pure shock and disbelief, helpless to defend himself. Where was he wand? He had to have left it in the bed chambers. There was no way he could overpower Ron physically. The boy was twice as big as he was in all aspects.

Just as Ron was about to bring down another blow, Harry saw a blur of color and then a sickening crunch. Ron staggered backwards and hit the ground with a thud. Harry's vision proved useless as he tried to clearly see what had just happened. A blurred figure stood over him, but he knew it could only be one person. Blaise Zabini, all chocolate skin and brute strength. His brown eyes were lightened in fury but the rest of his face wore it's usual mask. Before Harry could call out to the man, Blaise had dashed forward.

As soon as Ron had regained his footing, Blaise was right there with a blow to the stomach, knocking the wind out of the redhead. Ron let out a strangled gasp before swinging towards the older boy's head but Blaise was quick with his reflexes and ducked out of the way and punched once again, sending the Gryffindor Head Boy to the ground.

Ron looked up to see the Slytherin tower over him with a menacing look in his eyes. Blaise was about to land another hit but Harry had taken this opportunity to lunge at Blaise from behind as an attempt to hold him back. Hermione had managed to pull away from Dean's grasp as she launched herself at Ron, her cries were loud.

"You poof! You cheated on Ginny with a bloody bloke? How dare you! How dare you betray her!"

"Enough!" A loud voice bellowed from beyond the ring of students that had formed around the fight. Professor Snape pushed his way into view, his greasy, black hair seemed incredibly frazzled as if he had ran the whole way and his dark, narrowed eyes seemed to pierce roughly through each and every one of them. "Stop this insolence immediately! Do you three understand me? One hundred points from Gryffindor for causing a disturbance during breakfast."

Ron let out a cry of disbelief. "Zabini's a Slytherin!"

Snape turned his attention to the freckled boy and sneered. "Mr. Weasley, to my classroom immediately. I will deal with you accordingly."

Harry's shaking knees was the only warning he got before he collapsed, much to the shock of Blaise. "Harry?" He placed a hand on his cheek but Harry couldn't even comprehend what had just happened. He felt dizzy, weak, faint. "Harry, look at me."

Harry tried to just listen to his friend's voice but he found that he couldn't focus. The people around him were gasping and screaming. "What's wrong with Harry Potter?" someone asked. "He's dead!" shrieked another.

"Quiet! All of you! Breakfast is over. Report to your first classes!" Professor Snape scolded them. "Mr. Zabini, I suppose you can handle it from here. Mr. Weasley, my classroom."

Ron mumbled as he was ushered out of the Great Hall, Hermione at his side and Professor Snape tailing behind them. The students soon dispersed as Professor McGonagall stepped down from the professor table and scolded them. "Professor Snape has given you all an order!"

"Blaise…" Harry said, ashamed at how weak he sounded.

The 'Eighth' year Slytherin's attention was immediately back on Harry. The raven-haired Gryffindor wondered how pitiful he looked at the moment. He then winced at a sharp pain in his head. "My head…"

"I know, Harry. I know. Shh, I'm going to bring you to the hospital wing. Do you think you can stand up?"

Yes, he thought so. Harry tried standing but immediately felt a wave of nausea come over him before he collapsed back onto the ground, a sharp pain shot through his ankle. He felt another wave of nausea overtake him followed by humiliation and pure shame. People were staring at him. He could feel it. Harry Potter, beaten up in front of the entire school. Outed in front of all to hear. He could feel the tears already forming before he could think of stopping them.

"Ok, stop trying," Blaise informed him.

"My ankle...Blaise...I feel sleepy."

Blaise could see emerald eyes slowly droop. "No. Hey, you have to stay awake for me, Harry." But Harry could already see his vision be tainted by blackness at the edges. Everything was too fuzzy. And then it all went dark.

It was already night time when Harry had regained consciousness. He could tell he was in the hospital wing just from the smell alone. He'd been in here countless times, this might as well have been his second home.

The room was lit up by the moonlight that shone through the windows, giving a soft halo his bedsheets that Harry always liked. It calmed him at times when his injuries led him to be kept overnight. His head still hurt and his vision was still blurry. He needed his glasses. He'd left them in the Great Hall. He inwardly cringed.

His secret was out. The whole school knew what he was...but he was more focused on Ginny's allegations. She was under the impression that he had been cheating on her with Blaise when that wasn't the case at all. He and Blaise had struck up an unexpected friendship. He depended on Blaise. A snore brought him out of his thoughts.

He turned his head to see Blaise sleeping in the chair next to his bed. Had he been here the whole time? Harry found himself smiling to himself as he watched the man sleep at an angle that had to be just uncomfortable but the man looked peaceful nonetheless. Harry noticed that when Blaise slept was one of the only times when Blaise looked truly relaxed. He even told Blaise this once when Blaise woke up from his daily after class nap and Blaise just eyed him strangely before laughing.

It was so strange to think that Ginny had actually thought he and Blaise were together. They had just become close friends. He could say that his connection with Blaise was just as strong as how it is with Ron and Hermione. How it was? His stomach rolled as he thought about it and he could find his headache throbbing. He decided he would deal with it all in the morning and for now, he would go back to sleep.

Harry was woken up a second time by a soft crash. He jerked awake and instinctively reached underneath the pillow in search of his wand and panicked to find that it wasn't there.

"Relax, Potter," the familiar drawl came. "It's just me."

Harry focused on the direction of where the voice was coming from. Where Blaise has once sat was Draco Malfoy. Harry narrowed his eyes.

"Malfoy? What are you doing here?"

Instead of answering, the blonde pulled something out from his robe pocket.

"My glasses."

"They were left in the Hall." The moonlight seemed to enhance the Slytherin's features in a way that made it hard for Harry to deny his beauty. His grey eyes seemed to be glittering in amusement at seeing his long-time enemy in such a vulnerable state and his hair was no longer unattractively gelled back and now hung in loose, free tendrils.

"You could've just handed them into Pomfrey or something. What do you want, Malfoy? Or are you here to see me weak? Here to gloat?"

"Do you truly think I am that bad? Is it so hard to believe that I just came to return your glasses?"

"Actually, yeah. It is."

The blonde sighed. "Ok, I didn't actually expect you to wake up." Harry could see faint pink splotches form on Malfoy's pale cheeks. He decided not to press it further.

"Where's-"

"Blaise? I told him to sleep in his own bed for once. He's been sitting in this chair for two days, refusing to leave, that stubborn prick."

"Two days? I've been here for two days?!"

Malfoy looked at him as if Harry were growing two heads. "You hit your head pretty hard, Potter. Even managed to break your ankle and according to Pomfrey, you were exhausted. Seems like you needed the sleep." The blonde then stood up and adjusted his robes. "Speaking of sleep, it's early in the morning. You should catch up on your sleep some more before Pomfrey kicks you out tomorrow." He then walked towards the exit.

"Er...Malfoy? Thanks...for the glasses."

If Malfoy heard him, he didn't turn around. Harry sighed. He must've been tripping off of whatever potion Pomfrey was giving him. There was just no way that Malfoy was just sitting next to him and being actually nice. Well, as nice as Harry imagined Malfoy could be. Instead of dwelling on it for any longer, Harry simply made himself comfortable in the bed and closed his eyes.