Immediately after class Harry balled the paper in his hand and punched the wall. He didn't know what hurt most: his emotions or his knuckles. He fell back and slid against the stone he just hit, the entire corridor was empty except for Ron and Hermione who just walked out of the potions class room and hadn't seen him yet.

Harry's face was emotionless but his eyes were glassy and just stared at the opposite wall. He didn't turn his head when the two approached him.

"My entire life is falling apart at the seams. And there is absolutely nothing I can do about it."

"What's wrong, mate?"

"I keep being there for him, but he just won't let me and I don't know what to do."

"Harry, what happened," Hermione said crouching next to him.

"I just try to help him and it only makes things worse," he said staring at the ceiling to keep his tears to fall. "He hates me."

"Harry, maybe you should back off a bit. Maybe he just feels suffocated."

"She's right, mate, you are crowding him, it's only the first day back."

"Yeah but-"

"Think of it as if you are helping him and in the long run it will work out."

"I'm not sure about that anymore," Harry let a few drops falling from his eyes and sighed.

"It's too early to judge that, we should really get going," Hermione said helping him up. "Class is starting soon."

They made their way to the rest of their classes and Draco refused to even look at Harry throughout the rest of the day. It honestly just motivated him more and went directly to the library without food or precious sleep.

Hermione agreed to meet him after dinner before calling him crazy, but he didn't care.

Anything to save Draco.

It was another restless night, even if he tried to sleep in the library he couldn't, for his heart was too heavy. He toyed with Draco's necklace and held his pocket watch in his left hand.

1260

The clock stroke 3:30 and Hermione was already passed out. She had napped during dinner and Harry made a mental note to thank her graciously when this was all over- if this was all over. He placed his invisibility cloak on the desk next to her and went to the common room uninterrupted.

He slowly climbed up the stairs and looked for door, which had their names on it and the 3rd door to the right said "Potter, Weasley," with golden letters.

Harry couldn't help but glance over his shoulder to speculate the rest of the hallway until he found "Malfoy, Zambini," written in silver. It was one door down from his across the hall, one could say they were diagonal to each other.

He placed his head against his own door while his hand touched the knob, trying to push away the memories surfacing. God damn, he missed him so much.

Harry entered and went to his trunk quietly despite Ron's snores. He found the little book he'd been looking for, which was on top, and slipped out one of the 5 photos- the one of them kissing. Casting a small lumos from his wand (which Hermione found and fixed) he turned to the last page and fell heavily on his bed, not even knowing what emotion to feel.
---

I'm so sorry.

Please help me.

I know you'll Always be there for me. You know where to find me.

Love always,
Draco

---

Harry sat back and hot tears dripped from his face and he tried to choke back the sounds escaping his throat in hope to not wake up Ron. Instead he closed his curtains and cast a silencing charm, before absolutely bawling.
---------------------

"Look at that one, there," Draco exclaimed while looking up at the starry sky. He was outside on a cool autumn night, laying in the bitter grass his hand interlocked with another. His body was along the line of someone else's, the warmth radiating off of it. They were close, incredibly close.

"What is it?"

"Orion's Belt! Those three," he said, pointing at the bright balls of light.

"Oh I see it!" Draco felt a newly placed weight on his shoulder, and not minding, he turned his neck so he also leant on the head that was occupying him. The voice then said, "look right there, just over to the left."

Draco did so and he saw black hair in the corner of his eye, but strangely he didn't question it. Instead he kept searching the dark skies.

"What? I can't see it?"

"To the left, more!"

"Where!?"

"Here," Harry whispered before taking his empty hand and completely turning Draco's head by his chin. He pressed his lips against Draco's firmly, and only after Draco realized who it was, did he wake up screaming.

"Are you okay," Blaise asked.

"I had a horrible nightmare!" He got up from his bed and sprinted to the bathroom, squeezing toothpaste onto his toothbrush.

"What was it about?"

"I dreamt I was kissed by Potter," he said, shoving the tool in his mouth and scrubbing as hard as he could. "It was disgusting!"

Blaise just sat up with a look of uncertainty in his eyes. Although he never fancied the idea of the two and item, he had to admit: they were perfect together.

And seeing Draco the way he was drove him into dismay. He just wondered how long it would take the two to click again.

Both boys didn't get any sleep the rest of the night. Either because they were too afraid or they just couldn't. Skipping to their first class, DADA, Harry presumably got there early, mostly because he didn't want to see the look on his friends faces. He knew he looked horrible. He didn't need to hear it.

As more students poured into the room Harry rested his head on the familiar wooden desk, just to shut his eyes felt like a desert in the first few drops of a downpour.

"I will not have students, especially those who think a scar can keep them exempt from any rules, sleeping in my class," a stern, pickled voice spoke from the back of the room. Harry's head shot up and starred directly in front of him. He knew that voice. "Nor pugnacious, criminalized vermin just lucky enough to escape their sentence."

"Don't you dare talk to him like that," Harry immediately bit. He eyed Draco before turning to the notorious Prosecutor he despised, who was swiftly clicking his heels to the floor, tap, tap tap, as he made his way to the front steps of the classroom.

"Really, now," he tried to hide his sneer with a fake laugh, just like Umbridge used to, worse than Umbridge used to. "I do dare, Mr. Potter. If you never do so wish to leave this school then I suggest you keep your mouth shut, although I know someone as stubborn minded and arrogant as you couldn't take the challenge."

"If anybody is arrogant and narrow minded it would be you. Please don't tell me you're our new defense against the dark arts teacher, because if you knew anything about the dark arts you would have known the second you heard Draco's story, he was innocent," Harry spat, standing. He didn't even remember he was in a classroom. It felt like he was back at the trial. Draco was all he could see, all his heart could speculate.

"Shut up, Potter," Draco shot as he slammed his hand on the desk. "Stop defending me!"

"Silence! Detention, both of you, tonight," the man snapped.

"But Dra-Malfoy didn't even do anything!"

"Mr. Potter, I suggest you keep your mouth shut before I send you and your friend to the Headmistriss."

"He's not my friend," Draco shouted.

Harry was about to fight back but Hermione stepped on his foot from under the desk and told him to drop it before things got really ugly.

"Now," the teacher said, "we all shut our uncontrollable mouths, I'm Professor Pumblechook, and I will be your new defense against the dark arts teacher. And yes, I do know what I'm talking about."

"Oh, your name matches your repugnant face," Draco called. He then turned to Harry. "There, now I did something. Like hell I'm letting you get me a detention! I'm going to earn it myself!

"Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Potter, one more word from either of you and you'll find yourself riding home on the train, tonight!"

Everyone was silent the rest of the class, even the two. It was a horrible class, and it reminded Harry of Umbridge, 100%. He knew it was a start to an awful year.
--------------------

Detention was equally as horrific. They were practically shouted at the entire time and if they spoke, it would cost them a month of scrubbing the room with a toothbrush. And even worse, Draco refused to speak with him, even look at him.

"I know there is something going on between you two. I'm going to find out, and I intend to make your life a living hell once I do."

That was the last thing Pumblechook said to them before practically throwing them out.

They were left in the vacated hallway, it dark and eerie. The two walked in silence, both fuming for different reasons. Harry wanted to spark a conversation but didn't know how to. He could tell Draco was livid.

"He shouldn't of spoken to you like that-"

"I don't give a damn," Draco bit before throwing him against the wall as hard as he could, "how he speaks to me. Don't you understand, I deserve it! What I want to know," he tightened his grip,"is why the hell you keep being there for me. Why you defended me at the trial, why you stand up for me!"

"Because I promised you I would," Harry said. He honestly forgot that Draco forgot. He felt like he was in another fight with him, something they could buffer out.

"No you didn't! I don't recall you even being civilized with me for 7 damned years! And now you act as though we are friends."

"Oh don't worry we've been more than civilized, we've been friends, we've been more than friends-"

"I don't know what kind of fantasy you live in, but I would appreciate it if you separated it from reality, because no one can handle your madness, I can't. What part of 'stay away from me,' don't you understand?" He released him and began storming away. Harry chased after the blonde.

"The staying away part."

"That was a rhetorical question, Potter!"

"Stop calling me Potter, Draco-"

"Stop calling me Draco. I'm Malfoy to you, I've only always been Malfoy!"

"We aren't kids anymore so stop acting like a child.."

"Acting-.... A child? I'm acting like a child! You're the one who pops up at my trial, somehow unconditionally saves my life, AGAIN, and then you say you want to kiss me after the trial and that-bleh- we're boy-f-f-frie- I can't even say it! And I can't tell if I'm having some insane, detested nightmare, but I'm honestly scared because I think the dementors got to me a little too deep and I'm freaking out! Honestly, I'd rather be in Askaban than with you, so stop caring for me because i don't want it. Save your pity for someone else."

"Pity? You think I'd defend you in front of the entire Wizgetamont out of pity."

"Why else would you- could you?"

Harry grabbed his cheek, and Draco looked at him like he was crazy and tried to swat away his hand but Harry grabbed it with his free hand and locked them together, forcefully.

"Draco, I know you're in there. I know you miss me, and I know you need me, you just can't find me yet," Harry said, staring directly in his stormy eyes that flickered, once, just once, to the pure mercury, "and I just want you to know, I miss you too, and maybe I might not see you for a while, but I'll wait. And don't you dare think I won't defend you on my deathbed." He dropped his hands from Draco's body. "I'll just give you a bit to sort yourself out then Malfoy..."

Harry walked away from the bewildered Draco with a heavy, yet lighter heart than how he had been, knowing he needed to give him his space.

What else could he do?

Well besides skip the rest of his classes and go to library, finding endless stacks of books, and trying to find a cure to their depressing crisis.