Title: Bruises
Author: Granitite Stone, granitite@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: If they were mine, would I be writing fanfiction? There is no malicious intent in this story, I know nothing about these men's real lives.
Distribution: The H/D List Archive can have whatever it wants. Everyone else, ask and you can have it.
Summary: Draco and Harry have always been enemies. No matter what appears to pass between them, that hasn't changed. Or has it?
Pairing: H/D
Rating: Hard R

Everyone stopped, and stared at Harry. Ron, at his elbow, whispered, "Harry, you didn’t…"

"Of course not. You’d better scram before Snape starts screaming." He waited until the last student had left before kneeling next to Draco, opposite Snape. "Draco, are you okay?"

"He can’t hear you." Snape was peering under Draco’s eyelids. "Seems to be unconscious, and the last thing he said was your name."

"You don’t have to sound so pleased, I didn’t do anything." Harry spoke as he rolled up Draco sleeves, checking for marks. Fresh bruises, as he’d expected, but also crimson stained bandages. "Oh."

"What?" Snape pushed Harry away. "What on earth?"

"I don’t know." He picked up Draco’s hand, noticed how cold it was, and rubbed it gently. "I imagine we’ll find out when he wakes up."

Snape just looked confused as Draco’s hand tightened around Harry’s in an unconscious gesture. Before he could comment, however, Dumbledore entered the room. "Thank you, Serevus. You may go now."

"He’s in my house. I demand an explanation!"

"And you’ll get one when I have one." Dumbledore waited until Snape had left the room. "Any ideas, Harry? Is this physical or magical?"

"He’s pretty beaten up." Harry almost didn’t want to look under the bandages, but he had to. "I think I’m gonna be sick."

"That bad?"

Harry fought back bile. "I’m thinking they were doing some kind of blood magic."

After a moment, Dumbledore had to look away. Draco’s wrists had been slashed. "No wonder he passed out, given the amount of blood he lost. Madame Pomfrey is on her way, she’ll take good care of him."

‘It doesn’t mean anything that he asked for you, just remember that.’ Harry didn’t want the feelings he was having. He might be sleeping with Draco, but it didn’t mean anything. He told himself he’d feel the same way if this were anyone. "Do you think I should go with him?"

//It will be very easy to make him love you, because you are basically the same underneath. Two little boys destined to lead their people in a wizarding war. Just don’t forget which side you’re on.//
*****
After Madame Pomfrey let Draco leave, they headed towards the Gryffindor dorms. It was easier to sneak in and sleep there, partly because Goyle woke Draco up by flinging open his curtains, and partly because Harry had superior wards. Draco’s still shattered when the nightmares got really bad. He was pretty sure tonight was going to be one of those nights.

Draco let his eyes drop closed Harry undressed him, taking in the damage. "So, at three am, when we’re both being murdered in our sleep, is Weasley going to burst in to wake you up?"

"He won’t hear a thing." Harry stopped for a moment to power up the old style Shinto wards around his bed. "These are strong. They were designed by two people with just as much to scream about as we do."

"Who?"

"My godfather." And that was all Harry would say about a man he called Snuffles. "Draco, what did they do to you?"

"My first Dark Conjuring. Has to be done with your own blood. I wasn’t very happy with the idea, so my father cast Imperius on me." It was the truth. He vary rarely lied to Harry because he never asked the right questions. Draco wondered if it was deliberate, but that was ludicrous.

"It still hurts, I bet." Harry trailed a finger down Draco's chest. "Feel up to anything? Might help you sleep."

"Sex helps the Unforgivable Curses? Learn something new everyday." Draco opened his eyes to find dark green ones staring at him. "Something wrong?"

"No, I just…" Harry smiled at him in reassurance. "I hate that he hurts you, and there's nothing I can do about it. Do me a favor, and don’t get yourself killed. Me and Dumbledore need you."

Draco laughed, and pulled Harry down for a kiss. There was screaming that night, but very few nightmares.
*****
Hermione had really wanted a Sneak-O-Scope for her birthday, and luckily her parents had managed to find one in the catalogs sent to Muggle parents. Staring out the window of her room, she watched Quiditch practice wrapping up.

In all honesty, she was watching Harry. Ron may have dropped it, but Hermione was still worried about Harry. Yes, he was sleeping and eating again, and the silence spells were back up, but Crookshanks kept waking her up at five am every morning. Someone as sneaking in or out of the boy's dorm under an invisibility cloak. She got the feeling it wasn't Harry.

Focusing in on the object of her suspicion, she watched Harry servicing his Firebolt. Someone was walking up behind him. "Malfoy!" There was nothing she could do. Draco literally pounced, knocking Harry to the ground. For a moment, Hermione was sure Harry was going to slug him. When he started laughing, her jaw dropped. When he kissed Draco, she fainted.
*****

Lavender was coaxing Hermione to drink a glass of water. "Are you okay?"

She shook her head, and began speaking incoherently. "Harry…Quiditch…snog!" Hermione took a deep drink of the water, and composed herself. "I think Harry was lost his mind."

Ron sat next to her. "What did you see?"

"Where is the nutcase?" Hermione wanted to talk to Harry first. "I think he's been hexed."

Harry was making sure he didn't have any visible marks when Hermione burst into the room. "Have you lost your mind?"

He took a step backwards. "Not that I know of."

"Don’t lie to me! Only a madman would snog with his worst enemy! I can't tell you what I thought when he tackled you. I was ready to run and break up a knockdown drag out fight, and you kiss him, and what am I suppose to think?"

"Hermione, calm down." Harry hoped they couldn't hear her in the Commons Room. "It's none of your business who I make out with."

"It is if he's probably a Deatheater!"

"He's not probably a Deatheater." Harry got ready to duck for cover. "He's definitely a Deatheater."

Hermione turned pale, then flung open Harry's trunk, digging out his potions supplies. "Don't worry, Harry, I'll unhex you."

"I'm not hexed, and don't even think of hurting Draco. I need him, he's spying for us." Harry took his potions kit back. "If you don’t believe me, ask Dumbledore."

"Harry…" Hermione sunk to the floor, trying not to go into shock. "Why Draco?"

Harry shrugged. "He was there, and… he understands things."

"What kind of things?" Hermione wasn't sure she wanted to know.

He didn't look at her, never looked anyone but Draco in the eye when he spoke of it. "Things like locked doors, bruises, and scars. Things like nightmares that shatter silencing spells. Things you and Ron can't comprehend, and I'm glad you don't."

"Scars?" Hermione almost didn’t want to speak.

"It's something I literally wouldn't wish on my worst enemy." He helped Hermione up from the floor. "It's just comfort, Mione. Draco's not so bad once you get to know him."

'He's doing it again.' The realization kind of made her sick. 'I need to talk to Kyle. As much as I hate Draco….'

End Chapter Four

Author's Note: Conversation in // are Draco remember a past conversation with Lord Voldemort. Also, I am a Slytherine with He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named as her top match. Be warned.