
Harry looks up from the mysterious Half-Blood Prince Advanced Potions Textbook as Hermione says his name for the second time. Looking up he sees her eyes dart to a brunette walking down the aisles between tables. “That’s Katie, Katie Bell.” At the name he realizes what she's talking about and stands, walking over to the girl. “Katie, Hi.” Harry says as he stands in front of the girl. She gives a tight smile before speaking. “I know you're going to ask, Harry. I’ve been trying to remember, Honestly. But I just can’t.” Slowly her gaze leaves Harry’s, coming to rest on someone behind him. Quickly Harry turns around, his eyes meeting with Draco’s silver ones. As he looks into the other boy’s eyes, Harry recognizes a brokenness in him that he finds familiar from looking into the mirror over the years. The blonde seems to see Harry recognizing his brokenness and quickly turns away, rushing out of the Hall, pushing any classmates out of his way. Harry rushes after him watching as the Slytherin walking into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. He stops outside the door until he hears a choked sob coming from inside. Quietly Harry opens the door, making his way into the room. Silently he steps further in, trying to stay as hidden as possible, cursing himself for not having his invisibility cloak. As the blonde comes into view Harry takes on the scene in front of him; Draco hunched over one of the sinks, his sweater discarded on the floor, his tie loosely hanging around his neck, his face reflection in the mirror with tears caking on his pale skin, his eyes room the mirror before silver eyes meet emerald green ones. Asif by reflex Draco pulls out his wand turning and sending a blast of energy at Harry. It hit the wall next to Harry causing him to jump away from the wall, standing in the open now. Harry looks into the silver eyes realizing that neither of them wanting to hurt the other. He shoots a blast, hitting the mirror Draco had been looking into moments ago, and ducking behind one of the bathroom stalls. Draco sends a few more blasts towards Harry all of them hitting either the stall door or wall. Slowly the brunette comes out from behind the stall, his hands raised in surrender, his wand tucked away in its holster.” Draco slowly raises his head from the floor, his wand falling from his hand as he takes in Harry’s stance. Slowly the blonde wraps his arms around his knees, letting himself break again. Calmly Harry makes small movements towards the boy rocking back and forth on the floor. Harry squats down next to the Slytherin, his arm instinctively wrapped around the boy's shoulder pulling him close. At first, Draco tries to pull away, his red-rimmed eyes meeting Harry’s memorizing green ones. Slowly as he looks into the Gryffindor’s eyes, Draco relaxes into the boy's arms, clutching onto his robes as another sob rips through his body. Taking a shaky breath, Draco whispers into the boy's shirt. “I can’t do this anymore, I just.” His breath hitching in his throat. He clears his throat before continuing. “I can’t live up to what my father wants; he forces my and mother to join in his Death Eater ways, forcing me into getting the goddamn mark.” He rushes the last part out, seeming to realize who he was talking to as his breathing stops and his body becomes rigid. Harry unfazed by Draco’s confession pulls him closer, the blonde ending up in his lap. The brunette rubbing small circles into the other's back. Draco tucks his head under the smaller boy’s head. With a hiccup Draco beginning to speak again, a little more strength present in his voice. “It's all his fault; I never wanted to be part of his stupid cult.” Harry nods, his breath coming out ragged as he tries to fight back his tears from hearing the boy’s confession. “He forced me into it, and now You-Know-Who wants me to kill Dumbledore and, I-I can’t do it, I tried cursing a drink, and the necklace. Oh that poor Bell girl, she wasn’t supposed to get hurt.” His voice cracks, breaking down into broken sobs, his face buried into Harry’s shirt. Harry quietly begins to whisper into the boy's hair, the two clinging to each other. “It's going to be okay; you're going to be fine. Neither of them are going to hurt you; I won’t let them.” The room falls into a comfortable silence the sounds of their crying the only thing breaking the silence around them. After a while the two break away from each other slowly, their eyes meeting, as Draco quietly speaks up. “You're going to protect me?” Harry smiles his signature lopsided grin. “Yes, I’m going to protect you, is that okay?” He asks, his smile faltering as he waits for the response. For the first time in way too long Draco felt happy. Slowly his lips tug up into a half smile, a little of his usual confidence coming back. “I guess that could be okay, but only if you're okay with this.” As Harry raises his eyebrow in a question, Draco leans back into Harry. His lips softly grazing the other boys, Harry’s lips moving against his own. As they break apart to catch their breaths, Harry’s lips forming the lopsided grin once again. “Yeah, I think I could be okay with that.” The brunette remarks before leaning in and connection his lips to the Slytherin’s again, silently promising to protect him from anything Lucius Malfoy, or Voldemort or the world wanted to throw at them.