Hermione raised an eyebrow at Harry in the hallway after, not for the first time, Draco Malfoy brushed past the pair without saying anything, not even making eye contact.

"He must really not want to confront you," Hermione said to Harry, to which he responded with a small nod, lost in thought. Malfoy had been staring at him lately, though whenever Harry noticed him doing it, the blond would sneer and promptly look away. But Ron and Hermione were yet to notice it, so Harry kept it to himself.

"I guess so," Harry agreed absentmindedly. "Is Ron still in the common room?"

Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes. "Yes, he's finishing the potions essay. I let him use my notes, but only because Professor Snape's been acting more agitated than usual and I don't want him to get detention," she admitted.

"Well, if he doesn't hurry, he'll be late," Harry pointed out, quickening his own pace towards the dungeons. The pair were going to Double Potions with the Slytherins, something Harry had been dreading for days. It was his first class with Malfoy since the incident in the Room of Requirement.

When Harry and Hermione finally got to the classroom, they found their seats and took out all of their materials, Ron rushing into the room panting just before the lesson started.

Harry watched Snape stand in the front of the room in all of his greasy haired glory, scowling. "Today we will be making the Draught of Peace. Instructions are written here, and everything must be done exactly as it says, or the potion will not work. Is that clear?" he said, sounding bored.

A chorus of acknowledgement rang throughout the room as students began to pull out their wands, cauldrons, and miscellaneous ingredients. Harry looked up at the commotion around him until his eyes landed on a certain blond Slytherin, who was looking intensely at the floor. Harry snapped his head down and focused his entire attention on the task at hand.

---

Draco, however, couldn't concentrate. He wished that he could have the Draught of Peace at that very moment, because anxiety was eating at him relentlessly. He still hadn't succeeded in his task to bring the Death Eaters into Hogwarts and kill Dumbledore, and it was only a matter of time until Snape took it into his own hands to push Draco along.

"Mr. Malfoy."

Speak of the devil and he appears.

"Professor Snape?" Draco said, looking up innocently. "Can I help you?"

Snape regarded him with cold eyes. "Step inside my office for a moment, please."

Draco stood wordlessly and followed the teacher towards the small room in the front of the classroom, glancing at Potter on his way. He jerked back a bit in surprise when he saw that the Gryffindor was staring right back.

At Draco's movement, Potter didn't even move, maintaining eye contact with an expressionless face until Draco jerked his eyes away and walked into the office, out of sight.

Snape was turned away from Draco, facing the wall of potion ingredients, and Draco shivered to himself inwardly. Something about his nemesis's emerald gaze boring into him unsettled him greatly. He forced himself to push it out of his mind, though, when Snape turned back to him.

"How far along are you with your task?' he asked, black eyes narrowed.

"It's none of your business, sir," Draco answered, putting as much sarcasm as he could in the last word. He was sick of his parents pressuring him through subtle letters, and he didn't need yet another more trusted servant to the Dark Lord micromanaging him.

Snape's scowl deepened. "You might want to refrain from taking a tone with me. Now I'll ask again. How far along are you with your task?"

Draco remained silent this time, stubbornly refusing to reveal that he was utterly failing.

"Do you need me to take over and kill the Headmaster, Mr. Malfoy?"

Draco looked up, eyes wide with rage. "What? Of course not!" he exclaimed furiously.

"Then I'd suggest you figure out how to get it done, and sooner rather than later," the Professor said coldly, leaning in a bit as if proximity would show just how serious he was. With that, he stalked out of the room, not even looking back to see if Draco was following him.

---

Harry looked up from his halfhearted attempt at the potion he was making when he heard the door swing open, revealing an irritable Snape and a frustrated Draco slipping back into the classroom.

They must have been talking about whatever Draco was doing for Voldemort, Harry guessed. He just wished that he knew what it was Malfoy was actually supposed to be succeeding at.

Harry needed to get answers. Ron and Hermione wanted him to go to Dumbledore, and he couldn't do that without indisputable proof. Harry decided that he would ambush Malfoy when he was alone as soon as possible and interrogate the Death Eater. Then, he would actually be able to provide real information about what was happening.

It wasn't the best plan, but it was a plan.

Before class ended, Snape asked everyone to turn in their essays on the history of recreational potions, which, unfortunately, Ron hadn't been able to finish. He was short five inches. Snape pulled him aside to scold him, and Harry and Hermione waited outside of the door so that the trio could leave together. At least, until Draco pushed past the pair on his own.

"You wait for Ron, I have something I have to do," he said distractedly, already walking away from his friend.

"Harry, wait!" Hermione called after him, but it was too late. Harry was already gone.

He followed Malfoy at a distance, not wanting to let the blond know he was following just yet. They passed through several halls until Draco stopped in front of the prefects' bathroom. Harry heard him mutter "bowtruckle" before the door swung open and Draco disappeared inside.

Harry crept up to the door and said the password himself, stopping the door from opening too widely, still unsure as to whether he wanted to reveal himself Draco quite yet.

Malfoy sat with his back to the door and head in his hands, back trembling rapidly. Was he... crying? Surely not.

Harry crept further into the room, but his stealth quickly abandoned him with the tapping his shoes made as he stepped onto the slick floor. Draco whipped around at the noise, eyes bloodshot and wand ready.

When he saw who the intruder was, he leapt to his feet in outrage. "What are you doing here?" he exclaimed, eyes narrowed in suspicion and anger.

Harry took a step back, tilting his head in confusion. "Were you just crying?"

Draco's expression hardened instantly, and Harry wished that he could take back the words. "I didn't mean--" he quickly tried to redeem himself, but Draco interrupted.

"Get out, Potter! You're not even a prefect!" he shouted, wand hand extended threateningly.

Harry reached into his own robes and retrieved his wand, shouting, "Expelliarmus!" before Draco could react. His wand flew out of his hand and into Harry's, who was now brandishing two weapons. "Malfoy, I need answers! I know you're doing something for Voldemort," Draco flinched, but maintained his hardened expression, "and I know you're doing it under the threat of him killing your family! Can't you see that he's evil?" Harry exclaimed.

"Don't you think I know that?" Draco yelled back, causing Harry to jerk back in surprise at his outburst. "But you said it yourself! He's going to kill my family if I don't do it," he added, voice quieting a bit.

"Don't do what?" Harry asked, pushing up his glasses from where they rested on the tip of his nose, having fallen when he jumped back.

Draco laughed mirthlessly. "As if I would tell you," he sneered.

"I can help you," Harry pointed out, his tone becoming slightly sympathetic, even though he was still angry at the entire situation.

"No, you can't!" Draco said, slightly hysterically. "No one can! Why don't you understand that?" he asked, sliding down to the ground with his back to one of the walls.

Harry was shocked by Draco's sudden and blatant resignation, but decided not to comment and risk him getting fired up again. He took a hesitant step forward.

"I can help, but only if you let me," he said, reaching out a hand to help Draco up.

He was surprised when Malfoy not only gripped it, but used it to pull the rest of Harry down on to the ground beside him. He then buried his head in his knees, his back rising and falling with his steady but rapid breathing. Harry didn't move, only stared at the Draco Malfoy that was before him, one he didn't recognize. One that was vulnerable. It put the situation in a whole new light for Harry.

He was thinking about what it must be like for Draco, and he was so lost in thought, that he forgot where he was until he felt two arms wrap around his neck. Harry gasped and stiffened as Draco pulled him into a tight embrace, his skin feverishly hot on Harry's. His eyes widened before he hesitantly hugged the Slytherin back.

"Draco," he said, using his first name for the first time in a long while, "we'll help you."

He barely heard it when Draco whispered, "Thank you," into his shoulder.

But he did hear it.