"Just in here," Blaise said, quickly separating from the tide of students and entering the disused classroom, Draco just managing to follow him before being swept away by the mass of bodies moving through the corridor for lunch hour.

"What do you want? Asked Draco with irritated abruptness, attempting to straighten out his clothes.

"I want you to tell me what's going on." Stated Blaise, arms crossed lightly over his chest. "It's been what, a week since the Yule Ball? And you and Pansy still aren't talking. And then, even before that, you were acting strange for about a week? I won't let you leave until you tell me," He added, blocking Draco as he made to leave. Angrily, Draco stepped back from the exit and crossed his arms, staring at the floor and stubbing it with his toe.

"You have no right to keep me here, and no right to pry. Let me out."

"No." Blaise leant against the door and eyed Draco. "Start talking."

"There's nothing to talk about."

Blaise laughed mirthlessly. "Draco, I think we all know that's a big lie." he sighed, "Oh, alright then, be like that. I'll start. What happened at the Yule Ball with Pansy?"

With cruelty borne of frustration, Draco gave a malicious chuckle. "Blaise, old pall, something gives me the feeling she doesn't like you back."

Blaise blinked, and looked away. "I know you, Draco. Well enough to know that you only act like a dick when you're hiding something. I'm aware she doesn't like me, okay? So just tell me whatever it is."

Draco continued to study the floor, and reluctantly narrated to Blaise what had happened at the Yule Ball, up to his walking out. When he'd finished, there was silence for a while until Blaise said, at length,

"Well, that's not that bad. It was bound to happen eventually. And now she knows where you two stand, so there won't be any more conflict once she gets over it. You need to apologise, though-"

"I'm not apologising for the fact that she kissed me!"

"Yes, you are." Blaise said, with the air of someone explaining to a screaming five-year-old that one plus one did, indeed, equal two, "You hurt her, and now you need to say sorry."

"What if I don't want to? What if the sound of her voice makes me feel physically ill, and I don't want to be around her anymore?"

Blaise's usually level voice was tinged with the beginnings of anger now "So you apologise anyway! When you hurt someone, you apologise, even if it's your worst enemy!"

Draco smiled. "You sounded just like your mother when you said that."

Angrily, Blaise looked away. "You made her really sad," He said quietly. "And that makes me feel like shit too. So, if you're loyal to me, you'll apologise. Okay?"

"Merlin's beard, alright. If I must." He made towards the door "So, is that all? Can I leave now?"

"No. That isn't really what's bugging you, you don't care that much about Pansy. Tell me what happened just before Christmas. That's when you really started acting weird. Oh, and by the way, I happened to notice that that coincides with you and Potter suddenly hating each other. So go on, speak."

With a groan of frustration, Draco clasped his hands behind his head and began pacing "I don't want to talk about this, okay? It's none of your business-"

"Yes it is. Draco, I know you don't really enjoy affectionate terms, but you have to understand that I. Am. Your. Friend. And were our positions reversed, you would do exactly the same thing as I am. So, actually, It's plenty of my business."

Draco turned on his heel and glared at , with angry quickness, he began to talk. "We had an argument, all right? It's nothing, anyway, it's not like I cared about him-"

"Liar liar, potion fire," Chanted Blaise. "You care about him. Don't kid yourself, and don't kid me."

"Think what you want, Zabini. But that's all it was. We fought, and now we don't talk. Happy?"

"Nope. Why has one argument made you pissed off at everything that breathes? If he doesn't matter, why do you care?"

"Because-!" Draco stopped abruptly and flushed redder that he already was. He couldn't tell Blaise; he didn't know how he would react. And if word got around that he and Harry-

"Because," Blaise finished, softly, "you like him."

The silence in the room was deafening as Draco's head whipped up, his bright grey eyes meeting Blaise's black ones in terrified defiance. "I- I never-"

"Draco, I don't care." Blaise gave what must have been a reassuring smile. "Unlike our other housemates, I was raised right. It doesn't matter to me who you like- actually, it would matter if it was Pansy, but I get the feeling you play on a different field, if you know what I-"

But Draco was shaking his head hard, the path to his lungs already beginning to constrict against the air in panic, "No, no, no, no! You can't know, this can't- my father-"

"Draco? Draco, calm down! Look at me," But Blaise's voice was growing fainter as the edges of Draco's vision became darker, finally engulfing him in black.

Draco covered his stomach with both hands, over the place where the twisted scar disfigured his body "You can't know, you can't,"

"Draco, please calm down!" But Blaise's voice was growing fainter as the edges of Draco's vision became darker, finally engulfing him in black.

0o0o0oo0

"Did you hear what happened?"

"What." Harry's voice came out flat and uninterested as usual, and he continued to stare at the same sentence in 'Deciphering Dreams: Volume III' that he had been 'reading' for the better part of half an hour.

"It's Malfoy," Ron said excitedly, "I just heard. He fainted! Lavender saw him being carried to the hospital wing at the end of lunch. 'Parrently he had a meltdown or something," Ron gave a bark of laughter. "Probably kicked one too many first years, and burst something. Oh, Merlin, you wait 'till 'mione hears about this!"

"Is he okay?" Asked Harry, sitting up a little straighter in his squashy armchair.

"Who cares! Hopefully he'll be recovering for ages. Wouldn't put it past the prick to use it as an excuse to skive classes- hey, maybe he did it on purpose, to get time off, you know?"

Harry raised his hand in the air. "Professor Trelawney? I need the loo."

"Very well, my dear, but do not tarry back! I sense there may be some danger lurking for you."

"What, I'm going to be attacked by Moaning Myrtle or something?" Harry said sarcastically, his voice deadpan as he made his way to the trapdoor, ignoring Ron's hurt, confused look. Slowly, deliberately, he lowered himself down the ladder rung by rung, as though he had all the time in the world. Then, as soon as he reached the bottom rung, he began to sprint. In no time at all he was at Gryffindor common room in the boy's dorm, grabbing the invisibility cloak from his trunk. Then he was off again, and in less than five minutes he was nearing the hospital wing, where he slowed, attempting to calm his breathing, and arranged the cloak to cover himself fully.

There was only one bed occupied, and it had curtains drawn around it to shield it from prying eyes. Faintly, Harry heard voices coming from behind the curtains, and drew closer.

"I promise you, I'm fine," Came a voice Harry recognised as Draco's. "Honestly, if my father hears that I'm being forced to stay here,"

"You've had a nasty shock, Mister Malfoy," Said Madam Pomfrey in her usual stern voice. "You need to stay in bed for another few hours before I can allow you to leave. I'm sure your father will not mind you getting the rest you need."

This was followed by a snort from Draco, and a few minutes later, Madam Pomfrey drew back the curtains and made to leave, turning back to say something to Draco before drawing them shut again. While she was talking, Harry had a clear look into the room, and could see Draco looking angrily at Madam Pomfrey. As it always did, his stomach gave a lurch when he looked at Draco, who seemed much more bedraggled than usual. Harry noted that once again dark circles were visible under his eyes, and wondered how they seemed to come and go so easily. Finally, the curtain fell back over the bed once more, and Madam Pomfrey walked purposefully back to her room at the rear of the Hospital Ward. Once again, Harry became aware of his heartbeat, though it had slowed considerably since he had entered the hall. After standing for a moment, he turned on his heel and swiftly retraced his steps to the Divination Classroom, earning a slightly perturbed look from both Ron and Professor Trelawney for his slightly breathless entrance.

0oo0o0oo00

The silence hanging between Draco and Blaise was palpably awkward. Once, Blaise made to say something, but then bit his lip, and sank back down onto his seat. At some point, Manimi got bored and returned to the dorm room. Finally, Blaise broke the silence.

"Sorry, Draco. I didn't realise that you were going to be that affected by... everything."

Unsure of what to say, Draco sighed and examined his clasped hands. "You had no right."

"I know, Draco, but I thought - I knew - that something needed to happen. It still needs to happen. I really am sorry about earlier, but you need to get this all out of your system."

Draco glanced around the common room, which was mostly empty, save a couple of studying sixth years. Reluctantly, he turned back to Blaise, and lowered his voice. "Look, my dad isn't, well, he isn't the most forgiving of people. Nor is he the most open, loving person. Can you imagine what he'd do if he found out that I was... you know, with H- Potter."

"You can call him Harry. I won't tell anyone," Said Blaise with a half-smile. "Yeah, I knew that your dad wasn't accepting. But I didn't know it was that bad that it could make you pass out with stress,"

"Yeah, well, there's plenty you don't know," Draco said without elaboration. Blaise obviously understood the frankness and didn't push the matter.

"Come on, let's head back to the dorm. It's getting late."