"Samir...."
"I hope she will! Wait till I tell Mimi that I met you! It's so awesome to have both my heroes in the same room!"
Draco blushed a little at that, too, though he knew how much Samir had connected to him. "Thank you, Samir. Now get on home, before I get an earful from your foster mum."
The kid turned around and hugged him and then Harry. "It was so nice to meet you, Mr. Potter!" Then he dashed out of the room.
Potter watched the door for several seconds after it shut. He was processing it.
"Samir Harris. He's sixteen, would you believe it?" Draco said, quietly.
Harry watched him as Draco got up and sat back in his seat. 
"Because he said I could talk about him... he was barely thirteen, a third year, when he fled Hogwarts. He managed to evade the Carrows, but the wolves caught him near York. The kid was pretty smart to make it that far. You... were lucky, Harry. Lucky that Fenrir and Scabior recognized you... and your friends. The others... didn't get a trip to my house. They eventually were sold off to the blood purists at the Ministry to be sent to Azkaban for... stealing magic. But the key word was eventually. Samir was their captive for several weeks."
Potter stared, this time stunned silent by shock and not a spell.
"There aren't words for what those... beasts did to that kid, and then the dementors... they made him relive it over and over again. I don't blame him for trying to find a way out, especially as his mum was killed during the war, too. After he was expelled, he broke into several shops in Diagon for food and supplies and finally tripped an alert ward trying to steal potions. He got arrested and was nearly sent back to that hellhole, but thankfully, he was given probation. It took a lot to earn his trust, to save him, to convince him to stop the self-destruction and build himself back up from nothing. But he's doing well, now."
Potter was quiet for a long time. "And you think you can save me?"
"I'm going to try. You, being the stubborn git you are, won't take me at my word. You won't let me help you until you really crash. It's going to hurt, when it happens, Potter. Trust me on that, but I'll be there ready to help you get back up."
Potter's eyes locked on to him. "Why?"
"The kid told you why, Potter. Not only did you save me from the flames and from being that evil bastard's slave, but you and Kingsley saved me from Azkaban and my own demons. You gave me a purpose. I owe you... everything," he whispered, and Potter went still. Draco closed his eyes and embraced his inner pain. "You don't know how right you were when you told me that I owed you yesterday."
Draco's very soul tinged in his acknowledgment of the life debt. He was shaking. "You have no idea how much power you have over me." Merlin, it felt like his soul was being raked against the coals.
"You're... in pain," Potter stated, analyzing him. 
Draco opened his eyes and met his eyes, warily. "I'm bound to you, Potter," he whispered, and he looked away, bracing himself for Potter, who was taking what little control he had left. 
But Potter said, softly, "I don't want you to be bound to me, any more than I want to be bound to you."
Draco took a deep breath. He had to step up... for Potter. "I know. I told you that I didn't want this, but really... there wasn't any other option. It's me or Azkaban."
Potter grumbled under his breath and then glared at him. "You really didn't ask Kingsley for that... DOI?"
"Of course not! It's meant for people who are actually mentally... challenged, children and elderly adults who have dementia. It should be illegal that you... were given that to sign," he growled, annoyed, and Potter's shoulders dropped.