"Are you kidding me? I met him like seven times. You lived with that creature. You're the survival expert."
                              
"And he Avada Kedarvaed you how many times? Four?" Draco muttered.
                              
"What?" Harry said confused and then did the math. "Oh... I guess he did. The wands messed it up... twice."
                              
"Uh huh... the Boy Who Lived Four Times."
                              
"Not the same ring on it. I do like Prince of Slytherin, though," Harry smirked.
                              
Draco snorted, but didn't say anything. Harry finally let go to stare at him. Draco shrank down from his gaze, fear not totally gone. Harry had seen that in his eyes since he pulled him from Azkaban. Malfoy was afraid of him and his power over him. He was right to ask him to wait. Draco needed some self-confidence... needed to get stronger.
                              
"We are going to be okay... Draco. Believe it. It's going to be rough at first, but it should settle down. They'll get over it after a while. You have to be strong."
                              
"Strong is not a word I would use to describe myself."
                              
"Try?"
                              
He nodded. Harry pulled himself out of the bed. Draco got up to say goodbye. Harry brushed the hair from Draco's eyes. Draco was only an inch or two taller than him now. Might be more if Draco wasn't cowering so much.
                              
Harry pulled his head down and kissed his forehead. "You can come to me for anything... I mean anything. If you don't want anyone to see, write it down, slip me a note... use a school owl. I'll fix whatever's wrong."
                              
"Thank you...Harry... I...."
                              
Draco's silver eyes stared back into his. Harry could see the desire... the want. How close they were, yet not touching. Harry felt the pull to move in and forget everything that they had said. Make Draco forget it. Nothing was worth holding this moment off. They belonged together. The electricity between them was undeniable. All Harry had to do was place his lips on Draco's and make the decision. It would be fine... it would.
                              
Draco was not unaffected, too. He couldn't look away, trapped in their eye-lock. His legs shook and he was nearly hyperventilating. He wanted him. Draco couldn't hide that. He moistened his lips and it took all of Harry's willpower not to snog him to death on the spot. Harry had to force his muscles to lock down to stop himself.
                              
"You can do it... if you want..." Draco's quiet, subdued voice muttered. He broke eye contact.
                              
Harry straightened up. Consent. How it was building to this... he needed to connect to him, it was almost compulsory. But he stopped himself, again. Was consent enough? He was in a position of power. Draco's painful words from last night, struck him cold. "You can do whatever you want. I can't tell you no." Draco said, and that he had absolute power over him. Would he, could he betray that trust just to satisfy his lust? No... he promised and couldn't help but notice how much Draco was submitting to him. There was no resistance in him... it had gone past desire.
                              
"No... I respect what you said yesterday... not until you're ready. I won't hurt you, too," Harry said, carefully controlling his words. If he couldn't have Kreacher submit to him, he certainly wouldn't allow a mentally and physically abused 18 year old to subjugate himself to him.
                              
Draco's knees gave way and he nearly collapsed into Harry's chest, tears on his face. He cried, sobbing quietly. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry."
                              
"Shh... I'm right here. There's nothing to apologize for."
                              
Draco sniffled. "Thank you... for not.... I'm just so... fucked up."
                              
"I promised. We'll be equals... one day," Harry whispered, holding him.