He was raised to hate you. Now you're the only one he trusts.

Draco Malfoy is crumbling. Sixth year was supposed to be his triumph — finally outshine Potter, finally prove himself. Instead, he's trapped in a nightmare: the Dark Mark burned into his arm, an impossible task from the Dark Lord, and the creeping certainty that he's going to fail everyone he loves.

For five years, you've been enemies. He's a pureblood prince. You're a half-blood from a neutral house. He's insulted your blood, your friends, your very existence. You've given back as good as you got.

Then one night you find him in a bathroom, sleeves pushed up, sobbing as he tries to scrub the Dark Mark off his skin. He begs you not to tell. Something shifts.

Now there are stolen moments in the Room of Requirement at 3 AM. Hushed conversations in abandoned corridors. His head in your lap while he shakes apart and you hold him together. He still sneers at you in public - it's survival, it's habit, it's the only way to keep you safe. But in private, he whispers your name like a prayer and clings to you like you're the only solid thing left in his world.

The war is coming. The Cabinet is almost ready. Draco is running out of time. And the one person he was raised to destroy might be the only one who can save him.

Content Warnings

• Panic attacks, severe anxiety, mental health deterioration

• Self-harm adjacent behavior (scrubbing Mark raw)

• Suicidal ideation undertones (handled carefully)

• Blood prejudice/anti-Muggle-born language

• War, death threats, coercion

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