The problem was, with it went his protection from really analysing what he was doing and where he was and one fear was quickly replaced by another: fear that he might have actually hurt the people who had been his friends.

"Harry," Draco said, taking his face in both hands and making him look him in the eye, "everything's okay."

He felt a little light headed as the ideas that had been running through his head came back to haunt him. If Dean had got to his wand he wasn't sure what would have happened.

"Look at me," Draco demanded as he tried to look away; "everything is fine."

"I..." he started to say.

"Rushed in like an idiotic hero," Draco interrupted, refusing to let him finish. "Nothing happened; you didn't hurt anyone and you wouldn't have, okay?"

Harry was not so sure.

"Okay?" Draco insisted.

It amazed him how much faith Draco seemed to have in him; it shone in his lover's eyes and made him feel somehow whole. He nodded; faced with that belief he couldn't do anything else.

"Good," Draco said and to his surprise kissed him.

It wasn't a long kiss, or a passionate kiss, but it shocked him enough to keep him from spiralling into worry over his actions. The incubus part of him whispered at the back of his mind that he could easily push Draco up against the wall and have his way with him, but luckily his sensibilities were more prevalent and he managed to quell the urge.

"Later," Draco said with a small smile, as if reading his mind, "for now, we need to deal with the delegation."

The whole group of Gryffindors were looking at them with open curiosity when Harry dragged his eyes away from Draco. There were Dean and Seamus, Lavender, Colin and a third year Harry didn't know very well, he thought the boy's name was William, in the group.

"Sorry, Harry," Dean said and did actually look apologetic; "we didn't mean to scare you, we just wanted to know the truth and make sure you would be okay."

It was a very Gryffindorish sentiment and Harry did understand it; they had been looking out for him. The fact that he could feel when Draco was in trouble was not something that anyone had seen fit to bandy about and the current situation wasn't really anything anyone could have predicted.

"I ..." he tried to tell then why he had reacted the way he had, but, as usual, any mention of the premonition caused his voice to lock up.

"Like the article said," Draco stepped in for him smoothly, "Harry had another premonition; in it I died because of the Ministry being idiots. He won't be settled until it's all over."

Harry squeezed Draco's hand in thanks. He would have added something himself, something not directly to do with the premonition, but time was not on his side.

"Exactly what is going on here?" a very familiar voice asked and Harry looked round to see Professor McGonagall standing in the corridor.

All the other Gryffindors were looking anywhere but at their head of house, but Harry met her gaze.

"I got the wrong idea," he said simply; he didn't want anyone getting into trouble.

The way the professor looked at Dean and the others on one side of the corridor and Draco and him on the other, he doubted she couldn't figure out some of what had happened, but he hoped his head of house would not push the matter.

"So much so that you decided to break out of you room, Mr Potter?" Professor McGonagall asked and raised both her eyebrows.

"I'm feeling very jumpy at the moment," he replied, holding on to Draco's hand firmly, "because of ..."

Words failed him yet again, but he could see his message was received. The professor looked at the other Gryffindors.

"And what exactly happened to give Mr Potter the wrong idea?" she asked in her usual stern voice.

"I believe," Draco stepped in smoothly, "that Harry's friends wished to check the validity of the Prophet's report for themselves, Professor, and I am a little unsettled myself, given the situation, and they startled me."

It was an understatement of the situation, but Harry prayed McGonagall would accept it; more tension was not what he needed.

"Very well," Professor McGonagall said after a few seconds silence, "misunderstandings can happen so easily; I trust it will not happen again."

All the Gryffindors nodded very definitely.

"Good," the professor said in a very final tone, "then I believe you all have places to be. Mr Malfoy, you and I shall escort Mr Potter back to his room."

Professor McGonagall did not have all the secret ways to move around Hogwarts that the headmaster did, but she managed to find a route to the Room of Requirements that did not cross too many well-travelled paths, so Harry didn't have deal with too many people. He really wasn't quite sure how to react to what he had done, since he had just proved that even Hogwarts couldn't keep him in if he wanted out. It was unsettling to say the least; his previous episode had made him think he had proved that he was contained, but it turned out he wasn't.

"I will send a note to Professor Snape," his head of house told them as she delivered him back to relative security, "explaining why you will be a few minutes late, Mr Malfoy. I trust it will only be a few?"

Draco nodded politely.

"Of course, Professor," Draco replied in kind, "I will just make sure Harry is okay."

That satisfied Professor McGonagall it seemed, because she did not move to enter the room.

"Do try not to fret, Harry," she said gently, just before turning to leave; "I do not believe the headmaster ever thought this room would be a prison, more a safeguard, which it still is. I have found in the time I have known you, that you react to situations as necessary, and I think, perhaps, that this morning's incident was necessary and will serve you both well."

It was a very long speech from a usually reserved teacher and Harry took it to heart. He still felt off balance and less protected than he had, but he could see what his head of house was trying to tell him.

"Thank you," he said and he genuinely meant it.

With that Professor McGonagall turned and walked off with her usual efficient stride.

"Come on," said Draco and ushered him into his room; "let's find you some clothes."

~*~

Draco had given him a little pep talk before leaving, but Harry was amazed that he'd been able concentrate at all during the first lesson of the morning. Snape had raised an eyebrow at him when the man had first seen him, since he was wearing a t-shirt and jeans, but since he only had one complete uniform at the moment (he really needed to buy some more) and he had torn it to shreds, he hadn't had much choice. There really was no mending clothes that looked as if the incredible hulk had been wearing them.

That was why, when the mirror cut out without him asking it to, just as he was in the middle of his potion, he was rather surprised.

"Crap," he said loudly; he'd been reading the instructions from the board.

It was annoying to realise his potion was going to be ruined through no fault of his own.

"Harry Potter, Sir," Dobby's voice made him turn.

He hadn't summoned the house elf, so he assumed the small creature had been sent.

"The Headmaster is asking if you would be kind enough to join him in his study," Dobby said with a bob of his head; "he is sending Dobby to clean up your potions for you."

That was a bit of a shock.

"He wants me to go out there?" Harry said, looking at the door.

He'd only been back in his room for an hour; he wasn't sure he liked the idea of leaving its safety again. Dobby bobbed his head again.

"The Headmaster, Sir, is saying that there are people who wish to talk to Master Draco and that to be avoiding misunderstandings Harry Potter should be invited too," Dobby said somewhat apologetically.

Harry's reluctance was wiped away with just a few words and he put his wand back in his pocket and stepped away from his potion brewing.

"Thank you, Dobby," he said, doing his very best to appear calm, even though his heart was beating a mile a minute.

Logically he knew Dumbledore would never let anything happen to Draco, however logic didn't always hold a lot of sway. The events of earlier had proved that and Harry walked towards the door quickly. This time it opened for him and he stepped out into the hallway, schooling his features into as neutral as he could manage.

He hadn't really had time to analyse how it felt to be outside and free after his previous escape, he had been more worried about Draco, but he had a little time just then. The magic of the school was so clear to him and he could sense the bustle of life. His instincts wanted to drag him in all sorts of directions, so he squashed as many of them as he possibly could and focused on the ones that wanted to protect Draco.

Setting off, he walked quickly, heading straight to the headmaster's study and doing his very best to ignore everything else. He had no choice but to pass through the main parts of the school, but with lessons in progress he met only two people and even when they stared at him he simply kept walking. The gargoyle let him up when he produced the latest password and then he ascended to the Headmaster's office, stepping through the door and doing his very best to appear completely calm.

"Ah, Harry, thank you for coming so quickly," Dumbledore said from behind his desk, "do come in. You know Auror Tonks and this is Auror Newline."

"Wotcha, Harry," Tonks said, smiling at him.

"Hello," he replied, walking forward and giving Newline the once over.

If the Ministry had sent Caveo he might have had to kill the man, but Newline didn't seem to be hostile and didn't seem to mind the scrutiny.

"Tonks and Newline are here to record young Mr Malfoy's new mark for the official records," Dumbledore explained with a benevolent smile. "I thought it best you be here so there were no misunderstandings."

His break out was probably news all over the school by now and he was not in the least bit surprised by the headmaster's reasoning. Clearly the plan 'Reintegrate Harry' had gone up a notch thanks to his own actions.

"Thank you," he said, sitting down in the chair furthest from the Aurors.

"If we can confirm what was reported in the Prophet this morning," Newline said in a very pleasant manner, "then it will help greatly in expediting Mr Malfoy's case."

Harry wanted to demand that the case be dropped instantly, but he knew that would do no good, so he just nodded silently.

"I hope you don't mind me saying, Mr Potter," Newline said in a very cheerful tone, "but I find your case fascinating. I studied magical beings in university before I had a moment of insanity and joined the Aurors. I must say your core magic must be incredibly rich to not have been overcome by the magic added to it. I was very impressed when I read the report."

Harry just blinked; that was not what he had expected. Newline was in fact a polar opposite to Caveo and it finally began to dawn on Harry that maybe this was actually all a formality rather than something sinister. He looked to Dumbledore, who just smiled at him, only backing up his supposition.

"Thank you," he said, looking back at Newline, "I think."

Newline actually smiled at him for that, but before the man could reply the door opened again and Draco stepped in.