WAIT WHAT. The Spouse-ification Of Chloe?? Omg I Never Noticed This In Canon?? PLS Expand!!!

I've talked about the "Malfoy stood to one side, the sunlight gleaming on his white-blond head" bit before. But it's even funnier in context because Harry literally spends a paragraph describing the rest of the Slytherin team in very uncomplimentary ways - comparing a player to Dudley (who he hates), saying they look stupid, likening one player's forearms to "hairy hams" etc. And then he gets to Malfoy and drops that line. I mean, look at it:

It's literally like: "The rest of the team was ugly and stupid. Except for Draco Malfoy, who stood apart, haloed in a beam of sunlight that illuminated his beautiful gleaming blond hair." The way Harry's brain sees Draco versus everyone else is just...so telling.

And of course Draco's looking right back and making eye contact and smirking at Harry. Yeah he's doing it because he's smug about the "Weasley Is Our King" badges (which you know he only made because 1) he's insanely jealous that Harry chose Ron over him and 2) he knows going after Harry's friends is the best way to get a rise out of him) but also he and Harry just orbit each other so much. For the first 5 books Draco's whole life revolves around getting attention from Harry. They are both just constantly so aware of each other. Fic has nothing on canon.

Hi, I hope you're well.

I'm asking this for my friend who recently started watching bl. Can you recommend some enemies-to-lovers bl? Other than Bad Buddy

Gosh there are so many enemies to lovers. I thought I had a post for this but I guess not.

I’m tempted to draw a distinction between enemies to lovers and one sided crush with a massive tsundere character. So, for example, We Best Love is not strictly enemies to lovers, because only one of them thinks they're enemies, but Semantic Error is, because mostly they both are in it to fight. But I’m lazy, so I’m just gonna pick the top 10 off my spreadsheet labeled E2L and call it a day. Presumably, you can decide on the quality of your own enemies to lovers desires? 

Top 10 Enemies to Lovers BLs! 

1. Semantic Error (Korea - Viki) 

Korea hits it entirely out of the Park by doing a university set BL with everything we might expect done exactly right, their signature quality executed perfectly, and added bonus good story, great pacing, and fantastic chemistry. You cannot ask for more from a BL, let alone a KBL. 

2. We Best Love (Taiwan - grey) 

They enemies, but really only one of them cares because he such a tsundere fucker. (We love him for it.) WBL successfully managed to pick up and combine the best features of Korean, Thai, and Japanese BL as it exists right now. Couple that to the insane chemistry from the leads, and we have one of the greatest BLs of all time, cooking to a recipe I doubt anyone else will ever be able to replicate since only Taiwan is this flexible. (I consider WBL 2 parts as one whole.) 

3. Bad Buddy (Thailand - YouTube)

GMMTV’s flagship BL started 2022 on a BANG (okay no actual banging but you know what I mean), starring heavy hitters Ohm & Nanon in a pitch perfect university Romeo & Romeo masterpiece that will give you domesticity meets pain whiplash throughout and jet lag at the end. Great production values, killer acting, and some conscious effort to correct for half a decade of Thai BL’s anti-queer mistakes. It’s fantastic. 

4. Why R U? (Thailand - Viki) 

Technically both couples start out as enemies. It’s pretty clear Fighter is hella gay for Tutor and just can’t work his shit out, and that Saifah has a crush on Zon, but it takes them all a while to flirt their way into lovers. The story on this one is messy, but you can’t fault the chemistry, and is is the best high heat BL we’ve ever gotten from Thailand. (Trigger: hazing) 

5. SOTUS (Thailand - Netflix) 

Another one where the set up is enemies but the uke is just a massive tsundere who’s walls need to be scaled and shelled - as opposed to the standard practice of chipping away slowly. This is the BL that launched a hundred BLs. No literally, It was SOTUS’s international success that pretty much built the Thai BL industry into the juggernaut it is today. People have baggage around SOTUS, I have nostalgia. (Trigger: hazing) 

6. HIStory 3 Trapped (Taiwan - Viki) 

Basically the definition of enemies to lovers. This is a cop + the mafia man he is chasing but WAIT, they fall in love. Added bonus side couple: assassin and nerd cop ALSO falling in love. It’s great. All the leads are stellar. Its high heat, fun action, and a bit of a mystery drama but pretty about all of it. My only warning is that the main couple doesn’t entirely end up together, it’s implied, but... amorphous ending. 

7. My Day the series (The Philippines - grey) 

The set up on this one is enemies (also boss/employee) and they don’t like each other to start. But that gets resolved pretty quickly. And then they are some of the cutest, hottest, and best boyfriends ever. This is an under-appreciated BL, IMHO.  

8. My Sweet Dear (Korea - Viki) 

I liked this one a lot better than most. Strict professional rivals (chefs) in a very enemies to lovers BL - to the point where we mistrust the sincerity of the seme because he’s so very in it to win. I kinda like that, because kitchens are hotbeds of drama, and I like a seme with some sinister edge. But be warned, it means the whole romance comes off as a little disingenuous. 

9. You Are Ma Boy AKA EM LÀ CHÀNG TRAI CỦA ANH (Vietnam - YouTube) 

Another BL were the uke is just super tsundere and the seme kinda acts the part of an enemy in order to get what he wants (the uke). The leads in this drama crackle on screen together and I kinda adore them. Is there angst? Nope even what could have been angst (a gay idol) doesn’t materialize, it’s just cuties in a cafe confusing each other with cat & mouse games. No one has seen this BL, and you should really give it a try. 

10. My Engineer (Thailand - YouTube) 

The main couple is enemies to lovers. But no one watches this for the main couple. Still if that’s what you want these two do it. They are even linguistic enemies. I really only like them because their language use is so bonkers, but the cast is solid and there’s a lot to enjoy about this bit of multi-couple insanity. 

Some others to consider, not all of these might be strictly enemies to loves and some of them are not good, but they are all BL. 

Capture Lover (China - Viki) 

Mr. CEO is Falling in Love with Him (China - grey) = bromance-ish 

Because of You (Taiwan - Viki) - trigger: kidnapping 

TharnType (Thailand - Viki) - trigger: rape

Kiss Me Again the PeteKao cut (Tailand YouTube) - just messy 

It’s great but are they really enemies? 

Be Loved In House: I Do (Taiwan - Viki) 

Light On Me (Taiwan Viki) 

Addicted (China - Viki) - trigger: kidnapping 

Not Me also started as enemies to lovers, but it's airing right now, so I can't rec it since I don't do that until something is completed.

Codicil: List is updated as of Mar 2022. Subject to change as new BLs appear, my preferences evolve, or I get arbitrary and whimsical. 

(source) 

Time to discuss drarry moment number 923074037286 in HBP. I think it's really notable how in the aftermath of Dumbledore's death Harry not only canonically doesn't feel angry at Draco at all despite feeling murderous rage towards Snape, but actually goes out of his way to recount events in a way that shifts blame away from Draco as much as possible.

First, Tonks asks how Dumbledore died and we get this bit:

"Snape killed him," said Harry. "I was there, I saw it. We arrived back on the Astronomy Tower because that's where the Mark was . . . Dumbledore was ill, he was weak, but I think he realized it was a trap when we heard footsteps running up the stairs. He immobilized me, I couldn't do anything, I was under the Invisibility Cloak -- and then Malfoy came through the door and disarmed him--" Hermione clapped her hands to her mouth and Ron groaned. Luna's mouth trembled. "-- more Death Eaters arrived -- and then Snape -- and Snape did it. The Avada Kedavra."

Harry says there was a trap but doesn't mention anything about it having been a trap planned and set by Draco.

He uses passive, distancing language that doesn't even make it clear whose footsteps they heard on the stairs or under what circumstances Draco disarmed Dumbledore.

He doesn't mention anything about Draco having been assigned to kill Dumbledore, and almost makes it sound like he could've just happened on them and disarmed Dumbledore as a reflex or even in self defense.

And then he doesn't say that Draco held Dumbledore there at bay for a while, instead leaving it ambiguous as to whether the other Death Eaters arrived right away on Draco's heels.

And that's it. That's all he says. He puts all the focus and blame on Snape. Only several pages later when McGonagall asks how the Death Eaters got in does Harry even explain about the Vanishing Cabinets. Specifically the text says:

[H]e explained, briefly, about the pair of Vanishing Cabinets and the magical pathway they formed.

Again we see the same passive, distancing language that we saw when Harry mentioned "footsteps" on the stairs but didn't clearly say whose. It says he explained about the cabinets rather than something like "he explained about Malfoy's treachery and his plan to use the pair of Vanishing Cabinets to let Death Eaters into the school."

Harry directs the focus away from Draco and Draco's intent and involvement. I'm not sure this is even on a conscious level. His words are mimicking what his mind and his emotions are doing.

When someone asks what Snape shouted to the other Death Eaters as he ran past we get this:

"He shouted, 'It's over,'" said Harry. "He'd done what he'd meant to do."

Harry says he'd done what he - Snape - meant to do. Not what Draco had meant to do. Or what they'd planned together. So once again we see that Harry avoids blaming Draco or even revealing his full role in what happened.

And then, most interestingly, not till later when he's alone with McGonagall does he reveal that Rosmerta is being controlled. And the way he recounts it is REALLY striking.

"There's one thing you should know before the Ministry gets here, though. Madam Rosmerta's under the Imperius Curse, she was helping Malfoy and the Death Eaters, that's how the necklace and the poisoned mead--"

Again the use of passive language. He says that she is under the Imperius Curse rather than that Draco put her under the Imperius curse. In fact, he avoids directly blaming Draco at all. Harry merely says that she has been put under the Imperius curse by someone and that she was forced to pass on the necklace and the poisoned mead, leaving it ambiguous who cursed her and on whose orders she did those things, thus shielding Draco from blame.

He only brings up Draco to say that Rosmerta had been helping him and the Death Eaters rather than that it was Draco specifically who was controlling her. Given that the use of an Unforgivable Curse carries a life sentence in Azkaban this phrasing is certainly interesting. And it means that if Rosmerta did not see who originally cursed her, she might not be able to say who forced her to help Draco or possibly even whose idea it was to send the necklace and the mead into the school. That would make Harry the only witness who could prove Draco's guilt, and seemingly he doesn't want to do that.

Also. Draco IS a Death Eater. Harry's known it since the beginning of the year. And yet he says "Malfoy and the Death Eaters," because without even realizing it, he mentally puts Draco in a different category.

And then the next time Harry thinks of Malfoy is when he's looking towards where Draco usually sits and thinking about how Crabbe and Goyle look "lonely" without him even though given the tensions between them that we see in books 6 and 7 it's almost certain that they don't miss him at all. It seems much more likely that Harry is actually projecting his own feelings. In this context we get this bit of internal narration:

His animosity was all for Snape, but he had not forgotten the fear in Malfoy's voice on that tower top, nor the fact that he had lowered his wand before the other Death Eaters arrived.

I mean just what? All? ALL of his animosity? Draco is the one who let Death Eaters into the castle. He disarmed Dumbledore, thus (seemingly) enabling Snape to kill him. He also got Bill permanently maimed (though he didn't intend for that to happen).

If Harry simply felt nothing for Draco but dislike I don't think these circumstances would put him in the best mindset to start empathizing with him. Harry has a temper. You'd think he'd disregard all the extenuating circumstances and blame Draco for Dumbledore's death too.

I mean this is some of his narration about Snape, for example:

"So when he arrived at the fight, he joined in on the Death Eaters' side?" asked Harry, who wanted every detail of Snape's duplicity and infamy, feverishly collecting more reasons to hate him, to swear vengeance.

But no. That's not how he feels about Draco at all. In fact after thinking about how his animosity is all for Snape and dwelling with pity and concern on how afraid Draco looked and how he had lowered his wand, Harry actually starts wondering where Draco is and worrying about him and about what Voldemort is "making" him do now.

Because despite their rivalry, there's more between Harry and Draco than simple dislike. Harry understands him deeply. And he's immediately ready to sympathize with him and to protect him.

For all that they are stranded on opposite sides of a brewing war, they also have things in common. Harry is drawn to Draco and he cares about him. He knows Draco isn't a murderer and he can't bring himself to even pretend to hate him anymore. He just wants him to be safe.

Draco Malfoy hated Harry Potter so much that he…

Tried to befriend him in Madam Malkin’s even though he didn’t know who he was at the time, and Harry probably looked a bit raggedy

Tried to befriend him again on the train once he realized who he was

Was so upset that Harry didnt take his hand when they were 11 that he spent most of the next 5 years holding a grudge

Constantly talked about Harry to his friends

Even when he didn’t know Harry was listening, so it’s not like he was just doing it to annoy him

Spent the entire summer between first and second year talking about Harry Potter, to the point that his father actually lost his temper with him because he was so sick of hearing about Harry Potter all the time

Knew a startling amount about Harry despite the fact that they are 1) in different Houses and 2) decidedly not friends

Remember when Rita Skeeter recruited him as a source about Harry Potter and he was actually pretty good at it because he knew so much about Harry’s life?

Remember when everyone thought Harry must be the Heir of Slytherin but Draco knew that couldn’t be the truth because he instantly understood Harry wouldn’t do that?

Started avoiding Harry as soon as he (albeit unwillingly) became a Death Eater, even though then he should’ve wanted to go after Harry more than ever

Failed to seriously harm Harry or deliver him to Voldemort when he had him paralyzed, defenseless, and completely at his mercy on the train at the beginning of 6th year, even though killing or capturing Harry Potter would certainly have saved him and his family from Voldemort’s wrath, and probably would have ensured they received a rich reward beside. 

Refused to identify Harry at Malfoy Manor, thus buying him enough time to escape, even though he knew that he was risking certain torture and quite possibly death for both himself and his family

He had Voldemort living in his house. He knew the price he was paying and he knew how valuable delivering Harry Potter could be for him and his family. And his still chose not to.

And he paid the price. Harry could feel Voldemort’s wrath and weeks later at the Battle of Hogwarts Lucius still bore visible marks from what Voldemort did despite the healing powers of magic in that world

Could not harm Harry in the Room of Requirement even though taking him in was probably the last chance he had for salvation for him and his family

Turned his back on the beliefs he had been raised with as soon as he was free to

Yeah. Seems legit. 

This picture of Marinette is adorable omg

Who translated…? This episode? 

In the French version, Adrien says to Kagami, “I hope the film will live up to your expectations,” 

In the English version, Adrien says to Kagami, “Well, I’m more of a dog person” 

?????????????

my theories on Lila, who is helping her, her motives and more

An Incomplete List of Times Adrien has Treated Marinette and Others Like Absolute Shit

This will be fucking updated when I fucking remember more examples. Very fucking aggressive language because I am fucking pissed off. 

Are you willing to fucking learn? Are you willing to set aside your shipping goggles? Are you willing to fucking look beyond what the writers tell you to see what they show you? Then fucking read on. 

But if you’re going to fucking ignore all of this and insist that Adrien is a good person who treats Marinette with respect and ‘always stops when she’s uncomfortable?’ then fuck off right now and block me because I am sick of the fucking rape apologism that runs rampant in this fucking fandom

Yes you fucking read that right. Rape apologism.

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(Episodes are not listed in any particular order. Maybe someday I’ll put them in chronological order but that’s a lot of effort.

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In Ladybug, he attacked her because she wasn’t in love with him. He chose a fantasy over the real her, and attacked her twice because she wasn’t in love with him. First he threw his baton at her. And then he fucking tried to Cataclysm her. He would have lost his fucking Miraculous if she hadn’t fucking gotten him away from the Sentimonster and how does he fucking repay her? By fucking attacking her because she’s not in love with him.

———————————————————

In Syren, he blackmailed Plagg with letting over two million people drown so that Plagg would tell him someone else’s secret identity. He grabbed Marinette’s wrist to stop her from leaving and guilt-tripped her for not telling him information he knew she wasn’t at liberty to reveal to him, which he even fucking admit out loud just to make her feel bad!

———————————————————

In Oblivio, he sat on the ground and verbally harassed her while forcing her to defend him, herself, AND fight the Akuma all on her own. Because of him, they both got their memories erased by the villain, and while under the Akuma’s influence, they kissed. And then, when they got their memories back, and she found out they kissed, and she was genuinely upset and horrified? He laughed in her fucking face. And called them a couple again, for the third time in this episode alone, despite her telling him not to literally every time he does it. And then when she tells him off again, and tells him he’s the reason they got their memories erased in the first place, after she tells him AGAIN, TO STOP CALLING THEM A COUPLE, he laughs in her face and tells her “We’re meant to be together, m’lady, you’re the only one who doesn’t see it.”

———————————————————

In Weredad, he tried to kiss her, and the only reason he didn’t suceeed was because the Akuma pulled her away. And the reason that happened? Because she was singlehandedly trying to save her parents’ lives while he stood there harassing her and refusing to help, and didn’t show any fucking concern at all for the civilians even though he knows they’re Marinette’s parents, and even after a fucking concrete statue was smashed into her bedroom, he still didn’t show any fucking concern at all. 

———————————————————

In Stormy Weather, the Akuma threw him to the ground, and Marinette offered him a hand to get back to his feet. He accepted her hand, and instead of letting go, kissed it, forcing her to push him away. 

An Akuma turns off the lights in a building, and Adrien has to lead Marinette outside because he can see in the dark and she can’t. Which is fine.

Except that when they get outside, he fucking refuses to let go of her hand, Even when she glares at him and makes it clear she wants him to let go.

He fucking smiles like a kid caught with their hand in the cookie jar, showing He knows that it is wrong, he knows she wants him to let go, but guess what??? He still doesn’t fucking let go.

She is forced to pull her hand away from him.

And then he has the fucking gall to laugh. And we’re meant to be laughing right along with him, because the 45 year old white men writing this show think boys touching girls without their consent is funny.

———————————————————

In Reflectdoll, he tried again to kiss her hand, but her reflexes are fucking faster now, literally because she’s been dealing with him for three fucking seasons now, so she managed to pull away in time, and you literally don’t even need to fucking pause the scene to see the horror on her face when she realizes what he’s about to do. 

[ID: A screenshot from the Miraculous Ladybug episode Reflektdoll, showing Adrien as Chat Noir holding Marinette as Ladybug’s hand, in the process of leaning down to kiss it. Marinette is staring, her mouth fallen open and her eyes bugging out of her head in horror. End ID.]

She then immediately fucking crosses her arms over her chest and turns away form him so he can’t try again

 And then he fucking calls her Buggaboo, literally just to piss her off.

Not to mention he almost fucking made her Lucky Charm fail and did not fucking apologize for almost costing them the fight against the fucking supervillain. Instead of fucking apologizing, he told her that she’s the responsible one, and he’s the funny one, so he’s under no obligation to fucking help her to the best of his ability, so if she’s upset with him not helping, it’s her fault for not being more responsible

———————————————————

In Glaciator, he asked her out on a date, she politely turned him down by saying she already had plans with friends, he blew off his friends and lied to them about it, then when she didn’t fucking come to the date she said she wouldn’t be coming to, he punished her by being snarky and mean, and implied that She was fucking lying about going out with friends, even though he literally fucking lied to his so-called friends and blew off their plans together and refused to cooperate with he to take down the villain until she apologized to him.

After she explains that she’s in love with someone else and can’t return his feelings, he tells her he’s happy with her friendship.

And then he immediately fucking turns around and tells Plagg that he’s happy with her friendship FOR NOW. 

The only reason he is “friends” with her is because he wants her to fall in love with him. He is literally being the literal fucking definition of a Nice Guy. He is the fucking asshole creep who thinks that being friends with you is a chore he has to put up with so he can get into your pants. Literally.

———————————————————

In Frozor, after she’s already fucking told him she’s in love with someone else and wants him to stop asking her out, he fucking once again asks her out, she fucking ONCE AGAIN tells him she wants him to stop, and his fucking response is, “I know that [you already told me you’ve in love with someone else and want me to stop asking you out], but if he weren’t here, would things be different between us?”

Can you literally fucking imagine someone asking you to break up with your fucking partner to date them instead? because that is what he is fucking telling her to do.

Don’t you fucking dare play dumb.

He literally admits out loud that he knows she’s asked him to stop and he knows she wants him to stop but he doesn’t fucking care and he’s going to continue anyways.

Look at the fucking anguish on her fucking face and tell me she’s consenting to this. I fucking dare you.

———————————————————

In Copycat, he lies to someone else about their relationship and causes the person to become Akumatized, then does not fucking confess to lying to anyone, and Marinette is the one who ends up apologizing to the Akuma victim, after Adrien fucking implies that it’s her fault he got Akumatized.

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Anonymous said: In Prime Queen, “he fans Ladynoir flames on live tv, ignores Ladybug’s feelings and it was HIS idea to kiss for the akuma! (He also looked creepy during his first attempt ngl.) He tries to kiss her twice! And brings up the kiss a third time! The akuma doesn’t even care about the kiss! I don’t have a tumblr but I hope this'l l help get Adrien stans to step off. Everything he did felt wrong that episode.”

In Prime Queen, Adrien also gets right the fuck up in Nadjia’s personal space, fucking caging her in to her chair.

He literally doesn’t move out of her space until she smacks him in the face with her hand by accident.

He calls her Marinette Buggaboo once again, and she once again reiterates that she wants him to stop calling her that.

The moment the idea of them dating is brought up, Marientte recoils, Adrien perks up excitedly.

When Marinette says they aren’t a couple, Adrien buts in that they might be one day, so that she has to turn and tell him “Chat, not now!”. He downplays her feelings, telling her that being asked invasive, personal questions is what they signed up for when they became superheroes.

He then tries to ask her out on a date even though she’s clearly upset and literally just told him she wants to keep their relationship professional. Later, he interrupts her when she’s talking to the Akuma, grabs her by the shoulder, spins her to face him and puts his hands on both her shoulders, makes a fucking serial killer expression, tells her, “Pucker up!”, and leans in to try and kiss her while he is holding her in place.

He stops when she tells him, “not a chance, kitty” but then not even five minutes later he fucking does it again.

And she once a-fucking-gain has to tell him to fucking stop.

Not even five fucking minutes after he did it the first time.

He took her “No” as “try harder”.

———————————————————

Every single fucking chance he gets, he is trying to kiss her, or leaning into her space, or touching her even though he knows she doesn’t want him to. Every chance he gets, he calls her Buggaboo, even though he knows she hates it. He calls them a couple, even though he knows she hates it. He goes out of his fucking way to piss her off and torment her, because he fucking thinks it’s funny.

Adrien violates every single fucking boundary Marinette sets, no matter how fucking clearly she words it, no matter how fucking simple it would be for him to fucking respect her. Ever single fucking chance he gets he is harassing her both verbally and physically, and yes, he has literally fucking assaulted her at least once because it doesn’t fucking matter that it’s a kiss on the hand instead of the mouth. She didn’t fucking give consent and he didn’t even fucking pretend ask for it. The kiss in Stormy Weather was assault. All of his fucking behavior towards her is sexual harassment.

Here’s A FANTASTIC post by @thewheezingbubbledragon that details Adrien’s abusive behavior in multiple situations, with screenshots for proof.

It doesn’t fucking matter that he’s not harassing her to have sex with him. There is no fucking category of sexual harassment called “romantic harassment”. Any fucking unwanted requests or statements or touching or attempted touching of sexual or romantic nature is fucking sexual harassment. 

literally any unwanted touching or attempted touching at all is assault.

Just bcause you ship it doesn’t mean it’s not sexual harassment. Just because you ship it doesn’t mean he’s not abusing her. Just because you like him doesn’t mean he isn’t a fucking horrible person. 

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Here is a link to a post with infographics explaining rape culture 

@miraculousladybugandconsent​ literally just has resources explaining sexual harassment, abusive relationships, and healthy relationships.

============================

Please fucking feel free to add on because I’m sick and tired of being the only one giving evidence for this crap.

The best way to do this would be to create a new post, with the name of the episode, and examples of Adrien’s behavior, and then you can @ me and let me know to add it to this, and I’ll copy and paste it in. If you can include screenshots or gifs, even better.

Someone ought to tell Harry…

Have a wonderful week everybody 🌻🐝💚

Draco's Motivations in the Book 7 Room of Requirement Confrontation

I just reread the Fiendfyre sequence and based on a close reading Draco's motivations and actions are a lot more complex and sympathetic than I remembered. Not to mention, once again, here there be drarry.

First, the context:

After the incident at Malfoy Manor, we know from Harry's psychic connection to Voldemort and from the Carrows' overheard discussion that Voldemort's wrath was exceptionally terrible. The Malfoy family became virtual prisoners in their own homes for months and were subjected to especially brutal (even by Voldemort's standards) torture that was also likely quite protracted. Lucius has visible marks on him months later - which, given what we know about magic in that world, really speaks to the level of what has been going on. While he probably got the worst of it, it's certain that none of his family members escaped unscathed. After their other failings they have at this point probably permanently fallen out of favor and have nothing but a (likely short) life of misery to look forward to.

Draco bears a lot of responsibility for this state of affairs since it was he who chose not to identify Harry. This likely adds to his sense of conflict as his conscience tells him one thing and everything he has ever been taught tells him something else. He presumably feels responsible for the suffering his family (we know from book 6 that he does genuinely care about them) has to endure.

Not to mention that he himself is suffering along with them. It would be unsurprising therefore if he felt tempted to "rectify" his earlier moment of what he probably perceived as weakness and made a last ditch attempt to save his parents' (and his own) lives and prestige. While Harry has been taught that love and mercy are noble and valuable impulses, Draco has not. In his world love and mercy are called weakness.

Quite possibly as he suffered and faced death alongside his family, part of him must have felt ashamed of the impulses that led to his choices when Harry was a prisoner at the Manor. Everything he has been taught tells him that Voldemort's victory is inevitable and that his moment of shameful weakness has accomplished nothing except to fail his own family and condemn them (and himself) to a likely short life filled with suffering.

At most what we see in the Room of Requirement is a replay of what we saw on the Astronomy Tower - where Draco is deeply conflicted and when confronted with the reality of violence in support of Voldemort cannot go through with it even under tremendous pressure and even though his failure to carry out these acts of violence will inflict danger and suffering on himself and his loved ones.

But, is that even what actually happens? In my opinion, the answer is "no."

The scene in question:

If we actually look at the text it's not even clear that's what's going on at all. Draco's motives are ambiguous at best here. The scene starts when Harry is stretching out his hand to take the diadem. Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle come up behind him and he is completely unaware of them. Draco then announces their presence, alerting Harry that he is being watched. He could've very easy simply stunned Harry or attempted to put the Imperius Curse on him (or killed him) while his back was turned. But he didn't do any of those things. Instead he talks, thereby ruining the element of surprise.

And that's not typical of Draco at all when he actually wants to attack Harry. He's never beaten Harry in a face-to-face confrontation. (In fact, the last time he tried - in 6th year - he almost ended up dead.) The two times he has managed to incapacitate Harry - when he petrified him on the train in 6th year and when he hid and caught Harry for Umbridge with a tripping jinx in 5th year - he did so by using the element of surprise to his advantage.

Given that Draco knows that Harry is a very formidable opponent (AND that Harry's friends are nearby) if he truly simply wanted to capture or kill him, announcing his presence is the last thing he would ever do. Then he says "That's my wand you're holding." He still doesn't cast any spells - not even to try to disarm Harry. He also doesn't say he wants to hand him over to Voldemort. He doesn't even tell Harry to drop his own wand, attempt to take him prisoner, or even threaten him.

It is Crabbe, not Draco who says "We're gonna be rewarded...We decided to bring you to 'im." Draco doesn't say anything about his own intentions other than that he wants his wand back - and we certainly know that even in 6th year he didn't trust Crabbe and Goyle, much less now, and thus is unlikely to speak openly in front of them. 

At this point Ron comes to investigate and Crabbe tries to use magic to cause a mountain of debris to fall on Ron and crush him. Harry counters the spell and Draco then grabs Crabbe's arm when he tries to repeat the spell. He gives as his justification the need to avoid the diadem being crushed but since we know he doesn't trust Crabbe it's likely this isn't truthful. Especially since Voldemort has not said anything about wanting the diadem (and even if it wasn't a Horcrux it likely wouldn't be damaged in any case).

Crabbe points out this very thing and Draco argues with him at which point Crabbe says "Who cares what you think? I don't take your orders no more, Draco. You an' your dad are finished." So arguably he was not even including Draco in the "We" he imagined would be rewarded. Crabbe then tries to use Crucio on Harry.

Draco then again intervenes and tries to stop him. 

"STOP" Malfoy shouted at Crabbe, his voice echoing through the enormous room. "The Dark Lord wants him alive--"  

He doesn't even just say it. He shouts. We rarely see Draco shout. He is someone who generally keeps his deeper emotions hidden - it's why he's so naturally gifted at Occlumency to the point that he is powerful enough at a young age to lie to both Snape and Voldemort.

What he says here doesn't really even make sense because Goyle isn't even trying to kill Harry; he's just trying to hurt him. However Draco is so distressed by this that he actually starts yelling, something we NEVER see him do at ANY other point in the book. "The Dark Lord wants him alive" is also exactly what Snape says to Bellatrix as they flee in book 6, and we know that Snape's real intent was to protect Harry with a believable excuse. It's the only thing Draco could reasonably say in that moment as a justification. 

Crabbe (rather sensibly) points out that 1) he didn't even try to kill Harry and 2) Voldemort ultimately wants Harry dead so it probably doesn't matter that much. This makes perfect sense. And yet Draco is inordinately concerned with preventing harm to Harry & Co rather than with taking any action to capture or even disarm any of them.

Clearly he did not expect to lose control of Crabbe and Goyle like this and as a result is now losing control of the situation (and himself). (Unlike Harry, Draco is more of a planner and is not as good at reacting in the moment.) Also the possibility that Harry could be killed seems to drive him nearly to the point of hysteria - rather like how Ron reacted to Hermione being in mortal peril at the Manor. This is not just a general aversion to killing. This is something more. He finds the idea of Harry dying truly unbearable. (I don't need my ships to be canon; this one just happens to be.)

At this point they start fighting and Draco loses Narcissa's wand. Wandless, he STILL tries to intervene. Crabbe and Goyle are both aiming their wands at Harry and Draco once again starts yelling -  "Don't kill him! DON'T KILL HIM!" and is obviously in significant distress and is not at all happy with what is going on. 

After that the Fiendfyre gets loose and the rest of the scene goes down without much dialogue.

At NO POINT does Draco 1) actually say he wants to hand Harry to Voldemort OR  2) attempt to attack Harry or Ron or Hermione at all OR 3) use his Dark Mark to call Voldemort OR 4) tell anyone he's seen Harry after they get out of the Room of Requirement - even in a later scene when he's been cornered by a Death Eater who is considering killing him he doesn't reveal this information even though that probably would've proven his loyalty or at the very least distracted the Death Eater.

Conclusions about Draco's motivations:

So, where does that leave us? What went down there and what was Draco trying to do?

We really have 3 options.

Option 1: Draco tried to hand Harry over to Voldemort in order to save himself and his family, got cold feet and couldn't really go through with it, and then lost control of the situation due to Crabbe and Goyle's changing loyalties. 

Verdict: Possible but unlikely given the remarkably bad job he does of it and how inconsistent his approach is with his usual MO. Even if we assume his heart wasn't in it you'd think he'd at least have got as far as disarming Harry before announcing his presence. Especially since Harry almost killed him last time they fought (and Draco probably doesn't know Harry didn't know what the Sectum Sempra curse would do.)

And if his heart WAS in it then then this makes even less sense since he not only didn't attack Harry while his back was turned but also didn't call Voldemort or even inform anyone that he'd seen Harry. 

Option 2:  Draco wanted to get himself captured in a way that looked convincing so that he could take the chance Dumbledore offered in 6th year, only it went quite badly wrong.

Verdict: This would be an interesting possibility but I think it's also unlikely as it's simply too risky. He doesn't know Harry was there on the astronomy tower or that Harry would make the same offer. His family would also likely be murdered if Voldemort realized this had happened.  

Option 3: Draco wanted to cut a deal in order to improve his family's situation without actually handing Harry over - perhaps he hoped for some kind of exchange where he could get his wand back and bring Voldemort the diadem as some kind of consolation prize - but overestimated his control over his cronies and lost control of the situation. 

Verdict: I actually think this works best given his behavior during the scene. He initiates a conversation because he wants information about what and where the diadem is (and what value it would have to Voldemort) and because he wants to make some offer along the lines of 'give me my wand and the diadem and we'll let you go.' This could get him what he wants and help his family without actually harming anyone.

Also it hedges his bets a bit because if Harry wins he will owe Draco. The problem of course is that Crabbe and Goyle aren't happy to just take orders anymore and have their own goals. At that point, instead of caving and going along with what Crabbe and Goyle want to do instead, Draco actually tries to intervene, albeit in a way that doesn't actually expose him as questioning Voldemort.  

Draco made his choice at the Manor. If he wanted to hand Harry over he would have. But he couldn't. He cares about him too much. But he also feels tremendous guilt and fear over the price he and his family are still paying for that decision. This is his attempt to try to fix things - to try to find a middle ground between the conflicting imperatives that are tearing him apart. The reality though, as he shortly discovers, is that there is no middle ground. And when he sees that, once again he chooses Harry.