A/N: Heya everybody! I just wanna say a big thanks-you're-so-incredibly-awesome to anyone who reads this… you're cool, even if you don't review…. (But review anyway… cos you love me!) 

Summary: He didn't understand. He loved her, and he was fully prepared to admit that, in front of the entire Great Hall if he had too… so what if she was a Gryffindor and he was a Slytherin… he loved her and nothing could change that! But does she feel the same? AJ/AP… to Ronan Keating's "The Long Goodbye".

Pairing: Angelina Johnson/ Adrian Pucey

(Italics Flashback and / \\ Song lyrics)

The Long Goodbye:

It really amazed him, sometimes, whenever he stopped to think about it. It really did amaze him. He didn't know why, or how, or when it started, he really couldn't remember, but somewhere along the line, he'd fallen for her. The funny thing was, he thought she'd fallen for him, too.

/ I know they say if you love somebody
You should set them free (so they say)
But it sure is hard to do
Yeah, it sure is hard to do
And I know they say if they don't come back again
Then it's meant to be (so they say)
But those words ain't pulling me through
Cos I'm still in love with you
I spend each day here waiting for a miracle
But it's just you and me going through the mill
(climbing' up a hill). \\

Then, because he was Adrian Pucey, and he seemed to thrive upon making things 10 times worse than they possibly could be, he screwed up even more. For some reason, one night, he slept with her. And that was it, that night had sparked something… deep… between them, or so he'd thought…

/ This is the long goodbye
Somebody tell me why
Two lovers in love can't make it
Just what kind of love keeps breaking a heart?
No matter how hard I try

You're gonna make me cry
Come on, baby; it's over, let's face it
All that's happening here is a long goodbye. /

But it turned out, he was wrong. So very, very wrong… you see, that night they spent together had started a sort of… habit… between them. For an entire school year, they kept it up. They found each other, nearly every night, and they slept together. It didn't matter where, just as long as they were able to have their nights together, that's all he ever thought about… Just let us have tonight…

/ Sometimes I ask my heart did we really
Give our love a chance (just one more chance)
and I know without a doubt
I turned it inside out. \\

She never stayed the whole night, though. Every time he awoke, she was never there. No note, nothing. She was just gone… and it was as though he had simply dreamed the past few hours. And later on, when he was older and wiser, he sometimes wishes he had. It would certainly have made things easier… but since was anything in Adrian Pucey's life easy?

/ And if we walked away
would make more sense (only self defence)
But it tears me up inside
Just to think we still could try
How long must we keep riding on a carousel
Going round and round and never getting anywhere?
(On a wing and prayer). \\

He would see her, in the Great Hall, every morning, eating breakfast with her friends. Laughing with the Weasley twins, giggling with Alicia Spinnet, chattering away with Katie Bell. She paid him any attention, not even a glance. Nothing. It was as though he didn't matter to her. It was as though he was meaningless. During class, she sat with her back to him. During Quidditch, she zoomed past him as though he was invisible. In the halls, she never met his eyes. He just didn't understand it.

/ This is the long goodbye

Somebody tell me why
Two lovers in love can't make it
Just what kind of love keeps breaking a heart?
No matter how hard I try
You're gonna make me cry
Come on, baby; it's over, Let's face it
All that's happening here is the long goodbye. \\

He loved her. And he was fully prepared to admit that, in front of the entire Great Hall, if he had too. He was in love with her. Completely in love with her. Each night was his idea of heaven. But now he was wondering… did she feel the same. And then, it just got too much for him to handle. He had to ask her, he had to get some sort of idea… he to get something from her… anything.

/ This is the long goodbye

Somebody tell me why
Two lovers in love can't make it
Just what kind of love keeps breaking a heart?

No matter how hard I try
You're gonna make me cry
Come on, baby; it's over, Let's face it
All that's happening here is the long goodbye. \\

"Do you love me?" he asked.

"What… what do you mean?"

"Do you love me?" he repeated.

"… Why are you asking me this?"

"Because I have a right to know… do you love me… or is this just… sex… to you?" he replied.

"We've been doing this, every night, for a year now, Adrian. Why are you asking me now?"

"Because… it's time I learned the truth about how you feel. Look, Angelina, I… I love you. I've always loved you… and that's why I do this, every night. But now I need to know… please, tell me… do you feel the same?" he muttered.

"I… Adrian…I…"

"What! What! What is it… is it because I'm a Slytherin and you're a Gryffindor? Look, that doesn't matter, not to me! I love you, Angelina!" he exclaimed.

"Then that means this is over."

"…. What…"he whispered.

"This can't continue Adrian…"

"Why not! I don't understand," he said.

"This had to stop sooner or later… it's the end of our final year. We'll never see each other again."

"How… how could you do this? You mean every single night this past year has meant absolutely nothing to you? you mean that fact that I love you mean's noting to you?"He yelled.

She got up and ran.

/ The long goodbye
The long goodbye
This is the long goodbye.\\

He waited for her, that night, she didn't come. He waited for her the next night, and the night after that, and the night after that, and all the nights after that. She never showed. She still ignored him during the day, acting as though he was part of the wall. And so, he gave up. He slumped into silent depression, ignored his studies, his friends and even Quidditch. It wasn't worth it. Nothing was worth it… why… why…why..

/ Someone please tell me why.\\

But then, on their Graduation Night, she came back to him. She didn't speak, she just stood there are watched him. He glared up at her, wishing with all his might that she would burst into flames and burn to death at his feet…

"Go away, Johnson."

"Wait, Adrian… let me speak, please," she begged.

"What do you want from me Johnson?"

"I want to apologise, Adrian. This past year did mean something. You did mean something. I'm sorry I never told you that," she sobbed.

"So what changed? What did I do wrong?"

"you didn't do anything wrong, Adrian! Please believe that…"she whispered.

"Then why wasn't I enough. Why weren't we enough for you!"

"Because you're not allowed to be… I'm engaged, Adrian." she didn't meet his eyes.

"What…"
"I'm engaged to Fred. I'm sorry, Adrian." She said.

"Fred…"

"I'm sorry!" she cried.

Fred could suddenly be heard, calling to Angelina. She looked over her shoulder.

"I have to go…goodbye Adrian. I wont forget you." She walked away.

/ Are you ever coming back again
Are you ever coming back again
Are you ever coming back again
Guess I'm never coming back again. \\

And so, he watched her walk away. He leaned back against the wall and watched her walk away into the arms of another man. And it killed him, and he didn't understand. But he knew it was over, it was all over. And may it rest in peace, because he knew he wouldn't.

So! What did you think! Sorry, I made Angelina into a bit of a bitch, but I couldn't really do much about that…

Anyway, please Review! I'll love you forever…. 

Starsight52