Characters belong to J.
Harry sat in the common room of Gryffindor tower. He was contemplating his relationship with Draco. The blonde had not wanted to be exclusive. In the very beginning of their relationship six months ago Draco told him that he would not stop seeing other people just because they had decided to start shagging. Harry had been ok with it at the time as he was just happy to have the one person he had been pinning over for two years. He figured if he stayed with Draco eventually he would get his need to be with different people out of his system after all no-one ever lasted more than a few days before he was bored except for Harry.
However Harry's friends had been pointing out to him how one sided their relationship was. Harry didn't mind spending money on Draco, he had bought him expensive Christmas and birthday presents and yesterday as part of a six month anniversary he had requested permission from the headmistress to leave the school grounds so he could take Draco to dinner at an exclusive restaurant. As far as he could tell Draco liked the attention and it wasn't as if he couldn't afford it. He had the Gryffindor and Potter vaults as well as the black fortune. He made the Malfoy wealth look like pocket change compared to his not that anyone but himself and the goblins knew.
The point remained the relationship was based on Harry giving. He wouldn't have cared if it was just the financial side of giving, after all he had more than he could ever hope spend in one lifetime but the fact remained he was the one that always went to Draco, he was the one who made sacrifices to make time for them to see each other, and not once had Draco been to the tower Harry always went to the dungeons in the Slytherin common rooms even in the great hall Harry sat with Draco at the Slytherin table. It got to a point where the only time he saw his friends was in class or when Draco didn't need him like now. It was a Saturday he could have gone to Hogsmead with his friends but he had been with Draco when they left. Blaise Zabini had walked into the room and Draco told him that he wanted to spend the day with his friend thus dismissing him from the room.
It was difficult for Harry to accept the fact that Draco was indeed using him. He wasn't sure what it was he wanted with him or why he kept him hanging on. Harry curled up in himself and cried he couldn't keep this up much longer no matter how he felt about the blond it had to stop. After the tears stopped he picked up a parchment and ink and began to write a letter to Draco.
Dear Draco
I think it's time we stopped our little trysts so I won't be coming down to your room anymore. It was nice while it lasted. I hope you find whatever it is you are looking for.
Harry
Harry placed a seal on the letter with the Potter crest. He had begun to do that as soon as he became Lord Potter on his seventeenth birthday. He then made his way to the owlery. Hedwig wasn't there he belatedly remembered he had sent her with a letter to Gringotts, so he used one of the school owls instead. When the letter was gone Harry decided against going back to the tower and followed his friends to Hogsmead he had a lot of catching up and apologising to do after abandoning his friends the way he did and he didn't want to deal with his heartbreak alone.
Draco lay in his bed. He had kicked Zabini out as soon as he had shagged him. It was funny he never let anyone stay after sex except Harry. He was glad when Harry had agreed to keep their relationship open. He couldn't have asked for a more perfect partner. Not only was Harry gorgeous he was very giving and understanding of Draco's needs. He had never once forced him to interact with the other Gryffindor's not that he hadn't asked but he had accepted it when Draco told him that he did not want to associate with them at all. He liked the fact that Harry came down to the Slytherin common rooms to see him. It showed his understanding that Draco had no desire to be anywhere near the tower full of gryffs. He looked forward to the next time Harry got him a gift. He knew exactly what he liked and they usually cost a small fortune. As he was thinking about his lover and how maybe he should buy him something too there was a tapping noise just outside his window. He opened the window and a brown school owl flew in with a letter in its beak. As soon as he took the letter the owl flew out of the window leaving Draco to look at the letter in his hand. There was a family crest on it. Draco knew only the head of a house could use those, he wondered who this one belonged to? He broke the seal and read the letter inside. It was short and to the point. No explanation as to the reasons why. The letter was from Harry why would he break up with him now? He couldn't think of a reason, well he would just have to ask him then. Draco got up took a quick shower got dressed and left to look for Gryffindor tower. Surely it can't be that to find after all you can see it from outside. Two hours later Draco was no-where near finding the dorms and decided to wait till dinner and grab Harry then.
In the great hall Draco was sat next to Blaize who kept yapping on and on about something or another Draco wasn't paying attention. He was waiting for Harry to come down to dinner. When dinner was over and still no Harry he decided to ask one of his friends. Walking up Granger he called her "Hey Granger!" Hermione turned around an astonished look at the fact that Malfoy had actually addressed her. She didn't know that he actually considered her the lesser of two evils next to Ron who would probably punch him. The incredulous look left her face to be replaced by an indifferent mask.
It made Draco feel a bit disconcerted and wary. He had though no Gryffindor could pull off a mask as well as a Slytherin. Harry sure wore his heart on his sleeve. "Where's Harry?" Hermione just looked at him and decided to walk away before she did something that would get her expelled. Who did the asshole think he was demanding to know where Harry was after everything he put him through? Did he think she was going to allow him to continue using Harry like before? Thank God Harry opened his eyes before irreparable damage could be done. It was going to be bad enough as it is. She felt someone grab her arm and spin her around "Granger I'm talking to you!" The next thing Draco felt was a resounding slap and pain on his right cheek resulting from it. "Don't ever touch me again, who the hell do you think you are? I don't have to tell you anything I don't want to and I sure as hell don't have to speak you if I don't want to, you diseased rhinoceros ass wipe." Draco was too shocked to say anything the whole hall was staring and it looked like Weasley was holding her back. When he managed to calm her enough he turned to Draco and said "I think it's wise if you stay away from Harry from now on Malfoy you rubbed a lot of people the wrong way with the way you have been treating him." With that he pulled Hermione away towards the doors and left.
Draco still didn't understand what was going on. How had things changed from being so great one moment to being so crap the next. He felt his arm being tugged and he turned to see Blaize leading him out of the hall and into an empty classroom away from prying eyes. "Draco what's going on?" Draco looked at Blaise and answered "Harry wrote me a letter earlier today breaking up with me I wanted to ask him why but I didn't know where the Gryffindor tower is to find him so waited till dinner but he never showed.." Blaise cut him off "So you decided to ask his friends?" Draco nodded "Draco do you seriously not realise why Harry broke up with you?" Draco scowled as he answered "of course not he never said. I mean one minute things are fine between us and the next he breaks up with me how am I supposed to know?" Baise just looked at him with what could only be described as pity "Draco the who school has been making bets on how much shit Harry was going to take from you before calling it quits.
I have to say I never expected him to last this long. If I was in his shoes I would have dumped your sorry ass within a week. He must really care about you to have held on for so long without getting anything in return." Now Draco was angry "what are you talking about? Harry was perfectly happy with our arrangement you make it sound like it was all one sided as if I didn't give him anything in return." Blaise laughed before saying "Ok let me ask you this Draco what did you give Harry for his birthday?" Draco blinked, he hadn't thought about that "He hasn't had his birthday yet"
Blaise shook his head and said "It was three days ago, you were too busy shagging that guy Eric from Ravenclaw and the day after as well and you told you would see him yesterday then this morning you kicked him out of your room without even a care so you could shag me, did you even see his face? He was heartbroken you know he can never hide his emotions very well. Even if you didn't know it was his birthday did you get him anything for Christmas or Valentine's Day? Do you ever do anything for him? Everyone else has noticed he's the one who makes all the sacrifices even the teachers have noticed. You just take and take. You have no idea how a person he is or how many people would cherish every moment with him. This is the one thing the Gryffindors and I agree on, you don't deserve him." After his little speech Blaise left Draco in the classroom and for the first time ever really opened his eyes to how he had been treating Harry. Surely Blaise was wrong. Harry is a giver he likes to give if he didn't then why he didn't say so. Even he could hear how ridiculous the little excuses in his head sounded. He just had to find a way to get Harry back.
Harry
Back in his dorm room Harry lay on his bed. As an eighth year he had him own bedroom, sitting room and bathroom. He hadn't wanted to go to the great hall. Too many people, he didn't want to see anyone right now. His face had all the signs of one who had been crying his heart felt like someone decided to reach inside his chest and yank it as hard as they could. In his mind he knew he had done the right thing. He just had no more to give. He was contemplating leaving early as they had completed some of their exams. He could get a private tutor for the rest and just come in on the day of the exam. He was going to have to talk to headmistress McGonagall about it. A knock on the door stopped his musings but he didn't answer whoever it is could go away he didn't want to see anyone.
Hermione's soft voice broke the silence in the room. "Harry! Are you awake?" With his face turned away from the door he could pretend to be asleep as Hermione wouldn't know but he was going to have to face the questions sooner or later. "Yeah I am" She walked in and sat on the side of the bed he was facing so she could see his face. The swollen red eyes and nose and blotchy face told her he had been crying. "Oh Harry I wish I could make your pain go away." She felt tears running down her face too as she saw how much pain her best friend was in. She lay down beside him and held him letting him know she was there for him no matter what.
Over the next few days Harry avoided Draco quite successfully if he said so himself. During that time all his friends were there for him. At first he was a bit wary because he thought they were angry at him so he decided to ask one evening while they all sat in the common room when Hermione asked him what was making him uncomfortable. "Harry are you ok? You look like you are about to bolt any minute. I know it's been a while since we've all spent this much time together as group is there something making you uncomfortable?" The genuine concern Harry could see in her in face gave him the courage to say what was on his mind "I just thought you guys wouldn't like me very much after I've been spending so much time with Draco and none with you, that maybe you resent me which I wouldn't blame you for. I abandoned my friends for someone who couldn't care less about me." By the time he finished speaking the rest of the common room had gone quiet to listen. It was Ron who broke the silence " I have to admit mate at first I was really pissed off with you but you know me and my temper it explodes then calms right back down much like a volcano, I also realised that I have to let you have your own life as well and if it was Malfoy you wanted then so be it no matter how much I wanted to beat the crap out of him for the way he treated you.
I also wanted to slap some sense into you but it was your life to lead I didn't want to push you away and even further into a deeper relationship with him. The only thing I could do was be there for you in case you ever needed me. I don't resent you Harry." There were tears in his eyes as others in the room said similar sentiments and told him they care about him and were just happy to have him back. Seamus even went as far as flirting with Harry telling him that now he was back on the market a lot of people were going to be making offers left right and centre. They spent the rest of the evening playing games and chatting about anything and everything. Harr had forgotten what it was like to just let loose and do something he wanted not what Draco wanted. He assumed he was feeling like Rip Van Winkle the story about a man who went sleep and didn't wake up for twenty years then suddenly woke up.
The next morning a tapping on the window woke him up. He raised his head and saw a huge black and grey majestic bird outside his window. It was an eagle owl, he had never seen it before. He opened the window and spoke to the owl while he removed the letter "hello beautiful who do you belong to?" When he got the letter he grabbed some treats from his trunk that he usually kept for Hedwig, his own owl, and offered them to the bird and let him eat them out of his hand. The bird seemed to like him as it gently nipped his ear as if to say thank you and you then flew out of the window. Harry opened the letter it was from Draco. His heart began to race he wasn't sure how to feel about it. On one hand he missed Draco and wanted him back so badly but he was not willing to go through the last six months again. He didn't think he could survive it.
Dear Harry
I'm sorry for whatever I did to make you want to break up. I miss you please can we talk about this. I would have come to your dorm but I don't know where it is and no-one seems to want tell me. I thought everything was ok between us. If you were not happy why didn't you say anything? Please Harry can we meet up and talk? I'll meet you anywhere you like and whenever.
Draco
Harry just ripped up the letter and threw it in the fire that was burning in the room and went to take a shower. It was the weekend again. Maybe he could talk the headmistress into letting him go to Grimmauld place he was cleaning it out because he was moving in as this was his final year.
He was supposed to have finished the year before but the war had not allowed that to happen. As he got dressed he began to wonder if it was fear of being alone that made him docile with Draco, so willing to do anything that he became completely submissive. It was a sobering thought. Despite all the power he had both magically and politically he had allowed himself to become a doormat to be used and discarded. He felt anger with himself for the first time in a long time maybe he needed longer than a weekend, he then started to pack his trunk.
Getting permission to leave for a couple of weeks was as hard as he thought it would be. The headmistress told him that when he came back in the year to school she wasn't totally happy about it as he had not given himself enough to grieve those he had lost or to get over all the hardships he had endured after the battle at Hogwarts. She told him if he wishes he can have longer and just send in assignments when he does them. He spoke to his friends about the need for space and that he would keep in touch with them and tell them what is going on, and then he made his way to Grimmauld place.