Harry shuffled his feet as he trudged, up to his ankles, through the icy snow. The Hogwarts courtyard where he wandered was almost indistinguishable under the sheets of snow but a strong sense of familiarity lingered in the jet-black haired figure. Harry had definitely been there before, though his memory of the place, which was so long ago, seemed elusive, like a dream. A dream he tried desperately to hold onto. He wrapped his standard black robes closer around his body to shield the whipping winds surrounding him, though his boots kept most of the snow out giving him a small mercy. His eyes burned with frustration not only because of the agony the weather brought….but of memories of the spot that were still burned into his head.
Harry fought his way over to the fountain that was placed more or less in its center and as completely frozen with ice. He felt numb and without purpose. The wind seemed to move him from one direction to another tossing and turning him in and awkward dance. He barely knew what brought him to this place, but he was sure he couldn't avoid it anymore. After all, that must have been why he persisted though the harsh snow when no one else dared to.
When he was finally made his journey to the frozen structure, he could not bare to do anything but stare and remember. He fought back tears, convincing himself that they were from the cold and wind….and not from disappointment or pain. His hand, cold and ungloved, reached out and brushed the snow off one of the cold statues placed around the edge of the fountain. The statue was of a young lady, happy and beautiful. His fingers tracedthe figure's face and head. The smoothness of it was calming, though not particularly satisfying nor was she very interesting. He withdrew his hand and placed it back in his cloak pocket trying to regain its lost heat. He drew the courage to sit on the marble ledge, the excuse was that he was tired, but the real reason was…that he needed time to think, to reflect on everything that had been thrashing around in his head during past months.
He listened to the wind mumble in is ears as stared into the cold afternoon. He wished for something…anything, to ease some of his troubles. He shivered and his muscles ached from tensing, but he still sat in spite of the pain, because there was a deeper pain than the weather. He sighed into the air watching his cloud disperse and float slowly upward into the desolate sky. His eyes followed the cloud upward, following the castle wall and allowed his gaze to fall on a window. Instantly emerald collided with silver. A blond somebody had been watching him from an upstairs window.
Harry had expected a pained but steady glare, a constant reminder of the forced rivalry between the two despite a deep suppressed longing inside. However, an unusual saddened face looked upon him instead. Draco looked devastated and the everyday coldness that was seen so commonly in him had been abandoned and forgotten. His pain, was real.
Harry felt part of his heart ache. He unawarely returned a similar depressed expression as he stood up, half meaning too, and half feeling drawn to the boy in the window. Neither really knew what to say, though some part of them told them they didn't really have to. Both knew it had been three months since Draco's father had found out, permanently separating them, and almost murdering his own son. They knew that it had been eight months since most of the school and staff knew about them, and they remembered that it had been ten and a half months since they sat Ron and Hermione down and they were told. They would never forget a little less than twelve months ago they shared their first kiss with eachother. And exactly twelve months from today that they had been standing here, in the exact same spots, in the exact same way, when Draco whispered the first ' I love you' from behind the glass. They had been forced to separate, but with those few moments of eye contact, they knew no matter how much time passed, they would never stop longing to be with eachother one last time.
Draco's pale hand rested on the glass forlornly, with a longing to break the barrier between them, but constantly coming up empty. Harry felt a sense of desperation, he hurt to see the only thing he had ever loved slip away just as silently as he had come. A few silent tears broke but, once he started to cry, there was no use in containing himself. His eyes stung and his cheeks were on fire but to no comparison to the tangled mess inside him. Draco struggled too, threatening tears welled up inside of him, though with years of experience he forced himself into restraint. His gaze did not waver in their last moments of honest exchange, one that they may never have again.
Today, it was Harry's turn…."I love you"….he choked up, new tears spilt and he was returned with a watery smile. Draco leaned forward slowly toward the window and breathed, fogging up the glass, then with a finger traced a heart. Harry sobbed and smiled through his tears. They wished they could have been with each other forever…..but scarcely do good things last forever it seemed….
A time came where, as Harry accomplished steady breaths and little tears, he saw Draco retreat from the window and as he did, Harry felt a part of him slip away. He wanted Draco to stay, he longed for him, but deep down he knew that they had to part eventually.
Harry sat back down on the ledge of the fountain, removing his glasses and whipping his face with his robes. He sat in a blur, without his frames, for a long while in the silence. Letting the emptiness wash over him, leaving the sound of his heart be the only rhythm.
He found himself interested in the statue again; the lady was beautiful maybe, but her happiness seemed forced and her position awkward and strange. He turned away from the statue, and put on his glasses, about to turn back inside for warmth sake. The frames coldly hit his faceand he looked up at the enternceway absentmindedly…Though, as he gazed up toward the archway, he saw someone, tall, pale, thin, wrapped in standard Slytherin colors, and once more emerald met silver…..
let me know what you think, this if my first posted fanfiction. How can i improve. what worked.