Author's note: the characters are JK Rowling's, the song belongs to James Blunt, the subway is the property of the city of London (I think). You will see that I changed the gender of the beautiful person to make it fit. I mean no offense to James Blunt or his song, which is one of our favorites, I just needed to edit it slightly to make it fit. Sorry if it irritates anyone.
--Tamara


Beautiful

My life is brilliant.
My love is pure.
I saw an angel.
Of that I'm sure.

I hadn't expected ever to see him again. I'd thought I'd left that part of my life at school, thought he'd stayed with the Snape and with the Great Hall. I'd thought I would forget about him and move on. And here he is now, walking, completely oblivious to me. But that I could be as oblivious to him. But I can't. He calls to me, his eyes compelling and his face perfect. It is older, perhaps, and much sadder, but aren't we all? He had a heavy burden to bear, perhaps even as heavy as my own. I cannot have expected him to stay unchanged. War changes us all, even him.


He smiled at me on the subway.
He was with another man.
But I won't lose no sleep on that,
'Cause I've got a plan.

His smile was breathtaking, made all the more so because I wasn't expecting it. We were enemies at school, after all. Both of us did our best to make the other's life a living hell, and both of us very nearly succeeded. Yet he still smiled at me. From the arm of his current boyfriend, he smiled at me, and the smile took my breath away. I knew in that moment that I couldn't bear never to see him again. I had to get to him, had to tell him that I forgave him, had to beg for his forgiveness.


You're beautiful. You're beautiful.
You're beautiful, it's true.
I saw your face in a crowded place,
And I don't know what to do,
'Cause I'll never be with you.

I don't know why I never truly saw him before. Was I too wrapped up in myself to notice, or had he truly changed? Had we both matured? Perhaps. Yet, as our eyes met, I knew that something had changed between us. No longer were we childhood rivals, or even unwilling allies. Now we were equals, both having seen enough of the world to begin trying to understand it, both respecting the other. And yet we were still so far apart. He was with his boyfriend, and I… I was alone. I was always alone. I knew in that instant that I would never want anyone but him, and that I could have anyone else. It was a bitter cycle.

Yeah, he caught my eye,
As we walked on by.
He could see from my face that I was,
Flying high,
And I don't think that I'll see him again,
But we shared a moment that will last till the end.

I knew he saw what I was thinking. Had he always been that astute? Had I just not noticed? Probably. Though, considering the facts and the time, I would safely bet that he had matured, just as I had. War tends to do that. And then he was gone. He and his boyfriend stepped off the subway and into the street, and he didn't look back. He never even glanced my way. Yet something had been transmitted between us. Something had gone from him to me, or from me to him, and we had shared a moment of absolute understanding.


You're beautiful. You're beautiful.
You're beautiful, it's true.
I saw your face in a crowded place,
And I don't know what to do,
'Cause I'll never be with you.

His face refused to leave my mind's eye as I myself stepped off the train, two stops later. He was too perfect, too beautiful to forget. I envied his boyfriend, envied his bets friends, envied anyone who came into contact with him while I did not. I never would. Our worlds did not touch, nor would they ever. He would never be mine, and I would never see him again.


You're beautiful. You're beautiful.
You're beautiful, it's true.
There must be an angel with a smile on her face,
When she thought up that I should be with you.
But it's time to face the truth,
I will never be with you.

I smiled slightly as I walked to my own flat, empty and cold. Somewhere, somehow, someone had tried. Some angel somewhere had decided that I should have a shot with him, and so had decreed that our paths should cross. It had been a futile effort, perhaps, but the effort had been made, and I was grateful for it. Even if nothing happened, even if I never saw him again, even if I admitted to myself that it was hopeless, someone had tried, and for that I thanked them.


Author's note two: No, I don't know whose POV this is from, unfortunately. It flipflopped, and I still have no idea. Clearly, it's from either Harry or Draco's, and the boyfriend in question is either Blaise or Ron respectively, but I don't know which, so please don't ask me. Tamara's mad at me, so she's not telling if she knows.
--kyra

Addendum to author's note: Okay, she decided to be nice to me again. It's from Draco's POV.
--kyra