Smile

"No Draco please, don't!" Harry held onto the other boy's arm, but he pulled away fiercely.

"That's enough! I can't take this anymore." He looked into Harry's green eyes and took one of his hands delicately. "You're a really great guy, and we had a lot of fun, but -"

"But nothing, Draco, I love you!" Harry said, urgently taking his other hand. The blond took a breath, dropping his head.

"Look, I know that this is going to be difficult for you, but I think that it would be best if we stopped seeing each other." Harry was practically on his knees. Emotion had escaped him; his face was a blank slate and while words formed at his lips, no sound followed. "The last thing I want to do is hurt you."

"What's next on your list?" Harry barely breathed through tears. Draco sighed, and as he let go of the boy's hands, he brushed his lips against his cheek and whispered into his ear.

"You will always have a place in my heart." As he watched Draco walk away, Harry dropped to the floor. It didn't matter that the marble was ice cold, it didn't matter that his face was beat-red with sadness, it didn't even matter that so many people had seen. He was alone now, and in comparison, nothing seemed important.

Smile though your heart is aching
Smile even though it's breaking
When there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by

Not his Chosen One?: Why The Golden Boy may not be so golden anymore. The story headlined The Daily Prophet the next morning: Draco Malfoy dumps Harry Potter. See full story on page three. In all fairness, he had anticipated this. When The Boy Who Lived contends with his now ex-boyfriend in a crowded hallway, word spreads like wildfire.

"We knew you were having problems, but I never would have thought -" Hermione put her hand over Harry's from across the House table in the Great Hall.

"Neither did I." He had refused to make eye contact with anyone after last night's mishap. Instead he stabbed at a piece of bread that Hermione had put in front of him to his displeasure.

"If it means anything, I think you're better off without him," Ron said as he stuffed spinach into his mouth. "The guy's a prat for what he's done to you. He's made you look like a bloody wreck in front of everybody." Looking around, Harry saw that all eyes were in fact on him. Sure he had become accustom to the attention, but now was the time that he needed the least attention. He would gladly crawl under a rock and never leave.

"Just ignore them, Harry. If they're stupid enough to believe anything that Rita Skeeter writes they deserve to be left in the dark."

"Of course they want to know, 'Mione. Harry's a celebrity for crying out loud. As fans it's their business to know everything about him." Hermione scoffed.

"That's an invasion of privacy, Ron. Something that Harry's had very little of in the last seven years. I think we owe it to him to help him out!"

"I recall a time when Hermione Granger knew everything about one Gilderoy Lockhart," Ron sang with a smirk.

"That was different!" Hermione defended.

"What's his favorite color again, 'Mione? I've forgotten. Periwinkle?"

"I was twelve! I was still a child then, Ron! And for your information his favorite color is lilac."

"Guys!" Harry yelled over them. He was laughing aloud. "I appreciate everything you're trying to do for me but feuding like an old married couple won't help any of us."

"We do not!" they exclaimed in unison.

"Yes well, I'll let you two go back to awkwardly flirting with each other so I can go try not to feel sorry for myself in the common room." As he stood to leave he looked longingly at the Slytherin table. Draco smiled over his dinner, making conversation with his friends. Harry's heart sank which must have shown in his eyes for in seconds Hermione was standing.

"Harry -"

If you smile through your fear and sorrow
Smile and maybe tomorrow
You'll see the sun come shining through for you

He paced across the floor thrice, each time in deep thought. Just get me out of here. Somewhere I don't have to deal with any of this. A gilded door appeared on the wall before him, the handle overwhelming his hand as he pushed it open. He entered the empty room and closed the door hesitantly behind him. With no windows to provide light, Harry quickly flicked his wand, whispering Lumos. He walked through the room searching for something he was unsure of; he'd decided that he'd know what it was when he found it. But that was the problem. First ten minutes and then fifteen, twenty and thirty minutes passed and he found nothing. The room was empty, and so he sat on the floor, muttered Nox, and listened to the silence.

"Dray, you absolutely must tell us where you got these cookies, they're divine," a raven haired girl raved.

"Mum sent them fresh from the oven this morning," the blond said. "As soon as she got word of...well, she thought I'd need some comfort food from home. Don't you dare go asking for the recipe. I swear, she'll take it to the grave." He laughed, but there were greater emotions behind it.

"You're upset," the girl said.

"Wh-Pansy, that's crazy. I'm happy. We're sitting and laughing and eating damn good cookies. What do I have to be sad about?"

"Dray, don't make me say it." He sighed into his hands.

"I broke up with him, Pansy. It's over. We're over. I don't remember the last time I felt this great. In fact, why don't we have a party tonight?"

"What, here?" Pansy asked confused.

"Well of course here! So it's decided. You talk to the house elves about getting some food; tell them it's for me. They owe me a favor. I'll start the guest list. Everyone in our house, naturally. Though you must be at least a fourth year. We don't need any eleven-year-olds running about the castle after hours half dressed. That's just tacky." Pansy rolled her eyes, but prepared herself for the night ahead; once Draco had an idea in his head, there was no turning back.

Light up your face with gladness
Hide every trace of sadness
Although a tear may be ever so near

Harry was laying on the floor now, his wand light drawing messy pictures in the darkness: a cat, some stars, a flower. But every time he found himself drawing that same delicate silhouette. He had given up too easily. If he had only tried a little harder then maybe now... He immediately got up, using the lit wand to search for the door from which he had entered. After ten and twenty minutes had passed, Harry began to panic.

"Where is it?" he said aloud. His voiced echoed in the enormous room. "UGH!" he screamed, throwing himself to the floor in a flood of tears. It was useless. He was trapped and no one would ever find him.

"Alright, Pans. We have about an hour before the festivities begin. Let's begin with the check list, shall we?" She sighed, but nodded anyway. "Food and refreshments?"

"The house elves brought down some tarts and butterbeer," she said lazily.

"Well..I guess last minute that will have to do. Next, children."

"Sealed the doors to the First, Second, and Third Year dorms." Draco smiled.

"Excellent. Invitations?"

"Sent with our password."

"Right. Then there's only one more thing I need to do." He handed her his clipboard and climbed the stairs. On the way up to the highest tower, Draco was bombarded by a girl with bushy brown hair.

"Draco!" she breathed.

"Granger? What can I help you with?"

"Harry!"

"What's happened?" he asked nervously. Hermione couldn't say anymore as she wrapped her arms around him, crying into his shoulder. "Granger, you have to -"

"He's missing." Ron came running behind them, he too wearing a grave expression. Draco's heart began to race.

"For how long?" he asked as calmly as he could.

"He left during dinner. We haven't seen him since. We were hoping that you would help -"

"I know where he is." Hermione gasped.

"How do you -?"

"Trust me. I know where he is." He began to climb the stairs, the other two following, but stopped half way. "I need to do this alone. Please." Though Hermione seemed a bit apprehensive, she stayed back allowing Draco to continue unaccompanied.

That's the time you must keep on trying
Smile, what's the use of crying?
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just smile

Once he had reached the seventh floor, he found the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy and immediately began his pacing. Bring me to Harry, he internally screamed. I need to save Harry. Seconds later the same door appeared as it had before. Draco pulled the handle, but it would not move. Enraged his screamed, slamming his fists against it.

Inside the room Harry could hear a noise. It was distant, and so faint that he wasn't entirely sure that he was hearing it. But then it happened a second time. He got up and began to follow it, getting closer to that something with each step. The slamming became irate, maddening. Then suddenly, he thought he could hear his name being called. There was no way. The room was playing tricks on him. Still, something about this intrigued him, so on he went.

"HARRY!" Draco screamed. "HARRY, PLEASE!" Tears were sliding down the boy's cheeks as his fists beat at the doors.

Harry gasped. He knew that voice. It couldn't be, though. Why would he want to -? But there it was again. His name being called in that sweet pleading voice. God, he had to get out of here.

The blond had his head pressed against the door now. His body slid to the floor as he had simply given up. It was then that he heard it too. Draco. Draco, it that you? If he had been breathing any louder he wouldn't have heard it. It was Harry. He was alright.

"Harry!" he yelled again. "Please, I need you."

Harry ran through the blackened room, following the sounds of Draco's voice. He had to get to him, no matter the obstacles.

"Draco, keep talking, please!" he begged, running through the darkness. "I need you to keep talking."

He nodded his head, not that Harry could see him.

"Harry, I am so sorry about yesterday. You didn't deserve to be hurt like that. That was the biggest mistake of my life. I regret that I can never take any of it back." He sighed as tears began to form in his eyes. "I can never take it back. But I'm going to make it better. I love you, Harry. I love you."

Suddenly a set of doors appeared in front of Harry, as if from nowhere. He ran into them, forcing all of his weight to open them. The blinding light caused him to collide with the wall in front of him. Draco ran to his side, his face sticky from tears.

"Harry, you're alright," he breathed as he began to cry once more.

"And I have you to thank." Draco helped him to his feet and stroking his hair, pressed their lips together. Harry took his hand and smiling, lead him down the stairs.

That's the time you must keep on trying
Smile, what's the use of crying?
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just smile