Hi! The next chapter's finished! Finally. I've been so busy, having priorities and didn't feel like writing, but here it is! I hope you enjoy, and don't forget to review! Betaed by SiriuslyHolly!
Chapter 11
Lost
Draco was confused. What was happening?
"Harry! Please wait!" he shouted, running after him.
"Leave me alone, Malfoy." Harry's tone was harsh.
"Harry, please. Let me explain!"
"Explain what? How you tricked me? How foolish I have been? I should've known you never felt the same way!" Harry's green eyes were as murderous as the Killing Curse.
"I do feel the same way. Why don't you just shut up and listen?" Draco barked. "I'm not handing you to Voldemort! I'd never do that. I'm willing to give up my life to spare yours," Draco finished. Using Voldemort's name sent chills down Draco's spine, but he had remembered what Harry had said.
"Nice try," Harry answered, unconvinced.
"Well, if you want to play it that way, fine. I'm want to apologise that I hid it from you. That's all. I'm not betraying you in any way. So, please think twice about this."
"You don't sound like yourself, Malfoy. I can tell it's all a lie."
"It's not! I have changed because of you, Potter, but you're too idiotic to see it! Fuck it! If I don't have anything to do with you, I won't be forced to hand you over." Draco felt tears fill his eyes, but this was not the moment for them to burst out. Harry had already changed him too much. He was right. He wasn't himself anymore.
"Fine." Harry started to walk away, but Draco stopped him. "What?" Harry growled.
Draco kissed Harry full on the lips in the middle of the corridor. Harry pulled away first, his eyes filled with confusion.
"What do you want from me?" Harry demanded wearily. Draco couldn't understand why Harry was so angry and upset. Maybe he had been wrong about it turning out all right in the end.
"Nothing has changed, Harry. You're just too blind to see it." Draco turned around and walked away.
LINEBREAK
Harry was not too blind to see it. In fact, he knew Draco wasn't lying after his first sentence, when he had followed him down the corridor.
Draco was right. If they didn't see each other, it would be easier for both of them to handle their fates. Harry didn't want to know what Voldemort would do when he knew Draco was so precious to him. He would, most likely, hurt him like he had done with all the other people that were dear to him.
So, for that sake, Harry ignored Draco. It was the hardest thing he had ever done, facing Voldemort included. At least he could spend his time with Ron and Hermione again.
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It wouldn't be very Hermione-like if she hadn't noticed something was different. After Transfiguration, the three friends were making their way to the Gryffindor common room. A few weeks ago, Harry would have been running to the Hospital Wing, and only days ago, he would have left his friends to meet up with Draco.
This time, he acted like the past few weeks hadn't happened. They sat down by the fire to get started on their homework: one foot of parchment on the side-effects of being an animagus. After a while, Hermione wasn't able to keep her curiosity at bay.
"Where's Draco?" she asked nonchalantly, as she flipped a page from her book; 'Theories of Transubstantial Transfiguation'.
"In the Slytherin House, I guess. Why?" Harry answered casually, trying to hide the sad undertones showing in his voice.
"What happened? Why aren't you two meeting up today?" she questioned. She didn't have a problem with them being together. Ron, on the other hand, had not been so happy when Harry had finally told him who he was dating, two weeks previously.
Harry was writing his essay for Charms, but his hand started to tremble as Ron spoke.
"I've known that it was going to fail from the start. I just sensed it, you know?"
"Very helpful, Ronald," Hermione scolded, pursing her lips together.
"Don't do that, 'Mione, you're the spitting image of McGonagall," Ron whined. He was the only one not doing his homework; he was rereading his Chudley Cannons book for the umpteenth time.
"Oh, just stop it, Ron. Harry, what happened? We haven't been able to get you apart for anything for ages." Hermione put aside the book as Harry put his quill down. He wouldn't be able to finish his homework like this.
"It's nothing, Hermione. It's just... too dangerous for us to be together," Harry explained.
"Why is that?" Hermione pressed.
"If Voldemort finds out about us, he'll kill us both. Besides, Draco's been given the task to hand me over to him."
"What?" Hermione yelped, covering her mouth with her hand. Some of the other Gryffindors in the room turned around to see who was making the noise, but soon, all went quiet again.
"Yeah. He can't help it." Harry was playing with his quill, avoiding the gazes of his friends.
"How do you know that he hasn't been lying to you all this time?" Ron questioned suspiciously.
"He loves me. I just – I believe him," Harry defended. Ron looked as if he was going to be sick at that comment.
"Maybe he's pretending that he loves you, to make it easier to fulfil his task," Ron offered grumpily.
"Ron! Don't say things like that. If Harry believes him, then it's the truth. Besides, I honestly don't believe Draco could be that good at acting." Hermione hissed defensively.
"No, he isn't. At first, that was what went through me too. But, I believe him. It's awful. I swear, if Voldemort lays a finger on Draco, I'll kill him in a heartbeat." With that, Harry stood up and headed towards their dormitory. He avoided Hermione's watery gaze and climbed the stairs without saying a word.
The next few days were very lonely. Harry could see from the way that Draco acted that he thought Harry didn't love him anymore. But, that was for the better, Harry convinced himself. Voldemort will never find out.
Harry forced himself to eat breakfast to escape Hermione's complaints. He tried to hide his misery, so he wasn't interrogated by Ron, or told that 'it was the right thing to do'by Hermione. He didn't know whether it was or not.
If it was the right thing to do, it certainly didn't feel great. But, whenever Voldemort was involved, nothing felt great. Everytime he saw Draco, the more his heartache increased and the more he was determined to end Voldemort once and for all.
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Draco was on the edge of sanity. He didn't know what to do anymore. From the few good things he had had in life so far, he had lost the most precious thing: his Harry.
It was obvious that Harry would not take him back. Draco could sense that from a mile away, and he agreed with his decision. He shouldn't have hidden that from his boyfriend. He didn't resent Harry for not loving him anymore. He just hated himself for losing him.
Nothing really mattered anymore. Voldemort could take him and kill him because he hadn't finished his task, he didn't care. He would be proud to keep Harry from him; that way, he could do at least one thing right.
Saving Harry.
Harry was so busy thinking about Draco that his grades were suffering. He couldn't concentrate on anything. Every time he tried to focus on something, Draco's beautiful eyes crossed his mind and he had to do everything to stop his mind from wandering to the days in locked classrooms.
"Why are you trying so hard to ignore him, Harry?" Hermione inquired, looking at him worriedly as Harry forced his eyes to look in front of him, rather than to the blonde Slytherin passing by.
"I have to, Hermione. If Voldemort looks into my head... I need to hide it from him."
"Do you really believe he doesn't know yet? Maybe you should go to Draco and just be there for each other. This is exactly how V-Voldemort wants you. Vulnerable." Harry was taken aback by the sense she was making. Deep down, he knew she was telling the truth.
"It's already too late, Draco won't want me back now," Harry mumbled as they reached the Gryffindor tower. "Pumpkin juice." The portrait flew open and they entered the common room.
"That's not true, and you know it. If you think that's how you're going to save him from Voldemort, fine. But I'm guessing that Voldemort will eat him alive if he doesn't bring you to him."
Harry knew Hermione was right again. He wanted to hear Draco's voice. He wanted to hear him say that he loved him, after Harry apologised. Harry was sure he would cry.
But that wasn't possible for the moment.
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Harry was having such a hard time ignoring his former boyfriend, that at first he hadn't noticed Draco wasn't present in Defence Against the Dark Arts. It was already hard to deal with, with Snape making it so difficult for him to enjoy his once-favourite lesson. Half an hour in, his stomach started to churn and he looked up to where Draco normally sat. When he saw the empty desk, a wave of sickness went through Harry, his senses telling him that this was not a good sign.
The remaining hour seemed to last forever, and Harry was glad when he could clean his desk. He had to find Draco. He put everything away in record time and made his way to Professor Snape at the front of the dark classroom.
"Professor. Dra- Malfoy is absent today, do you have any idea where he is?" He looked at the greasy-haired man and tried to be as casual as he could manage, but Snape had obviously taken it suspiciously.
"I don't think that's your business, Potter," Snape sneered. Harry could have expected the former Potions teacher to act like this.
"Is he all right? Is he back in the Hospital Wing?" Harry asked worriedly, hoping for a better answer this time.
No such luck."I just told you that it wasn't any your business, Potter. Class is over, it would be kind of you to leave the classroom." Harry nodded and turned around, grabbing his bag as he exited the room.
Ron and Hermione were waiting for him with a curious look on their faces, but he couldn't tell them what he had inquired about. What would he say? I'm worried that Voldemort has taken and hurt my boyfriend. Harry knew what they would answer.
Ron's would be; "I don't care about Malfoy. Why do you worry about that Ferretface?" and Hermione: "You Know Who can't get into Hogwarts, Harry, that's impossible. If Dumbledore is still here, he's safe." No. He wouldn't tell them.
They arrived in the Great Hall, and Harry scanned the Slytherin table immediately. No sign of Draco, and almost all the students had arrived, since Harry had been in the classroom for a little longer than usual. They sat down.
"Draco's not in the Great Hall," Harry noted out loud, his look never leaving the entrance of the Great Hall. Somehow, it felt odd for Harry to remain seated. He felt like scanning all of Hogwarts to find his blonde ex-boyfriend.
"Maybe he's just not hungry today," Hermione offered, although not very self-assured.
"Just let him be, Harry. He'll turn up sooner or later," Ron said, filling his plate with everything within his reach. Harry wasn't hungry. He sat there and waited.
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The next day at breakfast, there was still no sign of Draco. Harry forced himself to eat some toast, but his stomach was already filled with worry. He sensed that something was seriously wrong.
"We have Herbology with the Slytherins today. If he's not there, then you can go to Dumbledore, okay?" Hermione reassured, anticipating Harry's feelings. Sometimes she could read people like books.
"Deal," Harry agreed, placing his toast back on his plate and finishing his Pumpkin Juice. "Let's go."
"But you haven't eaten, Harry," Hermione protested.
"I'm not hungry, believe me."
That afternoon in Herbology, the only Slytherin not attending the class was Draco. Harry felt nauseous. It had been a whole day now, and if Draco was with Voldemort, chances were small that Harry would ever see him again. He could have been gone for even longer, as Harry had been trying to ignore him.
Harry felt awful. This was all his fault. This would never have happened if Draco had been by his side. But now, Draco was convinced Harry hated him, and Voldemort could be torturing him with his own memories.
Harry should have known better than to walk away. He didn't need the confirmation from Dumbledore to be sure that Draco wasn't anywhere near Hogwarts.
"He wasn't there, 'Mione. I'm going to Dumbledore's office right now," Harry breathed hurriedly as they left the greenhouses of Hogwarts.
"It's getting late, Harry. Wait until tomorrow," Hermione said, but no one could stop Harry now. He had already waited too long.
"I can't Hermione. I haven't eaten or concentrated all day! I'm worried. If something has happened, Dumbledore will want to tell me." And with those words, Harry ran off to Dumbledore's office.
"Wine Gum," he said breathlessly, and climbed the emerging stairs as fast as possible. He knocked once, and entered the room when he heard a soft "Come in."
Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk, looking at the door as it opened. Harry could tell that the headmaster wasn't surprised to see him. There were no lights of happiness in those deep blue eyes.
Harry didn't need words to know what was wrong.
"You're coming for Draco, I suppose?" Dumbledore asked gravely, his voice still soft.
"Yes, Professor. He's been missing."
"I'm afraid so. The Order have no idea of his whereabouts, but they're working on it. We also don't know how he got out of the castle."
"I have to find him," Harry replied determinedly.
"Your bravery is commendable, Harry. I'm sorry, but I cannot allow you to leave Hogwarts, it's too dangerous. That is what Voldemort wants you to do," Dumbledore informed him calmly.
"I don't care what he wants, I need to find Draco. Don't you have any idea where he's gone?" Harry replied, anxiety taking over him.
"No. The Order has checked the Malfoy Manor, but it's completely deserted. No sign of Draco, nor his parents."
Harry remained silent whilst adrenaline rushed through his veins. After a moment of silence, he stood up.
"Then, I suppose there's nothing that I can do," he stated.
"I agree," Dumbledore agreed, a watery smile crossing his face. Harry turned and left.
To be continued…
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