A/N: *tsk, tsk*
Please forgive me for not giving individual thank you's. I'm tired of typing and there are so many of you. Just know I love you all and appreciate your comments/threats/ideas! *hugs*
***
Harry was picked up off the floor as if he were a baby instead of a teenager. He barely noticed, however as he was carried through the hallways to the portrait of the Fat Lady. She opened without a word and Harry's finder came face to face with Neville, who looked very grim indeed. "Upstairs, if you please," Neville requested. Harry was laid gently on his bed and the remaining two went downstairs to have a word.
"Thank you, Professor Snape," Neville said. Snape nodded. "Where did you find him?"
"East end of the castle."
"Did you see what might have upset him?"
"No, there was no one."
"Thank you, professor. Good night." Snape nodded again and made his exit.
Neville followed shortly in a very bad mood. He had had enough problems dealing with melancholy Harry and Ron after his mother had sent a very curt letter concerning his relationship with Neville. Neville remembered it exactly. It said: "Ron, Come home for Christmas holidays. Bring Neville. We'll discuss this together." It was the word "discuss" that had sent Ron into a panic. Two weeks later, Ron was still fretting about bringing Neville home to his mother. At least he had the support of Fred, George, and Bill. Without them, Ron would've gone to pieces. Needless to say the last thing Neville wanted to see was Harry in hysterics over something that asshole Draco did.
*
Draco was slammed against the wall with such force the wind was nearly knocked out of him. He looked up, then down to find an extremely pissed-off Neville. "Do you know the only reason I won't kill you right now? Although, I assure you, I could."
"No," Draco replied coolly. "Enlighten me." Neville laughed.
"Enlighten you?" He grabbed Draco's collar. "Don't fuck with me, Draco. I have had enough of this shit. The only reason that I'm not going to kill you is that it would kill Harry, but I dare say you're doing a wonderful job of it yourself."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Draco's head was introduced to the wall with a muffled thud.
"What did you do to Harry, you wretched excuse for a human being?"
"I didn't do anything!"
"You did something. Think!" Neville said fiercely.
Draco did, despite a growing headache. He clapped a hand to his mouth. "Damn!"
"Ah, you remember. Spill."
"I wonder if he saw me with- oh, God no!"
"Saw you with whom?"
"Seamus." Neville let go of him instantly.
"You horrible bastard. You don't deserve him," he said quietly, heading back to the dorm.
*
The next day in Potions, Draco approached Harry. "Harry, I need to talk to you."
"We've got nothing to talk about."
"Please."
"No."
"Harry-"
"Look, I've had enough of this. Go whore yourself elsewhere." Tears stung Draco's eyes."
"No," he said, grabbing Harry's arm.
"You're making a scene," Harry hissed, freeing his arm. "Leave me alone."
"Not until I've explained."
"Keep your explanation! I don't care anymore. I am so past this awful, insanely pathetic need I had for you. I don't want any of it. Go away."
"I will not go away until you've listened to me!"
"When will you get it through your thick skull that I'm not interested in what you have to say?"
"Never!"
"Potter, Malfoy detention!" Snape called, interrupting them. "To be served separately," he added.
*
Harry entered the potions classroom later that night expecting to see Snape. But Snape wasn't there. Harry curled his lip in disgust. "It's you," he spat.
"Snape's dictionary needs rewriting," Draco sighed.
"I assure you, my dictionary is fine. You two are not and you will not leave this room until you are."
"You can't do that!" Harry protested.
"Watch me," Snape said, closing the door.
Harry simply stared at the door for a moment before whirling around to Draco. "You put him up to this."
"I did nothing of the sort."
"Regardless, I don't want to talk to you."
"Then listen."
"I don't want to listen! Everything you said was a lie. You don't love me."
"I do!" Draco insisted.
"Right, that came through loud and clear when you were fucking Seamus."
"It wasn't like that."
"How stupid do you think I am?"
"I don't th-"
"Why him? Why Seamus?"
"Because he wasn't you," Draco said tiredly.
"That's real nice, Drac."
"I didn't mean it like that."
"Of course you didn't."
"I wanted so badly to make this work."
"So did i."
"But I can't. Please believe me when I say that I love you."
"No! You said yourself that we were through. New flash: You can't have me and eat Seamus too! It doesn't work that way."
"Harry, I never meant for it to turn out this way, but I couldn't avoid it anymore."
"Avoid what?"
"My heritage."
"Heritage, my ass! You have a choice!"
"But that's just it. I never had a choice. I thought I did. I thought I could escape it, but I can't." Draco broke into tears. "I can't escape it. He's everywhere."
"Escape what?"
"Him. He found a way to ruin everything. Ruin us."
"Ruin it how, Draco?"
"With this." Draco pulled back his sleeve. Burned into his pale flesh was the Dark Mark.
*
*(fancy a cliffhanger?)
* (thought not)
"You mean I've been miserable for months because you got an ugly tatoo?" Harry asked. Draco gaped at him, refusing to believe that his beloved was that stupid.
"Harry, it's the Dark Mark."
"Symbol of the big bad Voldemort. Pardon me for being unimpressed. Did you think I wouldn't love you because of this?"
"I wanted to protect you."
"I don't want to be protected. If did, I'd go to Dumbledore. I want to be loved, and for that I go to you. Or I used to until you became a big prat."
"I promise not to do it again," Draco laughed.
"You'd better not," Harry replied, kissing him. Draco returned the kiss wholeheartedly and rested his forehead against Harry's.
"I love you," he whispered. "I mean it."
"I know," Harry replied.
***
No, this fic is not over. More will come. I don't know when, but it will get here. Review! Darlings, I need something to keep the wheels in my head turning.
Luv ya ^_^
J. Silver
Please forgive me for not giving individual thank you's. I'm tired of typing and there are so many of you. Just know I love you all and appreciate your comments/threats/ideas! *hugs*
***
Harry was picked up off the floor as if he were a baby instead of a teenager. He barely noticed, however as he was carried through the hallways to the portrait of the Fat Lady. She opened without a word and Harry's finder came face to face with Neville, who looked very grim indeed. "Upstairs, if you please," Neville requested. Harry was laid gently on his bed and the remaining two went downstairs to have a word.
"Thank you, Professor Snape," Neville said. Snape nodded. "Where did you find him?"
"East end of the castle."
"Did you see what might have upset him?"
"No, there was no one."
"Thank you, professor. Good night." Snape nodded again and made his exit.
Neville followed shortly in a very bad mood. He had had enough problems dealing with melancholy Harry and Ron after his mother had sent a very curt letter concerning his relationship with Neville. Neville remembered it exactly. It said: "Ron, Come home for Christmas holidays. Bring Neville. We'll discuss this together." It was the word "discuss" that had sent Ron into a panic. Two weeks later, Ron was still fretting about bringing Neville home to his mother. At least he had the support of Fred, George, and Bill. Without them, Ron would've gone to pieces. Needless to say the last thing Neville wanted to see was Harry in hysterics over something that asshole Draco did.
*
Draco was slammed against the wall with such force the wind was nearly knocked out of him. He looked up, then down to find an extremely pissed-off Neville. "Do you know the only reason I won't kill you right now? Although, I assure you, I could."
"No," Draco replied coolly. "Enlighten me." Neville laughed.
"Enlighten you?" He grabbed Draco's collar. "Don't fuck with me, Draco. I have had enough of this shit. The only reason that I'm not going to kill you is that it would kill Harry, but I dare say you're doing a wonderful job of it yourself."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Draco's head was introduced to the wall with a muffled thud.
"What did you do to Harry, you wretched excuse for a human being?"
"I didn't do anything!"
"You did something. Think!" Neville said fiercely.
Draco did, despite a growing headache. He clapped a hand to his mouth. "Damn!"
"Ah, you remember. Spill."
"I wonder if he saw me with- oh, God no!"
"Saw you with whom?"
"Seamus." Neville let go of him instantly.
"You horrible bastard. You don't deserve him," he said quietly, heading back to the dorm.
*
The next day in Potions, Draco approached Harry. "Harry, I need to talk to you."
"We've got nothing to talk about."
"Please."
"No."
"Harry-"
"Look, I've had enough of this. Go whore yourself elsewhere." Tears stung Draco's eyes."
"No," he said, grabbing Harry's arm.
"You're making a scene," Harry hissed, freeing his arm. "Leave me alone."
"Not until I've explained."
"Keep your explanation! I don't care anymore. I am so past this awful, insanely pathetic need I had for you. I don't want any of it. Go away."
"I will not go away until you've listened to me!"
"When will you get it through your thick skull that I'm not interested in what you have to say?"
"Never!"
"Potter, Malfoy detention!" Snape called, interrupting them. "To be served separately," he added.
*
Harry entered the potions classroom later that night expecting to see Snape. But Snape wasn't there. Harry curled his lip in disgust. "It's you," he spat.
"Snape's dictionary needs rewriting," Draco sighed.
"I assure you, my dictionary is fine. You two are not and you will not leave this room until you are."
"You can't do that!" Harry protested.
"Watch me," Snape said, closing the door.
Harry simply stared at the door for a moment before whirling around to Draco. "You put him up to this."
"I did nothing of the sort."
"Regardless, I don't want to talk to you."
"Then listen."
"I don't want to listen! Everything you said was a lie. You don't love me."
"I do!" Draco insisted.
"Right, that came through loud and clear when you were fucking Seamus."
"It wasn't like that."
"How stupid do you think I am?"
"I don't th-"
"Why him? Why Seamus?"
"Because he wasn't you," Draco said tiredly.
"That's real nice, Drac."
"I didn't mean it like that."
"Of course you didn't."
"I wanted so badly to make this work."
"So did i."
"But I can't. Please believe me when I say that I love you."
"No! You said yourself that we were through. New flash: You can't have me and eat Seamus too! It doesn't work that way."
"Harry, I never meant for it to turn out this way, but I couldn't avoid it anymore."
"Avoid what?"
"My heritage."
"Heritage, my ass! You have a choice!"
"But that's just it. I never had a choice. I thought I did. I thought I could escape it, but I can't." Draco broke into tears. "I can't escape it. He's everywhere."
"Escape what?"
"Him. He found a way to ruin everything. Ruin us."
"Ruin it how, Draco?"
"With this." Draco pulled back his sleeve. Burned into his pale flesh was the Dark Mark.
*
*(fancy a cliffhanger?)
* (thought not)
"You mean I've been miserable for months because you got an ugly tatoo?" Harry asked. Draco gaped at him, refusing to believe that his beloved was that stupid.
"Harry, it's the Dark Mark."
"Symbol of the big bad Voldemort. Pardon me for being unimpressed. Did you think I wouldn't love you because of this?"
"I wanted to protect you."
"I don't want to be protected. If did, I'd go to Dumbledore. I want to be loved, and for that I go to you. Or I used to until you became a big prat."
"I promise not to do it again," Draco laughed.
"You'd better not," Harry replied, kissing him. Draco returned the kiss wholeheartedly and rested his forehead against Harry's.
"I love you," he whispered. "I mean it."
"I know," Harry replied.
***
No, this fic is not over. More will come. I don't know when, but it will get here. Review! Darlings, I need something to keep the wheels in my head turning.
Luv ya ^_^
J. Silver