Again it's short, I'm sorry. And I won't be able to write any more till after New Years because I'm being a social animal ^_^ Anyway, I'm sorry for the heavy angst, trust me, I'm actually in tears, but then again, I'm an emotional wreak at the moment. Enjoy
Part three…
Draco didn't deny the punch had hurt, in fact, it killed, the pain lanced up his chin and through to the rest of his body. But that didn't hurt quite as much as the fact that he had known this was going to happen. He had known that Ron was going to react in this way. He knew that Ron was going to hit him, and he hadn't done anything about it.
Draco reared back, almost taking Harry with him. Ron went after Draco again, throwing his body towards the blonde.
It was Harry that caught the flying fists of his best friend. That wasn't an easy feat to accomplish, Ron was almost twice his size and in the angry rage he was in, he was quite strong. Hermione had tears in her eyes as she tugged at Ron's arm.
"Ron?" Harry called the boy's name, but was ignored as Ron let out another furious growl.
"RON WEASLEY!"
Professor McGonagall sounded just as mad as Ron, if not more so and it had an immediate effect on Ron. His eyes widened like sauces as he realised he had been caught starting a fight with Draco in the middle of the Hall. His profile and he relaxed into Hermione's hold, Harry letting go of him. Ron closed his eyes, awaiting the telling off he was about to receive.
"It's alright Professor, Ron and I were just playing around." Ron opened his eyes and stared at Draco. McGonagall's eyes narrowed suspiciously but Draco smiled at her, and against her better judgement the professor trusted Draco's word. "Ron didn't even touch me," Draco expanded, lying easily. "Shall we dance Harry?"
At the question someone, Snape with all probability, started the music again. Draco slipped one arm around Harry's waist and guided him quickly out onto the dance floor. They fell into step quickly, and though the rest of the school seemed intrigued by the current events, they too started dancing.
Harry sighed, melting into Draco's more then welcome embrace. Ron had almost gotten himself suspended, or worse, expelled. Harry shuddered at the thought of his friend, he had never seen Ron's eyes quiet that furious before, even when Hermione had been dating Viktor Krum. It was something he hadn't quite been ready for and of all things it hurt like nothing on Earth, knowing that the boy who was his best friend didn't except the other boy he loved.
It took him a few moments to realise that Draco's posture had not relaxed since they had got out on the dance floor. Something was wrong with the blonde and Harry looked up into his blue eyes. He hadn't seen them look this vacant since Draco's parents had kicked him out of home. Harry could feel the sudden panic rise in him. No, not now, not like this, please no-
Draco let out a shuddering breath. "This isn't going to work Harry."
Nononononononononono…
"I can't ask your friends to except me when they obviously hate me Harry, and I won't be a tare in your friendships." Draco smiled softly, finally looking down at him. The brightness that had danced in there just a few moments ago, before Ron had attacked him, had dimmed. "Before Christmas, Harry, the only thing I ever wished for was friends like yours. They are so precious, I can't ask you to give up what you may never find again."
Harry could not speak. He couldn't even breathe, it was like something had grabbed him by the throat and was choking him. Harry had no doubt that this was what it felt like to die.
The soft touch to his cheek was so delicate it was as if Draco expected him to break. "I'll never forget the time we've spent together Harry, I'm sorry." His voice whispered and his lips brushed Harry's fleetingly. And then he was gone, his touch with it and Harry was left swaying by himself on the floor. He didn't hear the whispers start around him.
Draco had left him, Draco was gone. He could feel the tears begin to fill in his eyes as he left the floor, almost follow Draco's footsteps. No one tried to stop him as he headed for the door. Not even these friends Draco had spoken of with such envy.
At the door, however, a hand reached out and held him still for a moment. He looked up into the concerned eyes of Professor Snape. Concern? When had the professor ever cared for him, and why on earth now, of all times? Didn't he hate him, as he had his father before him? But something in his eyes now suggested that it had not been hate, jealousy maybe, but never hate.
"All will be well Potter," Snape told him softly. Harry could not bring himself to believe his words, shaking his head, barely able to keep the tears that threatened withheld. Snape lifted his hand, watching the boy pass.
Harry didn't remember any of the trip back to the common room, but suddenly he was in front of the fat lady, whispering the password and slipping through the passage way. He went by Seamus and Parvati kissing on the couch without even noticing them there.
It was only when he got to the dorm he and the other sixth year boys shared did his legs collapse from beneath him. His head fell into his hands and the tears flowed, great sobs shaking his already small body. It was here, on the floor that Harry let the pain release until he fell into a fitful sleep, tears still falling from his closed eyelids and pooling on the floor beneath him…
Draco lay on his bed, staring into the blue eyes of Pouncer, his grey and white kitten and gift he had gotten from Harry for Christmas. He had done the right thing, Harry's friends loved and deserved him, and all Draco had done was make the last five years of their lives a complete misery. Under father's orders of course but that made little difference. Harry needed them, not some orphan emotionally senseless boyfriend.
And if that was true why did he feel like he was about to cry…
Snape sat in his room, doing the one thing he swore himself and an old friend that he'd never do. He was writing a letter, it wasn't the fact that he was writing a letter, but who it was too. It was quick, to the point and he didn't sign it, making sure the reader wouldn't know who had sent the message. It was thankfully gone before he had a chance to think over what he had done, which was good because if he thought about it, he would realise he was helping Potter when perhaps he shouldn't…
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