~ There's only us, only
tonight
We
must let go to know what's right ~
Harry
cautiously opened the front door and snuck inside, the smell of burning food
still lingering in the air. He quickly removed his wet shoes and cloak, feeling
slightly hurt that Draco was cooking for himself instead of waiting.
"Draco?" he called,
walking down the hallway towards the kitchen with his shopping bag. He entered
the cream coloured room and saw Draco standing by the table.
"There you are," he
smiled, placing the eggs on the counter. "What's burning?"
"The pan that you left on the stove," Draco
answered stiffly.
"Oh no, I totally
forgot!" Harry exclaimed, looking towards the stove. "I got distracted
when I saw that we were out of eggs."
"So then you just decided
to go for a little stroll, did you?" Draco asked coldly.
Harry turned and frowned at
Draco's tone. "What's wrong?"
"You're not supposed to leave
this apartment by yourself, you know that, Harry!"
"I just went to get some
eggs," Harry mumbled, looking distinctly uncomfortable.
"Why didn't you at least
leave a note? Do you know how worried I was?" Draco stepped closer, wanting
to take Harry by the shoulders and shake him. "I even called Ron and
Hermione, and made them worry too!"
"You did?" Harry
asked quietly.
"Yes, and I would've
called the Ministry as well if Hermione hadn't figured out that you had decided
to go out on your own."
"I'm sorry..."
"You're sorry?" Draco
exploded. "You could have been killed! I wake up to find you missing, no
note, and a pan smoking on the stove...I thought you had been kidnapped!"
"But nothing happened and
I'm fine," Harry said soothingly.
"That's not the point!
What about next time?"
"I promise I won't do it
again."
"I'm not trying to keep
you in a cage, Harry," he cried in exasperation. "It's for your own
safety."
"I know, and I swear it
won't happen again."
Draco sighed and ran a hand
through his ruffled hair. "I've come to realize that no matter what other
people do to try and protect you, you still manage to find ways of putting
yourself in danger."
"I don't do it on
purpose!" Harry retorted indignantly.
"Yes you do, you just
don't realize it."
"Look, I said I was
sorry...what else do you want me to say?"
Harry moved towards Draco, but
the blond quickly stepped away.
"I can't do this anymore,
Harry"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean living each day in
fear of losing you. I do care about you, but you have a lot of emotional
baggage."
"What's that supposed to
mean?"
"It means I think I should
go"
"No!" Harry shouted,
face paling. "Please don't leave. I said I was sorry, Draco."
Harry rushed forward and
grabbed Draco's wrist, pressing his hand between his palms.
"If you care for me, then
you won't leave," he pleaded.
"I do care for you, Harry,
but I just can't sit around waiting for you to kill yourself."
Harry dropped his hand and
stepped back, a look of understanding suddenly flashing across his young face.
"Oh, I see," he said
coldly. "You don't want baggage without life-time guarantees."
"No, that's not
it..." Draco couldn't look into the beautiful eyes that he loved so much,
now so full of pain and betrayal.
"Then tell me you love
me!" Harry shouted, tears forming in his green eyes.
"I...can't," he said,
defeated. "I have to go."
Draco suddenly rushed down the
hall to the bedroom, trying to keep his emotions in check, with Harry following
right behind.
"Draco..." Harry
pleaded, not sure what he could say to make Draco change his mind.
Draco started throwing his clothes
haphazardly into a bag.
Harry put his head in his hands
and tried to keep himself from sobbing hysterically.
"It'll feel much worse if
I don't leave now," Draco thought to himself as he caught sight of a
distraught Harry out of the corner of his eye. He finished tossing in all of
his belongings and practically ran out of the bedroom and towards the front
door.
Harry reached it first and barred the
way. "I'm not going to let you leave like this," he said weakly, eyes
red.
"Get out of the way,
Harry."
"Draco, please don't
go...I love you," he cried desperately, hating how pathetic he sounded.
Draco narrowed his eyes in
determination and grabbed a hold of the door knob. He wrenched it open in one
pull, effectively pushing Harry aside, walked outside and shut the door behind
him with a resounding click. He stood in the hallway briefly, listening to
Harry's sobs echoing from inside, before tearing himself away.
He hailed a cab, stowed
his bag in the boot, and slowly pulled away. He kept himself from looking back
at the building that held all of his warmest memories. He suddenly felt barren
and very alone, he had left all the colour in his life back in that flat. Now
he was on his own with no idea about where he was headed, only knowing that
once he got there he would break down completely for the first time in his
life; cry for the one person he loved but couldn't say it to and knowing that
he had hurt him more than anyone else ever had.
