Without you –
the mind churns, the heart yearns,
the tears dry
Without you –
life goes on, but I'm gone
'cause
I die without you
Harry
sat crumpled on the hallway floor for over an hour, deep down he knew that
Draco wasn't coming back, just like he had known that Cedric was never coming
back or his parents. It seemed as if the Gods just didn't want him to be happy.
He lay there wallowing in self-pity, loathing himself and the life he was
cursed with.
Finally, emotions rising, he
got to his feet and went into the kitchen. Looking around him, he suddenly felt
extremely angry at everything in general. In a fit of rage he grabbed the egg
carton off the counter and threw it against the wall, it fell to the floor and
broken eggs oozed down the wall and pooled on the tiles. Harry then seized the
breakfast tray with the red rose on it and carelessly threw it across the room.
It hit the window and broken glass flew everywhere. He let out an anguished sob
and watched the glass rain down on the floor before blacking out.
He woke up in confusion some
time later on the kitchen floor. The phone was ringing shrilly on the wall near
his head and he quickly got to his knees and snatched it up.
"Hello?" he asked,
desperately hoping that it was Draco.
"Harry?"
Hermione.
"Oh, hi Hermione."
"You're back...what's
wrong?" she asked, immediately sensing something.
Harry sighed, he didn't feel
like explaining yet. He didn't want to talk about it when the pain was still so
fresh, he was afraid he would break down again.
"Nothing," he
replied, voice wobbling out of his control.
"Harry, don't lie to me.
Do you want me to come over?"
"Fine," he relented
tiredly.
"Okay, we'll be right
over," Hermione said before the line went dead.
Harry stared at the receiver
irritably before hanging it up. Now he would have to face his best friends and
tell them that Draco had abandoned him. He would again be the poor, famous
Harry Potter who everyone pitied and felt sorry for. He slid down the wall for
the second time that day and sat exhaustedly on the floor.
Harry lifted his head minutes
later when the doorbell rang. Before he had even gotten to his feet, Hermione
and Ron came walking into the kitchen.
"Harry!" Hermione
gasped, looking around. The wind was blowing through the broken window causing
the curtains to lift and sway. The surrounding floor was covered with broken
glass and puddled rain, the red rose lay in the middle of the water, its petals
now wilted and damp.
"What the hell
happened?" Ron asked, rushing over to kneel beside him "Are you
okay?"
Harry looked into his best
friend's face miserably.
"Draco's gone."
"What do you mean?"
Hermione asked softly, crouching down.
"He..." Harry choked,
tears already pooling in his eyes.
"Come on, let's go sit on
the couch." Ron lifted him by the arm and led him over to the living room.
They settled themselves on either side of Harry protectively.
"Is Draco hurt?" Ron
asked, looking around.
"I hope so," Harry
said darkly.
Ron and Hermione looked at each
other in surprise.
"He left me," Harry
stated hollowly, suddenly feeling drained of emotion.
"What!?" Ron shouted.
"Why?"
"Is this because of what
you did this morning?" Hermione asked.
"Are you saying it's my
fault?" Harry snapped, even though he knew it was true.
"No, I just wondered if it
had something to do with it," she said hastily. "I just don't
understand, he was so worried about you this morning and then he suddenly
leaves..."
"He said that he couldn't
wait around for me to kill myself. That I always put myself in danger and that
I don't care about what other people are doing for me," Harry replied
stonily.
"That bastard!"
"Ron!" Hermione
admonished harshly.
"Hermione, after
everything Harry has done for him he just decides to abandon him? He didn't
even give a good reason, he's probably just been waiting all along for an
excuse to leave."
"Ron, you know that's not
true!" Hermione said sharply. "I know Draco loves him, he's probably
just scared."
Harry stared unfocused at the
carpet.
"He couldn't say that he
loved me...he never could." Harry paused. "He doesn't love me,
Hermione."
"No, that's not true,
Harry," Hermione implored. "I've watched him, I saw it in his eyes
even if he never said it."
"He's a coward and an
ass-hole," Ron said angrily. "He's treated you like shit, Harry, but
now you can forget about him and start over."
Hermione glared in exasperation
at her hot tempered husband.
"He may not love me, but I
still love him," Harry said, looking at Ron sadly.
"Harry listen, why don't
you come stay with us for awhile?" Hermione spoke gently. "Draco will
come back when he realizes the mistake he's made, I'm sure of it."
"I don't think so,
Hermione," Harry said shaking his head. "He's not coming
back...please don't say that again."
"Harry's right, he doesn't
need to sit around foolishly hoping that that bastard will come back
someday," Ron interjected, standing up and tugging Harry to his feet.
"Come on Harry, you can stay with us until you feel up to coming back
here. Maybe Dumbledore can even get you a new place."
"Yeah...thanks, I don't
ever want to come back here." Harry followed Ron, who still held fast to his
arm.
Hermione shook her head and
stood up.
"This doesn't make any
sense, I know he loves him," she thought to herself. She watched Harry
walk away, his shoulders hunched and his eyes bereft of their usual spark.
"What have you done,
Draco?" she thought sadly, before following the other two.
