Author's Note: Thanks very much for all your reviews! It's much appreciated. More More Moreeeeee!!! *heh-heh*

It feels good to be back. :)

Special thanks to - Kawaii-chan, Stormy1x2, fatchap (hey, thanks for calling off the assasination attempt, dude!), Shannon Corrigan (because she asked so nicely), Rei the Genki-Chan, PhoenixSong, LadyRaya, rofro05, Ange de melancolie, Shania Maxwell, Rarity88, Aahz, Fire of the Angel, Storm, NayNymic, Furies, Vidalark, Dark-One Shadowphyre, Mudblood, shakiya, TanisaFyre, Ms. Padfoot.

Some REALLY overdue thanks to - Maxine, Gia, Make Eater, Phoenix Tears, Berkeley Halperin, Dragenphly, Malfoy Angel, Angel Ran, Meemo, Mrs Souma Akito, beautifulelf, Jedi Cosmos, Ashes, Anime Fan, sk8brdrme, newtypeshadow, toshi, Shupatra, Sheron, yourslasher, DreamerofHope, EPP (if you're still reading this fic, I've had a few crashes on the bike and been flattened under it, but so far no horrific accidents. Yet.)

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Chapter 26: Last Resort

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The two collided into each other.

"Ow!"

"Hey, watch it!"

Draco cursed loudly, a scowl on his face. He had just bumped into a rather- bony-someone right outside the Great Hall and his head was smarting from the sudden impact. Though, he also noted with some satisfaction that he had managed to trod on the offendor's feet at least.

He looked up slowly, relishing the sweet taste of the verbal assault that the clumsy oaf had coming to him.

The words he had prepared all but died in his throat, as he stared into two very fierce-looking, brilliant green irises.

"Harry." he said softly, almost in wonderment.

He had been thinking about the boy so much; that for a moment he thought his mind must be playing tricks on him.

But then, he suddenly remembered the very corporeal body he had just walked into and shook himself.

His grey eyes widened slightly as he took in the angry looking scratches running along the other boy's cheek and forehead.

There was a deep vertical gash on his lower lip, which looked raw still, as if the boy had been chewing on it.

Draco stared at it, momentarily transfixed.

Harry, on the other hand, hadn't counted on running into Draco quite so figuratively. And now that he had, all his pent-up rage started boiling to the surface once more.

"Oh. So I'm 'Harry' now, huh?" the dark haired boy responded vehemently.

Before him, Draco blinked in surprise. Words had suddenly left him.

He felt awkward, the now-familiar feeling of guilt rose up in him again like bile. He looked at everywhere but Harry.

Angered even more by his silence, Harry gritted his teeth and continued slowly, "So tell me..." as he took a predatory step towards the blonde, and backed him up to the wall.

"Are we going to play nice now?"

He laid a flat palm on the rough wall next to Draco's shoulder, all the while glaring at him, a dare in his eyes.

"Because I'd really like to know." he said, sarcasm dripping off every syllable.

He felt a certain satisfaction at seeing the boy fidget uncomfortably before him.

After a significant pause, Draco looked down and whispered almost inaudibly to the floor.

"I'm sorry."

Harry had to lower his head to hear it.

He scoffed.

"You're sorry?" With his free hand, Harry pretended to rub his chin and looked thoughtful, "For what, Malfoy? Being you?" he asked with a sardonic smile.

Draco looked up now, an angry glint in his eyes as he stared at Harry.

"I'm sorry," he forced himself to take a breath, "for hurting you." he managed out, his jaw tight.

Harry sniffed and pulled himself back. He crossed his arms, and looked at Draco appraisingly, his expression cool.

Draco's lip twitched as he tried to remind himself that Harry had every right to be mad at him.

He tried another tack.

"Are you okay now?" he asked, telling himself not to be put off by the cold gaze before him.

"Couldn't be better." Harry said; his cold tone unfaltering.

"It looks bad." Draco said, looking at the scratches.

He reached out a hand and made as if to examine them, but pulled it back immediately when Harry flinched his head away, looking annoyed.

Draco ignored the painful twinge squeezing his heart and nodded.

"I've had worse." Harry said pointedly, "I'm sure *you* can recall," he couldn't resist adding, if just to see Draco wince.

"I didn't mean it this morning." Draco said hurriedly. "What I did, I mean... I didn't mean for you to get hurt like that, I just wanted to... you know - humiliate you." he surprised himself with his own answer.

"Ah." Harry knitted his brows, "So that's it. Well, thanks, I feel *much* better now." he said, and started to walk towards the doors to the Great Hall.

A desperate choking sensation came over him when he realised Harry was walking away from him yet again.

His eyes welled up, he felt so ridiculously helpless. His efforts seem futile.

Nothing had worked.

As a last resort, he blurted out in desperation, "I don't know what else to do. I don't know what else to say. I miss you." he sputtered. The words had come bursting out of him before he had time to think twice.

"I miss you." he repeated, softer this time, almost as if he was telling it to himself now.

Harry froze, one hand on the door, his back still to Draco.

For a second, hope flared in Draco.

*This is it. He's going to forgive me.*

He held in his breath.

"I - " Harry halted, and closed his eyes for a moment, "I can't do this anymore. It's too much." he swallowed thickly.

And with that, he went inside the Great Hall, closing the door on the Slytherin.

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Draco just stood there, dumbfounded.

He had bared his soul, showed his weakness.

Forsaken all his pride.

And for what?

Harry hadn't forgiven him.

*Will never....* he thought, catatonically.

He had been rooted to the spot, staring blankly ahead for the past few minutes. In some small part of his brain, he knew that true despair hasn't set into him yet.

Because right now, he was just numb.

He shoved his hands into his pants pockets and willed his feet to move.

He had lost track of how much time had past since Harry had gone into the Hall, and he wasn't going to risk Harry coming out and seeing him again.

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Harry sat down at a table heavily, a little relieved to be off his feet.

His heart was thumping so fast, he had thought his feet would give out the instant he walked into the room.

He could sense someone at his same table standing up now and walking away.

He didn't even look to see who it was.

Everything around him now was background noise.

An insignificant blur.

What did he come here for?

He ran a hand through his hair, his mind was blank for a few moments before he remembered.

*Right.* he sighed tiredly as he picked up a stray bun on a plate before him and put it back down again.

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