Draco cursed his conceited habit of gazing at all surfaces that reflected. Every time he happened to glimpse at the shining surface of glass that vaguely reflected his image he didn't see the usual appearance.

No.

Sure, he saw the silver hair that cropped his ears; he saw his eyes, a pool of liquefied pewter; he saw his smirk, customarily always on his face; he saw the perfection, the defining features that made him...him.

He also saw someone else. Someone else who had the same traits; someone who was identified and labelled by the same attributes.

Father.

The silver hair that mimicked his fathers; running in the Malfoy blood since they were recognised. The hostile impenetrable eyes that gave nothing away; also given to him by his father. The smirk, a Malfoy's mask against the world. They were his.

Draco closed his eyes, trying to block his thoughts and looked promptly away from the reflection. He had decided; screw the rest of the school. It was only a couple of weeks.

He wanted to go home.

Now.

Draco raced pass people, not really caring who they were. They cringed back from him; letting him through, also seeing the similar mannerism he had to his father – the recent prisoner to Azkaban for the worst possible sentence. He needed to pack. Now.

---

"Where are you going?" Harry breathed, catching hold of Draco's arm.

"Home." He replied, brushing off the annoying Gryffindor's grip and continued fleeing.

"School hasn't even ending!" Harry blurted, stating the obvious, rather confused.

"Thanks for reminding me, Potter. Wouldn't know what to do without you." Draco turned, some of his sarcastic persona returning for a brief moment as he waved mischievously at Harry.

"Draco..." Harry began, wondering if he was going to suddenly break down.

"Malfoy to you, Potter." Draco informed the Gryffindor coldly, letting him meet in grey gaze.

"Look... I know we sort of got...distant. C'mon. You can't be serious! You haven't spoken to Hermione forever!" Harry whined.

"True. But we've always been distant. You can't believe that anything could've changed. It would be like changing the stars. We're meant to be rivals; you and I. It'll never change. Get used to it. I'm a Dark Wizard. Hermione's a Gryffindor, standing for everything right and pure. She should be with you. You two should be together." Draco cringed away at his words.

They sounded horribly cruel and shallow in on the outside. That's the way Potter would see it, but deep inside; you'd have no idea how selfless Draco was being. It was all about appearances, Draco assured himself.

"But we could work this out! Why do you have to be such a prick? Why can't you just listen? Even I'm not this bad!" Harry argued,

"There is no we. There is only you and I. There is only you against me – and vice versa, of course. I don't listen to nonsense. Just keep telling yourself I'm a prick, I'm happy. And Potter; no, you're never 'bad'. Every bloody bone in your body is the essence of noble morals." Draco grimaced. "Possibly why I'm you're enemy."

"You're not my enemy." Harry murmured lightly.

"YOU JUST GET IT DO YOU??!? I AM YOU'RE ENEMY!!! I am." Draco shouted, trying to somehow knock some sense into the halfwit.

Harry smiled; Draco walked right into it.

"You're so self-centred. You're so... vain! DID YOU EVER THINK THAT YOU COULD BE AN ENEMY FOR ME???? No. You're not even worth being my enemy. Look at the state you're in. You're pathetic. Faceless, emotionless and useless. No. Draco, you care not my enemy. I have bigger fish to fry. Voldemort is waiting; waiting to attack us and you still believe I will bother worrying about your... pettiness?" Harry lost it.

Draco stared at Harry. He just stared. He just took it all. After all, Potter was right. It was all true.

Harry gulped. What was wrong? Why wasn't Draco getting angry and retorting back? Maybe he was just a little too convincing. Curse my Gryffindor brilliance, thought Harry smugly, before shaking his head and thinking maybe it was for the best Draco was putting some distance between them. Some things were just growing on him too much.

"I guess you're right, Potter." Draco admitted, as Harry stared horrified at his friend. WHAT HAS BECOME OF HIM? "All the more reason to leave. I've been cursed with the illusion that I could possibly be worthy and equal to you. I must go and leave you to concentrate on defeating the Dark Lord and not bother you with my petty musings."

Now he was pushing it.

Was he being sarcastic? Harry just couldn't tell.

"What about Hermione?" Harry asked, letting it slide.

"What about the Mudblood?" Draco asked lazily.

Harry stared at Malfoy in shock. Utmost shock. Mudblood? How could he?

"She is your girlfriend! God! She might even love you!" Harry fumed.

"True... all the better. Must be off. You know; break her already-shattered-heart-by-someone-who-I-won't-name. Love? Hah! Right, Potter. Like she could feel the slightest emotion other than hate and revulsion towards me, for I feel nothing but them towards her." Draco was returning to his usual crafty I-won't-stop-at-anything-til-I-have-my way attitude. "Religious nut." He murmured underneath his breath.

Double-blow. It wasn't Harry's fault Draco didn't get the concept of 'God', let alone using his name for some reason as slang.

"Fruits of the Spirit!" Harry lectured silently, refusing to be swayed. "Why are you doing this? Just tell me. Give me the truth. No matter how I hate it. I'll accept the truth. I won't bother you any more. Promise." There was always Hermione...

"Wow. This is a big step for you. A Gryffindor... lying?" Draco asked.

Harry gaped at him... how did he know?

Of course Draco knew! Draco smugly smirked at his clairvoyance, his knowledge, his brilliance... but more importantly the way he knew Potter was up to something when the Gryffindore's eyes twitched.

"Please." Harry smiled and tested out his new 'puppy dog' face. Draco stared loathing back and Harry stopped. "Why were you risking everything for her then? And now... now..." he didn't know how to say it.

"I think I might have cared about her... deeply. It screwed up my reason. I went against everything I believe in, notice the present tense as well, and lost my mentor. My father is like an Idol to me, okay Potter? I know it's not that great, but it's true. She's a Mudblood. I'm a pureblood. We don't mix. It was just a fling." Harry flinched away as Draco said Mudblood.

"That can't be all!" Harry accused.

"No. And for the sake of binding you to your promise, I think I'll tell you. I actually gave her a thought because I want to destroy you Potter. I know you love her. I know you hated seeing her with me. It was tearing you apart. Only, somehow, you got this idiotic idea that you and I could be friends and you don't mind me with her anymore.

Like I clearly told you before; you and I aren't friends; never have, never will be. I don't want to tarnish my reputation more than I need to. I see the way you worry. Now, as I'm no longer with her, it's still tearing you apart. I see the way you still care about her. I see the way you hurt just as much as she does. Well, she's all yours now, Potter!" Draco smiled wickedly. How on earth was he able to come up with this right on the spot?

He wanted so much to believe what he just said was true. Deep – yes, very very deep – down inside he knew it wasn't.

"Oh."

"See now, Potter? I lost myself slightly when messing around with the tart. Now I'm back, you could even go and run to your love and tell her. Though I doubt she'll believe you." Draco laughed menacingly. "After the show I pulled off, the Mudblood will only think the best of me!"

It was true. They both knew it, no matter how much both of them now wanted it to be untrue.

"So. Try to stay true to you lil promise and leave me alone. Or at least for a few hours. Soon, I'll be out of your lives, Potter." Draco grimaced. "Wouldn't you be glad?"

With that Draco pushed himself away and Harry let go of him.

Staring at the boy striding towards the dungeons, Harry didn't want to believe it. He somehow knew it wasn't true. But it all seemed to make sense. He couldn't find another explanation. None.

Draco couldn't believe he did it. He pulled it off. That would have them off his back for Merlin knows how long! He let them drift away. He let the Hermione go. He didn't need anyone. Not before, not now and certainly not in the future.

Harry couldn't look away. They had all invested so much hope, belief, faith and trust into Malfoy. It was a gamble and they were sure they could sway the odds. They had lost. Maybe they had lost from the start. But now at least he'll be gone. Harry wasn't sure how he was going to explain this to Hermione.

He didn't know what he could offer in condolence. He knew she was going to be shattered for the second time. What could he offer in compensation of her loss?

Only that he would be back in a while. Simply that he'll be back for their seventh year. Merely that Draco was going to be returning to Hogwarts.

But what Draco, and who he had become or returned to being... they'd have to wait and see.

The End

---

AWWWWW... the end. Sad. Depressing. But slightly more realistic. Don't forget to tell me what you think!

I must thank all the reviewers... especially my faithful ones who've always been there to review and mostly encourage, if not giving helpful pointers, and actually made me go through with the whole story. Now you've even begun convincing me of an even juicier sequel. Yes, THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!