"Draco, darling, you must eat something." Pansy cooed from his bed. He proceeded to stare out his dormitory window into the plain blue sky, ignoring his friends as much as he could. Ever since Blaise's departure, nearly a week ago, Draco hadn't done as much as eat and except for his occasional fainting spells that left him as dead as a rock, he hadn't slept either. Dark bags had settled underneath his eyes, making his light skin look paler. His silken hair had been reduced to dull strands, his tiny form diminished to nearly skin and bones

"Draco… we know this is a hard time but we're worried you might be acting a little too harshly. You should at least take a small bite of this. Blaise, himself, would be concerned with what you're doing." Contessa added, pointing to a platter of sandwiches.

"I'm going out for a walk." He declared, taking a small stride from his solid position to grab a nearby coat. "I'll see you in an hour or so." He added, slipping his arms into the sleeves. He walked out the door; shut away the concerned calls of his housemates as he calmly stormed out of the common room.

It had been merely days since he saw Blaise off onto the train, yet to Draco it seemed as though years of torment had passed. Blaise had been his companion through all the years he spent in Hogwarts. His childhood was painted with memories with the brunette, the glorious moments they spent together, and the dreaded times they spent apart. They had grown inseparable through the years, and their friendship was a bond too strong to break.

He remembered the first time he and Blaise kissed. They were underneath the shade of a giant sycamore, the cool summer breeze sending a sudden chill through their young bodies. Blaise had asked him whether he was cold, and he replied with a curt nod. His friend took off his own coat and wrapped him with it, setting a quick kiss on his forehead. They were huddled together, Blaise's strong arms embraced him, and their eyes locked in a powerful gaze. Draco initiated it, his lips slowly moving closer and imprinted a long kiss on Blaise's lips.

It was not long since then that they professed their love for each other, and not a single star-lit sky was spent without the heat of the other lying close by. Of course Lucius Malfoy was affronted by their confession, infuriated that his son…his only son…had fallen for his best friend, his male best friend. It took time for their relationship to be accepted by all. His parents, Blaise's parents, their friends and eventually the students in Hogwarts. Nevertheless their bond remained strong, and the flame of their trust and their love burned as brightly as the sun.

It was moments like these, like Blaise said, that would test the strength of their bond. Moments like these that would be testament to the power of their love. The moments they spent apart.

The sun had shone brightly since dawn. A thousand warm rays piercing through the thick cotton clouds. The rust-colored leaves that lined the grounds had been raked by a strong November wind, soaring freely in the crisp air. The morning was glorious, the sun shimmering far into the east, the grass moist with early dew and the birds chorused in a sweet melody. He walked – dragged his feet, more like – with his hands in his pockets, his eyes pointed to the ground, and headed to the only place he felt like he belonged at the moment…nowhere in particular. The rapid twists and corners of the halls, the dank stone walls and the ancient tapestries did nothing but depress him more and he needed to greet the new day with a fresh start at life... or at least soak the ground with his tears for another, if not a final, day.

His feet led him far from the stone castle, down into the soft pathways of the grounds. A sudden array of color blasted his way as he stepped into the lush garden. He admired the soft petals of the nearest rose, smelled the fresh scent of the loveliest jasmine. The place was covered in vines and herbs of all sorts. He followed the path, not knowing where it led. He was sullen and sorrowful, a solitary figure cloaked in ebony black, contrasting the bright autumn day completely.

Eventually he found his way to the train tracks, the one just beyond the Hogsmeade station. He paced the rails, his feet skipping the wooden bars lazily. His mind was wandering far away. Thinking of what Blaise could be doing at this very same moment, whether his love was thinking of him too, whether he was equally tormented by their sudden separation as well. He walked further, spotting a train stop somewhere up front. He was getting tired and decided to take a quick rest at the benches before heading back to the castle.

The sound of gravel underneath his feet and the teasing wind that blew across his ear only amplified his feelings of solitude. He had never felt so alone in his life. He had never felt so unloved.

But there, at the bench, was a boy, just sitting there, staring at the sky. He looked about the same age as Draco, the same frail form although a little more developed. He was sitting on the bench, his legs dangling haphazardly His arms laid tiredly at the back, and his shirt thrown carelessly beside. The sun on his tanned form made him look so beautiful, his golden skin matched only by the bright rays that streamed onto his form. Draco approached the bench hesitantly, turned on his heel to leave the boy alone when…

"Hi…" Came a sweet voice from behind him. He turned around to see the boy smiling at him in a friendly manner. He just stared, unmoving, at the other person and turned his back, taking the same slow steps back to the castle.

Paris stood at the edge of the hall, the arms of a well-built seventh year wrapped haphazardly over his thin form, clutching him loosely by the waist and shoulders. He was chatting silently with a pair of his new friends. Lately Paris had been rather preoccupied with his boyfriend and his friends. Jason was a thick brute, in Demetrius's opinion, and was rather inconsiderate of other people's well being. But Paris seemed to have developed strong feelings, sexual or otherwise, on the handsome black guy.

Demetrius stayed single, despite the numerous proposals from both male and female genders. However, that decision happened to have negative effects on him. Paris, it seemed, had more interest in spending time with his new found mate, leaving Demetrius bored and alone. It had been almost a week since Paris had gone out with Jason and it had been about that same amount of time since they've had a decent conversation besides: "Jason says that…" or "According to Jason…" Demetrius was not only sick of it, he was physically ill from the very situation. He had been suffering unbearable head aches, and not to forget, many unexpected hard-ons from the days of zero sexual activity.

Today Paris promised they would go walking to Demetrius's new found spot. It was a tiny little area, secluded, that Demetrius found while on his own walking. He wanted to bring Paris there just to talk so as they don't completely lose track of the other's existence.

He stood up and walked away, leaving Paris with his friends. It really wasn't Paris's fault. Demetrius had always been more of a social outcast. He knew he was always 'the hottie at the back', Paris was always more approachable. He walked in the direction of the lake, kicking a stone of two. He felt an immense guilt at his thoughts. He should be happy for Paris but he couldn't help feeling jealous not only of Jason but also of Paris, Jason because he now had Paris's attention and Paris because he was just genuinely happy.

He ran his fingers through his hair, twirling his brown tresses with a lazy nonchalance. He knew where he was going to go. There was this tiny spot at the north of the lake, where the train tracks met the cliff. He first found it while he was walking aimlessly. He sat at the bench and looked out into the rest of the world. The azure tint of the November sky, the cotton clouds that floated by, the millings of the animals below him. It was all so surreal. Even for him, who had vertigo as intense as an old woman with a broken parachute gone sky diving, the whole scene was beautiful, minus the fifty-foot vertical drop.

Today was no exception. The whole area was breath-taking. He held himself steadily and let out a soft sigh of relief as he sat on the wooden bench over-looking the mountains. With the lake behind him and the pines of a nearby wood standing tall beside him, he felt relaxed. Paris would have loved this, he would've loved spending time with his brother here.

Around about noon, when the sun had summit just above his head, a sudden shocking heat spread through out his body. The thin fabric of his shirt clung tightly around him, and suddenly felt constricting. He remembered hot summer days in Italy with his father, the feel of the blazing sun on his back and the wave of euphoria as he dove into the cold waters of the nearby brook. He casually took off his shirt, setting it quickly beside him, celebrating the sudden feeling of nostalgia with a smile. The sun embraced his golden skin, and soon enough he was coated with a light sheen of sweat. He leant back, remembering the scarlet glow in his eyes as he faced the sun directly, trying to feel the cold water surround him as he waded in the shallow brook. He leaned back, scratched an itch on his neck and continued to let the scarlet glow envelope his senses.

The pitter patter of feet suddenly caught his ears, the sound of gravel as it was crushed by footsteps. He turned to his right, blinking rapidly, trying to focus but the scarlet spots impaired his vision. He slowly caught the silhouette of the retreating form. It was clad in black clothes, walking slowly back to the castle, hands buried in the pocket of it's pants.

"Hi…" he said, his voice sounding slightly strained. The silhouette turned to face him, and as though the heavens had parted, his vision unblurred, the sun shone directly upon them and all the sounds of nature halted. He had just caught sight of the most beautiful creature on the face of the earth. His breath hitched at the sight. Frail, fragile form, cold unemotional face, ivory-gold strands of hair fell limp in his face. He brushed away the rebellious strands and continued to walk back into the castle.

It was then that Demetrius had remembered to breathe, his heart suddenly pumping blood back into circulation. The sounds had continued, the heavens closed again….the boy was gone.

"H-hi…" he whispered slowly to himself as though hoping with that one short word he could bring back the mesmerizing beauty.

/oO0Oo-

A/N: ok so I've read too much romance in Old English. I'm not saying that I write as well as those people. But…it's fairly obvious my style has been affected once again. ARGH! I wanted this chapter to be good, too! Tsk…well…I hope you liked it…or at least understood the story. I know this fic is slowly deteriorating, I just hope you'll still read on and find out what happens next…