Chapter 7: The Unwanted Parting

Dean had forgotten his charms text in the dormitory and so was running back up the stairs from the common room when he heard the argument. The door to the boy's dormitory had been left ajar and Dean peered through the gap, watching the arguing pair and then Harry's unexpected move. Bewildered and slightly disgusted, he had run straight back to the common room to find Lavender, entirely missing Seamus' reaction.

---

Harry was still sitting on the floor of the dormitory when Seamus finally broke the silence. "Harry, what the hell was that?" Harry just stared at the floor. "I'm not even gay … and Draco, well I don't even wanna go there."

Harry finally looked up at Seamus. He was already regretting what he had done. He had been trying to figure out what had made him suddenly kiss Seamus. Was it the fact that he had stood up for him against Dean? Or could it have been the fact that he associated being angry with Draco and then in turn Draco with getting turned on. He had no idea, but he had to say something to Seamus so he said the first thing that came to his head "I suggest you don't then. I'm sorry for kissing you." Harry apologised sincerely. "I don't know what I was thinking. How about we just forget all about this and act as if nothing happened?"

"Yeah, that would probably be a good idea," replied Seamus wanting to forget what he had just experienced ASAP. "But if you ever do find out why you did kiss me, promise you'll tell me"

"Yeah, of course" agreed Harry, he knew Seamus at least deserved that for his trouble. "Now, I think I will go to bed" Harry just wanted this to go away so that he could get on with his life and the more serious things on his mind, i.e.: Draco and defeating Voldemort.

But what Harry didn't know was that the next morning when he saw Draco that it would not all be forgotten. It wasn't just going to go away. It would only be just beginning.

---

Down in the common room, Dean found Lavender talking with Parvati, in front of the fire. He rushed over to her, "Lavender, I need to talk to you," he panted.

"Dean, I'm talking, can't it wait?" giggled Lavender.

"No, it can't," insisted Dean.

"Fine," said Lavender giving in. "I'll catch ya later Parvati." She rose from her chair and followed Dean out through the hole behind the fat lady.

"Okay, now you may not believe what I am about to tell you, but just bear with me" Dean said trying to brace Lavender, as much as himself for what he was he had to say.

"Whatever Dean, just spit it out" ordered Lavender wanting to get back to gossiping with Parvati.

"Well…I just saw Harry kissing Seamus" Dean said hesitantly

"WHAT!" shouted Lavender in shock.

"Sshhh," Dean didn't want to draw attention from people walking pass in the corridor. "I know. I was shocked too. But I know Seamus isn't gay, so why would he be kissing Harry?"

"Who knows, maybe Harry kissed him," speculated Lavender

"Maybe. Do you think I should go and talk to Seamus?" asked Dean, not wanting to believe that Seamus would initiate something like that.

"Not just yet. I would wait until tomorrow," advised Lavender.

"Okay" said Dean thinking that might be best. Wait until Seamus had time to reflect on the situation before he questioned it.

Dean led Lavender back into the Gryffindor common room. Lavender went back over to the fire where Parvati was waiting and Dean went back up to the boy's dormitory finding Harry and Seamus both asleep in there own beds.

---

Back in the common room Lavender spotted Hermione, over Parvati's shoulder, talking to Ginny. She got up from where she had just sat, not paying any attention to the confused face of Parvati, and walked over to Hermione.

"Ummm, Hermione?"

"Yes" she said looking up at who was talking to her.

"Aaahh…can I speak to you for a minute"

"Yeah, sure. Go ahead"

"Umm…in private" even though Lavender loved to gossip, she knew that what Dean had told her would do well to be keep quiet gossip.

"Ok" Hermione said. "Where did you have in mind?"

"How about the girl's dormitory?" lavender suggested

"Sure, lead the way." Hermione hadn't been up there since the end of their sixth year.

Once in the girl's dormitory with the door firmly shut lavender began to speak. "Okay, now I just heard this from Dean who saw it with his own eyes." She paused for a moment while trying to find the words. "Harry kissed Seamus…"

"WHAT!" was Hermione's reaction

"Yeah, that was my reaction when Dean told me just before"

"But…I don't understand. Harry has always loved Draco and now that he is with him…" Hermione stated and then paused to think. "Why would he go and kiss Seamus? Its just doesn't make sense."

"Well, I thought you might be able to shed some light on it for me, but obviously you're as shocked at the news as I am" Lavender sighed.

"Thank you for telling me, but I all can think of at the moment is that one of them must be drunk or both. Seamus isn't gay and he wouldn't have started it or went along with it for long. And Harry is madly in love with Draco and has no reason to be kissing Seamus." Hermione shook her head. "I think the best thing to do is keep this quite until we have a chance to talk to the boys themselves."

"Okay, I won't say anything," promised Lavender. "You have my word"

"Thanks Lavender. I really appreciate that." And with that Hermione walked out of the girl's dormitory and headed back to her head girls dorm.

---

Hermione walked into her kitchen and started making herself a hot chocolate.

"How could this have happened?" she thought out loud. "I have really got to talk to Harry."

As the kettle was boiling Draco walked into the common room. He had been patrolling the corridors, teaching the newest prefects how to deal with people sneaking around. He was going up to his room, past the kitchen when he heard Hermione say Harry's name. He stopped to hear what she was saying about his lover.

"Maybe kissing Seamus was a heat of the moment thing. Can't imagine how, but…" she sighed and poured the water into her mug.

Draco's jaw had dropped to half way down his chest. Had he just heard what he thought he had heard? Had Hermione just said that the love of his life, Harry Potter, had kissed Seamus Finnigan? This wasn't possible. It just wasn't so. Draco didn't want to believe it. He would speak to Harry during Potions first thing tomorrow morning. He would confirm that his imagination was just running wild and the words that had come out of Hermione's mouth were not the word that he had heard.

---

Snape walked into the dungeon to find the class already seated. Harry, Hermione, Blaise and Draco sat in the back row. He walked to the front of the class and waved his wand at the blackboard. A complex potion appeared there with the ingredients needed and method.

"You will not find this potion in your books so don't bother looking, Miss Granger" he glared at Hermione for a moment and then continued to look around the class. "It is one that I have invented myself, and yes it works," he added to some of the people looking doubtful. "It is an advanced cleaning potion that will cut through any type of dirt or grease"

"Sounds interesting," whispered Blaise to the others, "I wonder if he's ever used it on his hair."

Harry, Draco and Hermione snickered quietly.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" snapped Snape. "Get to work!"

Noise erupted in the dungeon as the class set up their cauldrons and took out the ingredients needed to make 'Snape's Incredibly Advanced Cleaning PotionTM'. Draco took this opportunity to Harry the question that had been on his mind all of the night before.

"Harry…" Draco said with a bit of hesitation in his voice

"Yes, what is it Draco?" Harry replied.

"Umm, last night I overheard Hermione talking about you and I just want to know if I interrupted her correctly"

"I see." Said Harry "what do you believe you heard?"

"Well…that you kissed Seamus Finnigan" Draco winced. He didn't want to know the answer.

Harry opened his mouth to speak but then shut it again thinking that this was not the time or the place to confirm what Draco had heard. He tried again. "Can we talk about this later Draco?" he pleaded, "I don't really want to discuss such a matter here"

"Sure" Draco was determined not to believe that Harry had done such a thing as kiss another man. "How about you come up to my room for lunch and we'll talk there?" he suggested

"That would be good," agreed Harry. "Now, lets make this potion"

Hermione had been watching the two boys talk. To her, there looked to be tension between them and she did not like the look of it. For the rest of that lesson they only spoke when it was absolutely necessary. During charms they didn't speak at all and after that they had separate classes. It wasn't until lunch that she saw them together, heading towards her and Draco's dormitory. She decided to let them have some privacy so she followed Lavender into the Great Hall to eat.

---

Draco led the way through the common, past the kitchen and into his room even though Harry knew it off by heart. He closed the door behind Harry and then turn to face the person he loved so much. Harry had made himself comfortable, siting on Draco's bed.

"So Harry, is it true? Did you kiss Seamus?" Draco asked not really wanting to know the answer.

"Yes" Harry bowed his head.

"I can't believe it." Draco said in disbelief "Harry, how could you do that? Am I not good enough for you?"

Harry didn't know what to say. The truth was that he didn't really know how he had done it, just that he had.

"Why, Harry, why?" Draco continued, "talk to me Harry. I need to know"

"And you deserve to know Draco" said Harry with his head still down. He was too ashamed off his actions to look at Draco.

"Then tell me Harry, please tell me" Draco looked like he was about to cry. "I'm begging you…please"

"Draco…" Harry looked up and met Draco's pleading grey eyes. "…I…I don't know. Draco I don't know why I did it" Harry moved forward into Draco's arms crying.

Draco suddenly let go of Harry and turn to face the door they had come through. Harry fell to his knees, crying into his hands.

"Harry, what happen before you…" he couldn't even say it, what Harry had done, it hurt his throat and heart, "…you did what you did?"

Harry took his hands away from his face, still crying, but managed to sob, "We were arguing. Seamus was the first person I ever told about being gay and found out that I was seeing you." Harry whipped the tears from his eyes. "He didn't think that I should being having a major relationship with my former arch enemy"

"And maybe he was right" stated Draco.

"Draco, what are you saying?" Harry demanded

"I'm saying Harry…maybe we should have some time apart" Draco didn't really want this but Harry had done something that wasn't easily forgiven. "You need to sort out how you feel towards Seamus and why you…" Draco gulped back the lump in his throat, "Why you kissed him."

"But Draco…" protested Harry "I have no feelings towards Seamus. He is no more than a schoolmate and me kissing him was just a mistake. A horrible mistake."

"Mistake or not, it still happened!" shouted Draco now feeling anger burn at his heart.

"But never again. Draco please…" tears started to fall down Harry's face again.

"Don't 'Draco please' me Harry! YOU kissed another guy and whether you have feelings for him or not, you hurt me!" Harry's sobbing increased at this comment and his tears continued to flow. "Just go Harry. I don't want to talk to you again until you know why you have hurt me." Draco was firm with his command.

Harry rose from the floor and looked at Draco's back. He knew Draco was in pain, he could feel it. And he knew he was the cause of that pain. He walked forward and around Draco, not looking back. He opened the door and kept walking out of sight.

Draco watched as Harry walked out of the common room and then closed the door to his room. He turned to run and fall on to his bed crying into his pillows. What had he done?

After a long while Draco looked up at his clock. He was about twenty minutes late for Defense Against the Dark Arts but he didn't care. Harry was in that class and he couldn't face Harry again today. He put his head back on the pillow and fell asleep.

---

Hermione was coming back up to her room after having dinner in the great hall. She had been talking to Harry about what had gone on at lunch that day. He had been so miserable during their last class that she had answered most of Professor Lupin's question instead of Harry, when he was usually the first hand up (or first to shout out the answer, more like it) in that class.

While talking to Harry she had made a vow that she would talk to Draco and make sure that he was okay. She didn't want to see Harry nor Draco upset. If Draco needed someone to talk to about the situation she would be there for him.

Just as she reached her bedroom door she heard a faint noise of a door close. Draco had woken and was heading into the kitchen to get himself a drink. Hermione turned around and walked into the kitchen.

"I suppose Harry told you then" stated Draco not even looking up from what he was doing.

"Yeah, he told me." Hermione went over to the cupboard to get herself a mug. "Can you pass the tea bags?" she asked as Draco was standing with the pantry door wide open, looking inside for nothing in particular.

"Well then, what are you waiting for, let us have it" said Draco reaching into the pantry on the second shelf to grab the tea bags and then pass them to Hermione.

"Let you have what?" Hermione asked confused.

"Aren't you going to tell me what I did to Harry was too harsh or something?" asked Draco with similar confusion.

"No" Hermione plainly stated.

"Oh…right." Said Draco, clearly not prepared for that. "Well then…"

"Draco, you made Harry really happy. And I know that he made you happy too. I brought you two together for a reason, you know" she smiled.

"Really, and what was that?"

"Because I could see how much you both longed to be in the others arms, to become closer to each other. I believe this happened for a reason as well."

"What, to tear us apart?" Draco said in a sarcastic tone.

"No Draco, to bring you even closer. To help each of you realize how much you mean to each other. How much you need one other."

"I don't think so Hermione." He shook his head and closed the pantry door. "Not something like this."

"Yes, something like this." Hermione came back. "You didn't see Harry in Defense Against the Dark Arts today. He was a wreck, didn't even answer a thing Professor Lupin asked. If he could take back what he's done, he would Draco."

"Look, I don't want to hear this from you. I told Harry that he has to find out why he kissed Seamus and until he does that I don't want anything to do with him." He got a cup out from the cupboard and put a tea bag in it.

"Well, if you're going to be that way…" she picked up the kettle, poured the boiling water into her mug and Draco's cup, took the milk and poured it. Then, her movements almost mechanical, she gave each a stir, took the tea bag out, grabbed her cup of tea and walked out of the kitchen, back up to her room. Draco, left in the kitchen, didn't move till well after his tea had gone cold.

Author's Note: well, this is the last you'll see of this story for a while. Hope you are all patient and when I return with the next chapter you will finish what you started. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Emma for her fantastic work as beta for this chapter. She has been asking me if she could do it from the story's humble begins over a year ago now. Anyway, thanks heaps Emma! Okay, now it is time for you guys to review. For those of you I don't know in person, leave your email and I will reply. Draco's Annie