Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to the amazing JK Rowling, and sadly, not me.
Thank you to my beta, HPalto87.
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5
Draco stood on the porch in front of his and Harry's house. He needed the password to get in. What was the damn password? Draco mentally kicked himself. They changed it every month, and he could remember last month's password just fine. But this time Harry had chosen something odd and muggle.
The brass doorknocker smirked at him. It was a hippogriff head with two small, stylized wings surrounding it. Draco hadn't thought it was possible for a hippogriff to smirk.
Think, Draco.
Something that began with S. No, Es. Es… es… estra… espra… espresso. That's right, he had heard it at a muggle cafe and thought it was an odd word, one that wizards wouldn't guess.
"Espresso," Draco said.
"Finally," the doorknocker voiced. Draco heard the locks click, and he opened the door.
"I could replace you, you know," Draco sneered.
"You won't because Harry likes me," the little hippogriff replied.
Draco glared at it, then moved to close the door, muttering to himself. "Harry's probably asleep."
"Harry's not here," the hippogriff said just before the door slammed shut.
Draco stopped. He pulled the door open again.
"What?" Draco glared at it again.
"He's not in the house," it repeated.
Draco slammed the door, harder this time, and started looking for his boyfriend, even though he knew it was pointless. He checked the living room, kitchen, and library, then went upstairs to their bedroom.
"Harry?" he called.
No answer, of course.
The bedroom was a mess. Two drawers of the bureau hung open, both nearly empty. The photos that usually sat on top of it had been knocked to the floor. The closet stood open with its contents spilling out into the room. Harry's robes were gone. In the center of the bed, there was a piece of parchment, addressed to him in Harry's handwriting.
Draco righted an overturned lamp and sat on the edge of the bed. He picked up the parchment.
Draco,
I can't stay here with you anymore. We just keep hurting each other. I guess it's time to move on. I wish it didn't have to end like this. After all we went through just to be together, you'd think we could work this out, but it's time to give up.
I wish I could say I still love you, but I think it's faded. Love requires a level of trust and understanding that we apparently don't have for each other. You were wonderful to me for several years before this, however, and I will never forget that.
I wish you all the best,
Harry.
Draco flopped back on the bed. He wanted to cry. Malfoys don't cry, he reminded himself, but the tears formed anyway.
This was really the end. They had spent so much time trying to pretend nothing was wrong, but their relationship had been falling apart for some time now. They had taken each other for granted, didn't show each other the love and affection they deserved.
Draco had neglected Harry somehow, and Harry had run off with another guy.
No, that's not what happened, and you know it! Draco berated himself. That arse cheated on me! I should be glad he's gone.
But he wasn't. Losing Harry hurt more than anything Draco could imagine. How did this get so bad? When did it all start, anyway?
It had to be last Halloween. It was their first serious argument after the war. The first one they had trouble making up after.
It was the first time Harry had run out on him.
---
Flashback
"I am not wearing that," Draco said.
"Why not?" Harry sighed.
"I am not dressing up and looking like an idiot," Draco replied.
"I think you'll look sexy," Harry said.
"I'd look sexy in my new designer robes," Draco scoffed.
"It's a costume party, Draco," Harry said. "Everyone will be dressed up."
"Leave it to the Weasels to come up with something so common," Draco sneered.
"It's supposed to be fun!" Draco could tell Harry was getting frustrated, but he refused to back down.
"Fun is sipping wine at Blaise's high-society party, not mingling with idiots in make-up," Draco replied.
Harry held up the costume. "Please, Angel?"
"No," Draco said firmly. "And don't bother with the puppy-eyes, it won't work."
"You're so self-absorbed, Draco, can't you just do this one little thing for me?" Harry demanded.
Draco didn't know what to say to that, and after a moment of angry silence, Harry dropped the costume on the bed and stormed out of the room.
Draco cringed as the door slammed.
He looked at the costume on the bed, then at the dress robes he had picked out for himself and Harry, which were hanging neatly on the closet door. He sighed, knowing this was not an argument he was going to win.
"Why pirates?" Draco groaned aloud.
He put on the tight black pants, and the equally tight shirt, which was a cream-colored button down with lace around the wrists. He put the long green coat over it, but left it open. There was also a scarf that draco tossed aside, and eye-liner that Draco was not going to wear. He had to draw the line somewhere. He put on a pair of black boots and left the room to find his boyfriend.
Harry was sitting at the kitchen table in a similar outfit, except his pants had stripes and his coat was red, and shorter than Draco's. He had a scarf tied around his waist, and dear Merlin, was that eye-liner?
"You make a sexy pirate," Harry said.
"I do, don't I?" Draco looked down to admire himself.
"Narcissistic git," Harry said, but he was smiling.
He got up and kissed Draco lightly. "Thank you." Then he pulled back and presented Draco with two items he hadn't noticed before. "Do you want the pirate hat or the sword?"
Draco took the plastic sword and said, "We're staying for one hour, then we're getting changed and going to Blaise's party. We will drink, mingle, and have sophisticated conversation over dinner." Draco paused. He felt like he was forgetting something. "Oh!" he pointed the sword at Harry's chest." "And you will not get drunk tonight."
"I'm going to need a strong drink to get through Blaise's party," Harry replied.
"No. One drink for you. Maybe two, if you're good," Draco said.
Harry was getting upset. "You can't tell me to-"
"Yes, I can." Draco cut him off. "For our social well-being, Harry, please don't get drunk," Draco half-demanded, half-begged. "When you're drunk you tend to grope me in public, and as sexy as we are, no one at Blaise's party tonight needs to see that."
"I do not," Harry pouted.
"You do, so please, don't get drunk," Draco asked.
Harry nodded, and they apparated to the Burrow, because Draco hated the floo.
---
Draco suffered through an hour and ten minutes of the Weasels' party. Molly had been glad to see them both, but most of the redheads didn't pay much attention to Draco. Harry seemed to be enjoying himself, however. For most of the time, Draco occupied himself by brooding in the corner and eating chips.
Hermione tried to engage him in small talk, but he wasn't in the mood. She said he and Harry looked cute in their pirate outfits, and insisted on taking a picture of them. Hermione was dressed as an angel, and Ron was a devil. How original.
At some point Annabelle, Bill and Fluer's three-year-old daughter, had attached herself to Draco's leg. Everyone but Draco thought this was just the sweetest thing, of course. When Fleur finally detached the little girl from him, Draco found his leg covered in sparkles from her fairy costume.
Harry encouraged Draco to relax and have fun, and made him dance for a bit, but Draco really didn't want to be there. Harry seemed quite put off by his attitude, but didn't push the subject. He let Draco continue brooding in his corner.
---
Draco finally managed to drag Harry away, but not before he had said good-bye to everyone. Everyone. Molly hugged Draco, and Hermione gave him a kiss on the cheek. One of the twins (Draco always got them mixed up) promised to take the two out drinking one night, and Fleur brought Annabelle back for a kiss.
Then they finally got out of there. He and Harry apparated home, changed quickly, then apparated to the Zabini mansion.
"You're late," Blaise greeted them. He hugged Draco and shook Harry's hand.
It had taken a lot for Draco's friends to accept Harry, but now they were on good terms, for the most part. Draco was glad for that.
"Finally!" Pansy said, "Now we can eat!" She kissed Draco on the cheek and smiled at Harry. Then suddenly, she laughed.
"What?" Draco asked.
Several of the people around them were staring now, and a few of the women began to giggle as well.
"What in the world were you two doing with glitter?" Pansy laughed. "Is this some sort of new kink we should be aware of?"
Draco frowned. Harry looked at Draco and started laughing as well. "Annabelle," he said.
Draco touched his cheek where the little girl had kissed him. He looked at his now sparkling fingers and rolled his eyes.
"It was a costume," Draco started.
"Ooh, what sort of sparkly costumes does Draco wear in the bedroom?" Pansy teased.
"No, it was a little girl who hugged me-," Draco tried to explain.
"Oh, so now you're a pedophile," Blaise chimed in.
"At a costume party. She's the daughter of Harry's friends," Draco finished.
"Now that's just wrong," Blaise said.
They were deliberately misunderstanding to make fun of Draco, and Harry was laughing right along with them. Draco's irritation was getting the better of him. He suddenly turned on his boyfriend.
"Why didn't you tell me I still had glitter on me?" Draco demanded.
"Sorry, love," Harry said, stifling more laughter. "I didn't notice. We were kind of in a hurry."
"Maybe you just like seeing me look like an arse in front of everyone," he hissed.
"No, Draco, I'm sorry. Here, I'll fix it," Harry said. He took out his wand, but Draco just glared at him and stormed away to find the bathroom.
Draco examined himself in the mirror, cleaned off the glitter, and fixed his hair. When he opened the door, he found Harry waiting for him. He glared at his boyfriend.
"Why are you so irritable tonight, Angel?" Harry asked him.
"I'm not irritable," Draco spat.
"You've spent most of the night glaring at me!" Harry accused.
"Maybe because I had to dress up as a glittery pirate!" Draco said a bit too loudly. "We may be gay, Harry, but we don't have to appear flaming!"
His voice rang down the hall. Pansy's mother peeked out of a nearby room.
"Draco, dear, are you all right?" She asked.
"Yes, Mrs. Parkinson," Draco said. He managed to smile for her, but she still looked worried.
"Well, if you need anything…" she started.
"We're fine," Draco assured her.
She nodded and left them alone. The two lovers stood in silence for a moment. Draco looked away from Harry. He couldn't stand to see the hurt expression on his face.
"Let's just go back," Harry said quietly. "They're serving dinner soon."
---
Dinner was elaborate, expensive, and delicious. Harry and Draco ate in near silence, only speaking when they had to. Harry looked wretched. After desert, Draco took his boyfriend aside.
"What's wrong with you? You say I'm irritable tonight, but you don't even try to hide the fact that you're miserable," he accused.
"Sorry, but there can only be one Slytherin ice prince." Harry sneered.
"We're not in school anymore, Harry," Draco said.
Harry sighed. "I'm not good at hiding things, you know that."
"Look, if you'd rather be at the Burrow than here, supporting your boyfriend, just go," Draco said.
"I didn't say-" Harry started.
"You didn't have to," Draco said coldly.
Draco looked into Harry's hurt green eyes. Harry closed his eyes, turned and apparated away. Draco decided to tell his friends that Harry wasn't feeling well, and went home.
---
When Draco got home that night, Harry was already in bed. Draco took his clothes off, brushed his teeth, and crawled in next to his lover, hoping the argument would just blow over, like all the previous ones.
Harry was lying on his side, facing away from Draco. He placed an arm around Harry, careful to not disturb him. Harry pulled away from the touch, the first indication that he was still awake.
"I'm still upset with you," Harry said groggily.
"I'm sorry," Draco said. He kissed the back of Harry's neck.
"That's not good enough this time," Harry replied.
They slept as far apart as they could while still remaining in the same bed.
