Harry had been having a rotten day, that day Colin had left. Ron had tried to talk to him, Hermione had owled, his assistant had called in sick, and Bill was still staring at him blankly. None of his assigned cases were moving forward, and the coffee pot had been empty (apparently his assistant was the only one who made sure there was coffee freshly brewed in the mornings). By the time he'd made it home that evening, he was ready for a hot bath and good shag.

But the house was empty.

Harry had wandered from room to room. Colin wasn't in the house. Harry had felt the emptiness waiting, wanting to swallow him, and he'd wanted to scream. He'd half wished the portrait of Sirius' dear old Mum was still on the wall. At least the sounds of her shrieks would have covered up the voices in his head.

He'd wondered into the kitchen. The parchment on the counter had caught his eye immediately. The letter had made him furious. He still was not sure what happened that night. He could remember reading the letter, but the next thing he'd known he was being coaxed into bed by Kreacher. His house elf had sounded frightened, almost, as Harry had slowly climbed into bed.

Harry had been so angry that he'd not even tried to send an owl to Colin. His boyfriend wanted to abandon him? Fine. He didn't need him anyway. His resolve had lasted about a week before he couldn't take it anymore.

"I need him," he'd said to Bill as he raged about Colin. "I can't live without him. He's the only good part of me and I need that, he just needs to be patient, I'll work it out on my own, I don't need his help, I don't need anyone's help he can't leave me I can't handle it - "

He'd sent an owl the moment he'd left Homes for Hope, pleading for Colin to come home. And then another. And another. I'll be good, I promise. I love you, can't you see? Just come home. His owls always came back unanswered. Colin had left no way to get in touch with him, no floo address, no mention of where he would be staying, and Harry had no idea if the owls even knew where to go but somehow he thought they did, because they always came back empty handed.

In the middle of week three, Harry nearly got himself and Ron killed in what should have been a simple raid. The targets were magical drug dealers, small timers, and they shouldn't have gotten the drop on him but they did, and in the chaos Harry set off one of the cauldrons - it was sheer dumb luck that saved him and Ron (a passerby had heard the commotion and went to investigate; they put up a shield charm right in the nick of time). Harry was chewed out by Kingsley and put on leave for an indeterminate amount of time so he could "sort himself out". Harry didn't bloody need to sort himself out, for fucks sake. He needed Colin back. Ron tried to tell him it was all for the best, he looked like he needed some time off - Harry didn't take that well.

In week four, Harry was paid a visit by Hermione and some woman, a Mind Healer from St. Mungo's. Hermione pleaded with him to listen, to talk to the Mind Healer ("I want to help you Harry, that's all! Colin wanted to help you too!") but at the mention of Colin he lashed out, a stinging hex hitting the Mind Healer, and she'd left rather quickly after that. Hermione had tried to talk to him, but he'd driven her away, screaming at her to leave him alone until she did.

He stayed in his house. Kreacher kept him fed, but Harry resisted any efforts beyond that the elf made to help him ("Master should put on some clean clothes"). He wrote letter after letter. Some he sent. Most he crumpled up into little balls, frustrated at his clumsy words. Come back. Come back. All will be well. Just come back. You can't leave me. You're not allowed to leave me. I love you. Come back.

But Colin didn't come.

Harry wasn't the type to give up. So he continued to try. Try new words, new phrases. Something would work. Colin would come back.

In the middle of October, Harry left the house for the first time in weeks. He walked in the park, walked the same path he and Colin had walked down countless times. So much laughter, and love, and how could it all disappear like that? What could he say to Colin that would make him come back, at least so Harry could talk to him face to face, explain -

"Stop it Dee, that tickles!" A young child shrieked as she ran away from her friend, and Harry remembered a warm night, star gazing with Colin, lying in the grass, sweat cooling from their midnight activities, and pillow talk of dark moments and their deepest fears. He laughed out loud, and the two little girls turned his way but he didn't care what they thought about him, he knew what to say, he knew how to bring Colin running to him. It wouldn't even be untrue, either. Did it really matter? Either way, things would work out and he'd be fine.

He wrote the letter as soon as he arrived back home. His owl looked peeved at being sent out again, but reluctantly took off after Harry fed her a treat. Harry watched her fly away, and for the first time since Colin left he felt at peace. He ate dinner. Took a shower. Cleaned up the bedroom. Smiled at Kreacher.

Everything was going to be perfect.

As October neared to a close, Astoria began the final preparations for Jane's new life. The last hold up was the paperwork for the home that Jane would soon be occupying in the town of Killarney, Ireland. Jane had mentioned that her family had vacationed there once during her childhood and it had captured her imagination.

Plans were in the works for Colin as well. She had found a little shop in London for sale and proposed that Colin open a photography studio. Colin had agreed to that with abundant enthusiasm, but hadn't yet decided if he wanted a new identity to go with it. ("What if you helped me help Harry? We could make a go of it, right?")

Privately Astoria thought that Harry was beyond the kind of help that her organization could provide, at least at the moment. They were in talks with Homes for Hope to provide more substantial mind healing, but as of yet had not come to an agreement as to the terms of the contract. Since Colin had become a client, she had followed the Daily Prophet's articles more closely, and reading in between all the conjecture and blatant speculation, she gathered that Harry Potter was not doing well. A junior staffer at the Ministry had leaked a story about Harry nearly losing his life in a raid gone bad, and had said some other rather uncomplimentary things that made Astoria think that Colin should stay as far away from Harry as possible for the time being. But she was honouring Colin's wishes in the meantime by contacting people she thought may be able to be of assistance.

Astoria's apprehension for Colin's situation was only heightened by the owl post. "Someone wants to get in touch with Colin Creevey very badly," Lena remarked one day. "No less than seven letters came for him yesterday, and the count is up to nine already today. I don't know who they're from, but I'm guessing it's whomever he's running from."

"You added them to his file, I presume?"

"Yes. He's been getting between five and twenty letters a day. I'm half tempted to open one to find out who wants to get in touch with him that badly."

"If this keeps up, perhaps we should look." Astoria sighed. "If it's who I suspect, the more information we have the better."

"You know who Colin is running from?"

"I do. It's not someone we want as an enemy, given his influence in the wizarding world."

Lena nodded in understanding. "You're worried for him, aren't you. More so than for any of our other clients."

Astoria gave another sigh. "It's that obvious? Yes I am. He's my friend. He's my son's friend."

"He'll be okay," Lena reassured her. "He has you in his corner."

Astoria hoped Lena was right. She went home that night and hugged Draco extra tight. "Are you okay?" he asked her, and she didn't know how to answer so she kissed him in response. She pulled away when she felt Scorpius tug at her robes, and she scooped him up and hugged him too. "I'm so lucky," she said fiercely as she kissed the top of her son's head.

She had trouble sleeping that night. For once Draco was sound asleep, but she found herself overcome with anxiety and at last she slipped out of the bed and padded down to the sitting room window. She didn't know how long she stood there before she felt a presence behind her. "Couldn't sleep either?"

Draco's arms wrapped around her waist. "I had an odd dream. Not - nightmare exactly. I'm not sure what to make of it."

"Do you want my thoughts?" she offered. She could tell he was reluctant to share, but knew the gesture would be appreciated. Draco was quiet for so long she figured he wouldn't respond, but then he did. "Someone needs my help. But I can't - I'm not able to help."

Astoria waited, but he didn't say any more. "One of my clients needs my help. More so than any of the others. But I'm not sure I'm able to give what they are asking for. I don't think my organization has the ability to yet."

"It seems we have similar reasons for being awake," Draco said. "Whatever shall we do."

Astoria turned in his arms so she was facing him. "I can think of a few things."

Draco laughed softly. "Come to bed?"

Astoria planted a gentle kiss on her husband's mouth. "Lead the way, darling."

Neither one of them slept much more that night. This didn't bother her in the slightest.

Astoria's happy mood vanished the moment she stepped into the headquarters of the Underground the next day. Kenny rushed over, his eyes wide. "One of our clients left the building this morning," he reported.

Astoria frowned. "Who?"

"Colin Creevey, ma'am."

"Merlin's saggy balls!" Astoria cursed without thinking. She'd had clients go back to their abusers before, but she'd thought (or perhaps hoped) that Colin wasn't the type to do so. Kenny squeaked in shock - she'd never used that kind of language at work before - but she ignored him. "Set up a meeting with Hermione Granger as soon as possible," she ordered. She was going to see if there was any possible way she could still help. As a thought struck her she added, "Did he leave any clue as to why he left or where he was going?"

"He was in such a hurry to leave that he must have forgotten to bring this letter with him," Kenny handed it over quickly.

Astoria skimmed it swiftly, her worst fears confirmed. "He fell for it," she said flatly when finished. "Bloody - " she broke off as she remembered something. "How did he even get this letter in the first place?"

Kenny bit his lip in nervousness, and Astoria gave him an encouraging nod. She wasn't angry at him.

"Lena went to the loo, she was gone just a few moments and didn't think it was necessary to notify Landon to cover her. The owl wasn't noticed until it swooped through on its way back out, but by then it was too late."

Astoria took a deep breath to keep herself calm. "Right," she said. "Set up that meeting, and please send Skye into my office."

Kenny hurried off to follow her instructions, and Astoria walked rapidly to her office, a headache already brewing.

"Mrs. Malfoy wanted to see me?"

A petite young House Elf poked her head in her doorway not five minutes later, and Astoria beckoned her into the room. "Skye, would it be possible to check in on a runaway client for me? Stay hidden, and observe; I simply want to know if Colin Creevey really did go back to Harry Potter." Or if he had the sense to tell someone what was going on and ask for help, she finished in her head. Out loud she added, "Report back only to me."

Skye stood taller and nodded firmly. "Yes Mrs. Malfoy."

The House Elf disappeared with a loud crack. Astoria rubbed her forehead. She knew that she shouldn't get so personally involved in her cases; all it caused her was a lot of worry over details that she had no control over anyway.

Kenny popped his head in. "Hermione Granger will be over shortly. She said she's been meaning to give you an update on the new spell she's developing for us."

"Thank you," Astoria said. "Please bring her right in when she gets here, I don't care if she's interrupting."

"Yes ma'am."

Astoria pulled out Colin's file. Lena had stored all of Colin's owl post in the file as she'd said, and Astoria dumped it all out on her desk. Maybe she could find something in here that would tell her where to look for Colin. She didn't know where he lived, only that he'd lived with Harry, and Harry Potter had kept his house Unplottable.

Not quite an hour later, Kenny poked his head in. "You said to bring - "

"Yes yes, please send her in," Astoria said.

Hermione Granger entered just then, and Kenny left, closing the door behind him. "Astoria," Hermione greeted her. "I'm sorry, I've meant to come here for a couple of weeks now. I've finally cracked how to complete the spell you requested."

"That's all well and good, Hermione, but I have a rather pressing matter I need to disclose to the Aurors about a client. I need this spell off me."

Hermione looked taken aback. "I can do that for you right now, if you'd like. Do you have reason to believe that your client is in danger?"

Astoria raised her eyebrow. "If I didn't, do you think I would ask? I have spent the last hour reading the letters this client's partner has been sending for weeks. Yes, there is reason to believe this client is in danger. Take the spell off, and then you're coming with me to the Aurors."

"Why do I..." Hermione trailed off at the expression Astoria shot her. "Trust me," she said. "You'll want to be there."

Hermione narrowed her eyes in confusion, but raised her wand. Seconds later, Astoria apparated her in a side-along to the Ministry.

When Colin had seen the letter, his heart had jumped so sharply he'd had to take a deep breath. Astoria had told him that all owls were confiscated, so he'd spent a moment wondering if he should turn it in before curiosity took hold and he opened it. It was, as he'd hoped, and as he'd feared, from Harry.

Colin,

You once told me that the pain meant that I was going in the right direction. Maybe you were right then, but you're not now. How can the pain mean that I'm going in the right direction? You're not with me. And pain that I feel because you're not here means that I'm going in the wrong direction. You're mine, Colin. You're meant to be with me. I need you. This life isn't worth anything without you. I've been fighting for so long, Colin. So long. But I fought because you were there. I can't fight anymore. Not without you. You're all I've got. And I don't have you anymore, it seems. Why did you do that to me? I've been good to you. I don't understand.

I'm writing to tell you goodbye. I love you, Colin. I've got to go. I can't do this anymore. From now on, if you want to see me, come to our park. Visit the bridge. I'll be haunting it for eternity.

Harry

Colin's chest constricted with every word he read. Not again. He couldn't make the same mistake again. He had to go. He quickly made his way to the Underground garden and out the newly-added door, his breath shallow with repressed memories. Not again. Colin knew that Harry knew that he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he let Harry -

A paper crane floated down to land on Colin's book as he sat reading in the Great Hall. It was his first year, and he wanted to know everything about this magical world he found himself in. He looked up. Where had this come from? There was no one else around. It was too nice of a day to be inside, but Colin had wanted the peace and quiet so he could study. He looked at the paper crane. It was beautifully done. Someone had really known what they were doing. He kept it. Carried it around the whole day. That night he must have knocked it off his nightstand in sleep, because in the morning he stepped on the paper crane and smashed it. He was upset, then curious when he noticed that the crane appeared to have writing on it, words that had been invisible before because of the artful folding. As he read the words, he became even more upset. He tried to get into the girls dormitory but was magically thrown back. He ran to Professor McGonagall's office in a panic, not knowing what else to do. The Professor turned white when he showed her the crane. She ran with him to Gryffindor Tower. But it was too late. DeeAnn was already long gone, blood barely visible on the red sheets.

Colin felt the squeezing in his chest as he apparated. He appeared not far from the bridge. The bridge where Harry had confessed he was hurting to Colin, all those months ago. The same bridge where they'd shared their first kiss, Harry nervous and laughing, Colin jittery but sure. The same bridge where they'd spent countless hours talking, sharing secrets, planning their lives together. The bridge where Harry stood now, leaning against the railing, a rope in his hands. Colin watched him for a moment. He let his breathing slow, let his mind clear. Harry needed him.

He stepped forward.