Written For - The Pairing Boot Camp Challenge on the HPFC

Prompts - (word) absent

Summary - Harry has to go, he has to. That doesn't make it any less hard.

Word Count - 404

Harry ran his thumb over Cedric's cheek, then pressed a kiss to his forehead, and then one on the tip of Cho's nose.

He had to go.

'I love you,' he wrote on the whiteboard that they had pressed magnet stickers on the back of months ago. 'But I really must go. He's looking for me, and he's getting closer.' Harry leaned back on their island. 'Cho, I'll come back, so don't cry over me. Cedric, don't isolate yourself. Neither of you should go looking for me. I love you. I'll be back.'

He read it over, once, then twice. He stuck the board back on the fridge, clipping the marker back into it's little slot. He ran a hand through his hair, then grabbed his jacket from by the door, pulling it on.

"What's going on?" Cho asked from behind him, rubbing at bleary eyes. "Is everything all right?"

"Everything's fine," Harry said. "There's just an emergency at work that I have to take care of. You can go back to bed."

"Well, hurry back," she said with a yawn. "I wanted to watch the new Brooklyn 99 episode."

"Oh, I'll try," Harry said. "No promises though."

"Yeah I know," she said with a small smile. "Mr. Potter comes and goes as he pleases. Come give me a hug, if you're going, then." Harry smiled sadly back at her, bringing her close, squeezing her tight.

"I love you," he muttered.

"Love you too, you sap," she said. "We'll miss you."

"I know," Harry said. "Tell Cedric I love him, too, I don't know how long I'll be gone."

"Some emergency, huh?" she asked. "Will do." She yawned again. "I'm going back to bed. Stay safe."

"I will," Harry said, his throat dry. "Good night."

She smiled at him softly, then disappeared back into their bedroom. He sighed.

He would miss their little apartment almost as much as he would miss them. He would miss the little fish tank they kept under the kitchen window, and their door that was surrounded by an impressive amount of shoes for three people. He would miss their weekly coffee dates that were caused by the weekly breakage of their coffee pot.

He would miss everything about their tiny two bedroom, and he would miss everything about his two favorite people.

He grabbed his stuffed bag, and left the apartment with the keys inside. He had to go.