Chapter Two

The Pain of Love

"I wanted you to know

That I love the way you laugh.

I wanna hold you high

And steal your pain away.

I keep your photograph,

And I know it serves me well.

I wanna hold you high

And steal your pain…

Because I'm broken,

When I'm lonesome,

And I don't feel right

When you're gone away…"

--Broken (Seether featuring Amy Lee of Evanescence)

Hermione Weasley settled her curly-haired daughter on her cocked hip and stared unblinkingly down at a very distressed Harry Potter. "Harry, I know you're upset, but really, it's been-"

"Two years," Harry interrupted her. His eyes were red rimmed and puffy, and it was obvious that he either had been crying, or he was close to doing so now.

"Well, that wasn't what I was going to say, but yes, it's been two years since…well, you know. There's no point in moping around, Harry. Honestly, I understand why you're a little touchy, but maybe if you go -"

"I don't want to go out! I'm fine right here, thanks," Harry bit out sharply, eyes hardening.

Hermione sighed in exasperation. "Fine, Harry. You just keep yourself cooped up for the rest of your life. But it's not going to change anything, and you know it."

"And going out isn't going to change that I still love him, Hermione! It's not going to change that he's gone, and it's not going to change the fact that I have no clue where he is, but am willing to sacrifice my everything to see him just one more time!"

Hermione's eyes softened and she stepped closer to Harry to place a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "I know, Harry," she murmured, eyes glassing over with tears. "But you're not the only one who misses him, you know."

Harry dropped his eyes to the ground and refused to meet Hermione's searching gaze. "I know," he finally managed to choke out, a single tear tracing a path down his cheek. "I just…wish it were easier. Why did he leave? What did I do?"

Hermione smiled sadly. She desperately wanted to say something, anything, to comfort her distraught friend, but she knew it would be in vain. Nothing she could say could fix the damage that had been done, and no amount of comforting was going to repair the hole that had been left in Harry's heart unless it was done by the hole-digger himself.

It was then that Hermione's plump little charge decided to wake from her light snooze in her mother's arms. Her curly head lifted from where it had been resting on Hermione's shoulder, leaving a faint damp spot where she had been drooling in her sleep, and she began to wail. Hermione's attention was successfully averted to her daughter, and with an apologetic glance at Harry, she quickly swept out of the room to take care of the youngster.

Seconds later, the door was flung open and Ron Weasley entered the room, grinning widely.

"'Mione, I'm hom- oh, hey, Harry!"

"Hi, Ron,"

"What's up with you?" Ron's brows furrowed as he gave Harry a once-over. "Have you been crying?"

Harry stiffened, and he wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand. "No,"

Ron pointedly raised an eyebrow and Harry snorted. "I'm fine, Ron."

After staring at Harry for quite a few unnerving moments, Ron finally nodded and flopped down on the couch next to Harry. "What a day," he sighed, kicking off his boots and wriggling his toes. Harry silently nodded his agreement, and for a few minutes, both men were content to sit in silence.

When Hermione came bustling back into the room, her face sprang into a wide smile upon seeing Ron. "Ronald! You're home early," she exclaimed, eyes betraying her delight.

Ron shot her a lopsided grin and stood to pull her into a tight embrace. Harry grimaced and looked away from the happy couple as they began to kiss. When he dared to look back, their foreheads were resting together, and they were holding a rather intimate-looking conversation.

The blush spreading over Hermione's cheeks indicated to Harry that it was probably time that he left, and he stood, uncomfortably clearing his throat. "I'll, er, just…"

Ron pulled reluctantly away from Hermione, although he still kept his arm slung tightly around her waist. "That's all right, mate," Ron said with a grin. "I was actually wondering if you'd like to stay for dinner. 'Mione's found this great new recipe for Sheppard's Pie that she's been aching to poison me with."

Hermione shot Ron a playfully offended look and swatted him on the arm. "Oh, hush, you," she said with an affectionate smile. "Speaking of dinner, I've got to go start on it. I'll be in the kitchen,"

Harry watched Hermione hasten into the kitchen with a look of bemusement. She had taken on the role of housewife quite well, much to Mrs. Weasley's delight, and Harry still found himself amazed at how well she had adapted from the once overly active scholar.

Ron winked at Harry, and Harry found himself awkwardly tugging at the collar of his shirt as he began to prickle slightly in an uncomfortable sweat. "I don't know, Ron. I really don't think I should intrude on -"

"Oh, come on, mate! Intrude? You? Are you kidding me? You're always welcome here, Harry, you know that!" Ron cocked his head to the side as he analyzed Harry curiously with his eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked softly. "You don't seem like yourself, lately,"

Harry slumped into the couch that was thankfully right behind him and eyed Ron, discomfort written clearly across his face. "I just…nothing, Ron. It's not really important." Looking at the place where Hermione had disappeared to, he sighed and met Ron's eyes. "It's so great to see that you guys are happy together. You really deserve it."

Ron's eyes narrowed. "Harry, is this about Mal-"

Harry held up a hand to silence Ron, and for once, the man actually considered listening to his friend.

"If it is, Harry, I'm always -"

"Look, Ron, I really don't want to talk about this right now. I'm…tired. I should be heading home,"

Closely examining his friend, Ron could tell that Harry really did look rather frayed at the ends. Closing his eyes, he gave a nod of understanding, his heart clenching in his chest for a moment at the agony his friend must be going through.

"I'll…Floo you tomorrow, yeah?" Harry asked, lips quirking slightly up at the corners despite the tears that had once again gathered in his eyes. Harry's voice sounded rough as he said the words, and Ron's heart contracted a little more at Harry's pain.

"Yeah," he agreed. He opened his eyes and watched silently as Harry threw Floo powder into the fireplace and was gone in an instant.

---

It had been two hours since he had left Ron's house, and Harry had remained in the same position in the same spot for both of them. Staring down at the photo of Draco holding him, the complete adoration in Draco's eyes could be felt even now, and not for the first time, Harry wondered what he had done that had made Draco want to leave.

He could feel tears prickling his eyes again and he sniffled to abate them, but was unable to hold them back. They overflowed to slowly stream down his face and land on the glossy print, causing the two lovers to spring apart and glare up at Harry, shaking their tiny fists and demanding that he cease his sniveling at once, lest he kill them with his tears.

Harry choked on a laugh at that, and traced his index finger lovingly down the side of Draco's indignant face. His heart clenched painfully in his chest, and he groaned in misery before letting the picture flap down to the floor and crossing his arms protectively across his chest.

He wasn't aware of how long he had been sitting there like that. When the Floo roared, Harry stiffly sprang up from the chair to see who was calling, and his neck twinged a bit because of his previously awkward position.

"All right there, mate?" came Ron's slightly muffled voice when Harry stepped into his vantage.

Harry quirked a brow but nodded. "Yeah, 'm fine, Ron," Ron flushed awkwardly, and Harry smiled softly. "Did 'Mione send you?"

Ron turned even more red, and Harry chuckled a bit. "Yeah, but don't tell her I told you. She likes to be sneaky 'bout stuff." Ron said with a little smirk.

"I'm fine," Harry repeated to assure Ron.

"She wanted me to ask if you were sure you didn't want to come for dinner. I would have come earlier, but we just now got a few spare moments. Melody's teething." Ron grinned proudly, but the smile slowly faded when Harry didn't respond. Furrowing his brows, he added, "You look like you haven't eaten in days. C'mon, Harry, it's not going to bite you back,"

Harry blinked. When he thought about it, he supposed it was mostly true, but he didn't have the heart to tell Ron that. "Er…you know what? Sure, I'd love to join you guys."

Ron's smile was almost blinding in its intensity. "Great! Floo right on through then. But be a bit quiet about it, though. We just got Melody back to sleep."

Ron shot Harry one last grin before pulling his head out of the Floo, standing and brushing himself off, and quickly moving out of the way so that Harry could Floo through.

Harry returned Ron's smile, but as soon as his head disappeared from the grate in the fireplace, he groaned and clamped his hands over his eyes. It was going to be a long, awkward night.

He knew that Ron and Hermione would want to pester him into talking about Draco, but he really wasn't ready for that. So then, there would be the awkwardness of them trying to find something else to talk about - but Harry knew that eventually, everything would lead back to Draco, and he wasn't looking forward to anything of the sort.

With a frustrated sigh, Harry steeled himself and threw some Floo powder into the fireplace. Maybe if he just came out first thing and said he didn't want to talk about it…

Harry left his flat with the grim hope that perhaps tonight wouldn't be a complete loss.