Chapter 3

Harry walked down the hallway towards his apartment, the little piece of paper opened in his hand. The sight of Ryan's smile was engraved in his mind, his voice replaying in his head over and over again. Harry folded the letter and put it and his hands in his pockets. He was with Draco, all he would ever want, and he had to remember that.

He put the key in the keyhole and twisted the door knob. He looked around at the palace he called a home. His eyes were met with the same old stalk white walls with scattered cracks. The same rotted wood floor, and the same small iron bed in the middle of the room with his love jailed in a dreamless sleep. He walked over to Draco and ran his fingers through his hair. He took his index finger and traced it around his face and onto his lips. He looked at Draco for a moment before bending over and giving him a soft, sensual peck on the lips. He raised his head from him and decided it was a proper time to make dinner.

He sat at the table; eating and watching Draco sleep. This is all he ever did. He went to work, eat, and watched Draco sleep before he himself collapsed into slumber. He had to admit, although he loved Draco this routine did get demanding on the emotional psyche. All he had to live for were the memories of what he and Draco used to be. All he had were the times at which he and Draco shared passionate nights and glee filled days. All he had was himself.

Harry shakily woke up, his head rested on Draco's chest. He positioned his head so that he was looking up at Draco's face, rigid and imperial even in sleep. Harry smiled at this and kissed him gently on his chin. Draco stirred a little in his sleep and brought Harry closer to him.

"Still here I see" Draco said mid yawn.

"And why wouldn't I be" Harry answered, kissing Draco's chest.

"Well you always did have a habit of running away from me"

"Like hell I did Malfoy!"

"Calm down, calm down" Draco said with a chuckle, "Im only kidding"

"Well that doesn't make it better"

"You Gryffindors, all courageous in the spot light, but when you go off stage your act ends and the littlest thing can set you off"

Harry jumped up from his arms and the began to wrestle. White sheets and downy pillows being tossed around in the fairly large bed. The sound of playful laughter filling the dormitory(everyone else was already at breakfast). Harry pushed Draco down on the bed and straddled him. He looked Draco in the eyes, green meeting silver, and slowly leaned in and kissed him on his lips. Their lips stayed connected as Draco sat up slowly, his hand meeting Harry's cheek. Their kiss, filled with a passion and desire, as their lips danced; rose tinted lips of two lovers. Draco pushed his body wait on Harry bringing him down on the bed easily his kisses beginning to travel down Harry's neck. Harry ran his fingers through golden locks, Draco's lips trailed father and father down. Neck, collar bone, chest, abdomen and lower. Harry moaned as begin to understand one more reason why he loved Draco so much.

Harry opened his eyes slowly before quickly shutting them again. He felt if he didn't wake up he could stay in his little dream world where he and Draco were. Where Draco wasn't stuck in this endless sleep, where they didn't live in this filth they called home, that everything was the way they had planned it to be...as close to perfect as possible. He opened his eyes again surveying the dreadful room around him. He sat up and ran his hand across the table slamming his plate into a wall next to him. He looked over at Draco, lying peacefully in bed. Harry only wished he could be so lucky. He envied Draco for the fact that he could sit there and just sleep his troubles away, not having to worry about anything that was going on in life. Yet he knew Draco probably envied him. Being confined to your bed as life passes you by, having to know the fact you will never get the time back that you lost. Harry went over the wall and began picking up the broken dishes, and heading to the kitchen; throwing them in the trash. He leaned himself against the counter and sighed deeply as he looked up to the ceiling. His eyes transfixed on the vapid light fixture in the middle.

"Well...I know I don't talk to you much, and judging by were I have gone and what I have done I'm the last person to ask you for something. I mean I'm a wizard, I'm gay, I swear, I don't go to church, I'm not even entirely sure if you are there...but...please...bring him back to me. It's my last plee, it's all I want. If you are as loving as some of these damned muggles say then you'll do this for me, please. He doesn't deserve this...I need him" Harry said with a quiet voice.

He looked down at his feet atop grimy white tiles. In a fluid motion he lifted his weight off of the counter and headed out of the kitchen to Draco's bed. He bent over and whipped a piece of hair from his face and brought his sheets up onto his body, tucking him in so to speak. Harry picked up a blanket off the ground and went over to the wooden chair. He snuggled up with the baby blue blanket and closed his eyes, letting sleep take hold.

"Hello this Harry Potter" Harry said in a happy tone that was obviously fake, "I'm calling about your payment that was due...oh...your cat died...I see...um well we still need to have this payment or we will have to repossess...you did pay...oh. Excuse me for a moment let me look up your history..."Harry said fumbling threw papers and folders and other documents.

"Branes...Branes...Branes...BRANES found it" Harry said under his breath, "Ok Mr...Mrs. Branes I have your file and...Oh I'm sorry we have no record of you...well ma'am you see...ok there is no need to...well excuse me but...Oh yeah well fuck you too,you..." At the sound of the dial tone Harry angrily hung up the phone. Throwing his hands behind his head, he leaned back in his office chair and stared at the large rectangular fluorescent light above him.

Harry had enough on his mind that he didn't need to deal with trailer trash rejects whom couldn't pay their debts. These thoughts ran through his mind along with the occasional glimpse of Ryan's pure, innocent face. Then quickly as that had came it was gone and replaced with the thought of Draco, which brought Harry a mixture of feelings that he to thi sday hasn't been able to sort out. He loved Draco, no doubt about it, but there is only so much one can take. Not being able to feel his warm embrace is one thing that Harry had to unwillingly deal with all of the time. Further more, having to see him in such a sad state day after day...at this moment it was too much for the young wizard to handle.

"This is a work place Mr. Potter not your living room"

Harry fell back in his chair uttering a mixture of I'm sorry and it will never happen again before hitting the ground in a loud thump. Ms. Goonts glared at him out fo the corner of her eye before up turning her nose and walking past his cubicle. Lilla came in just as soon as she Ms. Gootns had left.

"Well that sounded pleasant" Lilla said leaning against the wall of Harry's cubical.

"How long were you there?" Harry asked picking his chair off of the floor.

"Long enough to know it's only a matter of time before your hi-lighting the classifieds again. Here take this" she said handing him a styrofoam cup of coffee.

"Thanks" Harry said taking a sip, "Hey this is..."

"Chocolate espresso? Yeah I know, I just thought you might like it" she said with a smile.

"Lilla I know I say this to much but you're a life saver." he said with a smile.

"Yeah I know. Well I have to get back to work, how about we go out sometime, you know like we haven't done in over a month?"

"I'm not sure, let me see about it and I'll get back to you"

"Ok, you better call me, along with some else whom I think would very much appreciate a call anytime now" she said walking down the seemingly endless path of cubicle walls.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Harry asked picking his head up towards her but she was already gone.

The wheels of Harry's bike clicked and clacked on the old cobblestone road as he steadily made his way home. He looked up at the sun through raven locks and the porous foliage of the trees. The sun filtered down through the leaves, hitting his face and the rest fo his body. He put his eyes back on the road in front of him as he was almost home and for once couldn't wait to be there; it had been a hectic day. Once again, Ryan's face returned to his mind and a smile traced across his face. Then once again, Draco came again and that smile was soon disbursed.

"Harry Dear!" Mrs. Florence called from up the road.

"Yes Mrs. Florence?" Harry said back, his bike now slowly coming towards her.

"Could you spare a little time and..."

"Yes Mrs. Florence." Harry said with a smile, getting off of his bike and taking two boxes of the three she had in her arms.

"Thank you dear, you're an angel. Unlike that lazy husband of mine."

"Mrs. Florence, he works all day you must give him a break."

"And I don't? Why I could sell a bunch of fruit and such to people in half the time it would take him to figure out how to use a vacuum!"

Harry let out a chortle as Mrs. Florence lead him into her house and to the kitchen. The decor of the house reminded Harry of the burrow. The old fashioned, down home, comforting feel. The hospitality that Mrs. Florence showed as she offered him a glass of lemonade also reminded him of the Weasley hospitality he had become so accustomed too in his younger years. Mrs. Florence came back to the kitchen table and set down a glass in front of Harry and took a seat in the chair across from him.

"What's wrong Harry Dear?" Mrs. Florence asked, "You seem a bit under the weather sweety"

"Oh no, it's nothing just some trouble at work that's all. It's nothing you'd be interested in." Harry answered, knowing full well there was way more to it then that.

"Are you sure? You know I'm here if you need me for anything including just to listen."

"Yes, I know, and I promise when the time comes I will come to you." Harry answered, filling his mouth with lemonade as to give a brief pause in the conversation.

"Harry...?" Mrs. Florence continued after a moment, "Do you know what it is like to be in love?"

"What!" Harry answered almost choking on his lemonade.

"In love Harry. Ever since the day I met you, you have always been so...gloomy in a way, as if something has happened to you and at your age I just assumed it had to do with matters of the heart."

Harry sighed before he began to speak, "Well...I have been in love. In fact I am. I don't want to go into details but...I have been waiting for this person for a long time now and..." Harry paused and got up from the table and placed himself in front of a open window behind Mrs. Florence, "I think I'm starting to move on. I've had these feelings for awhile, but now someone else has come into the picture, someone who at first glance I knew they were an amazing person" He smiled at the thought of Ryan's gentile face, "But...I'm still holding out for this one person. Am I a bad person for thinking this?" He asked turning towards her.

"No Harry, not at all dear" She said going over to him and pulling him into a warm embrace, "Everyone feels this way one time or another. As much as people would like it to be, love isn't always eternal. If left unattended, it slowly drifts away from your heart until a new love fills the gap left behind. You have been waiting for awhile, and I'm sure you love whomever this person maybe but...sometimes it's just best to move on, see what else is out there."

"Thank you Mrs. Florence" he said resting his head on the shorter woman's shoulder. For a brief second the same warmth he felt from one of those unintentional bear hugs Mrs. Weasley used to give him coursed through his body.

"Anytime deary...now would you like something to eat?" She asked pulling away from the hug.

"No I should head home, had a long day today" he said beginning to head out of the kitchen.

"That damned Ms. Goonts?"

"You know it" he said turning his head towards her with a smile.

Harry walked outside, the sounds singing birds meeting his ears. He grabbed hold of his bicycle handles beginning to mount the bike and make his way back home when he hesitated. He took out a cell phone and a crumpled up piece fo paper out of the back pocket of his black pants. He straightened out the paper and looked at it before dialing a number on his phone. It rang four time and just as he was about to hang it up...

"...Hello?" Ryan answered on the other line.