The Strength to Go On

Harry was walking down the crowded halls of Hogwarts. He was carrying his books for next class – fortune-telling. On his way he couldn't oversee the looks people would give him. Since the incident in the dinner hall those looks became a part of everyday life. They were glances filled with disguise, disappointment and contempt. The beginning was the hardest part for Harry but after a while he built up sort of a wall protecting him.

As he passed a group of students something unexpected happened…

"Hey Harry!" a girl called out. Harry turned around and looked into the face of a girl who has never got his attention before. She was a Hufflepuff student. Harry started preparing himself for another form of derision but in fact she was smiling at him. Harry's face turned into lines of confusion "Ya?" he said, feeling a little bit insecure.

"I just wanted to tell you that I find you very courageous! We all do." She looked back over her shoulders and the others nodded assuring. A brief smile crossed Harry's lips as a warm feeling of acceptance overwhelmed him. There actually were people who acknowledged Harry's outburst of his inner feelings.

"Thank you so much…I didn't know there was someone who didn't hate me." Harry said with a smile on his face.

He continued walking to class. His mood had increased enormously and he didn't even recognize the other students staring at him. That girl made him way too happy to give away his attention to them.

Meanwhile Draco was lying on his bed. A piece of paper was lying in front of him. He stared aside focusing on flakes of snow whirling behind thick glass of his window. His eyes were glistening as they filled themselves with tears. Draco closed his eyes in order to make them go away. He did not dare to look inside the letter lying on his bed as if it was going to hurt him. He knew exactly that it would not have any good news inside. In a rush of upcoming rage he got himself in a sitting position, took the letter, scrunched it up and threw it away – as far away from him as even possible. The envelope sailed into the next corner and bumped against the wall in order then to land on the ground.

After his anger had decreased he got up in order to lift the letter up again. He called all his courage together and opened the envelope. It was a writing from his father…

"Son,

A devastating message has arrived my ears. According to those sayings you are having an affair with a Gryffindor student. I was shocked to hear that you chose to be with someone so far under your dignity. What I had to hear next gave me the rest. It was a verbal hit in my face. My son – a fag? My son screwing around with Harry Potter? I would have never thought you would sink that deep and befoul your honor and as a result of your acting also mine with such disgrace and indignity. You are now going to take the consequences. You will end your relationship with that fool and I am going to send you to another school. You will be transferred to Durmstrang after the Christmas holidays. Don't even think of disobeying my orders!

Your father."

Draco's breath stopped for a few seconds. 'Transferring to Durmstrang? In two weeks??' Those thoughts produced quite a chaos inside his head. He couldn't believe that his father would force him to transfer. The fear of never being able to see Harry again got caught of him. 'What shall I do now?' He sank down leaning against the wall.

--

This evening when Harry took dinner he missed Draco. His place kept vacant. He questioned himself what might had happened and he made his way down do the Slytherin dungeons not even having finished his meal. But he now was facing the difficulty of entering the dorms since he didn't know the pass-word. He suddenly heard loud conversations coming from the stairs leading down to the dungeons. He fastened his pace in order to hide behind a column. Right in that second two Slytherins appeared. As they reached the entry, one of them said "periculum totalis" and the door flung open.

'periculum totalis? So that has to be the pass word. But I can't just go in there…can I? Ooh I'm just going to use my special cape and no one will recognize me!' Determined to implement his brilliant plan he rushed away in order to get the cape that would make him invisible. In the Gryffindor common room he almost bumped into Ron.

"Hey mate…what are you up to?" Ron said.

Harry: "Oh well you could say I'm about to accomplish a mission…I'm in a rush actually. Sorry Ron, I'll see you later!" After finishing the sentence he continued running upstairs and left a quite confused Ron behind.

Only mere minutes later he stood in front of the door leading to the Slytherin dungeons. He was covered with his cape and was invisible for everyone. In a low voice he whispered "periculum totalis" as the door flung open. Lucky as he was, there weren't many students in the common room as he stepped in. The open door kept unnoticed and closed itself again. Harry sneaked on his tiptoes through the room looking for Draco. He made his way to the dorms. Each door was provided with a small, golden plaque which had names on it. In about the middle of the corridor he stopped. "Draco Malfoy" – he finally found his room. A smile flitted over his face as he slowly opened the door.

"Who is it?" A harsh voice rose.

Harry quickly closed the door behind him and let the cape fall. He smiled: "It's me…"

Draco's face lines changed in surprise as he saw the boy standing there in front of him. He got up from his bed and instantly ran towards Harry in order to hug him tightly. "I'm so glad you came…" he whispered as his voice broke. Harry knew exactly that something was wrong. He just didn't know what it was. Feeling Draco tight to his body he looked around in his room. It was his first time seeing it and it was way more comfortable than he would have thought. Then his eyes fell upon a creased piece of paper lying next to an envelope. "You received a letter?" Harry suddenly said speaking out his thoughts. Draco backed up and looked straight into Harry's green eyes which were looking at him in confusion.

"I fear I've got to tell you something." Draco said as he turned away his head in order not to show his eyes which began to glisten in the last beams of the setting sun shining into the room. Harry took a step forward and reached for Draco's hand. "What happened?"

Draco told him everything about the letter. That his father found out and would send him to another school. The shock reached every fiber of Harry's body while listening to Draco's words. "He is sending you away?" he said as if it was a dream. He couldn't believe it. He didn't want to believe it. He would try his best not to.

"I knew this would be happening…I knew if they would find out he sends me away! It had to come this way!" Draco said with rage appearing in his voice. He was angry at his father, at him for finding out. He was mad at the people who told him. He was mad at Blaise for giving them away. He was mad at Harry for not denying it…he was mad at himself for doing so. He was filled with lots of anger, but at last he knew that his anger wouldn't help him in any way.

Harry stared at him not knowing what to say. He didn't know how to help Draco. He just stepped forward and kissed Draco slightly on both of his lips. "We'll make it through this. I'm not going to give you up."

In the depths of his mind Draco knew that their love had no chance. But for now he was willing to make himself believe that Harry's words would hold water…