Losing Pain

Chapter Five

"Where do you think Harry is?" Hermione asked Ron. The two were sitting in the Gryffindor common room, finishing their homework while waiting for Harry. It was already ten minutes past curfew.

"He'll be here Hermione, don't worry. I'm sure Harry has a perfect reason for being a little late." Ron assured her. But, in his head, Ron was also beginning to worry that the boy might have gotten himself into some sort of trouble.

The two kept working on their homework until it was finished. It slowly became an hour past curfew. Students were starting to go to bed. Ron and Hermione stayed up, watching the fire in the fireplace slowly die.

***

Malfoy felt horrible for leaving him. Harry was already messed up enough with everything going on. He didn't need this too. But, Malfoy couldn't stay. That kiss was just too much. He didn't know why, but it wasn't the right timing. Harry was under too much stress. Having Malfoy around would have been an ever greater addition to it.

He sighed and left the common room. All of the sudden he had become very hungry. He hadn't eaten since lunch and now it was almost one. Usually he could be able to handle skipping a meal or two, but all of his thinking brought on a great hunger.

How he hated that bloody Potter with a passion.

***

"He's been gone for way to long, Ron." Hermione told the red head. He seemed to be bored out of his mind sitting there, now looking at a burnt out fire.

"We can't do anything, Hermione. All of the people assigned for watching the halls is already gone." Ron said. "The last time we went out after hours, we got caught and I was given plenty of dentention for the rest of the year. I'm not going through that again. Plus, I'm dead tired."

Hermione rolled her eyes. Ron never seemed to care about their friend anymore. Ever since Harry had been drifting away from them, he was getting more annoyed with the boy. Then, when they found out he had been cutting himself, Ron became ever more impatient with him. She figured it had to do with the idea that cutting was a 'girl thing' making Harry more a girl than a guy. Ron would never change.

"Fine, then you go to bed and I'll go look for him." Hermione told him, standing up with her hands on her hips. She expected him to give in.

"Sounds good." Ron stood up to, but then headed up to his room.

Hermione watched him jog up the stairs with a shocked look. This was the first time he hadn't come to help. Usually he'd at least come along very reluctantly. He knew they both needed him, even if he got on their nerves. Never before had he said no until now.

Just a little angry with the Weasley, Hermione placed a silent charm and a delusion charm on her, making her less noticable, before she walked out of the common room.

***

Malfoy was making his way up the stairs towards the painting of fruit. Twice his stomach had grumbled loudly, but only once had someone been nearby to notice it. Malfoy had no trouble knocking the student out. Dumbledore was getting sloppy on choosing the right people to be prefects, but Dumbledore was getting sloppy on a lot of things. He especially didn't know how to treat The-Boy-Who-Lived.

Right as he was turning a corner though, he ran into someone. Malfoy easily kept his balance, but the other thing wasn't so lucky. He heard the thing let out a quick "oof" before it fell to the floor.

Malfoy squinted hard, trying to figure out what or who he had run into, but nothing seemed to be there. Quickly he pointed his wand at the floor and cast a quick charm cancelling spell. Immediately a bushy haired girl he was all too familiar with appeared.

"Granger." He growled quietly to her.

Hermione looked up at him a little frightened before she scrambled to her feet, brushing herself off in the process. She tried to explain herself, but all that came out were stutters and squeaks. The girl seemed to be scared shitless. Malfoy pointed his wand at her again to silence her.

"Now, please explain to me why you are out here after hours in a language I can understand, Granger." He told her simply then slowly lowered his wand.

Hermione looked at him fearfully, but was able to explain a lot better. "Ron and I haven't seen Harry since Charms, our last class together. He wasn't at dinner, and still hasn't come back to the Gryffindor common room."

Malfoy froze for a quick second. Before Hermione could notice, he was able to compose himself again. "Why isn't the pathetic Weasel with you?"

"He...he went to bed." She said sheepishly.

Malfoy wanted to break into the red head's room and strangle him to death. Didn't he know what problems his friend was going through? No wonder Harry was always so depressed. No one seemed to care except him and Hermione. And they all expected the teen to save them of some stupid dark lord? Pathetic.

"The great trio breaking apart are they?" Malfoy sneered.

Hermione finally got enough courage to glare at the blonde. Malfoy was impressed.

"I shouldn't even be bothering with you, Malfoy. You're nothing but an irritating ferrot right now. So, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to continue looking for my friend." Hermione shoved past Malfoy and strutted down the hall like she was much more important. Malfoy wanted to laugh at her and slap her at the same time. He may have been an irritating ferrot, but he was the only one who was really caring for the person she had set out to find.

***

Malfoy entered the Room of Requirement as quietly as he could. He didn't want to disturb the boy who was either sleeping, or passed out from blood loss. Malfoy hoped it was the first.

When he looked around, the room was the exact same as he had left it, except instead of it being brightly lit, only a few candles and a small fire in the fireplace lit the place.

"Potter?" Malfoy whispered. He didn't know why he whispered. No one else was around to hear him. He tried to focus his eyes in the darkness, but had no success. Instead, he lit the tip of his wand and searched the room for the boy.

In a matter of seconds, he found Harry huddled in a ball in the corner. The boy was shaking, but Malfoy didn't know if it was because he was crying, was cold, or was from something else entirely. No matter what the reason though, Malfoy walked over to him, kneeled down and slowly brought him into his arms. He found that Harry seemed to be crying, but no sound escaped his lips and no more tears ran down his already damp cheeks.

"Potter, what are you doing?" Malfoy asked with a little anger.

Harry instantly stopped shaking. He looked up at Malfoy before he escaped his grasp and stood. Harry stayed in the corner, back against the wall, hands hugging himself, staring at Malfoy. Malfoy slowly stood up as to not frighten the already shocked boy.

"Potter, people are looking for you. You should go back to your common room." Malfoy told him, slowly taking a small step forward. Harry didn't seem to notice.

Harry shook his head and held himself tighter.

"But, Potter, if you don't show up, people will most likely come here looking for you next."

Harry shook his head harder. Malfoy took a larger step forward. This time Harry noticed and pushed his back against the wall even more.

"Please, Potter, at least say something." Malfoy pleaded.

"Why did you leave?" Harry whispered.

Malfoy stopped in the middle of another step forward and stared straight into the teen's emerald eyes. He didn't really know what to say so he said the only thing he could think of. "I don't know."

Tears started to form in Harry's eyes again and slowly slipped down his cheeks. Malfoy was amazed at how the teen who seemed to be strong and brave in front of everyone could be so helpless and scared. But he knew the strength and bravery had only been a show after the first few years. Now he was only helpless and scared, a result of the wear and tear everyone had caused on him.

"How can you not know?" He looked pained when he said this. Malfoy just wanted to shoot himself.

"I don't want to be a burden, Potter. I'd only be an addition to the problems you already have. I'm already enough trouble for you now by being a friend."

Harry dropped his arms. Malfoy noticed that there were plenty of new cuts bleeding freely. None of them were deep, but there was quite a number of them.

"You're not a problem, Malfoy. You're one of my only solutions and I thank you for that. Never consider yourself a problem for me." Harry told him with more confidence. This time it was him who stepped forward.

"Potter, you should get back to your common room before even more people start to worry." Malfoy told him.

"Who's looking for me now?" Harry asked.

"Granger...and Weasley." Malfoy lied. If he had told him only Hermione, Harry was sure to have had another moment of despair.

Harry nodded as if he understood. Then he walked by Malfoy and went to a bookshelf built into the wall that Malfoy hadn't noticed before. He took one down and went to the couch where he cracked it open and started reading. Malfoy was so baffled at Harry's actions that he didn't move for a minute or two.

"Um, Potter, what are you doing exactly?" Malfoy asked and sat down next to him once he got over Harry's casual behavior.

Harry looked up from his book and looked at Malfoy like he was stupid. He raised the book a few inches. "What does it look like I'm doing, Malfoy? I'm reading."

Malfoy raised an eyebrow. "But why?"

Harry laughed like Malfoy had just said a funny joke then closed the book and set it on the ground. "Because I always enjoy watching you get confused." A grin had formed on his face, one that Malfoy liked to see.

"Well I'm glad I am able to amuse you, Potter." Malfoy told him in an extremely sarcastic tone. Then, without warning, Malfoy grasped Harry by the shoulders and fervishly kissed the raven haired boy. Harry returned it just as enthusiastically and neither of them paused like something was wrong.

Gently, Malfoy pushed the smaller boy down onto the couch and laid over him like he had earlier that day. Harry tried to roll them around but failed miserably. He gave up, not caring anymore about who dominated who. All he seemed to want was Malfoy.

Malfoy ravished Harry with kisses on his lips, jawline, and neck. He licked, nibbled, and bit what looked to be every inch of the areas. Harry didn't care. He just wrapped his arms around the other's teen's neck and let him go on. Plenty of times, Malfoy's pleasure made him moan or whimper in pleasure and Malfoy growled and moaned right back. The two were perfectly at it, never seeming to slow.

***

Once the two were finally breathless, they laid together on the floor. Neither of them remembered when they had fallen off the couch. Malfoy's right hand held tightly onto Harry's left as his left hand went behind his neck and started to fondle with the boy's long locks.

"Now do you have an answer to why you kissed me earlier today?" Malfoy asked Harry, looking down at him.

Harry smiled and looked at him with glittering green eyes. "I think I'm falling for you, Malfoy."

Malfoy raised an eyebrow, amused. "You only think?"

Harry's smile turned into a grin. "So far, yeah, I do."

A/N: There's the fifth chapter. It's a little longer than the rest so hopefully you like that part. Again, thank you to everyone who is reading this. I really appreciate it!