Hey guys thank you so much for the reviews, you are all SO lovely! Please revewis for this one as well, it does mean a lot to me, I just get SO excited! I'm sure you guys know how it feels. Just fyi, the end of this one is a bit on the…. Macabre side, I hope its not too much, but tell me what you think. Anyway, without further ado….

The next morning Draco woke by someone shaking his shoulder gently. His heart leapt in to his mouth and he shot upright, had he over slept? Forgotten to get up in time to make master's breakfast?

And then his eyes adjusted to the light and he looked around the room. It was small and brown, wooden floor, wooden walls, wooden celling, wooden bed and wardrobe in the corner. The one source of colour was the light blue curtains, illumined by the sun from outside. And he remembered where he was.

Severus sat down lightly on the edge of the bed, Draco shifted to him more space and let out a long sigh.

" I bought you some food." Severus said after a pause. "Thanks." Draco said, his voice gravely this early in the morning. He took the plate and stared at it listlessly. It looked really good, objectively, crisp bacon and warm golden toast, baked beans and an egg… But Draco just wasn't hungry. Didn't think he ever would be again.

"how are you doing?" Severus finally asked. "fine." Draco lied, "I just need a rest."

"you've been asleep for over a day." Severus informed him, trying to sound gentle. "seriously?" Draco asked, crumpling back into the bed, trying to keep the demons at bay for just a little longer.

"mhmm. You were almost completely drained of magic by the time you got here, you passed out in the garden, in fact."

"I'm not surprised, I kind of…destroyed his flat." Draco took a shaky breath, just remembering the events of last night was exhausting. Severus raised one long, thin eye brow; a silent invitation to continue. But Draco didn't know what to say, where to begin, he just opened and closed his mouth wordlessly.

"did you actually talk to him?" Severus finally asked. "no. he was out of the house when everything…when I understood. I only aperated away when I heard him come in again. " Severus nodded and fought the urge to stroke the hair out of Draco's eyes. The poor boy looked exhausted and grey. They sat in silence a moment longer. Severus feeling useless and awkward , finally, he stood up and went to leave, saying a quick;

"eat. I know you don't want to. But you need to."

At the very same moment, not so far away, Harry was also staring blankly into a plate of food.

He couldn't believe it.

Gone

After all this time

His love

Harry felt tears spill on to his cheeks and let out a loud, undignified sniff. He looked up at the wall, Draco's last message to him still emblazoned on it. Last night he was catatonic with grief, and hadn't bothered to clean anything up, merely shutting Pringles in a room that hadn't been damaged and leaving her with water and a little food. And even then he was sobbing. When he had heard Draco aperate away, he knew exactly what had happened; he didn't need the utter devastation in his home. But he knew he deserved it.

That day was easily one of the worst of his life. He cried almost constantly, it was like suddenly having a limb ripped away from him. His Draco was gone. For over a year Draco had been a constant presence in his home, leaving only on the rarest opportunities, and even then Harry was with him. He was lost, he was left, he was so, so alone. And he couldn't bare it. He wanted desperately to see him one more time, or just to know that he was okay, that he was somewhere safe. That used to be Harry's job, keeping him safe, and happy, and loved. Who would do it now? Would Draco do it on his own? Could he? Harry sat on his and Draco's bed, not caring about the ripped pillows, or cracked head board, only caring that he and Draco had been there, together…

He didn't even have the crutch of self-indulgence that most deserted lovers had, he couldn't bear to comfort himself as he knew damn well it was his own fault. So he just cried.

Draco did that too. Except he flittered between shock, denial and desolation. He stayed in bed for three days, until one morning he just threw back the covers and stood. Everything felt new now. He was utterly aware of the fact that he stood as a free man. No master, no rules, no duties. The first thing he did was look in the mirror. His hair was dry as straw and his face was peppered with black heads, not a pretty sight. His clothes were rumpled and stank of rotting eggs. There was only one desirable thing about his appearance; his collar.

He swallowed, looking at it properly for the first time in a long time. He hadn't taken it off yet because, well it, just felt right there. Like it belonged on him, like taking it off would somehow upset the natural balance of his body. But he had to. Severus would ask why he still worse it and he had no logical answer what so ever to give him. To say that 'it just felt right' would be embarrassing and week. And he had had enough of that. He never wanted to be week again.

Slowly, achingly, he placed his hands on the band at the back of his neck, just above his spine. He pressed down, hard and it opened, enchanted to be a perfect circle when worn, but to open smoothly when desired. It was a beautiful thing. A magical thing. He inched it forward, the ends just grazing his neck as he removed it for the final time.

He placed it on the table and snapped it shut again.

The sound was remembered in the room long after it had gone.

And he didn't know why his whole body suddenly felt colder, but it did. He felt the absence of Harry keenly for a moment, not his master, but Harry, the one who cuddled him, wrapped the blankets around him at night, hugged him, kissed him so gently, the one that took him in to the sun and fed him, saving him from the very brink of starvation.

He screamed, and put his fist though the mirror.

That Harry had no right to be in him, in his memories, his thoughts. Harry was evil, vile, scum of the earth. The memories of his abuse came screaming back at him, expelling the sweet just as suddenly as it had come. He kicked out at the wall and let out another roar. His whole body seized in anger and pain and he wanted to die just to get the pain out from inside of him

In a flash, Severus had barged though the door, wand in his hand, certain that Draco was being attacked, but Draco just stood there, looking at the mirror now in a thousand pieces on the floor.

"I think I need to find some way to deal with anger." Draco said, turning to flop back down on the bed again. He decided he had had enough exercise for that day. With a flick of Severus's wand, the mirror flew back into place again, perfect as ever.

"yes." He said simply. "you should." He sighed and sat down on the bed next to Draco, wishing he knew what to say. He stayed most of the day in Draco's room, soothing him occasionally, but mostly being a silent, comforting presence.

It was lucky really that this had happened when it did. The school year had just ended and so Severus work load was vastly decreased. Only a few students remained at the school, either the substandard that had to repeat a course, or the few, like Hermione Granger that simply wanted to get ahead.

The next Monday, Severus glided down the mostly empty hall of the university, he did not stalk anymore, deciding that with older students he did not have to be quiet so intimidating. He was now considered extremely strict, but fair and actually rather humorous if you managed to get on his good side. It was rumoured only a handful of students had ever managed to get on his good side during his whole career… it was a much coveted position for all his students. He didn't know it, but most of them idolised him.

In some ways the school was much like Hogwarts, a beautiful, magical building that was called home by many. But this was not quite so large, allowing the students and faculty to become closer, everyone knew everyone, at least vaguely. It's halls were made almost entirely of white marble, they sang of academic promise, instead of the mystery that Hogwarts did.

Hermione rounded a corner in front of him, head stuck in a book as she walked. A small smile graced Severus's lips, gone before it was noted. "Ms. Granger." He greeted, her head snapped up, although she knew who it would be. "professor." She said in return. They were the ones in the school to address each other as such, the rest of the academy preferring less formal titles. It started out as a refusal to move on from the past, but now, it was almost, almost an inside joke between them…

"how is Mr. Potter doing?" he asked, he had never bothered with small talk and wasn't about to start now. He wanted information and he would get it.

"Awful." She said with a small shake of her head.

Good, Severus thought savagely. "And how is Draco?" She inquired. "as…well as can be expected." Severus said hesitantly. The truth was he just didn't know, they did not go in for long heart to hearts, the boy had been, well…he appeared dead sometimes, apart from sudden bursts of crying or anger…

"ah," she said, as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I am sorry to hear he isn't… well."

Severus sighed and "I have to say I'm amazed he made it this far. And in a comparatively short space of time…"

"yes, I am too actually. It seems so long ago, I can't believe its only been a year." She mused, this whole year was just a blur of papers to her really. Of course she had tried to be there for Harry, and for Ron too, but it was a bit awkward since their break up…

"God, only a year…I don't know about you, but I never thought I would see a time past the war, let alone such a…comparatively normal time." She smiled up at him, honoured to hear something so personal. He clearly hadn't meant to blurt it out, because he blushed and was about to step away when she said;

"yes. I know what you mean. The war was such a big thing I had never been able to see past it. And now it's gone…life feels a bit empty." She had never admitted that to anyone before, it sounded so ungrateful, as if he wanted it back. She didn't, but what she said was true, her life was boring now, compared to what it had been. She didn't know it, but a little part of her envied Harry for having one last 'adventure'.

"yes, well, we seem to be on the same page." He said stiffly. He was not used to personal conversations, especially in the middle of random corridors. " I have work to do, but Draco needs his wand back. I assume Potter will hand it over without any fuss." He said, a threat in his voice.

"he will." Hermione reassured him. She smiled as he swept away. Severus had always had her respect, ever since her first year at Hogwarts. She wasn't always certain he deserved it, but now she was certain, completely and utterly. He was a good man. One good man was not enough to save Draco, but perhaps two were? She truly hoped so. She had come to care for Draco, a lot really….

When she told Harry that he could do something for Draco, his whole face lit up, feeling as if he finally had a purpose in life again. He searched the house high and low, finally putting some of it back to rights again before he remembered; it wouldn't be there.

If he had it, it would be in his other house, where he had originally taken Draco. He felt a chill work its way up his spine and invade his body. That house made his skin crawl and his insides turn to ice. But he went there anyway, determined to do anything for Draco.

He held his breath as he pushed the door open; he hadn't had a good look around the place the first time he was here, who knew what he would find?

It was a horror house, in the truest meaning of the word. It was filled to the brim with the macabre, in harsh juxtaposition to the obvious luxury that Harry had lived in while he was there. Not for the first time he wondered how on earth Draco had survived. But he had, Harry thought fiercely and he was better now. He should be proud, and so, so happy for him. He felt a wave of anger at himself, he was so selfish he hadn't even been able to be happy for Draco. God he was such a horrible person. He had never deserved Draco…..

The first and second floor of the home were littered with depressingly evil items, but nothing that he didn't really expect. No wand though…. With much trepidation, Harry made his way down to the basement, he had a bad feeling about this…

The first thing he noticed was the smell, it stank.

When his eyes adjusted to the light he could tell it was far more a dungeon, a torture chamber than a mere basement. He didn't know why he was still so surprised really, but he was, every room in this house just had another reminder of that fact that he didn't deserve to live.

It was a long, thin corridor, lined with cells and splattered with blood. There were ominous looking metal instruments on the floor, he tried not to look too closely at them. There was hardly any light either, so Harry had to feel his way along, only dimly able to see past the end of his nose. He tried a quick lumous, but it seemed to make no difference. He could only assume he had cursed the room to stay dark no matter what, for his own perverse pleasure….

And then he saw it. The source of the smell. In fact, he tripped over it. It was an arm. A human arm , attached to a human carcass, rotting flesh, feasting worms, face pressed up against the bars of the cage, frozen in the fight he had been battling in life, scrambling to get out, to survive…

Harry vomited down his front, bracing himself against the wall as once again the hysterical sobs came. He got on his knees and begged the corpse for forgiveness, screaming his apologies, holding the decomposing hand to his chest as if to transfer his heart beat to the body, anything to fix what he had done…