Author's Note: This is not a healthy relationship! I do not condone this type of behavior, the situation, or how it is handled by any means. I wrote it because Fanfiction is a form of therapy to me, so I process a lot of my own tragedies within and through it. Please use your own discretion when reading. Only you know your own limits and triggers.

Summary: Sometimes love is just not meant to be. - — Post-Hogwarts

Rated: T

Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort

Warning Tag: Cheating/Breakup

Someone Like You

Autumn leaves fluttered through the air around Draco Malfoy out in the Spanish countryside. Off in the distance, a small wedding took place. He watched as the happy couple exchanged vows and sealed their fate with a kiss. The blond felt a pang in his chest at the sight.

Even from afar he could see Blaise Zabini dressed in a sharp black suit that contrasted well with his dark brown skin and stark-white tie. His bride, who glowed in white and sun-kissed skin beside him, was led down the aisle as family and friends clapped and threw pale orange petals above their heads. As the guests started to disperse, following the couple down the aisle, Draco could not help but take a few steps closer in hopes to catch his eye.

It worked.

Appearing like an ink stain in a harvest-themed painting, Blaise eyed the man in the distance and let out a steady breath in recognizing the uninvited guest. Placing a kiss on the dusty pink cheek of the new Mrs. Zabini, he whispered quietly in Spanish.

"Give me a minute?"

The witch looked in the direction of Draco for only a moment, nodding an agreement before they parted ways. Blaise watched as she met up with her family and gave a quick explanation before they made way to the nearby barn where the reception was to be held.

Approaching the blond, he raised a dark brow when Draco turned to walk away. The brief head jerk quietly asked for him to follow. Only when the pair found themselves on the other side of the small hill, out of the line of sight to curious eyes, did Draco turn to address the newlywed.

"Congratulations to you and yours," he offered, grey eyes resting on Blaise.

"Thank you."

The cool breeze billowed between the two wizards. Before the silence became awkward, the blond spoke while getting comfortable on the soft, sloped, grassy earth.

"Sit with me?"

Blaise huffed, making a notion to check his watch. "Look, I don't have much time—"

"Just for a moment," Draco all but begged.

Rolling his eyes, Blaise obliged. Folding dark fingers together to rest over his knees, he avoided the burning grey eyes that stared at him. He instead focused on the scenery in front of him. Slow, fluffy clouds lazily drifted across the evening sky, cascading the yellowing strings of grass into an orange glow.

"You were never going to tell me, were you?" the blood scolded.

"It didn't seem relevant."

Draco scoffed, offended.

"I wasn't expecting to have you wander over here like some lost puppy," Blaise continued. "This was supposed to remain—"

"A secret?"

Draco picked up a beautiful red leaf from the grass, twirling it by the stem and releasing it. The bright red leaf flapped around the pair like a butterfly, landing delicately on the shoulder of the newlywed.

"Who is supposed to be the secret?"

Blaise caught a pale hand in his own, pulling it to his lips where he brushed a kiss over Draco's knuckles. A thumb drew light patterns on the blond's palm. The movement of his arm caused the leaf to fall.

"Please understand. You'd have done the same," Blaise attempted to explain with as few words as possible. "It's custom."

Saddened grey eyes continued to bore into him. It was a rare sight to see such raw emotion from a Malfoy that an ache formed in Blaise's chest. Draco pulled his hand away, the tingle where it was kissed dissipated.

"So this is it, then?" he asked, hurt in his voice. "You live up to our pureblood standards while I become nothing but an old friend to you."

"It doesn't have to be that way."

"But you'll be staying here in Spain with her. I'll be back in Britain."

"I'll be in Britain regularly on business, we can—"

The look in Draco's eyes changed from hurt to indifferent, reading the dark eyes that looked back. Blaise was never intending to reveal his marriage to the Spanish girl to him, instead, he was going to continue on with both relationships like it was second nature while neither of them were none the wiser. It was clear he did not stop to think about the feelings of either involved if this secret was discovered. Luckily Draco unveiled it before it was too late.

"Do you love her?" A simple question that would tilt the scales.

"Draco…"

"Do you?"

After a long second, Blaise breathed, "Yes."

Draco stood up then, dusting off his trousers. "Then this is it, then."

He took a couple of steps forward before being stopped by Blaise grabbing his arm. "We can make this work."

The blond shook his head. "It will be unfair to her… and to me, to continue with this. Whatever this was."

Blaise pulled Draco into him; placing a gentle kiss on those soft, thin lips. Despite his best efforts to resist, grey eyes closed and savored the bittersweet moment. A dark hand cradled a pale, pointed chin, deepening the kiss. It yearned for forgiveness, to apologize, to remember. Draco pulled away after several blissful seconds, allowing Blaise to see the fading hope in his eyes; the warmth from the kiss cooled.

"Please stay, Draco." Pleading.

A shake of a blond head closed the conversation. "Nevermind I'll ever find someone like you again."

Draco stepped back, tearing their hands apart. Silver eyes glistened as a silent wish to not be forgotten before he disapparated with the wind. Leaves on the ground were disturbed, kicked up by magic of disapparation. One bright red leaf landed on the sleek black-suited shoulder of the outstretched arm reaching for the lover he never had a chance to be free with.

Originally Written For:

The Harry Potter Fanfiction Competition

Word Count: 957

Inspired by: Someone Like You by Adele

Originally Written: September 2017