The Way It Goes

He left again today. "I´m sick of this, Malfoy," he said. "I´m sick of putting up with you and your shit." And he left.

He always leaves. It´s nothing new. He´ll come back. Tomorrow, or maybe the day after, he´ll come barging in and he´ll say something like, "I´m...sorry. I´m sorry. Let´s not fight anymore. Let´s never fight again. I don´t want to fight." And I´ll take him back on the spot, fervently agreeing that I don´t ever want to fight again, either.

It will take us about a week to get into another fight. And then he´ll leave again. And come back again. That´s just how it is. How it always is. I act like an arse, he gets pissed, he leaves, he comes back, I take him back without a second thought. It´ll never change.

Tomorrow, he´ll be crawling back.

But for today, at least, I´ll have to face him in Potions. And he´ll shoot me dirty looks the whole time, and say things to Weasel about how I´m such a prat, I´m a slimy git. How I´m this, that and the other frigging thing.

Yeah, well, better be careful what you say, Potter. You know you´ll want me back again.

Why can´t we deal with our problems like normal people? Normal people have fights, and then they talk about it and work it out. They don´t run off or get bitchy. They talk. They work it out. They don´t start screaming and then run away when the screaming gets too much.

I mean, Pansy and Blaise don´t act like that when they argue. Well, Pansy gets kind of pissy, and sometimes she´ll even go and hit on me...I don´t know if this is to make Blaise jealous or if she still kind of likes me. I bet she does. But that´s not the point. The point is, she and Blaise ultimately talk it out like intelligent, rational beings. And "intelligent" and "rational" are not words I would normally use to describe either of them, especially Pansy.

Even Weasel and Mudblood. Weasel acts like an idiot. And anyone will tell you that Granger´s the biggest damn know-it-all at Hogwarts. So they´re opposites, kind of. Like Potter and I. Only they´ve learned to deal with it like adults. And, since I´m pretty sure Weasley still can´t tie his own shoes, that´s a pretty big accomplishment for him.

It helps that they´re in the same house. They don´t have to sneak around just to be together. It also helps that their families aren´t mortal enemies.

Oh, all right, so my family and Potter´s family aren´t mortal enemies. But they would be, if Potter still had a family.

And you know what else Ron and Mudblood have going for them? THEY´RE STRAIGHT. They´re in a "normal" male/female relationship. Potter and I, on the other hand...

Anyway, they still manage to sort out their differences, in spite of their problems. They deal with things. Their romantic life is not a soap opera.

Shit. Time for Potions. Shit. It´s always kind of awkward, when we´re in one this stupid fights. But that´s just the way it goes, I guess. I don´t know.

I walk in late, but Professor Snape doesn´t care. He just says, in an almost motherly way, "Please sit down, Mr. Malfoy."

Normally, I like being a Slytherin. I like getting away with shit in Potions. But not today. Potter will probably hold it against me. It might even take us twice as long to make up. Stupid Potter. Not like I have any control over how Snape acts. Now my father, maybe he has a little, but I don´t have any.

Harry´s looking at me. Looking into me. In a different, introspective way. He sure as hell doesn´t look very happy to see me. But he doesn´t seem pissed. Just kind of...thoughtful.

Probably plotting his revenge, the arse.

Longbottom blew up his cauldron again. Way to go, Neville. Under usual circumstances, I´d be laughing. Most of the other Slytherins are. But I can´t stop thinking about Potter.

Stupid Potter and his stupid little drama-queen attitude. Longbottom may be failing every subject but Herbology, but I bet even he doesn´t have these kind of relationship problems. Actually, he and Weasley´s little sister seem to be doing quite well together, even she does all-too-obviously wear the proverbial pants. But I suppose that´s a good thing. I mean, can you picture Neville the He-Man?

Waving his arms to block the fumes, Professor Snape starts screaming, "Everyone, out! Evacuate the classroom! Everyone - single file line! Evacu - !" But everybody´s already pushing and shoving their way out the door. So much for a single file line...

As I manage to claw my way into the corridor, I feel somebody gently touch my arm.

Potter.

"Harry..." I sputter as I turn to look at him. Then I shake my head. "Let me guess. You decided you want to make up, and you never want to fight with me again and - "

He cuts me off. "Actually, Draco, no." My first name is stressed, obviously forced. But you´d think after two and a half rocky months together, it wouldn´t need to be.

That´s more thing the rest of the world´s couples have up on us: THEY CALL EACH OTHER BY THEIR FIRST DAMN NAMES, FOR MERLIN´S SAKE.

"I was thinking along those lines," he confesses, sucking in his breath, "but what I started thinking was that we fight too much and then we always promise not to do it again. But of course we always do do it again." He offers a nervous little laugh. "Draco? You...know what I mean?"

I just keep staring at him without saying anything. He continues, though, albeit a bit more unsteadily. "I mean, maybe instead of doing this all the time, we should just try and...you know..."

"Work things out." I don´t even realize I´ve interrupted him until I hear the words spoken by my own voice.

"Yeah," he says, relieved, smiling, his green eyes twinkling. "Work things out."

I smile too. "All right." Besides, learning to work things out will be worth it the end. It always is, when you´re in love with someone.

I´m not sure, but maybe that´s just how it goes.