Sometimes Love Just Isn't Enough

Chapter One

Draco slowly walked the corridor to the Slytherin common room. He was still reflecting on the conversation he had just had with Harry at the lake. Tears overflowed his eyes as he remembered the painful look on Harry's face.

"Draco," Harry said, nothing but pain lurking in those big, beautiful, green eyes. "I'm so sorry. I... we..." He was having so much trouble getting it to come out.

Draco looked at him through soft, teary eyes. "Harry?" he asked, though it sounded more like a plea than a question.

Harry shook his head. "I can't... we can't... no more. I - I'm sorry. I'm so... so sorry." Streaks of water were now pouring down his soft cheeks as he leaned in and kissed Draco... for the last time.

Draco sniffled and wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his cloak as he entered his dormitory room. He unsnapped the clasp and laid his cloak neatly at the end of his bed. He then lay down and put his hand up to his face, quickly drawing it back when he felt something cold. Draco looked at is hand to find out what it could be, and realized that it had been the ring that Harry had recently given him.

He took it off and rotated it in his hand, studying it. There was no way he could wear the ring now. But his hand felt so lonely without it. He sighed and set the ring back in the box from which it had come. He would just have to give it back the next time he saw Harry.

He closed his eyes as he remembered how happy he had always been with Harry. For five years they had hated each other... but they had eventually come to find that their hate had just been a way to hide their affection. When they had finally "come out of the closet" a year ago, they had no idea how to act around each other for weeks. How would everyone else react? There was no way they could keep it from the entire school. And Draco's father; how would he feel if he found out that his son was courting Harry Potter, the one wizard he had sworn hatred to?

But they had found a way. Draco's mother. Harry was scared of her for a while. He thought she was as heartless as Lucious. What a surprise it was to him when Narcissa said that she already knew! But what was even more surprising was that because of her, Lucious pretended to be okay with them.

Now what would he do? Would he try to kill Harry, again? For Draco and Narcissa's sake, Lucious never threatened nor tried to harm Harry... but what would he do now that they weren't together?

Draco sighed and got out a parchment and a quill. He had to write his mum. Maybe she could find a way to restrain her husband. When he was finished, he whistled for his owl and tied the parchment to his leg. "Take this to Mum," he ordered, giving his owl a treat right before he took off. When he was out off sight, Draco turned off his bedside lamp and closed his eyes. It had been a long, exhausting day, and he could use the sleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Harry stood, hypnotized, by the lake. All he could think about was Draco and the event that had just taken place. He felt a great uneasiness in his heart and stomach - like he was going to be sick. He sighed heavily and looked up at the stars. They were so bright and massive tonight! He could only imagine what it would be like up in the Astronomy Tower. But he could never go back up there. He and Draco shared wonderful moments in that Tower. Most nights - rather than snogging like the others - they would lay side-by-side, head on each other's shoulder, looking up at the night sky. Harry smiled as memories came flooding through his mind, but after a minute, he frowned. He would never have one of those moments again. Well, not with Draco, anyway. And it just wouldn't be the same with anyone else.

Harry leaned against a nearby tree and began skipping rocks across the lake, being careful not to wake the giant squid. After wasting a few rocks, he became bored and sat down, eventually laying on his back. He looked around at Hogwarts' grounds: the castle, the path to Hogsmeade, the Forbidden Forest, Hagrid's Hut, and finally his eyes settled back on the lake.

He, again, sighed heavily before standing. He turned and headed in the direction of the school, but stopped. He didn't really feel like going back into the castle, not at the moment. But after a moment of thought, he decided it would be best if he did. He didn't care if he got sick, or if he received detention, or even if he was expelled - not anymore - but he knew his friends would worry about him if he didn't show up in the common room after dinner.

As Harry entered the school, he looked to his right and noticed that almost everyone was still in the Great Hall eating. So he quietly slid by the double doors and headed to his Common Room. When he finally arrived at the Gryffindor Common Room, he collapsed on the couch and was awake long enough to see the portrait door open. He, then, closed his eyes and fell into a pool of dreams.