We All Burn Sometimes

Chapter 8: Decision

Draco Malfoy opened his eyes. The blurry world soon cleared to reveal Harry Potter, wide awake and watching. Draco smiled beatifically. The Gryffindor looked lovely in the morning.

"Good morning," he mumbled. He rose a little, attempting to kiss Harry´s neck but the other boy pushed him down gently. Surprised, Draco looked at him quizzically. "Is there a problem?"

Harry nodded. "Yes. We need to talk."

"Ok. What is it?" this was said easily, with a smile. Draco thought that Harry must be bothered about some minor detail like bedtime arrangements. From their two weeks together, he had found that the green-eyed boy was very conscientious about those things. His eyes were strangely serious, quite different than usual. For anyone else, it would have been enough warning that there was something seriously wrong. But this was Draco. And Draco simply could not foresee the words that would fall from Harry´s mouth the next moment.

"I want to break up with you."

"Hmmm... I see," Draco said, still half-asleep. A few seconds ticked by. And the words finally sunk in.

"WHAT!?!" He screamed and shot up, fully awake now. He stared boggle-eyed at Harry who must be out of his mind. Was he joking?

Harry´s gaze didn´t break. He met Draco´s eyes steadily. "I mean it. This isn´t working for me anymore."

"What do you mean?" Draco was feeling extremely confused. What could have happened? Everything was fine last night. Or was it? "Did I do something wrong? Was it the gift? If you don´t like it we could change it or--"

"No. It´s not you." Harry paused and looked down. "It´s me. I think that we may be getting a little tired of each other. Surely, two weeks is enough."

He lifted his head and looked levelly at Draco who was slowly turning red from anger.

"We had so much fun but it´s not as exciting as it was." Harry continued with a shrug, "It should be easy for us to carry on as we did before. Like we agreed, no strings attached."

He let the Slytherin simmer for a minute. Draco looked like he was ready to explode. No one! Absolutely no one broke up with Draco Malfoy! Damn! This wasn´t even a real relationship and he was already getting dumped. After just two weeks! Draco took several deep breaths and faced Harry, anger barely in check.

"Fine. I´m tired of this anyway!" he muttered harshly. He jumped out of the bed and dressed hurriedly. He couldn´t wait to get out of the room. If he stayed another minute, he might have to pummel that self-righteous Gryffindor bastard on the bed.

Harry watched the other boy dress. Draco´s movements were stiff and jerky. Really, he should pity him. He had given him a rather bad shock, after all. He looked at the palm of his hand where the delicate jewelry Draco gave him nestled. Making sure that the Slytherin´s back was turned, he gave the tiny jade snitch a silent kiss before handing it to the standing figure.

"Here. I can´t accept this now."

Draco looked down at the hand stretched to him, holding the delicate necklace. His gaze wandered back to the boy holding it. Harry was sitting on his knees, already dressed. He must´ve woken up earlier. The Gryffindor´s beautiful eyes were clear, looking at him with a soft smile. A smile he could no longer kiss, when before, he had claimed every inch of him. He had no right now.

Draco met Harry´s serene smile, his expression shuttered. The silver-blue eyes were hard and unreadable.

"Keep it. It was a gift."

Without another word, he spun and exited, slamming the door on his way out.

The second Draco left the room, Harry collapsed on the bed, all energy leaving his body. It had taken every single drop of his courage to smile at Draco like that and bid him goodbye. Inside, he felt nothing. All his misery had been squeezed out of him last night. He had no more tears left for Draco Malfoy.

The black-haired boy stayed on the bed for almost an hour, unmoving, before he slowly made his way out.

***

Draco was fuming as he made his way to the Great Hall after showering. The six-year dorm room was empty so his room mates must be eating breakfast already.

His day was ruined! How could Harry do that? Just end it like that. Why that impetuous, inconsiderate freak of a Gryffindork! How dare he tell Draco that he, Harry Potter, was tired of him! No one ever tires of Draco Malfoy. Only he, Draco, had the right to say that. Now he was left without a lover.

A strange discomfort made itself felt inside Draco. He would never be able to kiss Harry again, or touch those raven locks that fell so boyishly over his pretty green eyes. He would never be able to hear that silvery laugh again or share jokes beside the boy´s naked warmth. He was alone now.

What am I thinking?! Draco immediately squelched the unwelcome thoughts in his head. He didn´t need the damned Gryffindor even for sex. He could fuck anyone he wanted. He was the Draco Malfoy. Ha! He´ll show that freak. He´ll make him see just what he´s missing.

"I don´t need him." Draco growled in a low voice, "I don´t need anyone."

***

"Hermione..." The dark-haired boy touched the cheeks of his companion. "Why are you crying?"

Hermione turned, facing him. She was smiling when she took his hand. "I´ve been very stupid."

"What do you mean?" the boy asked. He started to look scared. "Are you breaking up with me?"

She laughed and slapped his arm playfully. "No, you ninny. How could you think that way?" she paused and wiped her eyes, "I´ve been stupid for being ashamed to be seen with you."

She stepped closer and kissed his mouth softly, chastely. "I love you. I realize that now. I´m sorry I insisted on the secrecy. It´s silly, really. I shouldn´t have. I used to think that as a Gryffindor, I couldn´t be seen with you. But now, I understand that I would be very proud to introduce my handsome boyfriend to my friends."

"Are you serious?"

"About meeting Harry and Ron? Of course I am. In fact, we could go see them right now."

"No. I meant the other thing you said." He touched her forehead with his. "You said you loved me. Do you mean it?"

She smiled. "Really and truly." She watched the hesitant look in his deep blue eyes disappear...

"I love you, too." He laughed and held her tight. "I´ve been dying to say that for so long. I just wanted you to see it first..."

"Thank you for waiting... You´ve been incredibly patient with me. I´m sorry for taking so long to see that." She remembered how she´d been trying to deny their relationship to herself the past month, trying to tell herself that it was just a game. It must have hurt him to have her treat him like some dirty secret, see him away from her friends. But it was over now. She was sorry for everything, and grateful for every minute she had with him.

"It doesn´t matter. You´re worth the wait."

She took his hand and pulled him towards the direction of the Great Hall. "C´mon. Let´s tell everyone."

So, hand in hand, Hermione Granger and Blaise Zabini strolled in to breakfast.

***

Draco Malfoy simmered silently as he walked to Snape´s office that afternoon. He was holding a small basket of rare rozaro herbs. It had arrived for the Professor earlier and Snape had instructed him to leave it in his office while he was in a staff meeting.

His mood had not improved since that morning. He had barely been able to tolerate the presence of the Boy Who Lived during lunch and breakfast, clenching his teeth every time he happened to raise his eyes and see Harry Potter chatting with his friends and housemates. That was the most annoying part, the fact that he had the gall to look calm and serene, acting like nothing happened. Like he had not just dumped Draco Malfoy that morning.

In fact, at one point during lunch, Harry had raised his goblet a little and gave Draco a small smile. Draco nearly choked on his crab salad and angrily looked away. He tried to rationalize the extreme disturbance he felt over Harry´s ending their little affair. It´s not that he cared for the Gryffindor. Of course he didn´t, why did that thought even cross his mind? He was just irritated at the fact that it had to be over so soon, just when he was starting to enjoy it. And he was definitely irked over the fact that Harry Potter had to be the one to end it. The Gryffindor had come off as being the one in control. He had taken Draco by surprise and the Slytherin did not relish the feeling of helpless shock, even for a moment.

It didn´t help that Blaise and Granger had been sending lovesick looks at each other all day. Since they came out in the open, the two had hardly ever left each other´s company. The only time they were apart was during mealtimes when they had to sit with their housemates. Draco supposed that he should be happy for his best friend, even if he did choose the Mudblood for a girlfriend. But he wasn´t able to exude the usual happy noises earlier, courtesy of his black mood. Fortunately, Blaise didn´t seem to notice. He was too busy glowing over Hermione´s attentions. Hmph! Just what Draco needed: a pair of lovebirds when he wasn´t getting any.

He sighed. He supposed he should be nicer from now on to the Granger girl. It wasn´t polite to call your best friend´s girlfriend a Mud blood habitually. But that didn´t mean he had to be nice to--

"Hey!"

Someone banged into Draco and made him release the container of herbs and sent it falling to the floor. Draco watched as the basket´s lid opened a little, scattering a small amount of leaves over the floor. Cursing softly, he knelt and tried to salvage the Professor´s potions ingredient. The person who bumped into him knelt, too, and Draco could see the boy´s black robes on the floor and his hands gathering some of the leaves.

"I´m sorry. I wasn´t looking at where I was going."

Draco looked up, recognizing the voice. Harry Potter´s green eyes behind his glasses greeted him. The boy was smiling slightly, handing him the herbs.

Draco jumped up and hurriedly accepted the herbs, closing the lid quickly. "I don´t need your help, Potter."

Harry cleared his throat. "So, it´s back to Potter now." He peered into Draco´s face. "Shouldn´t we end this silly fight? I mean, it´s not as if we didn´t have fun in the past. Maybe we should be civil to each other."

Draco stood, refusing to meet Harry´s eyes. There was a lump in his throat, making it hard for him to reply at once. He swallowed before answering.

"Nothing´s changed. Nothing happened. Just like before, I still hate you, Potter."

Clutching the container of rozaro, he swept past Harry towards Snape´s office. He tried to ignore the sinking feeling in his chest as he left the Gryffindor staring after him.