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Chapter Twenty-Four

With only a stamp remaining

Draco sighed, taking another sip of wine. Then, grumbling and glaring at the goblet in his hand, he shouted, cursing everything he could think of, and flung the goblet against the wall angrily. Watching the purple liquid slide down the walls, Draco leaned back, vexed, drawing his hands through his hair.

He remembered last night's real nightmare very clearly. He'd had to break the news to Harry, had known it would be bad, awful, but bloody hell, did it have to be THAT awful? What a horrid experience! But after everything they'd been through and all they'd talked about, he supposed Harry had good reason to despair upon hearing that Draco was leaving for Durmstrang.

It had been all Draco could do to keep from crying himself, as he'd attempted to comfort the tearful and shocked Harry. However, he'd stayed strong, and, knowing it hadn't done much to dampen Harry's grief, he'd left the room a few hours after. Harry had said many things to him, even yelled at him in half anger, half desperation, but practically nothing he'd said had made sense. The poor boy had been reduced to a child like state, one moment having a tantrum, the next crying like his heart had been broken.

To see the Gryffindor in such pain, to see the light wink out from that emerald gaze, Draco had wanted so much to just lay down and die.

Instead, he'd muttered comforting nothings to Harry as well as he could, and eventually he'd lulled Harry to sleep with an old lullaby he remembered his mother having sung to him before darkness enveloped his life:

We keep swimming the same world

until the day we reach our dreams.

All of us bear the same worries

When you stop and look, I'll be right here

gazing at you.

-----*-----

Draco watched the house elf heave yet another bag onto the train, and then looked up as he heard his name being called. Running towards him, hair flying in the wind, was Harry. Draco smiled; this boy meant so much to him, with his wildly messy hair, lean body, beguiling clothes style, flying talent, large reputation, optimistic personality, bravery, stubbornness, soft lips, wondrous scent and oh! Those beautiful emerald eyes he could just sink into...

Throwing caution to the wind, Draco flung down his cloak and broomcase, rushing towards Harry with arms thrown wide. Upon closing in the boys immediately wrapped each other into a warm embrace, moments ticking by as they reveled in their last few minutes together.

Then, pulling away, still holding hands, they just stood there, gazing longingly and lovingly into each other's eyes. Finally breaking the silence, Harry said, "I know this is really late, but...I couldn't resist getting a Valentine present for you...maybe it's a goodbye present, now, though." Draco stared incredulously as Harry placed a package, wrapped in green wrapping paper and silver ribbon, into his hands.

"Nothing, not even what's in the box, can express my feelings for you or how much I'll miss you when you're gone, but..." Harry's sentence trailed off into nothingness as Draco teared off the wrapping paper and opened up the box. Inside was an assortment of presents. Cushioned in it's own little space was a diamond shaped see through bottle, which, with just one sniff, Draco could tell was the perfume Harry wore that he'd always loved, the smell that only added to Harry's natural scent. A silver bracelet was also inside, upon which was engraved: HP + DM forever.

Engraved on the inside of the top of the mahogany box, beside a mirror, were the words:

I love you so

And can't let you go

So even if it seems I'm not there

Neither of us could truly bear

To let each other go, so

I wanted to let you know

You've left a stamp on my heart

And we'll never really be apart

Draco smiled, then, closing the box and hugging it closely to him, he gave Harry one last kiss on the lips. There was no other way to express his thanks; he feared that if he tried to talk, the tears would fall and he'd break. The kiss was soft, sweet, gentle, and spoke volumes, full of love mutually felt by the both of them. Breathing in Harry's scent once more, Draco pressed against the Gryffindor's smooth lips, then they both tasted salt. Neither knew whether they were his own tears, or the other's, for in that moment, all they knew was each other, the love they shared. Everything else sunk away, and it was just Harry and Draco.

Then, slowly, they parted, and giving Harry a radiant smile, Draco whispered, "Don't expect me to look back, Harry. It's just not my style. And besides...looking back just expresses regret. I can't do that, or I'll break. You understand, right?" Harry nodded, and both boys gripped each other hands tightly for a moment, before reluctantly sliding away.

Draco turned around, and walked away, his last bags and the things he'd dropped now in his Hogwarts train compartment. He never looked back. Standing there, morose, Harry barely managed to see it through his tears...something flying towards him. He watched as the last bit of silk green cloak whipped around the corner, the last time he'd ever see a hint of Draco. As the train began to chug away, Harry caught what had been flying towards him through the air: a tiny little bag.

Slowly opening it, wiping away a few tears, Harry picked up the object inside. A round crystal ball, inside which swirled a blue substance. He read the note he found underneath it: This is a pensieve of sorts. You shake it, and take a look. It contains all my memories of our time spent together. And I can tell you this, I haven't forgotten a single one. Love, Draco.

Smiling, Harry put both the note and the pensieve into his pocket, and walked back through the early morning mists towards Hogwarts. Draco was gone. But there was still hope; the love would always be in both their hearts, and perhaps they could write letters. For now though, all that remained of Draco was the stamp he'd placed on Harry's heart.

THE END