5/25/05
3037 Word Count













************************************************************
Blaise looked at Draco with concern. The youngest Malfoy didn’t even seem to respond to any of the normal chaos at mealtimes. He hadn’t been the same for a while, but today he seemed to have reached the zombie stage. “Hey, Draco, snap out of it,” Blaise nudged Draco at the Slytherin table in the Great Hall.

Gray, lonely eyes turned toward him. Blaise inwardly winced at the pain he saw there. Draco had suffered through a rough year, there was no doubt about it. His father was in Azkaban. His mother had run off, and was believed to be dead. Draco had inherited the Manor and was now a very wealthy man. But he was alone, all alone.

There were no longer sharp-tongued replies, or quick witticisms. Draco seemed to be dead inside, icy cold and hollow. Where had the fire gone that made Draco the Malfoy he was?

Blaise looked at Crabbe and Goyle and shrugged. He inclined his head toward their ‘leader’ and indicated that one of them should give it a go. With a nod of his head, Goyle stepped up to the plate.

“Let’s go pick on Potter,” Gregory Goyle urged Draco. But Draco turned his cold eyes toward Greg, who paled. He’d never seen Draco look so…so…dead inside.

“No,” Draco said in a hollow voice. Crabbe gulped and shook his head when Greg and Blaise looked at him hopefully. Pansy pursed her lips and smirked. She knew just the thing to shake up Draco.

“How about a date?” Pansy Parkinson asked hopefully.

Draco shook his head and left the table without eating a thing. Pansy’s mouth dropped open asking Draco for a date was always good for a reaction, even if it was a knee-jerk insult. The Slytherins watched their leader walk out and turned to look at each other in confusion.

Meanwhile across the Great Hall, the Gryffindors were having a problem with Harry, too.

“Go on, just take a bite,” Ron urged his best friend. Harry turned hollow green eyes toward his friend. Ron jerked back as if he’d been slapped. He looked hopefully at Hermione.

“Oh Harry, maybe you should go out on date?” Hermione urged with concern. “Getting out of the castle might do you some good!”

“To have some other girl cry?” Harry pushed a bit more at his food and left the table.

Hours later, Hermione sat in the library, but could not concentrate. She kept looking out the window where she could see Harry on his broom, looking just as lost and just as unhappy as he had for weeks. Harry just hovered over the Quidditch pitch, not even flying in circles, just staring off into space. She wondered if he’d ever be the same again, he’d only gotten worse since she found him that day.


~Flashback~

“Harry please tell me?” Hermione urged after finding Harry in a ball crying in the hallway.

“Doesn’t matter,” Harry whispered.

“But it does if you are this upset,” Hermione persisted wrapping her arms around the chilled figure, trying to comfort the young man she’d come to think of as her brother.

“I can’t, because of Ron,” Harry whispered not noticing that Draco Malfoy, the Head Boy had come to see what was going on.

Hermione glared at him pointing at her Head Girl badge daring him to challenge her authority to be there. But instead Draco stood staring at Harry with pain in his eyes. Hermione frowned in bewilderment at Draco’s odd expression but then turned back to Harry. She hadn’t seen him so upset since he thought Sirius Black had betrayed his parents, thus causing their murders.

“’You can’t’ what because of Ron,” Hermione prodded.

“I can’t be with the only person I’ve ever loved,” Harry sobbed. He looked over Hermione’s head at Draco, who nodded in understanding and sadness.

“But Ron will understand,” Hermione said with conviction. Ron would gladly do anything to help Harry, after all they were best friends.

“No he won’t, because I love Draco,” Harry whispered crying even harder.

Hermione gasped and looked up at Draco, whose eyes had gone cold with pain and sadness at the words.

“He’s right, we can never be together even if we do love each other. My past doesn’t give us a choice or chance,” Draco whispered looking into the green eyes filled with pain, then turned to go.

~ End flashback ~

“Today class, let’s do a review of everything you know up to this point,” Professor Flitwick smiled from on top of his pile of books at the Sixth year students. “Let’s start at the beginning, shall we, with Wingardium Leviosa?”

The class of sixth years, comprised mostly of sixteen year olds, tried to do the spell. All but two feathers rose in the air, that of Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy. The Professor looked startled, then had the class do every charm they’d ever learned and Harry and Draco could not do a single one.

By the end of the day, neither could do a single spell in any of their classes, so were sent to see the Headmaster.

“Gentlemen, there seems to be a problem with your magic today, care to explain?” Dumbledore asked them. The Headmaster had grown increasingly worried about the two Seekers. Each had been through far more than most grown men, the pain seemed to have finally have taken their toll. But to lose their magic?

The pair looked at each other and Dumbledore swore he saw actual sparks flying between the two before they looked away and shook their heads. Dumbledore’s eyes went wide. Was there love between the two that couldn’t be shared? Perhaps it had finally broken them. Not knowing what could be done, he sent the two to Madame Pomfrey, who ran several tests, which only proved that their magic was dying, and so were they.


An emergency staff meeting was called that night. Dumbledore waited for all to arrive before he began. “I am sure you all know by now why I summoned you here. If not, let me tell you that Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter seemed to have lost their magic, and as magical beings, are dying.”

“Potter must have done something to Draco!” Snape yelled.

“More likely that Draco did something to Harry!” McGonagall retorted angrily, her pinched face becoming more pinched.

“SILENCE!” Albus roared.

“I have seen the problem,” came the breezy voice of the Divinations teacher.

“Right, and I have my sister trapped under a house!” Minerva spat.

“The problem is that they love each other and are trying to keep everyone else happy. In doing so, they are killing their very being, their hearts.” Sibyll continued.

“Do you know I actually saw sparks fly between them,” Albus recalled.

“Absurd,” Snape said.

“Utterly preposterous!” Minerva chided.

“Don’t know ‘bout that,” Hagrid offered. “Saw them the other day in class. They kept trying to stand near each other but their friends would yell and shove them away. It was terrible hard to watch. True, I never would have imagined the two of them together, of all people, but does it matter?”

“They were crying in my ward,” Poppy said sadly. “I didn’t know what to do.”

“I submit we try to make the houses more united as a school. If they feel they can at least be friends, their magic may return.” Albus offered.

******************************************************************
The next morning, the Headmaster, after sleeping on his idea all night, made an important announcement in an effort to save the two young men.

“From here on in, the students will sit with their new housemates, can visit any common room they like and Quidditch is cancelled, as is the House Cup. Instead, individual points will be given.” Albus concluded the next morning in the Great Hall.

There were roars of protest and gasps of horror as their badges on their uniforms changed to read “HOGWARTS”. All ties and scarves were replaced by plain black.

“In conclusion, the houses will now have alphabetical sorting. In the dungeons the house formerly known as Slytherin will house those with last names from A-E, the former Hufflepuff house will hold those with surnames from F-J, Gryffindor L-P- and Ravenclaw Q-Z. All your things have already been moved. I ask that you not fight me on this. For ease, please move to the alphabetical house of which you now belong.”

With much grousing and moaning the students shuffled off to the table with the proper letters on it. So it was that Harry Potter sat across from Ernie MacMillan and next to Draco Malfoy. Neville Longbottom sat on his other side. Draco looked at Harry who looked back and a small amount of sparks flew in between the two.

“What are you looking at, Draco? I can’t believe you have to sit next to Potter! You poor thing! I’d sooner die.” Pansy Parkinson suddenly said from Draco’s other side.

Harry looked over toward her, filled with sadness, and left the room. Draco’s shoulders slumped and he, too, left the room. “So much for your plan, Albus,” Severus sneered as they watched the scene from the Head Table. The Headmaster stroked his beard trying to think of an alternative method.

Unable to see his friend in such pain Neville Longbottom went to find Harry. “What is it? What’s wrong, Harry?” Neville asked running after him.

“I can’t be this close and still not be able to…” Harry shook his head then ran out the front doors at full tilt. He felt trapped to not be able to express his desire for Draco. The yearning to be near him was driving him crazy. But he had the sense to recognize that even if he didn’t know how to let go of his love for the blond haired man, their friends would never allow it.

Back in the Great Hall, Draco returned only to walk over purposely to talk to Ron Weasley. Draco had realized he’d do anything to be with Harry. He didn’t know how he could go on like this. So he decided to confront the largest obstacle they had, Harry’s best friend.

“We need to talk, now,” Draco said calmly.

“I have nothing to say to you, ferret boy,” Weasley retorted.

“If he wants to talk, you will talk,” came the voice of Blaise Zabini who’d come over to offer Draco support. After all, he was Draco’s best friend and would never allow him to walk up to Weasley alone.

“Oh yeah? Make me,” Ron challenged with fervor. The Great Hall erupted into an all out brawl as Blaise reached across the table to give Ron a fist to the face.

“Need I remind you, Albus, that I was against this foolish idea from the start?” Minerva yelled over the roar of the school in wall-to-wall fist and cuffs.

“SILENCE!” Albus roared. “SIT DOWN!”

“Any ideas?” Albus asked of the professors at the Head Table as the Hall settled down once more.

“Transfer Harry and Malfoy?” Hagrid offered.

“Private tutor?” Snape suggested. “Lupin is available. They only have a term to finish school.”

“Solitary confinement? They’ve been nothing but trouble, those two!” Filch sneered as he stood by the table petting his cat.

The headmaster stood and the hall went quiet. “Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Potter, come to my office immediately.”

Neville ran outside to find Harry. He found him just outside the door, looking like he’d been crying. Neville bit his lip but gathered his courage and spoke.

“Harry the Headmaster wants to see you in his office immediately,” Neville said nervously. “And Malfoy.” Harry nodded and went back into the school. He sat next to Draco who’d arrived at the Headmasters office first. Draco looked sadly over at Harry. But Harry looked at the floor unable to look at Draco. The pain was just too much to bear anymore.

“Gentlemen, in order to save your magic and your lives, I’m afraid you’ll both have to leave the school. In order to protect you from the prejudice of your classmates, I’m having Hagrid take you out to a special hideaway. It is in the Forbidden Forest, but is in the enchanted forest section, so it is protected. You will be tutored in order to graduate.”

Just then, Hagrid entered smiling brightly. “Ready to go, then? Best we’re off, eh?” he winked at the pair and they followed in disbelief. “Hagrid, what about all our stuff?” Harry asked after they’d been in the forest awhile. “House elves will bring it,” The half-giant answered.

“But, what about this place where we’re supposed to stay? I mean, who will be there?” Draco asked next.

“Well, some house elf named Dobby will be there with you. And of course, your tutor will be coming everyday, ‘cept during the full moon, of course.” Hagrid answered as they moved quickly along deeper into the forest.

“Our tutor is Professor Lupin?” Harry beamed while Draco bit his lip. Werewolves made him nervous.

“Aye, that it is. Ah here now, the Enchanted Forest!” the trio had entered a beautiful meadow that seemed to glow. Unicorns drank from a pool of water fed from a small waterfall and an English cottage sat nestled at the bottom of the ridge.

“Is that it?” Draco asked in disbelief.

“That it is. Well, I best be off, lots to do. If you ever need anything, just send up sparks.” Hagrid strode away into the forest leaving Harry and Draco to enter the cottage alone.

“Well hello there,” called out Remus Lupin from the front doorway. “Harry!”

Harry rushed forward and gave the werewolf a hug. Remus smiled over Harry’s head. “Come now Mr. Malfoy, I won’t bite. How are you?” he held out a scarred hand for Draco to shake. Nervously, Draco stepped forward and shook it.

“That’s better,” Remus smiled. “Now what’s this I hear about your magic not working?” He looked from one to the other but neither answered. “Hmm. Harry can you make this quill fly?” Remus held out a quill. Harry tried but nothing happened. “Draco, how about you?” Draco couldn’t manage it, either.

Remus shook his head. Severus had told him the love they held for each other had destroyed them, but he hadn’t believed it until then. He’d have to apologize to his lover later. He cleared his throat.

“Perhaps you’re missing the key ingredient of magic, eh?” Remus smiled sadly at the two.

“Key ingredient? What’s that supposed to mean?” Draco sighed.

“Love. You both lost your parents, and your friends are too busy worrying about what they think is best for you without asking. Am I right?”

Draco and Harry looked at each other sadly then turned back and nodded.

“Then while you are here, I want you to do what YOU want to do. You’re so called friends won’t be bothering you here. They have no say. When you graduate in a few weeks, your lives will be your own. I want you to be happy. Love is a precious thing, never let anyone take it from you. Do you understand?”

The two young men seemed to cheer up significantly and Remus smiled. “Well, perhaps you need sometime to settle in, eh? Dinner is in two hours. I’ll see you both in the kitchen, otherwise the time is yours.” Remus nodded leaving the two alone.

Draco and Harry stood in silence looking at each other as sparks flew in between them. The exchanged tentative smiles unable to believe that finally nothing stood between their feelings for each other. Nothing would hold them back ever again. It took their breaths away and allowed their hearts to breathe anew.

“I’m going for a walk, care to come along?” Draco smiled holding out a hand. Harry’s face lit up and he took Draco’s hand. Remus watched from one of the cottage windows as the two young men walked outside, with hope that they could finally feel free to be together. He sighed and went to make some tea. Later he could send an owl to Severus and perhaps set up a time to talk and be together, after all, their magic needed love too.

******
Draco sat down in a patch of meadow grass and Harry sat down next to him. Harry pulled out tufts of grass watching with amusement as they grew back. He smiled at Draco, while waiting for someone to yell at him. It was so sweet to finally be able to surrender to his feelings at long last. “How long can they keep us from the others?” Harry asked softly.

“I don’t know, but I wondered if in the meantime if you’d consider giving it a go with me?” Draco tossed a rock into the pond. “I only hope I won’t disappoint you.”

“Are you asking me out?” Harry’s face lit up with unbridled joy. Draco wanted to cry out knowing he’d put that smile his love’s face.

“Yes, its time to set things right between us. Those morons back at the school kept us apart. But now nothing can. I know you love me, but what you don’t know is that I love you too …Harry.” Draco held out his hands and Harry jumped into his arms.

“Gawd Draco, I love you so much but everyone is so against us!” Harry sobbed into the blonde’s shoulder.

“Harry, oh Harry. I’ve waited so long to hold you like this. Now we can be together. If you want, after graduation we can move into the Manor together or even move out of the country, just so long as we’re together. I’m tired of fighting how I feel because others don’t like it.” Draco pulled back and looked into Harry’s eyes for the answer. He saw love, acceptance and agreement there, so he leaned in cupping Harry’s face and drawing him in for a kiss.

From the cottage Remus saw the first kiss and smiled. Magic flowed all around the new couple. They would be all right, now. Despite it all, they would be all right. They would live, love, their magic would return and -Remus smiled-, they would be happy.