Departure

The moment Harry sensed someone outside the bathroom stall, he froze in horror. He swallowed painfully around the lump in his throat, clutching the bottle of pills in his hand tighter.

Just a few more minutes, then it'll be all over.

He had just managed to twist the cap off of the bottle. It would soon be empty.

Harry's blood ran cold when he heard a scoff, and the click of dragonhide boots against the tiled floor. Draco.

He jumps and nearly whimpers in fright when there's a kick at the bathroom stall. "Are you quite finished, Potter? There are other people waiting to use the bathroom, you know."

Harry doesn't answer. His mouth has gone dry, and his hands are shaking. Go away, go away, please go away...

Draco doesn't leave. "What's the matter, Potter? Cat got your tongue?"

His voice was harsh. Harsh, the way it was when he had broken up with Harry.

"Fuck off." It felt good to say what he'd been thinking the past few days.

There's a lingering silence between the two. Is Draco surprised? He must be. Harry had never talked back to him, not even during their relationship. Was he suspicious now?

Harry whimpers softly to himself, and tightens his shaking hand around the half-empty bottle of pills. He didn't think he could stand it if Draco caught him like this.

He flinched when Draco kicked the stall again. "Seriously, Potter? What do you want me to do? Grovel?" There's a sneer in Draco's voice now, obviously pissed off with Harry. "What the hell, Harry? Sorry about the crap I said."

The apology was dull, meaningless.

"Go away, Draco. I don't want to talk to you." Harry hated the way his voice wavered at the end. He prayed Draco hadn't noticed it.

"Open the door." It's a command.

"No."

Harry had forgotten that the locks in Hogwarts were old and half-broken. Green, terrified eyes looked up to meet Draco's stormy grey ones as the bathroom stall door fell open.

Both boys stared at each other, numb with shock.

"What the fuck?" Draco finally breaks the silence. His expression is unreadable, though his voice betrays his concern.

Harry slumps against the wall, bottle of pills slipping from his loose grip. Draco only stares from the doorway, obviously at a loss of what to do.

Before Harry can comprehend anything, the bottle is being yanked from his hand, and Draco is draining its contents down the bathroom sink. "What the hell?!"

It's the most assertive Harry's ever been with Draco. To his surprise, Draco only stares coolly back at him, fingers drumming against the marble of the bathroom sink.

"You-you weren't going to take those.....were you?" Draco questioned, failing to keep the note of panic out of his voice. His calm demeanour is in shambles, obvious concern bleeding through.

"Why would you care?" Harry's voice is weak, weaker than it has been in a week. The last time it was like this, Draco had just broken up with him.

Draco's expression softened, eyes betraying his emotion. "I care about you, asshole."

Harry felt like punching Draco right then and there. "Don't play that game with me." Harry's ears are ringing now, hands shaking where they fell at his sides. "You don't care about me. You never did. If you did, you wouldn't have broken up with me to protect your fucking reputation."

Draco's eyes widened, as he unconsciously backed up into the sink. Whatever he'd been expecting, it obviously hadn't been this.

"You-you're so fucking selfish, Draco. I loved you-and you just-," Harry's voice broke off into sobs, as he slowly slid down the wall.

"Don't forgive me."

"What?" Harry chokes out, startled by his declaration.

"I said don't forgive me," Draco breathed out, self-hatred lacing his every word.

Tears are burning in Harry's eyes like poison. "Maybe I won't then," he choked out. "God knows you don't deserve it." It's supposed to be vile, an outlet for all his pent-up anger, but he can barely manage to speak without trembling or crying all over again. Somehow his gaze stays leveled onto Draco, blurry with unshed tears. He isn't sure he ever wants to see Draco again.

Draco stays silent at that. Now, of all the times, is when he decides to finally shut up.

"Now leave me." Misery is palpable in Harry's words, entire body aching with grief. Tear stains trickled down his flushed features. "Leave me, just like everyone else does. You've always been one to follow popular trends like that."

The other boy doesn't respond to that. It's the sound of dragonhide boots clicking against the floor that cues Harry to his counterpart's departure. Slowly, until the bathroom door creaks shut.

Draco doesn't come back.