AMOR VINCIT OMNIA; GRANGER

XIX.

(  heartbreak century )

As Milo observed the crowd of students around him, who all excitedly chatted about their summer break with friends, he couldn't help himself but graze the Dark Mark with his right hand.

His gaze shifted further then the Slytherins surrounding him and finally he found the person he had been looking for since he arrived at King's Cross.

Hermione Granger.

She sat, as always, next to her friends, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, this time even accompanied by Ginny Weasley.

Milo looked at her as she talked with them animatedly, her hands swinging in the air to emphasize the spoken words. He admired how her curls were falling neatly around her face and how her robe was as organized and well put together as always.

Just then, when Milo wanted to look away, unable to look at the girl he loved any longer, she noticed him and their eyes locked.

Milo could feel bile rising up his throat as he was unable to break eye contact with Hermione. Oh, how he'd missed looking her in the eyes, even if it was just from afar. He had missed her so much over the summer, just seeing her here made him question all of the choices he had made over the summer.

"Milo", Draco finally interrupted his staring. "What did you do over the summer break?"

Putting his right hand over his left arm, Milo shrugged nonchalantly. "Not much, we had a guest over but nothing of interest happened. How was your summer, Draco?"

As Draco began to brag about his wonderful summer Milo tuned out and looked over to Hermione, who by now was back to having fun with her friends.

It was late at night, no one was around and the corridors of Hogwarts have never felt so cold and empty to Milo as he made his way to the room of requirements.

When he finally reached the door and was about to think of the room he and Hermione had been going to over the last school year, he couldn't bring himself to be confronted with all of the memories they had shared in there. Especially not with what he was about to do.

With a sigh, Milo imagined his bedroom at home. Cold, dark gray walls, a desk made of ebony wood, a bed in the far corner and a bookshelf filled with books about dark magic that dated back to the time of the foundation of Hogwarts. He just added a small touch of comfort, something that he had always wished for. An emerald green carpet was now in one corner with two big leather armchairs that were facing each other.

Milo entered the room and had the urge to throw up. It all reminded him too much of his home, which wasn't his anymore and he would never be able to view it as such again.

With a sigh, the dark haired boy made his way over to the bookshelf and picked a book up, he had never bothered reading any of them, not the least bit interested in the dark arts. The book in hand, Milo settled down in one of the chairs and opened the book, though he wasn't able to read even a single sentence. His mind wandered off to other places as he sat there in the dimly lit room.

How could his life make such a turn all of a sudden? Last year around this time - he remembered it as if it was yesterday - Milo was a dumb boy chasing a beautiful girl with his eyes alone, wanting nothing more than to admire her from afar and without having anything to fear.

Now, a year later, he was the one who had put this wonderful girl in immense danger - without her even knowing - and was trying his best to protect her, in the only way he knew would help her. By leaving her.