Harry woke two hours later, a crisp breeze biting at him. The ground, beneath him was, although soft, however also cold and damp and the air smelled deeply of musk and wood.
He opened his eyes to find himself alone, naked, his own shirt covering only half of his body.
"Oh God," he mumbled. Upon only moving a centemeter, he diagnosed his body was completely sore and he had an insane headache. The wind picked up again and the sound of scratching filled his ears. Following the noise curiously, he turned his eyes a little above him where a small piece of parchment was readying itself to take off into the fall leaves. Harry immediately caught it before its awaited departure and the words seemed to mock his as revenge.
"You promised," it had in Draco's handwriting, which was for once sloppy, rushed even.
"Fantastic," Harry breathed, attempting to swallow even though it was almost impossible. He wasn't allowed to see Draco anymore. He was supposed to watch his love, his best friend even, go through with a miserable arranged marraige and there was nothing he could do about it anymore.
Harry screamed.
Then, he crumpled the paper and slammed his fist to the grass next to the dewy blanket he was rested on. He wanted to cry but no tears would even dare to cross his eyelashes. The boy felt he was completely heartless. There wasn't such a thing as a broken heart. There wasn't anything left to be broken anymore.
He sat himself up in dismay and put his clothes on, slowly, as that of a turtle, almost as if his limbs couldn't function anymore. The gryffindor stood, although his legs wanted to give, but he wouldn't allow them to. Not until he was out of there.
Taking one last look around at the area that use to be his escape, now was a nightmare, he sucked it all in, knowing it was the last time he'd go through the green ropes again. There were too many memories that haunted him here.
It was still darkness that covered the land. The candles had been blown out, probably by Draco, the table was gone, everything but the blanket he was just laying on. It truely was a beautiful place. The stars were burning out yet again, the moon was relfected on the water and was slowly saying goodbye, the grass was.. well, grass, the leaves dead, ready to be reborn, just as Harry wished he could be.
Reborn. Forgotten, then remembered, as someone new, as someone less damaged, as someone who was alive.
For some strange reason, the boy wished to say thank you. To thank the trees for being so secret for them, to thank the floor for holding him and Draco, for the water for reflecting their love.
So he did.
Before leaving the special place forever, he examined each and every inch of the magic. Silver reflected in the corner of his eye and curiousity involentarily took over and he found himself staring at the area it came from.
Harry knew what that was.
"Don't do it, don't do it, don't do it," he told himself, clutching the rope, but he couldn't contain himself and his feet numbly carried him to the jewlery.
Harry picked up the ring which was inbeded under layers of dirt and he blew the grains of sand off of it.
This was supposed to be his.
He placed the band around his left finger, a perfect fit, and examined it. It was pure. It was strong. It was beautiful. The diamond was stunningly huge, the silver around it was flawless, and the engraving was heartbreaking. "I love you endlessly," it read.
He ripped it from his body and chucked it into the water, before fleeing fro the area.
Hot tears ran down his face to his hatred. He didn't want to cry anymore. Not for him.
The castle was empty to his advantage, since the night previous was the ball and everyone probably was already passed out. He figured it was 4 in the morning or something around there. Harry didn't dare even think about Draco's pocketwatch. In fact, he didn't dare think at all. Thinking led to pain, and frankly, he'd felt enough of that lately.
By the time he reached his dormroom door, he decided he was done. Completely, one hundred percent done. He didn't even dare look at Draco's door. It was like he didn't even exist anymore. Like he was already away and married, Harry didn't think he existed anymore.
Isn't that what Draco wanted anyway?
Harry quietly stepped into the shower without waking Ron. He hoped he had fun with Hermione at the ball. He wished he would have went to the ball instead of going through with some stupid date that he knew deep down wouldn't work. Not on Malfoy.
Once out of the shower, he went directly for his bed, laying down and snuggling under the covers, his back to Ron, who was awake.
"Where were you, mate," he whispered, "you missed out."
Harry didn't answer. He just turned to Ron who saw the tears falling down his cheeks.
"What happened," he asked, sitting up.
Harry shook his head. "I don't want to talk about it, I'll be fine," he sniffed.
"Are you sure about that-"
"Of course not. I just don't want to..talk...think, just please leave me alone," Harry choked out, turning away.
"If it was that git-"
"Who else would it be? Just please leave me alone, okay?"
"Okay," Ron sighed, solemnly, "If there is anything I can do to help, just let me know."
Harry wanted him to shut up. He wanted to scream at him that there was nothing he could do. He wanted to cuss him out. He wanted to punch his teeth in. But he controlled himself and just thanked him for his concern before drifting into an uneasy sleep.
———————————————————————
When he woke, he felt sick again and cried immediately. It was if nothing could dig him out of this whole of darkness. It was later in the morning, and he decided to get out of bed. He wasn't going to have another fit. He would be strong.
Well, as strong as he could be given the circumstances.
Upon walking to the common room, he found Hermione and Ron on the couch quiet. They heard him walking, and they both turned around, Ron standing. They waited for him to speak, and at first, Harry stared at the floor, but then he looked up at them.
"I'm done," he said, his voice cracking.
"Harry," Hermione started in a quiet voice, but Harry cut him off.
"No. I am. I'm done. Remembering him isn't going to do me any good. I don't have any use of him anymore. I need to get on with my life."
"Mate, that's not a good idea," said Ron. "Isn't he in too deep?"
"Maybe I could fall in love with someone else without him, though," he said hopefully. "Right now I can't think about anyone else because he... he-"
"Harry, you're sure," Hermione asked standing and maneuvering next to him. "You know you can't go back once you've done it."
"It'll be good," he nodded. "He won't remember, I won't remember. It'll be like nothing happened and life will be livable again."
"Don't you think this is the easy way out," Ron asked.
"I don't care what way out it is. It's out. I need out."
"Don't you at least want to tell us what happened last night?"
"What is there to tell? We slept together and it sucked."
"You two did it," Hermione asked.
"Yes, we did it, stop acting like a child. Whatever. It's done. Just get it out of my head." Harry took his stance in front of her. "It's one word and I'm free."
"You sure, Harry? Positive," Ron asked.
"Completely. What do I have to lose?"
"A lot, Harry," Hermione said, "Look at Draco-"
"Don't say his name!"
"Look at him, then, Harry. He's losing his mind. He has flashbacks and headaches-"
"His mind is fine. He knows what he's doing."
"Mate, something happened last night. Come on, tell us." Ron pushed.
"Just let me forget about it, and it'll be done."
"No. We need a good reason to do this."
"Is having sex with your soul mate for the last time not good enough for you? Is knowing that no matter what, we'll never be together not good enough for you? Is the fact he's engaged not good enough for you?"
"He's engaged, not married," Ron said.
"He's in a marriage contract! There is no physical way," he cried.
"Harry, are you sure you don't want to think this over a little more? Maybe he'll get his memory back."
"He left me this morning! He said he'd stay with me until I woke up and he left me alone," Harry felt hot tears drip down his cheeks, blocking out the noise of people coming in to the common room. "He left me. He would never leave me if he remembered me. Please. Just do it."
"Okay," Hermione said. "You're sure?"
"Yes. I'm sure."
Hermione grabbed her wand from the couch and stood in front of him. "I'm sorry this had to happen to you."
"Don't be. It's fine. I'll deal with it. Just do it," Harry snarled.
She raised her wand and pointed it to his head. "Obliv-"
She couldn't finish her spell because Harry had feel over, well, was knocked over. Draco had run from the entrance all the way where they were standing, and the momentum as he hit Harry knocked them both over, and Draco was on top of him.
He grabbed his face with both of his hands and had him pinned.
"Harry," he said in a panic, "Harry, what's my name."
"Malfoy-"
"No! Harry! What's my real name, please!"
"Draco, get off of me!"
"What's my favorite type of literature?"
"Fuck! It's Greek Mythology," he growled, struggling under him. "Let me go!"
"Where was our fourth date," his voice cracked.
"The bloody forest until three in the morning because we couldn't stop talking, now just-"
"Where's my favorite place to be kissed?"
"Your neck-"
"Where's my favorite place to kiss you?"
"My arse-"
"During our first time-"
"Draco get off of me," he shouted, and he was crying."I can't be around you right now-"
"During our first time, when you first saw my scars, what did you say out loud that you didn't mean to?"
"I said I was a monster," Harry swallowed.
Draco got off of him and picked him up by his arm, and once he stood, Draco had him suffocated in his own embrace.
He hugged him for a minute, squeezing him as hard as he could, but then he released him, and pushed him over almost.
"How could you, you arsehole!"
"The fuck do you mean by 'how could you!' You left me!"
"That doesn't mean you can go around erasing your memory, you ignoramus!"
"Why would you care!?"
"Fuck, are you that stupid?"
"Oh, fuck you!" Harry's lips quivered, and eyes filled with tears.
"Harry! I-I remember you," Draco said.
Harry didn't say anything. He froze. With a pale face and quivering lips, he stared at him, to afraid to move, but he did anyway, and a hand reached out to his cheek, and he saw that Draco was crying. "What?"
"I remember you," he said again.
"H-how?"
"Last night-"
"Where were you this morning," Harry asked, and he jabbed at Draco's shoulder.
"I went to get you breakfast and I wanted to surprise you-"
"Damn you," Harry sobbed, and Draco grabbed his face again and kissed him, and Harry felt like he was going to explode. He didn't know where to put his hands, they were shaking. "H-How?"
"I talked to Madame Pomphrey," he sniffed. "It's called state-dependent memory. If you do something when you're drunk, you won't remember it sober, but if you get drunk again, you'll remember it clearly. It's the same thing with love, well at least with a wandless memory charm. If you're in love with someone and forget them, you have to fall in love with them again to remember them."
In that moment, it was just them two. It was relief. It was almost scary.
"Draco," he sobbed again, and Draco kissed him on the forehead.
"Come on, let's go somewhere, okay? Just us two. The Room of Requirement."
Harry nodded, and Draco held his hand, leading him, but Harry's knees felt weak and he almost fell. So instead, Draco picked him up bridal style, and Harry wrapped his arms around him, clinging to him, and he cried into his shoulder.
Harry put a hand on Draco's cheek and made him look him in the eyes through his tears. They were mercury.
"It's you?"
"Yes, Harry." Draco nodded, and Harry kissed him.
Draco carried him out to the Room of Requirement with Harry leaning against his shoulder.
"Well, so I guess that they're together again," Ron turned to Hermione.
"Guess so," she said, and she put her wand in her pocket.
When they reached the Room of Hidden Things in silence and unnoticed to the empty hall, Draco put him down, walked three paces, picked him back up, and took him inside.
The room they were given was extraordinary. They walked onto a twenty foot platform that ended with a latter that led down to a swimming pool sized bed- in fact the entire floor was a bed.
Harry jumped on Draco, hugging him, their bodies as close as possible. Draco wrapped his arms around him, one along the small of his back, one around his shoulder, and a hand rested in his hair.
"Draco," he weeped, his whole body shaking.
"Harry, I'm so sorry," he said, and he started crying again as well. "I'm so so sorry! I love you so much! So much!"
"I love you," he bawled into his neck.
"Shh, Harry, relax. Relax. I'm here. You're safe."
Harry moved to his him, and what Draco expected to be a slow loving kiss, he got a much more frisky, erotic one. Draco moved to unzip Harry's jumper, and Harry got the wrong idea and started working Draco's belt, but Harry grabbed his hands and stopped him.
"Whoa, slow down there."
"But you were-"
"Harry, I want you to be more comfortable. We're not making love now."
"Why not," he searched his eyes.
"Because you're sick! You haven't slept properly in Merlin know's how long! No. You're sleeping in my arms."
"But, I need you! What if I wake up and this is all a dream?"
"What kind of lover would I be if we had sex right now? I'm not putting your body through that! I'm not going to hurt you!"
"Draco," he put his forehead against his chest. "Please."
"No," Draco reached into his pocket and pulled out a small vial. "You are going to take this, and we are going to sit this out, okay?"
"What is it?"
"It'll calm you down. Relax. I got it from Pompfrey when I went to go get you breakfast. She said to give this to you."
"Is it a sleeping potion? I don't want to take it! I'll wake up and think I'm dreaming-"
"No, it's not a sleeping potion," he cringed. "Just, lets go lay together and you'll be in my arms and we can talk it all out."
Harry nodded and sniffed before Draco guided him down the ladder, and he carried him to the back of the room so they could be as far away from everyone as possible.
"Drink," Draco demanded, and he opened his mouth so that Draco could pour it down his throat.
Immediately, Harry felt drowsy, and he leaned against Draco's chest, and Draco wrapped his arms around him.
He yawned. "Why am I so tired?"
"It's a side affect. Just relax."
He eyes started to droop, and his fatigue fell rapidly. "You said this wasn't a sleeping potion."
"...Well," Draco started.
"This is a sleeping potion?" The corners of his vision started to fade.
"Harry, you need sleep and you don't need another break down. I have to make sure your health is okay first-"
"What! You drugged me!?"
"Kinda-"
"No! I want to be with you! I want," he yawned and his eyes fell closed. He fought to keep them open. "No! Draco-"
"Shh, Harry, just sleep." Draco ran his hand through his hair.
"Draco," he whispered, and the unconscious swallowed him with a heavy heart and sour taste in his mouth.