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Draco knew this should be his cue to leave. He shouldn’t be here, staring at Potter, only inches apart from him. His lips involuntarily parted when he felt warm, hesitant fingers brushing his. His index finger twitched, moving against Potter’s palm. His hand closed around Draco’s in return. Draco inhaled sharply, curling his toes in his shoes and closing his eyes. Did Potter really want him? Was that it? No, it couldn’t be. He had found someone else. He was in a relationship. He just wanted Draco as a friend.

“I can’t,” Draco whispered, a sharp pain shooting down his throat as he spoke.

“I know,” Potter replied quietly, but he didn’t remove his hand.

Did he know? Draco doubted it. He doubted Potter had any idea how much Draco was suffering.

“I have to go.”

Before Potter could tighten his grip, Draco withdrew his hand and stormed out of the kitchen, out of the flat, without a backward glance.

Chapter 8: Unless You Wanna Come Along

Sunday, 16 March 2003

“It’s about time,” Pansy snapped when Draco stepped into his bedroom.

“What are you doing here?”

“So you really forgot,” she huffed. “We were supposed to have dinner.”

“Oh.” He didn’t even remember making plans with her. He felt too exhausted to rack his brain or even have a normal conversation. He just wanted to collapse and never get up again.

“Come on, if we go now, we can still—Draco?”

He had sunken to his knees, pressing his palms against the cold floor.

“Draco, what’s wrong?” He felt Pansy’s hands on his back as she knelt down in front of him. “Merlin, you’re shaking. Draco, what happened?”

“I—I can’t—” Stubbornly, he tried to hold back the tears that were forming in his eyes.

“Talk to me,” Pansy said, her voice full of concern. She pulled him closer, forcing his arms to collapse, until his head was resting in her lap. Without thinking, he grabbed at her dress, clinging to it as if that would lessen the pain.

“I—” He gulped. “I broke up with Astoria.”

He felt Pansy stiffen. “What? But—You—”