Hermione trudged back to the castle along with the others, willing herself not to cry. She'd never truly lost someone this close to her before, and it was horrible. Honestly, she didn't know how Harry did it all of the time.

She tried not to think of what would happen once they got back. Just trying to imagine the looks on all of the Weasley's faces, and after they'd just lost Fred. Hermione now had tears running down her cheeks that Pansy and Blaise chose not to point out. It hurt Pansy seeing Hermione this way, but she knew it was nothing to the pain her girlfriend must be feeling.

They reached the doors far too fast for Hermione's liking, and she dreaded actually stepping in. Most would be at lunch now, and she didn't really want to make a scene and announce it to the whole school. So they didn't go to the Great Hall. Instead they went to the hospital wing, though they knew nothing could be done.

Madame Pomfrey looked up from a hospital bed with a student on it when the door opened. When Hermione, Pansy, and Blaise walked in levitating an unconscious Ron, she immediately rushed over.

"What happened, is he alright?" Of course, they all looked a bit beaten up, but the rest were all conscious. A sob escaped Hermione's mouth as she desperately tried to keep herself together. Madame Pomfrey's mood darkened considerably as realization dawned on her. "There's nothing I can do if he's already..."

"We know, but he needs to stay somewhere while word gets out. Can we just notify the staff, family, and close friends first. I don't think we need the whole school talking about it right now," Pansy said, a pleading look in her eyes. Madame Pomfrey nodded, and led him over to a hospital bed, which coincidentally happened to be the same one he'd occupied near the end of third year. Hermione tried not to think about it.

"Who in particular do you want notified?" This time it was Hermione who spoke up, in a small, broken voice.

"The Weasley family, all of the professors, Dean and Seamus, Luna, and Neville. I can send word to the Weasley's and friends if you wish, might be a bit easier. And could you just tell all the teachers to come here as soon as lunch ends?"

Madame Pomfrey nodded again, and hesitated, before asking, "How did this happen?"

"I'd rather say when everyone is present, so that I don't have to repeat myself." She then walked out to find Ginny and the others to bring them to the Hospital Wing.

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Harry and Draco walked in peace for a few moments, before Harry abruptly pulled his hand away. He started pacing, pressing the palms of his hands to his eyes, muttering meaningless words. "...so stupid...never work out...be dead by tomorrow...right after Ron...bloody selfish..."

Draco watched this go on for about a minute before he decided to do something about it. Grabbing the other boy shoulder and turning him so that they were facing one another, he leaned forward and kissed the boy. It only lasted a second or two, and it definitely wasn't perfect, but neither were they. Harry stood, in a slight daze, after Draco had pulled away, his mouth open slightly in shock. Draco started panicking, internally scolding himself for not even asking if it was alright. He didn't notice that Harry wasn't really upset. His cheeks growing pink, Harry pulled the boy into another kiss without thinking, this one longer.

It was different, nothing Harry had ever experienced before with Cho or Ginny. He didn't know if it was because it was a boy he was kissing, or because it was Draco he was kissing. The kiss was soft, sweet, everything Harry needed in that moment. He forgot about Ron, forgot about the world. In that moment, it was just Draco and him, nothing else. Of course, that was all ruined as soon as Harry pulled back, instantly feeling guilty again.

The whole world was against Harry Potter's happiness, it seemed, everything good always coming to an end. Harry knew he couldn't be with Draco, it would hurt to much when it was over, or Draco died. Because Harry knew it would happen, eventually, and it would hurt a million times worse than it would right now. He could just walk away, forget about him, move to America or something. But he couldn't, he just couldn't do that. As much as he wanted to, disappearing and starting a new life just wasn't an option.

Thoughts and emotions flooded Harry's mind until it became to much to bear, and he did the most sensible thing he could think of at the time. He ran away. All the way back to the castle, through the doors, and up to the eighth year dorms. He ran into his room, slamming the door as he collapsed on the ground, worn out from the running and, well, everything.

Suddenly there was a hand on his shoulder, startling Harry. He looked up to see Neville, the worry on his face only growing. Why wasn't he at lunch?

"Harry, have you been crying?" Harry stilled, willing the tears already welling up in his eyes back down.

"It's Ron," he choked out. Reluctantly, tears started to escape, falling on his hands as he stared at his blurry lap.

"What happened to him? Is he alright?"

"No Neville, he...he's dead," Harry managed to say, and he felt the hand on the shoulder tense.

"But I saw him just this morning, and he didn't seem ill or-"

"Theo used the killing curse on him. It was supposed to hit me." And this was when he finally broke, allowing the tears to fall, full on sobbing. Neville panicked, he'd never been good at comforting people. He ran out of the room and down the hall a ways, knowing Dean and Seamus had skipped lunch as well.

He burst into the room, and the two broke apart quickly, turning with annoyed looks to see who had interrupted their snogging session.

"Neville, we were a bit busy, if you don't mind," Seamus said, crossing his arms and staring at Dean's swollen lips.

"It's Harry, I need your help! Ron's dead, and I don't know what to do with Harry!" The two boys stared at him. It was then that they could hear the distant sobs, and they knew he wasn't kidding around.

Rushing out, the two ran into Harry and Neville's room, and sure enough, Harry was sitting on the ground, hugging his knees as he cried into his arms. Dean bent down, putting an arm around Harry's shoulder, and Harry shifted, crying into the boy's chest. Neville let a single tear slip, silently mourning the loss of his friend. Although he didn't cry, Seamus had lost the cheeriness in himself, suddenly feeling put out.

It was then that the door opened, and Draco walked straight to Harry, sitting down next to him. Taking him from Dean, Draco set Harry down in his lap, wrapping his arms around Harry's waist. Harry cried into the crook of the blond's neck, his throat burning. He couldn't stop though, as much as he tried. It was as if a dam had finally broke.

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