Emerald eyes flickered open as the weight on the bed shifted. He could tell she was leaving. It had been a year since the beginning of their arrangement. They made a promise to each other before their first time, promising that there would be no feelings and no strings attached. Purely physical.

He sat up slowly and watched as the beautiful Slytherin dressed herself, memorizing the curves of her body. She used a spell to straighten out her clothes, followed by her honey colored hair. She spent several minutes in silence making sure her appearance was perfect before slowly walking to the door.

"Hogsmead is on Saturday." She paused, barely turning to glance at the raven haired young man lying on the bed. His face was blank, a mask made perfect by countless hours of Occlumency. She saw just a brief flash of emotion in his eyes before they hardened.

"And?" She questioned as the turned, crossing her arms. Her cold blue eyes watched as he rose from the bed and began grabbing his clothes. He had trained through the summer to prepare himself for the eventual showdown with the Dark Lord, and it showed on his body. He had put on some muscle and was no longer the scrawny boy he used to be. His eyes met hers as he finished with his pants.

There were several seconds of silence. "Go with me?"

They stared at each other for what seemed like minutes, neither one of them showing any emotion. "You know our agreement." She stated plainly before turning around. He watched her open the door and vanish down the hall. The Room of Requirement was silent as he finished dressing but he did not leave. Instead, the bed they had spent the night on had vanished, being replaced by a soft leather recliner. As he sat down the room changed to a small sitting room with a large roaring fire.

Pulling a flask from his pants, he took a drag of the Firewhiskey and wondered how he ended up here. Fifth year was when it started. Professor Flitwick had assigned Harry and Daphne together to write a two foot essay, as well as being able to perform a demonstration of the Concealment Charm. At first they were cold towards each other, hardly talking even to discuss their assignment.

He still didn't know how it happened. They had taken over an empty classroom to practice the charm and when he saw she was having difficulties and offered to help but her refusal for assistance had escalated to a full on shouting match between the two. At first they were yelling at each other, almost nose to nose. Neither of them knew who initiated the kiss, but they were soon snogging passionately.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. 'Thank god for Occlumency.' He thought to himself. That was the only thing keeping him from breaking his mask, showing just how disappointed and hurt he was at her refusal. Several months ago he had realized his feelings for the Slytherin girl and, despite knowing their arrangement, he continued to meet with her.

He knew she was poison, spreading through his veins, killing him slowly.

1001001001001

Albus Dumbledore's funeral had been a somber event. Many people attended the event; so many that it took over an hour just for people to reach his tomb to pay their respects. Harry had long since returned inside Hogwarts as he grabbed everything he would need. He had already made the decision to leave, and both Ron and Hermione had taken it upon themselves to join him. Strolling through the halls of the school, he was going through a mental checklist of everything he would need when he was suddenly pulled into an empty classroom.

His wand was out and a curse halfway out of his mouth when he saw who grabbed him: Daphne Greengrass.

"Greengrass." He said with a nod as he put his wand away.

"Potter." Was all she said as she pulled him close, her lips meeting his. She opened her mouth to allow his tongue entrance but he pulled away from her, ending the kiss.

"No more." He said as he shook his head. Had he been looking at her, he would have seen a flash of shock and hurt on her face before the mask was back on. "I can't do this Daphne."

"Why?" She questioned. He winced internally at the cold in her voice.

He rubbed a hand on his face, ignoring the stubble that was growing. "I'm leaving Hogwarts. The Headmaster has one final job for me."

She raised an eyebrow. "I see."

They stood in silence for several minutes, listening to the countless students passing through the halls.

"Where are you going?" She asked, breaking the quiet.

He shrugged. "No idea."

"Why can't you finish the job here at Hogwarts?"

"I probably could."

"…but?"

He sighed and rubbed his face again. "But I don't want to be around you." Upon hearing that, Daphne's mask broke. Her jaw dropped slightly and eyes went wide.

"E-excuse me?" She asked slowly, thinking she didn't hear him correctly.

"I don't want to be around you, Daphne." He said again, this time looking her directly in the eyes. "I don't know when it started, but I began falling for you."

"But our-"

"Arrangement? Yes, I know." He turned and stood next to the door. "I remember it perfectly, Daph. Just sex, right? That's what we agreed." He leaned against the wall and looked up to the ceiling. "I tried. I tried to reject what I was feeling. I tried seeing other girls, but somehow my thoughts always came back to you."

She was stunned. Just after the Christmas holidays she remembered how he was with several girls, but none of them lasted more than two weeks with him. She had heard several rumors as to what happened, but now she knew more of the truth.

"You're all I think about." He continued, still staring at the ceiling. "Deep down I knew this would never work, but I gave myself the benefit of the doubt." He laughed, but she could tell there was no humor in it. "So, this is it. I'm ending this," He gestured between the two of them. "Whatever this is."

He moved to the door and opened it, but paused. "I love you, Daphne." He heard a sharp intake of breath. "I just wanted you to know before I leave." With that he disappeared out the door, leaving a shocked Slytherin with watery eyes.

1001001001001

"Harry Potter is dead!" The self-proclaimed Dark Lord Voldemort exclaimed as Hagrid, who was in shackles, laid the motionless body of the Boy-Who-Lived on the cold ground.

In the crowd of students, teachers, and Aurors, Daphne stood at the front line but upon seeing the body of her ex-lover, she collapsed to her knees. Ever since the conversation they had after Dumbledore's funeral, and the revelation that Harry was in love with her, she had realized the same thing. She didn't know when, but she fell in love with Harry Potter, and now she would never get a chance to tell him. She didn't hear what the Dark Lord was gloating about, or the responses from Neville Longbottom who had stepped out to the middle of the courtyard. All she could focus on was the body of the man she loved.

She stared at his body for what seemed like an eternity before her best friend, Tracy Davis, touched her shoulder.

"Daphne, we need to go. Potter is dead and the Dark Lord is going to kill whoever opposes him." She whispered quickly as she tried to help her friend up. Daphne wouldn't budge.

Suddenly she heard many people cry out in shock and looked to see Harry standing up, pointing his wand at Voldemort. There were little words spoken before spells started flying. Daphne and several others had to throw up shield charms to protect other students from stray spells. She watched as Harry and Voldemort's spells connected, forming a golden sphere around them. She watched as he shouted at the Dark Lord before drawing a second wand. Then in a flash of green light, it was over.

The battle was over.

Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, the Vanquisher of the Dark Lord, had finally won. Voldemort was dead. He stood in the middle of the courtyard, next to the body of the now former Dark Lord, staring at the remaining Death Eaters as if he was daring them to attack.

"Your Lord is dead." His voice carried through the crowds as he turned to the Dark Lords followers. "Put down your wands."

The Aurors in the crowd moved over to the Death Eaters and began rounding them up. None of them were stupid enough to attack now that their Lord was gone.

Meanwhile, Harry remained in the center of the courtyard. 'It's finally over.' He thought to himself as he looked up to the sky. There were no clouds and the sun was just beginning to rise above the mountains.

"Harry?" He closed his eyes as he heard the familiar voice. One that had haunted his dreams for the last year. He turned to see Daphne, honey colored hair pulled back in a messy ponytail, uniform ripped and torn, and covered in dirt. Yet she was still perfection to him. Immediately his mask slammed into place.

"Greengrass." He greeted her with a nod. "I'm glad to see you're alright."

She smiled softly but remained silent. They stood there for several minutes, watching each other, not knowing what to say.

He ran a hand through his messy hair. "I'd better help with the cleanup." Before she could respond, he turned and walked away. Her heart clenched, knowing the reason for how he was acting was her fault. She felt tears form before they began streaking down her cheeks. She knew she had to tell him how she felt.

"I love you." It was said just loud enough for him to hear. He stopped in mid step, slowly turning to face her. His mask was still in place but she saw something in his eyes. Hope.

"What did you say?" He said quietly.

She walked to him slowly, taking his hand in hers as she reached him. She took a deep breath. "I love you, Harry. I realized it after the last time we spoke." She looked down, tears still falling down her face. "When I saw your body, it felt like part of me died. I thought I was never going to get a chance to tell-"

He cut her off, pulling her in close and pressing his lips to hers. She whimpered quietly and wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss as he put his arms around her waist. When they finally separated he wiped the tears off her cheeks. His mask broke as he smiled at the woman he loved.

"Stay with me?"

"Always."

End