AN: Last Chapter...last chance to tell me what you think :)

My Secret Life As A Superhero

Chapter 6

Of Falling Leaves And Feeding Mosquitoes

It's been three gruelling days.

Every morning at breakfast I am forced to look at them being all happy and lovey-dovey together. It's sickening. And heart breaking. Every kiss they share pulls a strip of flesh from my once happy heart. I feel like a broken man. All numb.

But I try to ignore it. Try to be happy for them. Because, no matter what, Draco will always be my best mate. "Hey, uh, Drake. Sorry, could -" I try to pull his head away from her and towards me. He swats me away, like a pesky house fly. "Drake, could you, um, pass the bread please. Yeah, just -" I try, quite desperately, to get his attention. But those two are now in deep conversation. At least that's better than kissing. "Drake, the bread!" I jab my wand into his leg. That used to always get his attention, but I guess he's focusing on something much more interesting now. Her. Ginny. I know how he can love her, she's just so perfect, but I didn't know he could truly love. He has nothing in his heart but blood. Or that's what I thought. Apparently I didn't know him as well as I'd thought.

There is nothing more annoying than two people talking when you're busy interrupting.

Oh well. I didn't really want that delicious smelling, steaming slice of bread anyway.

I get up from the bench and walk out into the grounds. At least we don't have classes today. The air bites my face, but it's strangely pleasant. Fresh.

I stroll to the big oak overlooking the lake, the frosted grass and fallen leaves crunching under my step.

My back slides down the rough, but familiar bark, as I lower myself to the ground. The wind rustles the fiery leaves above me, causing a few to float towards my outstretched hands. I catch one and examine it carefully: the thin veins standing out against the spectrum of reds and yellows, the leaf as thin as the wing of a butterfly.

Autumn is the season of dusk and twilight, just as the throes of love exist in that half-awake, half-dreaming state of magic when the rest of the world gets it's volume turned down. And when at last love smoulders down and dies, its passage ushers in a season of wintry cold and gloom. And yet given the power to avoid winter and dwell forever in summer, life would be deprived of some of its beauty and joy; therefore we choose to open our hearts to love, even knowing that it might hurt.

Autumn is my favourite season. Full of harsh emotions under the cover of beauty. It seems familiar.

A mosquito lands on my arm. It's actually too cold for them, but this one's probably come from the Forbidden Forest, and nothing's quite normal in there. This poor insect has strayed from it's comfort zone; from it's home. And now, it will die in a strange, cold world; all alone with it's friends throwing a party in the forest. And he will die. I pity the mosquito, I guess I recognise something of myself in his position. So, as he wobbles along on my arm, all I say is: "Can I offer you a drink?"

I know that after this cold feeling in the pit of my stomach, someone will warm my heart again. Like my blood warmed the lonesome mosquito. After every winter, no matter how harsh and long, there eventually will come a summer. And until then, and beyond, I will keep the sacrifice of my love that I made for my best friend, locked away. And nobody will be the wiser.

Because, that's what superheroes do. They make sacrifices that nobody will ever know of. But that's fine my me.

I hope you can learn from my choices, for the moral of the story is: If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you even tried.