When Draco sees the unmistakable green eyes in the crowds of Diagon Alley one day, he feels his heart skip a beat. His throat is suddenly parched, and his palms are unusually damp. Harry stares at him for a moment, expression flickering between fear and sadness before turning away from him. He begins to disappear into the crowds around him, and all Draco can think is I can't lose him, not again.

It's hard to follow him, Harry is so much smaller and weaves between the surrounding wizards and witches easily, and Draco is doomed to follow shoving others aside in the chase. When one rather portly witch gives an affronted screech at being pushed aside, Harry glances back over his shoulder and sees him. Draco begins to force his way through the crowds with renewed vigour as Harry speeds up. For a moment when Harry dips into an alley between two shops, Draco fears he's lost him, but a flash of black hair shows itself through the crowd and he's off again.

"Harry!" He calls over the low rumble of the chattering crowds. "Harry!"

He isn't spared a glance, but he's gaining on the other man now. If he reached out his hand he could probably touch Harry, and his fingers twitch in yearning to do so. Just a few more steps, he thinks and then he has a fistful of Harry's robes and he gives a gentle tug to stop the other's movements.

Harry if forced to stop and wincing he turns. To Draco it's like a breath air after being under water for years. The other man is still as beautiful as he remembers, dark shock of ebony hair, endless green eyes, and skin tan from long days spent outside. Draco refrains from pulling Harry to him because he knows he'll never be forgiven if he just grabs the other like that.

"Draco," Harry says curtly. It's not much of a welcome but then again Draco hadn't been expecting one.

"Harry, please just listen!" He says letting the handful of Harry's robes drop, "I know I can't say I'm sorry. But I can be better. I promise I can, if you'd just give me another chance."

The other man doesn't say anything as he speaks just merely stares at some point over Draco's shoulder as if trying to maintain some control over his composure. Draco remembers the last time he had seen Harry, it had been so different. The memory flashes unbidden in his mind.

Harry was crying, and hacking for air stumbling away from Draco. He was covered in blood, and when Draco looked down at his own hands they were covered in blood too. There was so much blood.

"I didn't mean to." He whispers.

"I won't Draco." Harry's voice brings him back to the present, "I could but I won't. I-" He pauses taking a deep breath and scrunching his eyes closed, "I can't trust you anymore."

It feels like a punch in the stomach, and Draco wants to curl over from the pain of it. Harry's still not looking at him, and it's all going wrong.

"Please Harry," He gasps reaching forward to grab one of the other's hands, "please-"

"Malfoy! Get your hands off him!"

Draco knows the voice and doesn't even have to look to know its Weasley. He feels his fists clench and he quickly releases Harry's wrist when he hears a gasp of pain. Merlin not now, I'm so close! His thoughts are frantic, he needs Harry back. Needs it more then he needs air, he can let the Weasel ruin it. He feels a large body brush him aside, and suddenly the Weasel is standing protectively between him and Harry glaring down at Draco.

"This is none of your business." Draco growls, he refrains from insulting Weasley because he knows Harry hates it when he does.

"I think it is actually." The man growls, "Is he bothering you?" The question is directed at Harry and his voice is much softer now and Draco is surprised at the sudden change.

Harry seemed to have visibly relaxed and shot a shy smile towards his friend. "It's nothing I can't deal with Ron. You know me being a grown up as well and all."

"Yes now that we've established that, why don't you find somewhere else to be Weasley." Draco says wanting to intervene as quickly as possible before the Weasel turns Harry against him again.

Draco finds himself under the taller man's harsh stare again. "I don't damn well think so." Draco can see his fists are clenched at his side ready for a fight. Idiot, Draco thinks, you're a wizard not some muggle thug. But he knows all too well that the Weasel prefers physical violence over magical confrontations.

Someone grabs Draco as he walks through the ministry yanking him into an empty office near his own. There are two hands fisted in the front of his robes and he quickly finds himself lifted from the floor back scraping against the wall.

Weasley is standing in front of him; face red as his hair as he shakes with anger. Draco quickly finds himself choking for air and claws at Weasley's fists.

"End it with Harry!" The man hisses picking Draco up and then slamming him back against the wall again.

"Why should I?" He manages to gasp.

The man drops him and then a fist is colliding with his stomach and he's sent to his knees with the force.

"I've seen the bruises on him. The cuts. I know he's lying about where they come from, I'm not stupid Malfoy." He aims a kick at Draco's ribs. "You beat him don't you? When he doesn't do what you want! Act the way you want! Think the way you want!"

Draco feels a lurch of nausea and it's not from the injuries bestowed by Weasley. "I've never hurt Harry."

They both know it's a lie.

Weasley gives one final kick. "End it, or I'll end you."

"Ron," Harry had reached up to put a calming hand on the red head's shoulder, "I'm fine."

Weasley glances between Harry and Draco before nodding slowly. "Fine," he says before gesturing towards the opposite side of the street, "but I'll be right over there if you need me."

Harry nods, and watches as the man stomps back across the street to where Draco realizes Granger and the She-Weasel are standing. Draco grits his teeth and ignores how they are all watching him and Harry likes hawks.

"Harry, you know I never meant it." He whispers taking a step closer to the other man. "I loved you, I still love you."

Harry, his Harry, let out a long sigh and finally met Draco's eye. "I know Draco, but that doesn't change what you did."

"But Harry-"

"No," Harry's voice wavers a bit on the word but he holds himself steady, "it's over Draco."

Draco wants to move as Harry leaves, as he pushes past him and back to his friends waiting for him across the street. He wants to hold Harry and kiss him like he used to. He wants to have his Harry again. He wants, he wants, he wants, but he can't have.