The Break Up Done a Hundred Other Times but Never this Way.

Love me when I least deserve it, because that's when I really need it.
- Swedish Proverb.

 

Come, you’re just in time. They’ve been yelling at each other for hours and it’s a surprise the hallway’s still empty. I bet we’re not the only ones pressing ourselves flat against these walls, straining to hear even though there’s no real need for the ‘strain’ if you think about it. They’re loud enough as is, and getting louder.

“What are you trying to say?!”

“This isn’t worth it!”

"Unlike YOU, I'm trying to work things out. Keyword is TRY or do you want a trip to the library so you look the word up?"

"See. There you are again! Stop trying to be nice to me when you obviously don't want to. Do you know what it feels like to have someone lie to your face?"

“Look who’s talking! You lied to me so many times, I can’t believe we lasted this long!”

“Exactly. Are you deaf? Let’s end this. It’s not worth…”

“And you’re not listening to me either.”

"Listen, damn it."

"So now we're back to swearing."

“I don’t deserve you.”

“Fine. Be that way.”

Silence.

Strange.

Either they left or they’re snogging. Which one is which and how much are you willing to bet?

Hmm?

Nothing?

What’s that you say?

Of course everyone saw this coming. It’s almost an established historical fact that Malfoys and Weasleys don’t stay in the same room without having a fit.

Looking around the corner confirms it. There’s just Malfoy standing there, so it’s Weasley this time who walked off. You think it’s serious? Sounds like it. Well, let’s get going. The hallway’s clear and time’s back to normal. No accidental hexes will fly our way like last time. Heh.

You know how things are when two people realize they want to quit. They have all these excuses ranging from the most reasonable to the mundane, bordering on insane and sometimes, for no apparent reason at all.

But of all these excuses, what probably hurts most is when someone says, “I don’t deserve you.”

It’s when the table turns and suddenly, you’re the guilty party when you’re the one being dumped.

===

And somewhere sometime by the end of the day, when the whole school had heard of the recent bout between prefects and considered it old news, Draco Malfoy was once again facing his ex.

Ronald Weasley had his arms crossed over his chest, fingers gripping the sleeves of his robes as if using it as his self-restraint jacket. He was leaning against a wall, just beside the entrance to the Slytherin dungeons. His housemates had probably taken notice of it but thought it better to ignore the fuming Gryffindor because this prefect was likely to take house points when pushed in his current state.

“Leave me alone.”

He didn’t listen.

Of course, what else could Draco expect from the other boy, so he sighed tiredly; a sigh that was echoed across from him. Shoulders sagging, Ron took one step forward and dropped his forehead on Draco’s, forcing their eyes to meet. He kept his arms crossed, however.

They stayed like that for awhile and when Draco finally closed his eyes, it was only then that the arms he was deprived of came around him in an embrace.

Fifteen times they broke up in the two months that they were together. Even though people knew, and even though half pretended to be blind, the other half disgusted and the rare few accepted, what he and Ron had was not built on stone. Uncertainty was the only thing that was certain. And between the two of them, it was always Ron who took the leap.

Every time that happened, Draco felt the pang of guilt.

His fingers twitched and clutched on the black robes Ron was wearing. One day, he would brave that uncertainty. For now, he held on tightly and melted in the embrace.

It was all the reassurance he needed.

...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................

~ fin