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Description
Title: Forbidden
Warnings: Adult Language, Sexual Content
Disclaimer: I own nothing and am owned by no one.
Author's Notes: Thanks to everyone who reads my stories!

Warning: This is a Harry/Draco fanfiction. Meaning boy/boy. If you don't like, don't read. That is all.

The excitement that wafted through the Great Hall of Hogwarts was intoxicating. After what seemed like the longest summer ever, Harry Potter found himself back at the school for his seventh and final year. He loved the feeling he always got when he returned to Hogwarts after the break. It was like coming home. He felt a pang in his stomach when he realized this would be the last time. The journey there had been blessedly Malfoy free. And that, strangely enough, worried Harry. Draco Malfoy, the ever present annoyance in Harry's life also seemed to be missing from the Great Hall. In fact, Harry was willing to bet that Draco was not at Hogwarts at all. Again, this concerned Harry more than he was willing to admit.

Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, stood up.  He beamed around the Great Hall, reminding Harry of wise old owl.

"To our new first years I'd like to say welcome to Hogwarts, your home for the next seven years," he said. "To our returning students, welcome back. I have just a few quick announcements before we partake in an excellent feast. Some of our returning students might have noticed that we are one short from our Hogwarts family. Draco Malfoy will not be returning to school immediately due to some family issues. I would like to ask that everyone refrain from questioning Mr. Malfoy about his absence when he does arrive. I know we all wish him a speedy return."

Harry choked on nothing at this and began coughing loudly. Many of the Gryffindor students laughed at Harry's reaction, believing it to be intentional and not by accident. Ginny handed Harry a glass of water, smirking.

Dumbledore carried on as if nothing had happened.

"I would like to now take this time to remind our students that the Forbidden Forest is off limits. Now more than ever," he added quietly. Dumbledore fell silent, lost in his own thoughts. There was a murmur throughout the Great Hall as each student turned to their neighbor and began whispering. Harry was too dazed to say anything and simply stared down at his folded hands in his lap. Behind Dumbledore, Professor Snape cleared his throat. "Yes," Dumbledore continued. "I have nothing more to add so tuck in."

With that, food appeared on the table and everyone enthusiastically began loading their plates. Everyone, that is, except Harry.

"You all right, mate?" Ron asked around a mouthful of baked chicken.

"Ron, please don't talk with your mouth full," Hermione said. "You're making me ill."

"It's no use, Hermione," Ginny told her. "Ron's manners haven't changed in seventeen years."

"Oh shut up," Ron said. "Really, Harry, what's wrong?"

"Oh nothing," Harry said, shaking himself out of his head and helping himself to some mashed potatoes. He took a huge bite of his food, swallowing hard. "It's weird about Malfoy, no?" he asked casually.

"I wonder what's wrong with him," Hermione added.

"What's wrong with him?" Ron asked in disbelief. "What's right with him would be a shorter list. I'm only sorry he's returning. I wish he wasn't coming back at all. We'd be much better off."

The silence that followed this remark confirmed that everyone else felt the same way. Harry stabbed moodily at his chicken. He didn't know why Draco Malfoy being gone affected him so much. In truth he ought to be happy that Draco was away. But for some reason he wasn't happy. He wasn't about to admit this to anyone else, though, especially his friends.

"Well, we should just enjoy the time we have without him," Hermione said.

"It's going to be quite uneventful," said Ginny.

The others laughed and the topic of conversation moved away from Draco Malfoy. Harry's mind, however, was still full of thoughts about the missing boy. Harry took a drink of his pumpkin juice. It was sweeter than he remembered it to be. He took another small sip. He wasn't enjoying the drink like he used to. One more small mouthful confirmed that the pumpkin juice was making him feel ill and he pushed the glass away. A tiny feeling of uneasiness bubbled in his stomach that he couldn't explain. Around him the talk turned to the upcoming Quidditch season. Harry barely heard two words in ten because his mind was so full. He nonchalantly glanced over his shoulder to steal a glimpse at the Slytherin table. The students there looked as unpleasant as ever but didn't seem to be missing their absent prince.

Tearing his eyes away from the Slytherin table, Harry looked up at the head table in the front of the Hall. Hagrid was deep in conversation with Professor McGonagall. He was talking enthusiastically, waving his hands in the air. McGonagall's mouth was a thin line of disapproval. Whatever Hagrid was saying seemed not to be to her liking. Dumbledore and Snape were also talking. And from the look on Dumbledore's face the topic was a serious one. Harry vaguely wondered what they were talking about and speculated that it might have to do with Draco Malfoy. Snape's eyes suddenly snapped to Harry who quickly averted his gaze. Harry found himself hoping now that whatever they were talking about was about Draco and didn't involve him.

Harry forced himself to eat more than he would have wanted. He didn't want his friends to catch on that something was bothering him. They worried about him too much already. Harry felt like such a burden most of the time. He knew they only bothered out of love for him, but sometimes Harry wondered why they did. He'd defeated Voldemort last fall. It was strange how that seemed like forever ago. Almost like another lifetime. He had done what was required of him. He had fulfilled his "destiny". It was all over and done with. He could just be a normal person. .. Though he couldn't help the feelings of emptiness he had inside of him. He somewhat felt like his life had lost its purpose. That he was somehow incomplete and part of him was missing. It was almost as if part of him had died along with Voldemort. That being said, with the evils of the wizarding world having been vanquished, what more trouble could he possibly get into? Little did Harry know that his trouble was about to find him once again.

                                          ~~~

The rest of dinner passed without incident and Harry found himself back the dorm room he shared with Ron, Neville, Dean, and Seamus. The familiar room sent some ease to Harry's overwhelmed mind. It felt just like old times being together with the other boys. But he was suddenly saddened when he remembered this was their last year at school. When he'd first started at Hogwarts it had felt like seven years would last forever. But they hadn't. And Harry found himself at a loss of what he should do. He wasn't sure he would be able to adjust not being at Hogwarts. Harry shook his head, trying to clear his mind of these unuseful thoughts. He did have a whole year left. He would just have to make the most of it.

The others, of course, had fallen asleep quickly leaving Harry, once again, alone with his thoughts. He rubbed his eyes, sitting up in his bed and reaching for his glasses on the night stand. He slid out of bed and went to the window to see if Hedwig was outside of it wanting to come in. She wasn't in sight. Harry sighed, and touched the window. The glass felt pleasantly cool under his hand. He placed his other hand on the window and gently rested his forehead between his hands. He was glad his roommates were not awake at the moment. They would have thought he was mental. Harry, however, was quite content to revel in the coldness of the window pane as he stared out across the grounds of Hogwarts. The darkness looked calm and peaceful. Even the Forbidden Forest appeared to be tranquil as if there was nothing stirring in its depths.

There was a sudden glow over one area in the Forbidden Forest. Harry jerked up. His hands, which were still on the window, began to sweat. He squinted his eyes, trying to see where the light was coming from. The light was soft and white. It looked so pure and innocent and Harry had a strong desire to go towards it. As Harry watched, the light got brighter and covered more space, then dulled and went out entirely before dimly starting up again. This pattern continued several times before Harry left the window and went over to Ron, shaking him gently.

Ron rolled over and tried to shoo Harry away. Harry was so desperate to have someone else see that he climbed right into Ron's bed and shook him wildly.

"Ron," Harry whispered. "Ron wake up. There's something strange happening in the forest."

Ron groaned and turned over to face Harry. He didn't seem concerned that Harry was kneeling in the middle of his bed. "'Er dreaming, 'arry. Go back. . . sleep," he mumbled.

"I'm telling you, Ron," Harry hissed, "there's something weird going on."

Ron didn't reply and the sound of him snoring moments later confirmed that he had fallen back asleep. Harry sighed and went back to the window. The light was gone. Harry felt disappointment well up inside of him. He tried to push the feeling away as he climbed back into his own bed. Harry pulled the covers up and over his head, engulfing himself in complete blackness. It was a long time after that, however, that Harry finally fell asleep. His mind still full of incomplete thoughts and unfulfilled hopes.