By the time that Mark woke up, he was completely furious. How could that stupid boy hit him? How did he dare? Mark was starting to feel the rage that he didn't feel when the other boy was in his face. For 's sake, he even had to go to the infirmary!

"I'm going to kill that bastard." Mark growled, and sat up on the bed, only to have a hand crushing him down to the bed by his shoulder.

"Hey there. Where do you think you are going?"

"What the...? I'm going to kill that bastard!" Mark replied hotly, without even knowing who the answer of the voice was.

"You are not going anywhere, Mark."

It was then that Mark looked to the person beside him, just to find Jackson staring at him with a serious expression on his handsome face. The elder deinflated right away.

"Jackson..."

"I think we need to talk."

Mark swallowed hard and rested his head on the pillow. This was it. The end of their relationship. Jackson surely was going to break up with him, and even if he wasn't, Mark realized with a flinch that he was going to have to do it. It wasn't fair that the entirety of Jackson's house was against the younger because of him. Mark knew how much Jackson loved his house, and he was normally selfish, but he couldn't bring himself to be selfish with Jackson. Maybe that was what real love was about. Selflessness. So he was going to let him go.

"Yeah, we do."

Jackson looked at him and smiled sadly. He took his hand between his and intertwined their fingers.

"I know it wasn't your fault, and that you only tried to defend yourself. JB and Jinyoung told the professor and Smith is going to be punished. I'm even going to make sure he leaves the team."

Mark frowned slightly and shook his head no.

"What? No! You can't do that, the whole house is going to hate you for it!"

"I don't care, Mark. He can't... I can't let him do this and then don't penalize him."

Mark sighed, his eyes full of unshed tears, and he tightened his hold on Jackson's hand.

"They'll think I'm only with you because of the protection that you provide me with."

Jackson glanced at him brokenly and caressed his cheek lovingly.

"Babe, I don't care what they say. You are in the infirmary because of that bastard. That's abuse, and I'm not anywhere near to letting bullying go by without a sanction. I'm not having a bully in my Quidditch team, Mark, I hope you understand."

"Gaga, think properly. You are going to lose one of your best players because of me."

"I don't give a , okay!? He's not worthy! But you are! And I will protect you, always."

Mark closed his eyes.

"Jackson-ah... You aren't going to solve this situation with that... He's going to keep tormenting us... So..." Mark swallowed, openned his eyes and stared at their intertwined hands. "I think... it would be better if we break up..."

"W-Wait, what...? And give them what they want? Mark, no! Are you out of your mind?" Jackson said desperately holding Mark's hand within his own as if the elder was going to leave him, and in a way he was. "Mark. G-Gege. Please, think about it. I know we are going through a lot of right now, but... but it's okay, baby! We are together, and when we are together we are strong, right?" Jackson's eyes were filling up with tears, and Mark was feeling the bile go up his throat, the guilt eating at him. He couldn't see Jackson like that, less if it was because of him.

"I'm sorry, Jackson... I really am, it's breaking my heart seeing you like this, but... I can't keep going... It's too much for me, I don't know how to handle it,,,"

"Isn't our love good enough for you to keep going?" Jackson asked in a weak whisper, looking as shattered as Mark was a feeling on the inside. Mark felt like an absolute son of a .

"I'm really sorry, Jackson... but we knew that this wouldn't work anyway... a Slytherin and a Gryffindor... it just doesn't fit..."

"We knew? Did you, now? Because I sure as hell didn't! I'm ready to face all the they throw at us! Why aren't you? Why are you such a ing coward!" Jackson shouted, his temper coming to the surface. He got up from the chair very agitated, his tears shinning in his eyes and making him look like a much younger version of himself. But after realising the words t