Christine ran her hands through Erik's soft, long hair, her mouth glued to his. She pulled away, immediately regretting her decision once she did it.
Erik's face wore an expression of tortured agony, but he turned away without saying anything, but with his back to Christine and Raoul he yelled, "Go! Leave me. Just go."
Christine ran to take Raoul's hand, and the splashed through the water to the boat, but as she took one last look at Erik, she caught sight of his face. She just couldn't leave a deep pain like that alone.
"Erik!" She rushed back towards him, and enveloped him in another kiss, loving the feel of his strong, unsure arms around her.
"Christine!" She turned and saw Raoul letting out a strangled yell.
Tears poured down her face as she stood between the two men, "I'm sorry, Raoul, but he needs me more." She turned to face Erik, "I love him more."
"Christine, how could you do this to me?" Raoul was horrified.
Christine rounded on him in anger, "You were so prepared to do the same to him! Leave and save yourself, but I must stay with him."
Raoul shook his head and let out a noise of disgust. He sloshed through the water to the boat, and without looking back, rowed away from the sounds of the angry mob.
Erik gazed into Christine's brown eyes, "You don't deserve me. Go with him! They'll kill you if they see you with me."
Christine sighed and brushed his hair out of his eyes, "You don't get it, Erik. I'm happy as long as I can die alongside you. I love you."
"I don't deserve you." He whispered, looking terrified, "I'm a murderer! A killer! Why do you love me, of all people."
"Because you showed me," whispered Christine back, her face an inch from his, "the music of the night. It was magical, and I want to be with you and not out there with the rest of the who are so ready to kill you because you are something different. Something unknown. They only fear you because you are a threat, lurking in the shadows, someone they do not fully understand."
"They fear me because I'm a killer." Said Erik firmly, his arms tightening around Christine, "No other reason. How can you justify me tearing apart people's lives as if they were nothing?"
Christine kissed his forehead, and brought his head to lay on her bosom as if he were a child, "There is no complete justification, but there are reasons. The world has showed you no compassion, no love. These people were bad. You did it for the sake of me, for love, for music. You killed because you were misguided. It was terrible thing to do, and these reasons don't make it right, but they make it better."
Erik stared up at her, "I love you. I will die beside you."
Christine wove her fingers into his hair, "And I, beside you, my beloved ghost, my phantom of the opera."
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a/n: short oneshot, but I hope you liked it...look out for my other fanfics in Harry Potter, under the titles Because of Course, and Lost and Found. Please please please R&R!