The moonlight reflected across the Great Lake, the breeze glistening across the surface, as a couple sat silently on the edge, their bare feet dangling in the water. She had once said, "You will never love me the way I love you, no matter how you try. You aren't capable, it's not possible."
He wished her words were true. Love was a complicated emotion, so human, so imprisoning. When had his simple manipulation turned into this...this mess? When had he stopped feeling apathetic towards her tears, and started abhorring their existence? He coud not, for the life of him, remember when he had started loving her. It had just happened, the hate he felt for everyone refused to apply to her.
He hated her for it.
She didn't believe he loved her. She knew she loved him, and it destroyed her. School had been her priority, the reason for her pathetic existence, and then somehow, he had wormed his way so deep inside her soul that no demon in Hell or on Earth could sever it, not even him.
She knew something had been broken inside him, some darkness that could destroy him, and any person who got close to him. Something that could destroy her. But she couldn't stay away.
She hated herself for what she had to do.
"What's wrong?" He asked, his voice monotone, yet his dark eyes trained on her. They were filled with an almost inhuman intensity. She was forced to turn away. She couldn't look at his hands, look at his face, and know what he had done. His hands, had murdered so many people, and for what?
She knew he'd never hurt her, the idea seemed to nauseate him. But was that enough? She knew the answer, but refused to acknowledge it. She wanted tonight, one more perfect night, before losing him forever. She turned to him, and smiled, whispering, "I love you, Tom."
For a moment, his eyes sparked with emotion, and his hand found hers in the soft darkness. "I don't know what love is. But sometimes, with you, I can taste it. I can picture our life, and it will be glorious. I want the world to be a perfect place, for you. Everything I do, is for you."
He gracefully removed his wand from his pocket, and in the same moment conjured a single red rose, and held it our for her. "Maybe I do love you."
He touched her face lightly, observing her. She was no traditional beauty, but she was definitely not plain. He stroked a thumb across her high, elegant cheekbones, and watched her steel eyes flutter shut. He took another moment to admire her features, her delicate mouth, her pointy nose, her thin, proud neck, before leaning in and capturing her mouth in his.
It felt so unusual, yet so sensual, to kiss her. It was something he was not used to. It sparked emotions that were so foreign, so overwhelming.
She both loved and hated the kiss. It was a symbol of all she had, and a reminder of all she had to lose. It was both a tragic farewell, and a heartwarming invitation. It was a punch in the stomach, showing her the future that they could never have.
The kiss went on, deeper, and she felt as if her heart would explode if she stopped. But she knew she must, she couldn't let this continue. She couldn't let him touch her again, not knowing what he had done with those hands.
She reluctantly pulled back, and their eyes met. "Don't do this, Min." He murmured, a rare spark of emotion glowing in his dark eyes. "Please."
She felt a sob building up in her throat, and embraced her Gryffindor courage. "Tom.. I love you too much.. This hurts.." She inhaled deeply, and whispered, "But I can't do this. I can't stand being alone at night while you go, and do those things.. I can't."
Tom's expression darkened, and he sighed sharply. "I will never love another soul, for all my life. You are the one person who will ever mean anything to me. If you do this you will destroy me. I will be ten times the heartless bastard I am now."
She closed her eyes, trying to block out the tears. "Tom, you are destroying me already! I know what you are doing, and I don't like it! I hate it! I hate you. Oh, I hate you. I love you so much, and I hate you for it. I hate that this is happening, I hate myself for every word I am saying, I hate everything in this bloody world and oh, I hate you. I just love you more."
He pulled her close once more, her tears wetting his shirt. He could feel his own tears stirring, dripping ever so slowly down his own cheeks. "How did we get here?" He muttered, placing a kiss on her head.
She reached for his hand, and clutched it as if her life depended on it. "Were we just deceiving ourselves, thinking this would work? Is this just puppy love, as so many people have told us? Will I ever feel anything near what I feel for you, to anyone else, ever?"
His voice was firm, almost harsh, as he replied, "This is not mere puppy love. This is not lust, or desire. This is real. Sometimes the fates aren't on our side, and we can continue to fight them or we can give in. No one else could ever come close to what we have. This isn't just love, Minerva. This is destiny. You can't fight it." He pulled her in for another kiss, but this kiss was different, this was harsh, demanding. This was the kiss of a desperate man, begging her to stay with him.
It tore her into pieces to pull away, and she closed her eyes, relishing the taste of him. She knew it was the last time.
"Tom.. You are going down a road I can't. Ever since our last year at Hogwarts, you've walked further and further away from me. And I love you too much to watch this happen. I can't do it."
The sadness that clouded his eyes nearly made her change her mind, but she stood. She gave him one last, longing look, and walked away.
He watched her depart, wanting so badly to follow. He knew it'd be so easy to change, to be good, to be good enough for her, and as much as he wanted to, the idea repulsed him.
He had to be the way he was. It was him.
For one moment, he felt anger, and rage, and he wanted to shoot a curse at her retreating form. But he knew, as bad as he was, he could never hurt her.
Oh, but how he wished he could. He didn't have a heart, so what was breaking inside him right now? His soul? Did he even have one of those?
He closed his eyes again, and whispered to himself, "How did we get here?"