She was standing there glaring at him, her ice gray eyes showing no emotion. She was standing tall, back ramrod straight, her full five feet ten inches showing. Her long raven black hair fell around her in a waterfall, covering the dark gold skin of her face. Under her right eye was a long, thin triangle pointing down, surrounded by two smaller ones on either side directly below the eye. Her black leather pants covered black boots, her slinky black, tall necked, sleeveless shirt was covered by her long black leather duster. Her aura was a burning red, even to the naked eye, and suddenly, she leveled a gun in his face, her face still carefully blank. Was this her? Was she the assasin, that couldn't be right. It didn't make any sense at all.
*
"They're after you, you know that don't you?"
"Aye."
"Than what the hell are you thinking? Are you so dense that you can't figure that senaking off with get you killed?!"
"You're going to burst a vein Ron."
"I don't give a bloody damn!! I can't believe you! Assasins don't care what side they're on, as long as they get paid they don't care!"
"I don't see what the big deal is."
"Argh!!! You are so damned stupid! Assasins aren't like normal wizards Harry, they're people who can do magic without wands, they're the remnants of what we once called War Mages!!!"
"Ron..."
"Shut-up, just shut up. Go get yourself killed if you want to, hell, take Draco with you for all I care. Whoever the assasin is, they won't rest until your dead, not even Dumbledore can save you now."
*
He should have listened to Ron, he really should have, if he had, he wouldn't be here right now. He wouldn't be standing in the center of the Dark Forest with a gun pointed at his head with nowhere to go or run. He couldn't even protect himself, not against Muggle weaponry. It was obvious that she knew that. She was the assasin after all, she'd probably been killing people for money long before he'd been born. He didn't even know what a War Mage was, but if Ron had been so terrified at the thought of one, how dangerous was this assasin.
She leveled the gun at his forhead and spoke, voice made of ice, it had probably been clear and bell-like long ago, when life meant something to her, but now, now it was so cold it reminded Harry of ice. "Any last words?"
Harry opened his mouth to speak, but was startled slightly when a new voice spoke. "Who sent you?"
His eyes bulged at the sound of Oliver Wood's voice, had he appeared in the middle of a confrontation between the assasin and Oliver? Could the woman even see him. He'd have to ask Ron, he'd probably know, but, if the assasin was after Oliver, then why the hell was he out here in the dead quite of sunset.
Her face remained emotionless. "You know who sent me."
Oliver nodded slightly, barely inclining his head. "Yes, I think I do."
Then, as if by magic a shot rang out and Harry yelled as the bullet flew across the clearing as if in slow motion, striking Oliver square in the chest, flinging the older man backwards and onto his back. Harry rushed over and looked into Oliver's empty eyes, dead eyes, eyes that had once held so much life. He had probably been dead before he'd hit the ground. Harry turned to stare as the woman seemed to burst into flames and dissapear, leaving no trace that she had been there save the body that Harry held in his arms.
What was he supposed to tell Marcus?
*
Marcus Flint paced the length of the Slytherin common room, knowing that something was wrong. He knew something had happened to Oliver, he knew it. He wasn't stupid, he knew how to recognize and acknowlege a Lifebond, and he had willingly accepted. Oliver had known what it was as well, but had avoided Marcus like the plague, unwilling to admit that he'd fallen in love with his worst enemy. He'd fallen into a love that would last beyond death, and probably would kill the other partner when one of them died. It was inevitable.
Suddenly Marcus stopped, staring into nothingness as the Qudditch team stopped to stare at him. He took a shaking breath, feeling the outpouring of love, despair and other mixed emotions that had suddenly come from his link with Oliver. Then, as suddenly as the emotions had come, they were gone. Then Marcus felt the swift stab of agonizing pain strike him in the center of the chest, the impact throwing him across the room and through a table. Then, he knew. The one man Marcus wanted to share everything with, the one man he wanted to give everything to, the one man who held his heart and soul was dead. Gone, and he suddenly felt the will to live rush out of him as he realized he'd never see his lover again. Never see Oliver's smile or hear him whisper words that were utter nonsense in his ear. None of that, not ever again.
Draco Malfoy was standing over him, tears in his eyes and Marcus stood shakily. The younger man knew, he knew about Oliver. That meant that he was Lifebonded as well, that meant that Draco was Lifebonded to Harry Potter, who was supposed to be with Oliver practicing Qudditch. Then Draco felt the pain Harry did as he watched Marcus' lover fall, dead.
"Marcus..."
"NO!"
He staggered slightly before rushing out of the common room and breaking into a dead run in the hall, heading for the highest window in the tallest tower. He traveled up stairs and ran down corridors, emotion fueling him as he ran. He ran past a third year Divination class, Professor Trelawny yelling after him as he continued on his flight. He entered the Astronomy tower and collapsed against the window, noticing just then that he was crying.
Marcus took a shuddering breath before climbing onto the window sill and gazing out over the Dark Forest. "Oliver."
He looked up into the light of the blood-red sunset before whispering, "Oliver, I'm coming."
Then, he jumped.
*
"Marcus don't!!!" Draco yelled, knowing it was futile to get the older man to stop running in the heat of pain that seared through him. Draco attempted to follow, but made it only as far as the entrance hall when Harry entered, Oliver Wood's body floating behind him. Draco stared at his pale face, the tear streaks on his dirt-smudged face before stumbling over to his lover and allowing him to collapse in his arms. They sank to their knees, arms around each other as they cried, knowing that they had lost two men they looked up to.
"Harry.."
"Don't leave me Draco." Harry murmered. "Please."
"I won't. I promise."
Harry smiled, or attempted to as Draco leaned forward and kissed him, not a kiss of passion but one of comfort and love. As they both felt something within them shatter as a voice on the wind whispered...
"Oliver, I'm coming..."
~* finis *~