Title: One Step Away
Author: Kitai Shinsei
Rating: M (with me, this could have all manner of violence, nudity, sex and insanity… don't want to scare the kids…)
Spoilers: All Harry Potter books, except Deathly Hallows, since it's not out yet.
Disclaimer: Nothing recognisable as belonging to an actual published story is mine. Don't bother suing me. I'm unemployed. And no, this isn't getting me any money either.
Author Notes: Not sure where this came from. Just an idea that popped into my head. Let's see if it works. -
This is Harry Potter crossed with Dragons of Pern. It's not necessary to know the Pern series, as I will explain it well enough, and I'll only be using the world, not the characters from the books.
This story will contain male/male slash. In other words, male homosexuality, possibly also lesbianism. Don't like, don't read.
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Chapter 1
It was over. All of it. All the pain, all the suffering, the death and the torment. It was all over. Voldemort was dead. Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, the Chosen One, had fulfilled the Prophecy, and had succeeded in destroying, once and for all, the monster that had terrorised the Wizarding World for decades.
All over the world, people were celebrating. They were raising their glasses in toasts to their hero, Harry Potter. Harry Potter, who had overcome all the odds. Harry Potter, who had proved himself worthy time and time again of the title of "Boy Who Lived", no matter how much he despised it.
Harry Potter, possibly the only person in the Wizarding world who was not celebrating.
He stood where he had once fought Voldemort a couple years before, in the Department of Mysteries in the Ministry of Magic. He was in an amphitheatre-like place, standing before a tattered black veil, through which he had witnessed his godfather, one of the few people he loved, fall to his death.
He was thinking about that day, and the days since, when he had seen people die, people like Dumbledore, his only mentor, people like Percy Weasley, git though he was. Seamus Finnegan, who had been his dorm mate for seven years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Colin Creevey, alongside his little brother Dennis, gallant to the end.
Harry had watched them all fall, and each time a small part of him had died. But he knew he had to keep going, had to keep fighting, had to fulfil that goddamn Prophecy. He struggled on. Ron and Hermione, his two best friends, supported him whenever he let them. But he watched them grow closer, watched them fall in love, and he distanced himself. Let them have their happiness, he would think to himself. They deserve it.
But a small part of him would then ask, don't I deserve happiness too?
And now it was over. The war had been ended for a week and Harry had been inundated with press appearances and parties in his honour, and book offers and high-up Ministry positions, which he had declined.
Tonight was the first night since that final climatic battle he had had to himself. His first night in a long time to simply think. So he had left the Burrow, the home of the Weasleys, where he'd been staying, without saying goodbye, knowing that they'd probably worry and come looking for him, knowing that they'd probably find him in the next hour or so, regardless.
And he had come here, of all places, to the place where Sirius had died.
How cheerful.
Distantly, he heard a bell chime midnight, and some semblence of a smile twisted his lips. He was eighteen.
Harry sighed, and gazed at the veil, thoughtfully, watching it flapping in a non-existent breeze, hearing hushed, distant voices coming from beyond it. And he wondered, aloud, in a subdued voice, "I wonder if it hurt."
And he did wonder, often, if Sirius had felt pain when he died.
"Though… as ways go… I suppose yours wasn't too bad, Sirius."
It was easy too. To just step through, and not have to worry anymore. He wouldn't have to worry about appearances, wouldn't have to be the hero. He could just rest.
It all seemed so appealing, and without thinking, he took a step towards it.
"Harry?" The dark-haired young man froze, two thoughts flashing through his mind at once. The first: Who's there? and the second: Do it now, before he stops you.
But he turned, looking towards the entrance. A ghost of a smile brushed over his features. Charlie Weasley. His best friend Ron's second oldest brother, someone he hardly knew, yet someone who knew to give him space. He swallowed, and raised an arm in greeting, in farewell, and took another step.
"Harry, no! What are you doing?" Charlie sounded alarmed, even downright frightened, and Harry heard him rushing on the steps to get to him. Harry shook his head to himself. No. This was his choice, he wanted it, wanted to let go of everything. Distantly, he heard Charlie calling for someone else, calling for help, but he refused to allow it to distract him. He took another step; he could feel the cold coming from the veil, a biting cold that took his breath away.
Before he could move again however, he felt a pair of strong arms grab him around his waist, lifting him back. With a cry that was part disappointment, part despair, part anger, Harry struggled in Charlie's grip, unthinkingly throwing himself towards the veil and his goal.
And something happened. Either Harry was too strong, or Charlie lost his footing, or something from the depths of the veil itself grabbed onto them and tugged, but the next thing Harry knew was that they were falling into it. Falling into the blackness, and the numbing cold, and then he knew nothing.
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I'll say one thing here: This is not a one-shot. This story is not over! Expect another chapter!
Like? Review!
And yes, I know I'm a comma whore.
