The End of Darkness

Slash Harry/Draco. One-shot; the final moment in the battle between Harry and Voldemort with Draco, Hermione and Ron looking on. Things don't always go the way they should. Humor/Romance.

Disclaimer: All of the Characters belong to JK Rowling.

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The war had taken its toll and so many had died. All that was left of the Order was Harry, Hermione and Ron, three of the four now facing Voldemort. The fourth was Harry's boyfriend Draco, who was only alive because Harry had dragged him along with him every step of the way during his quest for the Dark Lord.

But now they stood before Voldemort, the four of them, but only one of them had anything at stake, at least at the moment. Harry was facing Voldemort alone and after a long, exhausting battle Harry stood with a huge magical sword in his hand, stolen from Voldemort and the only weapon that could kill the Dark Lord.

Voldemort chuckled, 'go ahead little, brave Gryffindor, kill me. But you should know, the user of the sword must also die. And that is the true interpretation of the prophecy; one must die for the other to live… however, one only lives if I kill you. If you kill me, we must both die.' More heinous laughter followed.

Harry knew it was true and he didn't want to die. He looked at Draco standing to his left, dirty and battered after their struggles to find the Dark Lord and his face washed in pain from the words Voldemort had spoken. Draco too, knew the words were true. Harry's heart dropped to his belly at the sight of his boyfriend; he couldn't do it, he couldn't die and leave his love behind.

His best friends also knew Voldemort spoke the truth. Hermione was crying, her shoulder's shaking violently and Ron was holding her gently, tears falling along his cheeks. Harry didn't want to leave them either…they depended on him as much as he did on them. Not just for support during the war, but for support to live on in the wake of the destruction.

If Harry killed Voldemort, he would die and the three of them would have to somehow try to pull their lives together without him. Years of pain and anguish would follow, not just from losing him, but from the losses they had suffered as a result of the war. But his death was like the icing on the cake; Harry knew that the one thing that they all needed was each other, without that, any victory would be hollow.

But there was really no choice. Voldemort had to die.

Harry looked at Draco once more…it would be the last time he would do so and something inside of him burst with anger, anguish, sorrow and frustration.

And Voldemort was laughing again.

Harry noticed the Dark Lord had started moving toward him. He was clearly after the sword; he would kill Harry if he reached him and managed to seize the sword from his hands. Then Harry would be dead, but Voldemort would live and likely kill his friends…and his lover…after a good amount of torture.

"NO!" Harry yelled, lifting the sword and running forward.

Voldemort knew of Harry's feelings, especially those he harbored for his lover, Draco. He knew with every fiber of his being that Harry would never kill him and allow himself to die; that would mean losing his love forever and the Gryffindor would never be able to do that. The Dark Lord knew that for a fact and was repeating it to himself when Harry plunged the sword deep within his chest.

Voldemort died with a keen look of surprise upon his face; that is, before his body exploded in white light. When the light faded, all that remained of Voldemort was a stray bone or two.

But Harry too was surrounded by white light. He had pulled the sword from Voldemort's chest and stood holding it to the ceiling. He felt the life slipping from him and his eyes in those last moments caught sight of his love. Draco was running toward him, screaming his name with tears running from his eyes and his face the picture of utter torment.

Harry, with the last of his breath, strength and energy, suddenly tore his eyes from his lover and looked to the sky at the hilt of the sword.

The last words anyone heard from the Gryffindor before the life flew from his body were incomprehensible. They were in parseltongue.

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Harry's eyes fluttered open and he saw…green. He blinked a few times and slowly began raising his head. He was apparently lying on the ground, a soft, grassy ground.

He rose slowly feeling around for his glasses and finally his fingers made contact with them and he shoved them onto his face.

'WHAT IN THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE?'

Harry's head jerked around and he saw his lover, Draco, storming toward him in what looked like a vicious rage.

'Draco,' Harry exclaimed happily and a little breathlessly as he struggled to stand upright.

'Where the hell are we?' Draco said, his voice full of venom, although he had stopped screaming.

Harry looked to his right and saw that Hermione and Ron were slowly rising from the ground, not too far from where he stood.

Draco had reached him.

Harry was still inspecting the landscape, 'well to be honest, I am not quite certain where we are…yet. I just woke up.'

'NOR AM I,' Draco had lost control of his temper again, 'BUT I KNOW ONE THING, I DIED! I DIED IN THAT CAVERN AFTER YOU KILLED VOLDEMORT!'

'Oh that,' Harry said a little sheepishly, 'yes, well, I figured it was for the best. I didn't want to leave you…or Hermione or Ron either. The four of us…we were all we had.'

'SO YOU KILLED US ALL?'

'In a manner of speaking yes, I just allowed the death spell to permeate the room.'

Draco stomped his foot and through his hand to his face in utter disgust, 'I can't believe you killed us all!'

Hermione and Ron had finally made it to where the pair stood and Harry noted Hermione didn't look too happy.

'What do you mean he killed us all? I thought I died, I remember dying, but I couldn't credit it. I mean, Voldemort died, Harry was dying and the next thing I knew I fell to the ground, the life running right out of my body.'

'Yes, Harry here,' Draco said, raising a forefinger to point accusingly at his boyfriend, 'thought it would be a great idea to bring us along with him.'

Hermione turned to face Harry, her own face red with rage, 'you killed us?' her eyes were wide with incredulity.

Harry frowned, 'well I didn't kill you per se, I just allowed you to come with me. I saw you sobbing and Ron was crying. Draco was fairly balling…I just thought you guys were so upset at the thought of me dying you would no longer wish to go on in that world. So I brought us…" Harry looked around, 'here. I believe it is – yes!' he said excitedly looking into the distance, 'this is the gateway to the wizard after-life!'

'What were you thinking?' Draco fumed, 'I can't believe you! Just because you had to die, you thought all of us were ready to die in that moment also? What kind of lame ass thinking is that?'

Harry began shuffling his feet, 'well everyone we knew on earth…they are all dead.'

'INCLUDING US!' Draco spat.

Ron cut in, 'well I think Harry is right. We would be miserable down there. My whole family died during the war and-'

'I don't care about your whole bloody family!' Draco interjected loudly, 'my whole damned family is dead too, but that didn't mean I was ready to die!' He looked at Harry with scorn.

'I just thought,' Harry responded in a small voice, 'that since everyone was here, we could all join them and it would be just like on earth, but better. There is no evil here, just all of the wizards we love and who we loss during the war.'

Ron's eyes began to shine.

Harry was encouraged and continued. Your parents, Draco, they are here and they will show you only love here; the influence of Voldemort is no more, he was utterly destroyed and won't live in any world anymore. My parents will be here…and yours too Ron…and yours as well Hermione! They weren't wizards, but Dumbledore assured me they would be here, he made it so!'

The light fell from Ron's eyes as he looked around, 'where is everyone? We seem to be the only people here.'

Harry looked toward a distant mountain, 'they are just beyond that mountain. Dumbledore told me, if you cross the mountain you join the wizards in the after-life,' he paused, enjoying the light that once again began shining from Ron's eyes, 'but those who just can't forsake earth and stay here for two days rather than crossing the mountain, well they return to earth from here…as ghosts.'

'YOU MEAN TO TELL ME-' Draco broke off, his ire so great it left him speechless for a second or two, 'YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT THE ONLY ALTERNATIVE I HAVE NOW IS TO BE A DAMNED GHOST IF I RETURN TO EARTH?'

Harry cringed a little at his lover's anger and nodded slowly.

'I'm gonna-' Draco began, setting off toward Harry with his arms outstretched.

Ron grabbed Draco, 'hang on, hang on,' he muttered, physically trying to contain the Slytherin, 'Harry brought you because he loves you.'

Draco was furiously struggling to break Ron's grip and Harry was backing away from them. He really was not up for being clawed.

'He's right; I couldn't – couldn't live anywhere without you,' Harry said softly.

'YOU AREN'T GOING TO LIVE PERIOD AS SOON AS I GET MY HANDS ON YOU, WHICH WILL BE AS SOON AS I CAN GET THIS DAMNED WEASEL OFF ME!' Draco declared fighting viciously with Ron.

'Draco's right!' Hermione said angrily, 'you had no right to bring us here! You made up our minds for us!'

'But I did it for you all!' Harry said sincerely, 'you know you wouldn't have been happy there!'

Ron threw Draco heavily to the ground, knocking the wind out of the Slytherin and he remained on the grass, fuming and trying to regain his breath.

Hermione sighed her anger fading into acceptance, 'well there is little we can do about it now. We will just have to cross the mountain. I know the after-life is a beautiful thing, I just really hadn't planned to see it so soon.'

Harry looked a bit chagrined.

'Come on Hermione, you'll see, you'll love it and your parents are there,' Ron said eagerly.

Hermione perked up a little at the thought, and something very akin to happiness began flowing from her eyes as she looked toward the mountain. Turning, she began walking with Ron toward the towering expanse.

Draco finally recovered his wind and had begun to rise. His eyes were shooting daggers at his lover.

'I'm sorry, I just didn't think you had anything to live for there, but I knew you had so much to live for here,' Harry's tone was pleading.

Draco narrowed his eyes, 'you could have warned me before we went to the cavern to kill Voldemort! I had no reason to think I wouldn't be returning to Malfoy manor and there are things…things there that I treasure! Things that are irreplaceable and being here without it is going to make this place hell!'

Harry's face jerked upward to meet his love's eyes, 'it?'

Draco flushed a little, 'THINGS!'

'You said it.'

'Well I meant things!'

A small smile curved on Harry's lips and he reached into the dirty sack that he'd carried on his back during the last three weeks while hunting Voldemort. He pulled out a very old, very fuzzy, quite small, teddy bear and held it out before him.

'Is this what you are referring to when you say things?'

Draco's body stiffened and his face flushed an even deeper red. He stormed toward Harry and snatched the teddy bear from his hands, then turned his back to the Gryffindor.

Harry slowly approached his lover and moved to face him. He ducked so he could see Draco's down turned face and was not one bit surprised to see two little tears finding their way down his cheeks.

Draco looked up, his expression still rebellious, but his eyes were shining. 'You brought him.'

Harry nodded.

The two stood in silence for a few moments before Harry spoke again, 'was there anything else at the manor that you wanted?'

Draco shook his head slowly, stubbornly.

Harry smiled.

Draco looked up, his expression petulant, 'I couldn't live without him,' he paused looking at his teddy again and then met Harry's eyes again, 'or without you.'

'I know,' Harry said, his smile growing a little wider.

Draco flung his arms around Harry and hugged him tightly, 'you made the perfect decision in that cavern, considering you brought teddy. I would have followed you anyway, after retrieving him of course.'

'I know,' Harry said gently.

Draco's lips curved upward for a moment and then he leaned in to give his lover a rather fervent kiss.

After a few moments Harry edged his lips from the Slytherin's, 'we should get going,' he said lightly.

Draco nodded and turned to walk beside Harry toward the mountain…Hermione and Ron had already made it half way there.

'But you still should have told me,' Draco scolded Harry, his tone quarrelsome.

Harry grinned; the afterlife would be perfect. All of his family and friends and…his love. His ever quarrelsome love. And Draco was so damned cute when he argued…

The End