DISCLAIMER: I don't own anyone. I only own the ideas, the plot.

Author's Notes: I started this fic to be submitted to the livejournal community, contrelamontre, but as the time limit was up, I found that this fic could not be finished where I should have stopped. So I'll be writing something else for contrelamontre's latest challenge. This is, as always, slash. Don't like? Don't read. That's all there is to it. Enjoy. Embrace. Review.

The End

By Katie of Gryffindor

He sat on the lakeshore, taking in the beauty of it all and looking in wonder at the world around him. The moonlight and the waves of the lake danced together in perfect harmony, bringing him pure unadulterated peace. He sat alone, knees pulled up to his chin, arms tied tightly around his legs. He sat in the moonlight, musing over the events of tonight.

Tonight should have been the end for him. Tonight should have been the worst night of his life. He was supposed to become enslaved to the one man he never desired to associate with. So much happened in this night to change his life. But somehow it went from his worst nightmare to the fulfillment of his wildest dream.

Draco Malfoy was to receive the Dark Mark tonight. Lucius Malfoy informed him that either he would receive the Mark, or he would relinquish the honor of being the heir to the Malfoy fortune. So, despite the fact that Draco had no desire to join the Dark Lord's followers, he was going to submit to the shameful enslavement.

Now many would be surprised at the revelation that Draco had no desire to submit to Voldemort's every whim. But those people would be the ones that had no understanding of the perplexity that was Draco Malfoy. Draco was a Slytherin, yes, and therefore cunning and conniving. However, he had never given in to do someone else's bidding. He thought himself a strong-willed man who took no one's orders. He was the one to give orders. So offering himself to be someone else's bitch was not one of Draco's top priorities.

But if he was to stay in the lifestyle to which he was accustomed, he would have to give in.

He went with Lucius to the Death Eaters' arranged rendezvous point and together, they dropped to one knee before Voldemort with their heads bowed in reverence.

The ritual was fast. Draco could still feel the pain of the mark being magically burnt into his skin. He remembered his first look at the shining blackness that was the skull and snake. He remembered shuddering at the sight. And he remembered Voldemort's evil laughter at the look of disgust and shame in Draco's eyes.

After he was marked, Draco had stepped back into the circle of Death Eaters, awaiting his new Lord's next instructions.

They never came.

At the exact moment Draco had stepped back into the circle, there were several loud pops, and members of the Order appeared in droves. Draco's silver eyes went wide as he saw who was leading the attack. His headmaster was at the forefront, of course, but at the old man's elbow was the one man that ever brought a new feeling to his heart.

It was the love of Draco's life. It was Harry Potter.

A second after the Order showed up, pandemonium ensued. The Death Eaters scattered, throwing the Killing Curse over their shoulders at the Order. Draco ran too, but he could barely send the Crutiatus Curse at anyone. He couldn't stand to hurt anyone. Especially not Harry.

Draco sat in a small alcove, watching the fight. He saw so many people die. And then the worst happened. Harry faced Lucius. Just as Draco's father was about to send the Killing curse at Harry, Draco heard Harry utter the words first.

Draco was stunned. He didn't know whether to kill Harry or hug him. He decided on the latter, for some reason.

He stumbled to his feet and ran to Harry's side. As he threw his arms around the amazed Gryffindor, he whispered into Harry's ear. "Thank you." Harry hugged Draco gingerly, stammering a quiet "you're welcome."

A loud cry made the two teens separate quickly. There was Voldemort standing before them, his wand trained on the two. The fury at his newest recruit was obvious in the fiery red eyes. Harry and Draco looked at each other at the same time and then pointed their wands at the Dark Lord. The combination of the two Killing Curses sent Voldemort to his final resting place at last.

The whole crowd, both Death Eaters and Order wizards, watched as two people, mere boys to the rest, took down the most evil wizard to walk the earth. After the spell was sent and Voldemort's body fell in a heap, the remaining Death Eaters fled, and the remains of the Order were hot on their heels. The only two living people left standing amid the mangled bodies of wizards were the two people who had been enemies for as long as they'd known each other.

Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter stood in the middle of the room strewn with the bodies of their comrades and foes. And they just stared at each other. They knew that there was one thought permeating both their minds. What now?

Neither young man moved. They just stared at each other, feeling confused by everything that had taken place in the last hour. Finally, Harry made the first move.

He stretched out a hand and took Draco's. Draco stared back and forth between the clasped hands between them and the shining green eyes before him. Hand in hand, they made their way out of the battle grounds and out to the world that awaited them.

Now, while his whole world celebrated the final downfall of Lord Voldemort, Draco sat on his own, wondering what would come next for him.

Draco stared out at the lake again. At the beginning of the night, he had thought that he was going to lose his whole world. He thought he would be enslaved for the rest of his life under a man whose values he did not share.

Instead, Draco was slave to nothing but his heart. He knew that he could now go to Harry and confess his love for the Boy-Who-Lived. And maybe, just maybe he had a chance to be loved in return.

Tonight should have been the end for him. But instead… Instead tonight turned out to be merely the beginning.