Killing me softly

Think this is another Harry creature fic? Bit of angst and drama, then a romantic mate and creature union? - Think again. The Dark lord is rising, his powers grow ever stronger, Harry's time is coming, but his power alone isn't enough. Can his inheritance help him? Prepare for sacrifice.

Takes place in his last year

Warnings-

SS/HP + hints of DM-HP pairing – if you don't like that pairing then this likely isn't the fic for you. Don't like it – don't read it.

Character death

Chapter 11

Harry now felt immensely awkward, something had shifted between two of the three most prominent Slytherins in his life... Snape's gratitude was incalculable, and Draco owed Harry and Snape his life! It was a shift in the right direction and yet despite this shift, or maybe because of it, Harry was no longer sure especially in the case of Draco, whether his company was welcome or not.

"S-so I gather Divination has something going for it after all..."

Draco drowsily drawled as he slowly came round. Snape leapt from his chair immediately, and with a fatherly air, carefully pulled his fingers soothingly through Draco's hair, careful to avoid the sore areas of his scalp.

"She'll go to Askaban, she'll never see the bloody light of day Draco, I swear it"

Snape whispered harshly, his dark eyes glittering with something so dark and vicious, it seemed even Draco shifted from it. Harry watched Draco with curiosity; he expected the news to go down well with his rival, after all had he been attacked in the manner Draco had been Askaban would be a welcome mention. Curiously there was no malice in Draco's silver eyes, there was none of the vicious satisfaction he expected to see there, he looked almost forlorn.

"I'm her greatest punishment... She failed her promise, that'll hurt her more than anything"

The tone wasn't particularly satisfied, it was said matter of fact, and yet there seemed to be a hint of something Harry hadn't heard in Draco's voice before. He shifted uncomfortably and his movement seemed to remind Draco of his presence, surprisingly penetrating eyes latched onto his.

"Why did you do that? Why save a Deatheater?"

Harry stared at Draco for awhile, contemplating his answer...

"Because I'm not... You're a git Malfoy, a sodding git but you didn't deserve that"

And then something like a flash of lightening, which he later took for insight passed through Harry then and he came to a startling revelation, one he would have last year thought beyond contemplation but now answered everything.

"And as for you being a Deatheater..."

Harry smiled ruefully

"There's never been forced Gryffindor and Slytherin pairings, now suddenly this year I've found myself next to you in nearly every lesson! First potions and then Divination, it drove me mad wondering where this sudden compulsion to stuff us together had come from and now it all makes sense. You're not a Deatheater and that's why (Harry turned to look at Snape) Severus paired us together, he wanted me to save you, from Voldermort."

Draco flinched slightly at 'Voldermort' before looking at Harry challengingly.

"I'm not saved yet, Potter"

He murmured, pulling the sleeve of his dressing gown up and to reveal a pale unmarked forearm. Harry looked deeply at his rival, taking in his battered appearance, remembering the horrific scene he had walked into and just imagining the horror Draco must have gone through... The hatred wasn't there; the usual burning hatred just couldn't be conjured, not now.

"Then I'm not finished with you yet."

Something passed through Draco's eyes but before Harry could even contemplate it, Madam Promfrey started ushering them out in earnest, Harry gulped at Madame Promfrey's bravery in persisting under Snape's most glacial glare.

"You can see him tomorrow Severus, but for god-sakes the boy needs his rest!"

In an uncharacteristic display of affection, Snape bent over and pressed a chaste kiss to Draco's forehead. The tender moment reminded Harry both painfully of Sirius and how intoxicating it had felt when those lips had kissed his so ravenously.

They had just passed through the hospital wing, when a hand firmly, but not painfully, latched around his wrist. Harry paused obligingly, and suddenly nervous, turned back to the shadowed man with glittering eyes behind him..

"I wanted to thank you, if you hadn't persisted, if you'd let me-"

"I didn't and he didn't. You really don;t have to thank me for this Severus-"

"Yes I do"

Harry suddenly realised Snape was right up close. He could feel his breath on his face, could smell his musky almost spicy scent, and suddenly Snape's lips were on his own. The kiss was deep, intense and extremely quick, it happened so fast Harry could almost believe he had imagined it, had he not been able to see the professor disappear into the darkness of the castle walls.

It had been nagging Harry ever since he had returned to his room, for reasons not entirely clear to him, he sincerely wanted to find Stevenson. He felt a strange certain kinship with her, the sort he felt with Neville in that they had all lost their parents one or another to Voldermort and his followers. And yet, whilst he and Neville had remained inherently kind, save from direct revenge on the perpetrator, had no particular malice against anyone. It gave Harry no great pleasure to kill Deatheaters,

Hey! Hope you all like this chapter, as ever eagerly awaiting your views!

Regards

Lisi the slayer