Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter
Warning: CHARACTER DEATH, MAJOR CHRACTER DEATH!!!!!!
Well here it is, the second to last chapter, after this there is only the epilogue left. I didn't want to write this chapter in honesty, it's depressing and would most likely end up upsetting a lot of readers. Yet at the same time it's an important chapter, and very necessary to the plot. I hate writing emotional stuff since it will only cause to lose my flow, where I find that chapter doesn't fit right anymore. I hope this one turned out a lot better, and please do remember some of the 'Old Soul' rules I had set up at the beginning.
Beta read by Lanie1277
Chapter 25: To end up in your arms
///Run
The pounding of footsteps.
Run.
He couldn't breathe properly, his muscles hurt from the lactic acid build up, he could feel them cramping up.
Run, keep running.
Shouting, the howling and barking of dogs close behind; he was still being followed. This couldn't go on forever. His heart pounded in his throat. Twigs snapped under him, cold air slapped against his face. He stumbled over a log, but managed to catch his footing and kept on running. He had to get away, if he stayed there…
"Marcus!"
The blonde stopped when he heard that familiar voice. A smile filtered on his haggard face when he spotted his lover.
"Azur!" he shouted happily, and ran towards him. They embraced each other in a short hug before Azur started pulling him along.
"Come, I have the horses ready," he said and led them to the beasts. Just as they mounted them, shots were fired.
"Ugh," Azur grunted as he doubled over.
"Azur!"
The raven looked up and gave him a small smile, "I'm fine, it's just a scratch; let's keep going." They pulled in the reigns and galloped away.
The shouts became fainter; they had almost made it, but Marcus noticed how badly Azur was lagging behind. He looked behind him and saw how pale and tired his lover looked under the moonlight. "Azur…?"
"It's fine, we're almost there…"but he didn't sound so sure. His voice wavered, and his vision was starting to blur. Marcus bit his bottom lip worriedly but nodded; he turned back to look where they were running. The forest started to thin out and they reached the clearing, a ruined church standing in the middle; the border was just a mile away from here. They would be safe then.
"ARGH!"
Marcus gasped when he saw the raven fall to the ground, but his horse kept on riding. The blonde pulled at the reigns; the beast under him neighed at the force and came to a stop. Unsteadily he got off the horse and rushed over to Azur. Then he noticed the blood; his clothes were drenched in the precious liquid. This was more than just a scratch.
He helped prop his lover up so that he could get a better look. It was a chest wound, and a deep one at that. "Azur, you idiot," he scolded.
"It's fine…"
"It isn't fine!" he shouted. A pained gasp was his reply. Tears threatened to spill, god this couldn't be happening! This couldn't…
"…I'm sorry…"
"Don't you dare, don't you dare do this to me now!"
"Sorry… I'm so sorry…I"
"Azur… Azur, please! We'd promised we would run away, we promised each other…" A bloodied hand reached to cup his face. Those lovely green eyes were almost glassy, the fire in them dimming.
"I love you…"
"AZUR!"////
Draco gasped awake. He was still in the Owlery, the birds above him hooting erratically at the noise he was making.
It was a dream, no, a memory, another flashback of his past. Azur had died in his- no, Marcus' hands. He looked down at his shaking hand and for a second he could imagine them covered in blood. What did it matter? It happened in the past; it had nothing to do with him…
"…I'm sorry…"
No, no, it wasn't Harry, it wasn't him. He closed his eyes and hunched over, but the voice in his head only seemed to get louder.
"I love you…"
Those green eyes, so like his, turned to lifeless glass. Could this vision come true again? Could Harry…
The fight! It was going to happen, Harry could die today! No, he wouldn't let that happen again, not again. He didn't care if Marcus and he were the same or not, all that mattered was Harry. With new determination he stood up from the filthy ground and was about to walk out of the Owlery when something caught his eye. He looked towards the window and grew pale when he saw the dark mark floating in the sky.
It had already started.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Setting up ranks wasn't easy; you simply couldn't make the decision of who should go out there first. It would go without saying that Harry would be first, but who would go with him?
"Harry…"
The raven looked up to see Ron standing in front of him; neither had gotten much sleep, and the anticipation was only wearing them down mentally. Harry smiled warily up at his friend as the redhead sat down beside him.
"Ron?"
"You shouldn't worry mate, everyone in DA is with you."
"But they shouldn't be…"
The redhead sighed and looked at the ground, "It can't be helped; if this is really happening now then we have to band together, because if it hadn't been for Hermione…" Ron didn't continue. But Harry knew what he meant; she had been with them from the start. She had helped them build and organize this mini-army.
The silence stretched on for hours it seemed, neither knowing what else to say to comfort each other. It seems there was little hope; all they could look forward to was that Harry's vision was wrong and they would live another day, but the way Voldemort was raging around in Harry's head made him think that the other wouldn't wait for long. It made him wonder something: did they grow up too quickly? It seemed like Harry never had a childhood, and his brief life in this school had only left him with more problems. Then Draco… god his missed the ferret…
The silence by now was starting to become uncomfortable, so Ron decided to break it.
"So you and Malfoy, eh?"
Harry's face grew red, "How did you know?"
He passed his best friend a cheeky grin. "I'm not as stupid as many think, if left on my own devices I can figure things out pretty quickly!"
Harry stared at the redhead as if he had grown another head, and then burst out laughing; Ron snorted and soon joined in. They laughed like maniacs, and slowly the anxiety they had felt seemed to drain out of their bodies. It was relief, a sign to show that everything may just turn out alright. That it didn't have to be all negative.
Their laugher died down to lighthearted chuckles; Harry sighed again and wearily he stood up and walked towards the door, when Ron asked him something that made him sad again.
"So where is he?" the redhead asked.
Harry looked towards the small window; he saw a flash of green light shoot into the sky. A skull formed from the sparks, and between its teeth slithered out a hissing snake.
"Running away from destiny," the raven said and gave a sad smile.
It was time.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
They had come like a tidal wave, crushing everything in front of them with spells.
"Stupefy!"
The walls of the school couldn't hold the force, no matter what kind of protective spells they used Voldemort's own spells were too strong. The walls soon crumbled, and the fight was taken outside the castle grounds.
"Protego!"
"Incendo!"
"Aguamenti!"
So many lights, like flashes of multi-coloured lightning. The whooshing screams of Dementors flying above them like scavengers. Giants formed a shield, their bulky size repelling weaker spells easily. Werewolves were like strikers; they came like bullets, pouncing the over-stressed students. The ground had turned to mud beneath them; Harry had lost his footing so many times. He growled out in frustration, and shot another Flipendo at a raging Death Eater.
Both sides were equally strong; over the years Dumbledore, Remus and Hagrid had been working hard to amass the trust of magical creatures. The Centaurs and Elves with their bow and arrows at the back, Hagrid standing with Harry providing a shield as he searched out the Dark Lord. Ron was beside him, doing his best to cast offensive spells.
They moved right through the middle, splitting the wave in half. He could hear screaming, and worst of all Tom's laughter. That psycho was happy! Laughing like a child as he shot one killing spell after the other at friend or foe.
"Confringo!"
He ducked down as the spell flew over his head and the ground behind him exploded. "Levicorpus!" and left the person hanging upside down in the air.
He kept on running; the scar on his head stung and tingled unpleasantly the closer he got to Voldemort's location.
"ARGH!" Harry turned to see Ron stumble, his shoulder bleeding heavily.
"Ron!" Harry shouted and ran to him.
"It's alright, keep going, that freak has to be stopped!" he said, stumbling into a standing position and clutching his shoulder. Harry gave a reluctant nod, and kept on going.
That's when he felt it, amongst all the confusion that feeling of dread. His scar burned; he winced and turned around to see the towering figure surrounded by death, his own red eyes staring down at Harry with glee.
"Potter," he hissed, that long black tongue poking out between his thin pale lips.
"Tom."
Voldemort frowned when he heard his name. "Today you die, boy."
"Not before you, Tom."
Voldemort growled in frustration and raised his wand. Harry almost didn't manage to dodge the green flash thrown at him. He aimed his own spell at the man, and Voldemort easily sidestepped it without a problem. The ground was too slippery for Harry to gain a proper footing; he flailed around, trying to evade the Dark Lord and his searing curses.
"Don't run boy, let me end thisss quickly."
"As if, Stupefy!"
"Enneverta." And the spell was repelled without a problem.
Harry ducked away and ran behind some rubble for cover. The maniac kept on laughing; he was enjoying having the golden boy cornered.
"Tell me Potter, where isss that blood Traitor?" he asked. "Did he run away and leave you to die?"
Harry didn't answer; he shouldn't listen to what that bastard was saying, he was only trying to manipulate him. But the words still stung. Draco didn't leave him to die. He was just confused, just like Harry he was just confused as to what was happening. Draco hadn't left him…
Yet Voldemort continued on, every one of his words cutting into him. "Malfoy'sss are like that you know, they run away at the ssssight of danger."
Harry frowned, Draco hadn't run away! He… he was just…
"You are alone here Harry, no one's going to help you now! Avada Kedavra!"
Harry ducked again as the spell blasted against the rock face, and rising shouted back the killing curse.
"Ho, oh, usssing that cursse yoursssself? Hassss the golden boy fallen low?" Voldemort said with a mocking tone.
"Be quiet you!" he shouted back. Without even thinking he rushed the Dark Lord. But Voldemort was ready and flung him back like a piece of paper.
Harry hit the ground hard; he winced, the scar burning and throbbing in pain. He couldn't see properly, did he manage to hit his head? He tried to sit up, then noticed that the slim cool wood of his wand was gone. He reached around him but found that it wasn't anywhere near him. He turned to see Voldemort slowly gliding his way towards him, his snake-like face kept on grinning down at Harry.
"Losst your wand, Potter? You are cccertainly making it eassssy for me..." he said with a sneer, his low baritone voice causing Harry to shudder.
"Not long now, I'm sssure your family will be happy to sssee you again," he said peculiarly slow, and raised his wand. It hummed with power, with slight sparks flying from the end.
"Avada Ke-"
"Expelliarmus!" Voldemort stumbled back by the force of the spell, and Harry gasped out in surprise when he saw who had thrown the spell.
"Draco?!"
The blonde ran towards him and helped the raven sit up. "What are you doing here?" Harry asked.
"What does it look like? I'm helping you," he said and thrust Harry's wand into his hand.
"But-but…"
"You're not alone. I'm here," he said firmly and helped Harry up to his feet.
They turned when they heard a low chuckle. Voldemort straightened himself out, and gave them a mocking stare. "I see the blood traitor hasss come to ssssee his little lover die," he hissed. "You can both die TOGETHER!" he shouted and a green stream shot out of it.
"NOO!" Harry raised his own wand and a golden stream shot out.
The streams crossed and coiled around each other, wringing them apart; the wands seemed to howl in pain, and the wind picked up around them. Harry forced more of his magic in, but his wand was starting to shake violently in his sweaty hands. Then he felt something cool wrap themselves around his hand; he looked to his side to see Draco standing beside him, steadying his grip.
"You can do it…" he whispered, and Harry felt a sudden warmth spread through his body.
Draco's magic was flowing through him, and he felt himself relax under his influence. It was much easier now to force his magic through. He noticed a silver strand making its way out of his wand and mix with his own stream. It strummed violently, its force enough almost throwing him back; even Voldemort seemed to be having trouble keeping his footing. Where the streams met it glowed a white hot red, and then-
…
Silver eyes opened but instantly closed at the bright light. Draco groaned and rubbed his eyes, and for a second he wondered what had happened. All noise had stopped; he squinted and saw that it was already approaching dawn, but it was still too quiet. Where were the Death Eaters? What had happened?
Did they defeat Voldemort, he wondered, and where was Harry…?
Harry!
Draco sprung up as quickly as his battered body would allow him; the first thing he saw were two broken wands, and something that looked like a burned cloak with smoke rising from the top. By Merlin, he hoped those were Voldemort's remains, but there was no sign of Harry. Panic rose inside of him and he started his search. Stumbling over rubble, trying to sense where his mate is; the link between them was unusually weak, and he feared for Harry's life.
"Ugh…" he groaned when he felt a stabbing sensation down his chest and leg, but as far as he could tell he had no open wounds. He fell to the ground, and breathing started getting a bit difficult.
He heard it then, ever so lightly someone calling his name. "Draco…" came a light whisper.
"Harry?" he murmured.
"Draco…" it came again, this time more urgent.
He crawled over the rubble and saw a bloodied hand twitching and reaching towards him. "Harry!" the blonde shouted and hurried towards the fallen figure, only to recoil at the sight he saw.
His love, his Harry was laying on his back, beaten, his robes soaked heavily with blood. The origin of the blood came from a protruding spike that had embedded itself in his chest; his leg looked twisted and broken. Draco's eyes widened in fear, and he scrambled over to Harry; God this was like the flashback all over again. He was going to lose Harry again!
"Draco…" the blonde's heart broke when saw the relieved look the raven held. Even now he was more worried about others than himself.
"Harry… you idiot, not again, this can't happen again…"
"I'm sorry…"
"Fuck NO, not again."
"So sorry…" Harry started coughing blood, his lung was punctured. Things were starting to get a bit hazy.
Draco looked around desperately. "MEDIC, MEDIC, SOMEBODY HELP ME!" he shouted, but there was no one around.
"Draco…"
"Medic! Please don't do this to me Harry…" a bloodied hand reached up to cup his face. This was too much like his past, and his eyes started welling up with tears.
"I'm really sorry Draco, this wasn't meant to (gasp) happen… do- do you still love me…?"
The blonde gave a remorseful chuckle and leaned down. "Always, and forever…" he whispered and kissed his lover's bloodied lips. He savoured the connection, and sobbed when he felt the warmth escaping from the contact. Those green eyes looked so blank now; the pain in his chest got worse, and Draco knew he wouldn't have long to live himself. He gave a sad smile and stroked soft raven locks, moving them away from Harry's face.
"Until we meet again then, love." And laid down beside Harry with their hands intertwined.
That's the end…well not the complete end, the epilogue will hold a surprise (I hate unhappy endings)
Now review please and join the dark side we have cookies!